WHAT IS IN YOUR HEART?

 A TIME OF INTROSPECTION

My childhood was not a happy one. With molestation in my early years, the death of my father when I was 14 and a controlling mother that tried to prevent me from becoming a "bad boy," I don't remember much happiness. Maybe it was only when I got my Roy Rogers cap pistols for my eighth birthday! It may depend on what one's definition of "bad boy" is, but it is a miracle I didn't turn out to be one! Or, at least I don't think I did. So, what prevented that outcome?

The Heart of a Person

It will depend on what we have been taught, but commonly we consider our heart to be more than a physical organ. It is the "seat," or the sum, of all we are. From a Christian perspective, it is the combined working of our human soul and spirit. I know we could dive deeper into this, but Scripture can provide a fuller understanding that is beyond the scope of this post. 

For our purposes in this post, my definition is that our heart is who we are. It shapes our perspective on the things of life and, whether for good or bad, our perspective usually becomes our reality. Eventually, our reality becomes our identity and the purpose to which we dedicate our lives. 

Where Does Our Spiritual Heart Come From?

The answer may be obvious to you. Our spiritual heart originates and is shaped by our life experiences. Sometimes we may be able to identify these experiences, and sometimes not! Interestingly, it is almost impossible to change the results of our life experiences on our own. We need the help of others, especially the help of God!

This morning my wife and I were discussing some of these issues. I knew and worked with a pastor that was a child molester. He grew up in a satanic home environment and likely was molested himself in his youth. He had accepted Jesus as his Savior, but the darkness prevailed in his life. Why?

When I was volunteering in a prison, almost all of the men I met had been sexually molested as children. Some were in prison for molesting children. Other men had just habitually perpetrated many crimes. Why?

On the other side of the coin, I knew another pastor that had been a child when his father, the founding pastor of a church, was fired by a board of elders and his family evicted from the church parsonage to become homeless. This pastor became a well-known voice in Christianity, but he was given to assailing and fighting to overcome other people that had perspectives different from his. Why?

As for myself, why didn't I turn out with a heart as a criminal or child molester? I did some bad things, but I never got caught, at least until I was arrested by Jesus Christ. He changed, and is still changing, my perspective and identity! I got revelation this morning of the fact that despite the conflicts I had with my mother, even into years before she died at age 93, she loved me the best she could. It was enough to get me to Jesus! Only Christ can change hearts suffering from life experiences! 

Our Story is Never Complete

We may think it is complete but it is not! Here is the answer to the big "WHY!" I ran until I was 45 from facing the things in my heart. Many of those things were ugly, even repulsive to me. Yes, I accepted Jesus as my Savior, but making Him Lord is still the journey I am on. Scripture says all things are made new when we accept Jesus and our LORD and SAVIOR, at least in God's eyes. We must, however, give Him access to our hearts, i.e., we must be open to facing the bad and repulsive things that are embedded in our soul man if we are to be set free! Believe it or not, Matthew 16;24-25 applies to us all, now and as long as we live! We have to die to our self-life for our story to be complete. I'm not done yet! How about you?

DO I REALLY LOOK LIKE CHRIST?

KNOWING WHAT CHRIST LOOKS LIKE 

When I accepted Jesus as my Savior, I didn't get better looking and it seemed many of the sinful things of my past were still alive in me. Someone told me God had conformed me to the image of Jesus, but if that was true it didn't appear so to me. The only thing I felt was guilt and shame. So, if God's Word is true, I reasoned, there must be a way to get there. 

The Starting Place 

Romans 10:9--"..that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (NKJV) 

So, all we have to do is say these words and we have our ticket to heaven. Right? Wrong! Confession requires knowledge of The Truth (Jesus) and action, i.e., seeking to be like Him and believing He has created us that way! Wickedness, ungodliness and, yes, sometimes even religion is contrary to the actions that bring salvation and conform us to the image of Christ.  

