“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life” John 3:16.

Why did God send His Son Jesus into the world? It all comes down to love. What does this love look like? It looks like Jesus.

Jesus is perfect theology because He lived His life in the perfect will of the Father. Jesus is our example~ He is what we measure everything to. Being a Christian means to leave all else behind us and to follow Him. To follow Him means to believe Him, to obey Him, to do things as He did them (and He did nothing of Himself, but only what He saw the Father do, John 5:19).

Questions arise from this. Was the only reason that God gave Jesus to this world was so that we would one day be able to go to heaven? Was this the message that Jesus spoke about and lived out? Or is there more to the everlasting life we have received in Him-is there more to our salvation then not going to hell when we die?

When John the Baptist was preparing the way for Jesus he cried out, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:2). At hand, meaning drawing near, was referring to Jesus Christ . John was announcing Jesus and by doing so directing the world to look at the new way of thinking (repentance being our acceptance of this new thinking). He was showing us that there was a new kingdom on earth, the kingdom of heaven (God’s kingdom) that would now rule and take dominion over the kingdom of hell (satan’s kingdom). This is what was prophesied about Jesus, this is what Jesus preached, this is what Jesus lived out.

God’s love, His perfect will, the kingdom of heaven (the kingdom of God) are all synonymous with Jesus because they are are fulfilled in Him.

It is important to note that this love that God gave the world did not leave us when Jesus ascended into heaven. Jesus returned to the Father but by doing so He was able to send us His Spirit (Luke 17:21). Jesus did more then display the kingdom of God while on earth because through His suffering, death, and resurrection, sending us His Spirit, and our repentance/acceptance of Him~ He established it. Jesus laid down His life, giving us the gift of salvation (a reconciled relationship with God) making it possible for His kingdom to be manifest here on earth.

When is the kingdom of God coming or where is it today some may ask? Jesus declared in Luke 17:20 that the kingdom of God is within us. As a believer (one who has a right relationship with God and is dependant on Him) God’s kingdom begins with you. His kingdom begins with us as the body of Christ uniting together by coming into agreement with Him Who is our Head (that is what it means to be like minded), to pray and to believe as He taught us to do (Luke 11:2), to live out our lives out in the will of God just as He did.

So here is the question, “What does it look like when heaven comes down?” There is a lot to be said on the subject, too much to be discussed in one post; which is why this Heaven on Earth introduction will mark the beginning of a series of posts. I want to thank everyone who took the time to respond to the last post answering this very question; at least a portion of all of your comments will be used in the upcoming posts making this a collaborative effort. The intent of this series will be for us to work together as a community of believers to answer this question (so please put those comment boxes to good use), prayerfully becoming united in His love so that the Love, the One that lives inside of us, the kingdom of heaven, His will, will not only be made manifest in our own personal lives, but also here on earth.

Getting a root canal. Driving in traffic. Being humbled. The latter can often be grouped with things we would rather not do. In jest it is sometimes said, “Don’t pray to God to humble you because you will get what you ask for!” However, may I suggest we begin to look at humbling from a different point of view~ something to be enjoyed instead of dreaded, a facet of God’s love instead of something to be feared?

As God’s people we are suppose to be a humble bunch; but let us not forget that it is the moments, times, and seasons of humbling that grow us to that point. If we view humbling in a negative manner chances are we will resist the process, possibly prolonging it; but when we recognize the blessing that comes from humbling, God teaches us to enjoy and press into the process instead.

The blessing of divine humbling: Humbling usually goes hand in hand with repentance because it brings us to a place where we understand through experience that the way we think and what we do is not sufficient, thus we must turn to the LORD and come into alignment with His thoughts and His ways, walking in His will. Divine times of humbling and repentance are gifts from God because if we are to encounter something bigger then ourselves (i.e. this relationship we have with God) then we must first die to ourselves. When we die to ourselves then we can begin to experience the greater glory that is God’s manifest presence.

