... you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house , a holy priesthood - II Peter 2:5a
What Kind of Christian?There are many who refer to themselves as Christians today. Among them, however, there are myriads who really do not know what it means to be a Christian. This is due to the fact that Christianity has been taught wrongly for so long. It is only when we return to the Word of God, believing and walking in it, that we fully understand the Christ-life.
Below I have put forth a few examples of those who refer to themselves as Christians; indeed, some in these categories may be born again but ignorant of true Christ-likeness. You may find yourself among them. Sometimes, I find myself tempted to fall into one or another of these categories as well. These simple illustrations may help us to examine ourselves once again, so that we might "see if there be any wicked way" in us, and turn to "the way everlasting." The Spirit of God Himself, speaking through the apostle Peter, warned all believers everywhere to "make your calling and election sure," so that we are not caught off guard at the Day of His coming II Peter 1:10. Notice these:
| "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." Romans 8:14 NKJV "'Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord," shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.'" Matthew 7:21 NKJV |
A Sure Word of ProphecyI would like to bring our attention to a particular scripture that the Holy Spirit has pointed out to me lately. It is especially important in these last days, as the Spirit is giving more and more prophecies to prepare us for the soon coming of our Lord. If you are one with a gift of prophecy at all, I urge you to consider what the Spirit is saying through the apostle Paul in Romans 12:6.
"Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith..." (NKJV). First of all, do not believe for a moment that the gift of prophecy is not for today, or that it does not include declaring those things to come. Make those who discount the authenticity of the prophetic gift show through the scriptures where this gift has been done away. They cannot - neither can those who would like to say that it is only preaching, prove that by the scriptures. It is what it is. There is a gift of prophecy for New Covenant believers as well as there was for Old Covenant believers; and sometimes it will include foretelling of things to come. This brief word of encouragement is given to those who may have this gift. I want to specifically draw your attention to where Paul writes that we should prophesy "in proportion to our faith." This is very important for those with a gift of prophecy to remember, since we sometimes claim that we are speaking directly on behalf of the Lord Himself. We should continually remind ourselves to take precautions for several reasons. Here are a few of those reasons: 1. People LOVE to hear prophecy. Their demand for it and zealous response to it can subtly influence us to go beyond what is really authentic. This is in spite of the fact that we may never intentionally do so. If you want to get a crowd, just tell them that you are going to prophesy! WOW! I have found that those who really chase after what God is saying through prophecy are not usually true disciples of Jesus Christ. 2. Pure prophecy requires that we cautiously guard against personal convictions and beliefs that are not completely substantiated by the scriptures. Otherwise, we may prophesy things skewed by our own understanding. It is so easy to mix what God would say with our own blend of knowledge. Here again, we may be altogether sincere - but sincerely wrong. 3. When we seek to tune into the Lord's voice, the enemy is keen to give us a really close counterfeit. We should always be cautious, but especially when it comes to dates. It has become popular in recent years for so-called prophets who like to declare the Word of the Lord for a particular calendar year or decade. I do not say that this is wrong necessarily. I will also say that people LOVE this kind of thing because it is something they can rally around. I have found through the years that most people never acknowledge whether those things that they rallied around a year earlier ever came true or not. They just beg for more the next year to "tickle their ears." That is why FALSE PROPHETS commonly prophesy annually. The Spirit may be leading you to do so, but let us remember that God's timetable and ours are quite different. How many Bible prophecies can you remember that specified a calendar year? It certainly was not the norm for God, was it? That is because this is a modern fad and one that God really may not be the author of at all. 4. It is REALLY EASY to move over into our own imagination while we are in the midst of truly hearing from the Spirit. This is something that we should really caution ourselves about. Do NOT go beyond the absolute faith that you have been given - and when you feel necessary to share more specifically than you are certain of, do so by qualifying it. The apostle Paul wrote on two occasions that when it came to some specifics of particular themes, he did not necessarily speak by the Spirit even though He did have the Spirit. I cannot emphasize this enough, since it is such a common and almost undiscerning possibility. Do not let these cautions dissuade you from prophesying if you have that gift. Only use them as cautions, that you may prophesy according to your faith. "Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy" (I Cor. 14:1 NKJV). | The State of the Christian ChurchWe should realize that there is both a positional state, and a conditional state in the life of the believer, and the church as a whole. It is God’s intent that the conditional state of the church reflect our positional state, but that is seldom the case anymore.
