Witness to the Religious Establishment: Stephen

“You men who are stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who had previously announced the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become…”Acts7:51-52

The Religious Establishment wanted Stephen to shut up! They did not want to hear God’s Word or Truth. They could not stand the wisdom and Spirit with which he was speaking. They stirred up the people, elders and scribes against him. They came and seized him and brought him before the council. Stephen was required to give an account to them. They saw that he was full of the Holy Spirit as he preached God’s Word! He declared what God has said, and what He did. Remember, he was preaching to the Religious Establishment: to professed believers in God. These professed God and considered themselves “leaders”, yet they were not born from above. They were not at all in the Kingdom; they were not circumcised in heart. Stephen told them the truth regarding their unbelief, sin and disobedience! He accused them of resisting the Holy Spirit and persecuting and killing God’s people whom they had betrayed and murdered. The religious leaders were enraged! Stephen continued to honor and glorify Jesus Christ. The only way they could shut him up was to kill him, but Stephen was faithful to Jesus until the end.

Witness to the Religious Establishment: Peter and John

And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard.” Acts4:18-20

And when they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him. Acts.5:27-32

The Religious Establishment wanted the apostles to shut up! But having beheld the resurrected Christ and also having received the power of the Holy Spirit, they could do no other than proclaim Christ with confidence and courage!

 

Witness to the Religious Establishment: Jesus

And the high priest stood up and came forward and questioned Jesus, saying, “Do You make no answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?” But He kept silent, and made no answer. Again that high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” Mark14:60-62

Jesus, our King, Lord, Master, Savior, brother and friend. He IS The Faithful Witness. His very presence is with us. His courage, strength and power, He gives to us.

The Religious Establishment wanted Jesus to shut up! As Jesus bravely bore witness to the Truth before the earthly religious ‘powers that be’, He demonstrated to us the exact way we must also be His witnesses, down through the centuries, and to the very end.

With Him Outside the Camp

Therefore let us go to Him outside the camp……Heb.13:13

So now we are with Him on the outside. We heard Him calling that we may follow Him, that we may have and know Him, and not a Substitute. He has called us to go to Him, our High Priest, outside The Camp. This is where He suffered. This is where He made atonement, as an offering of sacrifice. This is where He sanctified us through His blood, and consecrated us to Himself. This is where He is!

“The camp” is not the world; we have already separated from that. The camp is Religion, tradition, custom, outward form, institutionalism, church-playing, self-righteousness, hypocrisy, Churchianity-as-Religion in all it’s vain glory, and, our fleshly desires for all the worldly things that IT can offer to satisfy our “self”. The wilderness He brings us to is away from the crowds of people, away from the religious system, away from The Substitute and “image” of what is real in Christ.

So here we are with Him in the wilderness, getting reacquainted. I am finding that I must take time to just rest here with Him a little while. Yes we have come out of religion, but there is much religion inside of us that must be removed from within. It is a detoxing of sorts, a time of internal cleansing. We can’t follow Him with such heavy baggage. He will cleanse it out of us. His burden is light! And we need our arms free to take up our cross and follow Him along the narrow way. He shall unburden us of all that clutters and stumbles the simple walk of faith with Him. And so the process of de-Churching commences. This shall take some time to get it out of us; after all, we have lived in ‘Babylon’ all of our lives.

The Apostacy and me

O my threshed people, and my afflicted of the threshing floor! What I have heard from the LORD of hosts, The God of Israel, I make known to you. Isaiah 21:10

“It will come about in all the land, Declares the LORD, “That two parts in it will be cut off and perish, But the third will be left in it. And I will bring the third part through the fire, refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’” Zech13:8-9

“Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days– You would not believe if you were told.” Habakkuk 1:5

Many of my dear Neo-Evangelical and Reformed Evangelical friends think “the apostacy just *can’t* happen in MY camp”. I know because I used to be one, and thought this. But the hard truth is, the apostacy is a “no Church left behind” program. There is no “pure and safe place” in Christendom that is not infiltrated and corrupt by this thing that many think is only happening “over there” with “those people”. (And have we not looked down on them with pride and contempt as if we have arrived?!) No, The leaven has leavened the WHOLE lump, even your part.

Thus all we sheep are going to have to make sure we are clinging to the Rock of Christ, NOT standing on the shifting sands of “my Church” and “my favorite theologian”, “my Theological camp” and “my Denomination”. This shaking is a good thing. It is a threshing; God is separating out His own. He calls out His own from “the world” to follow HIM, not men. In the process, we are deciding who we are “with”; are we “with Jesus” or are we “with my Denomination/preacher/theology camp/MY version of Christianity”? We’re going to have to choose. This hurts; it is a very painful process, this threshing, this purging. But it is for God’s good purpose: our sanctification and His glory.

