Category: Bride of Christ

The Bride of Christ: Unity, Power, and Preparation

Filed under: Bride of Christ, heaven, Messages from God, spiritual warfare, Spirituality — 4 Comments

July 15, 2021

The Bright Morning Star Rising on the First Day

A VISION OF A JESUS-FILLED WORLD COMING TO PASS

The Revelation: Earth Blooming into a Jesus-Filled Flower

One day, my wife and I attended a prayer meeting at the home of a couple who attended our church. In this meeting, I experienced being a part of the bride of Christ. I will share this experience and provide insight into biblical passages that support what I experienced.

The meeting began with a socialization period in which we met several people who also attended our church. After this get-acquainted period, our hosts had us form a prayer circle, in which each person, in turn, had an opportunity to pray out loud for the intentions of their heart. As the first person prayed, I began hearing thoughts that were not mine. They were beautiful words, and not wanting to forget them, I promptly commenced memorizing them by repeating them several times in my mind. But soon, I realized that I was receiving more than just random phrases. I was experiencing the thoughts, memories, reflections, and feelings of the Bride of Christ on her wedding day.

When it became my turn to pray, I repeated what I had recollected from this beautiful experience. The next day, I wrote down what I had spoken during the prayer group meeting. Here is what I wrote:

The Experience of the Bride of Christ

We were alone in a beautiful room. It was a quiet time, a time of preparedness, for there was a great event to which none can compare. There is joy and happiness. There is anticipation, for we are the source of celebration. We are the focus of attention. There is no sound in the room, just the song of rustling linen.23

The quiet time is good for reflection upon the images of the old world. There were trials, tribulations, and threats of war. Looking back, I see wars, earthquakes, storms, floods, disease, famine, pestilence, and sin. The earth was fouled. There was the war with Satan and then the victory of souls. Eventually, confrontation came with the beast and the final victory—the deliverance and unity of the saved.

We are a new creation! We are the culmination of saved souls.24 We are one, comprised of many in God’s perfect image and likeness, assembled like the atoms of the bodies we once knew.25 There is great unity and power in the new creation. There is ecstasy in the bride.26 Every soul in the bride shouts with joy, for we all know that we confessed Him. We all know that we changed our sinful ways for Him. We all obeyed His commandments, and we all loved Him. We are so united when we think of Him.

How many times did He forgive us? How many times did He heal us? How many times did He save us from evil or keep us from harm? How endless is His love? Indeed, this is our hour. The preparation is complete.27

Someone knocks at the door. It is the Father, and He is beaming. He holds out His arm, and we take it and walk arm in arm. We enter the great hall, where the floor appears to be a single dark green emerald.28 In this room, the pews are crystal,29 the walls are gold, and there is no ceiling, just the sky. Winged angels dressed in white fill the seats. They are all gazing at us while singing the wedding song in seven-part harmony. We look for Him, but the aisle is too long to see the end. We walk, and we walk. We see Him! JOY! JOY! He is very handsome, and He smiles a big smile, and we see heaven in His eyes. We keep walking, and then we are there. The Father presents the bride. Jesus holds out His hand. Our heart sings as we take His hand. The angel, Gabrielle, conducts the ceremony, but we can think of nothing but Him. We say, I do. We hear You may kiss the bride. Anticipation! He comes closer, facing us. He lifts the veil, draws closer, and embraces us. Cheers and celebrations! We turn to face the assembly. We walk down the aisle. The angels are delirious. They sing, they fly, and they cause great explosions in the sky. A new, larger sun rises 30 over the altar behind us. A new world awaits us.

References

23. Revelation 19:8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen, is the righteous acts of the saints.

24. Ephesians 4:15 – 16 But, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head; Christ; from whom the whole body joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

25. 1 Corinthians 12:12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.

26. Revelation 21:9 – 11 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.

27. Revelation 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.

28. Revelation 4:3 And He who sat there was like a jasper and a Sardis stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.

29. Revelation 4:6 Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal.

30. Revelation 22:16 – 17 I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come! And let him who hears say, Come! And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

THE BRIDE OF CHRIST DEFINED

Based on my experience of being a part of the bride of Christ, it is evident that the bride is the collective of saved souls, where each one has a role to play in the proper functioning of the whole. In my prayer, I stated the following:

We are the culmination of saved souls. We are one, comprised of many in God’s perfect image and likeness, assembled like the atoms of the bodies we once knew.

I believe the following scripture magnifies this concept:

Ephesians 4:15 – 16 But, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all things into Him who is the head; Christ; from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

This scripture implies a realization of oneness, where each soul is a viable and active member of the Bride of Christ. Jesus also spoke of this unity in the Gospel of John:

John 15:20-23 I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given 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.

The Bride of Christ is pure and holy, perfect in every way:

Ephesians 5:25 – 27 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

Jesus also spoke to His disciples about the Bride of Christ in this passage:

John 14:2 – 4 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

So, Jesus states that He will come again and receive His disciples to Himself. What could this mean except that the Lamb and His bride become one?

Building on the scripture above, Jesus talks about the many mansions in his Father’s house. Could it be that these mansions exist in the spiritual New Jerusalem? The answer follows:

Revelation 21: 9 – 10 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God.

Keep Your Lamps Burning

The Bride of Christ, the great city, the holy Jerusalem, comprised of God’s anointed, has her lamps burning brightly, which means she is prepared to enlighten the earth. To allow God’s illuminating flame to die results in being refused entry into the wedding feast and exclusion from the Bride of Christ as well.

Matthew 25:1 – 13 Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight, a cry was heard: Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him! Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. But the wise answered saying, No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward, the other virgins came also, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us! But he answered and said, Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you. Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

In another parable of Jesus, He proclaims His followers shall walk in His light.

John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life.

Jesus brought the light that leads us into everlasting life with God. He provides a light that enables us to cast aside our walk in darkness and live in God’s provision and bounty. In doing so, Jesus also passes this light on to us to illuminate the world. We, therefore, are to become like Him and do as He did until His return.

Matthew 5:14 – 16 : You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

The following scripture calls us to do even greater works as Jesus did.

John 14:12 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

Jesus’s works demonstrate His loving compassion for His people because they enhance their physical and spiritual well-being. The following scripture communicates Jesus’s love and actions.

Luke 7:20 – 23 When the men had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One or do we look for another?'” And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight. Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”

But what are these works identified in John 14:12 above that are to be greater than those of Jesus? We can do more today because we have much more to give. For example, the sciences and technology of the modern world are vastly superior in every way than in the days of Jesus. Modern medicine has enabled us to do the mighty works Jesus did in his ministry. The insertion of artificial lenses can correct blindness for those who have glaucoma. Artificial joints can be inserted into the body to correct lameness, etc. In addition, because of technology, we can reach more people with the messages of Jesus. We can educate people via technology to give them skills that lift them from poverty and enable them to better provide for their families.

Despite all these excellent technological improvements, however, a vast number of people in this world still live in oppression and poverty. Even worse, it seems that we are losing the battle against evil as the world spirals downward into poverty and despair. There are homeless on our streets and tent encampments around the globe and even here in America. Military attacks in parts of the world are destroying the homes of innocent people, and displaced people are walking across continents, fleeing from this oppression, carrying whatever they can, sometimes even on their heads. Our governments and the people representing us have been either compromised or muted, and our news agencies distort the truth of all of this. Christians are under attack even in America by their government and, in some cases, are identified and treated as terrorist organizations.

Consequently, we also have an immense opportunity. We must give the world what we have, including the blessings from the Spirit of God and our goods, know-how, and technology! I will now present a few scriptures that support and clarify these statements.

1 John 3:16 – 18 By this, we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

We each have a distinct set of Spiritual Gifts that are the foundation of doing more wondrous deeds than Jesus. These must exist in every component of the bride of Christ.

1 Cor 12:8-12 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

Also, we have a call to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

Luke 10:30-36 Then Jesus answered and said: “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now, by chance, a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise, a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine, and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you. So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?

Works like those identified in the above scripture demonstrate the love of the Christian, who takes action to better the lives of the less fortunate by sharing what she has. In doing so, she keeps her lamps burning and remains ready for the coming of the Lord.

The unity of the Bride of Christ is necessary for her perfection and for winning a war for the world against Satin. This unity is also required for the world to know that Jesus is the Son of God the Father. In support of this statement, I provide the following prayer of Jesus:

John 17:20 – 23 I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given 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.

But we are not united today. How many Protestant denominations are there? How many sects of Catholics? How many factions are there inside each of these denominations? And what about the Jews? Are they an integral component of the bride of the Lamb? Please read this:

The New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb

Rev 21:9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south, and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Yep, the Jews are a component of the bride, as the twelve tribes of Israel are the gates or doors to enter into the bride, the lamb’s wife.

Matthew 24:42 – 51 The bride is united in her devotion, direction, and commitment to doing the work that the Bridegroom left her to do. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.

Do we believe that Jesus will return for a bride that is less than perfect? If the answer to this question is no, then the bride must be perfect. Therefore, this unity must be achieved before the Lord’s return.

The bride is to rule over the Bridegroom’s household until His return. We, therefore, are to demonstrate Jesus’ compassion for all of humanity. We are to feed them the spiritual bread that came down from heaven: Jesus, the Bread of Life.

What Actions Are We To Take?

Firstly, my experience in the prayer group meeting described a unified bride. The first step to achieving this state is to reach out in love to others, including our brethren in different denominations, to create the unity of the souls that constitute the bride. This action is not an effort to unite religious organizations with diverse interpretations of scripture, but rather a uniting of individuals across these organizations to work together to overcome the existing evil in the world today (What Has Been Done In Heaven That We Are To Do On Earth?, and What Has Been Done In Heaven That We Are To Do On Earth?). The next step is to identify and develop the spiritual gifts in the members that are necessary to guide and protect the bride on her mission of love. To heal the sick and strengthen the bride for spiritual battle. To prophetically know the devil’s plans and develop the strategies necessary for victory over the evil that seeks to destroy the church and the world. The bride is to identify and disseminate the truth through the prophetic, freeing all people from the deception of propaganda and lies from evil.

To take actions that legally displace the evil ones in power, who seek to eliminate religion, and then identify members from within the bride to replace them. To do this, start with local organizations around you, your town, county, and state, ensuring everything local is evil-free. In democratic countries, voting places must honestly reflect the will of the people. Doing so ensures that higher-level representatives will be affected, as voting is conducted locally.

The bride must recommend candidates as replacements for the compromised or misinformed. In addition, the bride must scrutinize the decisions of Judges according to the law. Those who violate the law must have their poor judgments published and face justice. The bride must replace them with an approved candidate. She must publish a list of the endorsed candidates in all elections.

Doing these things is designed to drive out evil and make us the God-fearing nation God wants us to be.

And so much more to achieve the above scripture’s requirements toward purity and power over evil.

A vision statement presents the big picture of an end state. Let’s consider the vision God gave me in this regard: The Revelation: Earth Blooming into a Jesus-Filled Flower

The Revelation: Earth Blooming into a Jesus-Filled Flower

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

For additional references in this regard please consider the following:

References

Revelation 21:23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.

Revelation 2:26 – 28 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations; He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels; as I also have received from My Father; and I will give him the morning star.

The sun that rose in my story of the bride had to be the Morning Star. The sun rose but then stopped low in the morning sky.

Isaiah 60:19 – 21 The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; But the LORD will be to you an everlasting light, and your God your glory. Your sun shall no longer go down, Nor shall your moon withdraw itself; For the LORD will be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be ended. Also, your people shall all be righteous; They shall inherit the land forever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified.

The Bright Morning Star Rising on the First Day

A VISION OF A JESUS-FILLED WORLD COMING TO PASS

Tags: Bride of Christ, Jesus, spiritual warfare, Spirituality, the light of the world

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CHAPTER 3: POINTS FOR REFLECTION

Filed under: heaven, Messages from God — Leave a comment

June 18, 2021

Because I am a Christian, I understand that it is necessary to examine the experiences I shared in CHAPTER 2: The Spiritual Warfare Over Me, to ascertain their biblical soundness. I, therefore, have performed the necessary bible research to achieve a scriptural validation of the things I experienced and present my findings to you here in this posting. I hope that in reviewing this material, you may find, like I did, a real glimpse into the spiritual realm.

