Is Your Biblical Worldview Hebrew or Greek? It Makes A Difference!

 
      I absolutely love the study of history! I love to investigate why and how the modern world arrived at a certain philosophy or state of being; studying the origins and transformations that have occurred down through the years. And nothing excites me more than studying our faith in relation to the Bible and history.
     You see, it is critical for us who follow Christ to develop a Biblical worldview. That is, we must rightly view the world through the lens of God's Word. But if you study history, it is easy to see that the manner in which the Body of Christ/the Church has viewed God's Word has changed through the centuries. And I remember waking up to the reality that just because we believe certain things "according to the Bible" today, it may not necessarily be consistent with the original writings and intent of God's inspired Word. Will that sound blasphemous to some Christians? Probably so. But, I assure you that I am not casual nor arbitrary when it comes to determining my belief system. The Bible is always the foundation, and I rely on the Holy Spirit to guide me, counsel me, and reveal God's Truth. But I will also admit that I have had my theology rocked through such divine instruction and I have learned that He is always willing to grow me in my understanding, which sometimes involves changing what I've believed.
     I say all this to come to the point of this blog ... from the beginning of the Bible's existence there has been a tension between the Hebrew mindset and the Greek mindset when it comes to interpreting it and understanding it. After listening to a fascinating podcast on Dan Duval's show with Todd Weatherly, it confirmed what I had already discerned about most of the Western Church: first, they do not read their Bible; and second, they do not understand that the Bible is a Hebrew book, written from a Hebrew perspective. Too many Christians have wrongly subscribed [whether intentionally or not] to the belief system of Replacement Theology [ a Christian doctrine which asserts that the New Covenant through Jesus Christ supersedes the Old Covenant, which was made exclusively with the Jewish people]. In other words, adherents of Replacement Theology believe that the Church has now replaced the Jews as God's Chosen People to lead the world to a knowledge of Him.
   Nothing could be further from the truth. Just read Romans, Chapter 11. But getting back to my original premise, we must view the Bible from the perspective of who it was written to (the Hebrews) and how they would have understood its teachings and wisdom. That translates into how we view the world through the eyes of Scripture and the One who inspired it. In doing so, we hope to develop the mind and character and heart of our God. So, it's important to know which mindset God has, don't you think?
     Todd Weatherly summed up the differences between a Hebrew mindset and a Greek mindset in this simple way: The Hebrew mindset says, "I will do it [through obedience], and then I'll understand it." He says the Greek mindset thinks like this: "I need to understand it first, and then I'll do it".
     Here's another way to look at the differences .... the Hebrew mindset allows for layers upon layers of meaning. In fact, the Hebraic rabbinic schools taught four different ways of interpreting the writings of the prophets and the Law: 1) the literal, straightforward meaning of the text on which all else depends.  No further levels of interpretation can contradict the literal sense, but they can build upon it;  2) the implied meaning of Scripture, where you build on the implications that Scripture leaves believers to figure out for themselves, but provides the clues for it;  3) using analogies or moral lessons to explain the meaning of the Bible, and  4) the hidden level of interpretation.  The hidden nature of Scripture is how something that seems simple and straightforward and pointless (for example, obscure laws and stories and genealogies) applies to us personally.
     In addition, the Hebrew mindset can be taken too far. There is a mystical side of Hebrew religious philosophy that becomes so entangled in hidden and secret meanings, that it threatens to idolize human ability to gain spiritual knowledge, instead of recognizing that all giftings and knowledge comes from God. That's why the Bible warns us to Trust the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. To sum it all up, the Hebrew mindset allows for varied interpretations, and a passage can have multiple meanings [both in the physical and the spiritual realms] -- all to be revealed to the reader from God's perspective.
      On the other hand, Greek thinking is very black and white; laden with precise exegesis rather than being rich in possibilities. Greek thought nails the meaning down; it can mean one thing, and one thing only. When we consider that Socrates lived 400 years before the crucifixion of Christ, and is considered the father of Western philosophy, we can understand why the Greek mindset would have been in direct conflict with the Hebrew mindset at the time the Bible was written and translated. The Socratic method of learning can be summed up, thusly: learning through the use of critical thinking, reasoning, and logic. From there, one questions, analyzes, and simplifies to get the one correct answer. The physical world contains the answer; the spiritual influence isn't considered.
     We can see the tension between these two mindsets exposed in the Bible.  Remember, Greek philosophy was not discontinued just because the Roman empire defeated the Greek empire. The Romans did not destroy the vast collections of Greek literature or the Greek philosophical schools and traditions of thought. The Romans were smart enough to preserve the Greek language, culture, and philosophies; even adopting much of the Greek religion, renaming the Greek gods and making them their own. Therefore, we see, in the New Testament, how the "Hellenizers" [Greek-influenced Jews] come into conflict with Hebrew Jews. The Hebrews were Jewish Christians who spoke almost exclusively Aramaic, and the Hellenists were also Jewish Christians whose mother tongue was Greek. They were Greek-speaking Jews of the Diaspora [taken into captivity during previous attacks upon Israel's homeland], who had returned to settle in Jerusalem. Acts 6:1 portrays this reality: Now about this time, when the number of disciples was increasing, a complaint was made by the Hellenists (Greek-speaking Jews) against the [native] Hebrews (speaking Aramaic), because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. 
     Why should all this matter? It matters because the way you think about God determines your ability to perceive His nature. If you read the Bible from a Hebrew mindset, then a Virgin Birth is possible; the parting of the Red Sea is seen as a miracle of God; Joshua's Long Day is unquestioned; turning water into wine really happened; the feeding of 5000 men and their families was a reality; the resurrection of Christ really happened; and we have been given authority and power to heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead.
     A Greek mindset would read the Bible and say the Virgin Birth was based on pagan myths, or that the word "virgin" was a Greek mistranslation of a Hebrew word which actually meant "young woman". The Greek mindset explains the parting of the Red Sea as the phenomenon of "wind setdown" - where strong winds can push water away from one place to pile up elsewhere. Joshua's Long Day is explained away as a repetition of a Greek myth of Apollo’s son, Phaethon, who disrupted the sun’s course for a day. A Greek mindset will say Jesus didn’t really feed [the 5000] or anybody with actual food, did he? He fed them with information – food for the soul. The fish and the loaves are metaphors with symbolic meanings. Those with a Greek mindset will explain the Resurrection this way: Dionysus was the Greek god of wine, who became the Roman god Bacchus. There is a Greek myth which says that Dionysus was raised from the dead. Therefore, some early Greek Christians might well have been former worshipers of Dionysus, and since there was 40 years since the death of Jesus and the first written gospels, there is plenty of time to mold "the Jesus story" to replicate the Greek myth. And finally, the Greek mindset will have no trouble in believing in the doctrine of Cessationism, which states that the supernatural does not exist in this age, and the spiritual gifts such as speaking in tongues, prophecy and healing ceased with the apostolic age.
     Can you see how the events of history have influenced the way people interpret the Bible today -- even Christians!? There have been many intellectual and philosophical movements throughout history that have affected man's interpretation of Scripture, even to the point that we now have versions of the Bible that contradict each other! The translation from Hebrew [or Aramaic] to Greek to English hasn't helped, either. But perhaps the one that has had the most lasting effect upon our culture is the Enlightenment, also called The Age of Reason. The Greek mindset was at the heart of this philosphy, which scholars describe as "an epistemology (a method of thinking and knowledge) based on the presumption that the natural [physical] world is best understood through the use of close observation by the human mind, coupled with a reliance on reason." Doesn't leave much room for God's supernatural and divine will, does it? Perhaps this conflict explains Paul's statement in 2 Corinthians 10:5, We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ...  
     As God is awakening His people to the re-discovery of the Gospel of the Kingdom, it is important that we know which mindset our Biblical worldview is based on. The Greek mindset has been reinforced since the Age of Reason and the Enlightenment. But the Kingdom of God is not reasonable! It demands our life, even to the point of martyrdom. There is no amount of critical thinking or analyzing that can make laying down your life for Christ seem logical. It is the power of faith alone that leads us to that conclusion. One only need to read 1 Corinthians 4:20 to understand this correlation: For the kingdom of God is not based on talk but on power.  
     There it is! The Hebrew mindset will allow you to see the power of the Bible. The Greek mindset will attempt to logically debate its promises. That results in the ability of the Enemy to build structures in your mind that are barriers to the supernatural knowledge of God and the counsel of the Holy Spirit. When an attack comes, it is then far too easy for us to revert from what we know in our heart [the spiritual knowledge of Jesus] to a Greek mindset of trying to overcome in our own power, using logical thinking. So, take the time to answer these questions ... Do you read the Bible to know the Most High God? And if you are reading the Bible, what is the mindset of God? Is He revealing Himself from a Hebrew mindset, or a Greek? And finally, What is your Biblical worldview? Your ability to walk in the fullness of God's purpose for your life depends on those answers. They are important. Take them seriously!

