2012 Book List Part 1

"Read in order to live." - Gustave Flaubert

Here's the books I've read so far this year along with a short commentary on a few of them. Rather than one big post at the end of the year I figured I'd share what I'm reading every six months. This year I'm focusing on quality rather than quantity. One of my goals was to get through NT Wright's Christian Origins and the Question of God series. Thankfully I somehow got through them. Highly recommended!

1. The Brothers Karamazov - Fyodor Dostoevsky // A masterpiece! Plan on reading this again and again.
2. Beauty Will Save the World - Brian Zahnd // BZ is one of my favorite teachers right now. He's made a huge influence on my thinking. A number of these books were recommended by him. Read this book.
3. Resident Aliens - Stanley Hauerwas, William H. Willimon // My intro to Hauerwas.
4. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoevsky
5. Heaven Misplaced - Douglas Wilson // Excellent!
6. Jesus and the Land - Gary M. Burge // NT challenge to Holy Land theology. Needs to be read.
7. God of the Possible: A Biblical Introduction to the Open View of God - Gregory Boyd // Calvinism, ugh. Amazing book on open theism.
8. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
9. Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ - Russell Moore
10. The New Testament and the People of God - NT Wright // First book in the Christian Origins series.
11. Hannah's Child: A Theologian's Memoir - Stanley Hauerwas // Good book.
12. The Politics of Jesus - John Howard Yoder // Should be read by everyone.
13. Dread Jesus - William David Spencer // Excellent intro to Rastafarian theology. Explores the Christologies within the movement. Can't wait to read Chanting Down Babylon.
14. Postmillenialism: An Eschatology of Hope - Keith A. Mathison // A++
15. The Myth of a Christian Nation - Gregory Boyd // Excellent book.
16. Animal Farm - George Orwell
17. God's Beauty and the Beast - Lynn Hiles // With foreward by William Hinn. Love Dr. Hiles.
18. The Jesus Way - Eugene Peterson // First book I've read of Peterson's outside of The Message. This guy can write. Beautiful book.
19. The Idiot - Fyodor Dostoevsky // Beauty will save the world.
20. Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea - Barbara Demick // First book I've read on North Korea. So sad. Learned that Pyongyang was once known as the "Jerusalem of the East" because of the revival that took place there in the early 1900s.
21. Salvation on Sand Mountain - Dennis Covington // Wow. Amazing book on snake handling Churches. (Snake handling appears twice in the NT. The word Pastor is only found once. Hmmm...) :)
22. A Tale of Three Kings - Gene Edwards
23. I See Satan Fall Like Lightning - René Girard // Tough book.
24. The Harbinger - Jonathan Cahn // How anyone takes this book seriously is beyond me. Absolutely disagree with Cahn's theology on this.
25. The King Jesus Gospel - Scot McKnight // Do yourself a favor and read this.
26. The Prophetic Imagination - Walter Brueggemann // Excellent.
27. Don't Let's Go To the Dogs Tonight - Alexandra Fuller // Great read!
28. Man's Search for Meaning - Viktor E. Frankl // Excellent.
29. Jesus and the Victory of God - NT Wright // 2nd Christian Origins book. Masterpiece.
30. The Priesthood is Changing - Kelley Varner // KV has been a huge influence on my thinking for years. Get everything he's written.
31. Jesus of Nazareth - Pope Benedict XVI // Surprised at how much I liked this book. If you didn't know it was the Pope you would've thought a Protestant wrote it. Beautiful.
32. Moonwalking with Einstein - Joshua Foer // Fun book on mnemonics.
33. Escape From Camp 14 - Blaine Harden // Amazing book about life in a North Korean gulag.
34. The Power of Habit - Charles Duhigg
35. Race, Religion, and Racism - Frederick K. C. Price // What can I say? He's angry here.
36. The Myth of a Christian Religion - Gregory Boyd // Read this please.
37. The Resurrection of the Son of God - NT Wright // 3rd Christian Origins book. Another masterpiece. Every teacher should read this book.
38. Long Walk to Freedom - Nelson Mandela // Amazing story.
39. Quiet - Susan Cain // The power of introverts in a world that won't shut up. Highly recommend this. Great book.
40. Simply Jesus - NT Wright // Easier Wright book. Great read.
41. The Rapture Exposed - Barbara Rossing // Left Behind is not all it's cracked up to be. God is very much for this world. Great book. :)
42. The Aquariums of Pyongyang - Kang Chol-hwan, Pierre Rigoulet
43. 1984 - George Orwell
44. Velvet Elvis - Rob Bell // Keep asking questions Rob! Awesome book.
45. Pagan Christianity - Frank Viola, George Barna // Not the best book if you have a chip on your shoulder. If you love the Church however like Viola and Barna do read this book. Definitely will make you think.

Looking at my to-read shelf and have some Pinnock, Gentry, McLaren, Willard, Kierkegaard, Augustine, Moltman, Wright (of course), Varner and more to get through in the next six months. Also plan on going through some books on my beloved Congo. If there's anything that you think I should read let me know. Always looking for recommendations. I hope this list encourages you to read more. Blessings!

Is There a Son in the House?

For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. 1 Corinthians 4:15

A couple of nights ago I had a dream that me and my son arrived unexpectedly at my father's house. When we arrived he was so excited to see us. It was as though he was anxiously waiting for us to come back home. In the dream I was taken aback because while I love my father our relationship is awkward. We don't spend much time together and dropping in on one anther unannounced is almost never heard of. I awoke remembering the promise in Malachi that Elijah would come and restore the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers. Hearts are being turned, awakening is coming.

We've been put in the families we are in for a reason. God is taking us somewhere and He has things to teach us and things for us to inherit through the families we are birthed into (whether natural or spiritual). For example within my natural family my father was a product of the Jesus movement. I remember hearing from my great aunt (a nun in Southern California) that she always believed he was called to the ministry. In many ways I believe that I've inherited that calling. My roots are in the Jesus movement and as a result of that God moved on my heart at a young age.

