God's Judgment
Written in the Wind
by George Kirkpatrick
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Vital Words to the Body of Christ
Freely We Have Received, Freely We Give
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God's Word is full of glorious revelations. God uses many things to explain His wonders He is performing in the earth. Most of God's people are looking for the profound, the miracle, the unexplainable, the experience, or the Spiritual high; and they miss the simple truths and examples God has so wondrously shown us in His Word. The Apostle Paul wrote:
"...God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;" I Corinthians 1:27
God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. The word confound means "to disgrace and put to shame". God has chosen the foolish things of the world to disgrace and put to shame those who are walking after the flesh and not after the Spirit. He chose the weak things to dishonour and put to shame the things which are mighty. The word mighty means "the powerful, the affluent; those in high places who control peoples lives through wealth or position". God will deal with the mighty in His own way. Because the mighty will not glorify God in their lives, God will disgrace and put them to shame:
"Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men." I Corinthians 1:25
God will show forth His power, His might, and His glory in those who have chosen to walk in His ways. Those who reject God's way will suffer the wrath. Paul wrote to the church at Rome:
"For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:" Romans 1:20
Everything God created is a witness of His greatness and His eternal power. No one who has seen His creation will have any excuse for not knowing and recognizing their God. All who have witnessed the wonders of a tree, or smelled a rose, or wondered at the perfection of a newborn child will not have any excuse for denouncing their Creating God.
God's Treasure House
One of God's wonders of nature is the wind. All who live upon the earth have witnessed the wind: from the gentle breeze, to the gale, to the whirlwind, to the most violent typhoon. God speaks much about the wind in His Word. The prophet Jeremiah gave us insight into the wind:
"When He uttereth His voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens; and He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth: He maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of His treasures." Jeremiah 51:16
When God speaks of His treasures, they are the things of value that are stored until the time they are needed. He speaks of His treasures of the wind. The wind is not the only thing God has in His treasury. Job also spoke of God's treasures:
"Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail?" Job 38:22
God also has snow and hail in His treasures. God will use all His treasures, as it becomes necessary, to demonstrate His great power, authority, and majesty to those who inhabit the earth. The Psalmist wrote:
"Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling His Word." Psalm 148:8
God has His treasure house full, and is using this stored treasure to fulfill His Word. The day has come when God is releasing all His treasures in all their fury upon the earth.
The prophet Isaiah spoke of another treasure:
"And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel." Isaiah 45:3
The word darkness means "the place of obscurity", the secret place in God". The Psalmist declared the secret place in God:
"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1
The secret place of the Most High God is His place of protection, the place of His hidden riches. This is God's treasure house for the people who love and serve Him. He has stored up His treasures for His use in the day of His wrath.
The Four Winds
God is about to bring His wind out of His treasures. When the fullness of time is come, God's wind will blow as never before since the world began. Jesus revealed this mighty wind to John on the Isle of Patmos:
"And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree." Revelation 7:1
To understand how God uses the wind, we need a knowledge of the two aspects of the wind. First, there is the natural or physical characteristics of the wind. Secondly, there is the Spiritual characteristics of the wind. One Spiritual characteristic of the wind is that it represents God's judgment. These Spiritual winds of judgment are being held back from blowing on the earth until God has sealed the one hundred and forty-four thousand. Matthew speaks of God gathering His people after the wind of judgment blows upon the earth:
"And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." Matthew 24:31
When God releases the four winds upon the earth at the time of His judgment, He will gather His people from these four winds. This will be a time of violence and turbulence never before seen by man. The Bible speaks of the North Wind, the South Wind, the East Wind, and the West Wind. Everything in God's Word has a significance. The four directions also have a Spiritual significance for the end of this age.
North is the direction of God's throne. It is the symbol of power, majesty, and authority. South is the direction of comfort, refreshment, and quietness. The East Wind is the wind of judgment that will blow before the New Day. The West Wind blows from the setting of the sun. The West Wind reveals the end of the day, or the end of the age, and the restoration of all things.
