This Conference has been a collaborative effort where we engaged multiple leaders over the past year that included three visits to Brazil. This Conference represents a sacrificial offering to the Lord for this city that has always been gracious and receptive to our message. We want to record our appreciation to Ap Josemario and the Filadelfia family for receiving us here and for receiving the servants of the Lord from South Africa for many years.
This last year building up to this Conference has been a great learning experience; a journey of spiritual enlightenment and discovery concerning our relationships to the greater Body of Christ in the City.
So what did we learn?
For the church in the City to come together, we need supernatural help; the help of the Father – even Jesus asked the Father for His Divine intervention to make His disciples ONE
Clearly building the local house and family and building the Body of believers in a City demand different applications
The grace required by Obededum in hosting the Ark of God in his local house was distinctly different from the grace required by David in bringing the Ark of God into the city of Jerusalem.
My perception is that in this present season, influenced by my experience over this past year, is that the transition of the Ark of God into Jerusalem demands much more than material sacrifices after EVERY SIX STEPS
The sacrificial demand is MUCH MORE than the blood of bulls and fatted sheep.
During the past year, I have discovered that oneness in the City, would demand a City leadership and priesthood that would pour out their own lives as AS A DRINK OFFERING to the Lord who watches over the city
Who and what is the scope of the Lord’s Divine jurisdiction?
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
This simple verse shows us that the Father is fully invested in the salvation of the inhabitants of the earth – on one VERY IMPORTANT condition that they receive and believe in His Son who He has sent
GREEK WORD FOR WORLD
Kosmos – created order – refers to all of humanity and all that God has created – this is who and what God “so loved”
This is the SCOPE OF HIS DIVINE JURISDICTION
Jesus brought great clarity to the Father’s love for the inhabitants of this world. His love does not include embracing endemic and systemic evil and corrupt operating systems of this world. The agape love of God rejoices in the truth.
1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
The oneness Jesus prayed to the Father about is for His believers –
He did not pray for us to be in alignment with the world and the things of the world
Jesus knew that there could be no agreement between two diametrically opposing cultures;
2 Corinthians 6:16 “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
The love of the Father for the inhabitants of the world is entirely dependent on their acceptance of His offer and gift for their salvation
David was not only king over God’s people in Israel, He was also king over the Gentiles who dwelt within the sphere of his jurisdiction
The credibility of David’s governance was strengthened by his commitment to righteous rule and granting access to equal justice for all the inhabitants of the land
Psalms 146:9 The LORD watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow; But the way of the wicked He turns upside down.
During our preparations over the past year, we had to engage various leaders in the City; this demanded great grace; because we have identified a City environment as the “HAREM COMPLEX”
The expression “harem complex” is not intended to convey a negative perception of the city. It simply acknowledges the diverse belief systems and philosophies that exist within the greater city complex
The original source of this perspective emerges from King Solomon’s relationships with his 700 wives and 300 concubines; these women, many of whom were foreigners, worshipped other gods and ultimately, as he grew older, his heart was influenced by these gods.
Scholars of the scriptures, would be able to relate the harem of Solomon to any environment that is influenced by pluralistic, spiritual, idolatrous and religious systems of worship.
In the Song of Solomon, Solomon would address the bride, with terms of endearment –
Song of Solomon 4:7n“O my love, you are altogether beautiful and fair. There is no flaw nor blemish in you
Ministry to the greater City complex presents a serious challenge to leaders with a specific apostolic and prophetic mandate in that our speech is known for its clarity ; there is an absence of flattery; there is a clear call for reformation; there is a demand believers to hear and prioritise the Word of the Lord
Ezekiel 37:4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!
Whilst apostolic/prophetic grace, almost with surgical precision, reveals the spiritual condition of God’s people, speaking words that pierce even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart, the grace of Solomon would focus on positive affirmations; he reveals the Passion of the Christ for His bride; looking at the finished work of Christ, looking BEYOND THE CROSS
THE APOSTOLIC/PROPHETIC RECOGNISES THE FACT THAT ONE GREATER THAN SOLOMON IS HERE
This grace is necessary and vital for ministry to the Body of Christ. Our communication must carry the grace that Solomon demonstrates in his writings to the City complex, especially to believers in Christ.
This is an Apostolic/Prophetic Conference and we need to be spiritually prepared and receptive for instructions in righteousness; to receive apostles’ doctrine; distractions from church culture will be highlighted just as the ascended Christ showed not only the strengths but also the weaknesses of the Church in the seven cities. Jesus not only warned the churches of judgement; He also promised blessings to those who would overcome
WHAT ELSE DID THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD REVEAL TO US DURING THIS LAST YEAR ?
2 Samuel 6:13 And so it was, when those bearing the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, that he sacrificed oxen and fatted sheep. 14 Then David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod.
I personally believe that the successful movement of the Ark of God into the City will demand much more than the sacrifice and the blood of oxen and fatted sheep.
