Tag Archive: God


What did Jesus mean when He Spoke about Judgment?

Filed under: Christian Love, forgiveness, Jesus, judgment, judgment day, the judgment — 2 Comments
January 9, 2012

 

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

 

What did Jesus mean when He Spoke about Judgment?

I read the following scripture this morning that pertained to judgment. The scripture is from Matt 7:

 1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

I have previously written about the subject of “judgment” several times. Quite frankly, much of this writing communicated my personal Judgment Day experiences at a time that I was near death. These experiences were spiritual in nature and are fascinating in that they reveal the truth about what lies on the other side of this life. If you would like to read about these experiences you can follow the following hyperlinks to them:

Judgment-Day

Reliving-my-sins-before-the-Judgment-Seat-of-Christ

Gods-Question-on-Judgment-Day

Opening-the-Books-on-Judgment-Day

Repentance-Brings-Salvation-Even-on-Judgment-Day

The Judgment Seat of Christ

I have also written about Judgment from a definitional point of view. In it I stated that there are two components of Judgment. In one we attempt to determine the truth and then determine the guilt or innocence of the accused.  If found guilty then the second component of judgment is invoked, which is the punishment for the offence.

So, when we look to the scripture presented above, we should ask ourselves what component(s) of judgment is Jesus speaking about? It certainly can not be about knowing the truth as the Holy Spirit often gives us discernment about such things. In addition, we could also be an eye-witness to the act and therefore know the truth. Is Jesus asking us not to be such a witness? Certainly not! Therefore Jesus must be talking about the delivery of punishment to others. 

The words of Jesus are quite powerful here. What they reveal is that if we can simply stop punishing others for their offences, then God will refrain from punishing us at the Judgment Day. This is an amazing promise because it directly impacts our eternity. What is even more amazing is what Jesus does not say. So for example, He makes no reference to any sin that may have committed in our lifetime. In fact, He does not communicate any other condition that would prevent anyone from being free from His Judgment. Simply put, punish not and you will not be punished.

In essence, we then become our own judge, in that how we deal with others will determine our fate. The measure we use to determine an offence worthy of punishment is the measure that will be used to determine our own guilt. The severity of our actions will determine how we are treated.

Jesus on the Cross

Why would this be? I believe that it is because it requires an extraordinary kind of love to do something like this, but it is precisely this kind of love that God desires from us. Jesus commanded us to Love one another as He loved us and we know that the love He gave us was His life on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. This is the ultimate love; to give up ones life so that others may live forever with God. This is the love that God wants from us!

Tags: , , , , ,
Comment

Developing A Relationship of Grace

Filed under: Jesus, Spirituality, spirtual warfare — Leave a comment
December 28, 2011

 

 

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

 

Developing A Relationship of Grace

To initiate a discussion about a Relationship of Grace, one must differentiate it from a definition of the State ofGracethat is found in certain Christian communities. As I understand this definition, a State ofGraceis demonstrated in the gifts that all people, good and otherwise, receive from God. Therefore, this Grace is demonstrated in that we are all alive and have the blessings of God’s provisions all around us. We have life, and air to breath, food to eat, and so on. So, in looking at the State of Grace in this way we give God the credit for all of the good things that we have here on Earth. In this regard, I agree that we should give God the credit for everything that we have as it is a reflection of God’s love that He has bestowed upon all of us.

Jesus is the Light of the Wordl

In extending this definition of a State of Grace we can say that our ability to establish a Relationship of Grace falls under its definition. However, this Relationship of Grace requires our participation as we must choose to initiate it and we must work to develop it. I suppose that this is not much different from initiating action to acquire food and then process it, cook it and serve it to our families. The big difference between the two is that a Relationship of Grace is derived exclusively from the work that Jesus did while He was on the earth, especially the work that He did on the cross. It was this work that is the foundation of the forgiveness of our sins. It is this work that opens the doors to the establishment of an intimate relationship with God that in turn leads us to be empowered warriors for Christ Jesus.

