Hi all,
I'll summarize this series first, then share some things the Lord has told me for the body of Christ.
In
this series I've talked about spiritual people: People who call
themselves Christians, yet really aren't. Jesus said on the last day
there would be many who call Him Lord and claim to have moved in
charismatic gifts like prophesying and casting out demons, as well as
claims of doing things for Him, yet He will admit to them He never knew them, and in fact they lived unrighteous lives.
I
shared about Gnosticism which we see all around us today. It is the
demon inspired belief that a person can be spiritual, believe in Jesus,
yet live sinful lives because the body is inherently evil and the spirit
is inherently good and saved, therefore you can live sinfully because
you are a born-again Christian. This means we have people among us
claiming to be charismatic, claiming to prophesy and cast demons out and
doing good things for the Lord, yet He doesn't know them, as per Jesus'
teaching about false brethren in Matthew 7:15-22.
I
shared a bit of history how the Great Commission is relationship
based about others observing and doing what He commanded us to do, and
how when the church moved out of homes and into the auditorium, Greek
thought took over which turned relationship based knowledge into mere
concepts and principles. And that is how we ended up with 'believers'
who aren't truly born again disciples of Jesus.
If
a person is truly born again, the New Testament indicates there will be
a change in their lives as they become more Christ-like. If you look at
the sins listed in Ephesians 4 they were struggling with, ranging from
sexual to stealing, it is clear a person can be a Christian while
struggling with sin. The key indicator is progress and growth in the
struggle to overcome these sins.
When
a person claims to be a Christian yet lives a sinful lifestyle is where
Jesus said to judge people by the fruit of their lives. Not judge their
heart, but judge the fruit of their lives.
In
I John 1:1-3 it says "Now are we the sons of God and it isn't revealed
what we shall be, for when He comes we will be like Him and see Him as
He is. And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself..."
There
are many who are spiritual, claiming to know the Lord, yet are not
purifying their lives because they don't have that hope in them - their
lifestyle and their growth as people and as Christians isn't motivated
from wanting to see Him, they love the world and all that is in it, and
want to be more like it, not Him.
People are wondering and wandering...
About
10 years ago during one of our house church meetings we were in the
midst of worship and suddenly the Lord came walking through the closed
sliding glass door to my right. He stood next to me as I was seated
during the worship.
He
started talking immediately about what I'd see in the body of Christ in
the coming years, but while He was talking to me a woman stood up and
began singing a worship song at full volume out of her heart, but her
voice was as finger nails on a chalkboard - horrible! She had the kind
of singing voice that only her shower should hear, and it was very
distracting.
I
interrupted the Lord and asked if He would tell her to be quiet so I
could concentrate on Him. That may sound either incredibly callous or
maybe bold, but when you are in the Spirit things seem so natural and
normal that you don't realize you are in the Spirit, and being around
Jesus is as relaxed as being around your best friend. That is why Peter
on the Mount of Transfiguration suggested they build shelters for Moses,
Elijah, Jesus and the 3 with Jesus - It all seems so normal you don't
realize you are in the Spirit.
The
Lord replied, "I will not, for you don't know what she has come out of
and been through, and is worshipping me from her heart. Her voice sounds
wonderful to me, and I suggest you adjust your heart so her voice
sounds wonderful to you too." Ouch. "I'm sorry Lord, you're right, go
on."
And
He continued talking about how people were going to be leaving the
churches, many that considered themselves cutting edge because those
people are looking for fulfillment in Him and not finding it. He said
friendships would be broken as some stayed and some left, but He said
many of those who left their (traditional/auditorium) churches were
going to leave without knowing what to do next, just that they could not
continue where they were.
Over
the last 10 years we've seen that happen with many Christian headlines
talking about how the traditional church is losing membership and so
forth, and my email in box certainly fills up with people searching
online for what to do next and hearing about us and house church in
general.
So
far in 2014 the Lord has visited me 6 times, 3 of those in ministry
situations in which others also saw or felt or knew He was there
ministering to them, and 3 that were direct to me. In each of those 3
visitations and 1 of the other that was in a home church/ministry
situation, He spoke of the body of Christ now. The first time this year
He said this below, and has repeated the same general message each time,
meaning it is important. By repeating the point to me it is like the
gospels when he said 'Truly, truly', the double 'truly' meaning it is
especially important. He reminded me of that visitation of 10 years ago
and then said:
"Hear
what the Spirit is saying to the church. The time is coming and now is,
for my people to know to whom they belong." I asked for an example in
scripture to know what He meant, and He said "In Acts 4:23 when Peter and John were released they went to their own. They knew to whom they belonged."
"The
season now is for my people to know to whom they belong. They have had
time (these last 10 years) to wander here and there, to examine fads
that rise and fall only to discover they are not lasting, to discover
in many cases by process of elimination, what is not for them. Many have
wandered, searching where to belong, only to learn more where they do
not belong than where they do."
"Many
of those who have wandered some or most of these past 10 years or more
are now ready for the real, for what I told you that February; 'As it
was in the beginning so it must be now, I am moving in relationships'.
This means it is time for my body to grow up and know faith, know me,
know who they are what they believe. This is a season of growth for many
in my body, for times are coming in the west when those who thought
they knew what faith is, will discover they knew nothing of faith, but
only formulas and ritual. For those who have an ear to hear, they will
be ahead of the times and be prepared, others will have difficulty
because they have lagged behind in what they've known they were supposed
to do."
I'll share more in my e-newsletter around the 20th of the month, plus another word He gave me, but for now...
Being spiritual versus being Christian
It
is time in the body of Christ to drop the spirituality and become real,
humble, certain in Christ but always willing to learn and adapt and
change. When Jesus said in Matthew 25 that at His return He is looking
for a church who fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, clothed the
naked, visited the sick and imprisoned, the context was us - home based,
family based, real people - He wasn't saying a church prison ministry
did it, or a church hospitality program did it, or a church clothing
drive did it. He said WE do those simple tasks of taking care of the
needs of those we are in relationship with. It if simple, humble, and
very much like our Lord as we lay down our lives for each other.
Being
spiritual puts people above all that, for they know too much, they are
too spiritual and will argue their point endlessly and make great
claims, and never apologize nor take the higher ground for the sake of
peace. Disciples of Jesus will back away from arrogance refusing to join
in, in order if needed to be poorly thought of by the super spiritual
that they may become more like Christ.
The
season is upon us, as the Lord has told me now consistently this year,
to know to whom we belong, to be serious about our faith, and to be
serious about our relationships. Make disciples by teaching them by our
lives to observe and do all things He commanded us.
New subject next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
cwowi.org and email me at cwowi@aol.com
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