Wilderness

Let's not take 40 years to do this.

  There was a point, in the Lewis and Clark expedition (1806) when they sighed a big relief. It was the point when they had left the unknown and were, “back on the map.” They had been sent with all the best information the government had on the West, and as good as it was. It was built on a foundation of rumors, half-truths, and badly drawn maps. Case in point, the government information of the day claimed that wooly mammoths still roamed the west and would be a serious danger to the expedition.

  These men all sighed with great relief when they left the wilderness and crossed over to the Pacific side, finding the Columbia River, they knew they were back on the map. These maps were the information the government had acquired long ago from the Spanish explorers.

  Right now the Body of Christ is starting to take its first steps into a new wilderness. But the good news is we do not need to wander 40 years like the Israelites of old to get to the promised land. Modern Corporate Christianity, MCC is now feeling the effects of Hebrews 12:26. America, Brazil, Australia and more are watching as high-level leaders in those nations are getting exposed before the body. This is the Lord’s grace.

  Meanwhile, the pastoral entertainers have rallied like the pharaohs of old, speaking to the masses, warning them with innuendos and half-biblical truths to keep them supporting the MCC system. Will this result in a showdown like Moses and Pharaoh? I don’t know.

  Regardless, the Exodus is underway, yes it’s currently a trickle but the dam is cracking and a flood may be in the future. There is a call in the hearts of the people, like a deep calling unto the deep. The Lord’s voice is being heard, calling us all to find him in the wilderness.

The Map.

  Years ago I had a dream about a well-known western city. Corruption, evil, and other issues had all become rampant as darkness had settled in. In the middle of this, an Angel was standing in the street with a measuring rod. When I asked about him measuring the streets and buildings, his response back was, “that the people may be ashamed of their sin.” When I woke up I realized that this was similar imagery to Ezekiel 40.

   Right now the Body is getting shaken, we are starting to realize we have been asleep in the courts of the pharaoh too long, it’s now time to leave Egypt. Some have already left, others are leaving but most are still scratching their chin, pretending.

  Currently, the main motivational force for breaking away from Egypt is the lives of the leaders themselves. As each one gets displayed before the people, people are walking. Some leaders are getting exposed for their secret lives, others for their dime store prophetic fortunetelling being masked under the veil of “word of knowledge.”

  But this exposure has been building for a while as evidenced by the article from Christine Dente lead singer for “Out of the Gray.” (1990’s) in her post, “Once Upon a Time in Christian Music.” She makes an interesting comment at the end.

  People in the 90s and even today are waking up to the reality that the MCC system has built systems of protection to keep the believer from seeing the truth. And the end result is a fake system, sterilized, and painted with the illusion of perfection. Because of this, the Body of Christ is weaker than we should be.

  This is the Ezekiel 40 moment, we are starting to behold the problem, we are starting to see what should have been and as a result, we are waking up. I pray it will grow and expand so that everyone else can start the journey together.

Wilderness

  For those of us who have exited the MCC, we now stand in the wilderness. In the wilderness, two things are going to happen if we wish to not be here for the next 40 years.

1. We are going to learn to follow the Lord in a new way. This is highly displayed in the Israelites who had to follow the cloud by day and the fire by night, Exodus 13. This is the point where we learn to transition from a man-led journey to a Jesus-led journey.

        Each step we now take will be based on following God, and not cultural expectations. In the same way, we will learn to walk like Jesus, our elder brother. “Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” John 5:19. This will be our pattern to follow.

2. Our Love is going to grow stronger. This is where we learn to Love in the Wilderness. Rev 2.

   

Click on the image above to watch the video.

  The point of the wilderness is change, to change who you are and by extension the community of believers you meet with. It’s about being reformed and recreated into what the Lord desires you to be.

  Now for those of you with a Baptist style mindset. I did not use the word reformed to imply a doctrine but a rebuilding of who you are personally. Doctrines and creeds are the banners we fly above our castles of solitude. But a reformed heart touches the souls of others so that the Kingdom of God can expand.

New Land

  Once changed in the wilderness, we are now stronger, more sure of ourselves and the Lord. In our growing maturity, he can give us new land to take for him. In walking us through the process, the probability that we will turn the new land into the old land becomes more and more remote.

  That is because our desires will be rooted in good soil to produce an abundance for him.

  Walking through the process of exposure, pain, repentance, and the wilderness. Our eyes will be forced off the ways and methods of man. Do not run away from the painful things. This is how we, as the Body get back on the map.

Don’t be a Herod

  The reality is God does not play well with others. What I mean is he does not share His glory.

  In Acts 12, we have the story of the end of King Herod, an arrogant man. In this story is a disturbing picture for leaders in the Body of Christ. He was speaking, giving a public address when the people declared that this was not the voice of a man, but God. The following event is then recorded, “ Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.” Acts 12:23

  How many pastors who have done public speaking (sermons) and have been extended the Lord's grace and not died on the stage even though the people are now honoring them as the “great man of god?” Do you think such actions in the future will continue to still be allowed? Do you think it’s possible that we are yet to see the days of Ananias and Sapphira happen once more?

  We are living in a time when leaders should seek humbleness and not glory. Self-righteous attitudes in the future by leadership will run the risk of an early grave.

  If we are going to get back on the map, then leadership needs to lead by example. There has been far too much talk and just not enough walk.