Called to Be a Prophetic People

Image by DS Stories, from Pexels

In Revelation 19:10, John, overwhelmed by all he had been shown by the angel, attempted to fall down and worship him. The angel immediately forbade John from doing so and exhorted him, “…Worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” The New Living Translation (NLT) states it, “…Worship only God. For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus.”

What does this tell us? If we are followers of Jesus, we hold the testimony of Him in our hearts. And because He is our all in all, our primary focus should always be Him. That includes when we prophesy.

God calls His Church to be a prophetic people. It is part of our purpose and inheritance in Christ. The Holy Spirit desires to speak God’s thoughts through us for many reasons, including (but not limited to) evangelism; intercession; revelatory teaching of the Word; encouraging or exhorting; and bringing correction, direction, or counsel. All these elements of prophecy testify of Jesus in one way or another. True prophecy points people to Him.

Therefore, if we suppress the Spirit’s prompting to speak what is in His heart, we are not fulfilling a large part of our calling. Why would we do that? Probably the most frequent reason is intimidation. We fear making a mistake and being rejected, ridiculed, or reproved. Perhaps we think only people who are known as prophets are allowed to speak, but 1 Corinthians 14:31 says, “For you may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.” Maybe our minds have limited us to the idea that prophecy is only supposed to happen in a church setting.

If you think of prophecy as speaking forth the heart of God, anywhere and anytime He leads, it won’t seem so intimidating to you. You don’t necessarily have to give a “Thus saith the LORD” message. In fact, starting out with that phrase isn’t usually the best idea anyway.

If you feel an urging to encourage someone with a thought you sense is from the Lord, do that. It can be as simple as sharing a Bible verse you think the Lord wants to speak to him or her. Sometimes, the Lord gives me several verses for a particular person to comfort them or to cause them to reach out to the Lord for themselves. The results of sharing them have generally been good.

As you are praying, maybe you suddenly have an idea about exactly how to intercede. Praying by the leading of the Holy Spirit is an element of prophecy. The Lord might urge you to share with a person you prayed for what you received while praying. Do it, and you will bless that person.

Thirty-three years ago, I received a cancer diagnosis. At my first visit to the oncologist, he gave me a devastating report of just how bad it might be. But when I got home, a card from a friend was waiting for me in my mailbox. It simply said, “Lee Ann, Jesus says not to worry. You will be all right.” That friend took a step of faith in sharing what she heard prophetically, but I am grateful to this day for her timely word.

Recently, I shared with our prayer group a Bible verse which kept coming to mind during our worship time. What I didn’t anticipate doing was then going on to expound on how that verse applied in our current circumstances. I didn’t have to think it out; it just flowed. That is an aspect of the prophetic.

A lady in our home fellowship shared a Bible verse I had not previously been aware of, and it taught me a basic truth about the Lord. She mentioned the verse in passing, probably not even realizing she was prophetically flowing in the Spirit. But she was doing just what 1 Corinthians 14:31 says, “For you may all prophesy … so that all may learn.” I learned something new about the Lord’s nature that day.

I know of a few Christian authors who use fiction to speak the word of the Lord prophetically into people’s hearts. They each have a gift for showing people aspects of Jesus through their writing. Their novels act as subtle parables to bring particular truths and to draw their readers closer to Him.

Perhaps God inspires you with songs to glorify Him. Writing lyrics or composing music by the prompting of the Holy Spirit is a form of prophecy. Consider Fanny Crosby’s thousands of beloved hymns. Handel wrote Messiah in about three weeks’ time. He locked himself away, barely eating or sleeping during that time, and when he came forth with the finished score, he said he felt he had been in the very presence of God.

When we understand that prophecy is part of every believer’s calling in Christ, we can be confident that He will use us in it in a variety of ways — often quite subtly. Expect Him to use you prophetically wherever you go. Ask Him to! Ask Him to help you be sensitive to His leading, and to give you the courage to speak forth what He brings to your heart.

The more you step into yielding your words to Him, the more often it will happen. You will end up glorifying the Lord Jesus more than you ever thought possible. It is a satisfying and exciting way to live.
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The Spirit-Filled Guide to Personal Prophecy

The Dream Book: A Practical Guide to Christian Dream Interpretation

Simple Principles of Spiritual Warfare

I have written quite a bit on spiritual warfare in the past, but today I thought I’d hit on some points which are good reminders for us all.

Never forget that it is not other people we are warring against: it is evil spiritual beings. Yes, they use people to advance their agenda, but when we start attacking people, we’re going after the wrong ones. Even in the natural world, law enforcement often realizes they need to go after the “kingpin,” not his flunkies.

