2012

12/3/11

Greetings,

                We are officially in the last month of the year. For the past eleven months we have been focusing on the power, the purpose, and the necessity of unity in the body of Christ. The reason we need unity is because many of the works that God wants to do in the coming years will require increasing degrees of unity among His people. Unity is not an end in and of itself, but it is a means to an end. We must begin to grasp this, it is imperative.

                After this month is over the focus of BRIDE emails will most likely be transitioning. I’m not yet sure what direction God will take these emails, but this will undoubtedly be clarified by the beginning of 2012. The year 2012 is going to be a major part of our discussion this week. There is quite a lot of buzz regarding what it will bring, and this week we are going to bring out some important elements.

I have a great deal of confidence that the enemy has big plans for the following year. Will it be the end of the world as some have suggested? Don’t count on it. The real danger of the year has to do with the astrological significance of the planetary alignment that will be occurring. What many don’t understand is that witchcraft in all its various forms and identities is largely based around the cycles of celestial bodies like the sun, moon, and planets. Without going into too much detail, suffice it to say that we can expect unprecedented coordination of rituals throughout the entire kingdom of darkness in an attempt to take advantage of the fact that our solar system will be coming into alignment with what is known as the galactic center.

                This alignment with the galactic center is something that only happens once every 25,920 years. To put this into perspective, if one were to hold a strict young earth view (meaning that they believe the entire history of events on earth is confined to roughly a 6,000 year period) then they would have to accept that earth has never experienced this alignment before. On December 21 of next year, our sun is expected to rise in perfect alignment with the galactic center pictured below. The galactic center is also known as the mouth of the ouroboros (the snake which eats its own tail according to esoteric belief).

                With such an astrologically significant event occurring there will probably be preparations throughout the year by the kingdom of darkness to make sure that full advantage is taken of this astrological alignment. So why should we be concerned? I think the answer is obvious.

                Whether people involved in darkness realize it or not, the very underlying structures of their respective belief systems will be pulling them together in the following year. These underlying structures involve the common beliefs in astrological alignments and their importance. In other words, I expect for the following year to serve as a unifying force within the kingdom of darkness among other things. Will the body of Christ step it up to shut down what the enemy is trying to do? I certainly hope so.

                A major problem that I have become increasingly aware of in the body of Christ is that we really don’t know what to rally around. At the most basic level, Christianity is divided into those that consider themselves evangelical and those that do not. To be evangelical basically means to believe that we must be saved by a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Obviously, groups that do not believe this have little business claiming to be Christian. Moreover, even if they try to unite with evangelicals, what are they going to effectively unite around?

                The answer is usually good works like feeding the hungry and getting medical attention for those that can’t afford it. These are good causes but the problem is that humanitarian causes do not require any form of spirituality whatsoever. Moreover, they can be done in the name of any god. The solution to the problem of unity in the body of Christ will not be found in figuring out ways to feed the hungry together. This must be done, but the calling of the church is higher.

                One of these major calls is spiritual warfare. There is only one group of people in the world that is capable of destroying the works of the enemy on a spiritual plane. This is the true church of Jesus Christ.

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds” (2 Corinthians 10:4)

The church must unite around the very purpose for which we have been placed into the earth. This purpose is actually to corporately come to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13). We will never achieve this by continually putting all of our efforts towards feeding the hungry and providing humanitarian aid only. There is so much involved in this, and it will require heavy duty warfare with the powers of darkness. Unfortunately, most Christian leaders know little of how to train people in or personally carry out heavy duty spiritual warfare. This leaves the body of Christ largely defenseless against large scale efforts of the enemy. At this point I’m going to put it plainly: the year 2012 will result in large scale efforts by the enemy.

So what are we going to do? I believe that it’s time for all of us to personally seek out training in our spiritual weaponry from leaders that are equipped. We are going to need it to face the coming increase in darkness. We also need to deepen our relationships with Jesus, without which we will never become effective spiritual warriors. We need to unite with those that are of a similar mind to begin to shut down the works of the enemy and establish righteousness. We need to open ourselves up to receive the truth about what the enemy is already doing and stop plugging up our spiritual ears when we get “uncomfortable”.

