THE FURNACE DOOR IS OPENING

August 25, 2007

John Meyer:

"THE FURNACE DOOR IS OPENING-- A RELEASE OF PROPHETS WHO HAVE BEEN IN 'THE WAIT'"

A Building Process

Many of God's people who have ahold of their purpose and vision inside, are sensing a time of release. They have been behind closed doors, crying, laughing and trembling with their Lord and Savior. They have known what it means to reach the depths of anguish in their souls and minds and have felt at times that they could not go on any longer. They have tried to reach out through conversation to share their pain, but others who listened, could not relate. They've experienced a loneliness that has been physically felt and mentally challenging.

It's been a journey where all one could say is, "I don't know what is going on exactly, but God is good!" All the confessions, professions and proclamations seem to go out, but silence is all that is heard. The journey has been a prophetic process for the prophets and also for those who have been in the "building" process of the Lord, just waiting for their release and assignment on the earth. The season of preparation is often misunderstood by many who go through it. All we want to do sometimes is to get out of the fire, while God Himself is keeping us from leaving. Only He knows the full process of keeping us in the fire--until we walk out looking better, acting better and loving better. Many have tried to run out only to find themselves walking back into the furnace of refinement once again. God has always been in it with us, but somehow we think He has left us there to roast.

The Door is Opening

We are now entering into a time of release for many who have been going through the fire and have grown up in character. Standing on their feet, they hear the Master opening up the furnace door and saying, "It is now time." They are not running like before--they are walking with a maturity and confidence in their Lord, as they come through the door to enter their assignments.

This does not mean that all of a sudden everything will just happen and money will fall out of the trees for people, but what it does mean is that favor will be there when it is needed, with the work of their hands. It means that the weight of the gifting matches the weight of the character and the "appointed time" is now upon them. It means that they will not quickly fall like they used to when temptations come near them.

James understood this process and the importance of "The Wait" for maturity, "James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings. My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing" (James 1:1-4).

Many times when we read this Scripture, we automatically think of some major family or financial trial we go through and yes, these are trials. But for those who have been in the process of development, they have also been sorely tested in the battlefield of the mind regarding their calling. Some ponder if they have blown it with sin and wonder if it will happen, or they begin to think that God had never spoken to them in the first place. It is the plan of the enemy and the flesh to get us thinking this way, but patience has a divine and perfect plan.

The patience that has come through the trial, has now been developed to the point of release. It is the patience that is mature and complete--able to withstand testing and truly help others in need.

Mature Enough to Understand Temptation

James 1:12-17, "Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."

The struggle to sort out what is happening and "who" is doing what to those in process, is often misunderstood and many people have even blamed God for their temptations during development. But, God has brought them to the point of maturity in the fire, where they no longer believe that lie and have now understood that the "Refining Fire" has been burning away their unclean thoughts and desires of wanting the release too soon and doing works in the flesh.

For some, the discipline of the Lord has been grueling and has been an unpleasant experience, and it is totally human to feel that way. Yet as maturity is developed, there is a knowledge and confidence inside, knowing the process produces a harvest of Godly character and peace.

Hebrews 12:11, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."

The Time is Now Upon Many

The time is quickly approaching and others will see someone coming out of the Furnace, looking and smelling like God, who they thought would be completely burned up. These are the "unknowns" in society who will enter their callings, full of God's power and wisdom. They will know how to handle difficulties without breaking down emotionally. They will release practical, yet powerful insight from God's Word that will shatter strongholds and liberate the afflicted and oppressed.

It will truly be the demonstration of the Spirit without the "eloquence" of fleshly words being released as Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 2. It is a Supernatural release that will bring young and old to real repentance, because they have seen and have experienced the goodness of God in a tangible way.

For those who have understood the process of "The Wait," be encouraged! Your release is close at hand. Rejoice! For the Lord your God is opening the door of the furnace.

John and Amy Meyer
Voice of One Crying Ministries
Email: kptc@voiceofonecrying.org

John and Amy Meyer's Bio

John and Amy Meyer oversee Voice of One Crying Ministries and have been ministering prophetically to God's people for over a decade. They have been youth pastors, taught prophetic character series together, helped to launch a prophetic training center and are visionaries for Potential Development Centers. These Centers will be designed to develop the whole man and help people to discover and know what their purpose is in The Kingdom, for the last days. John has also served at The Dream Center in Los Angeles in the late 1990's, helping to form intercessory prayer groups and Bible studies.

