Knit Together By The Holy Spirit

I DON'T WRITE THIS AS ONE WHO HAS APPREHENDED BUT RATHER AS ONE WHO HAS GLIMPSED IT FROM AFAR. The bright and morning star rising on the horizon heralding the return of the the Messiah....

The Church is the sum total of all believers knit together by the Holy Spirit's indwelling power and leadership and locally ALL those who believe (are found living in Christ). One of the key facets to the nature of the Church especially in a given locality is the nature of Jesus Himself - that they are all ONE.

There are not many independently run churches" in a given locality. That is heresy akin to taking a butcher knife and cutting up the Body of the Lord Jesus into pieces and we should rightfully fear God to attempt that or maintain it.

What is "known" as various "churches" today in most places are by their very nature divided from the whole and that is contrary to the very nature of God Himself. When one "comes out" of that system of endlessly dividing and idependently identifying "churches" one does not "come out" from fellowship with believers in the locality. One comes out into the glorious freedom that is in Christ Jesus to intereact with ALL other believers in the Holy Spirit without the obstruction of a system that is competing with Christ for our loyalty and ultimately is designed to bring people into loyalty to their particular so called "church" image. To bow down to the false image of "church" as most people understand it because they have been taught that from day one.

That is not the doctrine of Christ that was taught "in the beginning." That is the doctrine of the Tower of Babel where God himself divided them because gathered together they would have built a man-made tower to "heaven."

That is not to say that God hasn't used the organizational structures that most of us are familiar with but to recognize that "we see in part and know in part..." therefore everything that is expressed as understanding is taught based on the fact that our understandings are as yet incomplete.

We should ALWAYS remain in a position of humility in recognizing that Truth. We have not arrived yet at the greater perfection that will be apparent at the revelation or 2nd coming of the Lord Jesus for HIS Bride who will be found without spot or blemish.

The problem with the current system of independent "churches" (which are "denominations" in the making) in the locality and the world as opposed to the Church which Jesus is building upon the Bedrock of the revelation of HImself is that when "churches" are formed under the current system of independence there is a great tendency to be closed off from others outside their particular gathering from being used by the Holy Spirit to bring correction and needed revelation of the Word that is missing. The result of that is that there is a mix of Truth and error in EVERY gathering so organized.

In God's design for HIS Church the believers are together and hold all things in common, no man having anything he calls his own. "We being many are ONE." God's Church is not an organization of organizations. It is a singular organism wherein every cell has a purpose and function to uphold the life of the organism. That is true in the locality and that is true worldwide.

I want to encourage us all today to seek God's wisdom on where we are presently at in our local communities and consider this one thing: Are we connected to other believers in the locality just as much as we may be to those of "our" particular gathering. It's time to walk across the street in our neighborhoods and give glory to GOD with our bretheren who may in fact be bretheren of the Lord Jesus the Messiah. And perhaps to prayerfully ask God why in so many cases and situations that love of the bretheren today in our lives does not functionally extend past the manmade walls of the organization we identify with.

Although I do not personally subscribe to the "law" of the Sabbath, being that it is the scriptural Sabbath may we submit ourselves to God's Spirit and "cease from our OWN works" (the religious works of man) and enter into the finished work of the cross towards our bretheren.

Someone once said that in order to sail on the ocean to previously unknown worlds we have to be willing (have the faith) to lose sight of the land that we came from.

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In reponse to someone's comment elsewhere:

The question then arises, "Are the local assemblies accountable to EACH OTHER? Do they submit their doctrines to one another? Are they like the apostles who for a long time met daily in the temple and in homes being in ONE mind and accord? When was the last time the elders in Hilo got together to fast and pray together and share what the Holy Spirit was revealing? Do they feel comfortable confessing their sins and weaknesses to one another? Bearing in mind that no one man has a corner on the whole Truth do they invite each other into the "pulpit to share" a particular understanding in the word or a direct word from the Lord? Is there free flowing Holy Spirit led fellowship in local neighborhoods for "members" of various gatherings to gather in their homes and edify one another based soley upon their identification with Christ regardless of the various gatherings they attend to? Is that a Spiritually natural way of life?

