PIERCING
THE VEIL
©
Morris Ruddick
“But
the Samaritans did not receive Him, as His face was set toward
Jerusalem. So, James and John asked, ‘Lord, do you not want us
to command fire from heaven to consume them?' But Jesus rebuked
them and said, ‘you do not know of what sort of spirit you are,
for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to
save them.'” Luke 9: 53-55
With
all the talk about “the shift,” we need to face some realities
to navigate the transition.
The
nature and significance of this shift will involve penetrating
a dimension, best described as a veil. There is a veil between
soul and spirit; one between light and darkness, as well as a
veil between the natural and supernatural.
The
shift underway reflects a new-old thing that will merge
the spiritual, community and economic dimensions outlined in God's
Word. It is a move of God that will penetrate the fabric of society
much as in the days of Joseph. It's the birthing of a new-old
paradigm that will involve a transition with a cost, a release,
and a veil piercing.
The
dictionary describes “veil” as a covering that conceals or
disguises . A spiritual veil represents a dimension or barrier
that cannot be penetrated with human effort. This spiritual barrier
may be due to a blindness, a hindrance, a threshold to be surmounted,
or simply a timing factor that requires the recognition of an
alignment needed to release or receive the expectation of change
from the Lord.
DISCERNING
THE VEIL
When
facing a spiritual threshold, discerning the veil is the first
step in the process of it being pierced. Veils can be of God's
design or implanted by the enemy.
Alignment
and Maturity . God's veils characteristically
allow for spiritual alignment and the prevention of premature
actions. They enable the full impact for the God-initiated release
or shift. After interpreting the dream for the cupbearer, Joseph
confronted a veil that involved an extended transition that remained
in place until the set-time for his promotion.
Since
the time of Jesus' earthly ministry, His followers have too often
tended toward missing the big picture and getting sidetracked
with short-sighted spiritual conclusions. James and John illustrated
this in Luke 9. Jesus defined the dimensions that distinguished
Elijah's action of calling down the fire -- from their suggestion
of judging the Samaritan's rejection of Jesus. James' and John's
premature judgment not only fell short in grasping the purpose
for implementing the power of God; but it would have created a
diversion from Jesus having set his face toward Jerusalem in the
greatest veil piercing of all time.
Embedded
Evil . Yet, in an increasing number
of modern-day cases, a veil can represent a part of the smokescreens
the evil one implants to divert us from advances in God's Kingdom.
Embedded evil has become one of the most diabolical
strategies coming against ministries facing major transitions.
Whether from wolves in sheep's clothing or simply sick sheep who
have wormed their way into ministry circles, the enemy has been
specializing in infiltrators; “plants” embedded within leadership
circles whose purpose it is to divert and undermine the work of
the Kingdom.
Discerning
the Evil . Pastor David Davis in
his book “ Road to Carmel ,” (http://www.carmel-assembly.org.il/music.html)
tells of a time when volunteers he describes as modern-day
Jezebels and Ahabs, began infiltrating his ministry. It coincided
with great advances being made in their strategic efforts. The
interlopers were ones who talked the talk, but whose real intention
was to get close to those operating in the power and anointing
of God. These are hyper-spiritual types without a viable track
record of their own, who typically specialize in a form of false
judgment that brings chaos and destruction within the sphere of
the genuine work of God. They serve as usurpers and then negative
conduits of the anointing to redirect the faith and authority
of the ministries they penetrate. Jesus revealed that: “ they
would be known by their fruit.”
Pastor
Davis began recognizing traits that identified these enemy-plants
who brought subtle and then overt chaos and confusion into the
ranks of his staff. The traits may vary, but what is usually found
beyond the superficialities will be seeds and patterns of rebellion
or simply the spiritual stench of fear. Any ministry moving forward
to possess new territory that suddenly begins experiencing a string
of reversals or attacks within their ranks would do well to begin
asking the Lord for discernment on embedded plants of the enemy.
