untwisting the twisted :
"And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest (meizon) among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief (hegeomai), as he that doth serve (diakoneo). For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth (diakoneo)."
(Luke 22: 24-27)
The Greek word meizon here translated greatest simply means older, or senior. Those who have gone ahead in age have usually gone ahead in experience, and so have much to teach. Here Jesus is contrasting the relational and social guidance of elderly family members to the kings of the Gentiles who exercised lordship over. He even takes it one step further in saying that the elderly of the family should willingly become as the younger, that they should become servants.!!!!
Here are a few scriptures for your perusal. You be the judge. Did Jesus endorse the vertical hierarchical model of leadership or the horizontal form?
Then he said to them, "Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes my Father who sent me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest." (Luke 9:48, The New Living Translation)
Therefore, anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 11:4, The New Living Translation)
Don't ever let anyone call you 'Rabbi,' for you have only one teacher, and all of you are on the same level as brothers and sisters. And don't address anyone here on earth as 'Father,' for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. And don't let anyone call you 'Master,' for there is only one master, the Messiah. The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. (Matthew 23:8-12, The New Living Translation)
Love's Gentle Persuasion or Forced Orthodoxy
In our society, we incarcerate parents who use their children as objects for sexual gratification, serving themselves at the child’s emotional and physical expense. In the institution called the church (note: we do not refer to the body of Christ here) a similar condition exists. The abuses are much more subtle, but equally painful. The heart is ravished, not the body. The predators who continue to inflict untold pain upon God's Children are not locked up but praised and esteemed instead. I (George) have stood beside the victims; I have witnessed their tears. I heard them say, "I feel like I’ve been raped!" How else should they have felt? They had been violated. They were expected to perform without being truly loved. They had become the playthings of ambitious overlords, who cast them off when they failed to perform up to expectations.
Here we have the first sign of apostasy. A man raised himself up, desiring the preeminence, casting brothers who did not go along with his overt grab for power out of the church. This sounds like the first denomination to us. John wrote something to the congregation, not to a select team of leaders but to all of the ekklesia, but the one desiring to be first intercepted it. I am sure as John was writing this, the words of Jesus were echoing through his mind, "Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant."
The model for the current church is a mixture borrowed from the governmental style of the kings of the Gentiles and the corporate structures of today's business world. It provides the mechanism for controlling the people and keeping them submissive to the institution and its clergy/kings/CEO's. Today, the church infrastructure provides these benefactors with employment and power. They are paid for their services just like the employees of any other business or organization. With one exception: they often set their own salaries. This is what T. Austin Sparks called "the present disorder."
"But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God (Oikos), which is the church (ekklesia) of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." (1 Timothy 3:15)
There is a very simple conclusion that Bishop Bancroft and King James hoped that the reader would make. House of God = the church = a temple with its priesthood and ceremonies. The use of the term house of God, which was used exclusively of the temple in the Old Testament, was very crafty on their part.
Although the Greek word oikos is often translated house or home, it most often refers to the occupants of a house, i.e., the household or family. Oikos speaks of a family, not a building, a household rather than a material house. If you look at its usage throughout the rest of the New Testament, you cannot avoid this conclusion.
The literal translation of oikos is household, family, those who live in the same house. (The Bible Library CD) There is a great difference between the houses that we live in and our households. There is an old saying, "a house does not make a home." Neither does a church building make those who enter it the ekklesia of God. Our houses are dispensable but our families are not. The important thing is the family. Let us advance a new equation. Oikos = Household of God = congregation of God = family of God. Oikos is always associated with family, not a material building or temple. It does not refer to the place or building where the Oikos or family meet, but of the family itself, the household.
Elders
The Greek word translated elder by the KJV translators is Presbuteros. According to W.E. Vine, Presbuteros is "an adjective, the comparative degree of presbus, an old man, an elder....of age, whether of the elder of two persons...the eldest...of a person advanced in life, a senior..."