A CORRELATION TO THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST

The experience of that night terrified me, and as a result, I did not want to think about it, let alone tell anyone about LEAVING MY BODY and entering the spiritual realm. It wasn’t until after I was born again that I understood what God had done for me. His way of starting our relationship was to show me the truth about my life purpose and myself. God loved me enough to give me a second opportunity to make the right choice. I did not deserve this opportunity, but He gave it out of His love for me. I knew that if He did this much for me when I did not merit it, that He would proceed to bless me from that point as well. I gave in to God, little by little, over time. Everything improved when I eventually accepted the truth that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. God then placed favor into my soul, and we grew closer in a relationship than I could have ever envisioned. As I matured as a Christian, I read the Bible and gained new insight into my spiritual encounter. In the book of Revelation, I found uncanny similarities, correlations, and insights into what happened to me. The following sections present some of the parallels found in the book of Revelation.

PROOF OF THE LAKE OF FIRE

The orange plasma that I swam in (see THE LAKE OF FIRE AND BRIMSTONE) is mentioned in the book of Revelation. It is the eternal destination of Satan, the beast, the false prophet, death, Hades, and everyone whose name is not in the book of Life.

Revelation 20:10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

THE JUDGMENT OF WORKS AND THE OPENED BOOKS

In my spiritual reality, I stood in a gray place while being judged (THE GRAY PLACE AND JUDGMENT DAY.) I heard the voices of the beings that searched for the record of the good works I had done. I also experienced the pain that I had caused others as the sins of my life passed before me.

Is there a reference to being judged in the Bible? Are records kept to assist in the judgment? The answer to both of these questions is yes. Everyone will be judged in accordance to their works:

Revelation 20:11 – 13 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things, which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.

THE SECOND DEATH

Since only truth existed in the place of my reflection, I somehow knew that the pending judgment before me was regarding the second death. In this natural world, I did not have a clue that such a thing existed. Is there evidence of the second death in the Bible? Yes, again, it is explained in the continuation of the passage above. The second death is the end of hell and death. The result is to be the total elimination of evil. There will also be the elimination of dying, pain, and tears. Sadly, however, there will be no more chances for repentance as only those whose name is in the Book of Life will remain:

Revelation 20:14 – 15 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

THE SAVIOR

On that night, I swam in the lake of fire and brimstone and later walked in the halls of HELL where I faced THE BEAST. I knew that there was no escape from these places, so how did I get out? I also sustained the reality of the second death, but who has power over death; to let live or let die? The answer is Jesus! The following words from the book of Revelation are the words of the resurrected Jesus:

Jesus “The Way, the Truth and the Life,” Rises from the Dead

Revelation 1:18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of hades and of death.

THE JUDGE

In my recollection, I stood while being judged. To whom do I owe my redemption? Who sits on the throne of judgment?

Revelation 7:10 And crying out with a loud voice, saying, Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!

I was returned to life that day despite my stained garments. Who has the power to forgive sin?

Mark 2:10 – 11 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins; He said to the paralytic, I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.

I stood in a place where only truth existed and was asked, “Why should you live?” But, who is it that will judge the living and the dead?

2 Timothy 4:1 I charge you, therefore, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom.

The answer is that Jesus the Christ of Nazareth is our Lord and Savior. Even though I had made poor choices in my life, Jesus covered me with His blood and kept me from the second death I truly deserved.

My story provides insight into the meaning of our lives because it accurately describes the consequences of poor choices. I had made the poor choice of disbelieving in the existence of the devil, and God revealed the truth to me. The truth is that the devil, hell, the lake of fire and brimstone, the judgment, and the second death are the consequences of our poor choices. God, Jesus, heaven, and life everlasting are the consequences of our good decisions.

A CORRELATION WITH PSALM 30

As you know from reading CHAPTER 2: The Spiritual Warfare Over Me, I entered the emergency room of a major hospital on November 7, 1986, believing that all would be well soon, not knowing that THE DAY OF MY DEATH was knocking on my door . Nor did I know that God would miraculously deliver me from a long string of attacks and calamities.

A correlation to my experience exists in Psalm 30, a psalm of David, who gives recognition to God for saving him from his foe, for healing him, delivering him from the grave, and saving him from being cast into the pit (SPIRITUAL GOLGOTHA.) I believe that my experience shows that God did these things for me also, and therein lies the correlation. Let’s start by reading a portion of Psalm 30.

Psalm 30: 1-5 I will extol You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up, and have not let my foes rejoice over me. O LORD my God, I cried out to You, and you healed me. O LORD, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Sing praise to the LORD, you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

Let us honor God for His great mercy and love! I completely relate to the message of Psalm 30. So much so that I modified it to become my prayer of thanksgiving for all that my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, has done for me. I present it here, so please read along with me in thanksgiving and praise:

I will exalt You, Oh Lord, for You have lifted me up and have not let my enemy the devil rejoice in victory over me. Oh Lord, my God, I have cried out to You, and You have healed me from a great affliction of which there was seemingly no hope. Oh Lord, You have lifted my soul from the grave of death and you have saved me from the eternal damnation of which I truly deserve. You have kept me alive and spared me from the fate of the Lake of Fire and Brimstone and the everlasting torture and agony of the second death. Sing praises to the Lord, you saints of His, and give thanks to the remembrance of His holy name; His name is JESUS, THE CHRIST OF NAZARETH. For His anger is but for a moment, but His favor is forever. Oh, weeping and sorrow may endure for a night, but joy everlasting comes in the morning, and a new life begins.

Tags: Christianity, Jesus, spiritual warfare, Spirituality

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CHAPTER 7: GOD KEEPS COMMUNICATING

Filed under: Bride of Christ, Messages from God, Prophecy — Leave a comment

June 12, 2021

CHAPTER 7 – GOD KEEPS COMMUNICATING

This posting is another chapter from my book entitled, Possess the Vision. It communicates the spiritual experiences and messages that were given by God shortly after we moved to California.

Pat and I were expanding relationships at our new church while God was simultaneously alluring us into a closer connection with Him. During this time, I experienced revelations from God that He delivered in several different ways. I have documented four of these experiences for you in the sections below. They are titled: The Audible Voice of God, A Vision of a Straight Path, The White Dove, and A Dream of a Living Cross.

THE AUDIBLE VOICE OF GOD

One day, I was on my deck, catching some sun while gazing at the magnificent seacoast view (may add a link to previous posting here). When I had received enough sun, I walked back toward my loft door. Then, as I proceeded through the doorway, I heard a powerfully masculine and yet calming voice, speak my name.

