My Beautiful Wife!

Therefore a man leaves his father and mother and embraces his wife. They become one flesh.
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Everyday "Life"

Another Wonderful Morsel by Jim Minker!

"So, what do I say, how am I to react ... how am I to live? I discover the reality of this by discovering that I have been abandoned by everything I thought to be life, by everything that seemed right to me, even though true life and true rightness has come to be realized as being far more substantial than my former perceptions ever could imagine. In my every day I am out there ... out where truth contradicts the boxes that attempt to hold snippets of true things, even to the point of contradicting the conclusions of varied collections of true things, as well as the individual things that may be true in and of themselves, but made to be untrue by the contamination of fleshly perceptions. Simply stated, regarding myself I am not concerned by another's fleshly judgment of me, whether it be according to man's laws or those recorded in the Bible. I live according to Christ, for he is my life. His life cannot be truly assessed according to the flesh, and we already know that his life while living on this earth was examined by God's law - according to man - and found wanting.

The truth is that my everyday life might not appear so miraculous, even to myself. In many ways my life is very scheduled - my job, my sleeping and eating patterns, etc - so that the routine of one week often seems to roll into the next. I used to imagine that true freedom would bring about freedom from routine, and yet I have come to see that it is neither bound by routine or by amplified by its lack. I am content, even though I may pursue a change here or there. I am not bound by my fleshly perception of freedom ... nor by anybody else's perception of it (no matter how authoritative that perception seems). I am alive in Christ and that is all that counts ... as it is all that counts regarding everything and everyone."

Link to entire Letter 2005

Revelation: God's Way of Knowing

The Holy Spirit teaches both by revelation and experience. The revelation can be instant and direct, without being transmitted by any formal "teaching." We say, "Oh, I see." The Spirit then uses seen and temporal experiences to work that revelation into us. The revelation gets established in us through personal experience.

Some people have a hard time relating to that, because they associate the word teacher with a schoolroom, where we just impart knowledge. But the Holy Spirit's teaching is experiential teaching. Of course, we do learn facts, but I'm talking about the process whereby we become one with what we are taught. We become one with the truth through experiential teaching.

This experiential knowing is indicated in the biblical words for know. Both the Greek and Hebrew words for know that I am referring to indicate experiential understanding of and oneness with. When "Adam knew his wife...", it wasn't an intellectual thing. Adam experienced oneness with his wife. That's exactly what knowing is. There is no anxiety about those things that you know, because you become mixed with them. You and what you know are one.

On the natural level, I remember experiencing such knowing with high school algebra. When it came to algebra, I didn't have a clue. I'd work those silly problems, then I'd look up the answers in the back of the book. I'd get some answers right, but I didn't know how or why. None of it made sense. But one day the scales fell off my algebra eyes and it all made sense. I said,

"Oh, I see! I see why you put this here and that here, change this sign, etc." Then I could do it. I was relaxed about it. Until then I was striving and trying and working. Now I was at rest. I was one with algebra. Of course, we don't need the Spirit's revelation to do algebra. But it works the same in the spiritual realm.

When God gives you a flash of insight, that's it. "Oh, I see!" Everything else, from then on, is just an elaboration on that flash. When you know, you are forever changed in that area. You'd have to make a conscious effort to go back on what the Holy Spirit showed you. That's why it's hard to sin in an area when the Holy Spirit truly shows you something. It's hard to go back on truth. Truth liberates.

I've always liked the word awareness more than the word growth. Because what really happens in each of us? Our awareness simply expands. We become more aware of Who already was. "Oh, I see more and more of Him." We're not seeing more and more about Him. We're seeing more and more of Him. He is the peace. He is the joy. He is the life. He is the love.

Until we see that, we are always saying to God, "Give me something. Gimme. Gimme. Gimme." But when that insight comes (and I'm not saying it has to be sudden, although it was with me), we say, "Oh, I see. I already have life. I already have Him."

When God gives your spirit a revelation, often your soul responds with, "That can't be. That can't be." But your spirit is saying, "It is. It is." Revelation doesn't take place in your brain. God reveals Himself in our spirit. He says, "Yes, the absolutes are true. When you begin to live in My reality, you'll begin to say, 'I am.' Until you live in My reality, you'll say, 'I am becoming' or 'I want to be' or 'I hope I am."'

How many times have I said, "I'd like to be. I wish I were. Maybe someday." And God was on His throne saying, "You are! You are!" When you truly see that Christ is your life, time ceases to be a decisive factor in your life. Everything is just now. You live in the present tense of God. He is not becoming. He is. You are not becoming. You are. You operate from "I am," not "I will become."

The unique thing about the Spirit of God as our teacher is that He has time to be an individual instructor to each one of us. He doesn't have a single lesson plan that fits everybody. He has tailor-made lesson plans based on our individual experiences, needs, and desires. So it's of little value for me to say to you, "This is the way He taught me." Because in all probability He never has taught you that way. He has taught you in His way for you, and it's just as real and valid as His way for me. The life experiences that we have in the seen and temporal realm are the milieu out of which He does the teaching.

The encouraging news to us is that God is in control of this whole process: both when it will happen and to whom it will happen. He has chosen to reveal Himself, not to the chief muckety-mucks of the world system, but to us simple folk:

At that time Jesus said, "I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight." (Matthew 11:25-26)

That seems a strange thing for God to do, but Paul understood it. He told the Corinthians that God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. And look at you, Paul said. You're not much, by the world's standards. You're not the wisest in the world. You're not the cleverest. You're not looked upon as people of power, but God has chosen you.

Every revelation is according to God's good pleasure and His own timing. Timing is so important. You might get the itch before God wants to scratch. You think that you're ready to stop the itch, but God may say, "You're not itching enough yet. If I were to meet you right now, it would be like harvesting something before its time. You wouldn't grow to full maturity." In His own way, in His own time, God reveals.

What is it that the Holy Spirit primarily reveals to us? Jesus told us:

[The Holy Spirit] will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me; for He will take of Mine, and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you. (John 16:13-15)

The work of the Holy Spirit is declaring to us the Father and the Son within us. The Spirit makes no declaration about Himself. He attempts no glorification of Himself. He doesn't point to the fruit or the gifts. The Holy Spirit does not single Himself out because nothing originates with Him. The Spirit is the means by which the life of the Father and the Son comes forth. He wants us to know that we manifest the life of the Father and the Son. That is His revelation.

From: Stone, Dan, The Rest of the Gospel: When the partial Gospel has worn you out. Dallas: One Press. 2000. pgs. 126-129.

The SHOVELATION : Galatians 6

By Jim Minker

"You hear all this, and yet there's something nagging at you concerning believers who sin, isn't there? You may agree that there are problems with a life based on biblical principles, but aren't we supposed to deal with those who go against the principles? This is indeed a delicate situation, but not for the reasons you have heard. If you were to examine the question it would scream out the obvious: "What causes a believer to get caught up in breaking laws anyway?"

I'm talking to you who have God's Spirit, don't you realize that your brother has forgotten who he is? Be careful with your approach, for you are the one who is in danger. For when you view him as a "sinner" who needs your advice, you have let go of freedom and have embraced the law-based system in the exact place where God's grace is most effective ... and most needed!

Forget the advice, what the guy needs is for you to lift this weight of bondage off of him through the power of the message of freedom. This is where we really love one another! But those who are trying to impress the "less spiritual" by coming across as "more spiritual" have fooled themselves into believing their performance ranks them above those they "minister" to. But if you were to examine your work without the comparison game you would discover your real worth; for it would be readily obvious that there is no place to boast except in Christ alone! Support those who teach this freedom.