It seems to me that the very same guidlines that apply to "church" operation and function also apply to the Church function in the locality (and the whole world if possible). But the most important thing to remember is that none of those guidlines are valid apart from from the teachings of Christ or the work of the Holy Spirit in our midst.

We have been so "taught" that this independence from each other is normal and acceptable that we can no more see a true unity of the Spirit functionally than we can see ourselves handing over our bank accounts to each other by faith that works by deep love for one another.

It is true that God will use incredibly imperfect situations to take care of His children but it is not always true that He is smiling when doing it.

"Father, I would that they may be one EVEN AS You and I are one."

(Can we even imagine the depth of that prayer.)

I am wondering. How close do you think Jesus and the Father were at that moment of decision? I tend to pay very close attention to a dying man's request. It is most often the closest thing to their heart.

LEARNING FROM THE BIRDS

Yesterday thousands upon thousands of birds flew in V-formations going south. There was almost a constant stream of them all day. They know that something is coming and their survival instincts tell them to flee from it to a place of safety. They know that Winter is coming.

We recognize the signs of natural times and seasons yet we fail to discern when signs are placed right in front of our eyes that the "season" we have lived in for decades is about to change. Why is it that we can understand the drastic changes that go on between summer and winter and yet cannot comprehend that our lives and the society we live in can undergo just as drastic a change.

We are in the "FALL" (or transition period) right now. The once pretty leaves of the trees that gave shelter and protection to the biirds are now dying and falling off leaving the tree trunks bare and naked (and hopefully ashamed). Winter is coming... we should not be spending time lamenting the bareness of the trees. We should especially not be spending time getting caught up in admiring the changes in the colors of the leaves before they die. We should be trusting our spiritual instincts and begin to send out the call, getting into formations and fleeing to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. He alone has all the answers for the times we are living in.

If you don't know Jesus, now is a good time to get alone and pray to the Living God for mercy and unearned favor to change the direction of your heart. God has given us His all in His Son Jesus but we have to reach out to Him in faith and accept all He has for us.

WE'VE BEEN GOING AROUND THIS MOUNTAIN LONG ENOUGH!

4 decades of the "Moral Majority" era merged with a political party and this is what it has come to? 

"You looked for much but it came to nothing. Why says the Lord of hosts? Because I did blow on it."

But the Lord is offended by our political "righteousness." Why is it that we can rally around a political party giving undeserved honor to that entity for 40 years but have not given honor to God in allowing Him to form His true and undivided nature and identity in the hearts of His Body the Church in this nation. In 40 years the Body of Christ could have had the glory of God resting on it but instead we chose to unify under the banner of politics. We traded the Kingdom of God for influence with a kingdom of this world instead. The power of God for political power.

Jesus prayed a significant prayer before he went to the cross. 

"Father, I would that they would be ONE even as You and I are ONE." 

I can remember when that was a hallmark of the Holy Spirit's work during the Jesus movement. Everything was about Jesus and it didn't matter where you went to "church" because "wherever two or three of you are gathered IN MY NAME there I am in the midst of you." THAT was the Church.

But the Church in America chose instead like the apostate church at Rome to invest in political power for the security and honor of the flesh. We traded a move of God for a political move.

We've been going around this political mountain long enough (40 years). It's time to leave the wilderness of political sin and follow Jesus to the promised land where He alone gets the honor of. His people and we shall be ONE in His hand. That is the call of the day. To turn from our wilderness of political sin and follow Him to a land truly filled with milk and honey. To repent of (to recognize and turn away from) our corporate political sin and idolatry and follow the ONE we were called to follow in the beginning but have all but forsaken.

But will we be like the rich young ruler who was invited to follow Jesus but because of his great investment in this world turned and walked away? OR will we forsake the wilderness and the mountain we have become so familiar with and identify with and follow Jesus into the promised land?

Oh Precious Lord! Have mercy on us! We have sinned against you and we don't even know it!

Enter the Kingdom of God

Naked And Unashamed

I once got a word from the LORD about the nonprofit religious corporate status of church and ministry organizations in the USA.

"The spear that you are leaning on will pierce your hand."

The sign of it's coming would seen manifesting in the Boy Scouts of America. (Bear in mind that this was many years ago and I had nothing to do with scouting at all.)

