Category Archives: Holy Bible

Paws-4-thought: on the ‘snatching up’ of believers

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Paws4thort5More nourishing morsels to munch in this repost from T.E. Hanna, which is apposite in view of my previous post’s reference to apostasy. If you’re unsure of that connection, check the insights Holy Spirit gave to Apostle Paul on the return of Jesus, as outlined in his two, brief letters to the Thessalonian church (here).

I like his following title’s pun as it refers to the popular Left Behind stories by Tim La Haye. The premise for the whole series was based upon the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, the concept of which, in my opinion, seems to be a particularly American fad. So I greatly appreciate T.E.’s unwrapping of the subject and helpful answers to good questions raised by readers, especially the inclusion of the parable of wheat and tares in the whole scenario.

So enjoy and be mightily blessed…

WHAT THE DOCTRINE OF THE RAPTURE HAS REALLY LEFT BEHIND

Author TE HannaThis month marks the two year anniversary of Harold Camping’s prediction of when the rapture was to take place. In preparation for that great ascension into the sky, countless numbers of people quit their jobs, sold everything they had, and took to the streets to proclaim the coming day of Christ. The date was set for October 21, 2011, and they wanted to sound the trumpet so that nobody was “left behind”.

On October 22, they woke up to find themselves and their families left destitute, without any savings or means of income, with their shoes still treading the soil of our world. The rapture had not taken place.

Harold Camping was not the first to predict the date of the rapture. In fact, October 21 was not even his first prediction. He had predicted it to happen earlier that same year, on May 21, and before that he had declared September 6, 1994 to be the correct date. Before Camping, there were multiple predictions for 1993, allowing for a seven year tribulation before the glorious appearing in the year 2000. Prior to this, Edgar Whisenant had issued predictions for 1988, 1989, 1992 and 1995. Chuck Smith had predicted 1981, while the Jehovah’s Witnesses predicted 1914, 1918, and 1925.

Perhaps the most impactful prediction, however, was issued by the Baptist preacher William Miller and further popularized by the preaching of Samuel Snow. While Miller asserted 1844 as the year in which Christ would return to rapture His church, Snow narrowed the date to October 22. Much like Camping, the result of this popular prophecy led to a movement whereby his ever-growing following yielded all of their earthly possessions and sat waiting with joyous expectation for the heavens to rend and the Messiah to summon His beloved. So great was the cry that arose on the day to follow that October 22, 1844 became lodged within the annals of Christian history known only as the Great Disappointment.

As best as I can tell, the Great Disappointment was the first prediction of the rapture in Christian history, which is (on the surface at least) a strange event for a faith previously spanning a full 1800 years of history. Even more strange is how common subsequent predictions became. One would expect that, given the mystical history of Christianity, we would see proclamations of the impending rapture long before the nineteenth century. One would expect this, to be sure, until one began to study the doctrine itself. Then, the strange lack of prophetic utterance suddenly makes sense.

Before the nineteenth century, the doctrine of the rapture simply did not exist.

What Lies Behind The Rapture

The church has always looked forward with eager anticipation towards the return of Christ. Christian eschatology has long held that the world would come to be judged, the old things would pass away, the Kingdom of God would manifest in its fullness, and we would celebrate our eternal presence in the midst of the new heavens and the new earth. Heaven would come down as the New Jerusalem, and all things would be made right once more. This has always been a singular event.

Not until the 19th century did we see the return of the King split into two events. At this point, a theologian by the name of John Darby theorized that there were actually two occurrences foretold in scripture: the day of Christ, and the day of the Lord. The former consisted of Christ’s return to gather up His faithful; the latter referred to Christ’s return to judge the world. For the first time in Christian history, Jesus was taught to return not once, but twice.

Another theologian by the name of C. I. Scofield grabbed hold of this idea and ran with it. Around this time, Scofield published the first publicly available “study bible” in history. This consisted of a bible translation with explanatory notes in the bottom half of the printed book, and it became immensely popular. The resulting “Scofield’s Bible” quickly spread throughout the Christian culture, and with it came the rise of Dispensationalism. Dispensationalism not only gave us the doctrine of the rapture, it gave us a new view on our world as well.

What The Rapture Has Left Behind

The appearance of the rapture, within Dispensationalist theology, is foreshadowed by the continuing collapse of our world into sin and destruction. The closer we come to that glorious summoning, the darker and more corrupt our world will get. It is within this understanding that we often refer to “the signs of the times”, usually followed by pointing to some great ethical violation that our culture lauds as virtue. Dispensationalism places the human experience in the midst of a worldly trajectory towards oblivion, identifying ourselves as a remnant of God’s people who are clinging fast to the cross in the hope of persisting until the reinforcements arrive.

In contrast to this, the overarching narrative of scripture does not speak of God abandoning His creation to ever-deepening destruction. The trajectory of scripture is a positive one, one that speaks of a God who is intimately involved with His children, whose Spirit still broods over the waters as He did in the opening pages of Genesis. This is a God who enters into the fullness of the human experience in the incarnation, who proclaims a Kingdom of God that is at hand, who sends forth His children to be emissaries that bring restoration and healing to a world that is suffering and broken. This is about a world that is continuing to get better, not worse.

This is what the rapture ultimately leaves behind: that we are active participants in God’s manifesting Kingdom, agents of mercy who are called into His work and through whom the world is being transformed. This is the image we see in John’s Revelation; not that our world is swallowed up in darkness so that God creates it anew, but that the New Jerusalem descends into our midst, that the Kingdom of God is overthrowing the enemy’s earthly rule, that the glorious creation which He so lovingly fashioned in the opening pages of scripture is one that He is at work restoring.

Yes, there will come the day when the trumpet shall sound and Christ shall judge the living and the dead, separating us into our chosen kingdoms. Yes, we will still face trial and strife and tribulation as we live out our lives in the brokenness of our world. Yes, the King will return for His citizens.

But the glorious hope to which we cling is not a distant one, it is immediate. It impacts our lives in this moment. We are not simply holding fast to the anchor of our soul and waiting for our lives to run out or for Christ to return. The Kingdom is coming, even now, even here. Our hope is for this world, and it leaps from here into eternity.

Many thanks TE for such an excellent, succinct summary which puts the unorthodox pre-trib rapture into its proper perspective.

I strongly recommend the ensuing interesting discussion on Of Dust and Kings – click on link and scroll to foot of TE’s original post.

More in-depth consideration may be found on Your True Christian Journey in::

Aled Jones’ live TV comment raises concern over injustice

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Detail from Eagle-eyed by John Mark Long: www.propheticartists.comA British breakfast TV interview circulating ‘over the pond’ among American Christians brings attention to injustices suffered by a couple of hoteliers at the hands of our courts.

I was intrigued to find two translations of the Bible directly relevant to both sides of the interview’s controversial point!

First of all, thanks are due to John McTernan for linking to a transcript in Monday’s blog Real Christianity on display, and to Tony Puccio for informing me of its email circulation in Arizona.

NB: this post’s stats occasionally show ‘peak viewing’ when it gets circulated. So I’d ask that it be read in the spirit it is written.

Let’s look at the issue together as I ‘flesh it out’.:

ITV, Britain’s first commercial station, broadcasts Daybreak as a morning magazine. Its presenters Aled Jones and Lorraine Kelly interviewed Peter and Hazelmary Bull the day before they appealed to the UK Supreme Court over a £3,600 fine for refusing to rent one of their hotel’s double-bedded rooms to a homosexual couple.  As clearly stated on their website, rooms were available for married men and women only. (The Bulls are supported by The Christian Institute and further details, including on-going reports may be found under Bulls’ B&B Trial.)

Aled Jones’ faith

Aled Jones is well known as a former treble chorister and singer with many albums to his credit, as well as presenter of BBC’s Songs Of Praise (see MirrorTV brief ‘bio’). It’s a typical anodyne BBC programme, however when speaking to journalist Catherine Francis for Inspire magazine, he said the programme attracts millions of viewers from around the world and,

“Songs Of Praise aims to uplift and spiritually enhance its viewers, whether or not they’re Christian, and they need to feel comfortable watching it. It’s a genuine honour to be associated with it…”

She continues, ‘And Aled’s passion is clear to see about the Christian faith,

“Christianity is real, it’s now, it’s happening and it’s exciting – it’s not sedate or simply part of history. Jesus toppled over the market stalls in the Temple – this is a person with passion, a person with love, with blood running through his veins. That’s what it’s all about for me.”

Well said sir, and I think it’s important to keep that in mind when considering today’s matter. Has he changed his views?

The Daybreak interview

The interview has been transcribed fairly accurately by Dr Michael Brown, a scholar, speaker and author of 22 books, including The Real Kosher Jesus. He blogged it a week ago today as An older woman puts today’s compromised preachers to shame. Therein he sets the scene.:

At a time when so many of our Christian leaders are guilty of compromising the gospel before the media, dishonouring the Lord as they try to make God’s Word palatable to the world, it was an older British woman…who displayed a backbone of steel, a deep and consistent faith, and a theological clarity while being grilled on national TV. Cheers for Hazelmary Bull!

And make no mistake about it. This is not some slick, camera-friendly couple, versed in the latest clichés and fitted with the coolest wardrobe. This is a couple grounded in the Word and committed to Jesus. Today’s Christian leaders could learn well from their example.

Jones took the lead and started with a neutral ‘voice-over’ video outlining the case. The presenters were not unpleasant but wanted to know why the Bulls were contesting the loss of their Appeal in 2012. It may have got intense because of their seeming inability  to grasp the Bull’s Biblical position. Or were they just acting professionally on behalf of a religiously illiterate British audience and consequently asking questions from a simplistic viewpoint?

Whatever their approach, it helped the Bull’s present their case clearly and admirably. Take a look at the video clip:

Here’s the transcript section of Dr Brown’s short article; his comments in italics.:

When asked why they were going ahead with the appeal after all they had been through, Hazelmary replied,

“The reason we have continued with this is because we feel there are arguments still to be made, because we are hoping that some way or another, a pathway will be found through this so that two different lifestyles—which at the moment have had a head-on collision—two different lifestyles could live together in our society.”

Her purpose, then, is marked by conviction and conciliation: How can we live together in the same society when we have such different convictions?

Lorraine Kelly: “May I suggest that maybe you are in the wrong business? Because when you think about it, only 47 percent of couples now are actually married, so when you do that, you forget all the arguments and all the rest, but actually from a business sense, sure, it doesn’t make any sense.”

Hazelmary Bull: “No, on the face of it, it looks like that because we have always refused a double-bedded accommodation to unmarried heterosexual couples.”

When challenged by Kelley, Hazelmary explained, “It’s Bible-based; it’s entirely Bible-based.”

(Pastors, take note of her words. This is how we should operate our local assemblies as well, based on the Word, not on marketing principles.)

Aled Jones: “As a Christian, the God you worship is a loving God, is a tolerant God. And if people are in a civil partnership, they are obviously in love, so what is wrong with them sharing a bed?”

(Note that Jones came to national fame as a hymn-singing child, and in 2004 he was voted Religious Broadcaster of the Year by the Churches Media Council for his work with Songs of Praise. He still hosts BBC’s Songs of Praise show, and within the last four years he has released albums featuring hymns and Christmas songs. What in the world happened to Aled Jones?)

How does Hazelmary reply to his challenge? You’ve got to love this!

HB: “I think it’s a myth to believe that entirely. He is a loving God, that’s true. He’s a forgiving God, but there is—

AJ: “And a tolerant one?”

HB: “He is a longsuffering God; He’s not entirely tolerant because the Bible is full of cases when He does finally bring judgment about. We felt that we wanted to, as far as possible, live according to His instructions, and the Bible is very clear about marriage.

Boy, did she nail it! There is a difference between God being longsuffering and God being tolerant, and yes, “He’s not entirely tolerant because the Bible is full of cases when he does finally bring judgment about.”

