Jesus Christ "Went About Doing Good, And Healing All That Were Oppressed of the Devil...," Not Calling People Into Local Churches

"How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him (Acts 10:38)."

What if everything so many Christians in Western culture have said about the importance of attending a local church is true? That you either attend a local church or become a spiritual nomad? You either submit to the leadership of a local church or be a rebel living in a wasteland of churchlessness?

What if you met Jesus face to face, and He asked you, Why don't you go to church?

Well, I really do not believe Jesus' questions are much in any way like ours, nor do I believe that what we have come to, excuse me, exalt, maybe even idolize, in our Western ideology, are things that Jesus Christ deems of any importance.

What if Jesus did condemn people who did not go to church every time the doors are open, as I heard many times in my old fundamentalist church?

I have had many invitations from co-workers to visit "Bible-believing" fundamentalist churches. I have also seen the damage caused by ultra-fundamentalist churches and want no part of it. My memory recalls many instances, when a group of people, in my opinion, were not authorized to be the church in the area, and caused damage as a result. I remember befriending a man named Doug twelve years ago, when he was losing his wife in divorce, he told me that he had developed a chauvanistic attitude toward women, which his church Bible Baptist Church of Pensacola helped foster in him. How many women are driven away from their husbands because of a husband's allegiance to this militant fundamentalism, who promote anti-intellectual mindsets that are not really based on the Bible. There are other casualties I have seen along the way. A few years ago, my wife was making meals for the wife of a former member of the church, who had committed suicide. From what I recall, this man had a public testimony of being a "witness" and being of good character, but struggled with being rejected and disowned by an ultra-fundamentalist church in Pensacola.

My experience has been, along with other churches, that fruitlessness abounds and the person of Jesus Christ is not really being seen in these so called "local churches." There is so much fruitlessness that I could not even begin to expound. Jesus said,"Wisdom is justified by her children." Does that not tell you something about the nature of fruit bearing in Christ?

Of the harsh words that I read from the words of Jesus, I have never once seen an indication that if one feels that a church is fruitless, especially one that claims to stand on the Bible alone, that if one stays away for fear that it is toxic and unsafe for attending purposes, that Jesus Christ will personally condemn that individual. Maybe, many pastors and clergy leaders will, but not Jesus Christ.

Yes, I been have been invited more than one time to church in Pensacola, and I shudder when I think of attending. Usually, it is a kind co-worker who is inviting me, who does not really know the way themselves, but thinks I could benefit from their brand of fundamentalism.

But I have met with quite a few people who have been wounded by this kind of militant fundamentalism and I fear for the lives of my wife and children to keep them from a fruitless type of living, that is not in accordance with the principles of humble, loving submission to Christ.

The question has come to me quite frequently, as I do not attend a institutionalized religious 501C3 corporation also known as a local church, is it even permissible to do nothing for church out of belief that none of it locally represents Christ's authority and the ascension gifts manifest in the true church spoken of in the book of Ephesians? What about spiritual nomadism? Is it even Biblical?

After reading much of the Old Testament, I see many examples of people who did not have a local church, and were nomadic. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Daniel, and all of the prophets were nomadic, in that, they had no faith community or local setting in which they had to dwell every weekend of their lives. These people were nomadic and had no certain dwelling place, but this does not seem to play into the picture of who they were in the eyes of the Lord.

The local church is everything in the eyes of the Westernized Christian. It is the place where God bestows His authority, and outside of its leadership, you are sure to fail. But what about those people who do not trust the local church, or at least the one in your given locality in which you plan to live for a while? Is it Jesus that it really putting the pressure on you to join? What about Jesus Christ? In ministering the kingdom of God, did He ever call people to join a building? Was He unsympathetic to those who were afraid of the religious system, those who were broken? Remember, Isaiah's words, a bruised reed He would not break. Yes, those who are His sheep, who shutter at the thought of getting involved, does he force them to go join a church? Consider the words of Chapter 34 of Ezekiel in the English Standard Version, considering the Lord's shepherding heart:

34 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. 4 The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. 6 My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.

7 “Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 8 As I live, declares the Lord God, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, 9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 10 Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.

11 “For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13 And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. 16 I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.

17 “As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and male goats. 18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture; and to drink of clear water, that you must muddy the rest of the water with your feet? 19 And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet?

20 “Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you push with side and shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, 22 I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23 And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord; I have spoken.

25 “I will make with them a covenant of peace and banish wild beasts from the land, so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 26 And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing. 27 And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure in their land. And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke, and deliver them from the hand of those who enslaved them. 28 They shall no more be a prey to the nations, nor shall the beasts of the land devour them. They shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid. 29 And I will provide for them renowned plantations so that they shall no more be consumed with hunger in the land, and no longer suffer the reproach of the nations. 30 And they shall know that am the Lord their God with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Lord God. 31 And you are my sheep, human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord God.”

New Age Christianity- When the Spirit is a Force and not the Origin of Scriptural Truth

When I first started this blog, I got an overwhelmingly positive reaction from many out there who are trying to sort out the meaning of the Christian life and who were tired of attempting to find meaning and relationship beyond Sunday morning and feeling empty inside. My hope was and is that the missing messages that would not normally be allowed to be preached from a pulpit or through a Sunday morning televised Christian service could be said loud and clear, and that people could voice their opinions and give feedback freely on the blog.

An Independent Baptist missionary wrote that my blog is enlightening in regards to where I am spiritually right now. I thought to myself, "Is that all you can say?" I mean, I am saying some stuff on this blog that you will not hear in most churches and that sadly, most ministers will not allow to be said in pulpits.

