Rick Joyner's Word for the Week - Bondservants of Christ - The Book of Revelation (Week 3)

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Bondservants of Christ- The Book of Revelation

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Week 3, 2016

Rick Joyner

     Last week we covered the first key to understanding the Book of Revelation found in its first sentence: a revelation of Jesus Christ. This is also the most basic key to all understanding. It’s all about Jesus and all things will be summed up in Him. Therefore, the wise seek every day to know Him better and to be found in Him.

     The next key is also found in the first sentence of Revelation—the revelation:

“that God gave to Him to show to His servants….”

     Just as few Christians are disciples according to the biblical definition, there are fewer that conform to the biblical definition of a bondservant. As the first sentence in Revelation declares, this is a revelation for the bondservants. Without the mentality that comes from being a true servant of Christ and living to do His will, not much of this revelation can be understood.

     As the Lord said in John 7:17, “If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself.” Fundamental to understanding the teachings or revelations of Scripture is our willingness to do His will. The degree that we live the life of a bondservant is the level that we can understand His teachings or prophecy.

     Two significant teachers of church history, Abelard and Aquinas, argued whether one must believe before they could understand or whether they needed to understand in order to believe. From what the Lord said in John 7:17, before we can understand we must believe and be willing to obey Him.

     A bondservant is one owned by another. They do not have anything that is their own—even their time belongs to their master. They wake up each day seeking to know and do the will of their master above all else. Do we live to do the Lord’s will, doing “all things for the sake of His gospel”? Do we take up our crosses each day, dying to our own desires and seeking to do what He gives us to do?

     This does not mean that those not living as true disciples or bondservants do not have eternal life. Those who trust in His atonement by His cross are redeemed. However, when we are born into this world we just start to become what we will be, and so it is with those born again—they are just beginning to become what they are called to be. To stay at that spiritual level has devastating consequences. The more shallow or immature we are in our faith walk, the more difficult it is to comprehend the ways of the Lord or to survive in the unfolding times, as we will see later in this study.

     The Lord said, “Woe to those who nurse babes” (see Matthew 24:19) in these times. I interpret this as being bad for those who keep their people in immaturity, as well as those who have been kept in immaturity. Maturity in Christ begins with the resolve to seek His will first and to do it. Fundamental to knowing the Lord, believing in Him, and following Him is to know that He is Lord. If we see Him as He is, we will believe in Him more than in our own understanding, opinions, or desires.

     To connect the next statement, let’s read again the first two verses of the Revelation:

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John,

who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.

     Again, we see that this is a revelation of Jesus to be communicated to His bondservants. He bore witness that this was a revelation of Jesus in “all the things that he saw.” So we must look for Jesus in everything in this vision. As we do this, it will carry over to us seeing Him in everything in our life. Let us resolve to be His bondservants, valuing doing His will above our own and delighting in the awesome privilege of doing so.

A Personal Note from Rick

Finding and fulfilling your purpose is the greatest adventure you can have in this life, and should be a top priority for every Christian. Helping Christians find and then be prepared for their purpose is the reason MorningStar University exists. Having been called a movement of "thinking prophets," MSU is designed to equip and prepare the most powerful Christians in our times in every major sphere of influence, not just leaders of churches. If you are resolved to do what it takes to become a high-impact follower of the King in the greatest cause, MSU can help you get there.

We offer one and two-year programs that include personal mentoring by the MorningStar leadership team, as well as instruction from some of the most important teachers and prophetic ministers in our times. You may also earn accredited degrees from Associates through Doctorates.

MSU is based at our headquarters near Charlotte, North Carolina. Tuition is affordable, and housing and meal plans are available. Click here for more information about MSU or call 803-547-8494.

Rick Joyner - Our Best Year Yet - Word for the Week (Jan.1, 2016)

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Our Best Year Yet

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Week 1, 2016

Rick Joyner

     How do we make this year our best yet? First, we need to look at what we’re doing and how to do it better. Then we need to prioritize what we’re doing so we don’t get consumed with things that may clamor loudly but are not the most important.

      As Christians, we are supposed to carry our cross every day. We are called to die daily to our selfish desires so we can live for Christ. This helps us live the abundant life He calls us to have. How does dying daily lead to the abundant life? If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, wouldn’t today be filled with only the most important things in your life? What if we lived like that every day? Disciples do.