Agreement
with Lies and Myths . Another undermining
application of enemy-employed veils is a perversion of the principle
of prayer agreement. An embarrassingly large proportion of the
enemy's power today is the result of a usurping of the anointing
from misguided believers. The deception involves being blinded
by soul issues and participating in active “agreement” (according
to Matthew 18:19) in both word and prayer with reckless judgments
against members or groups from within the household of faith.
It is the devil who serves as the accuser of the brethren. Jesus
released the woman caught in adultery by telling her that He did
not condemn her, but to “go and sin no more.“ Premature judgment
and agreement with the accuser releases division, destruction
and unnecessary backlash. If allowed to enlarge and continue,
it potentially can wreak havoc with bonafide moves of God. (See
Misguided Tongues at http://www.strategicintercession.org/articles/MisguidedTongues.htm).
The
fractionalization caused by veils of religious traditions and
myths undermine the power of God that could be employed through
unity. Jesus took a hard stand against the precepts of men, the
fruit of which undermined the simple faith required for people
to connect with God. As we fast approach the clash of all ages,
our decisions and focus must be based on the Word of God and not
the precepts of men.
When
facing veils implanted by the evil one, our choices must be made
for faith, rather than fear. Standing in faith is essential to
piercing enemy veils. It only takes a remnant to rise above the
frays and distortions of truth that immobilize and hold us back;
to act in faith to penetrate the veils that mask and undermine
the transforming power of God needed to confront the evil of this
day. Israel's Messianic Jewish community has been just that kind
of remnant, paving the way to release transformation in the Land
of Promise. It took a Daniel during the Babylonian captivity to
spiritually begin the turning of the captivity. It was likewise
the faith of Nehemiah whose prayers began mobilizing the restoration
needed for his day. The shift begins when the veil is correctly
discerned and spiritual reality is faced.
FACING
SPIRITUAL REALITY
Facing
spiritual reality involves recognizing and confronting the lies.
It will entail discerning the difference between the enmeshed
precepts of misguided religious and overt occult conventions;
with the need to genuinely hear the voice of the Lord .
Intellectual religion that shuns the Spirit and power of God is
vulnerable to the seducing tactics of the enemy's propositions.
Wherever a significant move of God is underway, there will be
counterfeits and diversions.
Quieting
the Soul. Facing spiritual reality
means getting beyond our soul issues, as well as our sacred spiritual
crutches and precepts to allow the pure input of the Holy Spirit.
Only then will we be released to operate with the unwavering faith
needed to embrace and execute the will of God. There are instances
in which spiritual activity can mount to frenzied levels. Yet,
one of the most frequent statements made by the Lord during His
earthly ministry was “ fear not !” Jesus always removes
the barriers with which religion has complicated the pathway to
God. In a recent article from Israel's HaAretz (July 31, 2006),
a young Jewish IDF medic facing the recent conflict in Lebanon
was quoted as saying: “ I want to have time to pray before
going into battle. Not many of us are religious, but most of the
guys believe…”
Sometimes,
like James and John, our misguided zeal, premature judgments and
limited vision cause us to make things more complicated and miss
the simplicity of the big picture. Faith in God is the potency
needed to overcome fear and release the power of God that defies
the odds. It is that simple faith that will lead this Israeli
medic and many others like him into the reality of knowing His
Jewish Messiah. It is that quieting of the soul before God that
will create the interaction that enables us to discern accurately
the spiritual realities around us.
Walking
into the Fire . Facing spiritual realities may require
us to walk into the fire. The peace or “shalom” outlined in the
Bible is not the absence of conflict. It is the result of that
alignment or completeness that comes from doing God's will. Confronting
evil and reversing its damage may require sacrificing our comfort
zones; or even taking a stand that requires risking it all. Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abed-Nego refused to compromise. Yet they met the
Son of God in the flames of Nebuchadnezzar's furnace and emerged
without the smell of smoke. (Daniel 3:15-18) Walking into the
fire involves a choice. The choice is to respond in faith or to
respond in fear.
