Colin Brown: "Rebooting" the Church: Changing Times and Changing Seasons

We are at the threshold of 2014, and as we enter into the New Year and thereafter, we are coming upon the "rebooting" of the Church: The changing of the times and changing of the seasons (see Daniel 2:21-22)
There is an intense yet glorious transition we are at, just as there is at the time of the birth of a child. We are at a "new" Jordan River, where our life is laid down that Another's is raised up – the life of Jesus!
Let me assure you that the Lord is preparing His way in His people in order that they prepare His way for others. The spirit and power of Elijah is coming upon and in the Church. "Make straight the way for the Lord" (John 1:23).
The Spirit and humility of the Messiah, our Lord Jesus, in the Jordan, is at hand to totally renew, reawaken, and revive the members of His Body.
The sheer weight of the glory of the Lord being revealed (see Isaiah 60:1-3) will totally replace the Church's lens through which we have so long seen Church (in how we view it).
A Kingdom lens will become our new primary lens. Our focus and ways will be that of a Kingdom that cannot be shaken, through seeing and being a city of living stones that God is building.
The year 2014 will be extraordinary in the greater clarity with which we will see. It is already coming upon us! Just as the light of the dawning of a new day precedes the source of its light, giving us the ability to see what we had not seen near so well previously.
A radical "new Church" is at hand, surpassing the welcome impact of that previous movement, through men and women of God (younger and older) with a heart such as pastor Chuck Smith's. A new, real, and bold Church is being raised up. These "foolish...weak...lowly...and the despised" (1 Corinthians 1:27-28) will walk in authenticity, simplicity, power, wisdom, and peace, seeing Jesus change lives, as He did their own, in a way that nothing else does and no one else can.
The love, freedom, and grace that they will display, which they have in Jesus, will re-landscape the form of the former things that have been without the power to bring change. The Word will become flesh in the Body again, even among those the Church has not previously received as "one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine" (Matthew 25:40, 45). The Lord Jesus will be seen and known to be truly alive, truly Lord, and truly good in and through His people, and those who don't know Him will see Him as He is, in His people.
This "rebooting" will usher in numerous and countless new wineskin Believers, prodigals, and sons and daughters who have deeply longed to be able to be at home in who they are, and as they see, with the grace with which they are given.
The reality of the "living stones [who] are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:5) is coming of age through all those walking in the reality of dwelling "in Christ." A worldwide fellowship of Believers dwelling in the shelter of the Most High and resting in the shadow of the Almighty (see Psalm 91) is emerging.
Colin Brown
Grace Church | Iron Sharpens Iron | Kingdom's Call
Email: ctmbrown@bigpond.com
Website: outsidethecamp.com.au

From Marji and Norman Spencer in Florida... A Prayer for our Nation

URGENT PRAYERS for the United States, We can partner with God & turn this around if and when we pray. Keep the faith!

1. Decree the blessings of God over this nation
2. Cancel the power and authority of the spoken word that would not be in alignment with God's divine will and destiny for this nation
3. That word curses already spoken would not bear fruit against the USA
4. Release the blessings of our heritage from our forefathers ho established this country as a nation under God
5. Cancel the power and authority of the spoken word against Israel
6. Stand on the promises of God for this nation and proclaim victory against those who would love to see us fold and fall.
7. Ask God to bless America by standing with her and guiding her in the darkest of times by the beacon of His everlasting light.
8. That the people groups within our own territory that hate America will see that God loves them and this nation.
9. That American blesses God!
10. For humble hearts to cry out to God in repentance for our wickedness and transgressions as a nation
11. That the reverential fear of the Lord will return to the USA
12. That America would be established as a praise to God
13. Ask God to expose unrighteousness and every hidden work of the enemy and restore righteousness in our government.

Based on Bob Jones prophetic word of 11.18.13

"Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven" Matthew 18:19.