This past weekend I attended a service at a Church I was a part of for many years. While seeing the young people being ministered to I was brought back to the powerful encounters I had during those years. God was doing some amazing things in my life during that season. There was a number of us who were being trained for the work of the ministry and were being raised up as sons in our father's house. Unfortunately a number of things happened that caused many of us in this group to move on and set a different direction for our lives. It grieved me thinking that the dreams of my friends had died. While processing these thoughts I heard the Lord say, "The sons are coming home." What that means or how that's going to come about I don't know. What I do know is that regardless of who stayed or moved on we are still family. It's the Lord's Church and not ours.

But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 1 Corinthians 12:18

More than just needing correct teaching in the Church we need those who can model the message by their life. Paul comments in 1 Corinthians that though there are ten thousand teachers there are not many fathers. We don't need more instructors. We need more fathers. God's method of bringing the Church to maturity is through the relationship of fathers and sons. Fathers are put into the Church to reproduce life into others in the body who can then reproduce that life in another. The great commission given to the Church was to go and disciple, not just convert, all nations. While many of us today are seeking revival and another move of God it will never be sustained without the proper relationship between a father and a son. One of the reasons that revivals fizzle out isn't because people aren't hungry or praying enough but because the structure to sustain the revival has not been accurately built.

When the local Church has to consistently go outside of the body to find ministry it's because the message of the fathers and sons has been neglected. There is a time and place for outside ministry but it should never be considered the norm. God has placed the gifts needed within every local Church body to fulfill the mandate she has been given. We are called to know no man after the flesh, including Christ Jesus, but rather after the new creation man (2 Cor 5:16,17). The problem is that instead of recognizing sons in the local body we've become familiar with the members after the flesh. Rather than making room for those in the body to use their gifts (which will bring increase in the body) familiarity causes the gifts to be hoarded thus stifling spiritual growth. It's time for the fathers in the local body to invest themselves into sons and daughters who can reproduce the ministry in the next generation. As thankful as I am for itinerant Apostles, Prophets and the like who run with the message God has given them I am convinced that God has in the local body those that he has graced to carry the same message.

Where there has been hurt and division in the body because of the neglect of the sons by the fathers God is bringing healing. In this third day the Lord is reviving us and raising us up that we may live in His sight (Hosea 6:2). Restoration is coming to your local Church body. Sons are coming home and the fathers are being prepared to receive them. Hearts are being turned from the fathers to the sons and the sons to the fathers.

In 1 Kings 17 shortly after Elijah performs the miracle of the multiplication of food for the widow and her son he (the son) falls sick and dies. There is no more breath left within him. The sonship message fell sick but the ministry of Elijah will revive it. The miracles of provision and prosperity as seen in the multiplication of the widow's food are not enough to sustain this message.

The widow woman asks Elijah if he's come to bring her sin to remembrance by putting her son to death. Much ministry today rather than brining life puts people back under condemnation by reminding them again and again of their sin. This is the message of doom and gloom. The letter of the law kills but it is the Spirit that gives life. When we are at our deepest need it is the enemy and not God who tells us that things are the way they are because of our sin. New Covenant fathers consistently point people to Jesus and His righteousness rather than to their identity apart from Christ. The old order wants the revival without having healthy sons in the house.

Rather then answering her questions Elijah tells the widow woman to "give me your son." Here we see the father taking responsibility for the son. The ministry of Elijah bears the infirmities of the weak. We are all called to bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2). When fathers don't care for weak sons they die. Elijah carries him into his UPPER ROOM and lays him in his own bed. One of the reasons the message of the fathers and sons has been neglected is that we've dealt with it on a horizontal plain. The Lord is calling us to go vertical. Bring sons into contact with the Lord Jesus Christ himself! The father prays for and identifies with the son he is raising back to life. He lays the son in his bed picturing rest. It's from a position of rest that we manifest the kingdom. The Church is in need of some fathers to take sons into the upper room.

Elijah stretches himself out three times on the son. Stretch, stretch, stretch. In the Hebrew stretching here means to measure with a line. God has given us New Covenant fathers so that the Church might go on to maturity measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ (Ephesians 4:13). In Luke 13:32 Jesus said, "Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected." What did Jesus mean by the third day I shall be perfected? He couldn't have been talking about His death, burial, and resurrection because when He was in the tomb he didn't cast out devils or do cures. So this must have some other meaning. He is the Head and we are the Body. ON the third day (stretched out 3x) the Church is going to come into a place of maturity where Christ is fully formed in them and they are going to rise up out of bed!!! The fathers and sons are going to see the work finished.

The Lord heard the voice of Elijah and revived the son. This is the first time in Scripture we see resurrection. When Christ raised people from the dead it wasn't so that people could see that a powerful miracle had taken place but rather so that evidence could be given that the Kingdom has arrived. It didn't have anything to do without people dying outside of their time. It had everything to do with the new creation coming. We don't need a Church who cries rapture, but one who shouts resurrection. There is a generation that will join in a shout like Elijah and declare "Your son is alive!" (1 Kings 17:23). Dead sons are coming to life in the upper room (the third story).

Upon the son coming to life the widow woman declares, "now I know that you are a man of God." It amazes me that the first miracle Elijah performs for this woman isn't enough. The message of prosperity can only do so much. Revival can only do so much. It's Fathers and Sons that turn the world upside down. When we have the correct pattern accompanied by the miraculous we will see the work finished. Elijah is carrying the son down from the loft and displaying him whole to his mother. Local Church get ready because you are about to be put on display. The nations are going to come into your house because fathers are bringing dead sons back to life.

Are there sons and daughters in your house? Are there people in your local body who have been given prophetic words, dreams, desires that are laying dormant? Fathers bring your sons and daughters into the upper room. Stretch yourself out upon them. Breathe life into them. You don't need more prophetic activation, words, etc. What you have already been given is more than enough to finish the work. Raise up sons and daughters in your local house that can reproduce your vision and I guarantee that when the revival comes that we've been praying for it will be sustained.

Embracing an Incorrect Eschatological Hermeneutic Part 2

"The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it... For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel..." - Zechariah 4:9,10

This is the second part of a post I put up on Monday. If you haven't read it I recommend you do as it will help as an introduction to this post. My hope is that this post stimulates some thinking and discussion. Be encouraged! The house of the Lord is being built and it will be completed. Though things look contrary at times and our faith might seem small it's time to rejoice! We are going on to maturity, to the measure (the plumb line) of the stature of the fullness of Christ!

