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Post  Admin Fri 22 Apr 2011, 3:58 pm

Hi Elaine,


Remember last week when we lost power during the webinar? It looks like the computer is fried. And I'm under the weather with a bad sinus infection. So we're going to have to skip this week's webinar. Hopefully by next week my computer and "me" will both be fixed. In the meantime, here's an article that explains why I'm not going to let "things" get me down! - CB
Learning Contentment
by Chip Brogden
http://theschoolofchrist.org/articles/learning-contentment.html

"Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:11-13).
It is rather easy to be content when things are going well. So it is especially interesting to note that the happiest letter Paul ever wrote was penned while he was chained to a Roman solider, waiting for a possible sentence of death. "Rejoice in the Lord always... and again I say, rejoice" (Phil. 4:4)! He says he has learned to be content.

All of us face challenging and difficult circumstances. So let us look closely at Paul's experience and see if we can discover the source of his contentedness.

Contentment does not mean having a passive, laid-back attitude that just accepts whatever happens without a whimper of protest. Contentment does not mean being indifferent as to whether or not your circumstances will ever improve. Contentment does not mean settling for less than you are capable of.

Nor is contentment a spiritual quality reserved for those who have unusually strong faith. Paul was not content just because he was Paul. When he explains his secret he does not reveal anything super-spiritual or super-human about it. That place of happy contentment is achievable by anyone through very ordinary means: "I have learned... to be content."

No one is naturally content when faced with difficult circumstances. Contentment must be learned, and the only way to learn it is to go through some things that test it. Paul learned to be content. That means I can learn contentment, and so can you.

The Greek word for "content" here is only used once in the entire Bible. It means a sufficiency in one's self, being strong enough or possessing enough to need no aid or support. It is the ability to live independently of external circumstances. Elsewhere Paul has confirmed that he is not sufficient in himself, but his sufficiency is of God (2 Cor. 3:5). And he has just told the Philippians that "we rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh" (Phil. 3:3). So how can we reconcile that with this "self-sufficiency" he now speaks of?

Perhaps it can be explained in this way: there is a sufficiency within us that does not come from us. It is "in me" but it is not "from me." I am sustained on the inside by something that supplies me from the outside! And this sufficiency is so complete that I can live independently of my circumstances - whether they are good or bad!

That is a powerful position to be in. But that kind of contentment is something that must be learned. We need to learn the kind of spiritual contentment that is completely dependent on Christ - not on Christians! How do we learn this lesson? Paul learned it when "everyone in Asia" deserted him (2 Tim. 1:15). This would be a serious blow to most people, but Paul had learned something! Have we learned it?

"I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound." Both! Learning contentment is not just figuring out how to make do with little, it is also making do with a lot. How we respond to having too little says something about us, but how we respond to having too much says something also. "I know both," says Paul, whether full or hungry, whether abounding or suffering need. He is independent of his circumstances. He is the same, whether he has a lot or whether he has a little.

Regardless of what state you find yourself in today, you too can do "all things through Christ" Who strengthens you. The greater your deficiency, the greater His sufficiency. In your weakness His strength is more clearly revealed. Even in your most difficult moments you will find in Him a rich storehouse of spiritual sufficiency that exceeds all your expectations. There are no quick fixes, easy answers, or instant solutions to all your problems - but there is a Person Who lives in you, One Who has already proven Himself to be Sufficient for Anything and Master of Everything. Let Him be Enough.

SHARE YOUR COMMENTS:
http://theschoolofchrist.org/articles/learning-contentment.html



I am your brother,

Chip Brogden
http://www.TheSchoolOfChrist.Org



THE SCHOOL OF CHRIST is dedicated to your spiritual growth and maturity through Christ-centered, Spirit-led, Scripture-based discipleship that focuses on relationship, not religion.

©2011 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears.
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Post  Admin Tue 19 Apr 2011, 9:48 pm


SPECIAL
Online Discipleship Course
Now Accepting New Students

Last year we launched our online discipleship course, Embrace the Cross. The response was so overwhelming that we had to stop accepting new students and many people were placed on waiting lists.

I'm pleased to say that we have re-opened the course today, so I encourage you to join now while you can!


This discipleship course is truly Christ-centered
instead of "church-centered."


What we mean is this: just about every discipleship program in existence makes church attendance the cornerstone of their program.

We have discovered that the old formula of "find a good church, get plugged in, and attend services every week" does not result in spiritually mature followers of Jesus.

We want to change that by totally removing "religion" from the equation and focusing on CHRIST HIMSELF.

Click the link below to find out more:
http://EmbraceTheCross.Org


In Him,

Chip & Karla Brogden
TheSchoolOfChrist.Org


P.S. There is no charge to sign up for this course. But you know that taking up the Cross and following Jesus will cost you everything.
http://EmbraceTheCross.Org

THE SCHOOL OF CHRIST is dedicated to your spiritual growth and maturity through Christ-centered, Spirit-led, Scripture-based discipleship that focuses on relationship, not religion. To find out more about us, click here. You can also connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

©2011 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears.
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Post  Admin Thu 14 Apr 2011, 10:04 am

Foolish Virgins!

Matthew 25
Thursday April 14, 2011
8:00 P.M. Eastern



The cost is free, but group size is limited. You must register to ensure your spot at this Webinar.
When I teach the Kingdom parables, many are surprised to learn that the traditional interpretations they learned in church are erroneous.

The Kingdom parables are not telling us the destiny of the non-Christians, but the judgment coming upon those who claim to be Christians but are not - the hypocrites.

What is that judgment? Why is there weeping and gnashing of teeth? These are not the cries of regret from those who never "prayed the Sinner's Prayer". They are the cries of anger and pain and shame from those who thought they were destined to rule and reign with Jesus, but are excluded because they (among other things) never embraced the Cross and became a disciple. They called Jesus "Lord" but didn't do His Will. Like it or not, Matthew has shown us this a dozen different ways.

Take this week's lesson, for example: foolish virgins, unprofitable servants, and goats. Understand that all the virgins had the same Bridegroom. All the servants had the same Master. Both the sheep and the goats had the same Shepherd. But Jesus separates between the wise and foolish, between the profitable and the unprofitable, between the ones do what He wants and the ones who don't. The whole point of this chapter is to warn us to be ready. Why warn us at all if our entry into the Kingdom of God is a foregone conclusion?

You say, "I'm not sure how that fits into my 'once-saved-always-saved' theology." And I say, "You might need a new theology, if the one you have doesn't fit in with what Jesus is saying." Read the Book and see what you think. I'm not really looking to Jesus to confirm MY beliefs; I want to know what HE believes. We must be adjusted to Him and not the other way around.

If what I'm saying is true... does it give you a new sense of urgency to stop playing games and get serious about the things of God? Does it drive you to dig deep and get discipled? That is precisely the intention of these Kingdom parables.

Join us online Thursday, April 14 as we discuss all this and more from Matthew 25.

To reserve your spot, click here:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/245212931

At our Webinars, you'll have a chance to listen, interact, ask questions, and get answers - all from the comfort of your own home or office. Best of all, you'll be encouraged and strengthened in your faith. You don't have to commit to every week, just join us this Thursday night as your schedule permits.