And there is an important reason that men make sure that this information does not get said, namely, it is because it means revolution and rethinking of the manifold purpose of the church here on earth. Rethinking often means new direction and re-establishment of priorities. I believe that this is part of entering the kingdom through much tribulation, as Paul said. It is the misunderstanding of nominal Christians, immature Christians, or outright religious people that you are demolishing churches and trying to stop the spreading of the gospel. This is not my intent at all. In bucking, tradition, deeply embedded tradition, it means finding oneself in a lonely place. It means being really unpopular among the masses in Christendom. Try being a revolutionary person, and you will find it also means you will be a very unpopular person as well as being misunderstood.

And why are certain messages so unpopular today on mainstream Christian television, books, and radio? Why is that you only hear topics about the Christian life that seem to support the average suburban American lifestyle and never get down to the meat of what Jesus and the Apostles really taught? Money. That's it. It is an empire built on money and profits from consumerism. Why is the newest and most faddish Christian book sold for $20, when a Bible can be bought for $10? Why can't the authors just share their book for free through offering the book as an E-Book or through a website? It is the selling of free wisdom that is a common behavior of the mainstream and not the behavior of someone who wants to be a blessing for the sake of being a blessing to others.

There is a vast Christian empire out there that revolves around money. What if Christian books did not appeal to the flesh and the suburbanite lifestyle? What if Christian music did not sound like that of popular culture? What if our music did not appeal to our flesh, and the singers sang with a natural vibrato rather than singing with the raspy "cool" sound that we hear today on Christian radio? Would the popular artists be so popular? What if the truth could be raw, without all the fleshly attractions to keep it popular? We would only have the remains of a bland, tastleless, odorless truth on which to build our foundation. It would be raw- in its natural form. Real believers will love the truth in its natural form and will not needed added flavors to make it palatable.

So, I started this blog to connect with a community of people who are on the same journey- a journey to find the truth of God in its rawest form- to live in it and walk in it. Again, I have had such an overwhelming response from so many people around the world. It was when I wrote a post called "How did Christians Hear God when there was no Bible" that I noticed that my blog was drawing the attention of people who did not believe the Bible to be the infallible Word of God. My fear, at the time, was that the true saints of God, would think that I was in agreement with people frequenting the blog who question the veracity of the Bible.

I then began reading the blogs of people who were reading who were reading my blog. I found an overwhelming number of them who, not only did not believe the infallibility of the scriptures, but they also believe that homosexuality is not a sin, and that one can be a born again homosexual. There was also a scoffing spirit toward people who were dogmatic about principles, especially Bible principles. There are many other things that I could cite, but it was becoming alarming to me, that so many readers did not believe in an absolute truth, the Bible, in which to base all matters of this life. While they believe in the Holy Spirit, they did not believe that the Holy Spirit had kept the Bible perfect to learn and obey the ways of Jehovah.

Many of them had been associated with Fundamental or Evangelical churches, and had stated on their own blogs, that they had been abused by churches or religious organizations themselves. It seemed that they idea of God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit were all very personal beings and most would say that they were present in their lives, but that the Scriptures are not the expression and litmus test for all truth.

So, someone decides I do not observe the scriptures as rule and measure of all matters of faith. Then, what is their moral compass? You will know by their fruits what their moral compass is. What do they talk about? Is it vain jangling? Does it lead anyone in a good direction as the Scriptures teach?

Without shame, they will tell you that the Scriptures are not the rule and measure of faith, but that they are aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. But what is the Spirit without the Bible? Or what spirit is directing someone who says the Bible is bunk and irrelevant and holiness is of no consequence to the Christian life? I can guarantee that it is not the Holy Spirit that is leading that person in their lives.


It is, in fact, an unholy spirit leading them and not the God of the Bible. Scripture says to avoid them.

"Now I beseech you, brothers, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have learned; and avoid them." Romans 16:17

As I heard people talk about the "spirit," I am hearing about a spirit that does not follow the working of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. For example, a man recently told me of a men's meeting he had attended on Tuesday nights, in which, the pastor told all the men to begin speaking in tongues at random. There were no interpreters present and everyone could speak in tongues at one time in that place. I have attended this church myself, but could not abide there because of the fascination with supernatural experiences. To add to the frustration, there is no platform to discuss all of the doctrinal problems and diversions from scripture that this church has. I am convinced that the real Holy Spirit invites men into understanding His will at their own speed rather creeping them out by strange tongues, barkings, and laughter. The Spirit of Jesus will only offend people by exposing their sin, not by the manifestation of bodily behaviors.

I am concerned that the true of body of Christ will have to go through a purging and separation from a type of New Age Christianity. In the coming days, we will meet people who are really nice at the workplace and they seem like really good Christians, but their doctrines will lead people astray. I avoid all groups and people who call the Bible erroneous and lead people into error. There is a New Age spirit that has infiltrated Christendom and there will be a battle in the coming days to clarify meaning of truths as to remove all vagueness of meaning from terms like "Holy Spirit", "anointed", "Spirit-filled." May God give me grace to be one of those men.



Additional scriptures on the Bible:

"knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." 2 Peter 1:20-21

"He (Paul) writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction."

"Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you." 1 Timothy 4:15

Most Christians are Slaves to the Mentalities of Institutions of Men such as the Military, Public Education, and Institutional Churches

I am always learning, always thinking, always pondering the state of the Christian religion. I am always reading literature produced from mainstream Christianity and I can quickly identify why I no longer think the way most Christians think.

I hear sermons and read Christian books often, and I think to myself that there is something that needs to be said and it is not being said. There is a baby that needs to be born in much anguish and tears, but there is no strength to bear it. I believe every time God raised up a prophet in Israel was because there was some virtue, some truth was being suppressed by the people, and there was a need for someone to speak the missing message.

I believe today there needs to be a prophetic voice as well. Not a poetic voice that exalts the culture and the edifices erected to the glory of men, but a prophetic voice that is iconoclastic and a threat to the existence of a false structure. A prophetic voice will always seek to deconstruct the system.

