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The following article contains what some think is a “strong” message. And in their defense, it may be. I don’t intend for it to sound that way, but there are times when my convictions are strong and I have a tendency to express myself in the same passion that I feel in my spirit and heart. Allow me to clarify my heart as best as I possibly can. It is to do whatever I can to bring the body of Christ together so we can maximize the final harvest of souls for His kingdom. Over my nearly 30 years of ministry the Lord has asked me to do the work of an apostle. Does that mean I am one? No. He has also chosen me to deliver some strong, prophetic messages throughout the years. Does that mean I am a prophet? No. He has also used me to deliver evangelistic messages. Does that mean I am an evangelist? No, not in the classic understanding of the office. But I do bring “Good News”! Jesus has also had me fulfill the office and call of the Pastor and I did for over 18 years. Does that mean I am a Pastor? No, at least not currently. And then there is the teacher. (These five gifts can all be found in Ephesians chapter four). That seems to be where the Lord is using me at the moment. I try to be as open to His Spirit as I can, that is, keep myself flexible and available to Him so He can use me at any time and in any capacity He chooses. The Bible tells us that the Lord manifests His gifts through His children “as He wills”. Because He has chosen to use my life in all five of these gifts does not mean I am any one of them in particular. I’m not perfect, just available. This message is prophetic in nature, but let me be very clear: in no way am I proclaiming myself to be a prophet. I’m a guy. A Christian man who deeply loves Jesus and all my brothers and sisters in Christ. And I do this without regard as to which Christian church they choose to worship Him in.
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Twenty years ago I stood in the pulpit and released a prophetic word to my congregation. It went something like this; “If the independent, born again, Word/faith church is not careful it will soon become a denomination of it’s own, thinking they are the only ones who ‘do things right’ and will become as unwilling to change with the move of the Holy Spirit as the denominations they criticize.” I pray we are not going there. Perhaps we should examine ourselves to make sure we are on target and on schedule.
Let’s seriously consider a portion of scripture Paul the Apostle wrote. We’ll soon be getting to it in our Corinthians study, but it is relevant to where I find my spirit and my heart at this point in time. It’s in 1 Corinthians 9: 19-23
“This means I am not bound to obey people just because they pay me, yet I have become a servant of “everyone” (!) so that I can bring them to Christ. When I am with the Jews, I become one of them so that I can bring them to Christ. When I am with those who “follow” the Jewish “laws”, I do the same, even though I am not subject to the law (!), so that I can bring them to Christ. When I am with the Gentiles who do not have the Jewish law, “I fit in with them as much as I can”. In this way, I gain their confidence and bring them to Christ. But I do not discard the law of God; I obey the law of Christ. When I am with those who are oppressed, I share their oppression so that I might bring them to Christ. Yes, “I try to find common ground with everyone” so that I might bring them to Christ. I do all this to spread the Good News, and in doing so I enjoy its blessings.” (Lot’s of “fish” to bring home!) 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 NLT (all emphasis mine)
If you are a part of the independent church I want you to read those verses, slowly, at least 10 times. Yes, in a row. I want you to ponder and meditate the words of the greatest apostle who ever lived. Paul was a living example of how Jesus wants His church to be. Could it be that the independent church could possibly be closing ourselves off to the denominational church and they us, in the way we choose to worship the Lord? If so, we must not allow this to go on any longer. I want you to understand that in no way am I implying that what I’m about to say in this message is relative to every independent church, or every traditional church. Certainly that would not be true. At the same time I know there are believers, both in the independent as well as the denominational Christian churches who are without a doubt unwilling to compromise so we can create an atmosphere that is welcoming to both sides of the aisle. I’ve spoken with them. But we can do this! And it can be accomplished without ever having to compromise our common faith and the doctrines we agree are required for salvation!
I was born and raised in the Lutheran church. I am now a part of the independent, born again church and have been since the early 1970’s. And it breaks my heart to think that the very things some of us may be saying to criticize the mainline churches could “possibly” become a part of what we always thought was the more, updated, accurate model of the church. I was a part of that early independent church and I know what our attitude was, “Now, we’ve got it right!” Let’s proceed with caution. We do not want to fall prey to our own arrogance. In those early years we were willing to happily go our own way and the traditional church was just as happy to let radicals go. Again, this is not applicable to all churches or all Christian believers. But there are isolated cases on both sides of the aisle.
