The Royal Wedding

Perhaps the most famous wedding in history has taken place today. It is at least the most watched and talked about marriage ever. Prince William and Kate Middleton exchanged vows in Westminster Abbey amidst great pomp and pageantry. An estimated one million people came out to catch a glimpse of the regal gala and one billion from around the world were expected to watch it on television or internet.

The Happy Newlyweds

Sentiments have ranged from pride and jubilation to apathy and cynicism for this royal union. Whatever your opinion of Will and Kate, their wedding is a prophetic sign of the greatest marriage of all time yet to come. It is the marriage of Jesus and his bride, the Church. Just like commoner Kate (now known as Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge), believers will marry into a royal family and be forever known as the Bride of Christ. Preparations are already under way but much work is still needed. The amount of thought, planning, resources, and time required for most weddings is incredible. The royal wedding was a national undertaking. The divine wedding will take a global effort. Let us make haste and get the Bride ready for her groom!

“Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready." Revelation 19:7

Hearing Should Be Believing

Post-Easter, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene and later to two of his disciples. They in turn reported what they saw to the apostles. Mark 16 tells us the apostles did not believe their testimony. When Jesus finally appeared to the Eleven, "he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen" (v.14). Jesus taught about his death and resurrection to the apostles on multiple occasions but yet when it actually happened they did not believe in the testimony of others and were rebuked. Apparently, hearing was not enough to cause belief. For the Apostles, seeing was believing.

Jesus Appears to the Disciples After the Resurrection
by Imre Morocz

Jesus continues in verses 15-18, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” Jesus is now telling the Church that certain things will happen with believers. We have the testimony of countless Christians who are experiencing signs and wonders in their lives. Just like the Eleven, we have a choice of whether to embrace the words of our Lord and the testimonies of the saints or face rebuke for our stubborn refusal to believe. Eventually, the apostles get it right and start doing the stuff. I pray the Church may listen and do the same.

"After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it." Mark 16:19-20

An Alliance for Revival

Happy Easter! I hope you had a wonderful Resurrection celebration yesterday with loved ones and new friends. Last week I had the opportunity to attend a conference with several amazing speakers who have covenanted together to bring about global transformation through the advancement of the Kingdom. These include Bill Johnson, Ché Ahn, Heidi & Rolland Baker, John Arnott, Georgian & Winnie Banov, and Randy Clark who are all part of the Revival Alliance. These are some of my heroes of the faith. Their exploits for the gospel are like a modern day continuation of the Book of Acts and they encourage and activate the Church to live the same way. If you are not familiar with these leaders, I would highly recommend getting to know them through their churches, resources, or conferences.

Up until a few years ago, I never heard of any of these people or ministries. Even though I grew up attending church, graduated from seminary, and even served in ministry as a pastor, I was unaware that the Holy Spirit was still moving in signs and wonders through normal Christians. Healing, prophecy, deliverance, and miracles are available for all believers! In fact, the Church is commanded to walk in this type of power and authority. There is more! May we have a hunger, humility, and desperation to seek it out.

"...how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:13

Passover

Today marks the commemoration of Passover when the Lord delivered his people from bondage in Exodus 12. Though this is a Jewish holiday all Christians should recognize this occasion because of its prophetic significance in the ministry of Christ. What the Jews experienced in Egypt foreshadows what takes place in every person's life who comes to Jesus. Thank you, Father, for giving us freedom, life, hope, and purpose through your Son!

This is an excerpt of an article from the Caleb Company regarding Passover:

On this day, 3500 years ago, lambs were slaughtered throughout Goshen in Egypt,
Hyssop brushes stroked Jewish doorposts with lamb's blood.
The children of Israel met quietly,
Sequestered behind their bloodstained doors,
Waiting to be delivered from 400 years of slavery.

On this night, 3500 years ago, the Lord went through the land looking for blood on doorposts.
There was a great deliverance, a pass-over.
Firstborn sons were slain in houses where there was no blood.
Wailing and mourning was heard when judgement came in Egypt.

On this night, 3500 years ago, freedom was proclaimed in Israel.
Firstborn sons of believing Israel were spared through the blood of the lamb.
The lamb's blood painted on doorposts brought freedom.
The wealth of Egypt became the wealth of Israel.
Shouts of joy were heard as Moses led Israel out of Egypt.

On this night, 3500 years ago, the exodus from Egypt came suddenly.
For 3500 years faithful servants of God have remembered this night.

On this day, 2000 years ago, another Lamb was slain,
Human hearts were stroked with Lamb's blood and freed from centuries of slavery.

