Walk This Way

Gal 3:1-7,

2 Cor 7:1 Since these promises are ours, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates and defiles body and spirit, and bring consecration to completeness in the fear of God.

We are the children of God if we believe and receive Jesus Christ. We also by faith perfect our walk, our conduct and behavior to match the inward reality. The best cup of coffee will be unappealing when it comes to us in a dirty, cracked cup. We believe and let the Holy Spirit work His will, His nature into our hearts. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Phil 1:6

Phil 2:13 God works in us both to do and will… Our will is freed. We allow ourselves to co-labor with God in order that we may look and act/behave more and more like our Father. We grow up into this. We embrace the lessons by faith, believing, receiving His nature, we let it grow into fullness within us. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. Eph 3:20-21.

Each of us have a garden inside of us. Each of us are responsible for what grows and are allowed to flourish in our garden.  Our job is to “let” and “let not”. Romans 6 says that we are no longer slaves. We have been freed to make choices, to make righteous choices. 1 Peter 2:16 Act as free men, and [fn]do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.

People ask why God allows the evil in the world. He gave us the job of taking care of this world and we allow the evil to flourish. When good people are only concerned about their own little circle, their own comfort, their own ease, then evil flourishes. When we do not take responsibility for the world we were given, we have wickedness in charge. We have the job to yield to God and not to evil. Yet we yield to evil, we refuse to fight it. We choose the easy, lazy way. We choose the path of least resistance and reap a dust storm.

We can through faith combat evil/sin/wickedness in our own personal lives; in our family, in our neighborhood. We have the authority from God, as kings and priests to say “NO” to wickedness and evil but “YES” to righteousness, goodness and godliness.  We are NO LONGER slaves. We have been freed. We have choices. Ro 6:14 says that sin/evil shall no longer have dominion over us. Eph 4:14-16 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

Being under grace does not mean that you park your blessed assurance in a rocking chair or hammock and hang a sign that reads: “Don’t bother me. I’ve arrived.” Because of this grace we have received we persuade others. What do we persuade them of? What is our message? That the emancipation proclamation has been made! You and I have been freed from sin. Receive your freedom and take the responsibility to live like those who are free. You are redeemed in Jesus Christ. You are Kings and Priests. You are citizens of God’s Eternal Kingdom! Now live like it. Eph 2:10 says that we are God’s handiwork/ His workmanship recreated in Christ Jesus, that we may do the good works which God has purposed for us.

This does not mean that we earn salvation by works. It means that because we are free to serve God, free to be His ambassadors, free to be His kings and priests, we do those things that bring Him glory and honor. We are His temple, His habitation, His body, His bride, His people, His army and we are to be busy doing His work. Col1:10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;, Eph 3:10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places..

Jesus, at the age of 12, told his mother and Joseph. “I need to be about my father’s business”. How about you?

Basics for Ambassadors

Our response, our responsibility, as a fellowship of believers is twofold. We have a responsibility and covenant, (contract, agreement) toward God and toward people. This is often referred to as our vertical and horizontal relationships. The first is the vertical, towards God. If we have a solid relationship towards God and if we are on a solid foundation with God then the horizontal relationship toward people will also be balanced. We cannot neglect our responsibility in either direction. 1 John 3:23

Vertical

Our relationship toward God is threefold. We relate to God through Prayer, Worship and the Word. These are the three pillars of any congregation or individual relationship between God and human.

PRAYER: Prayer has many facets, parts and expressions: Prayer, supplication, asking, requests, intercession, thanksgiving, and even silent prayer. We approach God the Father, through Jesus Christ, - through His Name which means all that He is and has done and is doing – by the power, ability and help of the Holy Spirit. There are a multitude of recorded prayers in the Bible. The Psalms are full of prayers, hearts poured out before God and many of the prophets recorded their prayers. The Apostle Paul in his epistles, letters, writes down how he prays for the people. Jesus gave us the model prayer in what is now popularly called “The Lord’s Prayer” but He also prayed a few other times. He prayed a very short powerful prayer at the tomb of Lazarus, in Gethsemane and in John 17 He intercedes for the disciples and us. We are commanded to pray without ceasing. – 1 Thess. 5:17- and to pray at all times in Ephesians 6:8. This means that you are in constant communication with God, not in a formatted, formal way, but being aware of Him and His influence in every area of your life, whispering a prayer, a thanksgiving, a simple request. 1Ki 8:28, Psalm 55:1, Phil 4:6, Col 4:2, John 16:26, Rom 8:26,27 and 34

