Parabola

I Met Victoria : A Flesh and Blood Parable

 

Meeting Victoria

 

 

   This happened. 

 

   It was a parabolic experience for me in the Earth realm and in the Glory Realm.  I want you to share the experience.

 

   Amazing thing is that I knew that this would happen.  I prayed for it.  If you look at this in the Spirit---I birthed this convergent little but impactful happening because my heart desired it so! 

 

   He gives me the Desires of my Heart.  Never fails.  I have never been disappointed by God!

 

I met Victoria.

 

She is Glorious!

 

 

   Victoria is in Transition

 

   Transition is the atmosphere and mode of the moment, isn't it?  We are, to a man, being called up out of religion and set in place in the Bride of Jesus Christ.

Many are feeling so caught up---like Ezekiel being pulled up by the hair--  yanked out of the pew and pulled into the Heavenlies---into the Reality that is Jesus Christ.  Into the real Kingdom.  It shakes one up, it really does.

 

   In this moment in the Kingdom, we are all like Abraham in that we are going into a place and a realm that we have not seen in the natural---but we surely are able to SEE in the Spirit.   We are the ONES responsible for manifesting this Kingdom.

 

   Recently I Met Victoria

 

   Dave and I planned a dinner out with our son Andrew and his friend Victoria from Philadelphia..  Andy has just come back east for a time to produce some things and do some set design for a fresh air theatre.  Victoria is an actress and artist that Andy met while an undergrad at Temple University.  The four of us planned to have dinner and then see the show that Andy designed.

 

   Dave and I had a really revelatory hour of a drive to the mountains where the theatre is located.  We were having open visions of the Father on the way.  You know this is going to be a fun time when the Father shows up!

 

   First thing that happens as we park at the foot of the mountain---I lay eyes on Victoria.  And she is LOVELY.  She is one lovely girl--- all free and somehow full of light---even from across the parking lot I can see her beauty.

 

   My spirit just leapt as I shook her hand to say hello...something so special about this girl, and there is a mystery within---you can just feel it.  She smiled broadly, an hospitable and embracing smile--I felt welcome in her presence.  I was meeting a person in whom there was no judgment.  She welcomed me with her eyes and I felt the warm welcome of her heart. 

 

   As small talk and introductions ensued, I would look at Victoria and she at me and we would smile a knowing smile at one another.  In the Spirit, something was cooking.

 

   We drove a few miles to an old stone building that housed a great little bistro, sat down and ordered food.  And heaven opened.

 

   We ordered the food hastily--because there was so much to be said, so much I needed to hear---about the Coming Kingdom and about WHO this Bride of Jesus really is.

 

   Victoria was so attractive, and I mean attractive with an edge---some things that are perhaps unexpected and shouldn't be so.  She had long flowing auburn hair and wore a little summer dress that revealed a sleeve tattoo on the arm closest to me.  I began to stare, but I did not stare because there was a tattoo, I stared because she was marked with a huge, beautiful eagle sitting in the upper branches of an evergreen tree.

 

   The tattoo was a word for me!

 

   I took a sip of my tea and bluntly asked, "Victoria, what does your tattoo mean to you?  Why that image?"

 

   "The eagle is the highest flying bird with the most powerful vision--I just have always loved them. And, I have always been drawn to cedars."

 

   At this point all polite and normal dinner conversation was cancelled---we were talking the Things of the Spirit right here and now!  I said to Victoria, "Tell me about your spirituality..."

 

   And the parable unfolded...

 

   Her testimony is parabolic of the Transition of the Bride, the coming out of the institutions of religion into the Freedom of the Spirit of God, the move from institutional church to the Kingdom of God at hand.  As Victoria poured forth words the vision was painted for me by unseen hands, and with every word and brushstroke, my tears welled up and finally fell freely...because of the Beauty of the words and the vision.

 

Our future as the Bride of Christ is Beautiful, beloveds.  Beauty has a Name.  He is called Jesus.

 

     I will retell her story~

 

 

   "I grew up on the main line in Philadelphia (very proper, very established) and we were raised Catholic.  I was always in love with God and I am very spiritually attuned to this day...but many things have changed.  The liturgy always held deep meaning for me and I always cried in church because I was always so moved," she shared.  I listened with rapt attention.

 

   She continued, "Then some things happened to me, I began to know and experience that there was so much more of God available to me, but when I sought the expression of these things inside the church I was left wanting.  And, some things about who I am as a person changed and I got the vibe from the powers that be in the church leadership that this was not cool."

 

   "I sought an expression of the powerful spirituality that I had and felt, and either there was no free expression in the Christian meetings or churches I went to..or soon I once again got the feeling that it was me or something about me that was unacceptable."

 

   She went on, not eating, not taking her eyes from mine, "So, I began to look into other practices and belief systems, looking really to recognize myself in them, still wanting the power and free expression--but I did not find more of myself or any of God in them.  So I gave up."

 

 

   I knew this was not the end of the story.  There was so much light and Spirit within her.  "What happened next, " I asked.

 

   "Well, I found a crazy fellowship in my part of the city and decided to give it a try.  When I went there for the first time I was wowed.  Many people looked like me, younger, tattooed, a bit out there.  The worship was radical--or what I thought was radical at the time.  I went for a while and really felt a free worship toward God and a renewal of my intense love for Him."

 

   "Why do I feel a 'but' coming,"  I asked.

 

   "I was so sad one night when in the middle of the worshipping I heard something say from within my spirit:  'this is just another scene.'  I felt that these people probably gathered in the beginning to really worship God and to serve him, but they all got caught up in the fact that they thought they were so cutting edge and cool.  They had created a culture, but a culture was not at all what I was looking for!  I wanted God in my face."

 

   She continued, "So at this point, I am just on my own, talking to God in the only way I know how to...hearing Him and knowing He loves me and that I am perfectly OK in His eyes, even if I do not seem to fit into any church's little box or culture.  I don't even think most would call me Christian."  She showed no compunction on that last statement.  She was fine with just being who she is to God.

 

   I was really weeping now, to hear this from- the- heart telling of Victoria's search---which she believed came up empty.

