Seek the peace of the city

In the book of Jeremiah 29:7 the people of God are told to seek the peace of the city. The word “peace” is the Hebrew word Shalom which most literally means “all things coming together to find their place and harmony under God’s benevolent and life giving rule.” We can have a role in seeking the peace of the community.

Choose for South Africa: Jesus Christ or satan?

The word “CHOOSE” stood out to me this morning. You have to choose. Do you believe the words of scripture about Jesus Christ – and receive, or not? Who has Lordship over this country, over your country – wherever you live?

The ANC (South Africa’s legally elected leadership) is planning to hand over the country to the demonic on Sunday at 5pm by sacrificing a cow to the ancestors.

A religious row has erupted on the eve of the ANC’s centenary celebrations over the party’s plans to slaughter a cow and commune with the ancestors this weekend.

African Christian Democratic Party leader Rev Kenneth Meshoe has turned down his invitation as an opposition party leader to attend the festivities in the belief that invoking the spirits of dead leaders will have “devastating consequences for the country”. - ANC, ACDP lock horns over slaughtering

Devastating consequences? The word “catastrophe” comes to mind over and over again.

If we Christians do nothing, then the country will have been placed into the hands of satan by the legally elected leadership. So what can we do?

Instead he planned to join other Christian groups outside the Union Buildings in Pretoria today for a 5pm prayer and worship ceremony to “dedicate South Africa to the living God, Jesus Christ”. - ANC, ACDP lock horns over slaughtering

The bible says that ALL POWER has been given to Jesus Christ. If we Christians believe that, then the ANC has nothing to hand to satan. The bible says that Jesus Christ has destroyed the works of the devil… if we Christians believe that, then no matter what the ANC does on sunday, it has already been destroyed by Jesus Christ on the cross.

But if we fail to add out faith to the message that we have heard about Jesus Christ, then we do not receive… and the ANC will have handed this beautiful country over to satan’s demons.

Wage the good warfare

Make no mistake, you are expected to “wage the good warfare”

This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them (the prophecies) you may wage the good warfare – 1Ti 1:18

The point is to advance… and we advance by trampling serpents… how do we trample the enemy’s kingdom? By believing what Jesus Christ did on the cross.

The only limit is NOT what Jesus Christ has done on the cross… the limit is what YOU believe He has done!

it shall be done for you as you have believed – Matt 8:13

according to your faith be it done to you – Matt 9:29

be it done for you as you wish – Matt 15:28

You are expected to have victory and we achieve this victory through our faith in Jesus Christ’s complete work on the cross…

For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. – 1 John 5:4

I have given you the authority to ADVANCE the Kingdom

I heard something which I want to share with you… in the passage (Luke 10:17-19) below it says “I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents” and this is said to the 70 who He sent out to heal the sick.

¹NOW AFTER this the Lord chose and appointed seventy others and sent them out ahead of Him, two by two, into every town and place where He Himself was about to come (visit).

…

⁹And heal the sick in it and say to them, The kingdom of God has come close to you.

…

¹⁷The seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name!

And He said to them, I saw Satan falling like a lightning [flash] from heaven. Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you. - Luke 10:17-19

When you read this passage consider that what the overall message is this: “I have given you the authority to ADVANCE the Kingdom BY trampling on serpents etc.“

The reason He chooses you and I and sends us out is to ADVANCE the Kingdom of God by trampling over the works of the enemy (sickness, divorce, addiction etc.). What if pornography and war ceased – as it will – and our cities were safe because of Jesus Christ’s work on the cross?

He promised that the gates of hell will not be able to withstand us as we trample that kingdom. He is expecting you and I to trample hell… and He promised that it’s gates will not withstand us when we do so in His Name (representing all that He is).

Think it through. He gives us power to trample hell NOT because an anti-Christ is going to come and rule and make things so bad that God has to rescue us by rapturing us. I rebuke that logic in Jesus’ Name.

Instead, He gives us authority and power in order to trample serpents and to advance the Kingdom of God through the power in His Name, to set the captives free!

Wage the good warfare

Make no mistake, you are expected to “wage the good warfare”

This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them (the prophecies) you may wage the good warfare – 1Ti 1:18

The point is to advance… and we advance by trampling serpents… how do we trample the enemy’s kingdom? By believing what Jesus Christ did on the cross.

What did Jesus Christ do on the cross?

You trample in His Name… so it’s important to grasp what scripture says about Jesus Christ. What did He do on the cross?