My prayer is that we be able to discern divine times of humbling and repentance (as opposed to being unrighteously condemned by the world and religiosity), casting our cares upon Him as we walk in His grace.

Selah:
*humbles, tapeinoo (tap-eye-nah-oh); strong’s # 5013: Literally, “to make low”. Metaphorically, the word means to debase, humble, lower oneself. It describes a person who is devoid of all arrogance and self-exaltation, a person who is willingly submitted to God and His will.

*repent, metanoeo (met-an-ah-eh-oh); strong’s # 3340: From meta, “after” and noeo, “to think”. Repentance is a decision that results in a change of mind, which in turn leads to a change of purpose and action.

*Matthew 18:1-5, 23:10-11
*James 4:5-10
*Proverbs 11:2, 16:18-20, 18:12
*Hebrews 12:3-17

One evening not too long ago I was driving with a friend in downtown LA at midnight. The night sky was beautiful, the buildings magnificent, we were laughing, having a good time in the LORD, driving around and looking for somewhere to eat when this song began to play. It was the first time I have heard this song and there was something that encouraged us both~ we knew, that we knew, that we knew that God wanted LA to encounter heaven. Little did we know it was a NOW word from the LORD because by 3:30 am it most certainly did. It was a gloriously perfect night.

In Luke 11 one of Jesus’ disciples asks Him to teach us how to pray. After first glorifying the Father and giving Him praise, Jesus taught us, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on heaven as it is on earth”. I have my own ideas on the subject, but thought it would be more fun to put together a collaborative post on what ALL OF OUR ideas on this subject are.

So if you are a Christ follower reading this blog, I want to encourage and invite you to post a comment in the “leave a reply” section provided for you answering the question, “what does it look like when heaven comes down?”

Let Revive know what you think. Make your comment as simple or as detailed as you want and it doesn’t matter if there are repeat answers to the question by various people. Beginning in August I will be posting a series of our collaborative responses to this question. So let your voice be heard!

Blessings.

*Luke 11:8-13, Luke 18, Luke 12:33, Luke 15:31

I grew up in the city of Riverside, but for whatever reason I had never seen, much less visited the river I apparently live on the side of. After seeing this river for the first time when driving around one day late last year I thought I must go to check it out.

Even amongst the graffiti decorated walls (I think I was in some restricted area…oppsie!) and being in a dirty gravel area that was under construction (yeah probably most definitely a restricted area) there was something so fascinating about sitting on a rock and looking out at the water as the sun’s rays glistened off the surface.

This beautiful moment gave me time to reflect on the wonderful ways God has saved me. I have been a Christian for as long as I can remember; having loved Him with everything I have, fellowshipping, being involved in my local church’s activites and outreach organizations, sharing the love of God with others the best I knew how, etcetera. But despite having lived in Christiandom for so long I had never realized the drink that was being offered to me. All I had ever really understood about my salvation was that when I died I would be going to heaven. Throughout my life I had always read in bible and heard from the pulpit about the fullness of my salvation, but somehow there was a disconnect that I could actually experience that salvation right here, right now.

Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10) and in John 4, “whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” Ezekiel describes a river flowing from the temple (we as believers are God’s temple) whose waters heal, giving life wherever it flows (chapter 47). There is so much more to salvation then not going to hell. Salvation (soteria) speaks of wholeness, it “is an all inclusive word signifying forgiveness, healing, prosperity, delieverance, safety, rescue, liberation, and restoration. Salvation is a present possession with a fuller realization in the future”*. Not only are we made whole when we recieve Christ, but the overflow of our salvation is that the world around us is also able to become whole.

It was in 2005 that I really began to understand the gift of this salvation that Christ had given to me. I began to understand it because it was the first time I had truly experienced (not just read or heard about) the tangible love of God. It changed me from the inside out and I have never been able to be the same. I pray that you, all believers, and everyone everywhere would not just read or hear about God’s salvation; but rather encounter the love of God that leads them to the fullness of salvation. Amen.

