THE PERSON FORMALLY KNOWN AS YOUR LEADER

 

http://retrofited.blogspot.com/2007/06/person-formerly-known-as-your-leader.html 

Please only glance at this excerpt pasted below but GO TO THE LINK ABOVE FOR HER AMAZING POST, AND AMAZING BLOG

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I am the Person Formerly Known as Your Leader

Because of all this, I need to repent and ask your forgiveness. I was wrong. I thought wrong things. I believed wrong things. I modeled wrong things. I taught wrong things. I was wrong. I have sinned against you and the others and against my grace loving, mercy giving, all powerful, all loving God.

- I repent for teaching and modeling that the “covering” of our church, my leadership, and our network would keep you from going into rebellion or deception.

- I took your private confidences and passed them on to the other leaders regardless of my telling you that I wouldn’t. I told myself that this was an accepted practice to gain wisdom in dealing with your situation. Now I see it was probably mostly to garner, in some twisted way, the favor of my leaders, to show my loyalty and to gain a better placement of myself in their leadership system.

- I taught, modeled and practiced tithing. I taught you that if you didn’t tithe, bad things would happen to you and/or your finances. Now I understand the fallacy of this. It is a fear tactic – and it is not of God.

- I did not stand up and speak up when I heard and saw something wrong being taught, lived, or modeled. In this way, you, as people who respected me had neither voice nor protection. There were many times I should have spoken up gently/humbly to correct other leaders around me. I wrongly felt that it was up to God to correct and deal with them. That it was not my “place” to correct “God’s Anointed.”

- I wanted to be seen by leaders as loyal and mostly I wanted to be in what I perceived as one of the “inner circles of friendship.” I bought their friendship with flattering words, serving them unconditionally, not making waves, not challenging them and being disloyal to what I sometimes knew was wrong. I was a religious whore.

- I taught you that with leaders, you did not have the right to expect friendship or any sort of loyalty back. I told you that you should become what I had become, completely a servant. They owed you and me nothing. I have learned to watch out for “friendships” where I am the servant only. I have learned my “servanthood” was nothing more than trying to manipulate myself into prominence.

- I taught that the church was an Army and that we therefore needed Generals and Sergeants to lead us. (I of course saw myself as the sergeant – not the head but certainly one of the right arms of the head.) Again, I did not read my Bible.

ETC, ETC.

PLEASE ADD COMMENTS HERE AS WELL AS ON HER BLOG

hear His voice, harden not hearts————– 9mar09

This is based on a comment that I placed on-

http://bethehands.wordpress.com/2009/01/27/hear/#comment-7

Many years ago, I had occasion to talk in depth to a very troubled and troublesome young man (Mike) who worked for my business. He was very anti Church and anti Christian. Christianity was far too wimpish for such a strong character as Mike was. I had to agree!

I was testifying to the fact that we had got to the current position in the business (that paid his wages) because of listening and doing what God had said to us. I was able to be quite specific over some things, which he clearly was a recipient of. ie. it was a prophetic word which caused us to purchase the failing business which employed Mike, and thus enabled such a conversation!

As he sat talking with me in my office, Mike suddenly asked, “ok then, how do you know when God is speaking to you”?

This question is a troublesome one for many Christians, let alone a non-christian. For a moment I was stumped, and sat back silently crying out to God in my spirit, for urgent help that would be crystal clear to  Mike.
Just as quickly as Mike had asked me, the answer became clear.
“Mike, you know when you’re in some place, where you didn’t ought to be, doing something you didn’t ought to be doing, (in his case frequently) and there is a very small voice inside saying MIKE,- you didn’t ought to be here, and you certainly didn’t ought to be doing this.  Is this familiar?”

He looked at, me grinning sheepishly. “Of course it is, who hasn’t been there.”

“Well imagine that same voice saying,–this is the way, walk with me.”

His look of recognition said it all. “Now I understand,” he said.