How is it that the Greek adjective presbuteros, ("older" or "elderly") mysteriously became a noun, represented in the English text by two official sounding titles, i.e., presbyter and elder? Among 54 translators in the KJV panel, at least one of them should have known the difference between an adjective and a noun.
What in the world is a bishop? We thought it was a piece on a chessboard! There is that word office again! Does it make you suspicious? Us too! Here once again, the King James translators, in obedience to Bancroft's fifteen rules of translation, were preserving the old ecclesiastical words, even the ones that were not in the original Greek text, such as "office."
W.E. Vine explains,
"…the word "office" in the phrase "the office of a Bishop," has nothing to represent it in the original."
John Bland further explains:
"The translators, under the king's injunction to keep the main terms of the Church of England's ecclesiastical form, make two main errors. The first is adding a word to the text that doesn't appear in the Greek, i.e. "office". There is neither a word in the text for office NOR the idea of office outside their own paradigm. The second is an error in translation. The word translated "Bishop" is episkopos. The word means to "oversee", to "tend". Vine defines it thus: "EPISKOPOS, lit., an overseer (epi, over, skopeo, to look or watch), whence Eng. "bishop"..." The passage in 1st Timothy actually reads, "If a man wants to oversee, he desires a good work" (John M. Bland, Men Who Would be Kings)
The expression "to oversee" does not imply office in the sense of one being superior to another. It is a job description, not an office title. It describes those who have the God-given ability to see the needs of others and to tend to those needs. They are caregivers, not overlords.
They changed the translation of the Greek word presbuteros, which was formerly translated priest by the papacy, to elder, Tyndale's translation of the word. They did, however, do all that was within their power to give the term elder the same priestly and hierarchical connotation THEY WOULD TORCH TYNDALE FOR THAT!!!! it would be wise to get a formal back ground on what really took place over assuming going on !! ??
Bishoprick
Now let us consider another old ecclesiastical word that has been used to advance this notion of office. Bishoprick is a strange sounding word that appears only once in the New Testament, in Acts chapter one, verse twenty.
"For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick (episkopes) let another take."
One of the definitions of episkopes is visitation, which we feel comes closest to capturing its true meaning. Visitation speaks of a work, not an office. Nevertheless, the term bishoprick sure sounds official.
It is important to note here that the word visitation throughout the Old Testament primarily applies to the judgment of God upon the nations. Even Jerusalem, the city of peace, would know such judgment. Standing on a hill, overlooking this beloved city, Jesus wept as he spoke the following words:
"If you, even you, had known today the things which belong to your peace! But now, they are hidden from your eyes.
For the days will come on you, when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, surround you, hem you in on every side, and will dash you and your children within you to the ground. They will not leave in you one stone on another, because you didn't know the time of your visitation (episkope)." (Luke 19:42-44 WEB)
If 1Timothy 3:15 were translated properly it would read as follows:
"But if I am gone long, you may know how you should conduct yourself among the household of God, his dwelling place, which is the congregation of the living God, the pillar and the ground of truth." (Our own translation)
Below are a few of the passages where the Greek word oikos applies to family rather that a physical house.
Acts 10:2: A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house (oikos), which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
Acts 11:14: Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house (oikos) shall be saved.
Acts 16:15: And when she was baptized, and her household (oikos), she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house (oikos) and abide there. And she constrained us.
Acts 18:8: And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house (oikos); and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.
Referring to this, Dr. Norman Park wrote:
"These writers made short shrift of the claim that elders have the authority to 'rule.' They knew the history of the 1611 version and the determination of King James to confer on both bishop and king the divine right to rule: 'No bishop, no king.' Hence his demand that the Greek word proistmi be rendered 'rule,' though it actually carried no connotation of authority, power, or governance. It merely meant that elders should be 'foremost' in zeal, knowledge, quality of life, and concern for the welfare of the church - a quality which rightfully should be embodied in all saints. In a very real sense, then, 'ruling' was not the preserve of the few, but the duty of all." (Dr. Norman Park, It Shall Not Be So Among You)
How is it that the word rule, which in the mind of the English reader bore dictatorial overtones, found its way into the text? Paul wrote:
"Not that we have dominion over (archo) your faith, but are fellow workers for your joy; for by faith you stand." (2 Corinthians 1:24, NKJV).
