A Kingdom

A Kingdom, A People & A River
A New Paradigm For the Post Modern House Church Movement

Parousia Weekly Update Letter For The Week of December 28, 2005

"When a prophet is accepted and deified, his message is lost. The prophet is only useful so long as he is stoned as a public nuisance calling us to repentance, disturbing our comfortable routines, breaking our respectable idols, shattering our sacred conventions" (A. G. Gardiner as quoted by Arthur Wallis, "In The Day of Thy Power").

In This Issue:

The Day After Christmas . . . And The Day Before An Awakening
Next Meeting – Friday, January 6

Dear Friends,

Have you ever thought about what life was like “The Day After Christmas”? I hadn’t, until last week when I was reading through Luke 2 & the nativity story. Suddenly I found myself musing on what it must have been like the day after Jesus birth, and that’s how this week’s brief “thought” got started (did he really say “brief”?). A longer letter next week.

Blessings,
Maurice

The Day After Christmas . . .

It was the day after Christmas, and life in Bethlehem continued on as usual. The skies, which only a few hours before had rung with the heavenly music of angel song, were now quiet. Gone were the shepherds who had heard and repeated the angelic proclamation. Sheep require tending and shepherds who had communed with angels and seen the Desire of Ages must return and tend sheep. Was it real, or had it all been a dream or a vision. In the light of day, dreams, visions and angelic visitations fade and give way to life which continues on seemingly unchanged. The inn, which had been full the night before, was probably full for many nights to come (all those people in town for the census) and Joseph & Mary probably continued on in the stable for a few more days & nights. And then there were the Romans; the ever present, ever oppressive Romans. They were still there, too. And the religious system of Judaism, overseen by priests and scribes who had known the prophecies but missed their fulfillment the previous evening, also continued on. The daily religious ritual of pray ers and sacrifices continued on while the Lamb of God slept in a manger only 5 miles away. It seemed from all outward appearances that nothing had changed. And yet, everything had changed. The world had passed from spiritual night to spiritual dawn. Type and shadow were giving way to fullness and substance. The age of prophetic promise was now giving way to the age of fulfillment. The Kairos of God’s gracious visitation had begun, but so few had actually seen or understood it. Seemingly, nothing had changed, but in reality, everything had changed because the season of God’s dealings had changed. And as this season unfolded, multitudes would be touched by it, but few would actually enter in. The paradigm of God’s dealings had radically changed, and though few saw it, everyone would be affected by it.

. . . And The Day Before An Awakening

The day before a spiritual awakening is not unlike the day after Christmas. Life in the world, and in the Church, appears unchanged. Everything appears to be what it has always been. Yesterday’s problems & challenges continue on unresolved. Politicians argue, potholes need fixing and religious services meet with new programs for the entire family. The previous comfortable, even if dysfunctional, paradigms continue on unchanged and unchallenged. From outward appearances the people of God continue on through the motions of their religious lives, just as in Jerusalem the day after Jesus’ birth. Nothing has changed, and yet, everything has changed. The day before an awakening is a day in which the season of God’s dealings has dramatically changed, but few see it. On the day before an awakening begins, a Kairos-Season of God’s gracious visitation has opened and the heavens have been rent. Prophetic promises given and accumulated over a period of many years now enter the Season of their fulfillment. Religious leaders who studied and talked about divine visitation find themselves challenged to step out of their comfortable boxes and take the brief but difficult journey to the Bethlehem of their fulfillment, but many won’t. So, in their places God will visit shepherds, stables, mangers, and the occasional magi, by-passing religious and political palaces in favor of much humbler dwellings. Perhaps in this awakening He will want to visit your house and touch your oikos.

The Season of God’s gracious visitation is unfolding. Today is both “the day after Christmas” and “the day before an awakening,” and the challenges are the same now as then. The River of God ’s Spirit, the River of Ezekiel 47 is preparing to flow in transforming power and blessing never before seen in our generation. Do you see it? Are you ready? Ar you a channel through which He can flow?

Next Meeting – Friday, January 6

In roughly ten (10) days we’ll resume our Friday evening meetings. The focus will be worship, pray er, waiting on God and ministry. I believe it is important that we “press in” to this unfolding season, and so that is our “agenda” starting Friday evening, January 6, 7:00PM at the home of the Shipley’s (Call if you need directions – 926-7743).