When the son of God hung between Heaven and Earth in those final minutes of agony he gave himself into the Father’s hands.
Luke 23:46 NKJV — “And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last.”
He had previously said that he had authority to lay down his life and authority to take it up again.
John 10:18 NKJV — “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”
This is an amazing thing that Jesus…a man has power to lay down his life.
My father in law is at the departure lounge about to leave this earthly existence even as I write this post.
In May this year he was hospitalised and has been deteriorating since that time. When it happened my wife and I were praying and Jesus spoke some things to me that showed us her dad would die soon. I wrote about it here.
It has been very illuminating for me as God has revealed things to me around Norman’s struggle within his deteriorating health.
Yesterday God showed me that even though Norman is in such a bad way outwardly that he is actually doing mighty things inwardly.
His 5 children are all concerned for him. Two of those 5 are living in the family home and have had strained relations with each other for some time. As we prayed yesterday morning God revealed that He and Norman are interceding for the children and that Norman will not die until the work is done.
Then in the afternoon yesterday all 5 of the children – all adults between 49-59 years of age met together to talk about financial things to do with caring for their father in the nursing home. But at that meeting a lot of reconciliation occurred between the two siblings who were divided though they lived under the same roof.
That was a miracle!
Then this morning -19th August Norman was unconscious in bed and his breathing was like a drowning man. My wife went to his side and called the rest of the family to come.
But as the day has worn on…and the nurses have administered morphine to Norman…he still hangs on.
I felt compelled by God to stay at home and not go into the hospice where Norman and the family are. Instead God was revealing things to me to help Norman get through this last stage down the birth canal out of his body and into the spirit realm(heaven).
The Lord Jesus had already revealed to us that far from Norman’s ordeal over the last 4 months being a failure it has been and will be a glorious exit and entrance into Jesus presence.
We sensed that he will not go until the Lord’s work is done.
So God is interceding through his son Norman —for his 5 children. He has not been able to speak coherently for months…he needs to be toileted and dressed etc…he does not know where he is most days…or even how to eat his food.
BUT THAT IS ONLY HIS OUTER MAN!
On the inside Norman is a Lion! He is tenacious and stout hearted. He is determined to follow Jesus and is a willing vessel wanting Jesus to do His mighty works through him–even now in his severely weakened state.
How do I know this? God showed me in prayer–that is all I can say.
So yesterday there was reconciliation between the two siblings….today Norman will not let go of the silver chord.
God kept telling me to help Norman let go of the silver chord and commit his spirit into God’s hands….so as I prayed I sensed that Norman was concerned…even fearful for the spiritual welfare of his son who is the youngest and only son in the family.
This son is also not yet a believer in Jesus…well, at least he has not been born of the spirit yet.
Norman was very concerned about this son….because Norman believes in eternal punishment for those who do not believe in Jesus.
So I began preaching the good news into the spirit as I prayed for Norman and reassured him that Jesus shall not fail to bring his son with Him. Jesus promises to leave the 99 sheep and go looking for that one lost sheep…albeit Norman’s son.
I sensed a peace in the spirit and a joy.
You see we have the power to lay down our lives too….but we can also negotiate certain things with God in these last hours of our earthly existence–all taking place in the spirit realm…the only true realm.
Even as I write this – all the children are there with Norman–18:47pm and I know and sense that Jesus is tapping upon that son’s heart tonight because Norman is demanding it.
I believe Norman will have the assurance and peace from God to let go of the chord that attaches him to his soul and to go with Jesus into the spirit..(heavens).
The Soul and Body are the earthly parts of us and these “die” and are buried. The spirit is connected to the soul by this silver chord and at death that chord is loosed and we fly away to God from where we came from.
At the resurrection Norman’s body and soul shall rise again and be joined again to his spirit man. But for now he still lingers still negotiating things with God…this is what I believe God told me.
When Jesus prayed in Gethsemene— he was suspended in time and space – he was inwardly negotiating with God….He was groaning in the spirit man–the very substance of who he is…for US!! He poured out His soul for us while he knelt there….inwardly asking God for all of us.
