by Pastor Afolabi Oladele

Rapture is the very essence of Christianity. If there is no rapture, Paul said we are of all men most miserable (1 Cor. 15:19). Are we ready for the Trumpet sound? We must be, because it’s only for those looking (thirsting) for Him (Heb. 9:28; 2 Tim 4:6-8). Are you? There are lessons to learn as we look at the transition time in the ministry of John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the Bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the Bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast. No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Matthew 9:14-16 KJV.

Jesus was on the scene, yet it never occurred to the disciples of John the Baptist that it was time to move forward. Such is the danger that we face at the time of transition. In the midst of this transition – the time before the Rapture – let’s pray for grace not to miss the hour of our salvation and deliverance. Repeatedly and openly John the Baptist said to those in his hearing that the Saviour was at hand(John 1:27) and yet only two of John’s disciples caught this revelation and followed Jesus (John 1:35-37). Where were the other disciples, did they not hear? They missed it and in Matthew 9 they came by asking questions, challenging the Saviour. They were comparing Jesus’ disciples to what they thought was the standard of their time – the Pharisees. Why did these disciples of John stay with him instead of following the Saviour? Was it that something was tying them to the old, was it religion or just not being able to leave John the Baptist that made them stay back with John? Were they not convinced? Despite the direct witness that John had given, did they, maybe feel that John did not know what he was saying? They were not looking for Jesus. Because it’s what you are looking for that you find. The two disciple of John that left him and followed Jesus said to others, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ (John 1:41). Was it only 2 of John’s disciples that were looking for the Messiah? In these times who is looking for Jesus?

Concerning transition times, God never hides His intentions. He speaks His word and it is now up to men to listen? John’s disciples heard but they never really listened and because they did not really listen they questioned what was not to be questioned. When people miss a transition they suffer loss and damage (Matthew 9:16). This is why it is crucial for all of us who are expecting His return to hear clearly what Jesus said in His word so that we do not miss the day of His visitation. Matthew 9:16 shows that there is the old and there is the new and there is a time of transition. And when people miss transition there is destruction and loss. When you try to put the old on the new you destroy it and suffer a loss.

In His conversation with the disciples of John, Jesus let them know that the days were coming when the children of the bride-chamber would fast because the Bridegroom has been taken from them. Jesus was merely reflecting on something that was still to come. He told His disciples that there would come a time when He would be taken away from them and that they would fast. Fast for what? His presence. Jesus had been there for them in every issue that they faced. They saw Him, they knew Him, they touched Him. Think of the hunger, the sense of loss, the emptiness a woman feels when she is separate from her husband. Are you that hungry for Jesus? Have you not experienced His goodness? What has His absence translated to in your heart? But we are too distracted to even feel this hunger.

All this is intended to get us (those waiting for the coming of the Lord) to check ourselves if we are truly a people waiting for Him. There is a lovesickness that is supposed to characterise the hearts of those waiting for Him. Do you have a hunger, lovesickness for Him? If there is no hunger in your heart you need to check your walk with God and your faith. Don’t be so preoccupied with the things of this world that you miss the fact that God has said that Jesus is coming for those who are looking for Him (Heb. 9:28).

If Jesus, the Bridegroom, is who you say He is to you, where is the emptiness, the yearning you feel for Him because He is no longer here? In these times are you really looking for Him? If you are not looking for Him when He shows up you will miss Him. The disciples of John who stayed back with him heard John’s witness over and over, Jesus walked among them and yet when John said, behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world, only two people picked it.

In John 13:31-38 and John 14:1-7 the disciples were still confused when Jesus said He would be taken away from them. This was not the first time that He told them He would be taken from them. In John 16 the disciples were sorrowful because Jesus said He would be taken from them. They were focused on short term issues, they forgot that He said He was going to prepare a place for them and He would come back to take them to be with Him. Typical you and me, we are always focused on the short term issues, the immediate never looking at what the Master is saying. We have too much preoccupation with the now that the real thing that should preoccupy our minds is not occupying our minds.

Knowing that He was going to leave the Lord gave us two things that were going to be a holding power for us while He was way – the fellowship of the saints (John 14:34) and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit (John 16). These two would be facilitated by a fasted life, the breaking down of the flesh. Something needs to be done to our flesh so that we have the tenderness of heart to love others and to welcome the Holy Spirit. And this is where the Bridegroom fast comes in.

The Lord knew that once He was gone that their desire, their longing and lovesickness for Him would cause them to mourn to be close to Him as in the days He walked with them and that’s why He made that statement that, “you would be sorrowful.” Hunger to recover that same sense of closeness would be a key to their intimacy, their power, their anointing and their fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Only Jesus could have thought of this unique paradigm to respond to spiritual lovesickness. The expectation of the return of the Bridegroom to a waiting bride is strengthened if we align ourselves with what Jesus has revealed and what He has spoken. If you need to love you brother and you find that you can’t then something needs to be done. If the Holy Spirit is not having free course in you then that barrier has to be broken down.

