Powerful Little Trumpets

"Blow the trumpet in Zion... call a solemn assembly; gather the people. Consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants..." (From Joel 2)

I love seeing little children come to Jesus in prayer, believing that He hears them and confident that He will answer!

Once a month we gather the band and invite people of all ages to come together to pray that God would be known, loved, and obeyed in our region. We call it the "Joel 2 Prayer & Worship Gathering" in the spirit of the call which the Lord gave to the prophet Joel for young and old alike to gather; giving their whole hearts to God while asking for His mercy before the day of His return.

There are few ways I'd rather spend a Friday night! We sing, we dance, we read the Word, and we pray. At our most recent gathering, many of our young ones responded to the invitation to come forward to pray for other children in Minnesota. They prayed for the poor, for unsaved friends, for God to send people to tell children about Him, they prayed that the children of this region would know the love of Jesus and love Him in return. My heart was moved, but most importantly, I believe that God's heart and hand were moved because they asked. These little voices are powerful little trumpets!

Faithful Unto Death

...Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. - Revelation 2:10

I've been wrestling through a look at what a human heart goes through in the midst of suffering and it's left me asking the Lord to strengthen my love and faith. I need the Holy Spirit's help to embrace His leadership even if it were to lead me to walk through tremendous suffering and sacrifice.

I cannot recommend the book "Perpetua" highly enough. To be honest, I’m not one to read novels often, but after a few strong nudges, I gave it a chance.  What ensued was a journey for my heart that surprised me and provoked me to deeper hunger for Jesus... I was captivated.  Nearly every chapter of this novel has brought me to my knees in prayer before the Lord; asking for His help, for His grace, for the refining of my heart, and for an increase in love for Him.  "Perpetua" is based on the true story of a Christian woman who was martyred for her faith around 202 AD.  The last several chapters of the book are filled with content from the real-life journals that this courageous young noblewoman wrote while being held in a Roman-ruled Tunisian prison awaiting her trial and execution before a crowd in an arena with wild beasts and all.     

For the past several weeks I’ve been facilitating a book club for women to journey through this heart-gripping novel together.  I’ve marveled each week as the Lord has helped us to share openly with one another, brought us to tears, and drawn us to Him in prayer.  We’ve all been stirred by the way Perpetua lived in constant awareness of the presence of Jesus and learned to cultivate ongoing communication with Him.  It was this strong relationship with Jesus that helped Perpetua to remain faithful to Him without fear of persecution or of a martyr’s death.  

Lord, grow this kind of inner reality within me...

Hearing His Heartbeat

Tonight there was a resounding "YES!" within me as I reread these words written in 2002 by my dear friend and mentor, Nita Steiner.  I remember feeling a great big "amen" in my heart nine years ago when I first read this... and with every passing year since, I'm more and more certain it's true:

"No matter what the primary focus of God's call and destiny is for their lives, each one must learn to hear His heartbeat and move with Him, and this kind of partnership is only possible through a lifestyle of intimacy with Him.

The missions movement that is emerging today will be fueled by the love and affection of One Who endured the cross for the joy of having a Bride to rule and reign by His side forever. And that which will empower the Bride to endure the suffering necessary to gather in the final harvest from all nations will be her desire for the heavenly Bridegroom. May the grace and power of the Holy Spirit take us into the heart of God and back out to the nations with His fiery love!"

The Return of the King

When the King returns, He'll split the Mount of Olives in two - Zechariah 14:3-5

"Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal..."

Wondering and trembling at the thought...
As Jesus sat upon the Mount of Olives to teach His disciples about the end of the age and His return (Mark 13) did He simultaneously feel the gravity of the awesome events foretold in Zechariah that would one day ensue upon this ridge that King David had also walked a thousand years before Jesus had (2 Samuel 15:30)?  Isn't it just like God to weave together dramatic events of desperation, destruction, redemption, and glory... all to unfold in a single location over the span of several millennia?

For thousands of years, devout Jews have hoped for a glorious king, a Messiah, to lead them victoriously to the fulfillment of the promises of God to turn their shame into praise and renown throughout the earth (Zephaniah 3:18-20 & Jeremiah 33).  Over the years, some 70,000 Jews have been buried on this ridge, believing that upon the return of the King foretold in Zechariah 14, those buried here would be among the first to be resurrected.