 

   The check came for the dinner, and Victoria had only taken a few bites.  Her priority was to share her life with me...so that I could see her...so that I could see the parable of her.

 

   Victoria is most of us.  Victoria though has something that is going to make her a real force to be reckoned with and a real change agent in the Earth:  She knows WHO SHE IS.  She knows who she is without the religious structures of the day telling her that she's OK.  She is a lover of God outside the institution, and she is a beautiful expression of Jesus' own Beauty. 

 

   Victoria has the integrity to never again accept a man-made idea as God-birthed.  Victoria has the spiritual fortitude to present herself honestly to others as one in love with Jesus but unaccepted by a religion that is in many ways devoid of Jesus.

 

   The four of us drove silently back to the mountain theatre.  Walking the hill to the ticket booth I turned to Victoria and said,

 

   "Victoria.  You looked and you said that you could not find 'it.'  Well, me neither with sporadic exceptions...but tonight...I MET YOU.  And, Victoria, girl, you are it!  You are the church that Jesus is building.  You are the Bride that He passionately desires.  You are the Body of Jesus Christ in the Earth.  And I am so damn glad that it is you because you I can love, you I love..but I can no longer love an institution...not when there is you."

 

   I met a girl whom Jesus loves and fell in love all over again with the Real Bride of Christ.  She is Victoria.  She is Victorious.  She is Rising.  And this enlivens me.

  "Victoria, I will dance at your wedding."

 

  

 

  

   Love and Jesus

Kelly

 

  

 

 

 

 

That NONE Should Perish: Destinies and Blackberries

Can we talk about blackberries for a minute?  This is relevant, I promise.  It is just that for the past few summers the Lord and I have spent a great deal of time out in the woods picking blackberries.  Here in the Pennsylvania farm country they grow rampant along fence and hedge rows.  Last summer I discovered a bounty of them in the forest behind our home.
 
I thought that these berries were the most amazing things I had ever seen!  They were extraordinary!  In amongst weeds and briers and hedge rows there hung these enormous glistening deep purple jewels.  I started my picking with plastic bags but changed up to a big bucket as I got really serious about harvesting them.  Strange thing was the Lord was more into the whole berry picking thing than I was.
 
As I picked and perspired, I prayed and prayed.  "Lord, why am I so compelled to pick these berries every morning?  I have a freezer full of them!"  I said.

After a few weeks of the harvesting I asked again.

"I wish that none should perish," said Holy Spirit.

I wept as God began to openly share His heart for His people the church.  He is keenly aware of many who have waited a considerable period of time before being released into their corollary Christ-Destinies.  His will is that we all walk out the plans He has for us---after all this is about advancing the Kingdom! We must manifest and live-out what He has written on our scrolls from before the foundations of the earth!  He has Dreamed a Dream for You!  Each of us, a royal citizen has a key function in the growth of this kingdom.  As He spoke to Esther through uncle Mordecai:

  "Who knows if you were brought into the kingdom for such a time as this?"  (Esther 4:14)

 Today, when my eyes were opened again to the purposes of His Heart, I wept and prayed for those in the Body of Christ that were in danger of perishing or "dying on the vine."

I hear right now in my spirit:  "...you cannot grow a vine in the absence of the SON...you cannot produce fruit in a box."

 I tell you that all of our purposes and destinies are intertwined in Christ.  Therefore, it is vitally important to me that you fulfill the call of God on your life because it is for Him!  We all need to have eyes to see the eternal Kingdom life and purpose in everyone around us.  Then, as we perceive this life---which is in fact Christ in you the hope of Glory, we must speak words of life and honor to one another thereby calling that life forth.

When we hear Matthew 18:14 the parable of the good shepherd leaving the ninety nine to go after the one, we think of the lost or the apostate.

  "Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish."

 Those are true and important messages of that scripture.

  The Lord wants us to know that you and the Kingdom Purpose and gifts that He has seeded into you are not going to die on the vine!


These past summers as I picked blackberries and got poison oak and baked many, many pies, I heard His Heart loud and clear.

 You and the Divine Mission for your life will not perish!  His intention is that you will accomplish that which you are sent to do!



"So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."  Isaiah 55:11.


Has God given you a word?

His word for your life may have come down through generations of His righteous.  He may have put a vision in your spirit as you were forming in your mother's womb, or He may have visited you in a dream to show you the ministry and destiny for your life.  Perhaps you were sitting in a service one day minding your own business and someone spoke a word of prophecy to you that confirmed the call on your life.  No matter how His word came to you the seed of that word has been germinating within His heart and your spirit ever since.  And He takes His seed and His word quite literally.  After all, they are His SON.

Do you say that you do not have a prophetic word over your life?  Well, let me give you one then:

 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."  Jeremiah 29:11.

 There!  You have a proceeding word over your life that He is always thinking of you and He has an excellent plan and purpose for you!

All of His seed---His Word lives.  Nothing can thwart the resurrection life in the seed word of God.  Jesus, the Living Word of God is the victor over death, hell, and the grave.  He is vigorously alive and He sits at the right hand of the Father making fervent intercession for you and the Christ-purpose on your life!

This is the Eternal Kingdom of Jesus the Christ---nothing dies! 

So, very important one, does it feel as though you are just about to shrivel up and perish on the vine?  Be encouraged!  He has you and the destiny He has appointed to you as a top priority.

 Just like a ripe blackberry that is full of sweetness you are about to be hand picked for a Kingdom purpose.


 And I love this!  The longer fruit stays on the vine the greater its sugar content.  Perhaps in your time of waiting and ripening He has been imparting His own concentrated sweetness to you.  As you grew in the sun and the rain of His Presence He imparted a greater measure of His character and heart to you.


"O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusts in him." Psalm 34:8.

Father, in the name of Jesus I speak LIFE to Your people!  I honor the Kingdom call on every person reading these words.  Lord I thank You that You have nurtured these precious jewels to maturity and I hear You saying to them:  Come Forth! 

All of this is for Your Glory and to establish on earth as it is in heaven.

Amen.