I challenged him to start asking God to help him understand a little more, and to give him some direction. God would speak to him if he asks. I did, however, tell him that he had to recognise that, if God is God, and Mike a created being, then he had to be a bit soft in his heart towards God otherwise he would never be able to hear through his arrogance and anger. This was all ok and understandable to Mike and he agreed willingly, he’d give it a go. This had nothing to do with going to church?

He was curious, and the curiosity got him past the rejection of God, Church and Christians.
A short time later he came into work whistling and singing cheerfully, quite an out of character occurance. One of my guys, a believer, asked what was going on. “Just talking to God, just talking to God,” was all he said, grinning widely.

One day he came in saying that God was talking to him about a difficult situation at home with his partner. He was being seriously challenged to do something, well outside of his character, to resolve a family issue which had caused her anguish for years.

He had said to God, “that doesn’t sound like the way I think, and you know I’ll probably forget it, so God, if that is your thoughts then remind me about it again on the way home tonight”.

God did speak to him again, and Mike did what God said and saw a miracle reconciliation in his partner’s family.

Mike was very impressed with God.
Mike still didn’t want church, he had found God though and carried on dialoguing with Him until he left the company, and I’ve not seen him since.
One man plants, another waters, but God gives the increase. I have no idea what finally became of him, but the transformation in a young man who had never had a father, into one who knew the Father was worth every moment.

Sadly Christians often object to the theology of this account.  Belonging to the church system fosters a dependancy on the leaders of the system to tell them what God may wants for their lives.  The church system itself,  however, does little to foster a close sensitivity for the still small voice of the Spirit at work in a mans heart. 

Because I didn’t get Mike to pray the “sinner’s prayer”,  they object that God would not possibly talk to Mike nor could Mike really hear God.  I put this down to jealousy from those who, caught up in the institutional system, had their ears well and truly hardened with education from the pulpit and had yet been beaten by a spiritual child.

Heb 3:7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today if you will hear His voice,
Heb 3:8 do not harden your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness,

Heb 3:15 while it is said, “Today if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.”

Heb 4:7 He again marks out a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” (after so long a time). Even as it is said, “Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.”

The same thing is repeated three times in succession, and then he is only quoting King David.

PLAINLY PUT, IF WE WISH TO HEAR GOD THEN WE MUST SOFTEN OUR HEARTS TO HIS VOICE INSIDE US.
Our conscience is the inner ear we need to learn to follow more that any other religious activity.
I had to totally drop the typical “churchy” gospel, to speak revelation that went straight to his heart.

Heaven when you’re dead, or kingdom now 21 feb 09

This posting is based on a previous comment I put on-

http://chrismccarley.wordpress.com/2008/12/17/true-religion/#comment-19 

How did people get saved before Jesus?

What does “salvation” mean?

If you look at the Old Testament you will see virtually no reference to where we go after we die!

To them salvation

WAS NOT- HEAVEN WHEN YOU’RE DEAD.

To them salvation

WAS- DELIVERENCE FROM PHILISTINE FAMINE AND PLAGUE.

Jesus started his ministry in the synagogue in Nazareth, with this reading.-

 Luk 4:17 And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And unrolling the book, He found the place where it was written,

Luk 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me; because of this He has anointed Me to proclaim the Good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim deliverance to the captives, and new sight to the blind, to set at liberty those having been crushed,

Luk 4:19 to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

NO REFERENCE TO HEAVEN WHEN YOU’RE DEAD!!!!!

His anointing was not to preach heaven when you’re dead!!!!!!!! Read it again to verify this!!!!

His anointing was not to preach heaven when you’re dead!!!!!!!! Read it again to verify this!!!!

His anointing was not to preach heaven when you’re dead!!!!!!!! Read it again to verify this!!!!

Imagine Jesus meeting a blind man or a cripple.  ”Don’t fear my son,  just believe in me and it’ll be great when you’re dead. “

When John the Baptist, and Jesus, and the disciples, went forth preaching the gospel, what was it they said?