Do you think we’ll be hearing a lot of lines like that from some of the pastors featured on The Preachers of L.A.?

LK: “It’s 2013…2013!”

MB: “God hasn’t changed; Jesus says He’s the same yesterday, today and forever. He hasn’t changed, the Bible hasn’t changed, and we are wrong—we are living in a dream—if we think that He has changed His laws to suit us, because that’s not the case at all.”

Exactly! Most of the world is living in a dream. In fact, much of the church is living in a dream too, having been put to sleep by smooth-tongued preachers who have watered down the Word in a futile attempt to make it “contemporary.”  

LK: “So you don’t accept that you have done anything wrong at all? You don’t accept that, that was offensive?”

MB: “We find this thoroughly regretful, because we clearly state that we prefer to let double-bedded accommodations to married couples.”

(She then explains, in answer to Kelly’s question, that this is clearly stated on the website.)

LK: “When two people come check in, how do you know that they are married or not?”

HB: “That’s a fair question. We have a script, and we try very hard not to offend. Remember, we have been there for 28 years, and this is the first time we have had any problems. We have a script whereby where we say very gently and politely, if one person shows up at the door—say it’s a male—we say, “Is this for you and your wife?” And oddly enough, they will say, “No, well, not actually my wife. We’re partners, or it’s my girlfriend or whatever”.”

How telling! They never had a problem when refusing an unmarried heterosexual couple over the course of 28 years, but when it comes to two gay men, the Bulls are brought to court.(RB emphasis)

Kelly then pointed to the low percentage of couples in the U.K. who are marrying, to which Hazelmary responded, “Well, I don’t know the numbers, and I’m not entirely interested in the numbers because of course we’re running this—”

LK:  “Well, you should, as a businessperson…“

HB: “Well, we’re running this under our own roof, and God demands that our faith doesn’t end—”

LK:  [interrupting with some hostility] “Your God demands. Your God.”

HB: [without batting an eyelash] “God demands that our faith doesn’t end at the kitchen door. He means for your faith to run in every corner of your life. You can’t just section Him off like that. So one would think that dealing with Christians, we would be fair and honest and upright and honourable and live according to the Bible, because the Bible is the Christian’s textbook.”

Bravo, Hazelmary Bull!

Now go watch the video, give it a thumbs up and share it with your friends. It’s a testimony like this that should go viral, rather than the words of some preacher who is waffling, unclear and not wanting to sound closed-minded or offensive.

Let’s speak the truth in love without making excuses, just as our courageous sister did. God Himself will back us, and the haters and mockers will not be able to shout us down.

Jones’ controversial question

As ‘good cop, bad cop’, Kelly and Jones played atheist Scot and anodyne believer who bowls a doctrinal googly,

“As a Christian, the God you worship is a loving God, is a tolerant God. And if people are in a civil partnership, they are obviously in love, so what is wrong with them sharing a bed?”

Bull: “I think it’s a myth to believe that entirely. He is a loving God, that’s true. He’s a forgiving God, but there is…”

Jones: “And a tolerant one?”

Bull: “He is a longsuffering God; He’s not entirely tolerant because the Bible is full of cases when He does finally bring judgment about. We felt that we wanted to, as far as possible, live according to His instructions, and the Bible is very clear about marriage.”

Many viewers, and readers, could take Jones’ point as reflecting his own conviction. However, is it not just as possible for him to have played ‘devil’s advocate’ in asking from a political stance, thereby to elicit and show the Bull’s strength of conviction?

Also, he may have had in mind a verse form Apostle Paul’s grand theological letter to believers in Rome, wherein he chides them over judging one another:

Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realising that God’s kindness leads you towards repentance? (Romans 2:4)

That’s from my New International Version Insight Bible, but Mrs Bull adroitly responds from the very same verse as given in my New King James study Bible:

Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

Fascinating. The ‘protagonists’ use the same concept from slightly different translations. The original Greek is ‘anoches’, which means ‘tolerance’ but is rendered ‘forebearance’ in the Interlinear Greek Bible. Mrs Bull correctly clarifies it as being a conditional term, not a never-ending presumption upon the grace of God in Jesus Christ. Hence, the vital importance of their being in right standing with God’s decrees as revealed in His Word.

But not so for Aled Jones. Out of the confession from his own mouth, he has declared ‘As a Christian’ that there’s nothing wrong in homosexuality. Even if any of the reasons we considered above are relevant, nevertheless the declaration from his heart is what counts in heaven. It’s a far from sensible stance!  It’s apostasy – the falling away from the tenets of Christian faith.

As Dr Brown queries, what has happened to Aled Jones?

Dubious doctrine

The controversial point of Jones’ question, of course, is not only his presuming God will turn a blind eye to sin (of any sort!) – but also the inference that gay relationships are approved by God. So, anyone unfamiliar with the issues could infer from his claim of being a Christian that such practice is sanctioned by believers, if not by the wider church.

Nothing could be more mistaken.  Aled Jones is unwise to entertain dubious doctrine.

The correct Christian position on this subject was defined in the first formal gathering of strategic church leaders within twenty years of Jesus’ ascension. This apostolic event is known as the Jerusalem Council. We can be sure, therefore, of their thorough familiarity with Jesus’ teachings and instructions and, assisted by The Holy Spirit, would therefore make the correct decisions on any doctrinal issues.

The Council was called to discuss the admission of non-Jewish believers as followers of ‘The Way ‘ of Yeshua Ha Meshiach, Jesus Christ.  According to the account in The Acts of The Apostles, the Jerusalem Decree sent to those Gentiles of Antioch, Syria, closed with the following basic stipulations upon admission to fellowship in Jesus.:

For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:  that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.  (Acts 15:28-9 NKJV per BibleGateway.com; emphasis added)

That requirement to abstain from improper, non-marital relationships has never been rescinded. Only folly pretends redefining ‘marriage’ will alter the divine intention behind that declaration against immorality and fornication (porneias; Greek ‘of prostitution’).

It is logical, therefore, to state any consideration or claim to there being nothing wrong with allowing ‘porneia’ within the precincts of a Christian house is utterly absurd.

On the same day John McTernan blogged about this interview the news broke of Aled Jones and Lorraine Kelly being axed as presenters on Daybreak. Also, comments made online around that time haven’t been complimentary about them. Even back in August  his position was in question.

It’s intriguing that a definite decision came fast on the heels of Aled’s declaration! Is it part of the promised ‘shaking’? I wonder…

How say you?

THIRD SEAL OF REVELATION HAPPENING NOW

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RJBMy friend’s hit a thought-provoking indicator, which I’d heard some time ago in connection with the cause of the ‘Arab Spring’: ie. the inability of Tunisian and Egyptian poor to afford crippling wheat prices. These had escalated because of US demand for conversion of wheat to ethanol fuels!

Brandy's avatarMy Passions

Habakkuk 2:2
[ The Just Live by Faith ] Then the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it.


I’ve often pondered the seals of Revelation. I’ve studied and studied them over and over again to find what part of Revelation we are in (because we all know something is coming) and I think we can be pretty sure now where we are on God’s timeline based on something that is happening in Israel as we speak. Although this is a detail of the seals that many skip over because it hadn’t been revealed yet, it is my belief that this little detail was revealed to me (and probably others) the other night and this blog is to bring awareness to it. THIS IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW FOR THOSE OF YOU WATCHING.

I’m sure you will…

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Number 7 and My Journey into Freedom

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This blog post is more like ‘which came first, the chicken or the egg?’  The above title may be back to front because it began as My Journey To Freedom and Number 7. I trust you too will be encouraged by my explanation of that conundrum.

Here’s what happened.:

A friend who organises social breakfasts asked me to tell my story about becoming a Christian. I guess she’d dipped into it on this blog – yet that’s only a brief bit. But how can I deliver the whole lot in speech and not as script? On top of that, when editing my original account I found nostalgia took me down a ‘rabbit hole’ and wasted time.

Only then did I do what I should have done at the outset – ask myself what I wanted to say. I’d put the cart before the horse! I now jotted the main points and was surprised to find there’s 7. Now that’s encouraging for it suggests everything’s ok. Nina thought so too when I did a test run with her. Now please note, we’re not the sort of folk who look for meaning, symbolism and significance in things, although we appreciate the possibility.

[Readers of long standing may note my interest in coincidences arises after events, not in expectant anticipation or forecasting future connections. My discernment of links in ‘God-incidents’ possibly arises from my training in scientific observation and analysis as a disinterested participant. It’s claimed ‘fact is stranger than fiction’, which is why I’ve always tended to steer away from novels. Furthermore, after laying down my ‘old self’ after rebirth in Christ I’ve also avoided my past interests.]

HAH! Upon finalising my Tuesday’s talk I now find its crib-notes done as l a r g e print total 7 pages! What else! What other quantity should I have expected?

In the Bible number 7 is symbolic of divine perfection, and I believe this is understood in other cultures too. Time is measured in units of 7 days – the calendar week. Genesis, the Book of Creation, states everything was created in 7 days with the last being when God was satisfied and rested upon completing His work of creation.

If the concept of a weekly cycle is applied to that of the year then 1/7th equates to 52 days and a ‘design purpose’ for the year’s seventh 1/7th could be that of resting before another cycle starts. That had been in mind in Pause 4 thought when musing about having unexpectedly arrived at the close of a personal cycle. So, it made sense to take a more relaxed pace over August and September and await any changes.

PRINCIPLE OF 7 AND MY JOURNEY

Now, a few weeks later, ‘7’ has got my attention once again and so I take notice and new notions drop into mind like inspired potions infused from ‘above’. As my task is to talk about my past, it is as though a door has opened for me to see and walk through in my spirit. Whilst writing, I recollect the Hebrew date for this ‘new year’ not only signifies an open door but is also shaped like a 7; although as the 4th letter of Hebrew alphabet it denotes No. 4. (Not mentioned in The door to a ‘new season’.)

My first thoughts were:

  • 7 years are said to complete a growth cycle, as in ‘Seven ages of man/woman’.
  • so it’s appropriate to consider seven’s multiples, 14, 21, 28, etc, as cyclic too.
  • major changes or significant events happened on or around the 7th, 14th & 21st anniversaries of my Christian walk.
  • my personal life took hugely significant changes of direction at each 3 x 7 years, ie. every 21 years and around my birthdays. Number 3 denotes completion and unity.

These notions were confirmed last night when I learned the 7th letter of the Hebrew alphabet is Zayin (pronounced ZAH-yeen) and then read John Parson’s comment,

Since Zayin represents both the number 7 and a sword, it is not surprising that it is used to divide or ‘cut up’ time into units of sevens (The Letter Zayin, emphasis added)

Perhaps you’d like to check all this yourself and see if it may apply to you too?  Only a couple of days after realising the significance of those aspects I heard a contact-lady at our online US-church mention a couple of major traumas in her family life. I noticed they were seven years apart. (She’s since confirmed having had personal insights on this – thank you W.)

In addition to the above link, more information may be found on Biblical Numerology at Christianity.About.com. and on the Biblical Meaning of the Number Seven at The Bible Wheel.

So which came first, my journey or several number 7s? Of course, objectively I noticed all the events before, during and since gaining my freedom. Recognising they’re linked inextricably with number 7, then I must conclude the spiritual principle was the active and persistent power orchestrating those events, as in the scale of 7 musical notes.

Thus, 7 came, and comes, first.

Should you wish to continue reading about my journey into freedom, please click here  for its first ‘leg’ or installment.

INFO – installments of original (2013):
  1. No 7 and my journey into freedom
  2. “You shouldn’t be at our school!”
  3. Searching for truth leads me into captivity
  4. The last day of my life came ‘like a thief in the night’
  5. Rescued from Satan by The Lord of Hosts
  6. The real Truth delivers me from captivity
  7. Confirmations of the reality of my visionary encounter

[Images courtesy of Stoon at Freedigitalphotos.net and Melissa at Definingwords.com]

Israelis mark Day of Atonement, reflect on 40 years since surprise attack nearly lost the country.

