Unity and an Eschatological mindset

12/24/11

Greetings,

                The New Year is right around the corner! What’s more, tomorrow is Christmas. Believe it or not this is the fifty-second BRIDE email on the topic of unity. This will also be the last. I will be taking a week off and BRIDE emails will resume beginning the first Saturday of 2012. The topic of the coming year will be spiritual warfare. We will discuss what it means, what’s involved, and most importantly how to exercise the victory that we have in Jesus Christ. If you have friends, family, or acquaintances that you believe will benefit from learning about spiritual warfare please send me their email addresses so that I can add them to the recipient list! With all that is coming upon the earth, it is time for the body of Christ to arise as the powerhouse that God has appointed us to be.

                With that said, I was asked an interesting question recently. A friend of mine asked me what perspective the body of Christ should have in regards to the last days. This was a good question because many perspectives have been suggested by various sources. Some have said that we should simply focus on being “rapture ready.” This means we should be saved and prepared to vanish at any time so that we don’t have to deal with all of the negative things coming upon the earth. Another perspective suggests that we should be prepared to hide in caves, under rocks, or in holes in the ground. Some have even suggested that Jesus won’t come back until the whole world becomes Christian, so we should just keep evangelizing the lost.

                All of these suggestions have reasons for embracing them, but I am not convinced that any of these are the final say as it pertains to what perspective we should assume. As God has opened my eyes to His unfolding plan I have realized that He has a grand, awe-inspiring agenda prepared for the last days. In light of this, one passage in particular gives us a blunt glimpse of the plan that God has. The book of Daniel actually tells us what we will be doing in the last days. When we stop and consider what is truly being said it begins to reveal what kind of perspective we really should be embracing.

                “…but the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits.” (Daniel 11:32)

                In order to understand the ramifications of this brief passage we must establish its timeframe. Believe it or not, the timeframe for this comment is the coming antichrist’s rule. This season will reveal the greatest evil ever released upon the earth. In spite of the darkest season history will ever record and without concern for the seemingly impossible circumstances under which they will be operating—the Christians of the last days that know their God will be strong and do exploits.

                There is nothing impossible for the true people of God because we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). We are not looking forward to evacuation, but to a glorious mission. However, we must know our God. These people of Daniel 11:32 will have become the answer to the following prayer of Jesus:

                “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word (the testimony of the first apostles); 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. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are.” (John 17:20-22)

                The implications of this prayer are staggering beyond the imagination. Jesus is essentially praying for everyone that will ever believe upon His name. However, what He prays for them is nothing short of bewildering. He prays that they will be one in the same way that He and the Father are one. There is no unity as powerful as the unity of the Godhead. Jesus prays that the church will achieve the same unity that He shares with the Father. (This unity is manifested trans-dimensionally which is why Jesus says that the unity will manifest “in us”). This unity will allow for the saints to be strong and execute great exploits in the face of the antichrist agenda.

                Jesus goes on and declares that the activation of this unity among the saints will cause the world to believe in Him. This means that the result of unity is a massive harvest of souls—a side-effect of the strength and exploits of the last day saints. Jesus also speaks about His glory. Some people think that God will not share His glory. This is not what the Bible says. The Bible says that God will not give His glory to another (Isaiah 42:8). However, He will share His glory with those found in Him. The very glory of Jesus has been given to the church. Jesus says that He has given His glory to the church that we might become one in Him. This glory will empower unity, strength and great exploits in the last days.

                Unity is inseparable from the coming moves of God. As I have said before, unity is not an end in and of itself. Unity is necessary in order to achieve the things that God has planned for the last days. Moreover, I am not speaking of a counterfeit unity based around a globalist agenda. This is a false unity and it is a counterfeit and a means of control. There is only one true unity and that is unity based on the common goal of coming to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13). As the year winds to a close, let us keep in mind that Jesus has more prepared for us than we can imagine. Let us together press on towards the mark of the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14)!

Discussion

1.       What perspective regarding the last days have you embraced until this point?

2.       What perspective regarding the last days does Daniel 11:32 suggest we should embrace?

3.       When Jesus prays for the unity of the church, what kind of unity does He pray for?

4.       What are some of the most powerful lessons in reference to unity in the body of Christ that you have learned in the past year?

5.       Do you have any suggestions that will allow me to improve these letters in the coming year? (Feel free to email me the answer to this question)

The Intimate Bride

10/29/11

Greetings,

                God is the ultimate Romantic. His beauty is boundless. His eyes are filled with the burning of eternal passion. He seeks not only to be close to us, but to actually cover us with His feathers (Psalm 91:4). He houses us within Himself, becoming our fortress, our security, and our refuge (Psalm 91:2). Getting to know this side of God is a road less travelled for many believers. The reason is that it is incredibly scary. When the apostle John looked into the eyes of Jesus he fell as if dead at His feet.