1 Corinthians 1:22-25     For Jews demand signs (attesting miracles), and Greeks pursue [worldly] wisdom and philosophy, but we preach Christ crucified, [a message which is] to Jews a stumbling block [that provokes their opposition], and to Gentiles foolishness [just utter nonsense], but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks (Gentiles), Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. [This is] because the foolishness of God [is not foolishness at all and] is wiser than men [far beyond human comprehension], and the weakness of God is stronger than men [far beyond the limits of human effort].
     

Being Sanctified and Spiritually Worthy

    
     I recently ran across this quote by noted theologian A.W. Tozer: "The popular notion that the first obligation of the church is to spread the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth is false. Her first obligation is to be spiritually worthy to spread it." I spent a lot of time contemplating those wise words and trying to listen to God about how they applied to me.  I would imagine that each of you reading this have the same thoughts yourself. While I want to share where the Lord took me, I understand that what He is doing in each of our lives may look different, but I believe His ultimate objective is the same -- that we submit to what we are called to, allowing our Father to sanctify us before we "get up and go" to fulfill our purpose.
     So, I find myself asking, "Am I spiritually worthy to carry out my assignment?" Along with that question, comes the awareness that my sanctification -- my being set apart for this purpose/assignment -- is an ongoing process. What it looked like at the beginning, is not what it looks like now; nor do I expect that it will look the same at the end of my life. Sanctification is a personal and continuous experience.
     In fact, I am so blessed that my husband and I received our sanctification as a team. Mark clearly heard from the Lord one night in his sleep, and the exact same message was confirmed, word for word, the next night. He was told that he was to sanctify us and our property unto the Lord, with exactly how to do it with oil [that was prayed over and blessed to be made holy for the Lord's will].  No word as to what exactly we were to be sanctified for, but we just stepped out in obedience and waited; choosing to dive into the Bible until God's plan for us was revealed. 
     Somehow, instinctively, we knew that God was the Source of whatever we were being called to, and to step out without Him or clear direction from Him, would be doing something in our own power. I will tell you that this period of time in which we were being sanctified was among the most rewarding [and exhilarating] of my life. I witnessed our spirits come alive as God worked in us to release the chains of bondage that had held us back from seeking why we are here on this earth. We were fed and nourished by the Lord as we hungered for more knowledge and revelation of His Word. We were being cleansed and purged of wrong thoughts, wrong living, and wrong theology. We were "being made ready". And as our assignment(s) grow and change, God will continue to make us ready.
     That brings me back to A.W. Tozer's statement. Is it really not our purpose -- mine and yours, and the corporate Body of Christ -- to spread/share the gospel "to the uttermost parts of the earth?" After all, doesn't Matthew 24:14 say, And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come? As I read this sentence over and over, I began to change my perspective. Was this meant to be read as a command ... or as a prophecy? Of course, I immediately recalled the clear command of Jesus to the twelve disciples in Acts 1:8, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” We know this is directed at the Disciples, what their assignment is, and how it will come about. The same is not true of Matthew 24:14. We only know that it will be done. Only God knows how He will arrange for this prophecy to be fulfilled.
     So that perspective made me focus more on my obligation to the Father. If we know that we have been called out of the world to serve Him, it is not as important to know where He is going to take us, as it is to allow Him to take the time to sanctify us and make us ready. We don't know when the prophecy of Matthew 24:14 will take place, or when the end will come. While I still believe we are to proclaim the gospel ... for as Paul says in Romans 10:14, And how shall they hear without one who proclaims Him? ... it is important to submit to God so that we are "spiritually worthy" to carry out the work He has planned for us, while still proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom. 
     I think part of that process of being sanctified, made ready, and becoming spiritually worthy, is the process of maturing. If we are not willing to let God take His appointed time to grow us and equip us, then we may step out too early, causing harm to ourselves, others, and ultimately, to God's plan. Submission to God is the first step. We must prepare and be prepared spiritually before we can physically go. I personally am concerned when I see someone step out ahead of God in their calling. My husband is so good at reminding me [in my calling] to always look where Jehovah Nissi is [the Lord is my banner]. He goes before us when He calls us, and if I see that I've marched ahead of Him, I instantly know I am on unstable ground.  Jesus knew He could do nothing on His own, so He was always under the direction of His Father [doing only what He had heard the Father instruct Him, or seeing what the Father showed Him]. 
     We should rejoice in knowing that when the time comes, Matthew 24:14 will be fulfilled, just as God ordains it.  We shouldn't worry about making that our end goal. Instead we should rejoice that He has chosen us, is sanctifying us, and preparing us spiritually for specific good works and assignments, "which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). We must allow Him to set us apart, to prepare us spiritually, and to mature us in our walk. It is then that we are the most effective for the Lord, and we can produce the most fruit for the Kingdom.

1 Thessalonians 2:12      We exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

      
     
    
    
    

Invention of the Devil

     There are some days that the Holy Spirit shows me something and my human spirit screams "Noooo!" At the same time it hears the Lord say, "My people perish for lack of knowledge. Show them this." I promise you that what you are about to read is absolutely 100% true and for those with spiritual eyes to see, it will be a warning of things to come on the earth.
     If you have any awareness at all of what is going on in the world, then you cannot ignore the rapid advancement of technology and the growing relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and human beings.
     Six years ago, in 2013, I was writing a series of posts on this phenomenon and shouting the warning signs of how Satan will use this to separate mankind from God. At that time, the Holy Spirit counseled me to focus on those aspects of the world [for a season]. Then God pointed me in a different direction that ultimately led to our Inner Healing Ministry and an assignment to write/teach on the Gospel of the Kingdom and the Kingdom of God. But when I saw an article on Elon Musk's new start-up tech company, Neuralink, I was prompted to go back to see how far the Enemy has advanced his agenda in the last six years.