 

Jesus Sheds His Blood on the Cross

This relationship starts with our belief in Jesus and His works and then matures as we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Typically this leading starts with desire to learn everything that we can about the perfect model of God that is His Son Jesus. This is accomplished by reading and meditating on the Gospels that communicate the words and actions of Jesus on this Earth. In doing so the Holy Spirit calls us to examine our own nature in the pure light of these words and actions. He leads us to conform to the nature of Jesus such that we are not the person that we once were, but rather have metamorphosed into children of the living God.

The Holy Spirit

 So, when we step back and look at it, it is our desire to come closer to God and our willingness to do the work required to achieve it that activates the Holy Spirit to lead us toward our goal. Achieving a relationship with God that is led by the Holy Spirit is called a Relationship of Grace. Our ability to enter into such a relationship has been earned by the works of Jesus Christ on this earth.

 

The gifts of entering into this relationship are more than our metamorphosis however. Our reward is that upon the completion of our changed nature the Holy Spirit will lead us toward preparing ourselves for the ministry of Jesus Christ. When this occurs we will enter into an even deeper, more intimate relationship with God, one that empowers us to enter into the spiritual warfare of Jesus. This higher level of relationship is called a Relationship of Empowerment. In this Relationship of Empowerment our pathway will be illuminated and our prayers and actions will bring down the strongholds of the evil one. 

This is the level of relationship that enabled the church to grow and prosper through all the times of adversity. It is the level of relationship that empowered the actions of the apostles and saints of our history. It is the type of relationship that sponsors miracles in response to our actions and words, just like it did thousands of years ago. But is it your path? Are you ready to invest your time into developing a closer relationship with God?

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

Moving Toward a Closer Relationship with God

Filed under: Ministry, Spirituality, spirtual warfare — Leave a comment
October 24, 2011

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

Moving Toward a Closer Relationship with God

There are three distinct levels of relationship that man can achieve with God, and each has its own set of unique benefits and rewards. Interestingly, they are not well understood by many Christians and this often leads to disappointment as some enter into ministry unprepared. One of the fundamentals to entering into ministry is to have an established relationship with God. The reason for this is that the ministry of Jesus is spiritual warfare and as such, one confronts the evil principalities and powers of the spiritual world. As in all warfare, the fighters are in danger of being attacked and possibly loosing their lives. Running into a battlefield unprepared is foolish. Winning battles requires soldiers that have been well trained, well equipped and well directed. This is why Paul made the following proclamation in his letter to the Ephesians:

 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.


14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

The body of Christ - On Earth as it is Heaven

But all of this requires preparation. Going out and buying a helmet, a flack jacket and a rifle will not make you a soldier. Intense training is required as is proper leadership. It this regard we look to Jesus and His Holy Spirit. The life of Jesus, His words and actions as recorded in the Bible are all examples of spiritual warfare. In His words and actions we can clearly see how they differ from ours. The journey toward God requires a transformation from our nature to His. When we are adequately prepared the Holy Spirit will lead us into the battle just as He led Jesus. The Holy Spirit will lead us to become like Him. This is confirmed in the following scriptures:

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden (Matt 5:14).

Jesus the Light of the World is Transfigured before His Disciples

“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 (John 14:11-13).

Since everyone is created with a purpose, our relationship with God substantially affects our ability to complete our mission and destiny with God. As we uncover the basic principles of relationship with God, what we find is that in order to move closer to God we must go through a metamorphous in which we change our nature from what we were to an entirely new creature whose has conformed to God. In essence, the pupa becomes the butterfly in the eyes of God.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (2 Cor. 5:17).

The transformation often requires a true heart, a burning desire to develop a relationship with God and in some cases a substantial effort that in some cases can take years. In essence, there is a calling to complete the baptismal promise of our childhood by conforming our mind, heart and spirit to God, so that we become effective in achieving our purpose in life.   