“And I turned to see the voice that spake with me…His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire…And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead.” (Revelation 1:12a, 14, 17a)

I have experienced these eyes. Although I do not claim to have seen Jesus manifest like the apostle John, I know that I have experienced these eyes in the realm of the spirit during times of deep prayer. I have felt the terror of having nothing to hide as eyes full of the knowledge and authority of eternity pierced through me. My spirit has trembled and quaked in the presence of God. His holiness and perfection are unimaginably intimidating. How can we draw close?

The themes of marriage fill the scriptures. The present age that we are in began with marriage and it will end in marriage. It began with the marriage of Adam and Eve and it will end with the marriage of the church to Jesus Christ. Marriage is something that is ever so important to God. If you find this hard to believe, simply consider that everything leading up to the return of Jesus is ultimately for the preparation of the church to become the wife of the Lamb. Christianity isn’t about a method for getting to heaven. It is about becoming prepared to be wed to the very God that sits upon eternity.

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:25-27)

 Let this sink in for a moment. If we are afraid to look into the eyes of God, how can we consider ourselves ready to be married to Him? Have you ever found yourself in a position where you had to look someone in the eyes and found it particularly difficult? For instance, consider failing your boss and having to explain yourself. Think about how difficult it can be at times to disappoint simple human authority. How about facing a close friend after you’ve utterly betrayed their trust? Looking into the eyes of pain that you are responsible for is chilling. What about answering to your parents after you did something very wrong and you knew it? Guilt weighs heavily upon the soul.

We can hide things from men, but a single glance from God brings everything to the surface. Nothing can be hidden from His sight. Now imagine yourself, right where you are. Suddenly Jesus is standing before you. The entire atmosphere shifts as darkness flees his presence. Everything around you conforms to the brilliance of his magnificence. Every justification and excuse you make before men utterly fails you. Your spirit collapses within you, your head spins, and you weep profusely. He draws close because you cannot move. He looks into your eyes, and the depth of eternity is burned violently into your heart. You have just experienced the ecstasy of your future spouse.

What are we living for? When will the day come when the church begins to understand that this isn’t about a church program or a weekend seminar? When will a new identity define the church? We are the bride of Christ. We are called to be intimate with the Most High God. This isn’t just for me or the super-spiritual guy that everyone is uncomfortable to be around. The church isn’t prepared until you are prepared. Our preparation requires a united effort. Are you ready to look into the eyes of Jesus, your lover; or does the thought of it cause your bowels to sink within you? Be honest with yourself because you’re not hiding anything from God.

“Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.” (Psalm 44:21)

Discussion

1.       What emotions does the thought of looking Jesus in the eyes evoke within you?

2.       How prepared are you to call Jesus you spouse?

3.       Have you ever felt intimate with God?

4.       Is intimacy for the super-spiritual or for the whole church?

5.       What is the most incredible moment of intimacy you have experienced with God?

The Miraculous Lifestyle

10/15/11

Greetings,

                As I was reading the Bible the other day I was absolutely struck by something that Jesus did. While reading this particular passage God confirmed some of the things that have been burning inside of me. In this letter I am going to communicate this understanding along with its relevance to unity.

                Before we get into what Jesus did, imagine a situation with me. It’s an average Monday. You wake up feeling groggy but nonetheless it’s time to get up and get ready for work. You roll out of bed, put your slippers on and walk to the bathroom. Once in the bathroom you shower, brush your teeth, and comb your hair. Hopefully, you remember to put on deodorant! As you go downstairs to grab breakfast your spouse’s call catches your ear. “Honey, can you start the coffee, I forgot to set the timer last night.”

                You respond, “Sure, I can start the coffee.”

                In this scenario nothing out of the ordinary has happened. There is nothing that seems off kilter, nothing that seems to go against what the average person could experience on any given morning. Granted, not all of us are married, but unless you don’t ever brush your teeth the scenario should read as a regular, average experience.

                Let’s consider another scenario. Imagine again that it’s an average Monday. You wake up feeling groggy but nonetheless it’s time to get up and get ready for work. You roll out of bed, put your slippers on and walk to the bathroom. Once in the bathroom you shower, brush your teeth, and comb your hair. Hopefully, you remember to put on deodorant! As you go downstairs to grab breakfast your doorbell rings. Your neighbor is at the door and he says, “My son has just been diagnosed with an incurable cancer. In addition, he just got hit by a car and he’s lying in a bloody heap on the sidewalk where I just dragged him. Can you help?”

                You respond, “Sure, I can get him healed right away.”

                In this scenario nothing out of the ordinary has happened. You may be thinking; of course something out of the ordinary has happened! The man’s son was diagnosed with an incurable cancer and then run over by a car. Moreover, who in their right mind just says, “Sure I can get him healed right away!”

                Here is the fact of the matter. People are diagnosed with life threatening diseases every day. This is not an out of the ordinary situation just because it doesn’t happen to everyone on a daily basis. Also, not a day goes by that someone, somewhere, is not getting hit by a car. Tragedy strikes regularly. It is simply a part of living in a fallen world. In this scenario, cancer and getting hit by a car represent a vast array of terrible things that can happen to people. It is not tragedy that is out of the ordinary.