"The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." James 5:16 NLT

I Believe in Prosperity

Many people write things about the horrors and unchristian teachings of the Prosperity Message.  Most of these people are poor, at least in a global sense.  They rail against something they don't have as justification for not having it.  I get that.  I rail against people with hair on the top of their head.  The problem I have is the prosperity message is propagated by 1. Wanna be prosperous folks who believe in a magic spell wrapped up in a bible message.  2. People using the idea of give to get to extract money from poor people.  I hate this one too.  3. People who use prosperity messages from worldly sources to support a so called biblical prosperity viewpoint.

The problem with all three of these is they are flawed since they miss the point of prosperity, true prosperity.

IF you want to see the fallacy of those who are against Prosperity teaching because it's been done badly or is manipulative is the baby they threw out with the bathwater was alive. 

The opposite of Prosperity Teaching (legitimate prosperity) is poverty teaching.  You don't deserve it.  If God wanted you to have it he would have given it to you (this argument is also the one cessationists use to discount the gifts of the Spirit).

So we live in the illusion that sovereignty of God is involved in our prosperity or lack.   That is not the case.  God gave us the POWER to get wealth.  It's in your Bible.  He wants us to live above the line.  He expects us to take advantage of all He gives us in ability (take a breath, that's ability). 

If I have to choose between teaching that involves accepting lack, want, poverty, Ill health, no opportunity, degradation and decline OR Upward mobility, health, well being, achievement and resultant prosperity, I will choose prosperity.

It's a choice.  Poverty, fear, doubt and despair preaching or Prosperity faith, hope and expectation.  I know what I will choose.

Don't worship the outcome, satisfaction in all states as the Apostle Paul wrote of is the right place, but as Paul faced the certainty of his head being cut off, and in Ill health imprisoned, he would say, I don't think I would be of more benefit to the Lord if I were Free, healthy and financially secure out among them.... REALLY?

God has given you a great gift of ability, whatever it is, now go out there and use it for his GLORY!

Some people teach that the Gifts (charismata) ceased. I guess no one told Justin Martyr

In Dialogue with Trypho, Justin Martyr (A.D. 100-167) writes about the supernatural gifts during his day:

... knowing that daily some of you are becoming disciples in the name of Christ, and quitting the path of error; who are also receiving gifts, each as he is worthy, illumined through the name of Christ.

For one receives the spirit of understanding, another of counsel, and another of strength, another of healing, another of foreknowledge, another of teaching, and another of the fear of God ... For the prophetical gifts remain with us, even to the present time. And hence you ought to understand that the gifts formerly among your nation have been transferred to us (Ch. 39, Ch. 82)

Reasons why we must be careful what we teach about the end times

 I have been concerned about some of the radical views held by those captured by certain end times teachings.  I was there once.  Held them dear. Then when discovering the truth.. and coming to a grasp of what it all really means... I began to see how much damage bad teaching in this area does.

It's not that these are bad people, they are sincere.  They think they are warning the flock.  What they are really doing is putting chains of bondage on them.  There is a wide panoply of end times views.  They can't all be right. 

I am most concerned with those who use the Rapture Ready theologies.  They are simply in gross error and the negative view they offer is very damaging.  Here is an article I lifted.  I didn't write it, but I agree with it:

"The bad fruit of holding to a Negative view of the future."
Love usually takes the back seat while fear is emphasized. Sometimes the fear is covered over by a rapture escape or Divine protection from coming wrath.

All long-term thinking becomes limited. It becomes impossible to even prophesy beyond a few decades because of the supposed any minute return of Christ.

It creates a fear of technology because that new GPS, computer, smartphone, laptop, etc; might be used as the “mark of the beast.”

It harbors a fear of politics because the antichrist could be right around the corner.

It breeds an anti-Culture view to the point of irrelevancy. Yet, even the Apostle Paul was able to quote from the popular culture of his own day. (Acts 17:28)

It demotivates from pushing forward in health, medicine, the environment, or technology because why would one work for the good of a world that is going to burn?