John and Amy travel and teach people how to come out of rejection and discover their calling in the Kingdom of God. They have a deep desire to see people receive a true prophetic impartation, helping them to launch forward into their purpose and destiny. Currently, they reside in Salem, Oregon and have been involved with home groups in the area.

"The Gift of Woundedness Makes Us Christlike"

FRANCIS FRANGIPANE:

"The Gift of Woundedness Makes Us Christlike"

"We cannot become Christlike without experiencing woundedness."

The world and all it contains was created for one purpose: to showcase the grandeur of God's Son. In Jesus, the nature of God is magnificently and perfectly revealed; He is the "express image" of God (Hebrews 1:3). Yet to gaze upon Christ is also to see God's pattern for man. As we seek to be like Him, we discover that our need was created for His sufficiency. We also see that, once the redemptive nature of Christ begins to triumph in our lives, mercy begins to triumph in the world around us.

Becoming Christlike--Wounding is Inevitable

How will we recognize revival when it comes? Behold, here is the awakening we seek: men and women, young and old, all conformed to Jesus. When will revival begin? It starts the moment we say, "Yes" to becoming like Him; it spreads to others as Christ is revealed through us.

Yet to embrace Christ's attitude toward mercy is but a first step in our spiritual growth. The process of being transformed calls us to deeper degrees of transformation. Indeed, just as Jesus learned obedience through the things that He suffered (see Hebrews 5:8), so also must we. And it is here, even while we stand in intercession or service to God--He gives us the gift of woundedness.

"Gift?" you ask. Yes, to be wounded in the service of mercy instead of closing our hearts, will allow woundedness to crown us with love, and will release God's power in redemption. The steadfast prayer of the wounded intercessor holds great sway upon the heart of God.

We cannot become Christlike without experiencing woundedness. You see, even after we come to Christ, we carry encoded within us preset limits concerning how far we will go for love, and how much we are willing to suffer for redemption. The wounding exposes those human boundaries and reveals what we lack of His nature.

The path narrows as we seek true transformation. Indeed, many Christians fall short of Christ's stature because they have been hurt and offended by people. They leave churches discouraged, vowing never again to serve or lead or contribute because, when they offered themselves, their gift was marred by unloving people. To be struck or rejected in the administration of mercy can become a great offense to us, especially as we are waiting for, and even expecting, a reward for our good efforts.

Yet--wounding is inevitable if we are following Christ. Jesus was both "marred" (Isaiah 52:14) and "wounded" (Zechariah 13:6), and if we are sincere in our pursuit of His nature, we will suffer as well. How else will love be perfected?

Let us beware. We either become Christlike and forgive, or we enter a spiritual time warp where we abide continually in the memory of our wounding. Like a systemic disease, the hurtful memories destroy every aspect of our reality. In truth, apart from God, the wounding that life inflicts is incurable. God has decreed that only Christ in us can survive.

Intercessors live on the frontier of change. We are positioned to stand between the needs of man and the provision of God. Because we are the agents of redemption, satan will always seek the means to offend, discourage, silence, or otherwise steal the strength of our prayers. The wounding we receive must be interpreted in light of God's promise to reverse the effects of evil and make them work for our good (see Romans 8:28). Since spiritual assaults are inevitable, we must discover how God uses our wounds as the means to greater power. This was exactly how Christ brought redemption to the world.

Maintaining Love Is the Key

Jesus knew that maintaining love and forgiveness in the midst of suffering was the key that unlocked the power of redemption. Isaiah 53:11 tells us, "By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities."

Jesus possessed "revelation knowledge" into the mystery of God. He knew that the secret to unleashing world-transforming power was found at the Cross. The terrible offense of the Cross became the place of redemption for the world. Yet, remember, Jesus calls us to a cross as well (see Matthew 16:24). Wounding is simply an altar upon which our sacrifice to God is prepared.

Listen again to Isaiah's prophetic description of Jesus' life. His words, at first, seem startling, but as we read, we discover a most profound truth concerning the power of woundedness. He wrote,

"But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand" (Isaiah 53:10).

