Tag: Underground Church

“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!

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A Sea Change has come.

 

“New World Coming” #1 / Bibles?

Path Without End

“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)

 Bibles burned in Portland? The American Flag and the Bible burning together! That should be no surprise to anyone. It was only a matter of time before their true hate would be revealed even more. “Once upon a time” the Bible and America were one, but the tug-of-war being waged between the New World and the Old rages on, and the Old is slowly sliding towards this New World in which the Bible, God’s Word, is not welcome! (At least not in its true form.)

Statistics show this once Christian nation is now Post-Christian. In other words, the Church is slowly losing the cultural tug-of-war, unless some new strength, some new wine, some new Anointing comes from somewhere. Do we have a plan, church? Or just more of the same. Maintain course. Maintain the slow slide. It usually accelerates towards the end.

When the New World comes, the Bible will be the most hated of all books, and will be considered the most dangerous of all books! Therefore, so will be Christians.

“So the Word became flesh and made his home among us.” (John 1:14a)

Modern Christian of today, do you understand that when Jesus said, “Follow Me”, that He was and is the Word, the Bible in flesh form? In other words, when we accepted the call to follow Christ, we were also accepting the call to follow the Bible, they are ONE.

In the same way as the Bible, in its true form, is not welcome in most Communistic countries, hence the underground church in China, it is not welcome in this New World coming. Where does that put us? In that fire pictured above?

The two pictures above are related. They are of the same spirit. I have written of the “Burning Man Event” in the Nevada desert. This same spirit of the New World coming pervades. What will be the role of the church in this New World? What will be your role as a Christian? Do we go underground? Do we end up 6 feet under, or raptured? Are we the wise or the foolish virgins?

I believe the easiest way to grow a new forest is simply keep setting fire to the old one until it all burns down. There is no great strategy here. Simply keep causing chaos, disruption, hate, and disorder until there is a “combustion point” and then grow a new forest out of the ashes of the old.

The Progessives no longer hide their true agenda. They have listed their goals. It is a Socialist agenda. That is the New World they want to grow, a Socialist and New Age religion agenda, and as they grow more angry, hate-filled, and desperate, they no longer care what they have to do to get it. They do not give pause to burning Bibles or our flag. These people are screaming out with the old and in with the new.

Is it really America’s fault that their life is so miserable, that they have it so bad, they want to burn it all down and start over? But this time, the Bible will have no part of its foundation. So what will be the foundation? Humanistic ideas. Man can do better than God. Man is god. Woman is god. And our Bible stands in direct opposition to the New World agenda. The Bible must burn!

Most Christians will probably ignore this Bible burning and excuse it as just a few people caught up in the emotion of the time. It’s not a serious thing, they will tell themself. But what if it is not just a few people? What if this small group is actually expressing the true feelings of a whole lot of people steadily growing in this country, and in this New World? Then what?

Hollywood is usually a pretty good picture of where we are going, after all, it is a major brain-washing and herd -manipulating machine. Pay close attention to what the new movies are cleverly seasoned with. Tell me it is just a small group of people.

“Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes, and harmless as doves.” (Matt. 10:16)

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“Church on Fire”#2

Path Without End

warfare Are you personally powered up for what is coming? Jesus said you shall receive POWER after that the Holy Spirit comes upon you. Are we a Holy Spirit “prepper” as the 5 wise virgins were? How do we even do that? There is so much we have forgotten, but need to remember.

I am a “Prepper”, but not so much of material things, I have a little, but I’m mostly concerned about not running out of light! When your lamp goes out there is only darkness. And what is this darkness coming? What is our Father warning us to be powered up for?

Have you been reading the Tea Leaves? They are so easy to see and read because the enemy has become so emboldened! They don’t even hide it anymore!

