And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. ~John 3:19
The scriptures make it clear that the world hates Christ. The message of the cross, from the world’s side is this: “Away with this Jesus! We do not want him; we do not want the conviction that his presence brings. We are content to live our lives without him.”
With this being the truth, how in God’s Name can we try to make Jesus acceptable to a world that will accept him only according to their standards? To a world that hates him?
If you’re Wal Mart, it may make sense to ask in a survey: “What do you want us to provide that would make you feel comfortable in our store? But if you’re the church that is found in the scriptures, it makes no sense at all! Can you imagine Peter making the following declaration in the upper room:
“And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples and said, Men and brethren, I know that Jesus clearly told us to wait here until we are endued with power from on high. But I am concerned about how the people will respond to another just like Jesus. I propose that we go to a church growth seminar, where we will learn how to survey the Romans who crucified him and the Jews who hated him and find out what they want in church.”
It’s clear what they want; they want a Christ that is dead and out of their way! Or better yet, they want a Christ that conforms to their world, one who doesn’t interfere with their lifestyles.
Such a survey would have proved one thing in Peter’s day to the Romans and the Jews: Jesus was still dead and the church that they were being asked to attend was a church with no Presence of God.
There is a survey that God is commanding of his people in these last days: a survey of the scriptures. It is here that you will find that it is not a new word, but an old word that God is speaking. It is here that you will find that the old word is the new word—that which he spoke is that which he is speaking because his word is timeless.
It is here that you will see that when the promise that God gave Abraham and Sarah finally came to pass, it was not a new promise but rather the same promise they had heard in the beginning.
And it is in the scriptures that you will find that the same is true for the church today: there is no new promise of power, there is no new plan. The church is the revelation of Christ on the earth and the plan is for the Holy Ghost to come as the Spirit of revelation and the Spirit of power. Oh, but he has already come, some will say.
Yes, but he is forever coming. Stick with the plan!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
ONLY CHRIST CAN BUILD HIS CHURCH
Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. ~ Genesis 16:1-2
If you want to see the church, where it is now and where it has been, you must look to the scriptures. It is here you will find a most detailed picture of the beginning and the ending of the church of Christ and the starting point is Abraham and Sarah. It is here that you will see that the true church, through impatience and the arm of flesh gives birth to an Ishmael church that must be repented of.
Where Sarah said, “It may be that I may obtain children by Hagar”, the margin reads, “It may be that I will be built by her.” This agrees with Hebrews 11:11, “Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed.” One of the meanings of conceive is to lay a foundation. The call is clear: Sarah was called by God to carry the church in her womb and give birth to its very foundation, thus building from the ground up that which is Christ.
The problem then and now is that this church is built on divine promise, not human perspiration. Please understand that I know we have our part to play. We hold out our rod over the Red Sea; we march around the walls of Jericho seven times; we roll the tombstone away from Lazarus’ grave. But we know who is really at work and anything less than His coming on the scene and working through us is a work of the flesh. If you don’t believe this go and find a four day grave, go and rent a backhoe and excavate the body. You will find that the power to remove the headstone is really no power at all!
Sarah referred to Hagar as “my handmaid.” Hagar was something she could control and something she could see. In other words, through Hagar, Sarah could see how this would work and best of all, it was something she could manage with careful strategy . . . and much posting on Facebook.
But this seeing how things can work out in the natural is not faith.
This had been Sarah’s problem all along. For her to come to the conclusion that she couldn’t do it can only mean that at one point she believed that she could produce the promise. She was the right woman married to the right man with the right promise and abounding opportunity. After all, Abraham was “alive” and she was having “periods” and everybody knows that “fourteen days after” is the right time to get pregnant. And above all, they had been in the absolute Presence of God who had entered into covenant with them and told them, “Your seed will be as the stars.”
Surly if God was going to move through her he would have done so by now. And God knows, Abraham isn’t getting any younger . . .
It was from this mindset that “another” church is birthed: We must do something to help God out! Amazingly this new church has none of poor Sarah’s issues. Whereas she had struck out for years, Hagar hits a homerun her first time up. One pitch, one swing, one baby.
What a fast growing church!
And what a despised old wore out church Sarah became with all of her promises that had yet come to pass: “And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes” (Genesis 16:4). There was a spirit operating through Hagar that was screaming out to Sarah: “It’s obvious that your way is a way of weakness. I don’t want to hear nothing you have to say!”