As God's Word reveals its mysteries and the secrets of the four winds, we can begin to understand where we are in God's time table of endtime events. God determines when and which of the four winds will blow upon mankind.
The East Wind
God's Word speaks of the East Wind more than any of the other winds. The East Wind is referred to twenty-one times. When God was going to bring judgment upon Egypt to deliver His people, He used the East Wind twice. The first time...
"...Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the East Wind brought the locusts." Exodus 10:13
Locusts are always a sign of destruction. Nothing lives in the path of the locust. God used the East Wind to bring judgment upon all vegetation Egypt depended on to sustain life. God's judgment is always swift and complete.
The second time God used the East Wind to bring judgment upon Egypt...
"...Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided." Exodus 14:21
The East Wind divided the Red Sea. The dividing of the Red Sea brought deliverance to God's people. The East Wind allowed God's people to cross over on dry ground, but to the Egyptian Army, the East Wind meant total annihilation. God's people were completely delivered from any threat of Pharaoh's army.
The East Wind always blows from the New Day. For Egypt it was the end. All their vegetation was gone, their crops, their livestock, all trees. Death was in every house. Their army and all their young men were destroyed.
To Israel, it was the beginning of a New Day. They were released from their slavery. Governmental taskmasters no longer had dominion in their lives. They were set free to worship their God, and to plan their own future. They were free to act upon the promises of God, free to enter the land flowing with milk and honey. We, too, look forward to the time when God will set His people free from all the bondage of the governmental taskmasters. God is about to lead His people into His New Day, the glorious Kingdom of God. God declares His East Wind many ways. The Psalmist wrote:
"Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind." Psalm 48:7
The word Tarshish means "she will bring poverty, or she will scatter". Tarshish always means "a time of testing, or a place of heat". When God sends His East Wind upon the earth, it will be a time of testing and breaking. Those who will not be broken (humbled), now, will be broken when the angels release the four winds to blow upon the earth.
Ephraim Feedeth on the Wind
God foretold the wind of judgment He would bring upon the tribes of Ephraim and Dan. Jereboam had set up his golden calves in these two tribes. Because of this, God totally destroyed the tribes of Ephraim and Dan. They do not appear in the Spiritual tribes of Revelation 7. Neither of these tribes will be part of the one hundred and forty-four thousand. God did not reveal what happened to Dan, but the prophet Hosea foretold the fate of Ephraim:
"Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind: He daily increaseth lies and desolation; and they do make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt." Hosea 12:1
The East Wind is the wind of the Lord. The wind of the Lord came upon Ephraim because he daily increased lying. Ephraim not only lied to others, he lied to himself. Many today, like Ephraim, tell themselves they are the chosen of God, and all they have to do is offer an innocent animal (ask forgiveness) and they will be restored in the grace of God. Many today, like Ephraim, have overlooked the Scriptures that state,
"Thou shalt have no other gods before me". Exodus 20:3
When we have made gods unto ourselves, we invoke the East Wind of God's wrath in our lives. Ephraim also increased desolation in his life. The word desolation means "havoc, destruction, ruin, and violence". Many wonder why there are so many problems in their lives. It is because, like Ephraim, they have allowed false gods to be set up in their lives. Because of this, God's judgment winds are blowing, not to destroy them, but to bring them to true repentance.
Ephraim made a covenant with Assyria. The word Assyria means "to step up in society". Those who have made a covenant with Assyria have come into agreement with the world. They desire the things of the world more than the things of God. There is no separation in their life. They are in agreement with the heathen. These have been taught they have a right to demand from God all the things the heathen possess and trust in.
