Tag: New Wine

“Night Watcher” #4 / Old Wine

Path Without End

75364021-1200px I spent most of my day today with the Lord. It’s now about 10:30 at night and my mind rumbles with thoughts of frustration at a message I just heard. Its been at least 6 months since I listened to a message from the last Traditional church I left. It was a church of 800. They held two Sunday morning services and they can be heard on their Internet site.

After leaving 3 years ago, I have made it a point to occasionally check in on what they are currently preaching. So far the messages have never made me regret leaving, and today’s was exceptionally sad. The preacher was pleading for people to come back after weeks of the Covid virtual church services. It seems a lot of people have not been coming back, and not just this church, but many.

The Pastor started out by recognizing this problem has been going on way before Covid, but the pandemic had now shifted church exodus into hyper-drive! He gave some statistics. He admitted we have slid into a post-Christian culture. This has happened while under the watch of Traditional church, and yet he was presenting his case for a return to Traditional church! What’s the old saying? You can’t keep doing the same thing and expect different results? But he was.

He gave statistics that this year was already on course to see a 15% drop in church attendance even before Covid! And now, it would be even worse. He said that just to keep up with the birthrate in our country, you need 10,000 new churches every year! But instead of 10,000 churches opening, it would be 10,000 closing, causing a 20,000 church short fall! One-third of churches are about to close their doors due to Covid, and yet he continued only offering the same pattern of church we have had for many years now. He kept preaching the old wine that is being rejected.

He never once mentioned the Micro church movement. He never once mentioned Home churches. He spoke of the church in the book of Acts but never once mentioned them as Home churches. Instead, he went to the Old Testament to try and prove the need for large churches! He used the Old Testament temples as a pattern! This cannot be supported by the New Covenant, so he went to the Old, just like Pastors do on tithing, but Jesus fulfilled the Old and gave us the New!

By Old Testament standards, Jesus could not even be a Priest, let alone our High Priest, because he was not of the tribe of Levi. Jesus was of the tribe of Judah! Jesus made major changes in what we call church. He fulfilled the Old and took everything to a higher level. The book of Hebrews is excellent on this very subject.

Anyway, it was so sad listening to this man give the statics, the evidence, the proof of how badly our modern system is not working, and yet plead a case for still working it! He also explained people are dropping off the Virtual church services also! Virtual church is not working! It is called “Screen Fatigue”! How very interesting.

In our little Fellowship we have had no need for virtual church, and our Fellowship has continued functioning without a hitch. But this Pastor insinuated through his entire message that a Home church is not really “gathering yourself together”. He insinuated it is the “falling away”, and we need to get back in the four walls of the church buildings. Never mind Jesus said where two or three are gathered in my name, I am in their midst. He never explained that scripture. But most likely his big church is bleeding not only people, but money! House churches won’t work to his big church agenda. His message was so full of his personal bias that it defiled the whole message.

Now when I left 3 years ago, everyone was excited that big changes were coming to that church. I told my wife then, churches are always saying this. We will see if they can turn this big ship? Well, evidently they did not, because guess what…big changes are coming to this church again! Wow! Get excited everybody! But what are the big changes this time? What is the new vision this time? The people are tired of the hype and old wine. They are leaving looking for the fresh bread from heaven. People are realizing this king has no clothes, and they are voicing it by simply leaving.

We can already see Jonah being thrown overboard, but if we think this is bad, be ready for November elections! The Progressives already blame the church for electing Trump. They see “Jonah” as the cause of this storm! And no matter who wins in November, there is likely going to be an explosion! Forewarned is prepared. Right?

On that note, I warned people against the church becoming political. This Pastor also mentioned he knew many churches being torn apart by politics! Preach the Word! And if that don’t cause someone to vote right, then nothing will anyway! Don’t sacrifice your testimony in Christ over politics! Change hearts through the Gospel of Christ, that is our assignment as priest in this earth.