Meeting Together

and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Heb10:24-25

Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing. 1Thes5:11

I bump into people from the two Institutional Churches I was in for 26 years. The very first thing they ask me is where I am “going to Church”. I tell them, “The church in the wilderness”. They always say, “Huh?, Where is that Church? Never heard of it”.

God has called us out from the world to follow Him; to be with Him on His bountiful pastures, where He cares for us as the good Shepherd.

At various times, He arranges for us to come together in the assembly with others. Here is where I have been “assembling together with one another”.

At the outdoor cafe with a precious saint who loves Jesus and desires to walk with Him.

On the phone in the middle of the night for an hour with a sister who is confused and distressed about what is going on at her Institutional Church.

Sitting at my kitchen table with my husband, comforting a brother in the Lord who is devastated and heartbroken almost to the point of despair, due to intense personal suffering, sorrow and trials. He is ignored by the people at the Institutional Church.

Chatting poolside about what the Lord is doing in our lives, with a friend I have not seen in two years, while our kids swim.

Having lunch with my dear girlfriend while sharing with each other about the painful reality of what the Lord is allowing in our lives in order to sanctify, purify, refine, prepare and separate us unto Him in unwavering devotion.

On a few blog sites and internet radio podcasts I’ve found which help, edify and encourage.

Via email with brothers and sisters I have “virtually met” all over the globe who love and follow Jesus.

On the street with saints God arranges for me to meet when I’m out talking with people in the community.

On Skype with brothers and sisters in different states.

In a living room in a house in my city.

In a living room two hours away, with a dozen believers from different cities, for a dozen hours of amazingly edifying fellowship!

In my car with four people while we drive for an hour and a half to meet some other believers for a time of mutual encouragement, and taco truck tacos, eaten while sitting on the ground.

In my car driving, talking for hours, on a road trip with my daughter.

Jacob and Esau

And the LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb; and two peoples shall be separated from your body” Gen.25:23

When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. Gen.25:24

“.. nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom..” Matt.24:7, Luke 21:10

There are two churches growing in the field: the true and the fake. The wheat and the tares. Two nations are growing up together, and they live in the same house, where they struggle together “within her”.

Esau is a hunter, is spiritually immoral and disregards his birthright. He despises God while pretending to love God. Jacob is peaceful, is spiritually holy and he treasures his birthright. He loves and treasures God.

Esau prefers food to God. Jacob prefers God to food. Esau loves self, Jacob loves God. Esau marries heathens: he mixes with pagans; he is unfaithful to God. Jacob wants to be obedient to God and remain physically and spiritually faithful to Him.

Esau does whatever he wants; he pleases self. Jacob does what pleases God. Esau is proud. Jacob becomes humble over time. Esau cannot inherit the Kingdom. Jacob inherits the Kingdom. Esau is of flesh. Jacob is of the Spirit.

Esau does not have the blessing. Jacob has the blessing. Esau is enemies with God. Jacob is friends with God. Esau is a vessel of wrath, prepared for destruction. Jacob is a vessel of mercy, prepared for grace and redemption. Esau’s inheritance is “doomed”. Jacob’s inheritance is GOD Himself, redemption, and the abundant treasures (spiritual riches) in Christ.

Esau receives curses and judgment from God. Jacob receives the blessing and promises of God. Esau’s father is the devil. Jacob is a child of God. Esau is hated and cursed. Jacob is loved and blessed.

Esau is of the physical. Jacob is of the spiritual. Esau may or may not be a physical Jew. Jacob is a spiritual Jew regardless of ethnicity or any physical heritage. Esau is physical Israel – that is, fake Israel. Jacob is spiritual Israel – that is, true Israel. Esau is not the chosen people. Jacob is the chosen people. Esau is an usurper. Jacob is beloved of God.

Esau builds his own satanic kingdom. Jacob seeks the Kingdom of God. Esau wants exalted power on the earth. Jacob humbly kneels under the blood of the Lamb. Esau worships lucifer in pride. Jacob worships God in humility.

Esau comes out, or is revealed first. Jacob comes out, or is revealed second. Esau is apostate. Jacob is faithful. Esau is the chosen of satan. Jacob is the chosen and elect of God. Esau hates Jacob and wars against him. Esau seeks to kill Jacob.

Jacob prays for protection and trusts God by faith. He believes and trusts the promises of God. Jacob wrestles with YHWH; he contends, he strives, fights and persists to have God. Jacob seeks His favor and he weeps in prayer. Jacob searches until he finds Him because He desires Him. Jacob pleads for God’s blessing. He wants to know Him and commune with Him! Jacob strives with God in intimate relationship and prevails. Jacob strives with men (in order to be faithful to God) and prevails. Esau wants Jacob dead. But Jacob loves and is loved of God.

 

Are You in Babylon?

