GET REAL
I grew up in the church. That didn't make my Christian experience valid. Not until I met Jesus Christ for my own self, directly. My Father's experience with God didn't guarantee my ticket to heaven. Nor did all the religious exercises I participated in over the years.
But what I noticed about church in general was there were inconsistencies that didn't smack of genuineness. That put me off. Which made me follow after my own personal experience with the Lord even more. I wanted to know Him, and to have a real experience with Him for myself. I wanted it to be REAL.I wanted to be REAL. For I am a TRUTH SEEKER. I want to know the real truth. I want to speak the TRUTH. Even at work today there is such a denial of truth. Dare we mention our culture?
Political "Correctness" reminds me of the concept "double speak" from the novel 1984 by George Orwell. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doublespeak
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen_Eighty-Four
So forgive me ahead of time if I offend anyone. By citing various experiences in a multitude of churches I don't mean to offend anyone. Even if I name specific denominations. These are examples to show that you can't depend on labels to know what to expect from a church. Or its people. You have to experience the atmosphere, hear the truth (or untruth) behind what the leaders are saying. Get to know the members. And decide for yourself. But I wonder, are there any churches that are TRULY REAL? Are they speaking the message that God has for the Church TODAY? Right now?
There are very few, large public TV ministries that are telling you that we are living in THE END of the END Times. Very few are saying "Lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh." [Luke 21:28]
And of those few who are telling the truth that we are living at almost the VERY END of what Bible scholars have been calling for centuries "The Last Days", most are giving the church fallacious information based on man's interpretation of what God's Word says. Rather than citing directly what the Word of God says about THESE DAYS, without elaboration or discoloration of "rose-colored glasses" many of the leaders of Christ's Church are giving the Body of Christ false hope, as well as failing to lead and strengthen the CHURCH when we need it most. They will be held accountable when they stand before the Lord on Judgement Day. But that is an idea for another article. Meanwhile, let's talk about Getting REAL...
As mentioned before, I "grew up in the Protestant, Christian Church".
Baptized as a baby in the Evangelical United Brethren Church, I grew up under the teaching of some of the best Sunday School teachers ever. (You Sunday School teachers - don't ever underestimate the influence that you have on those little minds. Be sure to use that privilege very carefully.)
We sang traditional hymns that gave me a rock-solid understanding of how our forefathers revered the Holy God that used to hover over America's shores, protecting Her, and blessing her economy.
[The Harbinger - YouTube► 3:01► 3:01www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGxvfgHSAFY
www.amazon.com › ... › Religious & Inspirational › MysteryCach
The Harbinger: The Ancient Mystery That Holds the Secret of America's Future
The Harbinger: the Ancient Mystery that holds the secret of America's Future.]In Sunday School, a Miss Violet in a lavender dress from Jack Wyrtzen's Word of Life Camp in New York State, visited our class when I was five. She asked if anyone wanted to "ask Jesus into your heart".
Strangely enough, our regular teacher must not have been expecting a response. When I raised my hand the class teacher thought I had to go to the bathroom. Yet, I made my first personal step of faith toward Jesus Christ. A most important step. It is called "The conversion prayer", "Accepting Jesus As One's Personal Savior". It is the KEY to starting a relationship with God.
As an innocent child I didn't understand the ramifications. It is different for adults. Grown-ups have usually consciously chosen to do wrong somewhere in growing up. I'm not saying I was perfect as a child. None of us is perfect. We are all born with what is called a "sin" or "carnal" nature.
But the adult version of the prayer usually takes into account, forgiveness of conscious sinful practices, and the wiping clean of those sins, washing away by the Blood shed by Jesus' cross. This simple act carries an impact both psychologically and spiritually that no psychiatrist on earth can create. It is an absolution. A complete cleansing of all bad acts and thoughts. It creates a freshness, a newness of spirit in a person. In a large majority of cases the person starts leaving behind old, harmful behavioral patterns, and displays amazing new qualities.
This is especially magnified if that person continues in following after God by reading the Bible every day, and seeking the Face of God, in prayer and searching after the Lord with a hungry heart, to know Him, to love Him.