Don’t rejoice or gloat when evil comes upon a wicked person. Proverbs 17:5 tells us, “…He who is glad at calamities shall not go unpunished.” Ezekiel 33:11 shows us the heart of God, which we should model: “…As I live, says the LORD God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked.”

If you are praying for bad things to happen to wicked people, stop! God is not inspiring that prayer; it is a form of witchcraft — which brings us to our next point:

Do the opposite of how you see the enemy warring. Since he is the accuser of the brethren, we should not use that tactic. Since he is scornful and reviling, we should not be. (Many Christians have forgotten this, and are even treating their own brothers and sisters in Christ this way!) Psalm 1:1 says, “Blessed is the man who … does not sit in the seat of the scornful.”

Jesus said to bless those who curse us, do good to those who hate us, and pray for those who despitefully (maliciously) use us (Matthew 5:44). Peter said we are not to return evil for evil, but instead to bless contrary people, for this is what we are called to do (1 Peter 3:9). It’s not easy, I know, but after all, this is warfare, which is never a picnic.

Worship God with abandon. Worship is a powerful warfare weapon. The devil can’t stand it, because he has always wanted to usurp the worship only God deserves. When we focus on worship, it’s hard to stay in the place of ugly thoughts: fear, doubt, hatred, envy, or whatever else is pulling our strings.

In David’s worst moments, he often deliberately turned his heart to worship. When his city of Ziklag was burned, the women and children were carried off, and his own men were ready to stone him, he “encouraged himself in the LORD his God” (1 Samuel 30:6). When he knew the child born to him and Bathsheba had died, he “came into the house of the LORD and worshiped” (2 Samuel 12:20). 

Turn off or severely limit the sources which create distress in your mind — the TV and/or Internet news, editorials, social media movers and shakers, talk show-type podcasts, or whatever else is spewing into your mind.

It’s not only “the other side” you want to avoid. It’s the ones you agree with — in fact, that can be even worse, because they can poison your mind with their words more subtly. I personally shun any kind of opinion articles or programming. I mostly stick to news headlines, reading just a few articles from a Christian news service here and there.

Shutting off the flow of these things into ourselves is a powerful warfare tactic to combat fear, anxiety, and deception. It also reduces clutter in our minds.

Make sure you are leading the charge that Captain Jesus has directed you to.  I had a vision a while back of an influential woman on horseback, with a Christian banner in her hand. She was joyfully leading the charge against what she thought needed to be warred against, but it was not where the battlefront really was. In her well-meaning, misguided attempts, she led lots of other people along behind her, but she was not fighting the same battle God was.

Don’t assume you know God’s battle strategy. Take time to inquire and listen to Him. Along with that goes the next point:

Apply biblical principles correctly — We need the Holy Spirit’s wisdom and discernment to know which principle is necessary for the current conflict.

In earthly warfare, there is a time for a sneak attack and a time for a full frontal assault. It’s the same in the spiritual realm. Sometimes one spiritual principle is the solution, and at other times it will be another. Only the Spirit knows the right way for each situation.

If you would like to learn more about effective spiritual warfare, my book, The Intercessor Manual, will help you!

    We have many other books and audio resources on prayer, prophetic things, and maturing in Christ at our website, too!

What Is the Gospel of the Kingdom? (Part 2)

In our last post, I gave a simple definition of what the gospel (good news) of the kingdom is, as preached by Jesus: God desires to dwell with man in unbroken fellowship.

In John 14:6, Jesus explained that HE is the only way to enter into this kingdom fellowship with God. He also said, in John 10:9, “I am the door: if any man enters in by Me, he shall be saved….” So, we see that in order to be part of God’s kingdom, we must initially enter it through Jesus.

This is the same message as the gospel of salvation, which is why I said in the last post that I disagree with those who say the salvation gospel is inferior to the kingdom gospel. Jesus was all about bringing people to the Father through belief on the Son. He died on the cross so that we could enter into restored fellowship with God, which had been lost in the Garden of Eden.

I think perhaps there is a misunderstanding among those who claim to be “kingdom-minded” about what the salvation message really is. It is definitely not about saying the sinner’s prayer and then going on in an unchanged lifestyle. Serious Christians across denominational lines realize that once we enter God’s kingdom we are supposed to continue growing in Christ. That’s why we have all the discipleship/Christian growth resources that we do.  It is not only those who identify with kingdom theology who desire to see the “equipping of the saints” (“perfecting of the saints,” in the King James), mentioned in Ephesians 4:12.

Unfortunately, there are people who want to go on living unsanctified lives, who deceive themselves into thinking they know Jesus. Even sadder is that some churches are fine with this! These are neither true Christians, nor are the churches who find this behavior acceptable true houses of God.