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Courtesy of James Mark Long, www.propheticartists.comAN IMPORTANT, BRIEF RESUME OF HISTORICAL FACTS, which followed the 1967 onslaught from Israel’s neighbours. In the current crisis we see Syria, Russia, Iran and Egypt still featuring 40 years later in the Middle-East as America, Nato and Britain are sidelined. But it’s not so much that none of the latter feature in scripture and where God’s attention is focussed upon, as their leaders chose to ignore, even mock, His will over marriage. Therefore, it’s no wonder that Putin, Prince of Gog, mocked and has brow-beaten a Western president and a prime minister to take the lead over this matter and across the Middle-East!!

joelcrosenberg's avatarJoel C. Rosenberg's Blog

(Dallas, Texas) — Today is Yom Kippur, or the “Day of Atonement.” It is a Biblical holiday, the day when God called the children of Israel to repent of their national and individual sins and sacrifice animals to receive atonement, or forgiveness, of their sins. It is the highest holiday in Judaism.

Yom Kippur also marks the day when the modern state of Israel was nearly “wiped off the map” by her enemies. Forty years ago today, the Russian-trained and equipped air forces and armies of Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on the Jewish State, a move that nearly succeeded in destroying Israel.

Today, therefore, many Israelis are fasting and praying and reflecting on their lives and going to synagogue — some because of tradition, and some to follow Old Testament customs (albeit complicated by the lack of a Temple in Jerusalem).

Many Israelis are also taking time to reflect…

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Hidden Meaning of the Menorah

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Melissa’s description speaks right into what I sensed during worship yesterday as our assembly sang “You provide the fire, I’ll provide the sacrifice”. I sensed a flickering spread of orange and red with ill-defined objects bowing low and knew this was before the Throne of God. Mulling over Rev 4, I wondered if the image represents the flames of the seven spirits. So be mightily blessed as you inwardly digest this post.

Melissa Johnson's avatarDefining Words

MenorahSymbols of the corporate church abound in scripture. We are alluded to as the bride of Christ, God’s vineyard, the body of Christ, and His temple built of lively stones. Whenever it comes to the individual believer, however, I’ve heard relatively little in the way of scriptural symbolism. In preparation for a conference this month, I stumbled onto a rich trove of delights in studying the 7-candle menorah. The following is a digest of my findings that may prove to stir something within you, too!

Before we start, let me briefly explain the difference between the 7-candle and 9-candle menorah, and why we are focusing on the former. The 7-candle menorah is the traditional candelabra prescribed for use in Tabernacle of Moses. It has come to be a symbol of Judaism and much more as we will, here, divulge. Nine-candle menorahs are known as Hanukkah menorahs, and are lit during…

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A Biblical relevance to Cameron’s ‘judgement call’?

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Truly, I much prefer covering prophetical rather than political/military matters. But some things based upon the Word of God need saying when the occasion arises. So I’ll be brief:

This time last week I read reports of mobilisation around the eastern Med and the Gulf in preparing for a US missile strike upon Syria by the weekend. In view of the ‘ready-to-go’ status, I wasn’t surprised my son’s flight in that region set for Friday was brought forward to early Thursday. PM Cameron had urgently recalled Parliament from its Summer recess and later that day sought all MP’s backing for military support of the US and associates’ attack. The PM has been concerned over the very dreadful plight of civilians in Syria and long canvassed Obama for action of one sort or another.

(The US has trained Syrian rebels in Jordan, who’ve already been in action. Assad had warned this would trigger retribution, including use of chemical weapons – see DebkaFile’s analysis with their original report of mid-August).

D CameronThursday evening’s news referred to PM Cameron stressing that military action is a “Judgement call” – see Channel4 News and Friday’s The Independent. As we know, the PM lost the House’s vote. Much has been written about this and so I’ll be succinct. It’s noteworthy that after having heard Cameron tell him UK is unable to help the US, Obama suddenly changed his mind about the strike – not even telling his military chiefs or allies! (DebkaFile refers.)

What struck me is, not so much the complete about-turn by both leaders, as a likely connection with both having forsaken the ways of the Lord and failing to stand on his Word – God is not mocked!

Let’s recall from a previous post on the US Administration’s problems how the Amplified Bible spells out chapter 6 of Paul’s letter to the Galatians:

Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside.) [He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God.] For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap. 8 For he who sows to his own flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. [BibleGateway] 

We cannot pretend to know how the Lord is working in all this, but it’s instructive to note the PM’s “judgement call” may have a deeper connotation than is ordinarily assumed!

Cameron railroaded through Parliament a completely unnecessary Statute to redefine marriage. His American mentor has led nationally and internationally in this and now faces troubles across several fronts, including the Muslim Brotherhood (see this by Joel Rosenberg).

Thus, they’re reaping as they’ve sown within their very own political system. AND it has come through attempting to deal with an evil regime in cahoots with another – but how can our leaders expect to be righteous in this issue when they’re not in others?

So, this round has been won by the ‘Ezekiel 38 Alliance’, or ‘axis’ as David Blair terms it in his commentary West’s failure to act.  Analysing America’s three main interests in the Syrian issues, Caroline Glick hits the nail on the head in Obama’s bread and circuses.   International Business Editor for the Telegraph, Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, also makes several good points in A Fairly Honourable Defeat. This comes with insights from his father’s involvement in Syria in 1942.

Yesterday’s development is the proposed transfer of Assad’s chemical weapons into deep shelters in Iran, thereby averting any US attack (report here) and possibly using  the move as a bargaining chip. [Debka reported  ahead of the invasion of Iraq that Saddam Hussein’s WMD stock was moved into Syria. Many years later I noted the ‘Vicar of Baghdad’, Canon Andrew White, corroborate this claim on TV.]  A fortnight ago Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu warned,

“Syria has become Iran’s testing ground….Iran is watching and it wants to see what would be the reaction on the use of chemical weapons.”

Today brings news of joint US-Israel tests at sea of interceptive missile systems for protection of Israel and Jordan in the event of the conflict expanding into the region.

So tensions continue to simmer near boiling point….

Events indicate the Bible’s relevance for today

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Recent tragic news from Syria and developments in the Middle East can, in fact, give Christians a deeper understanding of the holy scriptures.

I’ll share my opinion on how this may be so but, first, we’re instructed to pray for those in power, including their need for wisdom in handling crises. Jesus’ brother James wrote to those following ‘The Way’,

If anyone lacks wisdom we should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault…(James 1:5)

He cautions that in so doing we need to believe and not doubt because such a person will not receive anything from God.  Political leaders would, therefore, show wisdom if they are able to believe and fully appreciate God’s Word, not only in living morally but also in dealing with international events such as those foreseen over 2,500 years ago  about a specific Middle Eastern coalition. We note that, in the end, God’s stated goal for three major people groups is as follows;

24 In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing in the midst of the land, 25 whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, “Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.” (Isaiah 19 NKJV, Biblegateway)

There’s a long way to go before that outcome is achieved, incredible as it seems at present.  But current events do show the Holy Bible is not obsolete, or irrelevant for modern times. But this isn’t new!  Many Old Testament verses were fulfilled in 20th Century with the amazing ‘overnight’ creation of a nation-state and the consequential return of dispersed tribes belonging to the ancient Hebraic people. Nearly 2,000 years ago, after having destroyed their capital Jerusalem and sacred Temple because of an armed revolt against Rome’s authority, Emperor Hadrian kicked them out of their homeland after another revolt (for details see Timeline).

Hundreds of years beforehand, however, prophets heard and recorded what the Living God declared about events in the far, far distant future. The fulfillment of His promises through the establishment of modern Israel is something deserving fuller examination. So, too, is Psalm 83’s warning to those people surrounding Israel who plot to ‘wipe it off the map’. (The ancient tribal names may no longer apply but their rage continues within their descendants, as broadcast ceaselessly abroad.)

However, my focus is upon the Biblical references to other peoples on the fringes of the then-known world, as centred around the ‘cradle of civilisation’. They were in lands now known as Persia, Syria, western Egypt or Libya, Turkey as well as southern Russia and central Asia.

Whatever any migratory, trading or hostile connections may have been between those folk, it is a most remarkable fact that the Lord foresaw an alliance forming between them that would become enemies of the Hebraic people living in territory established by King David. Ezekiel, a major OT prophet, received detailed oracles about this coalition led by ‘Gog’. The only other mention of this entity is in the apocalyptic vision Apostle John had of the revelation that God gave Jesus Christ, as recorded towards the end of the Book of Revelation (Rev 20:7-10).

This prophesied coalition known as ‘The Ezekiel Alliance’ and its attack upon Israel is recorded at chapters 38 and 39 of the Book of Ezekiel.  A concise historical analysis from Koinonia House may be read at The Treacherous Trio of Ezekiel 38 – Part 1 and at Part 2, then Part 3.  My previous coverage of this build-up may be found here and here.

The fact that Russia is now getting deeply involved and taking the lead in a strategic coalition that was identified millennia ago as a major player in the Middle-East, and furthermore which aligns itself against Israel, simply cannot be ignored. All political leaders would, therefore, be well advised to tread very carefully in dealing with this alliance.

For what it’s worth I’d like to add my ‘tuppence worth’ but it must of necessity be all too brief. Readers who like digging deeper than mainline media’s cursory overviews (eg. by visiting links suggested in an early blog Not on the 10 o’clock News), may be aware of the following.:

Israel

I’d ask that fellow believers consider their attitude toward modern Israel because some ministries are mistaken in this regard. For instance, a guest post on Cranmer’s blog has reported one ministry as strongly denouncing Israel at festivals over the Summer. I’m aware this may be a touchy topic, but Fran Waddam’s historical comments are helpful for those unfamiliar with the real, rather than revisionist, 20th Century history of Israel. It’s now followed by a CMEW item on Kairos Chaos in the Church, which I recommend. (NB: ignore any flash pop-up ads on Cranmer’s site.)

Syria & Iran

The outrageous chemical attack upon children could, in my opinion, be one way Iran’s leaders are testing President Obama’s resolve and poor credibility. (Iran’s active control of Syria was reported here.)  There are increasing concerns over the reliability of claims that it was done by Assad’s forces, and which doesn’t exactly stack up with signals intel and is voiced by, among others, Jerome Corsi and Walid Shoebat (here).

Iran would seize upon any attack by America as a pretext to attack Israel in a greater measure than done in recent minor occasions (Farsnews). They see such a war as facilitating the appearance of the Shiites’ Mahdi (as here). Thus, it isn’t far-fetched to suppose Iran may attempt the final, threatened blow to eradicate Israel.

Saudi Arabia

Obama’s credibility is non-existent as a result of his polices and actions on Egypt and in Libya, not to mention ‘Benghazi-gate’. Following his 2009 Cairo speech, a deep rift opened between him and the Saudis over his deep humiliation of president Mubarak. Fully aware of the dangers Obama was blind to, they endorsed the Egyptian army’s removal of Morsi and leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood. Also, as members of The Arab League who have denounced Syria, the Saudis met with Russian leaders to sway their support of Syria’s Assad by tempting them with favourable oil/gas deals, as herein.

Egypt

The above quotation from prophet Isaiah is an oracle from the Lord about Egypt. Those closing verses allude to His end-time redemptive plan for three peoples, but its second verse is once again apposite: not as for the Ethiopian takeover 2,800 years ago but for these times too:

“I will set Egyptians against Egyptians;
Everyone will fight against his brother,
And everyone against his neighbour,
City against city, kingdom against kingdom…”

Islam & TerrorismHow to be succinct with what’s on my mind about Egypt? In Cameron: A war against Al-Qaeda… I  referred to Mark Gabriel’s experiences with the Muslim Brotherhood as an Egyptian professor of Islamic history. His exposure of Islam and Terrorism gave me grave reservations over Obama’s insistence upon the outlawed MB’s attendance at his 2009 Cairo speech. My initial points are as herein.