It has created a bizarre form of Christian racism. Many have become Pro Israel to the point that no political thought is exercised. For example if Israel were to mistreat her surrounding nations many modern Christians would give them a free-pass because they are God’s chosen people. Christians have literally accepted a new form of Pro-Israel/anti-Arab racism. Also there is a suspicion toward other countries that has become anti-Russian and anti-Chinese. This Christian racism is rooted in a wrong understanding of the end-times.

Hope is narrowed down to a rapture escape.

The negative end-time view is the seedbed of most cults and militias.

Many have turned to massive hours of fasting, prayer, quick evangelism and looking for a rapture rather than studying and training for a lifetime of advancing the kingdom.

The negative view doesn’t take the time texts of scripture seriously or literally.

Many silly conspiracies come from believing the negative view. This view fits perfectly with those who believe in the Illuminati, the NWO, and other secret society theories.

God is calling you out

I have no issue with pagans, atheists and people who have no faith in God at any level supporting anti christian policies and politicians. They are blinded, lost and darkened. A few will have moral sense, but it will be mixed with blind loyalty to open-mindedness.

I DO have an issue with any so called brother or sister in Christ who sing the right songs, pray loud, dance, speaks in tongues, preaches and still vote for, support, endorse and defend those in leadership in our nation who are openly at odds with the very same values they say they profess: Those politicians who support abortion on demand, homosexuals in the military, gay marriage and policies openly against the faith they profess. They are schizoid. AC-DC in their faith. Unstable. "A person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do". James 1:6-8 NLT

God is calling you out IF you are one such, I prophesy to you today, your day of in between living is over. You now must choose death or life. God or Baal. The middle ground is gone. You are exposed. You are now called to account before God and Man. It's time for repentance from dead works.

Robin McMillan: A Presence-Based Life Will Restore Cities and Is the Ultimate Purpose of the Anointing

The first recorded sermon Jesus spoke originated from Isaiah 61, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor" (verse 1).
In subsequent verses Jesus articulates the other benefits of that anointing: healing for the brokenhearted, freedom for captives, an experiential "jail-break" for prisoners, the year of our being delightfully accepted by God based on His vengeance having been fully satisfied, comfort for all mourners, and the divine exchange: beauty for ashes, joy for the mourning ones, and the garment of praise for all who are depressed.
The recipients become oaks of righteousness as God's special planting that the great God might receive glory. The prophet Isaiah identified the ultimate goal of this anointing.
The newly anointed ones would be ones who "rebuild the old ruins", "raise up the former desolations", "repair the ruined cities", which were the "desolations of many generations".

Presence-Based Life

Isaiah also made a radical statement about the priesthood. In his day only those born from the tribe of Levi could be a priest, yet Isaiah prophesied, "You shall be named priests of the Lord" (Isaiah 61:6).

Fathers name children at birth. Isaiah promised that those who were fully restored by the anointing became authorized to establish a brand new priesthood based on having received a new spiritual vitality characterized by a restoration that only true fathers of a new order possessed, namely "fathering" a new high order of priests!
Those people would create a new order of spirituality characterized by a "presence-based lifestyle". Jesus modeled "presence-based" life and declared it when He said, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me," – and so it would be for those who received the fullness of His ministry.
Those of us who see this truth, believe for it, and qualify become those who can establish a presence-based community of people who have the potential to restore whole cities.
We must set our sights higher than we have in the past. The anointing is not something we have to simply have great meetings or see people supernaturally healed and delivered. Its ultimate goal is to transform societies. We must not settle for less than that. If we do we have denigrated our spiritual currency.
There is an ongoing experience of "glory" and encountering God that has a much greater potential than we have ever imagined. Its purpose is to create a national awakening that transforms the United States. Perhaps we are not a post-Christian nation. We may, in fact, be a pre-Christian one. Don't settle for less. Our best days lie just ahead!
Robin McMillan
Senior Pastor, Queen City Church
Email: robin.mcmillan@aol.com
Website: robinmcmillan.me