It is worth noting that the apostle Paul referred to the gospel he preached as the “gospel of Christ,” not the “gospel of the kingdom” — yet Paul did speak about the kingdom of God, usually in the context of how to live a lifestyle worthy of heaven. Again, this is the message of salvation and how it should evidence in our lives. I invite you to investigate for yourself by looking up “kingdom” and “gospel” in a concordance, and then checking what comes up in Paul’s letters.

So, what did Paul preach? He preached “Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). Everything he said focused on, and was anchored in, Christ and His atoning work on the cross. For those who did not yet know Who Jesus was and what He had accomplished, Paul revealed Him as the way into fellowship with God. For those who had already entered into that fellowship, he instructed them in detail in what being citizens of God’s kingdom should look like.

Essentially, both Jesus and the apostles spoke of the kingdom’s three phases:

Entering into it

We believe on Jesus, and the Holy Spirit comes to live within us. This is “the kingdom of God is within you” stage, mentioned by Jesus in Luke 17:21. Paul says God has at this point “sealed us, and given us the earnest [down payment] of the Spirit in our hearts” (1 Corinthians 1:22). 1 John 4:13 tells us, “Hereby we know that we dwell in him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.”

Living it out

This is what we do, after we have received Jesus, during our mortal time on earth. We act as salt and light to those around us. We tell others the good news that they can know Jesus too. We progressively become like Jesus. We listen to how the Spirit directs us and carry out God’s will as He has specifically purposed for each of us to do.

What is ahead

This is our future after this life — enjoying heaven with the Lord UNTIL it is time for Jesus to physically reign on the earth for a thousand years (Revelation 20). We will be with Him back on earth then, in our resurrected bodies, because the kingdom is about forever being with the Lord. Revelation also speaks about the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven and God living there with His people forever.

Whatever your end-times theology happens to be, my point is that Jesus will, at a specific moment in history, return to earth and reign here physically, and we will be with Him — again, that unbroken fellowship with the Lord.

We see that from the time we enter into God’s kingdom through embracing Jesus as our Savior and Lord, through our mortal life on earth, and from there into eternity, God’s plan is to live in us and with us. Through all of the phases, we will enjoy His kingdom in a spiritual sense, but in the future we will also experience the physical, material kingdom of God here on earth and in the New Jerusalem described in Revelation 21 and 22.

“Your kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10) is always our reality, but we will not see it in its completeness until the return of Jesus. Next time, we’ll talk more about the kingdom of God as we are meant to live it out now.

Previous (Part 1)

Next (Part 3)

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Before Whom We Stand: The Everyman’s Guide to the Nature of God

Encouragement from God’s Word

Are You Influenced by the Political Spirit?

I’ve been concerned for quite some time about the influence of the political spirit upon Christians. While it is most easily seen during election years, it rears its ugly head at various other times as well. It’s currently surfacing a lot in opinions about the Covid-19 crisis, but it shows up in other discussions too, such as immigration or social justice.

This post is sort of a “Part Two.” Discerning the Political Spirit, written a couple of years ago, acts as my “Part One.” That post explains a lot about the political spirit. Today’s post goes on from there.

Here are some ways the political spirit affects people, including believers:

It causes us to be hardhearted.

Ephesians 4:32 tells us, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted….” The political spirit causes us to put our “convictions” ahead of kindness and tenderness. Mercy and compassion take a lesser place, because being right becomes paramount. Often those convictions are not biblical principles at all, but opinions we have absorbed from various secular sources with a political agenda behind them. When we take in enough of them, they become part of our worldview. We might think that worldview is unquestionably biblical, because we’ve heard influential Christian leaders speak the same things — but that could be because those leaders have unwittingly become influenced by the political spirit as well.

An example of how this plays out can be seen with the current controversy over how the Covid-19 crisis should be addressed. We hear a great deal of talk about constitutional rights. Preserving constitutional rights is important. However, if we forget that “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” as mentioned in the Declaration of Independence are for everyone, not just self, it could be a sign that we’re influenced by not only selfishness, but the political spirit. When one’s own rights and wants become more important than caring for the welfare of others, we’re missing the second great commandment, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39).

It polarizes people.

We should never get sucked into a false unity. Light and darkness cannot mix. However, the political spirit will cause unrighteous (and unnecessary!) division between believers. Factions form. Paul attempted to correct this attitude in the Corinthian Church:

Now I beseech you brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you…. For it has been declared to me … that there are contentions among you. …You say, “I am of Paul,” and “I am of Apollos,” and “I am of Cephas,” and “I am of Christ.” Is Christ divided? …. (1 Corinthians 1:10-13).

We see this every day, from arguments about governmental policies to theological disputes on matters which aren’t about foundations of the faith.

It promotes finger-pointing.

The devil is “the accuser of the brethren” (Revelation 12:10). Unfortunately, too often we cooperate with him! Mudslinging is part of political campaigns, and the political spirit will lead you into that behavior in other arenas too. It has a lot to do with those convictions I mentioned earlier, which are really only opinions.

