“Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered; let those also who hate Him flee before Him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God; yes, let them rejoice exceedingly”. Psalms 68:1-3.
A great need exists in our land today. One of the greatest countries of all times is now on the verge of collapse. Carnal and evil-minded men and women have taken hold of this, our nation, for destruction. They have polluted it with a mind-set that is contrary to that which God spoke and as written in His Word, the Bible.
A nation, founded upon some of the Christian principles left for men by God, is now finding many leading men standing up against these same principles. In revolting against God’s principles, this once great nation is in the throes of falling, it is becoming the enemy of God and God’s people. While those people who exist solely for the desires of the flesh and self, support such a transition, they do so at the expense of their own destruction.
In considering the scripture quoted above from the Psalms, it is about the “Ark of the Covenant” that God instructed Moses to build. The ark was ordained to be the dwelling place of God’s presence in leading and guiding the children of Israel daily as well as going before them in war that they might defeat their enemies. Thus, God’s glory rested upon the ark as it went before these Israelites in their travels. It also stood with them against any enemy that would come against them in warfare. God’s ultimate purpose was to lead them into occupying the Promised Land, the land He had promised to Abraham’s true seed.
Instead of the Ark of the Covenant, God’s glory now dwells within a people as it rests upon and within them. This indwelling Holy Spirit brings forth victory among His people in every situation as they release Him as He dwells among them today.
Nevertheless, as scripture reveals for us, when sin and rebellion is entertained among God’s people, this same glory that promoted victory and life departs from His obligation to them. In considering the terrible conditions of the world about us today, they speak loudly concerning the weakness of the Christian community.
This speaks loudly of a need concerning the Christians and their calling, which God placed upon them. The need is for God’s glory to return. This glory is not to be an exception; but a glory that abides within and springs forth as a flowing river. This abiding glory is to manifest from within as it goes before God’s people in the time of all their transitional and spiritual warfare.
The word “let,” as spoken of in Psalms 68:1-3 above, speaks of “allowing something to happen as the results of something that they have become.” That is, a submitting to God’s presence in obedience and humility that His presence might manifest from within them.
In this, we pursue and follow His presence in defeating every enemy. With the enemy of God attacking the Christian community today in full force, he is using every tactic available because of and through the carnality of man. This carnality is allowing the enemy to have an open door. This Christian community’s call from God is and must again become the expression of God’s glory. The need, to rise up and scatter every enemy that stands within and before us lest destruction comes our way.
Let us take note of a few facts concerning the enemies being scattered as God’s people “let” the Christ in them arise.
First, let us note the stand and expression of the saints. Psalms 68:3-4a, “But let the righteous be glad, let them rejoice before God; yes, let them rejoice exceedingly. Sing to God, sing praises to His name.” This is speaking of a people who are expressing their “hunger and thirst” for God. God delights in satisfying all those thirsting for Him. Psalms 42:1-2a, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul [mind, will, emotions and desires] for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God…”
Included within a people who hunger and thirst for God is a response that releases a people in the spirit as they began to sing, shout, and clap their hands in the participation of worship and praise to Him. This response results because God’s mercy and faithfulness is experienced. (Read Psalms 47:1-7).
Likewise, there are also those times when we wait before the Lord, when we trust and rest in Him who will keep us. In these times, we raise our hearts and hands in worship because of knowing who and what God is. Psalms 61:1-2, “Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.” Psalms 63:3-4, “Because your loving-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise you. Thus, I will bless you while I live; I will lift up my hands in your name [His nature – very important]”.
Here in praise, a people can note the facts. As they become vessels of glory it causes God to arise from within their earth (bodies) and causes His enemies to scatter. Those who hate the presence of God in you will begin to flee before that presence. H
How and why, because the winds of the Holy Spirit, the anointing of God shall blow away these enemies as the wind does smoke. Likewise, the fire of the same Holy Spirit, having purified the vessels of God, shall cause the enemies of God to melt away as fire melts wax. In this, the wicked perish at the presence of God. This same spiritual presence is that which dwells in the soul of His maturing vessels.
The word “presence”, taken from a Hebrew word that carries many applications includes “the face, as the part that turns.” It also comes from a root word meaning, “To turn, to face, i.e. appear, look.”
Therefore, the presence of God is that which comes to abide in a vessel and for that vessel to manifest the abiding presence which attracts and gets people’s attention. The basic use of this abiding presence is to anoint the vessel of God with the ability to express any given purpose of God and to fulfill any immediate purpose.
However, the greater use of God’s presence is to affect the soul of man by renovating his soul, from being one of a fallen nature to know restoration back to a “living soul”. In this the nature of God becomes the nature of the renovated soul.
Herein, the vessels of God take on a lasting effect concerning every transition and every enemy of God. That is, these vessels now cause the enemies of God to scatter before them, to flee from God’s presence that has now become the nature of each changed vessel.
God’s ultimate purpose is to establish His kingdom upon the earth. First, these justified ones establish Gods kingdom by defeating the fallen nature of their individual vessel.
These established ones are those who have received within the indwelling Holy Spirit who is renovating the soul, and then the body. From within, where the kingdom of God abides, the purpose then is for each justified vessel to affect the earth as God’s kings and priest and began to take authority with Christ over God’s creation.
