Those who have true faith do not just believe that the events written in the Bible are true--they believe the same works of God can be done through their own life. This faith has been growing in a great company of witnesses who are soon to be released throughout the earth.
God did not say that His name is "I was," or "I will be," but His name is "I AM." This was a statement for all time that to truly know God we must know Him in the present. It is essential to believe that the events written in the Bible are true, and to grasp the great lessons that they teach us about God and man's relationship to Him. However, even the comprehension of these great truths are not the goal of faith, but just a foundation. The goal of faith is to know Him, and experience Him in our own life.
Hebrews 11:6 states, "And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." Note here that it says those who come to God must believe that "He is," not that He was. As we are told in Hebrews 13:8, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever." We therefore do not read the book of Acts just to know what God did in the early church, but as the blueprint for normal church life today. Even so, there is also a calling in Scripture to go beyond the book of Acts. This is the Lord's expressed desire, which He stated in John 14:12:
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father."
As great as the acts of the apostles were, no one's works came even close to measuring up to what the Lord Jesus Himself did while on the earth. In fact one can scour history and not find anyone who did greater works than Jesus. However, we can be sure that this statement of the Son of God will come true.
Of course, when we talk about "greater works" we are not talking about preaching greater truths. There is nothing we can add to or take away from the doctrine already established by the Scriptures. The "greater works" are works. Neither does this imply that anyone will be greater in faith and works than the Lord because it will in fact be the Lord working through them when they do the greater works.
Certainly the Lord could have done more if it had been the Father's will. When the Jews asked Him for a sign from heaven, they were asking Him to do something like stopping the sun as Joshua did. Jesus certainly could have done this or even greater works but it was not the Father's will. His main purpose for first coming was to accomplish the atonement and to begin calling those who would be joint heirs with Him. It is because He ascended to the Father that the greater works were made possible for us. The cross fully purchased the right and authority for the redeemed to go forth in power to redeem all that was lost by the fall, which is the earth and all it contains.
There is a process through which all is being recovered, and the Lord did not want us to be limited in our works by those that He accomplished. The greatest of all works and miracles have been reserved for the end. One reason for this is because some of the things that we are going to be facing at the end will require these "greater works." It is also the Lord's way to save His best wine for last.
When we read the book of Acts, the Gospels, or any of the historical accounts of God's great deeds among men, we often wish that we could have been there. However, all of those who were there and part of the great company of witnesses have longed to see what we are about to see. The best is truly yet to come, and you would not be here unless you were supposed to be a part of it.
The Alpha and the Omega
The Lord is called the Alpha and the Omega, which are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. One reason for this is probably because there is a special way that He manifests Himself at the beginning and the end. We can look at His own life and see that the greatest revelations of His purpose came at His birth, and also at the cross. This is why we have a "former rain" and a "latter rain" in Scripture (see Joel 2:23). These all speak of the great ways that He would move at the beginning of the age and again at the end. This does not mean that the Lord did not manifest Himself during all of the centuries in-between, just as His whole life while He walked on the earth was full of meaning and remarkable deeds. Even so, there are special manifestations at the beginning and the end, and we are coming to the end of this age.
The book of Acts is the glorious story of the beginning of the church. It is an incomparably wonderful and inspiring heritage. The first century church set a standard that has not yet been duplicated. It is a high goal to reach for and see the things that were done in the early church done in our own life and times. This is about much more than just seeing miracles. It is about the level of devotion, wisdom, knowledge, sacrifice, labors, and the courage with which they stood up to the rulers of empires when persecuted. The very best of all was the way the Lord manifested Himself among His people.
Any church that attained to what the first century church had would without question be the greatest church in the earth today. However, every church today is called to emulate what the early church had and go beyond. There is going to be a last day book of Acts experience for the church that is going to be greater than what was experienced in the first century. Overall, we still have a long way to go to walk in what they did in the first century, but this is going to dramatically change. We must raise our expectations for church life in our own time and our own congregations now.
We are approaching the times when the greatest works of God that have ever been done on the earth through men are released. Those who are going to be a part of this will be the ones who, with undying resolve and determination, keep pressing toward the mark of the high calling of God.
The Next Step
To reach the place where we are called to be spiritually, we need a map. For a map to be useful you must first find your destination on it. Then you must locate where you are presently. Then you can decide the best way to get to the destination. Bible prophecy and church history are our map. I include church history because if we do not know what has already been fulfilled we cannot know where we are and what the next step is. The two books that I published with Thomas Nelson, A Prophetic Vision for the Twenty-first Century, and Shadows of Things to Come, were both written to help the church see and begin to use this map (these books are still available in many Christian and secular bookstores, or you may order them directly from us).