It fosters pride.

This goes along quite nicely with finger-pointing. We feel so strongly about our position that we assume everyone who doesn’t see it the way we do is less spiritual, asleep at their post, or just plain stupid.

Could it be that those of a different opinion are seeing from an angle we have not yet considered? Can their perspective and mine dovetail together for a more complete picture of the truth? The political spirit attempts to blind us to such possibilities.

It diverts us from Christ and the Gospel.

The political spirit sidetracks us onto temporary tangents, consuming our thoughts with current events which have little to no bearing on eternal matters. We become earth-bound, consumed with anxieties over what will happen if “our side” does not carry the day. Jesus is not mentioned very much anymore. Sharing the “good news” of our viewpoint takes the place of sharing the good news of the cross.

In his book, The Discerner, James Goll comments,

Particularly in these days of instant social messaging, we need to be alert to the influence of the political spirit around us. We have to work hard to keep our focus on God and not on the troubling and divisive contemporary issues unfolding around us, lest we react to them by joining the toxic fray, rather than being part of the solution. While we should fulfill our civic responsibilities and keep a level head while participating in our representative government, the best thing we can do is to pray and intercede in order to break the power of the demonic political spirit that causes divisions, animosity, and strife.(1)

How do we break the power of the political spirit off of our minds?

1. The first step is recognizing its influence over us.

2. We repent and renounce it, asking the Lord to deliver us from it.

3. We determine to, once again, “Seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1, 2). That might require more time reading the Bible and less time reading or listening to the ideas of men.

The Lord will free us, if we ask. He will also help us know where to put our energies in the future. He will give us the wisdom we need to escape the deceptions of the political spirit.

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(1)  James W. Goll, The Discerner (New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 2017), p. 148.

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All-Surpassing Peace in a Shaking World,
by Lee Ann Rubsam

River Life: Entering into the Character of Jesus,
by Lee Ann Rubsam
(Bible character education study for adults and teens)

Self-Help Christian Living

“Seven Reasons You Don’t Get Healed.” “Ten Steps to Personal Success (and Why You’re Not There Yet).” “Eight Reasons Your Prayers Are Not Answered.”

Do these titles sound in any way familiar? Christian teachers preach and write on topics such as these a lot. They start by telling us how we’re doing it all wrong and then offer us the alternative solutions they’ve discovered. Some of us become hopelessly overwhelmed — first, by the extent of our revealed failure, and second, by the myriads of steps we must take to fix ourselves. We feel tempted to cry out in despair, “Why should I even try? I’ll be sure to do something wrong to keep me from receiving what I need from God anyway! Why does it have to be so hard???!!!”

The truth is, the message presented by many of these teachers is basically flawed. It is a humanistic, self-help approach, just like the secular world churns out. Based on following methods and formulas (backed up with a smattering of isolated Bible verses, of course), it is all about depending on yourself, not on God. You determine your own destiny by either doing all the stuff right or doing it wrong. Mess up? Too bad. You should have followed the game plan laid out by Christian Expert So-and-So.

The true Bible message, however, is quite the opposite. We are to depend, not on ourselves, but on Jesus. Consider what our Lord said in Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” It’s like a fresh, revitalizing breeze washing over you, isn’t it?

Ever since the Garden of Eden, the devil has been whispering to mankind, “You can have all the knowledge for yourself. You can be like God.” It was an invitation then to rebellious independence, and the message has not changed. It has only been repackaged by well-meaning Christian teachers and sometimes backed up with Bible verses which make it seem right. Meanwhile, the Lord has been calling to us, “You can’t do it yourself. You never could. Come to Me, and depend on Me. I want to help you.”

The deception is in putting a formula first, with a dash of God thrown in. The truth is in making relationship with the Unlimited One our foremost priority and then letting Him lead us. He wants to show His might on our behalf, to override our weakness with His strength as we walk through life’s difficulties with our hand in His.

The Pharisees of old made it difficult for their listeners to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 23:13). Likewise, some Christian teachers today are hindering God’s children from entering into a joyful, victorious life by placing the emphasis on ourselves, rather than on Jesus. Perhaps 2 Corinthians 11:3 is an appropriate verse for us to freshly apply: “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity which is in Christ.”

“The simplicity which is in Christ.” Let’s remember that.

My next post will be an extension of these thoughts. We’ll talk about some current teaching on intercession which I find troubling, and how we can receive answers to our prayers without striving in the flesh.

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All-Surpassing Peace in a Shaking World,
by Lee Ann Rubsam

 

 

 

 

River Life: Entering into the Character of Jesus,
by Lee Ann Rubsam

The Other 9-11s

This week we commemorated 9-11-01, the infamous day when Muslim jihadists attacked our nation. It is a day not to be forgotten. Life in the United States will never be the same because of it.

On 9-11 this year, the Lord happened to remind me of one of my favorite names of God, found in Hebrews 9:11, which speaks of our Lord Jesus: “a high priest of good things to come.” After posting it on Facebook, I noticed the 9:11 / 9-11 correlation, and I began to think about other 9:11 references in the Bible.

While 9-11-01 was a time of great devastation, God has His own set of 9:11 words, and they are full of hope for us. Here are some of them, starting with my two favorites:

Hebrews 9:11 — “But Christ being come a high priest of good things to come….”

Psalm 91:1 — “He who dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Are you afraid? There is a haven of safety and rest for you in the secret place of the Lord’s presence. He is inviting you to enter into intimate fellowship with Him, for it is there that the other wonderful promises of Psalm 91 will become real to you. I spend a lot of time in Psalm 91, especially when fear knocks at my door.

Genesis 9:11— “And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off anymore by the waters of a flood; neither shall there anymore be a flood to destroy the earth.” God has established a forever covenant with you through the blood of Jesus Christ. He never reneges on His promises, so you can absolutely count on Him to do for you what He has said in His Word. The hard part is waiting for the fulfillment, but if we cling in faith to Him, we will see Him perform the good things He has promised.

Nehemiah 9:11 — “And You divided the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and You threw their persecutors into the deeps, as a stone into the mighty waters.” Are you hemmed in, with nowhere to turn? God will make a way for you, as you release the insurmountable difficulty to Him. He will fight for you and personally go against those who are trying to destroy you.

Psalm 9:11 — “Sing praises to the LORD, Who dwells in Zion; declare among the people His doings.” Praise your way through to your victory! Praise is a powerful weapon of our spiritual warfare. It brings breakthroughs when nothing else seems to budge the circumstances.

Proverbs 9:11 — “For by Me your days shall be multiplied, and the years of your life shall be increased.” Do you want to live a long, healthy life, so that you can be as fruitful for Jesus as possible? God wants that for you too! Declare this 9:11 verse as your own.

Amos 9:11 — “In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old.” This verse is about the restoration of David’s kingly line through Jesus, the Son of David. It prophesies His physical return to earth to rule in righteousness. It’s an exciting word for all who love Him: Jesus is coming, and it is going to be good!

Zechariah 9:11 — “As for you also, by the blood of your covenant I have sent forth your prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.” Do you feel like you are in the pits? Do you feel dry and thirsty? You have a covenant with the Father by the blood of Jesus your Savior. He has promised to set the prisoners free and to give His living water to all who thirst. Check out Isaiah 55:1; 58:11; 61:1 and John 4:13-15; 7:37, 38, just for starters.

Matthew 9:11 — “And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, ‘Why does your Master eat with publicans and sinners?'” Aren’t you glad that Jesus wants to spend time with people who sin and have issues? I am — because I know I don’t have it all together. He takes us where we’re at, and cleans us up as we fellowship with Him. Now, that is good news!

Luke 9:11 — “And the people … followed Him: and He received them, and spoke to them of the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.” He received them, He spoke to them, and He healed them. Jesus receives you, no matter what a mess your life is right now. He wants to speak to you. And, He wants to heal you physically and emotionally.

John 9:11 — “… A man who is called Jesus made clay, and anointed my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ I went and washed, and I received sight.” I’m going to take the liberty of applying this in a spiritual sense. Jesus provides for us a “pool of Siloam” in His Word. It washes us (see Ephesians 5:26). The Holy Spirit uses it to guide us into all truth (see John 8:31, 32; 14:26; and 16:13). He gives us spiritual eyes to see what the world around us cannot see.

Romans 9:11 — “For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not because of works, but because of Him Who calls.” God always planned for you to be His very own. He doesn’t love you and give you good purposes to fulfill because you have somehow been a super-Christian who earned His favor. No, He has favored you from before you were ever born, and now He’s helping you all along life’s way. That’s more good news!

2 Corinthians 9:11 — “Being enriched in everything to all bountifulness, which causes through us thanksgiving to God.” God “daily loads [you] with benefits” (Psalm 68:19) so that you can “pay it forward” to others. Did you know that when you are kind in various ways — even small ways — it causes other people to thank God for His goodness to them? We’ll only find out how much this has gone on when we get to heaven. You were meant to be a blessing and to give glory to God in all that you do.

I hope these 9:11 verses bless and encourage you as much as they have me!