                If we are willing to accept that tragedy is not out of the ordinary, is it possible to accept that the response to it (from our scenario) is not out of the ordinary as well? Being realistic, who in their right mind would respond to the scenario with the words, “Sure, I can get him healed?” If your “right mind” is the mind of Christ, I propose that you would respond as such. The Bible says we have been given the mind of Christ, but we don’t automatically operate according to it.

                “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:16)

                The mind of Christ means thinking Jesus’ thoughts as opposed to thinking our own thoughts. Now let’s take a look at what Jesus did, which reveals to us how He thinks.

“As Jesus went into Capernaum, a centurion came up to Him, begging Him, And saying, Lord, my servant boy is lying at the house paralyzed and [c]distressed with intense pains. And Jesus said to him, I will come and restore him.” (Matthew 8:5-7 AMP)

                Imagine a run-of-the-mill Tuesday. Jesus wakes up early to pray, eat some breakfast and journey to the next city on his schedule. As he is walking into town, possibly considering whether to go to Burger King or McDonald’s for lunch, the Chief of Police meets him in the middle of the street. He explains to Jesus that his servant is terribly sick. There is no cure and no hope for his servant apart from supernatural intervention. Jesus shrugs his shoulders, winks at Peter and John, looks back at the man and says, “Sure, I’ll come and heal him.” McDonald’s can wait a few minutes.

                I know that there were no Burger King’s or McDonald’s when Jesus walked the earth, but the point is to establish how casual Jesus was about the miraculous. The whole point of being Christian is to become Christ-like in our thoughts, attitudes and actions. Thinking like Christ doesn’t just mean refraining from sin and living lives of repentance. It also means seeing the supernatural as something that should be a natural part of our lives.

                I don’t want to oversimplify the miraculous because I am well aware of the various factors that come together when the miraculous takes place. In addition to the attitude that Jesus had, the centurion had great faith. Spiritual warfare through prayer had to be done for the area prior to that type of ministry. Furthermore, in order to operate certain gifts of the Spirit, we have to first receive them according to 1 Corinthians 12. Nonetheless, walking on the level of power that Jesus demonstrated begins with our ability to see its potential for becoming our lifestyle… not just His.

                How does this relate to unity? Unity can promote the proliferation of supernatural activity among the saints until it becomes natural. If the people of God are agreed upon the move of His power it will become a defining characteristic of our daily lives. On the flip side, if those that know Jesus reject the proliferation of supernatural activity, God will not work on this level in their midst. This is illustrated by the people of Jesus’ hometown. They all knew Jesus. Unfortunately, they rejected Him and His ability to work supernaturally in their midst. Thus it is written that in their city Jesus did not do any great works because of their unbelief. What is your Christian community agreed upon?

“When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” (Matthew 13:54-58 NKJV)

Discussion

1.       When was the last time you prayed for someone and truly expected God to do the impossible?

2.       Does your Christian community witness the supernatural regularly?

3.       Does your leadership train you to live practically or miraculously?

4.       What steps can you take today to begin to position yourself to see greater works from the hand of God?

5.       Can you find several other believers in your sphere of influence that are willing to begin seeking the miraculous as a lifestyle?

Vision and Eschatology

10/8/11

Greetings,

                This week we are going to talk about vision, context, and how it relates to unity. Have you ever heard this line before?

“Get out there and do something for God!”

It may be full of passion, full of conviction, and heartily spoken, but at the end of the day the question must be asked: what is something? We must have a definition of what we are doing for God because it enables us to cast vision. According to the Bible we will have major problems without vision.

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

My vision is to promote unity in the body of Christ worldwide and assist in the creation and development of sheep nations. For those unfamiliar with the term “sheep nations,” these will be entire geographies where the kingdom of God reigns in and through the hearts of men. When I say that I’m going to get out there and do something for God I know exactly what something means. As long as I hold fast to the vision, spiritual death will remain far from me. Moreover, those that come alongside me will have no question as to what we are trying to do.

I personally believe that in this hour, possibly more than any other time in history, the requirement upon the church to be strategically effective is huge. I also believe that our ability to be strategically effective in this hour is going to rest heavily upon our ability to properly divide the word of God on the topic of eschatology. Eschatology is simply a theological term denoting the study of last things.

If our eschatology is wrong, the vision that we cast will be inadequate to accommodate the impending circumstances. Let us use an example. We are going to consider two random football teams. The first team is the Cleveland Browns and the second team is the New England Patriots. Let’s take a fictional look at how their respective coaches cast vision to their teams.

Brown’s coach: Alright boys! I am just as unenthusiastic about this game as you are. Remember, if you make mistakes, God still loves you. It does not matter how the game goes because we’re going to be teleported into outer space before the game is even over. Are you ready!

