There is a passage of Scripture that we've probably all read zillions of times and don't really understand how horrifying it is. I scream inside every time I think about it.
Jesus Christ is in the Garden of Gesthemane, praying alone, sweating blood, crying out to the Father - and He prays for the Disciples and then He prays for us.
John 17:20-21 - "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me."
OUCH!! Does that hurt your heart? Don't you get it? Jesus Christ, our King, Master, Commander, Husband, Brother, LORD, in his last prayer before going to the Cross to die for our sins, said that the "World" would KNOW that He was sent by God and was Messiah when the CHRISTIANS can finally play nice together! What a condemnation! What a horrifying statement! Well, then what is the inverse except that the World will be absolutely convinced Jesus IS NOT sent by God so long as the Christians ARE NOT ONE!
How can we ignore so casually the very last dying wish of the one we say is our GOD and KING? How is this not AT LEAST as high a priority as The Great Commission? In fact, how can we properly fulfill the Great Commission while we're divisive, faction and split into schools of opinion? Do you know "heresies" means "schools of opinion" and is listed in Galatians 5 as one of the acts of the sinful nature - along with seditions, strife, variance, witchcraft, adultery and such like? What is a "seminary" except a school where you go to learn why you're might right then the people at that other school?
In 1 Corinthians 11:29 Paul says that some of us are dead or dying because we're taking Communion unworthily, eating and drinking damnation on ourselves, not discerning the Lord's body. In 1 Corinthians 3 Paul says that he can't feed us meat because we're split up into teams ("I'm for Paul, I'm for Apollos...) and we're carnal, not spiritual. Do you really know who is and who isn't part of The Lord's Body? Isaiah 58 says what kind of fast the Lord wants and part of is to NOT turn away from your own flesh and blood. How can we have denominations and claim that we're not carnal, that we're not ignoring brethren, that we're the only ones right and going to heaven. NO!! Repent! Weep and mourn before the altar and maybe He will turn and heal our land! Without that, we're TOAST.
Musical Interlude - "We Are One Body" -
Since 2005 the Lord has always said to me, "I WILL fulfill my promises to Kansas City. Don't get in My way." And, as it turns out, it's A LOT harder then you would think to NOT get in His way! We are constantly programming and scheduling Him and asking Him to endorse the plans our committees or consultants came up with! I can tell you hair raising stories of stuff I've been through and kept my mouth shut and let God drive wherever He wanted at whatever speed He wanted! I don't think I know any other pastor or leader that would have put up with what I've put up with. After 20 years, I've gotten REALLY good at getting out of His way.
The other is that when I've asked what He was about to do, it wasn't the word "revival" that He used, but "restoration." Do I believe there will be a great end times revival - Yes. That's not about the harvest of lost souls. REvival requires people that were VIVED at some point and just need to be REvived. Then we can restore The Church, The Bride, and get her on the right foundation, as laid by the Apostles - that is one body per city, under Christ, autonomous, with local leaders, involved in each others lives and inextricable one from another. Church discipline means something when NOBODY in town will talk to you. Right now you can abuse kids, get fired from the Baptist building, move to the Methodist building and keep at it. I've known some.
Here's the terrifying news. Nothing gets Christians to play nice together better than serious persecution. If the church is the spiritual Body of Christ, then we have to follow the same path the physical Body did. That means tortured, beaten, mocked, crucified and dead in a tomb. Because you don't get dressed in white without wrinkle or spot, ready to go see the Father, until the door of the tomb blows off!
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Don't worry about some future "falling away." I think we're fully fallen - all that's left is to REALIZE how fallen we are. Some will give up on Jesus, some will weep and mourn for what we've done. Read Ezekiel 9 - You get a mark on your forehead if you're weeping for how bad things are. Everybody else is a dead body in a defiled temple. I think right now we're in the tomb, not suffering decay and little cells are popping back to life and connecting. It's not time yet for the door to blow off and her come out triumphantly, mature and complete - but it's coming!
We can't just keep putting make-up on this thing. We've got to reboot it and set it back to the defaults. That means loving one another, walking holy, hearing God and obeying, sharing with each as they have a need, one body per city with local leaders. Do you not see the wisdom of God there? There can be no mega leaders, no popes, church discipline means something, local leaders know what the local issues are.
God has given us a lot of revelation about what it's going to take. All my books are on here free - many have audio books.
"The Red Dragon" talks about the spirit of delusion that is all over the place. People chasing whatever (gold dust, purpose driven, seeker friendly, Calvin, prosperity, etc.) that is NOT the Cross of Christ. God says that He will turn you over to a strong delusion - and He has. Do you believe in "Trump Derangement Syndrome" on the Left? Do you believe Conservatives are under a delusion? Do you know who started it? Who poured it out on the world by their ABSOLUTE certainty that their team has all the answers and everybody else is going to hell? The CHURCH did. Judgement starts at the House of God. We did this. (Video) We broke the planet.
"Do It Yourself City Church Restoration" is about the theological, scriptural basis for City Church and why denominationalism is a sin, is a house divided and can't stand. We're ONE because Jesus says we are, not because we voted you in as a "member." We're not to divide on race or language or secondary issues. The only allowable cause for division is that we can't all be in the same place at the same time. So I'm part of The Church of Liberty and you're part of The Church of Boston (or Mexico City or Beijing). But someday we'll all be part of the Church of New Jerusalem!
"Rain Right NOW, Lord!" is about how we hyperfocus on "tongues" but ALL the gifts are transferable. It's about how God is waiting on US - on the Church - to pour His Spirit out on all flesh! He put endless springs of living water inside of each of us, as soon as we get the CORK out and stop being lukewarm and stagnant and sitting on our lees, we get this show on the road!
"Dialogues with God" is all about how to hear God better and be directed by Him. The back half of the book is a Spiritual Tuneup to identify what's in your cup that shouldn't be, how to get it out and get unclogged so you can hear Him.
Lots of other stuff about how your dad has shaped your relationship with Father God ("The Dad Filter") and about spiritual warfare, weapons, shields, cloaks and more ("DEMONS?! You're kidding...right?").
God gave us a vision of a giant computer network to connect people in every town. We're waiting on the people and resources to get it done, but it would change EVERYTHING. If we provided a mechanism for Christians to resource together, share, talk, help - outside of their little boxes - they would see how good it feels and what can be accomplished. And it will do a lot more then just that. I know it was a vision from the Lord and we've had 20 years to hear what He wants. It's coming and it's going to be huge.
How are you supposed to help? Please pray about your role in all this. Maybe it's just to pray for Kansas City and for us. Maybe it's to get the word out. Maybe you're supposed to move here and help. Maybe some other thing. He'll explain it to you.
If you feel to get ahold of me, again, it's Doug Perry and my cell is (816) 929-4466. Email is fotm @fellowshipofthemartyrs.com.
