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?

Heavenly Places

5/7/11

Greetings,

                God is good and His mercy endures forever! This week we are going to discuss some shocking material. I say shocking because this is the kind of material that simply is not taught. I believe that if we are called to be a heavenly people (which we are) we must be heavenly minded. What does it meant to be heavenly minded? Does it mean thinking about streets of gold and marvelous worship all day? Is there more to it?

                It is actually like the old real estate saying goes: Location, location, location! What does real estate have to do with being heavenly minded? Does a big house actually solve problems? Of course not! The point is that having a heavenly mindset begins with properly identifying your location. I have a question for you, and although it may seem ridiculous, answer this question in your head: Where are you?

                If you answered with your physical location you unfortunately failed the test. Sure, you may be sitting at your desk, standing in line at the grocery store, or lying on your bed, but that is a much less important fact. It is less important because it has no authority. The grocery store could be there today and gone tomorrow. Your true location is in heaven, and this location has authority over every dimension.

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

When we receive Jesus we are raised up spiritually. Our spirit which was born dead is now born again. This spirit becomes one with the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17) and begins to operate on two planes of existence at the same time. We are in heaven and we are on earth. Although we experience earth, our heavenly existence is actually more important. It holds authority over our earthly existence.

                Before we go on I want to bring this home. If your body is broken would it be broken in heaven? If your marriage is broken would it be broken in heaven? If you’re broke and in debt beyond reason, would you be broke in heaven? The answer is succinctly no. Heaven is a place of perfection. It is a place where every wrong is made right, where every tear is wiped away, and where every injustice is addressed in righteousness. If you could put all your problems in a bag and ship them to heaven… they would be replaced with new realities. It is no mystery that when we get saved we become a new creation. It is mandatory because of our new location.

                “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

                Heaven is a location, but unfortunately it is usually thought of as a destination. It is usually said that heaven is where we go. I am here to tell you that if you have received Jesus as your Lord and Savior heaven is where you are. This must be understood. Have you ever seen someone trying to bake cookies on a roller coaster? Of course not! The reason is because they understand where they are. Satan is a professional liar. He tells Christians that they are in the kitchen when they are on a roller coaster—and many believe him. This is one reason why Christians will get out of church and go home to a pornographic video. They think that they have left a holy atmosphere.

                Now that we have established your location we are going to establish how you function there. This is going to require your ability to use your imagination and think outside of time. The fact of the matter is that everything that Jesus purchased for us was done at the cross. This is why the death of Jesus was a finished work. My sins today were paid for two-thousand years ago.  This means that the work of Jesus was done on a plane that was outside of time. We have discussed the following verse in past letters, but we are going to look at it from another angle.

“Truly I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth must be what is already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be what is already permitted in heaven.” (Matthew 18:18 AMP)

The word translated “you” in this passage is plural. It actually means “you all” or the church acting in unity. I used the Amplified version of this text because it brings out the proper implications of the verse. We are not binding and loosing things from earth to heaven. We are binding and loosing things from heaven to earth. These things are already bound or loosed in heaven. Why?  Heaven operates outside of the confines of time and so do you! Jesus executed His work on a plane outside of time in order for His sacrifice to pay for sins not yet committed in the earth. Now when we believe in Him, we are taken into the eternal plane and operate from a new location: heaven.

The injustice that God has called you to bind is already bound in heaven: agree and it will manifest in the earth. Your financial debt has already been paid: agree and it will manifest in the earth. The peace between you and your ex-best friend has already been loosed: agree and watch things change. You are outside of time doing these things and when you do them they manifest in our time-space. Authority outside of time is the highest authority. Nothing broken is beyond fixing. Nothing ruined is beyond restoration. When we unite we tap into eternal power, eternal authority, and eternal influence. Now you know why Jesus didn’t send the apostles to create the church until He could rightly say:

“All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore [for this reason]…” (Matthew 28:18-19)

                From now on, when you are asked where you are, keep in mind your true location. We are there corporately. We need to act like it. We need to love each other here the way we already love each other there. Think about it.