P.S. this song is the most recent addition to the soundtrack of my life-if you enjoyed this post, follow this link to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCzFrQAC__s

*Spirit-Filled Life Bible. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991. Print.

The time is day although the city is dark. Breaking through the asphalt with propelled force is a large man, a strong man, an indestructible man. This man is filled with so much passion that it lights up his entire being~ he is a man on fire. Tearing through the city street with righteous anger he destroys everything in his pathway that is unrighteous. Despite the intense nature of this man, he is all together gentle, discerning and careful not to harm even a hair of anything pure.

This incredible scene unfolded before my eyes in an instant, culminating to a gentle voice that whispered the words, “Cyrus Rising”.

(the following information about Cyrus is taken from a message by Mike Bickle*)

Who was Cyrus?
Cyrus was the Persian (modern day Iran) king who lived and reigned somewhere between the time of 500-600 BC. He was a king whom the Lord raised up out of obscurity and was put in the position as the most powerful man in the world in his day in a supernatural way. He can easily be compared to Joseph in that he began from the lowest of the low and brought high to govern the land. He was a Gentile called by Isaiah as the “Lord’s Anointed” 200 years before he was born that God used to change history. He was one of the wealthiest men of his day and a powerful politician who had access to the most powerful army in the world. He was a provider, a deliverer , and a forerunner for the Kingdom of God.

Cyrus in scripture: 2 Chronicles 36, Isaiah 44-45, book of Ezra and Daniel.

Who are the modern day Cyrus’?
Modern day Cyrus’ are men and women who God raises up in the marketplace that are entrusted with supernatural wisdom. They have a revelatory anointing being able to discern the times and the seasons. Typically entrepreneurial they not only posses enormous wealth or power, but God gives them (and/or the people placed around him/her) divine ideas and networking abilities in order to establish God’s purposes. In a very specific way they establish the prayer movement happening in the earth today and the purposes that God has for the nation of Israel.

Their whole identity is to be a servant of God~ for such a time as this. They have a Kingdom mindset (God’s Kingdom of course!) in everything they see and do. They consider all of their wealth, power, influence, prestige, etc not as their own but all the Lord’s. The controversial part (just like it was controversial for Jewish prophets to be prophesying the Lord’s favor over a Gentile) can be that they don’t necessarily have to be “Christian”. But whether or not a modern day Cyrus has that title, I believe that just like historical Cyrus the Lord will make Himself known to them and they will perform all of His pleasure.

I pray that everyone will find their calling and purpose in life, knowing they play an important role in the Kingdom of God. Whatever our calling is, may believers everywhere be united in the same mind and the same Spirit, working together to bring about the purposes of God throughout this earth. Amen.

*Bickle, Mike. “Marketplace 16-The Cyrus Calling-Mike Bickle.” Audio blog post. ITunes. Yearn, Faint, Cry…WORSHIP Ps 82 [FIREKEEP.com], 14 Jan. 2008. Web. 7 June 2010. .

Early last year God gave me a vision. I stood before an open door, uncontainable excitement and joy filled my face. “What was I looking at that made me so happy?,” I asked the LORD in anticipation. I wanted to know! This is when He showed me an incredibly beautiful city, a city lit up that could not be hidden. Beneath my feet was a clear glass path, a clear glass path that would continue to appear beneath my feet as I chose to walk through the door.

I share this with you because this vision’s interpretation is not only meant for me but it is also for you. Each one of us have a destiny- God has called you and is sending you out for such a time like this. It is nothing you have to strive for or try to do because your calling is you, it is who He created you to be. The sphere of influence/place God has called you to is a door that has been opened up for you in heaven BUT you have to decide whether or not you will walk through that door (and for Whom or whom you will be walking for). Looking at the places He is sending you from a natural perspective makes them appear dark and hopeless; but from God’s perspective they look glorious. Why? Because He has made you light, He has given you the answers that this world is crying out for, He knows that as you abide in Him His Kingdom comes and His will is done. He knows that when you and the others He has called to that sphere of influence step into your destiny this pathway of His Kingdom (where He is King) is created consequently releasing that place into ITS God-given destiny.