1. Positional state of being in Christ – this is our state of being as it has been freely given by His grace and our living faith in Jesus Christ. It is based solely and completely upon His merits. It is a position of absolute reconciliation, justification, sanctification, and glorification before God through Christ (Romans 5:1-2, Galatians 2:16, etc.). 2. Conditional state as revealed through our actions – this is our state of condition in the practical walking out of His life through us on earth, whether good or bad (I Cor. 5:1-2, 6:1-8, Hebrews 6:4-11, etc.). Our conditional state is primarily influenced by three things, as follows: a. His continuing grace working in and through us whether or not we realize that we are cooperating with His will, i.e., God’s sovereign determination to bring us to a place of completion – the fullness of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:28-29, Phil. 1:6). b. His occasional, particular initiatives that boost us onward and upward, i.e., periodic revivals of His Spirit about and within us (Book of Acts). c. Our living-faith response to each of those inner workings, i.e., our cooperation with His will through the act of simple obedience (II Peter 1:5-11). Scripture plainly teaches that it is impossible to gain a positional state of being in Christ (salvation) by anything that we do apart from simple believing faith; but it also plainly teaches that the things we do, which determine our conditional state, are critically important to our lives in Christ. Ideally, our conditional state should show that we are in Christ positionally, since the old man has been crucified with Christ and buried with Him… literally (I Thess. 1:1-10). Nevertheless, as long as we are in this mortal body, the old man will continue in a desperate battle with the new man, so that through various means it might bysome means resurrect itself (Romans 6:6,16). When we yield to that old man rising within us, he becomes our master again; and our actions grieve His Spirit’s work within. If we grieve Him often enough, long enough, we may even quench (extinguish) Him (Ephesians 4:30, I Thess. 5:19). One of the greatest problems in the church today is that another gospel has been preached (Galatians 1:6-9). So much of this other gospel comes from the lack of understanding of our position as it relates to our condition. The modern church has gone so far out of bounds in a zealous attempt to speak one truth that it has neglected another truth that is vitally important. Still teaching grace, we emphasize that one’s conditional state (defined by actions) cannot possibly be good enough to gain a positional state (salvation) in Christ, which is true; but also today's Christian leaders have reasoned by their own understanding, concluding that once someone has become a believer, his or her conditional state (daily actions) is of little or no consequence, since he or she has been positioned in Christ. Of course, this is not true. Thus the message of the church has left off Biblical reprimands, failing to warn the members of His body to walk in obedience to the Father’s will, or else risk suffering serious consequences. In the place of warning by love, it has favored only suggesting that one should obey God for the sake of living a happier, fuller, more successful life. Its mainstream message proclaims loudly that actions are important only for the sake of easing one’s way in and through this life, but not that actions will have any bearing on our relationship with God since we have a position freely given through Christ. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth! We are clearly warned of this heresy by the Spirit through Paul and other writers of the New Testament. For example, Paul writes to the churches of Galatia, saying: “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13 NKJV). Nevertheless, the conditional state of the body of Christ today reveals that it is poverty stricken alongside its positional state. It is nondiscriminatory in its actions and lost in a world of blatant lasciviousness, unfaithful to God; but it still assumes that all is well! God is very concerned with this conditional state, but the church is hardly concerned with it at all. It is only concerned with its positional state, i.e. “getting people saved.” It is this conditional state that I speak of as I seek to lay out in a nutshell The State of the Christian Church in 2010. It is a grade on our response to God’s initiative through Christ. |
The Story Told Simply
"Therefore, be imitators of God as dear children." Ephesians 5:1
Children Gone the Way of Rebellion God created humankind by His own design, in His likeness and image - His children. If we had continued in perfect obedience to Him, His design in us would have remained. But with our disobedience we took on an inward nature of our own design, instantly making us distinctively different from Him - separating us from Him (Gen. 3:16-24). We became the children of the one we chose to obey, Satan the archenemy of God. He was the one who led us astray by appealing to our weaknesses, knowing that God had put within us the desire for knowledge and the will to choose who would be our master (James 1:12-15). What to Do Next? Through God's omniscience He knew this would happen from the beginning and had already prepared Himself for His perfect world to change course (Isaiah 46:8-10). It would not be a place of paradise for His obedient children any longer, but rather God subjected its design to our futility (Romans 8:19-23). Because of our sin, His beautifully created world became cursed ground - a place of vanity, struggling in the depths of despair. He did not reject it altogether, however, but through His promise He subjected it in hope prophesying its eventual restoration through the reign of His coming kingdom - the kingdom of His long-awaited, only begotten Son, Jesus Christ! To the Rescue! When God's Son came into the world, He often taught through allegories and parables. He identified the world as His Father's field for planting, for cultivating, for growing, and for harvesting new sons and daughters, giving hope to the hopeless. With this revelation we could see more clearly than ever that the new course the world had taken after the sin of man some four thousand years prior to the coming of Jesus Christ, had ultimate purpose. Even with all its despair God was using it as an instrument in His hand to reconcile all things to Himself. Now we know that throughout this whole process having now endured nearly six millennia, God has revealed His glorious attributes to man again and again in order to draw Him away from His sinful nature. Starting with His unfailing love for all humankind God acknowledged us in His great mercy offering forgiveness. Thus, He made a way for His empowering grace to restore us step by step until we could be made completely whole through faith in Jesus Christ alone. The Adversary Abounds Satan was also created by God and was exalted to a high place of honor before he became proud, rebellious and disobedient like all men who followed after him. For Satan, there never shall be a place of restoration, but for man there is. It stands to reason that knowing this makes Satan doubly angry. He wants God's creation to be forever doomed with him (Matthew 25:41). By enticing man through his sinful nature, and by using hardships brought on by a sin-stained world as his tool, Satan constantly and feverishly works against God's plan of restoration. In the midst of this great turmoil God continues to reveal His long-suffering goodness. He is carrying out what He actually purposed before the world was even created. He is reconciling all things to Himself, reconciling those who believe one by one (II Corinthians 5:18-21). Overcoming by Christ Alone According to His divine plan we identify with Christ' death first, then we are raised with Him to "newness of life." Yes, as Christ was raised from the dead, so we are revived from our dead spiritual state by the impartation and indwelling of His Spirit to us (Romans 6:1-14). This takes place as a result of our sincere and genuine repentance by faith, coupled with our open acknowledgement and acceptance of His Son alone as our only way and means of salvation (Acts 4:12). Then, we are charged with the responsibility to cultivate an atmosphere within ourselves that is conducive to His Spirit's continual abiding. From this kind of unique oneness we are gradually but confidently retooled by Him (a continuing work of sanctification on earth) - reshaped by His Spirit's work through His constant abiding presence (II Thessalonians 2:13; II Peter 1:2). Then finally the Bible says that when we see Him perfectly, His work of restoration will be and complete (I John 3:1-3). | Christianity in Conflict
Christianity in conflict with the world is nothing new. It’s as old as Christianity itself – nearly two thousand years. However, in these "LAST DAYS," there is a notable surge of conflict with Christianity throughout the world, and the United States in particular.
