Free Copy of My Book: Christ in 3-D!

My close friend and coworker Frank Viola has just released a new book called God’s Favorite Place on Earth that could literally change your relationship with God, help you defeat bitterness, free you from a guilty conscience, and help you overcome fear, doubt and discouragement once and for all.

This is a book that will jar you out of your “Christian rut” and give you new eyes for looking at EVERYTHING. It’s a quick, inspiring, and entertaining read.

In addition, if you get the book between May 1^st to May 7^th, you will also get 25 FREE GIFTS from 15 different authors including a book by me, Leonard Sweet, Felicity Dale, Keith Giles, DeVern Fromke, Jeff Goins, Andrew Farley, Steve McVey, Pete Briscoe, Frank Viola himself, and many others.

The premise of the book is simple and 100% Biblical: when Jesus was on the earth, He was rejected everywhere He went . . . from Bethlehem, to Nazareth, to Jerusalem. The only exception was the little village of Bethany.ched)

The curtain opens with Lazarus, who is now ready to die, telling the incomparable story of Jesus’ interactions with him, Martha, and Mary. God’s Favorite Place on Earth blends drama, devotion, biblical narrative, and first-century history to create a riveting book that you’ll find difficult to put down. Within each narrative, the common struggles Christians face are addressed and answered.

Go to GodsFavoritePlace.com to claim your 25 FREE GIFTS, read a Sampler of the book, and watch the gripping video trailer.

New Book by Frank Viola with Special Freebies (if you wait till May 1st)

You will want to check out the new book by my good friend and co-worker, Frank Viola.  The book is available to order now but you will want to wait until May 1st, trust me!

Click here to see why: Special Offer On New Viola Book Here

What is the Big Lie?

Tags

Christ, Church, identity in Christ

The term “The Big Lie” has been used in many ways at different times.  It was used by Adolph Hitler as a propaganda technique in his 1925 book, Mein Kampf.  He stated that no one would ever believe a lie so colossal in it’s impudence and distortion and infamy.  He claimed that the Jews used this technique to unfairly blame Germany’s loss in World War I on German army officer Erich Lundendorff.

The term “The Big Lie” was used as the title for a 1951 anti-communist propaganda film produced by the U.S. Army.  It attempted to tie in many of the peace movements of the day with Russian communist agendas.

At any rate, none of these so called “big lies” even come close to the REALLY BIG LIE that has enveloped and suffocated believers in Jesus Christ for centuries.  It is THE lie perpetrated by THE real enemy of our souls.  And even though most Christians realize that Jesus Christ put to death all of the power of the devil, yet this big lie persists.  Everyone seems to be saying that the only power he now has is one of deception.

“…the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.“
(1 John 3:8)

“… having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.”
(Colossians 2:14-15)

And I would say that is true.  But no one ever talks about what exactly that deception IS.  What is that LIE that he constantly uses against God’s people in an attempt to thwart God’s eternal purpose?

I believe that it is something so sinister and yet so subtle that no one seems to ever bring it up.  Of course, it would be.  The enemy is many things but he is not stupid!  And of course he would do whatever possible to cover up this lie and bury it so deep that very few Christians would even know about it or care about it.  In fact it is so rarely even spoken of or written about that I have only found two or three books ever written on the subject!  Now that’s buried!

If you know me at all you know that I rarely mention the evil one.  I don’t think he deserves the air time.  However, the apostle Paul tells us that we do have an enemy and that he has schemes, and that our struggle is not against flesh and blood (Eph. 6:11,12).  And I can honestly tell you that this particular “scheme” that I am about to share with you is one of the most hidden, tucked away secrets that he has!

The Basis For All Other Deception

I sincerely believe that this “Big Lie” is the foothold or basis for the entry way of many other lies and deceptions.  You could call it the “loophole” of the enemy that opens the door for his deception to work on God’s people and keep them from gaining the ground of maturity in Christ.  The biggest threat to this enemy is the true, authentic, and living Body of Christ!  He is scared to death of her, that is, the Bride of Christ.  And this particular scheme of his has done more to suppress the true church of the living God more than any other tool or weapon.

