Shekinah Today Podcast

5 Must Know Fundamentals to Fulfill Your Divine Destiny

• Shekinah Today Ministries • Season 1 • Episode 10

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Most believers are living far below what God originally designed for them—and many don't even realize it. They are missing the 5 key Glorious Church fundamentals that every Christian must know to rise up glorious and walk in all God has prepared and destined for you. In fact, the powers of darkness are working overtime to keep God's people from discovering and walking in these 5 truths.

In this episode, Darrel and Cindy deVille reveal the "5 Glorious Church Pillars." These are the biblical fundamentals that shape your relationship with God, your identity, your purpose, your destiny, and your ability to stand firm in a rapidly changing world. When these pillars become deeply rooted in your life, everything changes.

Whether you're a new believer or have walked with Christ for decades, this episode will challenge you to examine your foundation and inspire you to pursue God's greater calling for your life.

In this episode, discover:
• How to Go Deeper in God
• Three Key Truths to Know About You
• Your Highest Purpose and Call
• Who is Jesus' Millennial Leadership Team
• Are You an “Uncommon” Christian?
• What Every Christian Should Know 
and much more!

Find out why God's plan for your life is far greater than you may realize.


Episode 10 Timecode Chapters

00:00 5 Key Glorious Church Fundamentals Intro

FUNDAMENTAL 1
05:12 Fundamental 1 Introduction
06:55 Seeing Correctly the Fullness of God
10:53 God of the Word Revealed
12:10 Knowing How God Works
13:58 How to Go Deeper in God

FUNDAMENTAL 2
16:38 Fundamental 2 Introduction
19:06 Our True Identity
22:08 Three Key Truths to Know About You!
27:46 Break Invitation

FUNDAMENTAL 3
28:28 Fundamental 3 Introduction
30:34 The Greatest Adventure
31:59 Our Highest Purpose and Call
33:18 Our Secondary Calling

FUNDAMENTAL 4
35:24 Fundamental 4 Introduction
36:37 Who is Jesus' Millennial Leadership Team?
38:11 Living with an Eternal Perspective
39:20 Royal Family Training & Testing! 
40:28 Are You an “Uncommon” Christian?
42:59 A Greater Glory Working In Us!

FUNDAMENTAL 5
43:54 Fundamental 5 Introduction
44:59 Shocking Studies!
45:29 What Is a Biblical Worldview?
46:22 What Every Christian Should Know 
48:09 Discipleship Resources and Training

50:40 Review & Next Episode—The High Call to Rise Up Glorious!
51:46 Final Thoughts

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5 Key Glorious Church Fundamentals Intro

Speaker 1

Most believers are living far below what God originally designed them for, and many don't even realize it. Many are missing the five key fundamentals that shape our divine destiny and the glorious life God has for us. In fact, the powers of darkness are working over time to keep God's people from discovering and walking in these five truths. So stay with us because once you understand these five glorious church fundamentals and begin to walk in them, there will be no stopping. Welcome back to the Shicana Today Podcast. We are hosts, Darrel and Cindy deVille.

Speaker 2

Well, hello, everyone. This is Cindy, and we are coming to you today and excited about covering part two of chapter four, The Glorious Church on a Personal Level.

Speaker 1

That's right. That's right. It all starts on a personal level. Yes, it does. And then it spreads out from there to the corporate level. Yes.

Speaker 2

Across the nations of the earth.

Speaker 1

Yes. Well, listen, this episode is going to be packed. So hold on. Because we're really putting, like you could say, almost five episodes into one. Each of these five glorious church fundamentals we're going to cover today could be its own episode.

Speaker 2

Its own book.

Speaker 1

Yes.

Speaker 2

Actually.

Speaker 1

And so there's so much. And so we're just going to be highlighting this. That's why it's so important. Go ahead and get the book because there's much more details in the book itself.

Speaker 2

Amen.

Speaker 1

And so it'll really bless you to get that. That way you can study it, underline it, really take it in, look at the scriptures. It's a really, we believe, one of the life-changing chapters of this book that actually sets up the next episode, chapter five, called the High Call to Rise Up Glorious. You do not want to miss that one. Amen. So these are going to be great.

Speaker 2

Well, I love that. And we know that scripture tells us in Matthew 16, 18, that it is upon this rock, the word, Christ, the word, that I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And these five fundamentals we're going to share with you today are about building that church where all of hell cannot stand against it.

Speaker 1

Amen.

Speaker 2

So if we're going to rise up as a glorious, victorious church, then it's critical that our foundations are solid on the rock of Christ, his word, and what we call the five glorious church fundamentals.

Speaker 1

When you look at the word fundamental, it means the basic essentials. Just like with great athletes or teams, they have to master the fundamentals of their sport in order to become champions and to really do great at it, right? Believers must do the same thing. We must know and walk in what we call the five glorious church fundamentals.

Speaker 2

Amen. You know, some people might think, well, the basics, the fundamentals, that's boring. You have no idea this, how critical these are, but these are not boring at all. As we bring them and unveil them before you, you're going to see, wow, God has something amazing for all of us. And He wants to be sure we get our foundations right. Because if those are not strong and firm, just like a home, if you have if the foundations are weak or a skyscraper or anything, the building is going to crumble. And for the church, if we don't have our foundations right, we're going to crumble, we're going to fumble. And so we have to get this right.

Speaker 1

That's right. In fact, many believers are living far below what God originally designed them for because they're missing these fundamental truths. And not knowing these fundamental truths are also why we're seeing so much confusion, compromise, deception, even people walking away from the faith.

Speaker 2

That's right. These fundamentals are so critical because, you know, we're in a day, people love the things of the spirit and the prophetic and all of these things, which we we see are very much in the Word of God. But if we don't have the fundamentals and the foundations strong, then these things, people get caught up in these things, and it can take them into very dangerous territory because they're not grounded.