 Typed with purple fingers...

Love and Jesus to You,                          

Kelly

Bridges Revelatory Ministry
www.theparabola.com
kelly@theparabola.com

 

To The Bride~ We are getting prophetic inferences, words and visions left and right about a Wonderful Summer in terms of personal growth, increased Intimacy, Destinies Manifesting, and a bumper-crop of Souls coming into the Kingdom to increase our family and the beauty of the Bride! It is an exciting, fruitful time. Don't allow anything to cause you to miss this season of visitation! May I pray for you? Father, in the Name of Jesus, please hedge these round about with Your Wings, YOUR PRESENCE, Your Angelic Host, and One Another!   Amen, Love Kelly   July 10, 2009 Following is a Word that keeps coming upon our hearts each year---and yet...this is the year...a bumper crop for those who will receive! Love and Jesus, Kelly

PARABOLA:  Experiencing Jesus Christ as Reality ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jesus Christ is Reality! You came from the mind of God and it was never His intention for you to be separated from Him. You were created to live in constant consciousness of Him and all of His Love and good intentions for you. Your life was meant to be supernatural-not religious. You are a supernatural, eternal being-today! You were created to affect the world, circumstances and outcomes-not to live beneath them or even in response to them. The earth realm needs to be responding to you. To live in Christ is the most glorious experience one can have on earth and in heaven. In Christ Jesus is your righteousness before God, it is your physical and metaphysical location, it is where you are positioned in time-Eternity! This word is meant to take you into greater intimacy and revelation of Jesus Christ and the higher Truth that He is Reality! Our Price: $ 12.99 List Price: $ 13.99         BEST PRICE AT AMAZON

