THE SECRET PLACE (11)

“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” – Matthew 11:12

God demands, not only a focused, but His earnest, fervent, intense, and “violent” pursuit in THE SECRET PLACE: “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” (Mt.11:12). The term “spiritual violence” captures the intensity with which the end-time generation must pursue God. We must seek God with our entire being, denying ourselves and casting off all entangling sins, in order to run the race that’s set before us with passion, purity, and perseverance: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,  looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith...” (Heb.12: 1-2a).

If the Kingdom of heaven could demand such fervency and “spiritual violence” prior to the inception of the New Testament Church, then Believers in Christ in these last days must be prepared for unprecedented manifestations of the same. This is the hour to seek the Lord with the totality of our being. The signs of the times are clear; Christ’s return is imminent; there is an urgency in the Spirit; it’s time to awaken from slumber and pursue the Kingdom of God and His righteousness like never before. Spiritual Fervency begins in the Secret Place. It starts with how we apply ourselves to the disciplines of Prayer – adoration, gazing, fasting, reading, listening, meditation, study, and absorption of truth – that penetrate our spirits, transform our lifestyle and the language of our dialogue with God and man.

Authentic Faith seeks God diligently: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Heb.11:6). Faith understands not only that God exists, but that He rewards us according to the intensity of our pursuit of Him. God chasers reveal their faith by how they run. They cannot be distracted or detoured from their goal because they believe that God will surely reward their pursuit. One of the “violent” moves we must make is to wrestle down all the competing elements in our calendar and consistently carve out the time to hibernate in the Secret Place.

It's easy to confuse natural zeal with spiritual fervency. Romans 12:11 instructs: “Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.” Some people display natural zeal for God, one that lasts only as long as others are watching. When the person is alone with God, the zeal fizzles; the intensity suddenly collapses. Natural zeal must be exchanged for true spiritual fervency – a passion that is fueled and energized by an inner fire that burns even when no one is looking!