Commencement of Women's Ministry

Last saturday evening we commenced the women's ministry and equipping sessions. The newly appointed women leaders led prayer and worship which was then followed by a teaching on our identity in God and having vision. Afterwards I was able to pray for and give words to several women. Amen!

God Breaking In: A Model for Revival

I’m back with my friends in S**lk*t attending the Sunday gathering. It couldn’t be more different than the service I went to in my city a few weeks ago. It’s not just different because this meeting takes place in the open air as opposed to a large ornate church building. It’s not just that people are sitting on the ground instead of in hard wooden pews. It’s not just that the pastor wears a simple button down shirt and dress pants, instead of a flowing white robe. The difference is that God is here. He is in our midst in a manifest way and there is no way to deny His presence or His power.

Jesus’ disciples were quite distraught when they started to get what he was saying about going back to the Father.

“Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Because I have said these things you are filled with grief. But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7)

Jesus assured them that it was better if he went away! How could that be possible? Because after Jesus went to be with the Father he sent the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not a consolation prize. “Oh sorry, you can’t have Jesus for the time being, so just have the Holy Spirit.” In contrast, the Holy Spirit is powerful, and Jesus himself promised us that after he himself went to the Father, we would do greater works than even he had done on the earth.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” (John 14:12-13)

So then what’s the catch here? Jesus said, “anyone who has faith in me” will do what he was doing while he was on earth and MORE. Why don’t we see that happening? Why don’t we see signs and wonders in our midst today? Well, we don’t have simply because we don’t ask. We don’t expect these things to happen because we may not see them happening in our congregations. Does that mean they don’t happen? No. On the contrary, this is God’s model for revival in the land. If it is not happening, there is something wrong. If the model of church that we have in the New Testament is a far cry from what our ministry looks like, we have some reorganization to do.
As I sat at the Sunday meeting, sweating in my yellow plastic chair, I watched as people lined up to share testimonies after the Word had been preached. An old woman praises God for healing her of blindness the previous Sunday. A little girl of about seven, previously mute, gets up and makes her first public speech, praising God for giving her voice. Her voice was a bit raspy and it seemed as if her vocal chords were stiff, like during a cold, but she was talking. Another woman who had been partially blind praises God for healing her through the prayers of the saints. Finally, an impassioned woman tells the story of how after having two sons she remained barren for 10 years. Some members of the intercessory team had prayed for God fill her womb again, and this Sunday she stood on the stage holding her newborn baby daughter and offering praise to God. This same woman had converted from Islam and left her family, and in this society all of her earthly security, when she came to know Christ.

After the testimonies and some more prayer, we launch into another time of worship. I felt ashamed of myself for being more concerned with the heat than praising God for the testimonies of his grace. I was literally ready to pass out and felt as if my cotton dupatta (scarf used for covering the head and upper body) was a woolen winter hat made for keeping the heat in. I “accidentally” let my dupatta fall to my shoulders, hoping that some of the heat might escape in the thirty seconds before I put it back on. I looked out at all the people, men and women, young and old, mostly dirt poor but in their nicest clothes, who have gathered together to worship the King. Some are standing with hands raised up to heaven. Men are dancing, and women are swaying a bit to the rhythm. Some have their heads bowed to their knees. All are praying passionately and praising God for all that he has done here. They come expectant and they ask for more. The people can not stop praising God as the worship leader launches into a chorus of “Hallelujah.” For over thirty minutes the people sang the words “Hallelujah” over and over again, tears in their eyes and smiles on their faces as they enjoyed the presence of the Almighty God. They are hungry for God and they have labored in prayer asking for what he is doing amongst them. Muslims are coming to a saving relationship with Christ. Those who were only Christian by name are becoming born again. God is transforming this community.