Patriots coach: Alright men! We’ve been practicing very hard. Today we are going to remain focused on the goal: executing the victory. You must believe that this game is already won. Offense, you get across that goal line like your daughter’s life depends on it. Defense, your goal is to gain more yards than the offense. This is the vision. Are you ready!

After reading the two visions, which do you think is more effective? First of all, the Brown’s coach is addressing his team as children, setting a low level of expectancy. The Patriot’s coach addresses his team as men, setting a high level of expectancy. God calls us to maturity, but many leaders suppress the spiritual growth of their people by casting faulty vision that takes people nowhere. They put no demand upon their flocks.

                Furthermore, the Brown’s coach is out to make a good show. The vision he casts is completely illogical. It cannot yield victory. The catch is that the Brown’s coach doesn’t expect to be around to finish the game. He casts a vision based upon his understanding of the future. As a result of his limited foresight, he assumes that certain things will take place, thereby tainting his ability to cast a vision based around victory. His vision is based around escape and he is promoting cowardice. Unfortunately, if people are trained to escape, when hardship comes they will look for a way out.

“Let no one deceive or beguile you in any way, for that day will not come except the apostasy comes first [unless the predicted great falling away of those who have professed to be Christians has come], and the man of lawlessness (sin) is revealed, who is the son of doom (of perdition)” (2 Thessalonians 2:3)

The Patriot’s coach has enforced discipline and practice among his ranks. They are prepared to win. When he stands before them to cast the vision he declares their victory. He makes no plans for escape. He is in it to win it and his team will follow his lead. His vision is based upon a proper understanding of why they are going onto the field. They are going out there to play hard, to stand face-to-face with a determined opponent and come out victorious. No one is leaving until the last play has been carried out. His vision is fixed on the prize, and he has planned properly in order to attain the declared victory.

If you haven’t figured it out already, I am speaking in part to the debate between pre-tribulation and post-tribulation rapture theology. The rapture is the point in time when Jesus returns for his church and we meet him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Casting vision in this hour that is based around pre-tribulation rapture theology is akin to playing football like the Browns. Casting vision based around post-tribulation rapture theology is akin to playing football like the Patriots. Who do you think will perform better?

The Bible has a lot to say about the last days. It speaks of a coming antichrist, a false prophet, and great plagues that will shake the world among other things. A pre-tribulation rapture approach to this teaches people that they have no responsibility to be spiritually, psychologically, or emotionally prepared to deal with these things. They are taught about escape. This is the most backwards approach to the Christian faith possible.  We have the victory in Jesus Christ, why would we have any need for escape?

My vision is intended to be effective under the circumstances involved with going head-to-head with the darkest forces ever released into the earth. Those that come alongside me will be trained to think like champions and not like cowards. I will see to the creation and development of sheep nations in the face of the antichrist agenda. To this end I will work to establish unity among the body of Christ because it will be necessary. How do you want to “play ball?”

Discussion

1.       According to the Bible, what happens when there is no vision?

2.       When you consider doing something for God, have you defined what that something is?

3.       What are you going to do to allow God to speak His vision for you to you?

4.       What is the vision of BRIDE Ministries (my vision)?

5.       When you consider your approach to Christianity, is it closer to a Brown’s approach or a Patriot’s approach?

The Test of Unity

7/2/11

Greetings,

                One of the most difficult things in life is the reality of failure. Sometimes we fail. Even more painful are the times when others fail us. The frustration of failure can be even more intense when a large degree of expectation is attached to success. Unfortunately, it is usually impossible to attain success if we don’t expect it. Furthermore, as Christians we are supposed to expect to have success. Isn’t that why we have the victory in Christ Jesus?

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

                 I have a mission. Part of it is to promote unity in the body of Christ. Needless to say, by all human standards of analysis I am setting myself up for failure. The only standard that is in my favor is the Word of God, which prophesies a coming day of unprecedented unity and maturity in the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12-15). Although I know that my goal cannot fail because the Word of God cannot fail, it doesn’t mean that I won’t experience failures along the way. How do I process this fact in light of the Word of God?

                It is actually a Biblical fact that although God gives us the victory in Christ, He will take us through valleys of failure anyway. Have you ever been through a valley of failure? Have you ever looked around on every side and watched everything you set your hand to crumble? If you are human, your answers are undoubtedly yes. So what is God doing during these times that may seem to contradict His promises of victory?

                Fear is the enemy of faith. It is impossible for us to walk into the fullness of God’s plan and purpose regarding any realm of activity touching our lives if we have fear. The Bible says faith works by love (Galatians 5:6) and also that perfect love casts out all fear.

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18)

We’re going to illustrate this with what I call our Faith Mobile. In this vehicle, love is our engine, faith is our car, and fear is the gamut of potential mechanical failures. We have to fix the problem of fear in order for our love to work right. Some breakdowns are worse than others. Sometimes we just need a fuse or two replaced. Other situations require an overhaul of the entire engine (like a busted head gasket). Some problems affect our driving, but other problems can render the car useless! It is in the latter situations that we wind up taking a cab or bus. This represents counterfeit transportation. Fear will cause our faith to fail and force us to find other (counterfeit) means of transportation in life.