The next day John saw Jesus coming to him and said, Look! There is the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world! – John 1:29

Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil — Heb 2:14

[God] disarmed the principalities and powers that were ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in Him and in it [the cross]. – Col 2:15

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. – 1 John 3:8

but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed deathand has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. – 2 Tim 1:10

That is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. – 2Co 5:19

What would your life or marriage or city be like if you could trample those things and everyone around you – including yourself – was set free from the devil’s work?

What if you don’t have some of these things?

For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. – Heb 4:2

You are hearing in these scriptures about Jesus Christ’s work on the cross. UNLESS you combine these scriptures with your faith, you WILL NOT BENEFIT from what He did.

Trample serpents and advance the Kingdom of God

Trample serpents and advance the Kingdom of God BY combining what you hear with your faith. BELIEVE what scripture says about yourself, your family, your city, your country, your continent, your world.

How Jesus Christ built a long-lasting movement

I have often wondered “how did Jesus do it?” and over time Ive come up with some simple observations, such as these…

• Each day (and the whole movement) was (and is still!) bathed in prayer… and prayer is basically an expression of faith and relationship with God
• He could have rented out a massive Colosseum like the one at Caesaria and have nightly revival meetings with signs and wonders  - and He could have collected tithes. Wow. He would have converted the whole country in a matter of years!! But He didn’t.

So Ive keep wondering about this. Looking for something that makes sense, trying to find out what works and so see if that is what He did – because my basic assumption is that He did it the perfect way and we need to copy what He did. However, it’s not immediately apparent what it is that He did!

Here is a person who has done research on the 4 main characteristics of movements throughout history…

1)    First, the movement forms. This happens when people acknowledge oppression and defy it. They create physical and psychic spaces where they can cast off conventional modes of deferment, reject resignation and start acting with radical self-respect. This self-respect involves speaking with the tongue of truth, in the language of radical experience. Millions of people acting with self-respect become a body collective self-confidence, reordering what is politically possible.

2)    Second, the movement recruits. It finds a way to attract masses of people while sharing its message of resistance. Radical recruitment is done systematically and strategically, and recruiters attract people in two ways: they promise tangible relief and provide a motive and blueprint for action.

3)    Third, the movement educates. It articulates the ideology of the movement. It offers an analysis of power that liberates folks from past thinking patterns, renames what is possible, and unveils a plan to make the possible plausible. It names both the enemy in power and how to get power back. It’s a murder mystery: It gives folks a suspect, a motive, and a scheme for restoring justice.

4)    Fourth, the movement politicizes. The movement politicizes when its alternative solutions run up against the powers that be. It admits that power must change for change to work, and it ousts old regimes through direct confrontations with power. Having created alternative economies, practices and paradigms, it creates an alternative political structure—laws, government, and process—to protect its brave new world.

As I read that I immediately began to relate that to Jesus Christ and the fact that 2000 years later we have 1.7 billion followers… despite deep oppression and even murder of followers.

If the 4 characteristics are these…

1) First, the movement forms… cast off conventional modes of deferment, reject resignation and start acting with radical self-respect.

I would say that before this step there has been much prayer which resulted in a vision which is birthed in Heaven.

It is important that people catch the vision THROUGH EXPERIENCE. Once it is communicated, it will result in a change of heart within people. Unless people’s hearts and minds change, then the experience is just emotional. People have to experience God’s Presence, they have to see and feel what is possible.

I’ve experienced “God’s shalom” and now that Im back in this world of suffering, I am always yearning to get back to God’s shalom. Ive changed because of what I experienced. That experience of perfect freedom is like a love song singing within me. A song that never shuts up. Im different now.

Had I never been exposed to what is possible, I would never have changed inside and forever began to yearn for something different and better.

What is the vision?

The vision is the same on that He brought Abram out of Ur for… to be married to God, to dwell in His manifest Presence, for His Presence to shelter us.

And through His manifest Presence, for us to experience the complete end of adultery, pornography, disease, shame, violence, war… all the things that come from sin and death… which comes from the serpent.

The vision has to be communicated as a real experience of Jesus Christ… a taste of what He has made possible for us.

Jesus Christ communicated this vision to us by defeating sin and death right in front of our eyes. He then taught His disciples to do the same thing. All throughout history nothing has brought the crowds in like mirales… showing the authority of Jesus Christ over all the things will oppose and oppress us – His bride.

2) Second, the movement recruits… recruiters attract people in two ways: they promise tangible relief and provide a motive and blueprint for action.