Speaker 1

That's right. That's right. So these five glorious church fundamentals are critical foundations for us to rise up glorious and walk in all that God has prepared and destined you for. Now, these may sound elementary, but these, as you'll see, as we start diving into each of these, they're very foundational and huge. So go ahead and just very quickly just outline what they are, honey.

Speaker 2

Absolutely. So the first one is most critical, knowing God in awe and intimacy. He's actually greater than we've been told. That's right. And the second one is knowing who we are, our identity in Christ. You are so much more than you realize. And number three, know why you're here. What is your purpose? It's bigger than you think. Which I love sharing that. Yes. And number four, know where you're going. We need to know what our destiny is. It's greater than just going to heaven. That's right. Number five, knowing what you believe and why. That's huge. To be salt and light to help us prepare to arise, shine, engage, and impact.

Speaker 1

That's right. And so we'll start going through these now because each of them is so critical. And like I said, these this is really just an introduction. Each of them could be a whole book to themselves or a whole episode to themselves.

Speaker 2

Yes.

Speaker 1

So we're just going to introduce these right now.

Speaker 2

Okay. Awesome.

Fundamental 1 Introduction

Speaker 1

All right. Fundamental one is to know God. And this is about awe and intimacy.

Speaker 2

Yes.

Speaker 1

Our prayer for you is Ephesians 1:17, that the Father of glory may give you the spiritual wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.

Speaker 2

Amen.

Speaker 1

See, God is to be our greatest pursuit. Everything else is secondary. Everything we are to be and do flows from Him. Everything we are to be and do does not flow only from our positional relationship with Christ, but also from our personal relationship with Him. Amen. This is so huge.

Speaker 2

Well, it it is. It's absolutely huge that we understand because when I think about all that God is, he is life. Just think of this. He is our life source, our light, our love and power source. He says, I am that I am. He is everything that we need. We need to know and understand him and his ways.

Speaker 1

See, one of the greatest mistakes we can make is having a lot of knowledge about God without genuinely knowing him.

Speaker 2

Amen.

Speaker 1

Without knowing God. A lot of people mistake activity and service for God as a substitute for intimacy with God. That's right. John 15 says, Jesus is the vine, we are the branches, everything flows through him. If we're not fully connected to him, then we're not going to be fruitful.

Speaker 2

Exactly. That's so true. And you know, also some people think, well, I go to church and I have fellowship and I do this with my friends at church, but that is not enough.

Speaker 1

But you need to have your personal connection with him. That's more of a corporate connection to come together, celebrate, and such like that, and learn and be taught. That's good. But you should be every day having your personal connection with him.

Seeing Correctly the Fullness of God

Speaker 1

And really knowing God requires us to embrace the fullness of God.

Speaker 2

Yes, his character. That's right. All it is.

Speaker 1

And that reminds me of A. W. Tozer's quote says, What comes to our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.

Speaker 2

Amen.

Speaker 1

See, our view of God affects everything. Just like that scripture in Jeremiah.

Speaker 2

Yes, in Jeremiah 9, 23 through 24, I love this. Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let him not glory in his might or his riches, but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord. Just listen to these words. I am the Lord, exercising loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things, says the Lord, I delight. And it's amazing when you look at that loving kindness, but also judgment and righteousness.

Speaker 1

That's right. You see, sadly, due to unbalanced teaching, many in our churches have adopted a narrow and one-sided view of God, focusing solely on God's amazing love and goodness. However, in Romans 11 22, the Apostle Paul exhorts us to behold both the goodness and the severity of God. Amen. See, we need a healthy, we need to know his boundless love. We also need to have a healthy fear of the Lord. That's it. In fact, the scripture I love too, it says Proverbs 2, 4 to 5, it says, if we will seek God as like hidden treasures, it says, then you will have understanding of the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

Speaker 2

Amen.

Speaker 1

The fear of the Lord connects us to the knowledge of God. Really, fear of God is awe and respect. It is of God. It is. And see, the church really needs a new, fresh encounter of the fear of the Lord. And we see throughout scripture, when people truly encountered God, they were left in awe and wonder. Amen. Like Isaiah, they recognize his majesty, his holiness. And we need an encounter with God in our lives and in our churches that marks us for eternity.

Speaker 2

Amen. It's so true. We so need, we need to embrace all that he is. We cannot reject a certain part of his character just because maybe we feel uncomfortable with it. Maybe the righteousness and holiness of God is going to challenge our sin. And the flesh doesn't want that. It wants, just give me something good, right? I want sugar and spice and everything nice. But what we really need is the milk, the meat, and the sweet. We need it all. And so if we're going to be healthy and we're going to be strong, we need God, our Father, but we also need him as an all-consuming fire. And that is something several years ago just bubbled up in my heart. And I began to write about it actually. And I thought to myself, to actually know God as a loving heavenly father, and at the same time embrace him as an all-consuming fire. I almost felt speechless. It's like, wow, wow. And to think of him, he is both the Lamb of God, but he is also the Lion of Judah. Yes. And he's not, he's we also see this in scripture. He is the Prince of Peace. And yet you see him defined as a man of war. That's right. And he is going to be what the moment demands. He's going to be. And he knows what we need. He knows when we need that loving Father, the comfort of the Holy Spirit. But he knows also when we need to be chastised. He knows when he needs to deal with us, confront us, challenge us.

Speaker 1

See, that's right. Because you know what, mere words is not enough to describe all that he is.

Speaker 2

That's right.

Speaker 1

Our natural minds cannot really fully comprehend all that he is. That's right. And that's why we see in the book of Revelation, they're crying out, they don't know how to describe him except for holy. They say holy, holy, holy.

Speaker 2

That's it.

Speaker 1

Lord God Almighty. I mean, he just goes on and on. It's just indescribable. Yes. As

God of the Word Revealed

Speaker 1

we see it, the Holy Bible is an amazing and progressive revelation of God. Amen. Reveals his love, his nature, his ways. And it's really sad to see statistics show that the majority of Christians hardly even read God's Word. Yes. It's just amazing to me. And so many people have fallen away because they've really only heard about God and don't really know Him.

