Landmines

     Landmines are one of the most insidious devices man has come up with and are responsible for killing or maiming over one million people since 1975. A landmine is usually placed just below the surface of the ground and is designed to be exploded usually by the weight of vehicles or troops passing over it. Even after a war is over, and everyone has gone home, these undetonated mines remain active for decades to come as an ever present danger to unsuspecting civilians.

     The landscape of Christianity is littered with "spiritual" landmines just waiting to be stepped on. They were placed there by Satan who comes to steal, kill and to destroy (John 10:10). I'd like to set forth a few of the areas where landmines surely exist and hopefully help to expose some of these spiritual booby traps.

Sexual Temptation

     Satan is the prince of the power of the air (Eph 2:2). Not many folks think about this, but this means he pretty much controls all of the radio and television media with a few exceptions. He also controls most of Hollywood along with a vast majority of the internet; which allow us instant access to any foul temptation imaginable.
     Unless we as Christians are very discerning, and are walking in holiness of heart, we will step on these spiritual landmines. These mines are made up of  subtle (and not so subtle) immorality that plays itself out over and over every day before our very eyes, and ears.
     99% of all the movies that Hollywood produces are unfit for the spiritual heart. The flesh of loose women and men desiring recognition, fame and fortune is peddled by Satan for his pernicious goal of bringing devastation to the kingdom of God and his archenemy Jesus, the Christ of God. If he can't defeat Jesus then he'll settle for us, His followers.
 Watch out for the commercials:
     Even if a Christian is discerning in his, or her, choice of programming, guess what, the commercials will slay them! Many commercials prey on the lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh in order to sell their products and thereby further encourage immorality.
Compromise is a killer:
     There are many Christians who knowingly and deliberately watch questionable programming in order to "feed their flesh" or to "just relax a bit." These Christians have convinced themselves that they can handle it and that those sitcoms, reality shows and Hollywood masterpieces wont effect them spiritually. To those I quote 1 Cor 10:12  "Therefore let him who thinks he stand take heed lest he fall." And fall we will; it's just a matter of time. We can be confident in one thing: our sin will surely find us out and will ultimately undermine our spirituality.
Satan shows no mercy:
     These spiritual landmines know no age in the Lord. Whether we are baby Christians or so-called veteran Christians who have experienced the warfare; all are apt to step on a mine, at any time -- that is unless you are dialed in in terms of discernment, committed to Christ and Spirit-led (Gal 5:16).
     Sad to say that many Christian do not truly understand the importance of living in true righteousness and holiness before the Lord. As a result their senses slowly become dulled over time until the appetites of their flesh go on a pornographic feeding frenzy, or something worse. In times like these they have learned to treat the Holy Spirit's calls to holiness as mere "legalism," in order to justify their sin-binge not realizing that the landmine is about to blow any second and maim them for life spiritually.
Sin leaves scars:
     I was once told, early on in my Christian walk, that "sin leaves scars." It is of course true that if we truly repent of sin Christ will be faithful to forgive our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteous. However, spiritual scar tissue remains as a reminder of the ravaging effect that sin had on us. We have witnessed TV evangelists  who have fallen into sin and have risen again in the media, but their past remains and their lives will never be the same. God forgives and forgets 100%, society doesn't. Although we know we're forgiven Satan will attempt to surface our past over and over again and kick us with it when we're down.

Intimidation

    This spiritual landmine is designed to make us feel timid or fearful. It preys on our insecurity and on our past in an attempt to neutralize our full potential in Christ.

• "You're a loser" 
• "You're not spiritual enough"
• "You don't know enough" 
• "You haven't really changed"

     If we are in Christ, none of this is true. True Christianity isn't about us, but rather about Christ in us! We have "put on Christ" and we are hidden with Christ in God (Col 3:3). The life we now live we live by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave himself for us (Gal 2:20). And that wonderful verse "If any man be in Christ he's a new creature old things are passed away behold all things become new (2 Cor 5:17)." 
A personal testimony:

     I once walked in a serious insecurity that affected every area of my life, but when I came to Christ, and was baptized in water I purposed to leave my old self (whom I disliked very much because I felt I was a weak person) dead and buried beneath the waters of said baptism. I emerged having purposed to put on Christ. I now see myself "in" Christ. I now draw my identity from Christ -- literally! I now desire to be looking out through His eyes, speaking through His heart, touching with His touch and walking as led by the Holy Spirit. 
     It's not about us! It's all about Christ. Yes, I was timid and weak, but now I consider myself dead to self and alive in Christ! Now He has become my strength, my song and my victory!
     There is absolutely no need for the Christian to walk in defeat. We are complete in Him -- if we are in Him (Col 2:10)! Don't fool around with Christianity, it doesn't work. Be either all the way in or all the way out. The middle ground is a tormenting hell on earth.