And I heard another voice from heaven, saying,

“Come out of her, my people,

that you may not participate in her sins and that you may not receive of her plagues; for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.” Rev.18:4-5

Babylon has a cup filled with abominations which offend God. Babylon is impressive; a pleasure to the senses. Babylon dresses well and is decked with gold, precious stones and pearls. Her riches are material, not spiritual. Babylon is a woman who is a whore, taking in everyone who passes by, disregarding the One she claims to be her Husband. Babylon is unfaithful; she practices spiritual prostitution. She openly fornicates with the kings and governments of the earth in order to increase her power. She is in relationship with the secret societies. She breeds harlots and abominations. Babylon is a place of noise, corruption and incredible wealth and luxury. Those who dwell in her are drunk on her immorality. She loves pleasure, entertainments and a good party. It is a place of the idolatrous worship of many gods. She has become a dwelling place of demons. She is carnal and spiritually dead.

Babylon is a place of captivity where God’s people are held in bondage. Babylon is a place of confusion and deep distress for God’s people who reside there. Babylon is the “gate of god”, claiming IT-self to be the way or gate to God. Babylon deceives. She has made lies her refuge. She has no shame practicing witchcraft right in front of you. She is proud, arrogant and self-confident. She thinks she will exist forever. She is deeply involved in politics and enjoys riding the Beast. She thinks she rules and reigns on the earth! She thinks she rules over God’s people. She lusts for power (and money). She exalts herself and wants to become famous and glorify herself. She seeks to build a city and tower to exalt herself. She seeks to bring in all unto herself. She builds a great image of man for all to worship. Babylon repackages paganism and sells it to you as something from YAHWEH. She makes merchandise of those to come to her; her wares are sold for a price.

She is religious to the core. She is powered by flesh and human strength, not the Spirit. Babylon tells you there is a difference between “clergy” (priest) and “laity” and promotes many other lies and pagan traditions. Babylon kills God’s prophets who dare to tell the truth of God’s Word. Babylon wants to kill the saints and witnesses of Jesus. She promotes herself, rather than Jesus Christ. She is committed to the world, and to herself, feigning commitment to Christ. Her love is sensual and narcissistic. She loves and desires herself, feigning love for Jesus.

Unbind Him and Let Him Go

“Unbind him and let him go.” John11:44

Jesus has called us His friend. Behold how He loves us! He came to us to awaken us from spiritual death by His power and Life. We have gone to our death and burial with Christ. Jesus commanded the stone be moved; He will allow nothing to hinder the salvation of those He loves. He has made us alive by the Word of His command. He has healed us, given us His Life, raised us and called us out of the tomb. He has seated us in the heavenly places with Him. He IS the Resurrection! And we are resurrected by Him, for Him and with Him. Our Master Jesus Christ is in control of death and Life. To Him be all the glory!

But what are these bothersome trappings presently covering us? Are we bound hand and foot with wrappings, our face wrapped around by a cloth? What good did all this do for anyone? It did not help cover up the reality of death. Perhaps it was only for the sake of religious tradition that we were so decked out for burial. But alive now in Christ, we cannot move or see Him, being so bound. All these wrappings hinder our relationship with Him! Jesus now issues the command that we be released from the bondage of the religious systems that bind us hand and foot. He wills that we see Him and Hear Him. He wills that we be able to walk, in order to ‘follow the Lamb wherever He goes’. He wills that we be able to lift our arms to put our hands to the plow. He wills that we be released from false doctrines and unprofitable traditions to pursue friendship with Him; to worship in Spirit and Truth. He comes against the religious bondage we are in and decrees that we be free indeed!

So now we are seated at the table with Christ and His other friends, eating supper. But notice, the religious people are angry at this: “But the chief priests took counsel that they might put Lazarus to death also; because on account of him many of the Jews were going away, and were believing in Jesus.” John 12:10-11. Incredibly, the religious system does not approve of your resurrected Life. You have been released from their bondage and control. They are not happy for you. On account of you, the people may go away from them to believe in Jesus.

Arise and Come Away

“Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come away!” Song 2:10

Listen! Our beloved is calling to us. He is calling us away, to be with Him. He is coming to where we are, and calling us out– to follow Him outside of the walls that have kept us in bondage. He is calling us out of cold darkness and into the warmth of His wonderful Light. Out of the oppressive, lifeless structure we were trapped in, to follow Him in freedom and joy. He is calling us out of the Egypt of the satanic world system, and out of the Babylon of dead institutional religion. He is wooing us with His love, bidding us to walk with Him. He is inviting us out of the building, into an intimate, living relationship with Him.

Will we answer His call? Will we get up and follow Him outside? He loves us and has accepted us. He thinks we are beautiful! He wants us to leave it all behind, and go on with Him. He wants us… and He is planning a wedding. He shall bring us to the secret place to be with Him, where He gives Himself to us; where we give ourselves to Him.