Right after Jesus Christ defeated the enemy in His time of testing, He began recruiting. He could do this because He could show – manifestly – that He had the truth and the power and ability to overcome evil. If He could not walk the walk, people would not have believed Him.

He initially recruited by saying to people “you, follow me” and they did. Later on people joined themselves to Him by following Him, listening and learning.

3) Third, the movement educates… liberates folks from past thinking patterns, renames what is possible, and unveils a plan to make the possible plausible… it names the enemy in power and how to get power back.

Jesus Christ clearly named the enemy… and he is our enemy still today. The enemy is not politics, it is not money, it is not a philosophy. The first God statement God made when we were outside the garden that was within the area called Eden, was to warn us that we had an enemy called sin and we had to overcome it.

Why sin? Because sin enables death. Because sin keeps God’s Presence away. Sin traps and blinds and through death it causes us to become addicted and hard-hearted.

Building ON the increasingly tangible awareness that it IS possible to be free and to live in the freedom that Jesus Christ has provided, now we have to communicate HOW to be free and how to MAINTAIN freedom.

4) Fourth, the movement politicizes. The movement politicizes when its alternative solutions run up against the powers that be. It admits that power must change for change to work, and it ousts old regimes through direct confrontations with power. Having created alternative economies, practices and paradigms, it creates an alternative political structure—laws, government, and process—to protect its brave new world.

This fourth step was NOT done by Jesus Christ. He did not create a political plan. There is no need to view democracy as the battlefield. It is not. The battlefield is people’s hearts and minds and it is this whole world.

As people change, their choices will naturally change. That will result in new practices and paradigms and alternative structures if need be - its alternative solutions run up against the powers that be.

I believe Jesus Christ’s plan is three-fold…

1. Change people’s hearts so that they love one another. If they have a soft heart and love one another, then they will naturally express that in their democratic votes.
2. Reconcile God to people and people to God – which is what He did do on the cross!
3. Encourage people to believe in order to receive… He said “it will be done according to your faith on the power vested in Me”

and the vision is the same as it has always been ever since God created Adam and Eve, or when He called Abram out of Ur, or when He chose a new bride out of those who had not called on Him… He wants to dwell amongst us – and it is our faith which enables this.

The central change in thinking that Jesus Christ encouraged was done through demonstration. He showed and then He expected others to copy and do it themselves. That is why He said that He Himself is the Light of the world… and then when He was empowering His disciples and they had learned from Him, He said that THEY are now the light of the world.

Here is that moment of truth hitting someone in the Occupy movement…

On my second day at Occupy DC/Freedom Plaza, I looked around me and thought, “Someone needs to do more outreach.” And then it hit me:  Someone else didn’t have to. I did.

All I had to do was form a committee and decide a time to meet. So I did. It felt so good to act, to move instead of freezing in despair, to be a real human solving real problems.

When I left the Plaza, I was a different person, too. I picked up trash instead of balking at the Entire Trash Problem. I spoke to homeless folks instead of retreating in overwhelm. I was that buzziest of activist buzzwords: I was empowered.

But the central truth is this: what is it that overcome the evil of this world? It is YOUR FAITH. Jesus Christ did all He can ever do for us, He has nothing left to give, it is a finished work. And what we have to do is receive what He did.

This city – Cape Town – does not need to change, it HAS BEEN been changed on the cross. Your marriage does not need to be restored, it HAS BEEN restored on the cross.\

Every gift you ever needed was made available IN, THROUGH, BY faith in Jesus Christ.

As Paul said, he counts everything else as “rubbish”. And so do I.

We are ambassadors taking the good news to mankind

I get very hot under the collar when people express more faith in satan and an anti-christ than they do in Jesus Christ. That guy is totally defeated. Let me show you this fact from scripture. Then declare these truths over your own life, your family, your home, your church, your suburb, your city, nation, country, continent and this world.

Sin

Regarding sin. Scripture says clearly that Jesus Christ took it away from the WHOLE WORLD not just from believers…

The next day John saw Jesus coming to him and said, Look! There is the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world! – John 1:29

And He [that same Jesus Himself] is the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins, and not for ours alone but also for [the sins of] the whole world. – 1 John 2:2

The problem is we lack faith to believe this and therefore even though it is done, we dont receive it. Throughout the bible a lack of faith stopped people from receiving God’s promise to them.

So when I see people denying what Jesus Christ did, I see them enabling sin and death… and it bothers me. A lot. Their lack of faith enables sin and death to continue on.