President Obama probably gambled upon the MB having become a peaceful democratic political party but his Muslim roots should have taught him to know better – much better. William Koenig in his Eye View from The White House, puts it this way:

The Egyptian apparent decapitation of the Muslim Brotherhood’s leadership could have enormous impact on the future of many countries and derail White House/ State Department Muslim Brotherhood plan in the Middle East.

McCarthy’s ‘Reds under the beds’ witch hunts of communists was a false alarm by comparison with the MB infiltration of US politics and government. Where the totalitarian system of communism failed, another succeeded beyond its wildest dreams – and even Barack Hussein Obama isn’t entirely to blame! The infiltration started 60 years ago in response to the CIA seeking help against communists. George Bush and many in USA and Western democracies were bamboozled into mistaking Islamist intentions.

The MB’s objectives are known to many well-informed analysts and journalists but largely ignored by politicians and public. I cannot, therefore, recommend highly enough  that every reader take time to visit the following links, of which extracts are shown.

For further political developments see

Recommended Reading:

  1. Resetting US Foreign Policy by ‘ne plus ultra’ Caroline Glick; cogent as ever > ‘Obama’s decision to outsource the US’s Syria policy owed to his twin goals of demonstrating that the US would no longer try to dictate international outcomes, and of allying the US with Islamic fundamentalists…from his earliest days in office Obama insisted that, since radical Islam is the most popular movement in the Islamic world, radical Islam is good’.
  2. The Muslim Brotherhood: Origins, Efficacy and Reach by Raymond Ibrahim; a masterly paper from the well-connected author of The Al-Qaeda Reader covering the MB historically and throughout the Middle-East.
  3. History of the Muslim Brotherhood Penetration of US Government by Clare Lopez, formerly CIA operations officer and senior fellow at the Centre for Security Policy presents an exceptionally well-researched and informative paper > It is important to recognize the sophistication of the Brotherhood’s international strategy and how the takedown of U.S. national security defenses from within was critical to the current Middle East-North Africa (MENA) campaign to re-establish the Caliphate and enforce Islamic Law (shariah)….The careful insinuation of Muslim Brothers into positions from which they can exercise influence on U.S. policy began long before the attacks of 9/11, although their success has accelerated dramatically under the administration of President Barack Obama. The massive Muslim Brotherhood organizational network in the U.S., so patiently built up over the decades since that first Oval Office meeting in 1953, eventually gave it a prominence and (false) reputation of credibility that was unmatched by any other Islamic groups, moderate or otherwise. Using a combination of taqiyya (deceit, dissimulation) and intimidation, the Muslim Brotherhood succeeded not only in making itself the “go-to” authority on all things related to Islam, but in suppressing those who would speak truth about Islam—again, often by persuading the U.S.’s own senior officials to do the job for them: “by their hands”.
  4. The US State Department’s Islamist Plan by Dr Mordechai Kebar, Israeli scholar of Arabic and Islam covers MB’s plans for Sinai and Egypt and reveals the grave concerns of Jordan’s king > King Abdullah openly calls them “wolves in sheep’s clothing” and “the Freemasons cult” (there is no worse expression in Arabic that the king could have used towards his citizens, MK.) because they do not want to reform the regime of the Hashemite monarchy; rather, they want to replace it and  turn it into a puppet after taking over the parliament and changing the  state into a “constitutional monarchy” with an Islamic constitution  written by the Brotherhood, of course. The king describes his battle with the Brotherhood with the expression “the most important battle confronting us in the entire region”, even more than Iran. He also does not hide his contempt for the American diplomats and officials who promote the Muslim Brotherhood out of naivety, as if the regime of the  Brotherhood is a type of Islamic democracy.
  5. Muslim Brotherhood: We’ve Got ‘Goods on Obama’ by Dr Jerome Corsi > In an interview with the News Agency Anatolia in Turkey, Saad Al-Shater, the son of imprisoned Muslim Brotherhood leader Khairat Al-Shater, said his father “had in his hand” evidence that will put Obama in prison. In a thinly veiled threat, Saad Al-Shater said a US delegation was sent to Cairo by Obama to press for the release of the imprisoned Muslim Brotherhood leaders, including his father to prevent the release of explosive information. Arabic-speaking former PLO member Walid  Shoebat has translated the report by the Turkish News Agency Anatolia as follows…
  6. BREAKING NEWS – Corsi, “Egyptian government…intends to implicate Obama directly in series of financial transactions with the MB in Egypt” (video interview).

Who’s watching who? A crowd of witnesses!

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Are you athletic – unlike me! – and enjoy running and other track events? Perhaps you’ve run in a marathon?  Do you have a school age child and support their sporting activities and events?  All participants in any sport and of any age enjoy being cheered and encouraged by onlookers – especially when the finishing line’s coming up!

I was reminded of that by Paul Keith’s conversation with Rick Joyner, as well as with Bobby Conner in April. Did you watch those videos (here and here)?  In my experience, Rick’s comment about the connection between what happened to him whilst writing a book and events in the Toronto Blessing is insightful.

All three men refer to Apostle Paul describing his faith in and work for Jesus Christ as being like running a race:

…since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,  2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  (Emphases mine)

What was the reason behind this description?  The preceding part of the letter to the Hebrews is a detailed reminder of the hope and great faith of the heroes of the Old Testament.:

39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,  40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.  1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by… (Hebrews 11:39-12:2 NKJV)

On camera, the three modern-day prophets discussed not only the scriptural meaning of the ‘cloud of witnesses’ but also alluded to some examples of their having been seen today. It is a fascinating part of their discussion that I’d urge you not to overlook, and maybe revisit.

I know some believers may struggle with this as it seems contrary to the OT prohibition against consulting mediums and witches (here). That is, there’s a presumption that any experience of the ancient witnesses is the same as necromancy; ie. contacting the dead. But not so!

The reason for the prohibition against witchcraft, sorcery and necromancy is to protect God’s people from contact with and affliction by evil spirits.  Those activities attempt to manipulate not only people but also demonic spirits by summoning them from their realm into ours. Seeking contact with spirits and deceased persons is very costly for it comes with dangerous personal consequences.

We know that God is not God of the dead but of the living. Those who died in Him are still alive, although not in a fleshly body, as can be inferred from Jesus’ reference to  Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Matthew 22:31-33).

If someone accidentally happens to encounter one of the heavenly saints then it is certainly not mediumship or necromancy. It is a gracious event initiated by God in allowing such a contact. Would critics say Jesus’ meeting with Moses and Elijah was necromancy? (see Matthew 17) Surely not!

A personal encounter

Let me share what happened at our church mid-week meeting a few months ago.:

We were discussing Exodus and I popped upstairs to get my annotated Bible. The stairwell leads directly into the lounge and as I descended to the bottom steps I felt as though I’d walked into, or rather through, something – like when you’re not looking where you’re going and bump into someone, and then look at them in surprise. Our leader noticed my glancing with a startled frown at the wall and sensed someone’s presence.

I reported the brief, finer details of what I’d sensed to our minister, who advised this is happening more often, especially where folk worship and discuss the scriptures, as one of her family found in Mozambique. This makes eminent sense because the patriarchs were intimately involved with the Lord and must have known of His plans for the far off future when His Kingdom will come in fullness upon the earth.

In view of the increasing acceleration toward that time the ‘cloud of witnesses’ must be getting more and more excited – exactly like people cheering competitors toward the finish.  Just like last year’s Olympics!

I pray this post gives another morsel to chew upon and digest, rather than spit out. And please take another bite…

Note: See White Dove Ministries’ webinar archive for more on the cloud of witnesses.

Paul Keith Davis and Rick Joyner discuss ‘Times and Seasons’

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If you liked Paul Keith Davis’ teaching on the 3 anointings then you will like this 83 mins chat with his friend. (It is superior value to anything on the ‘one-eyed’ blind god we call TV.)  Their closing answer to an online question made it rather personal for us last night because we’d learned of Frances Metcalf’s profound ministry in the Lord through our local church.  May you be blessed in hearing these men of God.:

 

Topics covered:

  • current events – Church in transition – 2013-14
  • full discipleship foundations – contemplative prayer
  • angelic encounter whilst writing The Final Quest
  • Jesus knocking to come into what belongs to Him
  • the Rev ‘overcomers’ are not ordinary churchgoers
  • the greatest tribulation/opportunity in global history
  • confrontation with false teaching in spirit & power of Elijah
  • ‘koinonia’ (real fellowship) essential for preparing The Bride
  • role of past overcomers/witnesses in today’s acceleration
  • different destinies within heaven
  • 1st Century Apostolic ministry required for 21st Century
  • questions from online viewers – grace – true holiness – restoration of family structure – is USA in scripture (v good point from Rev 12) – increasing evil
  • Francis Metcalf’s experiences of rapture and translation, difference between them, an understanding of the message of Enoch.

The final four minutes are highly instructive and encouraging and I pray the Lord will give you an understanding and insights into these matters. The whole ‘webinar’ is a rich banquet. Thank you gentlemen.

Paul Keith Davis: Three Anointings Coming to End-Time Believers

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Further to my previous, I’m indebted to Tembisa at Church On Fire for re-posting this with the above image and providing the link, and to James Bailey for permission to re-post from his blog Z3news. Thank you for your additional notes James:

Paul Keith Davis shared the following message at a Morningstar Advanced Prophetic Conference in February, 2013. In this message, he said God showed him three anointings are coming upon a remnant of believers in these last days to enable them to usher in the return of the Lord and the millennial reign. For many believers, this message will sound like jibberish, but to those who are part of the remnant these words will stir their hearts to rise up and take possession of all God has for them.

Paul Keith Davis is a prophetic minister who speaks at churches and conferences all over the world. He is founder of White Dove Ministries, which is located in Foley, AL.

The following is the transcript of parts of the message delivered by Paul Keith Davis. Following that, I have taken the liberty to explain parts of his message in my own words and added scripture passages.

I had a vision, not a dream. In this vision I saw a hand. I only saw it from the elbow down, coming down with a Bible in his hand. I looked at the Bible and it was open to Numbers chapter 10. Then I saw a finger scroll down in the Bible and point to a certain Scripture. That scripture said, “Increase, increase, increase, increase, increase.” Five times.

Now in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth of the month, the cloud was lifted from over the tabernacle of the testimony; and the sons of Israel set out on their journeys from the wilderness of Sinai. Then the cloud settled down in the wilderness of Paran. So they moved out for the first time according to the commandment of the Lord through Moses. The standard of the camp of the sons of Judah, according to their armies, set out first, with Nahshon the son of Amminadab, over its army, and Nethanel the son of Zuar, over the tribal army of the sons of Issachar; and Eliab the son of Helon over the tribal army of the sons of Zebulun. Then the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who were carrying the tabernacle, set out. (Numbers 10:11-17)

And I knew that whatever the truth was in that scripture it was a secret. It was a trigger to launch us into ever increasing measures of increase. Once we start, it is not going to wane. It is going to increase on top of increase. So I wondered about that and the Lord said, “The cloud is moving.”

So I did a little study of this and found out exactly what I felt like it meant. Here is the essence of that. Here is the essence of Numbers chapter 10. It was the introduction of the silver trumpets where there would be a blowing of the trumpets (verses 1-10), the calling of a holy convocation. When they call the holy convocation it could be for war. It could be for packing up and moving. But in this case, it was for Israel to break camp because the cloud was moving.

The scripture that was highlighted for me said there was an order that was followed. This was the order of Israel when they were to pack up and move. First of all, the cloud would go before them. The very first thing that followed the cloud was the standard of Judah. Behind the standard was the tribe of Judah. Behind Judah was Issachar. Behind Issachar was Zebulon. Then all of the instruments in the tent and the Ark of the covenant went behind them.