From the moment that this voice began speaking, everything around me started moving in slow motion – as if time itself was slowing down. The typical sounds surrounding me faded, and I instantly knew that I was listening to the audible voice of God. I immediately lost muscle control as my body became as limp as a jellyfish. My legs had suddenly stopped supporting my weight, my knees buckled, and I plunged downward through the doorway, out of control. My forward momentum now propelled my head onto a collision course with the glass top of a pinball machine that stood just inside the loft door.

Psalm 29:4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; The voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

As I had no muscle power to shield my head from being slammed into the pinball machine, and I presumed that I was about to be seriously injured.

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Amazingly, my muscle function recovered the instant that His voice stopped speaking. Consequently, I was able to get my hands and arms up to the metal frame of the pinball machine to protect myself from harm.

I then reset my legs back under me and gradually stood upright. I then began looking around for the visible manifestation of God while waiting for the return of His voice. But neither happened. Not knowing what to do, I replied in the custom of the prophets who spoke, Here I am Lord. My heart was pounding as I stood there perfectly still, anticipating a reply, but there was none. Eventually, I walked off, being very perplexed.

Subsequently, I could not help continuously thinking about the voice of God. It was so perfect. How could I not wonder about a voice so powerful and yet so soothing at the same time? How could I not wonder about this voice that exhibited perfect articulation and pace and simultaneously use inflections and tone to convey an attraction to it? How could this voice create such emotions of harmony and peace? Why would it call out my name and utter nothing more? I would get insight into some of these questions the very next day.

The morning began like every other, as I had made it a practice to read a portion of the Bible every morning before prayer. I had set a goal of reading the entire Bible, and the scripture below was a passage that I read that morning:

Isaiah 43:1–2 But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, oh Jacob, and He who formed you, oh Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.

This scripture was the confirmation of what had just occurred in my life. Chills ran up and down my spine as I realized that God had just called me by name. I belonged to Him now, and if I did not know it previously, I now knew that without a doubt, He would be with me through all the challenging times ahead. God was with me at that time and would be there throughout my future. He would be there for my walk toward His plan.

A VISION OF A STRAIGHT PATH

A few weeks later, God communicated to me again, this time in a vision. In it, I found myself in a forest of strange trees that had leaves that coiled up, looking something like a tightly wound watch spring. A path had been cut, perfectly straight through the trees that revealed the hills and dales below the foliage. Despite receiving this insight, I did not know what it meant at the time. I asked several people about it, but they could not interpret the vision either. Then one day, I read the following scripture.

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

Isaiah 40:3 – 5 The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

I now see it as a sign that God’s people must make a straight path to prepare for the second coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This message is for the bride. What did John the Baptist proclaim while baptizing men in the Jordan river for the repentance of sin?

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

Matt 3: 1-6 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

A voice of one calling in the wilderness, Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.

4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

The Great Commission

And what did Jesus command the apostles (the 12 foundations of the bride) to do upon His departure?

Matt 28: 16-20 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.

Are not these two commissions very similar?

Psalm 27:11 Teach me Your way, O LORD, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.

THE WHITE DOVE

One Sunday, we had an evangelist visit our church. We liked his message and resolved to attend his other services later in the week. I was hungry for the manifestations of God and desired to be at each service. Unfortunately, they were scheduled at noon each day, and this presented some work-related issues for me. One obstacle was that I had to drive across downtown Los Angeles to get to the church, and the commute time would be over an hour in each direction. Therefore, attending these services demanded that I be away from work for a substantial time. To solve this predicament, I planned to take an early lunch, attend the service, and then return to work and stay late to make up for the lost work time.

Something extraordinary transpired on my commute to the second service that week. As I drove down the Interstate in heavy traffic, I saw a white dove off in the distance flying in my direction. As it flew closer, I could see that it was in my lane, flying straight toward me. As it advanced, I noticed that its wings were beating very rapidly and that it was looking right at me.

It became very apparent that the dove was flying toward my windshield, directly toward me. I braced myself as it neared, and at the instant of its anticipated contact, I turned my head away to shield myself from the impact. But nothing happened, and the windshield was undamaged. I speculated that perhaps the dove had swooped away at the very last second.

I arrived at the service a bit late, but the minister did lay hands on me, and the Holy Spirit did manifest in me that day. I now see this experience as a sign that the Holy Spirit will support the earnest efforts of those who are diligently seeking Him.

A VISION OF THE ABANDONED CROSS COMING TO LIFE

Some weeks later, God gave me yet another vision. In this one, I saw an old wooden cross standing alone on a desolate hilltop. I knew it to be the crucifixion cross of Jesus. It stood there tilting backward somewhat and listing to one side at about a forty-five-degree angle. It looked as if no one had been taking care of it.

I lingered to watch, and then something moved me much closer to it, and I commenced to examine it in greater detail. My observation focused on the grain of the timbers that began to glow a fluorescent red-orange. The brightness of the wood grain now resembled that of an electric stove-top.

Then the entire cross began glowing, faintly at first but slowly growing in illumination, until it was vibrantly gleaming. The cross that had appeared dead just moments before came to life! I could now see blood circulating through that grain, just like blood flows through the veins of our bodies, transporting nutrients and revitalizing energy throughout the body.

Next, the transparent wood took on a three-dimensional appearance. I could now see into multiple layers, and everything in the cross became visible to me. Subsequently, the glowing red cross began firing randomly colored photons of enlightenment in seemingly random directions. One blast at a time, these photons discharged in rapid succession like that of a machine gun. The cross of Jesus is alive!

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is jesus-the-light-of-the-world.jpg

Below is a scripture in which Jesus tells a man to take up his cross and follow Him.

Mark 10: 20-21 And he answered and said to Him, Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth. 21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.

I now realize this vision to imply that the Christians who seek to be members of the bride of Christ must have the living cross on fire in their hearts. If they do so, they will do what He did.

John 41:12 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

Doing these things is how the bride prepares for the second coming of Jesus. The bride is ready for the return of the Bridegroom because she has taken up His cross. The cross of Christ must become alive in our hearts and minds.

SERVING THE CHURCH

We were committed to our congregation in our attendance, tithes, time, and serving God and His people. But even in this capacity, God was showing us what was in store for the bride.

A VISION FOR THE ANNUAL CHURCH CONFERENCE

Our church held an annual conference that had become a tradition over its twenty-five-year history. People of God came from all over the world to teach, preach and worship God.

One Sunday after the service, our pastor engaged Pat and I in a talk about the conference. He indicated that they lacked an illustration for the cover of the conference brochures. It just so happened that God had shown me something a few days earlier, and I presented it to the pastor. He liked it and had an artist drawn it up for the pamphlets. Here is a description of what I saw.