The bottom line here is that understanding the types of relationships possible with God means that if you are sincerely seeking Jesus you will then find the pathway that leads to a closer relationship with Him and you will find the breakthroughs and receive the protection you may be praying for.

Jesus is the Light of the Wordl

With that said, lets start by looking at what these levels are, what they mean and then identify the path to moving toward a closer relationship with God.  

The three levels of relationship possible with God are; A relationship of grace, a relationship of empowerment and a relationship of covenant. At a very basic level, the Relationship of Grace has been established as we proclaim that Jesus is God’s Son, who gave up His life for us as redemption for our sins. So, in effect, establishment of this relationship only requires our sincere proclamation of our belief in Jesus. Once this relationship has been established, the serious work of moving toward our baptism is conducted and this work is the preparatory work required to establish a relationship of empowerment, which is the next level of relationship. Once this level has been achieved, our relationship with the Father become personal, our pathway becomes illuminated and our prayers and actions become effective in bringing down the powers of evil. The final level is the establishment of a relationship of Covenant. At this level our relationship with God is as a precious friend that has the confidence of God. People like Moses and Elijah would fall into this category. Peter, John and Andrew would also qualify as Jesus had twelve disciples but only three saw the transfiguration on the mountain. At this level we talk to God face to face and we have the support of God’s angels in our ministry.

As we move forward in subsequent postings I will drill down on these levels and how one can work toward achieving a closer relationship with God. By the way, it should be noted that all of this work has been derived from a study of the Tabernacle that was built to the specifications of God to become the place where God would dwell with His people. The discovery of this study was that every component and object found in the Tabernacle is prophetic of Jesus and His words and actions on earth. Most of the blog posting contained in this web site have been devoted to this subject.

Jesus, Moses Discuss the Fulfilment of Tabernacle Prophesy

So please feel to go to our home page to find an indexed into the components of this study that you may be interested in. Alternatively, use the search box on this page.

God bless you.

Papa Joe Gordon

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Comment

The Three Levels of Relationship Possible with God

Filed under: Jesus, Ministry, Spirituality, spirtual warfare — 3 Comments
August 23, 2011

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

The Three Levels of Relationship Possible with God

There are three distinct levels of relationship that man can have with God. An understanding of these levels and what it takes to achieve them is critical to everyone entering ministry. Since everyone who believes in Jesus has been called into a ministry of one sort or another, this means that all Christians would benefit from understanding these relationship principals. Understanding them means that if you are sincerely seeking Jesus you will then find the pathway that leads to a closer relationship with Him and you will find the breakthroughs you have been praying for. With that said, lets start by looking at what these levels are, what they mean and then identify the path to moving toward a closer relationship with God and a more effective ministry.

 

The three levels of relationship possible with God are:

 

  1. A Relationship of Grace. At this level a person obtains forgiveness of their sins in return for their belief in Jesus and the contrition of their heart. This grace has been provided as a part of the new covenant that Jesus gave us at the last supper and then shortly afterward, sealed by giving up His body and blood on the cross as payment for our sins. This grace is enacted by our free will choice to believe that Jesus was God’s Son who lowered Himself to human form so that the bondage of the devil over us would be broken. This relationship of grace provides the assistance of the Holy Spirit in understanding nature and attributes of God that were demonstrated here on earth by Jesus. This is often accomplished with the reading or knowledge of scripture that is illuminated by the Holy Spirit that we may understand the truth. Often we read, meditate and pray for understanding as we continuously seek for the truth of God. It is in this searching that the Spirit reveals the truth about God that enables us to see ourselves in the eyes of God. This reflection of light from the perfect example that Jesus provided us enables us to contemplate our readiness for a higher ministry. It leads us to seek to be like Him. Over time and with the help of the Spirit we change from being conformed to the world, to being conformed to the will of God.  This is not typically an instantaneous process but more often a journey of cycles of illumination and transformation. When it is completed, the person taking the journey is now prepared to enter into a closer relationship with God. This closer relationship with God will empower them to enter into successful ministry, which is the spiritual warfare of Jesus.
  2. A Relationship of Empowerment. At this level a person obtains the tools necessary for successful ministry from God in return for their devotion and dedication in seeking Him and changing their life to become more like Him. At this level a person becomes a part of God’s immediate family. His pathway and purpose in life are made known to him. He therefore receives protection and guidance from God by way of the Holy Spirit. The empowerment of the spiritual warrior is essential in entering into the spiritual army of Jesus. The spiritual warfare of prayer and action brings down principalities of evil. It includes doing the things that Jesus did in His ministry and often much more. The Holy Spirit enlightens our pathway as He did for the disciples after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Becoming a spiritual warrior is a prerequisite to moving to the next level which is the most intimate relationship man can have with God.  
  3. A Relationship of Covenant. At this level a person enters through the vale that was torn in two at the time of Jesus’ death on the cross. He enters into the place were God the Father dwells. A place of the highest priest. A person at this level stands with the angels that surround God and they talk to God face to face like Moses did. They are God’s spokesmen and the leaders of God’s people. They are intimately knowledgeable of God’s covenant and they work toward its propagation to the world.

