Building End Time Arks of Refuge for the Bride of Christ
Before we get into this deep dive about the crew members of God’s end time arks, we need to take a peek at the big picture. I’ve written extensively elsewhere about these subjects, so if you have just landed here, you should start at the beginning. With all my heart I believe God has a plan to shelter the Bride of Christ during the coming tribulation. Not to take her out of the picture but to use her in it, here on the earth. However, the Lord’s bride, unlike many in the greater body of Christ, has already surrendered completely to Jesus. She has already entered into the marriage covenant by choice. Thus, she will not be needing the same level of tribulation as those whom are less refined by the Holy Spirit. While she IS going into the wilderness, it is not so much for refining, but for celebration of her wedding feast. These wilderness places of protection are the metaphorical arks of refuge. God’s arks of refuge need a crew. Captains and sailors up to the challenge at hand. Bond-servants of Christ who are well trained in the tasks assigned to them.
Have you ever heard the term Ghost Ship? It refers to a ship that is found with all her crew missing or perished. The crew of a vessel is responsible for the safety of the ship’s passengers and cargo, as well as making sure that all arrive safely at their intended destination. Without a crew, the ship is adrift, carried only by the prevailing wind and currents… doomed to eventual destruction.
The Lord has tasked me as a boat builder, but without a crew to steer the vessels I design, they will never even set sail. So part of the building of a great ship entails making provision, not simply for its passengers and cargo, but also for its crew. In order for this mission to be a success, God’s arks of refuge need a crew. While it is true that we are referring to metaphorical ships, the need for a qualified crew to run them is of no less importance. Just like a navy submarine’s crew varies from that of a pleasure boat,
Called in Unity according to God’s Purpose and Design
If you really stop to think about it, the body of Christ is the most beautiful of all God’s creation. At least when that body is operating in its fullness, with every joint working together for the building up of it’s own body.
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Eph 4:11-16
In this passage, Paul is talking specifically about ministry. Yet what we often fail to recognize is that God never intended there to be separation between our works of ministry and the working out of our daily living. Our lives are supposed to be a complete picture of God working through us, in every area. God’s arks of refuge need a crew, or leadership team. An “Assembly”, working in harmony under the direction of Jesus and his First Fruits. They are both civil and spiritual ministers at the same time, carrying out whatever duties are assigned to them in willing service to their captain.
Passengers in Need of a Crew
Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
Revelation 12:6 NKJV
In September of the year 1620, a group of very famous pilgrims set sail for their promised land in America to begin a new life and new adventure.
The Pilgrims’ leadership came from the religious congregations of Brownists, or Separatists, who had fled religious persecution in England for the tolerance of 17th-century Holland in the Netherlands. These Pilgrims maintained that their congregations should separate from the English state church, which led to them being labeled Separatists. After several years living in exile in Holland, they determined to establish a new settlement in the New World and arranged with investors to fund them. They established Plymouth Colony in 1620, where they erected Congregationalist churches.[1] The Puritan’s later establishment of the Massachusetts Bay colony eventually became more powerful in the area; but the Pilgrims’ story nevertheless became a central theme in the history and culture of the United States.
Wikipedia : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilgrims_(Plymouth_Colony)
Of 120 members of the congregation, only 102 actually made it on the Mayflower as passengers. Only the strongest in their number were chosen to go ahead first, with the others hoping to follow later. However, not everyone on the ship were members of their church. Included in the company were 13 male servants, 3 female servants, along with a captain, some sailors and craftsmen hired for short-term service to the colony. It is important to note, that these colonists were intending to join the existing colony at Jamestown in Virginia. They would soon find themselves significantly under prepared to start a brand new colony. But, it is also important to realize that they understood the need for a skilled crew, as well as craftsmen to help build when they arrived.
An Epic Adventure Lies Ahead
Choosing to cross over into God’s promised land is never easy. It requires massive faith, and unwavering courage. These must trust fully in God’s protection and provision in their wilderness season. They must be fully prepared in heart and mind, fully convicted of their purpose, and fully aware that their very lives lie solely in God’s hand. They know and understand both the perils and blessings which lie ahead. It is their trust in God’s providence which propels them forward. This in in fact a picture of the true bride of Christ, and is the reason she is being carried away and protected during this time of destruction. She has already lived through her wilderness testing, persecutions, and tribulation. Now it is her time to learn to live in the Kings house. But first she must get to the place where the Lord has prepared the feast for her. She must be willing to get in the boat and make the journey. The Lord is going to help her in this decision, easing her fears, by providing a well skilled crew to lead and carry her safely to the destination.