I see it as a warning that there are going to be changes in the relationship between government and the Church. That it is not so much that non-profit status it is an "evil" thing of itself but that it will be turned into a liability - a method of control - a demand for compromise.

Please understand that when I speak of the "Church" I am not refering to the outer garment of "organizations" that will perish with the using. Organization has it purposes but when it's purpose is fulfilled or it ceases to align with God's purposes it will be discarded. Instead of submitting to God's plan we ultimately try to preserve that which He has discarded by building images of the now discarded garment. Nothing more than historical monuments along the road that leads to the return of the Messiah.[*]

Some of the garments that God will discard along that path is our love for our country, our denomination and our racial/ethnic background. Those three are very difficult to give up because they form a major part of our identity in the flesh. But those three also form barriers, sometimes very subtle, between believers as well. They can be, if not always, spiritually blinding and binding. Giving them up to God is about as welcome in us and the world around us as much as we would welcome having all our teeth pulled. We only allow the dentist to have his way when we are driven to submit in pain or danger to our own health.

Everything that God is allowing in this country is designed for the benefit of the believers. To shake us loose from that which binds us in spirit. To shake us loose from that which is temporal and release in us that which is eternal. God built into man the desire to identify with Him but because of the fall of man we are left with emptiness that drives us to find other things to identify with. We are, in the flesh, naked and ashamed. God is asking us, "Are you willing to be naked and unashamed before Him and all men. To have your sole identity formed within you be that which is W-holy reserved for Him."

We cannot be clothed by God in holy garments while we are still wearing those that are passing away.

Does that mean that we abandon our country, denomination or race? NO! (unless God leads you to personally) "Be in the world but NOT a part of it." It is only then that God can use us in those arenas effectively because we no longer have anything to gain from them. Our identity is hidden in Christ.

[*] The Kingdom of God is always in motion even if that motion is stillness which is just the preparation for the next wave. On earth it manifests as waves or moves of the Holy Spirit. Our tendency is to idolize the wave we have been priviledged to ride and when it discipates (and it will) we idolize that wave not noticing that there are many more waves to come. Our attempts to recreate a wave only serve to interfere with the next wave coming.

JIHAD?

One example of political PC that is misleading (and why we are losing the "war on terror" is the PC term "radical Muslim terrorist." That  in our minds divides Muslims into two inaccurate camps - the terrorists and the peaceful. But what is really going on is that if Muslims were actually divided into two basic camps it would be this: Those that believe in Jihad (or the goal of Muslim world domination) and those that don't. (ie a more personal goal)

Jihad is not just violence. It is an ideology or a mindset ingrained into the mind of those that are taught and who believe in Jihad. It comes with a false sense of entitlement and affects every aspect of the lives of those that believe in it.

That is why ISIS, which is only one of the Muslim Jihadist movements, is killing and dominating more Muslims than anyone else. They feel it is their duty to irradicate or enslave those who are not Jihadists and all people who are against the goal of complete Muslim domination of the world.

But the concept of Jihad is not exclusive to Muslim Jihadists. Hitler, Mao and Stalin and others were Jihadists. (Identical patterns.) Babylon, Rome, England, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Japan, Russia and China were once ruled by Jihadists. The Catholic Church and some denominations were at times ruled by Jihadists.

In a more localized political sense in the USA we have Democatic Jihadists and Republican Jihadists. Not all Democrats and Republicans are Jihadists but the Jihadists have gained control of the mindset of their respective parties.

The attraction to Jihad at its core is the sense of a lack of control over one's life. When an avowed Jihadist approaches us with a sense of "confidence" to wage Jihad we are attracted to them and their agenda as an answer to our insecurities or fearful of being left out of what we become convinced is going to control the situation.

It is ironic if not indicative that wherever Jihad is waged even in the most reserved ideological way, the people suffer. The quality of life suffers and worst of all, the value of the individual is severely reduced. It is the same result regardless of whether the Jihad is Muslim, communist, "democratic," country based, party based, sexual based or religion based (including any "Christian" Jihad.)

Our enemy is not ultimately the "radical Muslim terrorists." It is Jihad itself in all it's various disquises. Jihad is the lust for control birthed out of fear. We are losing or are ineffective in the "war on terror" because we have failed to see and conquer the desire for Jihad in our own hearts.

