Dry leaf touching window glass-fall is here in Austin. Thoughts of seasons and the growth cycles of things-how each seed yields, how the fruits will be made apparent..the spiritual laws of sowing and reaping; but also the stages themselves of maturity. It feels like this wild golden bloom, the church, doesn¹t know where she is at in her own maturation process.
Austin Sparks, one of my favorite writers on spiritual things,believed that part of the responsiblity lies with us. We have to want to go on to the higher levels! To come into the enlightened heart phase where our eyes see heaven and know our glorious inheritance-this was Paul¹s desire, and it is our time to come into this level of sonship with Him.
In order to become spiritual parents as a whole, we must be willing to leave infancy and the elementary teachings, and go on to solid food.
The sonship phase of development includes coming into our inheritance and occupying the lands He is giving us. It also includes greater difficulties.
I believe God is calling my own generation to stand as spiritual adults in this hour, and I also see that He is asking the church to go to her next level of develpment spiritually.
For many, this will mean just coming to know the Holy Spirit, for others a new level of seeing into and down from the heavens. But this newer level of being in Him has been released from heaven and it is our response to say yes. Yes, I want to grow into this next stage of spiritual life. To leave behind the elementary teachings and move on to the solid spiritual food.
As a generation, mine has been late blooming. In general, we were not fathered, so we were not told that we were men and women. Nor were our parents fully capable of seeing in the spirit who we were in His overarching purposes. But as He has risen up and released a more prophetic people, many are now seeing with their spiritual eyes, and beginning to recognize the true callings over each generation-and how they fit together in His Plan.
Much has changed, and is changing-turning. God Himself has come and fathered us, and is now making us spiritual parents. This requires us to leave cynicism, and heal from the anger towards our elders for not being there. We have to now fulfill the calling He has placed on our generation, so that the way will be prepared for those to come. As prophetic namers and inventors this generation is uniquely prepared to travel from the church¹s wilderness phase into its inheritance stage-in other words, from spiritual childhood into adulthood-from child to sons and daughters and co-heirs.
But also this generation will see its spiritual elders receive the blessing of seeing some of the fruits of their labour in the sixties and seventies and eighties. This specifically applies to those who who spiritually were born in the Jesus People generation. They are needed now to stand and taste the fruit they helped plant.
Many are not yet standing, or are lost under the world system-even those within various church house movements. i believe that God wants many to step out and return to some of the same fields they were birthed within-to come out from the security of their homes and church communities and be flowering ones again.
Others from my fathers generation are being called to loosen up financial resources and provide for this coming and already present move of God.
The church at large is being unified through refinement. We see this at every level, but simultaneously, many are being called to move out even before the general Body becomes unified. These are being asked to go into new lands and both build and be living tabernacles for His Presence. There is mighty Power being laid down on artist and thinkers globally to go out into previously occupied territories and spread the fragrance of His World.
What God is birthing now is not able to be controlled by our own understanding, or our programs. This is mercy for us, for we will once again be forced to let God do it! As the knowledge of God increases on the earth, and He makes His Plans known, we are receiving new perspective on such things as the church¹s relationship with the Jews-our spiritual brothers. This is very exciting, for it is a signal.
We see many books now written from this space between Christianity and Judaism.(a friend from my high school days has written a memoir of his life which is now a New York times best seller called, ³Turbulent Souls², which is about his journey from catholicism to judaism; another woman here in texas has written a great book called ³A Baptist among the Jews²; another remarkable book from this in between space is ³Girl Meets God² written by a Jewish/ Christian girl) Not all of these books are clear yet, but it is clear that a dialogue is opening which was begun in heaven.
As dry leaves start to rustle our windows, signaling the arrival of fall, so many things are falling away and dying and many new things born. As the spiritual seasons in heaven are shifting, many things He has birthed in heaven are starting to bloom here on earth. Turn us Lord of the harvest, turn us with Your heavenly seasons. Cause us to grow into resplendant trees on the shore of Your great River! Let the generations come forth into their true names, and birth and help parent what You Alone are growing.