“These things I command you, that ye love one another. If the world HATE you, ye know that it HATED me before it HATED you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own:…” (John 15: 17-)

They call it Hate Speech. By the new world definition we are the haters because we believe certain things are “sin”, certain things are wrong, things not approved by God, things ungodly, things judged by our Bible, and if we stand by God’s STANDARD, we are to be labeled HATERS and persecuted. Are you ready? There is no dodging this bullet short of betraying our Lord. Turning apostate!

“When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” (Isa. 59:19b)

But our standard is HATE SPEECH! Do we still speak? Or go silent on certain topics? Betray the Word of God, Jesus. Do we still hold a standard? Not a standard chosen by us, or written by us, but by God! The world says God is the HATER! If He exist, they say, He is cruel, and a hater. All of this is His fault. The world refuses to own its own mess.

Notice the “Spirit of the Lord” is where the POWER is. Not us. God’s word confirms this over and over again. Have we forgotten? The Holy Spirit is the Power House in us! But what if we run dry?

What is this Anointing our Bible teaches, and our Lord spoke so highly of? King Saul was anointed to be king over Israel, but he kept disobeying God. Finally God sent Samuel with the Ram’s Horn to pour out the Anointing upon a shepherd boy named, David. When Samuel did this, the Anointing “left” King Saul and “came upon” David! David now walked in the power of God, but King Saul received a tormenting demonic spirit! We must talk about this. King Saul was then filled with jealousy over David, and wanted to kill him!

As God’s Anointing is lifting from those ministries who will “give into” the world, beware of the jealousy! But David now had the power. Or should I say the power rested upon him. Even while he was on the run, and Saul still upon the throne with a huge army at his beckon call, the real power was on David. But what know we of this POWER today? We need that power again! We need it yesterday!

The problem is this POWER of the Holy Spirit will cost you, and I’m not talking about just your money. Or some imaginary 10%. It will reach into EVERY part of your life. Jesus said we have a cross to bear, too. A cross is a cross! Again, I want to emphasize what the wise virgins told the foolish…

“Then all those virgins got up and put their own lamps in order. And the foolish said to the wise, GIVE us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. But the wise replied, There will not be enough for us and for you; go instead to the dealers and BUY for yourselves. But while they were gone away to BUY, the bridegroom came, and those who were prepared (preppers) went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut.” (Matt. 25: 7-10)

The foolish wanted the wise to just “GIVE” the oil to them. Easy-peasy. Instant mash potatoes. No sacrifice! No time! Instant crop in the field ready to harvest! How long did it take for Samson’s hair to grow back, and then to pray that prayer that God answered? The wise knew how foolish the request was, and gave them the only true answer.

Priest are called to love and sacrifice. Those of the King Theology, or King Saul Theology, do not like this message. I once knew a Pastor of a church of 800 who asked if he could preach my notes on the priesthood. Of course I said he could and he was doing a fine job of it, until… There were those getting upset and ready to leave. He then switched to preach the “King Theology” as a balance, they say. And now my life has taken a strange parallel to David’s, like an outcast. Good thing he didn’t have me preaching it. So out of respect to the Pastor, rather than cause division from within, I left with this message to share outside the four walls of those places.

God was about to judge King Saul’s kingdom. Everyone went through a lot during that time. David and his men suffered, even though he did no wrong! Jonathon and his armor bearer died in battle. King Saul died. But eventually, after much turmoil and suffering, Israel ended up with the best King they ever had. You could say that God had fixed things. The best things can be fixed with flawed man. It’s never perfect except in Christ.

So are we powered up like David was? Do we have a heart like David to sacrifice whatever it takes to bring the Ark of the Covenant, the power of God, back into the Church again? How do we BUY the oil that poured out on David’s head? What is currency with God? What is heaven’s currency? It is nothing less than true love! A marriage feast! Does your heart so long for more of Him that nothing else matters? Do we hunger and thirst for more of the Holy Spirit in us? He is that power.

