Documents

Inter3 In2

A Prayer Ministry

1 – The Project: Gather followers of Christ from the Latin nations of the Western Hemisphere to focus our prayers on the first three points of The Lord’s Prayer – the hallowing of God and His name, His kingdom coming on earth in our time and His will being done here on earth as it is done in heaven.

2 – Our Name: Inter3/In2, stands for the scope and focus of our task: International, interdenominational intercession in Christ in our time

3 – Our Initial Strategy: Begin praying with those we know and let it grow. This effort has grown out of the ‘COVID 19 year’ we have just lived through and the shut down of travel for so many of us who have worked for the cause of Christ in the nations. What are we to do?

As we begin this prayer call, we are taking the stance that we are responding to the leading of our Lord for a long obedience in the same direction. Some things take a long time to come about because the assignment takes that long. Noah’s building of the ark is a great example. Some things take a long time because of the providential timings set for their enactment, such as the fullness of time, a day of the Lord or certain bowls being filled. And some things take time because the power to do them successfully necessitates an investment to bring it about. Examples we have that indicate this are found in Jesus’ words, ‘This kind takes prayer and fasting.’ Another is the time it takes for a child to become an adult in the natural or the spiritual realm or the time it takes for a treasury to be accumulated to build a/the Temple.

In our assignment we have a breadth/time factor because we are standing in the gap for many nations. We have a growth/time factor because we are aware of the sheer magnitude of the gap between where the church is and where we must get to be producing an army of leaders and teams (even divisions) who are prepared to fulfill the call to represent Christ and his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven in the public square outside the walls of the church itself. And, thirdly, we have a worldview/time factor because the people of God on earth today are not yet carriers of the generational nature of the task for which we are engaging the throne of God. There is more, of course, but that is enough to start with. When those who see respond with faithful prayer, something happens in heaven and on earth…be sure of it.

4 – Three Defining Considerations: The Seven Mountains Vision, Pray the Exodus Strategy and The Principalities Reality. To increase the function of one-mindedness among us as we do the work of our prayer, we are laying foundations with these stories to increase the place where we will stand together – on the broad place of agreement – as we pray.

5 – Pictures Are Better Than Chapters of Explanation: For the purpose of enhancing our agreement in this task wherein both unity and focused passion or zeal are of the utmost importance, we are using some diagrams w/ short explanations to help this diverse grouping of God’s Children throughout our Hemisphere to see the same thing as we agree in our prayers. The diagrams are: The Spheres of Authority; The Wedge; and, One City One Church – A Local Church Strategy for City Transformation. These diagrams are provided with short explanations on the pages that follow these introductory statements.

6 – As We Move Forward: We are expecting to be exposed to many wonderful visions, articulations of Biblical Worldview, expressions of wisdom from above, words from the Lord, exceptional insights and testimonies, books, articles, blogs and podcasts as we engage hundreds of God’s special people from nations throughout our hemisphere. We expect to learn from them and the people with whom we are agreeing in prayer, so many of whom will be new to us. What a journey lies before us as we take each aspect of our name seriously. International networking will be rich. Interdenominational fellowship will be fulfilling. Intercession will be a prized possession, an experience of wonder. Building, living, working in Christ will be an eternal blessing. And we shall encounter the goodness of God in our time and on our watch. So be it!

The Seven Mountains Vision

Also referred to as the Pillars of Society, World Kingdoms and Mind-Molders

As told by Lance Wallnau and Bill Johnson

Lance Wallnau writes: "My first encounter with the revelation of the seven mountains of culture goes back to a conversation I had with Loren Cunningham in the year 2000. Loren is the esteemed founder of Youth With A Mission (YWAM), a global missionary organization with an emphasis on enlisting young people in the call to serve Jesus. He shared how, in 1975, he was praying about how to turn the world around for Jesus and saw seven areas. He said, “I saw that we were to focus on these categories to turn around nations to God. I wrote them down and stuck the paper in my pocket.” This was his list: 1. Church 2. Family 3. Education 4. Government and law 5. Media (television, radio, newspaper, Internet) 6. Arts, entertainment, sports 7. Commerce, science, and technology. The day after this revelation, he had a divine appointment. As he put it, “I met with a dear brother, Dr. Bill Bright, leader of Campus Crusade for Christ. He shared with me how God had given him a message, and he felt he needed to share it with me. God had identified areas to concentrate on to turn the nations back to Him! They were the same areas with different wording. Bill was stunned when I took the same notes out of my pocket and showed them to him.”