This should not come as a surprise, since Jesus Christ confessed that He was “not of this world,” and neither is He of this world today (John 8:23, 18:36). He made clear on several occasions that “in the world, we will have tribulation” (John 16:23). Before leaving the world, He prayed that His Heavenly Father would “keep” those He was leaving in the world, since He knew we may enter into conflict beyond our natural ability to remain faithful without Him (John 17:11). In addition, the apostle Paul said, “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (II Tim. 3:12). And the apostle John said, “If any man loves the world the love of the Father is not in him” (I John 2:15). The list of scriptures promising persecution for those who actually embrace true Christianity goes on. Many such experiences are recorded in the New Testament. For example: Christianity in Conflict Due to a Moral Stance John the Baptist was the first martyr in Jesus’ day, being imprisoned for the conflict he stirred when shining a light on an unholy divorce and remarriage, a hallmark of Christian truth. Later, he was beheaded just to please the friends of the governor he criticized. Christianity in Conflict Due to Resisting Religious Teachers who were Absent of His Spirit The New Testament Church was persecuted until torn apart only months after the Spirit of God was poured out at Pentecost. This was due to the uncomfortable conflicts its members brought to some of the Old Covenant leader/believers of that day – leader/believers who claimed to know the Spirit of God because of their expert head-knowledge of God’s Word, and their perceived obedience to it. Stephen was the first deacon martyr. He brought conflict resulting in ridicule and threats from a bunch of so-called religious men, when simply insisting that Jesus Christ was and is the Messiah, the only Savior of the world. Then he further infuriated those same men by accusing them of resisting the Holy Spirit of God since they refused to believe God – the God they claimed to know so well. Finally, they stoned him when he claimed to actually see Jesus in a vision, standing in the heavens at the right hand of His Father. Christianity in Conflict Due to its Having Become an Ever-Growing Nuisance to Modern Cultures James was the first apostle to be martyred. He was beheaded by the governor simply in an effort to bring into check the conflict that Christian preaching brought to the society of his day. Tradition records that all the apostles were eventually martyred, with the possible exception of John the Beloved, who survived being dipped in hot oil and then lived through exile on a remote island. All these martyrs were a result of nothing more than true Christianity in conflict. Christianity in Conflict Due to its Lack of Cooperation with Established "Christian" Religion In more recent history, it is well known that as many as fifty million Christians were martyred by the leader/believers of the Catholic religion over a period of 1400 years known as the Dark Ages, and countless more were martyred by the authorities of the State Church of England. Many were martyred because they simply believed and practiced baptism by submersion rather than by sprinkling. Others were martyred for simply resisting institutional religion. They resisted loyalty to the institutional church by refusing to pay the church tax, now referred to as the tithe. They secretly met in small home-groups for worship, preaching without the influence of the religious hierarchy, and edifying one another in the simplicity of faith. For these and other similar reasons, true Christianity has always stirred great conflict in the world and among its religious institutions. Today is no exception. Christianity in Conflict on the Rise According to reputable sources, there may be more Christian persecution in the world today than at any other time in history. Imagine that! At a time when democracy is growing throughout certain regions of the world, true Christianity is stirring unprecedented conflict all over the world. This is especially the case in America! Still, we haven’t suffered persecution “unto bloodshed,” as Hebrews 12:4 says, “striving against sin.” But indeed, we are ridiculed and persecuted in ways that ostracize the Christian community. One needs only to listen to national newscasts and Hollywood’s scripts, and observe what our government officials are saying, to realize that the surge of Christianity in conflict is real, especially here in America. |
Understand Substitution and Receive Pardon
Substitute. Everybody knows what that means! It is simply to take the place of another. For example, a substitute teacher simply takes the place of another teacher. OK! I think you’ve got it! Now let us use the word substitute as it relates to what Jesus Christ did for us. Instead of our bearing our own sin with its eternal consequences, Jesus bore it for us! Instead of allowing us to be cursed with our condemnation in this life, He became cursed with our condemnation while on the cross! Rather than our having to be separated from His Father due to sin, He became separated from His Father due to our sin! It is as simple as that! Now, like our substitute, we gain God’s pardon! Yes, indeed! You and I are PARDONED for our sin; and NOW we have fellowship with our Heavenly Father! That's right! Talk to Him! Listen to Him! Enjoy His fellowship! Too hard to believe, is it? You cannot have it until you believe it; and seeing your faith, He gives it to you! Sometimes even we believers act like we do not believe! OK! Let us try it again!
When He went to the cross, He became our substitute; and by believing unto the new birth, we have gained God’s pardon! Why is that so difficult to grasp? It is difficult to grasp because the enemy works overtime to make it so. In this way, he can keep us feeling his condemnation, and so keep us living a sin-laden life. The last thing the enemy wants is for us to understand, grasp, accept, and live in what Jesus Christ has accomplished by becoming our substitute in order for us to gain pardon!
Oh, how we should meditate on it for a moment and declare it for a lifetime! Jesus was our substitute, and we can live free from ALL our sin and shame! Once and for all, we missed out on the eternal penalty of sin and death with its condemnation and shame. We missed out on being separated from our Heavenly Father – ever! All because Jesus became our substitute and gained our pardon! Can you grasp it now? I can! He took our place and we are pardoned! OK! For those of you who are so knocked down by the devil that you still cannot quite get it, let us try it one more time.
As we already said, in the English language, the word “substitute” means… substitute! In Greek, it means substitute; in Hebrew, it means substitute; in German, it means substitute; in Italian and in whatever language Eskimos speak, it still means substitute; and those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their substitute and who are born of Him are pardoned from ALL sin! In all languages of all the world, in all places, and for all time, with you and me right now and tomorrow, substitute and pardon simply mean SUBSTITUTE and PARDON! Now! Do not let any man steal that prize from you! If you are in Christ, you are PARDONED!
In conclusion, if He took our place, and if we are pardoned, then we should stop fretting about our past failures and present pitfalls, and we should press on toward the mark of the prize of our high calling in Jesus Christ, who has already acted as our substitute for sin! As a matter of fact, it is ONLY when we understand and grasp His substitutionary work for us that we can walk above sin. It is only when we know that we know that we know what He has done for us (taking our sin place) that we can cast off condemnation and fear and doubt and despair and all those other things that cause us to freeze up when we begin to think about simply walking with God. Do not let the devil’s toothless growl put you in the pit any longer! If you are in Christ, then He is in you, and He took your place! If you are not in Christ, then He is not in you, but He still took your place! You need only to cry out to Him for mercy in a spirit of humility, and with an attitude of repentance, until He imputes (grants or awards) His righteousness and pardon to you! Then you can walk with rejoicing as you begin to grasp that He was your substitute, too! Then you are free indeed to walk in His likeness!