I am not just trying to sell you books, but as the saying goes, "Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it," is certainly true of most of the church. The progress of the church continues to falter, and the great movements that have arisen have been stopped, all because we continue to fall to the same mistakes. This alone is reason enough for us to seek knowledge of church history, but this is not even the most important reason for doing it--we cannot truly understand the map of Bible prophecy without it.
I have studied history extensively for thirty years because the Lord told me that I would not understand prophecy without this knowledge. I was shown how the roots of a tree below the ground are just as extensive as the branches above it. I was told, if I wanted to grow strong and be able to endure the storms that were coming, I could only be trusted with revelation of things to come to the degree that I sunk my roots into both the Scriptures and knowledge of history.
Do you then need to spend thirty years studying history? No. In fact, you may only need a few hours here and there. One of the ways the Lord has saved His best wine for last is through books. For example, take the recent New York Times bestseller, Constantine's Sword. This is a classic work that unquestionably took the author many years to research and put together. However, you can absorb all the knowledge that it took him so long to accumulate in just a few hours by reading his book.
The Lord is giving His people increasing revelation and interpretation concerning Bible prophecy and its relation to church history. Where we are headed definitely needs more clarity than to just say we are going to have another book of Acts experience. For us to go forward we must then have a clear understanding of where we are. Only then will our future direction be clear.
Where Are We?
We are told in II Corinthians 13:5, "Test your- selves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!" There is a time for projecting vision and there is also a time for examination of ourselves and our works. We need to be able to do both together to see where we are going and also to have a good evaluation of where we are.
In recent years, there have been a number of great moves of God that have been quite different from each other. Even so, they have all worked together to prepare for what is to come. There will be many more breaking out in various places. Those who are going to be the most prepared to be a part of what is coming are those who had the wisdom and humility to visit and receive from these movements. For those who are
gaining vision and perspective from the Holy Spirit, these recent moves of God will start to make both a pattern and a trail that becomes increasingly clear.
I am not just referring to movements such as Brownsville and Toronto, though these are certainly important. There are others in Asia, South and Central America, Africa, Eastern Europe, and the South Pacific. Seeds have also been sown and the groundwork laid for a signifi-cant move of God to come out of Scandinavia that will be crucial for Europe. Russia and Turkey are going to experience some of the greatest moves of God in the last days, as will the entire region biblically called "Assyria," which we know from prophecies such as Isaiah 11 and 19 that have not yet come to pass.
The greatest fires of revival are going to break out and be sustained in places where many different "coals from the fires" are brought together from the different, previous moves of God. To be in the mainstream of what the Lord is doing in the earth, we must excel more and more at crossing national and denominational barriers for the interchange and "cross pollination" of the Spirit. Those who continue in isolation will drift further and further from the River of Life that the Lord is now bringing forth in the earth.
Studying church history is one way that we honor our spiritual fathers and mothers, and submit to the body of Christ which has been forming since the Day of Pentecost. Visiting the moves of God that are arising in our own times with humility and a teachable spirit is a way that we submit to the body of Christ. The humility to which God gives His grace will be found among the teachable. This is also how we must become like little children to enter the kingdom. To become like a child in this way is not to be immature, or foolish, but to be as inquisitive and teachable as a child.
If Jesus, John the Baptist, or Paul the apostle, lived in our times and we heard that they were coming to a city a thousand miles away we would be most foolish not to go see them. The Lord said that those who received even the least of His people were receiving Him. The apostle Paul commended the Galatians for receiving him as if he were an angel from heaven. My point is that a "move of God" really is God moving, and those who have the hunger, and humility, to go to where God is moving will be the ones who find the grace to walk in what is coming.
The Spiritual Delta Force
For the last year I have been given visions of a very unique, and still quite small, spiritual force that is being prepared in different places around the world. Those who are a part of this force have the most fierce resolution in their purpose that I have ever witnessed. In fact, whenever I think of them the first thing that comes to mind is they are profoundly sure of who they are and where they are going. They also have an uncompromising devotion to truth and integrity. Even though they tend to be severe in their demeanor, they are driven by their love for God and His people. You certainly do not feel "sloppy agape" when around them, but their love is so great that without hesitation they will risk their lives for a single one of the Lord's sheep. They are supremely confident because of their training, and yet so humble they truly esteem others as more important. They may also be the most supernaturally powerful people who have ever walked on the earth at one time. These will be known as "the messengers of His power." These will be walking "coals of fire" from the very throne of God who help to set off revival and moves of God wherever they are sent.