WORSHIP: Worship includes, praise, thanksgiving, dancing, art, clapping hands, making noise, silence, music in all forms, adoration… and so much more. Worship is ALWAYS directed, focused, toward God, in three persons, Father God, Jesus Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit. It is never with the motive to attract attention to ourselves or our worship. It is an offering, an exhibition, an action directed towards God and for Him. It is like the Old Testament sacrifices and burnt offerings a sacrifice to God only. This refer to the part of our “worship”, lifestyle of serving God, that has to do with giving God honor, adoration, exaltation, thanksgiving, exaltation and generally celebrating who and what He is. The Psalms are full of examples of this. The entire Bible is full of proclaiming how awesome and wonderful God is. We see in Revelations 13 that worship will be carried through into eternity. Worship is also a continual thing. We can keep God in high regard in our hearts so that we give thanks, praise and adoration at all times. This is our responsibility but also our love offering to Him. Gen. 22:5, Psalms 29:2, 66:4, 95:6, 99, 150, Acts 16:25, Romans 12:1, Phil. 3:3, Heb. 13:15.

WORD: With “word” we refer to the communication from God to us. We have the Bible, God’s inspired written word, 66 books in one volume. We have the responsibility to get very acquainted with it. We cannot call ourselves Children of the Most High God and not even know His Book. This book of the law, of the words of God and His dealings with His own shall not depart from us. We shall speak of it when we are walking, driving on the road, when we sit down to eat, when we go to sleep at night. It is to be our constant companion and should be buried in our hearts so that we may keep from sinning against God. It should be in our hearts and hands so that we may know how to choose, to discern good and evil, right from wrong. We are given a plumb-line, a measuring stick, something to hold all things that comes our way against, so that we may know how to live in a pleasing manner before God. We cannot exclude other ways that God uses to communicate with us, through other Christians speaking, preaching, prophecy-ing to us, or even through dreams and visions. These are all mentioned in the Bible. But it cannot contradict the Bible. Many interpretations of scripture exist and of this there is much to say. Let it suffice with this: It is a thick book. Take the whole counsel of God in consideration. Whatever way God communicates to us, it is our responsibility to hear, - to discern His voice – and to obey Him. Ps119, Joshua 1:8, Luke 8:21, John 10:35, Col 3:16, 2 Tim. 3:16, Hebrews 4:12

Horizontal

Our relationship towards People can be divided into two groups. There are only two groups of people in the world: those who love, obey and follow God, who has given their lives to Him and received Jesus as Lord and Savior and those who stubbornly refuse to bow before the God and creator of all. We have the saved and unsaved, the saints and sinners, the children of God and the children of wrath, disobedience. The Bible makes this distinction and so should we. Mark 4:11, 1 Cor. 5:13, James 1:27& 4:4, 2 Peter 1:4, 1John 4 and 5

UNBELIEVERS, World

Our first and foremost responsibility towards those who are in the world, unbelievers are to bring the message of reconciliation between God and man. We are all messengers of hope, of a better way of a God who loved this whole world, everyone so much that He gave His ONLY begotten Son, Jesus Christ the Lord, to pay the penalty, punishment for all our sin. By this an opening, door, way was made for humans to have a relationship with God the Father. We are always to be ready to lead someone to repentance, to agreeing with God, to see the offense our rebellion towards God really is. This is our primary responsibility towards all humans.

We are His hand extended to minister healing and deliverance in the process of bringing salvation to all people. We introduce them to a God who is both love and holy, both forgiving and just. Ps 9:8, John 3:16, 2Cor. 5:18 &19, Eph 1:13, Romans 3:23, Romans 10

BELIEVERS, Children of God.

