Mediators of the Breach
After meditating on this for over a week, I feel it's
finally time to share what I believe all this means concerning the recent I-85
collapse. God uses some of these things to get our attention. In Atlanta & abroad God is using certain things to get our attention and help us refocus. The bridge collapse reminds me of how God told us to go out into the streets and highways and compel people to come be with Him.
We're going to go deeper with that in a few but let's begin at the heart of the matter. It starts with a question found in Haggai 1:4 “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? Within this question we find a principle that is applicable to people everywhere: Pastors, people of God, Governors, Mayors, Presidents, citizens, cities, city council, CEOs, business owners. This is an inescapable question to all of us. Why are you building whatever your most grand idea is while the house of God lies in ruins? What is the house of God? For the people in Haggai 1, it was the physical temple built with their own hands where they could go to encounter God and worship Him. For you and I the house of God is much different. It is not the building where we go to worship every Saturday or Sunday, but we are the house of God. Yes, walking temples, living epistles to be read of all men, possessing the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead... How is it? Christ said he would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days. He wasn't talking about rebuilding a physical structure, He was talking about Himself. Haggai 2 mentions the latter glory of the house being greater than the former. This is also a prophecy of the Messiah and His presence in us. In John 4, Jesus tells the woman at the well that there was a day coming where worship would not be confined to one place or location i.e. temple, church building, but the real worshipers would worship Him in spirit and in truth. So, how are we building our cities, our businesses, bank accounts, our brands while the people of God lie in ruin (sick, dysfunctional, poverty, collapse, decay, devastation, defeat)??!!! There could be many reasons: maybe you didn't know, thought attending Sunday church service was enough, perhaps you're too busy with your own life, too busy with church meetings/events, waiting until you have more money and resources to do anything. We all have our reasons just like the people said in Haggai 1:2 "The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.” For me recently, it was either being too busy with my own life or waiting until I had more resources. Please understand, God wants us to build our cities, our brand, our business and bank accounts but He wants us to do it in the right order & priority. The health and prosperity of His people is something God wants to be so on our hearts that it moves us into action. This stirring of compassion will cause the love in us to spring up permeating every highway, every street corner, every block, every alley, every hood and every golf club community. We are the mediators of the breach! We want to be the ones to hear these words from Matthew 25: 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
Let's read what happens when we neglect what's on the Father's heart. 3 Then the Lord sent this message through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? 5 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! 6 You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!
We're going to go deeper with that in a few but let's begin at the heart of the matter. It starts with a question found in Haggai 1:4 “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? Within this question we find a principle that is applicable to people everywhere: Pastors, people of God, Governors, Mayors, Presidents, citizens, cities, city council, CEOs, business owners. This is an inescapable question to all of us. Why are you building whatever your most grand idea is while the house of God lies in ruins? What is the house of God? For the people in Haggai 1, it was the physical temple built with their own hands where they could go to encounter God and worship Him. For you and I the house of God is much different. It is not the building where we go to worship every Saturday or Sunday, but we are the house of God. Yes, walking temples, living epistles to be read of all men, possessing the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead... How is it? Christ said he would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days. He wasn't talking about rebuilding a physical structure, He was talking about Himself. Haggai 2 mentions the latter glory of the house being greater than the former. This is also a prophecy of the Messiah and His presence in us. In John 4, Jesus tells the woman at the well that there was a day coming where worship would not be confined to one place or location i.e. temple, church building, but the real worshipers would worship Him in spirit and in truth. So, how are we building our cities, our businesses, bank accounts, our brands while the people of God lie in ruin (sick, dysfunctional, poverty, collapse, decay, devastation, defeat)??!!! There could be many reasons: maybe you didn't know, thought attending Sunday church service was enough, perhaps you're too busy with your own life, too busy with church meetings/events, waiting until you have more money and resources to do anything. We all have our reasons just like the people said in Haggai 1:2 "The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.” For me recently, it was either being too busy with my own life or waiting until I had more resources. Please understand, God wants us to build our cities, our brand, our business and bank accounts but He wants us to do it in the right order & priority. The health and prosperity of His people is something God wants to be so on our hearts that it moves us into action. This stirring of compassion will cause the love in us to spring up permeating every highway, every street corner, every block, every alley, every hood and every golf club community. We are the mediators of the breach! We want to be the ones to hear these words from Matthew 25: 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
Let's read what happens when we neglect what's on the Father's heart. 3 Then the Lord sent this message through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? 5 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! 6 You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!
