The Wedding Illustration

1/29/11

Greetings,

                I pray everyone is doing wonderful. I want to begin this week by briefly reviewing our goals, particularly for those who have just begun receiving these letters at some point this month. The purpose of these letters is to provide teaching that will promote unity in the body of Christ. A major goal that will help us achieve this objective is purposeful growth. If more people receive the message, more people can respond to the message. It is my goal to have no less than 1000 people receiving these letters by the end of the year. If you know anyone that would benefit from these letters, please have them get in touch with me or give me their email (with their permission) so that they can be added to the recipient list. Also, the questions at the end are there for a reason! If any of you feel led, please use this material for small group discussion (even with friends over the phone), and feel free to contact me with any questions or for any additional support.

                With this said we will begin our discussion with the following verse:

                “And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3:20-21)

                The Father will send the Son back and this goes without question. When the Father sends the Son again, we refer to this as the second coming or the second advent of Jesus. This passage continues to explain the conditions under which the Son will be sent back. It says that heaven must receive (accept, take, contain) Jesus “until.” The word until means that what is about to be said will fulfill the conditions necessary for the return of Jesus. The passage continues and says, “Until the times of the restitution of all things.” Jesus cannot and will not come back until everything that He purchased for His people has been restored back to us. This includes unity.

                Many people that have considered the last days have concluded on a fantasy. This fantasy teaches that Jesus can come back at any time. I could be going about my normal business tomorrow and “poof,” I would simply vanish. Why do I call this a fantasy? This concept is a fantasy because it is a direct contradiction of the scripture I just quoted. Jesus cannot and will not just return anytime. There are qualifications, and until these qualifications are met, we must continue to press in for more of God. We must continue to press in for all of the promises of God, and continue to press in until we achieve the restitution of all things. The church age began in the upper room and the Holy Spirit was not sent until they were all of “one accord” (Acts 2:1). Restitution in regard to the topic of unity means bringing the body of Christ worldwide back to this point of inception. We must achieve “one accord.” Understand that this cannot mean anything else.

                One of the pictures that God loves to use to describe the relationship of the church to Jesus is that of the bride and the bridegroom. We are the bride and He is the bridegroom. The bride is an extension of His own body, and we are appointed to become one flesh with the King of king’s and Lord of lord’s.

                When a bride is to be married, she must make herself ready. The groom does not make her ready, although in Jewish culture he would certainly finance her preparation. Jesus purchased us with a high price. To prepare for the wedding, the bride must have her hair done, and done to perfection. She must have her make-up done, and it had better be perfect! She goes and picks out the perfect dress. She may work-out to lose a couple pounds so that it fits just right. She finds the perfect shoes, and this will be the first time that they are worn. The wedding dress itself will go through alterations so that it presents her as the stunning beauty she was created to be. She is showered and she is perfumed. Her nails are painted, she is adorned in jewelry, and she takes up a bouquet that has been color-coordinated to the décor. At her presentation, the audience will be speechless, and so will the bridegroom.

                In all of this preparation, the bridegroom does not see the bride. He does not say his vows, and He does not go into her place of preparation to “catch her away” before she is ready. He waits because He knows that the preparation is worth it. She will be beautiful. She will be everything He ever dreamed that she would be. He will wait because He understands the reward of His patience. When she is ready, when she steps out and He sees her, neither of them will ever be the same. He anticipates the moment when she will leave Him speechless. Every eye will gaze upon her in bewilderment, and He will be awed. What a glorious day! They will be brought together, becoming one flesh as they were intended. The picture is beautiful, exquisite, inspiring, glorious, and worthy of honor and praise and adoration.

“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.” (Revelation 19:7)

                Unfortunately, some have another concept of God’s version of romance. They see the Lamb coming back for a bride that is unprepared, hopeless, helpless, and pitiful. They feel that this bride that will be eternally wed to Jesus will be received without any preparation. They see a bride who cannot afford a wedding dress, does not have her hair fixed, her make-up done, or any beautification whatsoever. She doesn’t even have to shower because He forgave her stench. Her armpit hair is grown out to full-length, and it is exposed. They believe she will be taken in the night before anyone can truly see how pathetic she looks—even her bridegroom; instead of being presented as the gem that she is before the whole world as a spectacle of glory. Who in their right mind would want this, if given a choice to have a spectacular bride? Some argue that God would want this.