The next time you find yourself feeling the desire to be fascinated, instead of popping in a movie or picking up a written work of fiction, grab your Bible and ask the Holy Spirit to anoint your mind and heart to "experience" the scenes that have unfolded on the Mount of Olives, and those that are still yet to come.  Let the Holy Spirit grip your heart with awe as you see how God has woven together so many significant moments in this one place... a nearly two mile long, olive tree dotted ridge which runs north to south just a half mile walk to the east of Jerusalem.

"Venture" to the Mount of Olives for an hour or two and take in the sights, sounds, and emotions of these events that have and will take place there:

• Luke 19:28-40 ~ Jesus' "Triumphal Entry" into Jerusalem before the crucifixion
• Luke 19:41-44 ~ Jesus weeps over Jerusalem (with elevation 100 feet higher than the city, the Mount of Olives offers a great view of the city and Temple)
• Luke 21:37-38 ~ Jesus lodges here before the Passover
• Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:26-42, & Luke 22:39-46 ~ Jesus prays at Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives before His arrest
• Matthew 26:47-56 ~ Jesus' arrest
• Acts 1:6-12 ~ Jesus' ascension into heaven
• Zechariah 14 ~ The coming Day of the Lord

I'd love to actually travel to Israel someday and walk the dusty path leading up the Mount of Olives... to ponder these scenes and tell Jesus that I long for the day when He will return to that very place at the culmination of His amazing age-old story... when He'll come as a zealous warrior and split the mount in two to provide a way of escape for His beloved people in their time of greatest need.  Lord, we're awaiting the return of our victorious King who rescues and saves and will establish everlasting justice!

Comfort for God's People (Isaiah 40:1-5)
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

Sound of the Final Trumpet

My heart is exhilarated this morning as I study and pray in the Prayer Sanctuary! I woke up this morning remembering that today is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish Feast of Trumpets, and considered how in my own heart today I wanted to acknowledge longing for the sound of that trumpet and return of the King, Jesus Messiah. The musical prayer watch we're streaming in via the internet (check it out here!) is singing and praying around the New Testament passages of the Second Coming of Jesus Messiah with the sound of the final trumpet and the team even has trumpet accompaniment! My heart can't help but leap with longing for that Day... the reality, glory, and drama of it all will far eclipse that final battle scene in JRR Tolkien's "The Return of the King"... this previous post unfolds the story much more thoroughly than I will here.

I pondered these passages:
Revelation 10:7 - ...in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.

Revelation 11:15 - Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever."

1 Thessalonians 4:16 - For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God.

And then received this email from some dear friends:

Today, the first day of the Jewish 7^th month, is the Feast of Trumpets (Numbers 29:1/Leviticus 23:24). The word Teruah means “shouting” or “raising a noise”. The sounding of the shofar during this Feast is calling for the Messiah to come. To the Messianic believer the Messiah has already come and we call for His second coming thus fulfilling the Feast of Trumpets. In traditional Judaism, this Feast has also been called Rosh Hashanah (Head of the Year) and is considered the Jewish New Year.

It is very significant that according to Torah the shofar is to be sounded on this Feast day. For the sound of the shofar is also meant to stir fear in the heart and to inspire teshuvah (repentance) Amos 3:6 The Feast of Trumpets marks the beginning of a 10 day period of prayer and repentance which culminates on the fast day of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). These ten days are known as the Days of Awe.

Waiting for the return of our Mashiach Yeshua,

Dennis and Joy

Yes, Jesus Messiah, You alone are the King that I want and I join with many others around the world today in praying that You would come home!

How's This For Drama?... Kingdom of God (part 6)

Under the glow of the moon and stars, Mom and I marveled at the reality of the incarnation of Jesus during a late night chat in the backyard this past Christmas. "I don't think I've ever really thought much about the fact that even today Jesus is still in a human body and will be in that body forever...," Mom said with awe in her voice. I replied, "Doesn't it give you a whole new appreciation for Christmas? Jesus didn't just temporarily humble Himself when He came as a baby that first Christmas, but He took on human flesh forever... Who else has ever loved like that?" Our hearts swelled with more love for Jesus and wonder at the story He is continuing to unfold.

It's pretty amazing that the King of kings took on human flesh forever, died, rose from the dead, then ascended into heaven and remains there today in a resurrected human body, isn't it!?!?? (Mark 16:19; Acts 7:55; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3; 1 Peter 3:22) What thrills my heart even further is the rest of this story yet to unfold... Jesus has promised that He will return one day in His resurrected body at the sound of the final (7th) trumpet (Revelation 11:15; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 24:29-31). When He returns (Jesus in the flesh; a Jewish man), He will remain here, restoring the earth and establishing His rule from His throne in Jerusalem (as God promised David that there would forever be one from his lineage reigning on his throne - 2 Samuel 7:12-16; Psalm 89:2-4; Psalm 132:11,12; Psalm 2:6-8). During this time, every enemy to righteousness and justice will be put under the feet of King Jesus (Acts 2:34-35; 1 Corinthians 15:24-26). How's that for drama?