How did Jesus obtain the power of God's pleasure and have it prosper in His hands? During His times of crushing, woundedness and devastation, instead of retaliating, He rendered Himself "as a guilt offering."

The crushing is not a disaster; it is an opportunity. You see, our purposeful love may or may not touch the sinner's heart, but it always touches the heart of God. We are crushed by people, but we need to allow the crushing to ascend as an offering to God. The far greater benefit is the effect our mercy has on the Father. If we truly want to be instruments of God's good pleasure, then it is redemption, not wrath, that must prosper in our hands.

So, when Christ encounters conflict, even though He is the Lion of Judah, He comes as the Lamb of God. Even when He is outwardly stern, His loving heart is always mindful that He is the "guilt offering." Thus, Jesus not only asks the Father to forgive those who have wounded Him, but also numbers Himself with the transgressors and intercedes for them (see Isaiah 53:12). He does this because the Father takes "no pleasure in the death of the wicked" (Ezekiel 33:11), and it is the pleasure of God that Jesus seeks.

Is this not the wonder and mystery and the power of Christ's Cross? In anguish and sorrow, wounded in heart and soul, still He offered Himself for His executioners' sins. Without visible evidence of success, deemed a sinner and a failure before man, He courageously held true to mercy. In the depth of terrible crushing, He let love attain its most glorious perfection. He uttered the immortal words, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34).

Christ could have escaped. He told Peter as the Romans came to arrest Him, "Do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matthew 26:53). In less than a heartbeat, the skies would have been flooded with thousands of warring angels. Yes, Jesus could have escaped, but mankind would have perished. Christ chose to go to hell for us rather than return to Heaven without us. Instead of condemning mankind, He rendered "Himself as a guilt offering" (Isaiah 53:10, italics mine).

Jesus said, "He who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also" (John 14:12). We assume He meant that we would work His miracles, but Jesus did not limit His definition of "works" to the miraculous. The works He did--the redemptive life, the mercy cry, the identification with sinners, rendering Himself a guilt offering--all the works He did, we will "do also."

Thus, because He lives within us, we see that Isaiah 53 does not apply exclusively to Jesus; it also becomes the blueprint for Christ in us. Indeed, was this not part of His reward, that He would see His offspring? (see Isaiah 53:10) Beloved, we are the progeny of Christ.

Afflictions of Love

Read these words from Paul's heart:

"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the Church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions" (Colossians 1:24).

What did the apostle mean? Did not Christ fully pay mankind's debts once and for all? Did Paul imply that we now take Jesus' place? No, we will never take Jesus' place. It means that Jesus has come to take our place. The Son of God manifests all the aspects of His redemptive, sacrificial life through us. Indeed, "as He is, so also are we in this world" (1 John 4:17).

Paul not only identified with Christ in his personal salvation, but he was also consumed with Christ's purpose. He wrote, "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death" (Philippians 3:10).

A wondrous reality is the "fellowship of His sufferings." Here, in choosing to yoke our existence with Christ's purpose, we find true friendship with Jesus. This is intimacy with Christ. The sufferings of Christ are not the sorrows typically endured by mankind; they are the afflictions of love. They bring us closer to Jesus. United with Him, we increase the pleasure of God.

Let's pray: Father, I see You have had no other purpose in my life but to manifest through me the nature of Your Son. I receive the gift of woundedness. In response, in surrender to Christ, I render myself an offering for those You've used to crush me. May the fragrance of my worship remind You of Jesus, and may You forgive, sprinkle and cleanse the world around me.

Francis Frangipane
Ministries of Francis Frangipane
Email: francis1@frangipane.org

THE GREAT METAMORPHOSIS

August 13, 2007

Rick Joyner:

"THE GREAT METAMORPHOSIS--BEING TRANSFORMED AS WE SOAR ABOVE OUR TRIALS"

"There is no greater freedom than knowing we are in the will of God."

The Church is the Lord's Body, and what He does, He will do through His Church. If we want to be a part of what God is doing, it is fundamental that we find our part in His body and begin functioning in it.

We must also acknowledge that there are many ways in which the contemporary Church reflects the ways and organizations of this world more than the Kingdom of God. However, the Church is going through a most radical transformation at this time. It is so radical that the only way to describe it is metamorphosis, which we have discussed before, but we need to build on this thought a bit, so I will review it briefly here.