This is, in large part, the church today. How many faithful pastors of small congregations have been surrounded by the four “fastest growing” church’s in America? These new church’s have more members their first service than the old church have after many years of service. How dare you say that it is not of God!
Listen to what one of these “Hagar’s” said when rebuked by someone who dared to question a “move of God” that was led by a man who was drunk and in adultery:
“Lee, I think what you call “the Lakeland disaster” would be disputed by multitudes of people who got healed or touched there. If you are such judge of this what gives you the credentials? What moves of God have you led? What have you built?”
The credentials are the scriptures.
Hey, nobody ever said Ishmael didn’t exist and didn’t look good—in fact he looks a lot like the promise. But the root of this “church” is only skin deep—its origin is in the mind of man and not of God. As such, its error is fundamental: It seeks to change the unchangeable counsel of the Lord. From eternity the call was for Sarah to birth Isaac in the womb of impossibility, not for Hagar to birth Ishmael in the womb of the ordinary.
Are you holding on to a promise of a revelation of Christ that has yet to come to pass in your life, in your church? “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry” (Hebrews 10: 35-37).
If you want to see the church, where it is now and where it has been, you must look to the scriptures. It is here you will find a most detailed picture of the beginning and the ending of the church of Christ and the starting point is Abraham and Sarah. It is here that you will see that the true church, through impatience and the arm of flesh gives birth to an Ishmael church that must be repented of.
Where Sarah said, “It may be that I may obtain children by Hagar”, the margin reads, “It may be that I will be built by her.” This agrees with Hebrews 11:11, “Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed.” One of the meanings of conceive is to lay a foundation. The call is clear: Sarah was called by God to carry the church in her womb and give birth to its very foundation, thus building from the ground up that which is Christ.
The problem then and now is that this church is built on divine promise, not human perspiration. Please understand that I know we have our part to play. We hold out our rod over the Red Sea; we march around the walls of Jericho seven times; we roll the tombstone away from Lazarus’ grave. But we know who is really at work and anything less than His coming on the scene and working through us is a work of the flesh. If you don’t believe this go and find a four day grave, go and rent a backhoe and excavate the body. You will find that the power to remove the headstone is really no power at all!
Sarah referred to Hagar as “my handmaid.” Hagar was something she could control and something she could see. In other words, through Hagar, Sarah could see how this would work and best of all, it was something she could manage with careful strategy . . . and much posting on Facebook.
But this seeing how things can work out in the natural is not faith.
This had been Sarah’s problem all along. For her to come to the conclusion that she couldn’t do it can only mean that at one point she believed that she could produce the promise. She was the right woman married to the right man with the right promise and abounding opportunity. After all, Abraham was “alive” and she was having “periods” and everybody knows that “fourteen days after” is the right time to get pregnant. And above all, they had been in the absolute Presence of God who had entered into covenant with them and told them, “Your seed will be as the stars.”
Surly if God was going to move through her he would have done so by now. And God knows, Abraham isn’t getting any younger . . .
It was from this mindset that “another” church is birthed: We must do something to help God out! Amazingly this new church has none of poor Sarah’s issues. Whereas she had struck out for years, Hagar hits a homerun her first time up. One pitch, one swing, one baby.
What a fast growing church!
And what a despised old wore out church Sarah became with all of her promises that had yet come to pass: “And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes” (Genesis 16:4). There was a spirit operating through Hagar that was screaming out to Sarah: “It’s obvious that your way is a way of weakness. I don’t want to hear nothing you have to say!”
This is, in large part, the church today. How many faithful pastors of small congregations have been surrounded by the four “fastest growing” church’s in America? These new church’s have more members their first service than the old church have after many years of service. How dare you say that it is not of God!
Listen to what one of these “Hagar’s” said when rebuked by someone who dared to question a “move of God” that was led by a man who was drunk and in adultery:
“Lee, I think what you call “the Lakeland disaster” would be disputed by multitudes of people who got healed or touched there. If you are such judge of this what gives you the credentials? What moves of God have you led? What have you built?”
The credentials are the scriptures.
Hey, nobody ever said Ishmael didn’t exist and didn’t look good—in fact he looks a lot like the promise. But the root of this “church” is only skin deep—its origin is in the mind of man and not of God. As such, its error is fundamental: It seeks to change the unchangeable counsel of the Lord. From eternity the call was for Sarah to birth Isaac in the womb of impossibility, not for Hagar to birth Ishmael in the womb of the ordinary.
Are you holding on to a promise of a revelation of Christ that has yet to come to pass in your life, in your church? “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry” (Hebrews 10: 35-37).
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