In “Church on Fire” #1, we used scripture from Song of Solomon to relate this Holy Spirit love that is dripping with the Anointing of our Savior. Remember the door latch dripping with myrrh and spices? What of this oil Samuel poured out of the Ram’s Horn upon David? Exodus 30:22 speaks of the spices and oil mixed to create the holy Anointing oil. And Song of Solomon speaks of a garden “enclosed”, but praying for the wind to blow the spices forth out of the garden! Such a beautiful picture.

Jesus said, you shall receive power “after” that the Holy Spirit comes on you. And later, in chapter 4, the whole room was shaken and the Holy Spirit fell on them “again”! A second time! We can have more! The world drains us. Do we understand what the 5 wise virgins understood? Do we realize Jesus shared that parable, and others, for our learning? So we could live wise? But the young woman in the Song hesitated to leave her comfort zone, her bed, and the Anointing left! She went out into the night, the darkness, and was beaten by the watchmen! Are we prepared?

I see an ugly time coming. I see an Anointing shifting. I see great HATE and jealousy, but not by the ones who are commanded to love! This world is setting up its own judges of HATE. It seems those who hate the most, get to decide who the haters are. And Jesus said it would be so. But like David, and the 5 wise virgins, Holy Spirit preppers will prosper! He prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemy! What are you willing to pay to be on fire? Let us pray like Elijah prayed.

I’m now 125 pages into this book.
It has been excellent!

I’m now 125 pages into this book. It has been excellent! And I still puzzle over that title. I find it fascinating. Somehow it relates to today.

I also finished Brian Sander’s book: “UNDERGROUND CHURCH” I love the song they are singing. We are God’s songbirds in a world infested with snakes.

“Micro/Macro”- Prophetic Poetry

Path Without End

“Micro/Macro”

It was a prank. Right?

Someone loosened the cap? You gave it a shake?

The salt poured out all in one place?

Ruined your meal!

Like a rocket from a lifting pad, so the church began…Jerusalem!

But free of gravity…orbit achieved…space… “Go forth!”

Did they not understand God’s true plan?

Salt in a lump heals no land!

But salt in a shaker?

Is it time again?

To be tossed about spending ourself; sharing our money, houses, and homes?

The pursuit of wealth, possessions, and fame! What have we gained?

Loose the gravity! Be free in Christ! And change the world!

Macro salt is a Dead Sea, a Lot’s wife, a church spewed out,

a body left behind.

Micro salt sprinkled about, a land seasoned, well…

that’s just plain good!

Has it not always been so?

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“Catching Lightning in a Bottle”

Path Without End

20200719_073640 I’m 75 pages into this book. Snow is very easy to like and feel sorry for at this stage of the game. But he wants to climb the ladder of success, and the ladder is evil. What shall he do? Can one climb such a ladder and not become evil too?

One strong point of the Hunger Games is catching Lightning in a bottle. What is the mystical magic of what causes an individual to become the Lightning Rod of a Sea Change? First of all, perhaps there is a need? Perhaps this need has existed for a while. The people who are most affected by this need are looking for an answer, a way to solve this “lack”, this “pain”, this “discomfort”, this “evil” in their life. But who has the answer? Many may try and fail, but then somehow…unexplainably perhaps…mysteriously… an odd combination of events…chemistry…personality…talents…right place, right time… and it happens! Magic! Lightning in a bottle! And that person, or people, now become Lightning Rods of a chemical chain reaction taking place…if they do not abort!

Many visions have been aborted by their parent when things got a little too rough, scary, chaotic, or unpredictable. Where is this going? Where is this taking us? This wave? How big might it grow? Can we ride this thing? Should we ride it?

But sometimes the need is so great, a line has been crossed, and the wave must be ridden. And if there is no Lightning Rod willing to pay that price, then it is tragic, as the wave fails and the need returns even greater than before. Jesus became our Lightning Rod on the cross that day. Peter aborted the mission, but Jesus still rescued him and he became such a lightning rod too.

