living from another world that has extraordinary effects on this one

"Living from another world that has extraordinary effects on this one" has been the theme of my life for the past couple of weeks.

I wrote an email TC coaches a few days ago. I'll just copy and paste (after editing)it here for those who are interested:




Ladies and Gentlemen, we live in epic times. Of course "epicness" can only be fully "epicly" experienced through a first-hand episode that contains the subjective textures of first-person experience within an epic context itself. Illustration. The LA Lakers playing in the fourth quarter of the NBA play-off finals in game 7. Sure, a psychology professor can give an objective/technical description of what Kobe Bryant and other LA Laker players go through in the psychological experience of playing in the fourth quarter of game 7 in the NBA finals to his psychology students in a lecture. But if Kobe Bryant attended that lecture, his experience would be totally different than him actually playing on the court and having a first-person experience of the fourth quarter in game 7 of the NBA finals with all the subjective textures of first-person consciousness on that NBA court that millions of NBA fans around the world are watching during the moment when it actually happens.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I dare to say that the end times are approaching closer and closer with the passing of every year. I forgot whether it was Bernard or Nathan telling me that the increase in the frequency of these large-scale events in the world that have dramatic proportions (i.e. "Jasmine revolution" in middle east/Japan's disasters last week), shows signs of maturing birth pangs of the world, labouring more and more until the end times are fully conceived. Although we don't know for sure when Jesus will come again, we all know it's one day less every day. I personally feel that we're in the "third period" (although I'm not a dispensationalist haha [I go to TC, how can I be a dispensationalist?]), the "ninth inning", the "fourth quarter" so to speak of God's story on earth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjW_GLOPmj0

This "background music" reflects a bit of the "epicness" of what I feel of the times that we're in. Of course this "epicness" is hidden to the average person's eye that is distracted by the trends and programs of the world. This "epicness" of the Kingdom is like treasure hidden in a field. Little does the world know the "Grand Program/Drama" that daily escapes their awareness. But it is not only the fact that non-Christians are oblivious to this epic "hidden storyline of the universe". A lot of Christians, having access to the "HDTV signals" of this divine drama fail to tune into it and instead tune into the "2D-black and white cartoons" that "typical/non-hidden cable channels" enable them to tune into. However, for the earnest/relentless seeker, there are the "HDTV signals" of the "hidden storyline of the universe" that one can constantly tune into and experience. Even for those who know that this "hidden drama of the universe (the Great Commission)" theoretically exists, a lot of the times for various reasons, one only receives technical/abstract/detached descriptions of it, similar to a technical/abstract/detached university lecture. It is an inexpressible joy (1 Peter 1:8) to be transformed and tune into the Kingdom of God just like how Neo was transformed and tuned into the Matrix. A technical/abstract/detached definition of the matrix would not give Neo the experience that Neo experienced first-hand with all the rich subjective textures of first-person experience. He lived from another reality first-hand that had extraordinary effects on "normal" reality (he did not dodge bullets by operating within "normal"/everyday reality, but he was able to dodge them because he was operating from another one that had effects on the "normal" one). Likewise, when we read the New Testament, we see that these disciples of Jesus did not saturate themselves with technical/abstract/detached descriptions of the Kingdom of God (as important as they are), but experienced it first hand with all the rich subjective textures of first-person experience, and as a result, if one just reads the book of Acts, one can see that it is as if they really lived rooted in another reality (the Kingdom of God) that has extraordinary effects on "normal" reality.

Ladies and Gentlemen, if we just look at church history, minus all the abominations/dark blotches, we see that God instigated supernatural revivals in every single century since Christ physically came and left. This century is no different. If God instigated a supernatural revival with supernatural results that were exponentially more than the mere sum of human effort alone in every single century with no exception, he can do it in this century no doubt about it. The secular media never reports this stuff because [fill in the blank].