     In 2013, Holy Spirit was shining a light on Ray Kurzweil, who had been the Director of Engineering at Google, but whose fame is now centered around his reputation as a revered futurist. In a June 2013 article on a U.K. website, he claimed that we are not far away from replacing our flesh and blood body parts with mechanical parts. Combine that with the scientific community's plan to develop a technological system by which your mind can live forever in a digital state, and you basically get a robot version of yourself. In the article, Kurzweil said, "Based on conservative estimates of the amount of computation you need to functionally simulate a human brain, we'll be able to expand the scope of our intelligence a billion-fold." Because of the astounding developments that have taken place in genetic sequencing and 3D printing over just the last few years, scientists will be able to combine the abilities of a computer with God's created human brain, and basically usurp man's natural state and produce a machine that we were never meant to be.  We will no longer be made in the image of God, but in the likeness of a machine-driven computer.
     That may sound like I am fear-mongering, but consider Ray Kurzweil's forecast: "We're going to become increasingly non-biological to the point where the non-biological part dominates and the biological part is not important any more. In fact the non-biological part [the machine part] will be so powerful it can completely model and understand the biological part. So even if that biological part went away it wouldn't make any difference."
     Back in 2013, he predicted that the intelligence gap between humans and computers would be closed by 2029. Here's how he made his case: "We can now see inside a living brain and see individual inter-neural connections being formed and firing in real time. We can see your brain create your thoughts and thoughts create your brain. A lot of this research reveals how the mechanism of the neocortex works, which is where we do our thinking. This provides biologically inspired methods that we can emulate in our computers. We’re already doing that. The deep learning technique that I developed uses multilayered neural nets that are inspired by how the brain works. Using these biologically inspired models, plus all of the research that’s been done over the decades in artificial intelligence, combined with exponentially expanding hardware, we will achieve human levels within two decades." He said that in 2013, which was six years ago. According to his timeline, we are within 14 years of that nefarious accomplishment.

     So, advance to 2019, and an article on TechCrunch.com, and the announcement that Elon Musk, a technology entrepreneur and engineer, has a start-up company called Neuralink, that is ready to "begin outfitting human brains with faster input and output by next year". Neuralink is working on technology that’s based around “threads,” which it says can be implanted in human brains with much less potential impact to the surrounding brain tissue versus what’s currently used for today’s brain-computer interfaces. “Most people don’t realize, we can solve that with a chip,” Musk said to kick off Neuralink’s launch event, talking about some of the brain disorders and issues the company hopes to solve. 
     Notice how casually he talks about implanting a chip to solve brain "disorders and issues". I'm not disputing that there are very real health issues involving the brain, but when Musk says that, long-term, Neuralink really is about figuring out a way to “achieve a sort of symbiosis with artificial intelligence" and "for now, the aim is medical" ... well, I get shivers down my spine, and that's when my spirit starts the aforementioned screaming of "Nooooo!". And, I have to say, it more than concerns me when I read that "the plan is also that the electrodes implanted in the brain will be able to communicate wirelessly with chips outside the brain, providing real-time monitoring".
     That's especially troubling when Holy Spirit reminds me that in 2013 Ray Kurzweil was noted as being a strong proponent for what he calls an "exponential growth of knowledge" and was focused on controlling the neocortex part of our brain (where we do our thinking).  He even went so far as to trying to understand why some people (like me) are so resistant to accepting this kind of research.  He seems to think that people who are resistant have disorganized neocortexes (read there is "something else" that prohibits us from being manipulated).  See if you can guess what that "something else" might be from this statement he made in reference to his friend, the late Steve Jobs (of Apple fame).  Jobs famously proclaimed, “Death is very likely the single best invention of life. It’s life’s change agent.”

     But Kurzweil had a very unique perspective on Jobs's thought.  "I call this a deathist statement .... Religion, which emerged in prescientific times, did the next best thing, which is to say, ‘Oh, that tragic thing? That’s really a good thing.” We rationalized that because we had to accept it. But in my mind death is a tragedy. Our initial reaction to hearing that someone has died is a profound loss of knowledge and skill and talents and relationships." 
      It's at this point that my spirit and my brain ask, "Where is God in this technology?" Can you see what a lack of God does for you?  Because my initial reaction to hearing that someone has died is, "What is it like standing in the presence of Jesus?"  The irony of the whole Artificial Intelligence system is that the researchers and scientists see only the significance of the human brain.  They deny the plausibility of our spirit and connection to a living God.  So while vehemently denying the existence of God, they are, in effect, trying to play God.  (Boy, are they in for a surprise!)
      I may not be able to fight their system on a scientific level, but I have to ask this question .... in light of how I plan to spend eternity versus their strategy for expanding [and controlling] knowledge, who is really the intelligent one?
     If you understand nothing else from this post, please grasp this truth:  the Age of Computers is a tool in the hands of the one who would separate us from our Creator.  But only if we let him!  Can anyone dispute that their iPhone or iPad occupy "countless ways of killing time" -- ways that keep us from engaging with God?  And can inventors such as Kurzweil and Musk deny that their goal is to fundamentally change who we are as humans, and that as scientists/inventors, they now conceive of themselves as their own god?  The tragedy is that through their inventions, they will entice far too many of us to take our eyes and hearts off the true Creator.
     Just like Nimrod and the folks at the Tower of Babel, our modern-day technological geniuses want to become famous by displacing the need for God.  Motivated by pride and arrogance, they have made a name for themselves.  But perhaps they should revisit that section of the Bible and learn of the destruction that was the result of such conceit.  God will not allow His Sovereignty to be usurped; and not only did they not achieve the greatness they sought, but they suffered His Divine Judgment.  Watch and see ... history is going to repeat itself.

Luke 1:51     He has done mighty deeds with His [powerful] arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.
     

How Do We View God's Justice and Righteousness In The 21st Century?

     The concept of Justice and Righteousness can be a confusing issue among both Christians and non-Christians alike. For starters, among the various translations, the two terms "justice" and "righteousness" are often interchangeable. So, at times God's justice is His righteousness, as in the ESV version of Psalm 106:3, which says, "Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times!". The structure of the sentence seems to indicate that the two clauses are similar in meaning. Yet the King James translation of that same verse indicates two separate and independent clauses: "Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times."
     Again, we see a confusion of terms in Deuteronomy 32:4, which says, "The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he." Yet that same verse, in the King James version reads, "He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he." Is God's justice to be understood as His righteousness, or is it His judgment? No wonder we, in the 21st Century, have a hard time understanding the true nature and character of our God!