I’m still talking Hunger Games, of course; and I’m still talking Brian Sanders and his book/church > “UNDERGROUND CHURCH”. For me, his book has been Lightning in a bottle. I’m so glad he and his people have not aborted the mission of Christ. I’ve read 73% of his book now and continue being inspired!

There is a need. This need has been growing for some time, and someone like myself who actually got desperate enough to leave the modern church system and start a small fellowship of our own, has been looking for others. We know they are out there. And we know someone may already be doing what we’re searching for. Brian Sander’s book is meeting a real spiritual need in my life, and at a very good time.

The world is changing, folks, have you noticed? And there are major forces out there, who would love to see the “true” church die. This new breed of church, which is actually very old, as in the beginning, is like the Jabberjay who became the Mockingjay. Rather than die, it transformed! The Jabberjay became the Mockingjay! It did not die as expected. It did not die as hoped for by the rich and powerful of Panem! But it bred with the Mockingbird, producing many babies! It adapted to its new environment and multiplied! It became the Mockingjay! And Panem hated it! It became a symbol for the defeat of Panem and rebellion against the horrible Hunger Games.

The hunger Jesus gives is a hunger that actually satisfies. In other words, it brings peace, contentment, and fulfillment. It’s one of those Biblical paradoxes only a supernatural God can do. These modern churches with their materialistic preaching only causes more hunger. It does not teach our people to want less, but to want more! Live like a king! You’re a king’s kid! But Jesus taught us to be the servant. And to become “disciples” of his ways. I don’t see an earthly mansion or sports car on our Lord’s “to do” list. Our worldy Panem church hates it when the Mockingjay sounds off. They hate its song, and they hate its survival. They do not want to hear our message, nor search the scriptures to see if it may be true. They want to continue in Panem. Jesus would have been in the Districts. He did go to the Districts! Is there not a cause? Is there not a need? But there will always be a King Saul who both loves and also desires to kill, the “Davids” of our world.

If your church does not SERVE money and programs, then I’m not likely talking about your church. But there are those of us who hunger for the early church ways the Apostles planted. Not the church that grew in Jerusalem at Pentecost, but the form of church that scattered forth, went forth from there. Some of us believe that is the church we need to return to, and the destination God has for us in these last days.

I’ve not met Brian Sanders and have not experienced his ministry. I’ve only read his book. I live in Indiana and evidently this all is taking place in Tampa Bay area. But I don’t need Brian personally to experience the magic of God’s Lightning! I simply need a true path that meets my personal spiritual need! And now I become a spark, an ember, that has sparked off of his fire, and I begin to do something here in Indiana. I have high hopes for it.

Unless I ever connect with the UNDERGROUND CHURCH personally, it is likely I will never be a copy of his ministry, but at least I’ve found light leading out of this growing darkness! And I can do something with that. I can do something Jesus is laying on my heart. Because we are a priesthood in the earth. We are all anointed of Christ to be a family of priests! And to lay aside our royalty for a time, our ability to seek luxuries and blessings, even as our Lord did, and follow Him into the Districts!

This is my pleasure to do. Our modern church system is losing this country. Saving our way of life through voting will only buy us so much time, if we continue losing hearts. The true church is about the transformation of hearts. A society filled with the ways of Christ will be a blessed country. And if not, then ever growing darkness and violence is upon us.

I don’t know about you, but I love the Katniss/ Mockingjay character. She’s honest, honorable, and strong. The world around her has an evil that ought not be, but so far she has been one of the lucky ones, surviving day by day, taking care of her own family, right? But then this evil finally touches one of hers, and she knows her little sister will be slaughtered in that arena. Yes, slaughtered. And she just can’t stand the thought! This day the evil has crossed a personal line with her, and do or die this evil shall be faced! Game On!!! She will not watch her little sister slaughtered by this evil machine. If it ever happens, she will be dead first.

(I have much more to say on all of this. I feel on fire! I hope you do too!)

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SEA CHANGE!

“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!