What we know as The Rapture will happen ONLY when THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM is preached FULLY throughout the nations (Matthew 24:14). The FULL Gospel has neither been preached in its entirety, nor is it FULLY preached throughout the world. We need to be diligent about RENEWING our minds, BUSYING our hands, and MOBILIZING our feet…We have a lot of work to do!

In Ephesians 5:27, The Apostle Paul writes Jesus is coming for a church without spot (backbiting, gossip, leadership failure), wrinkle (denominations, musical disagreements, day-of-worship), or blemish (racism, cultural divides). In other words, we have a lot of washing and ironing to do before the wedding!

Why are we looking for the way out? Jesus came to restore the DOMINION originally given by God (Genesis 1:26-28) and lost by man. He gave us durable power of attorney (John 14:13-14, John 15:16, John 16:23-24,26) to be AGENTS of His AUTHORITY in the earth. Instad of looking to leave (fear-based) we need to be invading and influencing the earth with God’s will, culture, and intent (faith-based) — in other words, WE NEED A TAKEOVER MENTALITY!

If you’re saved and all you’re doing is trying to discern the signs of the Lord’s return, you’re not fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Get off your Blessed Assurance and go forth INTO THE WORLD, winning souls AND making disciples in the name of Jesus!

I’m tired of hearing preaching on the exit strategy when Jesus clearly laid out a takeover strategy!

© 2011 – Derrick Day (www.derrickday.com)

One thing every believer can agree upon is that God is just. But, if all there is to salvation is getting your ticket to heaven punched, then as soon as we accept, believe upon, and confess Jesus as Lord and Savior, we’d be raptured up immediately into heaven.

But we remain after the New Birth. What’s up with that?

The New Birth, contrary to popular belief, is not a religious experience, It is a change of citizenship into a new nation (Colossians 1:13), whose Government, Provision, and Protection CANNOT fail! You become a royal subject of the King of Kings, who delights in the prosperity of His servants (Psalm 35:27).

There are no illegal immigrants in the Kingdom of God. That’s why you have to be born (again) into it.

Along with your citizenship, you become an Ambassador of the Most High God (2 Corinthians 5:20), His Beloved Child (Romans 8:14, Ephesians 1:5), and a joint-heir with Jesus Christ (Romans 8:17). You are to have ALL sufficiency to ABOUND to EVERY good work (2 Corinthians 9:8).No earthly government dispatches ambassadors and emissaries into foreign lands without adequate provision. If you have forsaken all you know to obtain Kingdom citizenship, you have a promise of abundance in this lifetime AND eternal life in the world to come (Mark 10:29-30).

If you’re a citizen of the United States, it is in your best interest to have knowledge of the Constitution. If you’re a Citizen of the Kingdom of God, it behooves you to hide the Word of God in your heart (Psalm 119:1) and know your Covenant rights! As an Ambassador of the King of Kings, I know that when the enemy (satan) tries to oppress me, all I need to do is stand on the Word of God and declare DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY!

As a citizen of the Kingdom of God, you have certain inalienable rights endowed by your Father/Creator and ratified with the Blood of His Son, Jesus. However, without full knowledge of your rights and benefits, the devil is more than happy to try and usurp them. That same devil is on a mission to steal from you, kill you, or destroy your life. But Jesus came that you may have life and have it more abundantly — IN  THE HERE-AND-NOW (John 10:10).

I say all this to say that religion teaches you that, after salvation, you are to simply await the Lord’s return. Now, Jesus is, indeed, coming — and we need to be ready. However, until Jesus’ return or the end or our mortal lives (whichever comes first) we are to influence this earth realm with the will, culture, and intent of our King. We are to have dominion in the earth, not sit timidly and idly waiting for the Savior’s return!

The kind of teaching that implies you are powerless while you are here is utter religious foolishness and a yoke on the necks of God’s people! Salvation is more than a ticket to heaven, it is a connection to the Divine Power Source. Folks are quick to proclaim they “…are waiting on a move of God,” when all creation is waiting for a move of man (Romans 8:19)!

The Bible teaches us that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17). But if all you’re getting is rote religion, God sent me here to tell you, He ain’t in your religion. If you can’t say “Amen, say “oh my!”

© 2011 – Derrick Day (www.derrickday.com)

Y’all, there are churches that grow numerically without Christ-centered preaching and teaching. Without naming names, there are churches with 10K+, 20K+, 30K+, and even 40K+ members and many lack a concise Christ-centered message.

That said, these institutions may be growing numerically but not spiritually. My evidence? The first century Church grew organically because of the compelling message of the risen Christ (Acts 2:22-41), but also because of the Church’s approach to ministering to the lowly, healing the sick, sacrificial giving (Acts 2:45), and the well-being of God’s people (Acts 2:44). These ministry aspects are increasingly missing in many churches.

Another reason many churches grow numerically is that there is a hoarding spirit present.

Ouch!

