PROMISED LAND MINISTRIES
A descendant of “The Freedom Church“, is a Convergence Movement, established in 1999 by C.E.O. ++Joshua Paul Logan the Chief Protector of the Churches Of the Promised Land – Church Universal “Church Without Walls”, inspired by the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., unctioned by the Holy Spirit, commissioned by the laying on of hands in unbroken lines of authenticated Apostolic Succession through the Holy Communion Of Churches – ICHCOC.
Promised Land Ministries defined
promise [prómmiss]
verb (past and past participle prom·ised,
1. | to assure somebody that something will certainly happen or be done |
2. | to pledge to somebody to provide or do something |
3. | to cause somebody to expect something |
4. | to assure or warn somebody that something is true or inevitable |
5. | to engage somebody to be married |
Promised Land |
noun
1. | the land of Canaan, according to the Bible promised by God to the descendants of Abraham |
2. | heaven, or a place or situation of great happiness or success |
Promised Land Ministries’ History & Theology:
The Promised Land (Hebrew: הארץ המובטחת, translit.: ha-Aretz ha-Muvtachat) is a term used to describe the land promised by God, according to the Hebrew Bible, to the Israelites. The promise is firstly made to Abraham (Genesis 15:18-21) and then renewed to his son Isaac, and to Isaac’s son Jacob (Genesis 28:13), Abraham’s grandson. The promised land was given to their descendants and was described in terms of the territory from the River of Egypt to the Euphrates river.
The Book of Joshua concludes the accounts begun in Genesis, Exodus, and Deuteronomy of the origin and early history of the Jews. It begins (chap. 1-6) with an account of the Hebrews’ entry into the Promised Land, Canaan, and the sack of the ancient Palestinian walled city of Jericho. It then relates (chap. 7-12) how the Hebrews established themselves throughout Canaan by their conquest of another ancient city, Ai. They did this by making a covenant with the fearful Gibeonites, by their bloody rout of an army led by the kings of five other southern Canaanite cities, and by the slaughter of an army gathered by yet other Canaanite kings “at the waters of Merom” (11:5) in the north. Much of the latter half of the book (chap. 13-24) describes how Joshua distributed the conquered land among the 12 tribes of Israel. The book concludes with Joshua’s final exhortation (chap. 23) to Israel to honor the covenant entered into with God on Mount Sinai and an account of the last gathering of the tribes under Joshua (chap. 24), at which time the people and Joshua entered into another covenant to serve and obey God.
The predetermined intentions of the movement “Promised Land Ministries” as a biblical trailblazer:
Joshua = in the Hebrew = yehôshuaʿ = Jehovah-Saved
Joshua, book of the Old Testament. According to the traditional view, its author was Joshua, the military leader and hero chosen by Moses to be his successor and to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. Most modern biblical scholars, however, reject this view; their studies have shown that the book contains material drawn from a number of different sources. Attempts to date the various strands have largely been inconclusive. The only conclusion widely accepted today is that the oldest passages of the book, which some scholars date from the middle of the 10th century bc, were completely rewritten and much elaborated upon in the 7th century bc by a member (or members) of the so-called Deuteronomic school (see Deuteronomy; Pentateuch). Later, probably after 500bc, editors concerned primarily with priestly matters added to or rewrote much of the latter half of the book.
The Book of Joshua concludes the accounts begun in Genesis, Exodus, and Deuteronomy of the origin and early history of the Jews. It begins (chap. 1-6) with an account of the Hebrews’ entry into the Promised Land, Canaan, and the sack of the ancient Palestinian walled city of Jericho. It then relates (chap. 7-12) how the Hebrews established themselves throughout Canaan by their conquest of another ancient city, Ai. They did this by making a covenant with the fearful Gibeonites, by their bloody rout of an army led by the kings of five other southern Canaanite cities, and by the slaughter of an army gathered by yet other Canaanite kings “at the waters of Merom” (11:5) in the north. Much of the latter half of the book (chap. 13-24) describes how Joshua distributed the conquered land among the 12 tribes of Israel. The book concludes with Joshua’s final exhortation (chap. 23) to Israel to honor the covenant entered into with God on Mount Sinai and an account of the last gathering of the tribes under Joshua (chap. 24), at which time the people and Joshua entered into another covenant to serve and obey God.
The visionary trailblazer for this century’s phase of the movement “Promised Land Ministries” is:
The Metropolitan ++Joshua Paul Logan
Joshua 1:1-2
1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying,
2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.
Joshua 1:5-7
5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.!
Exodus 12:25 (KJV)
25 And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.
Deuteronomy 6:3 (KJV)
3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.
