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.