The Call to Be the Body of Christ, Rather Than To “Attend” Something

It has become more and more obvious to God’s Chosen, worldwide, that the typical expression of what is known as “church” has been influenced by the enemy, and through worldly culture. Our understanding and expression of “church,” in generation after generation, around the world has been led down a Machiavellian path of shallowness, pride, greed, lukewarmness, worldliness, and Ishmaelic infrastructure. In the institutions of today, the quality of the sermons and teaching is sometimes good. I hesitate, after visiting many hundreds of “services” of every conceivable denomination and “non-denomination,” to say that “most” teaching in these assemblies is Truth-filled. But, certainly some of it is quite good. Sometimes the “worship time” is “encouraging” or “inspiring.” We need to add, though, that accomplishing this has often required Spiritual prostitution to acquire “talented” musicians to “lead”—in spite of the fact that they may have little or no real relationship with Jesus. Their unregeneracy, or worldly life is often overlooked in order to accomplish our desired end of a wonderful worship experience to attract larger numbers. Frequently the “programs” of modern religious assemblies have targeted “worthy” objectives, such as feeding hungry unbelievers, building homes in Nicaragua, or distributing tracts to passers-by in an urban area. Many groups have a formidable number of creative efforts ongoing, many or most of which may be good things to be involved in. And yet…

And yet the quality of DAILY LIFE of people in these organizations is what it’s all about. THIS is the TRUE measurement of how much of what is going on is really of Jesus. The lack of the daily application of the Word of God, by the Priesthood of Believers with one another, is cataclysmic. In most religious assemblies, only the 5-10% “committed nucleus” (a number offered by many “pastors” as the norm) even TRIES to be involved in each other’s lives on a visible daily basis as Jesus commands, and demonstrated. And this number is still fairly accurate, even with the “cell group” programs that have sprung up everywhere as an acknowledgment of this crisis. Even within these cell groups, the stories of surprise suicides, rampant concealed pornography, love of the world, gossip, unforgiveness, pride, ambition, and general shallowness are legion. Simply changing the size of the group, “assigning” a less experienced leader, and trading the religious facility and seating for a home and a sofa…doesn’t change its DNA.

By the way, running away from “institutional religion” so that “you don’t have to answer to anyone but GOD!” is usually a deception as well. Caution and wisdom, and learning God’s Ways are in order here. You cannot just run out and “start a group” (the way men typically do such things) and expect to find much more than heartache, confusion, division, and a colossal waste of time and emotion. Ask most of those that have tried it! Let’s proceed carefully with such delicate and Holy matters as Jesus’ Church!

Laying down their lives for one another, being involved in the homes and work places, sharing in the children’s lives together, living in vulnerability, “confessing sins one to another,” “bearing one another’s burdens and so fulfilling the Law of Christ,” the mutual Life and dependency and Priesthood of 1 Corinthians 12-13…these are almost unheard of as a description of an entire congregation of Believers. And such a congregation, Biblical and mandatory as it might be to live this way, would be viewed with suspicion and called names. Yet, the rampant lukewarmness and leaven amongst the general population of most congregations is forbidden by God. It is only “preached to”—rather than resolved. The insanity of deception and worldliness amongst the teenagers of these organizations is beyond words. I could refer you to folks from any number of the most highly-respected congregations anywhere that have been totally devastated by what has happened “backstage” at their congregations. All of these tragedies and fatalities, and more, simply say what Jesus said: “You know a tree by its fruit” and “Wisdom is proved Right by her children.”

There is (as hundreds of thousands are now shouting from the mountaintops in every language) something fundamentally wrong with the understanding and expression of “church” as has been so frequently practiced for the last bunch of years!

HOWEVER! This is still worth saying: Though most churches bear precious little resemblance to the Life-filled Church we read of in the Bible (in spite of their good teaching, good worship, and good programs), most who energetically participate in the organizations of today have had only the highest motives all along.

