Put Your Hand To The Plow

By Bonnie Jones

The Lord is speaking in a clear and intentional voice in this season. Recently I heard Him say, “Now is the time for Christians to gird up their loins and follow after Me. It’s time for them to put their hand to the plow and not look back; fear follows those who do. Their past is already behind them.

Jesus said to him, No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back [to the things behind] is fit for the kingdom of God. (Luke 9:61 Amplified)

They cannot take illicit lovers into this next season. I’m looking for abandoned lovers, those who are abandoned unto Me.”

You [are like] unfaithful wives [having illicit love affairs with the world and breaking your marriage vow to God]! Do you not know that being the world’s friend is being God’s enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world takes his stand as an enemy of God. (James 4:4 Amplified)

I believe the question to the body of Christ is, “How much of our self are we willing to surrender to God?” He can only occupy as much of our vessel to the extent that we make available to be filled. If we only surrender twenty percent, He can only occupy that amount in our heart. But an abandoned lover willingly surrenders their whole being unto Him so He can fill them to overflowing with the fullness of His Spirit.

The Whirlwind

After hearing His voice I was shown a great and awesome whirlwind coming to the body of Christ. It’s the move of the Holy Spirit we’ve long anticipated and its unlike anything we’ve experienced in the past. In this great movement, those who are being led by the Holy Spirit will remain hidden in the cleft of the Rock. They will follow the Master wherever He directs them and move in supernatural demonstration of God’s unlimited power.

And while My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. (Exodus 33:22 Amplified)

I was also shown Christians who regularly attend church and continue reading their Bible. Although they truly love the Lord they deny the power of His Holy Spirit. Once again they were offered His fellowship when this mighty whirlwind began.  Yet once again they rejected the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from them]. (2 Timothy 3:5 Amplified)

After the whirlwind subsided, there was an immediate acceleration for those who were hidden in the Rock. They never looked back for those who rejected the Holy Spirit. Instead they kept a steady eye on Jesus and followed after Him. Their whole being was surrendered unto Him and they moved in demonstration of His resurrection power. They knew how to rest in God and allowed Him to manifest His presence through them.

Parables of Elijah and Elisha

In this experience I could easily see two parables with Elijah and Elisha. First, 1 Kings 19:19-21, we see Elisha plowing the field when Elijah places his mantle upon him. Operating out of an old mindset, Elisha wanted to turn back and kiss his parents good-bye before following the man of God. Elisha already had his hand to the plow and but needed to gird up his loins and follow after Elijah. He had no time to turn around or look back to the way things were. This was a divine appointment that would change the rest of his life and he had a choice to make.  From that time forth, Elisha followed him never leaving his side.

So Elijah left there and found Elisha son of Shaphat, whose plowing was being done with twelve yoke of oxen, and he drove the twelfth. Elijah crossed over to him and cast his mantle upon him. He left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, Let me kiss my father and mother, and then I will follow you. And he [testing Elisha] said, Go on back. What have I done to you? [Settle it for yourself.] So Elisha went back from him. Then he took a yoke of oxen, slew them, boiled their flesh with the oxen’s yoke [as fuel], and gave to the people, and they ate. Then he arose, followed Elijah, and served him. (1 Kings 19:19-21 Amplified)

Second, because Elisha remained faithful to keep his eyes on Elijah (type of Holy Spirit) he received a double portion of Elijah’s anointing when he was taken up in the whirlwind. In the same way, if we desire to be part of this supernatural movement, we cannot not turn back to the ways of the flesh. We MUST follow after the Holy Spirit of God with a whole heart. It may offend some and others will misunderstand us but no matter the cost we must remain faithful and obedient to God.

And when they had gone over, Elijah said to Elisha, Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you. And Elisha said, I pray you, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me. He said, You have asked a hard thing. However, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you—but if not, it shall not be so. As they still went on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire parted the two of them, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it and he cried, My father, my father! The chariot of Israel and its horsemen! And he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. (2 Kings 2:9-12 Amplified)

I believe we’re about to step into this supernatural movement of monumental acceleration in the Spirit. It will be far greater than anything the body of Christ has experienced in past movements. Azusa Street was an incredible display of power through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit but this was only a glimpse of that which is now on the horizon.

We can’t afford to miss our opportunity for acceleration because His time is of the essence. Let’s gird up our loins and put our hand to the plow. Let’s become those abandoned lovers so God will fill us with the fullness of His presence as we go into the greatest whirlwind and spiritual awakening of all time!