I feel that there is much not being said today, as I read the Christian books at Barnes Noble, Books A Million, Lifeway or wherever Christian mainstream writers are getting a platform. There are many virtuous topics to discuss and many institutional man-made ideas that need to be deconstructed. This was the way of the prophets, but its not going to sell books however.

Jesus spoke of a disciple named Nathanael one day "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false." I am wondering what kind of guy Nathanael was that Jesus spoke so highly of him, as to say that there was nothing false about him. I am pretty sure that he did not nod his head up and down, listening to someone speak lies, and in his heart be aware that this person was deceiving others. This was a man of true integrity.

When I listen to people speak through sermon or literature, I am often wondering what is missing here? There is something more to be said or there is something that needs to be clearly stated, as not to mislead others.

But I have come to realize that when there is money and religion changing hands in the same place, there are always institutions put in place to save and justify the existence of the structures of the form of Christianity.

There are at least three institutions that are often equated with goodness and virtue, which mainstream Christian writers will never use scriptures to show that these institutions are just institutions of men and will crumble at the coming of the kingdom of Christ: they are the military, government school system, and the institutional religious system. You will not hear most mainstream Christian writers ever preach the true balance of these things of light of scripture and the kingdom of Christ.

I hear Christians often speak about the U.S. Military in a blasphemously vicarious way when I hear them say, Thank God for the men who died to give me freedom today. Died to give you your freedom? Really? Vietnam, Korea, Somalia, Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan- when did engaging any in of these wars personally give you your freedom? (For more information about the military, read War is a Racket by General Smedley Butler, a 3 or 4 star general who gives an insider's perspective to what has happened through the exploitations of war throughout American history.)

The point is we have been propagandized and we have foolishly believed what men have told us about the kingdoms of men.

Does Switzerland, a neutral nation historically, have a population that is thanking Swiss soldiers for their vicarious deaths for their personal freedom? No, they have God to thank for that.

If I had more time, I could elaborate on the many ways most institutional church Christians are duped by this stuff. The point I am making is that most institutional church Christians are not even aware that they are slaves by default, because of their own ignorance. I was very ignorant of many of the lies regarding the kingdoms of men and their relation to me as a child of God. I do not owe them my time, my participation, or my allegiance. My allegiance is to the Kingdom of God and to His Christ.

This is a journey however. Your willingness to embark on the journey is only proportionate to your love for Christ. Your willingness to shed yourself of all lies, distortions, and delusions of this world system and its kingdoms is only proportionate to your love for Christ.

I have found that there is something out there that calls us. It is an idea that comes to mind, or a lack of inspiration, or a lack of fruitfulness that draws us to find what it is that is missing when considering the estate of the Christian religion. It requires a journey and it requires that you leave at once, not looking back, and that you leave your kindred, friends, and all that is familiar to you to find it. And if you do not do this, then you have lied to everyone, and you have not done justice in the place in which you should have.

Leave the slavery by the fetters which men put on you by limiting your capacity to think for yourself and look toward the Sun of Righteousness.

Should We go to Strangers for Marriage Counseling?

What would make someone so vulnerable as to seek a complete stranger on the most vulnerable area of life, namely, the marriage to which one is committed? This week, I read an article in the No Greater Joy magazine, published by Michael and Debi Pearl, in which a man named John writes, asking questions about some delicate areas in marriage such as trust, finances, marital fidelity, and sex. Then, Mike and Debi both gave their opinion on what they thought the man should do, in their no-nonsense, no punches pulled manner. I have my personal opinion about the advice given by the Pearls, but that is not what concerns me as much as why the man is writing to some stranger about his marriage.

What concerns me is that a man who has real feelings, goes and asks a couple, whom he does not know in respect to their true character, whether or not he should get a divorce.

As a man, I thought- would I want some stranger to sift through the most secret and sacred part of my life, such as my marriage to my wife? And then would I even trust that person's character as to take their word as gospel truth?

This is the content of what this man wrote in NGJ magazine this month:

Dear Pearls,

My wife and I are on different pages. The only thing that is keeping us together is the common goal of wanting the best for our fantastic daughter. When she leaves for university I intend to leave my wife. Am I wrong? Here is the situation:

1) I save; she squanders thousands.

2) I have been faithful. Yet for most of our 20 years of marriage she has pushed me away sexually and tells me repeatedly to go to the bathroom for release.

3) She claims I cannot be trusted and have to earn her respect.

4) She does not work. I make a six figure income. We are comfortable, but cannot afford the lifestyle she expects.

5) After work I am expected to help with housework, meals, and laundry, which I do. But the house is always a mess. She is a hoarder. There is a room of junk you cannot even get into.

6) Once she said she was going to report me as being abusive. I told her I would be glad to call the police on myself or report myself to the church. She said to call the church. I did. The church leaders knew the charge was bogus and said they wanted to stay out of the matter.

When my daughter goes to university I intend to give my wife 75 percent of the assets, walk away, and put my daughter through university. Is that reasonable?

- John

(To read the entire article, go to http://www.nogreaterjoy.org/articles/general-view/archive/2011/june/15/go-love-yourself

First, I can say, that, as a participant in marriage counseling in the early days of my marriage and nearing divorce years ago, I am glad that I did not receive the kind of counseling that this man received in this article. It actually hurt to read this and I felt this man's pain when reading the Pearl's answer. It was not so much that there was false advice given from the Pearls, but they gave a general blanket answer in telling a man that he is a wimp and not a spiritual leader. And a blanket answer is really all you can give a total stranger.

And then I thought, why would you, sir, anonymous John, give your heart away to these people? Because, in seeking them out for advice, he is sharing his heart. Not easy for a man.

And this is what counseling is, namely, that you are committing yourself, availing yourself, and making yourself emotionally vulnerable to that counselor, and in turn, you are trusting that person to give you a disciplining word, much like a father would.