Wait a minute! The verse above says I have a get out of jail free card! Here is some back up for this thought. 1 John 3:2(b) in the Amplified Bible says "We know that when He comes and is revealed, we will (as His children) be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is (in all His glory). Vs. 3: "And everyone who has this hope (confidently placed) in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure (holy, undefiled, guiltless)." 

I don't mean to be a bearer of bad news but read on. 1 John 4: "Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness (ignoring God's law by action or neglect or by tolerating wrongdoing--being unrestrained by His commands and His will)." Here, however, is the blessed hope: "For the Law as given through Moses, but grace (the unearned, undeserved favor of God) and truth came through Jesus Christ." (AMP)  

God's purpose for us IS to be like Jesus, but we don't have to be perfect! We must be occupied with Him, i.e., open to the Holy Spirit's revelation and conviction. Seeking, not in our own strength, but with Him in us to be conformed to His image! Seeking revelation of the Scripture from the Holy Spirit, believing it and acting on what He reveals to us will enable us to progressively become like Jesus! This is the plan He has for us (Jeremiah 29:11)! 

Understanding The Attributes of Christ 

Scripture tells us to "put on Christ." Here are some of my thoughts about how we can do that by living in the fruit of His Spirit (Galatians 5:22): 

• Love--this is unconditional love. It is putting the needs of others above our needs. Scripture tells us to love our neighbor, even to love our enemies! We don't love the sinful or evil things they may do, but we love who God created them to be. This kind of love can't be human, emotional love, which changes according to circumstances. It can only be the love of the Holy Spirit in us. 
• Joy--this is a heart attitude, even in the midst of chaos. Different from happiness that arises from our situations, joy comes from our gratitude and love of God. It is not simply singing a song while jumping and hand waving to "fake it until we make it." It is the joy received from the Lord.
• Peace--this is tranquility and calm that passes normal understanding. While we may use breathing and other techniques to facilitate the peace of God, it must be from resting, believing and trusting in Jesus. Only peace from God can bring spiritual, emotional and physical well-being. 
• Patience--also described as long-suffering in the Bible, patience represents a state of composure that results from a giving up of self and personal demands. It is not forced self-control. It comes from considering other people more important than ourselves! 
• Kindness--focusing on the needs of other people and helping them find solutions to their problems can produce acts of kindness. It doesn't result from our routine kind works, but from a heart filled with God's love. It is not accusing, judging or maligning others. Kindness is conspicuous by its absence! 
• Goodness--this is a degree of character that is achieved as we yield to the will of Jesus and follow His ways, not ours. It is the fruit of our righteousness in Christ. Contrary to common thought, goodness doesn't necessarily come with a title or position in business or government, or even in the church! It comes from living and operating in the Holy Spirit of Christ.
• Faithfulness--dependability, worthiness, fidelity, loyalty and devotion are among synonyms for faithfulness. Emanating from our trust in God, it is demonstrated by obedience to Him. It is not saying one thing and then doing another. It certainly is not accomplished by lying to others to get our way.
• Gentleness--mannerisms and behaviors comprise the way we relate to others, in any circumstance. Gentleness really is the opposite of rudeness, harshness and intimidation, which have negative long-term effects. Gentleness and kindness promote repentance in ourselves and in others. 
• Self-control--different from our self-applied control mechanisms, this is God-supplied control in difficult situations and circumstances. When we ask God for it, it often occurs without our efforts, or sometimes even without our recognition. It is our guide to demonstrating the other fruit of the Spirit in our lives!

Our Choice for Life's Journey 

We have free will and get to choose, you know. But we can't be part in and part out of our salvation. I remember a story told by a speaker at a conference about a man that wanted to buy a bottle of spring water. At the convenience store, he read the label on a bottle of water that said the contents were 99.44 percent spring water and .56 percent sewage. Did he buy that bottle of water? Obviously not!  The Grace of the Lord Jesus has been given to us, but its purpose is not to hide our .56 percent. It is to enable us to be free of it!