Substitution

     Oh, watch out for this one, beloved. The hand is quicker than the eye. Satan is the master of spiritual prestidigitation and can make himself appear as an angel of light and deceive even the very elect -- he does it all the time. These variety of spiritual landmines are very tricky to spot because their made up of subtle half-truths. Here are a few types of mines that are worthy to ponder:

1. Substituting grace with works (Eph 2:8-9) (Gal 3:1-4).
2. Substituting works with grace (Rom 6:1).
3. Substituting the Holy Spirit (Gal 3:3). 

Substituting grace with works: 

     The devil loves to tell the world that salvation is by works and that all roads (religions) lead to heaven. The Bible presents one, and only one, road and it's the narrow way that leads straight to, and through the cross of Jesus Christ. This might seem obvious to you, but how about all those professing Christian sects that believe in works such as sacraments, liturgy and adherence to legalistic doctrines being the only way into heaven (Gal 5:18). 

     Most religious folks believe that God has a scale up in heaven where he will place your bad works at one end and your good works in the other and whichever outweighs the other will determine your destiny. The Bible teaches us that it is by grace that we are saved through faith and that not of ourselves. It is a gift of God and not of works lest anyone should boast (Eph 2: 8-9).

     Salvation is a free gift. It's free simply because we could never earn it on our own merits. Jesus took our place and earned it for us -- freely. 

Substituting works with grace:

     While it is true that salvation is a free gift, once saved we are to present our bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable to God which is our reasonable service (Rom 12:1). There is a plague rippling it's way through the church and it is that of hiding behind grace as a license to sin and to justify fleshly habits. 

     Many Christians couples are living together, having sex outside of commitment to each other or to God. Others fill their senses with filth. While still others continue in ungodly associations and ungodly habits justifying them all by grace. Grace, beloved, is primarily for salvation, because without it you could never get saved. 

     God doesn't expect us to be perfect once we become a Christian, but He does expect us to desire with an insatiable desire to be pure. This is the mark of God on the human heart at salvation -- a spiritual hunger to want to know God and to be like Him! This is our part -- and the rest the Holy Spirit will take us through and ultimately empower us to become more than conquerors in Christ in every area of our lives.

Substituting for the Holy Spirit:

     This is a very subtle spiritual landmine and sometimes very hard to detect. For instance, have you ever been so caught up in studying your Bible or doing things for God that weeks go by where you spend no time in worship, praise or prayer with God? Or do you do what the Bible says by wrote and never really submit yourself and wait on the Holy Spirit to direct your path?
    These are spiritual landmines and great errors in judgment -- subtle schemes whispered by the devil into our thinking to divert us from the power of Holy Spirit. We must remember that the kingdom of God is within us. It's all supposed to happen from the inside out and not the other way around. We must learn to be Spirit-led.
     It is truly amazing how many times I have personally missed God over the years doing things with all my might and commitment for Him because I assumed He would honor my works. Well, it didn't work.  
     What was I doing? I was substituting for the Holy Spirit. How foolish I was! I'm doing better now waiting on the Lord until I feel the breeze of the Holy Spirit before I move out. I just wish someone had taken me aside and told me all this many years ago. I was deceived into believing that God would bless what I did for Him whether He wanted me to do it or not. I had stepped right smack dab into the middle of a spiritual landmine, not only once mind you, but many, many times.

Conclusion:

      Well, I sure hope that all this has opened up your thinking a bit more and that I wasn't just rambling on for nothing. We sometimes find it hard to believe that spiritual things are so ever-present all around us and if we don't pay attention we could in fact step on a mine at any time (1 Pet 5:8) ...

A Typical New Testament Church Meeting

The Church in Worship

     One of the most important elements in a believers’ meeting is the element of worship. Worship is the backdrop for all that the Holy Spirit desires to do in the midst of His people. Worship ushers in the anointing (the very presence of the Holy Spirit) and sensitizes the believers to His gifts and enablements such that they begin to operate. This then allows the Holy Spirit full expression through which he can speak and move in the midst of his people as He sets forth revelation, correction, direction, healing, miracles, etc. I am including a symbolic diagram of what a typical church meeting might be like (see figure 1). 

Allow me to explain the diagram: 

     As the praise begins, it’s like a powered airplane beginning to climb skyward. Behind the plane is attached a glider which represents the believers which are present. The worship team (the powered plane) lifts the believers to new heights as the anointing begins to build. When this powered plane has reached a suitable height the glider is released to soar into realms of worship upon the wind currents (the Holy Spirit). The glider begins spiraling its way slowly back to earth; occasionally catching an updraft (air current). As the glider of worship is freely soaring, the spiritual gifts (i.e., the gifts of prophecy or a combination of tongues and interpretation) begin to manifest themselves.