Continually reading the Bible on a daily basis creates a phenomenon whereby the person reading is consciously cleansed of wrong doing, if the Book is read as a Living Document, that breathes with God's Spirit. If just read as a mere work of literature, or intellectual exercise, it might not have the same effect. An open heart, seeking after God finds amazing treasure in THE BOOK.
The Bible goes so far as to say:
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away, Behold, all things become new." KJV II Corinthians 5:17
Interestingly enough, the very act of reading the Bible cleans the mind:
"That he might sanctify it [the church] and cleanse it with the washing of the water of the Word."
Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2013. 16 Apr 2013. < http:// www.blueletterbible.org/search/translationResults.cfm?
Criteria=washing+of+the+water+of+the+word&t=KJV
>
But the TRUTH is that although an amazing number of people miraculously find their worst behaviors changed immediately by the "sinner's prayer", the majority of us must seek after the Lord consistently, staying in church, in His Word, and associating with the fellowship of other Christians to have a consistent Christian walk.
Sometimes this Walk with God can only be developed over a lifetime of as continuously as possible making oneself a follower of Jesus Christ. Cultivating a fear of God, an awe of His continual Presence with us, helps us to want to act according to our Christian beliefs.
There was a Catholic Priest named Brother Lawrence Sanders, who lived back in the 1600's who wrote a treatise called "The Practice of The Presence of God". It has inspired millions to follow after Our Lord.
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/practice-of-the-presence-of-god-brother...
User rating: 3.5/5 · By Brother Lawrence · 2 reviews
So for those of us who have to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling", even though we know our salvation is by grace, and not from ourselves...we are honest enough to admit that we have not yet been perfected. Perhaps not even as sanctified as we would like to pretend that we are. But we must conduct ourselves accordingly. And don't ever give up. We all stumble and fall at times. If you say you haven't then you are a liar. None of us are yet perfect.
As a child, I watched America prosper under the best of her Golden Years, when people in small towns didn't even have to lock their house doors because crime was so low. Okay, America wasn't perfect even then. There was racial discrimination. Even as a child I hated that.
But America was for the most part safe. One could be happy to live here knowing it was the best country on earth.
Next Dad took us to a Baptist church. A modest storefront space where imported Southern Baptist preachers vibrated the walls with the sound of fiery sermons straight from the pages of the Bible. Warnings of blazing flames of eternal damnation if we didn't repent now. This very moment.
Catch was, every Sunday, those moved by the sermon would come up and repent and rededicate their lives to Christ on a weekly basis. I'm not saying that is bad. On retrospect I wish more churches preached the direct Word of God, line by line, straight from its pages. However, I just felt I was missing something, that there was more to this search for God.
At least we were seeking Him, repenting of wrong thoughts and deeds, in humility. Also we acknowledged by our weekly trek to the front of the altar that we wanted to follow the Lord God of Israel, and reflect Him with our lives.
In that small Baptist church, my father was one of the few people in a congregation of about forty or fifty people, who felt free enough to raise his hands during worship. No one else did. Dad was an emotional person, who was able to express his feelings. However there seemed to be some invisible restraint that kept people, even while we sang vigorously, from throwing themselves wholeheartedly into the freedom of worship.
While I was age 10, my uncle, a United Pentecostal minister, dragged me to their church meetings. Well dragged isn't exactly the word. But I got the feeling that there was some kind of assumption of superiority in that act. That there was an exclusiveness to this church.
My parents never went. But I had the privilege of witnessing the Baptism of the Holy Spirit at a young age. It was the clothing and once again seeing a man made doctrine of "follow this pattern", this way of dressing, that seemed to provide salvation. But I found out along my journey, doctrine never saves. It is the action of the Holy Spirit upon people's hearts, along with the Word of God.
At these United Pentecostal services, the preachers would speak heartily, just like the Baptist preachers, in an almost sing-song, rythmic style.They, like their Baptist brothers, would work the sermon up to a climactic point, upon which point they would act upon the emotional crescendo of the people. Seizing that moment to direct those so moved to come up to the altar for the whole purpose of the message. In the case of the Baptists it was for "salvation". For the Pentecostals it was always the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. (Now more frequently called Holy Spirit.)
