The Way
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The Path of Jesus Christ

If Jesus changes course and is headed down a certain, more difficult path. We abandon him when we stay on the course he just turned from, even if it’s more comfortable and easy up there.

Pursuing validation and approval can become hostile to the Lord as whoever we are pursuing drifts from God and aligns itself with evil. (WHICH ALWAYS HAPPENS OUTSIDE OF JESUS CHRIST)

Following Jesus sometimes means adjusting our attitude about people, institutions, and groups we once liked and trusted.

Christians who blindly resist change sometimes are accidentally resisting the Lord himself.

Militantly stay on the path that is Jesus Christ.

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“War” On Earth

Seeing and realizing the magnitude of who is Jesus Christ is one thing. It starts little then it grows forever into eternity, if we are willing to keep looking, and to keep seeking.

But, responding appropriately to the sight of him is entirely another thing all together. That is the real test of our lives. Response to him has little to do with where we go on Sunday mornings. Religious traditions and habits have been surpassed and made almost irrelevant.

When Jesus prayed “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” this was an act of war on earth, here among the nations of mankind. War against Satan and all his loyal children occupying government’s and religion’s and systems of money.

“…after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.” – 1 Cor 15:23-24

Jesus Christ has enemies still wreaking havoc in the earth. But, He is personally subduing them through his ecclesia (the church). This can be seen in real time all over the earth. Sometimes through political activities, sometimes through war, other times through economics and many other ways too complex and subtle to even point to. 

When our Lord Jesus brought himself down to earth, things began to change down here. Satan was confused and did not understand how to react to it. He first tried to subdue and trick him then he went straight to violence and death. Satan does not want to yield.

And just when we think we can pick up some weapon of human warfare (military, politics, human governments, capitalism, communism) to help Jesus or control this process that Jesus is accomplishing, that weapon itself blows up in our faces. It truly is His battle, it is His place to put His enemies under His feet. We get to cooperate and help him only to the extent and the degree that we are yielded wholly to him, moment by moment. 

When I think of the Lord Jesus now I no longer think “haha heaven when I die”, I think “haha heaven coming down to earth”. Thinking this way is dangerous, it can make for a lot of enemies still. But thinking this way is the most accurate way to think which is consistent with reality.

For more on the Gospel of the Kingdom Of Jesus Christ, listen to this podcast.

For more of my posts like this.

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Insurgence
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An Insurgence to End All Insurgencies

An Insurgence to End All Insurgencies

Frank Viola’s books and ministry have opened up a new glimpse of Jesus Christ to me in the past 3 years. His new book Insurgence continues that process so I wanted to share it with my readers.

This book (and post) is about the gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ. The revolutionary news that Jesus is this world’s true king. This good news has powerful implications. Implications which can infuriate many, it uproots and overturns societies like nothing else. It truly is an insurgence to end all insurgencies.

The gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ is so beyond, so radical, so much larger than what is being preached in most ministries today. It is almost an entirely different message.

If you don’t normally read books this book is not like others. Frank broke the book into a blog post style which makes it very easy to read, set down to process, and think about, then pick up again when you are ready.

Some interview questions that Frank answered for me about this book.

1) Why did you write the book Insurgence?

I write the book I myself want to read but cannot find. INSURGENCE is a book that does the following:

* presents the gospel of the kingdom comprehensively from Genesis to Revelation. (Not just “the kingdom” but “the gospel of the kingdom”).

* declare the message without any agenda for the progressive left or the conservative right (the gospel of the kingdom cannot fit into either).

* present the material in a highly accessible and easy-to-read manner so that a high school can understand as well as scholars and theologians (due to the depth).

* give practical exercise to navigate readers to implement the message into their own lives and churches.

* give an update on the present Insurgence that’s sweeping the world.

Because I couldn’t find one book that did all of those things, I wrote INSURGENCE: Reclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom (landing page at http://Insurgence.org with samples and reviews by scholars, theologians, pastors, etc.).

2) What is the primary difference between the gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ and the gospel of salvation?

I address this in the book itself, but they are the same gospel. The gospel of the kingdom stresses the kingship of Jesus and its massive implications while the gospel of salvation emphasis the Lord’s deliverance from the world system, the flesh, the grip of the devil, and God’s judgment. They are two sides of the same incredible gospel message.

3) What is the key take away that you hope readers get from the Insurgence book after reading it?

There are many. Here are two examples from two seasoned leaders:

“I have written about fifty books, read hundreds—maybe thousands IN MY 83 years. “INSURGENCE” IS THE ONE BOOK YOU MUST READ! It is everything I believe, said much better than I am graced to say it. You ask me what I believe. I will respond: “What he said!” To all of my beloved friends and fellows who are diligently laboring for reformation, restoration and revival: “Your efforts will be unfruitful apart from the kingdom foundation clearly laid out in Frank Viola’s new book.” During the entire time of reading this book my spirit has been vibrating like a tuning fork that has just been struck!”

And another:

I am finding this book to be singularly unique among the thousands I own. I am ¾ the way done and the timing of this book for me personally has the Lord’s fingerprints all over it. In many ways, it has encouraged. But it has also devastated me. Quite honestly, I’m undone in many ways.

Like Sam, the Lord has used the book to highlight and clarify issues of worldliness in my own life. Some of those issues were obvious to me and I have desired liberation. Some were more subterranean and the Light has invaded. For three weeks now, I have been seriously mulling the idea that I should get baptized again because of the light dispensed by this book. And I plan on it. I want to. I was not aware as a new believer of the totality of what being in Christ meant. One cannot say that after reading Insurgence.

I am encouraged that such “a word” was permitted to issue to the Body of Christ because it can only mean that the Lord is ready to do something. Something I have been longing for both personally and for the Body. I don’t feel that it will be a sweeping worldwide phenomena global (the best and truest moves of God never are) but I do think it can affect pockets of believers globally. That will be enough to please His heart.

This book threads a very precarious needle where others have tried and missed the mark. It is almost impossible to write a book like this without some measure of legalism creeping in. Yet, the tightrope wire is successfully crossed in Insurgence. This is a book that will smoke out the libertine and legalist hiding in plain sight in each of our hearts.

My prayer for myself is: “Lord please don’t let this word go wasted in my life. Have mercy, I am desperate! It is an appointed hour in my life. Please don’t let this be another good book that moved me merely while I was reading it and for a week two beyond that. DO SOMETHING in my heart! Something permanent. Something irrevocable. Something eternal. Something that brings pleasure to your heart. Something that meets your need in this hour. Something that moves the boundary markers of your Kingdom forward! Something that is fully in synch with your Eternal Purpose!”

I pray it may be so for all of us.

I am receiving emails like this daily from readers. Profoundly honoring and hugely humbling.

People can learn more at http://Insurgence.org

NEW! – Insurgence: Reclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom – Join the Insurgence

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