Oh, yes, many churches are good at looking good. They take in lots of money and sponsor many mission trips. They have great community outreach programs. They have beautiful sanctuaries and annexes. They have polished television, radio, and internet ministries.

But how many new churches do they plant? How many smaller churches do they bless with material or financial resources? How many LOCAL churches do they fellowship with? Not many.

Why?

Because it’s better to direct resources toward packing their own houses! Increased tithes and offerings provide vital capital for ambitious programs and projects that increase the prestige and visibility of that ministry. Fellowshipping doesn’t happen for fear of “sheep-stealing” and the resulting reduction of revenue.

And, while we’re on revenue, let’s talk about money. A lot of churches grow because they have built psychological models of guilt, coercion, and fear for tithing and offering. Some of their pastors and teachers are in touch with their inner-pimp, while others resemble the snake-oil salesmen of the late 19th century.

In other words, love is not the center of their giving! In order to properly understand giving, folks have to be inculcated with the principles of love. When you give out of love, you give cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7) and when you give there’s a blessing coupled with that (Luke 6:38).

I could go on and on but the net of this is, church doesn’t have to be big to be effective. An old preacher told me once, “It’s better to have 5 effective saints than 5000 pew-sitters.

©2011 – Derrick Day (www.derrickday.com)

The contemporary church is terribly lacking in dialogue. God said to Isaiah, “…come let us reason together” (Isaiah 1:18). If God calls us to reason with Him, why, then, don’t we dialogue among ourselves? There are some serious issues that are facing this sick and dying world and “church as usual” isn’t helping!

We have Christ-averse religions growing and seeking to expand their reach into the fabric of our nation and we simply say, “Can we all just get along?” No, we cannot. We must preach the Gospel! Jesus drew the line in the sand in John 14:6, when He said “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.” Christianity is not just another religion; it is a way of life. Better yet, it is THE WAY TO LIFE! We must be loving and civil but we must preach the truth nonetheless. Instead of allowing religion to make inroads into our communities, we need to push back gently – explaining that Jesus is not a way, He is THE WAY!

We have young black men killing each other at an alarming rate. More and more young people are incarcerated and, thus, indoctrinated into a life of recidivism. Black women have the highest rate of HIV-AIDS in the country. Teenage pregnancy is an epidemic. Depression runs rampant. All the while we wring our collective hands, quoting scripture and doing nothing. There should be living examples of how the church is mentoring young men into leadership, counseling of young men and women on how to maintain sexual purity, and how the joy of the Lord can break the stronghold of depression. These are the things that require our immediate attention and resources.

Religious rhetoric will no longer cut it. The full Gospel of the Kingdom of God must be preached; that Gospel is the Gospel of wholeness and completion in the earth; not lack today and deferred reward in the “sweet-by-and-by.”

Change requires action. We can no longer afford to stand on the sidelines and hope that either things will simply change themselves or government will somehow stop the societal train-wreck. Change will not be instantaneous; initially the impact of the Kingdom will be incremental and unseen. However, if we are faithful about prosecuting the Kingdom agenda, incremental changes will swell into significant, seen changes that will impact and influence the world.

Article first published as Church – The Agent of Change on Technorati.

Every other major religion of the world views Jesus as a great man. Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and others all call Jesus a “prophet” or a “holy man.” However, one of the characteristics of a “good,” “holy,” or “prophetic” man would have to be honesty. Consider the words of Jesus in John 10: 7-9:

⁷Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. ⁹I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

Here, Jesus identifies Himself as an interface, calling Himself a door. It is interesting that He refers to Himself as a door, because a door is an interface to either another room in a building or a point of entry or exit to the building. Understand, though that without a hinge, a door is merely another type of wall. What made Jesus a door was the cross; the cross is the hinge!

It is essential to understand interfaces because they often represent the gateway to something we want to achieve or receive. Wireless protocols are the gateway to the internet, which is a cornucopia of information, entertainment, and commerce. You could easily surmise the internet is the aggregation of what is commonly known as “the good life” and wireless access protocols are the gateway to it.

Which begs the question, what is Jesus the interface to? Well, He clearly stated He is the door to salvation and the way, or interface, to the Father.

“But,” as they say in the infomercials, “wait, there’s more.”

Jesus said in John 10:10 that He “…is come that they (His followers) might have life and have it more abundantly.”

In other words, Jesus is the gateway not only to eternal life but to abundant life! This abundant life is only possible through the interface to proper relationship with the Creator; that is, God. And it is through this relationship that we find our purpose, receive our divine assignment, and fulfill our destiny.

© 2010 – Derrick Day (www.derrickday.com)

Article first published as Check Your Interface on Technorati.

There is a website that allows you to compare pet foods’ contents and nutrients. Personally, I think that’s funny. After all, is there a website that allows parents to compare the contents and nutrients of their children’s food? For that matter, is there anyone concerned about the contents and nutrients in the food available to impoverished children here and abroad?

While we’re here, I find it amazing that there are actually commercials for pharmaceuticals for pets and that there’s actually insurance for pets. But in 2011, healthcare for children without health insurance is abysmal. And prescription drugs for our nation’s elderly are outrageously expensive.