So, why the “wake-up call” now? Why haven’t we seen all of this before? Some in previous generations have, of course. But most of them were martyred, as Jesus predicted. Some were martyred physically, some by slander and libel and politics. Those with something to lose have suppressed God’s prophets in every generation. Why are multitudes in ever-increasing numbers and courage raising their voices as One today? Perhaps, the “Two Witnesses” are ready to stand, and the Bride is sensing that the time of preparation for the Groom is growing short. Perhaps “the Spirit and the Bride,” discerning the Hour to say to Him, “COME!” is drawing near. And still there’s so much lacking in this Preparation!

Too often, we have been hypnotized by the immensity and traditions of the religious world as we’ve known it (“It’s everywhere, and all we’ve ever known!” “Mom and Dad were good folks. They ‘loved the Lord,’ so what’s the problem?”). We’ve been decoyed by men’s religious sentimentalities and emotional devices (“It’s all so nice, so sweet, so moving, so soothing, so fulfilling….”). We’ve allowed ourselves to be threatened and blackmailed into subservience to it. (“You don’t want to oppose GOD, do you? Touch not God’s anointed!”) Sometimes we’ve even been seduced by promises of advancement within it. (“You could be a leader one day! You have a true calling and gift from God! You could have your own ministry one day! Just ‘work from within’ and you can really help us.”) “Pinnacle of the Temple” stuff, for sure.

Yet most of us who have offered our involvement into typical church situations around the world, “staff” or not, have had only the best of interests in serving our resurrected Messiah, Jesus. We have rightfully chosen and attempted to serve Him within a relevant and Biblical expression of His Body, the local visible Church.

The good news: On a level of global magnitude—stuff’s getting better every day. Many everywhere have been awakened by the Holy Spirit to His Call for the Life of Jesus to be lived out DAILY in the local Church, reflecting His Glory and Wisdom and Holiness. Though we get letters literally every day in this season of Awakening, there is undoubtedly far, far more than we could ever be aware of. Even the letters we receive come from a cross section of many countries and languages and cultures, crying out to know about Jesus and the daily Life of His Body in the local Church. I mention this to you for a reason. Many times the letters or telephone calls we receive are moistened with tears. “I’m so happy! I’ve been told my whole life that I’m crazy. I’ve been told that I’m a troublemaker and just looking for perfection that I’ll never find. I should just be content with things as they are, and try to make them better. But I’m not crazy, and God does want to build a VISIBLE Church that lives every day as His Son lived every day!”

He does want a Church that, while not “perfect” of course…still “everyone, from the least to the greatest” loves Him and knows Him and “loves the light!” We mention these other folks out there, because we want you to know that you are not alone, and you are NOT crazy. Or maybe you are crazy like Enoch, like Abraham, like Moses, like Elijah and Jeremiah, like Paul…and like Jesus. So maybe you’re crazy, but you’re not alone.

In Malawi, Africa, a very dear friend and brother (native to Malawi) has likened the Call of the Holy Spirit regarding the functioning of Jesus’ Church to this: “David Livingstone brought to Malawi the Good News of Jesus (in 1859). David Livingstone’s Gift to us is like Life-giving Bread in a basket. And now, the Good News of the KINGDOM, and the LIFE of the Body of Christ as a daily Priesthood is giving us another companion Gift. This Gift has given us the ability to truly take the lid off of the basket, take the Bread out of the basket, eat it and be nourished to the full!” Precious insight.

In spite of what we have all been conditioned to accept as “church” for so many, many years, many people now know that the Bride of Jesus must be “making herself ready.” And this real Church is unrelated to sitting in a pew, on a bench, or folding chair, or even in a home or living room. Involvement in a setting constructed and controlled by mere men is still not what God intends. Even if some “amateur talent ‘specials’” are permitted, or some filtered teaching or utterances are allowed in some controlled settings (so that all the “laymen” feel involved), this is not the Real thing—born of, sustained by, and defined by Relationship with Jesus and His Body. A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS, daily LIFE involvement by 100% of the “members” of Jesus’ Body, with one another, breaking down hell’s gates—this is all that will ever satisfy His Heart and fulfill His Prophetic Teachings. And the Valley of Dry Bones, touched by the Wind of the Spirit that brought Jesus Christ back from the dead, shall arise by His Grace and Mercy! I love it. Stuff’s getting better every day.