The more and more that I see and hear about how God is moving throughout the earth, the more I am convinced that God never meant the gospel to go forth without the power of the Holy Spirit. Yes, yes, we say that the gospel itself has power, and it does as Paul says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16) The gospel message is the only message with the power to transform our hearts and minds and allow us to enter into a right relationship with God. This is true, but we also see in the Word that signs, wonder, healings, prophecy, and deliverance should come hand in hand when we bring the gospel. It is not that is beyond God to bring people into the kingdom without physical displays of his power, but it is in His mercy to show his power in order to show the greatness of his name. God’s primary goal is to glorify himself and God is glorified when a lame man walks in the name of Jesus. God is glorified when a blind woman comes to see. God is glorified when a possessed man is set free. God is glorified when those who have witnessed his power come into a saving relationship with him. Jesus came with miracles, signs and wonders, and his disciples followed suit when they brought forth the message to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.

Sadly, I have to decline an invitation to go pray at a hospital for a demon possessed man, as I must be heading back on the early bus in order to teach my class. If someone in your church asked you to go pray for a demon possessed man, would you go? What would you think? It would be quite out of the ordinary in the typical American church. But here, where the people expect great and mighty things, it is commonplace. People are delivered from demons each week at the evening gathering and in people’s homes. The influence and possession of demons is real, and some are the kind that go out only by prayer and fasting. People are not only delivered from their torment, but they are delivered from their sin and brought into a saving relationship with Christ Jesus. This is the gospel. We need to tell those demons to "chordo!" (come out!) This is the power of God who can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. Do we really believe that? Do we pray into it? If not, it’s time to start. If we do, we can’t stop pressing in until God breaks in. He is faithful and He will do it. It is in his heart to glorify himself and to make his name known throughout all the earth.

Father, we believe that you are all powerful. We praise you for the mighty works you have done throughout history. We praise you for the mighty works recorded in your word. God, we ask that you would come and bring revival to our area. We ask that you would manifest yourself. That you would ARISE and show your power. Just as the early church prayed in Acts 4 and the place was shaken, we ask that you would shake this place. We ask that you would shake this nation. We ask that you would raise up your church as a house of prayer. We ask that you would raise up intercessors who pray in accordance with your heart. We ask that you would stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders in the name of your Holy servant Jesus. Humble your saints that we may be used by you. God do not let us settle for anything less than “greater works than these.” You promised that anyone who has faith would do even greater works that you did while on earth, not for our own fame or pride, but for the glory of your name. Release the power of the anointing on your saints. Let us not be satisfied with anything less than ALL that you have for us. Let us press in and press on for the rest of our days. Let us not be satisfied when we come to church for “Sunday morning.” Let us gather together and CRY OUT for your presence and your healing hand. If we do not hear your voice, let us CRY OUT to hear it, for prophecy is the testimony of Jesus. Let us not be busy with ministries, models, or programs, but instead let us follow your model of revival. Falling on our knees with fasting, weeping and mourning, calling you to come and show your face.

Taking the Land - Rick Joyner

I was inspired by the weekly word from Rick Joyner of Morning Star Ministries

www.morningstarministries.org

July 10, 2006

As the church begins to enter its Promised Land, it will demonstrate to the world the distinction between the citizens of the kingdom of God and those of this world. Presently, there is very little distinction in anything, including the morals, basic integrity, and therefore not surprisingly, the things which afflict Christians and non-Christians. This will not continue. There will be a pruning of those branches which are not bearing fruit, so that those who are bearing fruit will bear more.

As true apostolic and prophetic authority grows in the church, the benefits of being a citizen of the kingdom will become increasingly apparent, as will the accountability for disobedience. Just as the account of Ananias and Sapphira sent shock waves of the fear of the Lord through the church in Jerusalem, as the anointing of the Holy Spirit increases, the price of disobedience will grow with it, and the pruning of those who compromise by trying to live in both realms will take place.

For those who are going to cross over, there will be an increasing identification with the kingdom of God and a decreasing one with this world. For those who will enter into their identity as citizens of the kingdom, it will become greater than any other identity they have—as a citizen of any other nation or member of any other entity. For the church to accomplish its purpose, it must become the community it is called to be—a holy nation, a set apart people who stand out so brightly from anything else on this earth that they are like a city set on a hill.

There is an increasing movement in Christianity toward much more casual church relationships. There is also another movement toward a greater bonding and deeper commitment to church fellowship. If you want to fulfill your purpose, and want to be numbered with those who will cross over and begin to possess the kingdom, choose the latter.