 

What I have laid out here is a map that you use to see where you are on your journey toward God. Many of us simply have difficulty hanging on to our Relationship of Grace as we fallback into sin and then return back for forgiveness over and over again. If this is the case for you then I suggest that you initiate a daily program to develop and closer relationship with God. Follow the outline above and seek God and pray that your nature is conformed to Gods will. This is the way to ensure your salvation, as one never knows when our final breath on this earth may come.

 

If you are in a ministry that is struggling then perhaps you have not received sufficient empowerment to accomplish the mission. If this is the case then initiating an effort to move toward a Relationship of Empowerment will prove to be the cure you need. In fact, one would have to wonder how any true ministry can be pleasing to God without the guiding path of the Holy Spirit and His power to overcome the fiery darts of the devil. Without the power of the Holy Spirit in ministry how will the world come to know the truth? Will it be by our words and actions alone? I don’t think so, as this was not even enough in the ministry of Jesus where even miracles did not convince everyone. We find that in the ministry of Jesus that He proclaimed, took action and then the miracles came.   

 

In regard to the Relationship of Covenant I do not have much to say because achieving this level is fairly rare.

 

A valid question about all of this is; “Is this a scriptural doctrine”? The answer is YES! We will talk about the foundation for all of the above in our next posting.

 

God bless,

 

Papa Joe  

Tags: , , , , ,
Comment

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: , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

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

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.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

EVERYTHING WE NEEDED WAS ALREADY THERE!

Filed under: Ministry, Possess the Vision, Spirituality, spirtual warfare — Leave a comment
June 30, 2011

 

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

EVERYTHING WE NEEDED WAS ALREADY THERE!

One evening we were visited by an evangelist who preached a message at our Wednesday night church service. He had come to give us the message that everything we need already exists in the body of Christ. All we have to do is find a way to communicate our needs to the body so that those who have a surplus can give freely from their hearts to those who are in need. Surely this must be an integrated part of the vision.

 

The service was one of the most unusual that I have ever attended because so many people received the things that they needed in their lives during the service. This very bizarre set of circumstances started at a point in the service when the pastor picked a man out of the audience and asked him if he had a need. The man responded that he needed a car to enable him to get to work. While we all pondered this seemingly challenging task, another man in the congregation stood and proclaimed that he had a car that he no longer needed, that it was in good running condition, and he was willing to give it to the man who needed it. Everyone was amazed, and the congregation buzzed, and then applauded God for being so good.

 

The pastor then asked another man what he needed and again, someone else in the church was in a position to provide that need, and it went on and on. I am sure that at least twenty consecutive people had their needs met in this way. Cars were donated, rents were paid, medical services were given, airline tickets were provided, dental work was arranged, and so it went for the entire service. The service was a great success and very upbeat from everyone’s point of view.

 

I remember thinking to myself, so this is how God works.