The following scripture should help you see how He was our substitute and how He graced us with pardon. It is a work already done. Be renewed in your mind! Rest! Rejoice! Jesus Christ was your substitute!
“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned...” (Romans 5:6-12).
When He went to the cross, He became our substitute; and by believing unto the new birth, we have gained God’s pardon! Why is that so difficult to grasp? It is difficult to grasp because the enemy works overtime to make it so. In this way, he can keep us feeling his condemnation, and so keep us living a sin-laden life. The last thing the enemy wants is for us to understand, grasp, accept, and live in what Jesus Christ has accomplished by becoming our substitute in order for us to gain pardon!
Oh, how we should meditate on it for a moment and declare it for a lifetime! Jesus was our substitute, and we can live free from ALL our sin and shame! Once and for all, we missed out on the eternal penalty of sin and death with its condemnation and shame. We missed out on being separated from our Heavenly Father – ever! All because Jesus became our substitute and gained our pardon! Can you grasp it now? I can! He took our place and we are pardoned! OK! For those of you who are so knocked down by the devil that you still cannot quite get it, let us try it one more time.
As we already said, in the English language, the word “substitute” means… substitute! In Greek, it means substitute; in Hebrew, it means substitute; in German, it means substitute; in Italian and in whatever language Eskimos speak, it still means substitute; and those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their substitute and who are born of Him are pardoned from ALL sin! In all languages of all the world, in all places, and for all time, with you and me right now and tomorrow, substitute and pardon simply mean SUBSTITUTE and PARDON! Now! Do not let any man steal that prize from you! If you are in Christ, you are PARDONED!
In conclusion, if He took our place, and if we are pardoned, then we should stop fretting about our past failures and present pitfalls, and we should press on toward the mark of the prize of our high calling in Jesus Christ, who has already acted as our substitute for sin! As a matter of fact, it is ONLY when we understand and grasp His substitutionary work for us that we can walk above sin. It is only when we know that we know that we know what He has done for us (taking our sin place) that we can cast off condemnation and fear and doubt and despair and all those other things that cause us to freeze up when we begin to think about simply walking with God. Do not let the devil’s toothless growl put you in the pit any longer! If you are in Christ, then He is in you, and He took your place! If you are not in Christ, then He is not in you, but He still took your place! You need only to cry out to Him for mercy in a spirit of humility, and with an attitude of repentance, until He imputes (grants or awards) His righteousness and pardon to you! Then you can walk with rejoicing as you begin to grasp that He was your substitute, too! Then you are free indeed to walk in His likeness!
The following scripture should help you see how He was our substitute and how He graced us with pardon. It is a work already done. Be renewed in your mind! Rest! Rejoice! Jesus Christ was your substitute!
“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned...” (Romans 5:6-12).
"With Healing In His Wings" Malachi 4:2
God has made a way for healing for all who desire to be whole. This healing is for the spirit of man, for his soul, and for his body. That way of healing is simply to look to His Son, Jesus Christ - but with more than a casual glance. Looking to Jesus Christ for healing was first illustrated through an experience in which Israel encountered God while the Old Covenant was still intact. You may read the Biblical account in the book of Numbers, chapter twenty-one. To be healed on that particular occasion, God's people were required to look up at a serpent that God told Moses to "make and set up on a pole" for all to see. Upon taking a look at the serpent, the people were healed. Each one, one by one, looked upon the serpent on the pole and was healed. There is much that may be taught and learned from this experience - a type of what Jesus Christ would be for all the world through His having been lifted up on a cross; but we will simply point out one truth here (John 3:14). Under the New Covenant, a look at Jesus brings healing and wholeness to the whole man - spirit, soul, and body. But absolute (complete and continuing) wholeness involves more than just a casual glance at Him. A glance at the serpent on a pole in the wilderness was just a type of the look at Christ that we would need to take if we would be made completely whole by Him and continue in that wholeness. A whole-life experience with Him is the kind of look that we need for whole-life healing and wholeness. This comes only through the whole-life experience in a truly spiritually maturing church relationship - NOT church as we know it. A truly spiritually maturing church will hardly resemble what we have assumed to be "church" through all centuries past. Bringing wholeness for God's people is the primary reason for the collective gathering and maturing of the members of His body on earth to begin with, and then for the healing and wholeness that it produces for all. This state of maturity simply does not exist on a scale large enough to measure. I have tasted it, but I have never really seen it; but it DOES await us!
All say they want to be healed, and most say they grieve over a lost and dying humanity, sickened in spirit, soul, and body. Most would agree that they want others healed, too. If genuine concern is allowed to motivate us to genuine action, we can see healing and wholeness for all who will look to Him; but it is through our action that the challenge comes. The challenge is for us to become just as He is, so that we may truly administer His healing. This challenge is met only as the collective members of His body on earth become His fullness. The primary reason Christians suffer from sickness and sadness - spirit, soul, and body - as they do is that the body of Christ, designed by God for our healing and wholeness, has never matured to become even as He is. This is the primary gift and call through our ministry to you - to help you understand how far we have missed it, and how we may go there from here. We pray that you will have eyes to see and ears to hear what a glorious healing and wholeness is awaiting you and all others like you... through becoming the fullness of Christ as His body on earth! | "And the Gates of Hell Shall Not Prevail Against It!" Matthew 16:18
From Pentecost and the Early Church - to Roman Catholicism - to Orthodoxy - to the State Church - to Protestantism - to Modern Evangelicalism, the American Model - till finally, the "Fullness of Christ"!