Those who call upon the Name of Jesus are saved. Those who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are born into the Kingdom of God and He gives them the right, the authority to be called children of God. All believers have a ministry of bringing sinners to salvation and also to help one another along the way in our path to maturity in God’s kingdom by encouraging one another, loving one another, laying our lives down for one another. The Bible says to do good to all but especially and first to the household of God. Gal 6:10. There are a whole lot of scriptures about how we are to behave toward one another. In all this we ought to remember that God is the Father of us all and He is well able to take care of His own household. Romans 15:14, Gal. 5:13, 6:2, Eph.4:32, Phil 2:3, 5:19 & 211 Thess. 5:15, Heb. 3:13, Heb. 10:25, James 4:11, 5:16, 1Peter 2:2, 1Peter 4, 1 John 4:7 &11,

Another Jesus, Another Gospel or Another Spirit???  by Marietjie

We were in South Africa at a ministry that trained many young people to be missionaries. I was pregnant and had a toddler running around. I heard the young speaker over the the loud speaker say something that made me pick up my kid, wobble into the meeting tent, taking the diaper-bag and telling my husband that we can leave; I've heard enough. What did she say? She said: " We don't need Jesus any longer."

There have since been so many strange, odd and weird things coming through the church (global) that I am starting to loose feeling in my face from the centriphical force. If it isn't some plastic Jesus that cannot ever offend anyone or a Jesus that is some mystical force instead of a person, then we are fed an image of God that have little to no base in scripture at all. The portrait of God is distorted about as much as if Picasso, Van Gogh and some abstract artist all shared the same canvas. No wonder the church is empty and the New Age orgies are turning crowds away at the gate. We can't even agree on our God. At least in places like India, they openly say that it is many gods. Christians pretend that they all worship the same God but all you have to do is listen, really listen and you will find a cacophony of different gods.

The gospel that seemed rather simple and straight forward to me at the beginning of my journey, now seemed to have sprouted, secrets, mysteries and implications that boggles the mind. You need more than faith to believe some of the theories and fallacies that is sold as doctrine; and I mean sold. You actually have to loose your mind and crucify common sense. It seems like every Dick, Tom and Jane sucks a new teaching out of their thumbs and it almost always ridicule and/or contradict something that has been historically believed. Have we really become so brainwashed and hypnotized that we can't see that the Emperor is REALLY naked?

There is also a new sort of spirit in Christians or I dare say, supposed Christian circles. It used to be that the believers were recognised by a sweet spirit of gentleness and humility. It used to be that they would have an atmosphere of goodness, kindness and honesty around them. The value nowadays is on who can be the sharpest tongue and the best at making money or who can have the greatest attitude of slander, sarcasm and ridicule. Arrogance, pride and boasting is rewarded with lots of money and the people keep giving even when it is openly known that the leaders are sinning. Not only do we not humble ourselves, we see it as our right to swarm down like vultures on every one and anyone that we can tear to pieces. The atmosphere of suspicion and distrust is billowing like black factory smoke from the internet.

How far have we fallen?
Is the gift of God in Jesus Christ not good enough, wonderful enough, precious enough that we have to add, twist and re-interpret it. How long has it been since you have heard a simple Gospel message? The Bible that has been miraculously preserved all of these years, has become outdated to some and replaced with their own ideas and words. Why is it not good enough anymore? What is this spirit that is masquerading as the Holy Spirit? I do not know it, do you?

Simple devotion to God through Jesus Christ by the enablement of the Holy Spirit is to un-exciting for some, but it is the only thing that will last. This pool has been muddied enough.

I overheard a mail clerk at the post office while sorting the mail, when the Christian Book Distributors catalogs came out: "I don't get this" she said " how many different ways can you tell that story?"
I am starting to wonder if she was right or maybe the story that is being told is not the real thing.

Five Fold Hierarchy Heresy

.....As God has called you, live up to your calling. Accept life with humility and patience, generously making allowances for each other because you love each other. Make it your aim to be at one in the Spirit, and you will be bound together in peace. .... Ephesians 4:4-6

We ought to question anything that brings a spirit of division into the Body of Christ/ Kingdom/ Church/ Bride of Christ. We are all ONE. We need One Another. We are all ONE body, many members but ONE body. If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it.... and if one member is honored, all members rejoice with it... there is a more excellent way .... seek Love: Agape.

