By Ken Wilson
Ken Wilson is the Senior Pastor of the Ann Arbor Vineyard, Michigan and is the Regional Overseer for the Great Lakes Region. This article, which is reproduced in its entirety below may be found at this link at Vineyard USA Online.

Throughout its history, the Vineyard movement has fostered a conversation about the kingdom of God. This conversation is ongoing, and so it is important both to remind those in the movement of what these concepts involve and to introduce those new to the Vineyard to these distinctive emphases.

Kingdom Theology & Practice

The Vineyard is committed to the theology and practice of the kingdom of God—rooted in the vision of the Hebrew prophets and fulfilled in the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. The movement is distinctively rooted in a renewed understanding of the centrality of the kingdom in biblical thought. We view the kingdom of God as the overarching and integrating theme of the Bible.

From the beginning, the Vineyard has been committed to proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God and to bearing witness to the “already and not yet” of the kingdom in our words and deeds—through healing (physical, emotional, and social), doing justice, and delivering those held captive by evil. Since the kingdom of God is the future reign of God breaking into the present through the life and ministry of Jesus, we are a forward-leaning movement that emphasizes the ever-reforming nature of the church and engages the world in love.

Culturally Relevant Mission

The church exists for the sake of those who are exiled from God. We are called to bring the gospel of the kingdom to every nook and cranny of creation, faithfully translating the message of Jesus in language and forms that are relevant to diverse peoples and cultures.

The Vineyard seeks to plant churches that are culturally relevant in a wide variety of settings, both locally and internationally. Each Vineyard church is encouraged to reach those in its community not already reached by existing churches. To this end, we promote a creative, entrepreneurial, and innovative approach to ministry that is faithful to Jesus and expressive of his desire to reach those who are far away from God.
Compassionate Ministry

We lean toward the lost, the poor, the outcast, and the outsider with the compassion of Jesus, knowing we are sinners whose standing before God is utterly dependent on his mercy. This mercy can only be truly received inasmuch as we are willing to give it away.

We believe that ministry in Jesus’ name should be expressed in concrete ways through the local church. The poor are to be served as though we serve Jesus himself. This is one of the distinguishing characteristics of a church expressing the love of Christ in a local community.

In fact, in all forms of ministry, compassion is a hallmark of the One who was “moved with compassion” in the face of human need. This being the age of grace—and “the year of the Lord’s favor”—compassion should constitute the leading edge of our service to God, each other, and our broken world. With humility, we seek to avoid unauthorized judgments of others, realizing that we suffer and struggle along with the rest of humanity.

Reconciling Community

Jesus is reconciling people to God, to each other, and to the entire creation. He breaks down divisions between Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female. Therefore, Vineyard churches are committed to being communities of healing, engaged in the work of reconciliation wherever sin and evil hold sway.

We also seek to be diverse communities of hope that realize the power of the cross to reconcile what has been separated by sin. This requires that we move beyond our personal preferences and engage those whom we perceive to be unlike us. We must actively work to break down barriers of race, culture, gender, social class, and ethnicity.

We are convinced that the church—locally, nationally, and globally—is meant to be a diverse community precisely because Jesus is Lord over every nation, tribe, and tongue. We are not satisfied with the status quo when it doesn’t reflect this kingdom reality. Instead, we pray eagerly for the coming of God’s kingdom here and now and hope to see the reconciliation that is evidence that kingdom in our midst.

Experiencing God

The triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is eager to be known and experienced by all. We believe that God is searching for the lost and longs to draw us into loving, intimate relationship with him. In Vineyard churches, we welcome God’s personal presence, we seek to be attentive to his presence, and we value the passionate pursuit of his presence in order to respond in obedience to his initiatives.

We understand God’s presence as a palpable reality. As we become increasingly sensitive and responsive to the Spirit’s presence, we too can learn to “see what the Father is doing” and support his work with our lives.

We value an approach to God’s presence that is respectful both of God and others. We eschew hype and other efforts to manipulate either God’s presence or the response of others to his presence. We distinguish between the Holy Spirit and the human response to the Holy Spirit, which shares in all the beauty and brokenness of our humanity.

These, then, are the core values that draw us together as a movement. They are different aspects of the treasure buried in the field that is the Vineyard. The treasure, of course, is the kingdom of God embodied and brought forth by Jesus of Nazareth.

by Francis Frangipane
www.frangipane.org

Since time began, the Kingdom of Heaven has been an interactive reality in man’s destiny. God (and angels) spoke to man “from Heaven” (Gen. 21:17; 22.11; 22:15), the Lord gave man promises and blessings from Heaven (Gen. 24:7; 49.25), and when necessary brought judgments upon wicked men “out of heaven” (Gen. 19:24).

Indeed, the revelation of God’s kingdom in the Sacred Writ is no incidental issue. The Bible records several hundred verses where Heaven or God’s kingdom is mentioned in its various phrasings. It is this kingdom that I’d like us to consider, first as it is revealed in the Old Testament and then as it was manifest in power through Christ in the New Testament. Our focus will remain upon God, of course, yet we must also learn of that realm that surrounds the Most High: His eternal abode.

This realm called Heaven is not only “real,” but it is “an everlasting kingdom” that “endures throughout all generations” (Ps. 145:13). Nations rise and fall, men and cultures emerge in pride and vanity only to disappear, yet God’s kingdom abides forever.

The Time Is Fulfilled
For all the references to Heaven in the Old Testament, with few exceptions, the actual life of Heaven remained remote and inaccessible to the common man. Israel had the Law and the Prophets; it had moments of glory and divine visitation. Yet, the kingdom of God was greater than even Israel’s standards of righteousness.

It was out of Israel that the Messiah came, yet His message was not a restoration of the Law. It was the proclamation of God’s kingdom. Both Jesus and His forerunner, John the Baptist, heralded the same incredible word:

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).