In the early 70’s Denise and I attended a beautiful, traditional Lutheran church that was born again and Spirit filled. We witnessed and became a part of an awesome work of God there. Unfortunately, it only lasted 2 or 3 years. Why? The traditional Lutheran segment of the congregation could not perceive or accept this incredible move of God and pressured the Lutheran authorities into closing down those services and return to traditional services only. Too bad. The church went from standing room only (literally) and quickly dwindled back down to what it was before, which unfortunately wasn’t many people. We were heartbroken, as was our precious Pastor, who not long after died of a heart attack. Denise and I have always known our Pastor died of a “heart attack” brought on by a “broken heart.”
Perhaps we in the independent church should look at what we could do to make our churches more comfortable and familiar to those from the denominational churches? Again, we can do this without compromising our common salvation doctrines! Surely we can be no more spiritual than the Apostle Paul himself? He was willing to “become all things to all men in order that he might win some to Christ.” And he was highly successful! Surely, that is something we too can do for Jesus? We should not judge them for thinking we should have the emblems of our Christian heritage clearly and boldly proclaimed in our sanctuaries and throughout God’s house. We know they are not necessary for salvation, but they don’t hinder it either. Not if we don’t allow them to. In the day and age we live in Christianity is under siege and it takes courage to proclaim your Christianity on your physical property. Inside and out. It’s a 24 hour bold proclamation of our Christian faith! Beloved, please hear me out. Don’t be afraid of things that are traditional. Religious bondage comes in the absence of new life in Jesus, not the furnishings in or outside the church. To many in our Christian family a traditional sanctuary serves as a constant reminder of where you are and why you’re there. Again, what’s wrong with that? You’ve heard the term “reverse racism”? Well here’s a new one that has recently come to my thoughts, “reverse religious prejudice.” That is, the thought that we were in with those who are worshiping the Lord properly. I recently heard the remark, “I don’t want to go back into the bondage I came out of!” I don’t either. And I won’t. But we don’t have to! Those traditional furnishings you refer to as reminders of bondage were not your problem as a seeker before you came to Jesus. You just weren’t aware of it. . It was the law you were being fed that was the bondage problem. Law brings death and you were only doing what was necessary to save your spirit-life! Bless your heart. It was probably a good decision to leave at the time. When you made a decision to leave your prior church you were unaware the preaching of the law is what you were rebelling against, not the furnishings. Our surroundings can represent reverence to His holiness as much as they can the bondage of law. It’s the heart of the worshiper that makes them be what they are. A cold, dead heart? Then they will represent bondage. A soft heart alive in Jesus? Then they will reflect a holy God who wants and deserves to be revered in His sanctuary.
As fearful as our denominational brothers and sisters may be of a sanctuary that lacks the physical aspects of a holy God (a sanctuary with a traditional atmosphere), the independent church must guard itself against becoming fearful of a stained glass window and a wooden pulpit. If I’m not secure enough in my relationship with my Savior to be able to come together and worship in any Christian denomination then I’ve got issues of love and acceptance that need to be dealt with. Because those types of fears are unfounded.