It's not over yet!

     When these gifts of the Spirit are through being manifested, those gifted in preaching or teaching (depending on the nature of the information manifested) begin to tie together all that the Spirit has just revealed into a cohesive revelation of the purpose and plan of God for that specific meeting. The teaching, at this point, could be fortified by testimonies, revelations, scripture readings, or by other gifts of the Spirit (i.e., word of knowledge, word of wisdom, etc). All this would lead to new levels of commitment by those in attendance. 
     In conjunction with this move of the Holy Spirit there is a spiritual checks and balances system in operation, using the gift of discerning of spirits in order to distinguish the move of the Holy Spirit from the move and deceptions of the enemy. Remember, spiritual warfare is always raging. The prophets also have a checks and balances system. All prophecy is judged and evaluated by those other prophets in attendance.

There's still more!

     When all is said and done, the plane lands and this is the end of that portion of the meeting. At this point some of the other gifts of the Spirit (i.e., the gift of faith, the gifts of healing, or the gift of working of miracles) could begin to function. Communion (the Lord’s supper) might be in order, or a continuation of worship might bring the meeting to a close. 

     This pattern for a spiritual meeting (which all meetings should be) is very general because the Holy Spirit desires to be creative; however, the pattern elements that make it up are basically the same. Pretty exciting, huh? This is what Christianity is supposed to be--alive, life changing, and exciting.

How can we have meetings like these?

     You may be asking yourself just how all this can come to be; how can we have meetings like these? First of all, we must remember that the church is primarily spiritual and that without the help of the Holy Spirit the best we can hope for is a form of religion with little or no real anointing or power. The genuine gifts come from God through the ministry and application of the Holy Spirit. To their own chagrin many churches try to mimic these gifts.  
     There’s only one way to have a truly spiritual meeting. We must humble ourselves and call on the name of the Lord with all our hearts until these types of meetings are restored from heaven. A group of believers desiring this type of an outpouring might have to come together for an extended time in praise, worship, prayer, and possibly even fasting; doing those things that invite the move of God, but not doing those things that substitute it.

Let's look in on a Messianic New Testament church meeting:

     Robert D. Heidler in his booklet "The Messianic Church" relates what might have been an early church meeting: "Let's imagine we are walking down a street in the city of Rome. It is A.D. 95 ... more than 60 years have passed since the day of Pentecost. We are about to "drop in" on a typical church service in that city.

     The time is Saturday evening. By Jewish reckoning, the first day of the week began at sundown on Saturday. The church meets in the evening because most of the people have to work during the day. We arrive at the door at a typical Roman house, and are warmly welcomed by the host.

     The particular church we are going to visit is a house church. The early church operated on two levels: The house church and the congregation. Even if the church grew to 20 or 30,000 members, its primary unit would still be the house church. From time to time the house churches would also congregate in larger groups, many times outdoors or in a rented auditorium. In Jerusalem they met in the Temple courts.

     We are going to visit a house church. Let me warn you before you go in, to be prepared for a serious case of "culture shock". What you are about to witness is not church life as you have known it.

     As we walk through the door, you look across the entrance into a large open courtyard of the home. There appears to be some sort of party going on. Some of the people are playing flutes, lyres, and tamborines, while others are singing, dancing, and clapping their hands.

     You immediatly look around to make sure you came into the right house! As you listen to the words, however, you realize that this is the right place, for the words of the songs are words of praise to Jesus! The people are overflowing with joy because they have come to know the living God.

     What you are witnessing is the way the early church praised God. This type of worship is foreign to much of the church today, but from the biblical and historical records, this is what the worship in the early church was like. It was a free and joyful celebration, with a great deal of singing and dancing.

     Most church services  would begin with the people getting in a ring (or several concentric rings) and dancing Jewish-style ring dances (like the Hora) ... 

     So here we are in a large courtyard. There is a great deal of singing, dancing, and rejoicing in the Lord. As the songs slow down a little, many people get down on their knees before the Lord. Most are lifting up hands to Him. A tremendous sense of the Lord's presence fills the courtyard.

     During the churches praise and worship, there are spontaneous shouts of praise. Some shout, Amen!" to voice their agreement with what others have said. As we enter into the worship, we are overwhelmed by the love and acceptance of the people.

     After much singing and dancing, food is brought out. People find their seats and prepare for the meal. We are surprised to see people eating a meal in the middle of a church service, but this is described by Paul in 1 Corinthians, as well as by Jude, and Peter. This shared weekly meal is called the "love feast" or Agape.

     To begin the meal one of the leaders stand stands with a cup, blesses the Lord, and offers thanks. It also is passed from person to person. This is the Lord's supper in its original context.

