By Nancy G Daniel
CMM College of Theology has the blessing to be in relationship with many streams of believers in Jesus, these streams, that we are in relationship with flow to the harvest. The Messianic stream has been around for some time as has the Evangelical to name a few. We need to work together in unity to see all the Lord has in His heart come forth, for the kingdom. It is not about doctrine anyway it is about relationship.
From my observations, the streams speak different theological languages and don’t always understand each other, yet all have similar goals. Simply put those goals are to fulfill personal destinies, equip, and prepare the beloved for the King of Kings and the great harvest.
There have been greater misunderstandings that are exacerbated by the current global crisis. Because of the crisis and intensifying discussions in our classrooms, I pressed into the Lord to understand the language of each of the streams represented in our student body. The Lord opened my spirit eyes to understand and see then brought greater clarity through remembrance.
In the ’90s my family caught the wave of the revival and so many glorious supernatural things happened in the ministry that the Lord birthed in our home. But after the spirit waned, so did the young people who were moving in great godly manifestations. This broke my heart and the Lord showed me a coming move that would be the spirit and the word moving together. For all of these years, I have been holding on to what I felt was a promise from the Lord. As I pen these words, I am blessed to experience some powerful beginnings of this promise through our school.
This writing is just an observation of different views and expressions of the body. When we have made our doctrine the plumbline and not the Word as a whole, (Word as a whole encapsulates relationship and being led of the Spirit, and much more), no matter how sound it may be, we miss the point of relationship and “oneness”. Yet each of us has a part and viewpoint necessary for the whole to bring “oneness”.
Years ago as I was counseling some young people and inquired of the Lord for His heart on the matter. He said, “stand up and look up”, I did and saw one answer. He said, “take a step to the left and look up”, and I did. I saw another answer. He said, “now take a step to the right and look up”, I did and saw another answer. It was all sound counsel from different perspectives. I asked how could that be and His response was that He, the Lord, is eternally faceted, (like a diamond). Each person represents a different facet. Some things are perspectives of His heart and some things just are. We need to continue to grow in relationship to understand, this will take all of eternity.
END-TIME THEOLOGIANS
There has been a resurgence of study of the end-time events due to the crisis in which we find ourselves. When a major world-wide crisis hits even the most courageous of us needs to grab on to something stable during the shaking. I am reminded of Rick Joyner’s book, “The Final Quest”. Some grab onto their swords and bury them deep in the ground and hang on. This is wisdom. We also look for the prophets, for a clear voice as the dark winds blow, but in this day of so many voices, it is easy to get lost in the sea of the words given. As we put our knowledge, the prophets and events together to help us understand what is happening in a crisis, it is tempting to develop a timeline to a countdown of the end of time, especially since Israel became a nation in 1948. This has been translated as the last generation. The “end-time” messengers desire to watch and wait and prepare the people for the events to come.
While this is a good thing, sometimes the message and focus can be fear. Fear controls, though it can change behavior in the short term, can shut people down, stunt their growth, and keep them from hearing and being led by Holy Spirit. Being led by the Spirit is where real change and transformation come. Fear of the Lord is good but this is not fear of the Lord. Fear as a negative driver can be “anti-Christ” or anti-anointing and actually do the opposite of what we hope it will do. Fear enlarges the place for the enemy not the place for God in our lives. May this never be so with the words of our mouths.
Not all “end time” theologians believe we are packing our bags to get out of here on the rapture bus. It is important to study events. The Bible teaches us that we are to discern the times and the seasons and to listen to the prophets.
When the day of destruction was imminent, the OT prophets did warn the people but they always end the message pointing to the Lord and great hope.
If judgment and holiness are from a place of divine love and the ultimate intention of God is to redemption then our message is one of hope and life as we see judgment and holiness from the eternal perspective. What is Holy Spirit saying, is He leading us personally and corporately? Where is hope, redemption, and eternal love in what we see happening and what we read in the Word? Are we led by our doctrine or Holy Spirit?
ABIDING, INDWELLING, and SEATED
There are some who strongly believe that dwelling in the presence of God is the place from which we should all be living. So when the shaking happens they continue to find their peace in the revelation of living in two realms at one time. This is not for the elite, because that would be Gnostic heresy, this is for everyone who desires it.
I was there the day Bob Jones first talked about “going up”, on Presley Road, Charlotte, North Carolina. Bob talked about grand visions and wild things that happened. I wanted that too! Bob had walked through it with school children and brought them to the front and asked us, “Who wants to go?” I ran down to the front. Bob sent the kids to pray for us. When they came to me they said, “O, you are already there”. I was so disappointed. I had hoped for grand visions but what I had was great peace and saw light. It took a couple of years to understand this and to realize that this is the place where I spend time with the Lord. I continued to grow as I spent time with the Lord, my sight was developed to a greater level. This was never a place outside of my own temple, this is the sanctuary where I meet the Lord or the place from where I live. I share this story because as believers, we are all seated in Christ. If God showed me He can show you. Bob started a bunch of us on that journey and called it “going up”. While that terminology may not be correct it is important to start somewhere.
Doctors Dennis and Jennifer Clark call it “dropping down”. They say science and theology show that our spiritual heart is in our gut and this is the temple in which Holy Spirit dwells.