                Let us not kid ourselves. Preparing ourselves to be the eternal bride of Jesus will by no means yield a sloppy, divided, un-kept, unfaithful body. Heaven must withhold Jesus until the restitution of all things—this includes unity. Jesus must wait at the end of the aisle until we have become all that we were intended to become. His Father will not have it any other way. The Bible is clear about what Jesus did for us, in that He made us righteous, forgave our sins, made us co-heirs with Him, gave us the victory, gave us His authority, and so forth. Yet in all of this, notice that He does not make the bride ready, but she makes herself ready. In other words, He simply finances us with the potential to prepare ourselves. Until we respond on purpose and follow through, until we see the restitution of all things, He cannot and will not return. The bride must make herself ready.

                “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.” (Revelation 19:7)

Discussion

1.)    If the return of Christ depended solely on your personal preparation, what would need to change in your life to cause the “restitution of all things” to be true of you personally?

2.)    How does your perspective compare to God’s perspective on the romance between Jesus and His bride?

3.)    If it was your wedding and you were God, would you prefer a sloppy bride or a beautiful bride?

4.)    Why does the Bible say that the bride must make herself ready? How is unity involved?

5.)    Can Jesus return at any time?

Unity and the Tower of Babel

1/22/11

Greetings,

                Unity is truly one of the greatest strengths of mankind. When men begin to unify towards a particular goal or objective, failure rarely results. In all cases, the very least that occurs is progress. Today we are going to discuss the power of unity and its implications.

                God sent a flood to destroy the earth during the days of Noah. The earth had become overrun with wickedness and we see the beginning of a pattern in scripture. Unity based upon wickedness, unrighteousness, and injustice will always come under the judgment of God. Sometimes people get confused because the Bible instructs Christians not to judge others. They think that since we are not to judge, God does not judge us either. This is false. God is the judge, and His judgments are righteous and true.

                After the flood, the world began to be repopulated through the offspring of Noah’s sons. Eventually, there came a time when there was a sizable population of people on earth and there arose a valiant warrior. This warrior’s name was Nimrod and he began to seduce and organize mankind. He succeeded in bringing everyone into agreement on one agenda. This agenda was wicked and it was planned to begin at Babel.

                “And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.” (Genesis 10:8-10)

                A casual reading of this passage may lead the reader to believe that Nimrod was simply a mighty hunter in the eyes of God and nothing more. However, the word translated “before” actually means to turn the face from. Nimrod was a mighty hunter that had turned his face away from God and sought to turn the rest of mankind away from God as well. His plan was to build a tower that would reach to the heavens. With this tower, men could make themselves a name.

                “And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:4)

                It is important to understand that biblically speaking, names are very important. In those days a person’s name was a description of both character and identity. This is why God would sometimes change names, such as when he changed Abram to Abraham. God’s original intention has always been for our identity to come from Him and that’s why we were created in His image. When Nimrod organized men to build this tower, they were attempting to create their own unique identity apart from God.

                “But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. And the LORD said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.” (Genesis 11:5-6)

                When they began to build this tower, God came down to look at it. God is all-knowing, but in some cases there are things that God comes down to see for Himself. This was one of those instances. Upon concluding His observation, God Himself said that nothing would be withheld from the people because they had become one. Nothing at all would be impossible. The Interlinear Bible adds another dimension to verse. Anything that could enter into the imagination of men—no matter how fantastic—would enter into the realm of possibility.

                “And Jehovah said, Behold, the people is one, and the lip one to all of them, and this they are beginning to do, and now all which they have imagined to do will not be restrained from them.” (Genesis 11:6)

                Here is the lesson: Even regarding a wicked agenda, unity among men will unlock a force that even God acknowledges as limitless. There is something so uniquely powerful in mankind that it places us at the center of all interest across every dimension (the entire spirit realm). The war between good and evil is fought over the hearts of men. Jesus died so that by expressing His limitless love for us, He could take our hearts and ravish us in His love. Satan does everything possible to detour us from Jesus.

