Eyes Wide Open
Read the Scriptures
with the finished work of the cross in clear view. Filter what you read in the
reality of the New Covenant. If you don’t do this, then you will, quite
possibly, mix New Covenant reality with Old Covenant reality. This will cause
your vision to be askew if you mix the two without the focus of the cross. It
will take your eyes off of Christ and the reality of all that the New Covenant
accomplished for your life of salvation in the freedom of extravagant grace.
The reality of
extravagant grace in Christ will put to rest the inaccuracy of what the
prophetic has taught us as truth. In reality, what has been fed to us is often
an illusion obscuring the main focus of Jesus Christ. Scripture tells us that
the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. His testimony forms the
foundation of all that is prophesied, always. If He cannot be found glorified
in the prophetic, how prophetic can it actually be?
This email will take
an example of something I believed before being apprehended by grace in Christ
and what I SEE now. Again, I will try to be as concise as possible.
I was reading this verse the other day. I see
it so differently now.
Luke 1:17
He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn
the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of
the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
For years I followed
a prophetic movement that focused on a forerunner spirit, bright and shining
lamps, continual intercession, fire on the altar, and on and on and on. I
believed my prophetic call was that of a forerunner and focused on their
teachings on John the Baptist, among other things. I wanted prophetic
revelation and often, that pursuit took the focus off of the simplicity of
Christ Jesus. It all seemed right and gave me a focus UNTIL I realized that
this Scripture above is somewhat askew unless I look at it in its proper context.
(I have many examples but please know that I am only focusing on one example
right now to give you my experience.)
I am in union with
Christ according to 1 Corinthians 6:17. Christ is in me, the hope of glory
according to Colossians 1:27. My life is so different in the New Covenant that
there is little if any comparison to John the Baptist. One can glean from his
boldness and passion, of course. Other than that, how can one build a platform
in the New Covenant of God rising up of prophets and forerunners after the
order of John the Baptist? Not going to happen. Not in light of the cross and
the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
John was an Old
Covenant, Old Testament prophet. He called people to repentance. He lived in
the reality of the law apart from the indwelling Spirit of God. He cried aloud
in the wilderness, calling forth a people and making them ready for the Lord.
People of God, how
does that apply to us? I fell into the mess of this. What have you believed
that is basically an illusion in the prophetic, taking your eyes off of Christ
and the simplicity of His grace? Focus on glory, angels, gems, manifestations and
so much more. Keep the main thing the main thing. Jesus is enough. Whether we
see any manifestations or see no manifestations, He is enough.
Contrary to popular
belief this Scripture, as I was taught in the prophetic is outside of the revelation
of grace We are not called to bring people to repentance, convict them of sins,
judge nations, call down fire, pray for revival 24/7 and again, so much more.
We are called to walk in the reality of our union in Christ. That expounding revelation
in us is the reality of our Christianity. It is the reality of our focus. The
simplicity of Christ in us is enough to challenge and change wherever He sends
us.
We are not ‘going
before’ the Lord, making a people ready who are under law. Christ in us! We are
in grace. Say that to yourself over and over. Meditate on that simple
revelation and put to rest that which is contrary to that simple reality. We
are in Christ, therefore where we go, He goes. We BE in Him wherever we are. We
are not producing any results from something that is external but flowing in
the reality of who we are and who is in us. Big difference. Yet if you have
been in the prophetic long enough, you have been held captive by an illusion or
distortion of its true purpose. Christians are ‘ready’ if they are saved. They
don’t know it because they have been fed teaching that denies the power of
grace. You are ready. Now! You need not wait for anything. Just move in Him,
now.
A few more things
coming your way right now. We are not, and never will be, going forth in the
power of Elijah. How ridiculous to constantly prophecy this in any way. Christ
in me! Christ in you! Why focus on an anointing from someone in the Old
Testament when you have the real deal in you. Scripture says they saw forward
to a day that we live in. We are in that day. Christ in you! Christ in me!
Christ alone gets preeminence in our lives. We can glean from the Old Testament
of the courage and passion of its people but we are not there anymore. We can
extract some principles but that’s as far as it goes. When the New Covenant
came, it drew a distinct line in the sand of what is relevant to us and what is
not.
Grace has transformed
by life and is transforming it day by day. There is no turning back in my life
or this ministry. I have been apprehended by the freedom in Christ Jesus, life
in Him. Why go back to anything that is only a shadow when we have the real
deal.
Bless all of you and
thanks for reading. I am so clear in my life about this. I am also learning and
in the process of it all, I am growing in Christ. Please consider all that has
been said above with new eyes in grace.
Love in Christ
Debra Westbrook
