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Chapter 6, Jesus isn't returning to rescue you.

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I'm just going to be blunt.

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Jesus is not coming back to stage a rescue mission.

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Now that sentence is going to shake and even anger some believers, but it's the truth.

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Too many Christians today have bought into the idea that this world is spiraling beyond

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hope, destined for destruction, and that all we can do is wait it out until Jesus returns

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to pluck us from the chaos.

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They scroll through the latest headlines and nod in agreement, wars, disasters, corruption,

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violence, and conclude that we're all just passengers on a sinking ship.

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But that's not the story God is telling.

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Jesus isn't returning to evacuate his people from earth.

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When he comes back, and he is coming back, it will be to complete the restoration plan

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that was sealed at the cross, and the end of the world won't look much like the doom

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and gloom scenario many have been taught.

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The truth is far more powerful and far more hopeful.

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When Adam and Eve fell, sin entered the world and fractured the relationship between God

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and humanity, but God had a plan for our redemption and restoration.

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As I said before, Jesus didn't die just to save you from hell, and his sacrifice wasn't

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just about getting you into heaven.

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It was about bringing heaven to earth.

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He did what he did to empower you to live victoriously and to partner with him.

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He restored your access to the Father and re-established your authority to steward and

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reclaim the earth for the kingdom of God.

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Restoration is taking root.

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Yes, there's no denying that the world is in a chaotic state, but with spiritual eyes

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you can look beyond the noise and see underneath the surface that God is moving.

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Seeds of divine revelation and restoration are starting to break through.

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Prophecies are being fulfilled.

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Prayers that have been lifted for generations are being answered.

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But there's a catch.

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Much of what God is doing in this season isn't coming through traditional religious channels

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or institutional oversight.

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God is raising up individuals with hearts and minds to follow the direct guidance of

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the Holy Spirit.

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People who aren't bound by religious rituals but are in intimate relationship with and

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fully surrendered to him.

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Many won't recognize what's happening because it doesn't fit inside the box of what they

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think church should look like.

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But make no mistake, the Ekklesia, the true body of Christ, is moving and growing.

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Your spiritual growth isn't about where you sit on Sunday.

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It's about whether the Spirit is alive and active in you.

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Remember, the Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.

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Romans 8 verse 16.

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Belonging to a church or denomination doesn't make you part of the body of Christ.

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It is the Spirit of God, entwined with your spirit, that confirms you are his.

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Jesus is waiting for you to move.

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Let's be honest.

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For many, Christianity has become a spectator sport.

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Church attendance has replaced genuine engagement with God.

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Believers can sit in pews, listen to sermons, sing songs, and then return to their lives

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unchanged, wondering why they still feel spiritually empty.

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And because of this, too many churches, congregants, and clergy mirror the brokenness of the world

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instead of reflecting the power and the presence of God.

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They focus their attention on foreboding and anxiety rather than fixing their attention

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on the promises and the provisions of God.

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They're powerless.

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Instead of stepping into the authority God has given us, they're sitting back, waiting

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for Jesus to come and fix it all.

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But here's the truth.

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Jesus already accomplished the fixing at the cross.

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Hebrews 10, verses 12-14 tell us,

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But our high priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time.

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Then he sat down in the place of honor at God's right hand.

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There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet.

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For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.

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Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father.

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He's not pacing heaven, wringing his hands.

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So who is he waiting on to humble his enemies and make them a footstool under his feet?

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He's waiting for us.

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He's waiting for his people, those being made holy, to grow in maturity and partner with

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him to put into place all that he came to achieve and finish the work of establishing

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the kingdom of heaven on earth.

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earth. Let that sink in. Jesus isn't waiting to swoop in and save you. He's waiting for

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you to step into the authority He's already given you.

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The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth He has given to mankind.

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Psalm 115.16

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From the beginning, God entrusted humanity with the stewardship of the earth. Although

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we lost our authority after the fall, that commission didn't disappear. Jesus reclaimed

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our authority and power to meet our assignment, and now more than ever, it's on us to carry

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it forward. In His name, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we recovered the divine

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authority of the earth that had been lost in the fall.

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Christ restored to us the right to claim and steward the earth, but like the Israelites

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standing on the edge of the promised land, we must be willing to take it. That might

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sound intimidating, but remember David facing Goliath. He said, The battle is the Lord's.

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1 Samuel 17.47

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Our part is to move forward in faith. What then shall we say in response to these things?

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If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8.31

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Our calling isn't to survive until Jesus returns. It's to advance the kingdom on earth,

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to be salt and light, to be a reflection of the love and character of God in a world that

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desperately needs it.

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Remember, the kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17.21

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And the authority of heaven is in your hands. The Holy Spirit resides within you, and you

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were born for such a time as this.

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Are you ready to trust God and move forward to bring His kingdom into the spaces that

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you influence?

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In part two, Religion vs. Relationship, we'll examine what this looks like in practical

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terms. Chances are, living a life that's centered around and focused around a real relationship

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with God doesn't look the way you've been taught that it should.

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This concludes the complimentary pre-release audio of the first chapters of Out of Rituals

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and Into Relationship, Connecting with God Beyond the Church Walls by Xavier Lamont.

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Thank you for listening to my book and taking this step on the path toward a deeper relationship

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with God. I made these chapters available because I believe this message is needed now

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more than ever, and I want your feedback. Your insights will help shape the final version

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of this book and ensure it speaks directly to those who need it most.

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Visit www.xavierlamont.com forward slash feedback to share your thoughts. Whether

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these chapters challenged, encouraged, or inspired you, I'd love to hear about it.

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And while you're there, you'll find details on how to get the full pre-release audio book

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with the rest of the chapters.

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If what you've heard so far resonates with you, don't stop here. The rest of the book

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goes even deeper, unpacking how to break free from religious routines, hear God's voice

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with clarity, and cultivate the kind of direct personal relationship that changes everything.

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By purchasing the full release version, you'll not only gain access to the entire audio book

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ahead of its official release, but you'll also be supporting this work and playing a

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role in refining the final published edition.

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So, if these chapters have stirred something in you, go to www.xavierlamont.com forward

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slash feedback and take the next step. I appreciate your time, your thoughts, and most

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of all, your desire to know God deeply.

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Blessings to you on your journey.