The Lord told me in my vision, “I am about to visit your generation, but what is going to precede the ark of the covenant are those three anointings: Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. These are preparatory anointings that God has given us.

The Judah Anointing

Chosen by God to be positioned first tribe following the cloud is the tribe of Judah. The standard of Judah is an emblem of a lion. The lion appeared on the shields and banners of the tribe of Judah.

When Judah’s father Jacob (who was later named Israel) was old, he blessed his sons and prophesied over each of them. When he came to Judah, he said:

Judah, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies. Your father’s sons shall bow down to you. “Judah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He couches, he lies down as a lion, and as a lion, who dares rouse him up? “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. “He ties his foal to the vine, and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine. He washes his garments in wine, and his robes in the blood of grapes. “His eyes are dull from wine, and his teeth white from milk. (Genesis 49:8-12)

The spirit of Judah is like the prevailing spirit of a young lion. Lions have no fear. They are the king of the beasts. The Judah anointing is a ruling anointing that operates in great authority. Judah’s brothers will bow down to him and praise him. The name Judah literally means “praised”.

I have heard teachings that Judah means “praise,” as in giving praise to God, but that is not what it means. Some have tried to explain that God sent the tribe of Judah first because Judah would sing praises to God, but that is not the reason given in scriptures. The Bible tells us Judah is the young lion who receives praises from his brothers. Judah was sent forth first because he is fearless, victorious, and rules with authority. Judah means “praised,” not “praise.” There is a big difference!

I believe this erroneous teaching about Judah is based on a misinterpretation of what Judah means and a misinterpretation of 2nd Chronicles 20:21-22 where King Jehoshaphat sent singers and praisers before the armies of Israel. It does not say they were from Judah, nor does it say Judah was characterized as being singers or praisers. So we need to stay with what the scriptures say and avoid following the teachings of men who sometimes twist the meaning of the words to make them say things that are not there.

What we know from the scriptures Judah was instructed by the Lord to go first, ahead of the other tribes.

Now the sons of Israel arose, went up to Bethel, and inquired of God and said, “Who shall go up first for us to battle against the sons of Benjamin?” Then the LORD said, “Judah shall go up first.” (Judges 20:18)

Like a lion, Judah always gets the best portion. So much so that his eyes are dull from wine and his teeth are white from milk. This is another insight into the character of Judah.

Paul Keith Davis explained the Judah anointing this way:

This is the essence of it. The cloud is moving. The Lord told me in my experience, “The cloud is moving and those who are provoked, those who are moved, those who are stirred, I am going to give them something they need for this season in history. I am going to give them my lion-like nature, the lion-like nature of God, to deal with the anxiety and fear among My people.”

When Judah went behind the cloud, the lion-like nature of God went behind the cloud. It is what was given to those in Hebrews Chapter 11. It is imparted by God. It is something we do not possess of ourselves.

God is sending the Judah anointing on His people to rid them of all fears, anxieties, and panic attacks. Fear opens the door for the enemy to come in. Fear can have no place with the people of God. Through this anointing, end-time believers will rise up in boldness to proclaim the good news without fear, just like the apostles in the book of Acts.

The Issachar Anointing

Behind Judah is Issachar. The name Issachar means “there is a reward, wages, a payment, compensation.” Here is how Issachar got his name:

Then Leah (his mother) said, “God has given me my wages because I gave my maid to my husband.” So she named him Issachar. (Genesis 30:18)

However, the Issachar anointing is not defined by his name, but by the word spoken over him by his father. Here is what Jacob, Issachar’s father, said when he blessed him and prophesied over him:

“Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the ash heaps. When he saw that a resting place was good and that the land was pleasant, he bowed his shoulder to bear burdens, and became a slave at forced labor.” (Genesis 49:14-15)

So we see Issachar was the observant one, always taking note of his surroundings to find a pleasant place and a good resting place. Unfortunately for Issachar, his future would involve forced labor, but the main point here is his character trait of being watchful and attentive to his surroundings. He was aware and understood the events around him. Perhaps that is why God chose him to follow Judah as the second tribe when Israel moved behind the cloud.

Paul Keith Davis explained why we need the Issachar anointing:

God wants us to be anointed with the lion-like nature of God, but he also wants us to be anointed with eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to understand. He not only wants leaders to have understanding of times and seasons but he wants all of his people to have this understanding. He wants us to recognize the day in which we live.

Jesus rebuked the leaders of his day for their lack of awareness of their times. He told them they could tell the weather by the color of the sky at night to know whether it would be a good day or a bad day but they could not tell the day of their own visitation. We need the Issachar anointing to know what God is doing in the earth and how we fit into that plan. Where are we in the Scriptures? What is being fulfilled in our day? I believe the Issachar anointing is essential.

When this outpouring comes we are not going to look back, we’re going to look ahead because what we establish here will take us right into the millennium. So we need the Issachar anointing so that we understand where we are in relation to where we are going.

This remnant of end-time believers will have their eyes opened to see the bigger picture of what God is doing in the earth. They will see where their life fits into God’s plans for the great end-time harvest, which is worldwide. They will no longer rely on the secular news media to explain current events because God is going to give them insights and understanding by His spirit that the secular news media knows nothing about. This remnant will be tuned into another channel. Enabled by the Issachar anointing, they will be illuminated with understanding. When the world starts shaking with birth pangs and tribulation, these believers will be able to explain what is happening to others. In fact, they will have already seen the events before they happened.

The Zebulun Anointing

Behind Issachar is Zebulun. The name Zebulun means “exalted,” which means elevated or lifted up to a high place, glorious, and noble. This is the anointing to go into the high places to receive greater personal revelation of the Lord to be more firmly established in knowing the Lord.

Believers in these last days cannot rely on someone else’s faith or someone else’s revelation. Those who walk in the Zebulun anointing will have close personal knowledge of the Lord. They will dwell with Him. They will take the high ground and occupy it.

With this anointing, those who are hungry for more of God will be enabled to draw out hidden treasures from the word of God. God is going to impart revelation to this generation that was hidden from previous generations.

Paul Keith Davis explained why we need the Zebulun anointing:

The Zebulun anointing helps to establish the revelation of Jesus Christ in the hearts of a remnant of God’s people who will move from infancy into maturity. All of creation is waiting and groaning for the revelation of the mature sons of God (Romans 8:19). These are those who have received revelation on how to access their inheritance, which has been stored up in heaven throughout the ages but not released to the earth until now due to a lack of revelation.

By this anointing, a remnant of God’s people is going to taste the good word of God and the powers of the age to come (Hebrews 6:5). These pioneers will cross over into the age to come and bring the powers of that age back into our day. Like the Israelites who were sent to spy out the promised land, these forerunners will venture over into the land of promise and bring back a few of the grapes, the fruit of that land, and say, “Here it is! Here is what we are after. It is over there.”

They are going to contend for it. They are going to build for it. They are going to believe for it. They are going to move into that. They won’t have the fullness of it but they will have the tasting of it. Just a little taste of that realm will change a generation.

Because of the Zebulun anointing, these forerunners are going to cause eternity to overshadow our realm. They’re going to experience things that we may never have dreamed about. They’re going to taste amazing things like controlling nature and controlling the elements. The glory of this latter house will be greater than the former house. They’re going to usher in the millennium.

Also from Zebulun comes those who do warfare with the instrument of a scribe. In other words, those who write for the Lord (Judges 5:14). Personally, I like that because I do a lot of writing. Some translations interpret this verse to say “wield the staff of office,” which is ambiguous and not a very good translation of the Hebrew words.

ALL THREE ANOINTINGS COMBINED

Those who receive these anointings will not be limited to one but will have all three. They will be well equipped to carry out their end-time assignments as they operate in the boldness of Judah, the awareness of Issachar, and the revelation of Zebulun. They will therefore be well-equipped to fulfill God’s purpose for their life.

Just as the tribes of Israel worked together to do the will of God, so these three anointings will work together to enable this remnant of believers to do the will of God. In Deuteronomy 33:18-19 we see the prophetic decree that both Zebulun and Issachar will call peoples to come up to the mountain of the Lord. There they will offer righteous sacrifices. They will draw out the abundance of the seas and the hidden treasures of the sand. The abundance of the seas and the hidden treasures are both spiritual and literal treasures. In fact, in nearly every nation where Paul Keith Davis has delivered this message during the past two years the Lord has confirmed it with amazing discoveries of gold, silver, and diamonds soon after he left.

ANTIDOTE FOR OVERCOMING THREE EVIL SPIRITS

The Lord said to Paul Keith Davis, “These three anointings will be the antidote for three very serious spirits that will attempt in a very pronounced way to hinder the last day church.”

There are three spirits coming against the church in the last days. These three spirits work to undermine the foundations of faith and direct God’s people away from the source of their salvation. The Lord showed Paul Keith Davis these three spirits identified in Jude 1:11.

Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever. It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage. (Jude 1:11-16)

Like the three men listed in Jude 1:11, each of these three spirits has a distinctly different assignment against the end-time church.

  1. Cain represents a religious spirit, which is a spirit that takes on a form of godliness but denies the power of God. This spirit does not obey the commandments of the Lord but instead seeks to make its own rules for following God. It is an attempt to put God’s name on man’s lawlessness. It refuses to come to God through the doorway of faith but seeks to come by another way. This spirit attacks those who walk by faith. It seeks to silence them and even kill them if necessary. It is jealous of them in the same way that Cain was jealous of Able. It is the same spirit that was on the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. The jealousy ultimately leads to murder.
  2. The spirit of Balaam is the spirit of error. This spirit promotes false teachings as a way of putting a stumbling block in the path of the people of God. Jesus warned the church at Pergamum to repent from this spirit (Revelation 2:14). Jude 1:11 warns us to avoid the error of Balaam. Those who follow this spirit will go astray in the same way that Balaam went astray because he loved the wages of unrighteousness. This spirit operates in churches today in those who seek to merchandise the anointing for unrighteous profit, using the holy things of God as a means to make money for themselves. The spirit of Balaam is very much a 21st-century enemy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. God is going to deal with it in his church.
  3. The spirit of Korah is rebellion against God’s appointed leadership. Just as Korah rebelled against the leadership of Moses, this spirit stirs up rebellion against God’s anointed leaders. Ultimately, it seeks to overthrow God’s leaders if possible. This spirit does not fear the Lord or respect His leaders. It foolishly speaks vile things against leaders to anyone who will listen. It operates the opposite of David when he refused to say anything against King Saul even when Saul sought to kill him.

God already has a plan in place to deal with these evil spirits. Paul Keith Davis explained it as follows:

The Lord did not tell me that one of those anointings is against the other. We’re going to have three specific spirits (Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun) to prepare us for the Lord’s visitation. Preceding the coming of the ark, the Lord is going to release the standard of Judah, the lion-like nature of God, the understanding of times and seasons (Issachar), and the blessings of understanding God’s dwelling place (Zebulun). Then will come the ark of the covenant, whatever God wants that to look like. At the same time, it is going to be the antidote to the evil spirits sent to hinder us.

MY COMMENTS

From the scriptures in Numbers 10, I believe God gave Paul Keith the key to increase for God’s end-time army. I believe God was showing Paul Keith how to tap into true increase, not just increase in one area of our lives but in every area. He was showing him how to cross into the promised land and bring back fruits to show to those who have not yet entered. He was showing him how to tap into the powers of the age to come to usher in the new age of the millennial reign.

