LABOUR PAINS!

Natural Birth

To the woman He said:

"I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; 

In pain you shall bring forth children;

Your desire shall be for your husband, 

And he shall rule over you."  Genesis 3:16  

By disobeying GOD, Adam and Eve were removed from the blessing of walking in the Glorious Presence of the Almighty GOD. Labour pains are the consequence of this fall of man in the Garden of Eden. Sorrow in conception and pain in delivery are the result of man's broken relationship with GOD. 

While the mother goes through labour pains the baby also undergoes discomfort and danger while in the womb and during its journey down the birth canal! 

Spiritual Birth

Jesus answered and said to him,

"Most assuredly, I say to you, 

unless one is born again, 

he cannot see the kingdom of God."

John 3:3

  Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him;

He has put Him to grief. 

When You make His soul an offering for sin,

He shall see His seed, 

He shall prolong His days,

And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. 

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.

Isaiah 53:10-11

From that time Jesus began to preach and to say,

"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 4:17

For godly sorrow produces repentance

leading to salvation,

not to be regretted;

but the sorrow of the world produces death. 2 Corinthians 7:10

The LORD JESUS CHRIST needed to go through labour of His soul to birth mankind into His spiritual Kingdom. When we are convicted of our sinful nature, we must go through the sorrow of repentance to be born again into the Kingdom of GOD.

Most assuredly, I say to you

that you will weep and lament,

but the world will rejoice;

and you will be sorrowful,

but your sorrow will be turned into joy. A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow

because her hour has come;

but as soon as she has given birth to the child,

she no longer remembers the anguish,

for joy that a human being has been born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow;

but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice,

and your joy no one will take from you. John 16:20-22

Labour that results in Joy is worth the pain!

Progress of Pregnancy

And behold,

you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son,

and shall call His name Jesus.

Luke 1:31 

Being born again by repenting of our sin and receiving the LORD JESUS into our life is also symbolic of conception.

Mary experienced this literally in her physical body. 

When the seed of the Word of GOD is planted in our heart,

A new life begins in us.

As we are birthed into the Kingdom of GOD,

the Kingdom of GOD is also conceived in us!

The seed of the Word of GOD, when planted in the good soil of a heart, has the potential to grow and bring forth fruit  - the fruit of the Spirit which is Love.

He must increase, but I must decrease. John 3:30

As I bring more of my 'self' under the control of GOD'S Spirit in me, I progress in my spiritual journey towards 'Bringing Forth' CHRIST in my life!

A flower is beautiful and pleasing to our eyes.

But when it is pollinated, the fruit begins to form at the base of the flower,

while the flower diminishes in size and beauty and shrivels.

The result is a fruit that is good for food that nourishes our body!

 Therefore we do not lose heart. 

Even though our outward man is perishing, 

yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, 

is working for us a far more exceeding 

and eternal weight of glory, 

while we do not look at the things which are seen, 

but at the things which are not seen. 

For the things which are seen are temporary, 

but the things which are not seen are eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18

From the time of conception, it takes about 40 weeks for the baby to be completely formed in the womb and be ready to be delivered.

From the time the children of Israel were brought out of slavery in Egypt, it took 40 years to get the sin of Egypt out of them so that they could be prepared to enter the promised land!

 being confident of this very thing, 

that He who has begun a good work in you 

will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
Philippians 1:6

Birthed into Glorious Heaven!

Set your mind on things above,

not on things on the earth.

For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears,

then you also will appear with Him in glory. Colossians 3:2-4

From the time of our spiritual birth, 

it takes the rest of our life on earth to be prepared 

to enter the Glorious Presence of GOD! 

But He, because He continues forever,

has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost

those who come to God through Him,

since He always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:24-25

Until we are birthed into GOD'S glorious presence in Heaven, 

our Savior intercedes for us at the right hand of GOD!

This intercession if effected by the Holy Spirit through us, 

for us and for others.

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses.

For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought,

but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us

with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts

knows what the mind of the Spirit is,

because He makes intercession for the saints

according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27

Intercession in the Spirit, according to the heart of GOD,

could be as intense as labour.

Who shall bring a charge against God's elect?

It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns?

It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen,

who is even at the right hand of God,

who also makes intercession for us. Romans 8:33-34

The Holy Spirit Who indwells the believer is in connection with the LORD JESUS

Who is at the right hand of the power and glory of the Almighty GOD!

Labour in the Work of CHRIST:

Intercession, Evangelism and Discipling

My little children,

for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, 

Galatians 4:19

Our intercession for the salvation of souls and their spiritual growth,

compares to labour that brings forth CHRIST in others.

 Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. 

He who continually goes forth weeping, 

Bearing seed for sowing, 

Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, 

Bringing his sheaves with him.
Psalm 126:5-6

Restoration:

Birthing of the New Heavens and the New Earth!

 For we know that the whole creation

groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.

Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, 

even we ourselves groan within ourselves, 

eagerly waiting for the adoption,

the redemption of our body.

Romans 8:22-23

It was man's fall through his decision that brought the fall of all of creation.

Therefore it is man who has to be first restored

and then play his role as GOD restores all things to Himself.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;

old things have passed away;

behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God,

who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ,

and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ

reconciling the world to Himself,

not imputing their trespasses to them,

and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ,

as though God were pleading through us:

we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us,

that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

And I have put My words in your mouth;

I have covered you with the shadow of My hand,

That I may plant the heavens,

Lay the foundations of the earth,

And say to Zion, 'You are My people.' " Isaiah 51:16

Do You Have CHRIST In You,

The Hope Of Glory?

To them God willed to make known what are the riches 

of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: 

which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Colossians 1:27

 Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, 

due to be delivered; 

and when she heard the news 

that the ark of God was captured, 

and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead,
she bowed herself and gave birth, 

for her labor pains came upon her.
 And about the time of her death 

the women who stood by her said to her,
"Do not fear, for you have borne a son."
But she did not answer, nor did she regard it.
 Then she named the child Ichabod, saying,
"The glory has departed from Israel!"
because the ark of God had been captured
and because of her father-in-law and her husband.

1 Samuel 4:19-21

Phinehas the son of Eli the priest did wickedly and did not honor GOD.

Therefore his seed that his wife conceived and bore, was

Ichabod, meaning, 'The glory has departed from Israel'!

But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren,

you have no need that I should write to you.

For you yourselves know perfectly

that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.

For when they say, "Peace and safety!"

then sudden destruction comes upon them,

as labor pains upon a pregnant woman.

And they shall not escape.

But you, brethren, are not in darkness,

so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.

You are all sons of light and sons of the day.

We are not of the night nor of darkness.

Therefore let us not sleep, as others do,

but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night,

and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober,

putting on the breastplate of faith and love,

and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath,

but to obtain salvation

through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us,

that whether we wake or sleep,

we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another,

just as you also are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11