At that point, people would respond to the sermon, and perhaps God's Spirit. They would come up to the front platform, seeking the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, a distinct experience which most practically should follow the act of the sinner's prayer, (in the opinion of many).
The reason that one should want the Baptism of the Holy Spirit after the experience of "salvation", is that 1) We can only experience the true Spirit of God after we have become a clean vessel, and 2) The Baptism of the Holy Spirit brings spiritual power, and spiritual gifts.
It also generally gives us the power to live the Christian life, which is often difficult.
People who promise you an easy life after you become a follower of Christ are simply either uninformed, deluded, or lying. Yes He said His burden is light. But that has rarely happened in my Christian experience. If Jesus has made your burden light, I would be glad to know how He does so. Of course every one's experience is different, but Christian "conversion" usually follows a pattern.
[Matthew 11:30. Romans 10:9]
But there were things about these Pentecostal practices I just couldn't understand.
Why did so many people have to spend hours and hours waiting on God's Spirit to fall on them?
Later in life, I have seen people receive the empowering waterfall of the Spirit in seconds after asking. Perhaps it was the wave of God's movement in the Church at the time. Or maybe it was the literal interpretation creating the expectation of having to wait or "tarry" for a long time.
Luke 24:29 "And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you, but TARRY ye in the City of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with POWER FROM ON HIGH." (Caps mine.)
During the worship services, which often extended until late at night, excessive, even outrageous behaviors occurred. Primarily, one man, supposed to have been "inspired by the Holy Spirit", jumped back and forth over a small step stool at the back of the church. More than once he would howl like a dog.
Now I see that that was most likely not behavior inspired by the Holy Spirit. He probably needed deliverance. But the church leaders did not restrain his behavior, or bring order to what seemed like chaos, as Paul clearly directs pastors and elders to do.
I Corinthians 14:40 "Let all things be done decently and in good order".
I also couldn't understand why the women were not allowed to cut their hair. Had to wear their hair up in "buns". Or why they had to wear long skirts and dresses. No makeup. Why did they think I would "go to hell" if I wore jewelry?
I understand Apostle Peter's admonition to the Early Church regarding women's dress:
"Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God a great price." [I Peter 3:3-4]
Peter was addressing the Greco-Roman culture, which like America's had become rife with excesses. Where perhaps women dressed extraordinarily provocatively to catch men's attention. Or whose attention was occupied with entire industries which had grown up around the production, sales and wearing of makeup, and jewelry, as well as clothing.
I believe Peter was simply trying to make the point that Christian women's main attraction should be from the quiet, peaceful spirit that the Lord instills upon salvation. I believe he was saying that Christian women should not rely on outer appearance to bring them beauty. Not to say we can't dress attractively, or wear makeup or jewelry. But simply that the inner beauty which comes from Christ's indwelling presence within us is far more desirable than any outer adornment.
He was, I believe, also saying that Christian men should be wary of being attracted by outer appearance alone. That they should choose women for their relationship with Jesus Christ as evidenced by their behavior. He was warning Christian men that women who are not aligned with Jesus' Spirit and His Word, are women not to be trusted, who might have other agendas contrary to their husbands'. No I am not anti-feminist, nor feminist. I am feminine.
But to be an anachronism, like the United Pentecostals in my uncle's church, seemed unfathomable to me. I was interested in both sociology and pop culture. Besides, I knew, having been grounded in the Word in the Baptist church, that Paul had said something to the contrary.
He said, "To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some." [I Corinthians 9:22]
To me this means, that although always following the holiness of Jesus' Pattern, Paul did not diverge from it. Yet at the same time he also kept up with and understood the popular culture around him, so that he could make the good news relevant to anyone. He could understand enough of others' viewpoints to clearly communicate the message of the gospel.
I understand the desire to be holy. The Heavenly Father even commands us to "be ye holy, for I am holy". [ I Peter 1:16 KJV]
But He Himself knows that is impossible for us as human beings. Without Jesus' finished work on the Cross and His Resurrection Power, we can never be Holy in truth.