As I heard Loren tell me this story, I was somewhat stunned. It seemed odd that this message had been out since 1974, yet I had not heard about it earlier. It so transformed my thinking that I have made it central to my message ever since. Loren called these seven areas “mind molders,” and Bill Bright called them “world kingdoms.” I saw them as seven mountains whose lofty heights are mind molders with strongholds that occupy influence as world kingdoms. Each of the seven mountains represents an individual sphere of influence that shapes the way people think. These mountains are crowned with high places that modern-day kings occupy as ideological strongholds. These strongholds are, in reality, houses built out of thoughts. These thought structures are fortified with spiritual reinforcement that shapes the culture and establishes the spiritual climate of each nation. I sensed the Lord telling me, “He who can take these mountains can take the harvest of nations.”

Loren felt that the strategy to take the seven mountains would be very straightforward. In Making Jesus Lord, he writes: " First, we take territory from Satan in the place of prayer, with the power of the Holy Spirit, through the mighty weapons available to us. We know that spiritual warfare involves pulling down strongholds of false reasoning. We pray against the enemy’s influence in whatever area we are aware. Our prayers should be specific. Listening to the Holy Spirit in our minds, He will tell us how to pray. Regional and local matters should be part of our specific focus. Second, after we have prayed for a specific sphere of influence, be it government, a school system, an area of the media, or whatever, God may then choose to use us in the very sphere for which we have been praying. He may call us to penetrate that influential place for Him, placing us, like Daniel or Joseph, in a place of authority.” I agree with Loren that our strategy must include spiritual intervention from our position of authority within the Church, as well as influence from our position of authority in the marketplace. In order to take the seven mountains of culture for Christ’s Kingdom, we must understand the interaction between the Church, the Gospel, and the culture." (Excerpt lifted from chapter two of Invading Babylon.)

Bill Johnson writes the story in these words: "Both Dr. Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, and Loren Cunningham, founder of Youth With A Mission, received the same revelation from God around the same period of time: there are seven major realms of influence in society that shape the way we live and think. Kingdom-oriented people must invade these mountains of influence in order for the transformation of society to take place. These mountains are: • Home • Church • Education • Media (Electronic and Print) • Government & Politics • Performing Arts (including Entertainment and Sports) • Commerce (including Science and Technology). It is interesting to note that God gave this insight to two men who lead significant youth movements. It is obvious that God wants an entire generation to value their call regardless of what title it brings, so He can teach them how to invade a culture for its total and complete transformation. God fully intends for there to be a fulfillment of His Word: “the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord” (Rev. 11:15 KJV). The following list is a little different from the original. It is not an improved list, but it does have a slightly different emphasis to more accurately represent our application of these principles. They are not listed in any order of importance. • Business • Education • The Church • Family • Arts & Entertainment • Science & Medicine • Government. Wisdom is the vital ingredient to be effective in this invasion. I define wisdom with these three words: Integrity, Creativity, and Excellence. It is the display of the mind of God, always in the context of integrity, that brings forth the creative solutions for life, while holding to the standards of excellence. These play a vital role in manifesting the Kingdom in ways that honor God and solve the issues of life for humankind.

Overt ministry is very common for us. Whether it’s in the mall, neighborhoods, schools, or places of business, the Gospel is brought to those in need. But this is only half of the needed ministry equation. The other half is covert ministry. The word covert means “hiding place.” This refers to ministry that is subtler in nature. It is not hidden because of cowardice but rather out of wisdom. It works within the systems of this world to bring about change by reestablishing the proper norms of thoughts, beliefs, disciplines, and relational boundaries. In other words, we work to change the culture. This requires more time, as the goal is not a specific healing or conversion. The goal is the transformation of society itself by invading the systems of the city in order to serve. Serving for their benefit, not ours, is the key. As someone once said, “We shouldn’t try to be the best in the world. We should try to be the best for the world!” When we set aside our religious agendas to make others a success, we have learned the Kingdom mindset… Interestingly enough, the fullness of the Spirit makes way for believers who walk in wisdom, make practical contributions to the needs of society, and who also confront the impossibilities of life through the provisions of the Cross—solutions through supernatural display. Perhaps it is these two things working in tandem that should be considered the balanced Christian life.” (Excerpt lifted from chapter one of Invading Babylon.)