Not only did Ephraim come into agreement with Assyria, they carried their oil into Egypt. They have taken their anointing back into the world. The fruits of the Spirit they possess are only for show, displayed before the world to show how great their anointing is before God. The fruits of the Spirit in their lives have become almost non-existent. There is no evidence of love. Joy is displayed as happiness only when they have acquired some new toy. Their peace is only evident when there is no adversity. This peace is easily lost with the slightest problem. Longsuffering is not even considered in their walk with God. These have taken their fruits and their anointing to the world and they are feeding on the wind. Hosea continued his revelation of God's judgment upon Ephraim:
"Though he be fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come, the wind of the Lord shall come up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up: he shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels." Hosea 13:15
Ephraim's springs have dried up. The springs of water in our life is the anointed Word of God. When our springs dry up, the Word becomes meaningless, just a dry morsel. This is when God spoils or robs the treasures He has hidden in His Word, and they fall away. Hosea continued:
"For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the Lord will feed them as a lamb in a large place. Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone." Hosea 4:16-17
God called Israel a backsliding heifer, and Ephraim had joined himself to idols. God directed, "Let him alone". Many today, like Ephraim, are following after the East Wind, but their way of life demands the judgment of God. There will be weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth when the wind of the Lord blows upon their earth. The angels are holding back the East Wind. When God releases the East Wind upon the earth, His judgement will be released in all its fury upon all things that are unclean and defiled in the sight of God.
The Vehement East Wind in Nineveh
The prophet Jonah was sent to Nineveh to prophesy that if they did not repent, God was going to totally destroy Nineveh and all that was in it. The King of Nineveh declared a fast and the whole city repented, and God's hand of judgment was stayed. The prophet Jonah became distraught because he felt God had not kept His word. So Jonah went out of the city and was angry with the Lord...
"And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live." Jonah 4:8
The wind of judgment blew upon Jonah's rebellion, and he desired to die. Jonah thought it would be better to be dead, than to face the people who would consider him a false prophet. The Bible speaks of another time when man will desire death, but death will not be available to him:
"And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them." Revelation 9:3, 5 & 6
When God releases the East Wind, His judgment will be released upon all the earth in the form of locusts, and they will torment man five months. This torment will be such that man, as Jonah, will want to die, but death will flee from them.
The East Wind is for those who will not hear God's voice, nor heed His words while it is yet day. For when the night comes they will be in the midst of the East Wind with no place of escape.
Job's East Wind
When Job's three friends came to him in his time of testing, Eliphaz related to Job:
"Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?" Job 15:2
The word translated vain is the Hebrew word RUWACH and means "breath or spirit". Eliaphas was asking Job if a man should utter Spiritual knowledge with only physical understanding. Many today are aware of the judgment of God that is about to be released upon all God's creation, yet they refuse to prepare their lives for the inevitable. God desires for them to see with Spiritual understanding, yet they continue to apply His Word physically to their life instead of making the Spiritual adjustments needed to be delivered from the East Wind. They are only filling their bellies with the East Wind of God's judgment when the four angels release the four winds of heaven.
The South Wind
When Job's three friends finished their discourse to Job, the Spirit-filled young man, Elihu, began to point out the things in Job's life that were displeasing before God. Elihu informed Job:
"How thy garments are warm, when he quieteth the earth by the south wind?" Job 37:17
When the South Wind blows, it will bring quietness to God's people. When man's spirit is quiet before God, God will minister Spiritual truths unto His people. The South Wind brings a time of refreshing in our lives. After Job's three religious friends were finished with their criticism of Job, Elihu, by the Spirit, brought the refreshing South Wind into Job's life.
After the East Wind of God's judgment has blown upon the earth, the refreshing South Wind will blow upon those who have endured unto the end and are predestined to become part of the Kingdom of God.
The Apostle Peter, who was given the keys to the kingdom, spoke of those who will have prepared their lives for the times that are ahead of us:
"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;" Acts 3:19
Peter spoke of the times of refreshing. The times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord will come when the South Wind blows upon the earth. The Psalmist Asaph wrote:
"He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by His power He brought in the south wind." Psalm 78:26
After the East Wind has blown upon the earth, God is going to bring forth the South Wind. It will be a time of refreshing and release for God's people. The South Wind will bring the peace of God that passeth all understanding, Philippians 4:7.