Here are ten things that affect the Church when it embraces an incorrect eschatological hermeneutic. These short paragraphs don't really do justice to the subject at hand. They are meant to make you think.

1. The Church stays in immaturity.

Many in the Church want to go up, not grow up. The rapture craze promoted in books like Left Behind has caused a generation of believers to opt for "fire insurance" only. We've been called to colonize the earth, not leave it. Paul says that he is in the pains of childbirth UNTIL Christ is fully formed in the Church (Gal 4:19). "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways (1 Cor 13:11)." God wants mature believers whose diet consists of meat and not only milk. The author of the book of Hebrews says that, "you have been believers for so long you should now be teachers but unfortunately you need someone to teach you again the elementary truths of God's word all over again (Heb 5:12)." This phenomenon could be said of most of today's Church. Thankfully God is raising up leaders who are calling the Church to walk in the fullness that God has intended for them. Do you hear the call? There is a generation that will finish the work!

For the earth will be filled with THE KNOWLEDGE of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea. - Habakkuk 2:14

2. The Church wages spiritual warfare ineffectively.

And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. - Colossians 2:15

Having served the Church in Congo (and being married to a Congolese) I've observed that for many there is more attention given to the power of the enemy instead of the power of God. This problem isn't only limited to the Congolese church. Much eschatology today sends out the message that Satan is taking over. Instead of defeating the enemy many today are empowering him by watering down the teaching of the victory of Jesus Christ. This has caused strongholds (incorrect thought patterns in the mind) to be built in the Church that desperately need to be torn down. Rather than Jesus Christ and His Church ruling and reigning the principalities and powers are the ones said to be in control. Here again the gnostic message of dualism props up its evil head. It proclaims that Satan is equal to God in power. We need to proclaim to the Church again that her enemy is defeated. Satan is not God's enemy, he's yours. Jesus is already seated and God has placed all things under His feet (Eph 1:20-23) The God of peace will bruise satan under your feet shortly and then Christ will return (Rom 16:20, Heb 10:13).

3. The Church focuses on Fear and Despair rather than Hope and Victory.

Again the central message for many in the last days is that of apostasy coming to the Church. Open any end times book and the message is "bad things are coming." Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 that the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church. God never commissions us to do something that he does not grace us with the ability to do. The Church will fulfill her mandate in the earth.

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. - 2 Corinthians 2:14

4. The Church promotes favoritism among the people of God.

For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. - Ephesians 2:14

The teaching of Israel and the Church is another sticky subject for many. We must be careful not to allow any teaching to build back up the wall that Christ died to break down. Paul declares in Galatians 3:28, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Ephesians 2 says that "in times past you were gentiles and called uncircumcised." Much eschatology and theology today makes it seem as though the Church is still gentile and uncircumcision left outside the promises and purpose of God. God's plan is to pour out His Spirit on all flesh, not just on the Jew. In Deuteronomy 29:14,15 in the context of the Palestinian covenant the Lord declares that "He's not making this covenant only with you." The him in these verses anticipate the "one new man". Romans 11 is not meant to be read eschatologically but rather soteriologically. Romans 11:25 tells us not to be ignorant of this mystery that blindness has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles come in. Their blindness is temporary, (UNTIL) not permanent. Imagine Israel being provoked to jealousy by the middle east nations coming to Christ! I pray you would hear my heart in this. Any message that claims Israel's salvation outside of Christ is another gospel. Salvation is coming to Israel and Aliyah is being made into the Kingdom but that doesn't mean we don't proclaim salvation to the nations including "Israel's enemies".

The LORD Almighty will bless them, saying, "Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance." - Isaiah 19:25

5. The Church subtly promotes war and violence.

"It's time that a morbid fascination with a supposed unalterable script of God-sanctioned-end-time-hyper-violence be finally... left behind." - Brian Zahnd

To go to war or not? Again the "unalterable script." I have actually heard from teachers that certain wars must take place in order for the return of Christ. War is not, nor will ever be a Kingdom value. Today we have demonized much of the middle east by proclaiming them the enemies of God. We've played into the us vs. them game (America vs. her enemies, Israel vs. her enemies). The characteristic of a son of God is that of a peacemaker (Matt 5:9). Unfortunately today even peacemakers are looked at with skepticism. The consensus has been that if you are working for peace then you are working for the antichrist and his one world system. This kind of thinking needs to change. As believers our calling is to be peacemakers. When Jesus called us to love our enemies I'm pretty sure he meant don't kill them. Brian Zahnd in his book Beauty Will Save the World says, "We are disciples of the one who would rather die than kill his enemies." Anne Lamott says, "You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do." Romans 5:10 declares that, "when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His son." It is time for the Church to rethink her theology of war. Our mission is to beat swords into plowshares, not the reverse. What was once a weapon (enemy of God) is to be used to bring in the harvest.

6. The Church neglects creation care.

"It's all going to burn." This statement is repeated over and over again by believers who don't think it is their job to take care of creation. The first job of man in the garden was to care for creation. Again the misunderstanding between the earth and the world has caused much of this neglect. Global warning, oil spills, and the like are disregarded by Christians as unimportant and not having any spiritual impact. What if caring for creation was an act of spiritual warfare? Jesus came in a physical body and rose in a physical body. God cares for the physical world as shown in His care for the ravens and the lilies (Luke 12:27).

7. The Church gets involved in political activity Christ never asked us to get involved in.

Jesus answered, "My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world." - John 18:36

Do we really believe that it is the meek who inherit the earth (Matt 5:5)? It is not the politically powerful or the strong who inherit the earth. The government of the Kingdom is not by political means but is rather upon his shoulders. It is not in the shoulders of the state but rather the corporate body of Christ. Jesus is lord, Caesar is not. Jesus can never be used to endorse capitalism or communism. He came to endorse love. If you truly believe that what America needs is this or that politician to be in power you are mistaken. What America needs is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit like never before!