Paul counted himself as a fellow worker, not as one who ruled over the flock of Christ, knowing that one stands by faith in God, not by the scaffoldings of domineering men.???
includes the well-known statement “the righteous will live by faith.” What does this mean? 1700 years later we at best might know??? or not at all..??? still obscure!!
The context helps us to understand God’s intent in this passage. The whole verse reads, “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.” “His soul” is a symbolic reference to Babylonia. This nation had become proud or “puffed up.” As a result, they were unrighteous and facing God’s judgment. In contrast, the righteous (or the “just”) would live by faith in God. By contrast, the righteous are humble in God’s eyes and will never face God’s judgment.
Habakkuk 2:4 is quoted three times in the New Testament. Paul quotes it in Romans 1:17, emphasizing the idea that righteousness by faith is for both Jews and Gentiles: “For in the gospel a righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written, ‘The righteous will live by faith.’”
Then, in Galatians 3:11, we read, “Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” Here, Paul stresses that we are justified or made right before God by faith. The Law has no ability to justify anyone. As Habakkuk had recorded, people have always been saved by faith, not by works. Habakkuk 2:4 is also quoted in Hebrews 10:38.
In the third century, Rabbi Simla noted that Moses gave 365 prohibitions and 248 positive commands. David reduced them to eleven commands in Psalm 15; Isaiah made them six (33:14-15); Micah bound them into three (6:8); and Habakkuk condensed them all to one, namely—“The righteous shall live by faith” (from P. L. Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 illustrations. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, #1495).
The context helps us to understand God’s intent in this passage. The whole verse reads, “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.” “His soul” is a symbolic reference to Babylonia. This nation had become proud or “puffed up.” As a result, they were unrighteous and facing God’s judgment. In contrast, the righteous (or the “just”) would live by faith in God. By contrast, the righteous are humble in God’s eyes and will never face God’s judgment.
Habakkuk 2:4 is quoted three times in the New Testament. Paul quotes it in Romans 1:17, emphasizing the idea that righteousness by faith is for both Jews and Gentiles: “For in the gospel a righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written, ‘The righteous will live by faith.’”
Then, in Galatians 3:11, we read, “Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” Here, Paul stresses that we are justified or made right before God by faith. The Law has no ability to justify anyone. As Habakkuk had recorded, people have always been saved by faith, not by works. Habakkuk 2:4 is also quoted in Hebrews 10:38.
In the third century, Rabbi Simla noted that Moses gave 365 prohibitions and 248 positive commands. David reduced them to eleven commands in Psalm 15; Isaiah made them six (33:14-15); Micah bound them into three (6:8); and Habakkuk condensed them all to one, namely—“The righteous shall live by faith” (from P. L. Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 illustrations. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, #1495).
Christians are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), and we walk in faith (2 Corinthians 5:7). Only by faith in Christ are we made righteous (Romans 5:19). Paul further expounds on this truth in Galatians 2:16, saying, “We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” It is Christ’s righteousness that saves us, and the only way to receive that gift is to trust in Him. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life” (John 3:36).
Christians are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), and we walk in faith (2 Corinthians 5:7). Only by faith in Christ are we made righteous (Romans 5:19). Paul further expounds on this truth in Galatians 2:16, saying, “We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” It is Christ’s righteousness that saves us, and the only way to receive that gift is to trust in Him. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life” (John 3:36).
When Habakkuk wrote, “The righteous shall live by his faith,” he was echoing a timeless truth first modeled in Abraham’s life (Genesis 15:6). The righteous man will “live” in that he will not face God’s judgment; rather, in return for his faith in God, he has been given eternal life.
Christians are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), and we walk in faith (2 Corinthians 5:7). Only by faith in Christ are we made righteous (Romans 5:19). Paul further expounds on this truth in Galatians 2:16, saying, “We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” It is Christ’s righteousness that saves us, and the only way to receive that gift is to trust in Him. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life” (John 3:36).
When Habakkuk wrote, “The righteous shall live by his faith,” he was echoing a timeless truth first modeled in Abraham’s life (Genesis 15:6). The righteous man will “live” in that he will not face God’s judgment; rather, in return for his faith in God, he has been given eternal life.
Spiritual Gifts blowing away the doubt laden religiosity into life of faith !!!!
Even the charismata, the so-called "spiritual gifts," are all ours in spirit-union. These are but the grace-expressions or the Spirit-actions of the ministry of Christ. Christ enters into us in spirit-union with all the potentiality of His ministry within His Body, the Church. The spiritual gifts are not trophies of spirituality, nor are they power-toys with which Christians perform their "ministries." When the living Christ comes into each Christian, He comes complete with all of His abilities to minister and serve. "We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us" (Rom. 12:8), and "to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good" (I Cor. 12:7). In spirit-union Christ within us possesses and conveys all of His intended action and ministry through us.
Spirit and Soul
Before we consider how "spirit-union allows for soul-rest," we need to note how important it is to distinguish and differentiate between spirit and soul - between spiritual and psychological functions. Christian religion, down through the centuries, has often failed to make the distinction between spiritual and psychological function. What they end up with is a mish-mash of psychological spirituality or spiritualized psychology. Considering spirit and soul to be equivalent synonyms of the "inner man," Christian religion ends up with a hodge-podge of ambiguous admonitions to "receive Jesus into your soul/spirit/heart, and all is well," or "believe in Jesus with your soul/spirit/heart, and work like hell." Is it any wonder that Christians do not understand grace, "the rest of the gospel," and how to allow for godliness in Christian behavior?
If soul and spirit are synonymous, then psychological principles should be able to resolve the problems of mankind. Sigmund Freud is our savior - God forbid! (or as J.B. Phillips worded it, "what a ghastly thought."2) That is why so much of what is called "Christian counseling" is nothing than a veneer of Christian and biblical terminology laid over the mush of secular psychological principles. Not at all helpful for Christian living.
It is imperative that we differentiate between spiritual and psychological function, or we will never understand spiritual realities, and never participate in the practicum of Christian behavior and "rest." Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, saying, "Now may the God of peace sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass" (I Thess. 5:23,24). These are clearly differentiated functions that need to be "set apart" in order to realize God's holy intent in our lives.
These verses in I Thessalonians 5 have recently been dismissed as but Paul's "sign-off" of his epistle, which cannot be viewed as having any doctrinal import.3 Apparently, in this view, "all scripture is not inspired, and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness" (II Tim. 3:16). Another New Testament verse to be considered is Heb. 4:12 - "the Word of God" (this is not the Bible, but the living expression and revelation of God, Jesus Christ, the Word of God who was from the beginning and IS God. Cf. Jn.1:1,14), is "living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing as far as the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." The Spirit of Christ is able to pierce into our inner being and distinguish, and cause us to discern, between our deepest spiritual intentions and the psychological thoughts that do not always coincide with our spiritual intents.
I cannot over-emphasize how important it is for Christians to understand the difference between spiritual function and psychological function. Without this distinction the Christian life will remain ambiguous. When spirit and soul and body are distinguished, this has often been called the trichotomous or tripartite understanding of man's constitution. It is probably best to avoid such terms, for they leave a wrong impression. Trichotomous means, "cut in three," and tripartite means "three parts." A human individual is not cut in three parts, compartments, or partitions.
A human being is a functional whole, who functions at three levels: spiritual, psychological, and physiological.4
To differentiate the spiritual and the psychological function of man is not an attempt to cut man into separate parts, but is a necessary distinction for understanding how God has created man to function.
Complete in Christ
In spirit-union we are "complete in Christ" (Col. 2:10), lacking nothing spiritually. "All has become new" (II Cor. 5:17), and we have received everything God has to give. As one rather uneducated rural preacher expressed it, "You got all there is to get when you got Jesus. You ain't gonna get no more, 'cause there ain't no more to get." Paul advised the Corinthian Christians, "all things belong to you; whether things present or things to come, all things belong to you" (I Cor. 2:20,21). To the Ephesians, Paul exclaimed, "God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 1:3). Peter concurred, "God has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence" (II Peter 1:3).
Jesus said, "I came that you might have life, and have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). In spirit-union with Christ we have "abundant life." "He is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we could ask or think, according to the power that works within us" (Eph. 3:20). Union-life is grace life. "God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed" (II Cor. 9:8). "My grace is sufficient for you" (II Cor. 12:9), God told Paul. In union with Christ we participate in the "supplied life," living and ministering by "the strength which God supplies" (I Peter 4:11).
"Not that we are adequate in ourselves, to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy/sufficiency is from God" (II Cor. 3:5). Christ within is "the power of God" (I Cor. 1:24), and we are "strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man" (Eph. 3:16); "strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience" (Col. 1:11). "We have this treasure (Jesus Christ) in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves" (II Cor. 4:7). That is why Paul could say, "I can do all things through Him Who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13).
SOUL-REST
Our premise is, "spirit-union allows for soul-rest." What do we mean by "rest"? The English word "rest" has two primary meanings. The first definition is that of "remainder," referring to "the part that remains." The second primary definition signifies "cessation and freedom from performance or activity."
It will be the latter of these two definitions that will be the emphasis of this study on "soul-rest," for we intend to explain that the Christian can "rest" from the performance of trying to please or appease God, and can experience the freedom of ceasing from all performance activity that might attempt to gain or enact what he already has in spirit-union with Jesus Christ.
Spirit-union allows for soul-rest, and should lead to psychological function that derives from the sufficiency that the Christian has in spirit-union with Christ. Notice that the title indicates that spirit-union "allows for" (we could have said, "provides for") soul-rest. Spirit-union does not inevitably and immediately cause and produce soul-rest. Soul-rest is not an automatic outcome of spirit-union. Soul-rest is a progressive experience of allowing the Spirit of God who dwells within the Christian to function within that Christian's behavior. Simply stated, "soul-rest is ceasing from our performance of doing and striving to get what God has already given to us."
The cessation of the performance activity of "works" does not imply that "soul-rest" is acquiescent inactivity or irresponsible passivity. Soul-rest is not inertia or indifference. The religious advocates of a Christian life of treadmill performance often caricature "rest" as the passivism of reclining in the La-Z-Boy of life, doing nothing, and having no concern for what goes on. This is a most unfair caricature, for those who experience soul-rest are those who are receptive to the grace-activity of God, allowing the living Lord Jesus Christ to be the "performer" of their Christian lives as He lives His life out through them. In the "rest" of the Christian life, everything is ek Christos, derived out of the dynamic of the life of the indwelling Jesus. Christianity is Christ in action.
Many Christians think of "rest" in the context of the Sabbath, the "day of rest," either Saturday or Sunday, set aside as a "day of worship." There is no doubt that the biblical concept of "rest" is connected with the Sabbath, for God rested on the seventh day of creation, ceasing from His generative action of creation (Gen. 2:2). This does not mean that God ceased from all action, passively lapsing into inaction. God always acts like the God that He is, and does what He does because He is Who He is. His Being is always in action, and His activity is always expressive of His Being. When the seventh day of the week was established as the Sabbath "day of rest" for the people of Israel (cf. Exod. 20:8), they were to rest from their labors to remember what God had done and was doing. Instead, the Jewish religion focused on the restrictions of labor, and turned the Sabbath day into a labyrinth of legalistic limitations.