These messengers of power are presently alive and scattered all over the earth. It is hard to find more than a handful who are together in any one place at this time, though they will begin to congregate more in a few places. Even so, a congre-gation that has just two of these at this time is exceptional. Many congregations cannot stand the fire which is on these emerging ones, and either have, or will try to drive them away. Most are presently living the Luke 7:31-35 experience:
To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like?
They are like children who sit in the market place and call to one another; and they say, `We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.'
For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine; and you say, `He has a demon!'
The Son of Man has come eating and drinking; and you say, `Behold, a gluttonous man, and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!'
Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children. In this same way they are having a hard time fitting in with the church in its present state. They are marching to a different drumbeat, a different sound. The enemy will try to take advantage of this to make them bitter
and rebellious, as he knows well that will be the most effective way that they can be disqualified from their purpose. Even though they resist becoming bitter or rebellious, most are far too focused and serious to fit into the typical local church life as it is at this time. Because of this, the Lord is even now preparing places for them where they can join with others who are called as they are. These are God's "special forces." If we under-stand them, many unnecessary problems can be avoided, and the whole church can greatly benefit from their ministry.
One of the most important tasks of our military special forces is to train other native forces in special operations and tactics. Likewise, these spiritual special forces will be sent all over the world to train native Christian leaders where great spiritual advances are about to begin. They are the true apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers who will fulfill the Ephesians Four mandate to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry. They are being sent to equip those who will lead the last day ministry. Their great effectiveness in equipping the saints to fulfill their calling will in itself be a power that will begin to radically transform the church.
Wisdom Is Vindicated By Her Children
The oldest of those that I was shown in this great company are still in their twenties. Most are still children, and many are still being born. This leads me to believe that their purpose will unfold more and more over the next few decades. It is true that we are coming to the close of this age, but it is also critical for us to understand that we yet have a few decades remaining. We must therefore prepare for the future with strategy and vision--not an escape mentality.
There are "Joshuas" and "Calebs" from the previous generation who are helping to prepare these young messengers of power for their calling. When Israel failed to enter the Promised Land the first time, Joshua and Caleb did not start complaining about their own generation, they started to work immediately to help prepare the next one to enter the land. Likewise, many of those who are part of the present generation are called to help prepare the coming generation and lead them through what is coming.
Some of those who are called to lead the greatest generation are already quite elderly. They are going to be renewed, and there will be a powerful anointing on them to help renew the church. That the bride of Christ is without spot speaks of her purity. That she is without wrinkle speaks of her perpetual youthfulness. This youthful anointing is coming upon the church in a very supernatural way. The elderly are going to start growing younger, and even their physical bodies will be quickened by the One who is able to quicken our mortal bodies. One touch from the Lord can renew us like no Oil of Olay ever could. No one who is alive is too old for what is coming. We can be renewed in our strength.
Even so, most of those who I have been shown in this great company that are arising are very young physically. Even these young ones had a fierce resolution in their demeanor. This is one characteristic they all shared, and how they recognized one another--by their serious, unyielding focus upon their purpose. This is impossible to duplicate unless you are pro-foundly sure of who you are, what you are doing, and why.
Though there will be "Joshuas and Calebs" from the present generation, just as Joshua and Caleb were literally "one in a million" from their generation, their numbers will be few. Some of the present Christian leaders are among the greatest that have ever lived and, like John the Baptist, are here to prepare the way for what is coming. Like John the Baptist, they will prophesy over the coming ones, but will still not truly understand them or their message. Many in the present generation of leaders are doing their job and doing it well.
Again, it is imperative for those from the present generation in leadership to understand their purpose to prepare and equip the next generation. Youth and children's ministry will become the heart and soul of every congregation that will be a part of what will become the greatest move of God to ever come upon the world.
One recurring vision that I have had is of an eight to ten year old girl fighting demons with the courage, endurance, and wisdom of the most seasoned warrior. This little girl never had a chance to play with dolls, and did not want to. She was liberating souls and giving courage to a great company who lived every day for one purpose--to do all things for the sake of the gospel. I have seen little boys who never played army because they were in God's army. They were fighters and wise far beyond their years. The seriousness in the faces of these children was unnerving. Even so, the peace and joy on them was beyond anything that children at play can ever experience. These children truly were here for the purpose of signs and wonders.