A Case of Identity Theft

Identity theft is definitely on the rise throughout our digital world.  This usually involves a criminal who steals your financial information so that they can take money from you.  Though it is a serious crime and a growing epidemic in the information age, it is not near as dangerous and damaging as another kind of identity theft.  I’m referring to the kind that is (and has) been perpetrated upon the children of God.

This one who is definitely a “thief” has stolen your true identity from you!

He has not only stolen your individual identity in Christ but he has also stolen the corporate identity of the true House, Family, Temple, Body, and Bride of Christ.  This has made the church spiritually impotent because she is wandering around not knowing who she is, what she has, or where she is going.

This dilemma goes deep and I cannot go into it in detail here.  However, I have written about this in more detail in a book called: The Butterfly in You.

How do I know that this Big Lie is about identity theft and that it has stolen all potency from the church?  Simple, let’s take a look at the record for some examples.  It actually follows throughout both testaments once you have your eyes opened to it.

• The Spies (Numbers 13:23-33)  Moses sends out 12 spies into the Canaan land.  Each represents a tribe of Israel.  Two return with a positive report and ten return with a negative report.  The ten mention the wonderful riches of the land but then they say that the land cannot be taken because there are giants.  Then in verse 33 it all comes out.  ”we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”  Do you see that?  They became like very small insects in their own sight, and so became that in the sight of their enemies.
• In the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:5)  The enemy uses identity against Adam and Eve. “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
• In the second Garden (Matt. 4:3)  The enemy approaches the second Adam (Christ) in his temptation in the wilderness.  And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”   Here again, an attack upon identity; “if you are …”
• The Sons of Sceva (Acts 19:13-16)  In Ephesus God was powerfully using Paul to heal many and cast out demons.  There were some Jewish “exorcists” who thought they could do the same thing.  Do you remember what happened when they tried?  Do you remember what the demons asked them?  And the evil spirit answered and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”
• In my own life - many years ago we experienced many weird things happening in our home and in the lives of people we knew.  I guess you could call it poltergeist or noisy demons.  Weird phenomenon was happening and we were told it was demonic attack.  One day, I realized that it had totally stopped and had stopped for years.  It came home to me very clearly that the difference was that now I knew who I was in Christ!

Dear brothers and sisters this is a MAJOR discovery!!!

Please believe me when I say that the Body of Christ will never function in a full and healthy way until we make this discovery.  We don’t know who we are both individually and corporately.  The enemy knows that as long as we remain in this state we are no threat to him whatsoever!

So exactly what is this Big Lie?

It is that you are a dirty rotten sinner (who is saved by grace).

It is that you will always be a sinner and have to work really hard to please God and somehow measure up to his holiness.

It is that you are a lowly, unworthy worm who can only bow down to a righteous and holy God and never be intimate with him or be one with him.

It is that even though you were saved by grace, now you need to live by your own efforts at becoming a good person. You must work hard at changing the ungodly attributes in your life.  Only you can make these changes in your life as God points out all the faults.

But here is the Big Truth:

“This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am writing to God’s holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace He has poured out on us who belong to His dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins. He has showered His kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. God has now revealed to us His mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill His own good pleasure. And this is the plan: At the right time He will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for He chose us in advance, and He makes everything work out according to His plan.” 
(Ephesians 1:1-11)

Great Books That I Recommend

There have been many books that have strongly influenced my life and work.  The books of Devern Fromke are somewhere close to the top of the list.  Please check them out on this recent blog post of Frank Viola.

Some great books that I highly recommend:

http://frankviola.org/2013/02/22/devernfromke/

The Saints Down Under

In the last four months we have been working in Australia to plant a new organic church in Perth, Western Australia.  We also held a conference in Sydney in October and are beginning to work with two other groups in the eastern part of the country.

Great New Blog – Sightings of Christ

I just wanted to write a quick note to let you know about a great new blog called: Sightings – Seeing Christ in Modern Media.  It’s very unique because it’s written by a sister in the Lord by the name of Megan Proctor.  And Megan reviews movies.

Now, that doesn’t sound very unique at first, however, these reviews are not just about the movie itself, but how Megan sees the Lord Jesus Christ in the movies!  What incredible insight and articulation the Lord has given this sister.

