The video is here.
When Jesus stands at the door of our heart and knocks, the offer is that “I will come in and eat with him, and he with me” (Rev 3:20). Our hearts are equipped with a table we set for communion and communication with Jesus. Servants invite Him in to sit on a throne so they can obey; friends just take up the offer to eat together so they can collaborate. It’s wisdom to set a table because Jesus is coming to eat with us, not rule over us.
Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars. She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table. Prov 9:1-2 NIV
What’s for dinner? – The table is set with bread (shewbread). It reminds us that Jesus is the bread of life. More specifically, His normal meal (meat) is to do the will of his Father. Kingdom purpose is the food that feeds our hearts.
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35 NIV
“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. John 4:34-35
The Greek word for shewbread is prothesis which means “setting forth a proposal.” It’s usually translated as purpose in the New Testament. The topic of conversation around this meal with Jesus is our kingdom purpose – something we volunteer for. I always hear the Lord asking, “What would you like to do now that you know the Father’s business. You’ve been chosen and appointed, now you can ask whatever” (Jn 15:15-16). The backdrop is that this meal and conversation set the stage to share the Father’s heart and His desires. The new covenant is that we’re now functioning out of the desires deeply held in our own hearts that God wrote there (Heb 8:10, 10:16). That’s a lot different than a religious servant trying to offer up a sacrifice of obedience for a lifetime . . . a lot more fun too!
To him who overcomes – Once we set the table and have the collaboration, there is an invitation, “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne.” We might ask, “What does it take to overcome?” The disciples asked the same question and Jesus gave this answer:
Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” John 6:28-29 NIV
It’s a bit risky to define overcoming as success. It’s an attitude of faith that is superimposed over good and bad circumstances that puts us on a persistent trajectory toward our book and our Father’s purposes. We overcome when we can “see Jesus and believe” even if everything goes wrong. Overcomers release a faith that redeems all things that happen regarding our and our Father’s “purpose (shewbread).”
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (shewbread). Rom 8:28 NIV
Instead of complaining or asking, “why me?” or redoubling our spiritual warfare or wondering where God is, we are not surprised by trials that make us feel lost in the wilderness. We have confidence that even if we are down, Jesus will set the table in the midst of our warfare . . . to talk about purpose (eat the shewbread) and work His good out of a bad situation (resurrection) so that our cup overflows.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Ps 23:5 NIV
Sitting on His throne – Once we overcome by trusting Him a few times, we hear this, “I will give the right to sit with me on my throne.” When we open our heart’s door to communion, Jesus open a door to heaven to show us purpose and strategies. John puts it this way:
After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. Rev 4:1-3
The trademark of this experience is it activates our seer gift. Now we can see things from heaven’s perspective. We don’t just hear what the Spirit is saying, we can also see what the Father is doing! Looking at our purpose from heaven gives us a much more strategic perspective. It puts my own purpose in the context of what God is doing in the nations. I am a brother in a royal family, a son in whom God is well pleased, a joint heir of His Kingdom, a king who can lead and create, and a priest who can impart life.
Connect the dots – Just like accusations in the courts of heaven, I’m not resisting them, I’m agreeing with my adversary about whatever is legitimate and covering it with repentance and the blood of Jesus, so I can continue to walk out my book.
I’m using a similar approach for problems. Instead of fighting circumstances, people and principalities, I’m allowing God to fight for me by setting a table for Jesus, opening a door in my heart, eating the shewbread of my purpose and rising to my position with Christ on His throne to rule from a mountain top. I’m not just blessing people, now I’m blessing nations by releasing the judgements against them. If circumstances wash over me, I’m surrendering to God’s resurrection and redeeming power to get glory for His name, knowing that I am more than a conqueror who wins in the end. We are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that His life may be revealed (2Cor 4:11). Now that I know what’s going on, I’m agreeing for it. Those times of inordinate pressure, times of hurt and despair and heartache and a sense of being wasted and not used, God is laying the foundation for life in our hearts. Others, perhaps, are being given life because of the death you are going through.
It’s just a matter of timing and court cases. In the meantime, I’m putting the Kingdom first by munching on my shewbread, writing out the purpose statement for my book, taking the next step to implement it and positioning my heart with joyful and grateful expectation. Hearing “take this bread” during communion has new meaning. I hear purpose!
On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine — the best of meats and the finest of wines. Isa 25:6 NIV
And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Luke 22:29-30 NIV
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit’s fire 1 Thess 5:16-19
Suggestions:
If you’re one of those young lions hungry to birth a reformation in the Netherlands, contact Marcel van den Berg http://opzoeknaarhetkoninkrijk.nl/
Podcast #5 with Tyler McCart
Podcast #3 and #4 Micro-church– The most recent interviews with Shae Bynes
Podcast #1 and Podcast #2 – fun interviews with Steve Reiter and John Ramstead
Books – Releasing Kings and Desire to Destiny
Heart Plan in Europe – HeartPlan.eu
For those of you who own a Business, join us at Building A Kingdom Company.
Releasing Kings is available in French “Libération des Rois pour le ministère dans le monde du travail” ISBN: 978-90-78643-08-1
Releasing Kings is available in Dutch “Moderne Koningen”
Cutting room floor stuff
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. 21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. Rev 3:20-4:3 NIV
NT:4286 prothesis (proth’-es-is); from NT:4388; a setting forth, i.e. (figuratively) proposal (intention); specifically, the show-bread (in the Temple) as exposed before God: KJV – purpose, shew [-bread].
PURPOSE prothesis NT:4286, “a setting forth” (used of the “showbread”), “a purpose” (akin to B, No. 3), is used (a) of the “purposes of God,” Rom 8:28; 9:11; Eph 1:11; 3:11; 2 Tim 1:9; (b) of “human purposes,” as to things material, Acts 27:13; spiritual, Acts 11:23; 2 Tim 3:10. See SHEWBREAD.
Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. Acts 11:23 JV
And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete. Acts 27:13 KJV
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Rom 8:28 KJV
(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) Rom 9:11 JV
predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will Eph 1:11 KJV
According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: Eph 3:11 KJV
9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 2 Tim 1:9 KJV
10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, 2 Tim 3:10 KJV
For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary. Heb 9:2 KJV
And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was an hungered, and they which were with him; 4 How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone? Luke 6:3-4 KJV
“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. John 4:34-35 NIV
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35 NIV
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Ps 23:5 NIV
On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine — the best of meats and the finest of wines. Isa 25:6 NIV
Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars. 2 She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table. Prov 9:1-2 NIV
And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Luke 22:29-30 NIV
17 “Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Call out to every kind of bird and all the wild animals: ‘Assemble and come together from all around to the sacrifice I am preparing for you, the great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel. There you will eat flesh and drink blood. 18 You will eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of the princes of the earth as if they were rams and lambs, goats and bulls — all of them fattened animals from Bashan. 19 At the sacrifice I am preparing for you, you will eat fat till you are glutted and drink blood till you are drunk. 20 At my table you will eat your fill of horses and riders, mighty men and soldiers of every kind,’ declares the Sovereign Lord.
21 “I will display my glory among the nations Ezek 39:17-21 NIV