Ecclesiologically, “the composition of the church changed” from a persecuted minority to “everyone.” Before, it took some courage to become a Christian; after Constantine, “it would take exceptional conviction not to be counted as a Christian.” He begins the next paragraph (Yoder): “What this means, of course, is that the meaning of the word ‘Christian’ has changed." - Peter J. Leithart

8. The Church has an incorrect view of judgement, the grace of God and the finished work.

So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. - Hebrews 9:28

Living in the San Francisco bay area I hear numerous reports of judgement about to be poured out here in California. Many of these prophets are quick to jump on California saying that it is a sinful place in need of God's judgement. My question is what about the rest of the country where tradition and religion hold people in bondage to legalism not allowing for them to live in the freedom Christ obtained for them. We see time and time again Christ rebuking the Pharisees for this kind of behavior. Even James and John wanting to call fire down from heaven were rebuked. Jesus said they did not know what spirit they were of. The son of man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them (Luke 9:56). Where sin abounds, grace abounds much more (Romans 5:20). God is raising up a people in these dark places that are going to carry the scent of Christ in such a way that whole cities are going to turn to Him! Cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles have been stigmatized for far too long. Like the Samaritan woman at the well they are about to receive a visitation from the bearer of living water. God isn't finished with California.

9. The Church neglects the poor and works of social justice.

"The church doesn't have a social strategy, the church is a social strategy." - Stanley Hauerwas

"The church's future lies with the left wing of the Reformation." - Jürgen Moltmann

With so much focus being on doom and gloom many believers today have stocked up in case of the coming wrath. Pantries stuffed with food, shelters, and survival kits have been set aside just in case something happens. Instead of spreading the message of the good news we've been hoarding it unto ourselves. As much as we have done it unto the least, we have done it unto Christ (Matt 25). For much of the Church this passage in Matthew 25 of the sheep and the goats is in reference to the end times. What if caring for the poor, visiting those in jail, clothing the naked and more were really that important in the coming days?

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. - James 1:27

10. The Church sees her mandate as getting people to heaven rather than bringing heaven to earth.

"If we don't understand what the first Adam lost and what the second Adam (Jesus Christ) came to re-institute then we will be preaching just on the little benefits of the kingdom and not connecting people to the kingdom itself." - Ronald Pillay

The Gospel that Jesus preached is the kingdom of God. Man is constantly in search for what Adam lost (Gen 1:26). When we get a revelation of the kingdom we will preach the gospel of the kingdom. Religion distracts us from God's original purpose in colonizing the earth with Heaven. Seek first the kingdom and his righteousness... - Matthew 6:33 THY KINGDOM COME!

Some things a healthy eschatology promotes:

1. The Lordship of Christ

2. Maturity (Apostles' Doctrine)

3. Unity in the Body of Christ (Fellowship / Breaking of Bread)

4. Prayer and worship

5. Preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom (Missions)

Let's not divide over eschatology but let's discuss it together in a spirit of love and unity. Knowledge puffs up but love edifies. We need one another more than ever before. The name calling because someone doesn't agree with us needs to stop. It's not our church but rather His.

Regardless of your millennial beliefs (a/post/pre) we are called to be a prophetic picture of this age. The new has come. Whatever is characteristic of the millennial age is to be our present hope. Peace, long life, poverty alleviated, social justice, an end to war and more are Kingdom values we need to live in the present.

The shaking is taking place. The earth is groaning for the manifestation of the sons of God. Fathers are in travail until Christ is fully formed in us. The end result of the shaking is not our destruction but rather the glory of God. There is a serious transition taking place in the church. We are all going through a shift on some level. We are not waiting for a kingdom to be established. It's already here.

It's my hope that this post will cause you to rethink through some of the things you've been taught concerning eschatology. Let victory and hope be your foundation. The house is being built and you as a living stone have a place in it! You were created for such a time as this. Be encouraged! Kingdom blessings!

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. - Galatians 6:15,16

Embracing an Incorrect Eschatological Hermeneutic Part 1

This post has been difficult to put together. The subject of eschatology is a hot topic for many in the Church today. My prayer is that this post will allow for you to think through some of the things you've been taught. The house of the Lord is being built in this day and it's crucial that the foundation is accurate. I'm not suggesting that I have all the answers to the questions being asked in this post. Regardless the questions need to be asked. My goal is for us as the Church to think through this together. Some of the things that I say here may not be what you've always heard. If you don't agree with me I won't be offended. Our relationship is more valuable than this short post. Because this is a hot topic I'm going to try my best to refrain from certain theological terms that will get you the reader sidetracked. One thing I have observed is that many say they hold to a certain eschatological position yet in practice its almost never the case. The majority of my formal training came from an author whose eschatological position was the opposite of the school I attended. The material was forced to fit into a position that it wasn't meant to fit in. I find this to be the case in much of the Church. That being said its okay to let the Lord redefine/change your position. Reformation, transition, shifting, and more are more than just prophetic buzz words in our day. Clearly things are changing. This post is not meant to attack anyone's position but rather to cause you to think things through with the help of the local Church. Wisdom is what builds the house and He will finish it. Kingdom blessings!

“From first to last, and not merely in the epilogue, Christianity is eschatology, is hope, forward looking and forward moving, and therefore also revolutionising and transforming the present…" - Jürgen Moltmann

What we believe determines how we live. Eschatology is important to the body of Christ today is because it affects how we live in the present. The question that lead me to write this post was, "What happens when we embrace an incorrect eschatological hermeneutic?" Eschatology for those who don't know simply refers to the study of the end of things (end of the age, world, etc). Hermeneutics has to do with the study of how we interpret the Scriptures. Simply put what happens when we interpret the word of God incorrectly in the area of eschatology?

In our day the Gospel is advancing faster than ever before. Nations that were once closed now have thriving Churches. God is restoring His Church and pouring out His Spirit in marvelous ways. These are truly exciting times to be alive. Unfortunately good news doesn't sell. Christian magazines, authors, television, and the like are proclaiming that this move of God will not last much longer. Dark days are on the horizon they say and soon our enemy will have free reign to do as he pleases. Victory and hope are cashed in for fear and despair. As Hal Lindsay once said, "The future is big business." The problem is that we are living with the tension of light and darkness growing at the same time. There are wheat and tares in the field and they are both going on to maturity. However when the Son of man comes its the tares that will be removed and not the wheat. We are sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not nor will we ever belong to the night or to the darkness (1 Thess 5:5). Our light shines brighter and brighter until the final day (Prov 4:18). The kingdom of darkness is not increasing, ours is!