Numbers 10 provides the keys to unlocking that increase. The following list shows four lessons that the end-time church can learn from what God did with the Israelites:

  1. Wait on the cloud to move first. Do not move ahead of the cloud and do not get left behind after the cloud has moved. When the cloud moves it is time to move.
  2. Follow every detail of God’s instructions. God gave the Israelites different instructions for different situations, which included blowing the silver trumpets in some cases and sounding alarms in other cases (Numbers 10:1-10). Likewise, we must be careful to follow every detail of His instructions, which will be different for different situations.
  3. Whenever Israel went into a battle or moved their camp, God instructed them to move in a specific order behind the cloud so that Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun always moved ahead of the tabernacle. In the same way, God is equipping the end-time church with three anointings that will precede His return to the earth. These anointings have the same character traits as the three tribes. They give us the antidote that enables us to overcome the spirits of hell that try to hinder us. By receiving these anointings and walking in them, our victory over the schemes of the enemy is assured. Then we will say as Moses said, “Rise up, O Lord! And let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before You.” (Numbers 10:35)
  4. Just as the presence of the Lord returned to the tabernacle after the Israelites moved, the end-time church will usher in the return of the Lord and the beginning of the millennial reign. As Moses said after the ark came to rest, “Return O Lord to the myriad thousands of Israel.” (Numbers 10:36)

Author: James Bailey

Continued in next post, Observations upon the 3 Anointings >

Mentoring Day part 1 – apostolic/prophetic alignment and surprises!

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Let’s first consider these verses in chapter 4 of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (NKJV):

4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.  8 Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.”…11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

In his ardent teaching upon the benefits of apostolic/prophetic alignment for churches,  Jerome Joseph stated pastors and teachers have been leading church for a season, but this new season needs them to align to, and thereby be strengthened by, the apostolic and prophetic ‘ascension’ gifts.

It is time to move away from adherence to a local church/pastor/priest, for that is a form of idolatry which is past it’s ‘sell-by’ date. And that is not of God.

It is time for an uncompromising, ruthlessness for righteousness and God’s gospel to be expressed throughout the body of Christ. When the Commander-in-Chief speaks through the apostolic/prophetic we should obey Him – we’re not a peace-keeping ministry but a militant calling.

Before that hour’s solid teaching I’d taken my seat after worship. Out of the corner of my eye I’d sensed a long grey, vertical shape whiz down the aisle invisibly carving a deep furrow through its carpeted floor!  I thought it was like an ice-breaker but upon analysis thought it may be an axe or adze being swung. (See next post for correct answer!)

These photos may help you gain an impression of the impact I sensed – imagine the ship without its white superstructure and the motion of the other’s prow through ice.

Coffee break

Fresh CoffeeOver coffee afterwards I chatted with a couple of fellow attendees. One mentioned she’d been praying with friends the previous evening because of a recommendation (here) for a prophetic word from Kim Clement relating to the Book of Esther.  It was about wicked Haman’s fate being applied today. So, I filed it away mentally for reference (as here), but along with the above impressions, it proved to be related to what Dr Stone was about to teach!

This was the first of three references to the Book of Esther that I drew attention to in respect of the video on the Welsh Outpouring. The second and fullest occasion was when Sharon taught about a new level of being able to decree and overwrite what’s going on with this nation’s legislature. The foundational principles are contained in the book of Esther, as indicated in the last post, and continued in Mentoring Day part 2.

Meanwhile, please visit Dr Stone’s website to learn what the Lord gave her that very morning about very important Apostolic Prophetic Decrees Over the UK.

Orphan wins beauty contest in Iranian court

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This headline belongs to the story of an orphaned young lady named Esther in the heart of the ancient Iranian, or Persian, empire about 2,600 years ago. It is recorded in the well-known book bearing her name. (Wikipedia explains the national names.)  In closing the last post I wrote about the likely relevance of her story to developments in the UK today. Before elaborating, I must outline Esther’s exceptional story.:

PersianEmpireAbout 100 years earlier, the Hebrew people had been taken into captivity from Israel and Judea by Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. His empire fell to the Medes and Persians (as the prophets predicted) and one of the first actions of king Cyrus was to repatriate exiled peoples and to re-instate their national gods.

The Jews benefited greatly and a few groups returned over subsequent decades to rebuild destroyed Jerusalem and its temple built by King Solomon. Some Jews stayed behind, however, of which Mordecai, a minor official, was one. His great-grandfather was one of the original captive exiles and, later, an uncle and aunt died leaving their daughter an orphan. So, Mordecai looked after his younger cousin as his own daughter. The Bible describes the situation and that, ‘The young woman was lovely and beautiful’  (Esther 2:5-7).

Several years after their surprising defeat by the Greeks at the Battle of Marathon in 490BC, there were good reasons for Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) to give a huge feast at the climax of six months’ display of his wealth and power. His queen threw a huge party too, but refused his request to join his celebrations, thereby giving offence to not only the king but also to his courtiers. She even refused his command to be brought before him!  His council of regional princes thought her action set a bad example, and one which other ladies may follow! The first chapter in Esther records how the princes answered their king (please note the emphasised principles),

“If it pleases the king, let a royal decree go out from him, and let it be recorded in the laws of the Persians and the Medes, so that it will not be altered, that Vashti shall come no more before King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she.  20 When the king’s decree which he will make is proclaimed through-out all his empire (for it is great)…21 And the reply pleased the king and the princes, and the king did according to the word of Memucan. 22 Then he sent letters to all the king’s provinces, to each province in its own script, and to every people in their own language.

Thus Xerxes deposed his queen and his servants later recommended that a replacement be found by means of a beauty contest, to which the king agreed and issued a decree. Mordecai advised Esther not to tell of her Jewish roots and took her to the king’s palace for selection. This was followed by 12 months’ beauty preparations before being presented personally to King Xerxes, when…

The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 Then the king made a great feast, the Feast of Esther, for all his officials and servants; and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces and gave gifts according to the generosity of a king. (Esther 2)

About that time, Mordecai uncovered a plot to overthrow the king. So, Esther informed the king in her cousin’s name. Afterwards, the king appointed Haman above all princes and commanded all to pay him homage. But Mordecai refused to do so!  This wicked, intensely anti-Semitic leader therefore hated Mordecai and devised a conspiracy, with financial incentives, to wipe out all Jews from the kingdom. Later, he built a ‘gallows’ on his own property for Mordecai.  Thus, the king was manipulated into issuing a decree and handed his signet ring to Haman for authorising the decree into law (Esther 3).

Mordecai learned about this plan (Esther 4) and informed Esther, who responded,

“All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden sceptre, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days.”

This ruling applied even to Queen Esther!  Mordecai challenged her with these famous words:

“Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. 14 For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Esther resolved to go before the king making supplication on behalf of her people, and requested back-up prayers and fasting,

“…And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” 

Courtesy of Gilbert and Beers

Now it happened on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, across from the king’s house, while the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, facing the entrance of the house.[a]  2 So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favour in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the sceptre.

To find out what happened next and to gain insights into how God works to protect His people, continue reading here… (click therein for next short chapters).

To return to my notes on the Mentoring Day with Dr Sharon Stone click for either Part 1 or for Part 2.

Footnote:

This historic deliverance of the Jews from extermination is celebrated annually during the Feast of Purim. For more information in a brief introduction to the Book of Esther read Mary Fairchild’s summary, and read the whole, short book at Bible Gateway’s website.

Note on Christian prophecy and The Apocalypse

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Digging into the difference of opinion noted in the re-post from Joel Rosenberg unearthed an interesting find – one connecting into what I wrote ten weeks ago today about the origin of this blog. I’ll say more about that later.

Some readers may have queried my covering comment to Joel’s post; (it) “includes opinions of a Bible teacher who thinks its prophecies have happened“.  This merely reflects the actual content of The Blaze interviews.

As Hank Hanegraaff’s online radio show is called ‘Bible Answer Man’, my remark may seem to question that title. Those reading the linked article would note journalist Billy Holloway’s statement that Hanegraaff has “a wildly different take on the matter” to that of Rosenberg for he, “rejected the notion that Revelation and other alleged prophecies apply to today’s world”.

How come? Aren’t both men Christians? A little elucidation is called for…

Doubtless both men meet the basic criterion for a born-again believer, as in the Spirit-inspired instruction of the apostles Paul and John:

…9 if you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord”, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. (Chapter 10 of Paul’s letter to the Romans; New International Version)

16 For God so loved the world (that’s you, my reader) that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (Chpt 3 of the Gospel according to John; NIV)

So, to have faith in Christ it isn’t absolutely necessary to believe everything in the Bible. In fact, some believers disregard prophecy and scholars have various opinions upon this topic and when, if at all, predicted events will occur. Also, are such things to be taken figuratively?  The widest divergence in opinion is over the Bible’s closing book – ‘The Apocalypse’, or ‘Book of Revelation’. In the original Greek this Book opens as follows.:

‘Apocalupsis iEsou christou…’

‘The unveiling of Jesus Christ (anointed one)’, per the Greek Interlinear Bible, or as the New King James Version translates it:

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,  2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. (Revelation 1)

John is thought to have been the closest disciple of Jesus, and could thereby personally attest to Jesus’ awesome origin, as in the first of three short letters to believers:

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us…(1 John 1)

The Apocalypse opens by stating its purpose: an unveiling of God’s plans that He gave to Jesus Christ, for sharing through his surviving first disciple several decades after he witnessed Jesus’ resurrection from death. This account tells how John acquired this information. He became Jesus’ amanuensis in writing exactly what Jesus dictated as personal letters to seven churches in Asia as a result of His having visited them.

White Door in SkyNext, John was caught up to God’s Throne Room in heaven where he heard and saw visions about what was going to happen shortly and in the distant future when the Age will be drawn to a close with the bodily return of Jesus Christ to rule and reign upon earth. John had to be reminded to write it all down!

NB: It is the only Book in the Bible to open with a blessing for all who read it and ‘keep’, or observe, what’s written therein, and closes with a curse (of loss of inheritance in the Kingdom) for anyone who tampers with its text and changes its message. The Book of Revelation is primarily for believers, not unbelievers.

In Unlocking The Bible, David Pawson defines this genre of literature as follows:

Unlocking The Bible‘Apocalyptic’ is history written from God’s point of view.  It gives the total picture.  It enlarges our understanding of world events by seeing them in the light of what is above and beyond our limited perception.  This gives us both insight and foresight…far beyond that of the normal historian.

He also gives this snippet:

God is working out his plans and purposes within time…He is the Lord of History.  But it is his pattern, which can only be discerned when he has revealed the missing pieces of the jigsaw. (Emphasis added)

(Now where did we come across that notion before?  See Invisible Jigsaw.)

He points out that the first characteristic of the ‘apocalyptic’ genre is that it’s basically moral. Secondly, that it’s often symbolical so the unknown can be communicated in terms of what is familiar, as in analogy or parable, because it involves not only information but also imagination. 

Interpretation of The Revelation

Thus, this complex ‘end-times’ revelation can only be understood with God’s overall purpose for humanity in mind. So, it’s not surprising that scholars are divided over the Book’s meaning and predictions for the end of 1st Century and any later events it may forecast for the world and the Church.

There are four main ‘schools’ of exposition based upon interpretations of when these predictions would be fulfilled, as below:

  1. Preterist  – during the first centuries AD with the decline/fall of Roman Empire
  2. Historicist – all centuries between the First and Second Advent of Jesus Christ
  3. Futurist – end of final century AD (held by early Church and evangelicals today)
  4. Idealist – any century AD, none in particular (treats the Book as spiritual ‘myth’).

We can now appreciate Hank Hanegraaff’s ‘preterist’ position that Revelation refers only to John’s days 1900 years ago and the persecutions that took place. But he fails to take the whole account into consideration because its closing chapters clearly refer to things that have not happened yet. For example, unprecedented global catastrophes, return of millions of deceased Christians alongside Jesus to overthrow Satan and rule upon earth, Satan’s final rebellion with many nations and demise in the lake of fire, the arrival of the ‘holy city’ and ‘wedding of the Lamb’!

So how are we to understand The Apocalypse? David Pawson suggests using the four ‘schools’  in conjunction for each of the three main time periods, the present, the near future and the far future (not ignoring the switching between earth and heaven).  Yet,

..the fundamental question is not ‘when?’ but WHY?