     In a very real sense, I believe we have lost our awareness and our perception -- our consciousness -- of what a Just God looks like. We have decided that we like the picture of a loving and kind God better than that of a God who judges and condemns people to destruction. In fact, many have decided to drive a wedge between the Old and New Testaments, saying that Jesus brought Grace and Mercy and Compassion, and there is no room for Old Testament justice as judgment in the New Covenant.
     But, because we know that the God of the Old Testament is the same as the God of the New, and that one of His characteristics is that He never changes (James 1:17), nor can Scripture be undone, annulled, or broken (John 10:35); we can confidently declare that His justice is both righteousness and judgment, as He determines.
     One of the hardest accusations against God to answer is why would He command the complete destruction of Canaanite peoples down to every last man, woman, and child? We are asked, "If your God is such a loving God, where is the justice and compassion in that?" What we need to be able to explain is that Israel had a unique calling as God's chosen covenant people. Their assignment was to prepare the way for a pure and just Messiah. That's why God was so careful in establishing purity laws; they pointed the way to the holiness demanded by God to bring the Messiah into the world.
     Jesus Christ must be born through an uncorrupted and pure bloodline. The inhabitants of the Canaanite nations that the Israelites were commanded to destroy were the descendants of fallen angels mating with human women; obviously an unholy bloodline. There could be no intermingling of DNA. God intended for His chosen people to remain pure so Jesus could be born into humanity; while Satan was determined to pollute the gene pool so that our Lord's birth would be denied.
     Furthermore, our just and righteous God instituted sacrificial laws to point the way to the Atonement that Jesus would bring. And the total destruction of the Canaanite societies was both a physical and spiritual war that pointed to God's just judgment against sins such as child sacrifice and cult prostitution. Old Testament scholar Tremper Longman summarizes these points of God's justice and righteousness like this: We must point out that the Bible does not understand the destruction of the men, women, and children of these cities as a slaughter of innocents. Not even the children are considered innocent. They are all part of an inherently wicked culture that, if allowed to live, would morally and theologically pollute the people of Israel.  I would add, spiritually and physically to that list, as well.
     That's a pretty simple example of God's justice and righteousness in the Old Testament. But how are we to look at it in the New Testament, and from a modern perspective? At the Cross, Jesus exemplified and experienced the full measure of God's wrath against sin. And because of His sacrifice, we can be forgiven of our sin, and stand in God's favor by faith alone.
     But the war is not over! God's enemies will not be completely defeated until Jesus returns to establish everlasting justice on the earth. Until then, we are still called to do battle for God; only now it is a spiritual battle against "the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." We are not called to fight and destroy flesh and blood humans today, but to tear down and destroy strongholds and principalities in the spiritual realms!
     But have we stripped our God of His nature of Justice, which includes His administration of a heavenly government on the earth? Do we now interpret everything in the human sphere through Grace or Hyper-Grace instead of a righteous and just governmental lens? I'm not sure that the majority of Christians believe in Justice today. Could it be that we have reduced God to the characteristics that make us feel comfortable; creating a God that fits our image of what He should be -- loving, kind, gentle, merciful, gracious, compassionate, warm, sensitive ... and oh, yes, let's not forget tolerant. 
     Have we forgotten that at the beginning of His ministry, He proclaimed that the Kingdom of Heaven had arrived? Have we ignored the fact that a kingdom is under the legal jurisdiction of its King? Have we read the back of The Book which tells us that He comes to rule and reign; and to divide and conquer; that He is Lord, King and Judge? All that speaks of justice in terms that we don't like to apply to Him ... vengeance is His, and He will repay. 
     It is important to acknowledge that YHWH has not changed. He is the same God in 2019 that He was at the creation of this world. Even in the midst of his righteous judgment, He can be seen as merciful and loving. Through the destruction of the Canaanites, God mercifully protected the Israelites from idolatry and maintained His plan for Jesus to be born pure and holy. God was merciful and righteous in His justice to provide a way for a Canaanite woman (the prostitute Rahab) to repent and join the geneology of Jesus. A righteous and holy God would not be true to Himself if He tolerated sin. He must uphold His holiness. But we can be assured that wrath is not His heart. Because He will not tolerate sin, it shows His righteous mercy for those He loves. David Matthews, Executive Director of desiringGod.org writes, "Severity in God always serves His heart of mercy — to make known the riches of His glory to His people, who are the vessels of His mercy." 
     So, let us endeavor to remember that Jesus reclaimed the earth for the Kingdom of God. Nothing has changed with that profound reality.  We need both His justice in the form of His righteousness and love; but when necessary, we need His judgment, too. It all serves to mold us into the very image of Him, and to see the completion of the restoration of His kingdom on earth.

Proverbs 28:5    Evil men do not understand justice, but they who long for and seek the Lord understand it fully.   
     
      

The Beauty and Balance of Bold Faith

     In 2008, I received a word that awakened an innate love of writing that had surfaced as a child, and then had lain dormant for over 30 years. A man whom I only met once told me he had a message for me from my Father in Heaven to "be the pen and not the blank piece of paper". Only God could have revealed to him that I was meant to write, since no one -- not even my husband -- was aware that my gift even existed, let alone that it had been inoperative for so long.
     He told me that God wanted me to write because He created me to do it, and that it pleased Him for me to use my gift. That's all it took -- there was no question about it; no hesitancy at all. I was simply going to be obedient. That led to three years of writing every single day for the joy it gave me, and for the pleasure of my Father. The result was a novel that I have yet to publish because the goal wasn't to write a best-seller, but to just develop a discipline of writing ... and to please God, of course.
     Three years later, I heard a word from Him, myself. I was commanded to write a blog -- this very blog -- to calm the fears of women as we faced a radically changing world. I clearly heard in my spirit that women were frightened about the economy, the constant threats of war and terrorism, the transformation of our society and morals, and the structure of the family, just to name a few. But the Lord told me that in all these matters, I needed to point them to Him. In other words, don't shy away from examining world affairs, but give them courage to face an evolving world by looking at it through a lens of faith and the Bible. Thus, began a season of blog posts on looking at subjects like the Hegelian Dialect, Normalcy Bias, World Politics, Isis, and Prepping.
     Then in 2015, God told me to stop looking at the world, and point my audience solely to Him. I wrote about new revelations I was receiving on old, familiar Scripture. And I discussed topics like Occultism and Witchcraft; Power and Authority; and our relationship with the Holy Spirit. And if you've followed the path the Lord has led me on, you now know that He is declaring a new season of writing on the Kingdom of God.