We can't believe part of the Bible and remove the pages or verses we don't like because we don't get to modify God's Word to fit our doctrine or beliefs! We can't agree with some of the attributes of Christ and pretend that God's Grace makes up for our ignoring the others! The context of the Scripture demonstrates Christ. He is THE WORD OF GOD.  

To be honest, we don't look like Christ because we don't really believe, or want to believe, who He is. We don't want to pay the price to become who we really are! It is easier to pretend! In his carefully orchestrated plan beginning in the Garden of Eden, Satan has crafted deception that has destroyed the basics of Christianity, at least for many believers. The fruit of Satan's labors throughout history are evident and operating in the world, in politics and even in the church today! When we leave this earth, we can either go out speaking the TRUTH, or speaking a lie. WHAT DO WE CHOOSE? LIFE OR DEATH?

 

DO WE SEE OTHER PEOPLE?

 

THE HOMELESS

My wife received an email this week from a warming shelter requesting donations of warm clothing for homeless people. Temperatures were dipping below zero so we did what many people would do with such a request. We began to unload closets and drawers and were amazed at how much we had that we didn't use or need.

When we arrived at the shelter, I looked inside and saw rows of cots and a hundred or so people sheltering from the cold. Outside there were a few people standing and sipping warm drinks, but I was heartbroken at what else I saw. There were piles of clothing, bedding and other belongings covered in snow in carts or on the ground. There were bags filled with donations sitting on the ground, also soaking wet from the snow. The door to the main facility was locked and there was no one keeping the donations dry, sorted and available to people obviously in need. 

THE SHELTER

I know this may sound critical of an organization attempting to help those that are economically disadvantaged, sleeping on doorsteps of buildings, sleeping in their cars or maybe in tents. This is not my intent because the organization providing this shelter is known for its compassion and caring for people that many of us, myself included, can't see. Their resources, and the available volunteers, obviously had become insufficient to accomplish their purpose to serve their community. 

I know there are other organizations and groups that are effective in meeting the needs of the poor and homeless, but they too may sometimes not be able to keep up with the demand for services. In this post, it is not my purpose to criticize any provider of care. Very plainly, I am personally convicted of how easy it is for me and my community, even the religious population, to not see or care about the suffering around us. How easy it has become to not look for ways to help meet the needs of other human beings!

WHY DON'T WE SEE THEM?

For myself, I have been the self-centered focus of much of my life. The truth is, I probably still am! Perhaps this is true for some other people as well. A significant part of society suffering from emotional and physical damage, from inability to work or hold a job or from the devastating humiliation of being down and out, has been invisible to me. My quest to gain personal recognition, position and money during much of my life has overshadowed what God wants His people to do. I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, have served in leadership for several churches, and have functioned as a police Chaplain. Much of my Christian service, unfortunately, was for my own achievement and recognition. With my focus primarily on myself, the rest of the world was invisible.

The homeless, immigrants, poor people and criminals really became non-persons to me, as they really are to much of society and even to much of the church today. Don't get me wrong. There are many people with pure hearts devoting resources, time and effort to helping the disadvantaged. We are being led today in our society by the rich and privileged, however, who care mostly about only what they want. The systemic problem is that the collective "we" doesn't want to see or know these disadvantaged people. In fact, anyone politcally, religiously, racially or financially different from us have become classed as non-persons!

KNOWING AND LOVING PEOPLE

David Brooks, New York Times bestselling author wrote a book entitled, "How to Know a Person." The essence of the book's content is captured by him on the inside fly of the cover. He writes: "There is one skill that lies at the heart of any healthy person, family, school, community organization, or society: the ability to see someone else deeply and make them feel seen--to accurately know another person, to let them feel valued, heard, and understood." This is who Jesus Christ is and who we were created in Him to be!

 

ARE YOU READY FOR A CHRISTIAN REVIVAL?

 WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN REVIVAL? 