IT ALSO DEMANDS NON TANGIBLE SACRIFICES or IMMATERIAL OFFERINGS
We are able to attach a monetary value to most things; however, we are unable to assign a monetary value to intangible, spiritual sacrifices, for example, how does a person assign a monetary value to a life like Paul; a life that has been poured out as a drink offering
During ancient sacrificial worship the “drink offering would be the FINAL OFFERING thrown over the main sacrifice on the altar” and then spills to the ground
It symbolises a life of total sacrificial devotion to God
JESUS IS THE ULTIMATE EXPRESSION OF A LIFE POURED OUT AS A DRINK OFFERING
He sent this message to some Greek Gentiles who wanted to speak with Him – saying that the seed needs to fall to the ground. What Jesus is demanding from those who would like to pursue Him is that our lives need to become THE DRINK OFFERING
This sacrifice is unfathomable because it transcends earthly accounting systems of economics and evaluation
The value of a “seed falling to the ground is infinite and priceless
(Sadly hybrid cultures that are influenced by the economies of the earth are not able to recognise the value of this type of offering)
Out of curiosity I asked CHAT GPT for a monetary evaluation of a life poured out as a drink offering
This was the response …
Your search – did not match any documents.
Suggestions:
- Make sure that all words are spelled correctly.
- Try different keywords.
- Try more general keywords.
- Try fewer keywords.
The reality is that the systems of this “kosmos” are unable to assign a monetary value to a “life that has been poured out as a drink offering
When Jesus engaged the Samaritan woman in a conversation, Jesus immediately identified this problem this city that represented a “City/harem complex” with its hybrid, mixed culture was unable to discern the gift of God sent by the Eternal Father
John 4:10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” This is not exclusively a Samaritan problem; Jesus lamented the same spiritual condition in Jerusalem – that the city was not able to discern the entrance of the Ark “in another form”
The Ark is now entering the city “in the form of His prophets and those sent into the city” (Matthew 23:37)
The revelation in the city concerning the Ark was limited ; in that they could only recognise the Ark of God physically, as a sacred piece of furniture built with acacia wood and overlaid with pure gold, it had a solid gold lid on top with two golden cherubim and was carried using wooden poles; it could not process proceeding revelation; it could not receive the revelation that believers are now the spiritual temple of God and have the elements and contents of the Ark configured spiritually inside them.
The items in the Ark are now assembled inside the believer; it has always been a symbol of the Presence of God.
We have become the living spiritual temple through the gift of the Holy Spirit.
We are carriers of His Divine Presence, authority, and glory. His Word is inscribed on the tablets of our hearts
Lack of recognition of the visitation of the Ark in another form can cause cities to resist, attack and destroy those who have been commissioned by God to bless the city.
THE FIRST INTANGIBLE SACRIFICE REQUIRED BY ANY CITY IN THE WORLD – THE SACRIFICE OF HONOUR
When cities HONOR carriers of Divine grace, this is seen as an intangible, immaterial sacrifice. This carries weight and influence in the sight of the Father, because it is equal to receiving Jesus and the Father.
ANOTHER INTANGIBLE SACRIFICE – A DEMONSTRATION OF GREAT COURAGE TO DECLARE CHRIST AS LORD OVER THE CITY THAT IS IMMERSED IN IDOLATRY
This is a non tangible sacrifice that is demanded for the Ark to enter the City
THE PROPHETIC WORD RELEASED BY ISAIAH THE PROPHET IS THAT THERE WILL BE A DAY WHEN GENTILES WILL SEEK JESUS
Isaiah 11:10 “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious.”
GOD IS FULLY INVESTED IN THE SALVATION AND REDEMPTION OF HUMANITY – THIS OVERSHADOWS HIS CONCERN FOR THE REPUTATION OF HIS PROPHET HOSEA
HE WOULD DEMAND HIS PROPHET HOSEA TO SACRIFICE HIS REPUTATION BY MARRYING AN UNFAITHFUL HARLOT GOMER JUST TO DEMONSTRATE AND REVEAL HIS FAITHFULNESS
God would demonstrate His steadfast, enduring love for His people who displayed recurring spiritual violations of covenant; recurring acts of unfaithfulness, disloyalty, deception and betrayal. God would command His prophet Hosea to marry Gomer to demonstrate His enduring love for His people (Romans 8:35-39)
The Father loved the inhabitants of the “kosmos” so much that He would send His only begotten Son into this “kosmos” to die for its salvation.
What the world may perceive this to be weakness, it reveals the Glory, Mercy and Agape Love of the Father towards His creation
This love is unfathomable; that the Father is at rest in sacrificing His only begotten Son by releasing His beloved Son into a culture where He is subject to hate, mockery, insult, rejection, being despised, betrayed and finally crucified
Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
CCF International Church 
Leave a comment