Kingdom Expansion in this Season

Some of the more popular scriptures which we use to describe the building of the worldwide Church include Nehemiah's rebuilding of the wall, anything pertaining to Joshua and the advancement into the promised land and of course references to Gideon the Judge. To post something fresh from any of these examples would likely be impossible since it has all been taught and re-taught before, but they do continue to be great, timely and good constant reminders.

In our study as a Pastoral Staff at TFI this week, there were a couple of points which caught my eye that I wan to share from Gideon. This scripture comes as the 300 "finalists" make their move on the enemy...

Judges 7: 22 When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. 23 Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites. 24 Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, "Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth Barah." So all the men of Ephraim were called out and they took the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah. 25 They also captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan. (NIV)

The two significant enemy leaders who they were able to capture and kill, they executed in their own places, places that were named after them. The rock of Oreb and the winepress of Zeeb. There is much that could be said and everything can be symbolized, but without getting too far down the road, let me just share the one big thing about it for me at this time.

13 years ago, Tabernacle of Faith International moved into a beautiful new building in San Juan, a major section of Metro Manila. There is no doubt that it was a blessing from the Lord. Literally, generations of people have been saved, delivered, taught, married and spent much of their lives together in the school and the Church. Hundreds of people who have been transformed on the premises are now influencers in society.

BUT, the Church has not increased in numbers or in influence in that 13 years. It has not fulfilled the command of the Lord found in scripture to "Increase and do not diminish." We have all watched the Church diminish like a withering tree even though there has been real success and fruitfulness all along. If you looked at it as a 13 year graph, even though there have been times when there are rises, the overall picture is a dramatic and consistent drop. Now we find ourselves having to "Strengthen that which remains." Thankfully, there are many hundreds of faithful who remain and are eager to Increase in this new season.

BTW, I know that there are those who will be offended when they read this, but that is not my intention. I simply want to be real...

It was because of this that Pastor Ray Llarena answered the call of God to come back after a 13 year absence Pastoring in Chicago and others are currently flocking to TFI as well. Many new and many returning. Joy and I are among them. And there is an awareness, an urgency that things must be done differently. One of the biggest changes is a realization that a Church building is a tool and nothing more. It cannot and should not be a monument or an indicator of success. This is why we decided to launch our new services into a shopping mall and why we are targeting other malls in the near future. My personal take on it is that we should not even consider a location that Starbucks would not consider...

We have scattered the enemy, we have initiated changes, we have blown the trumpets and the enemy is on the run. Now we must put the enemy to death on his own territory, taking the Church out from our own territory into their territory where we will send a clear message. The city belongs to God and the enemies of God are going down. I launched a new Life group just last night at the Eastwood City McDonald's, another local shopping mall. We could have done it in somebodies home or at the Church facility, but we did it out in the open, in territory that we have marked for expansion. There were many people at tables around us who knew what we were doing and when we closed our session in prayer, I saw out of the corner of my eye that one particular person prayed with us. Of course this can be done in a predominantly Catholic nation where you might not be able to do such a thing for instance in a Muslim or Hindu nation. But there are other ways in those places which apply...

We will continue to have services at our San Juan building, but they will be catering more towards the immediate community. But where we are going for the boat load of fish is at our events in the shopping malls, restaurants and other public venues. Going fishing in a Church building is kind of like going fishing in an aquarium. Why would we want to do that?

There is one more item that hit me from the passage listed above. Gideon commanded that the enemy be cut off from the waters of the Jordan. Those familiar with war strategy know that whoever controls the water supply controls the battle. I wish I could say that there was some deeply spiritual meaning here... Well I can and there is. But the water does not represent the Holy Spirit or the Presence of God... It represents resources. Money. Hello?

And this is the battle that is raging around the world right now in these times economically speaking. I receive correspondence from Missionaries and Pastors that I know on a weekly basis who have initiated strategies and have scattered the enemy but they are not able to sustain the victory because they are running low on resources. I'm telling you that the enemy is after the water and he is trying to get there and it is our responsibility if we are going to win in this season, to cut him off!

I think the application is a simple one on a personal level and even on a Church/Ministry level. Don't stop spending on the things which enlarge the Kingdom. Keep planting Churches, keep missionaries on the field, keep the funds flowing to outreach programs, keep Christian multi-media well funded, etc. It's time to tighten the belt on everything else in the Church except the war. Just as in the days of WWI and WWII when America's factories were converted into bomb and munitions making operations, the time is now that America's (and the world's) Churches change their production lines over to exclusively and intentionally become operations which fund expansion and route the enemy from the water. We have the power to control this battle and we must sound the call to take the appropriate measures to enforce the victory!

I spoke for a large Church not long ago which was becoming serious about their outreach commitment. The leadership had a vision to raise US$100,000 for their missions budget. I prayed and I prayed for the Lord's guidance on how to preach in a way that would yield the offerings and the faith pledges which would accomplish this seemingly impossible amount. When the moment came, I remembered eating at the Pizza Hut across the street and seeing the crowds of familiar faces from that Church in that Pizza Hut. I challenged the people on that day that when they get to heaven and God opens the accounts of our lives, that each and every person will be able to say that they gave more to God's work, above and beyond the basic tithes, then they spent on Sunday lunches at Pizza Hut and other places. We not only got the budget in those 4 services, but we doubled it. The analogy had evidently hit a nerve?? We cut off the water from the enemy on that day.

On a side note, I can tell you that as a Missionary guest speaker at Churches in America, that a good offering runs about $3 per person in attendance and that a weak offering runs between $1-2. You could argue a good job on the part of the speaker or good generosity on the part of the congregation depending on who you wanted to win the argument... It is seldom that we see miracle offerings of more then $10 per person. How much is lunch after Church per person? Could it be that even a miracle offering runs less then what is being spent on lunch? Are we tipping God?

"Pastor Steve, are you saying that spiritual warfare involves pushing back the plate at a restaurant so that you can put more in the offering plate?" Yes! That is exactly what I am saying!

I mentioned earlier in this long post, that I don't want to consider a location to hold Church services that Starbucks wouldn't consider putting an outlet in. I will mention Starbucks one more time. In years past, I have been a good Starbucks customer. Not only them but other coffee chains as well. I have become accustomed to paying as much for a designer beverage as what we can pay for a full meal at a fast food restaurant. In recent months, I have had to personally come up with the funds to pay for our meetings outside of the Church. Hundreds of dollars every week. Let me just say that I walk past Starbucks now and I don't go in anymore unless it is to meet with someone for ministry. And even then, I now partake of the lesser beverages in price. We are at war! And I don't want the Lord to say on that day, you spent more on Starbucks, pizza and restaurants then you did on My Church! No way no how!!! I'm living for that day! And I know that God's accounts are perfect and I'm not going to be able to "fudge" my way out of that... which BTW, I don't buy fudge right now either...

Does this mean that I am against spending in restaurants, coffee joints and candy shops? Of course not! I'm only saying that we need to recognize the times and the seasons that we find ourselves in and adjust appropriately.

My encouragement to you from this timely word about Gideon is this. Let us spend the money to get the gospel out of the Church and into the mainstream. It will require an assessment of finances and an increased allotment of resources. Warfare sometimes requires a re-prioritization of spending. Increased blessing comes with increased sacrifice.

I am praying to hear good reports from all of my ministerial friends in the coming weeks and months that no longer are resources drying up, but there has been an increase from God's people who have made sacrifices to advance the Kingdom in this prime season!