Working Out His Dream!!

And so. An inner call of God’s Spirit is precipitating a coming “outside of the camp” to fellowship in His Sufferings and BE His Body—instead of just “studying” about it, or singing about it. DAILY. The Church really becoming the CHURCH! As so many are in a Holy pursuit of His Holy City descending from Above, it is increasingly more important to speak, as Paul did, of “the administration” or the “practical working out” of the “unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph. 3:8-10). In other words, there are some really practical issues that come up as we move towards being the Church on a daily, interactive, “joined and knit” basis.

They are, of course, mostly irrelevant to those who try to center Christianity around meetings, buildings, hired clergy, and programs. To those religious organizations that have little difficulty or discomfort with known or unknown “leaven in the batch,” there is not much to think about. If someone wishes to move in and “place membership” at such a place, they are always most welcome. At an institutional assembly, the questions are fairly simple. If they’ll “tithe,” have some talents they can offer, and have a commitment to attend regularly, that would nearly universally be sufficient. They would be more than welcome to move and “become a member.” While there are surely many true Christians who are part of these groups, that is not to say that Jesus is happy with those organizations, or that much of anyone will reach their full potential in a place where “a little leaven leavens the WHOLE batch.” Just as Uzzah discovered, when we use the Philistine’s ways to accomplish God’s Purposes, people get hurt and people die. In a Church that is not building God’s Way, even the true Christians will suffer loss. Don’t mistake anything here for saying, “So-and-so can’t be Christians.” We’re not discussing that. This is about how we build. It is shameful that many will never reach their potentials for Jesus because we’ve “tried to grow an orange tree at the North Pole.” It really does matter how we build.

“If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If what he has built is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames” (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).

Now, for those that want to build out of Relationship—rather than org chart hierarchy, programs, forms, traditions, and calendar-ized times, places, and events…there is much to talk about.

As we make our way through our tour of duty on planet Earth, should we think God is satisfied with our level of “Christian” participation? I think it could be safely said that God is not yet satisfied.

What I understand from God’s written message regarding His followers is that there have been, in the past, and are presently, many more supposed followers exiting from service (through various means), or stalling-out, in their service to God, than there are those eagerly enlisting and volunteering for what the Bible suitably portrays as hazardous duty. To be more explicit, no sooner has a man gotten a glimpse of some genuine truth than he is off on some rabbit trail of his own reasoning looking for justification to validate his own conclusions, and surrounding, and protecting his discovery with a whole troop of toy soldiers, believing he has soundly thought through his faith, and is safe in his own little citadel. Many others have deliberately thrown in with the enemy on a promise of security, and others are snared and held comfortably captive in the world of “Vanity Fair.” We are especially warned to NOT be deceived in these last days. Even we in the “watchman” camp have to be careful and continually re-examine our position as new light is revealed. Now that the “Church” has come under a microscope through current events, we simply cannot assume that old traditions and creeds will suffice; only the Bible is able to unravel the web of confusion that the Church has gotten into. It is easy to get mired down in external events: politics, heresies, statistics, organizations, and structures, and lose focus of God’s workings to effect the inner man.