 

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Comment

Another Message to Articulate the Vision

Filed under: Ministry, Possess the Vision, Spirituality, spirtual warfare — Leave a comment
June 27, 2011

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

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

Another Message to Articulate the Vision

Shortly afterwards, a pastor known for his outreach to third world countries came to preach for a week. After one of the services that week we had the opportunity to meet with this evangelist along with our pastor. The meeting was not planned but we somehow seemed to be in the right place at the right time. It is interesting to see how God puts these things together.

 

Right off the bat the evangelist initiated a conversation about reintroducing the original church vision. Needless to say I was very excited about this topic based upon all the other messages of this type I had been getting. I listened intently as the two men discussed the original vision of our church when suddenly the hammer fell. The evangelist told my pastor that God had sent me to his church to articulate the vision. Then in the course of conversation he repeated it several times. Here it was again, God was talking to me about the vision in plain language.

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

Tags: , , , , , ,
Comment

The Work of the Holy Spirit in Ministry – Modern Day Miracles

Filed under: Faith, Jesus, Ministry, Possess the Vision, Spirituality, spirtual warfare, the Holy Spirit, Unity — 2 Comments
June 24, 2011

The Morning Star Rising on the First Day

The Work of the Holy Spirit in Ministry – Modern Day Miracles

When our church decided to launch a program to increase membership, they secured speaking engagements from a number of well-known evangelists and pastors and offered special church services over a single weekend. To ensure that the public knew about the opportunity, they invested in an advertising campaign.

The church wanted everyone who attended these special events to get the message of our church out to our community. Therefore, they set up a number of tables just outside the church to sell books, videos, audiotapes, and other religious items. I had been asked to work the table that offered videotapes of a famous evangelist. In the course of the assignment, I struck up a conversation with an interesting man who came by the table. He mentioned that he had a food distribution ministry and had connections with several salmon companies in Alaska. These companies had a unique situation.

 

Due to government regulations, the fishermen had to collectively limit the amount of fish they sold each day. If they caught more than the legal limit on any given day, they had to dispose of the excess fish. This typically resulted in taking the excess fish back out to sea and dumping them in the ocean. As a result, the fishermen were dumping large volumes of fish back into the ocean on a regular basis. Now, this is where the opportunity came in. Although they could not sell the excess fish, they were allowed to donate it to a charitable organization. This was where his ministry came into play. He said that he worked with a number of people who would process and freeze the fish and others who would deliver it, all for free. I thought that this could be a great opportunity for our church food distribution program. This man seemed like a nice person, but I decided to check him out before doing anything. I asked him if he had worked with anyone else in our area. He mentioned two organizations, one about which he had many great things to say. He indicated that this organization was led by the Holy Spirit, and that the anointing there was unbelievable. The name of this organization is Friend Ships.

 

I was very impressed with what he told me about Friend Ships, so I called them and set up an appointment to meet one of their representatives. I also arranged for Johnnie, Wanda, and two other couples to see this organization with us. One day after work we drove over to the Friend Ships’ warehouse on the Long Beach docks. We entered the office area but found that the person we were scheduled to meet with was not there for some reason. However, there was another man there who seemed very interested in us. He introduced himself as Don Tipton. We were soon to find out that he was founder and leader of the Friend Ships organization. What an amazing and rare organization Friend Ships turned out to be.  At that time they did not ask for money. In fact, they operated very well with little money because every worker was a volunteer. No one was paid a salary, including Don and his wife, Sondra.

 

One thing that we noticed while we were there was that there was a lack of any organizational structure and minimal planning activities. I thought that anyone who came here from corporate America would be amazed at how this group got anything done at all. The irony of all of this was their tremendous ability to deliver food, supplies, equipment, and all sorts of other things to people who really needed it. This was all explained by the fact that they had a secret weapon—their faith in Jesus Christ. They simply stepped out in faith and trusted in God for what they needed. Time after time they watched in awe as God came through again and again.

