Completing the Tapestry
Disclaimer
Even though I have been in Perth since 1988, and am quite widely connected across our city, the teaching below can be no more than a personal impression of the present dynamics of the kingdom of God. I welcome any additions to what I see the Lord Jesus doing today.
Introduction
Over the last several years I have taught that the Lord is forming a “tapestry” over the city of Perth (https://cross-connect.net.au/the-tapestry/ ; https://cross-connect.net.au/a-patchwork-of-protective-prayer/) . Then, sharing far from my usual congregation last Sunday, on Church as a heavenly reality (Heb 12:18-23), the local pastor, significantly, of Korean origin, referred to their home congregation as the construction of a tapestry. Combined with a host of other recent “God-incidents”, I have been persuaded that the Lord is doing something climactic in our region of the world. He is bringing to manifest witness an exalted vision of Jesus ascended I was granted in 1994 concerning “the restoration of all things (acts 3:21) (https://cross-connect.net.au/14773/). We are living in the “now” of end-times completion (Eph 3:10), accompanied by an acceleration and intensification of God’s final purposes. Whilst it would be unwise, if not dangerous (James 3:13-18), to claim our remote city (http://www.travelmyne.com/continent-australia/australia/western-australia/perth) has a unique calling in God’s global scheme, nevertheless, like the 7 churches in Revelation (1:4 etc.) we can be a sort of model for God’s glorious purposes in Christ. Very recently, I sense a call to be a “prayer advocate” for our city much like the biblical prophets were. To be a prophet is to be an intercessor (https://prophecytoday.uk/study/teaching-articles/item/128-prophets-as-intercessors.html) who functions underneath the discomfort of God over his people. This means the prophetic painful-and-glorious (Phil 3:10; Rev 5:6)! As Jesus and the Spirit are equally called Paraclete/Advocate/Helper (John 14:16), the functional unity of these “two hands of God” (Irenaeus cf. John 17:22) must be replicated in the Church in every place for Christ’s glory. This is the meaning of “the tapestry” as the divine plan being stretched over the earth.
Assembling the Army of God for War
Biblical Christians love the story of how God’s mighty Spirit turns a valley of dry bones into an assembled army (Ezek 37). Given this miraculous vision is symbolic of Jesus’ resurrection life, the divinely raised army is activated to serve God on MISSION! The call of Israel to be a holy nation radiating revealed truth to the nations (Ex 19:6; Isa 42:6; 49:6 cf. Acts 13:47) issues in the titanic struggle facing the onslaught of the hosts of Gog and Magog (Ezek 38-39). Under the new covenant the same foes (Rev 20:8) are called together by openly demonic power for the end-times battle of Armageddon (Rev 16:14-16). The highly symbolic nature of these apocalyptic portions of Scripture means that the global struggle between the Lamb’s people and the Satanic hordes is an ongoing reality underlying the entire biblical narrative from ancient times (Gen 3:1, 4:26) (file:///C:/Users/61405/Downloads/God_Heaven_and_Har_Magedon_Meredith_Klin.pdf). This revelation of the final and conclusive nature of warfare in the Spirit the energy which dynamised the faith of God’s people from ancient times until today (cf. Gal 3:8; Heb 1:1ff). Such a revelation can alone energise today’s teaching turning it from information to participation in Christ.
Messianic Led Prayer
In an era of blatant frenzied demonic attacks to annihilate Israel, this zone of prayer is a salvation-history end-times priority. Given Paul’s Spirit-inspired intercessions and prophetic declaration, “all Israel will be saved” (Romans 9:1-5; 11:26), the good news is that several brothers of Jewish ancestry have committed to leading prayer for Israel from our city for the conversion of Israel. This is very different in the divine order from the predominantly Gentile led prayer meetings across Perth .
Indigenous Led Prayer
Praise the Lord, this difficult area to penetrate, now has a small group of senior Indigenous Christian leaders, that is, true elders, to facilitate a much wider network of non-First Nations folk in prayer for the suffering original inhabitants of Australia.
Multicultural Led Prayer
In characteristic fashion according to their diligence, the Spirit is energising the multitude of ethnicities called to WA (cf. Matt 28:19), to initiate corporate prayer, not only for their lands of origin, but for the turning of the whole planet to acknowledge its inheritance in Jesus (Acts 3:17-21; Col 1:16)!
Ecumenical Prayer
The old style of ecumenical/whole church prayer in its liturgical and formalised manifestations is dead. Today we are witnessing new energy from Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox to intercede in promised glory under the one Lord Christ (John 17:22). This is a Spirit-filled prophetic fulfilment of Pope Francis’ “ecumenism of blood” (https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/ecumenism-of-blood-7277).
Prayer by Disciple Making Communities (https://www.disciplemakingmovement.org/)
Whilst exponentially growing across the world, disciple making communities are distinguished from church-expanding movements. There is however a scarcity of networks binding them together by locality. I am currently seeking to promote such networking in this vital area.
New Clapham: Completing the Tapestry
A little Christian history can assist us to see why these classical structures only re-appearing today? In the early 19th century, with the expansion of the British Empire, the Spirit raised up the powerful, if despised by high culture, “Clapham Circle”. A group of educated and entrepreneurial Evangelical friends, whose public initiatives gave birth to the emancipation of slaves, reform of child labour laws, the launch of the Bible Society and many missionary groups (e.g. CMS). Unlike our recent histories, these men never had to deal with doctrinal disagreements. I am praying for a new “Clapham Circle” drawn from the whole church and penetrating all the spheres of life and culture for the glory of God in Christ. These folk, both men and women will be genuine fathers/mothers of the Church in Perth, who, walking in the Spirit, will oversee a hub of 24/7 prayer and city-wide cooperation in the highest of all calls, the conversion of the nations. Such a Church will necessarily, following in the way of her Master, be hated by the world (John 15:24-25). Nevertheless, an emerging spiritually informed generation will see such persecutions as a sign of their eternal glory. “when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonour for the name.” (Acts 5:40-41) Let us all pray for our Saviour to complete “the tapestry”, soon (Rev 22:20)!!