The Preciousness of the Bride

The seemingly new discovery and realization that the Bride of Christ is much more precious than previously thought, due to the nearness of the Groom, has motivated some to come to the defense of her honor. What we must do now is come to the conclusion, God’s conclusion, that there is much more truth to be learned concerning the Church, and that God is not satisfied with a single discovery, or to prop-up old Church traditions and organizations, regardless that men hold them to be sacred. To fight a battle on a single front or a single issue does not constitute a war, or to believe that our Father wishes us to re-fight the battle of the Reformation and stop there is wrong; the Church must be more precious than even Luther or Calvin realized. To return to the Reformation, when you have been commanded to “do your first works over again,” is to stop short of understanding and complete victory. We are not told to return to the revivals of Wesley, Edwards, or Finney. We are not told to re-play the Reformation, or re-examine the “creeds” or the ecumenical councils of Constantine. We are not told to stop abortion, or build hospitals, or universities, or march on Washington, or to focus on the family, but we are told to be holy even as the Father is Holy, and to come out from among them and touch not the unclean thing. We are not to stop short of returning to the very foundation of our faith, which is the Prophets, and the Apostles, and Jesus Christ as the chief Corner Stone. To stop the advance of the Church, by getting involved in the battles of this world, is to be disobedient to Christ’s command and to fall short of true glory and the victory He intended. To re-discover the true preciousness of the Bride is to discover a foundation that has been covered over with many false structures and unsafe buildings that spell doom for them who depend too much on their offer of shelter. All these structures must be cleared from the foundation and a new Spiritual structure erected. The structure may be small and not have the outward glory remembered by the elders, but it will be the building that God builds and approves. Many things must go that we cling to for safety, thinking they will suffice in a day of severe trial, but only one thing is required, a return to the foundation and a rebuilding as per God’s instructions. The Bride is precious in God’s sight and she must be purified and the spots that spoil her appearance removed. Those spots are all the adornments with which she has clothed herself through the centuries, (creeds, councils, colleges, churches, and choirs) all the administrations of men and not the Lord.

What we have really discovered, concerning the Church, as the result of those who have paraded the Bride around as a prostitute, are obvious things that have served as a wake-up call to the Elect; it has only just gotten our attention. The truth that the Church is precious has been forced to the surface and demands a spiritual response. This present conflict should serve as a test of our resolve to fully finish our Lord’s desire of having His Church in a pure state and un-spotted by the world of men and Satan, and ready for His soon return. This foundational truth is a basic principal, which for the most part has laid dormant, but now is demanding that there be a forward movement into greater depths of Spiritual awareness. Purification has always come through crisis and it will be no different now.

The Threshing Floor

This initial conflict can be viewed as just the beginning of a threshing floor experience. Like David and the threshing floor of Ornan, the ground on which the Temple was to be erected, came at great cost, and would not be had for nothing. David well knew the cost and the lessons of the threshing floor, at the hand of God Himself. Mount Moriah forever symbolizes the place of testing. Is it a coincident that the Temple of Solomon (a picture of Christ) was to be built on a threshing floor? David would provide the raw material of which the Temple would be built. David was not the builder of the Temple, and could not be, he was a bloody man, proven and proven and proven again, over, and over, till the dross was driven from him, and made fit for the Masters use, as a living stone in the Temple of Christ. You see, this present process is but the beginning, there is much of man and the flesh that pollutes the Church, and it must be driven out. God is not satisfied with the Church yet, there is more threshing to come, more separating to take place, more chaff to be removed; it is the cleansing of the Bride.

It is no coincident that Solomon’s Temple was constructed on the threshing floor of Ornan. When David made the declaration to Ornan the Jebusite that he would not present something to God that has cost him nothing, he was speaking, not only of his immediate circumstance, but also to you and I, that the cost involved in the preparation of the materials must be paid at the threshing floor. What we see in the life of David is a picture of the Church, which is the building material that is tested repeatedly, and proven by many trials of faith and loyalty in God’s ability to purify and keep him. Our Father is calling out the Church, and this calling has much to do with purging, that is part and parcel of what goes on at the threshing floor. And so, we understand the calling of the Church to persevere, to maintain vigilance, and to not only start the race, but to finish.

Vain Imaginations

We must not allow ourselves the liberty of imaging that this present argument or disagreement is the war to end all wars. As bad as it may appear, and as eager as we are to respond, it may be nothing more than the wiles of Satan to draw the saints of God into the open and appeal to their flesh in retaliation; a temptation to resort to our minds and our muscle, and to fight a battle of the Devil’s choosing and on his terms.