 

Remember: Peter Walked on Water until he Doubted

Let me give you an example. They had a food distribution program in which they collected and distributed food for the poor each Saturday morning. Amazingly, they did not make any arrangements for people to bag the food into distribution packets so that the food could be easily passed out to the poor and needy. People just showed up. The right number of people showed up at just the right time to get the job done. They trusted in God, and God delivered.

 

The entire operation was run this way—on God power. There was something special about Don that I liked right away. He was a no-nonsense kind of guy. He had seen it all, and he was serious about his commitment to God. He told us a story of how he brought his wife to Jesus prior to their marriage. They had read the entire Bible together, and once they did, the call of God became clear to them, and they went into full-time ministry.

 

They sold their Beverly Hill’s polo field and other businesses and started their ministry by simply stepping out in faith. Their vision was to collect surplus food from the wealthiest country in the world—the United States of America—and distribute it to the poor and the hungry people of the world.

 

Don told us all about their ministry, and how they got started. For example, he told us a story of how their first ship was donated to them. Soon after they had entered full-time ministry, they found their heart was for the poor and starving people all over the world. But to care for them, they would require a ship to transport goods they had collected to the places where people needed them. So, they started praying for an ocean-going ship, but nothing happened at first. Consequently, they said to themselves, we must step out in faith and start looking at ships that are for sale.

 

One day Don went to look at a 300-foot ocean transport ship. The owner took him on a tour of the ship showing him everything it had to offer. After the tour, the owner invited Don to have a cup of coffee with him, and they sat down to talk. The owner was obviously very interested in selling the ship, and he immediately started to negotiate the price with Don. This, however, made Don uncomfortable because he did not know how to tell the man he didn’t have the money to buy it. Eventually, he told the owner that he ran a food distribution ministry and hoped that he would donate the ship to them. The owner agreed immediately. All he had to do was to come over the following day and sign the papers. That is how Friend Ships got into the shipping business. They stepped out in faith, and God delivered.

 

But now they had to find a place to store the items to be shipped when the ship was out to sea making deliveries. They found a warehouse that was not being used and got permission from the owner to use it rent free until he could sell it. That owner sold the property after six months, but the new owner extended the agreement with them until he could lease the warehouse to someone else. The result was that they were able to use the warehouse for an additional eighteen months prior to finding their next warehouse in Los Angeles.

 

Again, they stepped out in faith and God delivered. This kind of thing was the norm for this ministry. There are so many stories like this about Friend Ships. Miracles prevented disaster, money was given just when they needed it, and skilled people like retired naval officers showed up saying that God sent them.

 

Don explained that their food collection depended on what the local businesses gave them. They also worked with church groups and other individuals to distribute the food locally to the poor. Clearly, God was blessing this ministry. Don explained all of this as he escorted us through the warehouse. We got to see, first hand, all the items that they had collected and eventually would be shipped overseas. The items consisted of all of the things that are needed to support a community including —school desks, fire fighting equipment, and medical equipment. The Holy Spirit was overseeing it all. Pat and I broke off from the group for a while and walked through all three floors of the warehouse, crying like babies most of the time. We were humbled how God had supported this ministry.

 

Don took us out to the dock where the newest of their three ships was being renovated for duty. The ship was longer than a football field and more than five stories above the water line. The ship was being renovated to become a floating hospital. Their plan was to bring the ship into various ports around the world to deliver medical attention to the poor. As they brought people aboard ship for treatment, there would be opportunity to tell them about Jesus. We walked through the ship and found a great number of people working to convert it for her new mission. I thought: the ship is huge, what a job it is going to be to make her ready for the mission.

 

The Holy Spirit was on the ship as well. Don brought us to one of the finished meeting rooms and led us in prayer. I believe that every one of us had tears in our eyes in the midst of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. What a pleasure to find a ministry working under the pure guidance and direction of God. I guess that you could say that we got more than we bargained for, but somewhere along the way we did manage to ask Don about the man who had the salmon fish distribution ministry. He indicated that he knew him, and he had been there to visit with them but they had only gotten a couple hundred pounds of fish from him.