Pawson’s answer:

Not just to tell us what is going to happen but to get us ready for what is going to happen…Revelation is a ‘manual for martyrdom’…which is why this book becomes so meaningful to Christians under persecution. Maybe this is also why Western Christians in comfortable churches fail to find it relevant.

Structure of The Revelation

 “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.  18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. 19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.  (Rev 1:17-19 NKJV)

  • The Present:
  • chpt 1. Vision of the Son of Man, the one ascended Lord
  • chpt 2-3. Letters to seven churches (and for all churches)
  • chpt 4-5. Vision of heaven, the Lion of Judah and the Lamb
  • The Near Future:
  • chpt 6-11. Judgements, great tribulation, martyrs and two witnesses
  • chpt 12-16. Woman, child, dragon, beast 666, antichrist, false prophet
  • chpt 17-19. Fall of Babylon, Messianic judgement of Armageddon
  • THE RETURN OF ‘THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS’ 
  • The Far Future:
  • chpt 20. The Millennium, Satan rebels/defeated, Judgement, lake of fire
  • chpt 21. New heaven and new earth, the Bride, the New Jerusalem
  • chpt 22. River of Life from God’s throne, Tree of Life for healing the nations.

David Pawson explains that each future period has bad news and things get much worse, but the good news is that things will get very much better afterwards. Through it all Jesus encourages his people to ‘endure’ and ‘overcome’ until He returns.

First, Jesus tells the churches they must deal with internal problems if they are to face external pressures. Compromise in belief of behaviour, tolerance of idolatry or immorality, weaken the Church from within. (LESSON FOR TODAY!)

For the 2nd period He shows the worst that can happen but believers will not have to go through anything worse! “And the very worst time ahead will be at most a few years”.

Then, Jesus reveals the wonders that will follow in the 3rd period when all believers will be with Him.

Conclusion

On a personal note, what impresses me is the comparison of this closing book with the Bible’s first book, Genesis.  Revelation promises a full restoration not only for those who believe in God, to life with Him, but also and because of that for the earth too. The Tree of Life is a main feature in the garden of Eden, in the beginning, but through it Satan perverted Adam and Eve’s relationship with their fatherly Creator and so they lost and fell from their glory. In the end that usurper gets his just desserts, the saved return to living in the glory of God in the New Jerusalem and the Tree’s leaves bring healing to all people, as it is written.:

But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honour into it. 25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). 26 And they shall bring the glory and the honour of the nations into it. 27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. (Revelation 21 NKJV)

This short blog can never hope to do justice to the Book of Revelation. It is an awesome subject but you may wish to meditate upon it yourself along with suitable aids such as in the links below.

Acknowledgements – thank you to:

  • David Pawson, for Unlocking the Bible and books & audio series here and here.
  • Neil MacKereth, for several in-depth courses at Winchester Vineyard church using Chuck Missler’s and David Pawson’s extensive teachings.

PS – click to read about what happened after writing the above post!

Does the Bible Predict God’s End-Times Destruction of Syria? My interview with The Blaze.

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Courtesy Watcharakun at Freedigitalphotos.comAn interesting, albeit brief, reference in this media interview to Joel Rosenberg’s prophetical novels and includes opinions of a Bible teacher who thinks its prophecies have already happened!

joelcrosenberg's avatarJoel C. Rosenberg's Blog

blaze-logo(Jerusalem, Israel) — In light of the horrific carnage in Syria and warnings the country could completely implode, TheBlaze has published an interview with me about the prophecies of Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49 and the general topic of Bible prophecy and events in the Middle East. Here are excerpts from the story by reporter Billy Hallowell:

As the situation in Syria intensifies and the United Nations reports that 93,000 civilians have been killed since 2011, the United States is taking increased action. With the deadly drama continuing to progress, it’s likely that some — especially considering Syria’s Biblical and geographical significance — will see End Times prophecy unfolding.

A silly suggestion to non-believers and others who disagree with conservative views on the Bible and an undeniable reality to others, the debate over signs and symbols associated with Jesus’ return presents ever-fascinating discussions. But while author Joel C. Rosenberg embraces…

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Does extraterrestrial intelligence exist? Part 1

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The answer may lie in the answer to a question raised in a recent musing – a question that got answered within the hour. I was dumbfounded!

Some will ask what’s this doing on a Christian blog?  My interest in the ‘cutting edge’ of Christian teaching and ministry keeps me open-minded on a number of things, yet they are always checked against the ‘plumb-line’ of holy scripture. So I invite fellow believers to bear with me for I’ve not jumped on a wacky bus to nowhere.

Definitions

First, let’s clarify terminology. The Oxford Dictionary definition of ‘extraterrestrial’ gives:

  • adjective –  of or from outside the earth or its atmosphere: (eg. searches for extraterrestrial intelligence)
  • noun – a hypothetical or fictional being from outer space.

It has two definitions for ‘intelligence’ as nouns, of which one refers to information of military or political value, but the prime definition is:

  • a person or being with the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills: extraterrestrial intelligences

It’s noteworthy that this famous dictionary combines both words to use as an example in two completely separate definitions!

The question

Detail from Morning Stars_Blakes Book of JobIn Where were you when? I mused about what the Biblical characters Job and king David had learned and perceived through divine revelation about the formation of the heavens. I’d spotted that the ancient Aramaic had used an intriguing and revealing term to describe an inherent function of the heavens. So I penned my own thoughts on this, as below. Logically, they led into the sentence shown in bold, but of which I’d had no fore-thought whatsoever::

‘This revelation of the Lord to David clearly ascribes not only a poetic description (as in sound/voice/language – NB. not light) but also a knowledge, or rather, an operational  intelligence or ‘business’!  That is, a supra-natural function. Furthermore, this sets the rationale, or tenor, for all subsequent verses. These first verses clearly state a case for ‘intelligent design’ of the universe. But more than that – they imply a distinct intelligence implanted within that design’s tangible manifestation, do they not? Or maybe not so?’

After proof-reading the draft, I took literary licence and inserted, ‘IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE? ANYONE WHO KNOWS THE ANSWER?’ as though calling out to the heavens for information.

A book

Quantum Glory - coverI’d run off a hardcopy of the draft for checking over lunch and then carried on where I’d left off reading in Quantum Glory. This book explores the intersection between the two realities of quantum mechanics and the glory of God. In his highly recommended book Phil Mason opens by briefly considering the hype over quantum physics and how it’s been hijacked by New Age metaphysics. This is because this post-Einstein science of investigating the dynamics of the energy of light and of sub-atomic particles has boggled the best brains! Mathematicians as well as scientists had to think ‘outside’ the box’ in order to comprehend how it could all work – the maths was solid and got confirmed experimentally, BUT it was all so weird. By ordinary, ‘classical’ scientific laws and principles it was just illogical!

Phil Mason explains some scientists presumed the concepts of Eastern mysticism were relevant to quantum dynamics, and New Agers were quite ready to presume that it was indeed so. His discussion quotes many scientists and he draws this conclusion:

The presence of trained quantum physicists who have not embraced any elements of quantum mysticism is itself a clear indicator that the real issue is a predetermined worldview.

His second chapter is an easy-to-read introduction to the world of quantum science. It takes me back to my schooldays of maths, physics and chemistry ‘A’ levels – and to the hippy hey-day of the late 1960s. In those days I was searching for any common thread between science, philosophy and religions and thus this conjunction of quantum theory and New Age beliefs and ideas seemed to hold a key.

An answer

Upon continuing from where I’d read to, Phil’s commentary astounded me because it matches the logical conclusion I’d drawn only an hour beforehand. On page 66 he refers to experiments that make electrons change their behaviour depending on how they will be detected (!!) and explains :

It is a unique property of the quantum world that sub-atomic particles have the capacity of being in two places at the same time. In our macroscopic world of classical physics the last thing we would expect is to see someone bilocate right before our eyes so that suddenly they can be in two places at the same time. Yet in the counter intuitive world of the quantum universe this is exactly what is going on all the time…(emphases added)

Now, here’s what smacked me right between the eyes:

The question is: How does the electron intuitively know it is being observed?  Does it have its own internal intelligence? How does it know when a detector is hidden behind the double-slot? How does it know  when the detector is not switched on so that it can pass through both slits without being observed?

Scientist have devised all sorts of interesting experiments to try and figure out what is going on, but it seems the mystery of the quantum world is still largely impenetrable to rational explanation.

Hmmm…baffling, but methinks science is catching up with scripture!

An instance of that in connection with divine healing is given in Part 2 along with a brief, high-level introduction to the theory of quantum mechanics based upon this book.

[ALSO see Richard’s Watch: On Engaging Time]

“Where were you when…

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I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6 To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
7 When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?…”

Morning_Stars_Sang_Together_Book_of_JobThus spoke the Lord God to his servant Job, as recorded in one of the oldest books of the Bible. Job didn’t know why severe strokes of ill-fortune (loss of all children, property and health) had  beset him. When struck all over his body with painful boils, his wife chided him for holding fast to his integrity, and advised, “Curse God and die!” Then along came three ‘friends’. Overwhelmed by his dire condition they ‘comforted’ him with their conclusions about the cause of his suffering: it’s all the result of his sinfulness. Together with a solid commentary, this instructive book helps us to grasp why bad things happen to good people.

A fourth ‘comforter’ explains it’s a matter of faith and attitude towards God. Then God addresses Job from a whirlwind and in great depth (as above; see Job 38-41). From this, Job wasn’t meant to know the cause of his condition (being Satanic strategy) and we learn God is involved in our lives and deeply moved by our grief and wants us all to come to an end of self-reliance so God becomes ‘all-in-all’. Then God blessed Job even more than previously!

This brief, incomplete overview of the story is for information only because my purpose is to refer to the creation of the stars (as splendidly illustrated by William Blake, courtesy Wikipedia).:

Psalm 19 – the perfect revelation of the Lord

The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
2 Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
4 Their line[a] has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.

After breakfast Sunday morning before last I quickly dipped into the above Psalm in my NKJV Study Bible (entitled as shown above). I noted the marginalia cross-reference on translation differences in other texts. But AHA!  There’s something profound in the last one, as here with my emphasis.:

[a] Psalm 19:4 Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read sound; Targum reads business.

REVELATION – wow! Thank you Lord ! The Targum, or ancient Aramaic, for the usual Hebrew term ‘qu-m’ (measuring tape of them) renders it not as ‘line’ but as ‘business’.  This seems a far more fitting and effective description of the function of the firmament and its stars, as described in the psalmist’s ecstatic praise.

This revelation of the Lord to David clearly ascribes not only a poetic description (as in sound/voice/language – NB. not light) but also a knowledge; or rather, an operational  intelligence or ‘business’!  That is, a supra-natural function. Furthermore, this sets the rationale, or tenor, for all subsequent verses. These first verses clearly state a case for ‘intelligent design’ of the universe. But more than that – they imply a distinct intelligence implanted within that design’s tangible manifestation, do they not? Or maybe not so?

IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE ? ANYONE WHO KNOWS THE ANSWER ?

Moreover, could a deep knowledge of this wisdom have been possessed by the ancient prophet Daniel, whose book is written in Aramaic as well as Hebrew? Could it possibly have been handed down from his personal school to a group of ‘magi’ who, therefore, were watching for an especially significant star ‘saying’ they should set off to Judea for the birth of a particular person from God? I wonder…

Worship in a school cafe

Later that morning, I ‘sensed’ several golden angels come through the entrance doors of the hall where we attend church. As we all focussed upon the Lord in worship our band’s vocalist-guitarist, Daniel McDermott, broke into a chorus he’d penned.:

Steal me away to where the morning stars first sang,

and the angels cry with joy, “Worthy is He, Worthy is He!”

Consequently, I later read aloud those opening verses of David’s psalm, and referred to the margin’s note.  At house group later in the week, our pastor recommended a video on this subject!