I saw a star that generated multiple sets of uniquely tinted light beams that flashed in all directions, some reaching the earth, very far away. The rays hitting our planet were sharp and penetrating and included the entire spectrum of light.

Then suddenly, the star grew several times larger than its original size and brightness. 34 Because of this massive expansion; it was now closer to the earth, and as a result, it scorched our planet with its searing light.

Isaiah 30:26 Moreover the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD binds up the bruise of His people and heals the stroke of their wound.

Afterward, the starlight slowly dissipated into a soft cloud-like light that encompassed the globe in a canopy. I believe that this is a foreshadowing of the things that must transpire before the fulfillment of God’s plan. Here is the explanation of what I saw in the vision above:

In the beginning, God communicated with His people from a great distance. However, in the future, His words will come in like direct sunlight in summer, and they will burn up those planted in stony ground.

Matt 13: 3-8 Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. 5 Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. 7 And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8 But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.

Therefore everyone anchored deep into God’s good ground will understand His desire more clearly than ever before and this will kindle a revival that will spread across the earth. The result will be a massive harvest of saved souls. The Word of God will become known to everyone, and the people whose roots have grown deep into the living water of life will flourish, but all others will be scorched and die.

John 4:13 – 14 Jesus answered and said to her, Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.

Then God’s love will encircle and protect the earth, and His people will prosper under His soft and gentle love.

Tags: called by name, Spirituality, the cross, visions

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THE PROPHESY OF PROVISION

Filed under: Bride of Christ, Ministry, Possess the Vision, Spirituality, spirtual warfare — 1 Comment

July 12, 2011

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

THE PROPHESY OF PROVISION

Just a few days later, our new pastor once again pulled me out of the congregation and spoke the following words:

And my son, what I have done is small compared to what I will do. It is but a seed compared to what I’m getting ready to explode. It is but an investment compared to what I’m getting ready to release. As I have talked to you again and again about the hundred fold, oh yes, and your carnal, analytical, add it, subtract it, divide it mind has said, God, but that is so much. But, my son, it’s not that much to me. But you have said, God I’m not looking for me. I’m not looking even for my family. Oh, I’m looking for the kingdom. And the Lord would declare there are even amounts of finance that you have asked Me for and you know it will take miracles to bring it. But, it shall be released, says the Lord. Because I have had an account for even a last day revival—the wealth of the wicked that has been laid up for my sons and daughters. And many do not even realize I’ve already set it aside. I’ve already done it, says the Lord. And the Lord would declare unto thee, limit Me not. Favor—favor is thy word. Favor is thy heritage. Favor is thy future. Favor will bring thy increase. New wine, new wine into new bottles!

I understood this prophecy as a promise of God’s provision for whatever resources are necessary to accomplish the vision presented in this book. I hope that you have enjoyed my stories and that you were able to see the wonderful future that God has for his believers. A new earth filled with Jesus at its core, forever blossoming into a beautiful flower.

I trust that this blog may have helped you to find God’s purpose for your life. If you have not found it then I suggest that you seek it, for the Bible states; seek and you will find. Chances are that you will discover like I did, that it was there all the time. I compel you to possess the vision of the bride of Christ prepared for the marriage feast when Jesus victoriously returns.

Tags: Bride of Christ, Christianity, church, Covenant, God, Jesus, Ministry, Religious, spiritual warfare, Spirituality

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THE TRENCH TO THE GLORY OF GOD

Filed under: Bride of Christ, Ministry, New Jerusalem, Possess the Vision, Spirituality, spirtual warfare, the morning star — Leave a comment

July 2, 2011

: The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

Read the truly amazing life story about how the forces of good and evil battle over a man and the vision that God gives him. Joseph W. Gordon’s Possess the Vision (Xulon Press, $12.95, 140 pages, ISBN 1-59781-205-6) tells about the mysterious spiritual experiences that occur throughout his lifetime.

THE TRENCH TO THE GLORY OF GOD

It was at the time that we moved to Colorado that I started to have a number of visions, the first of which was the trench to the glory of God. In it I saw the outline of a darkened earth backlit by a wonderfully illuminated sky. The illumination came from the glory of God that was shining just below the horizon. It made the sky look like an enhanced version of the Northern Lights. They were enhanced because the colors were much brighter and more vivid than in our world. They were effervescent like the light from a neon bulb. In addition, the lights were presented in a panorama of intermixed colors. While they lacked a specific design, they were very pleasing and beautiful. They were also dynamic—constantly changing patterns of color. Slowly and gradually they changed from one indescribable, yet fantastically beautiful arrangement to another. I was very content to simply watch them change. In any event, this was the background upon which the earth was placed in my vision.

The darkened earth was illuminated only by the light on the horizon, and there was just enough of it to enable me to see the three-dimensional curvature of the earth. This sight was something like the dawning of the first day of the new earth when God returns to be its only light.

The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light (Revelation 21:23).

I could also see a perfectly straight trench40 that had been dug across the entire face of the planet.

Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; Make Your way straight before my face (Psalm 5:8).

The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:3 – 5)

It was about eight feet deep by four feet wide and tens of thousands of miles long. I marveled at the perfection of its straightness, thinking surely it must have been dug by a very special machine. It extended all the way to the horizon, where a notch appeared in the otherwise-perfect curvature of the earth. This notch on the earth’s horizon aligned perfectly with the source of God’s glory. It was at this position that the sky was its brightest. I could see the reflection of the brightly colored lights on the inside walls of the trench at this point on the horizon. I knew that the trench led to the glory of God! I also knew that I would enter into this trench, and once inside I would be led straight to God by following the light to the other end. The light would guide me in my journey. My walk would lead straight toward the magnificence of God! The trenched walls would keep me from the distractions on the earth.

This vision obviously is a projection of the new earth41 that occurs with the second coming of Jesus.

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea (Revelation 21:1).

It projects the dawning of the first day when Jesus, our Morning Star, becomes our light in the New Jerusalem. It is a call for preparation of the bride. An artists interpretation of this vision can be found on the image of my book cover below.