This is a time of reflection. What is distracting you? What is taking your attention? Have you ever felt that you could not just stand living without having more of Jesus in your life? That is such a time of spiritual hunger that Jesus spoke of when He mentioned the Bridegroom fast. By fasting, their spirits could become tender and the Holy Spirit could reveal Christ by the word and through worship. This fast increases the tenderness of our heart by removing the spirit of dullness. It takes away deadness off of us that we experience the presence of God in a more discernible way. This fast is not about getting something from God or Him changing your situation. It’s about having more of Him to change your heart until His fullness is dwelling and abiding in you. It is a fast that enlarges your capacity to receive freely from the Spirit of God instead of having an external purpose such as averting a crisis. This kind of fasting is asking, “Lord, change me on the inside. Empty me of all distractions, fill my being until it is only You that I see.”These are the days of living a fasted life because you cannot break the overconcentration on short-term issues or the problems of worldliness without dealing with the flesh and for the Holy Spirit to take ascendancy for Him to do what He needs to do.

The misunderstanding that the disciples of John who stayed with him had was that they were preoccupied with the present – how can anyone replace our champion John?

We have prayed and prayed for this country but why hasn’t anything happened? Beyond praying what have you done? Do something. With all that is happening in this country with one saying this and another saying that; can a body divided against itself stand? It takes the presence of the Holy Spirit to give you guidance and direction.

We need to understand the primal place that the Lord Jesus has in our heart. This is the time of a fasted life, a time to break the power of the flesh and to get the Spirit of God to give us guidance in the things happening in the nation today. We wrestle not against flesh and blood so the solution to the problems of our country is not a matter of getting our voters card but dealing with the prince of Nigeria and using our superior authority in Christ Jesus to break his power. And this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting. This is my call to all of us that say we are the ones God has sent to this nation: this is the hour of a fasted life. God who is merciful and kind has given us the answer – break down the flesh, unite yourself behind Me to bring about any change. It would take a strong word from the Lord that would break the enemy that is fighting the destiny of this nation.

As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. Acts 13:2-3.

In Acts 13 the apostles fasted and then the Holy Ghost spoke. And then they fasted and prayed even more and He gave release. God had a plan to satisfy their longing by the Holy Spirit. The Lord would release the fulfilment of their hearts’ desires. As we seek the comfort of the Holy Spirit we would experience the previous satisfaction the disciples had when He was near to them. This would come about through the Holy Spirit revealing Christ through the word. The Lord will release the fulfilment of our hearts’ desire. As we seek the comfort of the Holy Spirit we would experience the previous satisfaction the disciples had when He was so near to them. We would add fasting to the longing in our heart and our hearts would become tender in love towards our brothers. The fast would be used by the Holy Spirit to unlock deep places in our hearts in spiritual intimacy. Fasting enables us to see spiritual things that normally we would not be able to see. The increase may not happen overnight but as we give ourselves to Him we would see the hand of God unfolding Himself more and more. I urge you let this be a watershed for all of us who are reading this.

Fasting in fellowship with the Holy Spirit helps to keep us from discontentment, from coveting and from fleshly cravings. It changes our emotional chemistry. I am not here to teach about fasting but these are solutions to the challenges we are facing. People would go astray because they missed what Jesus said they should focus on. Short term inconveniences are taking our attention away from what is crucial.

The same Greek word translated ministered in Acts 13 was the same word used in Luke 2 to describe Anna who also knew what it meant to minister to the Lord: And there was one Anna, a prophetess… which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. Luke 2:36-37. The rules haven’t changed; if we want to see Him, then let’s minister to Him with fasting and praying and with worship. Follow this pattern in the word and see if a change won’t come. A deluge of power would come upon you. The same grace would be upon you if you give yourself to the Lord. Anna’s short-term situation was that she was a widow and that she had no children but what kept her going was her expectation of the Messiah. For 60 years she served the Lord with fasting and prayers day and night – 365 days a year is about 20,000 days.

What God is looking for are Annas and Marys of Bethany who would be able to understand, see and cut through the veil and anoint the Anointed just as Mary anointed the Anointed for burial. We are supposed to anoint the Anointed for His return. This is what God is looking for. Mary gave all that she had saved in her life – her alabaster box (Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9). Whoever you break your alabaster box on is the love of your life. The alabaster box was meant for the love of the life of a woman, and that was who Jesus meant to Mary of Bethany. What’s your attention on? Mary saw beyond what even the disciples could see. The disciples were looking at money for the poor, she opted to use that money for the most expensive perfume to shower on her love – as evidence; and guess what, Jesus appreciated it!

The Marys of Bethany will enjoy great grace from prayer and worship and will change the atmosphere of the cities and churches that they are part of by their extravagant display of love towards the Lord. Lovesick worshippers, the Lord will place them in the midst of the people as a tender fragrance of the beauty of the Lord.

There are 3 dimensions to the face of the Lord our God – as the Bridegroom, as the king and as the Judge. Which one of these are you familiar with? You need to know Him in all these dimensions. The three faces of the Lord (the Bridegroom, as the king and as the judge) will be revealed and emphasised in unprecedented endtime activities. As the Bridegroom lover who would fill the emptiness of our hearts with His presence we would not only know the presence of the Holy Spirit but we would also display the kingly anointing because the king rules.

The revelation of the Bridegroom is what God will use to restore the first commandment – you shall love the Lord God with all your – to its first place. This is what the Bridegroom fast is all about, that our passion for Him will not wane. As a passionate lover He would make us passionate lovers of God. The revelation of the King would cause us to operate in the power of Godas we go out to meet the Great Harvest. The revelation of the Judge would make us participate with Him in loosening judgment upon all those who set themselves against God. These three dimensions are meant for now, for these times. And I pray that none of us would despise these sayings or would have their attention focused on things that are not of necessity in this hour.