I'll leave you with scriptures that tell this very real and yet unfolding story better than I can:

Isaiah 9:6,7 - For to us a child is born [Jesus, Messiah], to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

Luke 1:30-33 - And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

Revelation 10:7 - ...in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets [see Amos 3:7].

Revelation 11:15 - Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever."

1 Thessalonians 4:16 - For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God.

Matthew 24:27 - For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Daniel 7:13,14 - "I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man [Jesus, Messiah], and he came to the Ancient of Days [the Father] and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

To sum it all up...
Philippians 2:5-11 - ...Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Nothing That Eclipses JOY... Kingdom of God (part 5)

In the New Heavens and New Earth there will be NOTHING that eclipses JOY... those who love Jesus in this age will experience endless joy in that age which will be far better than any great expectation my finite mind could conjure up.

"No death, no suffering. No funeral homes, abortion clinics, or psychiatric wards. No rape, missing children, or drug rehabilitation centers. No bigotry, no muggings or killings. No worry or depression or economic downturns. No wars, no unemployment. No anguish over failure and miscommunication. No con men. No locks... No mourning. No pain. No boredom.

No arthritis, no handicaps, no cancer, no taxes, no bills, no computer crashes, no weeds, no bombs, no drunkenness, no traffic jams and accidents, no septic-tank backups. No mental illness. No unwanted e-mails.

Close friendships but no cliques, laughter but no put-downs. Intimacy, but no temptation to immorality. No hidden agendas, no backroom deals, no betrayals.

Imagine mealtimes full of stories, laughter, and joy, without fear of insensitivity, inappropriate behavior, anger, gossip, lust, jealousy, hurt feelings, or anything that eclipses joy..."
- Randy Alcorn, Heaven

"Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied [then]. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh [then]. Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven...” Luke 6:20-23

Death Swallowed Up In Victory... Kingdom of God (part 4)

Behold! I tell you a mystery... we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. ...then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
"Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" 1 Corinthians 15:51-55

In a world where death seems so inescapable, it is astounding to ponder the reality that we were never meant to die. With this curse that sin has brought, so much of our life now is oriented around death and the fear of it. Our great hope that will certainly be realized is that Jesus is returning to conquer death forever and redeem our bodies too! I'm beginning to pray for and interpret miraculous healing today as a tiny foretaste of what the power of God will do in THAT DAY -- a sign to anchor hearts in the hope of what is coming when the King returns.

Our coming resurrection is spoken of throughout the Bible. Here are a few passages to whet your appetite:

1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 tells us to comfort one another with these words : "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus... For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air."

1 Corinthians 6:14 - And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.

1 Corinthians 15:20-26 - But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father... For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Romans 8:22,23 - For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

We Will See His Face... Kingdom of God (part 3)

"...And they will
see His face..."
Revelation 22:4

"...We will likely wonder if we ever lived before we saw his face!... To look into God's eyes will be to see what we've always longed to see: the [One] who made us and for whom we were made... Seeing God will be like seeing everything else for the first time...."
- Randy Alcorn, Heaven

Where Righteousness Dwells... Kingdom of God (part 2)

But according to His promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 2 Peter 3:13

Will it be like breathing air for the first time?... the purest, most refreshing breath of air imaginable... breathed in by a resurrected, glorified body on the restored earth where righteousness dwells. No more sin, no more curse of death, no more pain, no more sorrow... ahhhhh...

Rather than me unpacking that weighty thought here today, I want to encourage you to dig into the Scriptures yourself and take your time... enough time to actually begin to imagine the glory of it. Most importantly, ask the Holy Spirit to fascinate your heart with the plan of God as He gives to you wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:17). Revelation 21 is a great place to start!

Longing For a Better Country... Kingdom of God (part 1)

...They desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one.
Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God,
for He has prepared for them a city.

Hebrews 11:16

..I still remember it today..
As a child, fear mixed with awe and excitement would come over me nearly every time I saw sunbeams breaking through the sky on a cloudy day. "Is Jesus coming back today?," "Will He be taking me with Him?," I would wonder through my heavily clouded understanding of eternity. Now, years later, much stronger hope, longing, and expectation have begun rising up within me surrounding the subject of eternity and the Kingdom of God.