Discussion

1.       Where are you?

2.       What are the two dimensional planes we primarily operate on?

3.       What are some of the implications from operating in a heavenly location?

4.       How would you treat your brothers and sister in Christ if you were experiencing the reality of being present in heaven?

5.       Is unity an important agenda for the church?

The Temple and the Bride

4/30/11

Greetings,

                I want to begin by reminding you that you are precious in the sight of God. He loves you so much and no obstacle or challenge in life can change that. You are special, you are gifted, and you were created with a purpose. You are mighty in Christ!

                This week we are going to discuss a little eschatology. Eschatology is fancy terminology for “the study of the last things.” In light of the last things, we are going to discuss the cost of unity. We are also going to define the timeframe where unity will finally be achieved.

                Many Christians are familiar with the term antichrist. This term has been popularized not only in Christian circles, but also by media. It is a fearful term that reminds us that Satan has a plan to counterfeit our very Savior. The interesting thing is that the only place where the Bible uses this term to describe this person is in 1 John 2:18. Other terms that are used for this person are little horn, king, son of perdition, man of sin, and beast.

                This antichrist is on earth for an indeterminable amount of time. However, we do know that from the time he signs a covenant with the nation of Israel (and possibly several other nations) there will be a period of seven prophetic years before the return of Christ (Daniel 9:27). We also know that this seven year period has two halves. After the first half of this seven year period, the antichrist will break his covenant and end the sacrifice and offering in the temple of Israel. He will also place the abomination of desolation at this time. The second half of this period is referred to as the great tribulation. The great tribulation begins immediately after the sacrifice is ended.

“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)…then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” (Matthew 24:15, 21)

Before Jesus made this comment, many of the Jews believed that the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel had already happened. They believed this because Antiochus Epiphanies, a Greek general, slaughtered a pig on the altar of the temple several hundred years prior to this comment. When Jesus said this, it was shocking. In essence, Jesus said that there was yet a future fulfillment of this prophecy. The destruction of the temple in 70 AD and the absence of a state of Israel left many confused for thousands of years

Some have suggested that this prophecy is entirely symbolic of what the antichrist wants to do to Christians because there is no literal temple in Jerusalem. I see no logical reason to conclude this. The temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem at some point in the near future. As evidence, consider these notes I took from a sermon by Jimmy DeYoung on March 11, 2011.

• Erecting the temple can be done in six months
• 28,000 priests are necessary to operate temple. A Rabbi at a Yeshiva has a computer that serves as a database for Jews qualified to be priests. They have called them all to Jerusalem to be prepared and trained because they are going to build a temple.
• The priests need a special garment made out of a single piece of cloth. There are currently 28,000 special garments already made to biblical specifications and they are in storage
• A mizrok is necessary as well. This is a container made out of pure gold and pure silver. It doesn’t have a base but a point so that it cannot be set down. These contain the blood from the blood sacrifices. If blood sits it will coagulate. The form of these containers makes it so that they cannot be set down but must be carried around by the priests at all times. Four thousand mizroks are needed and four thousand have already been prepared
• They have the table of showbread prepared
• They have the altar of incense prepared
• Two years ago they made the menorah, the seven branch candle holder, and it is on display in the Old city, the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem
• David had called for 10-string harps to be made for worship in the temple. A 10-string harp was made by Micah and Shoshanna Harrari and reported on by the paper: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/126936.
• It was reported on by the newspaper that this was the first 10-string harp made in Israel in 2000 years. According to the Talmud, when the 10-string harp reappeared in Jerusalem it would be time for the Messiah to arrive.
• 2 years ago 70 Jewish wise men came together and reformed the Sanhedrin. They operate the temple and elect the high priest. Professor Weiss, spokesman for the Sanhedrin, says that the high priest has been elected.
• A conference was held a few weeks prior to March 11, 2011 for qualified priests from all over the world to receive their final training in priestly duties for the coming temple.
• 2 Rabbi’s claim to have been within 25 feet of the Ark of the Covenant and say they will bring it out from its hiding place when they have a place to put it.