The reason we examined the need to apply the cross again and get healed of our bitterness in last week's study was because many have been wounded and disappointed by previous church relationships. Therefore, they are much more prone to gravitate toward casual relationships. This may give us temporary relief, but in the long run it will prove disastrous. The move toward casual church will lead to an increasingly casual faith. It will rob many of their purpose on this earth and many of their faith altogether. It is the easier way at first, but it is the broad path that will lead to destruction. The narrow way, which will be more difficult for a time, will be much easier in the end.

Presently, more Christians have drifted from a committed church relationship than are in one. Many of these are just waiting for the church to get its act together before returning, but when the church does, it will have been through a process in which those who are on the outside waiting to get in will no longer fit. Those will be like the foolish virgins in the parable, who tried to find oil at the last minute, and got to the door and found it locked (see Matthew 25:1-13).

Church life is not meant to be easy. All relationships are hard. When there were just two brothers on the whole earth, they could not get along, and one of them basically said, "This world isn't big enough for the both of us!" All relationships will be under increasing pressure as time unfolds, including marriages, business partnerships, even racial and national identities. Ultimately, only the true church and the true Christians who have learned and walked the way of the cross will hold together.

As fear and selfishness rises and increasingly divides, those who have chosen the way of the cross will grow in love and self-sacrifice, and will be bonded together in a fellowship which all of the pressures of this world cannot break. This unity will stand out as the greatest witness, even above all miracles, in the last days. This is explained in the Lord's prayer to His Father during His last night as a man on this earth, as recorded in John 17:22-23:

And the glory which You gave Me I have given to them, that they may be one just as We are one:
I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me (NKJV).

If there was ever a prayer prayed that we can expect to be answered, I think it would be the Lord's own prayer to His Father. Also, if you knew you only had but a few hours left in this life, your prayers would certainly become focused on the most important things to you. We can assume that this was likewise true of Jesus, when He knew He only had a few hours left as a man on this earth. Therefore, this prayer recorded in John 17 is probably the most concise articulation of the most important things on the Lord's heart. Should they not likewise be the most important issues of our hearts as well?

Probably the main theme of the Lord's prayer recorded here is the unity of His people. He did not just ask for unity of doctrine, or even unity of purpose, but He asked that we would be one just as He and the Father were one! As incomprehensible as this may be, I think we can certainly expect the prayer of the Son of God to be answered. In my thirty-five plus year search of church history, I have not found a time when this could have even been remotely accomplished, especially considering the proof had been accomplished would be that the whole world would know that Jesus had been sent by the Father.

So, it is obvious that His people coming into this same great unity, which He has with the Father, is yet in the future—but it will be accomplished. Of course, we know this must happen before the end of this age because at the end of it, the world will already know that He was sent by the Father because He will have returned in great power and glory. Before this happens, we can expect His people to have been "made perfect in unity." This will be a miracle so great that the whole world will have to acknowledge it, and Him.

One of the greatest of all signs that we truly are coming to the end of this age, will be an increasing unity of the church. This is not a political unity, or a doctrinal one, but a true unity much greater than just politics or doctrine, though we can expect it to include these.

The mention of politics here is in relation to human alliances of any kind, not just those in relation to civil governments. The true unity of the Spirit that we can expect will trump any kind of human alliances, spiritual or otherwise. The ultimate unity we can expect is not going to be just because leaders of denominations got together and worked things out so that they could unite these different organizations. One of the things we can expect by the end of this age is that mere human alliances will not have endured the pressure of the times—only those built on the kingdom, which cannot be shaken will endure.