                Why do I preach unity? If unity based upon wickedness has the power to allow for anything that can enter the imagination of men; then unity based upon the perfection, holiness, and glory of God has the power to allow for anything that can enter into the imagination of God.

                “Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth. Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvelously: for I will work a work in your days which ye will not believe, though it be told you.” (Habakkuk 1:5)

                “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)

                In Habakkuk, injustice was prevailing and God said the work which He was about to do was so great, it was beyond the imagination of the heathen upon which He was about to pour His judgment. In 1 Corinthians, Paul explains that there are things that God has prepared for us that are so fantastic they are beyond our imagination, and thus can only be revealed to us through His Holy Spirit. Unity is a progression. Will the whole world ever come entirely under the sway of the gospel of Jesus? Not in this age. But after Jesus returns, it will. The process will begin in this age, and when we as the bride of Christ are ready, Jesus will return to finish the job. Make no mistake, Jesus will not return until His bride has made herself ready—which includes the requirement of unity.

                “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.” (Revelation 19:7)

                Now that we have illustrated the power of unity, we can begin to understand the context of Jesus’ prayer for the church. Jesus prayed for unity because He understood that it would unlock limitless potential, even to the extent of manifesting the imaginations of God. He wants us as His people to be limitless in power, influence, strength, and love. He wants us to be one in the same way that the Godhead is one. Becoming one requires unifying.

                “And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.” (John 17:11)

Discussion

1.)    Is unity in the body of Christ even possible?

2.)    What circumstances could allow for unity to occur considering the innumerable divisions that we see today within the church?

3.)    Why do you think that the tower of Babel was built to the heavens?

4.)     What do you think will qualify the bride of Christ as “ready” in Revelation 19:7?

5.)    Discuss what it might look like for Christians to actually obtain the same unity that the Godhead has.

The Heavens

1/15/11

Greetings,

Last week we left off by saying that spiritual maturity, faith, spiritual authority, and other qualities that can be developed within us will increase the power released through gathering in unity. We’ll begin this conversation by establish a working understanding of the heavens.

                “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

                Most people are familiar with this passage both Christian and non-Christian. Anyone that has ever picked up a Bible to glance through it has probably seen this verse. It is vitally important because it establishes how the universe came into existence. It was not an explosion—it was God. The next level is easily overlooked. It actually explains how God created what we see and don’t see. There is a word in this phrase that is plural, and the importance of its plurality cannot be overstated.

                The words “heavens” is plural in the creation account. Many assume this means the stars, planets, and distant galaxies of the cosmos. This is not entirely true. Notice the following passage:

                “I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.” (2 Corinthians 12:2)

                From this passage we know that there are at least three levels of heaven. The third heaven is where God dwells. Therefore, if there is a third heaven, there must be a second heaven and also a first. Is the third heaven some distant place REALLY far out in space? No. Space is subject to time just like earth. We know this because the universe is expanding at a rate that can be calculated and measured. In order for God to reside outside of time (which He does) He must reside in a place outside of our universe. So where is the third heaven? It is in another dimension. This is why I call it the God dimension. This is where the third heaven is located because the third heaven contains God’s kingdom. According to Ephesians 3:10 and 6:12, the second heaven becomes the lower parts of the spirit realm where fallen spirits reside.

“To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,” (Ephesians 3:10)

                “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12)

What are principalities and powers? Ephesians 6:12 tells us that they are the spiritual forces of darkness that we are at war with. Ephesians 3:10 tells us the church is to make the manifold wisdom of God known to these fallen spirit beings. Notice, these principalities and powers reside in the “heavenly places.” Does this mean that we are supposed to build a spaceship and hold wrestling tournaments on Saturn with spiritual hosts? It is less than likely that this is what the Bible is referring to when it describes us as wrestling with fallen spirit beings in heavenly places. Instead, it is referring to our assignment in the spirit realms. I make the word realms plural because there is more than one in the second heavens. The first heaven is the natural realm that we interact with. This comes from Genesis 1:6-8 when God creates the firmament (or sky) and calls it heaven.