IF ONLY the church taught what Jesus Christ has done and IF ONLY we would believe it, then all of this sadness in the world will end. We can receive what He did, but we don’t believe.

His work was utterly complete, it was not just “in our hearts” or something limited like that. On the contrary…

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. – 1 John 3:8

The devils work is destroyed. Addiction, prostitution, adultery, divorce, sickness, disease, faithlessness, idolatry, greed, unbelief… all the work devil’s work has been destroyed. That’s what scripture says. No ifs ands or buts.

But we fail to believe and so we do not enter into the promised land of freedom and deliverance and restoration with God.

More things Jesus Christ did which we could choose to receive by faith

but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. – 2 Tim 1:10

[God] disarmed the principalities and powers that were ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in Him and in it [the cross]. – Col 2:15

More? He purified all sins, tasted death for every man and destroyed death

After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high – Heb 1:3

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. – Heb 2:9

that He might deliver and completely set free all those who through the [haunting] fear of death were held in bondage throughout the whole course of their lives. – Heb 2:15

His work is utterly complete… which is why He said “it is finished” and in Rev it says He has made all things new. But we refuse to believe His words. And just like the Israelites, by not believing, we do not receive and enter into it.

NOTE: As I type this I can smell the most wonderful perfume in the air. Thank You Holy Spirit!

Our theology is pathetic. Frail. An embarrassment. We reduce what He did on the cross to something symbolic. We expect an anti-Christ to rise up and make things so bad that He has to rescue us. We are simply denying all He did on the cross:

He made all things new! He opened the prisons and set the captives free. Don’t wait for Him to come again and set them free… instead believe Him, thank Him and receive it.

Walk by faith!

We think sin and death rules and reigns because we see that with our eyes. We choose not to live by faith, we choose not to walk by faith. But scripture says this…

But where sin increased and abounded,

grace (God’s unmerited favor) has surpassed it and increased the more and superabounded – Rom 5:20

Where you see sin and death reigning, I choose to believe scripture… grace (God’s unmerited favor) has surpassed it and increased the more and superabounded!! I won’t insult Jesus Christ by saying He did less than sin has done in the last 6,000 years. No, on the cross in 1 moment the work Jesus Christ did has surpassed what the devil did.

In fact scripture goes where we somehow fear to tread…

Well then, as one man’s trespasses [one man’s false step and falling away led] to condemnation for all men, so one Man’s act of righteousness [leads] to acquittal and right standing with God and life for all men – Rom 5:18

ALL men are acquitted and in right standing with God. But we Christians are meant to bring this freedom to them… but we can’t get our heads around it, we don’t believe Jesus Christ, and so we fail to bring it to them. People go to hell because we are not doing our job.

We are ambassadors taking the good news to mankind

God showed me this yesterday. He showed me a traffic cop thinking to himself as he watches a taxi driving, he thinks “you can’t drive there” and the person goes and drives there. The person says “you cant drive there” and the guy reverses defiantly and does it again. He will keep doing it until someone stops him, right?

Our job – with the help of the Holy Spirit – is to enforce the rules (which that person is breaking). How do we enforce it? WE BELIEVE. We have faith in what Jesus Christ has done and we enter in.

But for as long as we make up our own minds about what we think is the truth, choosing to ignore what scripture says is the truth, then we cannot enter in. We are failing to do our God-assigned job.

Let us enter in. For ourselves first, and then for everyone else.

Form an open crowd where there are people

We have a location location suggestion: Sea Point on the green grass. I like this suggestion, because I want to make these events move from place to place and be more and more frequent.

In particular I want it to be in public so that other people can see it and join in. That is called having an “open crowd”.

Mal knows how to make open crowds and Ive been harassing him to write down what he knows so I an others can run with it.

Changing hearts and multiplying is a part of the key, the rest of the key is moving this city under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. So that is what we will do. We will declare and have faith that Jesus Christ HAS DONE what the OT and NT says in scripture that He did – which is destroy the works of the devil and reconcile the whole world back to God. We will also connect with passers-by and welcome them and let them know they are loved.

The bible says this about how John chose the location to baptize people…

John 3:23 (NLT) Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized.

He chose the place BECAUSE there was plenty of water AND plenty of people. That’s so practical!!

In our case, people ARE the water. We can cast out the darkness (we do have the authority to do so) BUT it returns 8 times worse, because people continue to sin… I know I do!! So we need to reach people, have hearts change, give out the Holy Spirit and we Jesus Christ to be Lord of our lives and of this land.