Speaker 2

That's right.

Speaker 1

That's part of the problem.

Speaker 2

Well, you know, in our first book, God's Answer for America, we address the state of the American church, and that is one thing we talk about, is the such if there's so much teaching on one end and they're not fully being taught from the pulpits of America the fullness of the character of God, you get a church that becomes very vulnerable to the enemy, compromised in sin because they don't understand that there are consequences.

Speaker 1

That's right. And so it's really evident, many know very little about the word of God or the God of the Word. And so it's just God's word must be the foundation of our lives in everything we do. Spending time with him, abiding in his word, abiding in the vine Christ, he is the word, is life transforming.

Speaker 2

Yes.

Speaker 1

And as we grow in him, it becomes life transforming. That's right. And we'll talk more about that, especially in the next episode.

Speaker 2

And the other

Knowing How God Works

Speaker 2

reason it's so important to know him in the awe and intimacy is also to understand how he works. How does he deal with nations? How does he work? And we see throughout his word, we'll see the full counsel of God's word. We will begin to see all that he is, his ways.

Speaker 1

That's right.

Speaker 2

As we talk about the awe and wonder of God, we need to look at first the foundations of scripture tell us. We see in John 3.16, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. We also see that his love, that God is love. We see many scriptures about this, kind of building the foundation of who he is. And that is where everything he does in understanding his ways, whether it's judgment, whether it's loving kindness, whether it's his goodness and his mercy, that all of those things are born out of who he is, that love, that love. And really, it's the love of a father.

Speaker 1

And really, everything he does, even his judgments, are motivated out of love.

Speaker 2

We have to understand that. It's so important. Because he has to make a judgment. For example, when a nation or a people becomes so corrupt, even in his church, when things become so corrupt, he has to come in and deal with the sin. Because if he does not, it's going to corrupt and destroy everything. So he will come in and deal. He makes a judgment. This is good, this is bad. He makes a separation. This is precious. This is vile. I need to come in and deal with what is vile. And so we have to understand, and that's something the church is kind of pushed back on, but we have to trust that he's going to do what is best for you, just like a loving father would.

Speaker 1

And so, and also think about this. As we try and wrap this fundamental one up, we could just go on and on about this subject because God, just knowing God, is such a massive,

How to Go Deeper in God

Speaker 1

amazing subject. But consider this mankind is the only creation that God breathed life into. We're the only ones that can know and walk with him intimately. And think about this. We have an open invitation from the creator of the universe, the God of all wisdom, the king of glory to walk with him, to talk with him, to be his friend. Amen. Wow.

Speaker 2

What a powerful invitation.

Speaker 1

What a privilege. So truly knowing God is life-changing. Amen. And the closer we walk with him, the more we become like him. Amen. So a key truth is the deeper we go in God, the more we grow.

Speaker 2

Amen.

Speaker 1

That's huge. Yes. And we'll talk more about that, especially in the next episode. What that looks like. How do we go deeper? What does that really look like?

Speaker 2

Scripture tells us, draw near to me, and I will draw near to you. So we see that we need to take that first step, drawing near to him. We don't wait until we feel that. We actually take that first step. And so, and that first step is really getting in the word of God. Jesus said, I am the word. So we know that is powerful. Meditating in his word day and night. We understand the power of praise and worship. Enter his gaze with thanksgiving, his courts with praise. We understand that when we worship him, he comes on the scene. He's there. And prayer, the power of prayer and communicating, fellowshipping with God, and having that intimate connection with him and then waiting on God, listening to him. And then obedience. Obedience is huge. We see that throughout scripture, the blessings of obedience. You know, God is not a hard taskmaster, but the reason he asks for obedience because he knows how to get you from point A to point B. But if you're not going to do what he's instructing you to do to get there, you're hurting yourself. So he lays those things out. So those are all the things that in going deeper with God, it's drawing near to him, making that decision, meditating in his word day and night. And we have many scriptures we point to in the book the power of praise and worship, prayer, waiting on him, and then obedience.

Speaker 1

Amen. And that's how you go deeper with God. Amen. So foundational elementary, but so many people don't do it.

Speaker 2

It is, and we could spend a lot of time on that one, but we know those are the basics.

Speaker 1

That's right. So God is our highest pursuit. And if we desire to rise up glorious and victorious, we must maintain a daily communion with him in our life. He is our life source, he's our power source for everything we do. And the reality is knowing God is a lifelong journey. There's always greater depths of his presence, his wisdom, his love, his glory, his word to know. And ultimately, how deep you go is up to you.

Speaker 2

Amen.

Fundamental 2 Introduction

Speaker 1

All right, that leads us to fundamental number two: know who you are. In parentheses, this is about identity and nature.

Speaker 2

Yes, this is critical. One of the greatest battles of our time is the battle for identity. We're seeing that everywhere, aren't we? Many people allow culture, circumstances, or the opinions of others to define who they are. They allow how they feel. But our identity was never meant to be shaped by the world or by our feelings. It was meant to be shaped by our creator and the truth of his word. It's more important than ever that God's people know who they are in Christ. And the reason why, because the enemy knows that once you understand, and listen to this carefully, just hear me in this. The enemy knows that once you understand your true identity in Christ, your authority, and the power at work within you, you become a serious threat to the kingdom of darkness. And this is why Satan continually works to keep believers confused, intimidated, and living below their potential. And so this fundamental is absolutely critical. If you're going to become everything God has called, created, equipped you to be, you need to know your true identity. Because I can tell you this from the time you get up in the morning to the time you go to sleep, that is something Satan is going to assault.

Speaker 1

That's right.

Speaker 2

And you need to know who you are in him.

Speaker 1

That's right. As you see, the generations struggling without today. It's devastating. Yeah. So as believers in Christ, part of God's royal family, we are called to walk in his victory and his glory. And scripture declares that in Christ we are what?