Much of the Church today is in a place like Israel was when Jesus came. They had a way they thought everything would go down. The Messiah was going to come and set up his throne, vindicate His people, and send the Romans packing. Today we have a timeline as to how everything is to go down eschatologically. We've created an unalterable script and when fresh revelation comes if it doesn't fit we send it packing. As we all know the Lord is in a process of reformation in His Church going all the way back to Martin Luther. Things like water baptism, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, ascension gift ministries, and more have been restored to the Church to prepare the way for the return of the Lord. Make room for the Lord to do things outside of your timeline. If your theology and understanding of the character and nature of God has never changed it begs the question, "are you growing?" At one time I was resistant to the move of the Holy Spirit. It wasn't until someone gave me Jack Deere's book Surprised by the Power of the Holy Spirit that I encountered God in a new and fresh way. We proclaim and prophesy that we are in the greatest reformation the Church has seen but again the question is, "what is being reformed?" This reformation is not just for our wing of the Church. It's for every nation (denomination). The trumpet is sounding. The Church is coming together to pray and to send out laborers as we are entering the greatest harvest the Church has ever seen.

If victory and hope are not the two pillars of your eschatological foundation it's time to rethink your eschatology. Fear, despair, and the like have no place in our future. Our mandate is to populate earth with heaven. In the Lord's prayer we pray your kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven. Prayer gives us the revelation of the Kingdom coming on earth. What is this revelation? The kingdom of heaven is like a small mustard seed which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds when it grows it is the largest plant in the garden and becomes a tree. The small stone cut out of the rock without hands becomes a great mountain that fills the whole earth. The question today is, "Is the seed stillborn or will it complete the work it was sent to do?" I am confident that He who has begun a good work in you (plural) will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns (Phil 1:6). The seed will grow, mature, and finally take over! Nothing can hinder its progress!

When we hold the ten commandments as the foundation for the kingdom, rather than the beatitudes we are on a shaky foundation eschatologically. The old covenant was never meant to interpret the new. Rather the old covenant is properly understood through the lens of the new. In the field of eschatology we must have on the lens of the finished work. If your eschatology does not reflect the character and nature of God as revealed in His son Jesus it needs to be done away with. God in Christ teaches us to love and pray for our enemies not call down judgement on them. Much eschatology today does not reflect this attitude. Rather than holding to hope for places like the Middle East we have scapegoated these people as the enemies of Christ and His people. This has to change. The words, "you have heard it said, but I say unto you" are being said to the Church again.

Another trend in much of today's eschatology is the comparison of America with the Church/Kingdom and the Church with America. This attitude reeks of arrogance when compared to places like North Korea, China, Iran and more where Christians live under constant threat of persecution. This belief resembles the British Israelism movement which believes that those of Western European descent are the ten lost tribes of Israel. Much of our Gospel preaching today is America centered. God never entered into a covenant with any nation other than Israel before Christ. The only holy chosen nation God recognizes today is his Church (1 Peter 2:9). No nation can ever claim the status of Christian as long as Caesar is in power. America is not the Church, nor is the Church America. This is not to say that God does not have great things in store for the Western world, He does. But a nation can only be considered righteous insomuch as the Lord governs the hearts of the individuals in that nation. We are nation builders. We invade culture. We don't wield the power of Caesar or fight in the "us vs them" game. The Kingdom of Heaven in America and the nations is like the little leaven mixed with flour that permeates every part of the dough (Matt 13:33). While things may look dark in America and much of today's world we can rest assured that all nations will remember and turn to the Lord (Psalm 22:27).

Unfortunately many today have accused the Apostolic Prophetic movement of gnosticism claiming that those involved claim special revelation only known among themselves. That would be like saying that Jesus was a gnostic because he said, "he who has ears to hear, let him hear." Jesus is still hiding things from the wise and revealing them to babes. Gnosticism has however been more subtle. Much eschatology today reeks of it and it doesn't just belong to one stream of the Church. Teaching that we need to leave this present evil earth to live as disembodied spirits in another world called Heaven is more gnostic than Christian. An escape from the created order, rather than the redemption of it is an unbiblical view of the Kingdom. The kingdom comes, it does not go. Heaven is not the goal. Life after life after death (NT Wright) in the new creation where Heaven and Earth are joined together is our destination.

We've confused the earth and the world for one another. The earth has always been the Lord's (Psalm 24:1). Satan however is the prince and god of this world (John 12:31, 2 Cor 4:4). The word for world in the Greek is kosmos meaning adornment (think cosmetic). This world system is temporary and passing away. A great Christian statesman once said, "Satan may be the god of this world, but he's not the god of my world." Creation declares the glory of God. When God saw all that He made He declared that it was "very good!" In this seventh day of rest we are getting a revelation of the "very good." The earth is the Lord's!

"The rule in theology is: When you've got two truths which you can't hold in harmony, you don't solve the problem by letting one of them go. You hang on tight and hold them both in paradox. At least that way you don't end up sweeping jewelry under the rug in the name of compulsive neatness." - Robert Capon

Lastly much prophecy is cyclical meaning one verse/passage may have multiple fulfillments. Some passages may speak of Israel, Christ, and his Church all in one. I have found that in the wisdom of God he can be speaking what to us seems like two totally different things yet somehow they are the same things. That being said much eschatology is not necessarily wrong but rather incomplete. When studying Scripture we don't need a Hebrew or Greek mindset but rather heavenly one. We have been given the mind of Christ. Kingdom people set their affections on things above. What matters is that we are teachable. Maturity does not imply that we know it all, but rather that we are teachable.

This post serves as an intro to part 2 which will be up Thursday. I've been reading a lot of NT Wright lately and his intros are 100 pages long so count yourself lucky! :) Blessings!

From the Palace to the Widow's House

The spirit of Elijah is resting on our generation as we prepare the way for the return of the Lord. Malachi declares that Elijah is going to turn the hearts of the fathers to the sons and the sons to the fathers (Mal 4:6). We have countless teachers today in the Church, but not many fathers (1 Cor 4:15). This Elijah ministry is raising up true fathers in the Church again. As a result sons and daughters will walk in their identity and inheritance in Christ. The sun of righteousness is rising with healing in its wings. Healing is coming to the body of Christ! In the natural and in the spiritual fathers are coming home. The Church is not going to be fatherless any longer.