Wikipedia says this: "Christian revivalism is increased spiritual interest or renewal in the life of a Christian Church, congregation or society with a local, national or global effect." "Porponents view revivals as the restoration of the church to a vital and fervent relationship with God after a period of moral decline."

From the 17th century until as recently as 2023, Wikipedia documents a long list of events referred to as "revivals." All have some common occurences. Worship, repentence, prayer, preaching and conversions to Christianity continue throughout each event, for as long as each one lasted. Each one, however, eventually ended.

Social media is overflowing with proclamations of coming big events, both judgment from God and a "great awakening" revival. Some visable Christian leaders are almost giddy with their excitement about the possibility of these happenings. Many such leaders are trumpeting the familiar montra, "God told me...." Interestingly, God seems to be telling different people different things, and He appears to be telling only the people with visability!. Contrary to popular Christian church beliefs, Romans 2:11 says there is no partiality with God. Preceding this verse in this chapter, Scriptures refer to both righteous and unrighteous persons. Like it or not, we will all be judged! Unfortunately, we all have sin in our lives!

WHAT DOES SCRIPTURE SAY?

About partiality--Mt 5:45: : .....for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." 

About judgment--1 Pe 4:17: "For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God, and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?"

These Scriptures, among others, make it clear that God treats everyone the same, at lease when it comes to sin! Jesus, in Jn 8:7, said to the Pharisees who brought the woman caught in adultery to Him, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." The accusers all left.

WHAT IS THE COMMON EXPECTATION OF REVIVAL IN THE CHURCH?

You may think differently, but my observation is that beleivers expect all the unbelievers to somehow be magically saved and forgiven their sins when revival comes. We are the saints and everyone different from us are the sinners! God is going to withdraw the freewill given to Adam in the Garden and, somehow, everyone will be compelled to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior! I don't think so!

A couple of years ago, a picture of the leader of a large Christian organization appeared on the cover of a popular Christian magazine with the caption, paraphrased, "we are going to join with another large Christian organization and get a million people praying for revival." The featured leader is now dead and the leader of the other organaization has fallen amid allegations of sin! I don't think God uses a runner's lap counter to determine if enough people have been praying! Most revivals began with only 2 or 3 people with right heart motives joining in prayer.

GETTING READY

I have to say it, by and large the Christian Church has steered awau from the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the gospels of politics and religion! We perform to get blessed and the end is justified by the means. Character doesn't matter, as long as we get what we think God wants! We judge ouselves and our "streams" based on our intentions. Everyone else, we judge based on their actions.

Somehow, I don't think revival is going to work this way. Scripture says we will all be judged for our works, good and bad. As stated from Wikipedia in the beginning of this article, revival is renewal in the life of the church. If we are in the church (believers), Scripture says judgment begins in the church. It looks to me like we are first in line! This doesn't make me giddy with exccitement about a coming revival!

Is there no more hope? Certainly not! Jessus is the blessed hope! Our salvation comes from growing closer to Him and seeking to be like Him. If we think we have arrived, or consider ourselves better that everyone else, we certainly are not and have missed the mark!. Revival is NOT a candy store awaiting everyone that names the Name of Jesus. It IS a pathway to the Kingdom of God for those that walk the road! Selah!

CONFESSIONS OF A CONTRARIAN

 WHERE IT BEGAN

It was on the playground during recess when I was in the first grade. A a bigger boy, a bully, beat me up; well, he didn't really beat me up but pushed me to the ground and sat on me. His name was Kenny. Several things resulted from what happened to me that day.