What? Do you think the manipulative mindset of "If I don't do it, it won't get done!" can bypass God's decree that things produce after their own kind? It makes no difference how "spiritual" your attempts may be, a system of performance can only produce the seeds that produce corruption! The seed of the Spirit of God can only produce the life of God! So don't let appearances cause you to lose heart in doing that which is truly good, for the tendency to do the "right thing" always desires to keep you from being the living thing!

Abraham knew the discouragement that comes from seeing nothing happening; he would tell you to wait for God's results because it will come about. Don't let the impatience of your old performance mentality pressure you into trying to finish what God started. Know this: the Spirit of God is actively working in you right at this moment, as He always does.

As you discover desires of goodness (especially to a fellow believer), refuse to justify it in your mind by trying to determine "What would Jesus do?". You know the process. But doesn't the uncertainty of the whole thing tell you that that's the old, dead mind trying to reinterpret the desires of your new life? What else can you call it when you are asking God to give you proof of His working in you, when the reality of His life being your life has been stated as fact by the message of freedom? Stop questioning the freedom, act according to the life that is in you!

Look at what the systemites use to make themselves appear respectable. This is what they really preach! They will urge you to conform to their program, because without it, they would be faced with the fact that their "Savior" was despised, rejected and condemned by the system they are a part of! Aren't you aware that those who want to pull you into it are not even true to their own programs? They really only want you to join their club so they can bestow their "label" on you and glory in gaining one more member!

Think what you want to about me, but I know for myself that God has faithfully and consistently -- and sometimes, painfully, I might add -- removed anything by which I could boast except the very thing the world despises, which is the instrument upon which Christ was rejected by the system. It is this very thing that separates me from the world -- and the world from me. The issues you hold mean nothing, nor do the lack of them mean anything, either. The only thing that counts is the new creation. God's peace is on those who are found in this"

(Note: Underlining and Bold print are mine)

(NAS Version)
Gal 6:1-18 " Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. For each one will bear his own load. The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh. But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus.The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen." (NAS)

Which Law Written On Our Hearts

By Eddie Fourie

These last couple of weeks have been the toughest of my spiritual walk yet, but also the most glorious time of a revelation of the finished work of the Cross that Paul so powerfully explains in all his letters. It’s an incredible journey when you find out that you are no longer a sinner, and that God dealt with sin two thousand years ago. It’s a marvel when you finally grasp that sin is no longer an issue with God, and that God already views you as perfect, holy and without blame (righteous) in Christ apart from your performance or works. Religion on the other hand keeps on reminding us of that which is no longer an issue for God – THE LAW OF MOSES. And that's all I hear lately - IT IS FINISHED - and no matter which page I turn to in the Bible, it speaks of this wonderful revelation from the heart of God. In essence it’s the difference of being under the law or being under grace. Oh, we preach grace, talk about it, write books about it, but almost always with the law still safely shackled to it. My own conclusion is that 99% of books on grace are just debates about mixing two covenants, and that it’s a far cry from the revelation that Paul teaches in his letters. The words that constantly echo off the walls of my mind are “where there is no law, there is no more transgression of the law.” Thus, to still draw right and wrong from the law by definition means that we are under the law and not under grace. Bonhoeffer and other great ministers taught about making grace “responsible,” and although I see their hearts on the matter, their methods almost always lead to being back under the law. Then there was also Paul and James who saw the matter of grace without works, and grace with works, in stark opposites, and even had bitter disputes about the matter. Sadly, all of these neat definitions still produce cause and effect religion, which is no different from the blessings and curses of keeping or violating the law.

We are all familiar with the verses that God will write his law on our heart, and for most of my walk with God, I assumed this to mean the law of the old covenant. However, Paul dismantles the law as the ministry of death and condemnation not fit for a righteous person. Why on earth would God write such a code on our hearts? What would be the purpose to inscribe a code which MUST lead to wrath? (Rom 4.15) So it seems to me that all of this is an attempt to restore the law with grace, whereas I now clearly see them as mortal enemies in our relationship towards God. Jesus fulfilled and completed the covenant of the law on the Cross, and either it was ALL nailed to his body, or it was not. Either he settled a new covenant between God and man based on grace, or he did not. We already know the law declared all of humanity guilty before God, and if the natural outcome of the law is wrath, then all we have to do is answer the question about who drank the cup of God’s wrath for violating the law? It was nothing other than the law that taught us good from evil, right from wrong, and from which we draw morality. Before the law came, people knew something was wrong, but they had no way of defining what it was, and so the law became necessary to complete the outcome of eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Did Christ fulfill the law? If so, then why do we still go around judging people based on the precepts of the law? If God nailed this old guardian to the Cross, then why do we still make it the guardian against which we measure people and spirituality? Is it perhaps because we don’t trust the fact that God promised to guide people himself under the new covenant? Or could it be that we still inject the law because we really don’t have a full understanding of God’s view about us?

My Christian mentors taught me that the law expresses God’s character; his likes and dislikes if you would. In a sense that is true, but I think most of all the law teaches us the character of man apart from God. It’s only a shadow of the perfect man that would be acceptable to God – his Son, and at its core, the law forbids being human because it is spiritual and we are not apart from Christ. Its requirements are righteous, but we know that nobody could keep the law, and God had no illusion that we would fail in all our attempts at keeping it. Christians who walk around saying “at least I am trying” live in the same pitiable state as we did under the law. If ‘trying’ got the job done, then Israel would have been the most holy and righteous people walking the earth – but we know they are not. The law begins to makes perfect sense if you understand that God needed a way to show us that we are ALL guilty in our own efforts (self-righteousness) and that none of us sought after him by its demands - not a single one.

And then you might ask where does this leave us with the whole issue of morality? How do we decide morality if the moral code of the law is no longer in effect? (And you might disagree with this premise, but I come back to where there is no law, there is no transgression of the law). Paul tells Timothy that as long as there are people who do not possess the knowledge of their righteousness in Christ, that laws (not the law) are necessary, but the law is not intended for a righteous person. So let’s circle back to my earlier comment about the law that’s written on our hearts; if it’s not the law of the old covenant, then what law is written on our hearts in the new covenant? It’s the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus. It’s the law that teaches us there is no condemnation between us and God. It’s the law that teaches us that nothing can separate us from the love of God. It’s the law that teaches us that God already declared us righteous, holy and without blame before him in Christ apart from our works or performance. This is all in Christ, and Paul's definition of a righteous person - not someone who still walks around with a “sinner” mentality. In Christ we are no longer sinners, but righteous because Jesus removed the very obstacle that declared us unrighteous and sinners before God – THE LAW. It’s the finished work of the Cross that brought us near to God without our performance or efforts, and it’s this revelation that brings God's peace and rest to our hearts. It’s this new law of the Spirit that brings the fruit of love, joy peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control into our lives. If sin was the natural fruit of the first covenant without our help, then how much more will the fruit of the second covenant be part of our lives without our help as we embrace this new law? We cannot produce an ounce of it, it's a natural outcome of this new law.

