Dear Friends,
As we begin 2014, we prepare this
ministry for what God is calling us to accomplish through our work
together. Many outreaches are expanding, primarily CedarWood and Joel’s
Army. The development of a ministry to those in need along with a
ministry to raise up intercessor’s to stand in the gap for their nations
is quite possibly the most important calling upon us in this hour. We
value those of you who have joined us in these efforts and welcome those
of you who haven’t, to prayerfully consider coming along side us as we
prepare this nation (and others) for the days ahead. You can read more
about them, including how to get involved on the Cedarwood and Joel’s
Army pages of our website.
Following is part B of “What Does God
Want”. Last week we learned about Moses and the life he lived before
God. He found favor in God’s sight because he lived a self-sacrificial
life which he was willing to lay down in order to see the nation of
Israel saved. As you read through this week’s message, I pray that God
will begin to speak to you about what He wants from your life in this
hour.
Blessings in Him,
Ricci & WFJM Staff
WHAT DOES GOD WANT?
Part B
By
Nita Johnson
In the next chapter, we see God answering his prayer.
Exodus 34:1-3 Amp. The Lord said to Moses, Cut two tables of stone like the first, and I will write upon these tables the words that were on the first tables, which you broke. Be ready and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to Me on the top of the mountain. And no man shall come up with you, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mountain; neither let flocks or herds feed before that mountain.
Isn't this amazing? No human being was
allowed to touch the mountain of God. Yet, upon this mountain, God said
to Moses, “I will reveal Myself to you. You come up to Me.” Thus, he was
given permission to climb the high precipice of revelation and see in
God what no man had seen before. The others could not even so much as
touch the mountain. Yet, to the man who had sanctified himself, set
himself apart unto God, purified himself of the world, made himself a
sacrifice for the people of God, and stood before God in purity, God
said, “….but you come up to Me.” He intended to answer the pleading of
Moses' heart and to grant Moses the revelation.
Exodus 34:4-8 Amp. So Moses cut two tables of stone like the first,
and he rose up early in the morning and
went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his
hand two tables of stone. And the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord! The Lord! A God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving-kindness and truth, keeping mercy and loving-kindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but Who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children, to the third and fourth generation. And Moses made haste to bow his head toward the earth and worshiped.
Moses was given to see the pre-incarnate
Christ. Jesus stood beside him as a mediator as the Father passed by.
When we read this passage, what we see is a man standing on the
mountain, and the Lord passes by him and speaks words to his intellect.
Now Moses understands intellectually what he did not understand before,
and this intellectual revelation will be something that will have to
carry him through years of dealing with Israel. That is what we see in
this passage, but that is not at all what happened. Something happened
that was so incredible. Moses did not just hear words; instead, God gave
Moses the privilege of experiencing a dynamic impartation of the life
and truth of God with every word that came out of the mouth of God.
One night, I was in prayer with my friend
and secretary in Clovis, California. We were worshiping the Lord when
suddenly I was taken up to the mountain, and I was given the privilege
of experiencing what Moses experienced. That is why I know what happened
to him on top of that mountain. Moses stood on top of the mountain, and
God passed by. He uttered words, but with every word that He spoke, the
very essence and life of that truth came out of the belly of the Lord.
God spoke, “A God merciful,” and the very
essence of mercy came out of the belly of the Father. It slowly moved
across time and eternity towards Moses. Suddenly, the very essence of
God who is mercy entered into the belly of Moses and exploded until the
very nature of God's mercy filled his entire being. Moses stood in awe
because now he not only understood God's mercy intellectually, but he
experienced the very essence of the life of God who is mercy. It filled
Moses. I know because it also filled me. I could feel every cell in my
body being enlarged with mercy.
When it finally settled down, and my being
had absorbed that truth, He said the next thing: “And gracious.” The
grace of God left the belly of God and moved down through time and
eternity toward Moses. It entered into the belly of Moses, filled his
entire being, and exploded. Grace filled every cell of his person, his
mind, his heart, his soul, and his flesh. God revealed to him what it
means to be God who is grace.
When Moses finally absorbed that, He said,
“Slow to anger.” The very essence of the long-suffering nature of God
moved out of His belly, flowed down through time and eternity, entered
into Moses, and exploded into him until every cell of his being was
filled with the long-suffering of God. It was not just a word to Moses;
it was life. It was not merely an explanation, but it was an impartation
of the very essence of God.
Exodus 33:13a Amp. Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, show me now Your way....
God spoke, “Abundant in loving-kindness.”
The loving-kindness of God moved out of the belly of God, flowed down
through time and eternity, and exploded into the belly of Moses until
every cell was filled with the loving-kindness of God. Moses touched
love divine. He was saturated with it. Every cell was enlarged with the
understanding, revelation, experience, and even the union with God who
is love.
Following that was, “And truth.” God is
all truth and only truth. His truth flowed out of His belly, moved down
through time and eternity, entered into Moses, and exploded in him.
Moses became united to He who is truth. This is why, when he came down
from the mountain, his soul was so filled with the light of God that he
had been transfigured in light into the image of Jesus Christ. The glory
not only shone, but shot out from his face like with great flashes,
the transcendent glory! Can you imagine? It was because this revelation
transfigured this man. Think about that. The Word of God changed a
human soul. His Word is so powerful. The One who knew Moses better than
anyone on the face of the earth had just utterly changed him into a
giant in the Spirit.
...to be continued next week.
In Him
Nita Johnson
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