For more information about the bride of Christ please use the hyperlinks below:

Publicly-Coming-to-Christ

The-Spiritual-Realm-of-the-Bride-of-Christ

Who-is-the-bride-of-Christ

The-bride-of-Christ-brings-Division

The-bride-of-Christ-sets-the-World-on-Fire

The-bride-of-Christ-is-Prepared

The-bride-of-Christ-becomes-like-Jesus

The-bride-of-Christ-does-greater-Works-than-Jesus

The-Vision-Statement-of-the-bride-of-Christ

Tags: Bride of Christ, christ, Christianity, church, God, Jesus, Ministry, Religious, spiritual warfare, Spirituality, the new Jerusalem

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UNITING CHRISTIANS FOR POLITICAL INFLUENCE

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June 3, 2011

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

Read my amazing true life story about how the forces of good and evil battle for my life and the vision that God has given me. My book, “Possess the Vision,” communicates my supernatural experiences and as a result, provides insight into the realm of the spiritual warfare that is raging for our souls and our purpose. This is a must read for all Christians. Learn more by following this link: Possess-the-Vision-at-Amazon

UNITING CHRISTIANS FOR POLITICAL INFLUENCE

A few weeks ago we proposed that a universal technology be developed and deployed with the purpose to unite and empower Christians around the world. This technology is to be built and established by Christians for Christians. It is designed to help usher in the kingdom of God by supporting the growth and development of all Christian churches, missions, and peoples. It is to be a tool to enable Christians to proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ more effectively and, in so doing, become more fruitful as a people. Fundamentally, this technology is to be a tool to help Christians work together in the ministry of improving the world around them; by helping the poor and disenfranchised better take care of their families.

One way to achieve this is to provide a foundation for political influence in the United States of America and other countries through the use of the technology we mentioned above. The primary focus of this will be to support and promote Christian values, beliefs and religious rights. This includes support systems for the election and appointment of Christians who believe in bringing the will of God into their political office. The systems we recommend will support for our religious freedoms as well as the human rights of the individual as viewed from a Christian perspective. For example, we have seen school teachers in one school tell students that they cannot wear a cross in their class. While many of these things are simply misguided, all such issues should initiate a united action from the Christian community. The system we propose should achieve that end.

The system we propose is designed to organize and put in place such action. A loss of individual rights can occur whenever the common people do not stand up to the tyranny of the powerful few who plan to profit from their demise. Such is the case today—as major corporations, other nations, and special interest groups attempt to change the laws of our country through the leverage of their power and money. Often, this comes at the expense of the people who are supposed to be protected by their government. For example, legislation that is passed based on the influence of the insurance lobby can produce results that restrict the benefits that would otherwise be due to hard-working Americans. This being the case, it would seem to me that we have lost our representative form of government. The fact that these injustices can occur must mean that there is corruption in our government. This, in turn, means that we are no longer a nation of the people, by the people, and for the people. If laws are passed based on the desires of the rich and powerful, then we are a nation of major corporations and foreign interests made up of special interest groups who represent the rich and powerful. When these things happen, there should be a unified Christian force to confront our government in a righteous and balanced way.

We must restore the honesty and integrity that we once had by establishing a true system of checks and balances like those that our forefathers had intended when they drafted our constitution. We must get big money out of politics and restore our government to the people. Think about this statement for starters. If for some reason both of our political parties were being influenced and/or paid by the same group of powerful people and corporations, then we would have lost the power of our vote and, as a result, the control of our government and in the end our civil rights. It is in this way that the system we propose can provide a valid check and balance that may be missing today.

One major use of this computerized system will be to gain political influence by providing a facility that will enable the Christian community to identify, define, debate, and unify around Christian opinions and issues. For example, it can make it possible for the entire body of Christ to voice their opinions on candidates and proposed laws. It will allow the collection and consolidation of information into easily digestible packages that will inform and enable Christian voters to align on issues of importance to the Christian way of life. In addition, this system will provide a capability to initiate, create, and pass petitions to change existing laws. In addition, dialog capabilities will enable Christians to discuss the issues openly. All of this is necessary to protect our most precious rights in the United States—the right to freedom of religion and speech. These rights have been systematically under attack in recent years.

So, in these ways, the collective body of Christ will gain more political influence in government actions, appointments, and elections. In addition, the body will gain more influence over our public schools, our environment, our local governments, and laws that pertain to our welfare. In addition, we will be able to take a stronger and more forceful position on abortion, sex and violence on public TV, prayer in schools, corruption in politics, and the influence of big corporations in government. The unity of the entire church body is necessary to bring influence in all of these areas.

Tags: Christianity, church, God, Jesus, Ministry, politics, Religious, spiritual warfare

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Development of Courseware in Support of Universal Christian Education

Filed under: Bride of Christ, Christian Education, Christian Love, Ministry, Possess the Vision, spirtual warfare, Unity — 1 Comment

May 31, 2011

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

Development of Course Ware in Support of Universal Christian Education

A few weeks ago we recommend that the universal Christian Community work together toward the deployment of a Christian Educational system. This system could be available to anywhere in the world by leveraging existing computer, communications and software technology.

A key component of all of this is the development of educational content. Content will be the very heart of the product that is to be delivered to the poor and disenfranchised peoples of the world. This course ware will be developed by Christians from across the world and then donated as a gift to all peoples of the world. In addition, processes will be established that enable continuous improvements to the course work as is appropriate. Educational materials will also be modularized such that good material can be reused in future course ware development.

The course ware will be displayed in a multimedia format much like television but will also have interactive components as well. Therefore, this material will require the interactive participation of subject matter experts to address student questions and needs for support. A major portion of this support is to come via on-line television that connects the student to the teacher via the Internet. The thought here is that subject matter experts can be made available much easier when travel and residency outside one’s native country are not a requirement. This strategy will also be very useful in areas of the world where Christian persecution is a problem.

The Martydom of Saint Paul - Tintoretto in 1556

For cases where the physical presence of a subject matter expert is required, the recommended course of action will be to use local people who are trained to accomplish this mission. So, while I expect that there will be some cases which will require the physical transportation of subject matter experts and teachers, in all cases a plan to transfer this capability into the hands of local people must be carried out. Therefore, train the trainer programs will be developed to achieve this objective and in some cases practical experience must be achieved by transporting people to the host country.

In summary, the computer systems, networks and course ware will support existing missions with the capability to improve the living standards of the peoples of the world, while also spreading the word of Jesus where it is currently absent. They will be a demonstration of the love of the body of Christ for all people. It will help them be self sufficient, not relying on the handouts of others but rather instilling in them the confidence of their ability to adequately care for their families and lead their respective communities.