For over a thousand years, what were considered “good churches” were ruled by Roman popes; and anyone who didn’t cooperate was persecuted, or even martyred. Hundreds of millions of souls marched to the pope’s religious drumbeat, and most were fully convinced that they were doing God service. Now, approximately five hundred years after the big break-up in Rome, hundreds of millions of us realize that they were deceived all along. Granted, a few truths mined from the word of God by the protestors of Rome are priceless. But maturity in those discoveries is what we still lack. For this reason, our situation is very much the same today as it was before reform; it has just been repackaged. Nearly five hundred years down the road of Protestantism, the tinseled glitter that we bear has left us all but completely blind and naked spiritually, just as it did churches of centuries past. We have a thousand versions of evangelical religion. Hundreds of millions follow blindly, convinced that they are doing God service. Indeed, Protestantism has become a myriad of religious orders. There are lords, lords, and more lords in every organized religious circle; and there are Old Covenant laws and practices that permeate today’s evangelical denominations – some carried over from the church in Rome. All these aid in destroying the work of God’s Spirit among His New Covenant people, and all are racing toward a major correction by God Himself. Stay tuned - the fullness of Christ is coming! |
From Dry Places to Living Waters!
This is a brief glimpse of the church throughout history as a dry religion that has led to this present hour, with a ray of hope for the immediate future when His living water will begin to flow.
Be Encouraged! God is Still at Work!
The Lord's work in these days is accompanied by something He seems to have put in the air - unseen and unheard, hard to describe, but definitely real. His silent Spirit-flow, strong and sure, is helping to galvanize His chosen people quickly for the benefit of each one and for His name’s sake. And He is being glorified!
In God's divine providence, He has carefully guarded our careless steps so that now, at the edge of this side of eternity, we - who would otherwise be scattered and wandering still - should suddenly and surely be brought together and changed into His image! Yes, finally! The scattered sheep of the New Covenant are being corralled from dry places and appointed together into countless numbers of specially designed folds all over the world; and His Spirit is about to breath into us again! Those born of His Spirit are beginning to long for more of Him than just what the scattered citizens of His kingdom can enjoy. They are seeking to know Him more fully by actually taking on the role of becoming maturing members of His body, too - and my heart cries, "Hallelujah!" They are seeing the importance of being planted together by Him, and as a result they will soon become one just as He prayed that we would (John 17:20-23)!
Divinely planted local churches (gatherings of God's people regardless of where they meet) are rising up in unprecedented numbers all across the land (John 4:19-24)! At this time, we are still a quiet, seemingly insignificant piece on God’s timetable leading to the end of this age; but in due season we will become many and mighty in Spirit and Truth! He is doing a shaking, sifting, and sorting among all those who call themselves by His name, separating His remnant out – finally! Hallelujah! Many among us have painfully waited for this very hour when He introduces His "short work in righteousness" (among the Gentiles, too); oh, how even the earth itself has groaned and travailed to see it (Romans 9:28, 8:18-23)!
The writer of the book of Ecclesiastes wrote, "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven" (Eccl. 3:1). The Spirit of the Lord has just begun to usher in this particular season, when the citizens of His kingdom mature as members of His body and when His body matures to become His glorious bride (Eph. 5:27)!
Church Seasons Plagued by Peril!
God's people have journeyed long and hard from the early church of Pentecostal power. With her lack of knowledge and spiritual understanding, she was only a taste of what God would eventually do among us, and yet He was still glorified!
How unfortunate it was that, before she could even blossom into childhood, she was snatched from her cradle by opportunists circling like wolves, taking every advantage to capitalize on her doubts. Through their plotting schemes, they whisked her into the Dark Age dungeon of religious men! Under the taskmaster of what became Roman Catholic rule, she suffered much, with hardly the slightest hope of spiritual light or power. But God was still glorified by the millions who gave their lives in pursuit of His glory outside the normal channels of the institution. In them, His grace was still at work.
Then, into the bursting glow of the Great Reformation, God's people took a giant leap forward, shouting for joy! From common streets far below the ivory bell towers of religious shackles, men and women of low degree rejoiced to hear liberty’s sound that Jesus came to set men free! The trumpet sounds of justification by grace through faith alone and the individual priesthood of all believers blasted loud and clear! God heard the groaning of His people once again as His Word of truth was loosed! Oh, happy day!
In just a short while, however, some of those reformists were overcome by their own pride and took hold of His remnant again. They formed them into an institution of yet another kind where, rather than bishops and a Pope, there was a small elite group of intellectual protestant theologians imposing another form of godliness on the very people they claimed to set free. Also, there came along the state church led by a monarch king or queen. The shackles brought on by an intellectual look at the scriptures replaced the dark dungeons of Rome, but produced similar results – bondage and death! Under it all were God’s people. Like wandering Bedouins seeking refuge among the hills from a raging storm, true Christians escaped one cave and were herded straight into another with only a glimpse of daylight between; but God's opportunity for glory had not gone out - He would be glorified still, for He was preparing yet another remnant!
Another Battle for Truth - and Liberty!
That tiny light of Truth produced from the Great Reformation was grasped by some who refused to let go, regardless of the protestant reformers. Determined to abide in that light, a few brave souls marched onward and upward in their perilous journey of hope even though for many of them it meant death. Like the early wise men guided by "a star," they traveled toward a promise far beyond the understanding of their day. They left the newly organized religious forms of Luther and Calvin to seek high ground; and even though they were quickly pursued by the Holy Spirit's great religious adversaries, they continued forward, recalling the challenging words of their Master who declared, "The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force!" “For so they persecuted the prophets which were before you.” (Matt. 11:12, 5:12b). Since that time to this very day, those of us who can hear the sound of His voice realize that mainstream Christianity has never been right about the main things that God has wanted to do among His people.
Ironically, many of those Christian freedom pioneers became martyrs at the hands of the earliest reformers, whose very motto swore of every man's right to Truth, but without a right to liberty in and through Christ – yet the two are inseparable. In spite of it all, through these brave souls’ unrelenting lineage, God's grace maintained His remnant, and He was glorified again! What a great work God had done, but there was still much to be done in route to His people actually becoming His fullness.