Metamorphosis of the Church and Our Mindsets

Metamorphosis is the process that a caterpillar goes through in the cocoon where it enters as a worm and leaves a beautiful butterfly. The Greek word that is the root of this word "metamorphosis" is the word translated "transformed" in Romans 12:2:

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

A caterpillar is a worm that crawls along the earth, conforming to all of the contours of the earth, but a butterfly soars above the earth. This is the transformation that is needed in us, and as it is specifically stated in this verse, the transformation must take place in our minds by the renewing.

Our minds have what are called "mindsets." A mindset is the setting of our mind so that when a word is spoken, we form a certain, definite impression. For example, when the word "Church" is stated, many have a very definite impression of it. For most of us, the Church is in its caterpillar state—the worm that is still conformed to this world. However, that mindset is about to be changed and renewed. Those who see prophetically already see the Church differently. She is about to become a very Heavenly creature, and those who are still looking for her crawling along the ground may miss her as she soars by overhead.

Mindsets can be good and bad. There are mindsets that we should have about such things as the Scriptures being the Word of God which cannot be changed. However, there are a lot of mindsets which are in fact spiritual strongholds--bondages that need to be broken. These are broken by a transformation that is in fact a metamorphosis, which is a process. I know many people who get revelations, but that is just the beginning of a transformation in our thinking which points us in the right direction. Real transformation is a process that requires faith, patience, endurance and focus.

Metamorphosis requires going into a cocoon, which is very confining. Even after the transformation has taken place, the cocoon is very hard to break out of. In fact, breaking out of the cocoon is often the greatest struggle a butterfly will ever go through. However, if it were not for this great struggle, which strengthens the butterfly's wings, it would not be able to flap those big wings and fly.

It is noteworthy that Paul was, "strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, ''Through many tribulations we must enter the Kingdom of God'" (Acts 14:22). The mindset that many believers have today would make that message anything but "strengthening" and "encouraging," but for the spiritually mature--it is. The Greek word "tribulations" basically means "pressures" such as the confining pressures of the cocoon. We are strengthened through those constrictions and pressures that the Lord allows to come upon us so that we will be able to soar above this world. Those who want to avoid these trials will be confined as worms to the earth.

There are many Christians who have stayed on the course, making the most of their trials, and they will soar high above the earth. There are many Christians who have not had the wisdom or maturity to do this, and they will always crawl. This is a demarcation which will become increasingly striking in the times ahead. Shortly after that, all Christians will be soaring because those who have not been transformed will not be able to remain Christians.

When the Lord was asked about the signs of the end of the age, He replied, "Woe...to those who nurse babes in those days" (see Matthew 24:19). I would translate this as, "Woe to those who have kept their people in immaturity." For this reason, Romans 12:1-2 is critical for us to hear:

I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Not Conformed to this World

To present our bodies to the Lord as living and holy sacrifices is our spiritual service and worship. The body is the temple of the Lord, and as Paul wrote to the Corinthians, if we continue to defile it, we can expect it to be destroyed. The sins of the body have consequences that will destroy the body. That should be motivation enough, but a higher motivation is a love for God so great, that we want to please Him in all things.

We must resolve not to be conformed to this world. If we do not care more about what God thinks of us than what people think of us, then we are not worthy to be His bride. That is why Paul said in Galatians 1:10, "If I were still seeking to please men I would not be a bond-servant of Christ." The degree to which we are ruled by the compulsion to please men, to be acceptable to men, is the degree to which we will have departed from our service to Christ.

As the Lord Jesus Himself stated in John 5:44, "How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another, and you do not seek the glory that is from the One and only God?" The answer of course is that we cannot believe and have true faith if we are still seeking the glory of men. The word for "glory" in this verse could have been translated "recognition." Our minds cannot be transformed if we are still conforming to this world by seeking the glory or recognition of men rather than the recognition of God.

However, the great promise in Romans 12:1-2 is that if our minds are transformed, we will be able to "prove what the will of God is." There is no greater freedom than knowing we are in the will of God. This allows us to soar high above any of the conditions or problems of this world. This is how Paul and Silas soared in worship even when they were in a dungeon. No dungeon could hold their spirits. If the things of this world are still holding us down, then we have not been transformed.

