Trumpet Ministries,The Creation of the Firstfruits of the Church
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In the Scriptures we can see several examples of God speaking to one or a few member of His chosen people while the remainder were unable to gain victory or in an apostate condition. Though Israel is as the sand of the sea in number, it is a remnant that is saved.
The forming of Gideon’s three hundred is an example of a small part of Israel gaining a most important victory.
So it will be in the last days. There will be drawn from God’s people at large a warlike remnant who will succeed in gaining victory over Satan, who will purify themselves of all rebellion and sin as they cooperate with the work of the Holy Spirit.
We notice in the Old Testament and the New that as we draw near to the end of the age the Church, Zion, will enter a travail and will bring forth a child.
Notice the following:
But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. (Micah 5:2,3)
When she who travails has brought forth her child, the remnant of the brothers of Christ will return to the children of Israel. The brothers of Christ are those whom God has predestined to be in His image.
After the child returns to the children of Israel Christ will rule with great power.
And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. (Micah 5:8)
And again:
A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the Lord that rendereth recompence to his enemies. Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. (Isaiah 66:6-8)
God will render recompence to His enemies. Before Zion, the Church, travailed, she was delivered of a man child. We believe this man child was Christ who was born before the Church travailed.
Later Zion travails and brings forth her children.
Paul spoke of travailing in birth until Christ was formed in the saints in Galatia. The believers in Galatia were being led back into the Law of Moses. Paul knew that perfect victory could come to them only as Christ was formed in them (Galatians 4:19).
Paul himself was crucified with Christ and Christ was living in him. Paul stated that circumcision was nothing and uncircumcision was of no consequence. All that matters is the new creation, that is, Christ formed in us.
God moves at certain points of history. There was a time when God called to Moses through a burning bush. There was a time when God spoke to John the Baptist in the wilderness.
There was a time when the thundering God of Sinai walked among people as a carpenter’s son. There was a time when Christ called out twelve apostles. The names of eleven of them are in the foundations of the wall of the new Jerusalem and shall be there forever.
Things do not happen democratically in the Kingdom of God. There come seasons of opportunity for specific persons. If they avail themselves of the opportunity they go on to vast rewards.
Today is the hour for the Church to enter travail. From the travail of the Church will proceed a company of saints who will overcome Satan to the point that Michael and his angels are able to remove Satan and his followers from the heavens.
The overcoming saints gain the victory by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, and by loving not their lives to the point of death.
But first Christ must be born in them.
And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. (Revelation 12:5)
The male Son is Christ who has been formed in the saints through the travail of the Church. These are God’s eternal rulers, the firstfruits of the Church.
And they overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. (Revelation 12:11)
It is hard for us to believe, who have wrestled for so long against the wicked powers in the heavens, that there will come a day when the wrestling match has come to a victorious conclusion; when Satan has been pinned to the mat.
Yet, this victory shall be won. But it will not be won by the efforts of human beings but by the forming of Christ in human beings.
God is ready to roar out of Zion, but first He must be formed in Zion.
Of all the necessary efforts of our day the most important is the forming of Christ in the believers. No progress can be made toward the removal of the presence of sin from the creation until Christ has been formed in the saints.
All we do from this point forward should be conducted with the goal in mind of forming Christ in the saints. This goal should be given the highest priority in all that is done during the assembly of the saints.
We have the Father—perfect in holiness and righteousness.
We have Christ—perfect in holiness, righteousness, and obedience to God.
Now we have the firstfruits of the Church being made perfect in holiness, righteousness, and obedience to the Father until they are able to overcome the accuser so he may be hurled down from the heavens with his followers.
The only manner in which the firstfruits of the Church can be made perfect in holiness, righteousness, and obedience to the Father is by submitting to the process of crucifixion with Christ so that Christ may live in them. The Holy Spirit is ready to bring whoever will agree to the program through every process necessary for the complete and perfect formation of Christ in them.
The time is now. Are you willing? Will you forsake all in order that the Spirit may form Christ in you? What is your answer? God is waiting.
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