Measured Progress at Last
Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the Spirit of God truly inspired many within the Christian church to seek to live God’s life by His presence, His power, and His righteous holiness. Those evangelists, pastors, and teachers gave birth to some of God's greatest revivals, leading us toward His goal of our spiritual maturity! As a result, there seemed to be a glimmer of hope for those who truly sought Him as He really is! Newly formed Christian schools, colleges, and universities also began to play a vital role in God's pursuit of training us in the way that we should go. Many loyal believers gave their all in order to educate millions of us and our children in His cause. In addition to truly evangelical Christian education centers for preparing pastors and preachers for local churches, there were parachurch ministries as well. All were pointing the world to Jesus, and God was glorified again! Yet with all of this, His fullness had not come.
Every Wind of Doctrine
With the spread of Truth and liberty have come a million false lights - men who like "clouds without water" speak "great swelling words" without substance (II Peter 2, Jude); those "perilous times" prophesied by the apostle Paul have long set in (II Tim. 3). As people give way to "itching ears" and as their fleshly appetites grow, opportunities multiply to new heights for skilled deception from the enemy. Today, Satan takes advantage of centuries of experience in creating his cunning devices, even disguising his wolves as “angels of light" (II Cor. 11:14). The airwaves are filled with those who “call themselves by His name,” but who do not know Him. Multitudes follow them many times because they have not been willing to fully surrender to the absolute lordship of Christ. They continue to secretly embrace some sins, and in doing so they run the unthinkable risk of God sending a “strong delusion so that they should believe a lie” (II Thess. 2:11).
The majority of the church has settled in tightly alongside the world. Rather than contending for the faith, we contend for our position as one of the pillars of the community; like a bank, a hospital, a school, or a government, so is the church. This pursuit has led us to our inevitable destination. In this present age of Cultural Christianity, we are bedded down snugly into the thriving hour of end-time apostasy. It is this dreadful hour that we were warned about long ago; and since it is of our own selfish doing, we have no excuse. It is an hour clearly described and repeatedly illustrated by the apostle Paul and others, even by Jesus Christ Himself. Notwithstanding, God is still among us, and He is being glorified in spite of who we have become.
The "Real Jesus"
During my dad's passing away, he would sometimes stare straight ahead and whisper to those standing by, "I am walking with the real Jesus!" He had begun to taste that River of Life that will even make the Dead Sea alive again (Ezekiel 47). Still today, God flows through salty waters in order to serve us the pure taste of His everlasting life; and when our sour wine has run completely out, He offers us His very best drink. Thankfully, He is faithful and cannot deny Himself (II Tim. 2:13)!
Jesus Christ is still walking among many of His churches, searching hearts and beckoning His own to follow Him wherever He would lead them spiritually (Rev. 2:1, John 15). I believe the Spirit of the Lord has shown me that very soon we will see droves of His people led by Him into a mass exodus out of the land of Cultural Christianity. This is a part of what must happen in order for Him to “build His church” His way (Matt. 16:18). It is also necessary that His people “come out of her” if they are to be built up into “the measure of the stature that belongs to Christ” (Eph. 4:13). Those who are led out will be searching for the voice of the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ! Discontented with shallow puddles, they will seek the River of Life wherever He may be found! Some will think this place to be a dry and barren wilderness at first, but eventually they will realize that it is only there that they will get a fresh and thirst-quenching drink from the well that never has run dry and never will - the "real Jesus!"
No More Salty Saints
What fifty, forty, and even thirty years ago was a minimal measure of salt has become a bland taste not worth saving the world for (Matt. 5:13-14). Almost gone are those salty saints of old who held His light high, shining brightly. We have all too often failed to carry the torch of our forefathers - the Word of God in Truth! How many "Christian leaders" are failing to speak and live the truth today! Who can count them! How derelict we have become in our duty that called us to become like Him - the only way the world will see Him as He really is! We have become a people who, alongside the world, are overwhelmed by debt, broken homes, and physical disease, the cares of this life, and the lust of the flesh; and pride abounds without end! As He told Jeremiah before the fall of Judah in her day, God must "root out, pull down, destroy and throw down," in order "to build and to plant" again (Jer. 1:10). He will do it, and He is doing it right now! We are witnessing believers everywhere coming out of the woodwork of normal Christianity, and they are looking for and finding each other with jubilant joy! I pray that your church may also escape its form and begin to seek God in Spirit and in Truth. God is being glorified and will be glorified again!
A Short Work in Righteousness
As we look for our Lord's return, let us be prepared for a few more years of developing and growing toward spiritual maturity; and as we draw nearer and nearer to that mature man - Jesus Christ - we will shine with His glory for only a short time before He comes to catch us away.
As we grow from glory to glory, Jesus said that we will be "hated of all men" for His name's sake and that some among us will leave the fold (Matt. 24); but also, the latter rain is still due to move upon us, at which time we may expect to witness His miracles abounding among the remnant (Hos. 6:3, Joel 2:23, Zech. 10:1, James 5:7); and His harvest of new souls will be unprecedented! No one can harvest souls like He can, and when He is reflected in us through His fullness, those who love His light like we do will come running (John 3:19-20)!
We are only at the entrance of what I believe will soon become a great tide of His glory in and through us, but we cannot deny the signs of the times! We are at the entrance! There is much to look forward to as we build up each other in the faith through our gifts and callings. We want to play our role to the fullest! We hope that you do, too!
Do Not Despise Admonitions
Some have asked, "Mark, do you only speak about the death and resurrection of the church of this hour?" My answer is, "No." I teach all the way through the Bible, skipping nothing; but every inch of God's Word points directly to the church becoming like Jesus, and while many say they want to do so, most leading indicators point elsewhere!
I have a seer's vision - a seer's cry - and it is by God's design. It is not uncommon for God to focus His messengers on a particular theme, especially His "watchmen on the wall." Isaiah had only two messages; one, repent or perish; and two, there is indeed a Savior coming out of Zion! From that theme, He warned those who called themselves by His name to wake up, to recognize their shortcomings, and to repent from the heart while they hoped in the promise of His coming! Jeremiah had the same message, and so did Ezekiel and others, including the apostles Paul, Peter, and John.