                With this explained we can properly understand this portion of the Lord’s Prayer:

                “And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.” (Luke 11:2)

How does God’s kingdom come? Not in a spaceship! It manifests as a result of dimensional overlap. When we are instructed to pray for the kingdom of God to come, we are in essence asking God to conform the earth to the reality of His kingdom, which is His realm—the God dimension. Now let us focus on a unique story involving Jesus that illustrates this called the transfiguration. In this account, Jesus caused a literal intersection and overlapping of the kingdom of heaven (or the God dimension) and the earth, and allowed His disciples to participate. Before the transfiguration, Jesus told His disciples that some would not die until they saw the kingdom of heaven (Luke 9:27). Eight days later, Peter, James, and John went with Jesus to His prayer time. As He began to pray, His appearance changed and the glory put them to sleep (Luke 9:32). When they awoke, they saw Moses and Elijah standing with Jesus (Luke 9:30). Why? Jesus in His maturity, faith, and spiritual authority caused a literal portal to open to the God dimension, and when Peter, James, and John looked on, they were looking into the kingdom of God. When they entered the cloud they heard the voice of the Father (Luke 9:34-35).

                In the account, when Peter, James, and John woke up they saw into heaven. No spaceship, no time travel, no telescope. The kingdom of heaven was there right in front of them. It was not separated by distance, but by dimension and Jesus caused it to overlap our dimension where they were standing. The disciples saw Moses and Elijah, and they heard the voice of the Father.  Notice in this case that the maturity and authority of Jesus brought his disciples into this dimension apart from their influence. This illustrates that while unity reveals the presence of God, so can the maturity of a single believer. By participating with Jesus, the disciples had a deeper experience with God the Father. The spiritual maturity and authority of all leaders in the body of Christ should intensify the experience with God that others have when they are present.

                This opens up for us potential beyond what we have ever thought or imagined. For instance, let me pose another question: Why was Jesus able to do this? The answer is because He had the Holy Spirit—just like us. The Holy Spirit caused Him to be present in both heaven and earth at the same time. How do we know this? Jesus modeled the potential life of any believer and operated according to the realities He purchased for us with His death and resurrection. Look at the following passage:

                “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:” (Ephesians 2:6)

                Once we believe in Jesus Christ and receive Him as our Lord and Savior we receive the Spirit of Promise—the Holy Spirit. At that very moment we are seated in heavenly places with Jesus. God resides in the third heaven, and since Jesus is God, that is where we are also. In other words, once we become believers we are simultaneously in heaven and on earth. How? The heavenly dimension is higher than the earth, and our spirit participates in both because they overlap where we are. That means that once you receive Jesus: YOU TAKE HEAVEN WITH YOU EVERYWHERE YOU GO. The question is: are you actively working to release it as Jesus instructed us?

                Releasing heaven works: but is most fully realized through the power of unity. For instance, the word translated “ye” in the following passage is plural. Believers must operate in unity in order to truly release the potential of this promise:

                “Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 18:18)

Discussion

1)      What did God create in the beginning?

2)      What can we expect to find in the third heaven? The second heaven? The first heaven?

3)      Why was Jesus able to cause a dimensional overlap during the transfiguration account?

4)      If the heavens are actually dimensions of the spirit realm, what does this mean for our interaction with the second heaven?

5)      What are three practical ways this information can be applied in your life beginning now?

The God Dimension

1/8/11

Greetings,

                I’m very excited about all that this year will bring. I hope you are too! Today we will address unity, the God dimension, and the importance of repentance and forgiveness. The God dimension is simply another way to describe the kingdom of God or where God exists. We’ll begin by establishing the fact that unity allows us access to the God dimension. Consider the following verse:

                “For where two or three are gathered together in my name (Jesus), there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20)

First, let’s point out the obvious. Jesus says that when we gather, He is in our midst. This is not a suggestion of possibility—it is a fact. God fills the atmosphere that we are in, and establishes dominion in it. When two or more gather together in the name of Jesus, unity is established and we will enter the God dimension.