And let's face it, men. Many of us did not grow up with fathers. I did not grow up with my father in the home. So, we "get saved" and what do we really know? What did that little sermonette really teach us about being a good husband? Did the touchy-feeliness that you felt when talked to the men at the Men's breakfast really cut to the chase in regards to where are? Have ever experienced anything as painful as having the deep layers of your soul peeled away like an onion? Did you want a stranger to do that for you? It takes the counsel of people whom we trust and really know intimately, like a mother, father, teacher, spouse, or high school coach.

If you grew up without a strong father presence, as I did, you will find yourself having many questions about your past life, before " getting saved," and you will find the questions deeply troubling you. And a girl to the equation who came from an abusive home and it is never sorting out the years of dysfunction. There are questions that do not get answered in church or through touchy-feely men's outings. Even in home cell groups, you are placed into a setting in which you can not really say what it is bothering you. You really needed truth to come to you and this can be a painful process with a faithful person. I am not denying that a stern word, like the Pearl's so often give is not good for that particular person, but shouldn't you know the content of the heart of the person that you are correcting first, before speaking to them as the prophet Nathan went to king David?

So, first I want to say that the spirit of counsel is most important. Counsel should be to discipline and to comfort. I have met many southerners in my lifetime, who when correcting an unruly child, in an abrasive tone, tell that child, "Boy if you don't stop crying, I am gonna give you something to cry about." But is this really the spirit of counsel? Is it really seeking out the other person's good?

Tonight, instead of spanking my son for lying, I had him copy Proverbs 6:15-19 from the Bible. It is a very lengthy passage. I am providing correction for my son and I decided not to go for the one size fits all (spanking) approach to discipline this time. Much counsel that people give is out of pride and it has no genuine concern for the heart of individual being inflicted. A stranger really can not administer proper discipline, just as a stranger can not administer proper discipline to my children. They need someone who cares and is committed.

So, this anonymous man "John" whoever he is, took his feelings and frustrations to the Pearls. And I am not arguing that everyone needs a stern word at times and often, including this writer. And he does get a strong word. Believe me, read the article for yourself, if you want to read it in its original text. The fact that this man wrote is that he is desperate for someone to tell him what he needs to do, which is why he contacted the Pearls. I believe some of us too are looking for a wise gray bearded men to show us the way, and this is, I think, a dysfunctional way of manifesting it. Some of us are crying out, Dad, please help me, wherever you are. We look for dad in the pastor, the Bible college teacher, or a religious community or even a cult. But he's not there. In fact, what we thought was our dad giving us advice was a stranger, who did not give birth to us, or bring us up to a mature age, as in the case of us trusting and confiding in a CEO business style pastor.

We even look to find dad, through finding meaning in blog posts, Face chats, a My Space page and any other thing that lacks that personal flesh and bone incarnation of what we are looking for.

It appears though that there was someone greater than the Pearls, who would have given this man counsel. "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."

One of my concerns is that we are asking the wrong people for advice, and we have not learned to open our Bibles and earnestly ask God to guide us into the right way. At some of the most selfish times in my life, I must admit I have known what God's Word said but refused to do it. When we refuse to heed the Word, we put our confidence in men and find it a vain thing to do.

I can say for the most part, that when something is not right in my life, I now know how to go to the Bible and find the correction for myself. God's goal is for us all to become fully mature. One of the evidences that we have matured as believers is that we can go directly to God for counsel. This is wild and even dangerous, but I am led to believe that this is His ultimate intention. Counselors are good and necessary at times, but they only serve as helps, and not the help of which the Psalmist David spoke.

The problem I see is that we like to ask people who are not deeply committed to us some of the most personal questions. My advice to my brothers and sisters out there, is that I have found that it is not wise to tell strangers about your marriage troubles. Ask yourself who are the people that I would want to catch me in my failure? A mother, father, a pastor, a teacher, high school coach. These people will have a type of counsel that will model the spirit in which Christ comes as counselor.

And when marital conflicts arises, guess who is going to offer the most advice to you about what you should do? Those who do not give a rat's behind about you. They may tell you to get a divorce, but they will not call you when you are living out of your car and washing your clothes at the laundromat. Where are all the friends then? Will they be calling you?

Though all men forsake me, yet will the Lord uphold me. "Thou wilt guide me with all thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory."

The Error of Overly-Simplistic Thinking in Relation to the Once Saved, Always Saved Teaching

I was a fourth grader, riding on the bus home from school, when I saw a man carrying an army sack on his back, trotting briskly down the highway, directed toward my home. After watching cartoons at home for 15 minutes, I realize that this man whom I had seen walking by foot two miles ago, was at my front door. To my surprise, it was my estranged cousin, who had just finished serving time in the county jail. He had come to live with my family.

I had never met this cousin. He was the son of my mother's oldest brother. My uncle had divorced this cousin's mother at an early age and abandoned him as a child. My cousin grew up in Oklahoma with his mother and stepfather. He had been a repeat offender all of his life. Now, he was here to live with me in my home.

My mother was a very gracious person, and had allowed quite a few people to live in our home. These were people who had been rejected or had been broken in some way-often due to their own delinquency. But Mom was gracious, too gracious, I think. She had prior to this time, visited my cousin in jail, and had tried to be that support for him that he never had. So, he shared a room with my older brother in our house.

One morning, my mother told him to remind me to water the ivy plants in the house.

I remember vividly being grabbed by this man, and thrown against the wall forcefully. He then placed his nose into the bridge of mine, and told me that I needed to water the plants. Angry and forceful were his words. This was the beginning of boundary violations for him with me.

So, a boundary was crossed and my cousin had given himself permission to use physical force on me when he felt it was necessary. His presence was fearful and his speech was coarse. I would tell my parents how I would hide in the closet from him when he was in our home. I remember my stepdad and mom made a joke out of the fact that I was hiding.

I can remember how angry and bitter my cousin was. But then he found religion one day. He became a member of a Missionary Baptist church regularly and was "saved" and baptized there. He found his place among the sheeple. Going to church did not change my cousins habits however. He was still abusing things and people, went back to doing drugs, and living life his way.