1. I became afraid of bigger people, physically and positionally, that exercised control over me in some way. 
2. My physical stature was small so I hung around bigger friends for the rest of my childhood. Like in the ninth grade when four of us were chased by a gang; LeRoy, 6 foot, 2 inches tall, flattened the gang leader's nose to his face and the gang ran from us.
3. In college, I sought activities that put me in control. I became commander of a winning precision rifle drill team in ROTC. I could yell at the men but they couldn't yell back! At a ROTC summer camp survival exercise, my refusal to sit around and starve almost got me court marshalled. Scheduled to be Cadet Wing Commander during the following spring quarter of my senior year, I resigned my position and my future officer's commision to retaliate for being bullied.
4. As my accounting career developed, I was fired twice for being inconsiderate and insubordinate to my superiors. I learned how to look out for number one, me, no matter the cost. I perceived that all my leaders were looking out for themselves, at my expense! My perceptions became my reality!
5. Married to my college girlfriend, my controlling behavior led to divorce. A bully of a different kind, also in my childhood, was a female babysitter. I had to protect myself from women.
6. Later in my adult life I subscribed to the "get them first" policy. Meaning, of course, that everyone was my enemy and to survive I had to get them first. This deepened my self-centeredness and isolation. 
7. Here came the judge! Alone, functioning in anger and fear, I analyzed every situation and person in my circle of influence and made plans about how to come out on top. I didn't physically harm others but I left a trail of bleeding hearts! My first thoughts of others were judgment.

SO, WHAT NOW?

Paul cried, "What a wretched man I am" "Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?" "Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!! I cried out and He rescued me. Well, after nearly 40 years I should say he is still in the process. Let me count some of the ways.

1. I know that Jesus gave us everything we need to become like Him when He died on the cross. But this begs the question, "If I am, why aren't I? If His love has been shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Spirit, why don't I feel love for many people? Grab your chair or desk and hold on. The answer is that there are pre-conditions. Most of us have not been taught this, but it is true.
2. The tendency for most of us is to make a "work" of purifying our hearts. I made a list of dos and don'ts early on. The problem was they didn't do the job of conforming me to the image of Christ.
3. We have to go back to the beginning in Rm !0:9-10. We have to have revelation of the Word, Christ, in our hearts. We have to KNOW who He is and what He has done for us.....in our hearts! This may be why studies by George Barna have indicated that less than 3% of people that respond to alter calls at church services are actually saved. Just praying a salvation prayer doesn't necessarily do the job!
4. It is reading, understanding and meditating on God's Word, particularly the Gospels and the Epistles, that brings change from the inside out. Revelation first brings faith and faith enables us to appropriate what we need, usually one thing at a time.

THE GOSPEL IS NOT ONE SIZE FITS ALL!

We are shaped by our life experiences, each unique in God's plan for us. Yes, He seeks unity in the body of Christ, but as there are many gifts there is one Spirit in all. The problem is that some of our strengths can also be our greatest weaknesses. What about us contrarians?

As I've said, my first thoughts are to judge others. They have been from the beginning and still often are, and we know that Scripture says we will be judged if we judge! So, my journey has been to try to give God control of my life, at least to ask Him to do that. Accepting the behavior of others and trusting God to guide me is the way; it's a somewhat trite saying but true, we have to LET GO AND LET GOD!

Oh, my, now I'm down to the trust issue! I tried that but I didn't get what I wanted. Yikes! A dead person doesn't seek what he or she wants! Years of failure, disappointment and discouragement ensued. I don't know why but for some reason I still want to be conformed to the image of Christ, i.e., to be like Him.

I've recognized along the way I do have some spiritual gifts, one of which is the discerning of spirits. I've had to learn the gift is NOT the judging of spirits, but I am becoming a little better in waiting for the Holy Spirit to lead me. A little better I said.

There you have it, a small part of what I need to confess for you to know who I am. A real reason for this writing is to let you know I am as big a mess as anyone, old but still a mess in many ways. There is hope for us all! His name is Jesus!

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU HEAR

 WHAT IS HAPPENING?

If you watch social media, perhaps you've noticed that there has been a recent uptick in the words that many people are calling "prophetic." "Something big is coming, God told me, I had a dream, watch out for a specific date" are some examples. Some of these people have even labeled themselves "prophets," or maybe someone in their stream has called them that. This begs the question, "How do we separate the tares from the wheat?" How do we tell the false from the true?