Ephesians 4:11 are jobs ( job descriptions) not titles. Some He gave a function, or "being" to be.... These are not titles or honors or medals or awards or a system. This was never meant to be some christian pyramid system of control and honor. There is no Levitical priesthood hierarchy in the New Testament. We are ALL kings and priests but our functions, roles and purposes in the Kingdom differs. We are all to humble ourselves and submit to one another. The authority of the believer is not over people, but over the works of the enemy.

The "five-fold" heresy comes from one single verse pulled out of context. Paul could have gone on and extend his list to helps, mercy etc. He was speaking of the Body being one and each one given a gift of grace or grace according to the gift of Christ...He gave gifts to men... as examples of these Paul mentions the five following gifts. There is no implication or hint that this is a hierarchy or system or an "authority" structure. To infer this from this passage is heresy.

Continue to read the rest of the chapter.. or book... It is clear that the whole Body has to grow up and mature with Christ as the head. From the head each part is directly connected and receive life to grow by the proper functioning of each individual part. V25 ... let each man..., for we are all parts of the same body... Here Paul is still continuing on his theme of One-ness.

I Corinthians 12.. again is about the One-ness of the Body of Christ. The gifts listed here are different from the Eph 4 list. So why not call it an eight-fold ministry.

In Romans 12, the passage actually starts out with (verse 3) a warning against the conceited arrogance now so rampant in the Body of Christ. Be humble. But here these "gifts" listed are actually called functions. And the list contains, prophecy and teaching... If we read the entire chapter, it is not about establishing some pecking order but simply to say that we have gifts that differ and that we are all One and must submit to one another in brotherly love,... give preference to one another in honor...

If Eph 4, I Cor 12 and Rom 12 were meant to establish an authority structure, God would have said so, clearly. He has no problem giving Moses very detailed instructions about the first Levitical priesthood... that ; by the way; is a thing of the past. Also the list of gifts would have been the same. It never says anywhere in the New Testament that all are under the authority of a certain gift. It is simply not there. It does say that ALL, that means everyone, needs to function in their gifting, while submitting to one another. There is NO longer a human mediator or authority. We are all face-to-face before God through Jesus Christ.

Do I propagate anarchy in the church? NO, instead the opposite. All in humility and love (agape) submitting to one another. We are all on even plane before God. I Cor 12 says plainly that an eye is an eye and an ear is an ear, both needed and important, both submitted to each other and the one not under or over the other in authority or control.

The only offices in the church are on a congregational level. One for the spiritual well being of the Body and one for the physical well being of the Body. The offices of elders/overseers and deacons are explained in Acts 6. Deacons [gr.diakonos: those who labor in the dust] are the physical servants of the congregation. Elders/ overseers are those who minister the word and devote themselves to prayer.

The instruction to submit to one another is in the same spirit and flow of the rest of the New Testament. The law of liberty of life in Christ Jesus made us free from the law of sin and death; Not so that we can run around and get ourselves entangled again in some sort of man made slavery, or into all kinds of sin and lust, but so that we can now have the power and ability to complete our God ordained destiny. Submit to God and one another by the power of the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ and fulfill your purpose and function in the Kingdom of God.

Kingdom Principles by Marietjie Chase

For the past few days, I have been meditating on Kingdom Principles: stuff that should be obvious but are not.

In the Kosmos if you want to become wiser, bigger, richer or better, it depends on how much you can take in or add to your life. You labor to take in knowledge, money, food, honor, etc. In the Kingdom of God you grow and mature by what you give out. Give money and lay up for yourself treasures in Heaven. Give energy and worship and prayer and grow in your intimacy with God and knowledge of Him. Give ministry and service and grow in your stature as an ambassador of the Kingdom.