7 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at
what’s happening to you! 8 Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and
rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the
Lord. 9 You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought
your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says
the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine
houses. 10 It’s because of you that the heavens withhold the dew and the earth
produces no crops. 11 I have called for a drought on your fields and hills—a
drought to wither the grain and grapes and olive trees and all your other
crops, a drought to starve you and your livestock and to ruin everything you
have worked so hard to get.”
I have experienced losing money as it mentioned- pockets
with holes!! I read Haggai 1 again over the last two weeks and came into agreement with no longer
putting my own plan before God's agenda. That same week I received two cash
offers on a home that I sensed was being hindered from selling by some unseen
force that I couldn't explain. Something broke when I came into agreement with
this word.
Resurgence of Evangelism
The gaping hole in I-85 is a reflection of the breach in our Evangelism ministry as the church. It gets very comfortable within the people of God to Evangelize the Evangelized, to prophecy to those who are healed, to preach to those who are replete. Jesus knew we would get comfortable with this that's why he said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick." I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners for repentance. Those who need our ministry most are under the highways, in the streets and among all socioeconomic barriers that divide us. I-85 is an easy breach to fix, just as our Evangelism is an easy breach to fix. As soon as we come into agreement, the breach will be mended.
God wants the fire of our Evangelism to be reinvigorated, our compassion reignited and souls to be healed. There is about to be a resurgence in Evangelism!!! Evangelism is some of the things we do now: going out to witness, events, sharing good news. However, for years we have confined it to only those special activities at a designated time but it is something so much more significant and constantly on the heart of God. Evangelism is a lifestyle. Evangelism is expressing what we possess in Christ and how we came to possess it. More specifically, evangelism is what Christ does through the activity of His children as they are involved in
God wants the fire of our Evangelism to be reinvigorated, our compassion reignited and souls to be healed. There is about to be a resurgence in Evangelism!!! Evangelism is some of the things we do now: going out to witness, events, sharing good news. However, for years we have confined it to only those special activities at a designated time but it is something so much more significant and constantly on the heart of God. Evangelism is a lifestyle. Evangelism is expressing what we possess in Christ and how we came to possess it. More specifically, evangelism is what Christ does through the activity of His children as they are involved in
1.) Proclamation (Psalms 96:3), 2.) Fellowship (Luke 19:5) 3.) Service (Mark 9:35) (ref. "Lifestyle
Evangelism" by Joe Aldrich)
Keep in mind nothing that I am mentioning here is of malicious intent, I only hope to empower and encourage. I am NOT referring to any particular church I've visited, my current church nor any I have been apart of. This is for myself first and the body of Christ. For the church in Atlanta I hear the question: Are you
comfortable with just church membership transfer growth or do you also want the other people I have assigned to you? I'm not knocking membership transfer growth, it
is needed, but there is another level God has for us and now is the time for us
to walk into it. In the scripture below
Jesus tells us to GO into the streets & lanes, GO into the highways &
hedges. Throughout Jesus' ministry we see Him "going." He tells us to
GO! Yet, we have become very comfortable within the four walls of our
buildings. Most times when we come to God, we gradually disassociate with all
our unsaved friends/family to the point where most of our friends become only
other church members or saved friends. In order to fully understand Evangelism,
we have to note that Jesus hung out with sinners and was available to them. We
have to do the same. It's time for the church in Atlanta and abroad to shift
our focus from "doing church" and "be the church." When I
say doing church I mean we are so busy with church work/events inside the four
walls that we stop "GOING." We don't have time to make Evangelism a
lifestyle, really open our lives to anyone, cultivate new friendships or make disciples because we're too busy with
church meetings/events. Am I saying the church should never gather corporately?
Absolutely not! However, what God designed to facilitate/amplify our worship
should never replace Him. If we ever replace Him with anything, or not fully
obey what He told us to do, we cause God's house- His people to lie in ruin
including those we are supposed to be ministering to and sharing our life with.