Pray the Exodus Strategy

Ted Sandquist tells the story of ‘Pray the Exodus’ – November 15,2020…early morning prayer…having been waiting on the Lord for quite some time about my assignment in Central America, I was standing before the throne…silent…waiting with hands out…listening as I had so many times for a couple of years, only to hear, ‘Pray the Exodus.’ That was the start that led to these days and a significant focus in everything I am called to touch in strategic prayer.

Just a little personal history and testimony may position each of us relative to this moment of focus for me and other serious warriors in the realm of prayer. My history, in a quick overview, includes over 50 years of song writing and recording worship music, doing worship seminars in the USA and many other nations, translating and recording over twenty worship projects in languages other than English mostly during the 80s, pastoring a congregation in Upstate New York for over three decades (which I helped found during the Jesus Movement), working in Latin America for more than thirty five years primarily in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, participating in several organized prayer ministry trips with 2000 and Beyond during the 90s, serving on the boards of several international ministries which gave me access to nations I may not otherwise have engaged – Maroc being one into which I have traveled for twenty five years for intercession, writing and self-publishing three books entitled It Is Written, He Reigns and Let Us Arise (the latter two being printed in Spanish as well), and leading prayer groups for city transformation over the past two decades in Louisville, KY.

When one is graced to live long enough, one can do many things. Only the throne can say how effective one’s investments have been, but it is with this background that I testify about the simple, straightforward assignment this is…Pray the Exodus. In the minutes that followed this assignment, I took up pen and paper – a habit I have when I perceive I may be hearing God – and asked what else the Lord may be saying about this. I sensed that the word applied to the whole Latin world and not just the three nations I have made significant investments in. Ok, then. Since that time, I have also come to be convinced that this word is for the times we are living in world- wide. I pray this way for my city, my nation and the nations of this world. These are the subsequent points I heard during the minutes and hours following ‘Pray the Exodus’ that morning:

- I noted that the Exodus prayers are for the release of his people and the people who would become his people once they are released from these three things – Liberation from the pharaohs whose rule people are under; liberation from the gods of Egypt (idols and principalities of our/their nations); and liberation from the slavery to which we/they are subjected.

- I noted that the message of Moses and Aaron to and about these entities and realities would be a focus in this intercession; so that the phraseology used by them would be useful for our declarative prayer, which would be, ‘Let my people go!’ and ‘Let my people go that they may serve me!’ and ‘Let my people go that they may worship me!’

- I noted that in order to declare in that way, we would need to be positioned and empowered to speak in God’s behalf in full faith. We would need to see that we are saying something that God is saying…we would need to believe it in order to speak in faith…‘I believe and so I speak.’

- I then heard (like a prophesy or promise) that God was already raising up leaders in Latin nations like Moses and Aaron whom people would follow out of their slavery…loved that!

- I testify that I also heard that God would stand behind His word of liberation with his own choice of the miraculous: signs, wonders, judgements and undeniably miraculous activity.

This is both my testimony and my conviction; and so I have written over a dozen declarative prayers from the scriptures which I presently speak in faith and teach others to use. While I am sure that others who bear witness to this will teach me to pray about this in other, powerful ways, I am hard at work using this format and am happy to share these prayers with any who would use them in faith with me.

The Principalities Reality

By Ted Sandquist

I am writing this as a testimony, a guideline and a warning for us as we engage this work together. Please consider it as those things when you read this and make up your mind about joining us in our stated task together. The power of our agreement will be greatly increased if we actually pray within the foci we agree upon and the ground rules we express here in this whole document. We are attempting to be judicious, full of the wisdom we carry and as inclusive as we can be in the pursuit of the matters we are convinced must be carried before the throne of our God and into the destiny of this part of God’s world to which we have been assigned. We are aware that we will be working to agree in prayer with God’s people from diverse cultures, experiences, spiritual roots, denominational affiliations, and doctrinal positions. We believe we can do this if each of us are simply honest in our representation of ourselves and the prayers that we pray. There are, no doubt, other attempts like ours to pray for this part of the world, but not in all probability with the same assignment as ours. If some of our brothers and sisters in Christ cannot find a place within the confines of our agreement, it will be our hope that they can find another group of believers to agree with. They will have our blessing to join with others or start their own group with the focus and parameters within which they can pray more easily. We are in competition with nobody in this effort.