Often what happens in the Natural/Kosmos precedes the same thing happening in the spiritual/Kingdom of God but often the opposite is required. When the Kosmos is moving in one direction, the Kingdom of God is often moving in the direct opposite direction. Right now the whole world/Kosmos is moving toward a "one-world" system. It is becoming one centralized, connected, interactive, interdependent unit. The word of the Lord and direction of the Holy Spirit for the Kingdom of God is to de-centralize. Go smaller, NOT bigger. Multiply!! Replicate!! Hundreds of thousands of smaller works instead of huge mega structures.

This will require a re-thinking of our "church" set up. Pastors - Who are they? What are they? How are we to relate to them physically and spiritually? The office of "pastor" has been out of order in the church for too long. We need to re-think, re-pray and receive a new revelation on this...

• A small group of about 5 families cannot financially support a full-time pastor. Pastors have to either take a secular job or pastor several small congregations. Which begs the question: should the pastor be paid by the congregation at all. maybe that is just another Old Testament, "levitical" thing we kept for lack of something better.


• Are you still a shepherd/pastor when you oversee several smaller groups? Or does the fact/action of traveling make you an "apostle"?


• Could one of the more mature/experienced members with a full-time job be a shepherd/pastor? maybe members will grow up faster if more of the ministry is done by the members instead of the hired help/pastor.

Our current church system makes me think of the time in Judges 17 when each did what was right in his own eyes and some paid the Levite to be their priest.

Could we be brave and courageous enough to chance what is? Could we cross the bridge from tradition to blind faith? Where is God's Elijah's, Daniels, Deborah's and Esters? Are they ever going to come out of the caves, backside of the wilderness or prison?

There is a new Reformation coming - No, it's already started. Will we go with the flow or try to hold back a tsunami with our bare hands?

The Kingdom of Heaven/God by Marietjie Chase



The revelation of the Kingdom of God/Heaven, I am starting to realize, is not just another signpost or event in this journey , nor is it the next restored reality/truth to divide about. If Jesus spoke about this so often and seemed to keep going back to it; and then the apostles in their epistles, brought this down in more bite- size daily applications, it is in fact our life. Some wrote books on it, and that is important to help us think this through, but it is not even about the thinking part. It is not about knowledge or being right. It is not about structure, authority and methodology. It is not a truth that excludes all the others. It is not something to get fanatical about.... Jesus told stories to try to bring it to people: The Kingdom of Heaven is like... He said this over and over and over again.



So what is it? As I begin to see it, it is a changed heart and mind. It is the reality of seeing God's way, living God's way. It is to "not let the world/kosmos squeeze you into it's mold". It is to let the love/agape of God rule and reign in our hearts and minds. It is to love/agape the Lord our God with ALL our heart, soul, mind and existence.

"So?"

Well, it is easier said than done.



We, humans, have a sin-stained "action and re-action" attitude about life. We have our own inbred, yeah I mean inbred, sense of justice. We have a balance, an equilibrium, that helps us survive and succeed in this world/kosmos system. But in order to live in the Kingdom of God we have to let all this go. Yeah, let it go.



There is a new attitude, a new "breeding" that has to happen. Meditation on what Jesus said, what the Apostles said, brings us almost always to the conclusion that this cannot work in this world/kosmos. So we sit with this dichotomy that we would like to live and obey the New Testament but the Old Testament thinking and living fits easier in our polluted attitudes. We therefore keep parts of the old and embrace that of the new that we dare to swallow. None of us, or maybe I should say few, has yet to bet the farm.



What would make us see, really see, that the new is better? Would it take some cataclysmic event to erase our systems/kosmos/world that we so desperately cling to? This to, would not seem like the mercy and grace of God but it would be; wouldn't it?





____________________________________________________________________



Meditations



"Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me, because the one who is least among all of you is the one who is greatest."



"Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure-- pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return."



In the same way, the last will be first, and the first will be last, because many are called, but few are chosen."



For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has showed no mercy; and mercy rejoices against judgment.



"But he said, 'No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them

SPIRITUAL SURVIVAL -------


In our days, I dare say the last days, we arrived at the edge of a precipice that the church has never before experienced. It seems some have gone to sleep and are letting the political tide drift them to who knows where. Some of us are fighting a battle we feel we cannot win. Some see the danger and are ringing the bell. People are like animals in a fenced yard sensing the eminent danger and circling but all we accomplish is to kick up the dust.