My uncle's wife gave my mother a paperback book called "They Speak With Other Tongues" by John Sherrill. He was the husband of Elizabeth Sherrill, then editor of Guideposts Magazine.
www.amazon.com/They-Speak-With-Other-Tongues/dp/B000U3BN1C
John was an objective journalist who set out to disprove the glossolalia phenomenon. In doing so he made some very interesting discoveries that caused him to rethink his stance.
As a ten year old, I always wanted to read whatever my mother was reading at the time. I examined every book on her night stand.
As always, I asked, "Mommy, can I read this book?"
This time she said "Yes"
I inhaled the volume. It was so interesting, even to a ten-year old. From that time on, I started asking the Lord for "The Baptism of The Holy Spirit". I received it at the age of 18, at a Full Gospel Businessman's meeting. A story for another day...
Neither of my parents seemed interested, even after reading the book. Frankly, the Baptist denomination in general, at that time, believed, as some still do, that "speaking in tongues" is a demonic phenomenon. Later on my stepmother used to send me tracts warning against speaking in tongues, even while I attended Christ For the Nations Institute, in Dallas, Texas.
I laugh now at the narrow mindedness, and lack of spiritual maturity that displays. Some groups get so entrenched in their doctrine of tradition that they totally miss the successive waves of what God's Spirit is doing in the Church, in these Last of the Last Days.
So I didn't want to be an "anachronism" like the United Pentecostal women around me, wearing their hair up in buns, long dresses, no jewelry, etc. But I did follow after God's Spirit. So I read John Sherrill's book, and remember going up and down the staircase in our house, trying to learn to "pray in tongues".
The Children of Israel tried to keep, and some are still trying to keep, over 365 laws in the traditional Jewish writings, in addition to the Ten Commandments. Don't get me wrong. All of Western law and our current court system has effectively been based on the Ten Commandments. Until of course now in current Amerika, where many lawmakers want to banish the mention of them from our public spaces.
We can never be Holy enough. The whole point of the concept of salvation through Jesus Christ's sacrifice and resurrection, is the exchange of our wrongfulness with His shed-blood sacrifice...AND...many people miss this part...HIS RESURRECTION which not only promises Eternal Life, but also healing, power, and the giftings to extend this power to others for their own spiritual and physical benefit.
Christ's shed blood was not just the ritual extension of animal sacrifice. It was a plan by which our faith placed in that loving sacrifice of a God-Man, who became an "ant" so that He could live among, and die for the "ants", (we being the "ants"), brings us into relationship, sonship, and an equal inheritance with Jesus Christ, God's incarnate "son". I did not say EQUALITY. I said "EQUAL INHERITANCE". Read "Destined For The Throne" by Paul Bilheimer.You'll see.
www.christianbook.com/destined-for-the-throne-repackaged-edition...
That shed Blood of Jesus washes clean our inner being. And which, as we read and study the Word of God, the Bible, transforms our minds day by day. [Hebrews 4:12]
We behold Him in the pages of His Book. We see His face from Genesis to Revelation. Then we reflect His glory. [II Corinthians 3:18]
Only when Jesus returns (the same way He disappeared up into the clouds) will we have the complete fullness of the measure of the stature of Christ. [Acts 1:11 and Ephesians 4:13].
But it is a goal we can work toward every day. As we stay in prayer and keep reading His inspired, miraculous, Living Word, THE BOOK, otherwise known as The Bible. We can be changed day by day.
Depending on our dedication and yielding to His Spirit we can receive His Presence in our hearts, our minds, and even our bodies to a greater extent. As we yield ourselves to His Spirit, even submit our bodies, hands, eyes, ears, arms, brains, and other body parts, we can yield ourselves and become vessels, (I hesitate to use the word channels), that He can use for His purpose.
["I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your REASONABLE SERVICE." Romans 12:1]
I believe only the two end-time witnesses referred to in Revelation 11:3 are most likely the only present-day human beings to reach the "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. " That's because some of the prophecies speak about them calling fire down out of heaven to devour their enemies, just like Elijah did. [Revelation 11:3-12; II Kings 1:10].
