Educate yourselves

The series of talks here give probably the clearest exposition of "church" history and where it went wrong. Satan didn't need to re-invent the wheel here!

If you've got the time to listen to even part 1 it will be time well spent.

This is the first time that the "hedges" around the "law" has been so well explained to me, although it was revealed to me some time back that the jewish synagogue was the fore-runner of the "church".

I don't however agree with the speaker on his conclusions as to how we should "Do Church". IMHO he is still caught in the form rather than the function of what Ekklesia is all about. And part of the reason is that he gives validity to the words (ecclesiastical) that are designed to deceive and confuse.

But don't believe me, start to think about it and do some research. It's easy when you trust your Teacher!

The Naked Gospel

This book by Andrew Farley is worthy of a read.

It is still available as a free download here.

What's missing?

Clever "church" sign:

CH--CH ! What's missing?

Adam says, "I AM"

Let he who has ears......!

What on Earth could he be on about?

I came upon this excerpt today. It was written by a certain ISAAC PENINGTON in the year 1659 and is from a piece entitled :

BABYLON THE GREAT

DESCRIBED

THE CITY OF CONFUSION

IN EVERY PART WHERE ANTICHRIST REIGNS

WHICH DOES NOT KNOW THE ORDER AND UNITY OF THE SPIRIT,
BUT STRIVES TO SET UP AN ORDER AND UNIFORMITY
ACCORDING TO THE WISDOM OF THE FLESH,
IN ALL HER TERRITORIES AND DOMINIONS
HER SINS, HER JUDGMENTS

WITH SOME PLAIN QUERIES FURTHER TO DISCOVER HER;
AND SOME CONSIDERATIONS TO HELP OUT OF HER SUBURBS,
THAT HER INWARD BUILDING MAY LIE THE MORE OPEN
TO THE BREATH AND SPIRIT OF THE LORD,
FROM WHICH IT IS TO RECEIVE ITS CONSUMPTION AND OVERTHROW

That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find out? I applied my heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason; and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness. And I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, her hands bands. He that is good before God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her. Eccl 7:24-26

He that is born of the pure, immortal seed, and lives in the anointing, escapes the golden cup of fornication, and all the painted beds of fornication, and is not defiled with women; Rev. 14:4. but remains chaste to the bridegroom.

Lo this is the city which is built up of and filled with images and likenesses of the ways and truths of God, without the life and power.

On her outside there is the likeness of a church, the likeness of a ministry, the likeness of the ordinances, duties, and ways of holiness.

On her inside there is the likeness of the good knowledge, the likeness of repentance and conversion, the likeness of faith, the likeness of zeal for God, the likeness of love to God and his saints, the likeness of the Lamb's meekness and innocence, the likeness of justification, the likeness of sanctification, the likeness of mortification, the likeness of hope, peace, joy, rest, and satisfaction, etc., but the substance, the truth, the virtue of all these is wanting to her; and she herself is found persecuting that very thing, (where it is found in truth), the image of which she cries up.

This, this is the woman that has bewitched the whole earth for these many generations, and is still changing her dresses and paints, that she might still bewitch people, and sit as a queen reigning over their consciences; but blessed is the light which is arisen to discover, and the power which is able to overthrow this stately, this lofty, this mighty city, and all that take part with it.

The Lord God Omnipotent reigns in Zion; and antichrist, with his city Babylon, falls. Sing praises, sing praises, Oh inhabitant of Zion! to him who subjects Babylon, with all her glory, under your feet.

-------------------

There is no new thing under the sun!

Just then I heard another shout out of Heaven: Get out, my people, as fast as you can, so you don't get mixed up in her sins, so you don't get caught in her doom. Her sins stink to high Heaven; God has remembered every evil she's done. (Rev 18:4-5) Message Paraphrase Translation

Let he who has ears, hear

Pot & Kettle - more Truth in strange places?

PASTOR Chuck Baldwin, in this article states:

"....our pastors are CEOs or, even worse, politicians." [emphasis mine]

and,

"In the meantime, the clarion call to "come out" of this apostate, compromising, and carnal "church" is a good place to begin."