Combined
Anointings . The days upon us are
evil. Few ministries confronting the realities of this hour are
able to pave a lone pathway. We need new strategies and we desperately
need one another. The turbulence and intensity of the battle is
calling for a release of the power of God that results from the
Body functioning in unity. This release is maximized by the advantage
of combined anointings . Yet, the potential impact of
combined anointings is tied to overcoming the operational hurdle
of “ pointing the finger in scorn ” at the splinters
seen in the eyes of members of the Body outside our preferred
in-groups.
Combined
anointings represent the right spiritual chemistry directed toward
a common purpose that creates the synergy that breaks strongholds.
Revival releases combined anointings and vice versa. What happens
with revival is that barriers are broken down and there is a pure
flow of God's Spirit among those operating together. Birds of
a feature and loyalty are all nice to have when working together,
but unfortunately within the Body, “in-group” standards can become
so restrictive and in-bred that they squeeze out spontaneity and
innovation and even the anointing. Our boundaries need to be extended.
This
is a time when the Lord is putting together unusual alliances
between ministries; between businesses and ministries; as well
as between businesses, governmental entities and ministries. Collaborative
efforts reflecting combined anointings will bring significant
results that far surpass the natural. Combined anointings involve
much more than gathering for group prayer. It is much more than
the type of synergy to when two and two make five. It involves
a strategic convergence of diverse segments of the Body joining
together and actuating results on a level of one and one making
a hundred and one.
EMERGING
BEYOND HUMAN EFFORT
Today's
challenges and conflicts are requiring decisions, plans and strategies
that go beyond the human effort of even the most talented from
our ranks. The societal transformation set in motion by Jesus'
followers was led by everyday people simply willing to believe
and obey ; whose actions and strategies were based not on
the precepts and traditions of men, but on the basic truths of
His Word and on hearing the voice of the Lord.
Dominion
. Jesus' mission was to destroy
the works of the devil and to restore man to the purpose for which
God created him. His earthly ministry gave focus to the truths
to accomplish this purpose. Jesus' most frequent message was the
message of faith, which was always introduced with “
The Kingdom of God is at hand .” We need faith first
to believe , but then with the believing issue settled,
we need faith in this cooperative interaction between God and
man to take dominion; to rule over the works of His hands
.
Kingdom
Truths . The Son of God summed up the wisdom of the Scriptures
in the Sermon on the Mount and with a series of Kingdom truths.
These truths are paradoxes to the natural mind; yet their application
represents gateways into results surpassing the limitations of
human effort. Jesus unveiled the truths needed to operating according
to the spiritual, community and economic dimensions of the Kingdom.
We advance by yielding. We lead by serving. Honor comes through
humility. Wisdom is found in simplicity. Making your assets multiply
will bring promotion. We extend charity to our enemies. Our purpose
in life comes through giving it up. We receive when giving. Perfect
love eliminates fear. In our weakness we are made strong. Ownership
increases by sharing.
Identity
Issue . The church's job is to
perfect the saints for the work of ministry; to equip and mobilize
the saints as they grasp and move into the fullness of their calling.
That involves settling the identity issue: of who we are in Him
and what we are here to do. The Apostle Paul accomplished what
he did in his calling because he never wavered in knowing who
he was as a believer and knowing the role the Lord had called
him to serve. Becoming secure in our identity and calling of God
is a prerequisite to navigating the transition and piercing the
veil.
PIERCING
THE VEIL
Not
withstanding the God-ordained veils that need to ripen into maturity;
piercing demon-set veils begins with hearing the voice of the
Lord and facing the spiritual realities in the power and presence
of God.
Progressive
Revelation . From the days of Adam,
Noah, Abraham, David and the prophets; to the days of Jesus and
the early Church, the key differentiating factor between the religions
of the world and the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God
of our Lord Jesus has been that God speaks and interacts with
His people.