Christmas day clarity – we have step 1

On Christmas eve I was stuck waiting for a taxi. And wouldn’t you know it, I was standing in the part of the road where 2 years earlier on Valentines day myself and another person – as a part of an outreach – we had come to pray for the ladies who work there. If you know what I mean.

So I was standing there, trying to get to Christmas evening service and all this stuff was going on around me. A gay guy tried to talk to me. Three guys dressed as woman. And countless people in cars driving by giving me looks, I can only imagine what they were thinking seeing me standing there.

I was waiting for a bus. But little did I know this was not the bus stop!! So when the bus finally did arrive it drove right past me. Gah. Eventually I found  a taxi and hired it and I got to church 10 mins late. Not too bad.

Being late I was stuck on chairs outside. BUT. I could see the words on the screen and I was cool outside. I am in the southern hemisphere, so Christmas is swelteringly hot here. Yum. Beach! So actually God was not only testing me, but blessing me by delaying me. Everyone else in the church was cramped and very hot, I stood outside in the coolth and saw the words with clarity and it was wonderful.

Then when I got home I realised I had left my phone back at church!! I had not planned to go in the morning again… but now I had to. And Im so glad I did. I took communion the night before, and now 8 hours later I took it again… and I felt God’s Spirit fall all around me, like I was circled from Heaven.

I sat down in the church and I could see so clearly.

We need to get praying. In public areas. Small groups. First one group, then more groups. First in this city, then eventually in all cities.

These are the verses that will come to pass: Ps 72:8-17

This is what we believe…

1. He [Christ] shall have dominion also from sea to sea and from the River [Euphrates] to the ends of the earth.

except we believe it HAS happened, as a result of the cross. It is our faith that we HAVE received which opens the door to receiving. So we believe that we HAVE received… that He DOES reign in our city.

And this is our style of faith…

1. prayer also shall be made for Him and through Him continually, and they shall bless and praise Him all the day long.
2. His name shall endure forever; His name shall continue as long as the sun [indeed, His name continues before the sun].
3. And men shall be blessed and bless themselves by Him; all nations shall call Him blessed!

And He will do this for us

What also excited me about those verses is that Jesus Christ – as He reigns – will do this

1. For He delivers the needy when he calls out, the poor also and him who has no helper. He will have pity on the poor and weak and needy and will save the lives of the needy. He will redeem their lives from oppression and fraud and violence, and precious and costly shall their blood be in His sight.
2. There shall be abundance of grain in the soil upon the top of the mountains [the least fruitful places in the land]; the fruit of it shall wave like [the forests of] Lebanon, and [the inhabitants of] the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.

“Abundance of grain” – what that means to me is that as we move in faith, declaring what He has done, He will bring prosperity to our city and He will restore the poor and the needy.

Considering the economic disaster that appears to be ahead of us, Im very excited that He has revealed His recovery plan – and that we are so central to that plan. It is through our faith that our cities will be restored.

And the promise is of great political support

1. The kings of Tarshish and of the coasts shall bring offerings; the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him, all nations shall serve Him.

And as I pointed out, it’s up to me to believe we have received these things. And for anyone who see the promise and believe, it’s up to them to invest time and prayer in believing these things have already happened in their city too. Remember, it is faith which opens the door.

An incredible revival

This will be an incredible revival. Im not saying it will be easy. We will need great discipline and a determined commitment to have faith, to walk by faith.

We will need to learn new things, to study scripture and defend what we believe.

Vision statement

Let us bring these verses to pass Ps 72:8-17…

NOTE the highlighted verses…

*** He [Christ] shall have dominion also from sea to sea and from the River [Euphrates] to the ends of the earth. ***

Those who dwell in the wilderness shall bow before Him and His enemies shall lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the coasts shall bring offerings; the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him, all nations shall serve Him.

For He delivers the needy when he calls out, the poor also and him who has no helper. He will have pity on the poor and weak and needy and will save the lives of the needy. He will redeem their lives from oppression and fraud and violence, and precious and costly shall their blood be in His sight. And He shall live; and to Him shall be given gold of Sheba;

*** prayer also shall be made for Him and through Him continually, and they shall bless and praise Him all the day long. ***

There shall be abundance of grain in the soil upon the top of the mountains [the least fruitful places in the land]; the fruit of it shall wave like [the forests of] Lebanon, and [the inhabitants of] the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.

*** His name shall endure forever; His name shall continue as long as the sun [indeed, His name continues before the sun]. And men shall be blessed and bless themselves by Him; all nations shall call Him blessed! ***

Sin and repentance

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