For a complete Webinar schedule, including an archive of previous Webinars and Frequently Asked Questions, visit: http://theschoolofchrist.org/learn .

Hope to see you Thursday night!
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/245212931


I am your brother,

Chip Brogden
TheSchoolOfChrist.Org
©2011 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears.
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Post  Admin Thu 07 Apr 2011, 10:47 pm

Is This the End of the Age?



Matthew 24
Thursday April 7, 2010
8:00 P.M. Eastern



The cost is free, but group size is limited. You must register to ensure your spot at this Webinar.
Hello Elaine,

The disciples of Jesus asked Him something that had been on their minds for some time: "What will be the sign of Your return, and the end of the age?

Likewise, disciples of the Lord today are concerned when they look at world events and wonder the same thing.

Instead of yielding to fear and hysteria, let's look at what the Scriptures say and so we can be settled in our hearts and be a light to the world instead of a stumbling-block.

Join us online Thursday, April 7 for our discussion on "The End of the Age" from Matthew 24.

To reserve your spot, click here:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/363700386

At our Webinars, you'll have a chance to listen, interact, ask questions, and get answers - all from the comfort of your own home or office. Best of all, you'll be encouraged and strengthened in your faith. You don't have to commit to every week, just join us this Thursday night as your schedule permits.

For a complete Webinar schedule, including an archive of previous Webinars and Frequently Asked Questions, visit: http://theschoolofchrist.org/learn .

Hope to see you Thursday night!
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/363700386

I am your brother,

Chip Brogden
TheSchoolOfChrist.Org


THE SCHOOL OF CHRIST is dedicated to your spiritual growth and maturity through Christ-centered, Spirit- led, Scripture-based discipleship that focuses on relationship, not religion. To find out more about us, click here. You can also connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

©2011 TheSchoolOfChrist.Org. Permission is granted for non-commercial (free) distribution provided this notice appears.

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Post  Admin Fri 01 Apr 2011, 2:29 pm

Hello Elaine,


No webinar this week... please enjoy this encouraging article in the meantime! - CB
Entering His Rest
by Chip Brogden
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Mt. 11:28, NKJV).

"Come to Me." Come to Me. Not a church. Not a man of God. Not a teaching. Not a group. Come to Me, and learn of Me. I will give you rest. No one else can give you the rest. You cannot earn the rest. The rest is the gift of God.

If you are a born-again, child of God then you have done this at least once in your life. The moment you said, "God, I cannot save myself. I trust in the finished work of Christ to save me, Jesus be My Savior and Lord," that is when you stopped trying to earn your salvation through works. You entered into rest. You "retired" from being your own savior. And most people have learned that it is settled from that moment on. You would not dream of going back to the days of trying to work for your salvation. You're saved and you know it.

That is how you begin the Christian life. But there is more to the Christian life that just getting saved. That is the first step into a larger world. Jesus is continually calling out to you, saying, "Come to Me, and I will give you rest." That is a progressive thing. It is a daily thing. Every day we come to Jesus, everyday we hand over something else, every day we learn to rest in Him, and trust in His life.

What does it look like? Well, so many Christians struggle with sin. They struggle with their feelings, their emotions, their memories. They worry, they fret. They are in bondage to fear. They are in bondage to bad habits. They are in bondage to their past hurts. They experience many defeats and very few victories.

Can we not trust Jesus to give us rest from these things as well? If we can trust Him and believe Him for salvation, can we not trust Him and believe Him for victory? That is what He means when He says, "Come to Me, and I will give you rest." This rest that we enter into is intended for every area, not just salvation. How very pitiful if we can only rest in salvation but we have no peace, no rest, no freedom from the constant stresses and disappointments and fears of this present time.

The principle of the Sabbath rest is applicable to every area of your life, not just salvation. Are you ever troubled with anxious thoughts? Of course, from time to time we all worry about something. But when we have entered into His rest we no longer worry about it. Outside of Him there is plenty to worry about; but when we come to Him, and stay in Him, He gives us rest, and it is impossible to rest and worry at the same time. A worried person cannot sleep, and certainly cannot rest. A person who is resting in the Lord does not worry.

Mark 3:14 is a special Scripture for me, and it illustrates this very important point. It says that Jesus called twelve disciples, that they should BE with Him, and that He might send them forth to preach. We are anxious to go out, to be used, to go to work; but Jesus is more interested in the relationship, in being with Him, in learning to rest in Him. Remember the Sabbath day, get that principle deep down in your spirit, before you launch out into the doing.

Of course I come into contact with a great number of people who are coming out of the religious system, and they are usually full of a lot of anxiety and excitement. When they ask me for advice, I counsel them to take a year off and "do nothing" for awhile. What I mean is, religion has kept you doing, doing, doing for God. There needs to be a season of rest. You need to experience a Sabbath day and just "be" with Jesus in terms of spiritual activity. Oh yes, that sounds so nice, but I have seldom met anyone who could do it. They come out of church, and before you know it they start a home church, or they go looking for fellowship with others, or they get restless and end up going back to church where things are more familiar. The idea of just being with Jesus and resting for awhile is completely foreign to their understanding.

Regardless of where you are in your journey - a new Christian, someone who is just coming out of religion, or someone who has been in the wilderness for a long time now - you cannot get away from this principle of the Sabbath day. It is about relationship. Being with Jesus. Coming to Him and resting in Him.

Are you content to just be with Jesus? Is Jesus enough? When Jesus is enough then you are resting. We you feel something more is needed, and you start looking outside of Him, then you become rest-LESS.

What if we took a position with the Lord that says, "I am content to just be with You. If you see I am lacking something, I trust you to bring it. But I am not seeking anything outside of You. That includes fellowship with others, ministry, spiritual experiences, or anything else. You are enough for Me." God can do something with that. Now you are getting aligned to the Sabbath principle. I'm not seeking, or striving, or trying to make anything happen. I am content, I am resting in the Lord. And that is the life of faith, the life of trust, the life of rest...



LIKE THIS? Check out the 4-part audio series...
THE LORD OF THE SABBATH



I am your brother,

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Post  Admin Mon 21 Mar 2011, 11:01 pm

Hello Elaine,

Please take a look at this video:
http://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/webinars/summit.html

On this page you'll find three things:

1. A special video message from me, recorded this morning
2. A replay of yesterday's Online Summit on the Pacific Crisis
3. A great way to help yourself AND help those in need

If you like what you see and hear I hope you'll share the link or leave a comment and spread the word. Here's the link again:

http://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/webinars/summit.html



I am your brother,

Chip Brogden
http://www.TheSchoolOfChrist.Org
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Post  Admin Sun 20 Mar 2011, 6:46 pm

Hello Elaine,




The Online Summit takes place today at 5:00 p.m. New York time zone:

http://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/webinars/summit.html

It's free, and all you need is a computer and an Internet connection.

If you have questions about the webinar itself (what it is, how do you join, how do you calculate the time zone difference in your country, etc.) check out the Webinar FAQ
here:

http://theschoolofchrist.org/learn/internet-bible-study



Talk to you soon!