The law (of Moses) was not given for us to judge one another with, but to judge ourselves against while we still lived under it. If we become judges of the law, then we become the very “gods” we thought we would become by eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Living out such a position makes us no better off than still being under the old covenant, and we can only end where the Pharisee’s did; they boasted in the laws they could keep, and justified the one’s they couldn’t. And we all know that if we break one of these laws, then we are guilty of breaking all of them. But you and I, all of humanity was declared in violation of the whole code of the law two thousand years ago. Unfortunately we have scores of teachers and preachers who still proclaim a mixture of the law alongside grace, but they do not understand what they are saying or the things they insist on so confidently (1 Tim 1.7). Such teachers promote useless speculations rather than God’s redemptive plan that operates by FAITH (1 Tim 1.4), because “by the works of law shall no flesh be declared righteous before Him, for through the law is a knowledge of sin.” (Rom 3.20) Want to hear such a useless speculation? The other day I happen to skip across a "Christian" radio station when the minister confidently declared that the only difference between the old and the new covenant is that we no longer stone people to death for violating the law, but that all of the demands of the law are still in place. What a detestable speculation, and no wonder the Church at large is such a confused mess.

Now I am not suggesting there is no such thing as morality - God forbid. Even Paul addressed this issue at length in Romans 6, but I believe we misunderstand his teaching on the subject. Because of our English translations of the Bible, we have viewed sin more as a verb than a noun. Most of the time when the New Testament writes about sin, it writes about sin as a noun, and not as a list of do and don’ts (sounds like the law). Thus when Paul addressed this issue of not sinning because we are under grace, he was not referring to sin in the sense of a verb, but more definitively as a teaching (doctrine) of sin (the law). Read Romans 6.15-23 and see how Paul describes that once we were slaves to the teaching (doctrine) of sin, but that now we should rather be slaves to the teaching (doctrine) of righteousness. I don’t wish to explore the whole context of righteousness in this essay, I simply wanted to point out that he was referring to two different doctrines as opposed to a list of do’s and don’ts.

Then, don’t you know that Paul says the mind of the law (flesh) is at war with the mind of the Spirit, and that they desire opposite things? These two minds will never desire the same things, and no wonder so many Christians are at war within themselves trying to please God. This double mindedness about trying to mix the law and grace makes man unstable in ALL of his ways. Contemporary teachings are nothing less than trying to make the flesh holy in the same manner that failed under the first covenant. Major Ian W. Thomas is right when he says “there is nothing quite as nauseating or pathetic as the flesh trying to be holy!” The only way out of this dilemma is to understand that the law has not been an issue with God for more than two thousand years now. Believing this will save your soul from this dreadful war and your attempts to uphold two opposing covenants. God settled the matter ONCE AND FOR ALL in Christ, but it is of ourselves that we make it an issue once again, thus falling from grace and crucifying Jesus all over again. God purposed the Scriptures (law) to imprison everything and everyone under sin so that the promise could be given — and because of the faith OF Jesus Christ — to those who believe this truth. (Gal 3.22) We have been reconciled to God at the Cross while we were still God's enemies, and knowing this truth is what causes the life of Christ to save our souls daily from cause and effect religion (the law). (1 Cor 5:18-19)

So, here I am, looking at all the books on my bookshelf that “explain” this Christian walk, and they just look like faint shadows of that which I have seen this last while. Suddenly they seem so superficial, and I must have read the Bible more in the last couple of weeks than in my entire spiritual walk. Like the law and the letter, these books are empty of any saving life in itself - it's time to move on. I look back at many of the articles that I posted on my blog, and all I see is law, law and more law. It was for freedom that Christ has set us free, but mixing law and grace is not freedom; it’s still the law. I will therefore not convert most of those articles as I said I would, but would much rather devote the new ezine to material that explores Paul’s gospel of grace and peace. I grappled with this for quite some time, and hence my silence in posting new articles. I now have peace about the matter, I have peace about who I am in Christ, and all I want to know going forward is Christ crucified.

THE SECRET OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

By: Gene Edwards

What have you been told is the secret to the Christian life? Pray and read your Bible? Go to church? Witness? Speak in tongues? Tithe?

Let me go on record. I do not believe anything on that list even comes close to the issue of how to live the Christian life. All have one inherent flaw. The fatal flaw? Every item on the aforementioned list assumes that it is possible to live the Christian life. Can you live the Christian life? The answer is no, a resounding NO! You cannot live the Christian life.

That list takes for granted you can live the Christian life. Also note that you are the center of every item on that list. Call it "you-centeredness." You out there living the Christian life. You cannot live the Christian life. Jesus Christ could not live the Christian life. None of us can live the Christian life! If Jesus Christ cannot live the Christian life, what makes you think that you can? You can give up trying to live the Christian life! We can all testify what a colossal failure we have been at trying to live the Christian life.

God the Father lives the Christian life. "How does God the Father live the Christian life?" He doesn't. He is the Christian life. He is the highest life. God the Father is the wellspring, the source, the first motion, and the fountainhead of the Christian life.

The Father indwelt His Son here on this earth for thirty-three years. The Father lived the Christian life inside Jesus Christ. It was the Father's life, and the Father's life alone, which lived the Christian life inside your Lord. It is the Father's life, and the Father's life alone, that ever lives the Christian life. It is the Father's life, and Father's life alone, which will live the Christian life in you. Embrace a formula or a list in order to "live the Christian life," and you are doomed to frustration.

But on the day you quit trying to live the Christian life ...then you will finally give Him the freeway to live out in you what is so easy and so simple and so organic for Him to do. Hopefully, you just got set free from a long list of do's and don'ts (the "do's" you can't do, and the "don'ts" you always do). Why look so shocked; stop and think about it. You never were any good at living the Christian life. Admit it.

From: The Secret of the Christian Life

Chapter 10, "Won to Trust"

I have just completed reading the newly published, Chapter 10, "Won to Trust" .........of the ongoing Jake Colsen Story. Below is a paragraph from this work, just oozing with Truth! I hope you will enjoy this piece as much as I have.

(Jake said...)
“I feel like I have more to teach now than I ever have, and that I have far fewer people to share it with?”

(John's Reply...)
John laughed heartily. “If I had a dollar for every time I heard that…” Then he put his hand over mine. “It’s not about teaching, Jake. It’s about living. Learn to live this life and you’ll have no end of folks to share it with. Teach it first, however, and that will be your substitute for living it.”

See link below:

Rainbow Lorikeet

Job 35:11 When God sets out the entire creation as a science classroom, using birds and beasts to teach wisdom.

As the Rainbow Lorikeet feeds largely upon the honey of flowers......... may we drink of the Sweet Nectar of His Presence.

"I went to my garden, dear friend, best lover! breathed the sweet fragrance. I ate the fruit and honey, I drank the nectar and wine. Celebrate with me, friends! Raise your glasses--"To life! To love!" Son 5:1 (msg)

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THIRD DAY PERSPECTIVE

by Robert Holmes admin@storm-harvest.asn.au

Three years ago I was sitting in a car driving to Dulles airport, Washington DC with a prophetess named Nancy. We were having an animated conversation about the Trinity. Our discussion centered on the observation that nearly everything seems to come in threes - after the order and image of the God-head. Our nature (body-soul-spirit); our world (earth-water-air); the transfiguration (Jesus-Moses-Elijah) and so many other things. I recall the process of death, burial and resurrection took three days.

A year later I was flying in to California to meet with a man named Gary. He was the leader of a group called the Third Day Churches. I listened intently to his explanation about freedom in Christ, of liberty from the old ways of religion, and of pressing through into "something else". Gary, like other leaders had come from a traditional church background, through a freedom loving, Vineyard style church into what he has today. It was a three-step process.

