Primary Themes of IHOP Chicago
The forerunner ministry declares a
3-fold revelation of the beauty of Jesus
as a passionate Bridegroom, transcendent
King and righteous Judge. These emphases
are vital themes for preparing the end-time
church. In these days, the Holy Spirit
is emphasizing these biblical themes
that equip people to proclaim ‘The
Forerunner Message’ as they experience
grace to live a fasted lifestyle. Our
prayer is that we might have the same
spirit as we seek to live and minister
to others as ‘Friends of the Bridegroom’.
Primarily, a 'Friend of the Bridegroom'
is a reality in the Holy Spirit that
we believe the Lord will emphasize in
the generation He returns. It describes
ministries that equip the church to
live in her bridal identity with whole-hearted
love for Jesus. As the Bridegroom's
friends they focus on preparing individuals
to live in the intimate embrace of our
heavenly Bridegroom rather than drawing
the bride's affections to themselves.
Paul described certain ministries in
his day who preached 'themselves' in
the midst of proclaiming the gospel.
They showcased their own ministries
resulting in believers being inordinately
preoccupied with them (2 Cor 4:5; 11:20;
Phil 2:19-21). 'Friends of the Bridegroom'
also function as forerunners preparing
the church in the beauty of the Lord
to respond properly in the midst of
the great end-time shaking (Heb 12:26).
Primary themes of friends of the Bridegroom
- A 3-fold revelation of the beauty
of Jesus as a passionate Bridegroom,
transcendent King and righteous Judge.
- A 3-fold activity of the Holy Spirit
revealing the beauty of Jesus: restoring
the first commandment to first place,
an unprecedented demonstration of
divine power resulting in the great
harvest and a global release of the
temporal judgments of God.
- A 3-fold shaking that results from
these 3 activities: (1) lives of individual
believers radically re-aligned in
pursuit of the first commandment,
(2) churches significantly challenged
by greater experiences of God’s
power and by the massive influx of
new converts (3) all aspects of society
shaken by the temporal judgments of
Jesus.
- The 'Forerunner Ministry' in the
spirit of Elijah prepares the church
to overcome the widespread offense
against Jesus’ judgments. The
forerunner ministries prepare the
church to respond in mature love in
the context of these shakings by properly
interpreting God’s glorious
purposes accomplished in them.
- Proclaiming the spiritual beauty
and identity of the church as a warrior
bride equipped to function in mature
partnership with Jesus to gather the
harvest with power and to build the
church in victory.
- The wisdom and necessity of embracing
the fasted lifestyle as demonstrated
in the devotion of John the Baptist.
This New Testament 'Bridegroom fasting'
is empowered by grace and motivated
by lovesickness for God. This type
of specific fasting began with the
first coming of the heavenly Bridegroom.
- The heavenly mandate of touching
the poor as a primary ministry focus
of the Bridegroom.
- Understanding the beauty of Jesus
in the release of His righteous judgments
and in the unprecedented and unique
manifestations of God's power in the
end-time harvest.