We can behold the Lord in the scriptures, in the church, in nature, in our circumstances, and in movies, music, and art.  It’s possible to see Him in everything if you are looking.  As Rich Mullins said in one of his songs:

“and everywhere I go, I see You…”

I strongly recommend that you check out Megan’s blog and leave a comment:

http://meganproctor.wordpress.com/

Knowing Your Identity – The Cross in the Church

Tags

Christ, Jesus Christ, organic church, the church, the cross

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” 

Philippians 2:3-8

This post is actually number three in a series in the power of the cross in the life of the believer and the church.  You can read the other two installments here:

Knowing Your Identity – W.W.D.M.D.

Knowing Your Identity – Zombie or Christ?

I work in the field planting organic churches in the United States and overseas.  Recently, I witnessed something in a group of believers that I have believed in and taught for over 22 years.  The cross of Jesus Christ.  What I am referring to when I say that is not the substitution of the Lamb of God for our sins for redemption.  Instead, what I am referring to is the work of the cross in the life of the believer and in the church.  This is the opportunity that you and I have all the time to lay down our lives for the Lord and His Body.  It means to put the Lord’s interests and others interests before your own.

Paul says in the scripture quote above that this is the mind (or attitude) of Christ Jesus.  He emptied Himself of His rights and privileges of deity in order to become a servant, the lowest kind of servant, a bond-slave.  He did this for us; His body, bride, family, and house.  This is the life of the cross.

Recently, I witnessed an astounding example of this emptying for the sake of His purpose.  Two brothers came to a meeting of the church and lowered themselves by asking the church to forgive them for some unintentional misunderstanding and hurts that had taken place through some things they did and said.  Of course, they had no intention of hurting anyone and causing offense.  They were not even aware that the offenses had occurred.  But once they were made aware, they were more than willing to humble themselves before the body.

First of all let me say that this is not an easy thing to do.  When you are confronted with such a thing, your flesh wants to immediately justify your actions and defend yourself.  To admit that you were wrong (even when you may not have been) does major damage to the power of the flesh.  And what does much more damage is taking the next step and apologizing for what you said or did.

Many believers are into the so called “power of the Holy Spirit” and power gifts with miracles and signs following.  But this humbling of oneself.  This lowering and emptying of oneself brings the most powerful results you will ever see!

“For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
1 Corinthians 1:18

Let me tell you, when those two brothers lowered themselves before the body in that meeting it was an incredibly powerful event.  In fact, the whole atmosphere of the meeting changed after that.  It was lighter and the only way I can describe it was that the life of the Lord was released in the group in a whole new way.  Forgiveness flowed that night.  It was definitely a breakthrough meeting for this particular group.  The walls of separation came down and something major happened that night.  The group has not been the same since.  The intensity of the life and love of the Lord has tripled since then!

The Power of the Cross

This shows us the incredible power of the cross in the life of a believer.  This emptying or lowering of ourselves for others is to be the normal way of life for the body of Christ.  We should always be preferring and deferring to others.  Not out of some sense of religious duty, but as an outflow of the indwelling life of Christ.  1 Cor. 13 (the love chapter) is not some prescription for loving one another properly.  It is a description of the very life of Christ!  This life is the actual Person of Christ Himself.  And this Person lives inside of us!

We have no ability whatsoever to lay our lives down for one another.  But the indwelling Christ has been laying his life down for the Father in the Spirit for all of eternity.  If we take the higher road and allow this Christ to express Himself through us, we will see this wonderful self-giving and self-sacrificing life be lived out in human flesh.

The Spirit if Willing But the Flesh is Weak

However, if we resist this work of the cross in our lives we will not see the power and restoration and healing of resurrection.  In order for there to be a resurrection there must be a death first!

On the other hand, I have seen other groups of believers where there was no one, or at least not very many, who were willing to go to the cross, so to speak.  They were not willing to forsake their own interests and lay their own lives down for one another. But rather they wanted to justify and defend themselves when confronted.  And it’s very sad, but these groups don’t make it for very long.  They end up biting one another and devouring one another.

“But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” 
Galatians 5:15-16

Part of walking by the Spirit is having this same attitude in you which was in Christ Jesus.  I have said it many times and I will continue to say it:

Organic church has never worked and will never work without the embracing of the cross of Christ!