Our fear must be removed. Since fear represents the gamut of potential mechanical failures, this means that God has to work on our love engine. Once our love engine is working right, our Faith Mobile can get us somewhere. When our love engine is “fine-tuned,” our faith begins to move mountains (Matthew 17:20). If we think we can have mountain moving faith while entertaining fear we kid ourselves. It’s like setting out to drive across the country with a broken head gasket, no oil in the engine, and a cracked steering column. I promise you that you won’t get very far.

Again, God fixes the love engine in our faith mobile by removing the fear. However, the most effective way for God to do this is to make us face our fears and when our worst fears have come upon us, show us the victory He has given us. Often, this involves letting us experience a degree of failure. Let’s look at two examples.

I recently read an article about how people that do the trapeze acts in the circus are trained. What can convince a person to leap from a swinging bar hundreds of feet in the air? The answer is confidence. Their training begins by removing the fear of falling. In order to do this they are trained to fall. The safety net is set up, they are made to swing, and once they swing out they let go and…fall. That’s it. Once they get used to falling, they don’t have to be afraid of it. Once the worst case scenario no longer holds power over them, they have the confidence necessary to do eye boggling stunts in midair.

Our second example of overcoming fear comes from the book of Judges. A man who was a Levite had a concubine that basically cheated on him and then ran away to her father’s house (Judges 19). After some time had passed, the Levite missed her and traveled with a servant to her father’s house to retrieve her. He spent nearly a week with the father because the concubine’s father kept insisting that he stay. Finally, against the father’s best efforts the man left with his concubine. The problem was that they still wound up leaving late.

When it got dark they went into a city of the tribe of Benjamin named Gibeah. An old man saw them sitting in the street and took them into his house. Not too long later, men of the city made violent requests to have the Levite given to them so that they could fulfill their sexual perversions on him. Instead of trying to fight them off or cooperating, they gave the mob the Levite’s concubine. They took her and abused her that night until she was so battered that when they let her go she walked to the old man’s house, collapsed at the door, and died (Judges 19:26-27).

When news spread around Israel regarding what had been done, the Israelites united as one and asked the Benjamites to hand over the culprits of this horrible act. The Benjamites refused and all of the united tribes prepared for war against the tribe of Benjamin in order to bring justice to the situation (Judges 20:1). How exciting! This was the first time in many years that the tribes of Israel had united for a single purpose. Even better, it was for the purpose of executing justice. Isn’t that what God is in agreement with… the execution of justice?

Although God desires justice, He also saw this as an opportunity to build their faith and remove their fear. How did he do it? He let them fail. The story goes on to explain that on two separate accounts the unified tribes asked the Lord for His permission to attack (Judges 20:18, Judges 20:23) and after the Lord gave them the order to attack they failed to attain victory and suffered terrible defeat (Judges 20:21, Judges 20:25). Did they miss God? Not according to the Bible. God personally told them to attack and they failed to gain the victory anyway. What was God doing? He was getting the fear out of their lives by taking them through the worst case scenario.

After two back-to-back losses they again asked God what to do and God told them to attack a third time. Then God said that He was actually going to give those who had committed injustice into their hands. The unified tribes followed through and secured a great victory against injustice. Almost the entire tribe of Benjamin was left dead.

This letter is two-fold in purpose. The first purpose is to explain that sometimes God will let you experience failure in order to get the fear out of your life so He can walk you into your purpose. The second is that God will test our unity after He brings us together. After the tribes unified in the book of Judges, God tested their resolution. Looking forward, we need to expect testing as the body of Christ begins to experience unification. Unity isn’t an end in and of itself. It’s the works that are accomplished as a result of unity that God is waiting for.

Discussion

1.       Have you ever doubted a word from God because of failure?

2.       Have you ever been forced to experience what you would conclude was a worst case scenario while you were actively serving God?

3.       Did you allow God to remove the fear from you during this circumstance or did you abort His purpose out of impatience and rebellion?

4.       When considering the parable of the faith mobile, would you say your engine needs just a few tweaks or a major overhaul? Why?

5.       Will God test unity once it manifests?

Interview on End Times Talk Radio

6/25/11

Greetings,

                This week is going to be slightly different. As I was praying about what to share this week I didn’t get a message. I simply received the idea that instead of writing a letter I should send an audio file. The audio is from an interview I did. In this audio I talk about a lot of things including unity and the kingdom of God. I think that you will really enjoy it and I believe that God will use it to empower you in new ways. I have no doubt that at the very least you will find it incredibly interesting because we talk about a lot things that aren’t being preached. With that said I really hope that you’ll listen to the audio. God Bless you.

