"How to be your own Grandmother"

Howard Barnett

    Isaiah saw Jesus the word made flesh and dwelling with man, born with authority of government and the nature/name to be "Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."¹

    The everlasting Father, to fulfill this promise, will have to be "Father" to some children. And his children will be "signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion."² His children will be called the "elect and shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them."³ David knew beyond any doubt that Jesus was the blessed of the Lord when he revealed his strength, his teacher, his goodness, his fortress, his high tower, his deliverer and his shield in Psalm 144:1-2: "Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me." David and Isaiah revealed the blessed of the Lord (Jesus), his seed (the sons of Jesus) and their offspring. The seed are to bring forth an "off spring" that will be with them.

    Jesus revealed himself as the "Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty."⁴ The Almighty, who is the mighty God (El Shaddai), fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 9:6. This same Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, will give unto him that is athirst, of the fountain of the water of life freely. "He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son."⁵ Jesus in identifying us as his children, was identifying himself as father, "the everlasting Father" again, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 9:6.

    Paul made it very plain "we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren. Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me."⁶

    There can be no doubt that we are his children "begotten by the word".⁷ We are the seed of Jesus. And we are to make out captain perfect through sufferings. But have no fear, for as Isaiah prophesied, our offspring is with us. The word ‘offspring’ [TSEETSA in the Hebrew] means ‘that which cometh forth’. Praise God!! It is the will of Jesus, our father, for us to be his mother. This surely is a wonder. And the fulfillment will be the greatest sign the world will ever see.

The Offspring

    While Jesus yet talked to the people, "behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother, and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother."⁸ Behold my mother and my brethren, pointing to his disciples! Whosoever shall do the will of the father (I and my Father are one), the same is my mother. This would make us mother to our father - our own grandmother. Surely, we are a peculiar people! Jesus had said "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work."⁹ Doing the will of the spirit and helping to finish his work is the "meat" that brings us forth. John had also written "Now we know that God heareth not sinners (those in error): but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth."¹⁰ It is the will of God for the mother church to bring forth her offspring!! The only way to be a mother by definition, is to have a child. Jesus was telling the church that he was to become her child. He was to fulfill the pattern of his natural birth in the spirit (First the natural, afterward the spiritual).¹¹ The virgin church is to bring forth, by the spirit, the son who will bring her salvation. The woman will be saved in childbearing.¹² Paul declared that the spiritual mother, Jerusalem, which is above is the mother of us all.¹³ So as Zion travails, sons and daughters are born.¹⁴

    The church down through the ages, has brought many sons and daughters into the spiritual birthing. We have been bringing the offspring forth, by the spirit, into every generation. As more and more of his sin-free nature has been birthed into the world, we are making our captain perfect. His many membered body has and is travailing to bring forth the perfect seed. By suffering with Him each generation has gotten closer and closer to fulfilling "her time." Jesus’ statement, "you must be born again" combined with his statement that "we are his mother," should cause those with spiritual eyes to see the Coming King. That which is born of God "cannot sin." Each generation, with His leadership, have brought his nature more and more unto the perfect day. To sin is to err. "When that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away."¹⁵ No man, other than Jesus, has come to the full birth. But we which have been born again in part, will with our offspring come to the full birth! The virgin mother church will bring forth the many membered manchild. "For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now."¹⁶This travail of the mother church, which has continued until now, will deliver herself with the redemption of the glory of this full birth. These children will have the full nature of their father and rise up in the authority of Jesus and cast out of the spirit with the glory of the presence of the lamb, the devil and his angels. The virgin church that brought this birth to pass, will be lifted up into a priestly anointing (the wings of the eagle) and hid from the natural eye. They will seek no worldly rewards and no self glory. They will build no great earthly tabernacles for they know their reward is with them. Their heavenly nature will bring down Babylon, with its spirit of error, the Antichrist. The church will be strengthened with it’s "meat to eat that you know not of" in the wilderness. She is preparing for the final battle with the Beast. The patience and the faith of the saints¹⁷ is becoming the "faith of Jesus".¹⁸ The glory of God is in the temple!! And his glory is a consuming fire.

He who hath an ear to hear, let him hear.

1 Isaiah 9:6

2 Isaiah 8:18

3 Isaiah 65:22-23

4 Revelation 1:8

5 Revelation 21:7

6 Hebrews 2:9-13

7 I Corinthians 4:15

8 Matthew 12:46-50

9 John 4:34

10 John 9:31

11 I Corinthians 15:46

12 I Timothy 2:15

13 Galatians 4:26

14 Isaiah 66:8

15 I Corinthians 13:10

16 Romans 8:19-22

17 Revelation 13:10

18 Revelation 14:12