When Jesus' time here on earth drew toward the end, he became increasingly concerned for His disciples well fare. We read His prayer in John 17 and the last teaching to the disciples/apostles that span from chapter 13 through 16. This was His farewell address to them and if we read this and meditate on it we see a few survival techniques that He brings to their attention.


First: Let's wash one another's feet. What does that mean? In one of Paul's epistles he wrote, in love (agape) serve as slaves to one another. This is practical. There is no reason, we, Christians cannot be a village, a community. Do we even know the practical needs of those we are in the Body of Christ with us.

Don Fransisco sang it years ago: "I don't care how many buses you own, or the size of your sanctuary, it doesn't matter how steep your steeple is, if it's sittin' on a ceme- tary I don't care if you pave your parking lot, or put pads upon your pews, What good is a picture perfect stage, if you're missin' all the ques I don't care if your pastor's super powered, and your program's always new What you need is love and truth Men are gonna come to you, It doesn't matter that you know the Bible, if it's all just in your head, the thing I need to ask you, is that have you done the things I've said: Do you love your wife For her and for your children, are you laying down your life What about the others Are you living as a servant to your sisters and your brothers, Do you make the poor man beg you for a bone Do the widow and the orphan cry a-lone."

Jesus said that even as He loved us, we need to love one another. How did He love us? He gave His life for us. That means His all. BY THIS shall all men know that we are His disciples, if we love one another. Jesus comes back to this point over and over again: Love God and love one another.





Second: Believe! Believe in the Father, Believe in Jesus. Believe means to trust and obey. Jesus said we will do the same works that He did if we believe. Unto believers it was given in Mark 16 to lay hands on the sick , to do signs and miracles etc. We who believe are suppose to do these things, not a select few. Be foolish enough to take God by His word and act on it. Lay hands on the sick and heal them. It is the least we can do. Stop running all over the place and do it yourself. Like when the disciples came to Jesus with the complaint that the 5000 plus followers were hungry in the wilderness and He said: " You feed them." This is not the time to debate doctrine and pontificate the pro's and con's. Do the stuff. If you believe, do it!





Third: Jesus introduce the Holy Spirit to them and explain the purpose and the place of the Holy Spirit to them. The orphan spirit that have christians live as though our God is dead, has permeated the church because we do not know how to draw on the Holy Spirit. We have this Holy Spirit right here upon the earth. We have Him living inside of us. Learn to rely on Him. Yes, it is by trail and error and we look and sound like fools while we are learning but the alternative is even more disastrous. We are so inclined to have a human Moses, - pastor, prophet, teacher, - that we have not learned to discern His voice. Come on Church, get of your lazy lowers and start getting into God so that you also can hear His voice and OBEY it. You will not hear if you are not willing to obey.





Fourth: Jesus said, if you abide in Me and My words abide in you, you will ask what you will and it shall be given unto you. We have to know the Bible more deeply than just what we hear in church. You and I need to know the book. It is very simple. Read it, meditate on it and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you. Let it settle in your heart. If you have to memorize it for this to happen then do it. This is your civil defense. This is your "Boot Camp". The Word and prayer. Yes, it sound so simplified but it is still true. Get on your knees and pray. Pray the scripture if you do not know what else to pray. Pray through the New Testament. Let the Holy Spirit lead you through it. Learn to pray. Learn to seek God's face in prayer.





Jesus warns of coming persecution. The warning is going out again! Troubled times is at our door. Get ready! it is not time to go hide in a hole. It is not the time to reach for more entertainment. Get ready! Prepare yourself, for "in the world you have tribulation but take courage; Jesus overcame the world."

The Root of The Spirit of Fear by Marietjie Chase

Reading through Romans I came upon this verse in the eighth chapter, the 15 th verse: "We have not received the spirit of slavery, leading to fear but a spirit of adoption as sons (spiritually which includes both genders) by which we cry Abba! Father!" That made me think of II Timothy one verse 7: "God has not given us a spirit of timidity -cowardice, fearfulness - but of power (dunamis) and love (agape) and discipline - a sound mind, self-control and moderation-."