     As you can see, He has been moving in my life and there is a progression towards knowing more of Him and His ways. But I'm not the only one! I have been blessed within the last three days to be among groups of believers just like me; people who are on an individual journey, but one that God has designed to benefit all of us. Our assignments don't resemble each other's. What's more, God is showing me how important it is for those of us who are "watchmen on the wall" to stay alert and aware of not only what He is doing in the world and the spirit realms; but what He is teaching each of us, and what we are encountering and learning; and also what the Enemy is up to in his schemes and strategies to defeat God's agenda.
     And this is encouragement for all of you who read this blog. As we focus in on our individual assignments, we can sometimes lose sight of the bigger picture -- all that I mentioned above. And when God has placed you in a remote location to sow seeds for the Kingdom, as He has me and my husband, one can feel isolated and removed from where [we perceive] all the action is occurring. So, it was good for us to travel to Austin a few days ago to be in the company of a diverse group of Kingdom-Seekers and hear what the Lord's been up to, and to get a glimpse of where He's taking us.
     As you know, Mark and I have been given an assignment of working with Jesus to bring Inner Healing and Divine Deliverance to those who are hurting in this world -- the broken-hearted, the prisoners, the blind, and the oppressed. But He has recently added "teaching the Kingdom" to our job description. Those two tasks are consuming both our ministry and prayer time. So we were able to share these experiences with the group and hear how the Lord is working differently in their lives. And that's where it got interesting and exciting!
     We had a Watchman whose assignment is to research and investigate -- and ultimately destroy -- the rapid advancement of technology and how the Enemy is using it in nefarious ways to infect and infiltrate our bodies. I'm not just talking about listening in on your phone conversations or the vaccine controversy, folks. The knowledge that the Lord is downloading to certain Watchmen makes the plots and storylines of TV Shows like the wildly popular Stranger Things seem like fairy tales. I mean, I'm talking about the fact that the Enemy knows Scripture such as 1 John 5:1, which says, This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.
     So, imagine if you can, that the Lord downloads a message to you that concerns this topic of light and it has huge ramifications for the human species. I'm going to give you a very condensed science lesson and you will see what I'm talking about. According to Wired.com, an online magazine that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics, all objects produce light. That is, we are matter that consists of energy fields and magnetic fields, which result in electromagnetic waves. All of these electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed (the speed of light). However, they have different interactions with matter. And technically, the interaction with light and matter depends on the frequency of light. And here's how and why that is important to us humans ... What happens, say if there is no light that enters your body through your eyes? What if you are in a place with absolutely no source of light? The correct answer is that you will just see black [or darkness] - forever.
     What if the Lord showed you that the Enemy has co-opted mankind to develop various ways to insert Artificial Intelligence into our bodies that will bend light, so that what is attacking our bodies through allergies, seizures, body aches, profound fatigue, autism etc., cannot be found? When the Light Source is diverted, these attacks on our bodies remain in the dark and are many, many times undiscoverable. But what if God gave you the keys that fit into the locks previously unopened by traditional and non-traditional medicine? What if He showed you that the body could actually speak to you [via muscle testing] and show you what, how, and where those attacks were originating from? Would that fit into your faith grid? Can you trust that the God of the Bible could [and would] reveal something so unorthodox and extraordinary? 
     Picture, if you will, this diverse group of obedient followers of Jesus and how we were able to reconcile our dissimilar, non-traditional paths of faith and obedience. After all, my path certainly has nothing in common with revelations regarding the quantum mechanics of the body. Yet, one could conclude that the goal of both ministries is healing of both body and spirit.
     The point that I want to make by sharing these disparate accounts of journeys with God is that, in the end, the entire group had one thing in common ... despite different paths, we all arrived at the same position of faith: no matter what this world conjures up to try to destroy our assignments from God, the blood of Jesus defeats it. We have been given the power and authority from our Lord over all the power of the Enemy, and ultimately he cannot harm us. Those of us who answer God's call to boldly walk where most people dare not tread can expect criticism and rejection. But that was the beauty of this gathering of the faithful. We were all willing to accept our assignments, even if it meant isolation, condemnation, and the possibility of failures. We might not look like the world, or even each other, but we all recognized that we have the Light in us, and when we expose the Enemy's darkness to the Light of Jesus, we can and will be victorious!
     So, I just want to end this post with this word of encouragement to you ... don't worry about how your assignment from God looks to others; and don't compare or try to emulate another's spiritual walk. There is something uniquely and exceptionally beautiful about how God designates each of us for specific purposes, and how those purposes balance each other out to fulfill His ultimate plan. We don't need to try to figure it all out or how it all fits together; we just need to be bold and persistent. That's the picture of Faith that honors and glorifies our Father in Heaven. May it ever be!

If you would like more information on the ministry of Quantum Mechanics and the healing of the body, visit Natalie Morris at Quantum Command. 

1 Corinthians 7:17    May all believers continue to live the wonderful lives God has called them to live, according to what He assigns for each person, for this is what I teach to believers everywhere.

A History Lesson: Democracy And A Kingdom

    
     If you remember your world history, then you are most likely aware that the ancient Greeks are responsible for the concept of Democracy. Nearly 2500 years ago, the great Athenian general Pericles coined the phrase about the government of the nation being "in the hands of the many and not the few". From that moment in time, the idea of a representative government became a subject of much debate and conflict among the major Greek philosophers.
     Aristotle declared that "man is by nature a political animal", but he saw the inherent flaws in a democracy. Plato saw it as a poor form of government, primarily because his mentor, Socrates, was executed by a democracy. They understood that Democracy, by considering the ignorant to be as important as the well-informed, does not guarantee sensible decisions. But the primary goal of all these great philosophers was to determine how to rule effectively. In that vein, they also studied kingdoms and how kings ruled. And what they discovered will have a tremendous impact on how you study and understand the Bible.
     What they ascertained was that a King ruled in a reverse way from a democracy. In a democracy, the people vote [or select] the leader; the leader chooses a cabinet; then the cabinet counsels the leader. In a Kingdom it is reversed. The King chooses the citizens and appoints His cabinet. But the cabinet is not chosen to counsel the King, but to execute the King's will in the Kingdom. The Greek word for that legislative assembly is Ekklesia. Jesus says in John 15:16, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you might go and bear fruit -- fruit that will last...".
     The Romans implemented this Greek idea of a kingdom cabinet, or Ekklesia, and they called that group the Senate. The Senate in Rome was King Caesar's legislative arm that executed his will throughout the entire Kingdom. They took the King's desires, translated them into legislation and made them into laws, so that the people actually obeyed the King's mind through the work of the Senate.
     Jesus used the Greek word for this legislative assembly in Matthew 16:18, when He said, "I will build My Ekklesia, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it!" It is important to note that the gates of a city symbolized where justice and law was often dispensed. But, unfortunately, we in the 21st Century are still laboring under the wrong translation in the King James Bible, and that verse is rendered "I will build My Church...". Ekklesia, unlike Church, is not a religious group. It is the political agency of a King. It is important to note that the only person who can appoint an Ekklesia is a King. A Prophet cannot appoint an Ekklesia. A Priest cannot appoint an Ekklesia. A Teacher cannot appoint an Ekklesia.
     It is my hope that as you study your Bible and all that is revealed about Kingdom, you will see that Jesus spends the majority of His three-year ministry teaching His disciples everything about THE KINGDOM, over and over and over. He knows that before He leaves the earth, He needs to establish His government. So, it is important for us to see why He asks His disciples "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" Because who they say He is [will] determine what He's qualified to do.
     Stop for a moment and contemplate this idea. Muslims call Jesus a prophet in the Koran, and that disqualifies Him from being a King and having a Kingdom. The Hindus call Him a teacher of wisdom. That, too, disqualifies Him to be a King over a Kingdom. The Buddhists see Him as a Wise Man, which also disqualifies Him. None of those terms qualifies Him to be a King and appoint an Ekklesia on the earth to rule in His stead.
     This is why it is so important for this generation [and every generation] to figure out how to properly identify Him! Whatever you call Him determines how He can operate in the world. That's why what I said in my previous post is so important to grasp. If we see Him as only the Lamb (full of Grace and Mercy) and don't see Him as the King [with Power and Judgment] then we will miss our appointments in the Kingdom and He won't have an effective legislative body to carry out His will.
     That's why Jesus asks Peter, "Who do they say I am?" And look at the answers... each answer disqualifies Him as the King of a Kingdom! Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, or Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. A prophet is not a King, and a prophet cannot appoint an Ekklesia! And then comes the all-important question, "Who do you say I am?" Peter answers correctly: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!" What is lost on the modern church is the fact that there were many men calling themselves Christ in Jesus's day, and all serving dead gods. But Peter qualified our Lord! He said, " You are THE Christ, the Son of the LIVING God"! 
     And I want you to recall the difference between our identities as FAMILY and KINGDOM in yesterday's blog. I want you to see that when Jesus asked Peter, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?", He is pointing to His identity as a member of the Family of God. But when Peter replies, "the Son of the [Living] God", and Jesus tells him he is correct, that is Jesus qualifying Himself as our King and the head of God's Kingdom on earth. The Son of Man is a Family identity; the Son of God is a Kingdom identity.
     I know that I keep hammering home this idea that the Body of Christ is to be more than the Church. But it's true! We don't even know the Biblical implications of the words we use to describe ourselves or our Lord! God chose to send His Son to earth in a time when the people understood the concepts of a Kingdom and an Ekklesia. We have lost not only those original words, but their meanings and significance. We must not try to interpret the Bible through our modern lenses of religious words and meanings. We must seek God's Truth, not our own! Holy Spirit, show us true revelation so that we might be the Lord's appointed ones to carry out our King's will in His Kingdom here on earth.