Because it is basically and profoundly important to the Lord for His people to come into unity, this should be a basic devotion of all of His followers. For this reason, I rejoice at any efforts of the different denominations or movements to at least attempt to build bridges of trust and interchange. These will almost always bear some good fruit and are therefore a worthy cause. However, the ultimate unity, which His people will come into at the end, will be because they have all been truly joined to the Head, Jesus. He alone is the only Source of ultimate and true unity. One of the greatest texts in the entire Bible which sums this up is Colossians 1:9-20:
For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation.
For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created by Him and for Him.
And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything.
For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him,
and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

Our highest purpose as human beings is found in loving God, and by this being joined to Him. Except we abide in Him, we can accomplish nothing of true eternal value. To abide in Him is to be "strengthened with all power..." Nothing is impossible for God or for those who abide in Him. The greatest unity of all is to be in unity with Him. However, just as the Apostle John explained that it is not possible to truly love God without also loving one another, it is not possible to be in true unity with Him without also being in unity His body also.
Those who are growing in the true love of God will also be growing in their love for one another. Those who are growing in a true unity with God will also be growing in unity with one another. This cannot be accomplished through a casual Christianity, or a casual church relationship. Before the end, the world will witness true Christianity, and it will be demonstrated by true church life, the most remarkable culture the world has ever seen. Those who are in true pursuit of God, will not have to settle for anything less than Him and the full benefits of citizenship in His kingdom, which His church will be a revelation of at the end.

Contextualization NAHIN (Not)- Reflections on Sunday Morning

I attended a local church service this past sunday morning. These are my reflections from during the service:

It just seems that this imported Western style of worship doesn’t fit with the culture. Why have hard wooden pews when people generally sit on the floor or on cushions? As they sing loudly I can tell the people want to be expressive and praise God. They know they have some reason to, although I think most aren’t completely sure of what that reason is. Who came up with this hard and fast model of Sunday morning Christianity that has not only plagued the west but been exported all over the world?

Stand up. Sit down. Pray together from a book. Read a Scripture. Stand up. Sit down. Is this how church was created to be? Is this the “perfect model” of worship? What happened to contextualization? How did we confuse spreading culture with spreading the gospel? Do Christians world over need to wear jeans?

What is the real purpose of the church? The purpose of the church is to love God with everything that it has. The church, as in the people who believe in faith through Christ, are to be the Bride of Christ when He returns. We must prepare to be the Bride. We must be a house of prayer (Isaiah 56:7), we must equip the saints. We must be a light to the world (Matt 5:16) so that all my come to hear the truth of the gospel.

This is my question for any church, in any country, are we doing those things or are we doing “Sunday morning?” Are we living as followers of the Way, the Truth and the Light, or are we living as followers of tradition? Do we know God? Do we aspire to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength?

If the church is not doing its job, what then is it doing? If the church is not a place where we come together and encounter Jesus, then why do we come at all? If the church is not a house of prayer, then what is it a house of?
God in his manifest presence is not here, yet He longs to be. Our purpose in gathering should be to cry out for it. To cry out for God to make Himself known in our midsts. To ask Him to have mercy on the land, to heal us and our neighbors. Call a sacred assembly. Gather the elders and all who live in the land. The need is DIRE. The situation is urgent, for behold the day of the Lord is coming. It is at hand. A day of darkness and gloom. And we are not ready. How can we be the church and the Bride that we are called to be?

But this Sunday morning there is no alarm. No sounding the trumpet. Jesus is coming. We are not ready. We are not expecting it. We sit in our uncomfortable, impractical pews and pretend to pay attention. Yet the Word is not pentrating our hearts and minds. It is not washing us and making us new. It is not changing us. Every week we come. We go. We remain the same.

We keep coming because we must. I mean, we are Christians. Christians go to church on Sunday morning. They stand up. They sing a hymn or two. They sit down. They listen to a message from a man in his white robes. Bibles closed. Eyes fighting to stay open. Week after week. Month after month. Year after year. And life goes by. Same. Same. Same. Different shoes for Easter. A new suit for Christmas. But the heart remains the same.
Is this the fruit of the Haystack meeting? Of the Northfield 100? They would sit up in their graves and jump out if they saw us now. I have no idea why the church is full. But wait, I take that back. People are hungry for God. They want to know Him, but no one is telling them how. They think this is it, but something deep inside is saying there must be more than this.

