In a vision the Lord gave me, I saw little white castles in the countryside, all the white flags with red crosses on them, that dot the landscape, as far as I could. I knew immediately that this is "pastoral kingdoms". These were places where people are competing and shelter when they feel threatened by their opponents have had. This verse came to mind: "The name of the Lord is a strong tower on the right path and be happy." Note, it was not the speechin this verse is literally a tower, it is God who is our protector. That's where our help comes from, done that, the sky and the earth.
If these "castles" were demonic deception because they were not really a safe place, not as a "refuge" thought it should be. Today we perceive or expect too much, that this "pastoral kingdoms" (churches), places of holiness of the Lord, where is accepted by all to be inhabited, loved unconditionally and have their own problemsneeds are met and maintained. Too often the same people, in the end, after failing to find what they thought they were for, who is trying to leave their personal salvation. Of course, many "get their ticket punched" and consider themselves "saved" or "new birth", but in time they discover that these shrines are only the buildings and that it would be better before entering the door at all. Many emotions were assessed with the testimony, weighed, measured and found wanting, and depositedturn away from Christianity all together, some embrace false Christs and false religions. Church is divided, poor leadership, boredom ... It seems there is always something to cut the trees.
Jesus said there would be days like these.
Confessions of a kingdom?
In early 1500, Monaco was a German named Martin Luther condemned for his sins so that he spent six hours until they confess. As he studied the Scriptures he found that the salvation of all that is nothas, but most simply trusting in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Note: Redemption is the key. He listed the contradictions between what Scripture says and what his church teaches on this issue, and nailed his "95 Theses" on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany. Luther was the first to "protest" against the established church, and so was the father of the Protestant Church.
Since that time there were many more inconsistencies cause manyMORE 'split. How much water should be baptized? Sprinkle or dunk? How, what and why sing? Who should govern who, etc. These and many other things have caused thousands of Christian factions. Many of these groups are convinced that only they are right and everyone else is wrong.
How can any of them are called "true church" when the best any of them can really be when the first "real name"?
Religious divide is not a new concept. If 'Kingdom of Israel split into northern and southern sections, have chosen a different style of worship. Jeroboam and his advisors wanted to Bethel, its main religious center of Israel, with the intention of Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:25-33) compete. While Jeroboam was a charismatic leader and organizer, he had the support of the people, religion was idolatry Bethel, leading to the eventual destruction of Israel. We can all the way back to Cain and Abel and found division, where the service people and the love of Godare concerned.
A label can be a man-made tradition that has been passed down through the centuries, and ratified by the clergy. If you think that the authorities that the equivalent of Scripture, tradition, then the practice is often infallible. Divisions thrive when people are unable to distinguish between the order of God and man practices.
If the church of Corinth was confronted with many elements of the division, Paul has encouraged cooperation among members, and the JewsDear (1 Corinthians 12:12). Despite their differences, each had one thing in common believers, faith in Christ. This truth is where the church was its unity. Paul wanted to strengthen the relationship between Jews and Gentiles in the early Church, while discouraging competition. "May God who gives endurance and encouragement a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ"(Romans 15:5-6).
To register, despite all the confusion, can the Christian churches, on certain basic beliefs, such as the divinity, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Bible says: "The foundation of God stands, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his" (2 Timothy 2:19). So, despite all our artificial dogma, doctrine and traditions, God knows who belongs to him and their hearts away from him. It is not because of false piety, justice and self-deceptionpure religion. Thomas Jefferson wrote of a preacher, Richard Mote, who "cried aloud to his congregation that he thought it was a Quaker, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist or in the sky, with a pause, looks at his public time and ask . He added that the heaven, knowing that God is no different. "
As believers in Jesus, we all have the same essence of our Christian faith. God gives us a unique personality and ability to worship, serve and follow JesusChrist, the Head of the Church, our king. "There is one body and one Spirit ... one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, it is above and through all and in all" (Eph 4:4-6). As a retired Church of Christ minister said in a conference, do not cheat "you! Do not believe all the individual seats in your schools, that the things you want to believe. If you do, we just promote good units in the Body Christ! "It 'true. I spoke with severalThe only people who are not familiar with the basic principles of their religion, but attending a particular church, which was approved only because the pressure of family or social reasons.