It is interesting that during the teenage years, there is more pressure to conform to what is considered "the norm" than probably at any other time of life. This is precisely the time of life when our true identity and purpose should be becoming clear, and this pressure from the world seems to be especially strong at this time to keep it from happening. This is also the time when many yokes of bondage are placed on people that keep them bound their entire lives. When you see a generation breaking out of this, willing to be different, having such vision and focus during these years that they cannot be seduced by the ways of this world, you can be sure the end of this age is near because the Bride is here.

So what about folks that are older? Certainly there will be Joshuas and Calebs from the previous generation, but there is also hope for all who are still alive to be a part. There is a renewing that will renew us. We can become young again. That the Bride is "without spot or wrinkle" (see Ephesians 5:27) speaks of her being pure (without spot), and she does not age (no wrinkles!). We can be made young again in the Lord if we will repent and determine that we will not be conformed to this world, but rather be transformed. If we are still living, it is not too late, but we should not waste another day.

We also need to decide if we are going to let all of the previous wounds and disappointments determine who we are, or if we are going to be like Christ, using the Cross to determine who we are, seizing the opportunity to die to ourselves and rise above this world and live in resurrection power. We cannot be resurrected unless we have first died.

Rick Joyner
MorningStar Ministries

The Kingdom and the Church: Rick Joyner: I just had TWO OF THE MOST POWERFUL VISIONS IN YEARS

Rick Joyner: "I just had TWO OF THE MOST POWERFUL VISIONS IN YEARS (about the Kingdom and the Church)"

Rick Joyner : Jul 19, 2007

A few weeks ago, I had two of the most powerful visions I have had in years. I was basically shown the Lord's heart at the beginning of creation and what the main desire of His heart is now. It was His Bride, the Church. From these visions, I understood profoundly that the love He has for His Bride is so impacting that the Church does not exist for the kingdom, but the kingdom exists for the Church. This was a reorientation of my thinking, and I am therefore sharing this with those who have been with me in this study of the kingdom for nearly two years.

This does not change what I have been sharing about the kingdom, but it does change the priority for me. The Lord loves His creation, and He loves the earth. He loves every sparrow, which is why He notices when a single one falls to the ground. However, there is nothing that compares to the love He has for His Bride. The way it was shown to me gave me more resolve than ever to see the Church made ready for Him.

For the Church to come into her purpose, she needs to know her high calling. There are many practical issues that must be addressed, but the most important of all is that she needs to fall so in love with Him that she cannot stand to be apart from Him. The Bride that "makes herself ready" does so out of love for Him, not selfish ambition just to fulfill her own purpose. She needs to see her purpose and delight in it, but it pales in comparison to seeing His glory.


Certainly there is no one in the universe more lovable than God. His ways are so much higher than our most noble devotions that to comprehend Him, in even the smallest way, is transforming. Therefore, the key to the Church rising to the stature to which she is called is for her to behold Him. This is the anointing that I am praying for above anything else—the anointing to point to Him in such a way that the Bride is consumed with the desire for Him. Of course, I cannot impart this without having it in my own heart. Loving God is our first and highest calling. The one who attains the highest calling is the one who loves Him the most.

Those who have read my material know that I have always been a church man. In all that I write or preach, I try to impart a vision for every believer to be a part of the local church. I have done this out of a conviction I was given soon after I became a Christian—that a vital and genuine local church life is essential for true Christian maturity. I have never been more convinced of this, and yet I also know very well how rare it is to find a congregation where this is possible. For the Church and individual Christians to come into their purposes, both must change, and they will.

However, it is much better to be in an immature church than no church at all. In fact, it can be much better to be in an immature church than a mature one. We need all of the frustrations and irritations of church life to become what we are called to be – Christlike. Everyone will love the One who is perfect, but to love the imperfect and patiently give ourselves to helping them is the basic nature that the Lord demonstrated when He walked the earth. For this reason, it is easier for us to mature when we are with the immature. If we are waiting for the Church to get its act together before we join it, she will be so far down the road that we will not be able to catch up!