Jihad is sin....

The Sin Of The Church of America

Perhaps 40 years ago a move began in Christianity in this country. The inaccurate expression, "The Moral Majority" seemed to catch Christians on a political fire. It all seemed great for a while. The trouble is it was based on the erroneous concept that most Americans are moral beings. "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." "There is not one righteous." There has never been a "Moral Majority" in this country. In God's eyes it was a tremendous sin for us to promote the deception that if one is a "moral person" one is righteous before God. We know that is scripturally not true.When that movement promoted joining forces with the Republican party we never questioned it. If we were to look at the reality of that time, the "majority" of the Church leaders that spearheaded that effort were very wealthy men. Their financial inclinations and loyalties were already towards the Republican party. Unfortunately when the vast majority of professing Christians placed their loyalty in the Party, it took away a certain amount of their loyalty to God. It also left the Democratic party almost entirely unguarded and without much Godly influence.It also alienated over half the population of this country in a way that was extremely divisive. The fuit of which we are living with today. It eventually gave an excuse for over half the population to not be open to the gospel because they are "Democrats." Are all Repulicans saved? We have committed the sin of creating a hybrid entity that is in spirit at emnity with God. It has the appearnace of godliness but denies the power and authority of God. Oh the Republican party talks the talk but when in 40 years have we seen them walk the walk? From what is apparent, the party has influenced (and disarmed) the Christians spirtually more than Christians have influenced the party. It is the same sin that caused some church leaders in the 3rd and 4th centuries to merge with the political power of Rome. The "Christianity that evolved out of that time is a hybrid Christianity. Having the appearance of godliness but lacking the power of the Holy Spirit. Both parties are ruled by the powers and principalities of the air. By greed and the lust for ultimate power. They are the right and left hand of evil. The "Good cop" and the "Bad cop." Both have a mutual contract with unelected principalities and powers to imprison the people into another form of government. That "government" is standing at the door... "God's hand is not shortend at all that it cannot redeem." but "Make no mistake, Given the choice between the purity of His Church and the longevity of this nation, God WILL choose the purity of His Church." I truly hope I am wrong but I do not see another president of the United States of America (at least not the USA or a president as we have know it)

FORNICATION WITH THE KINGS OF THE EARTH

It is not "Christianity" (in it's truest essence) that is the problem but the fact that in the first few centuries, some of the "bishops" of the gatherings committed fornication with the kings of the earth and merged a deviant "Christianity" with the power and consent of political government. That deal was cinched when Constantine was proclaimed "Head of the Church" (which was not the Church of Jesus the Messiah but a group that had fallen away from the Messiah in Spirit.) That false "church" "has the appearance of godliness but denies the power" of God Himself replacing that power with earthly political power and identity. (Replacing a relationship with God through the Messiah with a relaltionship to the politically created religious entity and identity.) Instead of identifying with the Messiah (the Christ) they mearly took His name/title (the Christ) but were actually identifying with their own false image and earthly power. They traded the power of God for earthly power. That entity later had daughters who came out of her womb and committed fornication with the "kings of the earth" in the same way that their mother the Harlot had done. In that sense the name "Christianity" was hijacked and kidnapped. Those daughters birthed their own daughters and they birthed their own, etc. etc. etc. but the sin resident in their lineage of committing fornication with the kings of the earth is passed down generation to generation. It is not Christianity itself but the organizational sin of fornication with the kings of the earth. That pattern of the Great Whore and her daughters replaced the missing Holy Spirit and the giftings of the Spirit with outward forms and positions (priests, "pastors (so called)," "bishops(so called)," etc.) Men created "church" identities and images solidified by the consent and authority of earthly governments. That trend has been passed down to "Christianity" even to this day - so much so that the inherited sin is viewed as righteousness. "The day of denominationalism is over. That which is highly esteemed in the sight of men is an abomination to God." But we need to be careful because God has always had a remnant in the midst of it all. "Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart." We need to be careful about pulling the weeds out and damaging the roots of the fruitful plants in the midst. God has times of harvest when the wheat and the weeds are harvested at the same time and He will separate the wheat from the weeds and the wheat from the stalk that supported it.