Speaker 2

It says that we are new creations, children of God, citizens of heaven, joint heirs with Christ, carriers of his presence and glory, ambassadors of the kingdom of God. That we are, you are listening to us right now. You are more than a conqueror because of Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Speaker 1

Amen. And see, these truths must become more than just information. They need to become revelation. Yes. Because when they become revelation, impartation comes. Right. And then transformation comes. Yes. Information, revelation, impartation, and then transformation. That's what happens when you're meditating in God's Word. That's why with fundamental one, knowing God and knowing His Word is so critical. Yes. That's the foundation for fundamental number two. Knowing who you are and knowing what He's called you to do is the third one we'll be going into.

Our True Identity

Speaker 2

God wants you to know your identity, and He intends for you to be able to operate and fight from a place of total victory in Christ with great authority and power over all the enemy, not to coming as a victim, but already established in Christ as a victor.

Speaker 1

That's right. And the foundation of us walking that victory is knowing our true identity is in Christ.

Speaker 2

Amen.

Speaker 1

Our true identity is not found in our occupation, our accomplishments, or our circumstances or how we feel, but in Christ. In fact, our identity in Christ is a major thing of the New Testament. And one of our favorite scriptures concerning this is Galatians 2.20. I've been crucified with Christ. It's no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And now the life which I live in this flesh, in this body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

Speaker 2

Amen.

Speaker 1

This is where we need to live. In him. He's our everything.

Speaker 2

Amen. As scripture says, in him we're to live and move and have our being. That's right. That's where the victory is. That's where the glory is. That's where it's it. We all operate out of that place.

Speaker 1

That's right. Well, another key scripture about our identity, about this subject, is Romans 8, 28, 29 says, those who are called according to his purpose, he predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ. See, every believer has a divine destiny. God has destined us to be conformed to be the marriage image of Christ.

Speaker 2

Amen. Amen. Amen. And so we believe that being conformed to the image of Christ is a critical message that is missing as a major fundamental teaching in most churches and ministries. This is why so many have not yet matured in Christ and instead live mediocre and even carnal Christian lives and miss out on God's divine destiny, really the glorious life in Christ, what he has for them.

Speaker 1

That's right. See, a key truth is this Christ's coming to the cross, his sacrifice, and grace are not just about what he did for us, but what he wants to form in us.

Speaker 2

Yes.

Speaker 1

Let that sink in. Christ wants us to focus on not just what he did for us, but what he wants to form in us, his image, his likeness. So the question now is what image will you be formed into?

Speaker 2

That's a good question.

Speaker 1

Because the reality is you're going to be formed into somebody's image. You're going to be made into an image of something. What will it be?

Speaker 2

That's right. Either the culture around you, the people around you, the books you read, the things you watch.

Speaker 1

And that's true. Because listen, here's a hint it will be the one thing you focus on the most. Because what you focus on, you connect with that starts getting imparted into you. Start connecting, and that's right. There's so much more we can share that we can share in the book about this. But listen, this leads us to as we start wrapping this fundamental

Three Key Truths to Know About You!

Speaker 1

two up is three key truths to know about who God has destined you to be and why. Truth number one: true wealth is who you become.

Speaker 2

You've heard it said when you die, you can't take your wealth with you. How true is that? But there is a wealth that we can take with us when we pass on. This wealth actually transcends earthly and natural riches. It's an eternal wealth.

Speaker 1

That's right.

Speaker 2

And what is that?

Speaker 1

Well, what that is, is one night in prayer, the Lord spoke to us regarding this. Yes. This was amazing. Listen to this. He said this true wealth is not what you possess, but wealth is what you become. Wow, let that sink in. Yes. True wealth is not what you possess, but wealth is what you become. He said, The wealth you build in me, it will last for eternity.

Speaker 2

Amen.

Speaker 1

Wow.

Speaker 2

Amen.

Speaker 1

Just let that resonate, people. That's so true. That is so good. True wealth is not what you possess, but wealth is what you become. The wealth you build in me, it will last through eternity.

Speaker 2

That's right.

Speaker 1

See, our greatest treasure is to grow and mature into Christ likeness. See, it's important what we do on this earth, our assignments. But even more important, I believe, is what you become. Ultimately, what you become stays with you and goes with you.

Speaker 2

And really, what you do is are able to do, empowered to do, is all going to come from who you first become.

Speaker 1

That's right. It should be an extension of that. Yes. That's right. And that's very important to know that we will be rewarded for what we do here on this earth. Now, every action, everything we do counts. But also we believe just as important or even more important is who you become in Christ. Yes. That is huge. Okay, now. Truth too, the seed of heaven and glory is in you. Did you know the seed of heaven is in you? Once you are spiritually born again in Christ, the seed of Christ, the DNA of God, is planted in us. Read first Peter 1 23 about that. And we really see it this way: it's Christ in us the hope or the seed of glory to become Christ in us, the fullness, the reality of glory.

Speaker 2

Amen.

Speaker 1

We, you are God's greatest harvest. We are to cultivate and grow his seed in us so we look like Christ and manifest him. How do we do that? Through a life-transforming journey. We'll cover it in our next episode.

Speaker 2

It's amazing because the Lord spoke to us one night during prayer, and this is what he said. He said, The enemy does not want them, he's talking about his people, to know who they are in me and the power that they can release into onto the earth. For the seed of heaven is living inside of them, and hell is so afraid that someday they will find out. Just think of that. And Satan trembles at this reality that we have the seed, Christ, the DNA of God within us, and he fears we will actually come to realize it and to walk in it. See, that's the glorious church rising up, and I believe that's why there's been such an assault on identity. This right here, because when we realize that the church is going to rise up glorious, victorious, no longer with this victim mentality, but with a victor victorious glorious mentality.

Speaker 1

So the three key truths to know about you. Truth one, we covered is true wealth is who you become. Truth two, the seed of heaven and glory is in you. And truth number three, the final one, from child of God to mature son of God. Amen. The reality is, while there are many children of God, few have become mature sons of God. A key understanding is this as a child of God versus a son of God, we become children of God through a new birth in Christ. We become sons of God through a process becoming Christ-like. We're born into the kingdom as a child of God, with the seed of Christ in us, with our goal to grow into a mature son of God, fully resembling Christ, the harvest. Amen. Sadly, too many people remain, so to speak, in the kiddie pull.