We must not allow ourselves the liberty to imagine that this present battle is the main focus of God. It is important, without question, but don’t entertain the thought that it is about the battle. It is not the battle that matters, the victory is already decided, it is about the Church and separation, and testing, and purification. God will have His victory, with or without us. The true Church must look and see the falseness of what is happening, and know that the Spirit is winnowing out the chaff, that a separation and narrowing is taking place, a refining and purification process of the Bride of Christ. If we look too hard at the battle and allow the battle to become a thing in and of itself, and not a process of preparation, we will miss something priceless. It is not about the battle or the circumstances in which we find ourselves; it is about the Church, the Body and Bride of Christ, and about understanding spiritual things. Personal and corporate holiness is the chief aim now, as it was with David. Maintaining faith in a loving God while being prepared, sometimes harshly, and being found worthy to supply the raw, living material, for the construction of a Tabernacle, a dwelling place for God, fit to be called the inheritance of the Father, is no minor calling.

This present battle can easily be used by the enemy as a diversion, and used by men for self-promotion. We have discovered some faults, discrepancies, and flaws already in the Church, and we must not stop looking. The process of separation and sanctification must continue. The Church is still not prepared, and, I do believe that the threshing has begun in earnest. Many in the organized Church who profess to be watchman must do the hard work of self-examination then continue with the exposing of error and falsehood in the body. The Church needs to look inward and find other battles to wage, and in faith, allow God to destroy those idols that hinder the Church from moving in all of its glory, as magnified by a relentless belief in the sufficiency of Him who calls us. It is the Church that supplies the raw materials, as exemplified by David himself. It is Christ who builds the Temple, as exemplified by Solomon in all his glory of unlimited riches, wisdom, and grace. David was the warrior covered in blood, representing the many battles he waged, but in all of his obedience, purging, and purifying he was not adequate for the task of building a Dwelling place for God, that had to be left to another, even Christ.

The Real War is in the Heavenlies

The Church is re-discovering the real necessity of spiritual warfare, it is no longer an imagined thing or hypothetical, it is real, and it is a “clear and present danger” to those who do not understand Scripture. If the Church stalls-out here, which it appears to be doing, there will be many casualties. Not all watchman or followers will survive the coming conflicts. When Moses and Joshua led the people into battle sometimes there were few loses, sometimes there were many, but when fighters went out to battle the timid and weak, and those who had conflicts of loyalty, like newly married men, or those who had doubts or divisions in their own or other’s abilities were better left in the camp. And, so it is with the saints of God today; a lack of faith and trust, through improper understanding and preparation, spells casualties for those who think this is a war against flesh and blood. To speak of true Biblical holiness and separation will put you at odds with those who profess a more limited separation and still hold to traditional man-made Church values and organizational hierarchies. “Deep calls unto deep” in these matters and God is always, in all ways, calling His Church to greater measures of faith and into waters that require absolute trust and loyalty; this too is the threshing floor. Our preparation does not stop at the “new birth,” and sanctification does not stop with regeneration, but is a continually advancing experience of deeper trust in God. What we see going on in the Blogosphere is saber rattling; it is a faceless conflict of words, and at best is but a training ground for something more real, at a real time in the future, when our real adversary will bring real men, face-to-face, eyeball-to-eyeball, and test our resolve of loyalty. The war is not about Rick Warren, Brian McLaren, or Todd Bentley, it is about purging, preparation, and purification of the Temple building materials, it is about a bride fully awake, it is about the Church of the Living God, the Body of Christ.

If our desire is to dominate our enemy then we are deceived and no better off than the one we fight, because their goal is also to dominate the earth. Dominion on the other hand is spiritual. Dominion is the province of God, an area in which one has special knowledge, interest, or responsibility, and a wholly different way to govern. The dominion of God operates as usual, and is still in operation for the Christian by complete and total trust through faith. Our adversary wants nothing more than to wage war on his terms. If we expose error for the sole purpose of making our enemy angry, or as an insult to gain some advantage in the flesh we are failing the test and not serving Christ. To have dominion on the other hand is to present the truth boldly, for the benefit of the saints; to reach out to those who the Spirit of God has called, and to make their paths straight. When the conflict comes, and it will come, it is to NOT respond in like manner as our adversary, or to throw our hands up in defense, but to lower our arms and our tone, and turn the other cheek, and to portray Jesus all over again, and fill-up in ourselves what is lacking. There is no defense against dominion. Having dominion is God’s way of ruling, and purifying the Bride.