See how the spirit of fear has it's roots in the orphan/slave spirit. Slaves and orphans has no inheritance, no protection, no security, no confidence and are left to fend for themselves. Spiritual slaves are often legalistic and concerned with what is right since they find comfort and security in this. They are always trying to do what is right since they think that they will by that, find the acceptance they so desperately crave. John 14:16-18 Jesus states that He will not leave us as orphans but will send the Holy Spirit as comforter - He is also our teacher, reminder and companion. In Psalms 27: 9-10 it says that even if my father and mother forsake me God will never.

Galatians 3:23-29 and 4:1-4 says that slaves and immature sons have a lot in common. Immature sons are tutored by the law until maturity. Mature sons enjoy the inheritance of the father, immature sons enjoy the positional inheritance but does not yet see the inheritance. True sons of God are not afraid of the Father's reproof, but embraces it since it leads to maturity. Notice how often Jesus rebuked, reproofed the disciples. Children do not raise themselves.

We have very few true fathers in the Western, One-Man-Show, Church and even if we find one, we have made it so easy for people to run from congregation to congregation, that they never get the fathering needed to mature. So we have bunches of orphan/slaves running around with no real roots, power, love or self-control. This caused the church to be so feminine that true men seldom feel at ease in these places. Part of the reason for the abuse of women in the Western Church is that the pastors have a feminine spirit produced by the absence of fathers in the faith. They are feminized and are intimidated by the women since they are trying to "mother" the church instead of "father" the church, since this is all they know. A pastor or father that has a slave/orphan spirit uses people instead of investing in them. It sacrifices it's children to the needs of self. It does not tolerate intimacy or genuineness, realness. This is the opposite of the spirit of adoption.

If we are going to successfully deal with the spirit of fear, lack of love and power in the church we have to deal with this orphan/slave spirit and part of the answer is to change the structure, mindset and methodology of the church. We have raised a couple of sons and have still two in the house. These boys needed their mother when they were young but there comes a time when a young man yearns for the fathering of a father. Maybe the old ways of making a knight had something to it where a boy stayed with the women folk until the age of eight and afterward was raised by men.

Changing our style of church will only help if we also "father" people into maturity and produce mature sons (spiritually which includes both genders) to continue the family business. At the age of 12 Jesus separated Himself from His mother with these words: "Did you not know that I have to be about my fathers business." Luke 2:49

[See also these: http://touchedbygrace.org/teachings/ ; http://www.fatherpower.com/ ; www.rmdk.com/ ; http://web.mac.com/waynecanderson/Standsure/The_Blog/Entries/2008/9/1_Orphans_and_Motives_Behind_Christian_Disciplines.html
and also the book Wild at heart by John Eldrege ]

EPHESIANS 4 : 7-12 by Marietjie

If you are not being equiped or equipping the saints for work of ministry, you are failing to use the gift that Jesus Christ gave to the church, the Body , the Kingdom of God. If you reckon yourself to be part of the five(four)-fold ministry - doma gifts- , are you equipping the saints for work of ministry?? This does not say that the apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor-teachers should do all the work of ministry. They are to equip the saints to do it. Any work the doma gifts does, is to have the sole purpose of demonstrating to the saints how to do the work of ministry.

The Bible never, in the New Testament, teaches the one-man-show method. It always speaks of more than one elders. It always speaks of bringing all into maturity. There is no New Testament scripture for keeping people in eternal infancy, dependant on a human leader to "moses" them. We are constantly encouraged and admonished to grow up into all that Jesus has completed for us.

Religious empires belong to the Old Testament paridigmn with little to no basis in the New Testament. We are all equal; though differently gifted, each looking out to help and assist one another. The Beehive method of church is totally man made.

We cannot pick and choose pieces of the Old Testament/Covenant to carry on because it suits our human sensibilities. We either embrace the New Covenant and the new way of thinking or not. Does the writers of the epistles in vain warns against this? For the Jews of the first century church it was circumcision that they had a hard time letting go off. Today we cling to tithing, a pastor-priesthood and temple(church)-worship.