This year I met a fascinating speaker and author, Doug. Our conversation wandered into the Third Day (again!). It was too much for me. Doug had taken it to the next level, and could see the necessity for the church to change, or radically shift their day-to-day perspective on life. We must go all the way through.

Death, burial and resurrection

There is found in Hosea a reference to this three day process: "Come, let us return to the LORD; for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us; he has struck down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. Let us know, let us press on to know the LORD; his appearing is as sure as the dawn; he will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the earth" (Hos. 6:1-3 NRSV).

On the first day the Lord tears us; He strikes us down. The result is death - a blow to our old nature. On the second day we come to Him; the call is to return to Him. He heals us; He binds us up. After two days He will revive us, and on the third day, He will raise us up! The process is death, burial and resurrection life - resulting in His appearing. He will come to us like showers.

The three-day pattern is literally found all the way through the Scriptures. Once you know the key, you can see the pattern. Let's take a look at twelve places it occurs, to understand God's plan for us to live in a "Third Day" life.

1. Where is your life?

Holding onto your life (which is really death - Matt. 10:39) is a first day reality. To understand and share in His sufferings, so as to attain His death (Phil. 3:10) is a second day reality. To walk without fear of death, knowing that for me to live is Christ (Gal. 2:20) & that my life is hid with Christ in God (Col. 3:3) is a third day reality. God wants us to come through our suffering (not avoid it), to embrace our pain (not get therapy for it) and come through that death into resurrection life! (Rev. 20:6).

2. What room of the temple are you in?*

The tabernacle of Moses foreshadowed the temple of Solomon, which is a shadow of the heavenly tabernacle. There were three rooms in Moses' tabernacle. The outer court is where great sacrifice took place, much blood sweat and tears; this is living in the first day. The inner court was a place of worship. It contained the eternal flame, the shewbread, the priestly life. A sanctified life of prayer, fasting and holiness; that is living in the second day. Then there was the holy place, the holy of holies where God dwelt over the mercy seat between the Cherubim. We are invited into the place of intimacy, relationship and life (Heb 10:19-25); that is living in the third day.

*[One could equally ask, "What tabernacle are you at?" - the Tabernacle of Moses, the Tabernacle of David (Acts 15:16), or the Tabernacle of Heaven (Heb. 8:2)?].

3. What priesthood are you a part of?

There are three priesthoods mentioned in Hebrews chapter seven. The first is of Aaron (vs 11) - the one man who could stand for the rest and speak to Moses - the one man who could stand for the rest and speak to God. The "one man" show, the "chosen one" paradigm is a first day understanding. The second priesthood comes from Levi (vs 5) - the tribe of priests raised up to perform the rights and minister at the sanctuary. The practice of having priests, an order of holy men, an order of "ministers" or pastors is a second day understanding. The third priesthood is of Melchizedek (vs 17). The order of a Man without lineage, of eternal life, who came to make all men capable ministers of the New Covenant (2 Cor. 3:16). We [all] are a royal priesthood and a holy nation (1 Pet. 2:9). That is a third day understanding.

4. What Feast are you at?

The Old Covenant contained many rules, regulations and policies. But it also contained three key feasts to celebrate God and the Kingdom*. The Feast of Unleavened Bread (Passover) is a first day celebration of the sacrifice of the lamb, and for us (at Easter) a celebration of the death of Jesus. The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) is the second day feast celebrating the fruitfulness, the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Church. But it is the third day feast - the Feast of Tabernacles (Booths) that we are coming to: the celebration of Christ within us (Col. 1:27), of God tabernacling with His people (John 14:23)!

* I acknowledge that there are other "days" celebrated - the day of Trumpets, the day of Atonement, the day of Sabbath and the "feast" of Purim (a day to celebrate the victory of Mordechai). Hanukah also celebrates the victory of Maccabaeus.

5. What rule-book do you follow?

Are you a first day believer - living under the weight of the law, a son of the bondwoman (Gal. 4:25). Do you live under a "touch not, taste not" kind of religion (Col. 2:21)? Or are you a second day believer - living under the traditions of men (which nullify the word of God: Mark 7:3). Do you go through the motions, play the game, work the room like a good religious person? Or are you living in the third day - chosen by grace (Rom. 11:6) and by grace alone you have been saved (Eph. 2:5)?

6. How mature are you?

An immature son is no better than a slave. He is trapped by his immature "reap and sow" mentality. He does not own the field, he cannot work the farm (Gal. 4:1), he does not learn from pain. He is a first day son. A son growing up is under the care of guardians, tutors who lead them by the nose (Gal. 4:3), he must learn through suffering. He is a second day son. But a mature, third day son has entered into his inheritance, and is a co-heir with Christ (Gal. 4:7). He understands that the field is his; the business is his. He embraces the cross, he endures the suffering and comes through with a changed character, looking more like his heavenly Father.

7. What is the basis of your sonship?

Do you obey out of fear (Rom. 8:8), because you're afraid God might not love you? Do you act out of a need to please Him? That's a first day basis to life. Are you a fanatic, trying to please God with your efforts, accomplishments, and goal achievements. Are trying to do the right thing in the hope of getting the teacher's mantle? That's a second day basis to life. We are trying to press through to the fullness of being a son, lead by the Spirit, manifesting His glory and changing creation (Rom. 8:14-19). The third day life expresses itself through the anointing, which breaks every yoke. It touches creation and sets the captives free. That's a third day basis to life.

8. What culture do you portray?

There are those who think a love for the city-state of Jerusalem is a holy thing. Who think prayer shawls and other Jewish cultural trappings make for a more godly Christianity. Such practice, whilst innocuous, is adherence to a first day culture. God is not a Hebrew, He is the God of the Hebrews. Do you not know that Jerusalem today is Hagar, and pertains to the bondage of Arabia? They are the children of slavery, just like their Arab brothers (Gal. 4:2,254).

There are those who practice another kind of culture, a learned, stable, aged Christianity that comes from history. The Catechism, the vestments, the prayer book and hymnals are fine as far as they go, but this is church culture. second day culture. The third day truth is that we are sojourners; we are strangers to this world, we are not from here (Heb. 11:13). We are not patriotic to our nationalistic culture. We come from a heavenly, Kingdom culture (John 18:36). We can love and pray for the peace of Jerusalem, but we are not attached to it in an earthly way. We can love and pray for the nation in which we are born, but we are not trapped in nationalism. Our eyes are on the Jerusalem from above (Heb. 11:10).

9. What kind of leader do you have?

A first day Christian is looking for rules, regulations and a mode to life that will help them. It is the law, acting as a tutor leading you (Gal. 3:24). A second day Christian needs a leader leading them. Paul spoke of the "ascension gift ministries" which, according to his letter to the Ephesians, was "until" (Eph. 4:11). Until the perfection of the saints. Apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists are all second day ministries, until. Third day life is being fully connected to the Holy Spirit, listening to the Lord. It is the anointing leading us (1 John 2:27). It is being fully mature, in the image and stature of Christ, one Body, connected to the brethren.

10. What is your expectation from the community you belong to?

In the first day life, you go to church, and expect the pastor to do everything for you. You have your priest, the law and rules governing your life. It is the priest/ people paradigm. Second day life is more congregational (thank you, Baptists). Sure, there is still a minister, and something of a spectator event, but the people have more power (control). There is eldership, a deaconate, a board, importance, but we have not yet found resurrection life in our congregation have we? In heaven, everyone is involved. In a third day church, everyone is involved (1 Cor. 14:26), and everyone brings something to share.