But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.
Revelation 12:14
God’s arks of refuge need a crew with specific skills.
Since we are talking about metaphorical arks representing wilderness Intentional Christian Communities, we must understand what this crew looks like. The Lord has already chosen the crews of these vessels. They are the first fruits, wise master builders. They are the David, Noah, Joseph, Moses, and Mordecai types of our day. Called and raised up by Jesus in their own personal wilderness experiences. They also hold the experiential life skills needed to lead and teach the Bride how to live and prosper in the community of the true Body of Christ. These first fruits have in many cases already prepared the “Garden” well ahead, and are now ready to gather in the Lord’s Bride to take her seat at his table. They are both ready and willing to provide for her during the wedding feast, while the rest of the “church” is in tribulation. That is to say, until such time as she has come to the fullness of understanding, her rightful place as queen, and is able to provide for herself and her people.
These first fruits are like spiritual lighthouses. Shining the true light of Christ and illuminating a path through the wilderness. They also carry the wisdom of Kingdom governance. They are in fact called to be governors or “Judges” in the land, in addition to their spiritual priestly ministerial role. Acting out Christ’s government on the earth with heavenly wisdom just like Solomon. These captains, have the responsibility of finding a worthy crew to help steer their vessel to safe harbors.
Together we can build God’s Arks of refuge!
So how does all this apply to right now, and what does it have to do with this ministry? We’re building big ships! Arks which will shelter many people during the coming storms. The bigger the ship, the more crew are needed. If you have been reading our blog, then you already know this is one great faith adventure. To build these ships, we’ll need a lot of help. Our goal is to create a pattern for a sustainable Kingdom focused community, as well as giving people the resources necessary to implement the plan. Right now we are looking for a few good men and women to form a crew, or “assembly” to help build and steer this vessel. I have no means to bring this about on my own, so I doing the one thing I can… Extending my faith and trusting in God to supply. I can say to you that even the act of me writing and publishing this sounds totally crazy to my fleshly mind. But God’s not looking for normal… He desires mountain moving faith from me, and He want’s me to put that faith on display for everyone to see.
This is not a call for the passengers to board just yet. The first people on the boat for any voyage are the crew who first make preparations for the passengers to ride as comfortably as possible. Like the role of the flight crew of an airplane.
So this is what we need for crew, and I trust God to supply: (listed in random order)
Ministers
- Minister of Treasury: Treasury, economic, finance, monetary (may also serve as CFO)
- Minister of Communications: PR, technology, branding, sales and marketing
- Minister of Education: training, schools, vocational, spiritual, civil, leadership
- Minister of Commerce: business and trade
- Minister of Agriculture: food systems, capacity, supply, food safety and security, livestock
- Minister of Development: construction, materials, water, housing, land development
- Minister of Transportation: distribution, routes, transportation, infrastructure
- Minister of Defense: security, walls of separation, man-of-war, spiritual defense, spiritual offense, legal
- Minister of Energy: electricity, fuels, supply, distribution, alternative energy
- Minister of Health: healing, deliverance, medical, eldercare, childbirth, dietary
Masters of Trades
- Master Gardener
- Homestead Managers
- Master Flocksman
- Master Herdsman
- Master Carpenter
- Master Cheesemaker
- Master Veterinarian
- Property Managers
- Master of Sales and Marketing
- Human Resources
- Administration
- Kingdom investors
- Community developers, planners and other real estate related professionals
Read more about our mission of planting sustainable Intentional Christian Communities at FieldsofZion.org.
If you or someone you know think they may have what it takes to be part of this crew, please reach out to us. As for me, I can’t make any promises, except to say that God will provide. Please know that I am in no way advertising here for paid positions or even employment in any way, though God may do that if he so chooses. If you choose to get on board, you can be sure the journey will be filled with difficulty. So what do you say, are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime? You’ll need a lot of courage, and just a little faith. God will build your faith along the way.