I have beautiful, wonderful, born again brothers and sisters who attend denominational churches who are free in Jesus. And over the years I have heard brothers and sisters in the independent church say some very judgmental things about the family in the more traditional churches. (And the Lord only knows what denominational family members have said about us as well. This type of thing is not pleasing to our Savior.) I know what I’m talking about because I fellowship with both sides of the independent/traditional aisle. The independent church should not find itself adamant about not having stained glass, etc., and the traditional churches should not have to be in a traditional setting to worship Jesus. Neither one of us should be afraid of either setting. We both need to consider a little “give and take” in order to swell the ranks of the body of Christ as a whole. Again, I know this can be accomplished without either side having to compromise their beliefs. It’s “style” that we’ve let divide us, not always our doctrine. If we are true Christians then the doctrine necessary for salvation will be identical. (The baptism in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of supernatural gifts and speaking in the “tongues of angels” is a powerful blessing, but it’s not necessary for salvation. And water baptism? The scriptures are clear that it refers to total immersion. But if your church sprinkles I’m absolutely positive that’s not going to be a issue in the scope of your salvation.Even the silliness over baptism styles has been a bone of contention). I have been told to my face by more than one born again believer they do not enjoy worship services in “a remodeled warehouse.” My heart is that maybe we in the independent church could, and should consider making surroundings in our sanctuary a little more comfortable and familiar for those whose background is more traditional. If a more traditional setting accomplishes the sometimes hard task of focusing the congregation on reverence for God’s holiness, captures and focuses our thoughts and attention that we are now in fact inside the sanctuary of God, which is a specific place set apart for worshiping Him, what’s wrong with that? It shouldn’t hinder the independent congregation in any way. You may be thinking, “Well, I don’t need those things to focus my attention on God. I know where I’m at and why I’m here.” I’ve heard that argument too. And I fully appreciate what you are saying. But this is not supposed to be about us anymore. That’s what our lives were all about before we gave our hearts to Jesus. Us and what we wanted. But now we are supposed to lay down our desires for whatever He desires that we do for Him. Our lives are to be a living sacrifice that reflects His will, not our own. And His will is that we do whatever is necessary to attract and catch “fish”. But maybe you have brothers and sisters who enjoy having a more traditional setting in their sanctuary and it helps them surrender their heart to Jesus? What should we do about this? What would Jesus do about this? I know what the Apostle Paul would do. He already told us, “I do all I can to find common ground” with them so I can bring them to Christ! Let’s not respond by thinking, “That’s not me. And I don’t need it. Maybe they should get free enough to realize those things are not necessary to worship the Lord.” Yes, I understand and even agree with you. But if it would compel them to come in wouldn’t it be worth it? If we are free in Jesus a little more traditional sanctuary setting certainly shouldn’t bother us one way or the other and it would go a long way in helping them come in to hear the good news of Jesus Christ, would it not?
Why should we find it so hard to follow Paul’s lead, if indeed we do find ourselves thinking this is a bad idea? Is it too much for us independents to lay down some of our personal preferences so that others will feel at home in our sanctuary? Apparently, judging from recent conversations it is an issue we need to pray about. Jesus said He would make His church “fishers of men”. That’s His goal and His desire. In a physical sense, if you want to “catch fish”, you better adjust your bait to realize maximum results. If you don’t you will be seriously limiting the amount of “fish” you bring home at the end of the day. I pray the Lord will open your eyes and your heart to see my heart on this matter. I know you care about bringing others to Christ. I’m sure you must. Trust me, any born again believer who is concerned with “getting religious” by attending a traditional church is pretty unsure of their personal relationship with Jesus and His ability to adapt to His surroundings. And I say that in love. Jesus preached and taught in the Jewish temple regularly in the beginning of His ministry and it didn’t make Him religious. He even grew up in the setting of law. How could He do it? He knew His Father! Lack of a born again, personal relationship with Jesus is what makes you vulnerable to religious bondage, not stained glass and wooden pulpits. Are they necessary to worship God? No. of course not! Any believer knows that. But then again neither should they prohibit you from worshiping Him.
We had a wonderful, powerful worship service at Victory Church, Omaha, yesterday. At the end I simply said, “Wow!” Was it our plexiglass pulpit that deserves the credit? “Yes! Surely, God would have shunned us if He had known we had a traditional wooden pulpit!” Was it the absence of stained glass? “Yes! God hates it because it hinders His ability to show His power! And He only allows beautiful colors in heaven, not His sanctuary!“ Was it the absence of a traditional setting we can attribute this great service to? “Absolutely! God can’t move among His people because those traditional things scare Him. They represent bondage, you know.” No, family, no! A great service can only be attributed to a beautiful, powerful Lord who loves His children, responding to a Pastor and a congregation who love Him more than anything else in their lives. A church filled with people who are born again and alive unto God. A people who are willing to follow the Holy Spirit in what He has designed for us that day! In heaven there is a holy of holies. It’s called the Throne Room. It’s a sanctuary. A set apart (sanctified) place that is never conveniently converted into a fellowship hall or gym after the “worship service.” (Which by the way will be eternal anyway). No, the sanctuary of God is permanent. And it will never be used for any other purpose. Please don’t take offense at what I’m saying. When you go into God’s sanctuary you know where you are and you behave appropriately. You are captured by His presence and in awe of His greatness. You wouldn’t even think about violating that room with an irreverent atmosphere. Please don’t attempt to tell God it shouldn’t matter to Him that He need a room in heaven set apart for Him and Him alone. And with a traditional looking throne? A little overblown perhaps? “Why should a sanctified room complete with a throne and altar be necessary to serve as His place of holy worship? He doesn’t need that because we are free to worship in any environment and we certainly would because we love Him.” The simple answer is; because He wants it. And He deserves it. Here’s a thought for all of us to consider: does He or does He not want things on earth to be as they are in heaven? The answer is yes, yes He does. Jesus clearly stated that. I pray you can see and appreciate the message I bring.
