Grace for Division

Everyone loves the idea of unity. There have been many efforts to unite different parts of the US Church. They have been groups that sought to create coalitions between secular organizations and the Church. They has even been some work done to form common ground between Christianity and other world religions. I suspect that very few people in the US Church would feel comfortable hearing or declaring a message of division and disunity.

In the midst of the attempts to create unity, the focus has been on the superficial. We have tried to find the lowest common denominator so that we could build from there. The time is soon coming when the issues will come to the forefront in a way that forces us to focus on the heart of the disagreements. The result will be a season of intense division and disunity. Many hearts will be pierced by the troubles that are coming.

In Matthew 10, Jesus told us that he had not come to bring peace to the Earth but division. He will not allow our affections for him to be watered down. Anything that runs contrary to a Christ-centered walk is non-negotiable. In the conflict that is coming to the Church, neighbor will fight against neighbor because we can only one First Love. There must be division because unity is the joining of two parties. We cannot be both joined to Christ and joined to the things that break his heart. When the fighting has ceased, it will appear at first that it was the work of the flesh. It is easy to believe that anything that causes division and disunity is of the enemy. Once the final tally has been made though, it will be shown that God gave grace for division in order to bring about greater unity between himself and his bride.

Kingdoms Made Manifest

Most people are safe today from being exposed to raving mad, demonized individuals. The ones who have been overwhelmed by the voices of demons are probably largely medicated or institutionalized. Not all, but some of the men and women who wander the streets homeless might also be in their number. There is a day coming to the US when these tormented ones will no longer be hidden away. The kingdom of darkness is coming out of the shadows until it is made manifest in broad daylight.

It will be somewhat common to hear of violent men who beat up strangers for no apparent reason. In the movie Batman Begins, there is a scene in which part of the city is cut off so that a mind warping drug can be dispersed. The affected people are horribly overwhelmed by fearful visions until they mindless hurt anyone who comes into their path. This is a vivid representation of what is coming to the US.

The Kingdom of God will also be made manifest. Through the blood stained cross, Jesus destroyed the enemy’s authority. We will begin to see the kingdom that Jesus established through and in his Church move outside of buildings and onto the sidewalks. The only question will be what kingdom you are actually operating out of.

In Acts 19, the seven sons of Sceva claimed the authority of Jesus as their own in order to deliver a demonized man. The demon was not fooled and used the man to beat the daylights out of them. The name “Sceva” means “disposed, prepared”. These boys grew up in church because their daddy was a chief priest. They considered themselves willing and able to confront the kingdom of darkness. They were wrong about having the right to operate under the authority of Jesus because they were subjects of the kingdom of darkness.

 In the kingdoms that will be made manifest, it will be clear who is of which kingdom. If your authority has been granted to you from having regularly attended church, listening to countless sermons, and having been trained by human experts, you are going to get the tar beat out of you by the enemy! It is going as much a shock to many believers as it was to the sons of Sceva. Now is the time to dig deep in Christ. Find out who you are based on what the Word of God and the Spirit of God has to say about you. Let God taper with your heart so that the idols can be torn down and your inner being filled to the fullest with the kingdom and authority of Jesus Christ.

The New Outcasts

If you profess Jesus, there is a sign meant for you that will hang in local businesses. It is not there today, but there is a day coming when the sign in the window will say, “No Christians Served Here”. If you walk in, you will not need to tell them that you are a believer in Jesus. They will look at you and know. The same good and moral people today will be the same good and moral people tomorrow except that they will hate you. In fact, it will be their goodness and morality that will cause them to loathe you. In the same way that it is considered acceptable to hate a child molester today, it will be considered noble to hate a Christian in the future time. They will hate you because it is “all your fault”.

Many wish in their hearts, “Oh, that God would allow me to bear his glory!”. The evidence of bearing God’s glory today involves human awe and many natural realm benefits. In the day to come, you will know that you bear the glory of God when you are openly hated without cause. The highest heavenly calling is to love those who hate you, to bless those who curse you, and pray for those who despitefully use you. It is this calling that will accompany the glory of God.

There is a whisper in the air that says, “There is a New Age dawning”. There is indeed, but it will be a day of darkness. The heart of man will grow cold and unfeeling. In this new age, you will be the outcasts. People will look at you and say, “It is a shame, really. They were offered a great deal, but they chose to be obstacles to progress. Shame on them for not getting with the program”.

Today is the season in which we must count the cost. How much do you require of Jesus to be loyal to him? The benefits of professing him are currently much greater than the cost. Many will change their minds about Jesus when the cost becomes higher than the benefits.

Out of Storage

One morning last week, I was on my way to work when I saw something that momentarily startled me. I saw a company truck for a communications company that I thought was a thing of the past. The logo on the vehicle appeared to be faded. When things are “highlighted”, it is one of the ways that God speaks. This is what I believe he was saying.