SO, here’s Louie Gigglio’s demonstration of a ‘song’ from what’s in the heavens and on earth. May this bless you and leave you awestruck…

An answer to my above questions came rapidly and unexpectedly, as revealed in the next post on this main theme.

Prophetic praise and worship

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Courtesy of James Mark Long, www.propheticartists.comSomething ‘weird’ happened after writing that last piece. In fact, I’d intended tackling a higher priority of fulfilling a promise to respond to comments I’d made on another blog.  But I thought – or maybe was reminded!  – it was more important to cover  the prophetic word Lydia delivered in worship. So I blogged about that instead and finished by midday in time for lunch and our preparing for a church group meeting here that afternoon.

When all assembled were refreshed and had chatted, pastor circulated a hand-out that she wanted us to consider – Prophetic Praise and Worship….what a ‘God-incident’!

In my opinion, its following fast on the heels of the morning’s matter underscores and confirms the accuracy and importance of the prophetic word I’d only just written about.

Here, with permission, are some of that paper’s pertinent points for your edification:

First, for any believer who’s uneasy with prophecy, here’s the scriptural warrant for its incorporation into worship – NIV quotations:

The Prophetic Nature of Praise and Worship

1 Samuel 10:5-6 “After that you will go to Gibeah of God, where there is a Philistine outpost. As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, timbrels, pipes and harps being played before them, and they will be prophesying. 6 The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.

2 Chron 29:5 He stationed the Levites in the temple of the Lord with cymbals, harps and lyres in the way prescribed by David and Gad the king’s seer and Nathan the prophet; this was commanded by the Lord through his prophets.

Revelation 19:9-10 Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” 10 At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”

Therefore:

  1. The word of God that testifies about Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy,
  2. The testimony that Jesus gave through His life style is in the Spirit of prophecy,
  3. The testimony we give of Him in praise and worship is in the Spirit of prophecy,
  4. As we testify about Him in praise and worship the Spirit of prophecy is released.

Characteristics of Praise and Worship

  1. It is vital in the preparation of the Bride for the great day,
  2. We must be willing to go with the flow of the prophetic anointing and expect it in our worship services,
  3. Prophecy means: communicating under divine inspiration by…
  4. speaking/singing out what Holy Spirit is saying to the Church – listen!
  5. scripture exhorts us to desire the prophetic gifting:

1 Cor 14:1-3  Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.  2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. 3 But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort.

Num 11: 26-29 … Yet the Spirit also rested on (Eldad and Medad), and they prophesied in the camp.  27 A young man ran and told Moses, ‘Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.’ 28 Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ assistant since youth, spoke up and said, ‘Moses, my lord, stop them!’ 29 But Moses replied, ‘Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!’

The Language of Prophetic Praise and Worship

  • The language of love; the Bridegroom wooing the Bride and her response to Him
  • The song of the LORD, the Bridegroom and the Bride
  • Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs
  • Flowing in the gifts of Holy Spirit
  • Proclamation of salvation, redemption, victory, glory, power etc of the Trinity
  • Proclamation of judgement and victory over Satan
  • Proclamation of future events – as by Lydia on Sunday; Julie Meyer in October.

[Courtesy of Heart After God Ministries, Rev Ron and Lindi Masters, South Africa. Lindi moved into international ministry some time after Ron went home to the Lord.]

Sit alongside prophetic teachers in conversation

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Thank you to Andy for publishing this video on Decree because it reminded me to watch this fascinating discussion. We were privileged to have heard and met these two mighty men of God several times in the UK.  I unequivocally recommend readers who want to learn more about the Kingdom of God to set aside an hour to listen to these two friends.

First, however, let Andy introduce them to you…

Faith Changing Testimonies and The Great Cloud of Witnesses, and lots more – Paul Keith Davis with Bobby Conner

“I love watching this discussion and teaching time in this very special episode of the Voice of The Bride Webinar, where Paul Keith Davis sits down with dear friend Bobby Conner.

“They dive into wonderful conversation concerning these last days, commissioning of the sons of God, and the Great Cloud of Witnesses.  We also hear some incredible stories from Bobby that will challenge your faith and encourage your spirit!

PKDavis“Paul Keith and Wanda Davis founded WhiteDove Ministries after the Lord sovereignly sent a beautiful white dove to them as a prophetic sign of their calling. They now travel extensively speaking at conferences and churches, imparting the end-time mandate of preparation for the Glory and Manifest Presence of Christ.

“Paul Keith has a unique gift for imparting prophetic understanding of times and seasons with a message of preparation and expectancy for the Lord’s Empowering Presence. He spent many years in extensive study highlighting the ministry of revelation and power exemplified throughout the church ages with an emphasis on the 20th century church. His heart’s desire is to see the full restoration of Biblical Apostolic ministry manifested through the Spirit of Truth residing in God’s people, expressing salvation, healing and deliverance to the Glory of God and His Christ.

bobbyconner“Bobby Conner is a ‘Gentle Giant’ uniquely anointed with refreshing humor and razor-sharp prophetic accuracy that’s been documented around the world. Bobby’s dynamic capacity to release outstanding demonstrations of the miraculous — healings, signs and wonders — reveals the very heart of the Father toward us! Surviving a dramatic abortion attempt by his mother, being rescued again by the hand of God from drug dealing and suicide, the story of Bobby Conner is a display of a man who now walks in his God-ordained destiny to set others free! Out of his deep intimacy with Jesus Christ, Bobby is super-sensitive to what the Holy Spirit is now doing throughout the world! The Father-heart of God, expressed so beautifully through Bobby and his wife, Carolyn, lastingly transforms lives in every service.

“Bobby has an extensive ministry background as a Southern Baptist pastor and he ministers in a high level, proven prophetic anointing. He believes his calling is to equip the Body of Christ to hear and discern God’s voice in these times. He is well-loved and best known the world over for his sensitivity to and leading of the Holy Spirit. Highly esteemed as an internationally acclaimed conference speaker, Bobby has ministered effectively to over 45 foreign countries as well here in the states for many years.”

So, my dear reader, be blessed with this presentation. Your comments below are most welcome…

5 reasons why Christians should not accept Jesus as their saviour

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What an outrageously provocative title!

T E HannaIt’s not mine but belongs to one of your fellow readers, T.E. Hanna, a theology graduate whose blog Of Dust And Kings publishes interesting discussions about God, His Kingdom and what it means to be human.

I like the way his theology ticks.

So I’d like to introduce T.E. to you through the following ‘guest post’, which was one of the first I read. His first two points and the last one match my own perceptions 100%.:

5 Reasons Why Christians Should Not Accept Jesus As Their Saviour

Touch_Opt - Credit Espejo

In 1989, Depeche Mode released their 23rd single in the UK, a hit song that quickly climbed the charts and would eventually be covered by such notable musicians as Johnny Cash, Jerry Williams, Nina Hagen, and Marilyn Manson. The song was entitled “Personal Jesus” and the steady rhythm of the chorus drummed out the following lines:

Your own personal Jesus, Someone to hear your prayers,  Someone who cares. Your own personal Jesus,  Someone to hear your prayers, Someone who’s there …reach out and touch Faith.

While Depeche Mode used the “personal Jesus” idea as a metaphor for codependent human relationships, the concept has nevertheless permeated western Christian culture. Testimonies typically hail back to the moment when one has “finally accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and savior” and the standard evangelism question points to the same idea: “Have you accepted Jesus as your personal savior?”

Yet Scripture knows nothing of a personalized faith.

Bear with me here, and let me clarify what I am NOT saying. I am NOT saying that we should not be impacted on a personal level by the Christian faith – we absolutely should. I am NOT saying that we do not come to Christ on a personal basis – we absolutely must.

However, the idea of a personal savior has taken on a life of its own, replacing the locus of the Christian life with our personal agendas and pushing Jesus to the margins. We customize, privatize, and minimize the Christian story, relegating Jesus to little more than “someone to hear your prayers, someone who cares.” This corrodes the very heart of the Christian faith, eating away at its life transforming power, and ripping Jesus away from His divinity in order to wedge Him into an idol fashioned after a hyper-individualistic culture. This simply won’t do.

Christians need to reject the idea of the personal Jesus, and we need to do it for 5 reasons:

1. Christians Are Called To Follow, Not Accept

The central cry of Jesus was never “accept me.” In fact, it was quite the opposite. Jesus walked a path which called Him to be despised and rejected, betrayed and belittled, criticized and crucified. The call of Jesus to His disciples and to us is to follow. Following requires leaving things behind and forging forward, laying down your life that you might find it, dying to yourself that your might discover the life abundant in the purposes of God. Acceptance is passive. Following is inherently active.

2. Christians Conform To Christ, Not Christ To Christians

At the heart of spiritual formation is the move to become “Christ-like”. Often, this challenges our preconceptions and wars against our desires. Good. It is supposed to. The Jesus Way is a way of transformation, of exposing our darker side to the Light of the World that the shadows may be cast away and we may become luminaries of incandescent glory, reflecting the blinding rays of the Son. We must never customize Jesus, reducing Him to an eternal moral teacher that can give us a hand when things get rough. We must allow ourselves to be confronted by Him, restored through Him, and conformed to Him.

3. Christians Are Called To Community, Not Isolation

John Wesley once wrote that “Scripture knows nothing of solitary religion.” From Genesis to Revelation, we see the story of a God who is creating a people, not just persons. In the instances where we see individuals emphasized, they are emphasized for the purpose of the people. Abraham was called individually to carry the covenant for what would become the people of God. Moses was called individually to free the Israelite people. David was called individually to lead a nation of God’s people. The prophets were called individually to be the mouthpiece of God to His people. The disciples were called individually only to then be sent forth to gather a global people. The popular notion that Christianity is a personal affair, making the community of faith unnecessary, finds no basis in the pages of Scripture. It is only in community that we find accountability, corporate prayer, unified worship, and the edification of the saints. It is only in community that we become the Body of Christ.

4. Christians Are Called To Serve, Not Be Served

So much of Christian rhetoric emphasizes the blessing of God and de-emphasizes the way of the cross. Much of popular Christianity is about seeking these blessings, about conforming God to our will, about how God somehow is charged with serving us. I am not diminishing the reality of the blessedness of God, but blessing is hardly the entire picture. Jesus completely inverts the concept of privilege, calling His followers away from notions of entitlement and into a life of servanthood. The reality of this is that, as we serve one another, we will be served in the process; but the notion that service is somehow owed to us is completely overturned. We, who claim ourselves as children of the greatest King who ever existed, express this most dutifully as servants.

5. Christians Are Saved For More Than Just Themselves

The Christian concept of salvation does more than just look over its shoulder at a sinful past now washed clean. It does more than look at the present as we are engaged in a process of spiritual renewal. It looks to the future, at the outworking of our salvation expressed as a transformed people transforming the world. In other words, Christians are not just saved from sin, they are saved to God. We become active participants in the breaking forth of God’s Kingdom as the redemptive order confronts and exposes the manifestation of sin in society. To limit the concept of salvation to a personal experience (or worse, a personal event) truncates the fullness of what it means to be Christian. We are not just saved from a life of sin; we are saved for a world where sin still manifests.

The popular evangelistic rhetoric calling for people to “accept Jesus as your personal savior” needs to be overturned. It is only in the call to “come and follow” and to “take up your cross” that we begin to regain the deeper things which have historically defined God’s people. It is here, in the deep water, where Christianity comes alive.

So… reach out and touch faith.

What do you think?

How does the personalization of Jesus impact the Christian faith?

Read, and contribute to, several commendable comments from readers and T.E. by scrolling to the foot of this link to ‘Personal Jesus’. I trust you’ll be as blessed as me.

I read it after attending our church home group where we’d worked through Romans 6 in some depth. Thank you T.E for your five points which, together with that scripture, confirmed my objections posted in a discussion elsewhere, as mentioned in my post  covering Steve Chalke’s apostasy (here).