Thursday, January 5, 2012

Passion for Jesus

As the Captain of our salvation, He took up the work of intercession in deep passion, in the Garden of Gethsemane.
 
 “In the days of His flesh, with bitter cries and tears, He offered prayers and supplications….  Hebrews 5:7  Moffatt
 
“Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come to God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them.”  Hebrews 7:25
 
“For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”  Hebrews 9:24.
 
However, it is not enough that Jesus alone has thus become our Great Intercessor.  Though originating in God, every great spiritual movement has come forth out of travail, and groanings in intercession.  The new move of God at this hour requires powerful intercessions and soul travail.  The appointed Divine way of bringing to pass the great works of God is by prayer and intercession.  The present day “movings” of God in preparing a Bride company is no exception. 
 
It calls for mighty prevailing prayer.
 
There are those who are called to be much given to intercession.  These are being dealt with to intercede concerning these movements of the Lord, at this present time, recognizing that this intercessory calling is of the greatest importance.
 
However, this urgent need is not being acted upon by the Lord’s people as it should.  There must be intercessions and earnest prayer that God will give boldness and utterance in the Spirit, to declare these truths.  The minds and spirits of the Lord’s children should be open to understand and grasp these things which pertain to present hour conditions, both as to the spiritual advancement of the saints of God, the time of the judgment of Gentile nations.
 
It is all too true that these very important spiritual realms of intercession and prophetic operations are largely neglected today.  They are often esteemed as being a form of fanaticism by many religious leaders.
 
“But this I confess to you, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets.”  Acts 24:14
 
This is the hour of the preparation of the Bride.  There must, and shall come forth the mighty currents and tides of spiritual life, gifts of the Spirit, transformations of individual character, and a rich and copious flow of prophecy, wisdom, and knowledge by the Spirit; prophetic declarations that will shake the world, and prepare the Lord’s people for the coming of the King.
 
There must be intercessory groups that are in one accord, united to pray, and  who supplicate and intercede for the same things.  I was once on the street in St. Louis.  I saw about thirteen men loading railroad rails on a flat car.  At given signals they all grasped the rail, perhaps 25 feet or more long, raised it to their knees, then to their hips, then high in the air over their heads, heaving it onto the car.  We can, in intercession, grasp the problems and heave them high to completion.
 
God has called us, let us heartily respond.  We have only to do our part in intercession.  The results will be far beyond any individual comprehension we may have.