The Kingdom,

The Power

& The Glory:

 

-2-

 

The believer’s

Position Possession

Presumption

(based on conversations I have had with professing christians)

 

Back in the 1990s, when part of The Church was in the grip of full blown charismania, there were certain movements developing & emerging. The most prominent of these trends was strategic level spiritual warfare. Once believers had been taught who they were in Christ & what they possessed in terms of ability & authority, they were ready to enter the big leagues; or so they thought. Even today, there are those who claim to be demon slayers. Christians felt powerful. They prayed bold prayers. They bound, they loosened, they uprooted, they pulled down strongholds & I’m sure that they really, really frightened the devil. I distinctly remember attending some very lively meetings, but it was also puzzling to me that after all of that expenditure of energy, all of the shouting & all of the screaming, our situation did not improve.

Congregations in some churches turned up for services dressed in combat gear. Christians gathered in elevated areas of certain locations to do battle with the powers of darkness that occupied high places. Some folk chartered aircraft to fly over cities & engage ruling demons that they had identified. I’m not making this up. A very prominent word of faith teacher, who owns several aircraft, was involved up to his neck. He was a friend of my then Pastor. Once these principalities & powers, rulers of darkness & lofty spiritual wickedness had been thwarted in their efforts, what then? That’s right darlings; We were told that there would be revival!

FISTPUMP, FISTPUMP, FISTPUMP, YEEHAW, YEAH!!

Well, what actually happened? In a nutshell, very little if anything at all. Spiritual warfare as a precursor for revival rests on a faulty premise & it is this: The believer is in possession of divine ability & authority because of their position in Christ. The Lord delegated His power to The Church when He ascended to Heaven & then sent The Holy Spirit. The Church must learn to walk in the power of The Word & The Spirit, in order to fulfil the great commission then there will be revival.

Is this feasible? Yes. Is this biblical? No. It is an erroneous presumption. When any believer, church, minister or ministry emphasises or promotes anything other than Christ & His Gospel, they are going to get into trouble. When we look properly at what The Lord Jesus said & what the Apostles taught, we will understand why all of the binding, loosing, screaming & pulling down of strongholds came to nothing & will always do so. It is futile. Little old you & little old me, taking on satan & his cohorts? Really? I think not. Perhaps The Church ought to concentrate more on spiritual welfare, rather than spiritual warfare. One is Scriptural. One is experiential. Paul told Timothy, ‘I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables’. (2^nd Timothy 4:1-4).  As I write this, I’m aware that one of the chief culprits pushing the warfare/revival agenda is still peddling his wares. He is billed as an international authority on spiritual warfare. This man’s online course promises the following:

emergency spiritual warfare training. (giggle)

combat tested strategies that actually work. (chuckle)

exclusive revival tools. (chortle)

I was in attendance when this man visited the charismatic church I was a part of in north London, in the early 1990s. It was a rousing message titled, Is there not a cause?

²⁸ And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. ²⁹ And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? ³⁰ And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner (1^st Samuel 17:28-30).

the believer is identified with David, the poor & insignificant little shepherd boy, who becomes imbued with a holy boldness. the devil & the forces of darkness were identified with Goliath, the big headed & big mouthed, big guy from Gath. David good. Goliath bad. If this were a pantomime we’d know who to cheer for & who to boo & hiss at. But there’s an ever so small but noteworthy problem here; the portrait that has been painted of The Church from this motif has become a pathetic caricature. it’s not about us.

Ask yourself this; with hundreds of thousands of believers ‘binding the devil’, in The Name of Jesus, why is it that he manages to slip free so effortlessly & continue on about his diabolical business in the world? Is he an escapologist? Ask yourself this; what exactly is being ‘loosed’ when believers decree & declare into the atmosphere? How much is enough? Ask yourself this; what is accomplished by ‘warring in tongues’ at the top of your voice, for hours on end? Is satan hard of hearing? Ask yourself this; what happens to the strongholds that are being pulled down from the heavens? Where do we put them? Funnily enough, no verses or passages from Scripture spring to mind to support these teachings or any of the talk that circulates concerning a coming revival. However, If we look again at the narrative of David & Goliath, there is a place that The Church fits into quite snugly.

¹¹ When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid…²⁴ And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. (1^st Samuel 17:11 & 24).

I can give you a cast iron, twenty four carat guarantee, that all those who think or believe they are able to engage the powers of darkness because of their position in Christ or their possession of Him, would flee just as the men of Israel did if they knew who & what they were attempting to wrestle with. There are five whole chapters to chew through before we get to Ephesians 6:12. We will come to this next time.