Undertaking such an initiative will require a tremendous amount of work. But we already have a treasure of religious educational services in place. Certainly there are educational programs deployed for child education that includes K-12 courses. There are religious colleges that specialize in both contemporary as well as religious programs. There are seminaries and religious programs designed to prepare people for ministry. There are also existing audio/visual materials that are teaching programs, bible studies and religious education. These are the places to start because much of the material is available, well though out and proven to be effective. The work to be required would be to transfer this existing material into a form where it can be made available to others through the facilities we have been talking about.

One of the benefits of participating in such an effort is that there are several positive effects of developing such subject matter. First of all, it would enable these school systems to deploy this material in their own schools. This would provide teachers with a wealth of material to integrate into their own curriculum’s. This can provide the benefit of reducing the amount of time invested in developing this teaching material from scratch. This in turn could free teachers for other necessary activities like providing personalized tutoring, grading exams, preparing for future lesson plans or administrative paperwork.

The material developed for online course work can also be used by new teachers to reduce their class ware. In addition, since the material will be modularized, there will be times when pieces of material from one course can be reused. In such cases teacher productivity is improved. Other productivity improvements will also be provided such as self grading tests, templates for lesson plans, and student collaboration.

Tags: Bride of Christ, Christian Education, Christianity, church, God, Jesus, Ministry, religion, Religious, spiritual warfare, Spirituality

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UNITY AND LOVE ARE REQUIRED IN THE MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST

Filed under: Bride of Christ, Christian Love, Ministry, Possess the Vision, Spirituality, spirtual warfare, Unity — Leave a comment

March 29, 2011

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

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Read my story by ordering my book, “Possess the Vision”

UNITY AND LOVE ARE REQUIRED IN THE MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST

One objective of this posting is to communicate the mission of Possess the Vision ministries. In presenting this mission however, we take a good look at the subjects of unity and love which must be at the heart of any ministry attributed to Jesus Christ.

A mission statement addresses the primary objective of the ministry by identifying the direction in which the people are to direct their activities. A good mission statement should also answer the question, what are we to do? The Possess the Vision Mission Statement is presented below:

Christians from all denominations and sects will work together (unite) to collectively deploy the tools, technology, resources, and support necessary to enable all peoples of the world to improve their lives and living standards through the knowledge and blessings of Jesus Christ.

As we mentioned earlier there are two major components of the mission statement. One component is unity and the other is love.

A major component of the mission is to create unity in the bride of Christ as Jesus commanded. It is clear by looking at the following scripture that Jesus expects us to as one in Him and the Father:

I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given 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 (John 17: 20 – 23).

The Power of Prayer

This means that we must work with all other Christians toward continuing the mission that Jesus left us, which is that we love one another. The vision and mission statements presented here lead us to do this in a organized way. This mission is like that of Jesus in that it is designed to spread His love across the planet. Therefore, we must act as one body in love just as Jesus prayed.

This means that we will have to work around many of the issues that are dividing Christians currently. Therefore, our focus must be on Jesus our savior exclusively, striving to do the things that He did while He was on the earth. Further, we must look past our differences by understanding that they stem from the inability of men to always understand the ways and words of God.

Conflicting interpretations of the Bible for example, only reveals that one of the parties are wrong. Such differences can only be attributed to the fallibility of man since there is only unity and peace in the body of Christ. Therefore we must realize that our differences regarding church doctrine, philosophy and dogma are nothing more than different styles. Often these things make no difference in getting into heaven. What I do know is that we must work together because Jesus taught us that a house divided against itself cannot stand.

But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand” (Matthew 12:25).

In addition, the mission started by Jesus is a mission of love.

Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, “Where I am going, you cannot come,” so now I say to you. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:33 – 35).

The second component of the mission is love. If we love one another we must find a way to work together so that we will not be a house divided and secondly, so that the world will know that we are the true disciples of Jesus. If we love one another we will carry on the mission that Jesus left us. We will seek with all of our heart to have the same impact on the world as Jesus. The people who followed Jesus were fed. The sick that came to Jesus were healed. The people who heard the words of Jesus received the truth about God the Father and His love for them. The mission of Jesus was a mission of love, and the people touched were much better off for the experience. It is in this way that our mission is also a mission of love. It is to this goal that we aspire: that the impact of our ministry will leave the lives of others in a much better state, both physically and spiritually. A mission based on love is supported by the first two commandments.

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength (Deuteronomy 6:5).

You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD (Leviticus 19:18).

Moses and the Ten Comandments

In addition, much is expected of him to whom much has been given. This places a great deal of burden on us in the developed countries of the world, who do have the goods of the world at a time when there is much poverty and depression in undeveloped areas.

Jesus is also clear about loving unconditionally.

But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you (Luke 6:27 – 38).

Therefore, our goal is to love even those who hate us and abuse us. In addition, the love that we give is what we have and what we are. It is a love that will improve the lives to whom it is given. This love includes providing food, medicine, and clothing when needed. In addition, it includes telling the truth about Jesus, which should be evident, based on the demonstration of our actions. In today’s world, our love should show others how to better care for families. We must share our knowledge and technology and, therein, provide the capabilities necessary to achieve this objective. In this we will take them from the darkness and into the light.

Read my story by ordering my book, “Possess the Vision”

UNITY AND LOVE ARE REQUIRED IN THE MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST

Tags: Bride of Christ, Christian Love, Christianity, church, God, Jesus, Love, Ministry, religion, spiritual warfare, Spirituality, Unity

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A Visit to Heaven

Filed under: Bride of Christ, heaven, Jesus, Jesus is the Most Holy Place, Jesus is the Most Holy Place, Jesus the Holy Place, Jesus the Tabernacle, Jesus the Tabernacle Courtyard, Spirituality, spirtual warfare, Tabernacle, Tabernacle Courtyard, The Holy Of Holies, The Holy Place, The Most Holy Place — Leave a comment

March 23, 2011

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

A Visit to Heaven

In several of my prior postings I have talked about I have used the Tabernacle to help us understand that there are three levels of relationship we can have with God. Recently I saw a video of a man who claims that he has made several trips up to heaven and returned. I believe that he describes these types of relationships rather well. Prior to showing the video I thought it may be good to review one of our messages that delivers a high level review of these types of relationships. Here it is:

So, if we have lost our direction Jesus is the Way. If our life is a lie, Jesus is the Truth. If we are acting in a way that leads to death, Jesus is the Life. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, just as He claimed. He is the passage way to the Father and is the way through which every form of relationship with the Father can be achieved.