11. Your perspective: first, second, third heaven

Being in the first day gives you a first heaven perspective. The heavens are in the sky; the sky is far away. The air you breathe is more real than the air of heaven. You can only see your life's circumstances. It is Israel and Egypt, full of brick-making and toil. Being in the second day opens you up to the spirit realm, but you are more aware of the demonic than the angelic. You are conscious of supernatural phenomena, but have not pressed through to victory. Jesus confronted the dark principalities of sickness, death and hell on the second day (Eph. 4:9). Being in the third day gives you the full perspective, and now you embrace a view from the throne and government of Christ. You can see the glory of God in everything below it.

12. Your mentality

A first day Christian, with a first heaven revelation lives with a "bunker" mentality. He is holding on until Jesus comes back. He is living out life controlled by his circumstance. He does not have the victory over life, but must endure it. A second day Christian becomes aware of and engaged with fighting principalities and powers. He adopts a "warfare" mentality (Eph. 6:12). He is fighting all the time (sickness, death, demons). A third day Christian has been through both of these phases, and now embraces a higher law - that he was made with royal blood, and will soon be fit to rule and reign with Christ. He knows he is blessed with every blessing in the spiritual realm (Eph. 1:3); is seated with Christ in the heavenly realm (Eph. 2:6); and has the task of making known the mystery of Christ to those same principalities and powers (Eph. 3:10).

Conclusion

As Christians we will be a mixture of first, second and third day truths. The Lord is not saying "give up" He is saying "upgrade". He is not saying you are inferior if you have first or second day understanding, but He is saying there is deeper water to swim in. He is saying there is a higher mountain, a better view from a new perspective. His desire is for each of us to grow to the fullness of maturity. This entire process is really a following after our leader - Christ who dies, was buried and has been raised from the dead! It is a becoming like Him, transformed into His likeness. He truly is the Third Day.

References

Coen, Nancy. "The Trinity Through Creation". Private dialogue. Oct 25, 2002
Fortune, Doug. "The Third Day Concept" Private dialogue. Feb 8, 2005.
Goodell, Gary. "Third Day Churches". Private dialogue. May 2, 2003.

jakecolsen.com

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE: A SHEER IMPOSSIBILITY!

By: Major W. Ian Thomas

"It is not difficult for man to live the Christian life," somebody once said, it is a sheer impossibility!"

A sheer impossibility, that is, without CHRIST ­ but for all that He says, you have all that He is, and that is all that it takes!

The Christian life can only be explained in terms of Jesus Christ, and if your life as a Christian can still be explained in terms of you ­ your personality, your willpower, your gift, your talent, your money, your courage, your scholarship, your dedication, your sacrifice, or your anything ­ then although you may have the Christian life, you are not yet living it!

If the way you live your life as a Christian can be explained in terms of you, what have you to offer to the man who lives next door? The way he lives his life can be explained in terms of him, and so far as he is concerned, you happen to be "religious" ­ but he is not! "Christianity" may be your hobby, but it is not his, and there is nothing about the way you practice it which strikes him as at all remarkable! There is nothing about you which leaves him guessing, and nothing commendable of which he docs not feel himself equally capable without the inconvenience of becoming a Christian!

It is only when your quality of life baffles the neighbors that you are likely to impress them! It has got to become patently obvious to others that the kind of life you are living is not only commendable, but that it is beyond all human explanation! That it is beyond the consequences of man's capacity to imitate, and however little they may understand this, clearly the consequence only of God's capacity to reproduce Himself in you!

In a nutshell, this means that your fellow-men must become convinced that the Lord Jesus Christ of whom you speak, is essentially Himself the ingredient of the Life you live!

From: The Mystery of Godliness

WILL THE EMERGING CHURCH FULLY EMERGE?

Brother's & Sister's In-Christ,

I offer the below treatise/challenge for your discernment and enticement. The Majority have chosen to totally discount/ignore the below types of teaching and just continue with business as usual. I believe this article will speak to the single-most controversial issue surrounding the "Church" being able to ultimately "Emerge". It is my prayer that many, if not all will begin to embrace the tide of change that Must come! I close with a quote:

"Experience supplies painful proof that traditions once called into being are first called useful, then they become necessary. At last they are too often made idols, and all must bow down to them or be punished."

J. C. Ryle

Your Brother In-Christ, Tripp

WILL THE EMERGING CHURCH FULLY EMERGE?

An Invitation for Serious Reflection and Open Dialogue

by Frank Viola

I am writing this article to my sisters and brothers in Christ, both leaders and non-leaders, who belong to what has come to be called “the emerging church conversation.”

The influence of this conversation has been no less than incredible. So much so, that at least to my mind, it can be better described as a phenomenon. And it is picking up steam with each passing day.

I am a student of church history. My studies have led me to make the following observation: Every phenomenon and movement that has set out to reform or renew the church was born with profound shortcomings and weaknesses. And these shortcomings and weaknesses were never addressed until it was too late for them to be corrected. In my own lifetime, I have seen this to be true for the charismatic movement, the Jesus movement, the third-wave movement, and the house church movement . . . just to name a few.

Because the emerging church phenomenon is still in its infancy, its shortcomings and weaknesses can be addressed now. As Christians who have grown tired of the modern church, we have a brand new opportunity to change the course of church history. I realize that this may appear to be an outrageous statement. Nonetheless, it is true. We have been given a small window to see a complete overhaul of our Christian faith and to be faithful in honoring the heart of Jesus and the vision of the earliest apostles in our own time. This is why I write today.

Major Strengths of the Emerging Church Phenomenon

The following are themes within the emerging church phenomenon that I wholeheartedly applaud and am thankful for:

1. The emerging church phenomenon is exploring fresh ways to revamp and recontextualize the gospel message to postmodern people. Not only do I applaud this new emphasis, but I shamelessly admit that I have a great deal to glean in this area. Thus, I would like to learn more from those who have plowed further in this field.

2. The emerging church phenomenon has placed a long-awaited emphasis on community and relational faith.

3. The emerging church phenomenon has placed an emphasis on rethinking the modern church . . . its methods, its programs, its traditions, and its structure.

4. The emerging church phenomenon has placed a new emphasis on the Jesus of the Gospels opposed to the exclusive emphasis on the Jesus of Paul’s writings.

5. The emerging church phenomenon has placed a rightful emphasis on the importance of Body functioning.

6. The emerging church phenomenon has placed a new emphasis on the importance of narrative.

7. The emerging church phenomenon has dumped the modern penchant to always be certain in answering every spiritual question under the sun. Instead, it has rested content to embrace mystery and paradox in our God.

8. The emerging church phenomenon has re-ignited a healthy interest in the Christian mystics who emphasized spiritual encounter over against mere academic knowledge of God and the Bible.

I am absolutely thrilled to hear “ordinary” Christians, and even leaders talk about these themes openly and unashamedly. All of them point to crucial changes that the Body of Christ desperately needs today. Add to that, I become nearly euphoric whenever I hear of pastors leaving their entrenched positions to rethink the entire basis for their Christian existence. Such a courageous step is both impressive and worthy of deep respect.

Let me again repeat: We are in a season of church history where we face a small window of time for real and lasting change. A window for revolution in the modern Christian mindset and in the traditional practices of the modern church. A window that Christians 1,000 years from now (should Jesus tarry, of course) can turn their heads back to and behold the beginning of a drastic paradigm shift from an old leaking wineskin to a new wineskin hand-crafted by the Spirit of God.