I am your brother,

Chip Brogden
http://www.TheSchoolOfChrist.Org
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Post  Admin Fri 18 Mar 2011, 11:21 pm

Dear Beloved,

As most of you know, I have been ministering annually in the UK for the past twenty years. This summer will be the first time that I will not be doing a ministry tour. I will only be coming to the UK to lead our “Panim el Panim” – “Face to Face” Prophetic Gathering, July 8th - 10th.

The reason I am not doing a tour this summer is twofold. First and primarily is because the Lord is having me restrict my travel schedule to stay home and work on my new book. This book will be a prophetic call to the authentic Body of Christ to understand and get free from the “spirit of the Christian religion” and to grow to maturity as fruitful disciples of the Kingdom of God. I will be sending out a future email explaining more about this important new book.

Second and more personal is that my eldest daughter Briana will be giving birth to our first grandchild at the end of June, and Janet and I want to be there for that. She is a high risk pregnancy and will deliver by C-section. We will need to be there to help her for several weeks. We thank you for your prayers for this and we

Warmly invite you to join us at:

THE HAYES CONFERENCE CENTRE - SWANWICK, DERBYSHIRE DE55 1AU

For Our Annual

“Panim el Panim” – “Face to Face”

2011 UK GATHERING

Friday 8th July to Sunday 10th July 2011



We are excited and delighted to welcome you to our annual “Panim el Panim” – “Face to Face” prophetic gathering at the Hayes Conference Centre. These are unique events where we endeavor to give the Holy Spirit and each other freedom in both worship and ministry.

It’s a time of coming together in the flow of the anointing and allowing the Lord to direct everything so we can deepen our relationship with God, build new relationships and strengthen existing ones.

Over the years, many have said that they know of no other gathering quite like this one, where we all have liberty to meet ‘face to face’ with the Lord and with one another, without pressure of time or previously conceived agenda. We have so many wonderful testimonies from previous gatherings, even concerning our times of eating together.

You can find booking and accommodation forms on our website, www.HMMin.com Just click on the Panim el Panim button, or go directly to this link: http://hmmin.com/Panim.html and on the lower right side of the page click the booking form. Or you can call or email our UK administrator, Jill Walker. Her contact information is below.

The weekend schedule will be sent, together with a receipt for your payment nearer to the Panim El Panim weekend, as will travel directions and an outline plan of the Conference Centre grounds and buildings.

We anticipate a beautiful time in the presence of the Lord and are really looking forward to sharing it with you. Please do pray about coming this year. We know God is going to do wonderful things in all of us.

In His Love and Service,

Dr. Howard & Janet Morgan



For more information contact:

Jill Walker, HMM UK Administrator

0151-200-5656

jillwalker@hmmin.com

click this link to read a personal invitation from Jill: http://hmmin.com/PDFs/2011inviteletter.pdf

For a booking form click this link: http://hmmin.com/PDFs/2011hayes.pdf
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Post  Admin Thu 17 Mar 2011, 3:41 pm

Hello Elaine,

Quickly, two things you may be interested in.

First, this week's live teaching is happening tonight, from Matthew 22:


http://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/learn


Second, our first ever Online Summit takes place this Sunday and is filling up quickly, but we still have plenty of room. We're going to discuss the recent events in Japan and New Zealand and provide some spiritual counsel to those who have questions and concerns. Find out more about it here:

http://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/webinars/summit.html

If you have questions about the webinar itself (what it is, how do you join, how do you calculate the time zone difference in your country, etc.) check out the Webinar FAQ here:

http://theschoolofchrist.org/learn/internet-bible-study



Please forward this email to family, friends, and other people you think may be interested in joining us online this weekend for the Summit.

I look forward to spending time with you!


I am your brother,

Chip Brogden
http://www.TheSchoolOfChrist.Org
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Post  Admin Wed 16 Mar 2011, 12:08 pm





Dear Friends,


The recent devastating earthquake in New Zealand, followed by the destructive earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear crisis in Japan, has triggered fears around the globe.

It is natural for people of faith to look for a spiritual perspective on these catastrophes. But in the absence of clear direction and Biblical wisdom, fear and hysteria rush in to fill the void. Is it God's judgment? Is it the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy? Is it the end of the world as we know it? Are these signs of the second coming of Christ?

As ambassadors for Christ, what should our response be when disasters strike?

At The School of Christ, we want to equip you with a solid foundation of wisdom and understanding so that you can be at peace and know how to respond to situations like this from a Christ-centered perspective.

That's why, for the first time ever, we are holding an Online Summit to discuss these things and provide some spiritual counsel to those who have questions and concerns. People from every continent will be tuning in to this virtual gathering of believers and we hope you can be part of it as well.

This live online event will take place Sunday, March 20, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time Zone. All you need is a computer connection to the Internet. The cost is free, but connections are limited. You must register early and arrive early to ensure your place.

To register or find out more, visit:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/821163146

We cannot guarantee a replay, so make every effort to join us for the live event. Please spread the word to your friends, family, and concerned brothers and sisters. You will be encouraged and strengthened and so will they.


I am your brother,

Chip Brogden
http://www.TheSchoolOfChrist.Org
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Post  Admin Fri 11 Mar 2011, 12:04 am



Hello Elaine,




This week's webinar (Matthew 21) has been moved to Friday night because of a scheduling conflict.

Find out more and register here:
http://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/learn


I'm feeling and sounding much better this week and I look forward to spending time with you tomorrow night!



I am your brother,

Chip Brogden
http://www.TheSchoolOfChrist.Org


THE SCHOOL OF CHRIST is dedicated to your spiritual growth and maturity through Christ-centered, Spirit-led, Scripture-based discipleship that focuses on relationship, not religion. . You can also connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

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Post  Admin Thu 03 Mar 2011, 11:21 am



Hello Elaine,


As I began to review Matthew 20 for the Thursday night teaching it occurred to be that God is really unfair - wonderfully, gloriously, blessedly unfair!

To the workers in the parable, God was cheating them out of something. But from God's perspective, He was simply doing what He always does - showing grace and mercy to all.

I was reminded of the Scripture that says, "He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities" (Psalm 103:10). Thank God for His unfairness in not giving me what I deserved! And how unfair that the Sinless One should have to bear the sins of the whole world! This tremendous unfairness to the One resulted in tremendous blessings to the All.

And I love the passage where that schemer Jacob finally realizes how unfair God is: "I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant" (Gen. 32:10). If God had treated Jacob "fairly" he would have been a goner. I think about all the truth and revelation and blessings He has given to me, and to you, and I marvel at the unfairness of not having to do anything to earn it.

The workers in the parable had a Win/Lose mentality. In order for God to bless us (they thought), He has to punish others, or He at least has to not bless them as much, or has to bless us more. This attitude assumes that there is only so much of the Blessing Pie to go around, and we have to each fight to get the biggest piece.

The truth is that God is big enough and generous enough to show mercy to all, and especially to those who don't deserve it. Because really, none of us "deserve" anything. Every breath we take, every minute we live, is a gift of God. Let's cherish it and make the best possible use of it. Let's focus on what we have, not what we don't have. Let's concentrate on what we can give instead of what we can take. Because we have taken so much already, haven't we?