The Lord is sending His messenger to clear the way because the Lord whom we seek is coming suddenly to His temple (Mal 3:1). His temple is us! As He is, so are we in the world (1 John 4:17). God is looking for an exact representation of Himself in the earth, a body in equal proportion to the Head. When God was looking for Adam in the garden after the fall it wasn't that He didn't know where Adam was. He was looking for that which was of Himself in Adam. When we received Christ we were given the right to become sons of God (John 1:12). Our relationship with the Father has been restored and we've been given full access to Him.

This Elijah ministry is a forerunner ministry. Like a pioneer it blazes a trail so that others can follow behind. This trail may be unlike one we've ever seen before. Brush and other obstacles are going to be in the way. It's time we lay aside every weight that slows us down and the sin that so easily entangles us and run with perseverance the race marked out for us (Heb 12:1). There's a race marked out for you. Like Paul, the forerunner declares, "Follow me as I follow Christ (1 Cor 11:1)." Sons follow their Fathers to the finish line.

We get our first look at Elijah in 1 Kings 17. Here he comes on the scene to Ahab during a time of spiritual drought. He declares that the Lord God lives, that he stands before Him, and that no rain will come except according to his word. Elijah comes out of nowhere with a powerful word that will affect the nations during their time of drought. A nameless, faceless generation is getting a word in the secret place for kings and governments. Elijah learned to stand before God before he stood before Ahab. A man that can stand before God can stand before kings.

When we are in the palace we think we've arrived. Sometimes God will give us a taste of something before we are mature enough to operate in the gift or call that He has for us. He needs to get us out of the palace (the spotlight, tv, etc) so that He can prepare us to minister at the widow's house (the Church and the world).

When we read stories like Elijah's we have a tendency to check out. We think that great men like Elijah, Isaiah, the Apostles, and more had a special set apart relationship with God unlike something we could ever have. James 5:17 says that Elijah was a man JUST LIKE US! God is not looking for those who have it all together to do great things for Him. He's looking for those willing to respond; a people that will cry out like Isaiah, "Here am I, send me." James goes on to say that Elijah was a man who with prayer prayed (prayed earnestly). Prayer coupled with a willingness to go where the Spirit sends you is the key. Be available and God will send you places and do things through you that you would have never imagined.

The Christian life is one of growth. Though many try to do so this is a process that you cannot bypass. We grow from faith to faith, strength to strength, and glory to glory. God's ultimate desire is for Christ to be fully formed in us (Gal 4:19). After this powerful word to Ahab Elijah is told to hide by the brook Cherith before the Jordan. The word Cherith means a cutting away. Many times in the midst of what we think are our greatest exploits the Lord needs to hide us in a place where he can cut us deep. As AW Tozer said, "Before God uses a man, God will break a man." We need to be cut away from certain relationships, teachings, our pride and more so that we can know the Lord more intimately. God values our relationship with Him more than our ability to do things for Him. When we value doing things for God more than relationship with Him we are building our own kingdom and not His. Don't be discouraged when the Lord hides you. God is preparing a generation by a brook called Cherith for great exploits in the kingdom. The Lord will reveal you in His time. Stay by the brook until He says to move.

Elijah was told that he would be sustained by water from the brook and by food sent from ravens. The raven was considered an unclean animal and yet this was the method God chose to feed Elijah night and day. Sometimes the food the Lord needs to feed us with comes from unexpected sources. The messenger might not be the person we thought the Lord would send. The word in his mouth may not make sense to us at the time. The word of the Lord can be uncomfortable and come across as an offense. It is imperative that we are a people who don't take offense. True fathers don't always tells you what you want to hear. Rebuking, correction, and training are not popular words in the body of Christ but they are very much needed today. (When administered correctly they never lead to condemnation, but rather to freedom.) Jesus was known for his hard sayings. His parables weren't always easy to understand. Apostolic doctrine is offensive. The message of the finished work is offensive. It offends the natural mind. We preach Christ crucified, an offense to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles (1 Cor 1:23). If you can get it with your natural mind, it's not God. This thing must be received by the Spirit. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Elijah was told that God would feed him there (1 Kings 17:4,9). There is a place called there. God knows where to put us, when and why. When God puts you in the right place at the right time with the right attitude you are having a kairos moment. "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit (John 3:8)." After some time the brook dried up. When the brook dries up in our lives we need to be flexible and willing to move. The old way of doing things isn't going to work any longer. Some brooks in your life are in the process of drying up as there is an assignment for you in Zarepeth. Kingdom people are always on the move because we are those who follow the Lamb wherever He goes (Rev 14:4).

After the brook dries up the word of the Lord comes to Elijah telling him to arise and go to Zarepeth of Sidon. There he has commanded a widow woman to sustain him. Oh the places the Lord will lead us to when we follow Him. Sidon was Jezebel's territory. She was the daughter of the king of Sidon and wife of king Ahab. The Jezebel spirit wants to silence the prophetic voice. It comes about through political manipulation and control. Here God sends His man. Zarepeth means the smelting place, the place of refinement. "These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world (1 Peter 4:7 NLT)." This is true prosperity Gospel teaching. All the riches in the world cannot compare to that which is eternal and indestructible. In the midst of Jezebel's territory God is raising up a people that are willing to go through the fire. "But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold (Job 23:10)."

The widow woman represents the Church that the forerunner ministry is coming to. The fact that she is a widow begs the question, where are the Fathers? The world sees the Church without her husband Jesus as weak and dying. The form without the power is killing the Church. To this Church Elijah is on his way. In Luke 4:25,26 Jesus speaks of Elijah bypassing the widow women in Israel to minister to this widow Gentile woman. This speaks of the Gospel going to all nations.