God is doing something new
Proverbs 6:17-19 lists seven things God hates. Solomon said: "These six things the LORD hates it, yes, seven are an abomination to him ..." One of them hated "things" are called "discord among brethren." Over the decades, I think that is the gospel ofSalvation, which has caused the greatest disagreement between the brothers, while the body of Christ. Why? Because if you pull the onion skin, it seems that each of the 3,000 Christian denominations have their own idea of what it means to be "saved" or are "born again". If our own terminology, traditions, dogmas, teachings and rituals, if we use the sinner's prayer, a confession of faith, or the water of baptism, it is the things that the separation between the brothers to serve it, because ourFocus so much on "what" we do not prescribe and the development of the kingdom of God and promote the cause of Christ. Curiously, all the supporters would agree that they are on the rise of the kingdom. The sad fact is that we, as a whole, the increase in the wrong direction.
We live in a day when God leads us to a "new authority" that start as dozens of believers across denominational lines to every aspect of their lives, their work will change their viewRelations and their way of worshiping our God. Hate away, broke people, but the authority of the Gospel of salvation that we all know and love has grown.
When John the Baptist preached the baptism of repentance came, came running was essentially a baptism of salvation and the Jews. Why? For the first time was a sinner, his sins are forgiven through the baptism of repentance. This was a new message from God, the Lord will not hear of anyHistory of mankind! The Israelites had no way to forgive their sins (without the sacrifice of life) at the time that John preached a baptism of repentance. Imagine how it must have been happy! Peter preached to the Jews: "Repent and be baptized for the remission of sins can!" Paul, however, preached: "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature, old things have passed away, the new has come." If the world sees that we really already been converted, and show themsomething they want, who will arrive in droves, is jealous of what we say we have found in Christ. At this time, could not care less - a decision that is based on observation.
The authority, the message "Salvation" is acceptable, the natural mind, because that's what we wanted by the Jews. Even today, many Muslims that Islam Christianized witness, one of the biggest disappointments was that there was no way to get rid of the guilt of sin. Humanity willbe saved and happily to a message and methods, which showed us how to react. In water baptism to confession to recite the prayers of salvation as the ABC's of Salvation or four spiritual laws, we have a method for the other designed to show people how to be "born again" or "saved" by our man- not-biblical methods.
It is interesting to note that there are more than 30 references to some variation of the phrase "Follow Me" or "follow", and only one sentence,tells us: "We must be born again." Do you want deep in our minds, we knew that the message of salvation to produce what we wanted to produce it, we found it. But like the Jews who are always longing for a means of personal salvation, too often, we have not been shown that there is one. Sure, we've all seen the results of most people is the whole "salvation" experience were exemplary. In fact, the masses, it is clear that they are not saved or born again, because they sawabsolutely no change had taken place in their lives. Charles Finney, that only 50,000 people in more "saved" or "born again" later, after meeting many people that I can personally say that there is no perceptible change occurred after the first response and emotional reaction taken supports repentant. That's why so many Christians today are still looking to find something else, even after they supposedly "found Jesus". And 'why we hear so many messagesReports of the ministers involved in sin, and ask why, in our life, a particular sin so easily beset us every time.
The only thing that has appealed and is no longer attracted droves to Christianity in the history of Christianity, "you pack" So the gospel of salvation. If we look with spiritual eyes, the mass exodus takes place on the planet every week - people leaving organized Christianity at a speed of about 53,000 per week 3800American churches times a year, although more and more that are born of themselves as "born-again Christians - we must ask ourselves what the Spirit of God is to a.
One might wonder if it is not the gospel of salvation, what is the new authority - the new message? In a nutshell, is the gospel of the kingdom. You can see the kingdom of God has only one authority, which is our King, Jesus
He wants his church back.
And he set.
Why preach the kingdomMESSAGE?
As many know, is the word "church" from the greek "ekklesia" which means "the called out." You may be surprised to discover that the word was never intended to describe something of religious significance. In fact, the word a forum for men in a privileged Roman Empire conquered the region, the local government of the city. The main function was ekklesia get in touch with the locals won in a Roman citizen. In other words, peoplewere assimilated in the streets of Rome, where are these men, Roman culture, art, science, literature, media, government ... everything.
When Christians finally started with the concept and mission have been engaged in describing Christ asked, is the political autonomy of the Roman Empire. To see the simple use of the term as a challenge to the authority of the Emperor. They also contain Ekklesia Christian women, children, slavesand other socially excluded people who were not included and only one, but we were given a voice. This really appeals to the masses of oppressed people. In short, Rome has seen in Christianity as a counterculture that took on the authority of God, unlike the Roman world politically and socially. This form subversive of the community like wildfire throughout the kingdom, and was perceived as a threat by Rome.
The kingdom of God was at hand! And 'liquid state, local, accessible, approachableand crossed all social boundaries, economic, national, political, racial, generational and gender, as it should be here today.
The church is the divine rule of God among the nations. So that people can be to the people of God, the Church is the society so that the Kingdom is advanced effects.