The time was fulfilled? Yes, a new dispensation had arrived! The Kingdom of God was at hand? Yes, Heaven was within the reach of men. The realm of God had come near! The message of the kingdom was without precedent, yet it was so! Every manner of sickness was healed instantly at the touch of Jesus’ hands, for Heaven was at hand! The demonically tormented were instantly set free, for Heaven empowered Jesus.

Yet, as the Holy Spirit empowered Christ, so He empowered and commissioned His disciples, and Heaven manifest through them as well! Through the battalion of His disciples, the authority and compassion of Heaven flowed. They had power to heal, to deliver, even to raise the dead.

“And as you go, preach, saying, `The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 10:7).

Heaven, “at hand?” What did that mean, but that Heaven itself, once remote and inaccessible to common men, was now close enough to reach from where men were.

Beloved, this is what Jesus said church should look like! Healing, deliverance, power: the kingdom of Heaven manifested through the lives of surrendered, yet believing men and women.

And this is what the church will look like before Jesus returns.

This Gospel of the Kingdom
Jesus knew there would be a great falling away from God’s kingdom. He warned of false prophets and teachers arising to mislead many. Certainly, we have seen our share of watered-down, superficial Christianity. Yet in spite of our failings, Jesus made a remarkable prediction. He said,

“This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matt. 24:14).

In spite of a great falling away, there is a great gathering back to God’s kingdom. Let us hear Christ’s words with faith. He said before the “end shall come” and He returns, the gospel of the kingdom shall be preached to all nations. He did not say that the whole world would be subdued before He returns, but that the whole world would witness the kingdom of Heaven, preached with power, before His return.

Let me emphasize His reassuring point. He said, “This gospel” – that is, His gospel, His teaching, the “words in red.” If we focus on becoming like Him in obedience to His words, He promises to increasingly accompany our preaching with His power to perform miracles, signs and wonders.

He said, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached.” Not the gospel only of salvation (as wonderful as it is!), but also the message of the kingdom. The gospel of salvation is free. We cannot access the kingdom without experiencing salvation by faith in God’s grace. Yet, many in the church have been parked in the realm of salvation without ever seeing and believing the promise of God’s kingdom.

Beloved, our theology has been diluted by unbelief and dead traditions. We need to return to the words of Christ. We need to press into the reality of God’s kingdom. For as this age ends, certainly Heaven will be within reach.

This prophetic word is submitted by Wendy Graham [wendy4c@primus.ca]

Child, I have seen you in your distress. I have seen you in your nakedness and despair of your soul. You lie down in defeat and woundedness of the heart. I see your wound; the dagger that is lodged in your heart. I see all your pain in this trial–but I also see your destiny.

I am the Lord your God and it is I that have summoned you. I chose you and I delight in you. I have clothed you in white, and in My righteousness. You can not come by it on your own, but only by My blood. Yes, it was My bloodshed that made you clean, and it is by My hand of righteousness that I now uphold you in this trial.

You will rise like the noonday sun, and I will cause all to come into alignment with My kingdom plan. You will stand in My glory and My honor. I am pure and without sin; and I am clean and free from guilt.

I will wash over you by My Spirit in purification and newness of life. I will restore the years the locusts have eaten and bring you into your freedom. Yes dear one, do not despair that I have forsaken you in your day of trial. As I have said in My word, you will come into your time of difficulties, but you must remain cheerful in Me because I have already overcome the world.

Am I not the maker of the heavens and the earth? As I breathed new life into being, so will I breathe new life into the despair of your soul. Look up to the heavens in anticipation and expectation of Me. I will surely meet you. Yes, you will rise in Me for I have already written the beginning to the end.

I am the Alpha and the Omega. I will turn your days into rejoicing. I will draw you nearer to Me, and you will commune with Me in an increase of love and purity. This will be at a much greater level than you did before. You will hear My voice and know that it is I that speaks to you. I will give onto you My wisdom and understanding. You will have a discerning heart and you will know the hope to which I have called you. You will see Me in depth and clarity, and your heart will leap for joy in it.

Start to “see the one” in front of you. Love people, stop for one.

From Victor King.

I believe that God often does His deepest work in our darkest moments. Here are a few real-life testimonies:

In 1993, Darlene Zschech experienced a dark season in her life. When life was unbearably difficult for her, she turned to Psalm 96 and wrote the song “Shout to the Lord” – and she worshipped.

Suffering from loneliness and financial strain, Laurie Klein was going through a dark patch in life. She then picked up her guitar and out of her mouth came, “I love You Lord, and I lift my voice to worship You” – and she worshipped.

Marc Byrd was penniless and in deep despair. He found solace in the Psalms and spent an entire weekend reflecting on it. Out of that weekend came the song, “God of Wonders”, a song extolling God the Creator – and he worshipped.

Moving from Canada to London, Brian Doerkson went to a small church to serve as a worship leader. In the wake of a major collapse of a ministry project, he had recently lost $1 million and even his home. Things on the home front were not good either. 3 of his 6 children had been diagnosed with a form of mental retardation. As he walked and prayed near Wimbledon Stadium, God gave him the song, “Come, now is the time to worship” – and he worshipped.

Don Moen was on a plane going to sing – not at a usual concert, but at the funeral of his young nephew. It had been a sad and untimely death in a terrible car accident. As he read Isaiah 43:19, “I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert,” God gave Don the song, “God Will Make A Way” – and he worshipped.

We serve a God who specializes in turning every trial into a triumph. He is waiting to transform us and is calling us to worship Him that we may find hope in Him. Don’t give up for the Lord your Father will lift you in due time.

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, YET I WILL REJOICE”.
Habbakuk 3:17-18.