He goes on to say this:

"We created our Black Regiment directory to help people find churches that were willing to stand up for Christ and liberty, as did colonial preachers of old. To locate Black Regiment churches and pastors in your area, or to volunteer to be a Black Regiment pastor, click here" [emphasis mine]


Now here is some info about this man: Chuck Baldwin is Founder-Pastor of Crossroads Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida. In 1985 the church was recognized by President Ronald Reagan for its unusual growth and influence. On April 26, 2008, state delegates of the Constitution Party elected Chuck Baldwin to be their Presidential candidate during their national nominating convention in Kansas City, Missouri.

Perhaps I'm reading this wrong but to me this is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. A Presidential Candidate and Pastor railing at Pastors for being political! The Pastor of a church that was recognised by the political for its unusual growth and influence! (b.t.w. - one wonders what caused this growth and was it recognized because its influence was political?)

And this "Black Regiment Church" that he is enthusiastic about seems to have it's primary rallying cry around a political agenda or ideal, and then, something of a moral (doctrinal?) stance. Oh, and I nearly forgot the dress code.

Please understand that I have nothing against this man and am merely using his article to illustrate the typical "I/we and my/our Church are right and anyone else is wrong" attitude of the "Church". It is another example of how "Church" blindsides many good and sincere men and women, even Christians.

The truth is that "Church" and it's "pastors" (by whatever name) are by their very nature political, no matter what is preached from the pulpit. It is merely one of the three intertwined pillars upon which man (re)builds the Tower of Babel - those three being Religion, Government and Economics. The trinity of enslavement!

Yes Chuck and all, hear the clarion call: "Come out of her". Hear the voice of your Shepherd, (The One and only Pastor, if that word has any validity in the scriptures as translated into English!) and follow Him into freedom. Get rid of those sectarian robes and titles of religion, renounce your politics, release your ties to Mammon and enter the Kingdom of Heaven and sit at the lowest place, free to worship your God and Savior and to serve your fellow man as He works in you. Even in that lowest place your elevation will be higher than you can imagine.

When you and I do that then we will be standing in the field, after the tares have been bundled and burnt, welcoming the reapers who will gather the wheat into His granary.

Praise God, Praise God, Praise God.

Head Knowledge

I can recall one of the favorite maxims in the "churches" that I attended goes something like this: Head knowledge is useless unless it makes a 12 inch drop to the heart. And everyone nodded their heads sagely.

I contend that this is exactly the problem the church has! It elevates flesh above spirit. It promotes the intellect above the Holy Spirit. It eats from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It becomes it's own judge of what is right and or wrong. It promotes theological degrees above the true man/woman of God.

The spiritual is always higher than the flesh. Heart knowledge, i.e. that which is given by the Holy Spirit, makes a 12-inch transition to the intellect, and thus it is revelation knowledge. The other way around is impossible. Head knowledge can never be forced into the heart to become revelation knowledge in the spiritual. Any head knowledge that informs or becomes heart knowledge is the root of religion and is thus demonic. For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace; (Rom 8:6)

An earthly example of the higher informing the lower and not the other way around is heavier than air flight. The higher principle, aerodynamics, informs and supercedes the lower principle of gravity. It is always impossible for gravity to overcome aerodynamics. Gravity only "wins" when aerodynamics fail.

Another example, and perhaps a more pertinent one, is the co-operation between man and beast, say like a shepherd and a sheepdog; it is always the mind of the shepherd that determines the relationship. Does anyone really think that the sheepdog, despite it's obvious intelligence, is capable of setting the agenda for the days work!

Oh, how I recall wishing that what I knew in my head would drop into my heart. But no-one could tell me how. It was just another favorite phrase of christianese.

But when I understood that it is impossible. That I am not capable of doing that. That only Christ IN me is capable of doing anything, because a dead man has no capabilities, then suddenly life changed.

I cannot love you with the right kind of love. Only God can. Thank God it is not I that lives but that Christ lives in me, yet I live!

Therefor I love you, rightly! Halleluja! I can't help it. Love is His very nature.
... because God's love has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Rom 5:5b)


For I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwells no good. ... (Rom 7:18a) But Jesus said to him, Why do you call Me good? No one is good except One, God. (Mar 10:18)

Let he who has ears....

Truth in strange places

Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori says it's "heresy" to believe that an individual can be saved through a sinner's prayer of repentance. - Associated Press - 7/9/2009 5:35:00 AM

Pity she hasn't worked out how an individual can be saved!

Repent and believe INTO Christ Jesus