Mat 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, Repent! For the kingdom of Heaven is AT HAND.

“At hand”, meant that it was right where they were, available but hidden from view. Jesus then proceeded to show exactly how close “at hand” it was by doing all sorts of  ”kingdom”  things.

What does the church say? “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is WHEN YOU’RE DEAD”. It is “dead” easy to promise the uncheckable and unprovable.

Why do they change the meaning of the message? Simply because the church no longer has the faith to demonstrate the truth of the invisible Kingdom of God like Jesus and the early christians did.

FOR THOSE WHO ARE ALREADY SONS OF GOD IN THIS EARTHLY LIFE, HEAVEN WHEN YOU DIE IS, HOWEVER, SIMPLY A TRANSITION. –TIME TO GO HOME TO FATHER!

 And please note that eternal life starts when you are reborn, and it cannot be lost through sin or rebellion etc. otherwise it could never be ETERNAL!!!

Notice, when Jesus rebuked Nicodemus,-

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless a man is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

John 3:4 Jesus answered, truly truly, I say to you, unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

It was about seeing and entering the hidden kingdom. It requires new birth, from above. This was not about having to believe in what Jesus was going to do on a cross three and half years later!

All the Old Testament saints were “Born from above” , and this was obviously well before the cross.

IT IS A FACT THAT JESUS PAID THE PRICE FOR ALL SALVATION WITH HIS BLOOD! 

It was not and is not a fact that we need to comprehend about this to get to heaven when we die. Otherwise no one from before the time of Jesus would be there with us at the last day.

It is about time we took the mythology out of Christianity. It would help us to understand what the actual purpose of the Gospel is.

ie. What the bible says it is

Understanding about the cross, is about walking as a believer in the power that the cross gives.

The purpose of the Gospel is about the REIGN OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD IN THIS LIFE!

IT IS ABOUT LIVING FROM OUR DWELLING PLACE IN THE HEAVENLIES.

If you have just read this posting, and pass on from it without comment, doesn’t that make you indifferent to challenge? Or maybe you totally agree with me.

I welcome your thoughts on this post.

King Saul and the thief—————-15 feb 09

This is based on a comment I put on http://fivepeasinapod.wordpress.com/ a posting 11 feb 09.

I look forward to meeting the thief on the cross. He didn’t have much time for preparation.
I would also like to meet King Saul, who had lots of time for preparation.

The reason I like these two characters is the incredible similarity of the stories.

THE THIEF.

This man, undoubtedly evil, and having nothing in his favour, by the skin of his teeth in timing, gets a free pass to the Kingdom of Heaven. This being purely on the basis of the redeeming blood of the lamb.
Despite being next to Jesus, the thief had no theology to grant him understanding of what was REALLY happening on the crucifix next to him, yet he clearly sensed righteousness, AND GRABBED IT.

Luk 23:40 But answering, the other rebuked him, saying, Do you not fear God, since you are in the same condemnation.
Luk 23:41 And we indeed justly so, for we receive the due reward of our deeds, but this Man has done nothing amiss.
Luk 23:42 And he said to Jesus, Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.
Luk 23:43 And Jesus said to him, Truly I say to you, TODAY YOU SHALL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE

SAUL.
This man had everything going for him. He was even counted among the prophets. Yet he had rebelled, and lost the anointing for the kingship. He, however, still claimed the throne for many more years, spending the most part of it trying to kill the one who actually possessed the anointing, David.
Saul ends up calling on a witch to read the future. A shock awaits. The long dead Samuel appears.