We cannot do the work we have been assigned without some understanding of the spiritual forces who oppose us and to which we are in opposition by being in allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ. But on the other hand, we cannot include a primer on this reality that would be adequate educationally for those of us who are uninitiated in these matters, so we won’t try to do it here. Let us say at this stage that we will talk about the spiritual war in which we are engaged and be as clear as we can be about the biblical presuppositions and principals we stand on as we go along. And we will ask our participants to have the integrity to be clear about their sources for words and worldview where that clarity needs to be represented. Now, onto the realities of principalities and powers as they relate to our assignment and the prayers we will pray.

Jesus’ words from one passage in Matthew, Paul’s words from a set of verses in Ephesians and two pieces of Daniel’s story will have to suffice for our biblical foundation at this point:

In Matthew 12:22-29 teaches us this about spiritual realities in this seen and unseen world, “Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him so that he could both talk and see. All the people were astonished and said, ‘Could this be the Son of David?’ But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, ‘It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.’ Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you.’”
In Ephesians 6:10-13 Paul instructs and exhorts us on this topic with these words: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against authorities, against powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand firm.”
In chapter seven of Daniel’s story we gain insight to the unseen world with these reports of the earthly Roman Empire depicted in the Spirit as beasts of various sorts around the time of Christ and the early church (7:1-8; 11-12; 19-25). The story is folded over upon itself with retelling and three re-capsulations. It is the activities and purposes of God opened up to us in these passages that we are shining the light on here: 7:9-10; 13-18; 26-7 – “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court sat in judgement and the books were opened…I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall never pass away and his kingdom, one that shall not be destroyed. As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me was anxious and the visions of my head alarmed me. I approached one of those who stood there and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of the things. These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall receive a kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever…” and the final review is, “But the court shall sit in judgement (see vs. 10c) and his (the forth beast) dominion shall be taken away to be consumed and destroyed to the end. And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.”
Finally, the other insight into the unseen world from Daniel’s story (you may wish to read the whole of chapters 10 through 12, but for brevity my point is made with verses 10:12-13 and 12:3), “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard and I have come because of your words. The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me for I was left there with the kings of Persia, and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for the days to come.” And amidst the earth’s story, this too was spoken, “And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”

I had COVID 19 in March and early April 2020. I was released from the hospital on Easter Sunday, April 5th…no less than a picture of my own resurrection. Hallelujah! The Lord our God the Almighty reigns! I do not rehearse this for a report on my medical history, but rather because I had a dream/vision while in a very weakened state somewhere about the time I turned the corner, health wise. I was not asking the Lord much of anything at the time, I was surviving. Both of my lungs were filled with COVID induced pneumonia. I had talked to the Lord a bit during my illness, I’m sure, but mostly it was hundreds of other people praying for me that brought me out of that pit. I didn’t have the strength, stamina or concentration to read or write when the Lord opened my spiritual eyes and I saw something I knew to be very real. It was the next day that I turned the corner, got out of bed and began to strengthen myself to get out of the hospital. That was Good Friday. I was home on Sunday afternoon, Easter. It encourages me to tell this story. This is the first time I have written it down, though I have spoken of it in numerous situations over the last ten months.

What I saw and heard was very real to me. Simple. Unforgettable. And accompanied with some basic understanding. I was here in the USA looking west across the Pacific Ocean into Asia. As I looked, a very large being in the shape of a human rose up out of the earth, it would seem, or at least from out of my sight to a standing position. This was essentially in black and white and the light source was behind this ‘man’. When he had risen to his full stature, huge, bulky, strong and slightly bent (like an old person), he declared in a loud voice, ‘It’s my time!’ Upon seeing this image and hearing this voice, there were a few things that I knew were a part of what I was seeing and experiencing: 1)This was/is a strongman; 2) His stronghold was in Asia; 3) COVID was related to his declaration; 4) Future havoc and strategic war on other rivals are to be his tactics; 5) Domination is his intent; 6) He was frustrated by being held back to this point; and, 7) This was not a nation speaking but his feet were in China. This was so impacting to me that I remember trying to see where exactly his feet were touching the ground. One more thing. I was impressed that this declaration was ill-timed, too soon.

Why am I telling you this in our Inter3/In2 introductory document? Because when you deal with nations, you deal with principalities, strongmen, rulers, powers, rulers of this dark world and spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms. It is simple cause and effect that makes this true. As surely as God is on the throne and we have allegiance to him, these entities are scheming to exercise their powers to oppose Him and anyone who is his servant. We will be interceding in behalf of those who are under their dominion, praying for their liberation and an end to their enslavement. For the most part our job will have a direct impact upon their authority, their dominance, their hold on nations, institutions, social norms, false religions, memes, people groups, generations and individual lives. Our tactics will be effective to the tearing down of strongholds, but they will not include, for the most part, direct assault on these beings. When we have been given the insight to know names and descriptions of powers, we will not speak directly to them in our prayer calls. That will be Protocol #1. We will learn to use all other warfare and intercessory tactics together other than direct confrontation; because the first thing prayer groups do so often is to overestimate their strength, authority and the scope of their assignment. It takes a group of equal power and greater actual authority to take authority over another person or force. At this point we do not have that or need that to fulfill our assignment.

We must always honor the wisdom of this: ‘I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do neither less nor more.’ (Num. 24:13) This is faith! This is faithfulness! This is power!

The Spheres of Authority

This first picture is one of God’s engagement of his created order through the various spheres of authority and responsibility at work everywhere. Jesus’ incredible statement to his disciples as the resurrected Lord, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me,’ is represented here. This is a revealing, very practical way to see his authority at work through people. All diagrams are by nature limited in scope, but insightful when a reality and/or dynamic is placed before us which becomes useful to our thinking process as well as a pattern through which we can see what in going on all around us. The scriptures in this diagram are not in any way comprehensive, but a signal that each sphere is represented in the Word.

Note that the perspective we have here properly places every member of God’s creation directly under the authority and commission of our God and Father, his Christ and the Holy Spirit. Neither the church nor civil government as institutions ordained by God are positioned between God and his people when life is ordered God’s way. That would lead to tyranny. Each of us must draw our own conclusions about the world we live in today from this insight.

Diagram #1 – The Spheres of Authority

A series of 12 bullet points are provided here (abbreviated statements, presuppositions, suppositions, definitions) to serve the reader to interact with the dynamic of what is being pictured in this diagram. May they serve us all well.

Every human being lives in numerous if not all of these spheres. All are held responsible to God for their participation in them; for their choices, obedience, faithfulness, influence and exercise of authority whether assigned by God or by man. This should be foundational teaching in the church and in every family in every society. Christians should be that much more accountable because we have the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit and one another.
We can all agree that the family, civil government and the church are God-ordained institutions established in the Scriptures. The Biblical mandate for self-government is the foundation for the sphere labeled Personal.
The sphere labeled Created Order is not an institution, but simply all of God’s creation beyond mankind: earth, air, water, vegetation, animal life, everything which we were mandated to rule well, under God in Genesis as well as caring for and ruling ourselves, humanity. This is at the core of all that God instructs about murder, marriage, justice, etc.
Other Socio-economic Entities are the voluntary associations man has ‘created’ or established and defined to live corporate life together. Simply stated, mankind is accountable to God for every activity of consequence which is set into motion and operates in this world. A very long list could be made here (and won’t be) but a few examples would be helpful here: Businesses that are not family owned and operated, including multi-national corporations which are creations of humans and are accountable to God, though they have characteristics and a life of their own; clubs, societies, leagues, fraternities, etc; guilds, cooperatives, charter organizations, political parties, lobbying groups and the like; schools, universities and…you get the picture.
Mankind and the purposes of God are blessed in general when these spheres operate in peace and stay within their sphere of authority, their limitations, that is, without tyranny. A simple reiteration of tyranny is the act of taking one sphere’s agenda and authority into another sphere.
The kingdom of God comes and his will is done within this sphere structure. Both responsibility and authority on earth are delegated by him in respect to the separation of powers inherent to this model. So, the more clearly we see the spheres, the more able we will be to obey, influence, encourage, prepare and send sons and daughters or members of the Body of Christ into their callings beyond family and church.
This process of recognition, preparation and sending is strategically central to the call upon the church to serve the purposes of the King and his kingdom on earth.
Said another way, the servant leadership that Jesus modeled and championed in his life and ministry is for the church is for the church to embrace. In so doing we participate in the increase of his government and peace on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus’ instructions for us are not limited to the leaders of the church, but for leadership in every sphere of authority that represents his throne and his rule.
Those who are in church leadership – whatever form that takes in our various congregations and denominations – are accountable to God for their part of the Body of Christ under the Chief Shepherd. They (we) must operate within their (our) sphere without violating the spheres of individuals or families that are a part of their (our) membership, equipping and preparing the people for works of service. Q: Does the Word say that these works of service will be spent on the church? (see Ephesians 4:12) Humm…they will be, if we do not see the kingdom.
Likewise, the church has no mandate to be an authority over civil government. This is, however, not much of a limitation, when you think it through, as we are privileged to train our people in righteousness and send them as representatives of God (not of the church as an institution) into all the spheres of life. We can, of course, operate as teachers, wise counselors, prophets, and champions of righteousness to any sphere. In fact, we as the church are ‘the pillar and foundation of all truth,’ as the Scriptures say, in 1 Timothy 3:15. As such, we have the responsibility to influence outside of our sphere… influence being the operative word here.