Alright, slowly read those scriptures again. At least 5 times.
(I could not, in good conscience, make any alterations to the following word that I believe to be from the Lord. Apparently, there may possibly be some in His church that are unknowingly resisting His leading without realizing it, I don’t know. And as I have said before I would never want anyone to believe that this message must be heeded by every church, be they independent or traditional. Rarely has a word from the Lord ever applied to all of His children. He has always had a remnant who seek His face and desire His will. I want to apologize to anyone who had taken offense with the tone of the previously published article. I meant no offense).
The following is a Word from the Lord that came to me earlier in the night:
“All of my children hear Me! We are getting ever nearer to the moment wherein I will turn to my Son and proclaim, ‘It is time. Return for your bride!’ But there are yet things that must be accomplished and I am moving among you to bring them to pass. Do not resist Me. Our relationship is based on trust. Faith in Me and My ways. My ways are not your ways. What fruit have your ways wrought? Your understanding is dim. But as you walk in My ways and not your ways, as you learn to accept My thoughts as your thoughts, you will find that as you obey Me your understanding will be enlightened as We go. I am unwilling that any should perish and there is coming a visible moving of My Spirit that will bring unity among my Family and an explosion of growth to My kingdom. But you must obey! How often, My children have I accomplished My will in a way that did not take you by surprise? Who are you to think that you can dictate to Me how I should govern and bring increase to My kingdom? I will do things as I please. Nor am I indebted to you for approval. I am moving even now and this has brought a stirring in the hearts of My children. As it has always been you have been granted freedom of choice: launch out into the uncharted deep things of My Spirit and reap the riches or remain in the safety and familiarity of the shallows and continue to gaze upon the horizon. Trust Me. I am your Father and I will not disappoint.
I was awakened at 1:30 am this morning and I laid there on my bed staring into the dark and conversing with the Lord for well over an hour. I was transported in my mind’s eye to the Augustana Lutheran sanctuary I grew up in as a child in Omaha, Nebraska. I can still see Jesus in the stained glass behind the pulpit just as clearly as I did back then. He was larger than life, about 15 feet tall as I recollect. And beautiful. He was the Good Shepherd and was standing next to sheep holding His staff and it always seemed He was looking right at me. That was 45+ years ago. I saw myself as a little boy sitting in the sanctuary mesmerized with my surroundings. To a young Lutheran boy it not only looked holy, I could actually feel God’s presence there. And as I lay there reliving those days in my mind’s eye I can honestly, without reservation tell you Jesus was there. It was every bit as holy as the independent churches of today, if not more so. What makes that kind of an experience happen in a Lutheran church? The heart of the man. Or in my case, the little boy. Traditional settings did not make me religious, rather they drew me in to know Him more. Shortly thereafter I asked Jesus into my heart at a Billy Graham crusade. What encouraged me to make that decision. Stained glass? Maybe.
Is it alright to tell you that I am sometimes afraid? Afraid for the well-being of the church at large? Afraid we won’t obey Him? Afraid of being misunderstood and cast out as a religious nut? I know I should not fear these things and I guess that’s the human side of me. God will take care of everything concerning His children and doesn’t depend on me to make sure all our spots and wrinkles are fixed. I love the Lord and I love His church. All of His church. Remember, I’m a man. Just a man. And will always be subject to error. But I do believe in my heart that the Lord is speaking to us in this message. At least some of us. Those who love Him and listen to His voice will find themselves right where He wants them to be. He will help us do whatever is necessary to have a prosperous “life at the lake.” Soon and very soon, we are going to see our King! And we will be without spot or wrinkle!
That, my beloved, is Truth From The Hip.
Now it’s time to get myself ready for church. Where I will join my precious family in worshiping a holy God. I love you.
(And boy, did we have a dandy!)
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