Saints,

In John 18 Pilate asked Jesus a question, "Are you the King of the Jews?", Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting...But my kingdom is not of this world.”


Until Jesus was resurrected His own disciples still thought that Jesus would usher in an earthly kingdom. They fully expected that the Messiah meant a 'deliverer' from Roman rule who, with His followers, would establish a new and ascendant authority to the nation of Israel.  When the mother of John and James came to Jesus and asked if they could sit on His right and left when He came into His kingdom she wasn't thinking about heaven, she was picturing a castle in Jerusalem with three thrones. I'll bet she was also thinking of herself having a little influence considering how her sons seemed to be attached to her apron strings. 

After the resurrection and their baptism of fire the disciples turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6).
They did this by preaching a gospel in a way that was entirely contrary to the methods of man, the ways of this world.

Bill Johnson has often said that if we use the world's methods to fight this world's battles we will lose because the devil is better at it than we are.
Very often in the scriptures it is noted that Jesus and His disciples went about preaching the 'gospel of the Kingdom'. It wasn't until after He ascended that His disciples fully understood the things He taught them about His Kingdom while He was with them here in this realm of this world.
 In John chapter 7 Jesus said a few words that would not have made sense to those closest to Him at that moment:

"When the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, Jesus’ brothers said to Him, 'You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.' For even His own brothers did not believe in Him. Therefore Jesus told them, 'My time has not yet come but your time is always here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because My life bears witness that its ways are evil."

It often appears like Jesus never gave a straight answer but we now know that He always gave the right answer to the real question. Here in these verses Jesus is answering the problem with the way His own brothers were thinking. John points out that His own brothers didn't see Him for who he was, but the greater problem was in the way they thought Jesus should go about the business of getting His message across.
"Draw attention to yourself, use this world's methods, use this world's ways!"

Jesus answered them that the world won't hate them if they use those methods, and He wasn't talking about the pagan world they lived in, Jesus was talking about the religious system of the day which used the same methods of man, the things that make sense to the natural mind. In my paraphrase He told them, "You can always do it that way, these methods are always available to you and the Jews won't hate you for using them because they make perfect sense."

But Jesus knew that His ways would even offend God's own people because His ways testified to them that they were doing things in the same way and with the same methods that men use, the ways and methods which are never the ways of His Kingdom.

I've been reading Kris Vallotton's book "Heavy Rain', it's a book on cultural transformation. I would recommend it highly right now. We're in an election year, if the things posted on Facebook by a few Christian friends are any indication of how some parts of the church might go about transforming our nation I am concerned.

When Jesus said "My time has not yet come" I wonder what time He was referring too? Was He saying that a time was soon coming when God's 'ways' would be demonstrated in the ultimate expression of His Kingdom? A way which confused His own disciples, confounded God's chosen people and forever dis-empowered the king of this world by coming against his world's ways with the most radical expression of an opposite spirit?

Was He speaking of that moment when God's own people would manipulate an earthly kingdom to utilize their most insidious methods to destroy Him? At the very moment when God's chosen nation came into agreement with the wicked world's ways, He raised no battle cry, no rallying of His troops...not even a crying out at the injustice of it all.

Instead He took up His cross, laid down His life and died for all their sins so that from that time & forever, "Whosoever would believe in Him would not perish but have eternal life."
In His radical grace,
     Ray
Radical Gospel Ministries is still in full function as we pray for God's leading during this season of transition. Intercession is a focus but we continue to minister in the other multiple ways which leadership requires. Of course you realize that the time we spend on Monday night is only a fraction of hours in a week of full steam ministry.

We covet your prayers for us and for Radical Gospel. As I have noted in prior blogs and emails the meetings in Santa Rosa are stirring up a lot of things in the Spiritual realm, this always comes along with any move of the Holy Spirit. As for myself and my own sphere of influence I am experiencing more of the inevitable challenges and questions that arise. When I say that I covet your prayers I am not kidding, it is intense & I am busier than I have ever been.

When the Lord first spoke to me about paying attention to the meetings in Santa Rosa I received a picture of a 'bomb' being dropped on our city. I knew it was the right bomb at the right moment because it would shake up a few things which were stuck as well as bring things into alignment which needed to be aligned. I knew that we would see a bit of chaos before we saw the alignment, I knew we would experience a bit of pain along with it too. Just like when I've prayed for a spinal injury to be healed I often asked the Lord why there is pain when the Holy Spirit cracks it back into alignment. He showed me that this is a picture of what's done in the Spirit during any re-alignment.

I am aware of the blessings that are coming forth through the wonderful manifestations of healing, words of knowledge and the people who are receiving Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, but I'm sure that the evangelist himself is experienced enough in the Spirit to know that there is more going on in the room than these. It is not hyperbole or exaggeration to say that the 'room' is more than the building where the meetings are being held, the greater 'room' is our city and our region.
The impact of these meetings is creating a big stir.

Along with the 'stir' there are things happening which even the evangelist could not possibly be aware of nor would he intend. These are the collateral issues that no one could predict but should expect. How could I ever report what is happening or how seriously involved I am in the mix? 
With the relationships that I have in this city after 38 years of my journey of faith I can only hint to you of the impact. This is a call for serious intercession from any prayer warrior in this region.

There will be a time when I'll be able to write more specifically as the Holy Spirit brings greater clarity and releases me....but for now I will only call for intercession. Pray for every leader and church in the region. Pray especially for the Apostles in our city. Pray for the evangelist, pray for the host church, pray for the people who are attending, pray for the Christian community, pray for the people who live in this area to whom we owe an encounter with Jesus.

Radical Gospel needs your financial help now more than ever too. I fully expect the Lord to release me to make an announcement soon which will make sense to anyone who has tracked with Radical Gospel and myself for any length of time.

All tax deductible support can be sent to:
RADICAL GOSPEL MINISTRIES
2804 BRISTOL RD.
KENWOOD, CA 95452