The Wedge

As I strive to see things more clearly and explain them to others, the Lord sometimes gives me a picture. This is one of those. I know pictures like these are helpful and worthy of contemplation. At the same time that pictures are enlightening, however, they have points of inadequacy because they cannot address other realities just as true as the points they address. Please, if you would, let this picture tell you truths without binding or limiting your understanding from perceiving even greater clarity 9n the Holy Spirit.

The wedge is a tool that transfers power to accomplish intended work – like splitting a large log, for instance. The worker places the point of the wedge where it will have the intended effect. Then the one working applies his power to the broad end of the wedge. The force is passed through the wedge, driving it into the wood and separating the grain by the girth of the wedge, thus splitting the log. The wedge does the work through the intention and power of the worker. The worker splits the log through the substance of the wedge – the width and the metal. As we contemplate this picture, God is the worker, and the children of the kingdom are wedges as individuals or a wedge as his people. (See Matthew 13:36-43 for children of the kingdom)

I remember the day the Lord gave me this picture to explain the dynamic of his rule and power in his people. One of the first things he showed me was the importance of the substance of the wedge. The reality of God in us is his power and his glory. The reality of God moving in and through us is his power at work to accomplish his will and display his glory.

In the figure for this paradigm there are six areas of substance pictured in more or less even spatial value on three levels. The three levels stand for our individual lives, our corporate life and the area of our gifting and call in our usefulness to God in the family business. Every aspect of this picture has its source in the throne of God, the only legitimate source of purpose, work, and power in all of creation. In this context we will have to be satisfied with very short comments on each component.

Covenant – The substance of covenant in our lives is the strength of alignment with God on his own terms. It is faith in the God who has revealed himself to us in his covenants – Old and New – and it is faith in his Word.

Communion – The substance of communion in our lives is our immersion into the relational benefits of redemption. It is the substance of our integration into the life flow of the communion of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In this writer’s experience, it is found in the practice of the pursuit of God by spiritual disciplines such as: worship, prayer, listening, obedience, fasting, and the exercise of living in faith and walking in the Spirit.

By Ted Sandquist from He Reigns

Chapter 11

Character – Christlikeness in redeemed people who are in the process of sanctification having been bought for God by the blood of Christ. Through Father’s love and discipline, the Master’s discipleship and the Holy Spirit’s guidance, we are led into maturation, overcoming, engaging our calling, fighting spiritual warfare, and enduring many difficult circumstances for the display of Christ in us – the hope of his glory restored in us and the glory of our character development as sons.

Spiritual Family – God does not have unrelated sons and daughters. His idea that all who receive Christ, believe in his name and exercise their covenant option to be born into his family leads us all into the horizontal realities of his family: brothers and sisters, generational thinking, corporate consciousness, family business, spiritual authority, accountability, one body with many members, unity with diversity, love for the brethren…so many maturing challenges and so much strength.

