Mel Gibson’s, The Passion of the Christ is one of the most controversial films to be produced in a long time. There is a reason for this—it is one of the most anointed and powerful films produced in a very long time.

For the last few weeks we have briefly discussed the functions of the five equipping ministries listed in Ephesians 4:11. Now we will proceed to discuss their purpose in a little more depth, which is stated as being “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12). So what does it mean to “equip” the saints?

In Psalm 89:14, the Word of God declares, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; loving kindness and truth go before You.” Righteousness is doing what is right in the sight of the Lord. Justice is also established by His standards. However, mercy and truth go before Him because none are righteous or just in His sight without His mercy. Even so, after His mercy His truth will surely follow.

The following are prophetic words, dreams, visions and revelations that we felt relate specifically to 1996. They were received by those whose prophetic gifts we have found to be trustworthy. The interpretations and applications usually came from discussions I had with those receiving the revelations, but they were written by me. It therefore must be considered that in some cases those receiving the revelation may have different interpretations or applications.

Our goal is to discern:

1) What is happening?

2) What is not happening?

3) What we can do about it?

Churches, ministries, or organizations that only minister to large groups will tend to be more shallow in their messages and the equipping of their people. However, churches that only minister to small groups can be deeper, but they, too, can become imbalanced and prideful if they are not joined in some way to a larger group to gather with at times. The healthiest churches tend to be those that have a large gathering for all, yet have a vital small group ministry as well.

As we have previously discussed, it is likely that some of the greatest Christian leaders and missionaries to have ever lived are alive and serving now. Even so, as much as 90 to 95 percent of Christian missions are either ineffective or counterproductive—sometimes being negative witnesses for the gospel. There are various reasons for this, but most of these missionaries are good Christians, devoted to their work, and would be appalled at the thought that their work could actually be counterproductive to the cause of Christ.

Man exists for God. Government exists for man, and this includes the government of God. Government is the servant, not the master. Because fallen man is basically selfish and self-centered, stronger government is needed to keep order and provide justice in this fallen world. No earthly government has been perfect at this, or will be. Most governments degenerate into using people for their own interests rather than serving the interests of their people, and this includes church governments. This is when governments fall and begin to fail in their basic purpose.

         We’ve come again to the end of one year and the beginning of a new one. As we read the creation story, we see the importance God placed on giving us seasons. Each calendar year, it’s like He wanted us to have a chance for a fresh start—a marker from which we look backward and forward. What did we accomplish last year? Did we accomplish our goals? Do we need to set a new direction or goals? Such periodic evaluations keep us fresh, giving us a new beginning every year.