What door is God opening for you?

Selah on the Scriptures:
Isaiah 22:22
Psalm 24
Hebrews 12:22-24
Revelation 21

“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:17-18).

What is the source of liberty in your life and to what degree do you walk in this freedom? Do other people, your circumstances, or your imperfections determine your emotions, your actions, and worth? Maybe you think you don’t make the mark or your life would be better if “such and such” happened. One aspect of having a relationship with God that I love is that a life lived in His Spirit is not concerned with these temporal and trivial things~a life lived in His Spirit gives us true freedom that is grounded in unshakable Truth. Even when there is chaos all around us, in Him we have the wonderful fruits of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Even when what we have in and of ourselves is not sufficient, in Him we have more then enough. What I am learning about going from glory to glory is that it doesn’t mean that we are yet walking in perfection and doing everything right all of the time- it means that we are in a process. The key to the process being able to behold Christ. With every day that passes, minute, and moment there is a choice to be made: either focus on what people say or don’t say about me, what would it be like if my specific situation were different, or what I don’t have (on me, me, me; because I will always come up lacking) or instead walk in the freedom of who I am in Christ.

So brothers and sisters let us spend time in His presence, enjoy the process and not strive for the next thing that is going to happen or the person we could possibly become. The truth is we can never know exactly what our future holds and God loves us for who we are right here, right now. Let us receive for ourselves (and give to others around us) the grace that has been given to us to grow and to learn as we walk in this blissful journey from glory to glory. Amen.

This is a great song! Currently one of my favorite songs actually! =) Take a listen and enjoy. Jesus Culture is an awesome band out of Redding, Ca. They are at the forefront of a great revival in that area also being led by Bethel Church!

Comprised in our ministry to reconcile men back to God is our responsibility to pray.

Last Valentines Day at Revive Lounge, Jason Helwig was speaking on the subject of repentance and God’s grace and mercy. His springboard text was Psalm 51 which is David’s prayer before the LORD after 1) sleeping with another man’s wife, 2) trying to cover up this act through manipulating her husband when he discovers she is pregnant, and when that doesn’t work 3) putting a plan into action that will guarantee her husband’s death. Adultery,deception, & murder/treason~3+ strikes and you think David would be out. BUT even in the midst of this mess he still calls on the LORD in His grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

As I meditated on this scripture, I began to think not only how powerful this prayer is in our personal lives, but how powerful it could be if we began to pray it over our unsaved friends, cities, nations, and world. Can we as a community of believers unite together to stand in the gap for the land, aligning our minds with the perfect will of God that no one should perish, but everyone should repent? Please join me in agreement with me the following prayer, filling in the blank with the unsaved individual, city, and/or nation you are contending for. I also want to encourage you to post your own prayers over the land in the comment section provided for you so we as a community of believers may come into agreement with them.

Have mercy upon ________, O God, according to YOUR lovingkindness; according to the multitude of YOUR tender mercies, blot out our transgressions. Wash ________ thoroughly from iniquity, and cleanse ________ from sin.

For we acknowledge our transgressions, and our sin is always before us. Against You only have we sinned and done this evil in Your sight- that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge. Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make ________ to know wisdom.

Purge ________ with hyssop and it shall be clean; wash ________ and it shall be whiter than snow. Make ________ hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from ________ sins, and blot out all ________ iniquities.

Create in ________ a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within ________. Do not cast ________ away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from here. Restore to ________ the joy of Your salvation, and uphold ________ by Your generous Spirit.