     The meal is a joyful time centered on devotion to the Lord. As they eat, the believers talk about the things of God, share testimonies, recite and discuss scripture, and sing praises to the Lord. You are impressed that, while very few have copies of any biblical books, most of those present appear to have large portions of the Bible memorized.

     After the meal ends, worship continues until at some point, a change begins to take place. There is a subtle shift in the atmosphere. The air seems to thicken. A tangible sense of the presence of God come and rests in the place. First Corinthians chapter five describes it this way, "When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus ... and the power of our Lord Jesus is present ..."

     Those who have studied revival literature recall that a tangible sense of God's presence has frequently accompanied  the great revivals of history. The manifest presence of God is, in fact, the hallmark of true revival. In the presence of a Holy God sinners find salvation, backsliders find repentance, and the miraculous becomes commonplace. "

The Humpty Dumpty Church

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the King's horses and all the King's men, Couldn't put Humpty together again.

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A short history lesson

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     According to information I found on the web, Humpty Dumpty was a colloquial term used in 15th century England to describe someone who was fat or obese. Humpty Dumpty was in fact an unusually large cannon, which was mounted on the protective wall of “St. Mary’s Wall Church” in Colchester, England. It was intended to protect the Parliamentarian stronghold of Colchester which was in the temporary control of the Royalists during the period of English history described as the English Civil War (1642-1649). A shot from a parliamentary cannon succeeded in damaging the wall underneath Humpty Dumpty, causing the cannon to fall to the ground. The Royalists, all the King’s men, attempted to raise Humpty Dumpty onto another part of the wall but even with the help of ‘all the King’s horses’ failed in their task, and Colchester fell to the Parliamentarians after a siege lasting eleven weeks.

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How does this apply to the church?

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    The impression I always received from this nursery rhyme, when I was a child, was that Humpty was broken and shattered into so many pieces that he just couldn’t be repaired. Although I found the above interesting, I think I’m going to fall back to my childish understanding which then allows me to more clearly contrast it with the state we find our churches in--broken and shattered in terms of unity. Although I think the terms “fat” and “a broken cannon” are also apt descriptions. I hope we can all agree by now that she’s broken, but thank God (unlike all the king’s horses and all the king’s men) there is one who can put Her back together again and that someone is the Holy Spirit. 

     But before the Holy Spirit can use us to put her back together again we need to know what the church looked like when it was whole.

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What is the "biblical" foundation upon which 
the early New Testament church rested?

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• Jesus Christ himself is to be the chief corner stone (Eph 2:19-20 NKJV)
  
• The foundation is to rest upon the apostles and prophets teachings (Eph 2:19-20 NKJV)
  
• The whole (spiritual) building, being fitted together, is to grow into a holy temple in the Lord (Eph 2:21 NKJV)
  
• We the temple are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Eph 2:22 NKJV)
  
• We are the precious living stones  that make up this temple (1 Pet 2:4 NKJV)
  
• We, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1Pet 2:5 NKJV).

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We beloved, along with others in Christ, make up the the Church -- not some corporate institution!

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     It should be fairly clear from the above that the church is not a building. The true church is essentially invisible and Spirit-led. There is a very real difference between corporate church structure and biblical church order. God doesn't need clever organizers or overlords masquerading as biblical pastors. What God wants is what He originally established in the New Testament patterns for oversight and guidance in the church. It is as follows:

"And He Himself (Jesus) gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Eph 4:10-14 NKJV).

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Elders were the overseers of the church

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      It seems that elders were the overseers of the church. Elders being older, more experienced, responsible men who would watch over and care for the church as it moved freely in the Spirit.

"The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly;  nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away" (1 Pet 5:1-4 NKJV).

     Position in the church was not an occupation nor was it something to grasp at. The church didn't need a superman who could do and be everything that the church needed -- that was to be the Holy Spirit's position. On the contrary, biblical "elders" humbly took responsibility to serve and to see that the church remained in order as it worshiped collectively in the Spirit. 

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The church is to be self ministering

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     The church is to feed itself as each one, in unity, shares their gifts from the Holy Spirit -- the choreographer and orchestrator being the Holy Spirit himself. In this way the church shares a diet of spiritual food with each other and each is allowed to fully mature in Christ (1 Cor chapters 12-14). 

     Can you see how different this is from what we typically call "church"? This was the biblical pattern for church life, growth and unity all across the Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit led his church in the earth and turned the entire known world upside down with the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ s' good news of salvation.

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When and where did they fellowship?

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     Whenever they could and wherever they could. For the most part they met very naturally in homes as was the Jewish custom. They would break bread together and celebrate Messiah Jesus with prayer, song, and worship. They occasionally met in larger collective gatherings.

