Posts

Heir Borne

/0 Comments/in /by

Colossians 1:24 [Even] now I rejoice in the midst of my sufferings on your behalf. And in my own person I am making up whatever is still lacking and remains to be completed [on our part] of Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of His body, which is the church.

Years ago I was reading Acts 5:40-42 that stated: and summoning the apostles, they flogged them and sternly forbade them to speak in or about the name of Jesus, and allowed them to go.41 So they went out from the presence of the council (Sanhedrin), rejoicing that they were being counted worthy [dignified by the indignity] to suffer shame and be exposed to disgrace for [the sake of] His name.42 Yet [in spite of the threats] they never ceased for a single day, both in the temple area and at home, to teach and to proclaim the good news (Gospel) of Jesus [as] the Christ (the Messiah). Verse 41 dumbfounded me: So they went out from the presence of the council (Sanhedrin), rejoicing that they were being counted worthy [dignified by the indignity] to suffer shame and be exposed to disgrace for [the sake of] His name.

For years I couldn’t understand the reaction of the Disciples until I combined it with Paul’s declaration in Colossians 1:24: I am making up whatever is still lacking and remains to be completed [on our part] of Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of His body…We don’t fully comprehend the fact that we make up the Body of Jesus. It’s not simply metaphorical, or symbolic language. We are the Body of Jesus. That means everything we suffer in obedient surrender to Jesus is being done to Jesus. That is the honor. Your sufferings are equal to Christ’s sufferings and you are being made one with Him through His sufferings. Your rejections, and persecutions, and the criticisms you receive on His behalf, your sacrificial, and misunderstood obediences, giving till it hurts, and giving to those who use and abuse you – all of these are added to the furrowed scars in His back, the nail scars in His feet and hands, and His thorn-pierced brow. All of these are added to His Glorified, Resurrected Body! Isaiah 49:16 states: See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands…(Which means we really are engraved on the palms of His hands.)

Recently a member of our church asked, Is Jesus still suffering? To which I replied, Absolutely! He suffers long in His love, and prayers for us. But it never crossed my mind to add, when we suffer – He suffers. We become His nail-pierced hands and feet. We become His pierced side, and His thorn-pierced brow. We become His scarred and furrowed back. We become the drops of blood He sweat in the Garden.

Most avoid suffering at all costs failing to realize these eternal truths. For these things we will be rewarded as He returns to earth in His Glory. For you see, His Glorified scars become our glory as we share in His Glory. This is why Paul reminds us in the book of Romans 8:17-18 And if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him]; only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory.18 [But what of that?] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time (this present life) are not worth being compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us and for us and conferred on us! Jesus’ Glory is to return to this earth to rule and reign. Only the meek will inherit the earth with Him. The meek being those who chose to suffer with Him in faithful love and surrender to His Word, His Will, and His Way. These are the true sons, and daughters of God. Those who are willing to follow Him in discipleship, serving others, witness, and missions. As the prophet Bob Jones was asked by Jesus, Did you learn to Love? Love God with ALL? Love your neighbor as yourself?

From Stone Wall to Wailing Wall

/in /by

And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:11


“What the hippies were to the first Jesus movement, maybe the LGBT will be to this Jesus movement.”     

The Stonewall Inn there in New York City is widely considered the flashpoint for the 1969 gay rights movement. The results of that revolution are extraordinary in what it has gained in culture and influence over the nations of the earth. The Church took a stand against this Stonewall movement. Rightfully holding fast to Biblical truth we often failed to express the love of Christ to the LGBT community. I myself took a public stand for marriage only between a man and a woman. Regretfully at times I didn’t express with wisdom and love the truth I was trying to communicate, though often in tears, I would call on Jesus to help me represent him rightly.

I’m afraid that the stone wall approach to the Stonewall movement built walls, instead of representing Jesus in whom is the fullness of Grace and Truth. Now, I think,  the Lord has given us by revelation his heart’s pathway to this community. It is the pathway of the wailing wall, not the Stonewall.

In 1989 a great prophet named Bob Jones was caught up in a vision where he saw 100,000 LGBT men and women being set free. Many were raised up to preach the love of Christ with power. AIDS was being healed and lives were being transformed. He saw this as only the first wave of a massive Jesus Movement. Bob said to us, “It’s a true vision, but it’s waiting for an intercessory movement to carry it in prayer.”

Then some years ago my friend had a dream in Nashville. In the dream he saw a wailing wall over which was written, “100,000 LGBT saved and transformed.” Individual names of those struggling with same-sex attraction and desiring to be free were written on the wall. He then saw people coming to the wall, putting their hands on one of the names and with love and tears would begin praying for those dear ones. Suddenly the name would fly off the wailing wall and fly over to a testimony wall because they had been touched and changed by God.

1st Corinthians speaks of those wrongly living in various sexual lifestyles, but God says, “Such were some of you, but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of Jesus Christ.”

15 years ago the Lord Jesus gave our community a prayer assignment to pray for those 100,000. Would many of you reading this and joining on this fast take up this prayer with me daring to believe for a great outpouring of God’s love and power on the LGBTQ community? Pray that wailing walls would go up everywhere and that Jesus would give us his heart of love. Would you join me in praying continuously, “Lord of the Harvest, ekballo laborers into this community you love!”

Prayer

Lord today we believe that there is another mass Jesus Movement coming where thousands will be saved healed and touched by your love. We believe you are going to sing a new love song over this nation. Sing it over the LGBT community. Ring the bell of freedom once again over our land. Cause the Church to be prepared to open their hearts, not with a stone wall, but with a wailing wall of love, kindness, and patience to receive them into our family. We pray for 100,000 souls as the first wave of those who will proclaim, “Such was I, but I was washed.”  Amen.