Then, I remember the day he was arrested and returned to the county jail after he had stolen my stepfather's farm truck, and then unlawfully operated some heavy equipment.

After he served his time, and was back in the good graces of my family some fifteen years later, he was living in my home with mom and my step-dad again.

I had just returned from Connecticut after leaving an Assistant Pastor position at an ultra fundamentalist church, and decided to move back home for a short time. When my cousin knew I was into the Bible, he opened up to me regarding his faith. According to my cousin's confession, he had been saved back when he was a member of the Missionary Baptist church, and that once you are saved, you are always saved.

I did not disagree with him at that time. This was exactly what my church taught, namely that once someone was saved, that person can never fall away, even if they wanted to denounce Christ as Lord of them. I was indoctrinated into this teaching, and that anything else was false doctrine.

But, I could not read through the teachings of Jesus, and not question this doctrine. When Baptists present the once saved, always saved argument, they have to look over many of the scriptures. The book of James deals with having a confession that is not rooted in "pure and undefiled religion."

The major oversight and error of Baptist groups is that, to them, getting saved is a past event, as in I got saved while in the Army. Then when someone falls away and renounces Christ, you have utmost confidence that that person is in heaven, because of a decision they made long ago.

Why can't we just say we don't know who will and who will not make into heaven, except for the kinds of people that Paul said would not inherit the kingdom? (Gal. 5:21)

The initial getting saved and being brought into covenant is but is only a beginning of the work. There is evidence that if that work is cut short, and that person falls away, that that person will not inherit the kingdom of God. The Baptist view is that people who are really saved will never want to fall away, and will endure to the end. I believe this as well. So, what is the problem?

The problem is that churches, ministers in particular, are leading into lives of error by not teaching what the whole counsel of God says on a subject. At my fundamentalist church, pastors would say, "we teach the whole counsel of God here" But looking back, I think to myself "what are you talking about?" Really, the whole counsel? I even asked one of the pastors at my church the meaning of Romans 8:13. "For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." I asked him what the meaning of die is in this passage. The eternal security teaching does not make allow for any kind of dying in this verse.

What do we make of Jesus' teaching in this passage, if we believe the once saved, always saved teaching? :

But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming ; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink , and to be drunken ; The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware , and will cut him in sunder , and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given , of him shall be much required : and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. Luke 12:45-48

One of the conflicts that I have with most preachers and teachers I meet, is the need to teach the simple-minded sheeple a complex subject and to keep things simple, as not to confuse anybody and to deny the need to devote an exhaustive study to a subject, in so much that a large body of evidence of scripture is ignored for the sake of getting everyone toward thinking in unity on a subject. This is easier than letting people wrestle with God on a subject, and to allow them to find the answer to themselves. But it really leads people into lives of error. My cousin was living a life built on error, and has paid the penalty for it, and will continue to pay for its consequences. And all who follow erroneous teaching and teachers will pay a high price for erroneous teaching.

In my last post, I talked about people who think simplistically and how the Institutional Church is a haven to simplistic thinkers. I also discussed possibly of entering into fellowship with a group of simplistic thinkers, if one humbles himself and tries to peacefully live out Jesus there. Since I wrote that post, however, I thought, "is humility on my part all that I need to enter into fellowship?" If my wife (forbid it) were to pull out a large ax and were to try to hack me into pieces when I came from work, would I need more humility in order to live with her? Is humility the issue when the other party is resolved to harm me? Would I not just need to get out of that situation?

It is easy to take the blame for the reason certain relationships with certain people do not work out. No matter how much humility you exercise, some people will never get it, and do not want to go on with Christ. The humility comes when you examine yourself to make sure you are really following Christ and that other people who know you closely see that it is evident as well.

In regards to beating yourself up over a relationship that failed, is it even right to blame yourself when you see clearly that the other person does not have an appetite for things of the Spirit? If you feel that you are naturally in favor of yourself, which we all are, ask other people you consider to be spiritual, what is the dynamic working behind any failed relationship you have had. A faithful friend may even tell you that you are to blame for the failure of a relationship.

So, we see that just the simplistic approach to the Bible can be a major hindrance to a relationship. You would not believe how many people now say that my wife and I are against certain churches and doctrines, because they, in their simplistic thinking, can not perceive an idea that goes a little deeper, than what they have believed all of their lives. A few weeks ago, the former pastor's wife ran in the opposite direction when she saw my wife at WalMart. My wife was asking me, "should I write her a letter/call her?" I said,"No, let them believe what they want to believe. This not a resolvable situation; it is a matter of the heart."

Since I wrote that post 'Its not about feeling superior to those church people,' I felt the need to clarify a statement that can be misleading. I think if the reason for going to a church, is that you have full knowledge that people are being misled and in simplicity do not know better, and that you want to guide people into the truth with patient lovingkindness and to fellowship with God's people, then I believe that there is virtue in that, and can be used by God. But often the reason people became sheeple in the first place is that like the children of Israel, who wanted Moses to represent them for God, they too really need the life long dependency on a clergy ministry to carry them from week to week. This means, for you, evangelistic believers, trying to minister to them can be very difficult, because every body likes it this way. If you are going to a church just to be a sheeple, an unquestioning sheep, who checks their brain out at the door and does whatever they are told, then you are not being honest with what know to be true, and you could be guilty of perpetually lying to yourself to maintain fellowship or a group dynamic.

Of course, having a group dynamic does not equal church.

In conclusion, there are no hard and fast rules for every situation, and the Lord can place any believer in various places, and cause that believer to thrive. So, these are just some insights into what I have seen. I do not know what to do, in regards to gathering with the sons and daughters of God at this time, but I open my life up to any believer who wants to fellowship. I know that he will not withhold wisdom from anyone who is seeking Him.

Where did all of this confusion come from anyway?

