Hi all,
Thanks for your prayers. I’m having a CT to see if the blood clot in my heart is dissolved, and in September will talk to my cardiologist about a plan. But I should know the results of the CT later this week, which will determine what comes next. Thank you very much for your prayers and help, I’ll keep you posted!
When we made changes to our web site a couple months ago to accommodate more videos we wrote that we had to change the sending service for my emailed Weekly Thoughts and e-newsletter to connect@churchwithoutwallsinternational.org. We asked people to enter that into their address book.
Some people did not make that change and as a result their email provider would have read my emails as spam. After 5 attempts (5 weeks of Weekly Thoughts) our sender stops sending to them – that gave each person 5 weeks to make the announced change. If you receive my Weekly Thoughts and e-newsletter, please check your email address book (and spam folder) and enter the above – thank you!
Not about numbers
Summertime, which is ending now (for us in the northern hemisphere) is always a time of fluctuation for those who meet in homes. National holidays, time off from work and personal vacations/holidays, family events and so on contribute to a disruption in the more settled routines seen the rest of the year.
In the Garden of Eden it was just a husband and wife meeting with the Lord. That was the first church in the home: Adam, Eve, the Lord God who had made them. During those times they would have received revelation from Him about their lives, about running the Garden, the planet, and so on.
When we fast forward to Abraham in Genesis 18, when the Lord and 2 angels visit Abraham before they rescue Lot and bring judgement on Sodom, the Lord pauses and thinks to Himself in v17-19: “Shall I hide from Abraham that which I’m about to do, seeing that…he will command his household and his children after him in the ways of the Lord…”
Again we see revelation poured into the earth from the Lord to a family. The Lord was about to do something in the earth, and He shared it with Abraham based on the spiritual quality of life in his family. In fact the Lord’s first place of revelation is not the Sunday service, not the special speaker in town, but mom and dad and children in the home receiving revelation on the Lord’s plans.
If you think you go to church to receive revelation, you not only have the ‘auditorium church’ mentality rather than Bible thinking, but the thinking a believer who has Christ in them has to go somewhere other than right inside their spirit to receive revelation, leads to weak and anemic believers.
It’s not about the numbers, it’s about revelation
In Matthew 16: 17-19 after Peter receives revelation from the Father that Jesus is the Christ, Jesus tells him that he is a small stone (petros), but upon the mountain (rock/petra) of revelation He will build His ekklesia (church) – gathering of the saints to conduct the business of the kingdom. Jesus tells them the gates (leadership) of hell cannot prevail against revelation from the Father. Then He continues:
(Concerning when you gather) “What you bind shall have been bound already in heaven. And what you loose, shall have already been loosed from heaven.” (Amplified Version)
In Jesus’ day the word ekklesia, or church, was used to describe a Greek city-state meeting of all the citizens of that city-state to conduct the business of the kingdom. Jesus’ use of it to describe His followers gathering was the first use of that word, ekklesia, in that context. When we gather we are to receive revelation from heaven on what the Father has bound or loosed in the earth, and respond accordingly. It’s all about revelation, not numbers. It’s about God’s plans for each and every life represented, and the larger picture of what He is revealing of His plans in the earth.
It isn’t a gather to talk about what the devil is doing in the earth. It isn’t a gathering to discuss person ‘pet’ doctrine which 1 person holds to but no one else does in the gathering. It isn’t about a discussion of controversial subjects. Paul said to avoid ‘foolish questions that only serve to stir up strifes’. Our focus should be on what we have in common, on revelation from heaven, and on growing in Christ.
And again, it matters not if there is just an ‘Adam and Eve (and kids)’ meeting in their ‘garden’ with the Lord, or a larger family like Abraham’s, or a gathering of friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, and the person of peace – it’s all about revelation and celebrating Him in our midst!
Prophetic
Many of you will remember that in 3 visitations the Lord told me to ‘watch Turkey’. Turkey is one of the nations mentioned in Ezekiel 38 that aligns with Russia and Iran to invade Israel, and over the years we’ve seen it move away from the west and towards closer ties with Russia. It is in the news once again. It is Turkey and Russia fighting Iran for control of Syria, but Turkey finds themselves in an economic quagmire. Russia doesn’t have the cash to bail them out, the EU and US won’t, so they had to look to Qatar for a multibillion-dollar loan to prop up their economy and currency. We are also seeing riots in Iran over their economy as well.
This is important because Ezekiel 38 says this alliance will invade Israel seeking ‘spoil’. That speaks to economic hardship in Russia, Turkey, and Iran that would motivate them to invade rich Israel for that spoil (among other reasons listed in Ezekiel 38) – the stage is being set.
As to the US this fall
I am praying for continued blessing for the country economically, and the November elections will tell the tale – I personally have a peace about it, but have had a need to pray for 2019 as it feels ‘heavy’ and ‘dark’ in my spirit, but thus far He has told me nothing directly, so am praying and seeking.
On a personal level, I can say that Chris’ behavior has been so good this summer with us traveling less, keeping to the home visit each Friday/Saturday, and so on. Our ability to minister to the needs of the network and those who partner with us is so much more focus when we don’t have concerns about his care and behavior in the back of our minds – thank you for your prayers and giving. Each gift large or small touches us in our hearts and lives, and please know your prayer requests ARE prayed for.
Blessings,
John & Barb