Then ________ will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You. Deliver ________ from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, the God of our salvation, and ________ tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. O Lord, open ________ lips, and our mouth shall show forth Your praise. For You desire the sacrifices of a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart- these, O God, You will not despise. Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; build the walls of Jerusalem. Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness. Amen.

I believe that it is not only in God’s heart to impact individuals but whole cities and nations until this entire world is reached with His love. I do not know what you think, but to me if His Kingdom and love is RULING over an area that means that the kingdom of stealing, killing, hate, destruction and everything that encompasses darkness is not.

I have heard it said before by one of my dear friends, “L.A. is doomed~ God’s judgement will undoubtedly come through an earthquake or something like that because of all the godlessness, corruption, and sin that is present there.”

At the time I didn’t know what to say because it made sense to me. I was scared though, having visions of Los Angeles being devastated by an earthquake because of God’s unquenchable wrath. I cried out for God’s mercy not even so much for the city’s sake but because I have many friends who live there~ I don’t want myself or any of them to die anytime soon particularly due to the sins of others (for the sake of one righteous LORD do not destroy a city!).

With all do respect to my friend, I do not believe this is the mind of Christ. I think our Lord would say to anyone with this mindset the same thing He said to James and John when they asked Him if they should call down fire from heaven in order to consume a village of Samaritans that had rejected Him. Jesus rebuked them saying, “‘You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them’” (Luke 9:55-56). Basically He said to them: although you feel that this is the way of God (and before Jesus it was, their reference point was Elijah), this is no longer so and to act like this would mean you are operating from a different spirit that is not of God. Therefore if we have even the slightest hint of this mindset present in our thinking we need to submit it to God and ask Him to renew our minds in this area with the truth. Please track with me as I show you what I mean:

1) CHRIST CHANGED THINGS: In the Old Testament/Old Covenant, God’s judgement for people and cities that acted exceedingly wicked was demonstrated through destruction and death; BUT Christ changed this when He came to earth. In His death Father God poured out ALL of His wrath upon Jesus, making Him the ultimate offering for sin (Isaiah 53:10). What this means for us is that there is no longer wrath left for God to pour out upon people or cities because Jesus took it all on the cross. The only thing left to do now is choose Christ and walk in His gift of grace/mercy. Of course this grace/mercy is only reserved for those who choose Jesus BEFORE their physical death and UNTIL the time of His return; which is why it is so important if we hear God’s voice today not harden our hearts.

2) GRACE ABOUNDS. In Romans 5:20-21 says, ” But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Despite popular belief, an in depth study of this portion of scripture in context reveals that Paul is not necessarily referring to the current sins we commit as Christians (i.e. “How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Romans 6:2), but rather showing us the beauty of grace that covers us through Jesus Christ.

The reason I mention this scripture is because I believe it can be encouraging to us in the context of believing our cities will be saved because where sin is rampant,God’s grace is greater still. To me this means that cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, New York City, etc are actually marked by God’s abundant grace/mercy instead of His supposed unquenchable wrath. Now the fact still remains that we reap what we sow; meaning if an individual/city/nation sows into wickedness they will undoubtedly reap wickedness (i.e. our nations current economic situation comes from the fact that we acted corruptly with our money and therefore we are now in a serious financial bind).

3) OUR RESPONSIBILITY: Christ is perfect theology and the life He lived on earth is a testament to us not only of the Father’s heart but also of the way we should also live. 2 Corinthians 5 shows us that Christ was sent to reconcile this world to Himself, “not counting men’s sins against them” and therefore “has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (vs 19).

Since OUR ministry before God is to reconcile men back to Him, just as we have been reconciled, how do we do this? This may be too simplistic for some, but it really is this simple: we obey Christ. He has given us purpose and He has sent us to specific areas of society, not only for our sakes, but for the sake of ministering His love to the people there. Let us not be surprised brothers and sisters when people who do not know God also do not think, speak, or act like Him either (duh!); but let us rather genuinely share Jesus with them in the way God would in order that they too will receive the truth and be set free.

xYou’re the God of this City, part 1.
I believe that it is not only in God’s heart to impact individuals but whole cities and nations until this entire world is reached with His love. I do not know what you think, but to me if His Kingdom and love is RULING over an area that means that the kingdom of stealing, killing, hate, destruction and everything that encompasses darkness is not.