You may sense, as I do, that we are at a crucial time in the  history of our nation, perhaps even the world. Democracy is being attacked. Violence and crimes are rampaging. People lacking character and integrity are being supported and elected to high governemental offices, even by persons that call themselves Christians. Some leaders use lies, fear and intimidation in their attempts to control citizens, and even in attempts to control the leaders of other countries! Natural disasters are greater in magnitude and more frequent. Hurricanes, earthquakes and wildfires are bringing devestation to cities and countries. Wars are escalating. Political differences are turning neighbors, family members and religious bodies against one another. 

Some may say this has been going on for decades, and they probably would not be wrong! Still, it seems the pot is reaching boiling temparature. You know the old story: the frog was put in the pot when the water was cool and did not notice the gradual increase in temperature until he "croaked!" We must be aware and alert!

IS GOD SURPRISED?

Of course not! In fact, all this must happen for the end to come. So, are we at the end of this age? Scripture says no man shall know the day or hour of Christ's second coming, only that we should pay attention to the events preceding His coming. So as we begin to see these events, what are we to do? Build our supplies of food, water, fuel and other necessities? Maybe some, but most importantly we must be ready to hear God's voice to trust and obey Him as difficult times come. We must each be able to discern between the deception and the truth while guided by the Holy Spirit, not by what other men or women say.

SO, WHAT'S THE PLAN?

When Jesus died on the cross, He cried out "It is finished." While He was speaking of His death, mainly He was focused on the New Covenant established through His death on the cross. He provided for us, Scripture says, "all things for life and godliness." Therefore, because I have prayed a prayer to receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior I am equipped to discern between the deception and the truth. Right? Perhaps, but probably not!

In Mt. 16:24, Jesus said His disciples must "deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." He goes on to say that we must lose our life to find it. While we may each have an interpretation of the meaning of these verses, it is clear we have to die to our self life, trust and obey God and walk in His ways. In fact, He has given us the Holy Spirit in Christ to be able to do just that. We can choose to conduct our lives in His light, His grace, His power and His truth in Him!

WHAT ABOUT TODAY'S PROPHETIC VOICES?

In Mt. 7:15-23, Jesus tells us we will know them by their fruit, i.e., what are their motivations, the results of their words and their effects of their lives? True prophecy can be either foretelling a future event or forthtelling of things that need to change. While there may be prophetic warnings, all true prophetic words must align with Scripture and edify, comfort or exhort hearers. Yes, Ephesians 4:11 makes it clear there are true New Testament prophets and other ministry offices ordained by God. Scripture also says we are not to despise prophecy, but we are supposed to test the spirits. Here are some possible test questions:

• Are these people dead to themselves and serving God, or are they gathering reognition for themselves? Do they put on a show as they share or exalt themselves? Do they advertise their words by using phrases like urgent prophecy, the word of the Lord, shocking revelation, etc.?
• Do they seek to profit from their gift? Balaam, a non-Israelite prophet in the Old Testament, learned the hard way not to try to do so...from a donkey!
• Do ministers manipulate congregants and others while exalting themselves by saying "God told me" or "God told the elders?" This is ungodly control!
• Does one group that considers themselves prophets publicly call out what they think is error spoken by another individual or group? This is hypocrisy and slander, not matter what the motivation!
• Did a group of people called prophets meet and pray together, afterwards supporting a position or word that turned out to be blatantly wrong? In the Old Testament, they would be stoned! Did they admit their error and receive accountability? If not, this is a cover-up of a false prophetic word!
• Does a minister regularly present dreams, visions and words from other people in their "stream," instead of having and sharing their own current spiritual experiences? Many would call this a "con!"

I could continue but the truth is that bad fruit just tastes bad! Some believers possess a gift of the Spirit called "discerning of Spirits" to identiy the good and the bad. For most of us, however, it will be our common sense, wisdom and spiritual intution that protects us.