Exclusive Interview with Author of Jesus Manifesto

June 29, 2010 "Exclusive Interview with the Author of JESUS MANIFESTO" Bridges Revelatory Ministry   FRANK VIOLA "We just felt burdened by the Lord to write what was on our hearts about the absolute glory, power, majesty, beauty, and staggering enormity of our Lord Jesus and to give a clarion call to the church to make Him absolutely central and supreme in a practical way. When we wrote the book, our burden was released."   I had the honor to read Jesus Manifesto in advance of its release so that I could blog about it, review it...and best of all be changed by it. Yeah, I think its that important.  The Centrality and Supremacy of Jesus Christ ARE the only IMPORTANT thing.  I am very appreciative that Frank and Jeanette contacted me to do a one on one interview.  I had questions--impact questions--because I expect great impact. I expect Manifestation! Enjoy the Interview!                                           Kelly Deppen                     Bridges Revelatory Ministry        Exclusive Interview with Frank Viola, author of Jesus Manifesto Restoring the Supremacy and Sovereignty of Jesus Christ 1.   Frank, you are a real present-tense guy sent to Reveal the Eternal Mystery.  How is life in the paradox? Paul was uniquely chosen by God to reveal the "mystery of the ages" in Ephesians and Colossians. Len Sweet and I are simply bringing out what Paul wrote to a 21st audience and doing it by using a lot of word imagery. Consequently, Jesus Manifesto reads almost like non-fiction (the style is very right brain), even though it's a fiction book based squarely on the Bible. Jesus is the Ultimate Paradox as He is both human and divine. The incarnation is "the absolute paradox" as one writer put it. As such, the Christian life is very paradoxical - you have to die to live, you have to give to receive, you must lower yourself to rise, etc. Every Christian lives in this tension. 2.   I am a champion of the Truth that Jesus Christ is Reality for those in Him.  In Him we live and move and have our beings.  In Jesus Manifesto you discuss the fact that the real essence of humanity comes in walking in Jesus, the quintessential human being.  I love that.  To what degree are you willing to cop to being a mystic? The word "mystic" is a clay word. It's been shaped and molded by different people to mean very different things.  You can condemn a person with the word or honor them by it. I personally don't like the words "mystic" or "mystical" because they can mean so many different things, some of them very unChristian. So I prefer the word "spiritual." Our walk with Jesus is real. It is also spiritual. Jesus is in the Spirit today, and He can be known and experienced. In this sense, the Christian faith is mystical. Meaning, it's spiritual and real rather than abstract and simply intellectual. Yet it is based solidly on the testimony of Scripture and will not break nor violate what the Scriptures teach. I like what A.W. Tozer said about the word "mystic," and I resonate with it: "Some of my friends good-humoredly - and some a little bit severely - have called me a 'mystic.' Well I'd like to say this about any mysticism I may suppose to have. If an arch-angel from heaven were to come, and were to start giving me, telling me, teaching me, and giving me instruction, I'd ask him for the text. I'd say, 'Where's it say that in the Bible? I want to know.' And I would insist that it was according to the scriptures, because I do not believe in any extra-scriptural teachings, nor any anti-scriptural teachings, or any sub-scriptural teachings. I think we ought to put the emphasis where God puts it, and continue to put it there, and to expound the scriptures, and stay by the scriptures. I wouldn't - no matter if I saw a light above the light of the sun, I'd keep my mouth shut about it 'til I'd checked with Daniel and Revelation and the rest of the scriptures to see if it had any basis in truth. And if it didn't, I'd think I'd just eaten something I shouldn't, and I wouldn't say anything about it. Because I don't believe in anything that is unscriptural or that is anti-scripture." 3.   The scholarship in Manifesto sets a very high standard.  What is the mix or ratio of scholarship to revelation that went into writing the book with Len, and how did the two streams come together for you? The book may appear to be scholarly to some only because it has endnotes and we quote some theologians here and there, but it's a very popularly written book and the reading level is quite low. We tried to write it so that a high school student could understand it and absorb its message. We're finding that a lot of readers of Christian fiction love the book because it uses a lot of imagery, word pictures, and metaphors. At the same time, we quote theologians and philosophers to make certain points and there is a ton of Scripture in it as well. Revelation and scholarship go hand and hand. You can think of revelation as insight that is revealed to our hearts by the Holy Spirit. You can think of scholarship as that which is based in an accurate interpretation of the Bible. So if revelation is really from the Spirit, it will have the scholarship of the Bible behind it. In our book, we are writing mostly to the heart rather than the head. For this reason, many people have told us that they have wept through the book and have encountered the Lord in a fresh way while reading it. People can read some of the reader reactions here. 4.   How did the revelation that you and Len were to expand beyond the online Manifesto come?  Better yet, what did Jesus say to you? There was no audible voice or vision. We just felt burdened by the Lord to write what was on our hearts about the absolute glory, power, majesty, beauty, and staggering enormity of our Lord Jesus and to give a clarion call to the church to make Him absolutely central and supreme in a practical way. When we wrote the book, our burden was released. 5.   I love that Jesus did not choose to be President of any Political Program, and He rejected being appointed Grand Poo-bah of a Religion.  The simple Truth that His Kingdom is not of this world is powerfully and carefully portrayed in Jesus Manifesto.  We fell for a counterfeit reality called religion and now need to repent. Frank, what is your leadership role in this transition, now that Manifesto is published?  What's next for you in this initiative? For the last 22 years, I've been meeting in organic churches. I've been planting them for more than a decade. These are churches that are very much like the New Testament vision of church, where Jesus is Head and everyone functions according to their particular gifts. They are churches that function as living organisms rather than as institutional organizations (hence the word "organic"). I've written about organic churches extensively in my book Reimagining Church. Jesus Manifesto contains a good bit of the message that I preach when founding a church on Jesus Christ. According to Paul, Jesus is the only foundation upon which a church should be built. 6.   In Jesus Manifesto you state, "...this church is a new polis."  We are a new race of people, however we seem to be a little schizophrenic and believe that an old race of leadership, and worn out, ineffective leadership systems can effectively lead this new Jesus-population.  What must happen to change this?  Can you describe some characteristics of a new breed of leadership?  Who will lead this Colony from the other realm? True leaders are those who truly follow Jesus. The role of a true leader, then, is to equip God's people to know the Lord, to follow Him, and to function in ministry in a corporate way. One of the things we take dead aim at in the book is the zeal that so many Christians have to become leaders. "Leadership principles" and "leadership training" has been put on the throne, and Jesus has been made a footnote. Let's make our business knowing Christ in the depths, and leadership which flows out of followership will take care of itself. 7.   A hard line, tough love quote from Manifesto:  "This is a profoundly grievous misuse of the Bible."  [To use the Bible as a recipe book, a formulation and pat answer for God across all situations, across time.]   The implication is to make God predictable and manageable by man. In the past two decades  many in  the Prophetic Movement have made a similar misuse of the rhema/prophetic Word of God.  Much of the prophecy was self-aggrandizing---prophecies of personal success, Swiss chalets, and world-wide apostolic anointings. I take the liberty to re-phrase:  "This has been a profoundly grievous misuse of the Revelation of Holy Spirit."  I feel a personal mandate to return Prophetic Ministry to the unadulterated Testimony of Jesus Christ.  Frank, what is your advice for this turn-around?  What breed of leadership will this require as you see it? The Holy Spirit has one main job: It is to reveal, to glorify, to magnify, and make real and living in one's life the Lord Jesus Christ. All the arrows of the Spirit point to Jesus. We show this quite clearly in the book. True prophecy, therefore, will always reveal Christ in some way. John said in the book of Revelation, "the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." What was the content of the Old Testament prophets? It was Jesus. So today, when someone prophesies under the Spirit's anointing, the content of their prophecy will reveal, glorify, exalt, make known and living the Lord Jesus Christ. This truth is often missed among certain movements today that have put "prophetic ministry" on the throne instead of Jesus Himself. 8.   I am excited to see the impact of Manifesto---manifest!  Can you give us any early reports?  How do you hope the book impacts the church and the world? Since its release, the book has reached #6 on Amazon.com (the largest bookstore in the world which carries over 9 million titles). This was rather amazing to us. The book is in its third week and it's still the #1 Christian book on Amazon. We are humbled and surprised, but very blessed that God has chosen to breathe on the book. Thankfully, we get reports almost daily of people who have been moved by the book and how it's caused them to see and know their Lord like never before. Readers can learn more about the book by going here: www.theJesusManifesto.com Among other things, they can download the two new worship songs that Christian artists recorded for the book. And there's also a way for readers to SIGN THE MANIFESTO. 9.  The church is the expression of Jesus in the Realm of Earth, but currently only a very tiny percentage of 'churched' Christians have any outlet for expressing Him within the church walls.  Something is very wrong with this picture.  Frank, what can take the traditional churches from the paradigm of the one man show into the chaordic Voice like Many Waters depicted in Revelation? In Jesus Manifesto, we don't talk about church structure. But I do answer this question in my book Finding Organic Church. It's a complicated situation, but it can and has been done. 10.   Romans 8:19 is the cry of my heart and no doubt Jesus' as well:  "All of creation groans for the manifestation of the sons of God."  All creation needs to see Jesus come in His Glory through His people.  Perhaps in the charismatic movement we have wanted to see His Glory prematurely?  Perhaps we focused on the Glory and the effects upon us, rather than creating a New Bethany---a community for Him.  Did we look for gold dust before giving Jesus a place to lay His head? Can you foresee a prophetic Bethany?   In the book, we have a whole chapter on Bethany. Bethany was a little village just outside the city of Jerusalem. It was the home of Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and Simon. Bethany was the only place on earth where Jesus was received, loved, and where His needs were met. Bethany is a picture of God's idea of what the church ought to be. My main calling is to plant churches that are spiritual Bethanies. Churches where Christ is supreme, preeminent, valued, loved, known, and expressed by the whole body together. So the chapter on Bethany is not theoretical; it's been my experience. I hope that such churches become more prevalent in the future. Though I don't know that they will ever become hugely popular because they run against human traditions and so much of the world's spirit and framework, not to mention that they challenge what the fallen self stands for. For those who are interested in this kind of Christ-saturated church life, they may want to take a look at our Mediography which contains many free messages, articles, and resources. If they have iTunes, they can search the CHRIST IS ALL podcast in the iTunes store and freely subscribe. -- Frank Viola is a bestselling author and the coauthor of the new book Jesus Manifesto with Leonard Sweet (Thomas Nelson). You may order the book from Amazon.com, Family Christian, or Barnes and Noble. Endorsements by Jack Hayford, Francis Frangipane, Mark Chironna, Tommy Barnett, etc. For more information, go to www.theJesusManifesto.com END   JESUS MANIFESTO RESTORING THE SUPREMACY AND SOVEREIGNTY OF JESUS CHRIST Leonard Sweet Frank Viola Since its release, the book has reached #6 on Amazon.com (the largest bookstore in the world which carries over 9 million titles).  The book is in its third week and it's still the #1 Christian book on Amazon.   AMAZON Still On SALE! Keep In Touch! Kelly's Blog: Subscribe to Parabola's Recent Activity Bridges Website: www.theparabola.com TWITTER: http://twitter.com/KellyDeppen   Join Our Mailing List   Bridges Revelatory Ministry PO Box 68 Gratz, Pennsylvania 17030 www.theparabola.com