CLICK HERE FOR AUDIO: http://www.box.net/shared/267uo15s41lninz4xvlm

Patience (Siblings example)

6/4/11

Greetings,

                Growing up with siblings is both fun and challenging. For some, it’s more challenging than others. The topic of discussion this week is patience. Unity will require patience. As I was meditating on this, I had a revelation that siblings provide a great illustration of patience!

                I have two siblings. My brother was born when I was two, and my sister didn’t come around until I was fourteen. As you can imagine, one helped me to learn more patience than the other. My brother greatly assisted me with this fruit of the Holy Spirit. How? He repeatedly tested me.

                “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering [patience], kindness, goodness, faithfulness…” (Galatians 5:22)

                Before I begin with the illustrations, I want to make it clear that I love my brother very much. However, the antics that happened between us become a great illustration of what brothers and sisters in the body of Christ do with each other.

                One morning I sat down to a wonderful breakfast of waffles and milk. It was so delicious. I eat first and drink second because when I was young I was taught to do so. This stopped me from getting full on the drink and not eating my food. When I finished eating, I was joyful about enjoying a full cup of cold milk. It’s a perfect complement to rich, sweet syrup. Unfortunately my brother had put salt in it. Now, for those of you that don’t spend much time in the kitchen, salt and milk are the same color—white. This means that you can’t see when someone pours salt in your milk. I vulnerably swallowed.

                The Bible speaks about milk. It uses milk as a reference to foundational doctrines in the Word of God. Peter tells new believers that they should desire the milk of the Word so that they can begin to grow spiritually.

“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:” (1 Peter 2:2)

                Regarding foundational doctrines in the Bible, they are necessary, but are not meant to sustain Christians throughout their entire walk with Christ. Eventually we must graduate to meat according to Hebrews 5:12-14. For those that desire to get off of the milk, it can be challenging. Many times, even their leaders do not know how to move beyond milk. When these people find a way to go deeper into their faith it can cause them to look down on others that are still on the milk of the Word. It can cause them to feel a false superiority. As we move deeper into the faith, we must love and pray for those that aren’t ready to move deeper. The goal is to encourage and empower, not accuse and tear down with an air of arrogance and superiority. Don’t salt their milk.

                On another occasion we were in the car driving to the beach. At this time in my life I had several things simultaneously working against me. I needed glasses at an early age. Using my fashion sense, I made the most logical conclusion and picked big ones. I was also very skinny. I couldn’t gain weight no matter what. I hadn’t discovered hair gel yet, and so my hair was typically a giant poof. In addition, my front teeth grew in full-sized when I was still in second grade. I will honestly admit that sometimes they looked bigger than me. As we were driving to the beach with our cousins we were eating Nerds^© candy. My brother commented, “Hey Daniel, it’s a box of nerds. Jump in!”

                Unity is not going to be furthered by focusing on the blemishes of others. Here is what the Bible says:

                “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew 7:3-5)

                The reason why Jesus tells us to remove the plank in our own eye is to make us skillful in removing the speck in our brother’s eye. When the plank is out of our eye, our attempts at helping our brother are empowering! When the plank is in our proverbial eye we can’t see what we’re doing. We will inevitably offend and tear down. If your attempts at speaking truth to others (particularly your brothers and sisters in Christ) repeatedly results in offense and backlash, it may be time to check your own eye.

                When I was in high school my brother and I got in a fight. I roughed him up a little bit. It wasn’t anything personal; it was just that I was defining my boundaries (I know this is a poor excuse!). I don’t particularly remember the details, but I do remember that I hurt him. This happened shortly after I joined the wrestling team. As a result, my mom scolded me and told me that the next time I did something like this to my brother I would lose sports. This served as a turning point in my life. I decided that I would rather have sports than the freedom to give my brother the smack down. This cost me big time.

                Since my brother knew the stakes, his goal became to make me lose sports. Can you imagine? He invented ways to provoke me to anger. It was like a game for him. He knew that I wouldn’t be roughing him up anymore, and he cast off all restraints. Ultimately, this probably caused us to have a better relationship in the long run, but initially it forced me to develop patience.

                Patience is a virtue. Sometimes it seems like our brothers and sisters in Christ go out of their way to give us every reason to knock them upside the head. We must remember that they remain our family in Christ. Maintaining unity with them requires patience and forgiveness. This is what is written:

“Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:21-22)

Discussion

1.       What does patience mean to you?

2.       What has tested your patience in the past week?

3.       Did you pass the test?

4.       When was the last time you prayed for patience?

5.       How often are we to forgive the offences that others cause us?

Applying Agape

5/28/11

Greetings,

                Last week we dove into the book of Ephesians and broke down the goals that God has for His people. These goals came from Ephesians 4:13. I informed you that we would be staying in the book of Ephesians and that is exactly what I intend to do. This week we are going to talk about some concepts that will be practical and workable for our lives. Let us begin with this passage:

                “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1-3)

                Love is hard. Why? It is because people give us every reason not to love them. They fail us. They disappoint us. They don’t listen to us, lose all their money, and then call us asking for a “loan” we know they won’t pay back. However, Jesus gives us two commandments that form the foundation of the new covenant.