Those are just some random thoughts as I read Matthew 20. It will give you something to think about and something for us to develop in more detail this Thursday night.

You can register for this week's Webinar here:

http://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/learn


The Webinars are always free, but if you are able to help cover the cost with a small donation it is always appreciated and put to good use. Be sure to register early to make sure we have enough spots available.



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Post  Admin Thu 24 Feb 2011, 12:29 pm

Hello Elaine,

We're having a problem with reliable high-speed Internet service,
so I'm canceling tonight's Webinar.

If you've missed any of the previous Webinars, most of them
(several hours worth) are available on demand from our website:

http://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/learn

We'll try again next week.

Thank you!


Chip Brogden
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Post  Admin Thu 17 Feb 2011, 12:21 pm

[size=12]Hello Elaine,
[/size]



You're invited to join us for tonight's Webinar from Matthew 19:



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Post  Admin Thu 20 Jan 2011, 5:38 pm

[size=12]Hello Elaine,
[/size]



I formulated a quote many years ago based upon a truth I had come to learn:

"The purpose of revelation is
not to substantiate your illusions,
but to eliminate them."

When so many things are bandied about today as "revelation" it is important to note what effect the revelation, word, dream, or vision has upon the recipient. If it reinforces and substantiate their illusions, makes them more comfortable in their own world, and generally lets them think that they were "right all along" then I would typically question the source of that revelation.

But if the revelation causes an awakening, a change of heart, an elimination of what was previously held in error, an illumination of what was previously seen dimly - one of those "My Lord and My God!" moments - then you can generally trust that the revelation is genuine. It is doing the work of eliminating illusions.

Another of my sayings is, "Blessed are the disillusioned." Religious folk in particular have some very strange ideas, opinions, and illusions about God, Jesus, the Bible, and what it means to be filled, taught, and led by the Holy Spirit. The purpose of God-given, Spirit-inspired revelation is not to substantiate all those silly notions about spiritual things, but to eliminate them - to DIS-ILLUSION you so that you see things as they really are. Blessed are the disillusioned, for they will see God as He really is.

A man in one of our workshops experienced this. After listening to what was shared he shook his head and exclaimed, "Jesus is not Who I thought He was - He IS Who He IS!"

Peter, James and John experienced this in Matthew 17, when Jesus "was transfigured before them." Jesus did not suddenly become the Son of God. He was the Son of God all along. But they suddenly saw Him differently. And this seeing definitely dis-illusioned them. It eliminated all their preconceived ideas and notions about Who He really was and is. This revelation did not substantiate their illusions or encourage their misconceptions; it challenged them, put them on their face in fear, and forever changed the direction of their lives.

THAT is the kind of revelation of Christ that is missing from many who claim Him as Savior. They are trying to follow (and desperately trying to persuade others to follow) a God that they really don't know apart from what Religion has taught them.

It MUST not be so with you and me. We MUST see Him and we MUST proclaim Him, not as we wish Him to be, not as we expect Him to be, not as we think He should be - but AS HE IS.

I invite you to join us for tonight's live webinar from Matthew 17 as we discuss this and much more:




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Post  Admin Thu 13 Jan 2011, 4:24 pm

Hi Elaine,

Most Bibles quote Jesus as saying, "I will build My church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it."
Interestingly enough, even though Jesus was a carpenter, He never built a synagogue. He never built a cathedral. He never built a "Family Life Center" or a steeple-house.
I challenge you to search the world over and see if you can find any visible evidence of a structure that can legitimately claim that Jesus Himself built it with His own two hands.
Either there is no such thing and Jesus failed to do what He said. Or He did built it, but it doesn't exist anymore, so the gates of hell prevailed against it.
"That's silly, brother... of course Jesus did not mean that He would literally build anything."
Exactly. Only a simpleton would take these words of Jesus literally.
Then why does Christendom expect us to believe that the "Church" Jesus built now exists within Catholic Institutionalism, Greek Orthodoxism, or Protestant Denominationalism?
That understanding is unBiblical and not in keeping with the spirit of what Jesus actually said and meant: "I will built MY CHURCH."
If we cannot tell the difference between something Jesus built and something man built then we are sorely lacking in spiritual discernment and we need to ask God for wisdom to tell the difference.
To help you find the church that Jesus built, here are some clues:
1. Digging deeper into the original language of the Bible, we find the Greek word translated "church" is EKKLESIA, which simply means "an assembly of called-out people." We have a lot of emotional attachment to that word "church" but the point is that what Jesus really said and what we think He meant are two different things.
2. The New Testament refers to the Hebrews who came out of Egypt as "The Church [Ekklesia] in the Wilderness". Interesting, isn't it? Can you see a connection with what Jesus said He was going to do for us?
3. This EKKLESIA is founded upon an entirely spiritual concept - the revelation of Christ - which can only come from an entirely spiritual dimension: the Father in Heaven must grant it individually, one person at a time.
4. This EKKLESIA is not a PLACE of worship but a PEOPLE of worship. For example, when Scripture says "the house of God" it always refers to the family (people) of God, never a building for performing religious ceremonies.
5. This EKKLESIA is called a house of living stones, and yet it is referred to as "growing". Inanimate objects do not grow - only living things have the ability to grow.
These clues should help you in your search for truth (or at least make you think twice).
The bottom line is this: if we continue to take the EKKLESIA and force our understanding of it to conform to the narrow-minded tradition of CHURCH then we will never experience the power, the victory, and the blessing of walking in the fullness of our inheritance as "called-out" people.
Want to learn more?

I invite you to join us for tonight's live webinar from Matthew 16 as we discuss this and much more:
http://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/learn

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Post  Admin Thu 06 Jan 2011, 1:35 pm

Transgressing Traditions

I love the way Jesus turns things around with a question...

Pharisees: "Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?"

Jesus: "Why do you transgress the commandment of God with your tradition?"

A fascinating exchange that clearly shows which side of the argument Jesus and His disciples are.

How many "traditions of the elders" do we observe today at the expense of the commandment of God?

I invite you to join us for tonight's live webinar from Matthew 15 as we discuss this and much more:

http://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/learn

The cost is free but you must register to reserve your virtual space before all the lines are taken.

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Post  Admin Thu 16 Dec 2010, 12:27 pm


The Hebrews wrote in a poetic way. The arrangement of the text is just as meaningful as the message the text conveys.


The Book of Matthew was written by a Hebrew, for Hebrews. It also is written and arranged in a symbolic, prophetic way. In this arrangement, the beginning, middle, and end of the document "rhymes" in thought. The middle of the document is the apex of the crescendo, the peak of the mountain, and contains the highest possible thought. So when we look at the beginning, middle, and end of Matthew we see the pattern and the "hidden message" comes forth.

Tonight we are in the the "middle" of Matthew (Chapter 14). If you look in the original text, you see that the exact middle of Matthew falls within the story of Jesus multiplying the loaves the fishes.