The problem? Once packed the pews because our message of "salvation", the church became an introvert and turned himself in Jesussaid: "I will build my church," not "build a church for me." Big difference, you see that? Although the scriptures ask us to "GO" and you say, the churches of today are too often say: "Come and listen." Company to be happy. Very skeptical about these days, indeed.
The church is still the "exclaimed one of the" not from a religious point of view, but from a government agency. It is the government of the human heart that counts. We are ambassadors of Christ, Paul said. An ambassadorrepresents a government and where we go, we ask the divine government of God, not only the Christian religion or a particular type of religion.
The king is responsible for the Kingdom. We represent the divine government of God and our main task is to tell people that loves the king, forgives them and wants relationship with them.
THE CHURCH AND THE 'CHURCH OF THE KING OF KINGS
Do not worry! The kingdom of God already resides in you, because the kingis already in you. Remember, God is not "up there" somewhere. He lives in you!
They are his priests.
Yes, you! Jesus is the High Priest.
See for yourself: Exodus 19:5-5 God tells Moses to back, "And now, if you actually listen to my voice and keep My covenant, you will be My own possession among all peoples, all the earth is mine, and her I'll be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. "These are the words you speakthe children of Israel. "First Peter 2:9 says:" You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's people to proclaim the glorious deeds of God ... "Revelation 5:10 reads:" And we have our God a kingdom of priests, and reign on earth. "
When Jesus said: "The kingdom of God is at hand:" He was basically saying: "The invisible, invincible kingdom of God is at hand - you can touch, you're so close It '... here I am. "
Wethe concept of kings and kingdoms in the West. But wherever the king goes, so goes the Kingdom. Wherever they go to his ambassadors, who represent the Kingdom as well and have all his strength back up. I heard from a missionary in Africa who was walking with a guide. Suddenly the leader of the missionary went low to the ground and forced him to bow, as he did the same. Just then, a runner runs to seal a message from the king. The leaders said the missionary, that anyone with the seal of Kingas good as the king and had to be treated as such.
This is the concept. You are the righteousness of God in Christ. In other words, if God sees you, sees Jesus So Satan. He is very aware of the absolute power, the life of the people of God, and trembles at the thought. Until we renew our minds to this fact, continues to stimulate our ideas and "mess with our heads," we begin to believe his deceptions. Therefore, we must understand that the fight for ourHeads. We are taught to "hit all the vain ideas and everything that goes beyond the knowledge of God." If these anti-Kingdom, anti-Christian, anti-Truth ideas sneak back to them to speak aloud. "In the Name of Jesus, I come to you, lying spirits. I am a son of the king, a servant of the kingdom of God. I am one of the priests of God on earth, and you do not have the right of me. Jesus, my Lord. He owns me. So, with the authority of his name and the power of the Holy Spirit,raised him from the dead and now lives in me, I command you to go! "
Something like that.
THE PROBLEM WITH THE GROUP
The World Council of Churches is usually perceived as a good thing. I participated in many interfaith gatherings, and I was always a mild climate there with no one to enter someone else's religious toes. Where ecumenism is concerned, is the first organization in the sense of the World Council of Churches (WCC). In my opinion,the bar only in terms of who is with Jesus - the King - and who are against him, the gospel of the kingdom must. The next question is probably: "You're building the kingdom of Christ, or your group?
The Bangkok conference, the WCC has been opened by the President of the World Buddhist Society. In her prayer she calls "the gods of all religions" to save humanity. Sorry, queen, king, but Jesus, this is already achieved. This is not a realm of mind.
TheNairobi Conference of the CEC is expressed in favor of the union of humanity. One of the sessions on spirituality have participated Protestants, Catholics, Orthodox and Pentecostal Christians and Hindus, Buddhists and atheists. Atheists, too? A kingdom of people in this group.
In 1983 the WCC conference in Vancouver, Canada, the explicit recognition of traditional religion has been given to the Indians. A totem pole was erected in honor of all their tribesSpirits. Wrong again King.
In 1991 the WCC conference in Canberra in Australia, the award was given back to the traditional religion of the tribal areas of the host country. Australian Aboriginal medicine men made a ritual fire with wet rubber tree leaves, from which arose clouds of thick smoke. The 4000 conference of the representatives were asked to pass through smoke to get the blessing of the spirits of the ancestors. Some representatives said that this was a greatwonderful experience, how could the Holy Spirit's presence to be felt in the smoke. It 'was a real spirit is present, but not the spirit of Jesus was king.
At the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), the State Council, "Decree on Ecumenism" of ecumenical activity can not be changed in every aspect of the result of the Catholic faith ...
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