Speaker 2

Spiritual kiddie pull, yeah.

Speaker 1

Yeah, the spiritual kiddie pull, never growing up in God.

Speaker 2

And that's so sad because when we do that and the church is a whole, if we're staying in that place and we're not going through the discipleship and understanding these things, we end up becoming bringing more shame than fame to the name of Christ. That's right. Because we're not being we're transformed by renewing our mind, right, to the word of God.

Speaker 1

See, ultimately, God is raising up a generation of people, of mature sons of God, that will bring to pass God's purposes to shake, impact nations, and rescue multitudes of souls. Romans 8:19 declares that all of creation is yearning for the manifestation of the sons of God who will rise up and shine, and kings will come to the brightness of their shining, as spoken of in Isaiah 16. Yes. And they'll cast a great net, and a multitude of souls will be drawn into the kingdom of God as God starts wrapping up these whole last days. It's gonna be amazing.

Speaker 2

He has a plan.

Speaker 1

So your identity is included in this. So the question is: how do we be conformed to the image of Christ? It's not automatic, it's a journey, and we go through that journey in our next episode. Yes. All right, so that's fundamental one and fundamental two. Stay with us, we cover the next three glorious church fundamentals next. We'll be right

Break Invitation

Speaker 1

back.

Speaker 3

Decades ago, God began shaping within Darrel and Cindy a grand vision, revealing his end time plans and blueprints for what he's about to do in his church and in the nations. And now the time has come to share these from their new book, Rise of the Glorious Church. To learn more about all this, we invite you to watch our engaging and prophetic trailers and inspiring shorts on our new Shekinah Today YouTube channel. Then subscribe, share, and see more details on our website at shekinatoday.org.

Speaker 1

All

Fundamental 3 Introduction

Speaker 1

right, welcome back. All right, then we've been going through the five glorious church fundamentals. Fundamental one we covered was knowing God. Fundamental two is about knowing who you are, your identity, and the nature of Christ that He wants you to walk in. And that sets up and establishes the foundation for fundamental number three, which is know why you are here. Purpose. At some point, everybody asks themselves, Who am I? Why am I here? What's my purpose? Right? If we don't know what our purpose and destiny is, then how can we fulfill it? That's right. And one of the best quotes we've heard about this subject is actually by Rick Warren. Now we may not always agree with Rick, but God bless him. He had a great quote in his book called The Purpose-Driven Life. And it's this you are created by God for God. And until you understand that, life will never make sense. It's only in God that we discover our origin, our identity, our meaning, our purpose, our significance, and our destiny.

Speaker 2

That is so good.

Speaker 1

Isn't that great? I love that.

Speaker 2

So that's all his quote, huh? Beautiful. And it just says it all right there.

Speaker 1

It does.

Speaker 2

So that is an amazing quote. And you know, I think of this scripture that says, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all the things you need will be added unto you in America and other nations. We see so many people and Christians that spend their lives just chasing after the American dream, the temporary goals, personal success, while missing God's greater kingdom purpose. We need to understand you were created for something so much bigger, for vision, for purpose. And God has a plan that goes way beyond what this world can offer. And now that doesn't mean we don't provide, protect, care for our families. We do those things we need to do. But scripture tells us seek first the kingdom of God. It doesn't say seek only the kingdom, but God and the kingdom of God need to be a priority.

Speaker 1

That's right. And when it

The Greatest Adventure

Speaker 1

relates to purpose, you know, people are drawn to stories like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, because they tell if ordinary people, especially young people a lot of times, discovering a higher purpose and joining a greater cause than themselves to fight against evil and to bring victory for good, right?

Speaker 2

Yes.

Speaker 1

And the reality is God's plan is the greatest adventure of all.

Speaker 2

It really is. Knowing what our God-given purpose is and our destiny, it's amazing because we have the privilege, you listening to this podcast, you have the privilege of participating. In fact, there's an invitation going out to you to participate in the greatest rescue mission in history. Yes. Helping to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth, rescue souls, and advance God's purposes in our generation. And we know this begins in your own life. It begins in your family. It begins there, but then it goes out from there. When we see the big picture of God's kingdom, something wakes up inside of us. That's right. It's big, it's a new, exciting reality of God's purpose for our life comes into focus. And what's amazing about the character of God, He is life. He said, I have come that you would have life and have it to the full.

Speaker 1

That's right.

Speaker 2

And when you're living with purpose, you're living on fire, really, because you you have desire in your heart for greater things than just the mundane things of this life.

Speaker 1

That's right. So this fundamental

Our Highest Purpose and Call

Speaker 1

is all about purpose. So what is our highest purpose and call? We believe our ultimate purpose and primary high call is really twofold. One is to know God, and two, be conform to the image of Christ. That's right. Simply stated, our highest call is to know Christ, become like Christ, and manifest Christ on the earth. Everything else flows from that.

Speaker 2

That's right. He is heaven. His presence is heaven. Really, being conform to the image of Christ, this changes everything. That's right. It changes you, and being conformed to the image of Christ is going to change everything around you. It's going to change the way you walk, the way you talk, the way you live, the way you lead your families, the way you do your work, everything. And that's why that has to be our highest purpose and call knowing God and being conformed to his image.

Speaker 1

That's right. And really, you see, those are really, if you look back, those are the first two fundamentals. That's right. Knowing God is number one, knowing who you are to be conformed to Christ. Identity. Identity in Christ and be conformed to Christ, fundamental number two.

Speaker 2

It's like these are, I see these five fundamentals almost like stair steps.

Speaker 1

They are.

Speaker 2

And the first one, they build upon each other. And you have to take them in order.

Speaker 1

That's right. That's right. See, before we can discover what we're called to do, we must first understand what we are called to become.