Now why is this so significant that Matthew would take care to place it in the "highest" section of his writing, giving it the coveted middle position?


Find out tonight when you join us for this week's live webinar from Matthew 14:




http://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/learn



Our free webinars fill up fast so I encourage you to register now and login early.







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Post  Admin Thu 18 Nov 2010, 2:24 pm

Hi Elaine,

Welcome to all the new people who have joined our list this week!
We're glad to have you and look forward to sharing more Christ-centered
teaching with you.

Quick reminder: you're invited to join our live webinar tomorrow night.


Click here to find out more about it:
http://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/learn

You'll find several hours of replays at that link as well if you'd
like to check them out.


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Post  Admin Thu 11 Nov 2010, 2:16 pm

For your Information.


If you are unable to make it for the Live Webinar teaching,
you are able to listen to all the replays.
Please Click here to find out more:

http://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org/learn

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Post  Admin Thu 28 Oct 2010, 1:16 pm

[size=12]Hello Elaine,

[/size]
[size=12]My parents are visiting this week, so there will be no webinar tonight. We'll resume next week. In the meantime, I hope this will be an encouragement to you who are "in the desert". -CB


[/size]

A Way in the Wilderness


by Chip Brogden

http://theschoolofchrist.org/articles/a-way-in-the-wilderness.html



"Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert" (Isaiah 43:19).
"And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness... and Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee" (Lk 4:1, 14).
The Cross does not eliminate weakness, it brings strength out of weakness. With less of me there is more of the Lord. So these wilderness experiences are designed to teach us something about weakness. When you are weak, when you have no strength, then Christ is revealed. You become conscious of a supernatural strength rising up from within. If you're fasting you're still hungry. The hunger doesn't magically go away. If you've got a thorn in the flesh God doesn't wave His magic wand and just take it away. What does He say? "I'll not take the thorn away, but I will give you more grace, and you will learn by experience that My grace is sufficient."
See, you don't learn the sufficiency of Grace until you have experienced the insufficiency of Self. The sooner you give up the better. I go back to my original statement: we spend too much time crying and praying and asking God to take us out of whatever we're in, and the thing we're trying to get out of is the very thing God intends to use to teach you something of Himself. You say, "That's a hard way to learn!" Well, who said it would be easy?
The only people who say it will be easy are the ones who have never walked in the wilderness before. They sound like they have great faith, but that faith has never been tested. They have no depth of experience. They haven't walked with God through the valley of the shadow of death. They're doing everything they can to walk around it, and they think that's faith. They think victory means elimination of problems. Actually, victory means living independently of your circumstances. I still have the thorns, I still have the weaknesses, I still have the problems. My wife and I have been through enough to fill up three lifetimes. Now I'm doing what Paul did: I'm boasting in my weaknesses. I won't bore you with all the details of all the things we've endured, I don't want to make this teaching all about me. I'm saying this to encourage you.
THE WILDERNESS WALK
What is your heart's desire? Is it to know God? To walk with Him? To grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus? Then let me tell you something: the depth of your revelation can be measured by the depth of your suffering. Little suffering means little revelation. Much suffering means much revelation.
You don't become intimate with God by studying books, reading books, or listening to other people teach. Enoch walked with God. Abraham walked with God. David walked with God. Paul walked with God. They were on a journey together. They were walking it out, and working it out, together. It was a marriage, no question about it. If I want a relationship with my wife I don't go around and interview all her friends and relatives and ask them to tell me about my wife. I don't type her name into Google and see what comes up. If I want a relationship with my wife it takes more than a marriage certificate! It takes more than a wedding ceremony! That might be enough to satisfy the legal requirements of marriage, but if that's as far as you go then it won't last. I think that's the problem with some people in their spiritual walk. They fulfilled all the "legal" requirements of "getting saved", they had a ceremony, and they hung their marriage certificate on the wall and said, "Well, I can cross that off my list, now I'm saved." Well, that should be the beginning of the relationship, not the end of it.
I'm just speaking plainly. It's time to go on to maturity. Let's get serious about our spiritual life. I tell you, when you experience some pain or weakness or sickness in your body, you get concerned. You seek relief. You seek medical attention. You seek the prayers of the saints. You seek healing and deliverance. If we were as concerned for our spiritual life as we are for our physical life, we would know God.
Or look at your financial situation. If you can't make ends meet, or you lose your job, or something unexpected comes up that you don't have the money to pay for, you get concerned. You pray. You ask for help. You do whatever it takes to get out from under that financial difficulty. If we were as concerned for our spiritual situation as we are for our financial situation, then we would know God. Oh, there's no question about it. Absolutely. And often God can't get our attention unless He permits, unless He allows, something to happen to us in our body or in our finances. Sometimes it takes something drastic to get us to pay attention to our spiritual life.
"LED BY THE SPIRIT... INTO THE WILDERNESS!"Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted, to be tested. Now that's one purpose of the desert; that's one reason why God leads us into the wilderness. We want to cover up our weakness, and God wants to expose our weakness. Hypocrites want to hide their true condition and make themselves appear to be better than they really are. They get so good at hiding their true condition that they actually begin to believe they are better than they really are. Then they start trying to fix everybody else: pointing out their weaknesses and shortcomings. Well, they just haven't spent any time in the desert. They've never been confronted with their weaknesses. They don't know what hunger is. They don't know what thirst is. They don't know what isolation is. They don't know what it is to be stripped down to nothing. They've never been broken, never been humbled, never taken up the Cross, never died to anything. So they've got plenty of time on their hands, and they spend their time looking for specks in other people's eyes while ignoring the log in their own.

I'm telling you, the Narrow Path that leads to Life takes you through the Spiritual Desert. If you haven't experienced it yet then you will if you stay on the Path. People are still looking for a way around it, a way over it, a way under it, but God's Way is through it. A lot of people turn back! They say, "Let's go back to Egypt. It's hot out here, it's dry, it's lonely. Oh, I need fellowship. Oh, I need something for the kids. I need teaching." And pretty soon they go right back into a place that they said not too long ago God had called them out of. They were led up by the Spirit into the wilderness, but before that Spirit can teach them anything they're trying to get out of there.
In the wilderness you don't follow your feelings. It says the children of Israel were led by a column of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night. When the cloud moved, then they moved. When the cloud stayed still then they stayed still. I mean, it's really as simple as that. Walk in the Spirit. If you begin to be led by your feelings then you'll make the wrong decision every time. Most of the time, the right decision doesn't feel good. Doing the right thing is usually difficult. The easiest thing to do is to quit, to give up, to go back to Egypt. But I'm telling you: get to a place where going back is no longer an option; then going back is no longer a temptation.




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P.S. This article is based on an audio series titled The Spiritual Desert: How God's Purposes Are Fulfilled In Your Wilderness Experiences.
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Post  Admin Wed 20 Oct 2010, 12:33 pm



You're invited to join us Thursday night (October 21)for a Live Webinar: "The King & His Kingdom - Matthew 10".
To reserve your spot, click here:
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At our Webinars, you'll have a chance to listen, interact, ask questions, and get answers - all from the comfort of your own home or office. Best of all, you'll be encouraged and strengthened in your faith. You don't have to commit to every week, just join us this Thursday night as your schedule permits.