Thank you to the website, Independent, for the information on the Greek and Roman forms of government. And a special thank you to the late Dr. Myles Munroe for his persistent dedication to teaching the Body of Christ about the Kingdom of God.

Psalm 22:28    For kingship belongs to the Lord, and He rules over the nations.

Our Two-Sided Commission: Family and Kingdom

     I have not been shy about expressing my frustration over not being able to rightly convey the Gospel of the Kingdom to my fellow Christians. And here's the thing ... once the Holy Spirit opens your spiritual eyes to "see" it, and you know how to "enter" it, you wonder how you missed it all those years during your walk with the Lord. And you wonder why others can't see it as easily as you do! But I believe that the Enemy throws every tactic of confusion and misconception into the arena of our communication, and we Believers end up misunderstanding each other.
     I recently listened to an excellent YouTube video by Dutch Sheets, the Executive Director of Christ for the Nations. The title of the video was The Power of Ecclesia, and it captured every emotion and frustration and disappointment Mark and I have encountered in trying to communicate with other Believers about the importance of understanding the Gospel of the Kingdom, and why it is important that we DO it. But the video showed me so much more. It caused me to humble myself before the Lord and realize that the problem is not just that people won't accept it, or try to understand it, or walk in it -- but that our message has been misinterpreted by the Church. Everything we have said about the Kingdom has been true to Scripture, but how we delivered the message was wrongly perceived by them, and we played a part in that delivery. Let me see if I can lay it out a little plainer....

     Jesus has given us a two-sided commission. The Body of Christ is to act as both an OIKOS, or House of God [think Family] and as an EKKLESIA [think judge and justice]. These two sides of our Commission are to act and work together to accomplish the Father's will "on earth as it is in Heaven". The problem is, the Body of Christ has been grossly out of balance, weighing heavily toward the Family side. We have largely represented Jesus as the Good Shepherd, the Groom, and our High Priest (this is the Family side of the scales}. And we have ignored His identity as King, Master, and Commander-in-Chief (the Kingdom side of the scales). Consider these few points in the equation (there are many more):

     • In the Family, we are part of Jesus's flock. In the Kingdom, we are Jesus's army
     • In the Family, we are sheep, and in the Kingdom, we are soldiers.
     • In the Family, our mission is to grow the family of God [Believers] until He comes. In the Kingdom, our mission is to grow and extend the Kingdom and its culture until He comes.
      • In the Family, we pray and petition. In the Kingdom, we war, decree, bind and loose.
      • In the Family, Jesus is our Friend. In the Kingdom, Jesus is our Commander-in-Chief.
      • In the Family, Jesus is Protector and Provider. In the Kingdom, He is our Victor and Sender.
      • In the Family, we need the anointing of the Holy Spirit. In the Kingdom, we need the keys of the Kingdom.
      • In the Family, we need the gifts of the Holy Spirit. In the Kingdom, we need the weapons of our warfare.
      • In the Family, we worship. In the Kingdom, we govern.
      • In the Family, we are healers. In the Kingdom, we are Destroyers; tearing down strongholds
      • In the Family, Jesus is the Son of Man. In the Kingdom, He is the Son of God.
      • In the Family, we need intimacy with God. In the Kingdom, we need knowledge of God and His ways.
      • In the Family, we need love and compassion. In the Kingdom, we need power and authority.
      • Family is the completion of the Genesis Mandate: to reproduce the family of God. Kingdom is the completion of God's restoration of His Kingdom on earth.

     By now, you should be getting the idea. It isn't either/or, and it's not one versus the other. It's not denying one in favor of the other. We are to reflect both Family and Kingdom. And to be honest, sometimes we lump it all under one category called Religion/Church. And for the most part, the Body of Christ has gotten real good at being the sheep, growing congregations, praying, seeing Jesus as our Friend, asking Him for protection and provision, seeking the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and worshiping Him. We've accomplished that assignment. But we haven't accepted our roles as soldiers in His army; or expanding His Kingdom; or warring/binding/loosing; seeing Him as our Commander-in-Chief, our Victor, or our Sender; asking for the keys of the Kingdom or the weapons of our warfare. And we most certainly have not learned how to govern upon the earth. 
     But here is the important point I want you to get. In our zeal to explain the importance of the Gospel of the Kingdom, and the need to expand it and extend it not only among the Church, but among the nations, we are not saying or asking that the Family side of our Commission is wrong or that it is to be abandoned. But that is how some of the people in the Church interpret the message! No! We do not abandon the Grace or Mercy or Worship or Salvation messages. Those are all important and the correct message about our Lord. What we are saying is that this is not the complete picture of who we are to be as Followers of Christ. Along with Grace, we need to be walking in Truth ... along with Mercy, we need Justice, and when necessary, Judgment ... along with Worship, we are to Govern ... and by receiving Salvation, we are to Rule and Reign. It is a two-sided commission.
     I want my fellow Believers to understand that when we promote Kingdom, we are not denying any of the components of Family. But if all we concentrate on is Family and a household, called the Church, then someone else will write the laws we live by. And we're seeing that in today's society! We can worship and praise Jesus all we want, but someone else will write the laws that govern us and the lack of Kingdom will be reflected in our culture.
     We have to know when it's time to love one another and worship and teach and equip -- and we have to know when it's time to govern and go to war. We hear lots of talk about the Seven Mountains of Influence: Religion, Family, Education, Government, Media, Arts & Entertainment, and Business. We cannot influence those mountains from the Family side of our commission. That doesn't make the Family side wrong or bad! We just need to recognize that we have to do Family AND Kingdom in order to achieve real transformation in all peoples, nations, and tongues. It's not enough to act like His sheep; we must also act like His soldiers.
     The bottom line is this: I have prayed to the Lord about why it's so difficult to be of "one mind" like the Church in the Book of Acts. I clearly heard that He cannot build His Ekklesia until we are of one mind about His Kingdom.  And He reveals His Kingdom in His Word, so the Book of Matthew is where to start in understanding Kingdom as Jesus taught it. I pray and war in the spirit that the Body will grasp their full identity as both Family and Kingdom Citizens. So I plead with you to diligently study Matthew and try to discern the difference between [and acceptance of both] the Biblical concepts of Family and Kingdom, and then ask yourselves if you are out of balance; where do you stand on your understanding of the Family of God and the Kingdom of God? We must come to a mutual understanding that both Family and Kingdom are essential to bringing Heaven's Kingdom to earth. Until then, the Body of Christ will be divided in their commission, in understanding His whole counsel, and in knowing their complete identity. Let's be all we are supposed to be!