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Encouragement from God’s Word,
by Lee Ann Rubsam
(Topical verses from the KJV to encourage and strengthen you)

 

 

 

The Intercessor’s Companion,
by Lee Ann Rubsam
(Topical verses to encourage you and help you intercede on specific subjects, in a modernized KJV format)

 

What Should the Church Look Like? (Part 8) — Conclusion

We started this series by looking at what “church” (ekklesia) means — a called-out assembly. We are called out of the darkness of this world into God’s family and kingdom, not as individuals only, but as a united body of believers, meant to live and carry out our purpose together.

I also gave you a core job description: The Church is the expression of Jesus Christ upon the earth.

Throughout the series, I emphasized that healthy church life means we function as the family of God. When we forget that we are family, some of the other components of who we are — an army, discipleship center, or even a house of prayer — can get out of whack. But if we stay in the context of family, the many purposes God has for His Church work beautifully together. When we overemphasize one aspect of the Church to the exclusion of others, we become like a wheel out of round, or one missing some spokes, but properly balancing who we are and what we are supposed to do causes us to thrive.

There is one more element of the Church that I would like to mention. Really, I’ve saved the best for last:

We are Christ’s bride.

It is definitely a “now, but not yet” part of who we are. We are betrothed to our Bridegroom Jesus, but the wedding celebration will not take place until He returns for us. While we wait for Him, we are in a two-fold preparation time. We are already spotless in the sense that we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ, blameless and pure through His atonement for us at the cross. But Jesus is also bringing us through a wedding preparation process, “that He might sanctify and cleanse [His bride] with the washing of water by His Word, so that He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:26, 27).

We have our role to play as well. Just as an earthly bride goes through much preparation to look her most beautiful on her wedding day, we are to give great attention to readying ourselves for Jesus. Revelation 19:7 says of the marriage supper in heaven, “for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”

In this present hour, the Lord is doing His part to cleanse His Church, even sometimes through the painful, public exposure of sin. We must do ours as well, in setting aside every encumbrance, every distraction, which would keep us from looking eagerly for our Bridegroom to come for us. We must get our attention off the temporary pursuits and cares of earth, and firmly fix our gaze on Jesus. He is coming. Let us be eagerly anticipating Him.

Summing things up:

The expression of love, mercy, and compassion should always be prominent in the Church. We carry out the practical functions to which we are called as Christ’s body on earth, but forever in the context of these three attributes. This is why the Spirit led the apostle Paul to insert “the love chapter” (1 Corinthians 13) between the the gifts and church order chapters (1 Corinthians 12 and 14).

We must also remember that our Sunday morning services are only a slice of what it means to be the Church. If that is all we ever experience, we are missing out on a great deal. The early Church not only met together in large gatherings; they met “house to house” informally, eating and fellowshipping with one another (Acts 2:46), receiving teaching (Acts 20:20), and praying together (Acts 12:12) too. We can do the same in our day. They also lived out the life of Christ in the world around them, including showing forth the power of God through miracles, signs, and wonders, which are supposed to “follow those who believe” (Mark 16:17). “For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power” (1 Corinthians 4:20).

I hope you have enjoyed this series and that it has provoked some new ideas for you. I would love hearing any additional thoughts you have!

What Should the Church Look Like? (Part 1)
Part 2 — We Are Family
Part 3 — We Are One Body
Part 4 — We Are an Army
Part 5 — We Are a House of Prayer and Worship
Part 6 — We Are a Healing Center
Part 7 — Other Church Attributes

________________________________________

 

 

Before Whom We Stand: The Everyman’s Guide to the Nature of God, 
by Lee Ann Rubsam

 

 

 

River Life: Entering into the Character of Jesus,
by Lee Ann Rubsam

 

 

 

 

The Intercessor Manual,
by Lee Ann Rubsam

 

 

 

What Should the Church Look Like? (Part 7) — Other Attributes of the Church

We’ve talked about the Church being a family, a body, an army, a house of prayer and worship, and a healing center. Here are a few other attributes of the Church which should not be neglected.

 

The Church is a governing body upon earth.

We carry out our governing function in a couple of ways. One is by bringing the power and presence of God with us wherever we go.

We are meant to influence and bring change in our world through our words and actions. We are “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20), meaning that what Jesus did to demonstrate the Kingdom of God, we do also. Jesus “went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil” (Acts 10:38); we do likewise. He spoke light and truth; we are to do the same. Jesus said of His disciples, “You are the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world” — “a city set on a hill [that] cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:13, 14). Paul worded it, God “makes manifest by us the savor of His knowledge in every place” (2 Corinthians 2:15). So, we govern by bringing the Lord’s kingdom to our world in how we do life.

Each of us can do this in the process of going about our daily occupations. But in order to be as effective as possible, we should stay aware that this is why we have been placed by God in our particular spheres of influence. We must not miss our opportunities!

The second way we govern on earth is through prayer. In Matthew 18:18, 19, Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them by My Father Who is in heaven.”