When Paul was to stand before Caesar, the King of the known world, the South Wind became an important part of Paul's journey. Paul was falsely accused by the religious system of his day, and was sent to Porcius Festus, the governor of Judah. Being a Roman citizen, Paul demanded to be tried before Caesar. Paul was then sent by ship from Caesarea to Rome to stand before Caesar. On this journey...
"...the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete." Acts 27:13
Paul had a time when the South Wind blew in his life. Everything seemed to be going well on his trip. Paul had been assured by God, he would stand before Caesar. Many today, like Paul, are not expecting any adversity. Their bellies are full, their bills are paid, the tank is full of gas, and there is money in the bank. How much better could it be? The South Wind is blowing gently in their lives, and they are enjoying their complacency. But what happened on Paul's trip?
"But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon." Acts 27:14
Paul encountered a severe storm called Euroclydon. The word Euroclydon comes from the Greek word EUROS and means "East Wind". It means "a violent agitation". Those who have settled back on their lees, being refreshed by the South Wind have not prepared their lives for the days ahead when the East Wind will be released from the throne of God in all its fury. The East Wind will bring judgment on all unrighteousness that exists not only on the earth, but also in the earth. All God's people, as Paul, will stand before the King of the whole earth. The East Wind will blow upon every one, but God has promised the refreshing South Wind that will blow upon His people. Paul was refreshed the second time by the South Wind on his trip to Rome:
"And from thence we fetched a compass, and came to Rhegium: and after one day the south wind blew, and we came the next day to Puteoli:" Acts 28:13
The South Wind was to blow again upon Paul's journey. The South Wind blew after one day. When we are finished with the Day of the Lord, the Day of Judgment in the earth, God's gentle South Wind will again blow upon His people. When Spiritual understanding is given, we realize how beautiful God's promises are to us. We are in His hand, and nothing can hurt us, and no one can pluck us out of his nail-scarred hands.
The North Wind
Elihu, the Spirit-filled young man, told Job:
"Fair weather cometh out of the north: with God is terrible majesty." Job 37:22
The word terrible means "to stand in awe and reverential fear". When God's fair weather returns to the earth, we are going to stand in awe and reverence of the majesty God is going to display in His people.
Solomon declared the North Wind:
"The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits." Ecclesiastes 1:6
The North Wind blows from the throne of God bringing deliverance. Solomon wrote that it whirleth about continually. God's deliverance and refreshment are in the earth continually. As judgment comes from God, so does deliverance. God's judgment wind will blow, but the South Wind will bring the time of refreshment, and God will send deliverance by the North Wind. It is only because of our wickedness and our carnal mind we do not partake of the North and South wind in our lives. God has made it continually available to us, only we have not come into a place to receive it. Solomon spoke again of the continual whirling of the North and South Winds:
"Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into His garden, and eat His pleasant fruits." Song of Solomon 4:16
Solomon was speaking of those who would make up God's Holy City, the Bride of Christ. He wrote, "Awake, O North Wind, come thou south, blow upon my garden." We are the garden of the Lord. In fact He calls us His "garden of nuts".
"I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded." Song of Solomon 6:11
This, truly, is not a derogatory statement. Nuts are the fruit or seed of trees. We are His trees of righteousness. God was speaking of checking the fruit we have produced in our lives. These are the fruits of the Spirit, and His North Wind blows upon us so the spices may flow out of our lives. Spices, in the Bible, are used as sweet-smelling fragrances and also as healing balms. Paul spoke of these:
"For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish." II Corinthians 2:15
When the wind from the North blows upon God's people, they will partake of His pleasant fruits, the fruits of the Spirit. These fruits will be manifest in the flesh, by and through the Spirit. This will not be the firstfruit anointing, but the Double Portion Anointing that comes from the throne of God.