     We do well to remember that for the first sixty years there would be no New Testament writings to study. These writings weren't yet written down. Just think, no New Testament at all! Jewish men who were brought up in the scriptures from childhood referenced the Old Testament writings in the context of the New Covenant of grace. They did so as they were led by their new-found guide, the Holy Spirit. 

     These types of spontaneous meetings continued for a few hundred years until Emperor Constantine put a stop to them (approx. A.D. 325) and altered the face of Christianity forever -- or at least up until now. 

     Well, here we are in 2010 and the church remains very much Constantinian in its structure. The question is are we ready to pay the price in order to change the landscape we now call Christianity? Do we have the courage to return to biblical patterns such that unity can once again emerge and thrive in a Spirit-led atmosphere ... ?

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A Note of Caution

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     Bible patterns are to be our frame of reference, but to be applied effectively we must be led by the Holy Spirit. To build according to any pattern (even a biblical one) without the Holy Spirit's leading will only produce another subtle form of religion. Let's become wise master builders and be led by God. 

     For now just to grasp the truth about what the church has become, in contrast to God's plan for it will suffice -- that is until the Holy Spirit makes his move in the earth once again  ...

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About institutional pastors

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      If you've been following this Blog for awhile you may have gotten the impression that I don't like pastors very much. I want you to know that this is absolutely untrue.  I've never had a bad pastor; all of them were special people and  unique in different ways. I honestly believe that each and every one of them loved the Lord with all their hearts and were, and still are, laying down their lives for Christ. 
     These pastors are being faithful to what their mentors taught them and theirs were faithful in turn to theirs. Unfortunately the problem goes back well over one thousand years -- back once again to the Emperor Constantine. There is way too much information to cover here, but briefly, Constantine established a class distinction between the priesthood and the laity (us common folk) and set up a structured setting for formal worship.

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Institutional Pastors are unknowingly Satan's pawns

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     Pastors that have been preconditioned in Bible colleges and seminaries etc. are so programmed that they never even think to question their denominational, doctrinal foundations. For the most part they have swallowed it all, hook, line and sinker -- and sink the church did!
     It's as though they were given a set of church blinders at graduation. Since then they haven't bothered taking them off  to look at New testament church patterns -- the true roots of Christianity. 
     What I'm opposed to is the institutional church model. This model sets up a false "Office of Pastor" in the church. This is clearly not biblical, but permeates nearly all of Christianity. 

     So please don't think for one moment that I have a personal vendetta against pastors -- I don't. What I have is a personal vendetta against Satan for what he's done to our church (the Body of Christ). 
     The only way to undo Satan's handiwork is to speak out against the institution as it is, and to try and bring folks back to their New Testament roots ... This is what this "New Wineskin" Blog has been all about. I suppose I could sugar-coat it, but that never works.

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Allow me to sum it up:

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     What we call church is not God's definition of church. Really folks, you cannot have church without the presence of the Holy Spirit. All you can do without Him is act out another dry form of religion seasoned with psychological manipulation and or emotionalism. 
     As long as man holds the reigns and gets all the attention the Holy Spirit will continue to distance himself .
It's time we say goodbye to the Humpty Dumpty Church and begin afresh and anew. The way to begin is to learn about and be faithful to biblical patterns of church life and to pray for a fresh visitation and outpouring of the Holy Spirit. And remember ...

God does not share His glory with men ...

Unity -- Possibility or Pipe Dream

Unity

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Is biblical unity across denominational lines a real possibility or simply a pipe dream

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    As much as I, and many others, would like it to be so, I personally believe that denominational unity is just wishful thinking -- a pipe dream. If you're wondering where the expression "pipe dream" comes from, it means "a fantastic but vain hope (from fantasies induced by the opium pipe)." In other words, we're just not thinking rationally!

     I once thought that God could move the hearts of denominational pastors, but as hard as I, and others, have prayed it has became quite evident there will be no substantial change of heart. Defending doctrinal  differences seems to be  much more important than unity. 
     Oh, some well meaning pastors have tried for unity and have met with others of different denominations, but the invisible lines of separation were always subtly in place -- and no one dared cross them. This is not biblical unity  -- it's not even close.

     Unity across denominational lines will never happen because the churches will never allow it to. While it is true that the one world religious ecumenical movement will be successful to a degree through compromise; the true church of Jesus Christ will never unite beneath the torn banners of doctrinal differences. Nor will it ever meet under a banner of compromise.

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The reason is simple -- biblical unity is Spirit-based

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     True biblical unity is Spirit-based. It is called "the unity of the Spirit" (Eph 4:3; 1 Cor 12:13). The natural religious mind is incapable of grasping the intricate workings of the Holy Spirit. Jesus described the Holy Spirit this way:

"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit (John 3:8).”

