OUT OF THE WILDERNESS

On the few occasions that I have stated to Christians that the Church is still in the wilderness,  I have met with protest. One lady stated emphatically, “Well I’m not!”  It is true that we are seated ‘together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus,’ that is our legal and eternal position in Christ. It is all ours ‘by grace through faith.’ However in our experience we have not yet entered into the fullness of Kingdom authority. What is ours legally has to be brought into our experience if it’s going to change the world.

Even Jesus had to do spend time in the wilderness. As Man He had to walk the walk that we are called to walk. Jesus came out of the wilderness ‘in the power of the Spirit’ and began to tackle the Enemy’s strongholds – casting out demons, healing the sick, raising the dead, preaching the good news to the oppressed and bringing people out of bondage.

“For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”    1 John 3:8

Israel was called ‘The Church (or the congregation) in the wilderness.’ For forty years they wandered in the wasteland until a new generation emerged under Joshua and then they went to war. After a few preliminary battles east of Jordan, they finally crossed the river and brought down the towering stronghold of Jericho. Then they went on to possess the Land.

 We will start bringing down the Enemy’s strongholds when we come out of the wilderness. Do we even know that that is what we’re supposed to be doing? Much of Christendom seems to believe that Jesus will do that when He returns; but the Bible says that Jesus is seated at the right hand of God ‘waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.’ (Hebrews 10:13)

On the Christian radio station just recently, a converted Muslim was giving his powerful testimony and sharing the amazing things that are happening in the Middle East, with thousands coming to Christ through dreams and visions. For years Christians have been targeting the Muslim world in prayer, especially during the month of Ramadan. We are beginning to see the results. This speaker closed with a challenging statement that; just as a few decades ago it was time for the Communist strongholds – the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtin to come down, so now is the time for the Muslim strongholds to be brought down.  Amen to that!

Instead of looking to the skies for the Rapture Rescue ‘any moment now,’ we need to be tackling the strongholds of Islam with the certainty that in Jesus’ Mighty All-conquering Name, the walls will fall. Imagine the effect of millions of ex-Muslims doing jihad for Jesus against the devil. Then imagine every stronghold of the Enemy that holds humanity captive, falling like dominos, till every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord. That’s the Lord’s plan for the Church. ‘I will build My Church and the gates of hell will not stand against it.’

What was the wilderness experience about really? Largely it was about a question of identity. God had said of Jesus, ‘This is My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased.’ The Devil tempted, ‘IF You are the Son of God……..’: God had said of Israel, ‘Israel is My son, My Firstborn” (Exodus 4:22). Their faith confession was ‘We’re just a bunch of grasshoppers.’ Tackling giants and their strongholds was way beyond them. When they finally did cross Jordan, they found that all the hosts of heaven were waiting to join the battle.

Are we still in the wilderness? Well the vanguard of the Church is emerging. The rest will be playing catch-up till finally God’s mighty Army brings down the gates of hell and possesses the Land and King Jesus will reign on the Earth.

Comments and questions are invited.  Val

THE GLORY OF HIS PRESENCE

Every Christian has experienced in some measure at least, the presence of God - some more than others.When you were born again, you began to know that Other Presence with you. When you were filled with the Spirit,  that sense of His presence increased - that beautiful presence which draws us on to follow after and which causes us to lift up our hearts in worship. This is what every person in the world is longing for, even though they may not know it. As Saint Augustine said, "You have made us for Thyself and our hearts cannot rest until it rests in Thee"

Now magnify that presence many times over - the beauty of His holiness, the knowledge of His Glory, the deep, deep satisfaction of His fathomless love. This is what will pervade the Church in this last great move of God. This is what the world is seeking.

That presence will convince the world of the reality of God and the truth of His Word. It will bring conviction of sin. Witness its effect on Isaiah in the temple; on Job when he saw His Glory; on Moses who had to wear a veil to cover the reflected Glory on his face. That presence will bring healing and cause every knee to bow and every tongue to confess the Lordship of Christ. That presence will have every demon fleeing in dread.  His presence will wash away all the filth and the hurt and the hate of this world.

Back in the days of the Charismatic Renewal, I saw something of the power of His presence. People surrendered to the Lord without anyone preaching to them or sharing 'The four spiritual laws' with them. His presence said it all.

