Recently I read a message posted by a Christian Ministry website. I was much blessed by it. It was talking about the wonderful provision that Christ has procured for us but at great cost to Himself on Calvary not in the least the Holy Spirit to empower us for living now and the provision of a place in heaven with Christ when we die. It was an encouraging message for all believers and an incentive to the unsaved to respond to the gospel invitation.
However, as I pondered on its central message I became more and more concerned with the emphasis given on ‘going to Heaven when we die’. It made me re-examine the whole issue of our destiny and our future and final destination as individuals and as a company of people He calls His Church.

Is heaven our final destination when we die, as many of us have been taught or is planet Earth? What does scripture say? The writer had commented that the Lord has made provision for us…’ to live with Him in a heavenly paradise and, ultimately, as sons of God, to reign with Him in a new heaven and a new earth forever’…..but where do we live….in the new heaven or on the new earth?

The bible teaches us that one day God will indeed restore and re-create all things…the ‘new heaven and the new earth’ …..and then the new Jerusalem will descend from Heaven, dressed like a Bride, to earth. Then God will dwell or ‘tabernacle’ ON EARTH (the place He has always wanted to live) for ever and ever amongst His people. Yes we will live with Him here on planet earth. This is our final destination!

This however will not take place till after another awesome series of events take place, not in the least the millenium reign of the Church on planet Earth. Scripture tells us that before these final restoration and re-creation events take place, when the new heaven and the new earth is created and everthing will have been ‘reconciled to Christ’, we, His Bride, will first be raptured to heaven for our marriage with Him, Christ Jesus,the Lamb that was slain. At that point we will be totally released from the sin principle within us, being ’without spot or blemish’, the umbilical chord being cut that ties us now in life dependency to Christ in the womb of the Church (His Body)…. and we will become like Him. In this pure state and union with Him, we will become ‘One’ with Him and will be then able to perfectly partner with Him in mission. This will fulfill the prayer in Gethsamene…. ’that they may be one (with each other and with the Father and the Son) even as we are one’ (Jn 17 v21 and 23). During this time Satan will be chained for this time and we, with Him, will reign for a thousand years and see ‘the Kingdoms of this earth become the Kingdom of our God and His Christ’. Finally after the short release of Satan again and the events leading up to the battle of Armegedon, the intervention by the Lord Himself and the final judgement of Satan, heaven and earth will be renewed and we live with Him on earth for ever.

Contrary to popular teaching we do not going to heaven when we die as if its our final destination. If we go at all it will be for a while because we die before the rapture, then it is only until we are taken to the marriage, along with the raptured saints who will be still living on earth up to or during the anti-Christ reign.
These are so important issues. In general the church is unfamiliar with these things. It is so important that we understand these issues especially in ‘these end time days’. The Church has an identity crisis. She doesn’t know who she is! She is His beloved Bride and He is the coming Bridegroom King. The Church needs to understand Her identity and destiny as His Bridal partner. We have a great future together!

It is so important that, despite the fact that there are various interpretations of these events in terms of order and outworkings, we do not preach a wrong theology. For too long the church has preached an ‘escapism theology’……that is… a ‘Pie in the sky when I die’ etc that developed in times of persecution or suffering. This is demonstrated so well by the songs sung by the slaves during the great African slave period and have been influential in promoting this wrong theology in our times. The slaves used to sing……….
‘This world is not my home I’m just a passing through.
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue’.

Even the great hymn Amazing Grace has the lines….. ‘When we’ve been there ten thousand years bright shining as the sun. We’ve no less days to sing His praise than when we’ve first begun!’ It implies that we spend those endless days in heaven.

The heart and focus of Time Out Mission is to awaken the Church, the Bride, to Her identity and prepare Her for effective mission both now and during Her eternal future. She has an amazing destiny and Her final destination is closer to us than we think….in fact we are living there right now.

Your Kingdom come Lord Jesus! Your will be dome on Earth as it is in Heaven’

‘Come Lord Jesus Come!…..’The spirit and the Bride say Come!’

Howard Barnes

Co-director

In a time of intercession and prayer for Cornwall this week I had an overwhelming sense of God’s presence and I believe a prophetic unction or anointing came over me. What I saw in the Spirit I will try to describe as follows:

Not many would deny that we are living in the age of the instant. We want everything now, and we’re not prepared to wait for it, whatever ‘it’ may be. In fact we’ve gone so far that it doesn’t even matter what ‘it’ may be anymore, we just know that we want ‘it’ and want ‘it’ now!

Further to our current structuring and preparing for the future, there has been some considerable advances which I am really excited about, as it will postion TOM into a place that will facilitate expansive growth for years to come. What I share is not new and indeed the way forward means taking the old ways back.

With the growth of TOM over the last year, there have indeed been many challenges and some setbacks. But in all these things, the Lord has brought us to a place of complete dependency upon Him and in the crucible there has been some refining and purification taking place, but through the process comes greater clarity and revelation which have helped to draw the new map to be navigated.