     We cannot denominational-ize the Holy Spirit. He cannot, and will not, freely function in such exclusive environments. This is the very reason why the glory has all but departed from the institutional, corporate church. What typically remains in the churches is a very convincing spiritual imitation made up of psychological and emotional elements. In some churches we even find hysteria masquerading as the Spirit.      

     Thank God that the message of salvation remains somewhat in tact and souls do get saved in many of these denominational settings. I personally got saved in such a setting. The sad part is that those who do get saved in this way become corporate church slaves perpetuating the denominational thinking that created the problem of disunity in the first place.

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Unity Has nothing to do with the physical church

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• Biblical unity has absolutely  nothing to do with church structure; whether it is  traditional, denominational or contemporary. 
• Unity has absolutely nothing to do with church leadership whether it be a Pastor, Bishop, Priest, Pope or any other religious person that tries to sets up a class distinction between the "priesthood" and the "laity" (the so-called common people; or attendees). 

     Man cannot produce godly unity no matter how clever or spiritual he thinks he is. True unity comes from the Spirit of God.

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Unity is an automatic, supernatural byproduct of salvation imparted by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:13)

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     Unity is simply the Holy Spirit indwelling all true believers and thereby making them one (brothers and sisters in Christ). The very same blood of Jesus Christ that runs through all born-again Christian's spiritual veins connects us closer than our own biological blood relatives. 
     If we could somehow remove divisive doctrines from off the waters of Christianity, unity would very naturally rise to the surface and the true Body of Christ would spontaneously become one.

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God absolutely loves unity

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     To God unity is "pleasant" and "precious" just like the morning dew which he places upon the earth to show us the delicate beauty that symbolizes true unity.  Psalm 133 describes this best:

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
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;
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."

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Will it be persecution that finally drives the church to unity?

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      Winds of persecution are already beginning to blow on the church and will increase in intensity as our society becomes more and more liberal (if that be possible). Morality will finally surrender to the filth of Sodom and Gomorrah and all hell will ultimately break loose. 
     The day will come when the true church will be forced underground. At this point the denomination you belong to and the demonic, divisive doctrines you were taught to adhere to will no longer matter. Christians will experience a genuine unity like they've never known before -- just in order to survive. 
     Don't put all your chips on an easy out either. The many different doctrines of  "the rapture of the church" are riddled with demonic reason and logic and are thereby not trustworthy. We must be wise and strengthen ourselves in Christ for what just might be a long hard, haul. We, quite frankly, really don't know.
     Christ will birth unity one way or the other -- of  this we can be sure -- and then He will return ... !

The Great Exchange

The great exchange ... Christ for man

Has caused me to surrender.

The second great exchange is me ...

My kingdom for His splendor!

Christian Water Baptism

• Is the water baptism new Christians receive spiritually rich, or has it too been diluted as it's made its way down through the ages?
• Is there more to water baptism than what meets the denominational eye?
• Is there a life changing dynamic in Water Baptism that has been overlooked? 

     The answer to these questions is YES! For the most part Christians are a product of religious institutional thinking. These well meaning institutions have conditioned us as to how to think and act when it comes to Christianity -- and most of us have been obedient little followers perpetuating their empty, emaciated doctrinal edicts. 
     Many a church has split over this issue of water baptism. What I was taught about water baptism as a young believer is that we do so as a testimony to the church and to the world. In so doing we proclaim that we have chosen to be followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. I still believe this to be true, but is that all there is to it?

     In this Blog I'd like to present some other aspects that make up water baptism -- aspects which can help a new believer maximize their spiritual potential in Christ. The very best way to do this is to look at what the Bible has to say about this amazing ordinance of God.

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Is water baptism a place of being forgiven for our past?

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Col 2:11-14 NKJV In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

     Oh, I can just hear all the religious pharisees rending their garments over this one. There is however an undeniable divine linkage presented here between the circumcision of the heart, being buried with Christ in baptism, and the cross of Christ. Do we dare dissect them doctrinally? I don't, but  we can attempt to understand them a little better. We mustn't be afraid to think outside the religious box.
     For instance, what was it in (Acts 8:34-39 NJKV) that so compelled the Ethiopian eunuch to desire to be baptized right there and then?  He didn't want to wait another minute. What did Phillip say to him that caused him to immediately stop his chariot and head for water?
     I think it had a lot to do with what Peter said on the day of Pentecost when the crowd asked him, "What must we do to be saved." Peter's words, "repent, be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" still ring out from the pages of the past as they did to this eunuch (Acts 2:38 KJV).
     I believe what Luke (the writer of the Book of Acts) has documented here is a biblical pattern which is intended to insure a full, solid and meaningful salvation experience. We can avoid all the doctrinal arguments over water baptism if we simply follow this rich biblical pattern:

• Repent
• Be baptized
• Receive the Holy Spirit

      This pattern is actually longer than I have indicated. These verses (Acts 2:37-38) were preceded by Peter preaching the cross, and explaining that it was they (the Jews) that crucified Christ. This led to heavy conviction. We could therefore extend the pattern:

• There was a divine encounter with Christ (vs. 1-12)
• Christ was preached (vs. 15-36)
• Their sin was made manifest to them (vs. 36)
• They came under heavy conviction (vs. 37)
• They repented (vs. 42)
• They were baptized (vs. 42)
• They received the gift of the Holy Spirit.