..Who doesn't long for all wrongs to be made right?..
Every election season, don't we all itch for quality governance in the land; for wise and good leaders to be elected? There is something knit within the fabric of every human heart that longs for all to be well, for everyone to get along, for genuine love to be what naturally flows in interactions between all people. We literally ache for a cure for cancer, for there to be an end to death, suffering, and pain. Could such a reality ever be possible?

I am more convinced than ever that most, if not all, of our hopes in human efforts toward peace, well-being, and love at home and abroad are misplaced. These days my expectation is being anchored in what I believe is the one and only lasting solution. There is hope; this reality we live in today is not the end of the story. Isaiah 42:4 promises God "will not grow faint or be discouraged till He has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for His law."

..Could it be that there is such a King who really will come?..
There's a conviction within my heart that the perfect leader really is coming in the flesh; that Jesus Himself will lovingly rule within a real government over a real domain... a real kingdom... and "His glory will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea," Habakkuk 2:14. The overarching message of the Bible is that from the beginning of time, the plan and desire of God has been to actually dwell among us, the people He created and loves. I believe it will happen... my prayer is that it will happen soon.

Imagine what you would feel inside at hearing this oracle yourself: "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore...'" Revelation 21:3,4

..More to come..
This is a massive topic that's threaded throughout the Scriptures... way too much for one blog post! How will I ever find words to begin to describe the thrill of the thought of having an indestructible body that lives forever on the fully restored earth where God Himself dwells among men? I'll have to unpack these thoughts another day (I suppose for all eternity). Stay tuned for more verses and snippets of revelation as I continue to reflect on the abundance of Scriptures on the subject...

Day of the Lord Church

..Living with expectation and being made ready..
The Lord is stirring in our midst at Bethany Church and bringing some weighty matters to the forefront. One of the key themes He is highlighting is the call to participate in orienting a people around "The Day of the Lord." We pray that God's grace would help the Church in the Twin Cities be a people who live the moments of our lives as though we could personally see the return of Jesus to the earth. Whether or not He returns in our generation, we desire to live as those who hunger for it in prayer, who proclaim it in evangelism and discipleship, who are gripped by it, and who hunger to bear the characteristics of the fiery holiness and love that Jesus says He is looking for in His Church in Revelation 2 & 3.

I've been struck by how the Lord is bringing passion for this to the hearts of the leaders of Bethany Church. To read more from them on this topic, see these compelling blog entries:

From Matt Hedrick, Senior Pastor


From Dave Willcock, Administrative Pastor

Voluntary Weakness :: What?!?!

Nita, pictured here with with me and my dear friends Kerry & Angie

"Prayer is the ONLY means to access grace... divine favor and power..."

- John Harrigan (teacher at IHOP-KC)

I've been blessed this past month to sit under the teaching of two of the most humble and anointed Bible teachers I have ever been privileged to know: Nita Steiner and John Harrigan. They've been teaching me about prayer and how to live my life today for the age to come.

Here's a little nugget that has been "messing with my mind" and beginning to change the way I order my life:
"The hearers of the Sermon on the Mount were people who understood all about a coming Messiah who would destroy wickedness and rule on David’s throne in Jerusalem, restoring the earthly paradise that was in the beginning. They saw in Jesus the signs of the Messiah and were following Him around because they wanted to be in that Messianic kingdom; knowing this, Jesus preaches this sermon, showing them the nature of His kingdom and of those who would be part of it; then He tells them what the lifestyle must be in order to persevere in this age and prepare for the age to come – it’s a lifestyle of watchful prayer and voluntary weakness in the areas of food, time, energy, money, and words. Through the activities of praying, giving, serving, blessing our enemies and fasting food (Matt. 6:1-18), we voluntarily embrace weakness and declare to God that we derive our life and strength from Him alone. Unless these are practiced with a heart motivated by love, they are vain and empty."

How contrary to everything we've grown to know and embrace in this life! We love strength, wealth, pleasure, receiving, free-time... and yet, if we are really honest with ourselves, none of that truly satisfies us in a lasting way, right? I know I was made to be satisfied in God now and for all eternity... God, I pray that You would give me grace to embrace voluntary weakness.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." - Matthew 5:6

Strangers & Pilgrims on the Earth

..living for the age to come..
How do I live TODAY for THAT day when Jesus will return? Do the moments and decisions of my days declare that I love Him and desire to stand before Him without shame when He comes? Do I live as a "stranger and pilgrim" in the earth? Do I love this life, this world, more than I long for and live for the one that is to come?