Part of this clarification has been in understanding the nature of TOM and adopting the right culture for its mandate to be fulfilled.  The situation has been a complex and difficult one to work through, but we are committed to provide the right culture and spiritual framework for the movement of TOM to flourish and fulfill it's God given mandate. It is the inbred nature of man to seek to establish "empire" or institution and naturally there has been external pressure to yield in this direction. For instance the hierarchal approach of administration, properties, funding etc which belong to the old mindset of what a "ministry" looks like. I do not suggest to discredit many wonderful ministries and organisations doing a great work who follow this institutional model, but this is not the model for TOM. Indeed there is a need for proper organisation and accountability but not at the expense of freedom of individuality and the pioneer spirit which must be given full freedom and support if we are truly to redefine the boundaries our Christian faith and experience. We cannot allow ourselves to get bogged down by the limitations of human tradition or "principles of this world" (as Paul writes in Colossians). TOM is primarily a pioneer movement which must remain on the cutting edge. With that in mind, our role as International Directors is not to control but to facilitate the right culture for the movement to thrive, and secondly our role is as guardians of the values which form the core of TOM. The "success" of TOM rests not on the various projects and ministries around the world, but upon the godly character, anointing, commitment and passion of those who are involved. But ultimately, if we are to "succeed" it will not be because of anything which we have done so much as what the Lord has done because of the willing vessels who were surrendered to His purpose and plan. Just like Abraham, we cannot know where we are headed, but we do know the architect and builder, Amen!

The significance of what I am sharing is huge. Our focus is not upon the work but upon the worker, not upon the mission but upon the missionary. We are stepping back from "hands on" involvement and accountability with various TOM expressions around the world, and we are releasing TOM into the hands and responsibility of its associates. We want to officially recognise those that God has called to join and participate with us, then leave the outworking of the TOM mandate to those appointed. Any other way is simply unworkable and unsustainable. We have to operate on a basis of trust in the associates, and of mutual responsibility for what the Lord has given. For each nation, this means that we want to officially recognise TOM associates, but the outworking of the TOM mandate is totally in their hands and of course in the hands of God.

This leaves things very open where there are many potential ways forward, in a way there are greater dangers, but also the greatest opportunity for significance and freedom of the Holy Spirit. This approach, we believe, truly positions us in a movement culture, where we are joined together through shared values and common convictions. We also believe this follows the example of the first true Christian movement in the book of Acts, and if I remember correctly they were involved in the greatest revolution the world has every known!!

Message from Mike of Time Out Mission International

Warrior Wisdom

Introduction

There is an aspect of our Christian life which calls for a particular emphasis of character. In both the Old and New Testaments the analogy of warfare and being a soldier of God is clear. But there is more to being in the army of God than simply wearing the uniform. Yes it is true that we are all soldiers, but the term does not denote any particular quality or characteristic. In an army there can be good and bad soldiers. Soldiers who are courageous, and those that shy from the battle line. There are those who can be self seeking (as in the case of Achan), and those who demonstrate amazing levels of self sacrifice (as in David's mighty men). In 2 Tim 2:3 Paul encourages Timothy "Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.". It is not enough to be a soldier, we must learn how to be a good soldier, how to become warriors. Soldiers can be defeated, but warriors secure the victory. In these days, there is a pressing need for the people of God to put on the whole armour of God and to take their stand. To enforce upon the earth what God has already accomplished in the Heavens. These are not days for the faint hearted, or for those who are caught up with the distractions of the world, but the call is for the army of God to arise and shine. As with the servant of Elisha who beheld the "horsemen and chariots of Israel", may God enlighten us by His Holy Spirit that we see the battlefield correctly and understand the principles and lifestyle necessary to overcome.

Over the next few weeks, we will be looking at how we can turn every situation into a victory, and how we can find delight in each trial.

Last week we began a new teaching series on Warrior Wisdom, and suggested that it is not enough simply to wear the uniform, but to truly be victorious requires a serious commitment and understanding in the ways of God and spiritual warfare. This week we take a look at the importance of intimacy which empowers the individual and allows revelation.

Week 2
The secret life of the warrior

One aspect on God's nature is that He is entirely confident in himself and His own ability. He has no self doubt, and has complete self awareness of who He is. God believes in himself! In His mind there are no niggling anxieties eroding away His confidence. And this is how he wants us to be also. To have confidence which is unshakable, to be completely steadfast and unwavering in our opinion about who He is and about who we are in Christ.

Having been back home for over a week from the last mission to Kenya in August/September this year, I have had time to reflect on all that took place and its significance for both the present and future. Without doubt the Lord has a plan in mind, and amazing things in store for Kenya and in particular Western Kenya where we spent much of our time.

Responding to an invitation at the national conference in Benin focussed on transformation of the nation by taking the seven mountains, Howard and I were pleased to be able to minister at the conference which was at the national conference centre in Cotonou. The conference was well attended and we believe some significant new Divine Alliances were made. We were able to establish a number of new relationships with brothers and sisters in Benin, but also to spend time with old friends in fellowship and quality time together.