Revelation 2.

We are still studying our theme about end time things. God is speaking directly concerning the things “Church” has somewhat lost in part is the capacity to be prepared for the coming of Yeshua in these days. Our pursuit for prosperity and covenantal blessing has taken over, whilst we must know that all the signs are there that Yeshua will return to end this age, and bring judgment and eternal determination and destiny.

We see in Revelation chapter 1, the Revelation of the Glorified Yeshua. This pinnacle revelation was to set John apart, from all those around him. His apostleship was not just to minister to his contemporaries, but was to communicate a heavenly vision that impacts us to this day. This makes his apostleship go beyond the boundaries of time and context to communicate to us the panorama of heaven’s programme for mankind.

The Book of Revelation has a logical sequence of events. John suffers for his testimony, is banished to Patmos, he receives a revelation, and he speaks to the Churches he is apostolically fathering. There are other steps, which we will deal with further in other messages in this series.

What I want to concentrate on today is the discharge of earthly ministry to embrace a heavenly ministry.

I feel today many ministers and ministries have forgotten or they have not allowed the Spirit to take them on this transition. Many hang onto their titles, many hang onto visions past received, and maintain their status there. I sense that our walk with God must lead us onto greater dimensions of truth.

If you examine the 7 letters to the Churches, Yeshua Himself is speaking, and what fear and proper representation is communicated. We can be guilty today of misrepresenting Him through our over emphasis on doctrines, and deceptions. Our traditions can blind us to where God is taking us.

There are two positions which God wants to highlight. In our ministering we can learn how to serve, but sometimes we stay on the “horizontal” perspective, where needs and where human problems can occupy our time. Where counselling, and church activities take up our time. The enemy of our souls can keep us running round to “keep the show going.”

There is a time however, where we make an adjustment. We opt to minister from a “vertical” position. That is we experience a transportation into the realm of the Spirit to see and learn the workings of the Kingdom, backed up by Scripture. From here our messages and our conversations represent Yeshua Glorified perfectly.

The result is a installation of the Holy Fear of God into the saints. Exodus plainly tells us to cultivate that Fear so we sin not, or make light of the Grace that operates in us.

In contemporary ministry, never before in any generation has those who act in it, work in it, and aspire to work in it, find themselves taken over by despair, family, financial and mental breakdowns. Many are in burnout. The reason being is that they have sought to minister from a base of “horizontal” ministry. There is no new manna. There is no prophetic word preached. There is no Fear being installed into the body of so called believers, they respond on a Sunday to find that they live worldly lives, making worldly choices during the week.

John discharged through 7 letters to those he was fathering so that he could transition to a higher calling. It is time we find that higher calling, because human nature in all its forms is increasing in its depravity, and more and more we grow further away from the truth.

Attitudes and thoughts become strongholds for the enemy to reside. Reminds me of the Hobbit series and Lord of the Rings, where Sauron had no abode, but his spirit grew stronger and stronger, and inhabitting an old ruin, went from there to build Mordor. How much more does our “Sauron” build his abode in our attitudes. Then when we want to bring in changes we are surprised by the attack of the one who resides in those places deep in our hearts. Change must come.

May we like John have the courage to discharge what our understanding is of ministry so that we arrive in our high calling.

Shalom