The Nameless, Faceless Ones
I have heard Paul Cain share many times about the recurring vision he has had of "the nameless, faceless ones." These fill stadiums with people to hear the gospel. They heal all manner of disease, and even raise the dead, but the people do not even know their names. This is a true vision. I believe that I was shown this same group before I met Paul, or had heard of his vision, and wrote about them in my book, The Harvest. For the last few months I have had repeated visions of these coming ones, each vision was to give me a little more insight into who they are. I have used the term "spiritual Delta Force" here because I was also shown that there are a number of parallels between these coming "messengers of power" and the United States' Army Delta Force.
The United States does not officially acknowledge that the Delta Force even exists, though everyone now knows that it does. Likewise, the church in general will seldom even acknowledge that its "spiritual Delta Force" exists. However, just as the Delta Force is the elite of the elite among our military forces, and among the best fighters and secret operators in the world, they do not ever want to be acknowledged or given recognition for their exploits. Why? Because as soon as they become known they can no longer do their job. The Lord is likewise raising up an elite force of the best of the best from the last day church. Like the Delta Force they fear becoming known because it will compromise their ability to do their job. They live for but one purpose--to do what they were put on this earth to do. They actually fear recognition.
Our Greatest EnemyJealousy
The very word "elite" is offensive to many Christians, but the calling, training, and equipping of this elite force of Christians is in fact one of the most important things that is going on in the earth today. The story of the birth, development, and deployment of the Delta Force is one of the great stories of endurance and focused, prophetic, vision by a small group of individuals in United States military history. They foresaw the threat of terrorism, and for decades before we entered this current conflict they tried to get their country ready for it. Against continual opposition from their fellow officers and even civilian leaders of the United States military, they held their course and prevailed. When the time came they were ready and now they are the frontline force in this war. Most people do not even know anything about who they are or what they are doing. That is the way they want it.
The main reason that the development of the Delta Force received continual opposition from the rest of the Army can be summed up in one word--jealousy. There were already some elite units such as the Airborne, the Rangers, and of course, the Green Berets, all claiming to be sufficient to do the job. They became even more offended when their best troops were recruited for a secret force that was to be even more focused and elite than they were.
The greatest battle for survival by the Delta Force came against the United States Army itself. It took one of the greatest examples of visionary leadership in our history on the part of one colonel and a few generals who also had prophetic vision for the Delta Force to first survive and then become the extraordinary force that it is today. The same will be required of those who are called to lead the spiritual special forces that are now being raised up for what is to come. The greatest battle for survival will come from jealousy within the church. This is nothing new. We are told in Scripture that even the Lord was crucified because of envy (see Matthew 27:18, Mark 15:10).
Those who are offended by the word "elite" will become some of the greatest obstacles to the preparation of the last day ministry. However, dealing with this is part of the training. There is an elite force of Christians being raised up who are, and must be, very different from the typical, lukewarm, Christian in the earth today. They will not only have higher standards, but will have much higher standards. When these are released, one of them really will put a thousand to flight, and two of them will chase ten thousand.
Many will let jealousy drive them to become opposers of what is to come, but many others will be pricked in their hearts by the focused devotion of these messengers of power and will wake up from their sleep and lukewarm attitudes. The ultimate result is going to be the whole church being transformed from what appears spiritually to be a confused mob to being the disciplined and powerful force that it is called to be.
Know Your Place
Just as the Delta Force cannot by itself win a war against any other major power, but needs the entire United States military, the church cannot win its last day spiritual battles with just its "elite" forces. The tactics that the Delta Force is trained in would be useless on the typical battlefield. Likewise, the gifts and spiritual expertise of the coming "messengers of power" simply will not work in the church in general or in many of the spiritual battles that will need to be fought. Even though most of the church today is asleep to the times and needs to be awakened by this great force which is being raised up, very few Christians are
called to be part of it.
Does this mean that most Christians are called to be inferior spiritual warriors? Not at all--just different. Many of the greatest spiritual exploits will be done by those slugging it out day-by-day on the front lines of their local churches. Those who display the courage to hold the lines against great onslaughts, and then are willing to leave the safety of the trenches to attack the strongholds of the enemy are no less heroes than those who are involved in special operations. Many of the great heroes in military history were cooks or other support personnel who picked up weapons and fought like lions when they needed to. Some of the great leaders and heroes of the faith in the last days will likewise arise from unexpected sources.