Have we really so little faith in God , that we have to have these security blankets???

Another Gospel by Marietjie Chase

A study of Galatians will show a clear contrast between those who live by the law ( O.T principles) and those who live by faith. (N.T. principles).

In the Old Testament we often read the words: "and they shall know that I am Jehovah." It usually refers to some action whereby God reveals Himself to nations and people. In the New Testament God moves inside of us by His Holy Spirit.

The Old Testament is all about distant learning. Only Moses, Abraham and David and maybe a few of the prophets had an intimate, vibrant relationship with God. But after Jesus came we all have access to the Father through Jesus Christ. Now we all, each and everyone of us, can come boldly before the throne of grace. We are our own Moses. We do not need another human to be our "authority". We are to submit to one another as equals. Even husbands and wives must submit to one another. Eph 5:21.

The O.T. is an exclusive system where the N.T. is an inclusive system. The O.T. has an us-and-them attitude but the N.T. has an all-is-welcome attitude. According to Romans3 and Galatians3, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. All means everyone. Those who are good and those who are bad. Those who kept the law and those who failed the law. All are guilty! Even if you are justified by the law .... even if you are very good and do all the do's and don't's... you are deprived of all the affect of Christ. Gal 5. The only way out of eternal damnation is faith in Christ Jesus; believe in your heart, confess with your mouth, be baptized as an outward declaration of an inward reality and become a disciple of Jesus Christ, being rooted and grounded in love, the word, prayer and worship with the saints to help us in our journey to maturity. This is the way for ALL!

The O.T law dictated and punished. In the N.T. we are adjured, encouraged, reminded and provoked to jealousy so that we would choose the best. We are warned, persuaded, called, begged and then also receive revelation and have God working in us to will and to do according to His good purposes. There is no big stick or punishment(consequences, yes). Our will has truly been set free. O.T. slavery, condemnation, -Ro 8- and fear. N.T. freedom. - Gal 5:13.

The law carries a curse. When we try to live by the law-Ro 2:16...-we carry the curse. The only way to live is by grace through faith. Faith brings the fulfillment of promises. None of it is deserved. It is not wages but a gift. Living by a law earns you wages, rights, status and entitlements.

There is no happy legalists. The first sign of slipping from grace into legalism is that we start to point the finger and judge others. There is way to determine if our own actions are guided by self or the Holy Spirit. Just ask what the motivation is. What do we want to get from this? Is there any self-interest in this action?

O.T. subject the flesh to control by law. N.T. walk in the Spirit and kill the flesh (self). Walk in love; walk in the Spirit and so we fulfill the purpose of God in our generation. Think! The mind is the seedbed. Think on Purpose. Ro 12 :1-3 If we are still in the fog as to our thinking and actions, whether it is in the flesh or in the Spirit, judge it by the fruit. (only judge your own thoughts and actions- the rest is not your responsibility) Gal 6:8, Gal5:19-23. Do good. Goodness is a natural outflow of walking in love and in the Spirit. It will NOT be work.


The O.T system of law were motivated by self-preservation and fear. When my motivation is self-preservation, self-saving, anything of self, then I am no longer living in love but in the flesh and law. Now my thinking is: If I... then He..... My entire motivation brings me in bondage. There is no freedom here since it is a constant trade-of. There is no service or pleasing one another for at the root, I am serving at the altar of self. Lucifer's sin was rooted in self. Adam and Eve's sin were rooted in self. Every sin has at the root self(flesh).

In a love relationship the motivation is not selfish. I want to please the one I love. My aim and goal is to know Him better so that I can serve - please Him better. My focus is totally not on me but on Him. Jesus came to redeem us from fear. Ro 8, Heb. I Jhn 4... There is no fear in love. God so loved that He gave.... Himself. Self-giving, self- sacrifice is the opposite of sin. Love is God and God is love... perfect love. It can be said then that there is no knowledge of perfect, true love outside of a relationship with God.

Note: Slavery http://instruct.uwo.ca/anthro/211/slavery.htm