Church…get ready for November. Most of the church has painted itself into this corner. If persecution is required to reshape the church, I see it coming. So be wise and make spiritual preparations now. Get back to majoring on the Gospel majors, and minoring on the minors. David and his mighty men endured the storms and eventually brought the Ark back where it belonged. Seek the anointing. Only God’s power back in the house will change the day.

snowy owl in Colorado
“They beat and bruised me and stripped off my veil, those watchmen on the walls.”

 

“Night Watcher” #3 / Jonah

Path Without End

75364021-1200px Who can tell me what the very last word in the Old Testament is? Who can tell me the last word God spoke before hundreds of years of silence? It is the word “curse”.

It’s Sunday morning and I’m in my quiet place watching and listening. I like to always write something on Sundays, and what am I hearing? There are many idols set in the high places that God’s people have forsaken. How have we forsaken them? Why do we bow to these idols? Where are the Elijah’s?

God spoke of a return of a type of Elijah, a type of John the Baptist, and a return of the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers. And then He threatened/ warned, if this did not happen…well… the exact words are: “lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” (Book of Revelation begins?)

We are at such a point again. The church, through the power of the Holy Spirit, has kept Antichrist at bay for many centuries, but scripture plainly says the return of the Lord will be after the Antichrist is revealed, and a great falling away of people. If the church is no longer anointed/ powerful enough to hold back the coming of the Antichrist and his revelation, then all the curses of the book of Revelation cannot be far behind. This is what is at stake. The stakes are high!

If America is not living in a perfect storm/ CURSE right now, then I don’t know what it is. We now see the Postal Services being added to the mix. They were on course to lose 11 billion dollars! So Trump appoints a man to “fix” it. But how do we know this is not his way of sabotaging mail-in voting? The honest answer is, you can’t! But is there a real problem with the Postal Service and also mail-in fraud? Yes there is! Again, a perfect storm! And each side wants control of that pawn! Are we reduced to pawns rather than prayer? If our prayers have no power, then yes!

Is this perfect storm/ CURSE actually caused by the worldliness of our modern day church? As Eli and his wicked sons lost the Ark of the Covenant  and brought about a King Saul; and as Jonah the prophet of God running from his assignment, are we in a God-given curse such as Elijah brought upon his day by praying for drought, famine, death, and CURSE? Elijah obeyed God in praying for a curse! Is that the prayer God is answering today?

Is it possible that there are times when a CURSE is the only FIX? And if so, get ready church, because until King Saul is finally overthrown, the Davids of this world must walk in wisdom as they continue bringing the next great move of God. Of which, David was Israel’s greatest moment in history! But before all that he was an outcast and criminal, surviving in caves! Ever feel that way?

Prior to that greatness, in the days of the Prophet Samuel there had been major problems in the House of God, by way of the priesthood of Eli and his sons. Lets just say they had become very worldly. This spiritual condition in the Temple contributed to the people demanding a “king”. God told Samuel to give the people what they wanted and they got “King Saul”, and he was impressive to look at, but as time went by some major flaws were revealed, such as great pride.

His personal pride was so so strong that he would give into people in order to make them happy and himself look good, but he disobeyed God. His pride was also so strong, he tried to murder David! He realized he had lost God’s anointing and now David had it. Saul was tormented of demons, and sought to kill the next move of God. Will we be guilty of such a thing?

On the ship that day with Jonah, the pagans were doing everything they knew to survive that storm, but nothing was working, and the ship was going down. I see our country even now, doing everything it can think of to stop this storm, but the words “peace be still” are not working. There is an evil in all the high places of our land, and it seeks to set on fire the course of nature until the foundations of our country all burn down and new foundations can be set. And in this fire, even as the Prophet Samuel was powerful in the midst of his time, and a shepherd boy named David was rising, there is a new wine and a new wine skin forming!

Which comes first, the wine, or the wine skin? I would say the wine! Why is there a need for the wine skin until the new wine? David was being anointed long before he actually gained his platform. But we are in this time, church. Whether we believe Microchurches are the answer, the new wine skin, or simply getting back to early church ways, which I believe Microchurches are a part of.