The church needs to understand that there is an "elite force" being prepared and how to relate to them. They will not accomplish the entire victory, but they are going to do a lot to make the way for it. Few will ever know what they did, who they were, and that is fine with these warriors.
Let us also keep in mind that generals who can lead large forces, command a ship or fly sophisticated aircraft, etc., are certainly as important as those who can lead small, special units. We all need each other, and we all need to be secure within our own place.
Even so, just as the special forces in the United States military have a devotion to excellence that helps to raise the standard of the entire military, the special spiritual forces now being raised up will help awaken and raise the standard of all true believers.
Rank in the Kingdom?
Democracy is one of God's great gifts to mankind. With fallen mankind it is the best and safest form of government. The freedoms that have come through the release of democracy in the earth are also helping to prepare the world for the coming of the kingdom because "where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty" (II Corinthians 3:17). Even so, the kingdom is not a democracy, and it never will be. There is an aristocracy in heaven, and many of the rewards for our faithfulness on earth will last for eternity. The most basic of those rewards is our position in heaven. We will not all be the same there, and the Scriptures are very clear about it. There are positions in heaven right up to who sits at the right hand and the left of the Father that are being determined by our lives on earth.
This rank and position in heaven is what the apostle Paul was talking about when he said in Philippians 3:13-14, "Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Paul was not talking about salvation here, as he was fully redeemed and saved from the moment he first believed in the atonement of the cross. What he calls "the upward call" or "the high calling," was in fact just that. Paul understood that there was much more to pursue than just salvation, which was the driving force behind his great devotion.
Anyone who begins to perceive this high calling will be compelled to lay aside every encumbrance to run the race for the prize. There is no greater endeavor in the universe that can compare to the opportunity we are given to attain in Christ. For those who perceive the call, there will be no greater ambition than to hear on that great judgment day, "Well done good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21 NIV) In fact, anyone who has perceived the exalted King that we serve that is not burning with the consuming passion to do all things for His sake, have certainly fallen to a terrible delusion. Those who truly follow the King live to do their Master's will.
Even so, to win this race we must rise above the pursuit of our own rank and position. This seems like a paradox, and it is. To win this race we must become so empty of selfish ambition and so full of love for God and our fellow soldiers of the cross, that we do all things for His glory and their benefit, not just for a position that we may gain. To win the race we must grow in love for our fellow man so that we would willingly give our own place to them. It is by seeking our own that we lose, and by being willing to lose our life for His sake that we gain. The highest rank really is for the purpose of being the servant of all.
It is an interesting charac-teristic of the United States Army Delta Force that they do not ob-serve typical military protocols. They do not salute officers and even the lowest ranking enlisted man calls the colonel by his first name. How can such an elite force be so lacking in these basic military disciplines? When you are the best you really cease to care about titles and rank. Likewise, those who attain to the highest positions in the kingdom have done so partly by ceasing to care about such things. This is probably why even the great apostle Paul, near the end of his life, did not consider himself to have attained to the high calling but was determined to press on.
Of course, one reason that the Delta Force does not observe military protocols is because they do not want to be perceived as even being military, and they do not want someone to slip up and call someone else "Sir" in a way that would give away their true identity. Even so, if a sergeant in the Delta Force has the most expertise in a certain area that a mission requires, he then will lead that mission and the colonel will follow him. In a sense they have risen above rank to the place where they recognize that the anointing leads. This is because they have risen to the place where the main thing is to keep the main thing, which is to get the job done.
Likewise, those who are the greatest apostles, prophets, etc., that are about to be released on the earth care little for such titles. In fact, they would much rather not be known by titles. They do not do things to get recognized, but will purposely try to become of "no reputation." Yet, they will be used to do the most extraordinary miracles, at times filling stadiums and leading multitudes to salvation; but leave before anyone finds out who they are. It is enough for them to be known by their King and to simply be able to do His will. They seek their reward in heaven, not on the earth.
The Army Needs Protocol
If the regular army tried to operate like the Delta Force it would quickly degenerate into a useless mob that would be easy prey for any smaller force with military discipline. Even though the titles such as apostle, prophet, and bishop have become so overused and cheap in our time, we still need them. There are positions of authority in the church that must be recognized if we are going to receive the benefit of them.
We are told in Matthew 10:41, "He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward." The same is true for every ministry. We must receive an apostle in the name of an apostle to receive an apostle's reward. If we receive an apostle as a teacher then all we will get is teaching and miss what we could have received.