I have never seen Jesus- in a vision or in a dream. I have never performed a miracle. I have never spoken in an unknown tongue. I am not a prophet. I have never spoken a word of knowledge. I do not claim that Jesus has given me special revelation from God. According to many Charismatics, I have not even received the baptism of the Holy Ghost as of yet. I don't even know what my spiritual gift is.

But I have had a sense for the last 18 years that I am one of God's children. I have always had this peace. Religious people have tried to shake my confidence by telling me that I have not received the Spirit or by talking down to me as if I have had less of an experience than theirs, but I do not even listen to them. I dismiss them and the people who follow their ways. But wouldn't it seem fair to ask why I do not know what my spiritual gift is, if I am truly resting in Christ's provision for my soul?

Quite a few people have told me that my spiritual gift is discernment. But this is not true. There is no gift called spiritual discernment in the Bible. In order for something to be a spiritual gift, it has to be something that only a limited number of believers have, so that the whole church can mutually profit from it.

Spiritual discernment is for every one, and it is God's intent that, as we grow in Christ, that it matures like a flower that blooms. We are told in Ephesians 4:13 "so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes."

As a new believer, I read the Bible and J Vernon McGee Commentaries every day after getting home from work. I had no social life then. These days I am a little more balanced however. I do more contemplation of what I have learned that actually reading the Bible. This has been my observation from the first day I began this journey of faith: the winds and waves of false teaching have tested my sails every step. And to this day, I am daily being tempted by false teaching. It takes sincerity and purity of heart before the Lord to escape from false teaching and deception. Only the sincere believer will escape the cunning craftiness of men. Peter warns "But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves" 2 Peter 2:1. So then, it is no surprise that false teachings and teachers will be among us. This calls for the ministry of discernment.

There is one thing that bothers me today in Christendom, as it is widely popular all over the world- that certain groups, namely Charismatics, are confusing the crap out of people with their emphasis on spiritual gifts, signs, wonders, and external evidences of salvation. Rather than spiritual gifts and manifestations as evidences of salvation, the Bible teaches spiritual virtues as evidences of a strong faith. Check out this list and see if speaking in tongues is mentioned:

"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make [you that ye shall] neither [be] barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:5-8.

So, if I am judging my faith, by the number of spiritual gifts that I have, then I am found wanting and possibly under the judgment of God. My faith is then shipwrecked, as are multitudes of believers throughout church history who have not received the baptism of fire with tongues. Martin Luther and William Tyndale and I will stand in the same manner at the judgment, if this were true.

But if I am judging my faith, by spiritual virtues, which are a result of being filled with the real Holy Spirit, then I find myself not being barren or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. as the text says. You will never see the lack of signs and wonders as evidence of being unsaved, but you will see many who did signs and wonders to whom Jesus will say,"I never knew you."


We must test all things by scripture and see if the spirit in which a teaching comes matches the Spirit of Scripture. As I said before, I am not a prophet, apostle, nor do I claim a special anointing above any other believer who lived in the Roman Empire after the Apostle Paul, or in Europe during the Protestant Reformation, or in America during the times of Puritans. I am just persuaded by the scriptures of my faith in Jesus Christ. And all testimonies or any teaching out there today can be tested by the scriptures.

As an example of the need for testing spiritual things by Scripture, I was once invited to a Sunday meeting of friends, who were mostly Charismatics who had become disillusioned with church in the aftermath of the Brownsville Revival. My wife and I were the only ones there who were from a fundamental Baptist background, which was always awkward to say the least.

As I was sitting on the back porch that day at this meeting, I found myself in the midst of a casual chat with two men. One was an overly zealous Charismatic and the other a only mild Charismatic. The really zealous Charismatic began speaking in "tongues" and I abruptly left the scene. I was avoiding the confrontation, partially because the home owner had previously asked me in a private phone conversation not to start anything with that man even before going over there that day. Me, starting something with this man? So, I go inside the house and the man approaches my wife and says,"I think I freaked your husband out when I started speaking in tongues" as he was chuckling.

I then looked at him and asked,"Where's your interpreter?" Not a soul there that day could answer my question, as he appeared stunned by my question. A lady then piped up, "Well, I knew a Mennonite man who thought he would never speak in tongues and the Holy Spirit caused him to speak in tongues," as she laughed like a high school girl. They laughed at me that day, but not one of them made an appeal to the Bible.

I told a friend of mine who was in association with this group and he said, "Brian, you raised an honest scriptural question- where's your interpreter? and no one could answer you." Rather, I became the wet blanket of the party. This is the ministry of discernment. It will always judge the veracity of anything spiritual. The true ministry of discernment will never err and will always lead one away from error.

I do not claim a special anointing. I even wonder why my spiritual gift is not clear to me at this time. And I believe most of the readers out there, who claim to be believers in Christ, could attest that you also have never had any special revelation, visions, dreams, or other occurrences that would authenticate you as being special above any of the Christians that lived after the age of the Apostles. While I believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit are manifested in diverse ways throughout time and location, I am not quick to believe that they are all available at every run of the mill worship center in Pensacola, or Colorado Springs, or whatever persecution-free town you live in that is overstocked with professing Christians.

But, seriously, I believe that many believers today are in the same boat that I am, regarding spiritual gifting.

Years ago, a neighbor, who was attending the Brownsville Revival, showed me a video tape by a preacher named David Hogan, who had reportedly raised people from the dead. My neighbor wanted me to believe this, even though I had never met anybody personally affected by these sensational miracles. I have not met anybody to this day who was ever healed by a faith healer for that matter. I hear about things happening, but I am not meeting anybody who is personally affected by these signs and wonders. It kind of reminds me of the Amway salesman, who told me of all the success stories of Amway, but never produced one of his success stories. The claims seem too good to be true and very often are sensational and hyped up.