Speaker 2

Amen.

Speaker 1

That's so huge.

Our Secondary Calling

Speaker 1

So our highest purpose and call is first to know God, to be conformed to the image of Christ, and manifest Him through our second main purpose and highest calling, our kingdom mission. Amen. Right? So as members of God's royal family, we are entrusted with gifts and talents and opportunities to serve his kingdom. And our overall kingdom mission includes what?

Speaker 2

It includes living for God and magnifying him in all we do, and something we say often. And I say is God's called us to be glorious. Let Christ shine through in all you think, say, and do. That's right. And that mission is to advance his kingdom upon the earth as it is in heaven, to become salt and light in our area of influence, whether that is just within your family, if you're a stay-at-home mom, if you're have a business, whatever area God has called you into, and to share the gospel of the kingdom, to rescue souls, and to make glorious church Christ-like disciples.

Speaker 1

That's right. In fact, Ephesians 4.13 talks about this. Says the key purpose of the five-fold ministry is to prepare and equip the saints to do the ministry of the saints in every area of their influence. Whatever the saints are working, and we'll talk about this in later episodes. Ministry is not just confined to the four walls of the church. That's right. Or in the mission field, it's in every area of society. Wherever you are, if you're a Christ follower, you're an ambassador of Christ wherever you are in that arena, right there.

Speaker 2

He wants to be everywhere.

Speaker 1

That's right.

Speaker 2

He wants to be in, he wants to be everywhere.

Speaker 1

So a key truth is this you were created for more than simply living and getting through life. And you were created for more than just simply going to heaven. You were created to know God, become like Christ, and fulfill your kingdom assignment.

Speaker 2

That's right. You were created for more than simply just making living, getting by, and trying to survive. You were created to know God, to walk with Him, become like Christ, and fulfill a kingdom assignment.

Speaker 1

That's right. Everything we do now counts. Because we'll find that this life is also like a training ground and preparation for what comes

Fundamental 4 Introduction

Speaker 1

next. Amen. And that leads us to fundamental number four.

Speaker 2

Where you're going. Oh, this is exciting, right? That's right.

Speaker 1

Know where you are going, your destiny.

Speaker 2

It's bigger than you think.

Speaker 1

That's right. You have a destiny to fulfill in this life and the ages to come.

Speaker 2

Amen.

Speaker 1

God has a plan for you, not just here, but in the future. He wants to develop you now, prepare you for that now.

Speaker 2

And what you become and what you do here is going to echo into eternity.

Speaker 1

Exactly. See, many people focus on what happens before Jesus returned with the end times, and rightly so. Those are things we need to know about and focus on. But few think about what happened after he returns. Think about that. Yes, understanding God's future plans gives our lives greater meaning today.

Speaker 2

It does.

Speaker 1

See, the millennial reign of Christ, when he returns, is not the end of the story, it's just the very beginning.

Speaker 2

That's right.

Speaker 1

The beginning of a new age, a whole new kingdom age, as we talked about in chapter one in a previous episode.

Speaker 2

You know, we're willing when you realize when you see the outcome, many people were willing to make the sacrifices in the moment if we see what's going to come from those sacrifices. It's like our light affliction becomes it's for a moment and it's right.

Who is Jesus' Millennial Leadership Team?

Speaker 1

That's right. And scripture reveals that Jesus will establish his kingdom on earth and his people will rule and reign with him.

Speaker 2

Amen.

Speaker 1

The thing is, the reality is, not everyone will reign with him, only the overcomers will. As we talked about in Revelation 2 and 3. Talks about those who are overcome will reign with him. That's right. And so Jesus is actually looking for and training right now what we call a millennial leadership team. Yes. That God is looking for architects and builders of a whole new world, a whole new kingdom age that is coming.

Speaker 2

Amen.

Speaker 1

He's developing them now to help wrap up his plans on in this end-time stage, but also plans for the next stage. Yes. The next age to come.

Speaker 2

And you know, they're going to be a breed of people and kingdom people that like we've never seen before. Because they're going to walk in a, they're going to know their God.

Speaker 1

That's right.

Speaker 2

They'll be strong. They will do exploits, great things. Yes. They will also know their identity. They will know why they're here. They'll know where they're going. They'll know what they believe in why. And because they do, they're going to be ready.

Speaker 1

They'll be walking these five fundamentals. Yes. They'll know them all and walk in them. Yes. That's so critical. So it's so important. And listen, you see this throughout the gospels. Jesus repeatedly taught Kingdom Principles in his parables that those who are faithful with a little will be given much more and be entrusted with much more. So what we do now matters. How we live, how we serve, how we grow, how we respond to God, all have eternal significance.

Speaker 2

Yes, they do.

Living with an Eternal Perspective

Speaker 1

See, a key truth is this life is preparation for the life to come, for the age to come. We need to be driven by an eternal perspective.

Speaker 2

Yes.

Speaker 1

If Scripture makes it really clear in James 4.14, this scripture reminds us that this life is but a vapor. One day every believer will stand before the judgment seat of Christ, and our works and motives and stewardship will be evaluated. We are not saved by our works, but we will be rewarded according to our works. That's right. That's something to keep in mind. So that should not produce fear in us, but should produce purpose and motivation. That's right, motivation. So every day matters, every act of obedience matters, every opportunity to serve God matters. Yes, it does. We need to see our life through the lens of eternity. When we do that, our priorities begin to change.

Speaker 2

You know, it makes me think of a quote the Lord had given me in remembering that every thought, word, and deed is a seed that will create a future reality both now and through eternity.

Speaker 1

That's right.

Speaker 2

Think of that every day. Every thought, word, and deed is a seed I'm planting, and it's going to create a harvest.

Speaker 1

That's right. Both now and eternally. That's

Royal Family Training & Testing!

Speaker 1

right. And that leads us to ask how do we become part of King Jesus Kingdom leadership team, both now and into eternity?