     I truly believe that biblical patterns are the key to unity, because they're something everyone can agree on. There is no need to doctrinally split hairs over them -- but rather just simply follow them.

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Water Baptism is a place of death to self

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Romans 6:3-6 NKJV Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

     When we are truly ready for Christ -- we are also truly ready for death to self. This is because our kingdom has already failed and turned to ashes. We come looking for a new life, a new beginning, a new hope. We come to Christ seeking a resurrection for the living dead (us).
     Prior to this our world revolved around self. Self was the center of our universe and everything we did was essentially self-serving in some way. Didn't pan out so good, did it?
     It is at the edge of the waters of baptism that we make the decision as to whose kingdom will be served -- ours or God's. Once we go under the waters of baptism and are buried with Christ we must purpose to leave our kingdom there forever. From henceforth Jesus Christ becomes the center of our universe and all things are to revolve around Him. Our lives take on the aroma of heaven as we become ambassadors for Christ in an earth suffering the intense pain of moral decay.
      If our ego is not dealt with here, under the waters of baptism, it will continually taunt us as we attempt to move on in Christ. We will remain divided in our allegiance between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of self.  However, if we do leave it buried under the waters of baptism we will undergo a glorious metamorphosis. We literally do become that "new creation" the Bible speaks of (2 Cor 5:17 KJV).

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 Water Baptism is a place of unity with all true believers

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1 Cor 12:13 NKJV For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks,whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.

      I love this aspect of water baptism. There is only one body of believers in the earth and they're joined together spiritually by the Holy Spirit at the very moment of water baptism.
     Despite all the denominational walls men have erected in an attempt to exalt their own little mini-kingdoms -- beneath all the traditional, denominational and contemporary doctrinal rubble still lies a unity of all truly born-again Christians. Unfortunately it is not free to manifest itself.
     Think about it, beloved -- when people first get saved they don't know anything about Christian unity. Everything they initially learn comes from what they're taught at the church they attend. The problem is, of course, that the church typically teaches a unity that is confined within their own denominational walls made up of their doctrine. Unity confined is not biblical unity. We must see this for what it clearly is ... wrong!

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But there's a new day coming ...

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      There's a new day coming when we Christians will finally break free from all the unnecessary doctrinal baggage and bondage that the organized church has piled upon us. We will emerge unencumbered at long last and in love with all true Christian believers the world over. This is because unity has already been accomplished at the waters of baptism!
     We can't see it all that clearly yet because the churches have so muddied the water! But the days are quickly approaching, beloved, when those corporate blinders will be removed such that the true church will once again see clearly  -- at long last! When this does come to pass John 17:21 will become a reality!            

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All this makes you want to get baptized all over again -- at least it does me -- maybe I will !!!

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      This Blog has touched upon water Baptism lightly. There is so much more spiritual depth to plummet if one so desires to go deeper. A diligent personal bible study would reveal many nuggets of truth; if your so inclined to do so. I have also included a link to a little over eight pages of my personal conclusions after studying this subject. Most folks nowadays don't like reading that much information at once, but it's there if you desire to do so. Just click on the following link: 

"Read More"

Are You Hiding Behind Grace

Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are!

Are You Hiding ... Behind Grace?

    There is a doctrinal plague sweeping through the institutional church which allows professing Christians to justify their sinful lifestyles. These  professing believers are hiding behind a cloak of grace as the churches look the other way ... after all what's more important holiness ... or a full house. An ongoing message of holiness drives unsaved people away and therefore doesn't pay the bills whereas the message of grace keeps 'em comin' back for more.

     Many churches have become fair havens for these carnal attendees who are given to crude bodily pleasures and appetites. They brazenly continue unchecked in their cycles of sexual gratification; all the while hiding behind a facade of grace, and the church allows it ... and then we wonder where the Holy Spirit went (1 Thess 5:19)!

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What exactly is biblical grace?

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• unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification 
• a virtue coming from God  
• a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine grace

     Grace is how we get saved. It is God's mercy extended to us even though we don't deserve it (Rom 3:24; Eph 2:8-9). There is nowhere in scripture that leads us to believe that grace is a license to sin. As a matter of fact just the opposite is true.