On this day, 2000 years ago, the Lord began to look for Lamb's blood on the doorposts of hearts.
There was a great deliverance - a passing over.

On this day, 2000 years ago, wealth was restored to the sons of Adam,
Another Moses led another Israel out of another Egypt.

On this day, 2000 years ago, Lamb's blood on the doorposts of hearts brought freedom.

Today, Lamb's blood is still found on human hearts.
Deliverance is found behind a blood-stained door.

If the doorpost of your heart is stained with Lamb's blood, have a glorious Passover.
If not, grab quickly the hyssop and look for the Lamb's blood.

The exodus will come suddenly!

The Lamb who was slain has risen and will return as King of kings and Lord of lords!

“This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD—a lasting ordinance." Exodus 12:14

Miracles in Sunday School

Yesterday my wife and I taught our first Sunday school class for the church we are currently attending. Jenney led our son's 4-5 year old class while I had the combined 1st-5th grade students. The lesson was on Jesus' death on the cross. I taught the 25 kids that Jesus not only died for our sins but also for our physical healing. Then we had a demonstration. I called out some words of knowledge and one young girl had one leg shorter than the other. We gathered around her to pray and as she was sitting, we held her feet and her left leg shot out about 1/2 an inch to become even with her right! The kids were amazed because they had never witnessed the power of God before their eyes through a miracle, they had only heard about them from Bible stories. I encouraged the kids to pray for one another and God also healed a shoulder, leg, and foot!


There is something special about teaching children the supernatural ways of the Holy Spirit. They are natural dreamers and haven't been completely educated out of believing the miraculous. My prayer is that there will be a transformation in Children's Ministry away from mere transfer of information or even baby-sitting, to an impartation and activation of their faith to become world-changing revivalists. They don't have a junior Holy Spirit. They can defeat the works of the enemy, heal the sick, cast out demons, prophesy, and preach the gospel. We just have to model it for them.

"Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it." Isaiah 53:5

Causing Others to Sin

In the previous post, I highlighted a nameless man who was casting out demons in Jesus' name. The disciples told him to stop but Jesus rebuked them and affirmed this bold individual in Mark 9:39-41. The very next verse Jesus says, "If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck" (v.42). Those are serious and extreme words Jesus uses. Although "little ones" may be referring to the young children from verse 37, it seems more likely that he is talking about those with child-like faith like the man who cast out demons. If the latter is the case, the sin that the disciples may have been causing this man to fall in could be disobedience, fear, and unbelief. Imagine this person seeing Jesus minister and receiving revelation from his teaching. Having his faith ignited, he takes a risk and starts to do what Jesus did! He must have been pretty excited to set people free from oppression and undo the works of the enemy. Then along come the apostles and they rebuke him for what he is doing. I wonder how this man reacted. What if he so respected the disciples that he immediately ceased casting out demons and ministering to others? The very thing Jesus wanted people to do, his followers were discouraging! It is no wonder Jesus used such a harsh warning for those who cause others to sin.

Apparently this is better than causing a little one to sin

It would seem that the Church throughout history has acted more like the disciples than this anonymous man. We have been more concerned with rules and judgment while missing the true heart of Jesus. Our responsibility is to encourage the "little ones" to do big things for God. What would happen if Christians heard testimonies of Christ and started doing the same things with child-like faith? There would be a global revolution. I believe it is happening in our generation.

“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.” Mark 9:50

The Kingdom Is At Hand

In Mark 9:38, John says to Jesus, "Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” Apparently an individual who was not chosen as a special apostle had the boldness to drive out demons using the name of Jesus. The disciples thought he should not be doing this but Jesus said, "Do not stop him, for no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us" (vv. 39-40).

Jesus casting out a demon

This is an amazing little story hidden in the Gospels. No other details are given about this person yet his testimony has the potential to ignite our faith to higher levels. This man was probably one of the many who had witnessed Jesus teach and perform miracles. Maybe he was even healed from a sickness or set free from demonic oppression. Whatever the case, he tapped into a reality that was available to those who were willing to grasp it- we can walk in the authority and power of Jesus through His name. The apostles mistakenly believed this man's actions were inappropriate but Jesus corrected them and pointed out that they were actually on the same team. Jesus continually preached the good news of the kingdom. For those with ears to ear and eyes to see this message was more than just about repentance, it was an invitation to enter into the nature of God's kingdom and experience transformation. Whereas others simply listened, observed, or even judged the ministry of Christ, this man realized that he was able to emulate it. I believe this obscure character can be a motivator for all believers to envision what is possible when we have faith and take risks. May the Church rise up in boldness to advance the kingdom through healing, deliverance, and salvation!