If Trump is reelected and brings prosperity back to our country, how will the modern church change? Will they not seek prosperity and blessing even more? Will the hate against a hypocrite church professing to follow Jesus, who forsook wealth and materialism, will not that hate continue growing until they will rise up and throw the church overboard? In this perfect storm, the curse either comes on the church now, or a greater hate/curse later. Jonah is on course to find his whale’s belly. And in the midst of all that, I believe David will come forth, and there will be many battles to be fought for the city Jerusalem to rise with the power of the Ark again.

“The night watchmen found me as they made their rounds. They beat and bruised me and stripped off my veil, those watchmen on the walls.” (S. of S. 5:7)

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“Secret Gardens” #1 / Microchurch

Path Without End

20200804_180842 The best kept secret in town, they sometimes say. It usually refers to a special place not yet discovered by very many.

Our house is becoming a House church. I have so changed this house you wouldn’t believe it, but now, even though not complete, considerable ministry is growing here, along with our “Bird Garden” sanctuary we have started.

Yesterday we had a couple here for marriage counseling. They did not have to go to some Pastor’s office at the church building, they came to our home. We set up a table and 4 chairs. We had some drinks and easy snacks. Music played in the background. The bird sanctuary glowed through the French doors with all the activity of our small animal refuge. We have 2 ground squirrels, a rabbit, a male cardinal and 2 females, 2 hummingbirds, lots of sparrows, 2 squirrels, a small pond fed from our basement sump pump (lol), and of course the unexpected creatures that visit.

We were not on any schedule. We made a “His” and “Hers” sheet as we helped them communicate about issues. My wife was a big help with the ladies side of things. It was not real professional, but it was personal, cozy, non-threatening, and real. We shared our home with them, and they shared their struggles. I think they have a real good chance of making it. We scheduled a date to play Yatzee at the same table in 2 weeks. We will see how they are doing.

This is our Secret Garden growing. Brian Sanders and his book “UNDERGROUND CHURCH” has inspired me to be more “creative” with ideas for outreach/ missionary outreach, thinking outside the box. We have an idea and we are moving towards it. It involves dogs and young people needing role models in gang ridden areas. We expect to succeed in our target. I look forward to sharing more as it goes, and as it grows. We plan to launch in October.

If you’re looking for the new move of God in this New World coming, I highly recommend Brian Sanders book. I also recommend “The Forgotten Ways” by Alan Hirsch. (I am currently reading.)

God is never surprised, so why has the church been caught flat-footed so many times? Those who move with God are never behind the times, but actually ahead. The New World is coming, and there is a church already preparing for her. Those who don’t “move”, but are institutional, will be caught flat again, indeed, already are. The people of Israel lived in tents so they could stay in the fire and in the cloud. This new wine skin, this new wine, does the same. This next move is full of movement, outside the institutional church, in the streets and in the homes.

Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves, Jesus said. Micro-groups, Micro-churches, Home-churches, may be small, but they are hard to target, as was Elijah. Small enough to be hard to target, yet big enough to still be deadly. Jesus is the Alpha of our pack, know what I mean?

Let’s get back to what Jesus actually did, and what the early church actually did. We have come full circle, it is time again. Don’t be caught flat-footed. Take wing!

9021
A Sea Change has come.

 

“What I want in a Micro/Simple Church” #3

Path Without End

9021 I have taken a pause before continuing this subject. A Fellowship member actually asked me if there was a reason that I had not published in a few days? The simple answer is “Yes”.

I mentioned last article that I had downloaded 6 books related to this new move of God. I have been searching the oceans for the Sea Change. I have known it is out there. I have known its wave is coming. God told me so. I have wanted to be a part of it, and so much so that we left the traditional church 3 years ago to begin searching and implementing our own version of it as best we could. But that has not kept me from searching for someone who already has it going. Someone of a like-mind as to what I have heard from God. And I believe I have finally found one! And it’s already helped me form our next big step!

I have 2 books I’m reading like crazy trying to get it all in me, and I already know this blog site will soon be reflecting our revelation in a greater way. One is a book entirely on “Elijah”, by A. W. Pink. It has been so excellent so far. But the other book is actually about a different form of doing church right here in the United States, and it has been already functioning and tested for ten years! I’ve read 50% of the book and highly recommend it! I have great expectations for the next 50%, too! I actually had to force myself to write this today, so as to be faithful to such readers as there may be. So I will end this article with what I look for in a Micro Church leader, but first I want to tell you a little about this book.

“UNDERGROUND CHURCH”, by Brian Sanders. I’m not going to try and explain much about their ministry, at least not yet, his book is so worthy of reading for yourself. They are located in Tampa Bay Florida area. At the time of the book writing, they had a little over 200 Micro Churches doing all kinds of different ministries in the name of Jesus! They are very “MISSION” oriented. And as I read the book, not even half way through at the time, maybe there is an anointing on this book, but I suddenly was literally led by God into an “encounter” that has shown me the outreach/mission ministry our small Micro Church needs to start! I have been praying for this for months! Suddenly, BREAK-THROUGH!

This micro group outreach and community “inreach” will also provide many exciting and interesting stories for future writings. I’m looking so forward to it! I’m hoping we can launch no later than October. All I feel free to say at this point is, it involves rescued dogs! So if you love dogs, you can expect our future here to involve stories and dog pictures of rescued dogs that will be used to rescue people in need! That is the dream. I believe God has given me the structure for how this would work. I can hardly wait to launch this, but first there are preparations to make, and we are on it!

So now… I must curb my enthusiasm just a little bit, so I can write a little on what I’m looking for in Micro Church Leadership. Here’s a few quick thoughts, the man I’m looking for, and the man I want to be myself, must be honest, true, kind, peaceful, and a love for simplicity. He is very naturally simple and deep, and not what we see so much of today, not complex and shallow. Oh! and no money seeker! No lover of money! Living high on the world’s hog! God will provide! Let your moderation be known!

Of course he must be “called” of God, and because he is open and available, it is easy to examine his life and see if he is or not. He loves the pure Word of God. He teaches exactly what is written, and the whole Word of God, not just his favorite parts. He is not afraid to be open-minded and have respectful conversations with all peoples, but he has an ability to share what God hath said without disrespecting sincere people. His words are graced with God’s love. The sword of the Lord must always be carried in a sheath of love.

He understands holiness without being judgmental. He has enthusiasm! A fire in his belly! A youthfulness and energy! He believes in pursuing God dreams! And as Brian Sanders put it in his book, his head is in the clouds, but his feet are in the fire! Yes!!!

There is much I could say here, of course, but the main thing is it is obvious to one and all God has called this person to a God-given assignment, now what is that assignment? Let’s figure it out and make it happen! For God’s glory!

Of course God’s Word gives us a description of qualifications. 2nd Timothy is excellent on this. It speaks of in a great house there are vessels of gold and silver, vessels of honor, and vessels not so honorable. The whole book is great on this subject. It speaks of the last days and how many will no longer desire the true Word of God. And 1st Timothy has a very detailed description of Eldership/Bishop qualifications in chapter 3.

I was going to say more on this subject, but it really is so basic and simple. It’s a matter of really knowing each other and promoting each of us into our obvious callings of God. I’m going to leave this subject at that and also repeat again, both 1st and 2nd Timothy are excellent of this.

Now just before I end, as I have been also reading the book on Elijah, one thing I have found myself pondering is how Elijah was actually praying for a severe drought! He was praying for poverty and hunger! The man of God, called of God, was praying for God’s hand of blessing to lift from the people of God! And he knew what he was praying would bring hardship and suffering on one and all, including himself!

He was praying for suffering, lack, hunger, poverty, judgment, hardship, even death on God’s people! Are we to seek the curses? Do you do that? Are we in such a time today? Can you picture praying for such a thing to come on yourself and all around you? This is certainly not what you hear megachurches teaching. Are the days of Elijah coming again? Dare we pray for such things? Are we selfless enough to do what’s best no matter the cost? Has someone already been praying it? Has it already begun happening? Have you ever seen such a time? And it is only beginning!

We will end here for now, with much still to think about, as I continue being excited about our future. Our micro group has always been dog-friendly from the very beginning, and now it appears we may be going to be even more so. Maybe God was giving us a sign! Praise God! Seek and save that which is lost!