This is a powerful revelation and important to understand as we learn and grow with Holy Spirit grounded in the Word of God. This actually breaths hope into the Body of Christ as they are receiving blueprints, plans, and patterns from heaven to release on the earth. We need this desperately.
Some “end-time” theologians question this asking it is “millennial thinking” and “how is this preparing the Bride for Christ to return?”. When confronted with that question, the basic response generally is, “we know we have been living in the last days since the book of Acts. We will continue to follow Holy Spirit and do whatever He says”.
Perhaps this a path similar to the one of Enoch. If it is, then we must understand the bigger picture. The discovery comes when reading extra-canonical books[i]. Enoch spent time with the Lord but reengaged with society and poured out on the people, then he repeated it before he walked off completely. This was never self-consumption. This can never be an elitism. This is relationship with God and relationship with people, for a lost and dying world.
In the end, Relationships matter. Everyone in the Body of Christ, no matter their spiritual revelation or gifting contributes in some way, may we see that and celebrate that as well. We must ask ourselves; what is Holy Spirit’s goal and how do we reach a generation? What is my part and what language does Holy Spirit need to engage with them?
We can trust Holy Spirit even when we don’t understand it through different expressions of His heart.
7 MOUNTAIN or DOMINION
The “7 Mountain Mandate” or some call them “dominion” theologians. The world is their oyster and they feel called to increase Christ wherever they go until Jesus comes back or the Lord shifts them.
This can be irritating to the “end-time” theologians, as it has been said the 7 Mountain thought paints a rosy picture, and Revelation does not look like that. “End-timers” would say that the Bible clearly reveals a great tribulation and wrath to come because of the wickedness and lack of holiness on the earth. We can expect judgment not victory on the mountains.
The 7 Mountain people would agree that is what the Bible teaches. But to this writer, it seems that the 7 Mountain people feel that is beyond their control and knowledge to fully understand the timeline. Though we are to understand the times and seasons, they are watching it unfold not trying to figure it out.
They take what is in their hands, which is an ability to dominate a field; and then release Christ, in other words, it is their idea of evangelism in their field. They are compelled to do all for Christ with everything they have in their hands and spirit. This is their mission field. They desire to bring hope and light into a dying world even if it does not look like a tribal village this is the tribe in which they feel called.
Whether we are a pastor evangelizing a remote tribe or a pastor on a successful hill evangelizing in the business world it all matters to God. Jesus stepped out of the church and did just that. Yet it is easy to develop an experience theology, which can be a slippery slope. Also, some would ask, what about those not called to the top of the mountain but just called to people?
Jesus only did and said what He heard His Father saying and doing, may we do that in every area we find ourselves.
We all want more of God no matter what our stream of thought, view, gifting, or calling. The Lord has set a beautiful table before us. This is not just for us to consume but to invite others to join us. If our message is not bringing hope we need to find the Hope and release it. We are not to consume it but share it with others as Holy Spirit leads us.
WHAT IS HOLY SPIRIT SAYING?
In the latest crisis fear overshadowed the world. It brought the darkness. Fear can stun you and block you from hearing God and stop creativity. This should never be. If our message is one of fear that will not open a door for God to come in.
We notice that at the end of the book of Job, Elihu declares who God is and it opens a place for God to speak. If we are speaking judgment and it creates fear how can God speak to the people around us? We must understand even judgment is from a place of eternal love. As Rick Joyner says, “Keep the main thing the main thing”, the end game is to win souls with Truth, (the person) in eternal Love (the person). Jesus didn’t promote fear. Jesus did and said what the Father was doing and saying.
If our message is so ethereal that people cannot connect we need to find the way to connect with the world around us and learn to impart what God has given on a level the they can receive.
If we are gifted with skills in areas that we have been given to dominate and make successful, we will need to continue to seek the Lord and understand the times and seasons like Nehemiah who worked and fought at the same time always inquiring of the Lord or always hearing and doing what the Father says and does.
The pattern is clear. The pattern was created in heaven and we are actually seated in that pattern. In order to bring truth into reality, we need to hear and do from a surrendered heart all that is in the Father’s heart. This is the “Shema”. The shema[ii] is the Hebrew word for hearing and obeying but obedience is a heart issue of full surrender.
We know His heart is for His people, and that we can all agree that there is a harvest before us. Each of us is called to the world around us to share the Good News to the world with what we have been given. This is the Gospel, which is the death and resurrection of Christ. We live it, and teach others to surrender/die to self and then show them how to experience resurrection life, this is exhilarating.
The last chapter of Song of Solomon reveals the Bride, (as one) coming out of the desert leaning on her lover. As we lean on the Lord, (not fear or knowledge, not gifting, or even calling or plans), we can come out of any dessert. Holy Spirit refreshes us and makes us an oasis or leads us out. Only God can bring what seems so divided together as we focus on Him and His direction, not the gulf or demons that stand between us. We need each other to finish. This writing is not a finished work, it is the beginning of great hope.
CMM Theology is a mission school. The harvest is ever before our eyes. There are so many hungry people that need this good news. What is our Good News? What is Holy Spirit saying to you?