Elijah meets this woman at the gates of the city gathering sticks. He asks her for a little water and while she's on her way he asks for a morsel of bread. The woman responds by saying that she doesn't have any bread but rather a little flour. Don't despise the little that God has put in your hands. Elijah comes to tell you that what you have is more than enough. When the woman is done explaining her lack and that she and her son plan on eating and dying Elijah responds by saying, "FEAR NOT." Here he operates in the word he ate at the brook Cherith. Elijah tells her to do as she said but first to make him a little cake. "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matt 6:33)." By His divine power we've already been given everything we need pertaining to life and godliness through our knowledge of Him (2 Peter 1:3). New covenant prophetic ministers operating in the spirit of Elijah reveal what you already have in Christ. What is in your hand? The little you have is more than enough. Seek first His kingdom and watch what is in your hand multiply.

For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the earth.’” And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah. 1 Kings 17:14-16

The jar of flour and the jug of oil will sustain you UNTIL the Lord sends His rain on the earth. The Kingdom has come and the times of refreshing are here. The return of Christ is not any minute, but rather until. Lack of supply, lack of fathers, death, destruction and more are not in the Church's future. Until the Lord sends rain on the earth, until His return this Gospel of the kingdom will go forth and prevail in all the earth!

At a fairly early age I knew that God had put His hand on my life and that He had marked me for the ministry. In my mind I had an idea of what I thought that would look like whether it meant pastoring a Church or serving on the mission field. During Bible College and the few years afterwards I had been in the palace and had seen and been a part of great exploits for the kingdom. In my early twenties I was ready to take the world for Christ and was hoping to plunge headfirst into full-time ministry. Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! Things didn't turn out the way I had (or others) thought they would. The Lord had instead set me apart to Himself to learn from Him. Looking back I'm so thankful. If I had entered into ministry when I did I believe I would have been stuck in the old way of doing things. There were things that the Lord had to teach me and many things that I had to unlearn. While many of us are meant for the palace, the Lord wants to make sure we can effectively minister to the widow. For each one of us the process comes about in different ways but the principles seen in this passage are the same. Our calling is first to the Lord Himself. Without Him we can do nothing! Kingdom Blessings!

I Still See Stadiums Filled

We are not gathering to a movement, a denomination, a revival meeting, or to our favorite teacher. Our gathering is first and foremost unto Christ (Gen 49:10). I see a people gathering together simply because The Presence is there. Imagine the Church getting as excited for a meeting of 2 or 3 as they do when a guest speaker shows up. Christ promises to be in our midst when we gather together and anything can take place in His presence! As much as I appreciate the gifts God has put in the body they are not why we gather together. We gather for Him. In these days God is calling us collectively up the mountain of the Lord to gather together as his house. I believe great things are in store for the Church. The dreams and prophecies of stadiums being filled and revival breaking out in our cities is going to come to pass. Christ will be exalted among the nations. San Francisco, New York, Las Vegas, Paris, Moscow, Hollywood, and more will be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.

But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. Micah 4:1

Many of us look at passages such as this one and push them so far into the future that we don't allow for them to be our present hope. Here in Micah 4 we see that the house of the Lord is established at the top of the mountains. Many nations will come and say let us go up the mountain of the Lord where He will teach us His ways. Disputes among the nations will be settled and weapons will be turned into tools for agriculture. Simply put war will cease to exist and fear will be no more. The lame and the exiled will be gathered together and the Lord will rule from Zion forever.

What if the Church lived as though this was a present hope? What if we truly believed that Christ (and us with him) was ruling and reigning right now? What if we said no to war, injustice, and social inequalities? Are we living in the last days or is this a future last days Micah is talking about?

When the Church gathered together in the Upper Room on the day of Pentecost and the Holy Spirit fell Peter proclaimed that what happened was a fulfillment of Joel's prophecy of the "last days" (Acts 2:16,17). The author of Hebrews declares that in these "last days" God has spoken to us in His Son (Heb 1:2). I John 2:8 says that this is the "last time." Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:11 says that what happened to Israel was written to us on whom the "end of the ages" has come. I would suggest to you that what we have called the "last days" is not really what the Scripture is talking about. The last days of the Mosaic economy or the Jewish age were at hand and we are now living in the new day of Christ.

All that is in The Messiah is therefore The New Creation; the old order has passed away to such. 2 Corinthians 5:17

We are the light of the world. A city that has been set on a hill cannot be hidden (Matt 5:14). As a Church we have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God (Heb 12:22). We are that city coming down from Heaven as a bride adorned for her husband (Rev 21:2). The mountain of the house of the Lord has been established. The Church as the third temple made up of Jew and Gentile is here.

The nations are going to come up the mountain to the house of the Lord. Let's continue to send, pray, and give to reaching the ends of the earth. A great harvest is coming to the Church as all nations are His. Nations like Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and more have yet to be discipled.

Let's believe for the Church to be known for peace and not war. Micah speaks of swords being turned into plowshares and the nations not knowing war anymore. War is not nor will ever be a Kingdom value. It's unfortunate that we as a Church have been suspicious of those working for peace. Our theology subtly teaches, "suspicious are the peacemakers, for they probably work for the antichrist." Christ pronounced blessing on the peacemakers for they will be called the Children of God (Matt 5:9). As a Church Christ is still saying, "you have heard it said, but I say unto you." It's time we rethink our theology of war. The Kingdom of peace has come and we have been given a ministry where we declare to all men to "be reconciled to God."

When a man’s ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Proverbs 16:7

Daniel's stone cut out of a mountain without hands is growing to be great mountain that will fill the whole earth. The future of the Church is glorious. We are not on a pattern of retreat but rather that of dominion as Christ promised us His Church will be built and the gates of hell will not prevail against it (Matt 16:18). Let's live as though Micah's prophecy is a present hope. I still see stadiums filled... Kingdom blessings!

Reformation: 3 Areas of Transition

God is going to change the forms and expressions of Church within one generation to the degree that it will not be recognizable any more. - Mike Bickle

Charisma magazine has been a regular part of my life since I first received the Pentecostal experience. I remember going to my friend's house in high school and while others were playing video games I'd be reading his parents Charisma magazine. You could say I was desperate. Hunger for the things of God was my motivation. I wanted to soak up as much as I could because I believed I would be a world changer like the people I was reading about in this magazine. It's amazing how much has changed in the decade since then. I'm still hungry, still in the Word and prayer, still in the books, but my enthusiasm for Charisma is no longer there. Christian celebrity scandals, end times doom and gloom, the latest spiritual warfare trends, and the day to day news of Israel on repetition every month have had me considering canceling my subscription. However this last month I saw some signs of hope. Randy Clark's article on revival and the current move of the Holy Spirit encouraged me. When asked where he believes the current revival is going he said that it is going to MEET HIM. This is an acronym for Missions, Ecumenism, Eschatology, Theology, Holiness, Intercession, and Mercy ministry. Randy's message spoke to my heart because many of these same things the Lord has been sharing with me specifically in the areas of ecumenism, eschatology and theology.