Natural Family – Is the basic building block of societies. That is God’s idea. Having substance, strength in our lives in this area is to be engaging the power of destiny, generational transfer, and inheritance. These things are so close to the Father’s heart – would that we knew how close – that he has tied the natural to the spiritual by representing himself as Father and us as reborn children adopted into his family. Even where family is dysfunctional there is a place to honor God in the sphere of natural family – a place for repentance, a place for restoration, a place for reaping whatever there is to harvested from that which is imperfect, and a place to start a new godly line yourself…how beautiful! In the Gospel there is all the power to bring life out of death.

Obedience and Faith in Action – The assurance of usefulness is obedience. Our Lord puts us to work based on obedience and faithfulness, it would seem…He’s working on it – on us – all the time; as is declared by Paul in Ephesians 2:10 – ‘We are his workmanship, created in Christ

Jesus for the good works he has prepared ahead of time.’

One City One Church

A Local Church Strategy for City Transformation:
Five Arenas of Common Investment

I am offering this picture as a strategic overview of how we might pray together for the cities and nations of our Hemisphere. This is a very useful picture that I have used for numerous years to display how cities might take practical steps toward transformation through unified church involvement. Can you see it? The picture is basically self-explanatory.

Because of the essentially disunified operational nature of so much of the church today in any given city or nation, we would need a fair amount of time investment to explain how we might make headway toward the goals inherent to this picture of hope. We will not be spending that time here, however, because we are only praying into transformation ‘on earth as it is in heaven’ and not implementing these things ourselves. This we can do with a great voice in the heavenlies by praying the scriptures. Let us use the picture to be led by the Spirit and pray about any aspect of what is pictured here by his leading. I will only make these few comments starting with:

Worship and pray together, by all means, but don’t stop there! This is hard enough for some parts of the body to do together, of course, but it is hardly the completion of all things once we have done that. The hope of unity is not in gatherings. It is one of my convictions that unity is not an end in itself, but a product of obedience being worked out ‘with fear and trembling’, I guess. Remember, God is at work in us to bring about his own good pleasure.
It has been my observation that the Lord moves first wherever he chooses, and that is often enough where there is some softness in the walls we are so comfortable living behind. Our prayers will probably begin where we have seen some progress or be concerned with our priorities or passions. Be assured he will receive our prayers and lead us on. As we listen to others pray, I am quite sure we will be listening to the heart of God and learning from one another.
This diagram presumes something. It presumes that it is speaking of an actual place – a city, county, state, province, district, nation – a real entity. Noting that, our ‘reading’ of the categories must have an actual place that is engaged. You will get what I am referring to as I give examples. For instance, in the red quarter we are thinking of making Christ known together in a city or a geographical area…not to the world in general. Where we live; where we work, where we worship is where we are talking about, praying for, making him known. Also, when we say, ‘making Christ glorious’, in the purple quarter, we are talking about demonstrating his glory together with others of his children in a locality, a region, etc. Who can make him more glorious than he is? But we can display his glory somewhere so that it is more easily seen / more greatly impacting. I can pray for that…and I can’t wait for the reports!

Going on, we are referring to his body in a city in the green quarter. The idea is that if Jesus Christ is indeed the Head of the Church, then there must be some practical ways that his headship can be expressed by his body in a given city. We need no attempt to make a new denomination for everyone to join together to express this in a city. It is my humble viewpoint that this dynamic can be displayed through cooperation across the lines that have too easily divided us; through tackling problems and assignments for the good of the city and the advancement of the Gospel in the town square. Of course Jesus Christ is Lord! The point of transformation is to see his will being done in a city by righteousness becoming the standard upon which those in the city live together in peace and harmony, rule or govern themselves, do commerce with ‘just weights and measures’, and teach one another to obey all that Jesus has instructed people to do; which leads the society to flourish in the soil of self-government. Listen to Isaiah’s expression of this, ‘Rain down, O heavens, from above and let the clouds pour down righteousness; let the earth open up and salvation bear fruit and righteousness spring up with it. I, the Lord, have created it.’

Think on these things…certainly we shall pray!