Deuteronomy 27:3 (KJV)
3 And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over, that thou mayest go in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, a land that floweth with milk and honey; as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee.
Joshua 22:4 (KJV)
4 And now the LORD your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side Jordan.
Joshua 23:4-7 (KJV)
4 Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea westward.
5 And the LORD your God, he shall expel them from before you, and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the LORD your God hath promised unto you.
6 Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;
7 That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them:
Hebrews 11:8-10 (KJV)
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
Con·ver·gence
1. | A coming together from different directions, especially a uniting or merging of groups or tendencies that were originally opposed or very different |
2. | The tendency of different species to develop similar characteristics in response to a set of environmental conditions |
The convergence movement is a coming together of the three major historic branches of the Church;
- The Liturgical/Sacramental
Li·tur·gic
1. | relating to liturgy |
2. | relating to religious worship or to a service of worship, especially the celebration of Communion in a Christian service. |
Liturgy is; a body of rites (or system of ceremonial procedures) prescribed for formal public worship.
- 2.The Evangelical
e·van·gel·i·cal
1. | relating or belonging to any Protestant Christian church that emphasizes the authority of the Bible and salvation through the personal acceptance of Jesus Christ |
2. | relating to or based on the Gospels of the Christian Bible |
3. | enthusiastic or zealous in support of a particular cause and very eager to make other people share its beliefs or ideals |
Evangelicalism, is a movement in modern Anglo-American (citizens originating from Great Bitain) Protestantism that emphasizes personal commitment to Christ and the authority of the Bible.
- In the general sense, evangelical (from the New Testament Greek euangelion, “good news”) means simply pertaining to the Gospel.
- It is represented in most Protestant denominations.
Protestantism, is one of the three major divisions of Christianity, the others being Roman Catholicism and Orthodoxy.
- Protestantism beganas a movement to reform the Western Christian church in the 16th century, resulting in the Protestant Reformation, which severed the reformed churches from the Roman Catholic Church.
- The declared aim of the original reformers was to restore the Christian faith as it had been at its beginning, while keeping what they thought valuable from the Roman Catholic tradition that had developed during the intervening centuries.
Evangelicals believe that each individual has a need for spiritual rebirth and personal commitment to Jesus Christ as savior,through faith in his atoning death on the cross (commonly, although not necessarily, through a specific conversion experience).
- The Charismatic.
char·is·mat·ic
1. | having charisma: possessing great powers of charm or influence |
2. | seeking direct spiritual experiences: describes Christian groups or worship characterized by a quest for inspired and ecstatic experiences such as healing, prophecy, and speaking in tongues |
Charismatic Movement (Greek charismata,”spiritual gifts”), international, interdenominational Christian revivalistic movement, also referred to as Neo-Pentecostalism.
- The individuals who make up the movementbelieve that they have been “filled” or “baptized” with the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands.
- The signs of this baptism includesuch spiritual gifts as speaking in tongues, or glossolalia, prophecy, healing, interpretation of tongues, and discernment of spirits (see 1 Corinthians 12:8-10).
The Pentecostal churches had their origin in a similar movement in the early 20th century, as small groups of believers withdrew from Protestant denominations in order to pray, study the Bible, and practice their gifts. See also Holiness Churches.
Holiness Churches, are fundamentalist Protestant bodies that developed from Methodism and hold as their distinguishing feature the doctrine that holiness, or sanctification of the individual, occurs by a second act of grace that follows justification and is supplementary to it.
- The experience of holiness is also referred to as the second blessing.
- The National Holiness Movement came into being shortly after the American Civil War.
- Originally a protest movement within Methodism, it opposed the Methodist falling away from the emphasis on sanctification that John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, had developed.
- He had stressed original sin and justification by faith and added that the individual may be assured of forgiveness by a direct experience of the spirit, called sanctification, which he regarded as the step leading to Christian perfection.
- Although the main body of the Holiness movement holds that sanctification is a second work of grace, some groups of the Pentecostal movement, an outgrowth of the Holiness churches, maintain that sanctification is essentially the dedication of the believer that begins with regeneration.
- Moreover, sanctification must be evidenced by the occurrence ofcertain spiritual phenomena, such as glossolalia, or speaking in tongues.
- The major representatives of the Holiness movement (excluding Pentecostal denominations) are the Church of the Nazarene and the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana).
- The latter originated about 1880as a movement within existing churches to promote Christian unity.
- The founders were interested in relieving the church at large of what they believed was over-ecclesiasticism and restrictive organizationand in reaffirming the New Testament as the true standard of faith and life.