The kingdom of God is going to come, and His will is going to be done right here on earth just as it is in Heaven. His kingdom on this earth is going to be far more wonderful and glorious than our present language can describe. The earth will be restored to the paradise it was originally created to be, but the Church has an even higher calling. The Church is called to the Heavenly realm, to sit with Him on His throne, ruling and reigning with Him. She will also share His divine nature. The chide has been common toward the spiritual that they are so Heavenly-minded they are not any earthly good; but the fact is that an earthly-minded Christian will not be able to do much good on earth. Until Heaven really is our home, we simply will not have much for the earth.

The Lord has had His people praying for the kingdom to come for nearly twenty centuries now, but it will not come until His Bride is ready. Therefore, the most effective thing we can do to help bring the kingdom is to help the Church become what she has been called to be. She is called to sit with Him in the heavens and to be more at home with Him there than she is here.

I appreciate those who have a heart for the transformation of society, but this transformation with good ideas is very limited without it being accomplished through the Church. The Church is called to be the light that is set on a hill, the great society that compels those who see it to seek the Source of the light. The Church is called to be the kingdom of God on the earth, a society and a culture that is from above, standing out boldly in contrast to the fallen ways of this world, revealing the wisdom and nature of her King. The Church simply cannot fulfill her purpose without community.

In speaking of community, I don't mean that we all have to live next door to each other in the same neighborhood. There is a bonding together into the true fellowship of the saints that transcends location. Earthly families grow up and grow apart, all going their own ways, but the Heavenly family grows closer as it grows up. The Heavenly family will grow until our spiritual bonding transcends the closest human family.

There is a yearning in every Christian's heart for this bonding into the eternal family of God because it is the destiny we were created for.

The Body of Christ is going to start coming together, which is the greatest of all the signs that this is truly the end of the age, because this age cannot end until this happens. When this happens, the Gospel of the kingdom will be preached from the great and impregnable fortress of the kingdom on earth—the Church. Even so, the Lord's own prayers and prophecies for the unity and perfection of His Bride must take place before this age can end.

When the desire for true, New Covenant church life is awakened in the Church, she will start to gather again. When she starts to gather again, the Lord will be in her midst and she will fall far more in love with Him than she is with herself. Christians who respond to the call will begin to experience the ultimate community, but that will not be their main focus—it will be getting close to the Lord. He is an even greater desire of the human heart than community, but we must have community to grow closer to Him.

As the Lord declared in Matthew 18:20, "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst." The word translated "gathered" here means much more than just getting together for meetings; it means to be assembled just as the parts of a car are assembled to make a car. Separated, the parts will not be very useful or be able to carry anyone anywhere, but together they can go a long way. This is the same connotation that is found in Hebrews 10:23-25:

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;

and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,

not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.

The "assembling together" that we must not forsake is more than just getting together for meetings; it is the assembling together like the parts of the car. Individual parts may be valuable, but until they are properly put together they cannot accomplish anything. It is the same in the Body of Christ.

There is a reason why everyone who came to the Lord in the New Testament was "added to the Church." We should look at the fruit of ministries that may touch a lot of people, but do not build the Church. How much of this fruit remains? When they leave are the people really different? Is the light of the Church really shining brighter? Why is it that studies show there is no measurable difference in the character of those who call themselves Christians and those who do not? Something is truly not working.

This is not to lay the blame for the churches' problems on such evangelists. We should rejoice in all who preach, heal, and in any way are used to touch people in the name of the Lord. It is understandable that many evangelists would be hesitant to send their new converts to churches that they know will lead them only to a dead religion or in other ways drain the life out of these new believers. However, this is why the evangelists of the New Testament were followed by apostles, prophets, and teachers who would build the Church. Until the New Testament ministries learn to work together, much of the fruit will continue to be lost. It is certainly better that these evangelists preach, heal the sick, and turn people toward the Lord than not to do this, but there must be churches raised up where new converts can mature and grow in their relationship to Christ and find their proper place in His Body.

As we are told in I John 4:20, it is not possible to love the Lord and not love our brethren. It is not possible to really love the Lord and not love His Church. If we love Him, we will be compelled to help His Bride become a Bride that our King deserves. She is the greatest desire of His heart, and if His pleasure is the greatest desire of our hearts, we will help her get ready for Him. This is in fact the main way that we can help prepare the way for Him and build a highway for the kingdom.

Rick Joyner
MorningStar Ministries
Email: info@morningstarministries.org