I have heard it said before by one of my dear friends, “L.A. is doomed~ God’s judgement will undoubtedly come through an earthquake or something like that because of all the godlessness, corruption, and sin that is present there.”

At the time I didn’t know what to say because it made sense to me. I was scared though, having visions of Los Angeles being devastated by an earthquake because of God’s unquenchable wrath. I cried out for God’s mercy not even so much for the city’s sake but because I have many friends who live there~ I don’t want myself or any of them to die anytime soon particularly due to the sins of others (for the sake of one righteous LORD do not destroy a city!).

With all do respect to my friend, I do not believe this is the mind of Christ. I think our Lord would say to anyone with this mindset the same thing He said to James and John when they asked Him if they should call down fire from heaven in order to consume a village of Samaritans that had rejected Him. Jesus rebuked them saying, “‘You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them’” (Luke 9:55-56). Basically He said to them: although you feel that this is the way of God (and before Jesus it was, their reference point was Elijah), this is no longer so and to act like this would mean you are operating from a different spirit that is not of God. Therefore if we have even the slightest hint of this mindset present in our thinking we need to submit it to God and ask Him to renew our minds in this area with the truth. Please track with me as I show you what I mean:

1) CHRIST CHANGED THINGS: In the Old Testament/Old Covenant, God’s judgement for people and cities that acted exceedingly wicked was demonstrated through destruction and death; BUT Christ changed this when He came to earth. In His death Father God poured out ALL of His wrath upon Jesus, making Him the ultimate offering for sin (Isaiah 53:10). What this means for us is that there is no longer wrath left for God to pour out upon people or cities because Jesus took it all on the cross. The only thing left to do now is choose Christ and walk in His gift of grace/mercy. Of course this grace/mercy is only reserved for those who choose Jesus BEFORE their physical death and UNTIL the time of His return; which is why it is so important if we hear God’s voice today not harden our hearts.

2) GRACE ABOUNDS. In Romans 5:20-21 says, ” But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Despite popular belief, an in depth study of this portion of scripture in context reveals that Paul is not necessarily referring to the current sins we commit as Christians (i.e. “How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Romans 6:2), but rather showing us the beauty of grace that covers us through Jesus Christ.

The reason I mention this scripture is because I believe it can be encouraging to us in the context of believing our cities will be saved because where sin is rampant,God’s grace is greater still. To me this means that cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, New York City, etc are actually marked by God’s abundant grace/mercy instead of His supposed unquenchable wrath. Now the fact still remains that we reap what we sow; meaning if an individual/city/nation sows into wickedness they will undoubtedly reap wickedness (i.e. our nations current economic situation comes from the fact that we acted corruptly with our money and therefore we are now in a serious financial bind).

3) OUR RESPONSIBILITY: Christ is perfect theology and the life He lived on earth is a testament to us not only of the Father’s heart but also of the way we should also live. 2 Corinthians 5 shows us that Christ was sent to reconcile this world to Himself, “not counting men’s sins against them” and therefore “has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (vs 19).

Since OUR ministry before God is to reconcile men back to Him, just as we have been reconciled, how do we do this? This may be too simplistic for some, but it really is this simple: we obey Christ. He has given us purpose and He has sent us to specific areas of society, not only for our sakes, but for the sake of ministering His love to the people there. Let us not be surprised brothers and sisters when people who do not know God also do not think, speak, or act like Him either (duh!); but let us rather genuinely share Jesus with them in the way God would in order that they too will receive the truth and be set free.

Part 2 of this blog will breifly discuss our responsibility to pray for our land.