Consider that the whole earth is built around an extremely hot core. In the same way, a united body of believers will effectively unite around an extremely hot core. I challenge you to be part of that hot core, because the moves of God that are coming are going to be built around forerunners that are hot, powerful, and well able.

“And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.” (Numbers 13:30)

Discussion

1.       Is unity an end in and of itself?

2.       Should we be worried that 2012 is the end of the world?

3.       What is actually going to happen on December 21, 2012?

4.       Who is the only group of people capable of truly destroying the works of the devil in the spirit realm?

5.       Are you an effective spiritual warrior, why or why not?

The Issue of Need

10/1/11

Greetings,

                This week we are going to talk about need. In this economy a lot of people are facing challenges that they didn’t have ten years ago. Businesses are going bankrupt, jobs are being shipped overseas, families are losing their homes and many people have very real needs in this hour. What does the Bible say about this topic of need?

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

When people think about needs the first things that will typically come to mind are carnal needs. For instance, we need food. We also need shelter and warmth. We need water to drink and we need our health. If we are deathly ill and nothing changes, we will die. It’s safe to say that at the top of the average person’s list of needs are those things that lead to death if they are not provided.

However, the Bible clearly says that God promises to meet all of our needs. This week I want to tell you where this provision is. I say where because it has a literal location and no, it is not the local loan shark (otherwise known as credit card companies and payday advance businesses). God has a literal location for all of the provisions promised to us. However, before I tell you where it is, we are going to bring unity into the conversation.

What many people do not consider is that unity is a need amongst Christians. Most of us are very happy to have our own little community. We are happy to have the freedom to do our own thing. It’s so much easier than dealing with others that act different, talk different, and think different than we do. However, without unity Jesus cannot return because the Bible says we must come to the unity of the faith. It also says that Jesus isn’t returning until His wife has made herself ready. The church, being the bride of Christ, is the wife of the Lamb. In other words, if we want Jesus to come back and wrap this thing up we need unity.

“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13)

“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)

Here is the question: If we need unity and we don’t have it, where can we get it? The answer to this question is quickly becoming one of the most important, if not the most important message arising in the body of Christ today. The answer is a message that changes everything. This message is not only the location of what we are looking for but it even becomes Satan’s endgame. This message has the power to change the reality that we experience. Have I said enough yet?

I’m dragging this out because when I tell you what this message is I want you to remember it. If I just come out and tell you the location of your needs you may dismiss it as unimportant. If I just come out and tell you the location of unity you simply nod your head in agreement and go about your day. This time I’m making you work. What is this all encompassing message that gives us everything we need?

In the passage that we opened with, the writer was speaking to monetary need based on context. This is what preceded that verse.

“Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God.” (Philippians 4:15-18)

The financial gift that the church at Philippi gave to Paul was an acceptable sacrifice that was well pleasing to God. Moreover, it caused fruit to abound to their heavenly account. What some people fail to accept is that we do have an account in heaven. Our giving is credited to this account. In any case, it was after saying all of this that Paul explained the result; God would supply all of their need.

This illustrates a concept that many completely overlook. We interact with heaven on a daily basis. When the Philippians gave a gift to Paul, the transaction went through heaven even though the actual money went from their hands to Paul’s ministry. Their physical actions had spiritual counterparts and your physical actions have spiritual counterparts as well.

What does this have to do with need? In order for us to understand how we interact with heaven on a daily basis we have to change our concept of heaven. Heaven isn’t just a place we go when we die but it is a place that we are located from the moment we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior. This is why the following verse is written in the past tense.

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

                In the beginning of this letter I promised to tell you the location of all of your need. Here is the answer: All of your need is provided for in the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is the dimension where God is king otherwise known as heaven (which is divided up into heavenly places). We have access to it as believers and we interact with it whether we know it or not. However, when we become purposeful about our interaction with it we can begin to pull all of our needs from the location where they are all provided for—even unity. This is summed up in the following quote by Jesus.