The Hour is Late
Now, in this early twenty-first century hour, we are already in the beginnings of the greatest social upheaval of all time, and the vast majority of our churches are walking straight into this storm without proper notice - all because opportunists are taking advantage of itching ears, and so many shepherds are sleeping on their watch!
Are you awake to the hour that we are living in? Are you really? Are you prepared for the trials that are already beginning to come upon the earth? The apostle Peter was concerned about the believers of his day, too. He warned them to "make their calling and election sure" (II Peter 1:10). "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Thessalonians 5:23).
Mark S. Case
The Father's Field Ministries
Be Encouraged! God is Still at Work!
The Lord's work in these days is accompanied by something He seems to have put in the air - unseen and unheard, hard to describe, but definitely real. His silent Spirit-flow, strong and sure, is helping to galvanize His chosen people quickly for the benefit of each one and for His name’s sake. And He is being glorified!
In God's divine providence, He has carefully guarded our careless steps so that now, at the edge of this side of eternity, we - who would otherwise be scattered and wandering still - should suddenly and surely be brought together and changed into His image! Yes, finally! The scattered sheep of the New Covenant are being corralled from dry places and appointed together into countless numbers of specially designed folds all over the world; and His Spirit is about to breath into us again! Those born of His Spirit are beginning to long for more of Him than just what the scattered citizens of His kingdom can enjoy. They are seeking to know Him more fully by actually taking on the role of becoming maturing members of His body, too - and my heart cries, "Hallelujah!" They are seeing the importance of being planted together by Him, and as a result they will soon become one just as He prayed that we would (John 17:20-23)!
Divinely planted local churches (gatherings of God's people regardless of where they meet) are rising up in unprecedented numbers all across the land (John 4:19-24)! At this time, we are still a quiet, seemingly insignificant piece on God’s timetable leading to the end of this age; but in due season we will become many and mighty in Spirit and Truth! He is doing a shaking, sifting, and sorting among all those who call themselves by His name, separating His remnant out – finally! Hallelujah! Many among us have painfully waited for this very hour when He introduces His "short work in righteousness" (among the Gentiles, too); oh, how even the earth itself has groaned and travailed to see it (Romans 9:28, 8:18-23)!
The writer of the book of Ecclesiastes wrote, "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven" (Eccl. 3:1). The Spirit of the Lord has just begun to usher in this particular season, when the citizens of His kingdom mature as members of His body and when His body matures to become His glorious bride (Eph. 5:27)!
Church Seasons Plagued by Peril!
God's people have journeyed long and hard from the early church of Pentecostal power. With her lack of knowledge and spiritual understanding, she was only a taste of what God would eventually do among us, and yet He was still glorified!
How unfortunate it was that, before she could even blossom into childhood, she was snatched from her cradle by opportunists circling like wolves, taking every advantage to capitalize on her doubts. Through their plotting schemes, they whisked her into the Dark Age dungeon of religious men! Under the taskmaster of what became Roman Catholic rule, she suffered much, with hardly the slightest hope of spiritual light or power. But God was still glorified by the millions who gave their lives in pursuit of His glory outside the normal channels of the institution. In them, His grace was still at work.
Then, into the bursting glow of the Great Reformation, God's people took a giant leap forward, shouting for joy! From common streets far below the ivory bell towers of religious shackles, men and women of low degree rejoiced to hear liberty’s sound that Jesus came to set men free! The trumpet sounds of justification by grace through faith alone and the individual priesthood of all believers blasted loud and clear! God heard the groaning of His people once again as His Word of truth was loosed! Oh, happy day!
In just a short while, however, some of those reformists were overcome by their own pride and took hold of His remnant again. They formed them into an institution of yet another kind where, rather than bishops and a Pope, there was a small elite group of intellectual protestant theologians imposing another form of godliness on the very people they claimed to set free. Also, there came along the state church led by a monarch king or queen. The shackles brought on by an intellectual look at the scriptures replaced the dark dungeons of Rome, but produced similar results – bondage and death! Under it all were God’s people. Like wandering Bedouins seeking refuge among the hills from a raging storm, true Christians escaped one cave and were herded straight into another with only a glimpse of daylight between; but God's opportunity for glory had not gone out - He would be glorified still, for He was preparing yet another remnant!
Another Battle for Truth - and Liberty!
That tiny light of Truth produced from the Great Reformation was grasped by some who refused to let go, regardless of the protestant reformers. Determined to abide in that light, a few brave souls marched onward and upward in their perilous journey of hope even though for many of them it meant death. Like the early wise men guided by "a star," they traveled toward a promise far beyond the understanding of their day. They left the newly organized religious forms of Luther and Calvin to seek high ground; and even though they were quickly pursued by the Holy Spirit's great religious adversaries, they continued forward, recalling the challenging words of their Master who declared, "The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force!" “For so they persecuted the prophets which were before you.” (Matt. 11:12, 5:12b). Since that time to this very day, those of us who can hear the sound of His voice realize that mainstream Christianity has never been right about the main things that God has wanted to do among His people.
Ironically, many of those Christian freedom pioneers became martyrs at the hands of the earliest reformers, whose very motto swore of every man's right to Truth, but without a right to liberty in and through Christ – yet the two are inseparable. In spite of it all, through these brave souls’ unrelenting lineage, God's grace maintained His remnant, and He was glorified again! What a great work God had done, but there was still much to be done in route to His people actually becoming His fullness.
Measured Progress at Last
Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the Spirit of God truly inspired many within the Christian church to seek to live God’s life by His presence, His power, and His righteous holiness. Those evangelists, pastors, and teachers gave birth to some of God's greatest revivals, leading us toward His goal of our spiritual maturity! As a result, there seemed to be a glimmer of hope for those who truly sought Him as He really is! Newly formed Christian schools, colleges, and universities also began to play a vital role in God's pursuit of training us in the way that we should go. Many loyal believers gave their all in order to educate millions of us and our children in His cause. In addition to truly evangelical Christian education centers for preparing pastors and preachers for local churches, there were parachurch ministries as well. All were pointing the world to Jesus, and God was glorified again! Yet with all of this, His fullness had not come.
