Here’s one more list of “Ten Things” surrounding the Lord’s current judgment of the House of Prayer. Each of these values has been established by the Lord, not only in the scriptures, but also via life-applied truth that has seen the marvelous Kingdom fruit of such emphases. Our House is asking the Spirit of the Lord to give us the grace to remain plumb-lined to these vital New Testament dynamics.
As a part of the orthodox, apostolic confessing, Bible-believing Church, we believe the Lord is calling our House of Prayer (All Nations House of Prayer Southwest) to press into these 10 realities without reservation, apology, or pretense:
1. In all that we are, and do, we exalt the God/Man, Christ Jesus as the priority of our duties. Above, and beyond all, it is the revelation of “Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2) that has power to pierce the heart of sinful men, and fulfill the mission of our Lord’s great commission. This is also known as the ministry of the forerunner; the friends of the Bridegroom. This priority entails living faithful lives that are established upon the “first commandment”: “You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, all of your soul, all of your mind, and all of your strength.” (Luke 10:27)
2. Jesus calls us to bear our cross every day, unto His increase, and His return. “He must increase. And I must decrease.” (John 3:30) This means cultivating a tangible lifestyle of fulfilling Jesus’ most ubiquitous invitation into His Kingdom: “If anyone would be My disciple, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23) This requires a preeminent love for the Person of Jesus Christ, that requires then, the subjugation of self to the increase of His glory, and dominion in our lives, and secondly in our ministries.
3. The Lord is a judge. And He justly, compassionately, and with great redemptive power judges His household (1 Peter 4:17), for the sake of our good, and (most importantly) the purification of His Son’s Bride. The corporate judgments of the Lord, are invitations to corporate repentance. This is the plenary message of the book of the prophet Joel.
4. We are called to sacrificially love, and mutually edify other praying, Spirit-filled, cross-bearing believers and communities, unto His increase, and the fulfillment of His great commission.
5. We are to operate by the full, Biblical, powerful leadership of the Holy Spirit. This includes relying upon His grace for evangelism, prophetic words, signs, wonders, mutual accountability, forgiveness, living Sermon on the Mount lifestyles, and walking in the light with humility toward one another.
6. We are called to engage in worshipful, intercessory partnership with Jesus, the Great Intercessor, unto His righteousness being established on the earth. We are also called to encourage churches and New Testament fellowships into the priorities of perpetual corporate prayer, meditating on the Word, with singing, and making melody in our hearts together for His glory.
7. We believe the scriptures (both Old and New Testaments) tell us it is wise and vital for believers to pray for the salvation of Israel and the Arabic speaking peoples in the land.
8. All Nations House of Prayer Southwest is specifically commissioned to intercede first, for the Lord’s Intended noble destiny for the Native peoples of the Southwest, and then the destiny of other people groups in the Southwestern United States.
9. We are called to live fruitful lives that stem from the gospel, that express themselves in vibrant righteousness (Psalm 37:6, and Daniel 12:3). These lives include walking in open, humble integrity, living the Sermon on the Mount, compassionately caring for each other – especially the least, and the overlooked; operating in contrition toward others, testifying of the beauty of Jesus, and offering our sin-cursed world covenant hope re: all matters of personal, relational, and social morality.
10. We engage in these mandates under the glorious weight of the fear of the Lord. This lifestyle, and these values are privileges that the one, true and living, holy God grants us to live in by His Spirit, and by His daily grace.
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JSB • May, 2024
SPIRIT WORD & CROSS 