Tag: Podcasting

Journey to Micro Church – #5

Path Without End

Black_elkHoF Black Elk Speaks > Chapter 10 > “Walking the Black Road” >

“Wherever we went, the soldiers came to kill us, and it was all our own country. It was ours already when the Wasichus (white man) made the treaty with Red Cloud, that said it would be ours as long as the grass should grow and water flow. That was only eight winters before, and they were chasing us now because we remembered and they forgot.”

Do we think we’re different now? White man found yellow metal in those hills, and nothing, not their word, not laws or right or wrong would stop them. Are we saved today by the teachings of Jesus? Then why do I see the same in the Church!? Have we forgot? Have we forgot what Jesus said and did? Hey Preacher living in your wealth! Have you forgot? Have you distorted what Jesus said and did? Have you distorted his Word? Have you twisted the truth until it is true no more?

These are but a few of the things that drove me out of of our modern Churches to begin a simple path in which two joined me. One had been a devout Catholic all his life, and never baptized in the way the Bible actually says. He asked me to baptize him, and we did. It was simple, meaningful, and my great honor to do so.

So we started a small group of three, called it a “Fellowship”, and named it “Fellowship of the White Path”, because Jesus walked the red path of his own blood, so that we might walk the white path of his own righteousness.

We also began having a proper Passover every year, according to what your Bible still says, and I believe God is very pleased in our effort to do the best we can with what we have learned as we study early Church, those first 300 years, of which man seems to have tried to muddy the waters of history, so it can be difficult to see. But once the maze begins to open up, a lot of light begins shining in very rapidly, even as a flood!

How much of what we did to the native American Indian is still in us? We try to deny it, but what do our actions so plainly reveal? Our actions betray us! They betray our words to be nothing but lies! When will our hands be clean? Not till we actually live what we profess, and flee those leaders who do not!

I see so much greed in the Church where it should never be! But it is. Where are the Pastors living on faith and love offerings today? Where are the Pastors developing disciples ready to split a group and multiply, for the sake of keeping it as family, and the sake of Gospel Propagation as the early Church did? No group should be bigger than what a Pastor can properly pray for, and a family atmosphere can maintain. We are the family of God, not a copy of worldly ways who love money, numbers, and an image of success.

As mentioned before, I am working towards starting a Podcast on this subject, as someone suggested I should do. We have our equipment now. We have downloaded “Audacity” and hooked up to it. We slowly progress, but I still have things to learn before we achieve this goal, and these technologies do not come easy for me, but if God’s will is in it, it shall be done.

I think it’s pretty obvious now how my trip to the Black Hills seeking God, and God leading me to a book by a very wise man named Black Elk, has helped confirm many things to me about a path I was already seeking, and had begun, without even knowing, and how I eventually discover we are very similar to what is now being called Micro Church. I need not write more on this at this time. It was a strange path perhaps, by what would be modern standards, but it has led here, nonetheless. It amazes me.

I have it in me to begin a series called, “The Covenant of Darkness”. It’s about the Old Testament and how from the beginning it was designed for man to fail, and God to fulfill, so that we might have a covenant actually bringing salvation. Jesus not only saves us from our sin, but also the judgement of the Old Covenant, an eye for an eye. For us to drag anything of law from that covenant is as a slap in the face of Christ, and what he died for, to bring us the New. It is as if we practice Judaism, rather than Christianity, and this includes the teaching of tithing. Drug from the Old, it can not be supported from the New, unless you are a Pharisee.

We live in a day when the love of money has twisted much. More Churches are like Laodicea than Smyrna. And Smyrna holds a great key to unlocking the man-made-Maze! We need to get back to our early Church fathers. We need to get back to the disciples of the disciples. We need to get back to the Apostles and what our Bible actually says. We need to get back to Jesus!

“Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.” (Jeremiah 6:16)

Journey to Micro-Church – #2

Path Without End

Black_elkHoF Black Elk > Oglala Sioux Medicine man.