      One of the things we should do on the first of each year is evaluate and rid ourselves of the unimportant things consuming our time, energy, and resources and devote them to the Lord. Taking whatever time is currently being wasted frivolously and giving it to the Lord can radically change our lives. As we do this, we will find ways to give Him more.

      Growing in love for God and one another are two of the most important things we’re called to do in this life. These two things will determine if we have had a successful life or not. How do we grow in love for God? Because God is love, I don’t think you can see Him or anything about Him that will not cause you to love Him more. If we take a half hour each day that may usually be spent watching television and use it to study the Lord’s ways, we will grow to love Him more. This will also start a momentum for Him to use us to spread His love. Every time He uses us, it is a revelation of Him, and we grow in love for Him still more.

      The Book of Revelation was given as “a revelation of Jesus Christ”—that He, Jesus, was given to give to His bondservants. This is the only book in the Bible that promises us a blessing just for reading it. In 2016, our Word for the Week will include a study of the Book of Revelation.

      This book that scares so many is actually easy to understand, since it is a revelation, or “a revealing,” not “a hiding.” If you have the keys given to us in the beginning of the revelation, it is like unlocking the most wonderful doors you have ever gone through. It is time to understand this revelation; it will draw us closer to the Lord. I have been reading it over and over, as well as doing an in-depth study, and it has been like opening the mineshaft to the mother lode of revelation. It is time, and I think that as we get into this study, it could become one of your favorite books of the Bible.

A Personal Note from Rick

Finding and fulfilling your purpose is the greatest adventure you can have in this life, and should be a top priority for every Christian. Helping Christians find and then be prepared for their purpose is the reason MorningStar University exists. Having been called a movement of "thinking prophets," MSU is designed to equip and prepare the most powerful Christians in our times in every major sphere of influence, not just leaders of churches. If you are resolved to do what it takes to become a high-impact follower of the King in the greatest cause, MSU can help you get there.

We offer one and two-year programs that include personal mentoring by the MorningStar leadership team, as well as instruction from some of the most important teachers and prophetic ministers in our times. You may also earn accredited degrees from Associates through Doctorates.

MSU is based at our headquarters near Charlotte, North Carolina. Tuition is affordable, and housing and meal plans are available. Click here for more information about MSU or call 803-547-8494.

The Transfer of Christianity - The Great Commission, Part 22 - Rick Joyner

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The Transfer of Christianity - The Great Commission, Part 22

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Week 22, 2014

Rick Joyner

         Last week we addressed the elements of truth in the saying, “In Jerusalem, Christianity became a religion. In Greece, it became a philosophy. In Rome, it became an institution. In Britain, it became a tradition. In America, it became an enterprise.”  Not all of this was bad or unintended. The Christian culture that was to be received by all nations was also intended to receive from all nations.

         Even so, the expression of Christianity has picked up a lot of baggage from its passage through the nations that it needs to get rid of. Much of this will come as the center of gravity of Christianity transfers to Asia. One thing we can expect to see is Asia becoming a great filter that removes many of the impurities that the expression of Christianity has picked up. This will come from one of the great strengths of the Asian culture—its honor of history. They will be prone to go back to the roots of the faith, to the purest forms, and embrace them more than trends and fads that were added.  

         As we look at the history of Christianity, we can also note that its center would transfer from one place to another at different rates. It was only centered in Jerusalem for a few years. Then it remained in Greece, or to be more accurate, where the Greek culture was dominant which included Asia Minor, or what is now modern day Turkey. This is the region of the Seven Churches of Revelation and Constantinople, one of the most influential of all Christian cities, where it remained for centuries.

         Rome emerged as the dominant center of gravity, as a counterpoint to Constantinople, and held the dominant position in European Christianity for over a thousand years. Then Germany and Switzerland became two of the most powerful centers of the advancing church with the birth of the Protestant Reformation.

         America’s time as the center of the advancing church has been short, but powerful. This is typical of the innovation and initiative America is known for. The Evangelical, Pentecostal, Charismatic, and Third Wave movements all were either birthed in America, or quickly found a receptive home there. Many other smaller but very influential movements were spun off of these.

         However, many problems and heresies spun off of these movements as well, probably due to the great weakness of the church in America—its lack of devotion to knowing and understanding the lessons of history. For all of its talk about devotion to biblical truth, studies have revealed that even in the Evangelical movement, less than 10% have a biblical worldview. This is bad, but not surprising. America’s DNA is from pioneers and risk takers—those always trying to expand the limits and look to the future. Such are not prone to stop and look backwards into history, or take much time on the slow, tedious work of laying strong foundations. Therefore, it seems fitting that the Christian center of gravity is moving toward a culture where the lessons of history are so honored. The balance is needed.