In the worldwide Awakening that is coming, the intensity of His presence will be greater than anything we have previously experienced. How do I know all this? Because I see in the Type of the Tabernacle that the Church is about to go into the Holy of Holies - beyond the Veil.

The Day if Atonement was the holiest Day of the year for Israel. Some things happened in the solemn rituals connected to that day that were unique. On that day only, the High Priest went through the Veil; and on that day the Scapegoat was taken out into the wilderness carrying all of the sins of all of the people.

These rituals portray a deeper revelation and experience of the Cross. We know that historically, the Veil was torn at the time of Jesus' death; but what does that mean for us personally? We can know that the Crucifixion really happened; but unless we come personally to the Cross we won't receive its benefits. Likewise, the rending of the Veil can be just a fact of history unless it is personally applied. I have written about this in my book "End Time Insights."  I hope you manage to get a copy of it and take a walk through the Tabernacle and experience the rending of the Veil for yourself.

The removal of the Veil comes with the truth of the finished work of Christ. Hitherto we have not come into the full realisation of just what the cross accomplished. When we do we will rise 'unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ' [Ephesians 4:13] and be a 'glorious Church without spot or wrinkle'.[Ephesians 5:26] When we, by the Spirit, behold His glory, we will become glorious because it is a spiritual principle that 'what we see, we will be.'
"But we all with unveiled face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory unto glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord." [2 Corinthians 3:18] 

We are changed, not by crossing t's and dotting i's but by beholding the Glory of His presence beyond the Veil. It is this removal of the Veil in the Church which will draw in the nations and bring into manifestation all that Jesus died for.

"And he will destroy in this mountain [Mt Zion- the Church] the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations.
He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth; for the Lord hath spoken it.
And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us; this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation." Isaiah 25:7 - 9

THE REAL WAR - WAKE UP CHURCH

What really is happening on planet Earth? Why this great upsurge of evil? Behind it all is a spiritual battle destined to climax at the end of the age.  Back at the dawn of Biblical history God promised that the Seed of the woman would crush the Serpent’s head. Later God chose a man called Abraham through whom the promised Seed would come. He said to Abraham “Thy Seed shall possess the gate of his enemies” [Genesis 22:17] The Seed is one but many – a plural one. 

Abraham had physical seed through Isaac [Genesis 21:12] and spiritual Seed through Christ. [Galatians 3:16, 3:29]

To Abraham’s natural seed God gave an inheritance – The Promised Land, Canaan. To Abraham’s spiritual Seed He gave the Earth.

“For the promise that he would be heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.” [Romans 4:13]

Those who are Abraham’s Seed through faith in Christ are heirs to the Earth. The Promised Land Canaan is described as a ‘good land, flowing with milk and honey’: However it was occupied by  enemy strongholds.  Israel had to dispossess the enemy and occupy the Land for the Kingdom of God. ] Likewise our Earth is under the sway of the wicked one [1 John 5:19] and is over-run by enemy strongholds. God’s will is that His Kingdom should come on Earth as it is in heaven. That, for us, is the Promised Land.

 

God redeemed Israel from bondage through the blood of the Passover Lamb. He commissioned them to possess the Land and establish the Kingdom He equipped them at Sinai for the task. They spent many years in the wilderness because they didn’t believe that they could overcome the enemy, but a generation arose which finally went in, brought down the strongholds and overcame the enemy.  At the borders of the Land they were met by the hosts of heaven waiting to do battle with them. Eventually Solomon, Son of David sat on the throne and the Kingdom was established.

All of this is a type [or a picture or a Map] for the spiritual Seed of Abraham. This is the Seed which shall ‘possess the gate of his enemies’. The Promised Land is ours but we have to possess it. We have been set free by the Blood of Jesus our Passover Lamb and given the Spirit to equip us to fulfil the commission to make all the nations Jesus disciples, i.e. possess the Earth for the Kingdom.