For a complete Webinar schedule, including an archive of previous Webinars and Frequently Asked Questions, visit: http://theschoolofchrist.org/learn .

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You're invited to join us tomorrow night (September 30)for a Live Webinar: "The King & His Kingdom - Matthew 7".
To reserve your spot, click here:
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At our Webinars, you'll have a chance to listen, interact, ask questions, and get answers - all from the comfort of your own home or office. Best of all, you'll be encouraged and strengthened in your faith. You don't have to commit to every week, just join us this Thursday night as your schedule permits.

For a complete Webinar schedule, including an archive of previous Webinars and Frequently Asked Questions, visit: http://theschoolofchrist.org/learn .

Hope to see you tonight!
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Post  Admin Thu 23 Sep 2010, 9:54 am

Live Webinar Tonight


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Matthew 6
TONIGHT!
Thursday Sep. 23, 2010
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You're invited to join us tonight (September 23rdfor a Live Webinar: "The King & His Kingdom - Matthew 6".
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At our Webinars, you'll have a chance to listen, interact, ask questions, and get answers - all from the comfort of your own home or office. Best of all, you'll be encouraged and strengthened in your faith. You don't have to commit to every week, just join us this Thursday night as your schedule permits.

For a complete Webinar schedule, including an archive of previous Webinars and Frequently Asked Questions, visit: http://theschoolofchrist.org/learn .

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Post  Admin Thu 16 Sep 2010, 1:06 pm

September 16, 2010

Hi Elaine,
Our regularly scheduled Thursday webinar will not take place this week. I've been a little "under the weather" for the past several days. If all goes well, we hope to resume our live webinars again next week.
In the meantime, here is another article from Matthew 6 that is worth another look. ~ CB

--
When You Pray
by Chip Brogden
http://theschoolofchrist.org/articles/when-you-pray.html
"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites... but when you pray, enter into your closet and pray in secret... and when you pray, do not use vain repetitions... after this manner therefore, pray... (Matthew 6:5-9ff)."
For too long we have practiced and preached prayer as a means towards our own ends. I am thinking of several popular teachings and books on the market today which make prayer out to be a ritual through which we can induce God to give us what we want. This philosophy gives us the illusion of a manageable deity, a "god" who is under our control, having no choice but to respond to a prayer properly worded or recited. A person of average intelligence should be able to see that this is a ridiculous caricature of God - it is a misrepresentation and a deception. The widespread popularity and success of these teachings should make us at least a little suspicious as to the spirit which prompts men to perpetuate it. It cannot be the Holy Spirit.
Jesus takes it for granted that His disciples will pray. This is why four times in a row He says, "WHEN you pray" and not "IF you pray." But from these brief excerpts of Scripture we learn that there are at least two classes of prayer. One is unacceptable to God, and the other is well-pleasing to Him. One is of hypocrites, the other is of a pure heart. One is done openly to be seen of men, the other is hidden to be seen of God alone. One is nothing more than vain repetition to accomplish my own ends, and the other accomplishes God's purpose.
Now if we pray the prayer of the hypocrite we are wasting our time. God will not respond, He will not move, He will not listen to such praying. That is not to say that someone (something?) will not answer this self-centered prayer: but the answer, when and if it comes, will not come from the Father in heaven. Much praying is done in vain because the one praying has never gone to the Word to investigate the kind of prayer that is well-pleasing to God. Just as there is a worship that is "spirit-and-truth" and there is a worship which is fleshly and vain, so there is a "spirit-and-truth" sort of praying and a flesh-and-blood praying which is done in vanity.
So by the grace of God we would like to look to the Lord to teach us to pray. Let us ask Him to show us the sort of praying that is acceptable to Him.