                “For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Luke 12:30-31)

Discussion

1.       What are your needs?

2.       Being completely honest, how capable do you see God when it comes to His ability to meet your needs?

3.       Do we interact with heaven now or only after we die?

4.       Where is the location of the needs that God has already met?

5.       What do we have to seek in order to access the fullness of the provision of God?

Vision and Unity

8/6/11

Greetings,

                This week we are going to discuss the power of vision as it pertains to unity. There are three types of vision. One is the kind that we have because of our eyes. For many people this is the only type of vision they have. If they see a golden brick and you ask them what they see, they will tell you they see a golden brick. It they see a pile of cow dung and you ask them what they see; they will tell you a pile of cow dung.

                Although this is a type of vision, it is not the most important type of vision. The Bible talks about something called the eyes of our understanding.

“The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:18)

The eyes of our understanding allow us to have greater sight. They allow us to have vision of spiritual realities and potential. This kind of vision is far beyond the vision that our eyes will give us. When someone has true vision, they can sit in front of a golden brick and when asked what they see, they will tell you that they see a resource. When they sit in front of a pile of cow dung and you ask them what they see, they will tell you fertilizer.

This is the kind of vision that God wants us to have. When we don’t have it, it’s actually offensive to God. This is what God was referring to when He said:

“Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not” (Jeremiah 5:21)

How can a person have eyes and not see? It isn’t because their physical eyes don’t work; it’s because they have no vision. The eyes of their understanding are shut. However, once we get beyond the vision of our physical eyes there are really two additional types of vision. There is limited vision, and then there is God’s vision. Both of these are better than no vision, however only one requires God.

There have been many visionaries throughout history that have done great things without God. Conversely, there have been many Christians throughout history that have done nothing even though they had God. Do you see a problem with this picture?

Some people believe that Christianity consists of saying a prayer of conversion and becoming a faithful attendee of a church. Is attending a church regularly a vision from God, or a beneficial habit? The answer is that it is a beneficial habit. God never intended your faith to climax at a weekly church service. God has a vision for your life that you are responsible to pursue. In light of this, many people wonder why there are so many problems in the church. Consider the following passage:

“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” (Proverbs 29:18)

Visionless Christianity is a death wish.

Now that we have established the importance of vision in regard to our faith, we are going to consider it in light of unity. Whenever any great societal or cultural change came about, it required people. It may have started with a few visionaries, but ultimately many people wound up creating the change that the visionaries saw. It is impossible to execute vision without generating unity. I have a vision to bring about unity in the body of Christ. However, the purpose isn’t the unity in and of itself. There is a greater purpose and a greater vision.

Many people have no idea what this world is about to face. Continual increases in earthquakes, tornadoes, fires, and various other types of natural disasters including famine are coming (Matthew 24:6-8). In addition to this, the trans-humanist agenda is pushing the boundaries of “what it means to be human.” The development of enhanced humans having genetic enhancements, synthetic biological implants, robotic components, nanotechnology that impacts them on the cellular level, and artificial intelligence uplinks, are quickly becoming science fact. Of course, we will eventually see the rise of an antichrist figure who will seek to enforce satanic principles and agendas upon the world.

A change is coming to the world, and ultimately there is going to be a great divide between light and dark. Unity within the church will be required to successfully transition into the darkest age humanity will ever see. Part of this transition will involve the agenda of creating sheep nations—entire geographies where the kingdom of God reigns in the hearts of men. This is why my vision is to promote unity in the body of Christ worldwide and assist in the creation and development of sheep nations. I see what is coming, but I also see God’s solution.

In this hour God is giving larger and larger visions to those that will listen. These visions will ultimately produce God’s vision for the church. It is spelled out so clearly and so plainly that it is impossible to miss. However, it is so big we know it can only come from Him.

“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13)

Discussion

1.           What kind of vision do you have: none, limited, or God’s vision?

2.           Why do you believe this is the type of vision that you have?

3.           What do you think you need to do in order to expand your vision?

4.           What is visionless Christianity?

5.           What is God’s vision for the church?

The Prayer of Jesus

6/18/11

Greetings,

It is my hope that the concept of unity is becoming firmly rooted your heart. There is no way around the issue. Unity is important and it is heavy on the heart of God. This week we are going to look at evidence that unity is heavy on the heart of God. This is revealed in a prayer of Jesus that is recorded in the book of John. We are going to spend this letter looking at some of the implications of this prayer.

