by David Orton

"These were the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was banished from the presence of Saul … warriors who helped him in battle."
1 Chronicles 12:1

Before every historic visitation of the Spirit God has sent forerunners.

John the Baptist set the pattern. As a voice crying in the wilderness he prepared the way for the ministry
of Christ.

Likewise, John Wycliffe, the ‘morningstar of the Reformation’, blazed the trail for Martin Luther. Frank
Bartleman, as a prophetic intercessor, for William Seymour and the Azuza Street outpouring. The Latter
Rain and Healing Revivals of the late 1940’s prepared the way for the Charismatic Renewal of the 1960’s
and 70’s.

by Jeff Gilbertson

If you can stand it, I would like to ask you all one more time to look at the Lord's Supper through the lens of the New Testament and see if you would not agree with me that this may be one of the biggest blind spots for the church around the world in the last 2000 years!

It's a supper, stupid!

First and foremost, if you look at all the texts that describe what we now practice and call "The Lord's Supper", you will notice that it was in the context of Jesus and His disciples sharing the Passover meal together.

Mtt. 26:26  And while they  were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples.

by Frank Viola

My friends Andrew Jones and Brian McLaren have written about something they call “deep ecclesiology.” This phrase appears to be derived from Noam Chomsky’s linguistic theory of “deep semantics.” Chomsky said that underlying the “surface structures” of the statements we make there lies a deeper and simpler structure that is ingrained in the human capacity for language.

Andrew and Brian have said that in a similar way there lies underneath our varying models of church a basic underlying reality that is manifested in our historical and social settings. This notion has been coined “deep ecclesiology.”

I resonate wholeheartedly with the concept that there is a reality of the church that is higher and deeper than what typically occurs in many modern church structures. To wit, a “deeper” ecclesiology.

by George H. Warnock

 
Jesus comes on the scene, and immediately we are made to realize that here is One that is Great because of His humility. Here is One who can take note of the things that are meaningless to others; for He (like the hyssop) was but a “Root of a dry ground.” Here was One who “had no form nor comeliness”… One who could not get enthralled about the mighty and the noble; or share the enthusiasm of the disciples about the splendour of the Temple; but who saw beauty in the “lily of the field”… One who would not break the “bruised reed,” or quench the “smoking flax.”

True greatness does not stand apart, above and beyond the ordinary. 

-The Pervasive Power of God’s Kingdom

by Brett Jacobsen

He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened." (Matt 13:33)

It may seem to some a little odd that Jesus used leaven to describe His Kingdom, as leaven usually speaks of corruption: “Being bred of corruption and spreading through the mass of that in which it is mixed, and therefore symbolising the pervasive character of evil…” [1]. It most often speaks of one of two aspects of corruption:

• Corrupt doctrine – as in the corrupt doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees which mixed itself with sound doctrine, therefore polluting it. See Matt 16:6, 11-12, Mark 8:15, Gal 5:7-9, Luke 12:1-2.

by Jon Zens

Four Tragic Shifts In The Visible Church
180-400 A. D.

Most professing Christians do not realize that the central concepts and practices associated with what we call 'church' are not rooted in the New Testament, but in patterns established in the post-apostolic age. While there are a legion of disagreements among serious students of church history concerning various issues and details during the period of 50 A.D. to 325 A.D., they all speak as one voice in affirming the four undeniable shifts that will be examined in this article. Church historians of all theological and ecclesiastical backgrounds observe in their writings the following four shifts:

An interview with George Warnock by Steve Eastman of OpenHeaven.com

Before the revivals in Toronto, Pensacola and Smithton, even before the Charismatic movement, God sent an awakening to a tiny Canadian Bible College.  Historians mark the beginning of what became known as the Latter Rain movement as February 12, 1948. The awakening spread rapidly from Sharon Bible College in North Battleford, impacting the world.  The movement was well known for a renewed emphasis of laying on of hands, prophecy and singing in the Spirit. Yet these practices were mere side effects of something more important—hungering and seeking after the presence of God and enjoying His lordship.

by David Orton

“Truly you are a God who hides himself…”

Isa 45:15

The ‘hiddenness of God’ is one of the greatest paradoxes of the spiritual life. On the one hand, he is the self-revealing God who delights to communicate with man, but on the other, he hides himself.

God is a mystery. One great fourteenth century divine refers to this as, the “Cloud of Unknowing”. The psalmist cries out that he is surrounded by “clouds and thick darkness” (Ps 97:2; also 18:11 ). God hides himself in the contradiction of my circumstances. He is good, but it is hidden in the pain of where I find myself.

by Thomas Hohstadt

History is overthrowing the way we think. Futurist Ray Kurzweil in fact believes our era will end 6,000 years of "civilization" as we’ve known it. And, in this century alone, we’ll see on the order of 20,000 years of change (at today’s rate of change).

In massive historical shifts, the very structure of knowing changes—not "what" we know, but "how" we know. We are changing, for example, to an oral culture where words do things—where virtual reality becomes real—where fiction becomes fact—where metaphor becomes the very seed of the future.

In other words, language is breaking with the past. Today’s spiritual language, for example, is going against "proper" churches and "respectable" seminaries. It’s shifting from logic to revelation, from mind to spirit, from proposition to intuition, from labeling to doing, from the literate to the prophetic. . . .

by Brett Jacobsen

This five part teaching series on reformed New Testament community is taken from Brett Jacobsen’s book Heaven's Underground Blueprint which is available here - http://www.christisall.org/hub-book.

Money in New Testament communities

I should probably write a whole separate book on the use and misuse of money in the church, but due to limited space I will stick to the matter of money amongst a New Testament community.

by Brett Jacobsen

This five part teaching series on reformed New Testament community is taken from Brett Jacobsen’s book Heaven's Underground Blueprint which is available here - http://www.christisall.org/hub-book.