1Sa 28:15 And Samuel said to Saul, Why have you disturbed me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am grievously distressed, for the Philistines are warring against me. AND GOD HAS LEFT ME AND DOES NOT ANSWER ME ANY MORE, neither by prophets nor by dreams. And I have called you so that you may make known to me what I should do.
1Sa 28:16 And Samuel said, Why then do you ask me, since Jehovah has left you and has become your enemy?
1Sa 28:17 And Jehovah has done for Himself as He spoke by me. For Jehovah has torn the kingdom out of your hand and is giving it to your neighbor, to David.
1Sa 28:18 Because you did not obey the voice of Jehovah, nor execute his fierce wrath on Amalek, therefore Jehovah has done this thing to you now.
1Sa 28:19 And, Jehovah will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines. AND TOMORROW YOU AND YOUR SONS SHALL BE WITH ME……

Sounds very similar to the words of Jesus on the cross.

Wicked Saul, he should be cast into OUTER DARKNESS WHERE THERE BE WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH.

Having plenty of time for preparation, Saul blew it. However, having been a son, even a rebellious one, he was still a son of the Father.
Where was Samuel that Saul should join him? As a faithful believer SAMUEL WAS IN PARADISE. (Abraham’s bosom)

Saul too, like the thief, gets in by the redeeming Blood of the Lamb, not by any goodness.

I am all too aware of my own fickleness. If I look forward to eternity, relying on my own stalwart obedience or sinless life to maintain the course, it frightens me.

I remember too clearly God very bluntly saying to me one day. “Every day, YOU do what Adam did!”
I would rather rely on the righteousness of Jesus for my meal ticket.
I will, between now and my time of going, like John the Baptist said, work at bringing forth “fruits worthy of repentance”.

church that satan set up —— 12 Feb. 09

About ten years ago, I was at a meeting of Christian businessmen in a hotel.

The anointing of the Holy Spirit flowing at those monthly meetings was sometimes extremely tangible.

I remember times when I looked at the floor, it was as if there was thick golden oil flowing in swirls all over it, and I had to sit with my feet (minus shoes) on the bar of the chair. If I put a foot on the floor, I would fall off the chair under the anointing of the Spirit!

On this particular occasion, I had taken an old prophetic friend who had not been before. He was sat at my right side around the table talking to another, and I had my back to him talking to the man on my left. I had no idea what his conversation was, nor do I remember mine before that point.

My friend suddenly nudged me in the back, and as I turned to him he said, “give me a definition of the church”.

I opened my mouth and out came these words.

“THE CHURCH IS AN INSTITUTION THAT SATAN HAS SET UP TO PREVENT CHRISTIANS DOING THE WORK OF THE LORD.”

I was taken aback.

My friend very firmly said, “THAT is the rhema word of the Lord.”

I knew, without question, that the Lord had just spoken through my prophetic answer, but I was nevertheless shocked at the clarity of the unexpected answer.

I started to consider the words and the seriousness of them.

Yes, the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets (1cor14v32), and I could have kept my mouth closed. However, as already stated, the power of God was tangibly over the meeting.

The words didn’t come out of nowhere though. God had been working on me for a number of years about the false leadership structures in the church.

We must not be confused over prophetic words. Responsible prophets tend to only prophesy within the level of their faith. Therefore, God has to constantly challenge their personal faith through revelation and scripture in order to move the church forward.

Prophets frequently end up standing well out on a limb from the main church. This is because the church at large is thrill seeking rather than following God. (If Christians were truly following God, then not just a few prophets but all the five-fold ministries would be in abundance throughout the church)

When a prophet misses the mark, the church is the first to demand his stoning.

Shame on you weak, impotent men of God!
You Churchgoers!
Get off your butts and start chasing after God, rather than your Christian heroes.

However, this prophetic word was absolutely of God, and it hit at everything many hold dear. The response when I mention it is either anger and offense, or a realistic recognition of the actual words spoken.

The clue is in the word “institution”. Sadly, this includes virtually all churches.

The church of Jesus Christ was an organism. Man has exchanged this for an institutional organisation with an earthly system of hierarchical government.

It is this which gives rise to the rebellious idolatry of, “I must obey my pastor”.

This attitude cuts the believer off from any clear personal hearing of what the Lord might call him to do.

There is no precedent in the bible to expect one man to be able to give direction to a whole load of other Christians as to what God calls them to do in their lives.