Every Wind of Doctrine
With the spread of Truth and liberty have come a million false lights - men who like "clouds without water" speak "great swelling words" without substance (II Peter 2, Jude); those "perilous times" prophesied by the apostle Paul have long set in (II Tim. 3). As people give way to "itching ears" and as their fleshly appetites grow, opportunities multiply to new heights for skilled deception from the enemy. Today, Satan takes advantage of centuries of experience in creating his cunning devices, even disguising his wolves as “angels of light" (II Cor. 11:14). The airwaves are filled with those who “call themselves by His name,” but who do not know Him. Multitudes follow them many times because they have not been willing to fully surrender to the absolute lordship of Christ. They continue to secretly embrace some sins, and in doing so they run the unthinkable risk of God sending a “strong delusion so that they should believe a lie” (II Thess. 2:11).
The majority of the church has settled in tightly alongside the world. Rather than contending for the faith, we contend for our position as one of the pillars of the community; like a bank, a hospital, a school, or a government, so is the church. This pursuit has led us to our inevitable destination. In this present age of Cultural Christianity, we are bedded down snugly into the thriving hour of end-time apostasy. It is this dreadful hour that we were warned about long ago; and since it is of our own selfish doing, we have no excuse. It is an hour clearly described and repeatedly illustrated by the apostle Paul and others, even by Jesus Christ Himself. Notwithstanding, God is still among us, and He is being glorified in spite of who we have become.
The "Real Jesus"
During my dad's passing away, he would sometimes stare straight ahead and whisper to those standing by, "I am walking with the real Jesus!" He had begun to taste that River of Life that will even make the Dead Sea alive again (Ezekiel 47). Still today, God flows through salty waters in order to serve us the pure taste of His everlasting life; and when our sour wine has run completely out, He offers us His very best drink. Thankfully, He is faithful and cannot deny Himself (II Tim. 2:13)!
Jesus Christ is still walking among many of His churches, searching hearts and beckoning His own to follow Him wherever He would lead them spiritually (Rev. 2:1, John 15). I believe the Spirit of the Lord has shown me that very soon we will see droves of His people led by Him into a mass exodus out of the land of Cultural Christianity. This is a part of what must happen in order for Him to “build His church” His way (Matt. 16:18). It is also necessary that His people “come out of her” if they are to be built up into “the measure of the stature that belongs to Christ” (Eph. 4:13). Those who are led out will be searching for the voice of the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ! Discontented with shallow puddles, they will seek the River of Life wherever He may be found! Some will think this place to be a dry and barren wilderness at first, but eventually they will realize that it is only there that they will get a fresh and thirst-quenching drink from the well that never has run dry and never will - the "real Jesus!"
No More Salty Saints
What fifty, forty, and even thirty years ago was a minimal measure of salt has become a bland taste not worth saving the world for (Matt. 5:13-14). Almost gone are those salty saints of old who held His light high, shining brightly. We have all too often failed to carry the torch of our forefathers - the Word of God in Truth! How many "Christian leaders" are failing to speak and live the truth today! Who can count them! How derelict we have become in our duty that called us to become like Him - the only way the world will see Him as He really is! We have become a people who, alongside the world, are overwhelmed by debt, broken homes, and physical disease, the cares of this life, and the lust of the flesh; and pride abounds without end! As He told Jeremiah before the fall of Judah in her day, God must "root out, pull down, destroy and throw down," in order "to build and to plant" again (Jer. 1:10). He will do it, and He is doing it right now! We are witnessing believers everywhere coming out of the woodwork of normal Christianity, and they are looking for and finding each other with jubilant joy! I pray that your church may also escape its form and begin to seek God in Spirit and in Truth. God is being glorified and will be glorified again!
A Short Work in Righteousness
As we look for our Lord's return, let us be prepared for a few more years of developing and growing toward spiritual maturity; and as we draw nearer and nearer to that mature man - Jesus Christ - we will shine with His glory for only a short time before He comes to catch us away.
As we grow from glory to glory, Jesus said that we will be "hated of all men" for His name's sake and that some among us will leave the fold (Matt. 24); but also, the latter rain is still due to move upon us, at which time we may expect to witness His miracles abounding among the remnant (Hos. 6:3, Joel 2:23, Zech. 10:1, James 5:7); and His harvest of new souls will be unprecedented! No one can harvest souls like He can, and when He is reflected in us through His fullness, those who love His light like we do will come running (John 3:19-20)!
We are only at the entrance of what I believe will soon become a great tide of His glory in and through us, but we cannot deny the signs of the times! We are at the entrance! There is much to look forward to as we build up each other in the faith through our gifts and callings. We want to play our role to the fullest! We hope that you do, too!
Do Not Despise Admonitions
Some have asked, "Mark, do you only speak about the death and resurrection of the church of this hour?" My answer is, "No." I teach all the way through the Bible, skipping nothing; but every inch of God's Word points directly to the church becoming like Jesus, and while many say they want to do so, most leading indicators point elsewhere!
I have a seer's vision - a seer's cry - and it is by God's design. It is not uncommon for God to focus His messengers on a particular theme, especially His "watchmen on the wall." Isaiah had only two messages; one, repent or perish; and two, there is indeed a Savior coming out of Zion! From that theme, He warned those who called themselves by His name to wake up, to recognize their shortcomings, and to repent from the heart while they hoped in the promise of His coming! Jeremiah had the same message, and so did Ezekiel and others, including the apostles Paul, Peter, and John.
The Hour is Late
Now, in this early twenty-first century hour, we are already in the beginnings of the greatest social upheaval of all time, and the vast majority of our churches are walking straight into this storm without proper notice - all because opportunists are taking advantage of itching ears, and so many shepherds are sleeping on their watch!
Are you awake to the hour that we are living in? Are you really? Are you prepared for the trials that are already beginning to come upon the earth? The apostle Peter was concerned about the believers of his day, too. He warned them to "make their calling and election sure" (II Peter 1:10). "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (I Thessalonians 5:23).
Mark S. Case
The Father's Field Ministries