I think our collective priorities are out of whack. There is more love for pets in this country than for human beings. I actually think that pet owners drive past the homeless  in their haughty automobiles speaking to their pets safely nestled in the back seat saying, “Fluffy, thank God we’re not like them.” I may be exaggerating but I’ll bet I’m not far from the truth.

Don’t get me wrong, I have no issues with having a pet, per se. In fact, I love animals. However, if you are a pet owner and you turn a blind eye to human suffering while looking for excellence in pet care, you may be suffering from misplaced priorities.

I say this in Love…

© 2010 – Derrick Day (www.derrickday.com)

In a previous posting, I wrote that God is not the author of sickness. God will not smite His children with sickness, plague, or pain for any reason. Yes, believers get sick; after all, we live in a fallen, sin-stained world. But we need to learn to discern between what is the chastisement of God and what is an attack of the enemy. Often times what saints ascribe to chastisement (e.g., “God made me sick to teach me a lesson…”) is really an attack of the enemy.

I took the liberty of pulling a number of scriptures regarding healing:

• O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. (Psalm 30:2)

• Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases (Psalm 103:2-3)

• He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. (Psalm 107:20)

• But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)

• And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. (Matthew 4:23)

• And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. (Matthew 10:1)

• And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all. (Luke 6:19)

• Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)

• Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. (3 John 1:2)

Now, if you look at this forensically, you will conclude the preponderance of evidence points to the fact that God wants us to be healed if we are sick and to remain healthy. If you conclude that if God is the architect of sickness, then Jesus acted against the will of the Father. Heaven forbid!

Chastening, as I stated in my article COMES FROM THE WORD OF GOD for the believer. And If we do not endure the chastening of the Word of God, then we are, indeed, bastards. I wholeheartedly agree with that premise.

Sickness and affliction comes from the devil. When we veer off the path of righteousness, the Word of God chastens and puts us on the right path.

Understand, that if sickness is from God and Jesus healed them all (which means it is His desire to heal all today) then Jesus was operating outside the will of God. HEAVEN FORBID!!! No sir, Jesus said He only did what he saw the Father do (John 5:19); how many people did Jesus make sick or afflict with disease during His earthly ministry? None.

What the Holy Spirit has prompted me to teach is for the saints of God to stop saying things like, “God gave me this cancer to teach me a lesson,” or “God took my baby to draw me closer to Him.” God does not need to hurt His children to catch their attention. When I caught this revelation, it changed my life. Indeed, I have seen people healed from all manner of diseases once they experienced this liberty.

In fact, because of the fallen world we live in, I still catch the occasional symptoms of a cold but I’m able to reduce the severity and duration of the symptoms by speaking the Word of God to the root of the symptoms, thereby destroying the work of the devil!

My heart’s desire is to see the Body of Christ set free from the yoke of religion and experience full, true, relationship with the Father through Jesus; this is but a step in that direction!

© 2010 – Derrick Day (www.derrickday.com)

Here’s a quote I heard today:

“The deepest crevasse of hell is reserved for theologians who love thier theology more than they love Jesus.”

Anyone know where this originated?

Romans 11:29 declares, “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” That said, man cannot deem the office of the Apostle is no more. Ephesians 4:11 says the Lord “…GAVE some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;” Please note that He GAVE — that means these offices are GIFTS from God!

These gifts also have a purpose, illustrated in Ephesians 4:12, “for the perfecting (or equipping) of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:” We must therefore ask the question, “Have the saints been fully equipped?” The answer to that question, clearly, is, “no.”

And they have a time limit, shown in Ephesians 4:13, “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:” We are compelled to ask again, “Is the Body of Christ operating in unity?” The answer, sadly, is “no.”

1 Corinthians 12:28 tells us “And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.” Note, here, the Apostle Paul says “in the church.” Since we are in the church era, this pertains to the “here-and-now.”

Now each office is unique — interdependent in the body yet independent in function. Neither is any greater than the other. You need not first become a Bishop before becoming an Apostle, no more than one need be an Evangelist before becoming a Pastor.

Concerning the office of the Bishop, Strong’s renders it thusly:

G1984 — Strong

????????

episkop?

ep-is-kop-ay’

From ^G1980; inspection (for relief); by implication superintendence; specifically the Christian “episcopate”: – the office of a “bishop”, bishoprick, visitation.

In other words, the Bishop is a superintendant or overseer. In modern parlance, the Bishop is what might be referred to as a “Pastor to pastors.” A Bishop is, therefore, a Pastor but not all Pastors are Bishops.

While these matters are, indeed, important to Church governance, I think they pale compared to the weightier matters of soul-winning and discipling. We must understand the offices of leadership are gifts to the Body of Christ but know that these gifts are not for the benefit of those who operate within them but for the Church and its edification. We must be faithful to that which makes disciples, matures believers and multiplies ministries.

© 2010 – Derrick Day (www.derrickday.com)