The West Wind
There is one more wind that must blow upon the earth, and that is the West Wind. The West Wind displays the times of Restoration. When the West Wind blows, God will restore the earth as it was in the day of His creation. The West Wind only appears once in the Bible. The West Wind blows from the setting of the sun. This represents the end of the age. When God sent the plague of locusts, every green thing was destroyed in Egypt. Moses recorded:
"For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt." Exodus 10:15
The locusts brought total destruction upon Egypt. But God has promised to send deliverance and restoration upon Egypt. Moses revealed:
"And the Lord turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red Sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt." Exodus 10:19
When the locust were removed, God's plan of restoration began to take place and the earth was restored. Jesus revealed another plague like the locusts that He would send upon the earth in the time of His judgment.
"And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them." Revelation 9:3-6
These stinging locusts would torment men five months. Men will desire to die, but death will not be available to them. Man's only relief will come from God. Those who apply God's promises to their lives will be spared. Those who reject God's Word will perish. Israel was given to us as an example. We need to view Israel as to what God will accomplish in the earth at the end of the age.
Those who know their God and walk in His ways can expect the West Wind to blow in their lives. The West Wind brings the Restoration of all things after the judgment of God. All the things that have brought devastation to our lives will be removed. Only those things that bring glory to the Father will remain. The mighty wind of the Spirit, alone, will bring salvation to God's people.
God's Judgement
Today many are teaching the judgment of God is not for His people. We need to realize if there were no judgment, there would be no purified body of Christ. Those who teach this error have completely overlooked many scriptures in the New Testament. They have disregarded the types and shadows of God's judgment upon Israel. We must not disregard the words of Paul who revealed:
"Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. I Corinthians 10:11.
The Apostle Peter also proclaimed the coming judgment very clearly:
"For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God." I Peter 4:17
Peter, by the Spirit, forewarned all who would read to understand that judgment must begin at the house of God. He then asked the question, "What shall the end be for those who obey not the gospel of God?" This is not written to the world, because God does not expect the worldly people to obey His gospel. This is written to those who are called by His name. God is going to judge His whole house. The severity of God's wind of judgment will be determined by where we stand with the Lord.
Has the gospel changed our lives? Have we obeyed the gospel? Many believe because they follow the dictates of their religious order, they are accepted by their God. These have become legalistic in their beliefs. Paul warned all who desire to keep the law, either Moses' law or man's law:
"Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." Galatians 5:4
Those who are justified by the law are fallen from grace. We have God's promise that His judgment will fall upon those who do not obey the gospel.
The Wind in the Tops of the Mulberry Trees
God used the wind many times in His Word to demonstrate His saving grace. There was a time when the Philistine army came against Israel. This was soon after David was anointed King. The Philistines thought they could unseat the newly crowned king and be in control of all Israel. Although David was victorious, the Philistines would try again:
"Therefore David enquired again of God; and God said unto him, Go not up after them; turn away from them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.
And it shall be, when thou shalt hear a sound of going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt go out to battle: for God is gone forth before thee to smite the host of the Philistines." I Chronicles 14:14-15
God gave David specific instructions. He was to circle around and come up behind the enemy. He was to encamp next to the mulberry trees. There were probably other kinds of trees there. But God did not speak to David to go to just any tree. He gave David direct orders. If the wind of the Lord is going to blow in our lives we need to:
1 Know His voice
2 Listen for His voice
3 Be obedient to His voice.
David was told, "When thou shalt hear a sound of going in the tops of the mulberry trees...", then he was to attack, not before, nor after. We need to ask, "What was moving in the tops of the mulberry trees?" It was the wind of the Lord. The word wind is RUWACH and means "breath or Spirit". It was the Spirit that was moving in the tops of the mulberry trees. It did not blow in any of the other trees, only the mulberry. God is wanting us to recognize the move of His Spirit. When David went up, he was successful because he followed the move of the Spirit of God, the wind of the Lord.
Contrary Winds
There came a time when Jesus had to deal with the wind in His disciples' lives. After Jesus fed the five thousand...
