Saturday, July 20, 2013
I had no doubt the CURRENT Spiritual Remnant of God was hurting but the last couple of weeks God has placed it before my face over, and over, and over, and over and yes, over again. To the point that it has made me want to cry, and I have, as well as yell, which God has managed to save me from doing by His grace. So very many of the Remnant just do not seem to understand what is happening to their Beloved Body of Christ. Well let’s have a discussion about it.
Some housekeeping…
Let me start by stating this piece will be long and it will embody the thoughts, experiences, insights, and feeling of many different people. You will recognize yourself but hopefully no one else. In order to show a variety of experiences that connect and in order to help the reader not feel so alone I will use a letter to identify each person. This is something I rarely have done but do sense this aspect will be important for this piece. When you identify yourself, should you object simple contact me and I will remove the/your letter from the text.
Second, most every person I know, knows how very much I love God and the Spiritual Remnant of God; therefore, they know the heart from which the comments come and the Guiding Principle of my life, Jesus. Those same people also know how sorry I feel for the apostate church; however, pity does not negate a responsibly before God to see that He is fairly represented.
Lastly, I want each reader to realize going into this piece that this will not be easy content to absorb into your heart, mind, or spirit and although you might be reading about your own experience doing so will bring a HOLY PAIN, that godly sorrow, which God feels when He looks at His wayward people. Don’t escape what you feel; instead ask God what you should do with, and about, what you feel.
To begin…
The last few of weeks I have seen pain, sorrow, anger, frustration, despair, resolve, disillusionment, and overall disorder. People want to know what is going on. They feel like outsiders in their own world, within the Body of Christ. As M pointed out to me about a week or so ago, ‘There is a “Remnant” within the Remnant.’ I understood fully what that meant – one simple sentence. Do you?
H can hardly stand what the apostate church is selling right now. The works mentality of sanctification. The beginning of being your own god. D in despair wants to know if Jesus would even recognize the Church He started all those years ago, should He appear in the flesh today. What Jesus bought is being lost. D pointed out that egoism and personal agenda driven by pride have so distorted Christianity that it is barely recognizable. J loves God but is heartbroken that an individual so steeped in sin would be allowed by church leaders to continue to lead worship. When J seeks answers it is discovered that the dollar amount the person gives to the local congregation has bought them their place on the praise team and they will in fact remain. What can one do when told such by Pastors? Money over quality and character. T wants to know why the gossip from the pulpit down cannot be recognized as sin and stopped. Another with revelatory gifts is bewildered because their Pastor, “Assemblies of God” no less, thinks them mentally ill – – talked with them, had a colleague examine them, they are not by any means ill; very spiritually gifted, but not mentally ill. Couple wonders why they are so disliked by God because they are in financial ruin almost, with their faith battered and bruised while their Pastor, who they gave their tithe and more to until the very end is wearing a Rolex and making sure everyone know it as often as possible – dealt with that situation and man myself; can testify to exactly what they came out of and the abuse they suffered. B the gifted, talented, dynamic, charismatic worship leader whose spouse did/does not want the life hardships, which come with a ministry calling. Oh, the condition and spiritual peril that left this individual in. Each example I have given is one real, reviewed by me, and I have personal help someone to deal with. They are real situation, which have led the “real church” to almost…. Each person’s handling of the matters is their own.
Here is the weird and horrible irony concerning these and other situations like them. These things drive people from the church, from their faith, and from God Himself if they are not handled and understood. This is why it is so important for each of you, and many others who can relate, to recognize themselves and realize they are not some Rogue Christian with a problem, the people they are dealing with are the problem. However, it is human nature to believe when the majority seems to agree, you must be the one who is wrong. Not true. It is like I tell people often, you examine your actions, beliefs, desires, what you see, what you hear against the Word of God for that is the Standard – the majority does not rule when it comes to godly matters – God and His Word are the final Authority. Since Noah, God’s true people have always been the minority not the majority. It is hard to stand your ground when you find yourself on the opposite end of the majority, I understand that; but sadly, I must tell you, you are going to find yourself there again and again in the future.
God gave me a wonderful illustration of what is happening to His CURRENT Spiritual Remnant and He used a news story to do so. I will give an overview of the news story then I will retell the story and insert the spiritual and remnant equivalents in parentheses and italics. Read it over a couple of times and then you will make the spiritual connections.
A local woman was working in a pre-k school; she was fired and is picketing the school to draw attention to her unjust firing. Now keep in mind I saw the news story and the video of the story details myself.
This woman is a pre-k teacher responsible for X amount of children. The children are in her classroom napping and she smells smoke. She looks from the door of her classroom and sees smoke coming from the kitchen some thirty to forty feet away. While leaving the door open she darts quickly around the corner to the kitchen and sees that the oven is on fire. She rushes back to the classroom where she awakens her students and in an orderly fashion marches them out to safety. Once the children are secure and monitored by another adult she goes back inside, sees the fire is contained to the oven where chicken nuggets are cooking and with a fire extinguisher puts the fire out before the fire truck arrives. The teacher is promptly fired by the owner of the business. When the owner was interviewed, she did not dispute all that took place or that the children were never endangered by the teacher; that they were in fact taken to safety by the teacher. Why fired then? Those fifteen seconds or so she took to dash from her doorway to the corner of the kitchen to verify that the kitchen was in fact on fire and that the children were possibility in danger. The owner stated the teacher was required never to leave the children alone in the room under any circumstances, that those were the rules; therefore, she was fired.
Okay now…Is this not a case of rules and regulations overriding common sense to the degree of harm and ignorance. This owner actually acted as if she had done the right thing, said she would do it again, even though she acknowledged the children were asleep during the seconds the teacher was gone and were never in any danger. She even acknowledged that the teacher’s actions actually kept the children from danger. Anyone else scratching your head in bewilderment about how people’s minds work?
Now reflect on all the examples I gave earlier of the issues people are dealing with and going through then make the spiritual analogy to this story.
This woman is a pre-k teacher responsible for X amount of children. [The Spiritual Remnant is working among the apostate church.] The children are in her classroom napping and she smells smoke. She looks from the door of her classroom and sees smoke coming from the kitchen some thirty to forty feet away. [The Spiritual Remnant senses the Body of Christ is in danger.] While leaving the door open she darts quickly around the corner to the kitchen and sees that the oven is on fire. [The Spiritual Remnant determines the Body of Christ is in fact in danger.] She rushes back to the classroom where she awakens her students and in an orderly fashion marches them out to safety. Once the children are secure and monitored by another adult she goes back inside, sees the fire is contained to the oven where chicken nuggets are cooking and with a fire extinguisher puts the fire out before the fire truck arrives. [The Spiritual Remnant understanding their responsibility before God and attempts to secure the safety of God’s Children/Child, while awaiting Christ’s return, by the proper application of Biblical Truth.] The teacher is promptly fired by the owner of the business. [The Spiritual Remnant then becomes the problem in the minds of sinful leaders and the leader[s] freezes them out or expels them from the group.] When the owner was interviewed, she did not dispute all that took place or that the children were never endangered by the teacher; that they were in fact taken to safety by the teacher. [Rarely, if ever, can the corrupt leaders actually show where the Spiritual Remnant has in fact acted against, or contrary, to God’s Word – expect in the case of their twisted application of submission to authority.] Why fired then? Those fifteen seconds or so she took to dash from her doorway to the corner of the kitchen to verify that the kitchen was in fact on fire and that the children were possibility in danger. The owner stated the teacher was required never to leave the children alone in the room under any circumstances, that those were the rules; therefore, she was fired. [What do corrupt spiritual leaders teach? You always respect, submit, and obey the authority, which their title gets them not their spirituality, no matter what; even when it is against God’s Word and detrimental to God’s People – they would never say the second half of that sentence outright, but their actions enforce and state it clearly.]
Okay now…Is this not a case of rules and regulations overriding common sense to the degree of harm and ignorance. [This is exactly the type of sinful ungodly leadership the people I described earlier have been dealing with. Respect for authority does not override God’s Word, God’s Truth and God’s Principles.] This owner actually acted as if she had done the right thing, said she would do it again, even though she acknowledged the children were asleep during the seconds the teacher was gone and were never in any danger. [These corrupt leaders abuse and hurt the real Remnant all in the name of their right to do so because they are “the authority” of that congregation – this whether they can show that the True Spiritual Remnant did anything ungodly or not. Usually, as described above, they have not done anything ungodly – just undesirable to or unpopular with the leader[s].] She even acknowledged that the teacher’s actions actually kept the children from danger. Anyone else scratching your head in bewilderment about how people’s minds work? [Any of the CURRENT Spiritual Remnants scratching their heads wondering why in the world people allow these corrupt leaders to get away with this stuff – to treat them this way?] – Those answers are for another time.
Now back to the examples I referred to earlier. A bit of follow-up. Again, my notes are in italics and parentheses.
H can hardly stand what the apostate church is selling right now. The works mentality of sanctification. The beginning of being your own god. [Where there is no true spirituality what does one have to rely on except humanism, works, and man directed sanctification. H is the real deal, so of course H is miserable in that environment and will never fit into their circle. – PRAISE GOD!]
D in despair wants to know if Jesus would even recognize the Church He started all those years ago, should He appear in the flesh today. What Jesus bought is being lost. D pointed out that egoism and personal agenda driven by pride have so distorted Christianity that it is barely recognizable. [The corporate church today has little to do with Jesus – He is just their poster boy. His principles, the Bible’s Truths are long since lost to a secular church. It is primarily about being a celebrity, growing “their” ministries or churches, being known and making money. They want to be known but know almost nothing about their people. The Bible defines and warns against these peoples motive, selfish ambition.]
J loves God but is heartbroken that an individual so steeped in sin would be allowed by church leaders to continue to lead worship. When J seeks answers it is discovered that the dollar amount the person gives to the local congregation has bought them their place on the praise team and they will in fact remain. What can one do when told such by Pastors? Money over quality and character. [Secular corrupt corporate church leaders take little interest in people unless their deacon’s/leadership label the person a “significant contributor” and then those people are richly rewarded for their dollars. – Now, I believe in tithing and I believe even more importantly in being a good steward of all that God gives you – your time, belonging, body, minds, talents, gifts, money, etc. If you want to find out how much you are really worth to your Pastor start tithing in cash, in secret where no one knows, and see if you don’t either end up having to explain, lose your position, lose your Pastors attention, or all of the above and possibly more.]
T wants to know why the gossip from the pulpit down cannot be recognized as sin and stopped. [T haven’t you heard, it’s all shared in the name of concerned or a case of “we need to pray for” ________ because of __________. Gossip is an epidemic, plague, and scourge in church groups.]
Another with revelatory gifts is bewildered because their Pastor, “Assemblies of God” no less, thinks them mentally ill – – talked with them, had a colleague examine them, they are not by any means ill; very spiritually gifted, but not mentally ill. [One of the most charismatic denominations in history is now abandoning the spiritual gifts in record numbers even at the denominational board level. Pastors have been advised to “stand-down” so to speak, when it comes to the revelatory gifts.]
Couple wonders why they are so disliked by God because they are in financial ruin almost, with their faith battered and bruised while their Pastor, who they gave their tithe and more to until the very end is wearing a Rolex and making sure everyone know it as often as possible – dealt with that situation and man myself; can testify to exactly what they came out of and the abuse they suffered. [I dealt with this situation and this pastor myself. This man is eaten up with rage, greed, and a spirit of manipulation. It will take this couple ages to recover financially and spiritually. This man manipulated his people, and continues to do so, into handing over money they could not afford – while he bought a Rolex, which he loves people to see, got himself and I do mean himself a new church building, got rid of a perfectly good and suitable house in order to buy a much grander one, etc. all within a year or two, while people like this couple struggled in order to give him, his tithe, and I do mean “his” tithe. He does not mind showing off his Rolex, his trips, his lifestyle because he actually has his people convinced that if they keep giving him their money, thus supporting his lifestyle, they will one day be able to have his lifestyle because God will owe them – – a massive masterful manipulator.]
B the gifted, talented, dynamic, charismatic worship leader whose spouse did/does not want the life hardships, which come with a ministry calling. Oh, the condition and spiritual peril that left this individual in. [Your calling is your calling, between God and you; God cannot and should not be blamed for the life choices we make. God will however, redeem choices which are less than His ideal, His Prefect Will, if we will trust Him to do so and put him first. Can our hearts not sympathize with B – my God or my spouse? This situation stands as a warning to all of the Remnant of God, of whom B is most definitely one; a warning that we must be extremely careful to see to it we are not unequally yoked in any of our relationship of any form and to any substantial degree. Any individual who is part of the CURRENT Spiritual Remnant of God and is called into ministry, on top of their personal call, has a very challenging life road ahead and whom they chose to allow into their lives to walk that road with them, in any form, is vital to their ability to do what God has called them to do.]
For the record most of these individuals whose experiences have be given as examples either were, are, or are currently spiritual leaders in the Body of Christ and/or in the congregations where they had their experiences; leaders either now or at the time of their experience.
Finally – Are all of you losing your minds? Are you all in sin? Are you all missing something? Are you all alone? No, no, no and no. The Bible warned that the church’s love would grow cold and that apostasy would be widespread before the end – it has and it is, both. The situation is very serious and very spiritually deadly to those who continually expose themselves to it, which is why and how it is growing at a record rate. It is a spiritual cancer, which is consuming the Body of Christ one person at a time.
Some individual/ministers teach the theory of christianity other individuals/ministers live out Christianity.
Be of good cheer my sisters and brothers you are not alone, the CURRENT Spiritual Remnant are still here to tell you, “press on” it is not you; you are not the deranged one. Put on your spiritual amour, secure your borders and march on – Jesus loves you and is pleased you belong to Him.
Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:
This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.
Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV
11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
God's Truth in Love 