WHAT ABOUT OUR OWN LIVES?

The answer here is simple, but rarely as easy as we would like it to be. 2 Cor. 10:6: "And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete." Have I picked up my cross and trod the long road to Golgotha? Or am I judging others by their fruits and myself by my good intentions? Have I died to my old life which was governed by my soulman, and have I gained my new life by seeking to live and walk in the Holy Spirit of Christ? Does the light of Jesus, His love, His ways and His life, shine into the darkness in the world around me? 

We are all a work in process, but our goal  should always be to answer a resounding YES to these questions! Receiving the forgiveness for our sins, gaining the revelation that our old man died with Christ on the cross, and participating in the blessings of Christ's resurrection CANNOT be fully experienced without first allowing the Holy Spirit to put our self life to death! To live abundantly, we must die!

THE GREAT DIVIDE: CLERGY VS. LAITY

 ORIGINS OF THE INSTITUTIONAL CHURCH

In AD 313, the Roman Emporer Constantine made Christianity legal, for which he has received centuries of accolades. Since Christianity was then made the state religion, all citizens were presured to convert. Constantine built elaborate Cathedrals in which believers could worship. Church leadership was given to the priests who had a relationship with Constantine. The priests and the government made the rules, led the church members, controlled the Bible, preached in Latin and controlled the people. 

Prior to that time, home churches had been the places where Christians gathered, worshiped, ate their meals and fellowshipped. There was sharing and intimacy among the people, along with the operation of the gifts of the Spirit. Persons annointed by God to hold five-fold ministry offices guided the Church in all its locations as one body. Not to be left out and sometimes motivated by monetary payments, believers gradually gravitated to Constantine's Cathedrals. Some converstions of unbelievers may have been genuine, but many were in word only.

THE CATHEDRAL EXPERIENCE

The Cathedrals were lavish and beautiful, but they were cold relationally and spiritually. Attendees sat in rows of seats to the side of the central space. The priests and servers performed the religious rituals, read from the Bible and were considered the religious and spiritual authorities. Everyone else could only sit quietly. Because there was no opportunity for relationships and sharing, religious services became primarily ritualistic, which most still are today!

THE MEANING OF THE TERM "LAYMAN"

While the use of the term "layman" didn't begin until the 15th century, the dye was cast in Constantine's Cathedrals. The term meant everyone in a church other than clergy was a layman. This, of course, presumed only members of the clergy knew and understood Scripture. Because of this presumption, the "laity" must sit quietly during services, listen to the leaders, agree with a church's statement of faith and not hold any personal differing opinions. The laity, in other words, are not permitted to question the dictates of leaders or to think for themselves.

Although not always expressed specifically, this paradigm has continued to this day. I remember a pastor I served for many years often saying to congregants, "If you don't like our beliefs, then you should go elsewhere." A pastor of another church I attended said, "If you disagree with what I say, don't tell me; just pray about it." In another church in which I had some leadership responsibility, the senior pastor sent people that disagreed with him to counseling, even telling the counselor what he wanted corrected.

THE TRUTH

In the New Testament, every believer is directed to search the Scriptures and to seek Holy Spirit revelation of God's interpreation and application of the their meaning. Certainly, there are five-fold ministers given leadership responsibility in the true church. These ministers, however, are not given license to impart any doctrine or teaching other than that which is based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and applicable Scripture. Denominational doctrines and the opinions of a leader that are outside of what Jesus would do are simply heretical!

Scripture in 1 Jn 2:27 indicates everyone that has accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, and has received the Holy Spirit, can determine what spiritual principles and teachings are true. True five-fold ministers are ordained to assist us in obtaining revelation of Scripture, not to dictate their personal viewpoint. 

Every believer can and should think creatively. Every believer is called to be a disciple of Christ, to obtain revelation of Scritpure from the Holy Spirit and to share the TRUTH with others! Every believer can and should have a voice! Please let me hear yours in the comment section of these blogs.