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

So there you have it. If we can’t love others we break 50% of everything God told us to do. What a bummer right? Let’s be real about it though. What about that time when we really tried as hard as we could to love someone… to be there for them… to be patient. Then one year, two years, five years went by with no fruit. There must be a point where we give up right!

This is where wisdom comes in. We are not called to love others with our own love. Our own love is limited, and it will fail. In Ephesians 4:2 (which we read in the beginning) Paul exhorts us “forbear one another in love.” The word translated forbear literally means put up with. Go figure. How do we put up with others? With Agape! Agape is the Greek word that is translated as love. Now we are going to dive a bit deeper and understand this sometimes enigmatic “love” the Bible is always talking about.

The Apostle Paul explains to us that we do not naturally have agape. We live in a three-dimensional world. Everything natural to this world and our existence is based on three dimensions. When Paul explains agape he gives us a unique revelation. It has four dimensions! This means that it comes from another dimension because ours cannot naturally produce it. As it is written:

“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17-19)

                Isn’t it interesting that before Paul gets into the chapter declaring God’s goal and destination for the church (Ephesians 4) he explains to us where the love necessary to achieve this comes from (Ephesians 3)? Notice that agape has breadth, length, depth, and height. This is four dimensions. How does it get in us? It comes from heaven, flows through our spirit and comes into our heart.

                This passage says something very interesting. It says that Christ must dwell in our hearts by faith. This has been overlooked because for too long now the spirit and the heart have not been distinguished as separate aspects of our make-up. When we receive salvation (the born-again experience of receiving Jesus) it is a spiritual event. After this happens, it becomes possible for Christ to dwell in our hearts. The heart is our subconscious. The word dwell means to house permanently. This does not happen automatically in our heart, and like the Apostle tells us, this requires faith.

                Not many people have been taught how the invisible aspect of humans works. Without bringing in a boatload of scripture and deep study I’m just going to give you the basics. The human spirit that has received Jesus as Lord and Savior becomes like a pipe with one end in heaven. God puts what is in heaven into this pipe and it flows into the earth. At the other end of this pipe is the heart. The heart is the gateway between the spirit and the soul. It can only let what is coming from heaven through if the soul (mind, will, and emotions) is in agreement with these things. When Christ is dwelling in our heart by faith it becomes possible for the blessings (including agape) that are coming from heaven to have an impact on our lives. You have to believe that it is possible to love others that are seemingly unlovable before you actually do it.

                With this said, I have good news for you! By the grace of God you can do it! God’s grace is His empowerment in our lives to do what is impossible for us. Many of us have run into major problems when it comes to loving others. We frankly want to give up. We want to walk away. We want to lay down the law and cut them off. They deserve it right? However, the Bible says His grace is sufficient for us (2 Corinthians 12:9).

                Unity requires us to put up with each other. Fortunately we are supposed to use God’s love, not our own to do it. This makes the impossible possible. Now I’m going to give you the atomic weapon—so to speak. This is the simple prayer that will empower you to do the impossible—love the jerks! When you read it, you may be confused at how simple it really is. That’s okay, God made it that way. Just keep in mind that it should be prayed regularly for some time. Now for all those people you know you need to love say the following:

                “Father, I thank you that I have access to your throne and your love. By grace I receive your love by faith. I receive your wisdom to apply this love to others in my life. I pray that I would be strengthened with might by your Spirit in my inner man so that Christ can dwell in my heart by faith, making the impossible possible. Thank you in advance for answering my prayer. I say this in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Discussion

1.       What two commandments does Jesus give us?

2.       How does your own life stack up when compared to the standards of the new law Jesus gives us?

3.       Are there people in your life that you have written off as unlovable?

4.       Do you love others with your own love or with God’s love?

5.       How can you practically apply this letter to one relationship in your life?

Wineskins

Greetings,

                When we consider the topic of unity we often give it a mental assent. This means that we acknowledge that it is a biblical concept and we may even acknowledge that there is power to be tapped into with it. However, when it comes to practical implementation, it remains outside of the confines of our reality. In other words, because we cannot see or understand the logistics behind coordinating a work of unity, we continue in a pattern of mental assent but little to no progress.

                In this letter I am going to discuss an obvious obstacle that stands between where the church is and where Christ wants her to be. This obstacle is doctrinal differences. This is a very real, and a very big issue. It is difficult to work with someone that believes A when you believe B. Even when you agree to disagree, if you attempt to teach the same group of people, they will have to make a decision between A and B. It is inevitable that some will get convinced of A, some will get convinced of B, and the people will divide.