But note . . . that window will eventually close. And it will close soon.

The emerging church phenomenon is promising, for it embodies many necessary contributions to a fuller embodiment of Christ and His church. At the same time, the weaknesses of the phenomenon, if not honestly and directly addressed, will reduce it to the status of all past renewal movements. Namely, it will end up spawning a new denomination or “movement” which simply puts a few Band-Aids on the church’s ills rather than excavating the root of its problems.

I would now like to list what I find to be the weaknesses of the phenomenon along with some bold questions that I hope will foster serious and open dialogue among leaders in the emerging church. Please note that this list betrays the essence and burden of my own ministry and the vision which drives me. Since I have written on these matters extensively elsewhere, I have cited where one can find these threads more fully unraveled.

Serious Weaknesses of the Emerging Church Phenomenon

By my lights, the weaknesses of the emerging church phenomenon are as follows:

1. The emerging church phenomenon has wonderfully articulated some of the major flaws of the modern church, yet like all of its predecessors, it has failed to identify and take dead aim at one of the chief roots of most of its ills.

I firmly believe that the taproot of most of the problems that plague the church in modernity is the clergy system. To put a finer point on it, Protestant Christians are addicted to the modern pastoral office. The pastor is the all-purpose religious professional in the modern Protestant church, both evangelical and mainline.

Please note that my critique is not an attack on pastors as people. Most pastors in the emerging church are gifted Christians who have a heart for the Lord and a genuine love for His people. It is the modern pastoral office and role that I believe is profoundly flawed, and few of us have ever questioned it.

Let me unpack that a bit. My experience in this country and overseas over the last seventeen years has yielded one immovable conclusion: God’s people can engage in high-talk about community life, Body functioning, and Body life, but unless the modern pastoral role is utterly abandoned in a given church, God’s people will never be unleashed to function in freedom under the Headship of Jesus Christ. I have had pastors vow to me that they were the exception. However, upon visiting their congregations, it was evident that the people did not know the first thing about functioning as a Body on their own. Neither were they given any practical tools on knowing the Lord intimately and living by His life. The reason is that the flaws of the modern pastoral role are actually built into the role itself.

The pastor, by his mere presence, causes an unhealthy dependence upon himself for ministry, direction, and guidance. Thus, as long as he hangs around delivering sermons, the people in the church to which he belongs will never be fully set free to function on their own in a church meeting setting. Further, the pastoral office typically destroys those who populate it. Jesus Christ never intended for anyone to shoulder that kind of enormous responsibility and power.

In the first-century church, there was no single pastor. The Protestant pastor (which includes the evangelical pastor, the mainline pastor, and the non-denominational pastor) evolved out of the Catholic priesthood. The pastor is essentially a reformed priest, and his role has no root in the original vision and story of the people of God.

In Century One, some of the churches had elders who played a shepherding role. But they did not dominate the ministry of the church, nor was the direction of the church exclusively placed into their hands (as is the case with many elder-led churches today like Presbyterians and the Plymouth Brethren). I believe that we are in desperate need to return to these first principles.

Time and space will not permit me to give historical and pragmatic evidence for the above statements, but I have addressed them elsewhere in great detail. I heartily invite my readers to explore both Scripture and church history for themselves and draw their own conclusions. (See my article Where Did the Modern Pastor Come From? http://www.ptmin.org/thepastor.htm along with my books Rethinking the Wineskin http://www.ptmin.org/rethink.htm and Who is Your Covering? http://www.ptmin.org/covering.htm.)

Pastors can wax eloquent all day about “facilitating,” “mentoring,” and “equipping” the saints. But here is the proof of the pudding: Let that pastor leave his congregation on its own without any stated leaders for six months to a year, and he will quickly learn how well he has equipped the church. Will that congregation be able to lead its own songs without a song leader or worship team? Will they be able to have gatherings that are under the Headship of Jesus Christ like the early church did? Will every member of the church be equipped to provide life-giving ministry to one another in those meetings? Will they be able to solve problems and make decisions together as a community?

Perhaps this thought has never occurred to you. But what I have just described is precisely what the church planters of the first century did routinely. They worked themselves out of a job. Not in pious rhetoric, but in reality.

Paul of Tarsus had a deliberate habit of spending anywhere from three months to three years with a church, equipping it to function in his absence. He would always then leave those churches on their own without a clergy. More on this later.

Question: Is it possible that in our efforts to bring renewal and change to the traditional church, we have never seriously taken a biblical, historical, and practical look at the legitimacy of the modern pastoral office? Can we at least experiment with another alternative . . . the ministry paradigm that we find in our New Testaments? For those of us who are inclined to delivering sermons and providing “leadership,” do we have the integrity to freshly examine if the modern pastoral role and the giving of sermons week after week is truly equipping God’s people to function as members of His Body in a coordinated way?

2. The emerging church phenomenon has neglected the role of the itinerant church planter.

Over the last few years, I have observed a number of “laymen” leave their present congregations to start new “emerging churches.” Strikingly, these laymen always become the pastors of these new churches. With a few minor exceptions, the wineskin proved identical to the old wineskin that they had left.

Let me enlarge this observation into a principle. The clergy-led institutional church is like a rubber band. No matter what it experiences in the way of renewal or reform, it will always bounce back to the same structure. It lives on fads and gimmicks. But when the smoke clears, it will always return to a pastor who preaches sermons to a passive congregation, a prescribed order of worship where God’s people are not free to function unhindered in the gatherings, and a building whose structural arrangement encourages people to be muted spectators.

With all of our emphasis on being faithful to incarnate the Kingdom of God in the world today, we have overlooked one important ingredient for having authentic church life that is clearly envisioned throughout the entire New Testament: The paradigm of how healthy churches were planted when the church was young, free, and pure.

I have addressed this matter in great detail in my book So You Want to Start a House Church? First-Century Styled Church Planting For Today http://www.ptmin.org/start.htm. To summarize very briefly, we discover the following compelling ideas given to us in the New Testament:

A. Church planters were men who have previously lived in an organic expression of church life as non-leaders before they were sent out to plant churches. One main reason: They needed to first experience that which they would pass on to others elsewhere.

B. Church planters were specially equipped to bring people into a living encounter with Jesus Christ, to teach them how to function in a church meeting, and to solve problems that the church would face in the future.

C. After the church planters had properly equipped the church to function under the Headship of Jesus Christ, they left those churches on their own without any stated leaders! (In some cases, the church planters would later return to acknowledge elders in the advent that God’s people would face a personal crisis, but elders never monopolized the ministry nor took the direction away from the church.)

Question: Is it possible that the emerging church phenomenon has neglected to look at the way churches were planted in the first century, and instead, has opted to follow the path of modern missionary movements and traditional pastoral systems? For those of us who are considered “church leaders,” are we confident enough in our ministries and in the ability of God’s people, as well as the Holy Spirit, to abandon our congregations without stated leaders like Paul of Tarsus did . . . and really test the effectiveness of our ministries? Can we, pray tell, at least begin to dialogue about this matter openly and seek to discover if in fact God has rooted some unchangeable principles of church planting in His Word? Principles that may be worth returning to in our time?

3. The emerging church phenomenon has overlooked what Paul calls “the eternal purpose” (Eph. 3:11), which is God’s ultimate intention in creation and redemption.

It has been my observation that the entire thrust of the emerging church phenomenon is rooted in how best to meet people’s needs. Consider the hot topics in the emerging church conversation today: “How can we better evangelize the lost?” “How can we better live out the ideals of the gospel of Jesus,” “How should we treat the homosexual?” “How can we better articulate the gospel in a postmodern context?” “What is the place of artists in the church?”