These are the coming forth of God’s birthed man-child who is now to dwell in the throne-room authority of God. These are taking dominion over the earth as they become fruitful in multiplying, to fill and subdue it. God’s promised kingdom and the establishing of it, through His man-child, is now coming upon the earth.
Judgment time is here as God rides upon the winds of the Holy Spirit, manifesting Himself through a perfected people. A man-child, birthed from out of the cleansed church, to remove darkness from the earth and gross-darkness from the minds of the nations.
Psalms 97:1-6 is the declaration of the house of our sovereign God. That which He purposed in the beginning is now coming to its season of bringing forth the fruit of that declaration. Even now, we are seeing a people coming forth as the banner of God while singing the sound of a new song, “The Lord reigns: Let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad! Clouds and darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. A fire goes before Him and burns up His enemies round about. His lightning’s light the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the people see His glory.”
Who and what is the heavens (plural) spoken of above? With us being aware and familiar with the natural earth and heaven we observe around us every day, it would be well for us to consider that God is Himself the spiritual heavens within and around believers, a realm of life that is very much alive today.
While humanity observes the natural, the visible heaven above us, there remains a spiritual minded people who are also observing the spiritual heavens. These invisible heavens, to the natural eye, are becoming more of a reality to this spiritual minded people through each passing day.
Therefore, we should consider that when speaking of heavens in the scripture, it often refers to both the natural and the spiritual. We understand also that the invisibleness of God, the spiritual realm, is the heavens He abides in and when receiving the spirit of God into our lives we receive a part of His heavens, His kingdom.
Luke 17:20-21, “Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, the kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, see here! Or see there! For indeed, the kingdom of God is within [inside] you”.
While many people would desire to restrict God to the inside of a certain manufactured temple or man-made building, what we must see is that God is so much bigger than that which is made by man’s hands. 1 Kings 8:27 states, “But will God indeed dwell on earth? Behold heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain you. How much less this temple which I have built!”
It pleased God to create for Himself man in which He has purposed to dwell. Therefore, in the creation thereof, He purposed to dwell and make up His throne within that man, His creation, for expression and manifestation. Thus, God’s heaven is also within the receiving vessels that accept God into their lives. Psalms 115:3, “But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.”
In doing as He pleases, recognize that with heaven being within, He is Lord of those heavens. In understanding this, while He put the earth (man’s body) into the hands of men, the heavens remain in His own hands. Psalms 115:16, “The heaven, even the heavens [also within receiving men], are the Lords; but the earth [carnal natural man] He has given to the children of men”.
Let us consider then, that the old heavens, the spirit placed within the man who then fell, those heavens are destined to pass away, they have died by becoming corrupt and separated from God. However, has not God spoken of the making of new heavens wherein righteousness dwells?
2 Peter 3:10-13, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens [fallen spirit] will pass away with a great noise, and the elements [the first and basic principles] will melt with fervent heat; both the earth [also man’s fallen nature] and the works that are in it will be burned [laid bare] up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements [the first and basic principles] will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless, we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” 0
That which God has placed within the hands of man shall and is running its course. With man, only knowing His inability because of his fallen condition, he cannot continue to rule the earth; God is now progressively restoring the earth back to Himself until all is reclaimed.
According to His promise, this truth spoken by Jesus Christ is to show us how to pray. Matt. 6:9-10, “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven [should be plural – heavens], hallowed be your name [nature]. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth [man’s natural body] as it is in heaven [also within man’s spirit and soul]”.
Jesus, in instructing these disciples to pray, was pointing to the greater heavens other than the natural heaven above us. Jesus, referring to the heaven within each man is pointing to the greater need. That is, when the Holy Spirit comes to abide within, He fills our spirit with His life as it flows from the Father.
This life or nature is then to be actively involved with bringing change to the spirit-filled vessel. That is, the heaven, the nature of God, His Holy Spirit, is to renovate the old dead soul man from the fallen Adam nature that dwells within all men from birth.
Meaning, the corrupted soul (will, mind, emotions, desires), is being changed into that which rules in making up the new heavens. This speaks, that a restored living soul is to rise from within the vessel, which is the new covenant nature from God and begins to manifest from within. This manifestation results in every enemy of God being scattered as the Christ nature from within causes God’s heavens and God’s will to be done on the earth through this new creation man. That is, the vessels body shall now know the full measure of the manifested nature of God.
Friends, is it not so, that God even now is birthing such a many member man-child. A people to cause all the kingdoms of this world to be brought down in the establishing of the eternal kingdom of God through-out all His creation.
From this promise, let us, God’s people, in humility of heart, let God arise from within and let every enemy be scattered, even that enemy called death, the death as it has ruled in our earth, our bodies from birth. 1 Cor. 15:54, “So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory”.
Can we not even now hear and see the Christ-life that is rising from within a people? In this action, the God of all creation is on the upswing from within the soul of man to cause all the enemies of God to be scattered. These enemies are not only in the natural earth, as ruled by carnal man, but also within the nature of man, which exist in corruption.
However, in receiving Christ, God became actively involved with renovating the soul back into its original state, that is, a living soul, brought forth to manifest the nature of God wherein that man can now manifest God’s purpose in all things. This is that day so let us rejoice and be glad. Let God arise.
Duane Stewart
“A Voice for the Gathering Saints”
duanestewart70@aol.com
www.avoiceforthegatheringsaints.org