"...straightway He constrained His disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while He sent away the people." Mark 6:45
"And He saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night He cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them." Mark 6:48
The disciples were toiling in rowing, trying to get to where they wanted to go. But the wind was contrary unto them. Many today who think they are walking in the Spirit find the wind of the Lord is contrary to them. They are trying to get to where they want to go, or do what they want to do. Jesus is always near by, walking upon the sea, but He will continue to pass them by until they call out to Him.
"For they all saw Him, and were troubled. And immediately He talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid. And He went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered." Mark 6:50-51
The disciples were troubled when they saw Jesus. They thought they were all alone in their tribulation. They did everything humanly possible to solve their dilemma. It only took a word from the Lord, and their troubled sea was calm. There was another instance when Jesus' disciples were on the troubled sea,
"And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but He was asleep. And His disciples came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And He saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him!" Matthew 8:24-27
When we are going through the storms of life, we may think many times God is asleep, or just simply not concerned about what we are going through. When our ship is covered with water, and we think we are going to sink, this is when we desire to get God's attention. When everything is going well, and we have smooth sailing, sometimes God gets in our way, and we would not care if He took a nap, and left us alone. We are our own helmsmen, and we do not need any help. But let the storm arise, and our need for God arises very quickly, and we begin to seek His presence.
The disciples got Jesus' attention, and He arose and rebuked the contrary wind in their lives, and there was a great calm. The peace that passeth all understanding returned to their lives. When we are going through a difficult storm in our life, all we need is a word from the Lord and our storms become a great calm. We marvel, saying, "What manner of man is this, that the wind and the sea obey Him". If the disciples had known the Word of God, they would not have been surprised, because the Psalmist wrote:
"He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still." Psalm 107:29
When the wind of the Lord is contrary in our lives, then we are not going with the wind, but contrary to the wind. We are desiring to go our own way. When the wind is contrary the Lord is attempting to change our direction to walk with Him. When we change directions, then the wind will be at our backs and our sails will be full, and our journey easy. When we are going against the wind, our toiling becomes impossible. When we call Christ into our ship and make Him our helmsman, we will reach His destination in our life. The continual whirling North Wind and South Wind will calm our seas and bring the deliverance the Lord has promised. Praise will return to our lips, and joy will return to our heart.
God's Spiritual Wind
Another time Jesus addressed the wind was when Nicodemus came to Him in the night...
". . .and said unto Him, "Rabbi, we know that Thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that Thou doest, except God be with him." John 3:2
Jesus' answer to Nicodemus was,
". . .Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3
The word see is the Greek word EIDO. It is derived from the Latin word VIDEO and means "to perceive with the eyes". Another meaning is "to know". Nicodemus' reply was:
". . .How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." John 3:4-5
Jesus' answer was, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God". There is a big difference in seeing the Kingdom of God, and entering into the kingdom. Many who can see the Kingdom will never enter because they have not been born of water, nor the Spirit. When we have been truly born of water, the old man has been dealt with. In his letter to the Romans, Paul explained the purpose of water baptism:
"Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." Romans 6:6
When we are born of water, the old man is crucified, the body of sin is destroyed, and we are no longer a servant of sin, or the old sin nature. This is a continuing process in our life. The act of baptism is only a commitment to allow God, through the Holy Spirit, to change our lives. The Apostle Peter informed us:
". . .Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Acts 2:38
The verb phrase "shall receive" does not mean that it is automatic. Jesus gave us further insight into receiving the Holy Spirit operation in our lives:
"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?" Luke 11:13
If we are to receive the Holy Spirit, we must ask. It must be in our heart to allow God to change us into His image and likeness. When the Holy Spirit comes into our life, change must take place. Many today are desiring what they call the finished work of the cross in their lives. The finished work of the cross is the forgiveness of sin. And if that is all that is needed there would have been no reason for the Day of Pentecost. But Pentecost did come, and the Holy Spirit was given to bring us into a place in God to be born of the Spirit.
