During Rosh Hashanah of 2019, I received a word for this era that we are in now. The main message is that our priorities are out of order, that things are going to change, that church worship services will not be the same and we are in a time of awakening and reformation.
Over the past 20 years, the Lord has been showing me what needs to change, but the main thing he keeps showing me is David’s tabernacle.
We know that David’s Tabernacle was a type and shadow of what was to come. God said the tabernacle of David would be restored, and that has been accomplished through his son Jesus giving us direct access to Him. But I believe, from what God has been showing me, that there is more to this restoration. He gave us direct access for a reason.
Ministry to the Lord
Why David’s tabernacle and not Solomon’s temple or any other? Let’s take a closer look at what went on in the tabernacle. The teams of minstrels and psalmists did not play music to get the attendees ready for a sermon, or to hype them up. They were appointed to minister to the Lord, not the people. It was open 24/7 with an atmosphere of praise and worship prepared by the musical Levites. The people did not come to get from God but to minister to God, to give to him, and to worship him. There were no sermons, teachings, announcements, nursery, programs, or any kind of personal ministry to the people. This place was for ministry to the Lord only.
Ministry to the Lord seems to be lost in our churches. Today, the worship is for us, the sermons are for us, the programs are for us, the personal ministry is for us, the fellowship is for us, and the tithe is used to maintain all of these things for us. Many, when choosing a church, look for the things that please themselves rather than what pleases God. Today, most churches are social clubs that cater to the wants of the people, and the tithe is the membership dues. This is not right, and God is not pleased.
Hearts after God
I believe that the restoration of David’s tabernacle also points to David’s heart. David had a heart after God, and he had just one desire – to be in God’s presence worshiping him. He learned to love and minister to God when he was alone in the fields tending the sheep. God is STILL seeking those who will worship him in spirit and truth, and we are not there yet. We still minister in the outer court rather than from the Holy of Holies, putting ministry to the people before ministry to the Lord (Ezekiel 44:10-16).
Yes, we need to minister to people, but only out of our ministry to the Lord first. And when you ask people about how they minister to the Lord, most don’t know what you are talking about, or they think that their ministry is ministry to the Lord.
We are not requested but commanded to put God first. Our priority is the first commandment of both the old and new testaments. When we put that first, Abba Father will take care of the rest. When we are in his presence, things change, in us, then around us, and through us.
We are doing ministry to the people with methods and programs without the spirit of God and wonder why we don’t see miracles, changes, or growth as we should. Yes, God will use our attempts for his glory, and often we don’t give him the glory. But anyone who has experienced the presence of God (not just hyped experiences) will tell you that there is so much more to be tapped into.
The Bigger Picture
God also showed me that we are still thinking and seeing too small. He told me that to understand what he is doing; we need to see the big picture from beginning to end. The bottom line is that everything that has happened since the disobedience in the garden of Eden, and that is happening even now, is to get us back to what it was before the disobedience, so the last Adam can have a wedding! It seems we have lost sight of this. There is a goal, a greater purpose… the marriage of the lamb.
The bride makes herself ready, but sometimes she needs help, and the things happening in this time should be causing us to draw closer to the lover of our souls for his help.
I was excited when we were shut down and set apart. I knew God allowed it and would use it as His wake-up call to the Church. Some have been stirred, but many just hit the snooze button. I watched to see how the church would handle this, and I saw fear grip the churches and ministries that rely on their followers for income.
Rather than stop, inquire, and listen, they scrambled to find a way to continue what they were doing, and they found it through live stream and video conferencing. I had hoped the new venue would be used to awaken the church, but instead, it was used to continue to do what they were doing and to raise funds to keep what they were doing alive.
Now we are coming out on the other side. Unfortunately, not much has changed, and many will go right back to what they were doing before, expecting different results. I am concerned that if we don’t heed the wake-up call, that there may be more coming to get our attention. I pray that we will turn to God at this time and allow him to bring the changes needed in us and our ministries.
Many are focused on the problems in the world rather than the problems in ourselves and the Church. We need to collectively take the plank out of our own eye and refocus.
Many know changes are needed and that they are coming. We see the mess in the world and we sense the stirring in our spirits. But WE must be the change. 2 Chronicles 7:14 is our instruction. If we, the body of Christ, would humble ourselves and realize our need for God. If we would pray, seeking His face, asking him to search our hearts to see if there be any wicked way in us (which includes the idols of our man-made ministries, and disobedience to his first commandments). And, if we would turn from our wicked ways and back to putting God first, then he would heal our land.
I urge you to seek God concerning these things.
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