So many Bible scholars believe the two witnesses are Moses and Elijah come back to life because they were with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. However, there isn't anything else in the Bible to support that teaching. Therefore, I conclude that they will be two present or near future humans who have the faith, the discipline, determination and anointing to follow the Holy Spirit, so filled with His Power, obeying Him from moment to moment, that they, who were born to their roles, will accomplish the prophecies.
Now I truly believe, as many in the End Time community do, that we are living in what is known as the Days of Elijah. I believe personally, that the Church Age (the Age of Grace) has ended. I believe (just my own opinion) that we are now living in the Messianic Age, where the Lord turns His attention and plans back to Israel. I believe we are close to Christ's Return, and also to the Day of Judgement. (But again, that's a topic for another teaching.)
I do believe that God is and has been pouring out His Spirit upon "all flesh"...in other words, all human beings who have a desire to know and follow Him in truth.
Both the prophet Joel and the book of Acts say:
"And it shall come to pass in the LAST DAY, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams." [Acts 2:17. Also see Joel 2:28.]
In other words, its easier in this time to access the provision and the Baptism of God's Holy Spirit than it has ever been. He longs to have communion with every single person who will come to Him. Now just because I said I believe we're transitioning out of the Church Age doesn't mean that more can't be added. That would be silly. We are just coming into a new Era of God's ministry to Planet Earth.
Jesus set a pattern for us to follow the Father every second, doing only what the Holy Spirit tells us to do. Going only where He tells us to go. Saying only what He tells us to say. That's the kind of commitment and being totally sold out, fully possessed by the Spirit of God as a human being, that it would take to become like the "two witnesses".
Now I agree that the Lord says Elijah was a man of like passion, just as we are, yet God answered his prayers in amazing ways. But that's where we come back to the concept of living in the "Days of Elijah", or the day when we have an open heaven for miracles the likes of which we've never seen before, if we just have faith to believe.
However, there are some that would say the Church of Christ is going to "bring about" Jesus' Return, that we are actively responsible for bringing it about. That is where I and some other End Time prophetic scholars differ. This concept comes from a false teaching propagated back in the 1970's that is still filtering through the Body of Christ today. It is a misconception that some of even the most dedicated prophetic pastors cling to, out of ignorance. It comes from a cultic group called the Manifest Sons of God, which originated in the 70's.
Some even mistakenly idealize William Branham, who thought himself the epitome of the prophet Elijah. It is only through having been at this for most of my life that I was privileged to discover truth vs. deception, as I made this amazing journey. Some people accept everything at face value just because a leader says it's so. They don't stop to research for themselves.
Just because it might be only on His Second Coming Return that we shall "be like Him" in the fullest capacity bodily, having transfigured, immortal and indestructible skin, bones and organs that will never die, doesn't mean we should stop trying to become more like Him here on Earth.
We can never have too much of Jesus' love dwelling within. Never too much compassion. Never too much healing power, some of which can overflow into our beings, enabling us to walk in "divine health". Never too many miracles. All of which come from following the Holy Spirit's internal orders every moment of every day...staying in constant communication with Him...yielding our minds and physical selves to His sole command. This leads to far more holiness than any outward hairstyle or anti-cultural dress would accomplish.
Even a washed-in-the-Blood-of-the-Lamb (Jesus), cleansed prostitute such as they say Mary Magdalene had been before her conversion to following Him, can become the holiest of women. Her personal meeting with Christ and her acceptance of Him as Messiah cleaned her conscience, perhaps making her the most modest of women. Because her carnal nature died with Jesus on the cross. She became a new Creature. [Galatians 2:20].
Having been delivered of seven demons, was it not Mary Magdalene who is thought to be the mysterious woman who washed Jesus' feet with her tears, and hard-earned, expensive perfume?
Was it not Mary Magdalene who was Jesus' confidante, and the first to find His tomb empty, with the task of telling the other disciples? Surely the Lord would not have entrusted such an important task to someone unworthy of His trust.