"From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force." Matthew 11:12

Lesson from the Loaves

Just a couple chapters after the miraculous feeding of the 5000 in Mark 6, Jesus and his disciples find themselves in a very similar situation. Mark 8:1-3 reads, "During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 'I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.'" This sounds so familiar, except Jesus did not command His disciples to feed them. as he did before (cf. Mark 6:37). Perhaps Jesus was testing his followers, hoping they had learned from their previous experience to step up with a supernatural solution. Unfortunately, they don't respond with much faith as they answered, "But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them? (v.4)” Jesus asked them how many loaves they had. The disciples had seven and a few small fish as well. Just like they did in the previous feeding, after Jesus gave thanks and divided the bread and fish, the disciples distributed the food to everyone and all were satisfied. If you picture the twelve each with a basket filled with a little bit of bread and fish, every time they handed some food out, more seem to be in the basket. The miracle was again happening through their own hand.

Amusingly, right after this feeding miracle the disciples forget to bring bread with them (except for one loaf they had on the boat). Jesus then warns them about the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod. The disciples think it's because they had no bread but Jesus rebukes them and questions their faith saying, "Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? (v.17)" Just like in Mark 6:52, the disciples were missing a very important lesson from the miraculous feeding. Jesus points out that they fed the five thousand with five loaves and had twelve basketfuls of pieces left over. Then they fed the four thousand with seven loaves and had seven basketfuls remaining. What were they not understanding? I think there are several principles they could glean from these experiences but I believe Jesus was emphasizing the role of faith in the supernatural. The Pharisees demanded a sign from heaven right after the feeding of the 4000 and then Jesus warns his disciples about the yeast of the Pharisees, reminding them of the two feeding miracles. They actually fed more people with less food and had more left over the first time versus the second time when they fed less people with more food and had less left over. Could it be that the difference was the result of the Pharisees' yeast? Unbelief, false teaching, spiritual blindness, and the religious spirit may have been present among the 4000 to cause a lessening of the miraculous. Maybe the disciples were even influenced by the Pharisees and began to doubt a little. What will it take for the Church of today to walk in the faith that Jesus demonstrated and commanded us to have? Let us learn to develop a pure faith and partner with God to bring miracles to impossible situations.

"Everything is possible for one who believes." Mark 9:23

The Presence of the Lord

Mark 7 describes the time when Jesus went to the Gentile city of Tyre located in Phoenicia (modern day Lebanon). Verse 24 says, "He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it". It is interesting that the Messiah who came to seek and save the lost people of Israel would be hiding out in a pagan area. What's more amazing is the fact that he could not keep his whereabouts secret even there. The Son of God could not conceal his presence. Some things are out of the control of Jesus. Due to human freedom and will, people testified about Jesus even when they were commanded not to and word quickly spread. They knew that in His presence people got healed from sickness and disease, delivered from demonic oppression, and given the hope of salvation. It's hard to keep silent when God shows up and demonstrates His goodness.

The Syrophoenician woman begging Jesus to heal her daughter

We carry the presence of God within our hearts and are commanded to do the same things Jesus did. As we properly steward the presence of the Lord, the supernatural becomes a natural occurrence. When this happens, we will not have to worry about going out to evangelize- the world will come to us.

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn." Isaiah 60:1-3

Heavenly Encounters

Most people have heard of someone having a "bright light" or heavenly encounter after a near-death experience. No matter how credible those testimonies are, there is certainly a major interest in the afterlife within our society. One current story that has caught the attention of many is about a young boy named Colton Burpo from Nebraska. The son of a Wesleyan pastor, four year old Colton almost passed away from a burst appendix. After his recovery, he began telling his parents of heavenly encounters he had while in the hospital including meeting a sister who his mother had miscarried before Colton was even born. His experiences are recounted in a book called "Heaven is for Real", which has been number 1 on the NY Times Best Sellers List for 20 weeks now.


I believe more people are going to be having these types of encounters in the years ahead. God is releasing a revelation not only about the reality of heaven but its nature. The Church is responsible for praying and releasing God's will on earth as it is in heaven. The more we learn about heaven, the better equipped we will be to advance His kingdom on earth until one day the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will cover the earth. If you are interested in finding out more about Colton, check out this video.

"But there's far more to life for us. We're citizens of high heaven! We're waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He'll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him." Philippians 3:20-21 (The Message)

Godliness Without Power

Paul gives a warning about what will transpire in the "last days". He writes in II Timothy 3:1-4, "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God". It is a sober prophecy but my sense is that these types of people have always existed throughout human history, even in Paul's day. Typically, they are the unsaved, those who are still guided by the sinful nature, and the ones the Church is called to love. The greater admonition is Paul's final description of people in verse 5- those who have a form of godliness but deny its power. The reason these last individuals pose such a great danger is because they sound like most believers. There are many Christians who display a form of godliness through their church attendance, prayers, giving, service, and moral lifestyle but do not believe in the supernatural power of healing, miracles, deliverance, prophecy, and even tongues.