The "promised land of rest" (Deut. 12:9) did not provide rest (Ps. 95:11) either, for all the pictorial types of "rest" in the old covenant were designed to point to the "rest" that was only to be found in Jesus Christ. Christian rest is not connected to a particular day of the week, nor is it a geographical place in Palestine or heaven. Christian "Sabbath-rest"
The emperor, organized religion, is filled with self-centered concern, "pomp and circumstance", vested interests. But it got "conned" by a couple of weavers who could weave a good tale, and thereby fleeced the flock. We could identify them as Jimmy Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart, but there are many such "weavers" posing as ministers, preachers and evangelists. What has happened is that it seems that everyone in the kingdom of Ecclesiastica has joined in the "denial."
Like David, the institutional church is engaged in crisis management, the end justifies the means as it manipulates people in the "programs." It is engaged in a gigantic "cover-up" of the severity of the sin-problem. Like the citizens in the kingdom of the emperor, the members of organized churches are participating in the co-dependent denial which perpetuates dysfunctional socialization. "I'm OK; you're OK; we're OK; everything is OK in the institutional church." "It's beautiful; it's inspiring; it's awesome!" "We're comfortable with what's going on. "Hear no evil; see no evil; speak no evil monkey see, monkey do! "Don't rock the boat; don't be critical; don't touch the Lord's anointed (I Chron. 16:22). "If you think there are problems, then just overlook them. "Be quiet and "play the game." "We want the appearance of peace and unity at any cost. "Don't make waves. We want to maintain the status-quo."
Is this not the self-delusion of lying to themselves and others? playing the fool like the emperor and his subjects?
The institutional church is being humiliated before the world today for the "fool" that it is. It is deluded into thinking that it has something that is spiritual and invisible, and everyone pretends they are enlightened when in reality it is unclothed, and everyone is "playing the fool." Rather than being "clothed in righteousness", the institutional church of Christian religion is naked in its hypocrisy. But it continues to "play the game" of "churchianity" and to engage in "denial". "The procession must go on!" "Crank up the organ; bring on the robes!"
The risen and living Lord Jesus spoke to the church in Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-22: Vs. 17 "you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked." Vs. 19 - the need is to "repent." Vs. 22 - "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
No one today seems to be willing to hear what the Spirit of God is saying. No one seems to be willing to "speak out" and "intervene." It takes the intrepidity of a prophet or the innocence of a child to reveal the pretense! I guess that is what I am trying to do to do an "ecclesiastical intervention" to confront and reveal and make people aware of the problem, the blatant foolishness of the present situation in organized religion. I am playing the role of Nathan the prophet as well as the role of the child on the parade route. The child merely exposed the situation. The prophet purposefully intervened to seek God's intended end individual repentance and the restoration of functional humanity.
Some religious people will be as angry at me as David was when he heard Nathan's story and then he got "pinned" with the personal application. Some religious people would want to silence one who is speaking as I am speaking, just as they tried to silence the child who exposed the king's exposure. It is painful to have to admit "denial" and "co-dependency" and even the addiction to religion, much less spiritual nakedness. In fact, the Lord Jesus was "crucified" at the instigation of the religious authorities, for exposing the nakedness, the pretense, the hypocrisy of their religious system, and their unwillingness to accept Him for who He was and is.
We must understand the reality of the Christian gospel the vital indwelling dynamic of the risen Lord Jesus Christ and His Life lived out through us to the glory of God. I am unwilling to continue to play the "naked church" game, parading around clothed only in "pomp and circumstance", nor am I willing to see others deceived into playing that game either. That is why I am willing to be used as a facilitator for "ecclesiastical intervention." Do not settle for addiction to religion; settle only for the Life of Jesus Christ lived out in you!
Like David, the institutional church is engaged in crisis management, the end justifies the means as it manipulates people in the "programs." It is engaged in a gigantic "cover-up" of the severity of the sin-problem. Like the citizens in the kingdom of the emperor, the members of organized churches are participating in the co-dependent denial which perpetuates dysfunctional socialization. "I'm OK; you're OK; we're OK; everything is OK in the institutional church." "It's beautiful; it's inspiring; it's awesome!" "We're comfortable with what's going on. "Hear no evil; see no evil; speak no evil monkey see, monkey do! "Don't rock the boat; don't be critical; don't touch the Lord's anointed (I Chron. 16:22). "If you think there are problems, then just overlook them. "Be quiet and "play the game." "We want the appearance of peace and unity at any cost. "Don't make waves. We want to maintain the status-quo."
Is this not the self-delusion of lying to themselves and others? playing the fool like the emperor and his subjects?
The institutional church is being humiliated before the world today for the "fool" that it is. It is deluded into thinking that it has something that is spiritual and invisible, and everyone pretends they are enlightened when in reality it is unclothed, and everyone is "playing the fool." Rather than being "clothed in righteousness", the institutional church of Christian religion is naked in its hypocrisy. But it continues to "play the game" of "churchianity" and to engage in "denial". "The procession must go on!" "Crank up the organ; bring on the robes!"
The risen and living Lord Jesus spoke to the church in Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-22: Vs. 17 "you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked." Vs. 19 - the need is to "repent." Vs. 22 - "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
No one today seems to be willing to hear what the Spirit of God is saying. No one seems to be willing to "speak out" and "intervene." It takes the intrepidity of a prophet or the innocence of a child to reveal the pretense! I guess that is what I am trying to do to do an "ecclesiastical intervention" to confront and reveal and make people aware of the problem, the blatant foolishness of the present situation in organized religion. I am playing the role of Nathan the prophet as well as the role of the child on the parade route. The child merely exposed the situation. The prophet purposefully intervened to seek God's intended end individual repentance and the restoration of functional humanity.
Some religious people will be as angry at me as David was when he heard Nathan's story and then he got "pinned" with the personal application. Some religious people would want to silence one who is speaking as I am speaking, just as they tried to silence the child who exposed the king's exposure. It is painful to have to admit "denial" and "co-dependency" and even the addiction to religion, much less spiritual nakedness. In fact, the Lord Jesus was "crucified" at the instigation of the religious authorities, for exposing the nakedness, the pretense, the hypocrisy of their religious system, and their unwillingness to accept Him for who He was and is.
We must understand the reality of the Christian gospel the vital indwelling dynamic of the risen Lord Jesus Christ and His Life lived out through us to the glory of God. I am unwilling to continue to play the "naked church" game, parading around clothed only in "pomp and circumstance", nor am I willing to see others deceived into playing that game either. That is why I am willing to be used as a facilitator for "ecclesiastical intervention." Do not settle for addiction to religion; settle only for the Life of Jesus Christ lived out in you!
Intellectual knowledge of informational content is not the way to soul-rest. Paul explained to the Corinthians, "Knowledge makes arrogant. . .If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know; but if any one loves God, he is known by Him" (I Cor. 8:1-3). Better to be known by God, than to claim to know anything. Knowing all the details of scripture and theology will not provide soul-rest in the Christian life. On the other hand, the "knowing" of personal and relational intimacy with God is essential to soul-rest. Paul's exclamation to the Philippians reveals his awareness of this kind of "knowing." "I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things,.that I may know Him." (Phil. 3:8-10). The relational knowing of an intimate relationship with the living Lord Jesus is of far greater value than a Ph.D. in any subject. The informational explosion of the modern era makes so much knowledge available, but leaves man in the unrest of his inability to know it all.https://www.christinyou.net/pages/spiritunionsoulrest.html
https://www.christinyou.net/pages/persrel.html
nw
No comments:
Post a Comment