After the service they ask me, “What did you think of our worship?” Kaisa laga hai? I think worship is not songs or Sunday morning. It’s a lifestyle. It is bowing down in reverence in submission to God. I use the pretend I didn’t understand the question card. “What did you think of our service?” they ask again as if it was a show. I have all this blog written in my notebook, but now is not yet the time to share with new friends. “Kab bijli chali gai, mai samaj aie. Lekin, kab bijli a gai, microphone kharab hai aur mai nahib samaj aie.” (When the electricity went out, I could understand. But when the electricity was on, the microphone was bad and I didn’t understand.) I try to avoid the questions by saying I had a language problem. This is something which needs much more prayer. My Korean friend knows how I feel and tries to help me avoid the question, as she already knows the answer.

I pause as my audience waits expectantly to hear more about the opinions of their guest. I am not one who thinks rating services is a good thing. The others start remarking that in America the style is not that different. “Bench hai, aur music bhi hai.” (There are pews and music). I think to myself, as if pews and music make the church. Finally I say, “America mai, mera church building nahin hai. Bench nahin hai. Kiomki church log hai. Church building nahin hai. Kabhi kabhi, ham ghar pe mile. Church log hai.” (In America, my church doesn’t have a building. We don’t have pews. Because the church is the people. The church is not a building. Sometimes, we meet at people’s houses. The church is the people.)

I want to say more, but I’m at a loss for words and I feel as if this is enough for one Sunday morning. The elder of the group smiles in agreement. “Ji, I like this idea. Church building nahin hai. You are right. Accha xayal hai. Church log hai.” (Yes, I like this idea. The church is not a building. You are right. Good idea. The church is the people.)

Join with me in praying for the body: Oh Lord cast a vision in their hearts to know you intimately. May they know that they can be born again and made new in you. May they know that they can come before your throne in confidence. May they understand your grace and your desire to make them your children. Oh Lord let them not only be Christian in name, let them not only be Sunday morning Christians. Let them be DISCIPLES who seek after your heart as David did. May they become lovesick worshipers of You. May they be saints whose prayers will be incense rising up before your throne. And God, send us teachers. Send us preachers. Not people to be in it for their glory or their fame, but those messengers who are only doing it for the glory of your great name. Oh God, in this time of urgency, send forth laborers for the harvest here. The church in this country needs to hear and understand the message of truth just as badly as the rest of the community. They need solid food. Over a hundred years on milk will not grow a church. Oh Lord grip their hearts to give them a hunger for your Word. Let them be restless, unsatisfied, constantly seeking One Thing: God and to spread your glory.

Update from Newsletter 05

I can barely believe I’ve been here for five months already. It’s gone by so fast and at the same time God is teaching me how much of an investment is really needed here in the M world. As you’ve probably read in my email updates, the past few months have been difficult but I have really been challenged to grow in my faith through all the circumstances. Even though I get so easily discouraged, God always leads me back to His Word and enlarges my heart to serve these people and for them to come to know the One who created them and loves them.

He reminds me of the vision that He has called me to. In one of my first
newsletters I wrote about what it means to have life vision, and what the vision is that God has given me to pursue. It’s so easy to lose sight of the vision when surrounded by so many distractions and cares of the world, but God is gracious in constantly calling me back to that
vision.

To preach the gospel to the ends of the earth.

To prophesy to the dry bones.

To prepare the way of the Lord.

To be a watchmen on the walls, a prayer warrior contending and standing in the gap for this nation.

To be an ambassador of Christ, living in reckless abandonment faint with love for the man Jesus.

No matter how weak I feel, no matter if my prayers feel as if they are just falling to the floor, I must press on and press in. I must equip and disciple others. I must desire to live and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. I must not be satisfied with less than “greater works than these.”

Before I set out on a ten day trip to the North, the Lord encouraged me with the
passage in Matthew 10:7-13 when Jesus sends his disciples out all over Israel.

“As you go, preach this message:
‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’
Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse
those who have leprosy, drive out
demons. Freely you have received,
freely give. Do not take along any
gold or silver or copper in your belts,
take no bag for the journey, or extra
tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the
worker is worth his keep.

Whatever town or village you
enter, search for some worthy person
there and stay at his house until you
leave. As you enter the home, give it
your greeting. If the home is
deserving, let your peace rest on it; if
it is not, let your peace return to
you.”