All of these questions have as their underlying root the meeting of human needs. I do not mean to demean this, for the gospel certainly addresses the needs of humanity. However, there is a need in God, too. That need does not correspond to a deficiency in Himself (for He is all-sufficient), but it rather flows out of the desire of His nature. Paul calls this need “the eternal purpose” or “the purpose of the ages.” And the church, as dreamt in the heart of God, stands at the heartbeat of this ultimate intention. I have read reams of emerging church articles, but never once have I seen an article (or a chapter from an emerging church book for that matter) that discusses or brings light to the eternal purpose of God.

Describing the eternal purpose of God is beyond the scope of this article, though I have addressed it elsewhere. But I wish to end this section with some searching questions:

God conceived a purpose in eternity past. And that purpose was the very motivation for the creation wherein we stand. Do you know what that purpose is?

God’s eternal purpose is His magnificent obsession . . . it is that which drives and consumes His very being. Can the emerging church emerge from emphasizing how to better meet the needs of humanity to a conversation on that all-governing purpose which stands at the center of the beating heart of God?

4. The emerging church phenomenon shares a common trait with most of Christendom in that it is largely built on theory with little practice. For instance, there is a great deal of high-talk about Body functioning, community life, and equipping the saints for ministry, yet I have seen little to no fleshing out of these spiritual realities in any form among those who carry on loudly about them. While I applaud the gains that some emerging churches have made in providing more freedom to their members during a church service than the garden-variety institutional church, in my assessment, these churches have moved just a few inches forward on a very long road.

Allow me to enlarge this point a bit. About two months ago, I received a phone call from a well-known leader in the emerging church. His words to me were, “Frank, I’m really discouraged. There’s a lot of talk about community life, Body functioning, and Body ministry among us, but I have not been impressed with what I’ve seen along these lines.”

I agreed with him totally. But then I responded, “I believe this is a major weakness of the emerging church conversation. I certainly don’t claim to have all the answers, but I’ve been emerging from the institutional church for almost 20 years now. I’ve made a lot of mistakes and failures, but I have also made many wonderful discoveries along the way. This journey continues till this day. But I can say this without flinching: For the last seventeen years, I have been gathering with Christians outside the organized church. Without exception, all of the groups that I have gathered with or have worked with personally have known the pains and joys of community life in bed-rock reality, they have all had consistent meetings under the Lord’s Headship without a leader or facilitator, they have made decisions together, and they have solved their own problems . . . all without a pastor, or a group of selected men to rule them, and without a song leader or worship team.”

The man never inquired further.

This leads me to a set of thorny questions: If we are humble enough to admit that a great deal of the emerging church conversation is arm-chair philosophy, can we be humble enough to sit with those who have had some practical experience in these matters and openly dialogue about them?

Is it possible for those churches that have traveled a few feet in the right direction in “liberating the laity” to not excuse themselves from examining the vast remaining tract of land to be traveled?

How will the church of Jesus Christ ever be visible on this earth in any wide measure if those whom God has called and gifted to help equip God’s people are never willing learn from one another and seek to put into practice the vision that burns in their hearts? Are we each left to independently reinvent the wheel . . . every-man for himself? Or does this really boil down to a blatant unwillingness to abandon the clerical system which continues to control God’s people? Are we blithely opting for more Band-Aids simply because it is convenient?

5. While the emerging church phenomenon has placed a much needed emphasis on the Jesus of the Gospels, it has focused on imitating His outward conduct instead of exploring His internal relationship with an indwelling God which was the source of His conduct.

Studying the earthly example of Jesus Christ and trying to imitate it is like trying to create an orange out of whole cloth by studying the composition of a natural orange in a laboratory. An orange is the fruit . . . the natural outcome . . . of the life of an orange tree. In the same way, Jesus’ earthly conduct was simply the fruit of a life lived in communion with an indwelling Father.

Jesus said clearly that He could not live the Christian life: “Without my Father, I can do nothing.” What, then, was the taproot of His selfless lifestyle? He gave us the answer in John 6:57, “As the Father has sent me and I LIVE BY MY FATHER, so he that eats me shall live by me.” Jesus Christ had an internal relationship with His Father who indwelt Him.

For you and I to try to live the Christian life is like expecting a cat to set a dinner table, bake a cake, eat it with fork and knife, and wash dishes. The cat is the wrong life form to carry out these activities; hence, it is impossible for a cat to display human conduct. Jesus said as much when He told His followers, “Without me you can do nothing.”

The secret to Jesus’ extraordinary life on earth was in His partaking of His indwelling Father and living by His life. In the same way, the secret to imitating Jesus is no different. It is found in partaking of our indwelling Lord and living by His life.

Can we be honest enough to admit that trying to imitate Christ’s earthly life is a study in failure? Is it possible for us to take a fresh look at the Lord’s earthly life by examining His internal walk as the pattern for us to imitate? For what the Father was to Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ is to you and I. Note His words: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (John 20:21) . . . “As I live by the Father, so he that eats me shall live by me.” (John 6:57). It is my opinion that these words embody an entire world for Christians that has been virtually unexplored.

6. While the emerging church phenomenon has done a stellar job in emphasizing narrative in the Gospel story, it has neglected to take seriously the value of the narrative of the entire first‑century church as a necessary model for interpreting the New Testament.

Most of us who are part of the emerging church phenomenon take the New Testament seriously. Nevertheless, we are all handling a New Testament whose letters are out of chronological order and whose books are divided up into chapters and verses. This makes understanding the social-historical context and setting of the New Testament writings virtually impossible to grasp. And it opens the door to such spiritual hazards as isolated proof-texting to “prove” doctrines and theological systems.

Since the Protestant Reformation, we Christians have been taught to be reductionists when it comes to Bible study and individualists when it comes to applying the words of Scripture. The emerging church phenomenon has not fully shed itself from these two misguided tendencies. Consider these two thoughts which are open to challenge and dialogue:

A. The New Testament must be approached holistically if it will be understood in its right context. That is, we must step back and see the whole picture before we can properly understand the frames which make it up.

B. The Christian faith is intensely corporate. For instance, the vast bulk of the Epistles in the New Testament are written to churches . . . corporate bodies of believers who knew a shared life together, and not to individuals. (Out of the 21 Epistles in the New Testament, only 5 were written to individuals. And 4 of those 5 were written to Christian workers.)

Point two opens up another universe altogether that I believe must become part of the emerging church conversation. That is, living the Christian life does not work except in a shared-life, face-to-face community of believers.

When a person understands the first-century narrative, they are keen to learn that all the passages in the New Testament on transformation are not addressed to followers of Jesus as individuals. They are instead addressed to communities, a la, “churches” in the first-century sense of the word. Consequently, warming a pew and listening to sermons does not transform us. Neither does standing near a pew or chair, with hands lifted, and singing praise songs led by a worship team or music director. Transformation occurs when a community of believers discover how to behold the Lord together and live their lives in a shared way.

It seems to me that what is needed, then, is a brand new approach to the New Testament. A holistic approach wherein we understand the story . . . the narrative . . . that lies behind all of its writings. Unless we have a good grasp on how the story of Acts chronologically interacts with Paul’s letters and the other letters of the New Testament, we will continue to make the common mistake of taking verses out of their historical context and misapplying them in a misguided quest for relevance. (For more details on this subject, see my article Needed: A New Approach to the New Testament http://www.ptmin.org/needed.htm and The Bible is Not a Jigsaw Puzzle http://www.ptmin.org/jigsaw.htm. I have also created a reconstruction of the entire narrative of the first century church in chronological order in my book, The Untold Story of the New Testament Church, from Destiny Image Publishers, http://www.ptmin.org/untold.htm.)