         Of course, over the last century some of the greatest revivals in history were ignited in South and Central America, as well as Africa. Their contributions have been great and will likely be even greater in the future. Such paradigms for understanding history are never completely smooth or perfect, but the centers where the biggest and most enduring influences were brought has mostly been in the Northern Hemisphere, and moved from east to west.      

         The Lord said that the end of the age is the harvest. The greatest ingathering of all time is beginning, but it is also more than this. The harvest is when all of the seeds that have been planted mature. Even as the center of Christianity moves to Asia, we can expect all of the other homes of the faith to come into a greater maturity. Just because the center of gravity may have moved elsewhere, it does not mean that their contributions are over.

         How long will the center of Christianity remain in Asia? Could it be that their contribution, rooted in depth and long history, can be accomplished quickly? Regardless of how long it takes, the center of gravity of Christianity will return to Jerusalem before the end comes. At that time, we can expect Isaiah 19:19-25 to be fulfilled.

Source: Morningstar Ministries Resources

A Roller Coaster Year - Rick Joyner

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A Roller Coaster Year - The Great Commission, Part 2

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Week 2, 2014

Rick Joyner

         When I prayed for this coming year, I was shown a roller coaster. This means we will have ups and downs this year. I realize that hardly takes a prophet to predict, but the encouraging thing about this vision was that the ride ended at the highest point. We’re going higher this year! So don’t be discouraged by the dips. Hang on and know that we will be going up again soon.

          Our prophetic friend, Bob Jones, told us several months ago that it was going to be a very hard winter. I think this one has already qualified for that. As I am writing this in South Carolina, it is 8 degrees outside. I don’t remember it ever being that cold here. However, the great thing is that spring will certainly follow! The point is that we must hang on during any dips or hard times. They will come to pass, but they will pass! As Winston Churchill once said, “When you’re going through hell, keep going.” Keep going.

          The roller coaster I saw was very rickety. It did not seem that it could make it through another turn or the ups and downs. It held together though. I love roller coasters, but this one was not the kind I would get on voluntarily. We don’t have a choice, we are on it. Even the strongest systems of this world are very shaky, and most can only make it through another day because God is holding them together. He is doing this for our sakes, so we should never stop praying for them.

          In the vision, there was a platform at the end of this roller coaster ride. It did not look any stronger than the roller coaster, but as we walked across, it became stronger and stronger. On the other side, there was a beautiful, brilliantly glistening train which we boarded. It was the most beautiful and well-appointed train I’ve ever seen. However, as I boarded I saw that when it left the platform, it would enter a long, dark tunnel that I could not see the end of. Even so, the tunnel was going up, and this was a powerful, mountain-climbing train. We’re going up. It may be dark and a bit scary for a while, but we are going higher. That was the end of this vision.

          Trains often speak of training in dreams and visions. We may still be on a rickety old roller coaster, but the vehicle that is going to take us to where we must go will be training. This speaks to me of Ephesians 4—the equipping of the saints to do the work of the ministry. Even though it may take a while for us to see where we’re going (the long dark tunnel) we will be going up. This is the vehicle that will get us to where we must go.

          It is the nature of the faith walk to not be able to see where you’re going, but you should know what you’re looking for. The one who started the walk of faith, Abraham, did not know where he was going, but he did know what he was looking for—the city that God is building, not men.

          The cities that men have built are impressive, but once you see what God is building, you can no longer be impressed with anything man is building. It takes revelation to see what God is building. John saw Babylon until he was carried to a high mountain. Then he saw the New Jerusalem, which is the city that Abraham saw. It is still being built. Being a part of it is the highest calling we can have. Do you see it?

          As we see in the Book of Revelation, the New Jerusalem is the bride, the wife of the Lamb. As Don Potter recently remarked, it is an amazing thing how a bride can look like she is in shambles just minutes before the ceremony. However, in those last few minutes she comes together and emerges so beautifully and so perfect that you know you have witnessed a great miracle. This may well be just the way it happens with the bride of the Lamb. We may look like a disaster right up to the end and then, miraculously, we come together without spot or wrinkle.

          Never give up.