Friday, August 28, 2015

To Be SENT to a Mission Field OR to BECOME a Mission Field?

“To Be SENT to a Mission Field OR to BECOME a Mission Field?”
That is the Question!

            Let me begin by stating that this Word of the Lord is not for everybody.  Yet, there is a remnant of God’s people who will feast upon it, because is has been prepared and released by the Spirit of God JUST FOR THEM.  In the midst of interceding during a recent worship service where the presence of God was manifest in a real and significant way, Holy Spirit spoke the following words to me:  “There was a time when you sacrificed all to go on the mission field.  Now I am calling you to sacrifice all to BECOME a mission field.” 
          As a testimonial, I will briefly share a portion of the journey Holy Spirit has ordained for me up to this strategic point when He spoke these words to me.  Since childhood, I dreamed of being a missionary on a foreign field.  I believe that Holy Spirit birthed this dream and desire within me for His purpose, honor, and glory.  I was beyond elated many years ago when Holy Spirit fulfilled this dream and desire by sending me to live in Haiti as a missionary.  Truly, it was NOT a sacrifice to “sacrifice all”, because I perceived the treasure of being SENT by God to the mission field a FAR greater treasure than any other physical or even “soulish” desire or possession.  Those who have experienced a move of God in their lives that was completely ordained and orchestrated by Him understand what I am talking about.  Just as I knew beyond a shadow of doubt that God sent me to Haiti, there also came a time when I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that He released me from Haiti and sent me back to my own country, the United States of America.  Yet, over the years I have wrestled with God concerning this many times, because there yet remains a deep seated desire within the depths of my soul to live as a missionary on a foreign field.  It has been very difficult for me to understand why God would place such a strong desire within me only to call me in what appears to be the opposite direction.  Holy Spirit has ministered to me on varying levels over the years easing this painful longing within me.  My cry and prayer remains, “not my will Lord, but Your will be done.”  I truly desire God’s will above my own and would NEVER want to be somewhere He has not SENT me.
            So, in the midst of crying out to God concerning my deepest desires, which are wrapped up, tied up, and tangled up in Him and Him alone, Holy Spirit spoke to me this strange and unexpected message.  “There was a time when you sacrificed your all to go on the mission field.  Now I am calling you to sacrifice your all to BECOME a mission field.”  Immediately, I began to enquire of God concerning the meaning of this message, in order to know and understand what it means to sacrifice all to BECOME a mission field, and of course, HOW to fulfill this mandate.  Again, what Holy Spirit is ministering to me in the midst of this enquiry process is a revelation that is NOT for everyone, yet EXPLICITLY for a chosen people.  Therefore, I pray that this message reaches EVERY soul to whom it is sent in Jesus’ name.  I pray that by the unction of Holy Spirit this message activates the calling and purpose down on the inside of you that was placed there by God for such a time as this, in Jesus’ name.  Amen.
          There are two prophetic interpretations that Holy Spirit has ministered to me concerning sacrificing all to BECOME a mission field.  The first is the revelation of the Supreme Model and demonstration that is found in Jesus Christ.  Holy Spirit began to reveal to me how Jesus sacrificed ALL during His first coming to Earth.  Imagine all that Jesus sacrificed by leaving His Heavenly home with the Father in order to take on a fleshly body and live amongst a sinful people here on Earth. 

Philippians 2:5-8 – “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

Truly, such sacrifice is beyond our ability to even imagine!  Yet, the greatest surprise occurred as Holy Spirit began to reveal to me how Jesus BECAME a mission field.  You see, Jesus came in the form of a man, which is His mission field, because humanity is whom He came to redeem and reconcile back to Himself by BECOMING the Lamb of God, which takes away the sins of the world.  Furthermore, the Apostle John wrote, You know that He appeared in visible form and became Man to take away [upon Himself] sins, and in Him there is no sin [[a]essentially and forever]” (1 John 3:5, AMP).

          Likewise, the Apostle Paul explained, For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (II Corinthians 5:21, NKJV).  The Complete Jewish Bible states this in a slightly different way. “God made this sinless man be a sin offering on our behalf, so that in union with him we might fully share in God’s righteousness” (II Corinthians 5:21).  
In other words, Jesus was apostolically SENT by the Father to a mission field; yet, the greater act of intercession occurred as He BECAME the very mission field to which the Father SENT Him to redeem!  Halleluiah!  What a mighty God we serve, Who was not only willing to sacrifice all to GO to the mission field, but He was also willing to BECOME the mission field as an act of intercession for generations past, present, and future!  How GREAT is the mystery of the Gospel of our Messiah and Lord Yeshua (Jesus)!   

          The second prophetic interpretations that Holy Spirit ministered to me concerning sacrificing all to BECOME a mission field relates to the intercessory question that I shared in a previous blog post, “What Shall Come of America?”  Holy Spirit ministered to me that this nation is also a prophetic demonstration of becoming a mission field.  He stated, “Many American missionaries have sacrificed all to go to mission fields around the world, but now the United States will BECOME a mission field.”  In a sense, the United States has always been a mission field just as every nation in the world, because every soul stands in need of redemption and reconciliation through Jesus Christ.  Yet, Holy Spirit is revealing a tremendous shift and change that has taken place in this nation, particularly this year, 2015.  Even now Holy Spirit is bringing to my remembrance the prophetic word He ministered to me concerning this year, which I also shared in a previous blog post.  

         “Holy Spirit ministered to me that 2015 is a year of sifting for God’s people, when God is shifting the atmosphere and supernaturally lifting His remnant to a place of functioning beyond their gifting.”  Certainly the atmosphere of this nation has experienced a humongous SHIFT this year.  In many ways the spirit of Babylon and the anti-Christ has greatly increased throughout this year.  Yet, God’s eye is still on His remnant, who He is LIFTING to a place of functioning by His Spirit BEYOND their gifting… BEYOND what the physical eye can SEE, perceive, know, or understand.
In the midst of this SHIFT, God is primarily concerned not only in SENDING His remnant to the mission field, but He also desires His remnant to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, the Greatest Intercessor of All in sacrificing all in order to BECOME the very mission field to which He has SENT them.  Likewise, Holy Spirit ministered to me the parallel of Israel’s entrance into the Promise Land and His remnant’s role in this nation.  One of the prerequisites of Israel’s conquering and displacement of the nations within the land was that the wickedness and evil had to reach the brink or level calling forth God’s judgment upon them.  Holy Spirit has revealed that likewise the wickedness within this nation has also reached such a level calling forth His judgment.  Therefore, God is calling forth a “Joshua Generation” to arise, be strong and courageous, conquer, and possess the land for the building of God’s Kingdom in the Earth as it is in Heaven.   
  Saints of God, I pray God’s richest blessings upon His chosen vessels who are willing to enter into the Garden of Gethsemane and cry out, “Father, not my will, but Your will be done,” in order that they may BECOME a prophetic demonstration of redemption and reconciliation to a lost and dying world.  In Yeshua’s name.  Amen.
© 2015 Christine Lombard, All rights reserved, Use only with permission