We have to be amphibious, able to meet corporately in the presence of God but
also able to be in the streets, workplace or where ever with even more power,
authority & demonstration. You are the church, it is not the building. The
Kingdom of God is in you! When you walk up...ride up on your bicycle, pull up,
whatever...The Kingdom of God just showed up. Anything can happen!!! Every time
you ride down I-85/75 I want you to think about how Jesus told you and I to go
out into the streets, the highways and byways. Remember how He told us to Go
into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing & teaching
them to obey all He commanded. Remember that you are the temple of the Holy
Spirit. Remember how He allowed I-85 to be shut down so we could get this
message & adjust. But if we are going to adjust the first thing we have to
do is get rid of our excuses... Let's read Luke 14!
Luke 14:12-25
12 Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest
a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy
kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a
recompence be made thee.
13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed,
the lame, the blind:14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense
thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
15 And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard
these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the
kingdom of God.
16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper,
and bade many:
17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that
were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The
first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and
see it: I pray thee have me excused. 19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I
go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.
20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I
cannot come.
21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things.
Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly
into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the
maimed, and the halt, and the blind. 22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast
commanded, and yet there is room. 23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the
highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
The man who started the fire on I-85 represent the people we have become comfortable ignoring. On the highways, under the highways, lost, with all kinds of ailments...waiting on Revival. There is no condemnation or guilt I am placing on you. We are all learning, changing and growing. I esteem you because you are the Sons and daughters who God called and equipped for this generation to be the mediators of the breach! You have the right gifts, the right anointing, the undeniable courage and the right measure of faith to be successful. You are those who are now awakening to the call of Jesus to Go and be the ministry of love & empowerment and it will begin to flow out of an extension of who you are.
Notice in verse 21: He tells us to go out in the streets
& lanes (alleys) & gather the poor, maimed (crippled), halt (lame)
& the blind. verse 23: He says to go into the "highways &
hedges" (barrier that separates) and compel (entreat, implore, plead,
pray, ask, request) them to come in. Instead of being descriptive again he says
compel them to come in, "them" could mean more poor, maimed and halt
but I also believe it could mean refugees, victims of sex trafficking &
people who society have cast away. God bless some of the cities who have become
"sanctuary cities" for refugees who only want to escape death in
their own country and live a quality life. We cannot ignore or mistreat
refugees. (Deuteronomy 10:18-19, Malachi 3:5)
Atlanta- An Epicenter of Cultural Influence
Whether it's the music where a song that "catches"
in Atlanta spreads like a pandemic nationwide and then globally, or if it's the
film industry making us their new home, Atlanta has always been an epicenter of
cultural influence. There are other great cities around the world of influence
as well...We are not the only one. I remember when Atlanta was one of the first
cities to execute a plan to demolish public housing (ghettos) and provide more
suitable, safer and productive living arrangements. Other cities saw how well
it worked and began to implement it in their own city. After the the city burned down in 1864, we built a
railroad system connecting the Southeast region & rebuilt the city. We are
a resilient people...brilliant!
We have our strengths but we also have areas to improve. For
example, are we operating with the necessary infrastructure for the amount of
people we have in metro Atlanta? We have
around 6.7 million people here but do we have the capacity in our
infrastructure for this density and are we planning for even more growth? Are we trying to put
new wine in old wineskins? Do we put more honor on our entertainment, sports
venues & teams than we do God? How is sex trafficking so ubiquitous?
There will be a great resurgence of Evangelism in Atlanta
and some of the catalysts will be from sources you never expected. Authentic
relationships with Christ, transparency & healing will be happening all
around. Revival will happen on the beltline while two people are riding their bicycle and
talking about Jesus. All of the gifts are being unleashed from the church, you
will hear prophecy on street corners. Cancer, diseases of all kinds will start
being repressed. Sex trafficking will be dismantled. Business owners will start
to think about God's people and adjust their practices to align with the best interest of the people and what pleases
Him. What happens in Atlanta does not stay in Atlanta, it spreads. Just like
when you a hear a song in Atlanta, you hear it in NY or Tokyo, a resurgence of
Evangelism will be happening here and reverberating everywhere! Hope this encouraged you. I love you!
Peace & Blessings,
Calvin