HOW NOT TO PRAY
"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners that they may be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have already received their reward (Matthew 6:5)."
What makes a prayer hypocritical? It is a prayer which is done in public to be seen of men. It is an outward show to make one appear spiritual to others. It calls attention to one's self through loud volume, lengthy discourse, or spiritual-sounding vocabulary. It is primarily done for ceremonial benefit only, for the listening ear of men, and not for God. We want to be seen and heard and observed. We wish to be known as "prayer warriors" so we prefer to do our praying in public, by the altar, in church, or at the prayer meeting, so everyone can see us. We would have people know us as watchmen, prophets, and intercessors. But what matters most is not how people perceive us, but how we truly are before God.
Hypocrites typically use public praying to preach or make demands upon others. I was in a meeting once when a newcomer was asked to pray. Before long he began talking about his financial needs as if he were talking to the Lord, but it should have been obvious that he was merely letting it be known to all present that he expected a monetary gift. He even said, "I pray that someone will give me the money I need." And of course, after the meeting, someone did. But neither the one who prayed nor the one who "answered" his prayer were in the Spirit. This man should have been rebuked, but no one rose to the occasion, including myself. So we all missed the Spirit, but we learned a lesson. And we never heard from the man again.
Preachers are equally guilty of hypocritical long-windedness. It is interesting to observe how differently someone prays when standing upon a platform before others compared to how they pray in other places. They seem to believe that the spotlight calls for certain words and phrases to be used that they would not otherwise use. This, too, is done for the benefit of the listeners. "Oh, he can pray such powerful prayers!" they exclaim. But this does not mean they are necessarily powerful with God.
Particularly in a day when prayer meetings, prayer gatherings, prayer retreats, and prayer warfare is being emphasized, it is important to understand what the Lord is looking for so we do not fall into a trap of vanity. The experience of many saints seems to indicate that the more we pray in private, the less we will pray in public. The words will be fewer, but they will be far more weighty and valuable. One brother was so broken before God privately that whenever he stepped into the pulpit to pray publicly, all he could do was fall over the lectern and weep, "Oh God!" That is the proper spirit, and how I wish we had more of this kind of prayer.
"But when you pray, enter into your closet, and after you have shut the door, pray to your Father in secret; and your Father, Who sees what is done secretly, will reward you openly (Matthew 6:6)."
Why does the Lord prefer secret prayer to prayer done in the synagogue (or in the church building)? Prayer which is most valuable to God is done in secret, in the prayer closet, in the inner chamber where no man's eyes can see and no man's ears can hear what is said and done. Thus, everything said and done in secret is for the Lord's sake. Most public praying is done to be seen of men; hence, it has virtually no worth. An abundance of public prayer cannot make up for a lack of secret prayer.
As a child I took this Scripture literally. I would go into a closet and close the door, praying to the Lord in secret. When I got older I would climb to the top of a tree to pray and read. Or I would sneak out while it was still dark so I could pray. As I look back on my life these are the sweetest times of prayer and communion I have ever experienced.
It does not matter whether your closet is a literal closet or not. The issue is the sort of prayer that is offered, whether it is done to be seen of men or if it is done to be seen of God. If we are praying to the Lord for the Lord's sake then we will want to keep holy things holy, private things private, and sacred things sacred. We will not easily repeat to others the intimate details of these encounters with God. It would seem almost sacrilegious to do so.
Is prayer and worship a lifestyle, or is it an event? If it is an event, if most of our praying is done once a week when we gather together, then we will be lacking spiritually. We will sense this lack when we try to flip a switch and become spiritual enough to pray. But our corporate prayers have their basis in our secret prayers. The real value is not what is seen outwardly, but what we are inwardly, beneath the surface, as we minister to the Lord in secret.
"But when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do: for they think they will be heard for their much speaking (Matthew 6:7)."
The Greek word for "vain" here is interesting. It comes from the base of another word which means "to handle or squeeze" and implies manipulation, as someone would manipulate clay to make it into something like a bowl or a vase. It is used by Jesus in another context, Matthew 15:7-9:
"You hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me, for in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.'"
There is such a thing as vain prayer and vain worship. There is such a thing as a sacrifice acceptable to God and a sacrifice unacceptable to God (see the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4). We know exactly what God seeks, and that is, "Spirit and Truth." We also know what He considers to be vanity, manipulation, a waste of time, and self-centered. Vanity includes drawing near to Him with our mouth and honoring Him with our lips while our heart is far from Him. It includes teaching the things of man as if they were the things of God. It includes repeating the same prayers over and over again with a view towards manipulating God. It includes 95% of all that is said and done in a typical church service on Sunday morning. Continually asking God to bless our unacceptable worship every single week is an example of vanity. "In vain do they worship Me."
It may come as a shock and a surprise to most people to learn that much of what they are doing, even the spiritual things (especially the spiritual things), are vanity. People have been taught that so long as they attend church and pray the right prayers for protection, blessings, power or anointing then everything will be well with them. People who relate to God in this way are behaving like heathens - Jesus says so. Heathen people are not irreligious. They worship! They pray! Hypocrites give! Hypocrites fast! Hypocrites do mighty works in the Name of Jesus! But according to Jesus, it counts for nothing. It is all in vain. They do not really KNOW Him, and He does not "know" them either.
"Do not be like [the heathen], for your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him (Matthew 6:8)."
Here is something interesting! Jesus says not to pray as if we would be heard for our much speaking or grandiose speech, because the Father knows what we need before we ask Him. Well then! What is the point of praying? If God knows what I need before I ask, why ask at all? If prayer is nothing more than making my needs known to God then perhaps we can stop praying, since He already knows what they are. But perhaps prayer, as Jesus teaches it, has very little to do with making requests to the Lord for my own needs to be met. If so, then to continue praying on the basis of my needs is vanity. Vanity is not only futility, but it is self-centeredness. Thus, "Do not be like the heathen, who vainly repeat the same prayers with a view towards getting their own needs met."
Jesus does not say that since the Father knows what we need, we do not HAVE to pray - but if He already knows what we need then it should definitely change the WAY we pray. When we do pray we should not behave like a hypocrite or a heathen, obsessed with ourselves. Our needs are already known to the Lord. So it is not as though we have to go to God and inform Him as to the details of our situation in order to fully appraise Him of what is happening. We might give our doctor such detailed information so a proper diagnosis can be made, but the Lord does not need any assistance from us in order to help Him figure out the problem. Nor does He need us to tell Him what needs to be done, as if we know what is called for and He does not.
What if prayer is something deeper than rehearsing my needs to the Lord? What if prayer is a means toward a higher end than getting my circumstances and my surroundings in order? In other words, what if prayer is not about my needs, my desires, my wants, my requests, or my situation at all? What if prayer is meant to meet the LORD'S need? What if, instead of coming to the Lord with OUR expectation as to the outcome, we come to the Lord, interested in knowing what HIS expectation is? What if prayer is not about giving voice to MY will at all, but is about giving voice to HIS will?
This concept may be too radical for some, because it will require a further death to their Self. But since the Father knows what we have need of before we ask, prayer must not be primarily concerned with telling Him what He already knows. Since we are to pray, and since the Lord knows our needs already, does this not indicate a higher calling and a deeper work to be done in prayer than merely voicing my personal prayer requests? To the heathen and the hypocrite, who are so absorbed with Self, vanity (futility and self-centeredness) is evident everywhere, and in their praying in particular. According to the Scriptures, it appears that Jesus is bringing us to a deeper understanding of prayer. So after what manner SHOULD we pray then? Jesus makes it very plain.
HOW TO PRAY
"Pray after this manner: 'Our Father in heaven, may Your Name be hallowed, may Your Kingdom come, may Your Will be done: as in heaven, so in earth (Matthew 6:9,10).'"
Now that we know the kind of prayer which is not acceptable to the Lord, it is time for us to look at the kind of prayer which is acceptable. The Lord Jesus is not giving us a prayer to repeat word for word, for that would be contrary to everything He has told us up to this point (observe how we still cling to it ritualistically anyway). Instead, He gives us a pattern, a prototype, a foundation of all prayer by saying, "Pray after this manner", or, "Pray along these lines."
At once we are lifted up from the earthly situation and are made to focus upon a heavenly Father, a heavenly Kingdom, and a heavenly Will. I believe it is so important for us to see this. Prayer does not begin on the earth, it begins in the heavens. It does not begin with man, it begins with the Father. It does not begin with man's need, but with God's will. Our praying is ineffectual because we pray as earthly men with an earthly perspective concerning earthly things. See how far and above this manner of praying is when compared to the hypocrite, praying in public to be seen of men! Prayer ought to bring us up into the heavenlies, not bring us down deeper into the earth. It ought to focus our vision on the Father, not on man, or the problems of man. Spiritual prayer begins in the Spirit; heavenly prayer begins in the heavenlies.