 

We can do it! God is with us, the hosts of heaven are waiting to do battle with us. We can overcome the enemy and reclaim the Earth for God. It is a spiritual battle against principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in the spiritual realm. We can overcome ‘through the Blood of the Lamb, the word of our testimony [our faith confession] and through total commitment to the task. The end result will be the Kingdom of God on Earth as it is in Heaven with King Jesus, Son of David on the throne. This is what God has been working toward since the Fall. The Cross has legally reversed the Curse. Jesus has “reconciled all things to God, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross [Colossians 1:20]; but it is a Victory which has to be enforced. Creation is groaning, waiting for that day because then it will be delivered from corruption and restored as it was before the Fall. [Romans 8:19-22]

 

In Revelation 12 we see the birth of the Overcomers – the woman travailing in birth; the Dragon standing by waiting to devour the Child. Always when a Deliverer is about to be born, Satan tries to prevent it by attacking that generation and there is a’ slaughter of the innocents’, as in the case of Moses and Jesus. That’s why there is a great upsurge in abortion these days because Satan knows that the generation of Overcomers is being born.

 

The Manchild is ‘caught up to the throne’ – He rises up in Kingdom authority, and is joined in battle by the hosts of heaven. The Accuser is cast down from the place of authority which, since the Cross, he has occupied illegally. The Devil has great wrath because he knows that he has a short time so he persecutes the ‘woman who gave birth to the male Child.’ She is the people of faith of all ages from the time the promise was given in Eden. Sarah, Abraham’s wife, is an Old Testament type of this woman – renewed, made beautiful and fruitful in old age.

 

Israel is a sign for us. As the modern day nation battles for possession of the Land and is pressured to give ground, so the Church is under attack and pressured to give way on the precious Kingdom truths contained in the Word of God. The enemy hates those ‘who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.’ [Revelation 12:17]. The battle for Israel began in Rebekah’s womb as the twins she was expecting battled for supremacy; [Genesis 25:21-23] and continues to this day between their descendants. God has promised;

 “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me.”[ Isaiah 54:17]

Abraham’s Seed, both physical and spiritual will prevail.  Jesus said “I will build My Church and the gates of hell will not prevail [stand] against it.” The Church is destined to destroy hell’s grip on the earth and possess it for the Kingdom

This is a brief and rather sketchy summary of the Biblical truths which are behind the battle which is being played out before our eyes now. It is a battle which we can and must win. I invite you to read my books for a fuller understanding of this end time conflict. I am not out to make money from their sale, but to share what I believe are vital truths which the Holy Spirit gave for the people of God. The books are “The Other Bible Code” and “End Time Insights.” They are available from most bookstores online and also from me.

“And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ

be with you. Amen”  [Romans 16:20]

My Books available from:

The Other Bible Code

www.bookstore.iuniverse.com

www.amazon.com

www.koorong.com

www.booktopia.com

www.amazon.com.au  [kindle]

ww.fishpond.com.au

Ent Time Insights

www.amazon.com

www.amazon.com.au [kindle]

www.bookstore.xlibris.com

www.koorong.com

and in Australia from my website
www.valpym.com

or contact me on vrvpym77@hotmail.com

 

BRINGING DOWN THE GATES OF HELL

“I will build My Church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18

What does that statement mean to you? It is one of those scriptures that people pass over without a lot of thought. ‘Oh that just means…..’ In this case it is ‘Oh that just means that whatever the devil does he will not bring down the Church.’  Yes, but it means much more than that! Jesus is saying that the Church He is building will overcome the gates of Hell. – “I will build My Church and the gates of Hell will not stand against it.’ The Church needs to be on the offensive against the devil and his hosts; not just on the defensive.

The world we are living in is a world that lies under the influence of the satanic kingdom.

“The whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” 1 John 5:19 Principalities and powers of wickedness are over every nation maintaining Hell’s grip on the Earth. We can see the results everywhere and more and more that wickedness grows. We can see the anti-Christ spirit – the spirit of rebellion - increasing in the earth at a rapid pace.

What is the Church doing about it? Well a lot of Christians are eagerly watching for Jesus to come and rescue us out of the mess in an event called the ‘Rapture.’ We are told that this is next on God’s agenda. Some are into date setting – 13, 14^th, 15^th, or 23^rd September this year and excitement is growing. If it doesn’t happen then, [and it won’t] they will set another date. What we are supposed to be doing is building up the Army of God and imparting a vision for taking the world for the Kingdom. Jesus will return when we’ve finished the job He gave us to do – make disciples of all the nations.

 The Church that is most effective is the Eastern Church which doesn’t have a rapture teaching. This Church [e.g. the Chinese Church and the ‘Back to Jerusalem’ people] believe that the Church is here to make all the nations disciples of Jesus as He commanded in the Great Commission and they are totally committed to that end.  They are overcoming by the Blood of the Lamb, and the word of their testimony and they love not their lives to the death.