                Once the temple is built, the sacrifice will resume as it did thousands of years ago. It will be conducted according to the outline provided under the Old Covenant. This is the sacrifice that the antichrist will end halfway into the seven year period we discussed.

                “And arms shall stand on his [the antichrist’s] part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.” (Daniel 11:31)

                We must understand that the eleventh chapter of Daniel, from where we take the above scripture, is entirely chronological. This means that verse 2 does not happen before verse 1. Verse 10 happens after verse 9. This is extremely important because the following verse comes after the sacrifice is taken away. It is written:

                “And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.” (Daniel 11:35)

                Since this passage is occurring after the sacrifice is removed it must occur during the great tribulation. Remember that Jesus told us the great tribulation begins when the sacrifice is removed and the abomination of desolation is placed. This passage discusses that some of them that have understanding of the True God and His ways will die during that time. These individuals will die for the purpose of making their brethren white. White means clean and pure. It also symbolizes righteousness. Where else does the Bible speak of similar activity?

                “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 5:26-27)

                God intends to present His Son a bride without blemish. This means she will be white, clean, and righteous. This also means that she will be unified (Ephesians 4:13). In other words, she will come to a place of maturity. Jesus is not coming back for a little girl, He is returning for a mature bride. The timeframe where people are specifically prophesied to die for this occurs during the great tribulation. The idea that God comes to catch His church away before a great tribulation is entirely illogical. According to scripture, the great tribulation will actually be the necessary medium through which God will perform this work in His church. Are you prepared?

Discussion

1.       How many prophetic years are there between the time the antichrist makes covenant with Israel and the return of Christ?

2.       What happens halfway into this seven prophetic year period?

3.       Are people prophesied to die for the sake of God’s purpose in the church before or after this midpoint event?

4.       What kind of church is Jesus returning for?

5.       Do you consider yourself mature in Christ?

Easter Exhortation

4/23/11

Greetings,

I hope this letter finds everyone doing wonderfully. Instead of a letter this week, I am simply going to give an exhortation. Jesus suffered the most painful death possible for the sins of me and you. This weekend we keep that in remembrance, along with His resurrection and victory. His death was for all of us. When we reject and mistreat other Christians, we mistreat the very people that Jesus died for. This Easter, as you celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, remember that we are all one in Him. God bless you.

“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:35)

Personal Testimony (Daniel Duval)

4/16/11

Greetings,

                This week is going to be slightly different than most. When I was praying about what to write in this letter, God said to simply open up about myself. Since I virtually never write about myself I was taken off-guard. After a short time of meditation, I realized that this was a fantastic idea (God’s ideas are always fantastic). I am going to focus on my testimony of overcoming difficulties I’ve encountered in the body of Christ. If my message is unity, it is good to see how I live this out.

                I want to begin by saying that my message was not originally unity. In fact, based on my experience one would think that this would be the last message God would give to someone like me. When I gave my life back to Jesus my first revelation was that without God life has no meaning or purpose. It was very straightforward, but it was absolutely profound to me. I had a revelation that apart from God, the only purpose I could achieve was a counterfeit. In my excitement and zeal for God I started to write a novel to explain this revelation (which ultimately came to nothing). This was the first evidence of my excessive desire to do something for God.

                After this, I came across some material that opened my eyes to flaws in the Roman Catholic Church and their way of doing things. I wanted to become a campus activist and begin passing out anti-Catholic propaganda. I assembled a team and developed an action plan. Fortunately nothing came of it. How foolish I was, to think that attacking others would bring fruit and glorify God—I was still immature. Some look at how Jesus addressed the Pharisees calling them “a brood of vipers” and make that their concept for ministry. There is a time for this type of stand, but it is not often. These people don’t understand that this was a response of Jesus to the attacks of the Pharisees against Him; Jesus did not hunt them down to attack their false doctrine. He preached the truth to the people, and the truth gave the Pharisees more problems than anything else, because the truth set the people free.