When we pray "after this manner" we are transported and elevated beyond flesh-and-blood, beyond the natural, beyond the earthly, beyond the seen-and-felt universe in which we live. We are at once brought into alignment with Someone larger than ourselves, Someone higher, Someone greater. This Someone has an agenda, and is working all things together in one accord towards this agenda. What is the agenda? It is the Will and the Kingdom. So what is the Will and the Kingdom? The Will is "all things in Christ" and the Kingdom is the fulfillment of that Will, when Christ has the preeminence. All of God's movements are towards this End.
So the chief objective of prayer is to bring us into cooperation with the Father so that we are harmonious with Him - with respect to our love relationship as well as our working relationship. Much time and effort in prayer is spent trying to get God involved with OUR agenda, with OUR plans, with OUR goals, with OUR cause, with OUR needs, real or imagined. But after all, who is the Master? Who is the servant? Whose will are we seeking anyway: ours, or His? If we have not touched upon the Will and the Kingdom in our praying then we are praying in vain, because God cannot contradict Himself, and cannot answer such prayer. If our agenda is not harmonious with His then our agenda has to go. Most of our prayers are simply too small, too narrow-minded, and too constricted. We do not see anything beyond our present surroundings. We have not seen the big picture. We do not have a heavenly perspective. So to begin with we must empty ourselves of all preconceived ideas and seek the Lord's Will and the Lord's Kingdom when we pray, for this truly hallows the Father.
"Give us today's bread again as usual; and as we have forgiven others their sins, so forgive us our sins (Matthew 6:11,12).'"
The Lord does not tell us NOT to make our requests known to Him. It is appropriate to thankfully acknowledge Him on a daily basis as our Provider and the One Who forgives. The difference is this. When we pray the Will and the Kingdom, when we lose ourselves and our agenda, when we come to the Lord to meet His need, then we will find our needs are met: but even if they are not met, we will not care. Our desire is for Him, and so long as we are in His Will and in His Kingdom, the issue of whether or not my personal needs are met becomes of secondary importance. Prayer is not the vehicle whereby I get my needs met. It is the means through which God's Need is met. Now that I am praying on behalf of God's Will and God's Kingdom, now that I am praying in alignment with God's desire for the ages, He will be sure to supply me with what I need (indeed, nothing can prevent it, for nothing has been able to prevent it for billions of years). As I have sought first the Kingdom, all that is required will be added to me. Not for my sake, you see, but for His sake. As I have vested myself into His Kingdom, He has vested Himself into my well-being. How could it be otherwise?
For after all, where is the Kingdom? Here, or there, in the future, in the past? No, the Kingdom is within you (Luke 17:21). When we pray God's Will and God's Kingdom, are we not asking for Christ to increase and for us to decrease? Are we not asking for Christ to have the greater preeminence in us individually as disciples? For the moment, forget about bringing the Church together or getting everyone to see the same thing. If each of us prayed this with no greater goal but for ourselves, would this not by extension include the entire Church, of which we are members? So we are praying for Christ to have the preeminence in us individually as disciples; in the Church corporately; and in all of creation collectively. We are aligning ourselves with some very powerful forces, all working together towards God's Ultimate Purpose.
Now whether or not you consider the bread to be physical or spiritual (or both), it is provided daily. And, on a daily basis, forgiveness of sins is provided. Bread speaks to our Life, and forgiveness of sins speaks to our walk. Daily we require Life in order to live. Daily we offend others, and daily we offend God. So daily we have need of forgiveness. Quite frankly, whatever else we may think we need is summed up into these two things. Everything else is good to have, and God may be pleased to grant them, but they are not absolutely necessary. No one has a Scriptural "right" to make demands upon the Father for whatever they want, no more than my children should expect me to give them everything they ask for.
Since we are already blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3), the bulk of our prayers ought to be centered on God's Will and not our wants. UNLESS - and here is where it gets interesting and powerful - UNLESS what WE want is what HE wants. God will deny no prayer that is in agreement with what He Himself wants to do. In fact, He is the One Who makes His Will known to us, so we can voice our agreement to it in prayer, so it will come to pass. Conformity to Christ includes wanting what He wants, and if this is taking place in us, the first place it will manifest itself is in our praying, for this is where the exchange of His Life for my life is taking place. And by now we should already know that God only wants ONE THING. Eventually, that is all we will want, and that is all we will be able to pray. The easiest way to get your wants met in prayer is to only want ONE THING.
"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for the Kingdom is Yours, the Power is Yours, and the Glory is Yours. May it be so forever. (Matthew 6:13).'"
As we begin with the Kingdom, so we end with the Kingdom. On what basis may we claim deliverance from evil? On the basis that the Kingdom is of God, the Power is of God, and the Glory is of God.
What is evil? All that is of Antichrist is evil. Antichrist resists God's movement towards Christ as All in All. Whether or not this culminates in a last days dictator is beside the point. Antichrist has been with us from the beginning. The spirit of Antichrist has always resisted the preeminence of Christ, from Lucifer's rebellion to the sins of your flesh. A thing does not have to be bad to be evil. It could be as an angel of light. Of course, bad things are evil, but even seemingly good things are evil if they are not bringing us further into Christ as All in All. So if God's Highest Good is Christ, then anything less than Christ or apart from Christ is evil.
So many are under the impression that the devil has a kingdom, but a search of the Scriptures fails to produce a single shred of evidence to suggest this. "Thine is the Kingdom." The Kingdom belongs to God. God never gave anything to the devil. Even in the Old Testament, before Jesus walked the earth, it is said, "The earth is the LORD'S, and the fullness thereof: the world, and they that dwell therein (Psalms 24:1)." Again, many are obsessed with the alleged "power" of darkness, and anyone who has the ability to deceive another has the ability to control them, but here we are told "Thine is the Power." There is no intrinsic power of darkness, there is only power over individuals gained through deception. The True Power is not held by darkness, but by God, through Jesus Christ, in heaven as well as in earth (Matthew 28:18). Finally, "Thine is the Glory." It is this Glory of Christ as He in fact is that manifests to us by revelation, and this Glory is indeed manifested in the heavens as well as in the whole earth (Psalms 8).
Now if we carefully look at these three items - the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory - we see that it is as much for earth as it is for heaven. It truly represents all that "as in heaven, so in earth" means. Yet there is, on the earth, something which seems to challenge the preeminence of Christ, as if to say that there is another Kingdom, another Power, and another Glory, whether it be of men or of satan (Luke 4:5,6). To pray in this manner is to declare otherwise. It is to stand upon the earth and give testimony that there is only One Kingdom, One Power, and One Glory, and these belong to the Father and to His Christ. Of course, we must see this and believe it in order to pray it. But this, essentially, is the Testimony of Jesus and the ministry of the overcomers.
The thing which hampers our praying the most is the smallness of our vision. Prayer is only a means to an End, and the End is to see Christ established as the Preeminent One on the earth as in heaven. Prayer aligns us with the heart of God so that we only desire the One Thing that He desires.
We cannot, we should not, have faith in prayer itself. How easy it is to put our confidence in a method or a technique for praying and begin relating to God like a heathen. How easy it is to put our confidence in man and begin relating to God like a hypocrite. It is interesting to see that as powerful as "the Lord's Prayer" is, it is nevertheless done behind closed doors, and in secret. We are not told that we must go to strategic points on the globe in order to exercise our authority. We are not given the names of demons or principalities with which we must engage ourselves. Not at all. In our prayer closet, once the door is shut, we merely pray in this manner to the Father, and He will reward us openly.
And lest we forget, Christ is our reward. We seek not His things, but Him. We seek not our Kingdom, but His. We rely not in our power, but in His. And as we are decreased, He is increased, and His glory is revealed and made manifest in us and through us. This is true prayer, provided we are willing to leave our ground and come onto His ground, praying His Will and not ours.
O Father, reveal Your Son in us. Teach us to pray. Your Name be sanctified. We stand for your Kingdom and for Your Will in the earth. May Your Kingdom come - in us. May Your Will be done - in us. As in heaven, so in earth. We thank you that as we seek first Your Kingdom, everything we need is provided. Deliver us from all that is Antichrist, from all that is natural, from all that is flesh-and-blood, from all that is carnal, from all that is earthly, and establish us in the Kingdom of Your Dear Son. We recognize no kingdom but Yours, no power but Yours, no glory but Yours. May it be so forever. Amen.

I am your brother,

Chip Brogden
http://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org

P.S. If you would rather listen than read, I have an eight-part audio series on "The Lord's Prayer" that explores this topic even more deeply:
http://theschoolofchrist.org/listen/prayer-adjustment-to-the-eternal-purpose.html
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