2 Chronicles 30:12   Also the hand of God was on Judah to give them one heart to do that which the king and the officials had commanded by the word of the Lord.

 

Walkin' The Line Between Faith and Fear

        
     This title of this blog is a line from a song that suddenly appeared in my mind this morning, and I think it best expresses what I have been reflecting on for the past few days. There are mornings when my husband and I sit down to pray together and my conversation with God is full of joy and thankfulness for all I see Him doing in the lives of people with whom He is working. Then there are the mornings that we find ourselves discouraged and asking for His wisdom and love to persist in reaching those who are blinded or lazy or disinterested in pursuing Him. Those conversations with the Father are always centered around the assignment He has given us while we are on this earth, and His message we are appointed to deliver.
     Please do not mistake my thoughts for arrogance or pride; we are well aware that we are not the authority or judge of anyone else's walk with the Lord. But when you, yourself, are persistent in seeking that intimate, relational knowledge of Jesus through both experience and the Word, you want everyone to have that same encounter and come to Him in truth and spirit. But there are just times when it is clear that there is a spirit of deception or confusion, and yes, I'm going to say it ... a spirit of religion that is blocking true revelation. Their faith is evident, but so is their fear.
     And I don't use that word fear in the sense of "awe" or "reverence". I mean that they hesitate to consider any new idea or revelation of God's Word because it makes them uncomfortable; it threatens the security of their soul (mind, free will, and emotions). They live in fear of failure (What if I don't get it right, or what if God doesn't work through me?); fear of deception (this is different from what I've been taught. What if it's wrong?); and fear of man (This is stepping away from my religious tribe. Will I be isolated or ostracized? Will I be excluded from the community of organized believers?).
     But Jesus gave us two parables in Luke 18 that shatter these fears. The first is the Parable of the Persistent Widow. He tells of a widow who kept coming before an unrighteous judge, asking for justice against her adversary/oppressor. The worldly judge simply got tired of her repeated requests. He finally granted her petition for justice -- not out of a religious or moral compulsion -- but because "she keeps annoying me, demanding her rights, and I’m tired of listening to her." The point of the parable is soon made clear by Jesus, who says, Did you hear what the ungodly judge said—that he would answer her persistent request? When the Son of Man comes back, will He find this kind of persistent faithfulness in His people? The widow's relentless faith overcame any fear of failure or what the judge thought of her. She was single-minded in continuing to ask for what she needed and desired. Her faith did not depend on social norms or what was expected of her.
     The other parable follows right after the Persistent Widow. It's the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.  Here we have a self-righteous religious leader who confidently stands before God, pointing out all the things he does right to please the Lord, while unjustly condemning the tax-collector, an outsider. On the other hand, the tax-collector, who would have been ostracized for daring to appear before the altar of the Lord at the same time as a Pharisee, practices his faith by humbly asking God to forgive him of his sins, showing not only his reverential faith, but the risk he was willing to take to express it [by daring to remain in the Temple in the presence of such an important religious leader].
     I believe these parables display two of the Keys of the Kingdom that Jesus speaks about in Matthew 16:19.  PERSISTENCE and RISK will propel a Believer into new realms of faith; beyond their comfort zone and scope of routine religion.  Persistent faith ... constant, unending, tireless, determined people who never stop seeking more of Christ and revelation of His Word! They don't fear failure or deception because they hear their Shepherd's voice and are familiar with the Holy Spirit's presence, and are confident of His counsel. They never tire of asking for more and are persistent in their obedience to what He reveals, whether they fail or succeed in their mission. They are willing to take the risk of exclusion or rejection by others in order to receive more of Him. They are willing to run the risk of failure because they know the results are God's, not theirs.
     Because they are persistent in asking for more -- and actually receive more -- they are willing to trust Jesus to take them to new heights of intimacy and authority and power. They don't get discouraged; they keep on knocking, knowing that they are called to endure and persevere. They have lost their fear of man [and what the religious community might say] a long time ago, because the riches of the Lord's revelations have led them to heights never imagined or experienced before they took the risk to trust Him. Walking alone doesn't deter their faith or their obedience. The Word of God is their guide and their foundation.
     And I'm afraid that's where so many Christians fall short. I am amazed as we talk and counsel with people throughout our daily lives, just how many Christians do not read -- let alone experience, comprehend, or take hold of -- their Bibles. How can we profess to walk in faith [standing on a foundation of hope for the divine promises] if we don't even seek the One [who is the foundation] through His Word [which is His revelation of Himself]?  No wonder Jesus said in Matthew 7, Everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, will be like a wise man [a far-sighted, practical, and sensible man] who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods and torrents came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.  And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them, will be like a foolish (stupid) man who built his house on the sand.  And the rain fell, and the floods and torrents came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great and complete was its fall.”
     The Scriptures were not written in the day He spoke those ominous words. The teachings were given orally, and one had to be conscientious to hear. Today, we have the benefit of the written Word -- the Word that we can read again and again and again, persistently asking for revelation as to how we are to "act on them" or "do them". There is no excuse for the Body of Christ not to know or do what He says. Are we just spiritually lazy? Or in our fears of becoming deceived, do we cling to what others say about what the will of God is? Remember that Jesus began this conversation in Matthew 7 by saying, Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’  And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness."
     That word "lawlessness" is many times translated "iniquity" which is a perverse rebellion against God and His will. These people thought they were doing God's will, with acts that mimicked righteousness. But as the following verses showed us, Jesus wants to be the [good and solid] foundation behind our actions, because we intimately know His heart through the revelation we have received from His Word. He wants authentic followers who know him through experiencing Him, not pretenders of a faith that will not stand against the storm that is coming.
     I will tell you that this kind of deep introspection with Jesus in His Word can leave you walking a narrow and lonely road. But take heart! I am seeing more of His remnant coming out of hiding and out of religion into His Truth and Spirit. The numbers may not be large, but the conviction and the resiliency is steadfast and devoted. The remnant is aligning together and speaking His Biblical Truth, causing lives to be dramatically changed as they walk and talk boldly of the power and majesty and authority of the Lord Jesus to transform the earth for His glory. I pray that the line between Faith and Fear dissolves as He equips those He calls; those whose faith will overcome fear, blindness, laziness, the restraints of religion, and the lies of the Enemy in order to see His Kingdom, His power, and His glory reign forever. Amen!