What happens when believers look godly but deny the power of God? Churches become religious centers of doctrine, morality, and social justice unable to provide more than human effort and ingenuity to problems requiring supernatural solutions. Jesus gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit who enables us to walk a life of power. May we not deny this power but learn how to partner with it to bring global transformation.

"In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people." Acts 2:17

Faith

Faith is the foundation of our Christian lives. We must believe in order to be saved. We trust in God's goodness and promises. We know that without faith it is impossible to please God (cf. Hebrews 11:6). Understanding all of this, it is amazing to observe the wide range of different faith levels among believers. Jesus highlighted this during his ministry when he repeatedly pointed out others' lack of faith or great faith. What does it look like to walk in high level faith? I believe it is when we begin to do the works Jesus did and commanded his followers to do and also to take risk in attempting the greater things.

An example of a "greater thing" would be a fulfillment of Jesus' words that we would have the ability to move mountains. Matthew 21:18-22 says:

Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.

Jesus curses the fig tree

I do not believe Jesus was speaking metaphorically. The withered leaves of the fig tree demonstrate how real and powerful Jesus' words were. It takes a high level of faith to do what Jesus did to the tree but seemingly greater faith to tell a mountain to throw itself into the sea. There is a day coming when the Church will possess this type of mountain-moving faith. Can you imagine after the 9.0 earthquake hit Japan and tsunami sirens were blaring, a group of believers walking to the water's edge? They see the monstrous wave rising up before them but say, "No! Mountain, go throw yourself into the sea!" and an entire city is saved. God is waiting for a generation to believe His divine promises, embrace their authority, and walk in faith-filled power as children of the King. I pray it is our generation.

"Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20

Finding the Lord

The story of Elijah illustrates an amazing idea in light of what has happened in Japan. After his supernatural experience against the prophets of Baal, Elijah is hiding away in a cave wanting to die. The Lord says to him, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by” (I Kings 19:11). The passage continues in verses 11-13:

"Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. (emphasis added)"

Elijah finding God in the whisper

I always thought the destructive wind, earthquake, and fire were the result of God's majestic and omnipotent presence. But Scripture plainly teaches that He was not in any of those natural disasters. What if the enemy was behind these frightening displays in order to prevent Elijah from meeting with God? Whenever tragedy strikes, many people are quick to blame or question God. It is believed that tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and tsunamis display either God's judgment, apathy, or even ineptitude. Part of the enemy's strategy is to implant seeds of doubt about the goodness of God through these lies. One of the great deceptions of the enemy is to convince people that his works are actually the act of God. When this happens, believers seem to spend more time arguing over theology than addressing the problem. May the Church grow in wisdom and discernment to understand the signs of the time. May we also embrace a proper theology regarding God's nature and purposes. And finally, let us rise up in our divinely given authority and power to undo and thwart the works of the enemy.

"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." John 3:17

God Loves Family

Families are the building blocks not just of society but of life itself. We are born into a family, raised in a family, married into a family, and eventually parent a family. Families are not human constructs because Jesus revealed family is God's design. He is our Father and we are his children. There is amazing revelation to be found in the study of family. At its core is an intimate bond between a man and woman in covenant marriage. Their love literally produces children who in turn change the nature or identity of husband and wife into fathers and mothers. Couples understand that once they have children, their lives are forever changed. They are still lovers of each other, but they must now learn to how to be good parents as well. Parents long for their children to flourish and succeed so that one day they will get married and have kids.

Praying my kids don't grow up too fast

The enemy has long understood the significance of family and has worked strategically to destroy it. From sickness, death, abuse, and divorce to even a redefining of the institution of marriage, families are in a battle to maintain its health and integrity. God said in Malachi 4:5-6, “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents." John the Baptist was a fulfillment of this prophecy (cf. Luke 1:17) as he strengthened families in order to prepare the way for Jesus. It is interesting that one of the main preparations for the advent of Christ was the restoration of family. The same call is being sounded today as we await his second coming. We need prophetic voices to rise up and protect, nurture, heal, and commission families for the return of the King. The cycle of divorce will be broken, abortions will end, orphans will be adopted and cared for, children will be loved, and marriage will be protected and cherished. Father, strengthen your family and all the families of the earth!

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name." Ephesians 3:14-15