Summer 1988
The Son of Man Still Seeks a Place to Lay His Head
Rick Joyner.
Charlotte, North Carolina
Visiting Ministry at Pinecrest

"The Son of Man has nowhere on earth to lay His head." Who can hear these words without grieving? But the Spirit bears witness that the same is true today. The Lord Jesus is still seeking a place where He can BE the Head.

Recently the Lord has been moving with increased intensity. It is as if He has once again set His face to go to Jerusalem. The Lord's stride in the Spirit is now relentless with purpose. The Pillar of Fire has lifted and begun to move with resolution. After wandering in the wilderness for so many years are we about to cross over?

After somewhat of a drought, we are now beginning to experience another great outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This one promises to be with more substance than the previous moves of recent history which left but superficial fruit. But the previous visitations did accomplish what He desired. The cycles of renewal and drought are as essential to the Church as seasons are to a fruit tree. In winter, when the trees are dormant, they can be pruned so they will bear even more fruit in spring. After each dormant season in which the Church is pruned, we burst forth in new growth and bear more fruit.

Those who have allowed their lives and ministries to be pruned are about to receive unsurpassed anointing and increase. Many branches which appeared to have died will soon astonish us with their new life. This tree has not been cursed by Him as some supposed. However, some trees which seemed to have prospered during this winter have now been found to have little or no true and lasting fruit. These will soon wither under His curse, as some have already begun to do.

Much of the recent pruning was a correction of the inordinate attention we have been giving to ourselves, and who we are in Him, instead of who He is in us. There is a great difference in this, the same difference between the Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life. This diversion caused a short-circuiting of recent renewals. The Holy Spirit is sent to lead us to Jesus, but we have persistently turned the attention back to ourselves. More emphasis has been given to being joined to each other than to the Head, resulting in shallowness and barrenness. We can only bear fruit by abiding in the Vine. We are changed by beholding His glory, not by dwelling on "who we are in Christ," as wonderful as that revelation is. It seems that most have now begun to comprehend this devastating error. If so, true renewal may now be both possible and imminent.

Though many messages have claimed the title, the Gospel of the Kingdom has not yet been preached. It is in fact the last message, or "trumpet" of God(Rev. 11:15). Before we are given the authority to carry the true message of the Kingdom, He must be our true King. He is now preparing a people to go forth with that trumpet. The power of this message will be unprecedented inhuman history; It will prepare the way for His Kingdom to come.

1988 may prove to be one of the most significant years in history, and the beginning of one of the great revivals of all time. Soon we will not be looking back at the early church as our standard, but will be declaring that the Lord has truly saved His best wine for last. But the pruning is not yet over. A shaking of both the heaven and the earth has also begun.

"See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, 'Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.' Now this, 'Yet once more,' indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, SINCE WE ARE RECEIVING A KINGDOM WHICH CANNOT BESHAKEN, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire" Hebrews 12:25-29 NKJ.

God's judgment begins with His own people (I Peter 4:17). This judgment is not just the determination of a verdict, it is the discipline needed to bring about His purpose in us. The greatest time of trouble in history will soon be upon the world, but also the most glorious for those have built their lives upon Him. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth should change, and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea ... There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God ... God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered; He raised His voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold" Psalm 46:1-7 NASB.

He is once again moving resolutely toward Jerusalem. He is not coming again to suffer; He is coming to rule. He has chosen a place to lay His head. He has chosen you.