Ephesians 1:17   I pray that the Father of glory, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would impart to you the riches of the Spirit of wisdom and the Spirit of revelation [discovery] to know Him through your deepening intimacy with Him [that gives you a deep and personal and intimate insight into the true knowledge of Him].
    
    
     
    

It's Time For Prayers That Shake Heaven and Earth

     Before reading this article, I suggest that you re-read my post from a few weeks ago entitled The Ekklesia and The Kingdom: A Fuller Understanding. Before we can understand the importance of assertive prayer within the ekklesia, we must comprehend the purpose and mission of what Jesus said He would build: I will build my ekklesia and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. We must grasp the fullness of what Jesus proposed and how we are to administrate the ekklesia's responsibility and function through prayer. Our prayers must shake the very foundations of Heaven and Earth with their power.

 

     Dan Duval has written a very significant book titled just that ... Prayers That Shake Heaven and Earth. It has been a tremendously important tool in our Inner Healing Ministry. The language of these prayers is crafted directly from Scripture, with mighty and powerful consequences [when spoken] to thwart the tactics of the Enemy to destroy lives.
     And it has become so apparent to me from all my study of the etymology of the word Ekklesia, that prayer is a dynamic part of our duties as the "legislative authority of God's government on earth". I would like to give you a quote from Dan Briggs's important and revelatory book, Ekklesia Rising...
     "God was very specific with names all throughout Scripture, both for Himself and others. Names have meaning. Words have meaning. He even changed people's names to signify a change in their nature. [Think Abram to Abraham; Sarai to Sarah; Jacob to Israel]. Think of it this way: what if the Marines were called ballerinas, and vice-versa? Instead of Semper Fidelis -- a motto reflecting the faithfulness, courage and sacrifice of men who are "first to fight" -- what if their motto was Motu Camena, which is "poetry in motion"? Does it matter that a bear is a bear, and a lamb is a lamb?
      These are not cheeky, semantic questions. Massive consequences hinge on the meaning and intent of this word [ekklesia]. Jesus promised to build something. What is it? Do we know? Is it okay if our replacement word [church] is "close enough"? My friends, I appeal to you, do not stiffen your necks in pride or act like this doesn't matter. Tradition and inculcation [instilling by persistent instruction] have bred a deeply passive familiarity, yet Jesus used a specific word with specific connotations... Can we afford to be casual about this? Do we value our cherished, traditional, substitute word above His word? For generations, the answer has been yes. Our negligence has created a false identity and misguided mission, and we don't even know it".
     Wow! That stings, doesn't it? Yet, it is so true. We accept what we have been taught without questioning it. And it deeply saddens me to realize that not many Christians actually read their Bibles, let alone study it in depth. There is a richness to the Word when you study the history behind it and understand the Hebrew meanings of words that give new revelation to our English mis-translations. And far too many Christians are busy seeking out the "feel good" passages -- often out of context -- and are content to stay entrenched in that spot, rather than read the "hard" passages and try to obtain the whole counsel of God.
     Our responsibilities as an ekklesia have to do with many things, but as Dean Briggs writes, "... perhaps most of all, [it has to do with] authority in prayer. The people of God must begin to pray. Not small, little polite prayers. Not even ten minutes of prayer. Do you read the headlines? The earth is groaning, society is tottering, darkness is exalting itself like never before. Who among the people of God will rise in the Spirit to challenge the rising tide? Supplication, adoration, confession and thanksgiving are regular parts of a prayer diet, but contending prayer must dramatically increase! Day and night, prayer must shake the earth. When we realize we are the ekklesia, a "Prayerdigm Shift" is inevitable because the word itself properly aligns our identity with government and prayer as Jesus intended. There is power in this word ekklesia to correct our function on earth".
     He is correct! On the big scale of things, our prayers have not been effective! And I am not afraid to say that most people don't know how to pray to get the results they seek! They don't speak to God with any power. Oh, I've heard many give fine, eloquent, and long prayers full of doctrinal truths, but they aren't shaking heaven and earth to change attitudes or actions, let alone paradigms.
     What Jesus intended to build was supposed to look different from the world; it was to be an "authority figure", so to speak -- an entity that governed according to God's Word and in compliance with His Nature and Character. What He intended was that those who believed in Him and "saw" and "entered" the Kingdom would create a culture that the rest of the world yearned to imitate. Do you see that happening? Instead, the devil has turned it upside down, and the Church is looking more and more like the culture of the world! How does it govern -- with God's perspective or the world's?
     The Church is in covenantal agreement with the world government system and the god of this world (Satan) through its 501(c)3 tax exempt status. This, in essence, finds the Church serving two masters: Jehovah and Mammon. It allows the world government system to override God's government system [the Kingdom] and has resulted in a powerless Church that won't speak or act [out of fear] on many of the practices that offend and grieve God: abortion; same-sex marriage; the erosion of marriage; children born out of wedlock; ungodly legislation; homosexual priests; and leaders involved in adultery, pornography and various addictions. What was once despised by God is now accepted and tolerated.
     Please, let me be very clear about something ... I do not want the Body of Christ to become legalistic, and unable to extend God's love, grace, and mercy to those who miss the mark! The Bible gives us plenty of examples of Jesus meeting those who had sin in their lives right where they were, and loving them. But then He always told them "to go and sin no more". Are we really following His example if we show the sinner the love and mercy of Christ [which we must!], yet we don't give them His command to acknowledge the sin and change the way they are living?
     Do we pray a comfortable prayer that they will see the error of their ways, or that Jesus will set them free from their sin -- or do we storm Heaven with our prayers of authority and power to break off the ungodly attachments and return them to a discipline of righteousness? Isn't that our real function on earth -- to love as He loved; to show show grace and mercy as He did; and to pray effective and earthly-kingdom shattering prayers, just as He did?
     Our Lord shattered the religious system of the Sanhedrin and the Roman kingdom's government system. And He did it by consistent, persistent, and intentional time with the Father in both prayer and fasting. Isn't it time we got serious about taking a real hard look at what that means for us? Jesus Christ changed the world 2,000 years ago and asked us to continue His work. He brought the Kingdom government of Heaven and He deliberately challenged the kingdom governments of the earth. Where can we wage that same challenge? Let's start with assertive prayer over any areas of our own lives that are submissive to the world system. Once we are aligned with Heaven's system, then we can affect our families, our communities, our nation, and the world. Let's shake Heaven and Earth with prayers that make a difference!

Acts 16:25-26    Paul and Silas, undaunted, prayed in the middle of the night and sang songs of praise to God, while all the other prisoners listened to their worship. Suddenly, a great earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. All at once every prison door flung open and the chains of all the prisoners came loose.