 

Subsequently, this information did not sway us one way or the other. We did not get what we went for, but God delivered what He wanted us to have. He was providing information once-again. This time it was to see how He worked with His people. He showed us a ministry that was His ministry. It ran with volunteer help and required very little money. It was a ministry that was directed by the Holy Spirit with little planning and organization. This ministry just stepped out in faith and learned to depend on Him. He showed us that miracles are still happening today. God has a heart for the poor and the needy. He showed us a ministry focused on building communities and enabling people to better care for their families. If you would like to know more about the Friend Ships ministry, read the book entitled, Jesus and Company—Part 1 by Don and Sondra Tipton. Information on how to order the book or learn more about the ministry is on the Internet. Simply go to http://friendships.org/

 

Thank you, Don and Sondra, for being such a true example of what it means to be a Christian.

 

Subsequently, this information did not sway us one way or the other. We did not get what we went for, but God delivered what He wanted us to have. He was providing information once-again. This time it was to see how He worked with His people. He showed us a ministry that was His ministry. It ran with volunteer help and required very little money. It was a ministry that was directed by the Holy Spirit with little planning and organization. This ministry just stepped out in faith and learned to depend on Him. He showed us that miracles are still happening today. God has a heart for the poor and the needy. He showed us a ministry focused on building communities and enabling people to better care for their families. If you would like to know more about the Friend Ships ministry, read the book entitled, Jesus and Company—Part 1 by Don and Sondra Tipton. Information on how to order the book or learn more about the ministry is on the Internet. Simply go to http://friendships.org/

 

Thank you, Don and Sondra, for being such a true example of what it means to be a Christian.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Comment

THE GOLDEN BOX

Filed under: Ministry, Possess the Vision, Spirituality, spirtual warfare — 2 Comments
June 23, 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 GOLDEN BOX

One day my wife told me about a dream of hers. In the dream, we were on a stage with Johnnie and Wanda. I was wearing a graduation cap and gown and was holding a golden box. I was apparently very proud of it because it had been a gift from Johnnie. However, she did not know the location or the reason we were there. This led to much speculation about what all of this might mean. So, we waited in anticipation for this special occasion to transpire but nothing happened. The golden box has remained a mystery to me until now.

 

After thinking about it for a while, I recalled a time when the four of us went to a Christian conference. It was the second day of the conference, and the pastor was closing it with a prayer. He asked everyone to join hands and Johnnie happened to be sitting next to me. As he prayed, I felt electricity flow up my arm from Johnnie’s hand. When the prayer was over, Johnnie asked if I had felt it. I said that I had, and we both looked at each other in amazement over what had just occurred. That was it. We left the conference together, and we never talked about the incident again although I certainly had received something from Johnnie that day.

 

In another instance, Johnnie shared with us that God was leading him to write a book. He had a yellow tablet in his hand that contained a five-page outline for the book. As I looked it over, I marveled at its completeness and organization. It inspired me, and I thought to myself that I should be doing this as well. God was talking to me again, but I just did not get it nor did anyone else for that matter. Before we left California for good, Johnnie met with me to tell me that in a spiritual sense he had already given me the box. I suspect that God must have told him to deliver this message to me even though Johnnie most likely did not know what he had given me. When he delivered the message, I thought that he was just embarrassed and wanted to bring the subject to closure. I went along with him because I did not want it to be a problem for him. But at the time, I still did not believe that he had given me anything.

 

It is funny how writing my book, “Possess the Vision,” has opened my eyes to what had previously been hidden. Johnnie had given me the golden box after all. If you have not already guessed, you are reading a part of it right now. He had placed in my heart the desire to write this book. It is a box because it contains an accumulation of the truth that God has shown me over the years. It is golden because it is valuable to those who read it. Thank you, Pat, for the prophetic message of the golden box. Thank you, Johnnie, for doing the will of God and for giving me a most precious gift.

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.

 

Tags: , , , , ,
Comment