                As I sought out God He transformed every aspect of my life. My character improved, my attitude improved, I stopped getting drunk, I got delivered from pornography, and I began to hang out more and more with Christian people. I distanced myself from my party friends and although it was difficult at first, it was for the best. I committed myself to a church and submitted myself to the discipleship process of one of the pastors.

                I began to attend this church at the outset of 2006 and by spring of 2007 I got myself kicked out. I disagreed with the head pastor on an issue, and I was not permitted to stay unless I chose to agree with him and abandon what had been revealed to me. At this point I had to pray earnestly (and so would anyone else in this position). The fact of the matter is, if I was wrong and I left carrying my error, it could have led to significant destruction in my life. On the other hand, if God was leading me where the leadership would not take me, then by leaving I would be allowing God the room He needed. After I had a firm conviction that I had heard from God, I left. I still wonder what God was thinking when He assigned me the message of unity because with such a controversial start to my walk with Him it begs the question. I imagine it went something like this. Look at this guy! He’s perfect for this message of unity. He is so haphazard… getting kicked out of churches and stuff… and he’s extremely efficient.  He’ll probably even be willing to pick up two additional messages that will make people hate him. Let’s see… yup he did. Hahaha! (Of course I’m kidding!)

                I was endowed not only the message of unity, but the reality of nephilim (if you read my book you’ll understand), and the understanding of a post-tribulation rapture. Taking this a step further: I flow in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, I cast out demons, and yes, I do keep tabs on the developing global conspiracy to bring about a New Age with a New World Order! My position is basically as controversial as possible. In spite of this, I am also preaching unity of the church. In the natural, this sounds like backwards thinking. It feels like backwards thinking too!

                My life is not easy by any stretch of the imagination. A lot of people would like to argue with me, put me down, and tell their Christian friends to steer clear of me. Of course, no one can argue the scriptural validity of what I say; they just don’t want to hear it.

                In the face of all of my obstacles, God expects me to be a model for my message. Talk about tough! However, by His grace I do it. Most people that talk to me will realize that I am one of the most difficult people to argue with. Why? One reason is because we are not to preach through strife or vain glory but of good will. We need to understand that strife is not just a noun, it is a spirit.

“Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:” (Philippians 1:15)

 Two, we must understand what the Bible means when it instructs us to speak the truth in love.

                “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:” (Ephesians 4:14-15)

                Speaking the truth in love is not something for novices. This ability identifies that an individual is growing up into all things, even Christ. I define speaking the truth in love as: speaking the right truth, at the right time, with the right motive. This is hard. This requires a state of being perpetually led by the Spirit. This means that I am also being continually filled by the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). Unity requires that we press on towards maturity. When people tell me things I know to be false, I will wait for a green light from the Holy Spirit before a rebuttal. If no green light comes, I stay quiet, and they leave feeling justified. The Holy Spirit knows if my response will bear fruit, and fruit is my number one concern above being right or being heard.

                This is how I can balance my difficult disposition with my call and vision. I know plenty of truth that I don’t communicate at all. I don’t communicate it because there will not be fruit. As I continue to honor God with my heart, with my submission to authority I may disagree with, and with my respect for my brothers and sisters in the body of Christ; I will see continual promotion. As I am faithful, God gives me platforms and opens doors to communicate the vision that He has put inside of me. In this way I can continue to influence people according to the vision on the inside of me, and maintain a bond of unity to the greatest degree possible.

I will add that this can only work when I am on God’s side. If I have other agendas in my heart, God will not promote me, and I’ll be fighting with everyone else to get heard. Since my messages are inspired, I have perfect confidence and perfect peace. This is modeled in the angel’s response to Joshua upon entering the Promised Land (Joshua 5:13-15). Joshua encountered the angel that was the captain of the Lord’s army. When asking whose side the angel is on, Joshua gives the angel two options: our side or their side. The angel simply responds, “No.” Joshua asked if God was on his side, but the angel’s answer reveals to us that Joshua was getting on God’s side.