‘Is there anything else left to fulfill Father? Are all Adam’s children included in my death which I am about to achieve through Your grace?’ Oh Father that none should be lost!!my words put in Jesus inner thoughts..
I know this is the case because of what Isaiah reveals below….
Isaiah 53:11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.
By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,
For He shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,
And He shall divide thespoil with the strong,
Because He poured out His soul unto death,
And He was numbered with the transgressors,
And He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.
God was in Jesus interceding for you…right there on the cross for those hours on the day of Passover when the perfect lamb without spot was sacrificed for the sins of the nation.
He was giving His innocent life as a ransom payment for your sins- and by His blood we are forgiven and redeemed of every lawless deed.
God heard Jesus’s prayers and answered — IT IS FINISHED!! Through the lips of his human image Jesus.
who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear,Hebrews 5:7
And Jesus did a Priestly work on the cross– performing the Sacrifice of Himself for our sakes….and so Norman is also doing a priest’s work in “laying down his life for his friends”(children).
He refuses to let go until the work is done….
But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.Hebrews 10:12,13
And so Norman shall sit in the place prepared for him by Jesus…in the throne of Jesus in the heavens where he already sits.
I heard this verse in the spirit in regards Norman as he groans in his last hours…
Rev 2:10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
God says to Norman in the throes of death(and to all of us!!)….struggling to let go of the silver chord..and to go with Jesus and the angels…..
FEAR NOT SON!! I shall take you by the hand and lead you in way that you have not known! I shall not let you fall..I shall not let you fail…you are glorious to me..your are mine I call you by your name!! I cause you to be faithful until death…fear Not NORMAN–FOR I AM THE ONE WHO STRENGTHENS YOU..I –even I am He who prays in you and shall establish you in the heavens FEAR NOT!! Death shall not overcome you for I am your life and I am your exceedingly great reward…FEAR NOT!! I give unto you the CROWN OF LIFE for your life is PRECIOUS IN MY SIGHT…and I am with you Norman..I am your God–FEAR NOT!! Death has lost it’s sting!! Victory is assured Norman Victory is mine for I HAVE OVERCOME DEATH AND THE GRAVE!! You shall rise again…you shall awake in my likeness and my image and great shall be the rejoicing in that day…FEAR NOT SON.
the silver chord
6 Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed,
Or the golden bowl is broken,
Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain,
Or the wheel broken at the well.
7 Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,
And the spirit will return to God who gave it.Ecclesiastes 12:6,7
These things occur before our spirit person returns to God and our earthly part–soul and body are buried in the ground and return to dust to await the resurrection–the hope of the gospel of Jesus.
The word cord is from the Hebrew—חבל
châbal
khaw-bal’
A primitive root; to wind tightly (as a rope), that is, to bind; specifically by a pledge; figuratively to pervert, destroy; also to writhe in pain (especially of parturition).
It is similar to our English word CABLE…which is used in Acts 27:17 – When they had taken it on board, they used cables to undergird the ship; and fearing lest they should run aground
The idea I see is that the cables –as with the cord are holding or binding your life up in this natural realm….when the cables are removed the storm breaks the ship up..ie, your life ends and your spirit is saved.
The same thing that played out in Acts 27 is what happens at our end of life….we are subject to the storm and are blown by it outwardly–but inwardly we pray –like Paul in the belly of the ship–or Jonah in the Belly of the big fish that swallowed him up until he feared he would be in the deep forever.
But God granted Paul the lives of all those onboard…God held the ship together with those cables until the job was complete. God was glorified through Paul in the belly of the ship…even as those around him were terrified and anxious. Paul was resting and warring inwardly –interceding for those he loved–the whole crew!! A
As an aside: I first met Norman 27 years ago when I asked for his daughter’s hand in marriage…and Psalm 27 seems to be connected with Norman as well as I wrote previously…now Acts 27 also contributes to his story.
In the last of our days in this body…before our death, we enter into the greatest time of fruitfulness of our lives!! Despite weakness and pain–for then great grace is placed upon us inwardly so that we see heaven and release His power in the spirit realm for all those God has given us. So take courage loved ones old and grey headed, for your best days are here!!
Be faithful until death–only believe!!