It is not a matter of who you are in Christ, but rather a matter of The Christ that you are in.

The biblical account of David & Goliath is one of the many canonical references that show us that The Lord Jesus Christ defeated the enemy in His superior act of redemption. It is pure presumption for any of us to attempt to use unscriptural methods or means in dealing with the presence, activity or identity of evil. I tell you now, in all seriousness brethren; you & I are no match for our adversary beyond that which God’s Word lays out specifically, but we will examine these things more closely in our next meeting.

⁸ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (1^st Peter 5:8).

If we are not careful, we will make a simple but significant mistake. The seventy made it & countless others are making it today, even as I sit here writing & you sit there reading. For some, this is a pet doctrine that they will not let go of because it makes them feel strong. For them, the goal is to demonstrate their ability & wield their authority. For them, the aim is to exploit their position in Christ & walk in what they describe as the sonship rights & privileges they possess. For them, the purpose is to bring revival. This is the result of poor, erroneous, experiential & unbiblical teaching. Listen to the words of The Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁷ And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. ¹⁸ And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. ¹⁹ Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. ²⁰ Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. ²¹ In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight (Luke 10:17-21).

Presumption is dangerous. Abram presumed & on went into Hagar. What happened? Ishmael popped out onto the scene. Presumption is dangerous.

¹ Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. ² And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. ³ And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. ⁴ And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes (Genesis 16:1-4).

Presumption is dangerous. Moses presumed & struck the rock when he was instructed to speak to it. What happened? No jelly & ice cream for Moshe Rabbeinu in the promised land. Presumption is dangerous.

¹² And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them (Numbers 20:12).

Presumption is dangerous. Saul presumed & didn’t finish off the Amalekites. What happened? He was left listening to a chorus of sheep & The Lord ripped the kingdom from him. Presumption is dangerous.

²⁸ And Samuel said unto him, The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou (1^st Samuel 15:28).

Presumption is dangerous. Uzzah presumed & took hold of The Ark to steady it, although he was not a Priest. What happened? Ding. Dong. Dead. Presumption is dangerous.

⁶ And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. ⁷ And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God (2^nd Samuel 6:6-7).

Presumption is dangerous. Parts of The Church are presuming now. What’s happening? Believers are going beyond The Word into spiritual experiences that are more akin to the New Age than they are to anything biblical. Presumption is dangerous.

It doesn’t matter what a man says or does. It doesn’t matter what a man believes or teaches. It doesn’t matter how extensive his experience or how vast his knowledge, if he is wrong. The current climate of teaching on spiritual warfare in unbalanced, unhinged & unbiblical. What matters is what The Lord has said in His word. Paul told Corinth & of course us by extension, ‘And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another’. (1^st Corinthians 4:6). If Scripture does not teach certain things being taught, stay away & may I remind you that the kingdom is His, the power is His & so is the glory.

 

 

 

 

copyright © by david Samuel Parkins mmxxv all rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is presented & without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser

 

The kingdom,

The power

& the glory:

 

-1-

 

The believer’s

ability authority

audacity

(based on conversations I have had with professing christians)

 

Back in the 1980s when I first came to Christ, pulpits & pews alike, were ablaze with predictions concerning a coming move of God. We were told that there would be signs. We were told that there would be wonders. We were told that there would be miracles. We were told that there would be an unprecedented manifestation of the gifts of The Holy Spirit. We were told that there would be a demonstration of the greater works. Glory to God. Hallelujah. Praise The Lord. Thank you Jesus.

FISTPUMP, FISTPUMP, FISTPUMP, YEEHAW, YEAH!

Well, what actually happened? There was a lot of singing. There was a lot of decreeing & declaring. There was a lot of dancing. There was a lot of laughter, especially in Toronto, Canada. This was accompanied by a lot of rolling on the floor, a lot of running in the aisles & a lot of animalistic howling. Not necessarily in that order, either. Of course there was also the taking up of several collections. There were even reports of folk removing articles of clothing. This was called revival. I kid you not.

There was a very thin line to be negotiated when commenting on or critiquing this move, because no one wanted to be guilty of blasphemy against The Holy Ghost. These things made national & international news headlines. Oh my. Was this real? Was this the culmination of all of those sweaty sermons & breathless prophecies that had gone before? Was this the end-time revival & restoration we had all heard was coming?

FISTPUMP, FISTPUMP, FISTPUMP, YEEHAW ...NO!