                When an outsider looks in on the church they may conclude that this is a random unexplainable phenomenon. Without a historical perspective, there is no reason to conclude otherwise. So why do some Christians believe A while others believe B if it is not a random unexplainable phenomenon? Let’s take a look at what Jesus says:

                “And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.” (Luke 5:36-39)

                In this parable the wine becomes a symbol of the works of the Holy Spirit, or in other words what God is doing among His people. Jesus describes these works as being contained by wineskins. In that day wineskins were leather containers that would become brittle with time. In context, we know that Jesus was explaining that the new message that He came to bring could not be contained by the old wineskin of Judaism. By trying to fit the gospel of the kingdom into the traditions of Judaism, it would cause the “wineskin” of Judaism to burst. However, since we know that the Holy Spirit works through the church, we can also define the wineskins as the organized church. In both approaches, we are looking at the same principle.

                A majority of people can agree that God’s final revelation of truth did not stop at the Roman Catholic Church. It is a fact that many (although not all) Roman Catholic Churches do not teach that we are saved by grace through faith. Instead they teach salvation by works. As a result of the work of Martin Luther, the foundation of the protestant movement was established—namely that we are saved by grace through faith. This is why the first step in Christianity is to receive Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior. If we do not do this, we are not saved and we will not go to heaven when we die.

                So how do we get from the work of Martin Luther in the sixteenth century to the doctrinal mess in the church today? The fact of the matter is that Martin Luther was one man with one lifetime. The difficulty that he had to overcome in order to reestablish this central doctrine to Christianity consumed much of his life. As a result, he did not overhaul every tradition he carried away from the Roman Catholic Church. Today, except for a few doctrinal differences, most Lutheran churches are conducted in ways that are very similar to Roman Catholic Churches. They also practice infant baptism.

                In effect, what Martin Luther did was create a new wineskin. The Holy Spirit was doing a new thing and this thing could not be contained by the old wineskin of the Roman Catholic Church at that time. One hundred years later, an outsider might have listened to the Roman Catholic stance on salvation by works and the Lutheran stance on salvation by grace through faith and concluded that this was a random unexplainable phenomenon. However, if they understand the history, what they see is a move of God to bring people into the freedom and liberty of Jesus Christ. The difference in doctrine was actually established by a restorative work of the Holy Spirit, not by two people reading the same book and deciding to disagree.

                Unfortunately, the Lutheran church became an old wineskin after enough time had passed. When God performed the next restorative work in His people, the Lutheran church rejected it. This work of restoration involved the issue of baptism. In the Bible, everyone that was baptized was done so by full immersion after they had made a quality decision to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior. The Lutherans practiced infant baptism by sprinkling water on babies that were yet too young to make a decision for or against Christ. This tradition had carried over from the Roman Catholic Church. Initially, those that argued and began to practice full immersion baptism came under persecution. This persecution came from both the Roman Catholic Church and Lutherans. Some of these people who began to call themselves Baptists were actually drowned and killed.

                Beyond these two examples, there has been a long history of the Holy Spirit pouring out revelations that although at first seemed “new” were actually restorative and for the purpose of bringing people into greater and greater degrees of truth. Unfortunately, most movements that brought in restored truth suffered persecution and rejection from the established groups. Furthermore, many of these movements were riddled with a lack of doctrinal accountability and also brought with them hurtful practices that served to discredit the work that God was actually doing. In the end, we see the principle that the new wine is not poured into old wineskins but into new wineskins.

                It is interesting that Jesus adds that when new wine is poured into new wine skins, both the old and the new wine is preserved. After Jesus instituted Christianity, Judaism was preserved. After the Baptists came, the Lutheran church was still preserved. After the Pentecostals came, the Baptists, the Lutherans, the Methodists, etc. were all preserved. The point is that different doctrines do not exist as mere disagreements but exist primarily because of a progressive restorative work by God through His people.

                The unity of the church is not going to be an agreement to disagree. Instead, people from every respective move of God will come together on the same fully revealed truths. This will, in effect, become its own new wine in its own new wine skin, but be composed of a great number of people that were formerly participants in groups instituted around past moves of God. The Lutheran Institution as it exists today cannot come together with a Pentecostal Institution because their doctrinal differences are institutionalized and actually serve to define the institutions.

When Noah united the animals in the ark, the animals went in two by two, meaning that only representatives of each kind of animal actually went into the ark of unity. These animals had to leave their respective “habitats” in order to do this. These animals can prophetically represent the denominations, ministry alliances, and other groups in the body of Christ. Only representatives of each of these groups will enter into unity, not the whole percentage of people participating in them. In the end, the people that participate in these institutions will have to abandon their former perspectives and unite around the work and revelations that the Holy Spirit is sowing into those that are listening today. This is how God will unify those in His body that are willing to participate.

               

Discussion

1.       Is the concept of unity in the body of Christ real to you or is it something that you simply agree is ideal?

2.       What did you know about the history of the church prior to this email?

3.       Why do you think God has moved in incremental stages to progress the body of Christ into greater degrees of truth?

4.       Can you remember a time when you heard something about God that was new for you, and after initially rejecting it God worked in you to allow you to receive it?

5.       Will you be counted among those that unite around the work that God is doing in His people today and the truths that the Holy Spirit is revealing to those that will listen?