- In addition to the holiness principle, they believe in, among other doctrines, the divine inspiration of the Scriptures, forgiveness of sin through the death of Christ and the repentance of the sinner, a nonmillennial concept of the return of Christ, and external reward or punishment as a result of the final judgment.
- In the late 1990s the Church of God had 234,000 members in the United States and the Church of the Nazarene reported 627,000 members.
- There are about 25 other Holiness denominations, among them the rapidly growing Christian and Missionary Alliance with 346,000 U.S. members in the late 1990s. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2006.
The most striking recent development is the Roman Catholic charismatic renewal, which originated in 1967 on university campuses in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; South Bend, Indiana; and East Lansing, Michigan.
As has Pentecostalism, the charismatic movement has produced a myriad of groups, independent preachers and healers, and a few near-cultic offshoots.
- Most charismatics, however, areorthodox in doctrine, and emphasize activity within their own denominations.
- They are ecstatic(or completely dominated by intense emotion) in worship, although generally more subdued than Pentecostalists,
- They align themselves with other Evangelicals in their emphasis on evangelism and personal faith in Christ.
CONVERGENCE
Each of these expressions of the Church of Jesus Christ have been carefully nurtured by God and greatly used to establish and expand His work on earth.
- Modern day visionaries, however, have discerned the times and are declaring that the right time has arrived for God’s church to be one. “Father, that they maybe one even as we are one,” was the prayer of our Lord.
- Ecclesiastes 4:12 tells us that, “ a cord of the three strands is not easily broken.” When the three strands of God’s Church are braided together there will be a new strength and unity in the church as hasn’t been seen since the apostolic age.
What the Convergence Movement is Not. The Convergence Movement is not the Ecumenical Movement.
- The Ecumenical Movement has been a constructive and instrumental part in preparing the scene forthe Convergence Movement.
- It was at first, and will continue to be, necessary for the various factions and denominations of God’s church to dialog and commence tearing down the walls of division. God has blessed this effort.
- The Convergence Movement, however, has identified the three living streams of the Church and invites God to bring them together as one complete life-giving river. “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the Place where the Most High dwells” (Psalm 46:4).
- These three streams each in their own way have defined the map of Christianity through the ages and will merge like a flood into the future to bring reconciliationand unleash God’s powerful purpose for His Church.
- For the present time, Convergence Churches will be powerful symbols and agents of rapprochement (or renewal of friendly relations between nations that were previously hostile) and the impending unity of God’s people in the midst of a growing darkness and alienation in the world.
What a Convergence Church Will Look Like. A Convergence Church will blend the three dynamics of liturgy and sacrament, evangelical focus and charismatic power in their worship, congregational life and outreach.
Evangelical
The Convergence Church has a high view of Holy Scripture, that it contains all things necessary for salvation and godly living.
- It is committed to the faithful reading, studying, teaching,and preaching from the Scriptures; as well as believing that the Holy Scriptures are a wellspring for spiritual maturity.
- It believes in the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, a holy life, and a commitment to evangelismand missions.
Charismatic
The Convergence Church is open to the work of the Holy Spirit and believes that God’s people have always been a spiritually gifted people.
- From the Apostles to the modern Church, Christians have been endowed with a powerbeyond themselves; a power from the Holy Spirit Himself.
- The Convergence Church not only allows, but anticipates the Spirit’s presence andworking through this gifting in both worship and in daily acts of service.
Liturgical and Sacraments
The Convergence Church practices the living historic forms of the liturgies of the Church:
- The sacraments of Holy Eucharist(the Lord’s Supper) and Baptism.
- It draws on the traditions and wisdom of the Historic Church and is unashamedly part of the one Holy Catholic (“Universal”not Roman Catholic) and Apostolic Church.
- At the center of its worship is the sacrament of Holy Eucharist (the Lord’s Supper) in which it believes that grace is imparted by the real presence of Christ.
Scriptural References For The Concept Of The Convergence Movement
Psalms 133:1-3 (KJV)
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;
3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.
Ezekiel 37:15-17 (KJV)
15 The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:
17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.
John 17:17-23 (KJV)
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
1 Corinthians 1:10-31 (KJV)
10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?
14 I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius;
15 Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name.
16 And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.
17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
Ephesians 4:1-7 (KJV)
1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Jude 1-4 (KJV)
1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:
2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.
3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jude 17-25 (KJV)
17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Yours in Service to our King JESUS the Christ,
†† Joshua Paul Logan
Metropolitan
Founder & Chief Apostolic Gift – Churches Of the Promised Land
Patriarchal Coajutor – Holy Communion Of Churches
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