SET TIME OF FAVOUR 2
(week 16/16)
OLUBI JOHNSON AND WALE ADEKOYA
Last week, we saw that we are in the season when God is about to show Zion a HIGHER LEVEL of favour than He has done hitherto: that will make Zion the blesser and not just the blessed and above ALL the nations of the earth, so enabling her to disciple the nations and so close this age and dispensation (Mt.24.14).
This week, we will see in more detail why and how we can receive this higher level of favour God is about to pour out on Zion.
This higher level of favour will release upon the Zion church the power of the Spirit without measure; but for this to happen, a work of greater humility going towards permanent humility must be done in our hearts so that this manifestation will not cause our hearts to be lifted up.
To do this work of greater humility, God ALLOWS Satan to attack us with a GREATER level of intensity, so it will take a GREATER MEASURE OF GRACE to overcome his attacks:
God allows us to be attacked by Satan to break our pride by causing weaknesses and pains, which will cause us to trust God more frequently and deeply, to receive GREATER AND GREATER measures of the life and power of God that will GRADUALLY bring our hearts to a condition of STAYING HUMBLE.
Leviticus 26:19 KJV: And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:
Proverbs 15:13 NKJV: A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.
Proverbs 20:30 KJV: The blueness of a wound cleanseth away evil: so do stripes the inward parts of the belly.
Ecclesiastes 7:3 KJV: Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made whole.
2Corinthians 7:10 AMP: For godly grief and the pain God is permitted to direct, produce a repentance that leads and contributes to salvation and deliverance from evil, and it never brings regret; but worldly grief (the hopeless sorrow that is characteristic of the pagan world) is deadly [breeding and ending in death].
This is why God allowed the messenger of Satan to buffet Paul:
2Corinthians 12:7-10 Therefore, to keep me from becoming overly proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from the Adversary to pound away at me, so that I wouldn’t grow conceited. (8) Three times I begged the Lord to take this thing away from me; (9) but he told me, “My grace is enough for you, for my power is brought to perfection in weakness.” Therefore, I am very happy to boast about my weaknesses, in order that the Messiah’s power will rest upon me. (10) Yes, I am well pleased with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and difficulties endured on behalf of the Messiah; for it is when I am weak that I am strong.
We also see this happening to Job (Job.1-2; 38-42) as summarised by James in
James 5:10-11 KJV: Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. (11) Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
Now as God allows these Satanic attacks and pressures to come against our hearts and circumstances, the negative things of the satanic nature HIDDEN deep in our hearts (wills, minds and emotions) will come to the surface and out where we can see them like it did for:
Israel in the wilderness:
Deuteronomy 8:2 KJV: And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
Job’s wife’s profanity:
Job 2:9 KJV: Then said his wife unto him, dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God, and die.
Miriam and Aaron’s rebellious attitude to Moses:
Numbers 12:1-9 KJV: And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. (2) And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? Hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it. (3) (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) (4) And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out. (5) And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth. (6) And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. (7) My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. (8) With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? (9) And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed.
Now, when these things: pride, profanity, stubbornness, envy, covetousness, rebellion etc., show up, we are (not to deny them, get angry at those God uses to show them up, or get under condemnation but rather) to cleanse our hearts from them by using the blood (Heb.13.20-21; 1 John.1.7-10), the Word (1 Jn.2.5) and the Spirit (1 Jn.4.12-13):
2Corinthians 7:1 KJV: Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Ephesians 5:25-27 KJV: Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (26) That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (27) That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
This is similar to what women do when they look at themselves in the mirror (cp. Jam.1.23-25) in the mornings and then use their make up kits (purchased at great price by their husbands! The Lord paid a great price (His physical and spiritual death) to make available His blood, Word and Spirit: our spiritual make up kit!)) to remove their spots, blemishes and wrinkles!
As we do this, the humility of our hearts will increase and God will give us greater and greater measures of His grace and life until we fulfil:
Deuteronomy 28:10-13 KJV: And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee. (11) And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee. (12) The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. (13) And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:
