which one makes more sense?

The average congregation in the USA has 75 attendees at a service. The average paid pastor makes between $28,000 and $52,000.

According to The Evangelical Christian Credit Union, the average US church spends 82% of their budget on pastor’s salaries and administrative expenses, and on the building itself. A whopping 1% of the budget is spent on giving- benevolence.

Now, let us take a look at how the early church worked. First, they met in houses or public places where it was free to gather- little cost to the church. There was no salaried pastor. In fact, there was no pastor at all. The elders were simply those who had more experience, age, etc and who were trustworthy to help organizationally. Also, an apostle would come to visit and needed food and lodging in another’s home, but otherwise, they did not have much of a budget. As far as expenses, a love feast might cost some money in the purchasing of food, wine and water (yes, you read that right), and other things, but the cost would be as affordable as eating once a week in a restaurant today.

So…one of today’s services in today’s average American church costs at least $538 for the pastor, and whatever else needs paid, including the power, phone, etc. At the love feast, the small church body- typically a dozen, since what Jesus did is a really good idea- may have a small expense for food and drink, and communion elements. The total of these for twelve people might be as high as $100 if it is elaborate.

$538 plus, or $100? Which one would you attend if you knew that your money is going to be “wasted” on a salaried spiritual motivator/ psychologist who will lie to you about tithing, lie to you about your calling, and stop the real gospel from being lived out by the “faithful?” 

Which one makes more sense? Which one is more biblical? So…isn’t it time to reform the church? If that means leaving where you are and getting together with like believers, is that necessarily a bad thing?

 

 

Misplaced vision

To my “brothers and sisters” in the churches who have embraced the Mosaic Law, putting people into bondage in tithes, Jewish feasts, and 600 other laws, while saying they are living in the New Covenant:

Stop swimming in a hole in the Old Testament, and start living in the New! If you have decided to follow Jesus, there is no turning back- Jesus fulfilled the Mosaic Covenant. So, why do you want to mix the two? Why do you want to blur the message of the gospel…because that is exactly what you are doing when you try to grocery shop from the covenants.

If you call yourself Christian, and desire to please God, then it is time to know and walk out what Jesus Christ said for you to do…as long as you are truly a disciple of Jesus.

 

Rightly dividing The Word Of Truth: Back to a verse-less Bible

Hey, I wrote this for people to read. So..here it is again.

the train has left the station on the wrong track

last summer i sat in bewilderment as i listened to the answers over and over again. the question was so simple, but the answers were mind-blowing. of the hundreds i met who claimed to be Christians, very few could tell me what they were saved from, what they died to, and what they were raised to- and this coming from a majority who claimed to be Baptist. it was, i now realize, just one more sign that the train has left the station and is headed down the wrong track…

back in reality, that train left centuries ago. what i heard that day, though, was a louder whistle, more passengers, and a whole line of cars beyond numbering. the train was not only on the wrong track- it was moving so quickly out of control, burning fuel at a massive rate.

meanwhile, numerous conductors, all trying to out-perform each other, contributed to an over-fired furnace, the engine burning like the midnight sun…

and i wondered…and began to stop each one, and bring them back to scripture…the track they and the assemblies they attended had switched from, onto a new line.

it began at the heart of the gospel: Jesus Christ came to save you from your sin.

the people i spoke with all had something in common. they all “went up to the altar” or “prayed the sinner’s prayer.” when i asked what had happened to them, i got a mixture of responses, but they all had something else in common- they were not what i had expected.

the majority of them told me that they became a Christian that day when they accepted Jesus as “personal savior.” Not more than a few out of the hundreds i met could tell me what that really meant. they were as clueless about being a true follower of Christ as they had been before they knelt at the altar or prayed the sinner’s prayer. sadly, this is true for so many- there are fewer true disciples of Jesus than there should be.

Why are so many who confessed Jesus as “personal pan savior,” so confused, so deceived, and so far from  being a real Christian?

(1) today, in many churches, we have a church structure Jesus never taught. Nowhere in the New Testament is  there indication that the disciples- the Christians- organized along the lines of the denominations today. Nowhere!

(2) the church in the New Testament was “organic” in nature. One “elder” in the faith- that is, older and more experienced- taught new disciples how to be disciples. There were no degreed professionals who were “in the business of church.” They were concerned about new disciples being disciples, not members. Nowhere in the New Testament will you find the kind of membership taught by the current synagogue-structured church.

(3) Paul states, at one time, that he “admonished the saints daily” for “three years.” He was constantly being sure that they knew what to do, how to do it, and why to do it. Disciples- those who followed after Christ- were active daily in the work of being a disciple.

(3) Nowhere in the New Testament do you read of an altar being present in any of the disciples’ meetings. Never. The whole “come to the altar” at a church building is cultural, not scriptural. 

(4) The testimony of the saints was at the core of their witness. Three separate times in Acts we read Paul’s lengthy testimony as he presents it before those who did not believe. If- like the New Testament disciples- you are surrounded by the testimonies of saints, you will not be confused about the process of becoming a follower of Christ.

(5) Many of today’s “churches” never “require” the convert to repent. Nor does the convert have any idea what that means. In the New Testament, Jesus clearly called all to repent first. All needed to be buried with Christ and then raised with Christ. Being baptized in water and the Holy Spirit. Read the entire New Testament- that is what it says.

It is time to go back to what the New Testament states the church is. Time to throw off the bondage of synagogue-style Churchianity, and embrace Christianity. Time to join the last reformation now spreading one by one throughout the earth.

 

at home behind the fence

more often than not, i find myself disturbed by what i see- and read- from most congregations. in these “churches,” big-headed leaders, ordained by a man-centered system, parade around on stage, proclaiming prophetic nonsense and working the crowd like the manager of an automated milking machine. In the audience, the bovine eat what is offered, occasionally stepping in the dung, and moo loudly when the sound around them gets louder and louder. it is in that moment that the poor animal is mesmerized by manipulation beyond his or her spiritual capacity.

In that moment of such ecstasy, heresy is born. And heresy is alive and well in the Western church. 

one of those heresies has long been with many in the Western church- the fence mentality. this heretical church is an organization meant to herd in as many as possible, not gather in the believers. when you look at  the church in the New Testament, the church gathering- the love feast- was not for “seekers,” only disciples. The disciples operated outside the love feasts in spreading the gospel through healing the sick, casting out demons, making disciples, equipping disciples, baptizing the new disciples, and more.

It was in some corner of institutionalism in more recent times that the fence mentality was born. It joined the business model and social marketing as background structures for reigning in the herd and bringing in stragglers. but it also opened the gates to tempt the wild animals to come into the cage…with enticing bait like the prosperity doctrine, machine-gun style prophecy, dramatic scenes akin to a Hindu service (see “kundalini” for just one example of the  practice of failing backward to the carpet, writhing and twitching…and other such nonsense), popcorn and movies, cute coffee and goody bars, welcome packages complete with candy and tissues, committees to make you feel special, and countless endless seminars and retreats…not to mention softball teams, church t-shirts, and the like. Yes, the bait is there for the non-believer standing outside the fence looking in, but also for the captured chosen.

Now you may think I am harsh, but consider what other organization tells you to give at least 10% of your income (and more) to a professional marketer (often also a psychologist/actor) so he or she can build up an income base that he and his or she and her associates can use for “living  expenses;” and build more buildings and sound systems and light shows (instead of following scripture and supporting the widow, orphan, and the poor), put on “evangelistic programs” that cost the faithful a ticket fee…all inside that fence (instead of being real and going out into the world as disciples as it states in Matthew 28).  They will spend your money without giving you a receipt or account of where it goes….and, do it all in the name of “it’s in the Bible.” You certainly would not give to any other charitable organization without them showing you where the money went- but not the churches of Churchianity.

Consider also how these same marketers encourage the herd to keep their bibles closed and read from a screen while the Word of God is twisted to meet the fence mentality heresy. Considering that none of this is in the New Covenant brought by Jesus Christ, it makes you wonder who these big-headed bovine mooers are. Are they Wanna Be Jews? Or, are they part of a heresy that has been established in the West as “church” when in reality being a new religion based primarily on the doctrine of a spiritual aristocracy…Churchianity?

But for you, my dear reader, the question is: do you want to remain behind the fence in this new bondage, or do you want to come out from it, embrace Christ and become a daily-living disciple of Jesus Christ? The world free from the fence, is where the real church operates, the church that will reform the apostacy, and call the heretical to repentance…the church that will be worthy enough to be the bride of Christ because the disciples follow the Master not the manipulator.

 

things your pastor never told you: John 3:16

when i hear John 3:16 today, i want to shake my head. it is so misused. few preachers read what comes before or after, and even fewer read the whole passage…when in the assembly of believers. we have many within the church that have learned pieces of a conversation from God to the world….and so have been mislead or left in ignorance to the whole message of the gospel.

Many speakers often fail to tell you:

• the New Testament was not written in chapter and verse- understanding a complete section is as important as understanding the parts- John 3: 16 is a part of a part of a section
• How important it is to follow the complete dialogue between Nicodemus and Jesus in order to understand the complete conversation
• It is important that the reader have a prior knowledge and understanding of the history of Moses and the children of Israel in the wilderness when they rebelled against God and God sent a judgement…and a method of deliverance
• Jesus does give us information on how to enter the kingdom of God, but is not the whole message you get later
• John 3 and the first part of Acts should be read together when you really want to understand “being born again.”

Now, to the section, which lasts from John 3:1 to John 3:21…

A running dialogue:

Nicodemus, a Pharisee, a member of the Jewish ruling council: We know you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs you do, except that God be with him.

Jesus: Unless (except) one is born from above, he cannot be seeing the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus: How can a man be born if he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb and be born again.

Jesus: I tell you the truth, unless a man is born of water and the spirit he cannot be entering the kingdom of God. The thing having been born of the flesh is flesh, and the thing having been born of the spirit is spirit. Don’t marvel- be so surprised- because I told you it is necessary for you to be born from above. The wind blows where it wishes, and the sound of it you hear, but you do not know from where it comes nor where it goes- so it is for everyone having been born of the spirit.

OK, here already Jesus has given us the methodology to be saved- it comes from being “born of water” and “born of the spirit.” 

Later, Jesus states, before John 3:16, that “just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the son of man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

If one goes back to the story of Moses and the disobedient children of Israel, Moses raised a staff with a snake on it to save the people who looked upon the snake- they chose to look upon the snake if they chose to follow God. Likewise, the ones following after God must look upon the Christ on the cross- looking up to him.

Then, the overused scripture is presented…but not until long after Jesus gives us a healthy explanation on part of the plan for saving the world.

So, as you see, John 3:16 would do much better in relation to everything that comes before it.

Jesus came first from the desert temptation saying: Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is near.” This is the “baptism” in the Father, repenting from sin. With it goes baptism in water- dying with Christ and being raised with Christ. Then, as the scriptures say, one can immediately be given the gift- baptism- of the Holy Spirit, which is evidenced by the speaking of different tongues/languages. In John 3, we get a sample preview, but not a whole picture…

things your pastor never told you: the coming reformation

one day a young disciple woke up, grabbed his sandals and went out into the dusty street. there he saw his friend, a young woman, waiting by a building. they met, exchanged a few words, then walked together into a crowded marketplace…

they met a man sitting on a mat. his twisted legs told his story without one word. a few passed by without glancing, a few more walked into the next aisle, and a few stopped long enough to drop a small coin into his grimy hand….

as the young woman approached, she reached out her hand and placed in on his shoulder. the lame man pulled back…until the young man nodded in agreement…

“we come in the name of Jesus.”

he nodded, but still held out the grimy hand.

“no, we have none,” the young man explained, stooping low to look into the man’s eyes. “but what we do have is one who can raise you from your mat.”

the old man smiled.

“in Jesus’ name, rise and walk.”

the grimy hand reached out and inched up the side of a stall…and the old lame man stood in amazement.

“Praise God!”

nineteen hundred years later, a middle aged man drove across the bridge, looking down on the blue water, now clear of ice, flowing slowly south. he turned away to avoid traffic near the first stoplight…then made a left onto a main thoroughfare….

she climbed into the passenger seat, reaching over…finding the seat belt latch…and they traveled southward…

in a sign of the struggling economy, fewer people came and went, fewer people sat in the food court, and fewer sat in the rest areas dispersed throughout the large building. but one is precious to the Lord, and even then a seed can be planted…even in ground still rocky…

and they came to a man sitting alone in a small circle of chairs. he wore a wrinkled black leather jacket that betrayed his age and condition. they sat for some time discussing the weather…and then, she told her testimony…waking healed…and what Jesus did for her…

but the wrinkled jacket pushed back, bulging eyes fixed on the woman.

but the seed was planted….

while one of these accounts is a fictional account based on the practices of the early first church, the latter is a scene taken from real life, in a Mall in America, not so many hours ago that it can be forgotten by the disciples who went there. 

both are accounts of disciples of Jesus living out the teachings of Jesus Christ and the apostles, doing the work of the church. while others sat inside a building, singing rousing songs and pledging with gusto to be more Christlike, these two obeyed Christ, doing the work of the saints of God.

but what about all the people within the four walls? they were praising God, listening to a sermon, and getting filled…aren’t they doing what the church should be doing?

the answer is no. unless the people within the building take their faith outside the building, meet as the first disciples did, and walk out their faith, picking their cross up daily…

if you actually start reading the New Testament, you will find that many verses, words, and phrases that big building churches have used over the years are actually misinterpreted purposely or ignorantly to maintain a religious system Jesus never came to construct…

I challenge you to read the whole New Testament, without bias. Approach it asking God to make it clear to you. Turn off every “Christian influence” you have, and stay away from “church” until you are finished. 

Read passages in sections- where they should begin and end, ignoring the chapters and verses completely. The Bible wasn’t written in chapter and verse (oldest manuscripts we have from the NT show us that)- that was added later- so we should read it with that in mind. Then, ask God to show you what it all means. Go back over it. You’ll find some surprising things that are in there and many that are not. In fact, you will find that the New Testament has been twisted by many power-seekers trying to keep an ungodly system going that God never intended.

That is why God is moving now to break down those walls in the Western World. It is not so much of an issue in places where the body of believers works like they should- like in China and parts of the developing world…

but this post is not an in depth look at that, it is a wake-up call:  the new reformation that has started quietly across the globe will break down so many barriers, so much religion, that Christianity will never be the same again… 

you have just been exposed

in the so-called dark ages, the established institutional church went on a campaign to gather “tithes” from peasants, often depriving them of their daily bread and butter, and even causing loss of life. so, when the Protestants came railing against abuses within that institutional body, they sounded genuinely sincere. But after some time, they too began to demand money from the poor in order to propagate their beliefs throughout the world. But to appease their God, or so they thought, they sacrificed monies toward that institutional body while the heathens perished en masse. Only an enlightened minority carried out more of the tenants of the actual faith. Such was the tale of many of the commoners within the church for many centuries.

And then a spark came to change that…or so it appeared. yet even that group fell into building programs and storing up treasures on earth. You could say that the recent megachurch and telechurch is the best example of this climax, where a twisted old testament doctrine and greed and obstinancy meet in a trinity of heresy.

These bodies of faith profess to be Christian, lead by glamorous leaders. These kings of this alternative Christendom, what some label “Churchianity,”  have become worshipful masters of deceit, controlling commoners and those with wealth alike…exacting from the faithful great sums of money and allegiance that would make any post-medieval pope look saintly in comparison. They launch crusades of greed to fund their empires while promising uncountable blessings, as if they alone have the power to create such blessings. 

These blessings come when a “church member” contributes at least 10% of his or her gross financial income to the workings of the organization. This is supported by dubious text within the Bible, particularly old covenant law designed to feed, clothe, and furnish the Levites and those religious costs associated with operating a Jewish religious organization.

While this is certainly not new, the fact is that there are many within the institutionalized church who are using these tactics to maintain the institutions of Churchianity- church property, church events, church t-shirts and the like. While this is not evil in itself, threatening the flock with a $5,000 offering or “we’re not going to make it” is obscene. Who told these leaders that sinking money into expanding the light system so it rivals any megaconcert is what Jesus commands us to do? Or, the sound system. Or a multimillion dollar gymnasium so “kids can play basketball.” This, all in the name of a God who told us to go out and make disciples of all nations, not to go out and build buildings with denominational names on them. It nauseates me the more I see the truth of the real gospel as it is written within the pages of the New Testament.

So, I challenge any “church leader” to find for me, in the New Testament, scriptures that exhort us to:

1. Pay a tithe so… that the light bill for a physical structure is paid, so that a heating system costing hundreds of dollars can house some people three or four times a week while the homeless freeze to death outside, so you can build a glorious sound system or shock and awe light show, so the pastor and wife…I mean pope and his mistress…can go on vacation for two weeks while the rest of your congregation works hard to pay bills and cannot afford any vacation, so the building can grow while thousands outside your door do not hear the true gospel from within the pages of the Bible…and you did nothing physically to share with them.

2. Create a membership roll like what might be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. A member can be controlled. A “church” will report every last cent that member puts in the offering plate…hmmm, is that somewhat different from the exhortation to give cheerfully…making sure the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing? 

3. Build a Kingdom of Buildings…and be a comfortable, safe place where you can follow a ritualistic program complete with “liturgy.” What liturgy? From whom? Who are you emulating?

4. Hold revivals to get people “slain” in the spirit. Funny thing, that “slain.” If you read the word of God, every time people fell backward it was because of judgment. No, people seeking God fell forward, prostate- on the ground or floor- in humility, not shaking like a idiot with half a brain.

5. Preach a gospel that states that a person just needs to pray the sinner’s prayer…and then everything after that doesn’t matter, as long as they are convinced in their minds that they are saved, then they are saved. Nevermind about sinning after that….

I have news for you. If you have been living a lie, comfortable in your cocoon of Churchianity, you are about to be exposed. You who believe there is no need to be concerned about sin because God is always smiling down on us…wait till you come face to face with the truth. The Word states that you will know the truth and the truth will make you free. Don’t you think it is time to be honest with yourself, your congregation, and God? We don’t have time for this alternative church, we have a job to do- we have to actually put our love to action and do what Jesus told us to do. 

Ten Things To Pray For In The Year 2014: # 6 Freedom From Bondage (Part 1)

When you read the Bible, you’ll see often that Paul states that he is a “bondservant” of Jesus Christ. But in the Greek, he calls himself a doulos (a Greek word akin to double) with Christ. A doulos is one so committed to his master that he does whatever the master chooses, and is like a double. In  a sense he has given up his own rights yet may be given new rights under his master. This is a concept too many preachers in the church do not fathom, mainly because they fail to study and learn the language the Bible was written in. (in this case the New Testament). The King James version is just that, one authorized by a politically motivated king who wanted the Bible translated in a particular way. It isn’t the first edition. If you have problems with that, take it up with God.

Do you want people to see Christ in you? 

Be a doulos.

But this post is not just about being a doulos with Christ. It is about being free to be the one that God intended you to be.

If you have spent any time in a church that preaches the gospel, you have probably heard this phrase- “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” What or who is the truth? Jesus Christ. “I am  the way, the truth, and the life.” So…if you know Jesus Christ, you will be made free. But free from what?

Under the Old Covenant, the Law reigns supreme. No one can follow every one of the more than six hundred laws in the Old Covenant- not their entire life; we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. That’s what the Bible actually says. Jesus said that not one letter (iota is a Greek letter) of the law would disappear. Follow the law and you will sin. The Law is a “school master” to bring us to Christ. The book of Romans, which does not seem to be as popular as it once was, explains all this. We are saved from the punishment of the judgement made by breaking the law if we repent of sin and follow God in a right relationship with Him. That is the “law” of Grace. Unfortunately, so many slick preachers are too worried about their finances and the “congregation’s finances” to want to be out from under some of the Law.

So…they try to mesh the two together…out of fear. I am speaking the truth and know many pastors will be furious with me, but when you know the truth, the truth will make you free, and I am  free. The tithe is Old Covenant. Quite frankly, many pastors are afraid that people will not give at least 10% of their income to the church. Bills will not be paid. They won’t have a salary they can live on. The Bible DOES say the workman is worthy of his wages. It is Biblical to pay a man or woman of God, without question, for their work. But the New Covenant teaches us to do more than tithing, it focuses on giving generously. Generously means more generously. Ten percent is the Law. Grace is about living life abundantly. you can’t live abundantly on 10%. Try it, it doesn’t work. So why are pastors trying to run the church on 10%?

In the Bible, people often sold their land, giving the money to the community of Christ. Sold their land and the profits went to the body? Yes. Did they trust someone with that money? Yes. Do you trust every pastor you know with your money? Are they giving it to the cause of the gospel? Or, are they, like a couple of pastors I have known, buying their wives a luxury car that no one in the church could afford? Am I getting under your collar? I’m just writing what God desires I write.

So, are there places calling themselves churches that should not get your money? Absolutely. If they are not following the will of God, preaching the gospel, and living out that life daily, then why are you giving to a place that is NOT REALLY THE CHURCH? Leave that body and get with a congregation that is really serious about following Christ.

The church is to support the widow and orphan- the Bible- in the New Covenant stipulates this. It also gives directions for how the church should operate. I challenge any pastor who wants to live life 100% committed to God to study the New testament instructions for the church. Those instructions are for you, and me. They are for your congregation. They are there because they are the exercising of grace in action, the unmerited favor of God spread throughout the earth. Those instructions will bring a huge harvest of souls as well as keep the church focused, vibrant, and such a witness to the community, people will be coming to your doors off-hours trying to get in. Am I exaggerating? I have seen it. I am seeing it.

So, what does this have to do with freedom from bondage? Any time you are in bondage to anything, including to any of the Law, you are not able to reach your destiny in Christ Jesus. How will you live a life abundantly when you are trying to follow a law mentality? So, we are to do as Jesus wants us to do, living a life of generosity, not legalism. Legalism kills, the Spirit frees us.

Are you willing to live the kind of life Christ wants you to live?

And now a Word from our Sponsor…

clearly, there is something wrong- everywhere along the ridge, on nearly every fence: No Trespassing. I sure hope there aren’t any Christians on that ridge…because they’re out of God’s will if they’re intent on keeping others out.

when i went for a drive yesterday, the Lord pulled me over. He directed me to this:

Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he (he or she) will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age- houses and brothers and sisters and  mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions, and in the age to come, eternal life…”

Now, many of us have read this, or heard it, heard sermons on it, but the thing I want you to see is that there is an economics principle running through this thread that so many won’t talk about. That’s because, at least here in America, there are so many with a “No Trespassing” mentality.

So, how does this work? Sure, we have “brothers and sisters” in Christ; some churches even have the practice of calling each other in practice “Brother this” or “Sister that.” But what do farms have to do with it? Why include farms? To me, it seems obvious- the Word states here that whatever your brother and sister and so forth in the church have is to be shared- especially with those who have lost much for the sake of the gospel and for Christ.

So, Sister Thelma comes to you and says, “I’m ministering for the gospel, as you know, and I’m hurting financially.” you, the farm owner, look at her and say, “I have a cow out in the field that we’re gonna be slaughtering round about Friday, I’ll be sure you get some meat. How much do you need?”

Or…Brother Eric, a Senior in high school, finds himself locked out of his house. His parents have told him they want nothing to do with him now that he’s a Christian- all they do is drink to excess, and live strung out on drugs. He refuses to help “fund” their habit. You, the owner of the farm, take Brother Eric into your house, put food on the table for him, and make sure his needs are met until something either changes or he goes out on his own.

We are to share what we have with others in the church anyway. But here, in this passage, is a call to those with land and like resources. Oh, about those no trespassing signs…