Ladies and Gentlemen, we live in epic times, if we can tune into God's HDTV drama (with surround sound [if one engages in Christian mysticism]). The Kingdom of God "portal" to this "other world that has extraordinary effects on this one" has not closed along with the canon of the Bible. It has been open ever since, but few find it. I have read about these saints in church history who have experienced it first-hand. In the beginning, I was vicariously experiencing it through their biographies. Now, by the grace of God, it is not merely a second-hand experience. It has started to become first-hand.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I think God is up to something big in Toronto. I think he wants to do the kind of stuff we see in the book of Acts right here in Toronto (of course not replicas of exactly what he did back them, but categorically similar things with a comparable magnitude). Maybe I'm idealistic. Maybe I'm retarded. But I know that God has brought revivals in the western world within the past 3 centuries in separate movements. In the 18th century, God moved through the Wesleyans (headed up by friggin wicked John Wesley) to revive England (I actually heard that due to God working in the Methodists lead by John Wesley, the negative effects of the French Revolution in France were blocked from negatively impacting England [how sick is that?]). In the 19th Century, God moved through Charles Finney and the movement God started through him to revive America. In the 20th century, God used the early pentecostal movements to revive America. Dude, God can totally do something crazy of epic proportions in Toronto in the 21st century. Let us tune into this "hidden story of the universe" right where we are. Let us do it ladies and gentlemen.

For those who study revivals throughout the centuries, they will realize that supernatural revivals that occur with epic proportions begin with a small group of people regularly praying together. A couple weeks ago, in the middle of an extremely stimulating conversation with 3 other brothers that I met recently, one of them spontaneously said with passion "yo man, let's just start praying for city-wide revival in Toronto every single week together!". So it is set. It has started. And we invite any other like-minded brothers who want to tune into the "hidden story of the universe" right here in Toronto to come. The point of these meetings is not to merely chill while refraining from performing blatant sinful acts explicitly outlined in the Bible not to do (lie, cheat, steal) and enjoy each other's company and entertain each other without "doing the wrong things as Christians". Instead, the point will be very focused. To labour in prayer for all-out-city-wide-no-nonsense-supernatural revival for Toronto. And also to discuss some practical strategy of where to go from here (the present state of things), to the destination (city-wide revival). The more brothers from different perspectives/backgrounds who have the same-united passion, the merrier. Of course it is understood that not everyone is specifically called to this specific prayer meeting with us. By all means, if you form your own city-wide revival prayer meeting and regularly pray with other saints, or join an already existing one, that is cool too. If you don't respond, you will not be judged lol. But for those who want to become part of a "prayer platoon" for city-wide revival in Toronto but don't currently know of any, feel free to message me.

Now that's the Gospel. Not merely the forgiveness of sins (as crucial as that is) without actively participating in the "divine drama" of God's story. This Gospel is the Good News of an invitation to active first-person participation in the "matrix" of the Kingdom of God that allows its citizens to be caught up in the "story"/"program"/"will" of God and what he's up to right now, and in addition to knowing truthful/correct abstract doctrine, experiencing the "subjective textures of a first-person journey" of these truths embedded in a story that is more epic than any bestselling blockbuster that has ever been produced. I think that's good news. It's good news to know that I don't have to buy a PS3 to enjoy an RPG. I'm in one already. It's good news to know that I don't have to purchase "rogers on demand" (although I think my dad did) in order to enjoy an epic movie. I'm in one. And co-labouring with the storywriter to help unfold his story (i.e. letting his will be done) is not only an after-life heaven, but heaven (the presence of God) is now. As Dallas Willard said, "the Good News is that if you want to go to heaven, don't wait t'il you die, enter it now!". Anything short of that is plain boring. I have learned that a worldly lifestyle not only gets more and more sinful, it gets more and more boring. The opening credits of sin are captivating and alluring. But right after the opening credits, the rest of the program is more uninteresting than Canadian politics.



If we learn to live, function, and operate from the "matrix" of the Kingdom of God, we will be gradually enabled to "dodge bullets" not by operating on this world, but by operating in another world that has extraordinary effects on this one.