The four pillars of Christian life

Unlike most of the modern church-growth books and seminars, we are not concerned with growing churches or producing replicable formulas, nor fancy programs. Our aim is to uncover biblical principles for every day victory in every believer’s life, thus producing victory and growth in God’s kingdom.

Again, the early church provides a clear heavenly ‘blueprint’, not just because they produced great eternal fruit, but because they were working from the kingdom of heaven modeled by Jesus.

by Brett Jacobsen

This five part teaching series on reformed New Testament community is taken from Brett Jacobsen’s book Heaven's Underground Blueprint which is available here - http://www.christisall.org/hub-book.

The beginning of the fullness of Christ

Once the church’s leadership is restructured according to the New Testament heavenly blueprint, and Jesus has the reins again, we can begin our journey in the fullness of Christ; this journey is a progressive growth rather than an arrived destination.

I am not referring to a season where everyone is perfectly sinless, but one in which Christ reigns, causing consistent growth and maturation in the body, which will produce a “spotless bride”. This season will need a biblical structure to carry the bigness of the fullness of Christ.

by Brett Jacobsen

This five part teaching series on reformed New Testament community is taken from Brett Jacobsen’s book Heaven's Underground Blueprint which is available here - http://www.christisall.org/hub-book.

Stages of structure in the church

We will now take a brief account of past structures, from Jesus’ own methods, through church history to now, a time when Jesus is imparting to His church ‘His methods’ again.

Jesus’ seed example

Jesus modeled the perfect way to live in the Kingdom of God while existing on this planet. He was the example and reference point for the early church and He will be likewise for the end-time church. As multitudes pour out of the man-made wineskins, Jesus is restoring His heavenly-wineskin in order to receive the new wine of the Spirit for this hour. We will look at some key elements in the life and ministry of Christ as He walked the earth, seeking to save “that which was lost”. (Luke 19:10)

by Brett Jacobsen

This five part teaching series on reformed New Testament community is taken from Brett Jacobsen’s book Heaven's Underground Blueprint which is available here - http://www.christisall.org/hub-book.

Addressing the current imbalance

Even amongst many who have fled the ranks of the extended Dark-Age church, there is quite a bit of confusion and imbalance; this oftentimes proves to be equally as damaging as the failed system they are fleeing from. Many have swung too far on the proverbial pendulum, from Constantine’s courts of control to independent, Lone-Ranger status; which turns out to be equally imbalanced and unfruitful. Many who have left church institutions still lack clear direction and biblical foundation pertaining to the ‘how to’ of Christian connectedness. Without this biblical foundation, all sorts of humanistic mindsets arise, causing all sorts of false, self-justifiable behavior. It is crucial we refrain from straying beyond the boundaries of the Word of God. It seems that more people would be willing to trade their extra-biblical structures for a biblical one if only they were provided an unambiguous operational example which made apparent the biblical prototype.

by David Orton

The Current Realignment of the Church

Part 2 of 2

But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them,
"Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."

Acts 18:6

Realignment of structure

Returning to the word I received in Canberra, “From now on I am going to the Gentiles!” Dramatically casting out his garments Paul declared this under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It was a declaration of the intent of God to move out from the traditional religious boundaries of the synagogue. For our ministry in 2005 this meant some significant realignments of our programme – the cancelling of several events that were focussed on the synagogue leaders – in today’s language the pastors of the institutional church. But why was this? I have had it said to me that I am against pastors and the local church. Unfortunately, I have to plead guilty, but not for the reasons they think!

by Brett Jacobsen

The four legged plow horse

The life and ways of Jesus Christ are, and will always be, the primary illustration for Christians to model their lives from. If we are to learn from anyone else’s example, it is imperative that they themselves are, or were, mimicking Christ in their endeavors. Although it is not for us to simply copy the methods of the early church, we should definitely imbibe the principles emulated from the life of Christ.

by Michael Clark

Have you ever thought that the Church is training Christians to be silent?I remember when I was a teen.My dad was a heavy smoker and eventually it killed him.He would be taking a hit off a cigarette and as he exhaled the smoke would say, "Son, I don't want you to smoke!"Well, as many of us have figured from raising our own children, the example speaks louder than words.I was smoking and on my way to a full blown habit before I graduated from high school. I thank God I was able to quit with the help of my loving wife before I got out of the Navy four years later.

by Brett Jacobsen

Blowing ‘our’ trumpet in Zion

A large part of the western church has become a scene of men that desire and perform to be seen of men. Like the flaunting Corinthians and wayward Jews of New Testament times, many ‘Christians’ these days have fallen prey to a public spectacle paradigm that is rooted in “the pride of life”. (1 John 2:16) Jesus sternly warned many to steer clear from a “seen of men” motivation. In the “Sermon on the Mount” He said:

by David Servant

Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and so teaches others, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:19, emphasis added).

Jesus obviously believed that there were lesser commandments, as revealed in the quote above. He therefore must have also believed that there were greater commandments.

To their credit, the scribes and Pharisees kept the lesser commandments, yet Jesus condemned them for ignoring the greater ones:

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! (Matt. 23:23-24).

by Frank Viola

The Kingdom of God is the rule of God. And it rests upon the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The Kingdom of God produces the church . . . the community of the King.  The church, in turn, submits to the sway or rule of the Kingdom. As it does, the church expresses, represents, and advances God’s Kingdom on the earth.

Properly conceived, the church is the community of believers who possess Divine life. This community joyfully enthrones Jesus Christ, expresses His sovereign rule in the world, and as a result, enjoys the blessings of the future age here-and-now (Rom. 14:17; Heb. 6:5).