In his book, Secrets of a Prayer Warrior, Derek Prince said this: “The Bible reveals that this world is not really ruled by presidents and governors and dictators. They only seem to rule. The people who really rule the world are those who know how to pray.” We need to grasp this idea and run with it!

Our governing function is carried out both individually and as a church body. While each of us should be an ambassador and a prayer warrior, when we join together in unity with other believers, our effectiveness is greatly multiplied. Corporate governing as a body ties in with what we already saw in Part 4 about the Church being an army. No man fights a war all by himself.

Ultimately, we will physically govern on earth with Christ when He returns (and we with Him) for His millennial reign as King. The governing we do now is a seed, a foretaste of what is to come.

The Church is a center for discipleship.

What did Jesus tell His disciples before He left earth? “Go, therefore, and teach [make disciples of] all nations… teaching them to observe all things which I have commanded you….” (Matthew 28:19, 20).

Paul called this discipleship “the perfecting [equipping] of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ, until we all come, in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, into maturity, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we are no longer children, tossed to and fro, carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery and cunning craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Ephesians 4:12-14).

Some of our local churches are fulfilling the discipleship function well. However, based on the amount of serious doctrinal error which has become commonplace in the Church today, apparently many of our churches are not getting the job done. In Charismatic / prophetic / apostolic circles, we often focus on “equipping the saints” in how to do the supernatural works of Jesus, but we have neglected to lay the firm foundation of the core doctrines taught by the original New Testament apostles. Indeed, we have neglected teaching the Bible as a whole. On the other hand, in fundamentalist / non-Charismatic streams, there is often a great adherence to Bible teaching, while not emphasizing pursuing intimacy with Jesus Himself. As you can see, the Church needs a lot of improvement in the discipleship area!

The discipleship function can be worked out in a variety of ways. The Word of God should be preached from our pulpits (in many cases, this is not happening as it should). Home Bible studies and Bible classes within the local church can further enhance the work. One-on-one discipleship, with mature believers mentoring newer Christians, is just as vital as what we receive through sermons and structured teaching.

I personally believe we should see more teaching from the Bible on God’s nature. If we understand Who He is and how He acts, we can then apply that understanding to develop Christlike character in our own lives. Too many believers in our day have little understanding of either God’s nature or how to live like Jesus. These things can be taught systematically, however.

It is a large task, and may seem overwhelming, but each of us can do our part by being connected into a local fellowship where true discipleship is taking place, and by being willing to disciple others who are just beginning their life in Christ.

In our next post, we’ll wrap up this series with one more aspect of who the Church is and a few final thoughts.

What Should the Church Look Like? (Part 1)
Part 2 — We Are Family
Part 3 — We Are One Body
Part 4 — We Are an Army
Part 5 — We Are a House of Prayer and Worship
Part 6 — We Are a Healing Center
Next: Part 8 (Conclusion)

________________________________________

 

 

Before Whom We Stand: The Everyman’s Guide to the Nature of God, 
by Lee Ann Rubsam

 

 

 

River Life: Entering into the Character of Jesus,
by Lee Ann Rubsam

 

 

 

 

The Intercessor Manual,
by Lee Ann Rubsam

What Should the Church Look Like? (Part 6) — We Are a Healing Center

Jesus is the Healer, and He has commissioned us to labor with Him in that capacity, because “…as [Jesus] is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17).

Jesus commissioned His disciples, in Matthew 10:7, 8, “And as you go, preach, saying, ”The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out demons; freely you have received, now freely give.”

We are His ambassadors, so we should be doing the same things He did. Indeed, He said we would: “Truly, Truly, I say to you, He who believes on Me, the works that I do, he shall do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to my Father” (John 14:12).

We all love miraculous healing stories, whether in the Bible or in modern times, don’t we? While we’re excited and delighted to see people healed instantly, some healing takes a long time — especially inner healing. Yet I have heard it said, time and again, by multiple preachers, “The church is not supposed to be a hospital!” Ahem. Yes, it is.

If you travel in apostolic circles, you are probably having fits with me about now. Because, most likely you are into hosting spiritual boot camps to equip the saints for battle, right? But let’s think this through a bit.

You want a harvest of souls, don’t you? What kind of world do we have around us? One full of hurting, traumatized people. More than half come from broken homes. At least one in four has been a victim of sexual abuse. Still others have suffered other types of physical or emotional abuse. Some are refugees and have lived through the greatest atrocities imaginable in their home countries. Some have tried to commit suicide because they can’t deal with the pain anymore.

Now tell me the Church is not supposed to be a hospital! What are you going to do with them once you have brought them to Jesus, if you won’t provide a place of healing for them within the Church? Will you just push them through boot camp and out to the battlefield?