                There are admittedly several difficult questions that attach themselves to this statement. If you have found that your experience doesn’t relate to this explanation, your first question will inevitably be: Why doesn’t it feel like we enter the God dimension? In fact, you may be one who finds that it is easier to feel close to God without others. What does this mean for this verse?

                Sin and un-forgiveness (holding grudges, hatred, bitterness, etc) will filter the presence and manifestation of God. These things usurp the degree of power that unity can release. If you or those you gather with are carrying these things in their lives, the power of unity will be negated by them. This can lead to fruitless gatherings. When sin and un-forgiveness are removed, the power of unity can be fully realized. We must understand that as a result of what Jesus did, we have been granted access to the kingdom of God. According to the Bible, we have been translated into this kingdom.

 “Who [God the Father] hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:” (Colossians 1:13)

Since Christians have been translated into the kingdom of God, we hold a heavenly citizenship. Most of us grasp this concept. However, the principle to be learned is that we are held accountable to the laws of the land of our citizenship. If I am a citizen of the United States and I murder someone, I may try to escape to Mexico. However, if I am found, I can be deported and held accountable for my actions in my country of citizenship. Unlike the example above, there is no where that we can run from God.         

“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

The unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. After Paul, the writer of the book of Corinthians, makes this statement, he makes a list of offenses that do not inherit the kingdom of God. These include any form of sex outside of marriage, theft (even gum from the grocery store), idolaters, etc. What does this mean? Of course, the immediate revelation that comes is that unbelievers that reject the gospel of Jesus will not go to heaven. However, what happens when a Christian does these things? Do they lose their salvation? The succinct answer is no, because there is security in our salvation (2 Corinthians 1:22). In order to understand the deeper principle behind this verse, we must understand what it means to inherit the kingdom.

                Inheritance deals with the issue of access. In other words, those who participate in these sins sacrifice their access to the God dimension. Although God will not forsake them (Hebrews 13:5), they have established a barrier between them and God. This is why we must live lives of repentance and holiness in order to participate in our inheritance (1 John 1:9). In other words, if sin filters our access to the God dimension, repentance is what removes the filter. Regular repentance is extremely important to the life of the Christian!

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” (Hebrews 12:14)

This passage highlights the importance of right relationships in order to experience the God dimension. Un-forgiveness is a major barrier to right relationships. Forgiving others is necessary to be able to experience the God dimension. As it is written, without this we cannot see God.

When sin and un-forgiveness have been dealt with we will see God and experience His kingdom freely and our access to the God dimension will come easily and more powerfully. When these things are not in place, though Jesus is in our midst, the presence and atmosphere that God attempts to establish will be severely hindered. This is because it is filtered. Jesus wants to introduce the atmosphere and characteristics of the kingdom of heaven into our time-space, and His method of choice is unity.

Spiritual maturity, faith, spiritual authority, and other qualities that can be developed within us will also increase the power released through gathering in unity. We’ll talk about this more next week.

Discussion

1)      How does this lesson apply to personal prayer, group prayer, and even church services

2)      Recall a time of fruitless prayer and a time of fruitful prayer. What was the difference?

3)      What barriers are filtering the God dimension in your life?

4)      Are there areas of sin in your life? If so are you willing to repent of them right now in order to more freely experience God’s kingdom alone and with others?

5)      Give an example of how forgiveness has increased unity in your life experience.

Vision for 2011

1/1/11

Greetings,

                 I hope everyone is doing well! The BRIDE emails are back and will continue weekly throughout the year of 2011. Those of you that received these letters in the past will recall that the topics of discussion varied significantly from week to week. During the year of 2011, there will be some significant changes. For the duration of this year, every letter will be based around one topic—unity. Although we will address a multitude of aspects, the central theme will be unity. The unity of the body of Christ will change the world.

How can we talk about one topic for an entire year? Below I will make a list of just a few issues directly tied into unity. They are admittedly far-reaching. We will begin our first topic in this letter.