So, you may be one of those believers today, who like myself, does not see all of the spiritual gifts and manifestations happening in your life. You may be curious yourself as to why all of this stuff seems so hyped up as well. (By the way, I think it's kind of odd how these signs and wonders today are conveniently done in a church building, where the unbelievers do not go. Jesus' healing ministry was out in the public square, where the unbelievers were.) You may be doubting and reeling to and fro concerning your faith. Albeit, the truth of scripture is that Christ-like virtues are more evidential of the abiding of His Spirit than are one's claim of having spiritual gifts.

And they will make merchandise of you......

Jesus is building His Church by Chip Brogden

I have never met this author Chip Brogden before, but I found this on his website, the School of Christ. Without ever meeting this man, I call tell that he is getting his understanding from the Lord. Some profound thoughts on the true church of Christ being a revelation. I thought it would be a blessing to share with others.

“…upon this Rock, I will build My Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18b).”

What is the “move” of God? What is God doing today? What is God saying to the Church? Here’s what is happening: Jesus is building His Church. There is no “new” thing to be seen, said, or done: Jesus the Rock is building His Church upon the foundation of Himself. He is faithfully gathering the living stones together and is assembling them into a beautiful structure of gold, silver, and precious stones (I Peter 2:4-9; I Corinthians 3:9-17).

There is nothing wrong with the Church! That is, there is nothing wrong with the Church that Jesus is building, though there is much to be desired among those who are following their own building programs and blueprints, and calling it “church”. Jesus is assembling the saints together into a spiritual house. The problem is that some things we have come to believe to be “church” are not necessarily the Church. Although there is nothing wrong with the Church, everything that is called “Church” is not the “Church”. So what is the Church?

Let us look at this statement: “I will build My Church.” The first thing that strikes us about this thing called “Church” is simply that it is that which Jesus is building upon the foundation of Himself. More specifically, the word “church” is “ecclesia”, the called-out assembly. It consists of those to whom God has chosen to reveal His Son. This revelation of who we are in Christ and who Christ is in us is the key. Without this firm foundation we cannot know, understand or experience being part of the Church. Quite frankly, our religious head knowledge or credal affirmation is of virtually no significance. Even the repeating of the so-called “Sinner’s Prayer” means nothing apart from the revelation of Jesus Christ. May God give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ (Ephesians 1:17-23). Then, our prayer and confession will be based on Spirit and Truth revelation, not flesh and blood, second or third generation “knowing” (Matthew 16:17).

The Church is not built upon the individual Peter, but upon those who have been given revelation. Jesus builds His Church through revelation to individuals, the “whosoevers”. What revelation? The revelation of Himself. This revelation is sufficient to secure us as members of the Church that Jesus is building. When we understand that revelation is the only thing which matters we will cease trying to grow the Church or gain members through better preaching, musical entertainment, handsome facilities, demographic studies, and savvy marketing techniques. Instead, we will simply come to rely upon revelation and trust the Father to reveal the Son through the Spirit Who brings illumination to our heart. We are the Temple of God, a habitation for Himself, and this Church grows as a living thing (Ephesians 2:20-22).

Jesus is not building a denomination or founding a movement. The Church is not a denomination, but neither is it a non-denomination. It is not a steeple-house or institutional church, but neither is it a house church. Stated simply, the Church is a spiritual house of living stones, invisible to the naked eye, but clearly seen and known in Spirit. It is not an organization, but an organism. Who are its members? Those who have the revelation of Jesus Christ. Where are these members to be found? They are scattered in all directions, both inside and outside of Organized Religion.

Keith Green once said, “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to McDonald’s makes you a hamburger.” How true this statement has proved to be through the years. But we hasten to say that going to a house church won’t make you a Christian either. We thank God for the saints which are meeting in homes and rediscovering what it means to gather together in simplicity apart from the steeple-house, paid clergy, and denominationalism. Yet, Jesus did not say, “I will build My HOUSE church.” Since the Church is comprised of individuals who have the revelation of Jesus Christ, how or where they meet together is of little consequence. In Jerusalem, or in this mountain? Neither, says the Lord (John 4:20-24). Where we gather doesn’t matter to the Lord, but WHY we gather is of extreme importance to Him. If it is due to the revelation of Jesus Christ, we will worship in Spirit and Truth because the revelation of Jesus Christ draws us together. Why? Because our testimony is other-worldly, peculiar, spiritual. We are the called-out assembly, the ecclesia of Jesus. We are His particular treasure.

What we have, both within Organized Religion and within the house church “movement”, is a mixture of people. Some of them have the revelation of Jesus Christ, and some do not. We affirm that this revelation is enough to establish the Church, regardless of the outward appearances. Where this revelation exists, THERE is the foundation of the Church that Jesus is building. Since it is an inward revelation, a spiritual seeing and entering into, we cannot classify everyone as being the Church merely because they are within a system of Organized Religion, or even if they have come out of a system. Nor can we include or disqualify them because of where or how they meet. The meeting together is only a small part of the total picture. The question is not whether we are in or out of a human system, or how we meet, or what doctrine we lay emphasis on. The question is, have we seen the Lord? Do we have the revelation of Jesus Christ? We may be correct in outward appearance but have no inward revelation. Hence, not all who say, “Lord! Lord!” will enter the Kingdom of God (Matthew 7:21-23). Similarly, we may be politically or spiritually incorrect and offensive outwardly speaking, that is, according to what man values and esteems as good, acceptable, moral, and religious; yet the revelation of Christ is sufficient to bring us into the Kingdom with or without the support and approval of men, even the most spiritual and holy men.

“I will build My Church.” We maintain that the Church exists where individuals have the revelation of Jesus Christ: for when this revelation takes hold of a person, Jesus Christ will have the preeminence in all things (Colossians 1:12-19). It is not enough to tell people, “Jesus is the Head of the Church.” We cannot make Him the Head while gathered together and then expect Him to remain in the background while we live out our lives individually. Either He is Lord OF all, or He isn’t Lord AT all. When we see Him seated in heavenly places we will gladly and joyfully allow Him to be the Head over all things, not only in the Church, but in our marriage, family, and work. We will at once see that the Church does not belong to us. We will discern that hitherto we have viewed “church” as something that we must attend, build, or grow. With the knowledge that the Church does not belong to us we will relinquish our claims to it and begin to co-labor together with the Lord (I Corinthians 3:9). Then, it is a natural thing to give up our titles and positions and merely concentrate on building one another up in love. To give up title and position within a group that has no revelation of Christ is to invite chaos. This is why man feels the need to have some organization and established leadership among the saints, running the steeple-house much like a business with mission statements and top-heavy organizational charts, paving a one-way street of submission to some earthly head – because there is no vision of Christ. It is not more organization or leadership training that we need. We only need more revelation, and no man can give us revelation. It is the gift of God. Once obtained, we will with much rejoicing and relief fall into place below One Head and allow Christ to have the preeminence. “The Lord is my Pastor: I shall not lack (Psalms 23:1).”

Since it is the Lord’s Church, and no man’s, and since we are the sheep of His pasture, not man’s, we will stop referring to “Pastor Smith’s church” and “Brother John’s congregation”. The pastor is not the head of the Church. But then, neither is the teacher, evangelist, prophet, or apostle. Apostles do not build the Church: Jesus builds the Church, for it is His Church. All anyone can do is co-labor with Him. Anything done apart from Him will fall apart, for there is no other foundation but what has been laid, and that foundation is Christ (I Corinthians 3:11). If the foundation is faulty, it matters not one whit how beautiful the structure is. The apostles and prophets lay the foundation of the Church, which is the revelation of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:20), but it is still based upon a revelation that no man can give! The Spirit of Jesus must make Himself known in you (Galatians 1:11-18). Then others will build upon that foundation, which is your personal revelation of Christ in you and you in Christ. But no one at any time may lay claim to the Church, or any particular fellowship, as his or her own. The Church does not belong to a denominational office, church board, circle of elders, founding apostle, or individual pastor. At least, not the Church that Jesus is building.

How do we know if a particular work is the true building of God, part of the genuine Church? All we have to do is see who has the preeminence there. If an apostle or pastor is considered the spiritual head then Christ does not have the preeminence (3 John 9). If the elected deacons are in charge then Christ does not have the preeminence. We may give Him lip service and acknowledge with our mouth that it is His Church, but apart from revelation these are empty words. When the moment of truth comes man will always seize control, demonstrating that Christ does not have the preeminence there, and indeed, probably never had it to begin with.

How then do we know who has the preeminence? We need only look to see who gets the credit for the work. Men talk about “this great denomination” and glory in the works of their hands. Of course, with their lips they draw near to God, but their heart is far from Him. They are only trying to build a name to themselves and reach the heavens. The end result is confusion and vain babbling (Genesis 11:1-9). They are not co-laboring with Christ in the building of His Church, they are asking Christ to co-labor with THEM in the building of THEIR church. “We have done many mighty works in Your Name! Behold what manner of stones and buildings these are (Mark 13:1)!” And surely, great things have been accomplished, insofar as organization, wealth, property, and numbers are concerned. “But Jesus said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God (Luke 16:15).” If Jesus is building His Church as His own possession, then we cannot take the credit for it. We can only marvel at what He does and bow our heads in humble gratitude for allowing us to be a part of it.

What shall we do about Organized Religion? What shall we do about those who claim the Church as their own, who intend to build a name to themselves? What shall we do about the false religious system? We will do nothing at all; for, those structures not built upon the Foundation of Jesus Christ will fall of their own accord (I Corinthians 3:12-17; Matthew 7:24-27). How could it be otherwise? The only safe place to be is within the Church that Jesus is building. Besides, if we attempt to bring down the huge idol of Organized Religion we may well crush ourselves and others in the attempt.

What is the Spirit of Antichrist? It is that religious thing that makes war against Jesus and the Church that He is building. The Spirit of Antichrist is already gone out in to the world (I John 2:18) and has sown tares among the wheat. Indeed, in the last days the Spirit of Antichrist will dominate and rule the world system, attempting to blot out the true Church. Outwardly speaking it appears to be succeeding. Nevertheless, the Church that Jesus is building cannot be overcome by the gates of hell. Since it is built upon the revelation of Jesus Christ, nothing can stop it. Why? A sane man will not die for a tradition or a doctrine. But he will gladly lay down his life for the revelation of Jesus Christ. He cannot be disobedient to the heavenly vision (Acts 20:24; 26:19). He has found his Life (Christ) by giving up his life.

Yes, this world system, including man’s religious systems, is passing away: make no mistake (I John 2:15-17). The nations will be judged and will pass through the fire (Psalms 2). The earth will decay and finally dissolve altogether, consumed in the fire; the heaven’s will melt with a fervent heat (II Peter 3:7-14). The outward things are fading, perishing, evolving downward in a state of entropy. Look around you, saint of God. See the steeple-house? It will not remain for long. See the cathedral? It too shall pass. See the oceans? One day they will be no more. Look at the mountains – they will all be removed. See the cities? They will be destroyed. Heaven and earth will pass away.

What is my point? Simply this: the Church that Jesus is building will be the only thing which remains. The visible will make way for the invisible, the temporal will give way to the eternal, mortal will put on immortality (I Corinthians 15). A new heavens and a new earth will be made and the New Jerusalem, the Bride of Christ, the Church, will be completed (Revelation 21). We are that Building of God, built upon the revelatory foundation of Jesus brought by the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). We are the Temple of God, therefore we need no earthly temple, we seek no earthly kingdom, and we expect no earthly reward (I Corinthians 3:16,17). We look for a City whose Builder and Maker is God, and we are that City (Hebrews 11:10). Jesus is building His Church!