Although well-known verses from Acts 2 were cited time & time & time again, what we heard & saw was nothing like the outpouring of The Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Instead, we had vain attempts to recreate something else. Brethren, any move of God must be viewed biblically, not just historically. We have to study both, but given the choice I would advise anyone & everyone to stick to The Scriptures. Before we succumb to ear tickling & tantalising tales of supernatural events, let’s make ourselves a nice pot of tea & get comfortable. This is quite a thing.

There are some within The Church who believe that it is possible for individuals to invoke a move of God & get Him to do certain things. I was certainly taught this when I drifted into word of faith mythology. Faith was the key to access the things of The Spirit. Our position in Christ & the authority that went with it were also crucial for us to be in the flow of what The lord was doing. We were told that we could stride up to The Lord boldly & confidently get whatever answers to prayer we required. Sip some tea, don’t let it go cold.

¹¹ Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me’. (Isaiah 45:11).

Tell Him. Put a demand on Him. You’re equal with Him. He’s your covenant partner.

²⁸ Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways’ (Job 22:28).

Afterall, didn’t The Lord Jesus say that whatever we asked The Father in His name would be granted to us? (John 16:23).

FISTPUMP, FISTPUMP, FISTPUMP, YEEHAW …NO!

With such abilities, why hasn’t the most visible & influential parts of The Church done more than raise huge amounts of cash, dodge taxes & set up property portfolios & ministerial pension funds, disguised as denominations? What has The Church commanded? What has The Church decreed? What has The Church asked for in His name? Let me give you an example or two.

‘..we are believing the Lord for: jobs and better jobs; raises and bonuses; benefits; sales and commissions; favourable settlements; estates and inheritances; interests and income; Rebates and returns; cheques in the mail; Gifts and surprises; finding money; debts paid off; expenses decrease; blessing and increase’. Bethel Church, Redding California.

‘I am blessed, prosperous, redeemed, forgiven, healthy, whole, talented, creative, confident, secure, disciplined, focused, prepared, qualified, motivated, valuable, free, determined, equipped, empowered, anointed, accepted, and approved’. Lakewood Church, Houston Texas.

Before my detractors accuse me of cherry picking, I have to point out that these examples are typical illustrations of the focus that mainstream pentecostalism & charismania push forward. The object is not The Lord. The object is man, not God. If we gather enough people together, advertise like crazy, tweak the music just right, invite the most popular speakers, sort the lighting & set the mood, The Lord will move visibly & tangibly. Forgive me while I sigh heavily & my eyes roll back into their sockets. This is a formula that may have worked historically, but does it reflect what has happened biblically? Is this the extent of the ability of The Church, by & large? I’m asking honestly because this is what I see when I look at the profile of significant parts of The Church. Now once again, it has become fashionable to hang the word revival on every service, gathering & meeting that any Tom, Dick or Harry decides to organise. I cannot speak for the reformed christian community, although I do have dear friends in those particular camps. What I say here, I say as a moderate Pentecostal & an escapee from the extreme elements of the Charismatic persuasion.

What is typically called revival today, is nothing of the sort. it is nothing more or less than an entertaining distraction. it is a circus. it is a joke. it is a scheme & it is a scam for the biblically illiterate & spiritually indolent. The rich leaders get richer & the poor saints get poorer.

Harsh, but true. Real revival is nothing like that. Look at The Scriptures. Look at Church history. One is a record of spiritual truths. The other is a record of spiritual experiences. In The Church today, we have many who would gladly choose experience over truth & that subtle abandonment of God’s Word is not without spiritual consequences. Ability does not automatically equal authority.

While The Church is praying, ‘Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? Shew us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation. I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.’ (Psalms 85:6-8), perhaps The Lord is saying to His church, ‘Wilt thou not read thy Bible?’. Read the book of Ezra. Read the book of Nehemiah. Read any biblical account of true revival among God’s people. It did not begin with laughing. It began with weeping. It began with a genuine repentance. It began with a deep sense of helplessness & humility. It began with a return to His Word. It began with real prayer & intercession. It did not begin with audacity. Selah. Pour yourself another cup of tea.

When I say audacity, I don’t mean boldness, bravery or daring. I don’t mean swashbuckling with the powers of darkness & wielding The Name of Jesus at the devil & his angels. All power & authority, in heaven & earth belongs to The Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18). It is not present in the swing of a preacher’s jacket. Don’t worry, we will come to Romans 16:20 in our next meeting. When I say audacity, I mean an insolence, an impudence & an impenitence. I mean presumption. Brethren, I have been guilty of all of these sins. Sip some tea. Look at The Scriptures. Look at the history of The Church. I say again, it has become fashionable to hang the word revival on every service, gathering & meeting that any Tom, Dick or Harry decides to organise.