Placing a pastor, or any man, between ourselves and God is an abdication of personal calling and a working of the spirit of antichrist.

Antichrist simply means “another anointed”. ie. a substitute for Christ.

THIS IS WHAT THE PASTOR SYSTEM IS: A SUBSTITUTE FOR CHRIST!

“But the Lord loves his bride,” you say. I’ve got news for you. The church out there is not the bride. It may contain the bride, but that is all.

Therefore, I will reiterate the prophetic word that the Lord gave me -

THE CHURCH IS AN INSTITUTION THAT SATAN HAS SET UP TO PREVENT CHRISTIANS DOING THE WORK OF THE LORD.

1 Corinthians 14v29
“. . . let the others judge.”

I challenge you readers – do not simply read and pass by. Write your considered discernment in the Spirit in the comments. I’d love to hear from you.

Can men shut up heaven? —–7 feb 09

I have an old friend who once related this story of his preparatory school days.

This was a church school, and consequently at the appropriate age all the children had to take confirmation classes.
These classes where taught by the chaplain of the school, a Church of England minister. Until the children had been Confirmed in the church, they were not permitted to take the bread and wine of communion during church services.

The young boys,  as you imagine were a little disinterested in all the religious ballyhoo. However these where processes to be done, and being a fee paying school it was important that the school continued to churn out the sort of child the parents expected.

Finally the main event arrives, the youngsters all troop off to the school chapel for the special Service of Confirmation. This is presided over by the local Bishop. It being his job during the appropriate  part of the service to lay hands on each boy.

Now despite the general disinterest from all the boys in the academics of  communion, somethings had actually gone home.
They had been taught that when the Bishop (the man with the funny hat) laid hands on them they would all be filled with the Holy Spirit just like Pentecost.
If nothing else, my friend and his young buddy had digested this little bit of information. They, in their childish hearts, actually had an expectation of something from God.

At the appropriate point of the service the boys went down in pairs to kneel before the Bishop, for him to lay his two hands upon them. My two friends followed in at their turn and knelt with some anticipation. As he laid hands on them, suddenly they were filled with the Spirit of God and speaking with other tongues.

The reaction to this was an outraged horror from the Bishop and the Chaplain, who rounded on the two, yelling at them to stop this “devilish babble”. The two boys, not knowing what had hit them suddenly had their joy quenched by the full weight of ecclesiastical authority, who of course knew that the actual gifts of the Holy Spirit had ceased with the death of the apostles. This terrible babble could only therefore come from Satan himself.

The children’s foolishness in believing what had been taught was their undoing.

For my friend, it was well over twenty years, and plumbing the depths of alcoholism, and a destroyed marriage before he had anyone bring to him the reality of God in his life again. He once again found the One he had met before, and was healed, restored, filled with the Spirit again, and speaking in tongues!

It is abundantly clear that the ministers of the church had less faith in the truths they taught than their hearers. Yet it is God who convicts, even a child, of the validity of what is said.

Sadly it also shows how the messenger can also intrude into the message and pervert it.   

Mat 23:13 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of Heaven against men. For you neither go in, nor do you allow those entering to go in.

Sadly, religion so often shuts up heaven in favour of man’s wisdom. However the regalia of denomination has its reward on earth only. How often do we shut up heaven because of our unbelief?

First Verse of the New Testament

I often ask people to quote the first verse of the New Covenant (Testament).

Go on, before reading further put your answer on your lips.

The answer is quite easy really.-

Mat 1:1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. etc

Only its not really quite that easy.

Quite rightly, Matthew is the first book of the collected writings of the New Testament apostles.

Now turn to Mat 26:28

For this is My blood of the NEW COVENANT, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

ie Matthew26v28 is really the first verse of the New Covenant

So What?

If the above perception agrees with you it, would be interesting to examine the repercussions.