Exclusive Interview with Author of Jesus Manifesto

June 29, 2010 "Exclusive Interview with the Author of JESUS MANIFESTO" Bridges Revelatory Ministry   FRANK VIOLA "We just felt burdened by the Lord to write what was on our hearts about the absolute glory, power, majesty, beauty, and staggering enormity of our Lord Jesus and to give a clarion call to the church to make Him absolutely central and supreme in a practical way. When we wrote the book, our burden was released."   I had the honor to read Jesus Manifesto in advance of its release so that I could blog about it, review it...and best of all be changed by it. Yeah, I think its that important.  The Centrality and Supremacy of Jesus Christ ARE the only IMPORTANT thing.  I am very appreciative that Frank and Jeanette contacted me to do a one on one interview.  I had questions--impact questions--because I expect great impact. I expect Manifestation! Enjoy the Interview!                                           Kelly Deppen                     Bridges Revelatory Ministry        Exclusive Interview with Frank Viola, author of Jesus Manifesto Restoring the Supremacy and Sovereignty of Jesus Christ 1.   Frank, you are a real present-tense guy sent to Reveal the Eternal Mystery.  How is life in the paradox? Paul was uniquely chosen by God to reveal the "mystery of the ages" in Ephesians and Colossians. Len Sweet and I are simply bringing out what Paul wrote to a 21st audience and doing it by using a lot of word imagery. Consequently, Jesus Manifesto reads almost like non-fiction (the style is very right brain), even though it's a fiction book based squarely on the Bible. Jesus is the Ultimate Paradox as He is both human and divine. The incarnation is "the absolute paradox" as one writer put it. As such, the Christian life is very paradoxical - you have to die to live, you have to give to receive, you must lower yourself to rise, etc. Every Christian lives in this tension. 2.   I am a champion of the Truth that Jesus Christ is Reality for those in Him.  In Him we live and move and have our beings.  In Jesus Manifesto you discuss the fact that the real essence of humanity comes in walking in Jesus, the quintessential human being.  I love that.  To what degree are you willing to cop to being a mystic? The word "mystic" is a clay word. It's been shaped and molded by different people to mean very different things.  You can condemn a person with the word or honor them by it. I personally don't like the words "mystic" or "mystical" because they can mean so many different things, some of them very unChristian. So I prefer the word "spiritual." Our walk with Jesus is real. It is also spiritual. Jesus is in the Spirit today, and He can be known and experienced. In this sense, the Christian faith is mystical. Meaning, it's spiritual and real rather than abstract and simply intellectual. Yet it is based solidly on the testimony of Scripture and will not break nor violate what the Scriptures teach. I like what A.W. Tozer said about the word "mystic," and I resonate with it: "Some of my friends good-humoredly - and some a little bit severely - have called me a 'mystic.' Well I'd like to say this about any mysticism I may suppose to have. If an arch-angel from heaven were to come, and were to start giving me, telling me, teaching me, and giving me instruction, I'd ask him for the text. I'd say, 'Where's it say that in the Bible? I want to know.' And I would insist that it was according to the scriptures, because I do not believe in any extra-scriptural teachings, nor any anti-scriptural teachings, or any sub-scriptural teachings. I think we ought to put the emphasis where God puts it, and continue to put it there, and to expound the scriptures, and stay by the scriptures. I wouldn't - no matter if I saw a light above the light of the sun, I'd keep my mouth shut about it 'til I'd checked with Daniel and Revelation and the rest of the scriptures to see if it had any basis in truth. And if it didn't, I'd think I'd just eaten something I shouldn't, and I wouldn't say anything about it. Because I don't believe in anything that is unscriptural or that is anti-scripture." 3.   The scholarship in Manifesto sets a very high standard.  What is the mix or ratio of scholarship to revelation that went into writing the book with Len, and how did the two streams come together for you? The book may appear to be scholarly to some only because it has endnotes and we quote some theologians here and there, but it's a very popularly written book and the reading level is quite low. We tried to write it so that a high school student could understand it and absorb its message. We're finding that a lot of readers of Christian fiction love the book because it uses a lot of imagery, word pictures, and metaphors. At the same time, we quote theologians and philosophers to make certain points and there is a ton of Scripture in it as well. Revelation and scholarship go hand and hand. You can think of revelation as insight that is revealed to our hearts by the Holy Spirit. You can think of scholarship as that which is based in an accurate interpretation of the Bible. So if revelation is really from the Spirit, it will have the scholarship of the Bible behind it. In our book, we are writing mostly to the heart rather than the head. For this reason, many people have told us that they have wept through the book and have encountered the Lord in a fresh way while reading it. People can read some of the reader reactions here. 4.   How did the revelation that you and Len were to expand beyond the online Manifesto come?  Better yet, what did Jesus say to you? There was no audible voice or vision. We just felt burdened by the Lord to write what was on our hearts about the absolute glory, power, majesty, beauty, and staggering enormity of our Lord Jesus and to give a clarion call to the church to make Him absolutely central and supreme in a practical way. When we wrote the book, our burden was released. 5.   I love that Jesus did not choose to be President of any Political Program, and He rejected being appointed Grand Poo-bah of a Religion.  The simple Truth that His Kingdom is not of this world is powerfully and carefully portrayed in Jesus Manifesto.  We fell for a counterfeit reality called religion and now need to repent. Frank, what is your leadership role in this transition, now that Manifesto is published?  What's next for you in this initiative? For the last 22 years, I've been meeting in organic churches. I've been planting them for more than a decade. These are churches that are very much like the New Testament vision of church, where Jesus is Head and everyone functions according to their particular gifts. They are churches that function as living organisms rather than as institutional organizations (hence the word "organic"). I've written about organic churches extensively in my book Reimagining Church. Jesus Manifesto contains a good bit of the message that I preach when founding a church on Jesus Christ. According to Paul, Jesus is the only foundation upon which a church should be built. 