And what about Christians who once were healthy, but now are not? Should we just ignore their hurt, perhaps write them off as unfit? Do we pressure them to pretend everything is all right, when it is not? Or should we instead be compassionate enough to be an active part of their healing process, realizing with a heart of humility that any of us could also experience a stretch of life where we aren’t in top form?

That’s my human reasoning, but let’s look at what the Bible says about it. “We, then, who are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please ourselves” (Romans 15:1). Jesus bound up the brokenhearted (Isaiah 61:1). “A bruised reed shall He not break, and smoking flax shall He not quench, until He sends forth judgment to victory” (Isaiah 42:3; Matthew 12:20).

Realizing that the Church should be a healing center — including a “hospital,” if you will — doesn’t mean that we let people sit around and lick their wounds for the rest of their lives. The whole purpose of doctors and hospitals is to get people well, so they can lead healthy lives when possible. Indeed, healing people of emotional wounds is an element of equipping the saints — because part of healing is giving them the tools to stay well and strong, so that they can go out there and make a difference in God’s kingdom.

I think that might be a worthy reason to think the Church should be a hospital. How about you?

What Should the Church Look Like? (Part 1)
Part 2 — We Are Family
Part 3 — We Are One Body
Part 4 — We Are an Army
Part 5 — We Are a House of Prayer and Worship
Next: Part 7 — Other Attributes of the Church

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God’s Word on Healing
by Lee Ann Rubsam

 

 

 

 

Encouragement from God’s Word
by Lee Ann Rubsam

What Should the Church Look Like? (Part 3) — We Are One Body

In our last post, we saw that God uses the model of family for His Church. He also likens His people to a human body. The two ideas are similar in how they cause us to relate to one another, if we heed them. Let’s take a look at the main passage which describes us as a body, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27:

For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are still one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body … and have all been made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.

If the foot shall say, “Because I am not the hand, I am not part of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, “Because I am not the eye, I am not part of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?

But now God has set every one of the members in the body as it has pleased Him. And if they were all one member, where would be the body? But now are they many members, yet only one body.

And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you.” Nor can the head say to the feet, “I have no need of you.” No, how much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary. And those members of the body which we think less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; our less presentable parts are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts have no need. But God has tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to those parts which lacked.

This is so there would be no division in the body, but the members should have the same care one for another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

In a healthy family, every member is valued. We share each other’s joys and sorrows, triumphs and defeats. When one hurts, the rest are empathetic to his or her pain. Little children are not disdained because they are small and weak; they are treated more tenderly. If a family member moves away, passes, or chooses to be estranged, he is sorely missed. A healthy family pulls together as a team.

In a healthy body, every part is also valued. If one part hurts, the whole body is affected. Parts which are naturally weaker and more susceptible to injury (such as the internal organs) are protected, not despised. If a part of the body has to be surgically removed, the rest of the body suffers great hardship. The left eye, ear, leg, or hand does not compete for dominance with the right eye, ear, leg, or hand. They work together.

So it is meant to be in the Church, the “body” of Christ. We are supposed to take special care of those who are weaker or less capable. Those who are sick should be tenderly nursed back to health. Those with less visible functions (like the internal organs of the human body) are vital to the life of the church as a whole, and should be valued accordingly. If someone leaves or passes away, it is like an amputation has taken place: the rest of the body tries to compensate for the loss, but it is not the same without the one who is gone.

In the church body, we should not be envious of one another, vying for dominance. Instead, we should pull together, recognizing the unique purpose God has for each of us. There is room for more than one “eye” or “ear” (the prophetic gifts of spiritually seeing and hearing). In fact, the sight range and depth perception of two eyes working together is better than what one eye can do by itself. In short, we need each other, each fulfilling our God-given purpose, in order for the church to be healthy and fully functional.

Appreciating each other and being willing to work together in the church body is not easy. It takes commitment to unconditional love, as we see laid out in 1 Corinthians 13. It takes dependence upon the Holy Spirit and a continual dying to our own selfish ambitions. Some members of the local body are not as easy to love as others, due to irritating personality quirks or character flaws. We may be tempted to wish they would go elsewhere. But if we can remember that they, too, have a unique, God-designed place to fill, and that the body will be missing a part if they are gone, it helps our own attitude. Many is the time I have asked God to show me the good He sees in a brother or sister, when I couldn’t find much to like. He has been faithful to that prayer, so that when I saw their value from the Lord’s perspective, I came to love them.

In our next post, we’ll look at the Church as an army. We’ll see how that can be good or bad, depending on whether we keep it within the biblical concept of family.

What Should the Church Look Like? (Part 1)
Part 2 — We Are Family
Part 4 — We Are an Army

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Growing in the Prophetic,
Audio teaching by Lee Ann Rubsam

 

 

 

 

Before Whom We Stand, by Lee Ann Rubsam