In these man-made revivals, do we see any deep spirituality, or just an emotional display of unrivalled carnality & shameless self promotion? Is The Gospel preached? Is God glorified, or is man? Remember what the word revive means; to bring to life again. Ergo, this means an acknowledgement of the state of The Church as a body & also the state of individual saints. God will NEVER bless what He has not sanctioned or ordained.

Some of you may very well become upset with me, when I say what I’m about to say in this series of articles. But I implore you, as Paul said to his son Timothy, ‘Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things’ (2^nd Timothy 2:7). You & I cannot invoke God or bend His will to ours. We do not have that ability. You & I cannot command The Lord Jesus with declarations or decrees. We do not have that authority. You & I cannot predict or control the movement of The Holy Spirit. We are not that audacious, surely? Well sip some more tea, because you may be surprised.

The only choice we have as believers, is a commitment to Him, submission to Him & obedience to Him. Does The Church need revival? Yes. Will The Church have revival? I don’t know. I see it in The Scriptures & I see it the history of The Church as something that is descriptive of certain circumstances. However, those who seek to emulate what only God can do, take these things to be prescriptive & herein lies the problem. This is deceptive. This is dangerous. This is audacious. With an unbridled arrogance, parts of The Church have either lost their memory or lost their mind, not bothering to consider anything that The Lord may have to say on the matter.

¹⁵ For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones (Isaiah 57:15).

Are the audacious humble? Are they contrite? Or rather, do they somehow think that they are the ones who are able to cause a holy God to do whatever they ask of Him?

¹ Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. ² After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. ³ Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth (Hosea 6:1-3 & James 5:7-8).

¹ O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. ² Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips. ³ Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy. ⁴ I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him. ⁵ I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. ⁶ His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. ⁷ They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon (Hosea 14:1-7).

² O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy (Habakkuk 3:2).

Remember Adam, who was afraid of the voice of God because he had sinned. May the same fear come upon The Church & may He have mercy on us & revive us. 

It makes no difference what you or I want. It really doesn’t. what matters is what God wants. The Church seems to have forgotten the words of The Lord Jesus Christ, the Supreme Head of all things, Who taught us to pray to The Father. We would do well to remember this.

⁹ After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. ¹⁰ Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread. ¹² And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. ¹³ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen (Matthew 6:9-13).

 

 

 

 

 

 

copyright © by david Samuel Parkins mmxxv all rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is presented & without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser

 

 

going on to perfection;

-3-

Livin' La vida

l a o d i c e a

 

It doesn’t take much reading of New Testament Scripture to discover its instructions to us. Although we will staunchly defend our liberty from legalism & The Law (Galatians 5:1), the truth is that there are still things that we are told that we are to do & there are things that we are told that we are not to do. There are things that we are told that we are to start & there are things to stop. There are things that we are told that we are to let go of & there are things that we are told that we are to take hold of. In our last meeting, we talked about the fact that there is a definite putting off of the things of the flesh & a stated putting on of the things of the spirit. This isn’t done in order for us to be saved, but rather, because we are saved. Those who are babes in Christ are doing this & are avidly pursuing God through The Word & prayer. Those who are moving on to spiritual manhood, chewing through God’s Word & engaging in active prayer are growing up in Him. Those who are languishing in carnality are like stagnant water & speaking of water, The Lord Jesus Christ Himself, has had something to say. You don’t have to listen to me, but you do have to listen to Him. These are dread words indeed, from The Head of The Church.

¹⁴ And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; ¹⁵ I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. ¹⁶ So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:14-16).

Jesus says this to the angel of the Church; the leadership. The leader of any Church fellowship is personally responsible for those in his care. He is called to feed & shepherd the flock of God; ‘Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood’ (Acts 20:17-32). To shepherd the flock of God; ‘Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind’ (1^st Peter 5:1-4). His words also fall on membership, by extension. Remember this.

¹² And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; ¹³ And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves (1^st Thessalonians 5:12-13).

¹⁷ Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine (1^st Timothy 5:17).

⁷ Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.. ¹⁷ Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you  (Hebrews 13:7 & 17).

I’m scratching my head & I’m rubbing my chin. Have I missed something? I don’t remember any epistles being written by any of The Apostles to the Laodiceans. However, the region is mentioned by Paul several times in his epistle to the Colossians.