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Grace is not a license to sin

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Just look at these verses:

 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Rom 6:1-4 NKJV)

     Church pastors will get up behind their polished pulpits and boldly herald these scripture, verses, but alas -- you can tell a tree by it's fruit. If the pews remain lined with habitual abusers of holiness, attempting to take advantage of grace; then something is sorely amiss.

     Churches aren't doing anyone a favor by allowing this type of behavior. Many of these adherents have convinced themselves that it's all right to sin as long as they say a little sorry to God now and then. Reminds me of the confessional in the church I grew up in. You went in, said I'm sorry, did penance, and went out the next week and did it all over again only to return for more absolution next time. Allow me to be really blunt here:

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"If you are living in repeated cycles of sin there is a very real possibility that you were never really saved at all."

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     The apostle Paul sent a letter to the professing believers in Galatia and writes: 

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy,

murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal 5:19-21 NKJV).

     In this we have all  failed by allowing the world's standard to slither into our midst and inject it's poison into the very bloodstream of Christianity.
Beloved, we must come to our senses and realize that it is not okay ...

• That the divorce rate in the church is the same as the world outside (Mal 2:16).
• That we allow couples to live in sin without saying a word (1 Cor 5:11-12).
• For both young and older men alike to dress and act according to the spirit of rebellion that so permeates the world. (1 Cor 2:12)
• For young girls as well as grown women to dress sensually in order to draw attention to their bodies -- fishing for attention; always wiggling the worm so to speak. The really sad part is that they've been lulled into thinking that the way they present themselves is actually godly. They honestly don't even know what pleases God and what holiness is all about (1 Tim 2:9-10).

    You might be getting a bit upset with me at this point, but what I'm writing is true and we all know it at some level. There are a lot of people professing Christ as their Savior and wondering why things are no better in their lives.They live defeated miserable, down trodden lives trying anything and everything to try to feel better... Perhaps your one of them. 

     If the Body of Christ doesn't offer folks like this a genuine salvation they will go elsewhere looking for relief.  Yes, the Devil has slowly boiled the frog (the church) in the water of the world's standards.

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Is the following not an apt description of our churches today?

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Rev 2"14 To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

      These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

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The good news is that ... Genuine salvation works!!!

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     True salvation is a miracle of God; one that has cost him dearly. The sinless blood that our Lord Jesus shed for sin is very precious. It has earned a response of holiness from those who partake of it -- not in terms of behavior modification (trying to be good) but by receiving the powerful, free gift of a new creation (Eph 2:8-9 KJV).

     Any one who is truly saved is changed deep, deep down inside. Our spirit is made alive in Christ and we have the power of God living in us. Our hearts cry out "Abba Father." and we take on a new-found passion for holiness where every cell in us cries out, "I want to be like Christ!" This is not natural -- this is supernatural! This is genuine Christianity!!!

     It is this gift (our new nature in Christ) that propels us to desire holiness, righteousness, modesty and humility. This is what rips our heart out of the world and into living out our citizenship in the kingdom of God. We find that we have entered into a new dimension where out hearts are in heaven with Christ, even though our feet walk upon earths troubled sod.

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The Perfect Law of Liberty

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"But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people (Jer 31:33 KJV)."

     Could it be that the "perfect law of liberty" mentioned in the letter of James is the fulfillment of the above Old Testament prophecy in which the law of God is indelibly branded onto our hearts and we become the property of another (Jas 1:25 KJV)?

     As partakers of this new heart we find ourselves automatically fulfilling "the perfect law of God" in joy and Liberty out of pure gratitude. A glorious liberty which brings with it the freedom to be who God created us to be. The sheer magnitude of the joy of sins forgiven ignites an insatiable all consuming fire that burns deep within us (Lk 3:16 NKJV). At last we become free to practice the virtue of true holiness. And that wonderful verse found in Matt 11:30 comes to life ... "for His yoke truly is easy and His burden truly is light" --- hallelujah (paraphrased)!

Who the Son sets free is free indeed!

     If your not living in liberty such as this, with a new heart that cries out for true holiness, then my advise to you is to return to Acts 2:38 and to begin again. Receive a true salvation along with the of the promise of the Father (the Holy Spirit). Don't settle for the soft-sell, watered-down, cheap gospel that many institutional churches are peddling for prestige and financial gain. Unconditionally surrender your life to Christ and be truly born-again!

If you do, you will never be the same ...

 Here's a few more verses to help nail holiness down: 

1 John 3:6 NKJV Whoever abides in Him does not sin.
Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.  

1 John 3:9 NKJV Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.  

1 John 5:18 NKJV We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.