This foundation of Jesus being our spiritual Tabernacle paves the way for us to enter into the Courtyard, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place.

This being the case, Jesus is also the veil (or passageway) through which we enter into all three types of relationships that we can have with the Father. It is through the Way (entryway into the Tabernacle Courtyard) that we enter into a relationship of grace with the Father. It is through the Way that we enter the Courtyard where Jesus is the sacrifice for our sin and where we are purified by reflecting on His life and seeking to become like Him.

It is through the Truth (or entryway into the Holy Place of the Tabernacle) that we enter into a relationship of enlightenment with the Father. The Truth leads us into the Holy Place where our pathways are illuminated with God’s direction. This illumination also leads toward communion with God and enables us to become victorious in spiritual warfare.

It is through the Life (or entryway into the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle) that we enter into a relationship of covenant with the Father. The Life leads us into the Most Holy place where we find peace from our enemies, talk with God directly, receive the protection of His angels, have His law in our hearts, become a royal priesthood and depend on God’s provision exclusively. It is hear that we can once again know only good, and in this regard we are restored to the garden once again.

So now that we have presented what we have said in the past, lets look at the video where the three types of relationship we can have with God in the spiritual realm are described:

So this is very consistent with our prior messages. Entering through the Way of the Tabernacle results in the development of a relationship of grace. In this relationship our sins are forgiven through our repentance and the work of Jesus on the cross. In this relationship we come to see who Jesus is and seek to become like Him in preparation for ministry. In the video we find that the reward for our choices in this regard is to enter a place of peace through Jesus. In this place everyone feel like they are next to Him.

Entering through the Truth of the Tabernacle results in the development of a relationship of empowerment. In this relationship our pathways are illuminated, we develop a closer relationship with the Father, and we become effective in spiritual warfare, or bringing down the bonds of evil here on this earth just like Jesus did. In the video the pastor described this area as belonging to those who worked for God.

Entering through the Life of the Tabernacle results in the development of a relationship of covenant. In this relationship we have a special pact with God that is based upon His promise to us and in turn, our promise to Him. In it we can talk to God directly, receive the support of his angels and become a part of the royal priesthood. In the video this place is reserved for those who walk with God and was wonderful, although indescribable.

So, that is it for today. I am thinking on expanding this topic as there are quite a few scripture that have relevance but have not been discussed to this point.

Until then, may Gods blessings be upon you.

Papa Joe Gordon

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HOW TO POSSESS THE VISION OF A WORLD WON FOR JESUS

Filed under: Bride of Christ, Ministry, Possess the Vision, Spirituality, spirtual warfare — 1 Comment

March 16, 2011

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

Read my story by ordering my book, “Possess the Vision”

HOW TO POSSESS THE VISION OF A WORLD WON FOR JESUS

In my past couple of postings I have communicated how a man delivered a message from God to me that told me to possess the vision (A-Message-to-Possess-the-Vision.) In my last posting I articulated the vision (The-Vision-of-a-World-Won-for-Jesus) and fundamentally, when we look at it, it is a Christian vision of love. This message was confirmed by my own spiritual messages and images from God, which include:

Surrender-is-Followed-by-a-Glorious-Vision

A-Vision-of-the-Living-Cross-of-Jesus

The-Bride-of-Christ-is-to-Make-a-Straight-Path-for-the-Return-of-Jesus

The-Spiritual-Realm-of-the-Bride-of-Christ

The vision was further supported by the original vision statement of the church that I was attending, a church that God moved me thousands of miles to attend. So, today we are going to look a dig deeper into this vision by looking at how our church planned to achieve it.

Last week we briefly introduced the concept of the Christian Cultural Center. They are a key component of a strategic deployment plan. They are to be built one at a time and deployed along with all the necessary people, financing, and programs from the hub location, which would be our church in the beginning. In phase (1) of this strategy ten new hubs would be created. They would be deployed in major cities that spanned the entire globe. In phase (2) these new hubs would be developed such that they could create ten additional centers (called spokes) in that region of the world. In effect, each spoke would be a smaller version of the hub. They would serve smaller communities and accommodate fewer people but would have the same capability. Subsequent phases would result in the spokes also multiplying until the entire globe was covered.

Each spoke would be created by its hub which would be responsible to provide the people, financing, and educational capability. The plan calls for each Christian Cultural Center to grow, mature and become self-sustaining. This means that the local people eventually take control of it and therein be responsible for achieving the objective of creating several new spokes of its own in it locality. This in turn requires them to develop local people who in turn would be sent out to initiate new spokes.

The Disciples are Sent out

Each spoke is to be developed in close association with local governments. The plan requires that the land would have to be provided by the local government. In return, the building and the facilities would be provided by the hub ministry. In addition, the plan calls for everything to be turned back over to the local community within five years but managed by the people who have been trained for this specific purpose.

So that’s it in a nut shell. This is one way to possess the vision. Perhaps it is not the only way. Our next posting will look at a Mission statement to guide a Possess the Vision effort.

Read my story by ordering my book, “Possess the Vision”

Tags: Christianity, church, Jesus, Ministry, religion, spiritual warfare, Spirituality

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Category: Bride of Christ

The Experience of the Bride of Christ

THE BRIDE OF CHRIST DEFINED

Keep Your Lamps Burning

The New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb

What Actions Are We To Take?

References

A CORRELATION TO THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST

PROOF OF THE LAKE OF FIRE

THE JUDGMENT OF WORKS AND THE OPENED BOOKS

THE SECOND DEATH

THE SAVIOR

THE JUDGE

A CORRELATION WITH PSALM 30

CHAPTER 7 – GOD KEEPS COMMUNICATING

THE AUDIBLE VOICE OF GOD

A VISION OF A STRAIGHT PATH

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

The Great Commission

THE WHITE DOVE

A VISION OF THE ABANDONED CROSS COMING TO LIFE

SERVING THE CHURCH

A VISION FOR THE ANNUAL CHURCH CONFERENCE

THE TRENCH TO THE GLORY OF GOD

UNITING CHRISTIANS FOR POLITICAL INFLUENCE

Development of Course Ware in Support of Universal Christian Education

A Visit to Heaven

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

HOW TO POSSESS THE VISION OF A WORLD WON FOR JESUS

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