There are many ways that the church’s nature is going to change, and one of the most basic is that we will be taking on a military demeanor. We are called to be an army, and we will see the church become one of the most powerful, disciplined, and effective forces the world has ever known before the end of this age. As we have also covered, there are basic ways that we will be different from any human army because the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. We were sent to save lives, not take them—to set people free, not conquer them.  

         Three major thrusts are now taking place in the body of Christ. The first is unity, and this is making unprecedented possibilities unfold for the church. Those with faith seize possibilities. Those who live by fear instead of faith get left behind. On His last night on earth, Jesus prayed earnestly for the unity of His people. We can be sure that the prayer of the Son of God will be answered. The body of Christ will come into unity.

     Last week there was an article on AOL News about how an increasing number of Americans doubted that President Obama is a Christian, but rather believe that he is a Muslim. This has also been picked up by television news. Much of the media seems intent on establishing Obama as a Christian, but in the words of Shakespeare, I think he “doth protest too much.” The way the media and the White House are covering this, it is likely far more people are being persuaded that Obama is indeed a Muslim.

        The end of America as we know it is near. This can be a good thing or a bad thing. We are at the place where we will return to the remarkable and wise foundations on which the nation was built, or we will cease to be a Republic at all. Which it will be will likely be determined in 2012.

         Last week we began to address how “Jacob’s Ladder” is Jesus Himself, as we see in John 1:47-50. We are called to be the messengers who ascend on Him into the heavenly realm. The rungs on this Ladder are the progressive revelations of who Jesus is. We go up as we see Him as our Savior. We go higher as we come to know Him as our Lord.

         This week we continue our study of Revelation 1:10:

    “I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day….”

         Understanding what it meant for John to be “in the Spirit on the Lord’s day” is the beginning of the revelation of an important theme of prophecy in Scripture—“the day of the Lord.”

        We discussed how we are changed by seeing the Lord’s glory in His ministries and gifts, but there are overall aspects of His nature that reveal His glory, and as we behold them we are likewise changed by them. The biggest of these is His love. The others are His peace, patience, faithfulness, and all that makes up the fruit of the Spirit. So to grow in wisdom and stature as He did, we must be growing in both the gifts of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit.