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Stirring The Deep

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Is Your Temple Being Built?

Is Your Temple Being Built?

 

Get out a piece of paper and write down a typical week for you. How is your time divided? What consumes your time? What do you do with your spare time?

The most important activity for believers is building the temple. Was that on your list?

The eternal temple of God is made of the souls of the true believers in Christ. It’s the place God will call home for eternity. So the most important activity we do is prepare/build that place for Him, have you been building?

How do we build?

Among many attributes, God is holy, truth and love. For God to fully manifest Himself through us as the temple we have to be in unison with Him in these areas as noted in the scriptures. As oil and water don’t mix, neither does a corrupt soul lacking these and God’s spirit.

 

The soul that is able to hold God’s spirit is one that is pure, structured in truth, and consumed in love.

Purity

First, Jesus Christ cleansed our souls with His sacrifice. In Him, our slates are wiped clean.

Truth

Second, Jesus Christ builds a structure of truth within us. Jesus is the Word of God. It’s the Word, truth, that sanctifies. John 17:17 He gave us His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, who writes truth on our hearts and minds as He instructs us in the ways of God. 1 John 2:27 As we abide in the Word, putting the truth in us, the Spirit uses that truth in conjunction with our lives and constructs a framework of truth in our souls. I talked a bit about this in the video Prepared for Christ’s Coming.

In Proverbs, it talks about the importance of seeking and obtaining true wisdom and understanding that is of God, not this world. Proverbs 4:5-9. Wisdom and understanding are fundamental to the lives of believers, because these are what make up that framework of truth in our souls, which allows God’s spirit to dwell in us.

An important aside to this concept; we are to seek wisdom, but gaining wisdom isn’t dependent on our IQ. It’s dependent on the ability of the Holy Spirit to teach us and write it on our hearts and minds. Therefore, ANYONE, as God wills, can gain the wisdom and understanding of God. Hebrews 8:10-11 Further, this process varies greatly for everyone. It’s a journey and not instant. You may have many ah-ha moments, but the process of building a framework of truth takes time in abiding in the Bible being taught by the Holy Spirit and Him working out those truths in you and your life.

Love

Finally, Jesus Christ reconciled us back to God, so now we can abide in His presence. When we draw near to God, He draws near to us. Because God is love, when we draw near His love starts filling our lives. Like our earthly relationships, when we cultivate a relationship with God, the fruit is love.

Many professing believers neglect to partake in the second and third phases. They understand the purifying done by Christ, but neglect the latter two – abiding in the truth so that framework can be built and cultivating a relationship with God so that His presence, especially His love will reign in their lives. This is why many operate in their self-will and not in accordance to one who is abiding in truth and love.

I think this negligence is why many are called but few are chosen. Matthew 22:14. Christ died for all people. Christ died that all may be saved. But few move onto walking in the purpose of His tremendous gift.

Look at the list you made at the beginning. Do you spend time abiding in the truth to gain a soul lined with truth? Do you nurture your individual relationship with God like you would do with a spouse (remember He calls us His bride)? This is how the temple is built.

Many people spend incredible amounts of time building up their earthly habitations whether homes, careers, health, families, and relationships and neglect the principle thing – their soul. It’s the one aspect that matters and affects all else, and if they neglect it, the rest greatly suffers as Haggai instructs us.

Haggai 1:6- 7 You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”

Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider your ways!

God says seek FIRST the kingdom of God, Him within you, and His righteousness and all else will be added unto you (the physical necessities of life). Matthew 6:33 Many people attend to the physical first, thus lose out on both. If you attend to the spiritual, then both will prosper. It’s God’s law of how He created this life.

Now you see why building the temple is to be the priority. Your belief systems affect EVERYTHING. If you change those, everything changes.

Each one of us is to do our own building of our part of the temple, our soul. No one can do it for us. We can support each other in the building process (which is very important and it’s part of building the temple as well because we are all conncted), but no one can actually do the building for us.

Restructure your list to make building the temple the first priority. Yes we have to work, attend to our families and health, but those should come second, because when you attend to the main thing the rest follows as it should. I’ve tested it out by taking on this promise 10 years ago. My life has proven it true in every way. It isn’t instant by any means because building truth and cultivating a real relationship with God isn’t easy in a world of lies, but it’s the path.

Now you see why this life isn’t just about being comfortable. God has a much greater mission of preparing His eternal dwelling.


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Seeking, Not Judging

Seeking, Not Judging

 

From my previous post, there were some comments questioning whether all churches are lumped together in this concept of Church System. Here I want to address that issue because it touches upon a fundamental aspect of our walk with God.

God is judge, not us. His Word is judge, not us. Ezekiel 34:20

Even Jesus didn’t judge for Himself. He heard from God and that is what He did. We are to follow His example in all things. John 5:30 “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. Further, Paul says he doesn’t even judge himself, only God judges him. 1 Corinthians 4:3-4.

When we ask the question whether this denomination, my church, or this pastor is good or not, it’s God’s judgment not ours.

What do I mean? How do we know what to do?

When it comes to our lives, we don’t judge good or bad. We look to God and His truth and that’s our guide. God judges and we follow His lead, whatever and wherever. Following God’s lead and not our judgments is choosing to eat of the tree of life instead of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The former is letting God be judge and being one with His will and simply walking in it. The latter is putting us as judge of what is good or bad.

To know and follow God’s judgments and ways, we have to set our ill-understanding aside and follow Him daily. Luke 9:23 Therefore, each day we sit with God, we seek the truth, we seek the pure manna from heaven (the instruction/truth of the Holy Spirit grounded in the Bible), we seek to know God so we can follow Him, and we seek His counsel throughout the day. (Seeking entails having a LOVE for the Truth, and putting time to know God as the priority in our day) We seek, ask, and act. We don’t pontificate on what we think is good by our own limited understanding. We seek counsel from the One who knows all.

Therefore, it’s not up to us to judge about this church or not, it’s up to God. To be able to know and hear His leading in this area we have to diligently seek Him. We have to put His words above religious leaders. We can’t read the Bible with our religious leaders opinions as our filters. We read for a desire for truth, realizing we don’t know and we may be misled in our current understanding. As we do, we will come to know God and His will; as He directs. We will be in the state of mind to be watchful for the times we are in. We will be hearing from God so we can walk in His will.

If we haven’t spent time diligently seeking, we will be very susceptible to deception. We won’t be able to follow God’s voice and not the voice of others because we are listening to ourselves. Make sense?

Seeking to know God comes first, so we can follow Him above all else. THEN we’ll be able to know what to do because then we will simply see and follow as Jesus did. It’s not about us deciding good or bad. It’s knowing God and following Him. See the difference? This following comes into play with all aspects of our lives, including this issue of leaving the church system (CS).

If you aren’t diligently seeking, how can your truly follow God’s voice? Again, not seeking is a spiritual death trap, because you remain spiritually blind. So even if you feel I’m wrong about the CS, spend time each day with God seeking to know Him as He is and His truth – this is your life, literally. Amos 5:4

When you seek you gain the spiritual “eyes” to see and the “ears” to hear. Revelation 2:29 As for leaving the CS, I “see” the CS corruption and the spiritual death and decay it breeds. Jeremiah 19:4 “Because they have forsaken Me and made this an alien place, because they have burned incense in it to other gods whom neither they, their fathers, nor the kings of Judah have known, and have filled this place with the blood of the innocents.” It isn’t my judgments, it’s just looking and seeing as God leads. It’s not about comparing churches, saying this one seems pretty good, or this pastor seems like a good man. Those are all our judgments. Instead, it’s seeking God with all our heart, soul, and mind. Then wherever He leads we follow. 1 Chronicles 16:11

The Bible is written to all who profess to be God’s people, which includes many denominations and groups. We all are to be examining our lives by its words. To think they are words for someone else is a grave mistake. Read Jeremiah, Isaiah, the minor prophets and Revelation seeking the instruction of the Holy Spirit and listen to what God has to say. When you look into the Bible with a heart to know truth and not to follow the doctrines of mankind, then you will “see”. Then you will know what to do. You will “see” the CS for what it is, how it destroys souls, and the impeding judgment. You will see the contrast between the system and the true temple of God.

The Bible speaks about the impeding judgment on the “house of God” and to leave and fully embrace God as our sanctuary, which is leading to something tremendous… the New Jerusalem, the temple from heaven. Revelation 21:2-3 It’s out with the old and in with the new, just as in the days of Jesus. We are the temple of God. God’s dwelling place is with us, in us. We have the Holy Spirit as a guarantee that we are His, and a taste of things to come. A fuller manifestation of God dwelling within us is upon us. Revelation 21:22 Be careful to not be like the church leaders and members of Jesus’ day, who held on to their traditions and understanding and missed Christ, the truth. The old is passing away, and God is doing a new and tremendous thing … are you ready to embrace it?


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A Time to Leave ….

A Time to Leave ….

In my opinion, those who are following Christ Jesus will eventually leave the church system (CS) or the institutional church.

There will come a point when static beliefs of human-organized religion limit the pull upon our hearts for something deeper. As a result, there will come a time when the wheat will be separated from the tares, and I feel that time is upon us.

The church system has always had its problems because it’s full of people with problems. But there will come a time when the cries of the prophets who foretold these days will be answered and the corruption of the church will be addressed by God. This judgment by God is why Jesus gives potent warnings to the seven churches in Revelation. It’s a last call to get things straight before God does. There will be a time when there isn’t any more time. There will be a time to leave …

As the end draws near and for God’s people’s protection, He is calling out of the CS those who truly follow Him. They are hearing from the Word of God that it’s time to leave and obeying it. Revelation 2:29

The CS is being consumed with darkness as the self-determined will (our “enemy”) gains ground. Lamentations 2:7 As the CS begins to fill with the darkness of deception, lies and the enemy’s ways, those heeding God’s voice are moving out of the darkness and into the light – for what fellowship has light with darkness? 2 Corin 6:14 Proverbs 14:7 There are many verses about not being involved with unhealthy fellowship. However, these verses are largely ignored by church goers as they listen to the church leaders who tell them they must be in a church. (Unhealthy vs. Healthy Fellowship)

I left the CS embracing the true church in 2004. (Out of the Church System, Into God’s Arms) As the years have passed, I see more and more believers coming out and embracing the true church, which is outside the CS. The true church is those who hold the spirit of God. Who put God and His Word first. Who seek His face. Who follow His voice. Who trust in God more than man. Who make up the temple built without hands.

A physical church built by man has always been filled with true believers and not, wheat and tares. But there will come a time when those groups will be separated, and if you look around it is happening now.

A couple interesting points I’ve noticed … Those leaving and embracing the true church are being led by God’s Word and the Holy Spirit – not by man’s persuasion. They have the Holy Spirit and follow the Spirit. The Spirit is moving them away from the CS that has corrupted and blasphemed God’s name. It’s because they draw near to God in truth and spirit on a regular basis that they are able to hear His voice among all the deception and follow at their appointed time.

Second, many feel restlessness in their spirits as they start to see a chasm between what is happening in the CS and God’s Word. They sense something is “off” that causes them to seek God’s counsel. When they do, they hear a call out of the CS. However, it’s only when they leave the CS that they see more clearly what it is and what it is becoming. The deception and darkness is great, even to dim a seeking believer’s eyes. Matthew 24:22

You can’t deny what is happening; believers are leaving the CS. They aren’t falling away from God or the true church (body of Christ – that’s not about a building or business), but the opposite – they are drawing closer to them. God is connecting these souls in amazing ways to encourage, support and pray. God told us what the CS would become and there would be a time to come out of it and into His care. Revelation 18 We have been warned. We have been told what to do. It isn’t our decision to stay and fight or to leave. It’s our duty to follow our God who is our faithful Lord and Shepherd.

For those in tune with the Holy Spirit, God calls them out to the wilderness where they become completely dependent on Him. They encounter others who have followed God’s voice out to abide under the protective wing of God. It’s a place where God is the provider, protector, teacher, guide and comforter – and who better? He is faithful beyond words to those who really trust in Him and not man.

Wherever you are, seek God in truth and spirit. For the times we are in, the warnings are vast about the deception that will take place. Seek and develop a love for the truth because is what will save you in the end. 2 Thessalonians 2:10

Examine your heart :

Who are you truly following God or man?
Do you speak of what God has taught you or what man has?
Where is your trust? Your dependence?
Where is your time spent – doing church activities or seeking God?
Do you abide in God’s Word or in man’s opinions and interpretations of God’s Word?

You may not agree with me, but I pray you seek God in all truth for there is no better time to start than now.

Related Blog Posts:

The True Church
Babylon – The Church SystemLeaving the Church Verses


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The True Church

The True Church

One of the first questions you get as a believer is, what church do you belong to?

Here is the “church” I desire and am finding:

It is the true body of believers located around the world. We are connected by spirit and truth. Ephesians 4:4 We are united because we are one in Christ. We are the temple of God whose foundation isn’t brick and stone, but the Word of God. Ephesians 2:20-22 It is a place without walls. It is about the body of believers coming together in spirit and truth and worshipping our God in the same. John 4:24. It is about the heart – as true love flows from God to each other. Gathering together isn’t about being in the same place, but being of one heart and united in the Spirit of God – though sometimes we are in the same place; in homes, coffee shops, nature. We meet other members all over. Membership is about the heart. We fellowship when and wherever. We pray when and wherever. We help each other (as led by the spirit) when there is a need. We are spirit-led not man-led. It isn’t about a building, a day, a time, a place, a format, a program, it is about our lives.

It is about unity not divisions. 1 Corinthians 1:12-13. Vulnerability, authenticity and honesty are fostered because there isn’t the pressure to conform or to fit a certain profile, but a freedom to be who we are as children learning and growing in Christ. Matthew 23:28

Each one is longing for and actively cultivating an intimate relationship with God, then comes together to share in the fruit, gifts, and questions of that personal relationship. Our passion is for God to be our first love. We seek to hear His voice, as we spend time listening. We long to go wherever He leads. The source of our spiritual nourishment is the Word of God, not man’s interpretation of His Word. We go there to feast on the truth. We are filled, satisfied and transformed. Truth is searched out no matter what it may be. Motives are purified. Honesty is grown within our lives as we are uncovered. There is confession and forgiveness. There is the sharing of burdens and fervent prayers for one another. True hope abounds. Mercy and grace prevails. Love consumes. Lies are revealed and expelled. We are exposed, delivered and healed.

The Holy Spirit is sought as each one’s most trusted counselor. He is our Teacher. He is our Authority. Spiritual gifts are manifested from the spirit of God not of spirits of deception. There is true accountability because the Holy Spirit dwells within each member convicting and leading. God is truly the head, not man. He is the Lord, the Shepherd, and the Leader. Ezekiel 34:23, Ezekiel 37:24

Belonging to the church, the true church is about the state of the heart.

This temple is found in the hearts of true believers. It isn’t a place made with man’s hands, but with God’s, and it is tremendous.

Related Posts:

Unhealthy verses Healthy Fellowship

Foundation for Young Believers (Address the issue of not forsaking the assembling of ourselves)

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After I left the Church System (not True Church)

After I left the Church System

(not True Church)

Out of the Church System

Being new to California, most all my friends and social life was wrapped up in the church we were attending – besides people I interacted with at work. My husband and I had met some nice people and were very plugged in to the church life. Leaving wasn’t easy but we knew what God was leading us to do. The more we read and sought in the Word, the clearer it became to us what would become of the church system (not true church) and we started to see it happening around us. It wasn’t our reasons but God’s leading through His Word. On the flip side, He was drawing us deeper into His Word. In brief this is some of what we read and saw, the church system as a whole is leading people to depend on the system not God, to cultivate and nurture a relationship with the system not God, to trust in the system for spiritual nourishment not God. The church often tries to play the role the Spirit should be playing in people’s lives.

Once I started to see what was happening in the church and how blinded I had been to it all, I had to follow God’s lead to another fellowship. As an old church goer, but fairly new true follower of Christ, I needed to establish God as my foundation, something the church always had been. I had trusted the church for my spiritual growth, to “feed” me, my source of truth, and so on. I thought God was my source, but honestly my relation to Him was through the Church. But now a shift was occurring in my life. I had been greatly influenced by others, but now my influence was God’s Word. I was new at cultivating a relationship with God, but I was on the path to building a foundation in Him, something I desperately needed, we all need.

After we left, there was one woman who beside my husband and family was my “fellowship”. It was that way for several years. I prayed about being in the fellowship God desired for me, but nothing manifested. I resolved to trust God that He was able to lead me where He wanted me. During those years, God and I developed a tremendous relationship. He truly became my Rock, my Teacher, comfort and counselor. I needed those “alone” years so that He truly became my foundation, not someone or something else. Over time, my beliefs shifted from being grounded in human teachers words to God’s Word – and that changed everything.

Once that foundation was established, then God started to bring into my life other godly women for me to “fellowship” with. It wasn’t the formal gathering of being inside a church, but souls hungry and desirous coming together real, open and honest. We talked about the tough issues, scripture, what God was teaching us. In that environment encouragement, prayer, exhortation, praise, and worship from the heart came alive. I began to understand what true fellowship was about. I think we get too locked in to how we think fellowship should be and we don’t trust God to truly lead us to what is best for us and those around us – and that various for each one of us.

Many of us have been so ingrained about what fellowship is that we are blinded to other true fellowship that God has in store for us. We get wrapped up in being in the “right” one because of what others have said that if we aren’t in the church system we’ll fall away. We don’t trust God to protect and provide. We push, seek and all the while neglect to trust God and develop a relationship with Him. People are often more concerned about being in the right fellowship than cultivating a real relationship with God grounded in truth – crazy how backwards everything is.

Our life is one of faith and faith is all about trust. The question is who is our faith in really? Those years alone with God put all that to the test as well as refined it. God knows what we need. But we need to follow His lead not man’s “should dos” . We need to abide in His Word. We need to trust that He can provide and protect us no matter where we are – and that level of trust comes from taking time to develop a relationship with Him.

This is a bit of side note, but relevant. I’m having an emotional morning . . . last night I had a horrible dream. It was weird and futuristic, but the basis is there was an earthquake and I was separated from my two cats. It was days before I could get to the place where they were. My heart felt like it was torn in a million pieces. I went searching for them among all the madness as everyone was trying to take care of their own. I finally found Malcolm curled up sleeping in a corner. I hardly recognized him. Dirt covered his white fur. I picked him up. He was much smaller because he hadn’t eaten or had water for days. He was weak and limp in my arms. I was trying to find him some water, but couldn’t find any and at the same time find Sophie, his sister. She is the more frightened one. I looked everywhere. I found a cat I thought was her, but wasn’t. I carried Malcolm around running looking frantically for her and I woke never finding her.

My heart is still aching in my chest. Its amazing how dreams create real emotions in you. But the thought of them so helpless, dependent, defenseless, and needing me to care for them and not being able to was overwhelming. Even telling my husband about my dream this morning tears started to fill my eyes. I love those little guys.

The love I feel is a nit compared to the love that God feels for us, and this is where this is relevant to this topic. We are just as helpless, dependent, defenseless, and needing His to care constantly. God loves us so incredibly much. But so often we doubt His love and don’t trust it. We trust man and those around us more. We don’t trust that He will really care and protect us. So, in our beliefs, we never fully step into that place under His wing. It was a hard dream, but reminded me about the depth of His love for His children.

I know many are struggling with this whole church situation. God loves you so much. We can trust His lead and that wherever we are He will guard and protect if we seek and abide in Him and His Word. The end is upon us. These days are tough. Things are changing just as Christ warned us. But God promised to always be there and protect and provide and He will not let His promises fail to His children who He loves beyond words. The journey God has lead me on has been exactly what I needed. It has been incredible. But I needed to trust Him and I was able as I understood His love for me, which came from abiding in His Word and cultivating a real relationship with Him.

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Foundation for Young Believers

Foundation for Young Believers

 

In previous videos, I shared my story of coming out of the church system – not the true church, body of believers, but the system, the institution. I addressed the issue often raised about “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves” and in this video I share some thoughts on another issue raised about young believers needing that “structure”.

You can subscribe to the videos at http://www.youtube.com/stirringthedeep

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Out of the Church System – Into God’s Arms

Out of the Church System

Into God’s Arms

 

As I read and hear about all the unrest around this issue, I felt compelled to share part of my story with you. This is a difficult topic to talk about – no doubt. My prayer is that you will listen with an open heart and that you will get from it whatever God has for you.

This second video is my thoughts on an issue that is often raised when people mention leaving the church system – the assembling of believers mentioned in Hebrews 10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Some Unhealthy Fellowship Verses: 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, 1 Corinthians 5:9-13, Psalm 26:4-5, 1 Timothy 6:5, 2 Timothy 3:5

I’ll be posting more related videos in the following weeks.

First Video Transcriped . . .

Out of the Church System – Into His Arms (Video Transcribed)

Hi, I’m Rachel with Stirring the Deep and I wanted to talk to you about what has been happening in the church community regarding people leaving the church system – not the true church, the body of believers, but the system, the institution, the business.  I see a lot of restlessness occurring, so I wanted to share with you my story.  Now, I know this topic brings up an lot of different questions and issues. I want to address some of those – not in this video but in a later one when I have more time. For example, the verse Hebrews 10:25 where it talks about not forsaking the assembling together, issues about young Christians, fellowship and those sorts of issues.

But here I want to tell you about my story.

I grew up in the church. Like a lot of us that grew up in the Church, there comes a time when you have to make God your God and the faith your faith.  God brought me to a point in my life where He basically turned everything upside down. Where I was just tired of my life. I wanted God to take over. It came to a point that I wanted a relationship with God that was real. I didn’t want a religion. I didn’t want to go through the acts anymore. I wanted a real relationship with God.

So I started seeking Him in His Word. But now when I read, I was reading on a daily basis getting to know Him – asking God who are you? Show me who you are. I want this to be real because that is what a real relationship is, right? It is communication back and forth. It’s really getting to know somebody.  And God started to open up His Word to me. It was slow . . that development of a relationship with Him because I had a lot of things I had to let go of. It was a process. But that is what started to happen in my life, this relationship developing.  I was no longer reading to do a Bible Study or to “fix” myself. I was reading to build intimacy with God.

Around this same time, I was involved in a church, highly involved. My husband and I would go to Bible Studies and small groups. We helped out at the church, and built a great sense of community, friends and support. It was wonderful what we had. But over time, a gap started forming between the cultivation of our relationship/intimacy with God as we spent time in His Word one-on-one, listening to His Spirit in our life AND our church involvement. It wasn’t just that we disagreed about different truths in the Bible. It was more than that – it was a bigger gap happening underneath it all. This gap created a restlessness in us that at first we really didn’t understand. As this restlessness continued, we decided to take a break from the church. Whenever you are so wrapped up in something it’s very hard to hear clearly. We said, God we just want to be still and be with you and give ourselves time and not be influenced by all these other things, including our own thoughts because we had enjoyed all that community, all the social aspects and all that it offered.  We had to honor that restlessness and figure out what was going on.

We sat with God day after day seeking, reading in His Word – old prophets, Revelation, reading everything. Over time, from His Word and the prompting of the Spirit, we felt that God was calling us out of the church, not the true body of believers. We’re always connected with them, but the church system, the business, the institution. This was a radical thought, because I had grown up in the church. I had always been in the church. It was a part of my life. Can this be? But the more I prayed and the more I read, I felt YES, this is exactly what you’re hearing. I started seeking around and other people where feeling the same thing and had already left the church. It was incredible.

Having been in the church for so long, we decided to go back and see how we felt in our spirits. This is now we often are – we ask God and He answers us in His Word, confirms it in our spirits, and through other people, but we still say, are you sure God?

Leaving was such a big deal and it was hard because we had a community of friends. But when we went back, it was like the spirit was pushing us out the door. It was undeniable that we weren’t supposed to be there.  We haven’t been back since, that was 2004. It wasn’t to go find another church that is also something else that was very clear. It was to come out of the church system.

It was difficult and I continued to pray, why, is this right? Because I have friends and family in the church. But the message has only grown clearer and stronger over time. The basic message was, that I’m reading from God’s Word, judgment is coming upon the church. And part of that judgment is that the sanctuary, the house of God, will be given over to the enemy. It talks about this in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations and so on and it all connects back to Revelations – it’s incredible. That’s prophecy and that’s what is going to happen, I believe. God is going to call His people out and He will protect them. Those who are really listening to Him will follow Him, His voice wherever He leads. He will be their sanctuary, their Shepherd, and protect, guard and provide for them in every way. This message is what I’ve been seeing happening exactly. You see what the church is starting to and has become. How the enemy is taking over the sanctuary. How people are giving into a big delusion. The church has become the center and not God. People are trusting in the church and man for their provision, protection, comfort, and teaching. Everything is really centered on the church. They can’t pull away from it because they wonder what’s going to happen to them. That kind of dependency means that is where your trust is thus your idol.  And all of this is exactly what God’s Word talks about. Our trust should be in God. God can use different things, but who is the source of our trust – our dependency will tell us.

Anyway, God continued to unfold His Word and lay out this plan. It has been hard because being outside the system isn’t where the majority of people are. But the choice really came down not so much leave the church or not, because you can give all these reasons why church can be bad or good, but it was about whose voice was I going to listen to, man’s or God’s?

I hope that my story encourages you to seek God’s truth in this, not anyone else’s like your church’s, but what is God saying to you. What is His will? And give yourself time to really listen to His voice – that still small voice. If we truly seek and we really want to know the truth, then He will open up His Word to us. He will lead and show us His will for us. But we have to be willing to listen. We have to be willing to truly follow Him. It’s my prayer that you would have that seeking heart.

2 Thessalonians 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

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Corporate Worship???

Corporate Worship???

 

People talk about needing to be in or part of a church for many reasons and one a often hear is so they can participate in corporate worship, something they feel God has commanded them to do. But what is it that God wants and not what has man engrained in us? I believe God desires worshippers in spirit and truth and it is no longer about a building. John 4:20-24

John 4:23-24 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Worshippers in spirit and truth are those who have a spirit life born of God and those who seek Him to know Him and His ways so they can be united to Him and honor Him in truth.

Spirit

Worship means to bow down with affection. When we bow down before someone we are recognizing their sovereignty in our lives with adoration. Bowing down is turning over our lives to God’s reign and doing it in love. Only those born of the spirit can worship Him because only those of the spirit have surrendered (bowed down) lives to His Kingship.

Once spirit, only when we are dwelling in a spirit-mindset and not a mindset of the flesh can we worship Him. When we live in the spirit we worship Him and when we live in the flesh we don’t. Romans 1:9 The spirit is surrendered to Him; the flesh rebels against Him. Romans 8:7

Truth

Second He calls us to worship Him in truth. If we don’t exert the energy to intimately know Him and to learn His ways, then how can we worship Him? We are praising some image of Him. Our objective is to venerate Him and not our image of who we want Him to be. To suppose He is whoever we want Him to be is nonsensical, then He wouldn’t be God but we would. We all make assumptions and believe things this very moment that aren’t true about God and don’t know the things that are. We stereotype Him; we fit Him into what we can accept, what we want to believe and what fits our lifestyle. But do we accept this lack of truth or do we passionately search for all He is being mindful that there is much more to be gained?

Acts 17:24-25 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;

God is seeking relationships not just creatures to worship Him. Coming to Him in spirit and truth is about being in a relationship with Him. He desires an intimate union with us, our heart engaged with His. When we abide in that union, we worship Him with our lives. We don’t worship by simply singing a song, but with hearts born of Him who abide with Him in truth. All we do in our spirit lives: thoughts, actions, words, songs, and prayers worship Him or not. True worship is a state of the heart. Matthew 15:8

Worship as the Body of Christ

As spirits we make up the temple of God, a temple built without hands that holds the Spirit of God. Those of the spirit are united together because we are of one spirit and our lives worship Him. Wherever we are, we are part of the true church and whatever we do in the spirit we worship God together with the rest of the spirits born of Him. Churches are full of believers and non-believers. Only those who are born of the spirit and abiding in truth can worship God so it isn’t about the physical location, it is about those united together in His spirit worshipping with our lives.

It seems that man’s definition of worship is gathering in a building and singing songs with emotion and God’s definition is coming to Him in spirit and truth as the true temple and worshiping Him with our lives, songs and all.


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Women and Angels: Part 2

Women and Angels

Part II

 

The relationship between a woman and a man symbolizes the relationship between the church (true body of believers) and Christ. The first is designed to teach us about the second. It illustrates in a physical context the spiritual aspects of our relationship with Christ like unity and oneness, different yet complementary roles, respect, love, mercy, and so on.  Ephesians 5:23

I have been seeking the underling truth of 1 Corinthians 11, specifically verse 10 for some time.  I feel like I am finally getting somewhere, thanks to the Spirit of course. To understand any of that chapter, you have to replace women with church and men with Christ.  So before I jump to the verse in question, vs 10, I am going to work through a couple of verses so you can see how I ended up where I did with that particular verse.

In verse 3 we learn the head of a woman is man and the head of a man is Christ – decoding it we learn the head or authority of the church is Christ.

In verse 4-7, a woman’s head being covered symbolizes the church being covered in Christ’s righteousness. A man’s head, which represents Christ, isn’t covered because Christ is righteousness.

In verse 7, you can now understand why women are the glory of man because they represent the church and why men are the glory of God because they represent Christ.  See how this works? You have to use the symbolism to unlock the spiritual truths.

Then we come to verse 10. What confused me for years was the statement, because of the angels. It seemed to come out of nowhere and not make much sense. Why do women or the church need an authority (Christ) over her because of the angels who are God’s messengers and ministers in the spiritual realm?

1 Corinthians 11:10 For this cause ought the woman to have power (authority) on her head because of the angels. 

Looking at other verses that talk about angels, we learn that their role is to carry out God’s work. They are the reapers, the ones who gather the elect, and carry out God’s plans of judgment and deliverance.

Matthew 13:39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

Matthew 13:41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;

Matthew 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

When the angels do their work like gather the elect, how do they know who to gather?  They know by the authority on their heads, in other words, those who have Christ as their Lord. This idea of having an authority on the head is similar to being sealed that is talked about in The Revelation Chapter 7. Sealing is simply instilling the truth in someone’s mind determining what they believe.  Sealing the tribes is showing them the truth so that they believe in Christ as their Lord and Savior. Once they are sealed they are covered in Christ’s righteousness they are saved from God’s wrath, which is administered by the angels. Sealing, marking, and having an authority on our heads all share a similar meaning.

The way the angels are going to know to gather you to Christ is if He is your Lord. Therefore the women (church) require an authority (Christ as Lord) on her head so that when the time comes the angels will gather them to Christ.

Now there are probably more layers of truth to this passage, but I think this is one.