He wrote, ‘For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;’ (Colossians 2:1) & ‘Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis. Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you. Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house. And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea. (Colossians 4:12-16). Paul loved & longed for the Laodicean Church. So did Jesus. He loved them enough to warn them.

Ask your Pastor to teach on The Seven Churches of The Book of Revelation. The babes in Christ will learn something & those growing & maturing will have something on which to chew. Each Church mentioned in The Lord’s opening salvo of Revelation, has a name that reflects its qualities. In this case, Laodicea represents people’s opinions. It was hip. It was trendy. It was on point socially, with the sun on its face & the wind in its hair. Hallelujah! Praise The Lord! Yee-haw! Thank you Jesus! The Lord will never tolerate lukewarmness, but we often treat His words as if Laodicea had been written to by Goldilocks. Sadly, this is the state of much of the modern Church. It’s quite a thing. 

Dear Lao.D

I popped in to see you today, but you were out. Probably witnessing & giving out tracts (smiley face emoji). While I was there I tried some of your stuff. Most of it was too hot for me & I just didn’t have the time to wait for it to become palatable. As you know, I don’t like big portions & I can’t eat a lot of meat. Some of it was too cool, so I left it alone. It was a little milky. Someone else can have that. But then I found some stuff that was lukewarm; neither hot nor cold. It was yummy. For me that was just right. I loved it so much that I ate it all up. That’s exactly how I like it. Please email me the recipe or send me a link so that I can get some more for myself & also give some to others who have a similar appetite for bland & tasteless drivel.

Yours apathetically.

Godly.

Goldy.

Before you dismiss me as being overtly facetious, read those words of Jesus again & then consider what we’re talking about. Lukewarm leadership who are catering for increasingly & equally lukewarm believers. Neither hot nor cold. Not babes. Not men. No milk. No meat. Jesus appears to The Apostle John to deliver His Revelation personally & instructs him concerning the state of The Church that his beloved & faithful disciple is going to write to. Our situation has not improved. Paul said, ‘For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ’ (Galatians 3:27).

⁵ Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: ⁶ for which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: ⁷ in the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. ⁸ But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. ⁹ Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; ¹⁰ and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: ¹¹ where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. ¹² Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; ¹³ forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. ¹⁴ And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness (Colossians 3:5-14).

I can hear the moaning & groaning already. ‘Man alive! Paul & his endless lists! Surely this is legalism. Jesus didn’t drag His followers around imposing all of these rules on them. He was gentle. He was calm. He was meek. He was mild. He was loving. He was kind. Why can’t Paul just make these things optional instead of being so commanding & demanding?’. I have no idea which Jesus these folk are referring to, but if it isn’t the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is Head of The Church, they’re in trouble.

Believe me, I have heard these & similar things said by carnal believers many times over the years, with deep sighs & an exaggerated rolling of their blind eyes. These are the objections of a mediocre & milquetoast modern Church. However, whenever the subject of blessing is raised, these same people will pay attention all day long & the longer the lists, the better. They will happily listen to whomever butters their bread & pours honey all over it, as long as they don’t have to change their ways or do too much. Nothing too milky. Nothing too meaty. Nothing too hot. Nothing too cold. Just something lukewarm. That’s the sweet spot. That’s just right.

¹¹ Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:11). 

¹ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1).

There’s no time for the carnal to do this. They’re way too busy doing more interesting things. If they have not set about putting on Christ, they will, by default, make provision for the flesh (Romans 13:14) I’m surprised they stay awake during services on a Sunday morning. Mind you, if a congregation is large enough they can hide & they can nap. What a great day it will be when this section of believers are challenged in their stupor, but while they remain content to be dull of hearing (Hebrews 5:11) nothing can be done. This is why The Holy Spirit, through Paul, hammers on & on & on, again & again & again. Until the believer abandons their carnality, they will not make progress. For those who are still confused, tired, bored, or all of the above. Listen up.

¹⁶ This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. ¹⁸ But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law (Galatians 5:16-18).

Hold on. Take a breath. Don’t log off. I’m almost done. There’s a little more. Paul & his pesky lists, eh!

¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, ²⁰ idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, ²¹ envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, ²³ meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. ²⁴ And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. ²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another (Galatians 5:19-26).

The constant admonition of Scripture is there to equip us to move, grow & progress. There is work to be done before The Lord comes. It is The Lord Jesus Christ who stands at the door & knocks (Revelation 3:20), not Goldilocks. Repent.

⁹ Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. ¹⁰ For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little (Isaiah 28:9-10).

 

 

 

 

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