Jesus is building His Church ‘precept upon precept and line upon line’ bringing it into all truth. – the truth of the finished work of Christ. The Cross has taken all legal authority from satan and given it to His Church to bring down the ‘father of lies’ and bring in the Kingdom. That one perfect sacrifice for all time has done everything necessary for the Church to rise up in victory and' possess the Land.' The Type of the Journey to, and possession of Canaan, is a pattern or a map which shows us how this will be accomplished.

The ‘Rapture’ rescue is error that came into the Church and popularised by Derby. When it made it into the notes of the Schofield bible, it became almost regarded as ‘Holy Writ.’ – not to be questioned and has prevented Christians from coming into the fullness of truth that will bring down the ‘gates of hell.’ It tends to not encourage Christians to be too involved in the world because what is the point if the earth is destined to go to rot anyhow and we are getting out of here any minute now? The result is that Satan is having a hey-day.

For almost two thousand years Jesus has been building His Church and the end result is that He will have a Church that will rise up in the power of the Spirit and demolish Hell’s grip on the Earth.

The mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints…..which is ‘Christ in you, the Hope of Glory.’  Colossians 1:26, 27

 

I have been studying the Word for nearly 50 years now. Once I put aside all my ideas about the end times which I had been taught, the Holy Spirit opened up the Bible in a new and exciting way. I have shared these things in my books “The Other Bible Code” and  “End Time Insights.” I invite you to get hold of some copies of my books and see for yourself. www.valpym.blogspot.com.au This site lists the places which have my books.

Sincerely  Val Pym

THE SACRED COW

There is a "sacred cow" standing in the way of the Church's journey into Truth. That is the teaching of an imminent Rapture of the Church. The Cross is not just about taking us to Heaven but it is about reclaiming the Earth for God. That is what God has been working toward since the Fall. The ultimate goal is that the Kingdom of God will come on Earth as it is in Heaven.

The imminent Rapture is admittedly an attractive teaching; but is it true? After many years of searching this out, I KNOW by the Word and the Spirit, that God has something even better in mind - a Church rising up in the power and Glory of God to bring in the nations. As Jesus said "I will build my Church and the gates of hell will not stand against it." [Matthew 16:18,19] The Church is destined to destroy Hell's grip on the Earth. 1 John 5:19 tells us that the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. Not for much longer! Jesus' work was to destroy Satan's authority and legal right to the earth and to give it to His Church. His victory has to be enforced.

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would lead and guide us into all truth. We have not arrived yet! "The Lord has yet more light and truth to break forth from His Word."

Always before a great move of God, the Spirit brought revelation on the Word as God works towards restoration to the Church and ultimately for the world. The truth of Justification by faith brought in the Reformation, it was followed by Sanctification in the Wesley awakening. These are the truths of Passover. The Pentecostal and Charismatic Renewals restored the truth of Pentecost. One great Feast has yet to be fulfilled and that is Tabernacles - the Feast of the final harvest. The truth that will usher in this Feast is The Finished Work of Christ as pictured in the Day of Atonement.

We have not yet come into the truth of all that the Cross accomplished. When we do the Church will rise "unto the measure of the stature of Christ" [Ephesians 4:13] and bring in the nations in fulfilment of the Great Commission.

The Church is the Army of God. It is empowered by Truth. Much of the Church can't see beyond the 'Rapture' that is going to happen 'any minute now.' Their eyes are closed to any other revelation. It is wrong teaching. It fact it is worse than wrong. It is a 'red herring' placed in our way by the one who 'deceives the whole world.' [Revelation 12:9] The' father of lies' has been desperately trying to keep the whole truth from the Church ever since the Resurrection because he knows that then his grip on the earth will be finished.

The 'Rapture' Scripture [1 Thessalonians 4:14-17] is really about the 2nd Coming. When we have done what Jesus commissioned us to do, then He will return. Creation will be restored, the dead in Christ will live again and all His people will rise to meet Him and escort Him back to the throne.

I have written about this last great move of God in my books "The Other Bible Code" and "End Time Insights." featured on this page. May I hope that you will read them and earnestly pray about the precepts therein? They are the result of many years of searching out truth in the Word and revelation by the Spirit.

Push the sacred cow out of the way. Silence it's mooing, and open your spiritual eyes and ears. 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the Churches.'