Let's be real. Holiness comes from the heart and mind, not from one's outer appearance.
Yielding our minds and physical selves to Christ, after our salvation experience, and subsequent Baptism in the Holy Spirit, will lead us to far more holiness than we can imagine. Yes, it takes time to learn to hear His Voice. But it is worth the effort, sometimes by trial and error to do so.
[ John 10:27] www.christianbook.com/surprised-the-voice-of-god-softcover/jack...
In the seventies through the nineties, as waves of God's presence washed, renewed and accomplished new things in the Church in America...we had yet to GET REAL.
When in a group, whether church, a Bible study or simply a gathering of other Christians, don't pretend to be fine when you are not. So many Christians feel they have to put up the pretense of the "happy Christian" for social purposes. So as to fit in, not rock the boat. Christians have needs and problems in their lives like every one else.
If other Christians avoid those needy Christians they are in complete opposition to Jesus' loving, compassionate Spirit. Where there is a need to be addressed, the TRUE Body of Christ will be there for one another.
I attended what I had considered among, the most advanced, cutting-edge groups in the Church at Large, today. They are a "prophetic church" who actually trains their members to operate in the "prophetic" realm as evinced in a move of God over the last two decades.
The Body of Christ in the 1970's progressed from receiving "prophetic messages" in Holy, angelic languages from at least one church member, then at least one other individual would translate the "tongues language" into English to the format currently used today...a more mature approach where the "tongues" step is skipped, and the individual is empowered by God to give the prophetic message directly in English.
In most churches I attended, even the original method was done "decently and in good order" according to Paul's admonition. But by the 1990's and early 2000's, the more mature approach had been adopted. This happened as much of the advanced Body of Christ learned that intercession and spiritual warfare are THE PATH TO WALKING IN THE PROPHETIC REALM.
We discovered we could hear the Lord's voice directly, and were able to speak His Words by the Power of the Holy Spirit, without having to go through the extra steps of speaking and translating the angelic tongues. Not that it's never done today. It is. Yet the more advanced version seems to be a result of growth in the Bride - Christ's Church.
Yet even in some of the prophetic churches, there is a great lack of LOVE. A church that trains people in prophetic gifting should have made love it's highest calling before having jumped to the prophetic. There was a prideful declaration of being a church catering to the "mature" Christian. I became disenchanted.
The pastor stated from the pulpit that he did not feel constrained to help people who came to him in dire financial need at what appeared to be the height of America's greatest depression to date.
This pastor apparently had "compassion burnout". He explained he had helped others in the past who had the audacity to leave the church. He allowed bitterness to overshadow his reasoning. Thei leaving and then not supporting the church financially may have played a role.
Even though I had the highest regard for this pastor's intellectual abilities, and his dedication to speaking the truth to his congregation, I was stunned by the lack of compassion I saw. It reminded me of I Corinthians 13:1which says, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal..."
About "Getting Real", only a few members of that prophetic church helped me when I reached the lowest point of my life during the recent Great American Depression II, from which our nation has yet to fully recover. (Despite what the state-run media says.)
A few faithful members provided me with food when I had no work. Another paid my electric bill one month as I was out of steady work for almost three years.But only one stood with me as I sunk into depression over my father's death. YES. EVEN Christians suffer depression. EVEN Christians GRIEVE over lost loved ones! Get real!
So next time you feel compelled to put on a "happy face" when around fellow Christians, when they ask "How are you?", and you really feel like crying...be REAL.
If that so-called prosperous Christian turns away saying, "Well...you know...we really have to learn to pray for our OWN needs" ...find another church...one where giving and charity are cultivated.
Or if you ask the pastor to pray for you and he says, "Well you know, that's why we have the intercessory team", OR "I'd better pray now because I might forget later"...FIND A CHURCH THAT IS REAL. THAT NOT ONLY PREACHES THE BIBLE BUT FOLLOWS IT WITH ACTIONS AND THEIR HEARTS, NO MATTER HOW "ADVANCED" THEY OTHERWISE APPEAR TO BE.
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