God Is My Salvation

I have been "in Pentecost" since 1948. Now God is ready to move us past Pentecost, so to speak. The previous century was the "Pentecostal Century." Speaking in tongues was experienced in many of the major denominations, including Catholicism. But God is moving on. We have not as yet arrived at the fullness of redemption.

If we are to continue naming centuries after the feasts of the Lord, then the twenty-first century might be named the "Tabernacles Century." First, salvation. Then the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Finally the spiritual fulfilment of the Jewish celebration of Tabernacles.

What can we expect as we enter the third work of redemption? The Lord Jesus comes to us in the spirit realm. He knocks at the door of our personality. If we open our heart to Him, He dines with us—He on our obedience and worship; we on His body and blood. How utterly marvellous!

Now we find that we have opened the everlasting doors of our personality to "the Lord, strong and mighty in battle." He declares war on that in our personality which is not in the image of God: our love of the world, the sinful nature of our flesh, and our self-will and self-love.

As we submit to the demands of God’s Warrior, the Holy Spirit leads us in total deliverance from worldliness, from the lusts and passions of our flesh and soul, and from our self-will and self-love. In this manner we are reconciled to God and He to us.

What is God’s final plan for us? It is that He might settle down to rest in us. We have been conformed to the image of Christ. We are dwelling in untroubled rest in the very Centre of the Consuming Fire of Israel. This is the Omega of redemption.

What is our life like once we have pressed through to God’s rest? We realize that little by little our life is becoming the Life of Christ. We find that the less we take for granted, and the more we look to Jesus for His judgment of our every action, the more we remain in the Presence of the Lord.

A. B. Simpson, the founder of the Christian Missionary Alliance, told us in a hymn, that once he sought the gift; now he seeks the giver. It could not be expressed more accurately than this, I don’t believe.

I have read that the Jews of Jesus’ day chanted the twelfth chapter of the Book of Isaiah during the celebration of Tabernacles. This passage of the Bible tells us what we experience as we enter the third work of redemption.

In that day you will say: "I will praise you, O LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. (Isaiah 12:1) For every saint who would move forward with God there will come a period during which God’s anger at his personality is expressed. Such an experience is not pleasant, and it may last for several years. During this time we are brought low. We barely can remember what it was like to be a joyous Christian.

If we endure our hour of darkness, the day will come when our warfare has been accomplished, God’s anger has turned away and He comforts us.

If you are in this situation now, remember that you are not in a grave but in a tunnel. There is light in the end. I have been there.

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." (Isaiah 12:2) Now God Himself becomes our salvation. We learn to trust Him. He Himself has become our Strength. He Himself has become our Song. He Himself has become our Salvation. It can be a bit painful and frustrating as we seek to attain to God’s rest, but it certainly is worth it. Here is the fullness of righteousness, love, joy, and peace.

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. (Isaiah 12:3) "Pentecost" is the rain from Heaven. "Tabernacles" is the creating of the Throne of God within the saint. The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, and we ourselves sit forever on that Throne which is above all other thrones. From that Throne proceeds the River of Life. It is an eternal well of salvation. The Spirit and the Bride invite all who will to come and drink of the Life of Christ. This is the ministry of the Body of Christ to the nations of the earth. In that day you will say: "Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. (Isaiah 12:4)

I will go so far as to say I do not trust any religion. Do you? If you will notice, the religious organizations are forever exalting themselves. But Jesus said, "I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men to Myself." Didn’t He say that? But what does the religious organization lift up? Its buildings. Its programs. Its accomplishments. Its Statement of Faith. Everything but Jesus! If you don’t believe me, look around you at the testimony of church organizations.

When God and Christ are dwelling in us, we no longer want to hear about the plans, programs, and achievements of religious people. We want to give thanks to the Lord. We want to call on His name. We want to make known among the nations what He has done. We want to exalt His Name!

When this is true of us we know we have escaped from religion and are living in close fellowship and union with the Man.

Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. (Isaiah 12:5)

"Known to all the world." Do you know what else Isaiah proclaimed? For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. (Isaiah 61:11)

Do you know what the Seed is? It is the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you know where the Seed grows? It grows in your heart and mine. Do you know what the result is? The result is all the nations of the earth behold the righteousness and praise that proceed from God Himself.

Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you." (Isaiah 12:6)

When God is great among us, being an integral part of what we are, we shall enjoy the fullness of righteousness; the fullness of love; the fullness of joy; the fullness of peace.

Not only that, but we will be able to bring to the "dead fish" of mankind the Life of God, not theology, not doctrine, not religion, but the very Life of God Himself. Then those fish will come to life, and the Glory of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters of the Spirit of God cover the dead sea of mankind.

He said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Sea. When it empties into the Sea, the water there becomes fresh. Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live." (Ezekiel 47:8,9)