The prayer and missions movement that God is currently raising up in the earth is something amazing. David's tabernacle truly is being restored in the earth as God's house is becoming a place of prayer for all nations. As a Church we are entering "the times of reformation" to prepare the way for the return of the Lord (Hebrews 9:10, Acts 3:21). God is raising up reformers who are rooting out, tearing down, and destroying improper foundations so that the Lord's house can be built on an accurate foundation. If the forms and expressions of the Church are going to change in a generation then it's going to require a people who are willing to be misunderstood.

Ecumenism: Jesus prayed in John 17:21 that we would all be one so that the world would believe that you sent me. "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13:35)." It's time we start living like the salvation of the world will come as a result of our unity. Christians today want to break fellowship over so many petty things; bible translations, disagreement on a non-essential, someone not being friendly in Church, etc. Something is wrong with this picture! We are told to be diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Eph 4:13).

"If any conviction/belief/opinion is enough to divide you from a brother/sister in Christ, then that thing has become lord and not Christ." - Glenn Packiam

In this season of tabernacles the Lord is calling the Church out of her distinctive camps to join together as one body. Denominationalism and division was never God's intention for His Church. Anything that causes us to attach our loyalty to a sect whether it be Calvinism, Lutheran, A/G, Jesus Only, etc rather than to that of the Kingdom needs to be destroyed. Being non-denominational, Apostolic, part of a local network, etc can be just as divisive if our identity is rooted in "what we are not" rather than in Christ and His Church.

The teaching of the "one new man" in Christ composed of Jew and Gentile (Eph 2:14) must be proclaimed in the Church again. Christ has broken down the wall that separated Gentiles from citizenship in and access to the covenant promises made to Israel (Eph 2:12). Dispensational teaching seeks to rebuild this wall that Christ has torn down by teaching that God's redemptive plan is different for Israel and the Church. The Church has always been in the mind of God and was never His "plan b". In Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek as we are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal 3:28).

We need one another. Slave, Free, Black, White, Yellow, Brown, Male, Female, Young, Old, Poor, Rich, Israeli, Greek, Palestinian, Nigerian, American.... There is no division in Christ. The priesthood has been given to all believers. This doesn't mean that we can make it on our own, just me and Jesus. The priesthood of all believers means that we are all priests, not for ourselves, but for one another. Love one another.

Theology: Theology is important because what we believe determines how we live. If we believe that God is good and that he loves us we are going to live differently than someone who thinks God is out to get them. The message of the finished work, fathers and sons, and going on to maturity are some of the things that I believe God is highlighting in our day.

For many in the Pentecostal movement education has been frowned upon. This has to change. Education is a good thing. Paul admonished Timothy to study to show himself approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Tim 2:15). Let God build a foundation in your life through systematically studying His word. Immerse yourself in the word and prayer like the early apostles (Acts 6:4) and I guarantee you Jesus will unveil himself in His word.

The people of God perish for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). Much of the Church today has gone backwards into captivity because of a lack of knowledge (Isaiah 5:13). Someone needs to stand up today and tell the Church that she is already complete through her union with Christ (Col 2:10). The Church needs to be told that her warfare has been accomplished and that her sins are pardoned (Isaiah 40:2). The war between God and man is finished in Christ! No more need to jump up and down, shouting, begging, pleading to take anything back from our enemy. Jesus already did that 2,000 years ago at Calvary. The work has been finished!

"So I do not apologize for admitting to being on a pilgrimage in theology, as if it were in itself some kind of weakness of intelligence or character. Feeling our way toward the truth is the nature of theological work even with the help of Scripture, tradition and community... A pilgrimage, therefore, far from being unusual or slightly dishonorable, is what we would expect theologians who are properly aware of their limitations to experience." - Clark Pinnock

Simply said my lens has changed. Fifteen years ago I was reading books by Dwight Pentecost, CH Mackintosh, Kevin Conner, and others like them. As I've said before to say that I saw things a certain way would have been a huge understatement. To suggest that I see things entirely correct now would be a huge leap in the opposite direction as well. We as a Church are on a "pilgrimage in theology." I love this quote by Clark Pinnock because he was a theologian who was known to be worshipping in almost any setting (from a very traditional setting to "blissing out" at the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship). Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage (Psalm 84:5).

Eschatology: Weak, limp, divided, doom, gloom, total darkness covering the earth. Sounds like the setting of the latest end times fiction book. Unfortunately many in the Church today are teaching the message that the Church will not fulfill her mandate in the earth. Fear and despair rather than hope and victory are being spread through the Church by those who have ran with this message.

As a result of unity (ecumenism) and knowledge (theology) a shift is coming to the area of eschatology. The kingdom of God is ever-increasing and ever-expanding. The tiny mustard seed of the kingdom is slowly growing to become a great tree in the earth. The tiny stone cut out of the mountain without hands will subdue all other kingdoms and grow to fill the whole earth.

"Eschatology is not so much the sequence of the ‘end time' events, but rather concerns itself with rulership. The real issue is: Who has the right to rule?" - Frans du Plessis

It is imperative that we understand that He has come whose right it is and that every kingdom has been given to Him (Ezekiel 21:27). We are called to enforce Jesus' victory, to occupy until He comes. Nowhere in the New Testament are the saints told to fear the devil. Rather it is the devils who tremble (James 2:19). Fear and despair have no place in your future but rather hope and victory. "Your future is as bright as the promises of God!" - Jeff Rose

Is God really going to change the forms and expressions of the Church in a generation? Yes, I believe he will. Only I don't believe the Church is going to be unrecognizable. The Church is going look just like our Lord Jesus Christ. Kingdom Blessings!