At this point the followers were only called to the Jews and not to the Gentiles, but after Pentecost and the following events the disciples set out doing this same thing to Judea, Samaria, and “the ends of the earth” where Jesus commissioned them to go. This calling and this lifestyle was not only for a limited group of people 2,000 years ago, but it is also for believers today if we are to live out the Great Commission.

God is slowly breaking down my notions about the Christian walk, and instead showing me what a life led by the Spirit should look like. Step by step He is allowing me to move out in faith and see His divine guidance and provision. I desire to walk in this Matthew 10 reality, but my faith is so little. I am only at the stage of going and finding a man of peace and allowing the Lord to
provide for my needs. I long to be obedient to the Lord, and to grow in my gifts so that I can be used to share His word with power and authority.

After 27 hours of bus travel, I arrived at my destination where God provided a family for me to stay with. A friend of mine in Lahore was concerned of my determination to head to this town and called one of the area banks to get some information on the security situation there. When
he called the bank manager, the manager invited me to stay at his home and spend time with his daughter who is my age and his son who was back from studying in Karachi. When I got there I was unsure if I should go to a hotel or stay with the family, but when I was picked up by the bank manager I found myself saying, “Yes, I’d love to stay at your house,” and with that
I was off to a picturesque village outside of the main town.


The family was so hospitable and within minutes I was surrounded by about six or seven women chatting in Urdu, drinking tea and eating thick homemade bread. The house was surrounded by rose gardens, small pastures, and rock walls. After freshening up from
my journey and taking a nap, I spent the afternoon exploring the village, meeting neighbors and swimming in water running down from a nearby glacier.

The rest of the week was spent traveling from the town up to the northernmost border and back. I've fallen for the local langage of the area as well as for the landscape. It is spoken by about 100,000 people, including the family I stayed with. As linguists say, it is a language isolate, unrelated to any other language in the world, which is particularly fascinating. According to the Ethnologue, there is not yet a Bible translated in their language, although it seems that at
least one SIL worker (associated with Wycliffe Bible Translators) has spent time working on the language.

During my time with the people of the north I felt the Lord iincreasing my heart for this region.
Please join me in interceding for God to move in this remote region of the earth:

Oh Lord we pray that you would stir
their hearts with a hunger to know
the one true God. Lord you desire all
to be saved and that none should
perish. You are good and You
promised that people from every
tongue and tribe and nation would
worship you in their own lands.

We ask You, Lord of the harvest,
that You would bring laborers for the
harvest to this region. God we ask
that You bring your Word here to
this valley and prepare people’s
hearts so that it may take root and
grow to fruition. To Him who sits on
the throne forever and ever, Amen!

Israel as Central to God's End Time Plan

The other day Duarte and I were discussing the role of Israel in God’s plan which spurred me on to listen to a session by Wes Hall on the topic. Here’s some notes and reflections from One Thing 2006 – Israel in God’s End Time Plan.

Isaiah 62:6--7 – “I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord give yourselves no rest; and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.”

I. All Believers are called to pray for Israel

There are some people that God has given a special calling as watchmen over the city of Jerusalem. Their calling is to cry out day and night for God to restore His covenant people. But in verse 7 we see something interesting, “you who call on the Lord give yourselves no rest.” You who call on the Lord, this is anyone who calls on the name of Jesus. This applies to ALL of us who have faith in the Lord. We are called to pray, to give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem as the praise of the earth. Why should we be praying for one dusty city in the Middle East? Should we not be focusing our prayers on our own cities? Should we not focus on energies praying for revival within our local churches? Why does God call his people to cry out for Jerusalem? Why is God so adamant that we give him no rest, and that he himself not rest, until this city is the praise of the earth?

Throughout the Word of God we can find the answers to these queries. God’s ultimate purpose is to glorify himself, yes, and by glorifying Jerusalem he does just that. Why? Because God is serious about keeping His promises. God made a promise to Abraham not just concerning spiritual matters but concerning a specific piece of real estate. God has set his affection on Jerusalem, the actual city. God made many promises to Israel, and he will watch to see that all of those promises are fulfilled. We, as Gentiles, are grafted into the promises given to Abraham. If God has rejected Israel, then we have no redemption. God has chosen to make himself known in the earth by revealing himself through history and by making a covenant with a specific group of people. The covenant God made with Abraham still subsists today. The new covenant does not leave the Jewish people and replace them with the Gentile church. New branches must be grafted into the original plant, otherwise the new branches will have no roots and will surely perish. Yes, the old dry branches will be cut off, but the plant must not be uprooted completely or we as Gentiles have no promise to share in. We must partake in the promises of God alongside Israel. When God establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth He will be dwelling among men and his glory will fill the whole earth.