“But now that I can see it all as from a lonely hilltop, I know it was the story of a mighty vision given to a man to weak to use it;…”

As I shared in episode #1 the great vision set before me, my mountain to climb in my old age, I so feel the words of this Indian wise man. I am so excited about the growing move of God in this spiritual wave we have given a label of “Micro-Church”. I see a growing wave still far out at sea but rolling this way, and I want to be a part of it! It’s building as it rolls. It’s growing into a fresh move of God. It can be called a 2nd Reformation for surely that is how it feels to us who have become sickened with a prosperity message, a “king theology”, and traditions of man! We’re coming out!

But at the age of almost 64, how much of this wave can I still ride? Is this a vision given to a man to weak? And yet, I have to believe, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH GOD!

As I write these words we just got very bad news on my sister who is three years younger than I. It was only supposed to be one artery 70% blocked. A simple stint was supposed to fix it. She would be out of hospital next day. But as we drove to visit her and celebrate a successful procedure, my phone rang. Her husband gave me the new report. 5 blockages! Main artery 90%. Another artery 70%. Transferring to a different hospital. Major open heart surgery. We wait for a doctor and surgery date.

I’ve been aware my whole life how heart disease, diabetes, and colitis runs in my family tree in a big way. We do seem to escape the “C” word for the most part. My only sibling developed the type 1 diabetes very young. And now the heart disease. I’ve had the colitis most my life, but very mild compared to my mom. Still… our days are numbered and how well we know. Most my grandparents died in their sixties. We do not live in denial, but we trust God in all things. So yes, at my age the vision God has given me looks quite large, like a huge mountain, but life would be so much less interesting without it!

I was 61 as I hiked that mountain path that day, the one now called Black Elk Trail, and I didn’t even know who he was, but I knew I was going to find out. I had been 41 when I hiked it before, twenty years ago, and believe me, I noticed a slight difference, but the joy was just as great!

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It was just me and the Lord that whole day. I asked him how his Church had become such a place about money, and more business like than family oriented, when He had been so against hoarding money, and was totally non-materialistic! How do rich pastors preach from luxurious platforms about the man who had nothing, and called us to lay aside our kingship for a time, and be servants!? To live a life rich in love and sacrifice! How do we justify all this? I could make no sense of it.

I hiked all the way up Black Elk Trail to that small mountain fortress at the top. I was there earlier than the normal tourist season and had the whole place to myself. The weather was awesome! It was a shifting swirling thing! Bright sunshine and warmth for a few minutes, then clouds and snow blowing for a few! It was totally inspiring as I ate my food at the top, shared some of it with 2 ground squirrels and a Jaybird of some sort. And God spoke to me as only he does, and gave me a strange phrase: “The path of the white feather.” I have kept those words in my heart ever since. I pondered those words as the elements shifted back and forth around me.

I spent an hour or so at the top. Offered up prayer and worship. Came down out of the mountain and drove back to town where I found an old bookstore. They had a very nice copy of “Black Elk Speaks”. I was very excited as I bought it!

When I got back to the hotel I did not waste any time opening it up, and soon found this man before my time, speaking of the “darkness in men’s eyes”. I was amazed at how simple and true his words were, and wondered why our preachers today seem to lack that? The words of Jesus are simple and true, too. The path of the white feather. I had come to South Dakota to get away in nature, seek simplicity, hear God, and God was showing me a path I would never leave.

I may have left the Black Hills, but my feet had been set to a spiritual path leading to a move of God I was unaware of. Little have I known. (To be continued.)

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Journey to Micro-Church – #1

Path Without End

Black_elkHoF It’s strange how my story of Church would go back to this guy, Black Elk. I mentioned in my last article how “once upon a time” I left the modern Church system in spiritual frustration at the complexity of it all and took a nine day vacation to the Black Hills to pray and listen for the leading of God. I needed clarity and direction. I needed some answers from God.

I did not know what to expect on that trip, as to how God would give me those answers. But now, what I received there, has led to a vision I began pursuing then, and still pursue today. That vision has become development of a Micro-Church, this Blog site, a prayer garden and free laundry mat from my home, a spiritual retreat in the country, and now the challenge of developing a Podcast to share our Fellowship.

In this continued journey, many words of a native Indian I never knew, or knew of, until those nine days, has become more and more meaningful to me. Today I would like to share this quote from him, from a book called: “Black Elk Speaks”. It is a “partial” quote because I want to focus on a certain “point” of his statement, and I wonder how many of you might feel the same way he did, in the words he spoke. I know I do.

Black_elkHoF
“But now that I can see it all as from a lonely hilltop, I know it was the story of a mighty vision given to a man to weak to use it;…” Partial quote from Black Elk.

“But now that I can see it all as from a lonely hilltop, I know it was the story of a mighty vision given to a man too weak to use it;…” Black Elk

We may slowly share the rest of his words eventually, for they are so rich, and fit our spiritual drama of this modern day. When I left the religious system to go searching, I knew nothing of Micro-Churches, but my soul was very hungry for something, and as I sought God for answers, I began following those answers one step at a time. Soon we developed a small Fellowship around what we began to see as obvious in God’s Word, and early Church history. Then further down the road I began hearing of Micro-Churches and discovered that was basically what we had already become, without even knowing!

How God led me to the book containing the words of this man is interesting, and as I look back on it, it happened just the way I have learned to be aware of God’s voice. Our nine day trip to South Dakota only had time for so many things, as it is in this mortal world. I had a rough idea of places I wanted to go, as we had vacationed there once before, like twenty years before. I wanted to revisit some places, and explore some new. But one place that was special to me did not fit the schedule, no matter how I tried to work it.

It is called “Harney Peak”. The highest point in South Dakota. A beautiful trail climbing into the mountain leads to that peak. I went there twenty years ago and wanted to do so again, but there was no time if my wife and I were going to reach a point farther west we had picked out. I can’t even remember the name of it now.

We never reached that westward point, because we revisited “Crazy Horse Monument”, only planning on spending a couple hours, but got so caught up there that we both did not want to leave! We spent several hours there, and a town close to it. We both realized we were sacrificing our plan, but we also realized God had a plan and that was the real reason we were there! God was speaking!

So as it were we gained an extra day in the Black Hills and I suddenly realized I could use that day to go alone, up that lonely path, to the highest peak east of the Rocky Mountains. It’s elevation is 7,244 feet. But the weird thing was, every time I tried to find information on the path leading to the peak, I kept finding something called “Black Elk Trail”. This is not what it had been called twenty years ago. As a matter of fact, I learned the name had been changed just before I got there! And who was Black Elk? Why did God have this trail name changed just before I would arrive seeking answers? My brain began whirling with possibilities. And I knew early the next day, I was headed to hike that trail and relive a climb I made twenty years before, but what would that path speak to me now? And continues to speak more and more loudly each day?

I want to do justice to who Black Elk was, and also my experience that day, and where it leads me today. So we will continue our story next episode. To be continued.

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Adventures in Podcasting

Path Without End

bible-sword-of-the-spirit Where do I begin?

Once upon a time I was led to leave the modern church religious system and go on a 9 day God-Quest in the Black Hills of South Dakota, where God spoke to me and my wife, and began to reveal many things. A path that has continued slowly unfolding day by day ever since that Quest.

Once upon a time, after returning home, I was led to build a very large Teepee, out of 2×8 beams and plywood. I built this by hand, and by myself, in the country, behind a big red barn, and under a large green tree, looking out over fields of corn. This was my 61st and 62nd years of age. This became my spiritual retreat, and it was ready for me when Orion’s meteor shower came. The weather was very rough, but I moved in that very night for a 2 week period. God spoke more, as I saw one meteor, along with the constellation of Orion the Hunter, his belt, sword, and bow.

Then God brought me back to our city house, small though it be, and we started a Fellowship called, “Fellowship of the White Path”. Jesus walked the red path of his own blood, so we could walk the white path of his own righteousness.

Once upon a time, God spoke to our little Fellowship about developing a Prayer Garden with a path running through it to a side door of our house, which would enter two rooms, and would be a free laundry mat for people struggling making ends meet. But this would require much shifting around of our house, so my wife and I would still have 1000 square feet of living space. Much renovation would be needed to put in an outside door to the Laundry Rooms, and create a new bedroom and laundry room for my wife. And so I began, Once upon a time.

However, my wife developed a medical problem. She cut back working and medical bills began to arrive. Surgery is scheduled soon and she will be fine, but in the meantime I had to take up part time work as a carpenter, and the house and garden project slowed way down, even to a crawl. But slowly we still climb. Her laundry room is almost done, then we begin the bedroom. We project Prayer Garden and Laundry Mat to open next spring, at Passover!

But in the meantime, once upon a time, I was working the carpentry with a young lady, and I began to speak to her of the “Missing 200 Years” most Christians have little knowledge of. 200 very important years and the lost knowledge. And as I spoke of this, she was most interested, and she had a suggestion. She thought I should start a “Podcast”.

A what??? Okay, I had some idea of what it was, but being of my generation, I really knew very little. Once upon a time this young lady explained to me and also played for me a couple of Podcast she enjoyed. I was immediately hooked on the idea.

Once upon a time this old man downloaded on his phone: “Podcasting for Dummies”.

There is a change coming. More and more this site will be relating to the subject of the Missing 200 Years, what it means for us today, how did we get away from the Church Jesus started, how there has always been a river flowing of people still practicing early Church history, but we are not told of it, and there are many great writers! A treasure trove of scriptural knowledge!

If I am successful, as an old dog tries learning a new trick, this site will become the launching pad for a Podcast I already have a name for, but not to be revealed until time. The house continues slowly moving towards its projected date for the Laundry mat, because we believe in the beauty of slow, not stress. The Fellowship continues. My wife will be well again, soon. And we will be Podcasting. You will be able to learn about the Missing 200, and what it means to us, while driving down the road, or perhaps doing dishes. No reading required! No having to stop what you’re doing in order to learn! This is an amazing time.

So I’ve read most of Podcasting for Dummies, and we just ordered a Podcast Kit due to arrive in 3 days. I still have much to learn and figure out how to do in order to be on the air. We appreciate your prayers. For me, the message is the easy part. It’s the technical stuff I have to learn, and Lord willing, so we shall.

I will be changing a few things on this site, to fit the new theme. As for the story of “Yinney”, if there are those who want more, please give me some feedback and I will start a page just for the continued story. I may do that anyway. It is in my heart to do so.

We are on no time schedule here. Next article I’ll show some pictures of the new laundry room, the Podcasting equipment and how we’re progressing. We have microphone, small mixing board, and headset for monitoring sound on the way, and we hope it will all hook up to this laptop. Then I have a very crude, dank, cement basement I hope to use for a recording room. It’s like being in a cave. I’ll try to do pictures of all these things, and anyone possibly thinking of Podcasting too, perhaps my journey will help you. Or maybe you already do this and can help me?

BUT THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES! As Grandpa White Feather attempts to stick a new feather in his cap. I believe as more and more people are leaving the large, expensive, cumbersome, impersonal mega-churches and hungry for something more like what Jesus actually did, we see a Micro-Church movement swelling, a new wine skin developing, and what does it all mean? A second Reformation? Or a great falling away? These are signs of our time. Even as homosexuality, and all forms of sexual perversion are strongly on the rise, these are signs of our time. Do not be left in the dark! We are called to be children of the day!

More coming soon. Thanks so much for participating in our journey, “Path Without End”. Our address for this site will be remaining the same, as amazingly enough, the thought of a path without end connects very well with where the Podcast is going. God knows all along what we daily discover.

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One section of the Prayer Garden still in development.