This leads me to some terse queries. Would it be worthwhile for those of us who are “emerging” to also emerge in the way we approach the New Testament? Is it possible that grasping the narrative of the story of the early church as a background to all the Epistles can revolutionize our understanding of God’s written Story and bring us further along in the church renewal/restoration effort? Is it possible that if we continue to take the individualistic, reductionist approach to the New Testament that has dominated the Christian landscape for centuries, that we will continue to make the same mistakes that our forefathers have made? Can we . . . and should we . . . utterly abandon the “cut-and-paste-stitching-verses-together-proof-texting” method of Bible study and sermonizing, and seek to embrace something better?

7. The emerging church phenomenon, like all preceding reform/renewal movements, has emphasized a bundle of Christian “its” and “things,” instead of the Person of Jesus Christ.

In my opinion, if we were to examine the broad canvas of Christian movements and denominations throughout church history, we would discover that each one paints with a very fine brush. For one movement, the brush is evangelism. For another, it is social justice and acts of mercy. For another, it is praise and worship. For another, it is Bible study and doctrinal/theological accuracy. For another, it is the power of God, the gifts of the Spirit, signs and wonders. For another, it is changing the political system. For another, it is spiritual warfare and intercessory prayer. For another, it is personal prophecy. For still another, it is end-time theology (eschatology). And on and on it goes.

All of these brushes represent Christian “things.” And they are just that . . . “things.” They are Christian “its.” Subjects about the Lord with which to become engaged, at best. Or with which to become obsessed, at worst.

But where are those who paint with the all-inclusive brush and talk about the Person of Jesus Christ? Where are those who are not talking about “its,” “things,” and “subjects” . . . but who are talking about HIM in depths little known and explored? And not just talking about Him, but who are presenting and ministering Him to His people?

Earlier I stated that I have read reams of emerging church articles. While many of them reveal fresh thinking on many subjects, I discovered something missing in virtually all of them:

The centrality of Jesus Christ.

I remember reading a few emerging church articles not too long ago, and I actually counted how many times the Lord was mentioned. In one article, which was quite lengthy, He was mentioned once. In another, He was never mentioned at all!

By contrast, if one were to read the letters of Paul with a careful eye, they would find his pen dripping with Christ. Take, for instance, his letter to Ephesians and Colossians. Try counting how often Paul mentions His Lord in a single chapter. It is mind-boggling!

What is my point? Paul had a living encounter with His Lord that shook him to his foundations. A ministry was born out of that encounter. And that ministry was a Person! Paul did not occupy himself with Christian “things.” His occupation was the Lord Himself. And this glorious Lord embodies all things spiritual.

May I venture a searching question to my fellow ministers in the emerging church? Is it possible that we have missed the main point of our faith? Are we simply passing on the worn out tools we have been given by our evangelical forefathers on how to know the Lord? (“pray and study your Bible” . . . “pray more and study your Bible more!”) Could there be new tools to know our Lord deeply and practically? If there are, are we open to discover them together? And are we willing to experience them before we preach them to God’s people?

Do our writings and messages betray an intimate familiarity with the One who indwells us, or are we merely engaging in subjects, issues, topics, things, and its? Are our ministries one of giving LIFE . . . which is Christ Himself, or do we betray a vague familiarity with this glorious Person? Are we educating God’s people on “subjects” about the faith, or are we bringing them into a living encounter with Him . . . the likes of which will consume and captivate their hearts for the rest of their lives?

Challenge and Invitation

In the mid-20th century, Swiss watchmakers had the corner on the world market share of watches. But that changed when one of their own countrymen came out with a revolutionary new idea: The quartz watch. He presented this idea to the Swiss manufacturers and they laughed at him. They con­cluded it could never work, so they refused to patent the idea. Seiko, on the other hand, took one look at the quartz watch and the rest is history.

The power of a paradigm had so influenced the Swiss watch manufacturers that they could not understand the new concept of the quartz watch. Because the quartz watch had no gears, no mainspring, and no bearings, they rejected it. Their present paradigm did not allow for the new innovation. The net effect was that they lost the leading edge on watch making and they were forced to lay off thousands of workers. It was all because the quartz watch did not fit into their world view. It did not fit within their paradigm. They did not appreciate the new way because they were blinded by the old way.

It is my strong conviction that a similar paradigm shift concerning the structure and practice of the church as well as church planting is absolutely crucial if the Body of Christ will reflect the dream in God’s heart and have any significant cultural impact. Or to put it another way, a serious rethinking of the modern pastoral role, the way that churches are planted, the centrality of Jesus Christ, the taproot of Christ’s earthly conduct, the narrative of the first-century story, and the eternal purpose of God are all necessary if the emerging church has any hope of fully emerging.

So consider this article as both a challenge and an invitation for patient dialogue and fellowship among leaders, authors, bloggers, and members of the emerging church community.

It would bring me great joy to have the opportunity to discuss these matters with those who have been captured with the call to emerge. For perhaps in doing so, we can learn from one another and take advantage of the present window of change that God has set before us.

You may reach me via email at Violabooks@aol.com (http://www.ptmin.org) or by writing Present Testimony Ministry, PO Box 140370, Gainesville, FL 32614.

By the way, if you email, flames are not welcome ;-)

No More Polished Sermons!

"And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God." (1Cor. 2:1-5)

Born from Above!

(Repost)

By Tripp Campbell

"We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him."

1Jo 5:18

Lately, I have been in many discussions with those who are still eclipsed within the confines of "sin/death." What they have failed to realize is that those who are born from above sinneth not. Somehow, many have bought into a mentality that they can please/displease God by their actions/inaction. Generally,what so many have missed, is that by their beliefs/understanding, they have now raised an illusionary Standard, something that can be measured, in order to relate to God.

I have found that in my personal walk every time I begin to relate to God by "Doing", within a short period of time my energy and ability begin to wane and I find myself devoid of Hope/Life. You see, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But desire fulfilled is a tree of life........" Moreover, as I have begun to rest in the Finished work of the Cross, everything begins to abound. It is not that my "life" is without challenges, it has many, but now it is centered in the only "Life" available to a believer, Jesus Christ. No longer do I live in the illusion of Doing for God, by the works of the Law which ultimately leads to death, but I continue to embrace "fullness" which already has been so gloriously provided for, In-Christ Jesus!

Rom 5:17-21 "If death got the upper hand through one man's wrongdoing, can you imagine the breathtaking recovery life makes, sovereign life, in those who grasp with both hands this wildly extravagant life-gift, this grandsetting-everything-right, that the one man Jesus Christ provides? Here it is in a nutshell: Just as one person did it wrong and got us in all this trouble with sin and death, another person did it right and got us out of it. But more than just getting us out of trouble, he got us into life! One man said no to God and put many people in the wrong; one man said yes to God and put many in the right. All that passing laws against sin did was produce more lawbreakers. But sin didn't, and doesn't, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace. When it's sin versus grace, grace wins hands down. All sin can do is threaten us with death, and that's the end of it. Grace, because God is putting everything together again through the Messiah, invites us into life--a life that goes on and on and on, world without end." (msg)