“Hearing
the voice of the Lord” involves learning to recognize and correctly
discerning God's guidance as it is unveiled through
His Word, through wisdom and through revelation. In the same way
that Peter admonished us to wash ourselves in the truths of God's
Word, we also need to bathe the revelation we receive in prayer.
Our spiritual receptors mature with use over time. Likewise, the
depths of the wisdom of God are such that initial words of guidance
received from the Holy Spirit are just that. They are preliminary
and in most instances, the framework for receiving the next level
of revelation. Revelation typically comes progressively in layers,
as we diligently seek Him and mature in our ability to correctly
discern between soul and Spirit.
Consecration
and Spiritual Saturation . Consecration
releases authority and the supernatural. Genuine consecration
combines prayer, humility and judging yourself before the Lord.
Jesus said, judge yourselves that you be not judged .
It is an examination of the human effort, so that we might yield
ourselves more fully to the divine effort. Consecration is a conscious
process of spiritually purifying ourselves for the purpose of
operating to a greater degree in oneness with the Lord.
Consecration
will involve the
- Removal of the beams
of our own eyes that create schisms within the Body;
- Avoidance of “evil-speaking”
and premature judgments of members of the Body not of our ilk;
- Eliminating the rumor-mill
or hearsay as a means of input in the decision-process;
- Averting the orientation
toward pat formulas that undermine the wisdom and revelation
that are available for specific situations; and
- Removing the infiltrators
from within ministry circles who demonstrate a pattern of evil-speaking
and division.
Consecration
will entail spiritual saturation. Spiritual saturation will result
when effectively employing those elements of His Word and of prayer
needed to overcome the odds. It involves immersing yourself in
God's Word and disciplining yourself to enter that place that
Paul spoke of as “ praying without ceasing .” It is an
alignment process.
The
scripture in Luke 9 tells us that Jesus had set his face toward
Jerusalem. Yet, in this process, the Samaritans rejected Him.
James and John's misguided passion was born of spiritual myopia:
to employ the power of God to respond in kind and bring down judgment
on the Samaritans. Jesus knew that the answer to the Samaritans
was tied to what would unfold in Jerusalem. James and John responded
like zealots, which was contrary to the thrust of the Lord's earthly
ministry. Jesus put things back in focus for them—and for us,
with the words, ‘ the Son of Man came not to destroy men's
lives, but to save them .'
Piercing
the veil that empowered the movement described in Acts 17:6 as
those who were “ turning the world upside down ,” came
with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It followed one of history's
most brutal transitions of waiting on God. The cost was paid at
the cross. The release came at the resurrection, but the veil
was pierced for the believers at Pentecost. It remains the model
for this day. It was the veil-piercing that broke the bonds, that
constrained the followers of Jesus—then and now, of their misguided
zeal, premature judgments and all the other limitations to our
best human efforts.
The
shift underway will gain momentum as we prepare ourselves, as
a Body. As we learn to accurately discern the veil and boldly
face spiritual realties in faith, we will sharpen our alignment
with the Spirit of the Lord, so that we emerge beyond our good
intentions and zealous human effort with the power of God to traverse
the transitions and pierce the veils.
“
You've not passed this way before, so consecrate yourselves,
for the Lord is going to do wonders among you .” Joshua 3:4,
5
___________________________________________________
Morris
Ruddick is the author of “The Joseph-Daniel Calling” and “God's
Economy, Israel and the Nations,” each of which address God's
mobilization of the economic and community dimensions of His Word.
They are available from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and other
popular outlets.
2006
Copyright Morris Ruddick — mer@strategic-initiatives.org
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is prohibited unless permission is given by a SIGN advisor. Since
1996, the Strategic Intercession Global Network (SIGN) has mobilized
prophetic intercessors committed to targeting strategic-level
issues impacting the Body on a global basis. For more information
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