                The setting is the last supper. Before Jesus goes into a long discourse on various topics, He sees to it that Judas Iscariot is not present. His disciple (John) asks Jesus who it is that will betray Him and Jesus responds that it will be the one to whom he hands the bread dipped in wine. At this comment He dips the bread in wine and gives it to Judas Iscariot. As it is written:

                “Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop [bread dipped in wine], when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly… He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.” (John 13:26-27, 30)

                With Judas gone Jesus began to explain many things to His disciples, particularly things that regard the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit. In the midst of what Jesus explained He gave two comments that are absolutely mind-blowing.

                “Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.” (John 14:10)

                “He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.” (John 14:24)

                From these two very similar phrases we glean an important concept. Everything that Jesus says comes from the Father’s heart. There is nothing that Jesus said that came from the flesh. He was what could be called “perfectly prophetic.” Every word He spoke had its origin in heaven. His words were spirit and they were life.

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63)

Not only was every parable and teaching that Jesus spoke directly from the Father; every prayer Jesus prayed also revealed the heart of the Father. This is one of the main ways through which the Bible reveals the Father’s heart on the issue of unity. During this conversation at the last supper Jesus closes the discourse with an intercessory prayer. He prays about several topics. He definitely focuses on bringing glory to the Father. He also intercedes for those that were “given to Him” by the Father. However, notice how many direct references to the unity of the church are made during that prayer.

1.        “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)

2.       “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” (John 17:21)

3.       “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” (John 17:21)

4.       “And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one” (John 17:22)

5.       “I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” (John 17:23)

During this prayer of intercession Jesus prays that the church would “be one” five times across four verses. There are a lot of things that Jesus could have prayed heavily upon, but one of His top agendas was to intercede for the unity of the church. He was revealing the Father’s heart in these prayers. The heart of the Father is the unity of His people. Jesus shares this burden, and it couldn’t be more obvious.

When it comes to the type of unity that Jesus was praying for, it wasn’t an “agree to disagree” type of unity. In the several references to the body of Christ being made “one” Jesus prays that it would be in the same way that He and the Father are one. In Christianity, we worship the triune God. The doctrine of the Christian trinity basically breaks down to the idea that our God is one God expressed in three separate persons. These persons are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This is a great mystery that is difficult to explain.

Some explain the trinity like H₂O. Although it can be in the form of water, ice, or vapor, it is the same molecule regardless of manifestation. I also like to use a Gelatin example. I can let gelatin set with pieces of fruit in it. When it is served I call it “dessert”. There is only one desert. However, the gelatin dessert has pieces of fruit in it that are not gelatin, yet no less part of the single dessert being separate from the gelatin but equally essential to the composition of the dessert. There is also the chain link example. I can have a single chain composed of three individual links. There is no chain apart from the links, and the links cannot be severed from the chain. It is one chain with three separate links.

In any case, Jesus compares the type of unity He wants within the body of Christ to a type of unity that is impossible to fully explain or understand. He wants us to be one in the same way He and the Father are one. Can you wrap your mind around that? In a world where there are over 1000 different denominations and groups all declaring themselves Christian, is it feasible to say that Jesus is actually to be taken seriously? Of course it is.

I am going to prophesy that this prayer will be answered. Will my prophesy fail? Don’t count on it. It doesn’t matter what we see among Christians today or experience in our own Christian walks. There will come a day when this prayer is answered, and this day will come before Jesus returns for His church in His second coming. The answer to this prayer will come hard and fast and will probably leave as many heads spinning in the kingdom of darkness as it will in the kingdom of light. However, it will not leave your head spinning because you know it is coming. Unity will not be stopped, God will honor the prayers of His Son, and we will be part of the answer.

Discussion

1.       Why do we know that Jesus communicated the Father’s heart

2.       Do you feel that you share the Father’s heart on the issue of unity? Why or why not?

3.       What does Jesus’ prayer for us to be one in the same way He and the Father are one mean to you?

4.       According to Jesus’ prayer, what other fruit will unity bring about?

5.       Is it okay to settle for “agreeing to disagree” in regard to long-term efforts to introduce unity into the body of Christ?