II. God is Zealous for Israel and for Jerusalem in a special way

Zechariah 1:14 “This is what the Lord Almighty says, ‘I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion…”

Zechariah 8: 2-3 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I am very jealous for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her.’ This is what the Lord says: ‘I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the Lord Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain.”

God has tied his gory to Jerusalem. He will make this city the capital of the earth. His activity in Zion is connected with redeeming the whole of mankind. The center of his redemptive plan is Jerusalem and his covenant people.

II. God will use the Gentile church to awaken Israel to jealousy

Paul writes to the Gentile church in Rome concerning Israel.

Rom 9:2 “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.

Rom 10:1 “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.”

Rom 11:1 “I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means!”

Rom 11:11-12: “Again I ask, Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!”

Isaiah 49:22-23 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘See I will beckon to the Gentiles, I will lift up a banner to the peoples; they will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their shoulders. Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground; they will lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who hope in me will not be disappointed.”

Israel will not come to salvation apart from the witness and zeal of the Gentile church.

IV. God’s redemption of the earth is dependent upon Israel’s redemption

Eph 1:9-10 “And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment – to bring all things together under one head, even Christ.”

Acts 3:21 “He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.”

Jesus will remain in heaven until the earth is ready to receive him. Before Jesus can come back, the Spirit and the Bride must call him, (Rev 22:17) and his covenant people Israel invite him back to Jerusalem as their king and Messiah.

Matt 23:37-39 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

In this passage, Jesus is addressing the city of Jerusalem. When he says “you will not see me again until YOU say,” this applies to Jerusalem and her children. Jesus longs to gather together the natural children of Israel who have been chosen as his elect. Before Jesus can come back, Israel must acknowledge him as king and say ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ Jerusalem who has for so long scorned the prophets and run after other lovers, must acknowledge that Jesus is coming in the name of the Lord and that he is their long awaited Messiah.

Satan has been trying to work with this loophole. As he knows the Jewish people must invite Jesus back to reign on king David’s throne in Jerusalem, he is determined to extinguish the Jewish people and the city that God plans to reign from over the whole earth.

V. God will restore Israel as a nation

Isaiah 11:9-12, 16 “…for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters covers the sea. In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious. In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the sea. He will raise a banner to the nations and gather the exiles of Israel, he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth….There will be a highway for the remnant of his people that is left from Assyria, as there was for Israel when they came up from Egypt.”

Isaiah 35:8,10 “And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in the Way; wicked fools will not go about on it…But only the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”

Isaiah 49:5-6 “And now the Lord says – he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord and my God has been my strength, he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”


VI. Praying for Israel in God’s end time plan

Joel 2:15-17 (not all quoted here), “Let them say, ‘Spare your people O Lord. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn”

We are called to declare fasts and call sacred assemblies. We must cry out for justice night and day and ask God to make his dwelling among men. We must ask God to spare his people Israel and bring complete redemption to men by fulfilling his purposes on the earth. If God’s people are an object of scorn then God is not a God who keeps his promises and is therefore a liar. If God is a liar who breaks promises then he has no place to judge Satan, the prince of lies, and he has no place to take his throne. God desires to restore the whole earth, not only mankind. He had five days of creation before he created man. He desires to restore everything, plants, flowers, mountains, animals, to the way that he created it to be before the fall of man. When God created he said, “It is good.” When he is ruling and reigning on the earth he must be able to say, “It is good” about everything he created and therefore everything must be restored. If we desire to see God glorified in all the earth we must pray for the redemption of Israel and of Jerusalem.

Joel 2:28-32 “And afterward, I will pour out my spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the survivors, whom the Lord calls.”