6.   In Jesus Manifesto you state, "...this church is a new polis."  We are a new race of people, however we seem to be a little schizophrenic and believe that an old race of leadership, and worn out, ineffective leadership systems can effectively lead this new Jesus-population.  What must happen to change this?  Can you describe some characteristics of a new breed of leadership?  Who will lead this Colony from the other realm? True leaders are those who truly follow Jesus. The role of a true leader, then, is to equip God's people to know the Lord, to follow Him, and to function in ministry in a corporate way. One of the things we take dead aim at in the book is the zeal that so many Christians have to become leaders. "Leadership principles" and "leadership training" has been put on the throne, and Jesus has been made a footnote. Let's make our business knowing Christ in the depths, and leadership which flows out of followership will take care of itself. 7.   A hard line, tough love quote from Manifesto:  "This is a profoundly grievous misuse of the Bible."  [To use the Bible as a recipe book, a formulation and pat answer for God across all situations, across time.]   The implication is to make God predictable and manageable by man. In the past two decades  many in  the Prophetic Movement have made a similar misuse of the rhema/prophetic Word of God.  Much of the prophecy was self-aggrandizing---prophecies of personal success, Swiss chalets, and world-wide apostolic anointings. I take the liberty to re-phrase:  "This has been a profoundly grievous misuse of the Revelation of Holy Spirit."  I feel a personal mandate to return Prophetic Ministry to the unadulterated Testimony of Jesus Christ.  Frank, what is your advice for this turn-around?  What breed of leadership will this require as you see it? The Holy Spirit has one main job: It is to reveal, to glorify, to magnify, and make real and living in one's life the Lord Jesus Christ. All the arrows of the Spirit point to Jesus. We show this quite clearly in the book. True prophecy, therefore, will always reveal Christ in some way. John said in the book of Revelation, "the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." What was the content of the Old Testament prophets? It was Jesus. So today, when someone prophesies under the Spirit's anointing, the content of their prophecy will reveal, glorify, exalt, make known and living the Lord Jesus Christ. This truth is often missed among certain movements today that have put "prophetic ministry" on the throne instead of Jesus Himself. 8.   I am excited to see the impact of Manifesto---manifest!  Can you give us any early reports?  How do you hope the book impacts the church and the world? Since its release, the book has reached #6 on Amazon.com (the largest bookstore in the world which carries over 9 million titles). This was rather amazing to us. The book is in its third week and it's still the #1 Christian book on Amazon. We are humbled and surprised, but very blessed that God has chosen to breathe on the book. Thankfully, we get reports almost daily of people who have been moved by the book and how it's caused them to see and know their Lord like never before. Readers can learn more about the book by going here: www.theJesusManifesto.com Among other things, they can download the two new worship songs that Christian artists recorded for the book. And there's also a way for readers to SIGN THE MANIFESTO. 9.  The church is the expression of Jesus in the Realm of Earth, but currently only a very tiny percentage of 'churched' Christians have any outlet for expressing Him within the church walls.  Something is very wrong with this picture.  Frank, what can take the traditional churches from the paradigm of the one man show into the chaordic Voice like Many Waters depicted in Revelation? In Jesus Manifesto, we don't talk about church structure. But I do answer this question in my book Finding Organic Church. It's a complicated situation, but it can and has been done. 10.   Romans 8:19 is the cry of my heart and no doubt Jesus' as well:  "All of creation groans for the manifestation of the sons of God."  All creation needs to see Jesus come in His Glory through His people.  Perhaps in the charismatic movement we have wanted to see His Glory prematurely?  Perhaps we focused on the Glory and the effects upon us, rather than creating a New Bethany---a community for Him.  Did we look for gold dust before giving Jesus a place to lay His head? Can you foresee a prophetic Bethany?   In the book, we have a whole chapter on Bethany. Bethany was a little village just outside the city of Jerusalem. It was the home of Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and Simon. Bethany was the only place on earth where Jesus was received, loved, and where His needs were met. Bethany is a picture of God's idea of what the church ought to be. My main calling is to plant churches that are spiritual Bethanies. Churches where Christ is supreme, preeminent, valued, loved, known, and expressed by the whole body together. So the chapter on Bethany is not theoretical; it's been my experience. I hope that such churches become more prevalent in the future. Though I don't know that they will ever become hugely popular because they run against human traditions and so much of the world's spirit and framework, not to mention that they challenge what the fallen self stands for. For those who are interested in this kind of Christ-saturated church life, they may want to take a look at our Mediography which contains many free messages, articles, and resources. If they have iTunes, they can search the CHRIST IS ALL podcast in the iTunes store and freely subscribe. -- Frank Viola is a bestselling author and the coauthor of the new book Jesus Manifesto with Leonard Sweet (Thomas Nelson). You may order the book from Amazon.com, Family Christian, or Barnes and Noble. Endorsements by Jack Hayford, Francis Frangipane, Mark Chironna, Tommy Barnett, etc. For more information, go to www.theJesusManifesto.com END   JESUS MANIFESTO RESTORING THE SUPREMACY AND SOVEREIGNTY OF JESUS CHRIST Leonard Sweet Frank Viola Since its release, the book has reached #6 on Amazon.com (the largest bookstore in the world which carries over 9 million titles).  The book is in its third week and it's still the #1 Christian book on Amazon.   AMAZON Still On SALE! Keep In Touch! Kelly's Blog: Subscribe to Parabola's Recent Activity Bridges Website: www.theparabola.com TWITTER: http://twitter.com/KellyDeppen   Join Our Mailing List   Bridges Revelatory Ministry PO Box 68 Gratz, Pennsylvania 17030 www.theparabola.com

