October 30, 2017
A unified body, moving closer to God’s heart.
In John 17, Jesus is praying to the Father a very intimate prayer. This particular section in scripture is most commonly known as the High Priestly Prayer. Jesus begins to pray that as the God-head is one, so shall we be ONE with Him.
This month we have been diving deeper into this passage of the bible. It has always been our heart, passion, and vision at Iris Abilene to pray for, experience, and live out a greater measure of unity with the Body of Christ, and God. Often times when people hear the body of Christ, it is easy and common to think that we are conversing about the Baptist church, a Charismatic church, a Lutheran church, etc. But the Body of Christ is not a specific congregation in a church building, a specific nation, or ethnic group. The Body of Christ is the priesthood of all believers. It is those who are surrendered to the Lordship and Headship of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. The Body of Christ is composed of all nations, all tribes, all tongues, worshiping Jesus and doing His works on the Earth that His Kingdom would be released on Earth as it is in Heaven.
There are many types of people, with unique gifts, releasing different expressions of God’s heart. What would it look like if all the different kinds of people, with all of the unique giftings and talents, could come together under one vision to accomplish a goal? I just think of a car factory. Someone makes the wheels, the bumper, the engine, the brakes, the frame, etc. But working toward the same purpose, they all have the opportunity to create a vehicle that has the ability to move and do what it is intended to do. All the parts of the body must come together.
“When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” John 17: 1-5
Thank you each for your prayers! We are excited and look forward to seeing what God is going to do in the near future.
Shalom.
EVENTS THIS MONTH
Kingdom 4 Power
God had given us a greater revelation of this truth in regards to His desire to bring unity among all different people. In response to this revelation, Kingdom 4 Power Conference was birthed. We brought in CEO’s of large corporations, local entrepreneurs, church leaders and pastors to come together for a weekend of unlocking the keys of success in their circles of influence. Google, & HerdX were two companies among many represented.
What would it look like if business leaders all around the world, trusted God to run their business, and used their success to further the kingdom of God on the Earth? We believe that at this time, God is awakening business leaders, bringing salvation, and sowing the seeds of Heaven into their business strategies, and lives.
United in Love
We also had a conference called United in Love with Stacey Campbell. Stacey brought a message about unity in the Body of Christ from John 17. She also shared about the Reformation 500 years ago. It is time for the Body of Christ to be unified in every way, no matter the background, talents, or denominations. That is the move that we are seeing, and the move we are praying for more of.
1 Kingdom Prayer Summit
God truly has ordained our steps. The day after Stacey spoke about Unity in the body, church leaders, business leaders, and city leaders from Abilene all met at Camp Barkeley for a 7 hour day of prayer and worship with 1 Kingdom. Together we casted vision, prayed, and dialogued about strategic ways to improve, and release the kingdom of Heaven in Abilene and the surrounding areas.
Please continue to follow us on social media and our website. Thank you so much for each person who has come along side to encourage and pray for us! We are expecting God to do amazing things these upcoming months and we are humbled at the thought that He WANTS to use us to help further His Kingdom.
UPCOMING EVENTS
12-hour day of worship including Encounter Night
Save the date for Saturday, November 11th for a Citywide Day of Worship! We will start the day at 10:00am and go until 7:00pm.
At 7:00pm we will welcome everyone to come back out for an Encounter Night from 7:00pm-10:00pm. Whole families are encouraged to come! We will have art supplies, snacks, games for kids, etc. We are encouraged when we meet with the body of Christ and worship Jesus together! He is worthy of everything we have! For more information you can visit our website at irisabilene.org / or encounternight.com WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!!
Restoring the Foundations Training: October 13th- November 10th
RTF provides hope for healing, freedom from life’s deepest struggles, and renewed purpose for living through a personal experience with God’s transforming, empowering love.