"HE HATH TORN US"
by
Michael Clark
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A
few years ago in '96, I visited Bobby Conners' church in Bullard, Texas,
where
a brother named Larry Randolf from California was the guest speaker.
The
Holy Spirit was really ringing my bell as Larry spoke. I don't
remember
all that he said, but I felt a strong spirit of repentance and
contrition
come over me. I kept saying, "Lord rend me, tear me, expose my
heart."
Then I heard Him say, "I have torn you, but now I am healing
you."
That
was when I leaned over and asked a brother named Hollis Vaughn, "Where
in
the Bible does it say, ‘He has torn us’?” and he told me to
look up
Hosea
6:1. It reads as follows: 1 Come, and let us return to the LORD; For He has torn, but He will
heal
I believe that the Lord was saying to me through these scriptures
that
before
true revival can come to the Church, we must be torn and
stricken
and truly "rend our hearts not just our garments..." (Joel
2:13).
Until we truly see just how wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and
naked
we really are, we won't ever rend our hearts, and we will not call
out
to Him to heal us. I believe the Lord has prepared and is
preparing
prophets to hew the Church. These men and women will
be
those who themselves have been carved out by God, and have rend their
hearts,
purging themselves of all the dross of self-righteousness, and self
elevating
pride. These will be those who weep for the lost state of the
Church
and identify with her shallowness and sin. I also believe that this season, the third millennium since the
birth of Christ, is the acceptable year of the Lord. Two-thousand
years ago our Jesus was born to suffer and die. We know that a
thousand years is as
a
day to the Lord (2 Peter 3:8). He says in verse two above, "After
two days will he revive us: in
the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
(Hosea 6:2, KJV). I believe we are in
that third day. This is a type of the death and resurrection of Christ,
but it is also the path of all who would follow Him. Colossians 3:4 says, "When Christ [who is] our life appears,
then you also will
appear with Him in glory.” I believe that the fruit of this
final revival
is
going to be a bride that the Bridegroom is worthy of. She will
consist of those wise virgins who those who heed the warning in Revelation
3:18. "I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire,
that
you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the
shame
of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye
salve,
that you may see." The Church for which Christ returns will be a
glorious
Church, without spot or wrinkle, but there must be a tearing and rending,
gold tried in the fire, first. Jesus is not coming back for a bride that is
a self-indulgent, spoiled brat. Most of today's church in the west is enamored with the gold of
this world
instead
of the gold of His righteousness which comes only by allowing Him
to
refine us in His fire. Many of her leaders are parading around in
"the
Kings
new clothes" sewn from
threads of pride and
arrogance
by a satanic tailor instead of the required wedding garment of a broken and
contrite
spirit.
And because they say they see, they are truly blind (John 9:41).
I can't help but be reminded of Isaiah 4:1 when I look about
Christendom today. "And
in that day seven women
(the
church [Rev. 1:20]) shall take hold of one man (Jesus), saying, 'O We
will
eat our own food (wealth) and wear our own apparel (self-righteousness);
Only let us be called by your name, To take away our
reproach
(We will allow Him to be our Savior, but not our Lord)."
He
is calling out to us to intimately "know" Him (Hosea 6:3&6
[Hebrew -
yada). See
also Matt. 1:25, and Matt. 7:23 ,Luke 1:34, Luke 10:22,
Luke
16:15, (Greek - "ginosko"). Both of these words, yada and
ginosko
translated
"know, knowledge or knew" in the scriptures imply not only a
head
knowledge but an intimate relationship with that which is known (See
W.E.
Vine's exposition on ginosko).
We hear about the Holy Spirit being poured out like the rain on all
flesh,
but it appears that there must first be a heart rending and an
intimate
knowing on the part of those who seek this rain. Those in
the
upper room before Pentecost had more than a Sunday meeting
level
of commitment. A cross-less Christianity will not prepare us for what
God
wants to manifest in His Church, which is His Son and nothing less!
Jesus
said,
22
"The
Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and
chief
priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day."
It seems that all we have left of the former revival rains is the
early
morning fog that burns off with the heat of the day (Hosea 6:4).
"Oh
God, send us a true heart rending revival that prepares us for the
blast
of satanic heat that is coming upon us. Hew us once again with the
words
of your prophets, men and women of integrity, who will not be turned
away
from their mission by those who threaten to withhold official approval
and
financial support, men and women of integrity who's kingdom is not of this
world. Send us those who speak your words and who look to
you
only for their approval and support." In God's timing the evening is always before them morning.
The darkness
always
comes before that Light that Shines from the east even to the west.
Joel
prophesied,
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred
assembly;
25 And I will restore to you the years which the swarming locust
has eaten,
the
locust larvae, and the stripping locust, and the cutting locust, My
great
army which I sent among you. The word "afterwards" in verse 28 above has been the most
overlooked word by modern revivalists. After what? Doesn't the
context of
both
of these passages in Joel and Hosea support the fact that first we
must
be hewn and brought to a place where we see the sin sick state of
today's
church and our part in its decadence? God first calls out
to
us to fall on our faces in true repentance and torn hearts, and only then
does He pours
out
the promise of His Spirit. Doesn't it also appear that this final
outpouring
is accompanied by great natural disasters and a promise that everything
that
can be shaken will be shaken? Is it not just a remnant that answer
His
call to true repentance? Joel continues, 29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour
out My
Spirit
in those days.
We
cannot continue to read these verses about the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit
in our selective self-deluding way. If we do, it will cost us dearly
because we will not prepare our hearts for the coming Bridegroom.
We
have been so many foolish virgins who have been singing our version of
"The
World Owes Me a Livin'," when we should be seeking from Him that
precious
oil for our inward lamps. The night that precedes the Bridegroom’s
appearance is coming upon us all. (Matt. 25:1-13). I can not help but see today's western church when I read
Jeremiah's words regarding the fallen state of Israel.
10 To whom shall I speak and give warning, That they may hear?
Indeed their
ear
is uncircumcised, And they cannot give heed. Behold, the word of the
LORD
is a reproach to them; They have no delight in it.
Yes, I expect a glorious fulfillment of these precious promises in Hosea 6 and Joel 2 of a Holy Spirit revival in our day. This is the chosen hour, but first we must rend our hearts and call out to God to heal us and purify His bride in the furnace of affliction before the return of the Son.
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