Radiant
Introduction
Regular followers of my shorter writings may have perceived a recent theme. The Lord desires a mission focussed 24/7 prayer centre in Perth characterised by a harp and bowl spirituality. Not one that imitates other places (IHOP Kansas City) but one immersed in the prayer and praise going on endlessly in heaven (Rev 5:8; 14:2-3; 15:2-4). Such “intercessory worship” is supernaturally normal to the people of God because our essential identity in the Spirit (Eph 2:21-22) is our position together in the heavenly realms in Christ (Eph 2:6; Col 3:1-3). This is the primary understanding of the congregation/Church in the New Testament (Heb 2:12; 12:23). As such, all of our efforts to foster Christian unity should be founded (Eph 2:20) on this understanding. My recent teaching, “Skinned Alive”, was an attempt to expound how the “glory” which Christ has imparted to us (John 17:22) might be revealed “so that the world may believe that you have sent me”, and so be saved (John 17:21-22). Given these profound spiritual realities, why don’t we already have in every place the sort of “fruit salad” Church of indiscriminate love and unity which the Lord shed his blood to birth. What washing through the word is needed today? This is the subject of this article.
God’s Goal: One Radiant Church
Paul describes the process by which the Church will reach her final glory. “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” (Eph 5:25-27). John is privileged to see “the Bride, the wife of the Lamb…coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.” (Rev 21:9, 11). The perfect transparency of the fully redeemed Church allows the glory of God to shine through for all the universe to see. Such a radiance can be glimpsed now. “Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.” (Ps 34:5) Veteran missionary to drug addicts and prostitutes in Hong Kong, Jackie Pullinger, who I’ve met personally a number of times, testifies her ministry was released through the witness of radiant Chinese Christians. How might the Church in Perth come to share in such a holy splendour?
Transparent Elders
The Holy Father (John 17:11) is working to raise up a new form of leadership that is wholly committed to seeing the radiance of the glory of God alone (Heb 1:3; 2 Cor 3:18). This form of oversight will be the reverse of the dominant leadership values of the Church today. Stripped free of personal ambition (James 3:13-18) it will be immersed in the humility of Christ (2 Cor 10:1) and therefore “nameless and faceless” (1 Cor 4:13). These leaders are committed to a more beautiful vision of unity beyond that of preceding chronological and spiritual generations (Isa 33:17). They have sharp edges on their lives divinely formed by submission to many hardships (Phil 2:8; Heb 5:8), so that through them the likeness of Jesus (Eph 4:24) will come forth without distortions. Like Paul, they “bear on their bodies the marks of Jesus” (Gal 6:17), that is, the marks of the cross. This is their trustworthiness. These overseers are possessed of vast and deep discernment in the Spirit (Rev 1:10).
The Glory of Kings
Revelation 21:24,26 says, “the kings of the earth swill bring their glory into (the holy city)… the glory and the honour of the nations.” This eternal “glory” is not the wealth of worldly kings, like armies, silver, gold or palaces. Paul points to the true glory, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” (2 Cor 4:17). Such an internal weight of glory is the opposite of the idolatrous focus on the gifts of God in leaders instead of the undiluted grace-filled work of the Spirit alone. Today, we are focussing on the clay containers, this is “prophet brother x”, “sports star sister y”, “business success z”, “brilliant muso a” and so on. People are paraded as celebrities and heroes in ways that denies the utter scandal of the cross (1 Cor 1:23; 4:13). In contrast, the coming team of Church leaders will “look on the heart” (1 Sam 16:7) and see the deepest fountainhead of the “wellsprings of life” (Prov 4:23) as the work of God alone in another’s life (Eph 2:8-9). This insight goes deeper than race, wealth, age, education or spiritual gifts. Such mothers and fathers see not the external passing glories (pastor q from the biggest church in r) but see the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.” (1 Pet 3:3-4). These “hidden” things, gentleness, meekness, mercy, compassion, servanthood, help, tender-heartedness are the treasures that will be brought into the eternal city by all the “kings and priests” (Rev 1:6;5:10) who worship Jesus. This involves all Christian people. Such a level of discernment and heart connection is a share in the inner glory of God which Jesus bestowed on us (John 17:22).
Radiant Children
I am prophesying a new generation of “rainbow (fruit salad) children” in whom mature fathers and mothers of God discern all the colours of glory which the evil powers can neither successfully counterfeit or counterpart (Eph 3:10). The bonds of familial love in Christ holding together this family will not be undone by the devil (Col 3:14). In the light of the gospel this will be an unashamed generation (Rom 1:16), unashamed of race, gender, singleness, class, wealth/poverty, education, employment/unemployment or any such passing thing. As there will be no shame amongst the blameless, all the saved, on our eternal Wedding Day (Eph 1:4; 5:27; Phil 2:15; Jude 24; Rev 19:6-8) so we can walk in complete freedom today. The world of “woke” strives through quotas to reach its desired inclusion and diversity, but the Church has them all effortlessly by grace. Only the people of God can image eternal hope for the lost.
Conclusion
Spiritually we are in exile, but I believe I see a way forward. I accidentally came across this prophetic scripture earlier today, “The precious sons of Zion, worth their weight in fine gold, how they are regarded as earthen pots, the work of a potter’s hands!” (Lam 4:2). When we value every believer with a worth beyond gold refined in the furnace of Christ’s afflictions (Col 1:24; 1 Thess 3:3; 2 Thess 1:4; 1 Pet 1:7), when we cease the idolatry of exalting the external pot above the treasure inside, then from “least to greatest”, the Church will be healed. In my lifetime the dominant culture of the Western Church has shifted paradigm from tradition to pragmatism, from history to what “works” today. A functionality generally measured in terms of numbers and finances. The Spirit is calling forth the next great cultural shift, a shift into a purer spirituality born out of trial and prayer and deep love where we will hold “all things in common” (Acts 2:44; 4:32) to be distributed according to the will of the Lord Jesus. Please pray for the rising up of “rainbow” mothers and fathers and their “fruit salad” children.