The armies of God are on God’s side. When I am on God’s side, His armies fight for me. As a matter of fact, I can even command His armies according to His Word. This confidence comes from being on His side, and I have no excuse for not trusting in His power and keeping a bond of peace. I know that when people come against me, they really come against God. Like God told Paul, “It is hard to kick against the goads.” Goads at that time were basically spear heads. Ever kick a spear head? This is what it’s like trying to stand in the way of God’s agenda, or the people he uses to accomplish it.

In closing this letter, I simply want to say that in this hour God’s army is fighting for unity. Unity is going to come as we naturally desire to get on God’s side. Most of the harshest divisions in the body of Christ erupt when two people or two groups take positions that are both out of line with God’s Word and plan. For example, someone might say 1+1=3 and another might say 1+1=4. Both are wrong and since neither has truth, this will be the most vicious dispute. How can either side settle on the wrong conclusion with a good conscience?

Discussion

1.       How do you respond to your brothers and sisters in Christ when they say something you don’t agree with?

2.       What is your heart motive when it comes to discussing differences in perspective with other Christians?

3.       Are you confident that you are on God’s side, or do you try to get Him on your side?

4.       How do you receive correction when it comes from the Word of God?

5.       What is your heart when considering the issue of submission to authority?

Unity and the History of Israel

4/9/11

Greetings,

                This week we are going to take a peek into Israel’s history. Israel first began to become powerful in the incubator of Egypt.

“And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.” (Exodus 1:7)

When the Egyptians saw how much Israel had multiplied and how powerful they were becoming their solution was to oppress and enslave them (Exodus 1:8-11). The move to enslave Israel was not a move of convenience or practicality. It was a decision based upon fear. They were afraid that a rebellion from the people of Israel would result in their downfall. It is important to point out that this occurred during Egypt’s role as the world power. Israel was just getting started as a nation, and the inherent power that they possessed eluded them.

The same is true of the body of Christ. After the ascension of Jesus the church immediately began to explode. Satan made a move based upon fear. His decision was to oppress the people of God because of their strength. He has never stopped. Satan oppresses you because of God’s strength in you. The moment we realize the inherent power that God has delivered to us as His people, it’s over for the enemy’s kingdom. Unfortunately, this fact is still eluding a majority of us today.

The bondage of Israel was no surprise to God because He actually appointed this time of incubation for the nation. He prophesied this to Abraham saying that the children of Israel would be afflicted four hundred years in a land that was not theirs (Genesis 15:13). When the time was up, God sent Moses to deliver the people of Israel. By the use of plagues and judgments God set Israel free from the Egyptian bondage and led them into the wilderness of the Sinai Peninsula. Israel remained there for forty years before finally entering the Promised Land.

During their time in the wilderness they were attacked by giants and they won every battle. A significant reason for this was the fact that under Moses all of the tribes were united. This unity continued under Joshua’s rule as he led the children of Israel into the Promised Land. As long as they were united and obedient to God, they were taking territory. This came to an unfortunate end with the passing of Joshua. The people of Israel failed to remain united after he died. Every tribe began to seek after their own self-interests. They not only fell into idolatry and sin, but they also failed to continue taking territory.

We are looking at an ancient picture of a timeless concept. When unity breaks down people will fail to continually take territory. When we consider that one of the purposes of the kingdom of God is to take territory from the enemy, it is easy to point out that our discord is not only an offense to God but a great obstacle to His agenda.