Watch This Space Tuesday for My Interview with Frank Viola, author of Jesus Manifesto

COMING THIS TUESDAY, JUNE 29th
ONE on ONE INTERVIEW with FRANK VIOLA     AUTHOR of JESUS MANIFESTO
My Frank Interview with Frank:   I had the awesome opportunity to ask some IMPLICATIONS questions about Manifesto: What Does the Centrality and Singularity of Jesus Christ Mean to the Prophetic Ministry and Movement?   Watch your e-mail, Twitter, and Face Book Tuesday to Read what Frank has to share on JESUS, JESUS, and...JESUS! There is NO OTHER!

These Winds of Change are for YOU! And you are Powered by Holy Spirit!

This Holy Wind is to MOVE you...to a Place of
Destiny and Purpose

There is a wind of change blowing, and
I ask the Lord that you will all have eyes to see and ears to
...hear---and a spiritual sensitivity to go the way the wind is blowing.This
is not a shift or a re-alignment but a CHANGE. Like, what was there is
n...o longer and a NEW Thing is in place. BE A
PART of IT!
It IS what He is doing in His church, His Bride...and by
this I mean his eklesia and Not the corporation called Christianity!
Strong
words?? STRONG WIND.
I thought just now--oh I will post a
picture of the wind to go with this Word...BUT WHO CAN SEE THE WIND?
THE WIND MUST BE FELT...MUST BE PERCEIVED.We can see the effects of
the wind. Jesus, MAY I BE AFFECTED BY YOUR HOLY SPIRIT WIND

.God
and His Heavenly Host have already gone ahead of you in preparation.
Jesus the Breaker has broken through the gates. The Philistines are
DEAD. You waiting for a sign? Silly! You ARE THE SIGN.

"And let
it be, when thou hear the sound WIND in the tops of the mulberry
trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall the LORD
go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines. " 2
Samuel 5:24

I want to tell some of you to S T O P !Do
NOT return to some former things, even if these former things are
'spiritual' or 'church-ified.' Cease and desist. Paul said it best:
"Forgetting those things that are behind I press on to the upward call
of Christ on my life."IF THE PEOPLE Where you are now cannot SEE
you---all flesh and blood and anointed and standing before
them...well---what are the chances that they are going to SEE THE UPWARD
CALL of GOD on Your life? Slim to none.
If this wind of
Holy Spirit is blowing on you----MOVE WITH HIM! Go DO WHAT YOU
ARE C H O S E N To Do!Go B E who you are called to be.You
waiting for permission to say Yes to God? Are you blonde?
ONLY
YOU ARE ABLE TO GIVE YOUR 'YES ' TO GOD.
You MUST
BE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR 'YES' TO GOD.
Now I want e-mails! I want
messages. I want wall posts telling me and everyone else WHAT YOUR YES
TO GOD IS and what YOU ARE DOING ABOUT IT.
You were sent to the
earth to CHANGE THINGS. This is a Wind of CHANGE. This is Your Wind.

Freedom
is so REFRESHING. Living my DESTINY is so Satisfying.

Love
and Jesus
Kelly

 

JESUS THINKS YOU'RE BRILLIANT!

"Great Spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds."   Einstein is arguably the smartest guy ever, and my hero. One of the things I love most about him is his vision and his joy in living.  I love his peculiar, personal scientific method.  He conducted 'thought experiments.'  He sat at his desk or in a chair with his pipe---contemplating and receiving what I believe to be inspiration.  To the uninformed observer he would have looked like a day-dreamer or a lazy oaf, sitting, staring into the distance or perhaps at the same wall for hours on end.  And that hair! But Albert had some great encouragers in his corner.  His parents thought that he was brilliant.  Even in the face of long stretches of joblessness his father supported him financially and encouraged his endeavors.  When Albert Einstein had nothing apparent going for him his family believed in him.  His dad was brilliant in his own right, working for Siemens and holding patents and degrees in electrical engineering.  He saw his son's potential when no one else could. His first wife Mileva was also brilliant and a doctoral candidate in physics, but her great success is perhaps that she believed in Einstein--even after divorce she encouraged him.  And let's not forget that she received his Nobel Prize million as the divorce settlement.  Smart lady, that Mileva. Albert's second wife Elsa was also a great force in his life, encouraging him and being a home for his heart in the years when he was in such demand. Who Knows That You are Brilliant? That person is a force in your life.   And this person has been given a revelation from God about you.  They may have been imparted with the greatest gift of all:  a supernatural ability to ignore all of the stupid stuff about you!  Or...the grace to deal with it. This person fulfills a Christ-like role in your life:  They have the vision to SEE God's plans for you.  They SEE the destiny in you.   Psst:  It's In The Relationship The vision and inspiration to encourage you, to mentor you, and to pray for you has not---I repeat not--been given to Rick Joyner.  (And I love Rick--but he makes a powerful example here...) The latest and greatest Apostolic Network, Prophetic Network, conference, or tape series may have some wisdom, even revelation to impart--but these folks are not your backers.  Sadly--you may be expected to be theirs. It is in Relationship and Conversation that your encouraging and your greatest fans will manifest.  Conversation is key.  If there is no real, personal two-way dialog happening---this is an association or affiliation--NOT a relationship. God has given someone with eyes to see a vision of who you are in Christ and the impact you are meant to have for the Kingdom. Jesus thinks that you're brilliant... "He that believes in me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."  John 14:12 And, He has given certain people His own vision to see the brilliance in you and the Kingdom purpose in you. Hey, Einstein!---all you have to do is be expecting and anticipating. Love and Jesus Kelly         My New, Brilliant Friend Recently, I met a new friend on a social networking site.  Brilliant young guy. He says some stuff that entirely offends my mind--and the vestiges of my old religious sensibilities.  But the guy SEES things and sees the world with such fresh vision and uncluttered thought---I see a great brilliance there. Never cast away the shine of brilliance just because it did not come out of your grandmother's jewelry box! The fresh brilliance you entertain may be the next person to lead you in building the Kingdom of God in the Earth! This fresh brilliance may expose some of your former bling and brilliance as fool's gold.  Wouldn't that be embarrassing! "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven."  Matthew 18:10 "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." Hebrews 13:2

I APOLOGIZE--- Now will ya Pray??