If the NEW COVENANT OF JESUS’S BLOOD was not proclaimed until Matt26 then all that Jesus said and did before that specific time was clearly OLD TESTAMENT. Think about it.

The Gospel stories are NOT NEW TESTAMENT!

The Gospel stories are OLD TESTAMENT

This means that the comprehension of the parables, for instance, were meant to be available to the Jews, right now, right there and right then. What ever Jesus was saying was not aimed first at Christians.

So what?

Take just one parable as a starter.

Luk 11:11

For what father of you, if the son asks for bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a snake for a fish?

 

 

 

Luk 11:12

Or if he shall ask for an egg, will he give him a scorpion?

Luk 11:13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?

 

 

 

This might not seem significant but if you put this parable alongside the belief that the Holy Spirit didn’t come until Pentecost, and then only for Christians. Jesus, on the contrary, is saying that any of his hearers sat at his feet who asks could have it. Any of the Jews or gentiles listening, before pentacost, could have had it.

Before anyone says that Jesus was perhaps only refering to the new birth, not so, He says “For what FATHER of you, if the SON asks for bread…” ie the child is already of his father when he asks.

This indicates that the Holy Spirit was available anywhere to anyone who asked, long before the death and resurrection of Jesus  as it became understood.  (Don’t forget that nobody comprehended the gospel until long after the resurrection).  

Jews (and non Jews), at the time that He was speaking and long before, who were open and desiring anointing from above would receive what they asked for.

There is a lot more to think about, not only on this verse but also on many of the other teachings of Jesus which we have always taken as New Testament and “Christian” when they were in fact Old Testament and “Jewish”.

Are the NEW TESTAMENT gospels actually OLD TESTAMENT? I would love to hear some comments on this. What other thoughts on the Gospels does this lead to?

 

 

 

 

Two visions of church. What is yours.

 6 january 09

This is a comment  which I put on another blog recently.

When asked, what is the purpose of the church, a valid answer might well be. The purpose of the church is to get people to join the church!

Churches, for the main, to me seem to be operating on “momentum” rather than actually being on a journey to any destination.

There is a game sometimes in the UK amongst college students, I presume the same is true in the USA. It is called, “let’s see how many people we can cram into a telephone box, (or mini car).
It has no real purpose other than the doing.

This seems so much like church. Even though they claim vision, which may have been taken from scripture, it is clear from any objective observation, that very little of the church programme will actually enable them to arrive at that place.

Many years ago whilst in a meeting, the Lord gave me two very vivid pictures of contrasting church styles.

Firstly I saw a well known comic strip cartoon picture of a crowd of children rolling a monster sized snowball across a snow laden school field. Any time a child got in the way or tried to change its direction he was unwittingly rolled over and picked up in the juggernaut’s progress. The cartoon picture had the occasional hand, pair of rubber boots or a frozen head sticking out. None of this halted its progress across the field, it just continued to get bigger and bigger. Woe betide anyone who felt that he had a bit of unput to give to its direction.

To me this was quite funny as I remember at junior school one winter having rolled such a ball across the field into the goal mouth, where the ball stayed many months after the freeze had gone, blocking the goal.

The other vivid picture given at the same time was of tumbleweed tearing across a dusty landscape. It was totally driven by the wind and kept changing direction with each gust. Everywhere it went seeds were scattered. It had little value in itself other than shedding seeds. It might in its end be only a little kindling fuel. The sign of its passing? A huge crop of more tumbleweed, in its season.

I have derived much illumination from this vision over the years since, but I will leave this comment with two small thoughts to ponder.

The monolithic snowball that is being built in many parts of the body only puts the members in suspended animation. Growth as a functionary of that church might be perceived, but that is not necessarily growth in Christ himself.

In contrast the tumble weed picture reminds me of John3v8
The wind blows where it will, you hear the sound of it, but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going. So is he that is born of the wind.

I can’t imagine the snowball blowing in the wind.

I challenge you to look at these two visions. Are you driven by the wind, or frozen in time. Don’t just read passively please think and comment.