Ø  Unity must be based on a unified effort to establish truth

Ø  Unity will be progressive, it cannot and will not happen overnight

Ø  Unity must happen on purpose

Ø  Unity requires the glory of God

Ø  Unity is the heart of the Father

Ø  Unity reveals the extreme power of God

Ø  Unity is required for societal progression towards sheep nations

Ø  Unity is required for the return of Jesus

Ø  Unity requires all of the spiritual weapons that God has given us in order to be established and perpetuated

Ø  Unity cannot come about before dealing with the heart (subconscious)

Ø  Unity requires that we all accept we do not know everything, and that we all will be laying down preconceived notions at one point or another.

Ø  Unity leads to the manifestation of God’s justice

There is a phenomenon coming that will shake the world to its core. God will ordain sheep nations (Matthew 25:31-33). These will be entire geographies that reveal and herald the kingdom of God to the world. This will come before the end. It will not happen overnight and it must begin with you and me. This destination will require unity. This destination will require justice. This destination will require the power and glory of God to manifest in the midst of His people causing everything that we touch to prosper (Genesis 39:3). The creation and development of sheep nations is the ultimate goal of my life, but the road to be traveled will be hard, painful, and uncomfortable.

For too long now, Christians have looked at the seemingly overwhelming differences in theology, church government, race, culture, political opinions, and other areas. They have buried their heads in the sand and settled. “If we all do our part separately,” they say, “God can still bring about His plan.” We assume that God works this way. We assume that even if we disagree on everything else, as long as a few of the church leaders in a city can pray together—everything will work itself out. We assume that if there are enough people hiding in their prayer closet praying, everything will work itself out even faster.

                Fact: it is not enough to pray. In fact, it is not enough to pray and preach. Action is necessary. For too long, the saints have assumed that if only we can get around to praying, God will move mightily in our nation. This is not true. If we are not praying, all is hopeless. If we do pray, God will unveil His plan. If we receive His plan, we must do so through sacrifice. God will prove us in our sacrifice. Once we have sacrificed, it is time to fight the war according to the power and direction of God. If we refuse to accept defeat, victory will define us as Jesus intended. As it is written:

“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57)

                Consider the story of Gideon, the sixth judge of Israel in the book of Judges. His story provides a great outline of God’s strategy for delivering a nation. Israel rebelled and God allowed them to come under the oppression of the Midianites (Judges 6:1). Prayer rose up when the Israelites cried out to God (Judges 6:6). God responded by unveiling His plan. He sent a prophet to the people (Judges 6:8-10) and an angel to the appointed deliverer (6:12). The plan of God was not received immediately because Gideon protested that the angel was mistaken. Gideon did not perceive himself as the deliverer of Israel. He felt that he was not a warrior or a leader (Judges 6:15). Gideon had to sacrifice his self-perception, and then prove his sacrifice by removing the idols from his father’s house (Judges 6:26). After this it was time to fight the war according to the power and direction of God. This required downsizing an army of 32,000 troops to 300 troops (Judges 7:3, 7). After all of this, Israel looked out upon the opposing armies and saw them numbered as grasshoppers. Fear could still have hijacked God’s plan—but it didn’t. They refused to accept defeat and remained obedient to God’s plan, taking pitchers and trumpets into the enemy camp. Apart from all conventional methods of fighting a war, God gave them the victory (Judges 7:22).

                As we move forward throughout this year, you will understand that God is also giving us a strategy. His strategy is bigger than delivering one nation. His strategy is to create multiple nations that will operate according to heavenly laws and justice. His strategy is to create nations that herald His kingdom to the world. This strategy requires unity. Until we embrace it, we cannot get past the stage of sacrifice.

Discussion

1.)    What are the three goals of the BRIDE e-mails for 2011?

2.)    How does the incomplete list of topics associated with unity speak to you? What do you think they will practically entail? Which are you most curious about?

3.)    Why won’t prayer change everything by itself?

4.)    Who was Gideon?

5.)    What are the parts of a plan for delivering a nation as outlined in Gideon’s story?

6.)    How can this plan be practically implemented in our communities, cities, states, and ultimately in our nation? (Please respond to me regarding this question with novel ideas)