I apologize---now will ya pray?!

If I had a meeting or a phone call scheduled with you today---please forgive me! 


I have had a great deal of right-sided pain for about 5 days, which I pushed through and prayed through in order to host the Kline family reunion here on Monday.  The food must be prepared...  and exponentially since it was, after all, a Kline family reunion!

Took my regular MS meds for the 5 days of OUCH!  and neglected rest and wisdom.
Woke last night without the cooperation of my right leg and feeling like my knee was going to explode.  Wouldn't that just be something if the old knee just exploded!  kapow.

Dave took me to the doc first thing today and I have been told that I have a disc bulging onto my sciatic nerve with a side order of MS...and I wanted fries with that!

So, please do pray for me.  I would start by prayin'  "Jesus, please give Kelly some smarts!"
Then, pray as He leads.

I refused the increased dosage of steroids---as I need to get rid of the 30 pounds of side effects I already have from them!!!  (And, when I take prednisone no one suffers more that Dave!  grrrrrr.)

I am walking now and tried (tried) to rest all afternoon but there must be a sign in front of the house that says "Pool Open, Come on in and Pester Kelly."
Taking some revved up painkillers (don't write me and even MENTION the word pharmakaeia, or I will use the steroids and I WILL find you.  :) 
I quote my favorite character in all of English letters, Doctor Gregory House, MD who says it best, "When I am in a boatload of pain, I need a boatload of pills."

Jesus loves me.  I will be healed and YOU are my immune system!

In all things give thanks.  Thanks, Jesus for Dave who babied me and kept bringing me lemonade which he made himself out of the lemons I kept throwing at him!! 
I LOVE YOU LORD!

Kelly

JESUS MANIFESTO Reviewed by Kelly Deppen

"Currently, people have trouble seeing the divine in Christ." ~Sweet and Viola Wait a minute, Frank and Leonard!  We're charismatics for crying out loud!  We put the divine in Christianity---didn't we? Manifesto?  Heck we are out here manifesting like there is no tomorrow..and barking like dogs at that! But read this missal, dear friends, and see yourselves in the mirror that Frank Viola and Leonard Sweet hold up in a spirit of Love and Urgency...and you will see a self and a church who have lost the centrality of Jesus Christ despite the fact that we write and sing worship songs decrying "Christ Be the Center." We have shoved Jesus off of our center by the shoulder of every lesser thing:  programs, productivity, politics, and every other ugly beast. Charismatics have always felt a special entitlement to Holy Spirit, and have still managed to relegate Jesus to the back pew. "And Christ is the only thing that the Spirit reveals.  He has no other revelation." p 3 Jesus Manifesto is a clarion call to come back to our First Love:  personally, corporately, inwardly and outwardly.  And, there is an urgency in the spirits of Sweet and Viola--I believe it is Revelation.  For far too long we have settled to "be like Him."  Our authors reveal that this too is derivative and is producing weakness within the Body.  The authors say it better--this likeness movement--the WWJD--- "cheapens the gospel and depresses the spirit." p 69 "Christlikeness is too small a dream, too shallow an ambition." p 69 The good news in Jesus Manifesto is that Jesus does not want us to be like Him---He wants to share his Resurrection Life with us! My prayer is that all who will read Manifesto will awaken refreshed and assured that we are the candlesticks.  We are the vessels of Holy Spirit.  We are the Body of Jesus Christ in the Realm of the Earth. We are the Manifesto. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0849946018?tag=stellardesign-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeA Click to buy ON SALE TODAY  Special Pricing!

GATHER IN HIS SPIRIT THIS SUNDAY TO RELEASE PURE WATERS INTO THE GULF!

You are A Message in a Bottle

British Petroleum states unequivocally in the Time Magazine article below that ,' They are doing all that they can.' Well, beloveds---you and I know---that ain't enough! This environmental tragedy, this enemy attack on the fullness of the Lord's Earth calls for Divine Intervention. You.  You are the carrier of the DNA of God the Father, the character and resurrection power of Jesus Christ in the Earth, the vessel of His Holy Spirit. This time---it's up to us. No, we are not going to "Pray that..."  We are going to RELEASE PRAYER.  We are going to RELEASE REDEMPTION.  We are going to RELEASE the HEALING VIRTUE of JESUS CHRIST. Because these Elements of His Nature---are WITHIN US! We are going to MINISTER TO THE EARTH and ITS WATERS from the RIVERS of LIVING WATER WITHIN OUR VERY BELLIES! Sunday, May 30 Please RELEASE the Living Waters Within YOU into the Earth and into the Waters of the Gulf.  Decree Redemption and Healing. Prophesy HEALING. Speak Healing to the pelican and all of God's creatures. It IS Up to Us! He that believes on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. ~  John 7:38 The LIVING WATERS of HOLY SPIRIT and THE PRESENCE of GOD WITHIN YOU ARE YOUR INFLUENCE IN THE EARTH. TIME TO RELEASE & USE THIS GOD-GIVEN INFLUENCE! You may be in a traditional church setting on Sunday, you may be in a home church, YOU MAY BE THE CHURCH, you may be at a back yard BBQ: RELEASE THE SPIRIT of GOD RESIDENT IN YOU AND BLESS THE EARTH! Love and Jesus Kelly PLEASE POST THIS IN YOUR BLOGS, FORWARD TO YOUR LISTS, E-MAIL TO FRIENDS, POST AT CHURCH, thanks!