As a result of the selfishness of the tribes of Israel, their inability to work together, and their idolatry, the people repeatedly found themselves in bondage to their enemies. They were often facing hopeless situations. Throughout the book of Judges, God would continually have to appoint judges that would deliver the people of Israel from their enemies. How would the judges do this? They would unite the tribes and lead them into victory. They would cleanse the land of sin and idolatry and reunite the people to the heart of God. Unity did not come apart from reuniting people to the heart of God because unity of His people is the heart of God.

                The people of Israel eventually asked God for a king, and although God was not particularly happy about this, He gave them one. Saul became king over Israel and the people united and began to win battles against their enemies again. The Kingdom of Israel under David continued to expand and became very powerful. When David died the kingdom of Israel united under the leadership of Solomon and became extremely wealthy as well.  The nation even ceased from war. Unfortunately Solomon fell into gross sin.

                After Solomon’s death, the consequences were devastating. The kingdom became divided into the Northern kingdom and the Southern kingdom. Ten of the tribes formed the Northern kingdom and Judah, Levi, and Benjamin (2 Chronicles 11:5-13) formed the Southern kingdom. Both kingdoms eventually fell into the hands of their enemies. The northern tribes fell to Assyria, and later on the southern tribes fell to Babylon. Leading up to this ultimate demise, the kingdoms even conducted open war with each other (2 Kings 14:8-14). Their failure to center their focus on God’s heart and fulfill His purpose for them as a nation led to their destruction. Moving forward, the nation would never again have the potential of becoming a world power and would continue to struggle through intense adversity. They are still struggling through intense adversity today.

By taking a brief glance at the history of Israel we can glean some vitally important concepts:

1.       When a kingdom is divided against itself it cannot stand

2.       A kingdom that is composed of God’s people can only remain united when His heart is at the center of their ambitions

When a kingdom of God’s people tries to unite on an agenda that is in opposition with God’s heart ,they will not have any more success than those that refuse to unite altogether. Many groups within the body of Christ are desperately trying to rally troops, unite and strengthen themselves—among themselves. They are so concerned with defending their tradition that it blinds them to the bigger plan and purpose of God.

We have to make our focus and the center of our ambitions the heart of God. If we do this, it is impossible to conclude that we do not need other parts of the body of Christ; even when we do not entirely agree with them. Even in our disagreement, if we agree to seek God together we will find ourselves rallied around His agenda and taking territory for the kingdom of heaven. As we press into this type of conduct, it is my firm conviction that we will naturally begin to agree upon more and more. The time is now!

Discussion

1.       Why did Egypt enslave Israel?

2.       Why does Satan oppress Christians?

3.       What do we learn about the historical church from the parable of the 10 virgins?

4.       What two vitally important concepts do we learn from historical Israel?

5.       What must we focus on to overcome the obstacles to unity?

Two Gospels

04/02/11

Greetings,

                The core of Christianity is the gospel of the kingdom. Why do I say this? This is this gospel that Jesus preached.

                “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,” (Mark 1:14)

                Many times the gospel of the kingdom and the gospel of Jesus Christ get treated as if they were the same thing. Let’s get our bearings fixed by first defining the word “gospel.” There are three different Greek words that are translated to “gospel” in the Bible. The first is euaggelizo which means to “announce good news.” The second word is euaggelion, a derivation of the first simply meaning “a good message.” The third word is proeuaggelizomai which means “to announce glad news in advance.” When we talk about the gospel of the kingdom, we are essentially discussing the good news of the kingdom and its implications for us. Likewise, when we talk about the gospel of Jesus Christ, we are discussing the goods news that Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose on the third day victoriously. Below is a reference to the gospel of Jesus Christ:

                “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;” (Mark 1:1)

                Our confusion is mainly the result of misplaced emphasis. In other words, we put our focus on the wrong word. We think that when we see the word “gospel” we are always discussing the same thing. This is akin to saying that every time we see the word “large” we are talking about the same thing. By using the word “large” I could be referring to a large box, a large car, a large house, and so forth. The word large tells me something about what I’m actually referring to.