In the move of God that is soon coming to our nation and presumably to the whole world, we are going to see some older faces. They are those who were part of previous moves of God. Those revivals were amazing, but they are history from our current perspective. Many faithful believers that were part of those heavenly encounters faded from the scene as life went on. They have been in storage, seemly having been put on a shelf. God will going to bring back at least some of those folks for an “all hands on deck” event.

Heaven's Joyful Song

Today was one of those challenging days at work. By the end of the day, I was tired and somewhat discouraged of heart. I ran across a word that God gave me a year ago. It breathed fresh life into me.

From 8/2013:

For those who abide in Christ, there is only good news. There are no "good news, bad new" jokes. There is only increase and growth throughout all the adversity that might come. We are those who carry the standard of Jesus Christ. Our very footprints glow with the Light of the good news. Wherever we go, we go as those who sing the Anthem of the Eternal Kingdom.

Those in darkness have been seen a Light coming. It rises on the Horizon, and that Light is us. We are the sons and daughters of Daddy made manifest in the Earth. Oh, they will say, "The pendulum swings from side. We have good news one day and terrible news the next", but this is only the echoes of the times past. There is a new Kingdom coming onto the Earth. It is being formed from the rough material of humanity as the Spirit of God rises within those who know that they in Christ and in Christ alone.

They are those who rise up as Ehud to deliver the land from wickedness. They are those who are being drawn from out of timidity and hiding to call together an army of the fearless. They rush the streets, calling this one and that to come out of hiding in the natural and to step into their Kingdom identity. Can you hear the sound of them and of the growing footsteps on the pavement? They are an army of worshippers. They fear no man! They carry instruments of worship with which to do battle.

They stand in the noble towers and invade the darkest alley. They are the reborn men and women of God. They range in age from the smallest child to the oldest elder in our midst. They have no sense of age and no fear of man's disapproval. They are filled with the Spirit of the One who is the Ancient of Days and who was born as a little baby. Out they go, they stream from intersection to intercession. The lost and the broken who roam through high school halls and those who shout at the New York Stock Exchange are about to visited by those bearing Heaven's message of deliverance.

That which is wicked and that which has mocked righteousness in the land will soon by overwhelmed by the Sound. What is the squeak of a mouse in front of the roar of a lion? What does darkness have that Light cannot instantly dispose of? Oh, they say, "The World shifts back and forth. Rulers comes and rulers fall. We need someone who carries Truth". It will come, quietly at first and then rising until the news carries the News. The News of the Kingdom will stand more boldly than our Statue of Liberty.

A greater liberty is being declared, a freedom from chains of sin and depravity. A greater anthem will be sung than even our beautiful National Anthem. What is darkness in the face of Light? The song bubbles up in the hearts of the young and the old. It comes phrase by phrase and note by note. It builds and it joins with neighbor's tune. It is beautiful, so very beautiful.

It is composed of Spirit and joined by human hearts in love with Jesus and with each other. There is no one left out, no unneeded vocalist. All remain silent and in awe as each releases the piece that eternity's maker wrote on their heart. It is the very reality of Heaven superimposed on the landscape of our country. They are the choir of Heaven, the evergreens that have overcome the bitter storms of this world's realm. The wind of the Spirit blows between them, among them, and is birthed from them. All of evil's cry is little more than feedback in the speakers. It is the annoying but short-lived response of Hell to the resounding of Heaven's joy released in the Earth.

Time for an Upgrade and for Bigger Dreams

Last night, I dreamed that I was at work. Apparently, there had been plans to do an upgrade or else to do major maintenance work on the computer servers. It would require significant downtime, and so the work had been pushed out another weekend. Specialized people with the necessary technical knowledge would be coming onsite to help do the work. While I was aware of this situation, my boss gave me a creative writing assignment. She prefaced it by saying, “Before California officially made abortion illegal, the people of California first passed a proposition to make it illegal”.

Many of us in the Body of Christ have been aware of the need for a Church-wide “system maintenance” and an upgrade of our relationship with the Lord. Seemingly, it has been deferred, but it will yet happen. God will supply the specialized people needed to assist and to guide this work as well. We have been ready to move forward in our human labors, but God requires that we enter a time of rest so that His work can be done in us. Be ready to move forward into Heaven's rest.

God is about to bring about changes in our country that are beyond what we had imagined possible. When you begin to hear the news of what God is doing in other parts of the country and of the Body, it is an invitation to start dreaming bigger. What God desires to do in your locale will flow from a place of creative dreams in your own heart. It is not automatic. It requires an effort to step into the creative flow, but God will meet you there in that place.