For this reason it is not wrong to recognize people in their positions of authority in the church. However, the more true spiritual authority that a person has the less they will care about human recognition. Those who are the most demanding of recognition will inevitably have the least, or even be false. Jezebel "calls herself a prophetess" (Revelation 2:20). We must learn to examine those who call themselves apostles and are not, as well as those who call themselves prophets, or any other title.
Summary
I have often been accused of trying to raise up "elite Christians." I want to make it very clear that I am guilty as charged. The more that I have been shown about this spiritual force which is about to arise, the more devoted to it I have become. However, I do not see myself as being their leader, or even being a leader of them. I am simply trying to help make a place for them because I have been shown their importance.
Colonel Beckwith was the founder of the United States Army Delta Force. However, he could never have done it without the few generals in the army who were not special force officers, but prophetically understood the importance of this special unit, and did all that they could to aid its development. I am more like one of these officers who has prophetically foreseen our need for this force, and will do all that I can to aid in its development. I do hope that MorningStar is one of the places where those who are so called can gather and develop. We are making a special place for them because we have seen the benefit that they are to us and our ministry is much greater than anything we have been able to do for them. We do have some who are called to be a part of this great company in our congregations and in every class of our MorningStar School of Ministry (MSM). However, they represent but a few in every congregation and in each class of MSM. I can discern them because they are so different. While others are growing spiritually, these are growing radically. While others are having a good time, these are studying, praying, going out onto the streets and witnessing, casting out demons, and praying for the sick to be healed. That is their good time.
There are some aspects of our ministry, such as our Christian day school, the Comenius School for Creative Leadership (CSCL), that I have been commanded to steer more and more to the develop-ment of the children who are called to be a part of this force. I have had to steer some of my own children to other schools because they were not called to be at CSCL. This was a difficult thing for me, and it is hard for many of our parents and even our teachers to understand. I honestly do not expect everyone to understand it, at least not until some future events begin to unfold. Fortunately, there are also many other great Christian schools available that most of our children should attend.
I am not steering our entire ministry to fit into this group, but there are some necessary things that we have had to do to accommodate them. These things are certainly not to everyone's liking, but they will be to everyone's benefit. Misunderstanding is a price I am very willing to pay, but I do not suggest you do what we are doing unless you are responding in obedience to a clear directive from the Lord.
The perfect church is perfectly modeled after the Lord's own ministry. He had a ministry to the multitudes and He had another, smaller group that He gave more attention to. He then had a very small group that He shared everything with. This is why I believe that the Tabernacle of Moses and the temples that were built all had three sections.
If we only want to minister to the "elite" and do not have something for the multitudes we will become unbalanced and possibly delusional and divisive. If we only minister to the multitudes and do not have a group that we are helping go farther, deeper, and higher, then we will tend to be very shallow and possibly even promote lukewarmness and unsanctified mercy.
Just as the Outer Court was the largest section of the Tabernacle where the most people could always be found, I think the largest part of every ministry needs to be that which will draw in the multitudes. However, once someone is in, they need to understand that they can go as far in the Lord as they desire to go. This is their calling.
Those who would go on also need to know that the standards for those who will minister in the Holy of Holies are very different. The things that you can get away with in the Outer Court can get you killed in the Holy Place. The way is open to all, but you must go to the altar and die, go to the laver and be cleansed, and understand that when you enter the Holy Place there will be no natural light there. The only light we can see by when we have entered there is the light of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. As we proceed on into the final, smallest compartment the only light is that of the glory of the Lord.
To be able to stand and minister in the anointing and in the glory, is beyond what many can do. Many do collapse and are "slain in the Spirit" just by getting close. However, we must learn to stand and do our duties even in His manifest presence. The mature have learned not to fall down. More than anything else we need those who can stand--stand in His presence, as well as stand against any onslaught of the devil. The Lord is again asking the great question that He asked through Jeremiah.
"But who has stood in the council of the LORD that he should see and hear His word? Who has given heed to His word and listened?
"Behold, the storm of the LORD has gone forth in wrath, even a whirling tempest; It will swirl down on the head of the wicked.
"The anger of the LORD will not turn back until He has performed and carried out the purposes of His heart; in the last days you will clearly understand it.
"I did not send these prophets, but they ran. I did not speak to them, but they prophesied.
"But if they had stood in My council, then they would have announced My words to My people, and would have turned them back from their evil way and from the evil of their deeds. (Jeremiah 23:18-22)