Speaker 2

You know, in talking about the millennial leadership team and how God is preparing us for where we are going, what we're doing, we are his royal family. And really, we're training and testing right now.

Speaker 1

That's right.

Speaker 2

He's trying and testing. We are part of God's royal family, and this life is merely a training ground where he develops our faith, our character, our spiritual maturity. God's goal is not simply to make you and I comfortable, his goal is to make us Christ-like overcomers. That's right. That will rule and reign with him through eternity.

Speaker 1

That's right. It's so true.

Speaker 2

And that is what God is preparing you for. And even in the hard things, when you take them and you say, God, I don't understand this, but I embrace it. Teach me what I need to know. But training overcomers, to be an overcomer, requires that we have something to overcome. We know training requires testing. And so God in this life, He's equipping us, He's training us, He's testing us, He's trying us and preparing us.

Speaker 1

That's

Are You an “Uncommon” Christian?

Speaker 1

right. And see, one of the greatest battles we will fight is against being normal or common.

Speaker 2

Right now, God is not looking for common Christians like we see those that are, you know, just lukewarm. He is looking for uncommon Christians, those that have that fire and desire inside and vision and purpose that are fully devoted, fully dedicated. And he's looking for those that will be uncommon.

Speaker 1

Amen. This reminds me of the great quote from the movie Miracle that you probably know about the amazing inspired story of a young 1980 U.S. hockey team. I remember watching it when I was growing up. That actual game itself, it was amazing. It was a game that shocked the world that when they defeated the long-dominant Russian hockey team, it required nothing less than focused dedication and a willingness to train harder than any other team before them. At first, when they started training for what the rest of the world thought was impossible to defeat the Russian hockey team, the team actually started taking things a little lightly. And Coach Herb Brooks, he started pushing him to the brink. And he finally got upset with them. And he challenged this young formative team with this statement that set the mindset to achieve the impossible. Listen to this. He said, This cannot be a team of common men because common men go nowhere. You have to be uncommon. Wow. Let that sink in. That's what Jesus is saying to us. We cannot be common Christians because common Christians go nowhere.

Speaker 2

It makes me think of David as a boy and his passion and his desire. He was uncommon.

Speaker 1

That's right. He was uncommon.

Speaker 2

He's like, I'm gonna take off the giant.

Speaker 1

Yeah.

Speaker 2

But the secret, he had been with God, right?

Speaker 1

That's right. And so fundamental one, he knew God.

Speaker 2

Yes, and also when Saul would send him out to do something, he would double, he'd go way over the top. Yeah, and so that's uncommon.

Speaker 1

He excelled. That's right.

Speaker 2

And because we have Christ in us, our great God, our mighty King, the mighty one of Israel, when we have him within us, we should be uncommon. We shouldn't be going over the top.

Speaker 1

That's right. And in all the testing and trying and the pressing through and the growing, one key truth to remember is this the greater your calling, the greater the testing.

Speaker 2

Yeah.

Speaker 1

Before God entrusts greater responsibility, he must first develop the character for you to carry it.

Speaker 2

That's right.

Speaker 1

To carry that calling. And you see this pattern throughout scripture. Yes. In the lives of Joseph, Moses, David, and of course Jesus himself demonstrated that. Daniel. But

A Greater Glory Working In Us!

Speaker 1

I mean, again, there's a greater glory working in us. That's one thing we had to keep in mind. Romans 8, 18 to 19 says, For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared to the glory which will be revealed in us. Amen. For the earnest expectation of creation eagerly awaits for the revealing of the sons of God, the mature sons of God. Amen. Tests and trials don't waste them. God can use them as stepping stones if you embrace them and let it grow your faith and form Christ in us and prepare you for greater things.

Speaker 2

Amen. A key truth is that we are not here merely for the temporal. We are here for the eternal purposes of God. Yes. There is a new kingdom coming, and King Jesus is preparing a people who will rule and reign with him. The question is will you be part of it?

Speaker 1

That's right. Very important question.

Speaker 2

Sign me up, sign me up.

Speaker 1

All right, so that's fundamental

Fundamental 5 Introduction

Speaker 1

four. Now the final fundamental number five. Yes. Know what you believe and why. This is about us. Being salt and light.

Speaker 2

Amen.

Speaker 1

First Peter 3:15 says, always be ready to give defense to everyone who asks you for the reason for the hope that is in you.

Speaker 2

Amen.

Speaker 1

And see, one of the greatest challenges facing the church today is not persecution from the outside, a lot of it's confusion from the inside. Yes. Many believers know what they believe, but they can't explain to you why they believe it. That is really a big deal. Because listen, as a result, many, when their faith is challenged by culture, critics, or difficult questions, and it's good to have questions. Nothing wrong with questions. They often struggle. They don't know how to answer it, and they can they can't stand firm. A lot of times they fade away and oh, I must be wrong. I don't know what. And you hear about people deconstructing their faith because they don't understand what the truth is.

Speaker 2

Well, often they're just parroting what their pastor told them.

Speaker 1

Yes.

Speaker 2

Instead of taking what they're hearing and digging to the word for themselves and allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal and show them.

Speaker 1

In fact, it's amazing because

Shocking Studies!

Speaker 1

again, we talk about this in more detail in our book, but there's shocking studies reported that of American pastors, only 37% have a biblical worldview. Can you believe that? Only 37% of pastors have a biblical worldview.

Speaker 2

That's unbelievable.

Speaker 1

That would explain why the other recent shocking studies found why the majority of Americans who say they're Christians, about 68%, only four percent of them said they had a biblical worldview.

Speaker 2

Oh my goodness.

Speaker 1

Wow. Again,

What Is a Biblical Worldview?

Speaker 1

we can break this down more in the book, but listen, it's really important to understand what a biblical worldview is, because a biblical worldview is seeing life through the lens of scripture. You know, the Bible provides answers to life's most important questions, which are where do we come from? Why are we here? Where am I going? Who's God? You know, and why should how should I live? What is truth? That's right. And is there life after death? Without a biblical worldview, people are easily influenced by the culture, public opinion, or human reasoning. And what a biblical worldview does, it helps anchor us in God's truth. That's right. It's so huge.