                It is not so different with the word gospel. Gospel simply means “good news.” If I went to a hospital and had a successful heart surgery I could, in essence, turn around and tell you the gospel of my heart surgeon. Why? His talent and ability meant good news for my heart! With this said, we need to understand that the Bible talks about the good news of the kingdom of God (or heaven) and the good news of Jesus Christ. Both are found in scripture. The important thing to understand is that just because they are both good news for us, they are not the same thing.

                The gospel of Jesus Christ provides the power necessary for our salvation.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16)

                We openly recognize that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the foundation of our faith. Without the gospel of Jesus Christ there is no salvation. Without salvation, we cannot be redeemed to God. The entire foundation of Christianity is removed with the removal of this gospel. If Jesus wasn’t fully God and fully man and if He did not die for our sins being raised to life on the third day, there would be no purpose for Christianity. There would be no power in it and our faith would become nothing more than dead, empty religion.

The gospel of Jesus Christ provides the necessary information for sinners to become believers. However, this is not where the Christian faith was intended to stop. Once we receive Jesus we are spiritually translated into His kingdom. Our spirit is reborn and we begin to exist in the dimension of God while simultaneously existing on earth.

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

This is crucial for our understanding. We are translated into the kingdom “of” Jesus. This means that Jesus has a kingdom. Furthermore, Jesus is King over His kingdom. The gospel of Jesus introduces us to the good news of the Person, but the gospel of the kingdom introduces us to the good news of His dimension and reality. In other words, if the gospel of Jesus Christ is level one then the gospel of the kingdom is level two. We can simplify this with a working definition of the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is the dimension where God is King.

Let’s explain this a bit further. The gospel of Jesus Christ is evidenced when a sinner repents and receives Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Although there is no observable change (except for their mood, facial expression, and potentially some tears) the new believer will begin to experience a relationship with a Person that will change their life. The gospel of the kingdom has different evidence. Consider how Jesus explains it.

“But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.” (Luke 17:20)

What is Jesus saying here? He is saying that one kingdom is displacing another. Devils are members of the kingdom of darkness. The kingdom of darkness has excessive territory in the earth—all of which is held illegally. The kingdom of God is a different kingdom. It is a higher dimension. When it comes upon a group, a home, a city, or a nation, it displaces the kingdom of darkness and takes over that territory. It overtakes and overcomes. This is why when the kingdom of God came upon Israel through the ministry of Jesus demons were displaced.

Let’s look at this a different way. Pretend that Chuck (arbitrary name) is a Chinese citizen. Chuck does not have a Mongolian visa. If he goes to Mongolia, they have the legal right to arrest and deport him. He has no right to be there. Now let’s say Chuck is doing his business in China, but suddenly Mongolia takes control of the Chinese government and makes all former Chinese citizens illegal. According to the new law that has taken effect, Chuck must leave. They have taken control of the territory where he was doing his business and legally taken away his rights. As the ruling power they can now make the laws. In this example Mongolia represents the kingdom of God, China is the kingdom of darkness, and Chuck would be a lowly devil.

When we are dealing with the kingdom of God we are dealing with the manifestation of God’s reality in the earth. This kingdom has the power and potential to displace the kingdom of darkness from entire geographies. This is only part of the gospel of the kingdom and it is certainly good news! However, this also raises the bar for us because the kingdom of God cannot manifest and take territory from the kingdom of darkness without our cooperation.

“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matthew 24:14)

What many have failed to realized is that it is not the preaching of the gospel of Jesus that will precede the second coming, but it is the gospel of the kingdom. This involves the display of the power of God through His people, releasing the kingdom and reality of God across entire geographies. God’s reality includes the unity of His people. If we want Jesus to come back soon, we need to get with the program and unify to cooperate with His agenda.

Discussion

1.       Is the gospel of Jesus the same as the gospel of the kingdom?

2.       What is the gospel of Jesus?

3.       What is the gospel of the kingdom?

4.       What are the implications of Matthew 24:14?

5.       Why is unity important when considering the concept of God’s kingdom?