There is a difference between being baptized in the Holy Spirit and being born of the Spirit. It is only when the work of the Holy Spirit is complete, and the old man is totally destroyed, with his old nature and his old way of thinking, that we will be born of the Spirit. When we are born of the Spirit, the Spirit will have complete and total control of our life. Then we, as Jesus, will say, "I only do what I see the Father doing, and I only speak what I hear the Father, saying." If we are to enter into the Kingdom of God, we must be born of water and the Spirit.
Many today, like Nicodemus, only have a carnal understanding of the words of Jesus. Jesus went on to explain to Nicodemus:
"That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." John 3:6
Many today who are claiming to be born again have not yet been born of water. They have failed to deal with the old, Adamic nature and are still servants of sin. Jesus proclaimed, "That which is born of the Spirit is spirit." Jesus explains what happens to those who are born of the Spirit:
"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." John 3:8
When we are born of the Spirit, we become like the wind because we become part of the wind. God can move us by His Spirit. The people will not know where we come from, nor where we are going because man will have lost all hold on our life. We will have become part of Joel's army. God gave Joel a vision of a people who have become like the wind:
Joel's Army
"They shall run like mighty men, they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: And the Lord shall utter His voice before His army: for His camp is very great: for He is strong that executeth His word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?" Joel 2:7-11
Joel spoke of the Day of the Lord, the Day of God's judgment. Then he asked, "Who can abide it?" Only those who have been born of water and of the Spirit, those who have become like the wind will be able to abide the Day of God's Judgment. The prophet Isaiah witnessed this great company of God's army, and asked...
"Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?" Isaiah 60:8
These are those who are no longer flesh, but have become Spirit. These are changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. These have put off the mortal, and have put on immortality. These have put off the corrupt body, and have put on the incorruptible body. These are those who, truly, have been born again. These have become the wind of the Lord upon the earth. These will walk into the New Day and inhabit the Kingdom for all eternity. These will be the inheritors of the earth who will rule and reign with Christ for one thousand years. These will be joint heirs with Christ.
The winds of the Lord will have completed their work. The East Wind will have no effect on Joel's army. God's army will be refreshed by the South Wind and empowered by the North Wind bringing deliverance to all God's creation. And the West Wind of Restoration will have come to restore the earth to its original condition. The earth will be renewed, and God's original plan for man will be fulfilled.
The winds of the Lord are beginning to blow upon the earth. The sealing of God's one hundred and forty-four thousand is about complete. The angels will soon receive the order to release the four winds. We need to ask ourselves which of the Lord's winds will blow upon us, the East, the North, the South or the West Wind? The wind that will blow upon you will be determined by the way you are walking. Do you need to make an adjustment in your course? Is the wind contrary to you? Or, is the wind at your back? Now is the time to change directions if you are walking the wrong way.
God has made us a promise through the prophet Jeremiah:
"Behold, the whirlwind of the Lord goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked.
The fierce anger of the Lord shall not return, until He have done it, and until He have performed the intents of His heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it." Jeremiah 30:23-24
We are truly living in the latter days. It is time to consider the wind before it comes as a whirlwind upon the head of the wicked. God is wanting to rebuke the contrary wind in His people's lives.
The following words are the words of a song that should be on the lips of all God's chosen:
Master of the Wind
My boat of life sails on a troubled sea,
Ever there's a wind in my sails.
But I have a friend who watches over me,
When the breeze turns into a gale.
Chorus:
I know the Master of the wind
I know the Maker of the rain.
He can calm the storm,
Make the sun shine again.
I know the Master of the wind.
Sometimes I soar like an eagle in the sky,
Among the peace my soul can be found
An unexpected storm
may drive me from the heights,
Might bring me low,
but never brings me down.
Repeat Chorus:
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Vital Words to the Body of Christ
Freely We Have Received, Freely We Give
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Mike
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