Speaker 2

And that's why, you know, scripture, the Bible, is actually our life and success manual. It's not something you just pick up and oh, I did my five-minute Bible reading today. That was nice. Thank you for encouraging me, God. No, I mean, there's so much in it.

What Every Christian Should Know

Speaker 1

See, every Christian should have a biblical worldview and clearly know that God created the universe and that we were created in his image to walk with him and to see absolute truth and moral standards to live by. Scripture also shows origins and reasons for evil, for sin, for death and suffering in the world. The Bible also reveals what the future holds and the great blessed hope of Christ's return. And see, teaching a biblical worldview and apologetics should include how true observable science and history, archaeology, honest investigation, and critical thinking confirm the truth of evidence for God, evidence for God's holy Bible being the word of God. Amen. Evidence of biblical creation versus evolution, why Jesus is the only way, and one of the most important evidence for the resurrection.

Speaker 2

Yes. We see that there's overwhelming evidence for the Holy Bible as God's word and absolute truth. We see the unity and consistency of scripture, which is evidence of supernatural authorship, unparalleled manuscript evidence and textual reliability, evidence the Bible is superior to every other ancient writing and book. We see historical and archaeological reliability and accuracy, amazing scientific accuracy and foresight, and prophetic accuracy, which is incredible, the incredible odds. That's right. And one of the greatest sources of evidence has been millions of transformed lives. That really is the that is it.

Speaker 1

When you really study God's word and study the evidence behind it all, it strengthens your faith. Yes, it doesn't matter. It doesn't weaken it at all. That's right. I mean, the Bible can hold up against any criticism, any question. That's right. So these are things that every church should be teaching about apologetics and biblical worldview. It's really important.

Discipleship Resources and Training

Speaker 1

One of the best books we've seen on this is Lee Strobel's books and videos and his excellent movie about the case for Christ. But his challenge to the facts of the resurrection, when he came in face to face with that, it was amazing to see how that played out. And other great sources, his answers in Genesis websites and resources. Josh McDowell's book on the evidence that demands a verdict. He used to be an atheist. His study, he went out to prove God's word in the Bible and Jesus as a joke. Yes. He said the joke was on him. And he wrote a whole book about it. That's it. And then one of a really great book, too, is I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist. That's a great one. Bray Frank Turek and Noah Geisler, just to name a few. But these are great books and resources, just as a starting point that people should go through. Not that I agree with every single conclusion necessarily, but I think they had great, many great things to say that I can understand.

Speaker 2

What's important is, you know, a lot of our youth, and we've talked about this a few times, is the reason so many in the past had just fallen away, they've raised up in church, because basically we're raised up on pizza parties, you know. Or just believe it. Yeah, believe in Jesus, let's come and jam and jump up and down and do some worship songs. But if we would, if the church, if we would be doing our job and that young age in the stage is their teens and young like that, and so formidable, really teaching them, they would be equipped to stand up in the culture when those questions are asked. That's right. And instead of losing so many to the world, they would actually go out and transform others.

Speaker 1

That's right. So to see the glorious church will not be confused, compromised, or imitated. Amen. She knows God's word, she has a strong biblical worldview and is ready to stand for truth and both conviction and love of God behind it. And to be effective salt and light in this generation, we must know what we believe and why we believe it. Yes. So huge.

Speaker 2

And what I'm excited about, we've and we've actually had someone reach out to us, and it's something we've been planning to do, is to develop a glorious church discipleship really program study guides and books. And that will take some time. But we know that there is God wants this out everywhere. That's right. He wants churches equipped. He wants them equipped to have the tools that they need to be able to disciple leaders that will transform lives, families, cities, and nations who know what they believe in why. They know their God, they know their identity, they know why they're here, they know where they're going, and they know what they believe in why.

Review & Next Episode—The High Call to Rise Up Glorious!

Speaker 1

So that is a glimpse. Again, much more details in our book. That is a glimpse of the five glorious church fundamentals, how their core truths and teachings every church and believer must know and understand in order to walk in all God has created and destined us to be. This also reveals what we call the journey of the glorious bride.

Speaker 2

Amen.

Speaker 1

And this is a special episode you do not want to miss next time. So amen. Wow.

Speaker 2

Well, we look forward

Final Thoughts

Speaker 2

to that. And this has been so good. And we pray, we really pray that this message, this episode, will really stir your heart and really be cause you to want to dig deeper.

Speaker 1

That's right. So, chapter four, just in quick review, we talked about in the previous episode God's original grand plan for you to be part of his royal family, right? To expand his kingdom. Yes. And then this episode, we covered the five glorious church fundamentals so you can walk in all that God destined you for. And so next time, we'll talk about the high call to rise up glorious. Yes. Which is going to be, you do not want to miss that, this powerful and life-transforming chapter, I believe. Amen. Amen. So thank you for joining us. Please go ahead and like, share, subscribe, comment, and that will help us get the message out. Absolutely. And we're so grateful. So thank you for joining us until next time. Together in Christ.

Speaker 2

Let's rise up glorious and impact lives, families, cities, and nations. Amen. God bless you.

Speaker 3

We hope you enjoyed this episode of the Shekinah Today podcast with Darrel and Cindy deVille. We invite you to subscribe and leave a review wherever you're listening. And please share to help get this important message out. And if you haven't yet, we encourage you to get a copy of Rise of the Glorious Church. It goes deeper into what Darrel and Cindy are sharing and will help you prepare for what God is doing in the days ahead. If this message and ministry has been a blessing to you, we want to invite you to sow into the vision and mission of Shekina Today Ministries. Our mission is to exalt Christ, raise up his glorious church to reveal his glory, advance his kingdom, and transform lives, families, cities, and nations. You can donate by going to our website at shekinaToday.org. Thank you again for joining us. Until next time, let's rise up glorious.