Afterward, after the worldwide movement of prayer, fasting and solemn assemblies calling God to come back and redeem his people. God will not be at rest, he will display his zeal in supernatural signs and wonders. What will be the result of this? All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved and there will be deliverance in Zion.

The prayer movement --> renewal and revival in the church --> provoking Israel to jealousy --> redemption and deliverance in Israel --> invitation by the Jewish people of Jesus to come back and rule --> Jesus comes back in a hostile takeover of the earth --> God dwells among men and rules on earth --> redemption and deliverance in all the earth à God’s glory will fill the whole earth as the waters cover the sea

For more info see www.ihop.org and check out Wes Hall’s teachings on the theology of Israel.

Backlog - May 21

So I haven't written in a while but here's an update from May 21st. I'll be gradually filling you all in on what God has been teaching me in the past month, which is a lot!

I had horrible experience going to the capital and it seems that the work permit I need just doesn't really exist in the system. At least there's no legal way to get it.
God is so amazing. I was so tired and discouraged after feeling like I was going to be deported and told that the work visa was impossible to get. Literally, I had taken an overnight bus, waiting at the Am Embassy for four hours in various lines and went through about 75 security checks only to be given a tiny slip of paper with a phone number for the Min of Interior which I'd been caling for two days previous and no one ever answers. Actually I have six numbers for the Min of interior. Nobody answers four of them and two are disconnected. Anway I then just got in a taxi and went o the Ministry of Interior which is only open like 1 hour a day. Praise the L that I was there at the exact right time. To make a long story shorter, the guys were SO mean and rude and I ended up outside the office crying under the hot sun (115 degrees) with tears falling on my visa extension letter. These Christian guys from the Samaritan's Purse and the UN came over to help me, and after going back into that horrid office two more times they at least accepted my tourist visa extension request and told me to come back in two days. They could have done it then, but hey they are gov officials and they do what they want.

In the car that rescued me and brought me to a ch-rch, I met an Iranian believer who had to flee the country six years ago. He's now a refugee here. He came to Chr-st twelve years ago, but then his brother reported his conversion to hte government and a death sentence was issued against him by his own family. He and his wife and two daughters escaped the country illegally and are now hoping that the UN Human Rights Commission will grant them the right to live in the US or Canada so they can practice their faith in J-sus. I was like wow God, if you sent me here just to be encouraged by this brother's story and to remember that HE is in control and that He has a purpose in suffering., then thank you Lord.

I could write a novel of what's happened in the past months, but basically my former employers were not very honest and seemed to be taking advantage of me. They held my passport illlegally and it's their fault why the visa is overstayed because they were demanding all this stuff from me to get it back. You can't go to the police because the society is too corrupt. God is teaching me, pray for those who persecute you in a way I never understood before. I realize I have to forgive them and ask God to give me a heart to pray for Him to have mercy on them. It's not easy, but God is changing my heart from a heart of stone to a heart of flesh and allowing me to love them despite the circumstances.

I tried to go to the Am Embassy and get help, but they've proved that they are NO help whatsoever and God is teaching me to rely on Him. Many days i have been discouraged and it seems like I never get a break from trying to escape some situation that I don't want to be in. The other night, God treated me by giving me this beautiful emply with furnished house to live in for a few weeks since I don't have a place. It's one of my friend's friend's houses and man they must be loaded. The family who lives there is currently in Seattle and only comes back every few years. Just the servants live in the house. I walked in and my bedroom is huge and the bathroom could be a garage for an SUV. There's a spa and everything. I just put on some IHOP/Misty Edward music, enjoyed the spa, gave myself a facial, and read my Bible. God was telling me that I am his princess and that He enjoys to romance me. I just got on my knees and started crying because I had been so discouraged lately, yet God is faithful in providing for me. I stayed up til 3am just enjoying God and interceding for my friends here to come to know him.

So things are crazy but God is good. My friend Anita who got married Aprl 19 is pregnant! I'm thinking and praying about extending my stay here. If I can get a decent salary by teaching four hours a day then I will have no problem staying here longer without raising more support. Pray for me as I ask the Lord for wisdom and direction!