Provision in the Wilderness
by Brett Jacobsen
This small article is an excerpt from the author's book Heaven's Underground Blueprint which is available here - http://www.christisall.org/hub-book.
One of the reasons the body of Christ is still wandering in the desert is that we have settled for the best the desert has to offer. Instead we should believe for God’s absolute fullness in the earth and align ourselves in obedience no matter what the cost.
With no disrespect intended at all, I must make a statement concerning all the fine men and women of God who have ministered in His power throughout church history thus far as well as the great moves of His Spirit. These, for the most part, have been a great blessing to both God and man. However, they are prophetically typified by the provisional miracles in the Sinai desert. So in God’s economy they are merely, PROVISION IN THE WILDERNESS – not the Promised Land, and therefore not the fullness of Christ.
Whether it is Luther and the early reformers embracing grace, or the many prayer revivals, mass evangelism, healing ministries and the like, they are all prophetically paralleled by the miracles in Sinai. These miracles include manna from heaven, water out of rocks, fire and clouds giving God’s direction, military victory, shoes supernaturally mended and much more; but they are not the Promised Land.
Whilst both the Sinai and church deserts have produced an impressive level of supernatural manifestations (in man’s estimation at least), they both fall considerably short of the glorious measure that God is willing and able to let loose.
Something that has continually retarded the body of Christ from advancing into the fullness of Christ is our habit of reminiscing about the good old days. We say things like: “imagine if Paul the apostle was around” or “how amazing was John Wesley” as if these were God’s best. We sell ourselves short by lifting up yesterday’s faith heroes to a special status, which causes us to shrink back from the task of taking things even further. Although both of these men, as well as many others, moved powerfully in Him, we must not limit ourselves to their walk. God is looking for a generation that is willing to believe for a higher level of Him than anyone has ever walked in, not just for individuals personally but for the majority of the body.
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Thank you.
February 26th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
Amen! Especially to the last bit. Keen to hear more though about the theological basis of the current church age being synonymous with Israel’s wilderness experience, I’m still a bit wonky on it yet.
Looking forward to the book! “for now i know inpart but then i shall know fully!!”
Cheers, dave
February 27th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
Yes Bretto, we have sold ourselves short, we have come to JESUS as the widow and not as HIS Bride….Somewhere inbetween we have lost our focus, but I feel HOLY SPIRIT is drawing us back to our position in CHRIST, we are HIS Bride, espoused and betrothed, married yet waiting for the consumation of the marriage to take place, and it is for the corporate body, we are One Body in CHRIST just as the FATHER and THE SON ARE ONE….Who is this who comes up from the wilderness leaning upon her BELOVED? It’s all about loving JESUS and JESUS loving us and when that happens the first commandment is filled, fill the first and the second is filled “go ye into the world and preach the gospel”…..I never sold my wilderness experiences short, they bring us into the Promised Land.
March 1st, 2007 at 1:24 am
Bretto, i love it.
I once was prompted by the HOLY SPIRIT to look our church taking Holy Communion and consider if i thought what i saw in front of me was a good representation of the Bride of the CHRIST. This question has reshaped me and my thinking in many many ways.
What i love about our GOD is there is so much more to come, the Bride is getting more and more beautiful, especially on the inside, to which i feel counts the most.
Lets dress and live as the Bride like the greatest wedding is yet to come, what we have seen is really cool but the best is yet to come.
See i made all things new…..JESUS the CHRIST.
March 14th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
A brief response to Davemurray,
Hey Dave,
My theological stance does not put “the current church age being synonymous with Israel’s wilderness experience” but rather reveals the prophetic parallels between the two. The Old Testament stories are for this purpose:
“Now all these things happened to them for examples: and they are written for our admonition [warning], upon whom the ends of the world are come” (1 Cor 10:11).
There is much prophetic context to be gained for our current Kingdom Age by looking at the Old Testament to find analogous prophetic instruction.
Of course, the most part of the book (Heaven’s Underground Blueprint) is biblical doctrine for “reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim 3:17). However, the prophetic analogies are also very handy in understanding where we are at in history, and why we are there.
Peace
Bretto
March 20th, 2007 at 6:50 pm
We need the apostle back in the body, he is the one that will show the people how to be free in Christ. He cares little obout religeous matters and buildings tything and other laws and regulations.
He is a son of the living God and cares nil about his own life. The word of God did not place first some to be apostles for just 50 years or so, they are the ones to be teaching the body of Christ, the equipers. Where are they?
The Holy Spirit is breking down the religeous walls and will restore His prophets and apostles.
April 18th, 2007 at 6:07 am
You must have been in my mind. I had the exact same thoughts about persons who are satisfied with the miraculous in the wilderness rather than the glory of the promised land. Many do not know that God is gracious even to unbelivers who are living in the wilderness. The warning that needs to be given is that they died in the wilderness. Our Lord said that He was the True Bread that came down from heaven; eat of Him and you will not die. i am ready to enter the promise land which I believe is Christ Himself. Thanks for your articles. It is great to know there are others thinking the same way. As a local pastor that is my desire for congregation - that we all see Christ in us as the hope of glory. He wants to live His life through us. We are His body and His Spirit in His body is the very life of the body.