Did God Say?

God has a plan for this city. His plan is to unite His Bride in SW Michigan in a unique way as a model to the nations of what the Body of Jesus looks and acts like. Right now the beginning stages of this amazing move of God are actually becoming more and more visible...tangible...by the day. The fact that the Father has selected Kalamazoo to be a forerunner to this end-time move of God is amazing, but true. God uses the weak things of the world to confound the wise:


I Corinthians 1:27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;


God is in the process of changing hearts about values, tradition, doctrine and agreement. He is doing this because when the Bride operates as one body real authority is given to her in a unique way. God is the perfection of unity. The Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are in such perfect agreement, they ARE One. They don't act like One, they are One. Jesus prayed that His Bride would be the same way:


John 17:21-23 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.


This is a mind wrecker! Jesus packed a lot into this short couple of verses, but in the broad strokes Jesus invited a Bride that has "made herself ready" into the fullness of the fellowship of the Trinity..."that they may be one in Us." Ugh...how can this be!?! But it is what we were made for. Jesus IS going to get what He prayed for and what He paid for. I believe SW Michigan is one of the first places since the Book of Acts that we will see this happen.


The unity of the Body in the Book of Acts, and the authority given to that unified first Church was a "down payment" on the end-time promise which stands before Jesus' Bride. The people watching the Acts church were afraid because of the authority manifested in the midst of the early church. God takes unity VERY seriously, because He is the fullness of unity. God is the fullness of every good thing and He has chosen unity among Himself and His body. When earth agrees with heaven, a corridor of power and glory extends from heaven to earth. The Acts Church demonstrated this in unique ways (Annanias and Saphira falling over dead from lying to the Church is one example) and it was intimidating to those outside of the Church. The "fear of the Lord" was manifest in their midst and in those surrounding them:


Acts 5:11-14 So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things. And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch. Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,


The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and it is coming to a city near you! This sovereign move of unity is bigger than any one person, group, or denomination. Because of political correctness, and an immense amount of false doctrine sprinkled into the Church, especially in the last decade, this is the most treacherous water imaginable. Unity of the Body is big mountain to climb, but God has a plan...God always has a plan and a remnant!


When Zerubbabel was tasked with rebuilding the leveled temple after the Jewish exile in Babylon, He was standing in front of a mountain of rubble. For 16 years, attempts to start this rebuilding effort had started and stopped. Zechariah and Zerubbabel felt like it was getting nowhere. They had a mountain of rubble to move away, a city constantly under attack with no walls, and almost no help to actually build. But God had a plan:


Zechariah 4:6-14 So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts. ‘Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” ’ ” Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying: “The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple; His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know That the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the Lord , Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.”


Then I answered and said to him, “What are these two olive trees—at the right of the lampstand and at its left?” And I further answered and said to him, “What are these two olive branches that drip into the receptacles of the two gold pipes from which the golden oil drains?” Then he answered me and said, “Do you not know what these are? ” And I said, “No, my lord.” So he said, “These are the two anointed ones, who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth.”


God loves mountains before us, because He loves to cast them into the sea right before our eyes! With shouts of grace, Zechariah was promised to see this mountain made into a plain before Zerubbabel. Not only would the work be made miraculously easier than it appeared, God was going to raise up two anointed messengers...olive trees...to fill the lamps with oil.


The lamps in this passage were God's people, and the flame was their bright burning with zeal to agree with, and then accomplish, the purposes of God, which was the building of the House of Prayer...the temple. God promised Zechariah that He would raise up two olive trees...two sources of oil...that would encourage the people (supernaturally fill their lamps with oil to burn brightly). These olive trees would supernaturally impart zeal to others to see the vision of what God was doing, and be supernaturally ignited to pursue that vision until it was complete.


One thing was necessary for Zechariah to agree with God and release the plan into motion: to not despise the day of small beginnings! To celebrate what WAS happening rather than be discouraged by what still needed to be done! Step by step walking forward with joy! We take one step and God will make it like 10!


God has a plan for this city...for this region. We are in the day of small beginnings. Even though amazing things are promised, and the foundation is,in fact, being laid, it is just the beginning. God has olive trees, those who will see the vision and be given supernatural ability to communicate it to many, that will propel the purpose of God forward in a miraculous way. A tipping point is coming when the more lamps that burn, the more will catch on fire, and plenty of oil...zeal for quick work...will be in abundant supply! We are going to see such unity, authority, accomplishment, and love that many will want to be a part of the Church because we are actually becoming One. Many will respect the Church like in the book of Acts, as they seriously weigh the choice to join us. And the Body throughout the nations will be blessed by US!


Oneness IS coming to Jesus' Body in SW Michigan. It is important to agree with celebrating the small incremental steps as the very real miracles that they are. Rather than look at the mountain before us with doubt that it will ever be conquered, we shout Grace! Grace! Knowing God loves to flatten mountains before those that love Him and are called according to His purpose!

Revelation 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”