I have found this to be so true in my own life.  There was a time when I was in business for myself and once in a while I would have a customer confront me on something and insist that I had made a mistake and should therefore reimburse him for his payment.  My first impulse was always to defend myself.  But after many years I learned to pause before I did or said anything.  Then, I would apologize and refund his money.  Except for one case, this always completely turned around my customers attitude and my apology softened their heart.  Many of them remained my customers for many years because of my response to them.

“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13

Be Perfect? No Way!

I recently watched a movie (again) called “Remember the Titans” starring Denzel Washington, who is one of my favorite actors.  The story is about a high school football team, racial integration, and the struggles between the players and the coaches who have totally different viewpoints on how the players should be trained.  I definitely recommend the film.

At any rate, there is a scene in the movie that brought to my memory something the Lord Jesus said once and how Christians have responded to and received that one statement.  At one point in the movie Denzel (head coach) tells the team that he absolutely demands perfection.  At one point, he will expect the team to be perfect.  Sound familiar?

“Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” 
(Mat 5:48)

This is part of the sermon on the mount and I don’t know about you but for years I had a problem with this portion of scripture.  I mean, c’mon man!  How could God actually demand perfection from me?  I mean Jesus, in this so-called “sermon”, goes through the law and then adds to it.  At one point He keeps saying that “you have heard it said” referring to Moses and the law.

You have heard it said:

‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’

‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY’

‘YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE LORD.’

‘AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.’

‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’

But after every one of these quotes from the law He adds to it by saying:

“But I say to you…”  Things like just getting angry and committing murder.  Just looking at a women and committing adultery.  Going the extra mile, turning the other cheek, and loving and praying for your enemies.  You want to say, “Lord, please stop.  I can’t take it anymore!”

How could he ever expect me to live up to such a high standard?

The simple answer is that He doesn’t.  And the only way this is even made possible is by a two-fold “secret” that is the essence of the new covenant.  It is called a mystery by Paul because it requires revelation from God to understand it.  And believe it or not, that mystery is revealed in the movie Remember the Titans.  It takes place during a critical part of the movie when the team is on the verge of winning or losing the championship.

Here is the quote from the film:

COACH: “We’re in a fight. You boys are doing all that you can do. Anybody can see that, win or lose. We’re gonna walk out of this stadium tonight with our heads held high. Do your best, that’s all anybody can ask for.”

PLAYER: “No, it ain’t, Coach. With all due respect, you demanded more of us. You demanded perfection. Now, I ain’t saying that I’m perfect, ’cause I’m not, and I ain’t gonna ever be. None of us are. But we have won every single game we have played till now. So this team is perfect. We stepped out on that field that way tonight. And, if it’s all the same to you, Coach, that’s how we want to leave it.”

Did you get that?  The individual players could not be perfect, but the team was perfect!  Wow!  What an amazing unveiling of the ageless purpose of God!  Could that be what Jesus was referring to in Matthew 5 when He told US to be perfect?  To see the meaning of a passage you must look at the context.  What is the context of the “sermon on the mount”?  The first part of Matthew 5 reveals to us the context:

He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
(Mat 5:2-3)

This whole passage is within the context of a “kingdom”.  Jesus is describing to us what His kingdom, His nation, His corporate body would be like.  It is a description of the Christ, the full Christ, the whole Christ; Head & Body, Vine & Branches, Bridegroom & Bride, Foundation & living stones.  This is the corporate Man that God has always wanted (see Gen. 1:26-28). He (or She) will be perfect.  She (or He) will do all of these things out of the nature and life within her.

But how is this possible?  This brings us to the second part of this mystery.  ”Christ in you (plural) the hope of glory.” (Col. 1:27)  Because Christ now lives within us individually and corporately He can actually live His life in and through us.

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” 
(Gal 2:20)

Now, by faith, we can live by His life and nature together to fulfill God’s dream of a creation, a corporate entity, that fully expresses the life, nature, and character of God Himself!

This is the only way that this can happen.  We, the Church, are perfect (mature and complete) as we live out His life within us together!

You may want to check out Milt’s new ebook, CHRIST IN 3-D:

See a free sample, hear the audio, and order the ebook here!

Christ in 3-D Ebook is Now Available!

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New Ebook Being Released Tomorrow

A new ebook entitled: Christ in 3-D will be released some time tomorrow!

Be looking for it here, on the social networks, and on www.TheRebuilders.org

For His Purpose,

Milt