Scripture reading: Luke 1:38
The second and great work of the Holy Ghost is to plant the seed of life into the womb of the church, which is the soul of the believer. It is far more important to God to change the NATURE of the believer, than to endow him with power. No matter how much power the individual has, if he or she is not changed from within, God has not yet brought forth a SON. God wants to multiply, just as we want to multiply. It is within HIS DIVINE nature to bring forth children. This nature of God is expressed in everything He makes. The grass, the flowers, the trees, the birds, the animals, and all things bring forth abundantly.
God’s order of bringing forth is the same everywhere. The scripture declares that everything brings forth after its own kind. Therefore, if we desire corn, we plant corn. If we must bring forth Christ in the earth, then we must plant Christ. What the ministry has been doing for hundreds of years is planting themselves in people and expecting to bring forth Christ.
God’s divine order is revealed in Luke 1:28, 30-33. God first sent the angel Gabriel to Mary with a message.
“Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women. Fear not, Mary, for thou has found favor with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great and be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end.”
This message of the angel was absolutely positive. He skipped 2,000 years in one sentence to bring all the good news concerning Jesus. Not a negative note – nothing was mentioned of the death and suffering. The intention was clear to bring faith in Mary to receive the Holy Ghost and the work He should do within her. Mary cried, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word” Luke 1:38. The angel left. His work was done.
The minister of the gospel is the angel; the messenger who carries the word of the Lord to the maiden, the church. The church is not the wife of the minister. The minister is not the husband of the church, he is the husbandman, not planting his own seed, but the seed of the word to invoke faith in the maiden. When the faith is invoked in her, then she receives the Holy Ghost. He it is that plants the seed of the Christ within the soul, which is the womb of the church. The overshadowing of the Holy Ghost is the overshadowing which is necessary to bring forth the change of the human nature to that of the divine nature.
(Excerpt from The Pattern, 2nd Edition, 1995, pg. 119-121)
Thought for today: No matter how much power the individual has, if he or she is not changed from within, God has not yet brought forth a SON.
Sonlight Devotional 
Amen