God's been rearranging much in my heart this year. I've been stunned to see how much the Bible speaks of living blameless and holy today, on this earth, in light of our permanent residence being in Jesus' coming kingdom (Romans 8:29; 1 Corinthians 1:6-8; Ephesians 5:27; Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 5:23; 1 Timothy 6:11-14; Hebrews 12: 28,29; 1 Peter 1:13-16; 2 Peter 3:13-14; Revelation 3:4-5). I'm beginning to believe it really is true that the best this world has to offer, with every last one of it's pleasures, cannot compare to the glory we can know in the age to come.

Hebrews 11:13,16 These [fathers of the faith] all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth... But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

1 Chronicles 29:15 - For we are aliens [sojourners, temporary residents] and pilgrims [transients] before You, as were all our fathers; our days on earth are as a shadow...

This has been the overarching theme that has helped to guide my days since 2009 began and I wouldn't trade the fruit that has come within my heart for anything this world has to offer! To hear more, listen to my recent teaching entitled: "Strangers & Pilgrims ..living for the age to come.."

The Righteous Judge

“The most neglected subject in the Kingdom of God is God. The knowledge of God is the Mt. Everest of the Kingdom... we must have a steady resolve in our spirit to press on... it takes a lifetime to climb and the Holy Spirit is our escort...” - Mike Bickle

I've found the above statement to be very real in my own life lately as I've just been beginning to dive deeper into studying what the Bible says about Jesus as Coming King and Righteous Judge. I was asked to teach on this subject this past Sunday night at our weekly BHOP "Forerunner Gathering". I thought I'd share the notes and audio of my message if you're interested in a deeper glimpse into my work at BHOP, or if you too are looking for a little paradigm tweaking!

Sneak peak from my notes: "In the season of His return, it is critical that the Church embrace these three expressions of Jesus [Bridegroom, Judge, and King]. Today, Jesus invites us to know His whole character, the plans that are in His heart, and how He will carry them out so that we will be in agreement rather than in offense on that Day. Eschatological understanding of Jesus' judgments steeped in His jealous love and desire for a pure Bride with whom to reign when He returns in victory, will help us overcome offense, anger, fear, and confusion so that people trust Jesus' leadership and mature in love."

Enjoy! And feel free to dialogue with me if you have questions, thoughts... I know this can be a provoking subject (it's been ruffling my feathers a bit too!)... but the intention of the provocation is that we each be drawn into getting to know Him better - He's beautiful!

Easter... Mortality Swallowed Up By Life - 2 Cor 5:4

My heart has been exhilarated throughout the past week as I have been reflecting much on the significance of Jesus' resurrection and looking toward the age to come when the Ever-living One will return to the earth. Below are just a few Scriptures to reflect on as you celebrate His resurrection and it's glorious implications of hope and victory!

Revelation 1:18a I am He who lives [the Ever-living One], and was dead, and behold I am alive forevermore...

2 Timothy 1:10 ...Our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light...

1 Corinthians 15:20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

1 Corinthians 6:14 And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.

Revelation 1:8b I am the Alpha and the Omega... who is and who was and who is to come...

Hebrews 2:9,10 But we see Jesus... now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. In bringing many sons to glory...

Titus 2:13 ...While we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ...

1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus... For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

The Lord bless you as you celebrate the One who is ALIVE FOREVERMORE!

Stirred to Know the Word

Not long ago, David Sliker came to teach a week-long eschatology (the study of the end times) course to the Bethany college students, so everyone in BHOP sat-in on the classes. We were all on the edge of our seats and getting stirred to know the Word better for ourselves. I loved seeing this hunger in the faces of these young missionaries in training and hearing their desire to live more wholeheartedly for Jesus in response to the teaching.

"God's promise to all believers is that the verses we find most troubling when taken literally, will make sense as we pray, fast, study and spend-time with Him. It is the common sense meaning of the Scriptures that stirs true fascination with God, not someone else's symbolic interpretation of those Scriptures. When we have an intimate connection with the end-time plan of God, the passages begin to come alive and make sense. The possibilities of understanding and knowing God become endless as He moves us beyond our notions of what we think should be into the realm of what He knows can be. When we believe God is big enough to fulfill His prophetic plans as literally as they are described in His Word, He will become to us more awesome, more glorious and more beautiful." - David Sliker, End-Times Simplified