Category — orthodoxy

In part one of this article, I talked about how far too many Christians have shifted their positions on morality and perhaps have moved it to the bottom of their contemporary concerns. But what could have contributed to that?

Recently, I heard a pastor state that it was his intention to be “culturally relevant” in these last days so that the church can become the center for evangelism, community driven and to be intriguing for sinners to come to church and get saved. Sounds good, but it’s wrong.

Since the past few years I’ve heard many Pastors, youth leaders, Christian entertainers and Christian laypeople state this same rhetoric, that in order to win the world, we must become relevant enough to get their attention so that we can give them Jesus. But are we?

I do not doubt for one moment the sincerity of these people, I honestly believe that they believe they are doing what they think is best to win the lost, to garner more attendance, to satisfy the great commission for their cause. But the problem persists that as more and more churches declare this agenda, they are merging on the edge of losing their identity simply to appease the world.

Because of this style of evangelism which is found in many churches, it’s leading many into an open area of compromise and sin. This is why the number of fallen Pastors has risen sharply in the last few years. Because of this new concept to become current with the world, we have allowed the world’s ideas and beliefs within the church itself. Hence, why so many believers are now struggling with sexual sin and immorality like never before. We are getting sick from the disease we once had an immunity to.

The argument for this philosophical nugget is that if we can become more appealing to those in the world who are already engaging in behavior that is both sinful and ultimately harmful, then we can draw them away from that style of entertainment or lifestyle with something identical yet spiritually enriching. I call it the “New Coke” syndrome.

Back in the early 90′s Coca-Cola decided to create a new Coke, something better, something people would want that would replace the old Coke. What they discovered was that although ideal, it was a marketing nightmare. People tasted the “new stuff” and realized that the old was a lot better than the new. Soon, people demanded the original, they wanted to good stuff! They couldn’t stomach the new formula for taste and I’m sure stock holders couldn’t stomach the drop in revenue.

Reinvention or Revival?

What was the problem? They tried to re-invent a tried and true formula for success and it didn’t work. It’s the same with the church today. I see more and more preachers today trying new ideas, new concepts, new messages, new songs; it looks good, it sounds good, but when you taste it then you are left with something that is not genuine, it’s an imitation of the original. The church today is trying it’s hardest to replace a tried and true formula, something that has worked for over a thousand years and that is the basic message of the cross.

In a day when the church is trying to look as much as possible like the world, where we dress like the world, talk like the world, are entertained by the world, how can we even begin to fulfill the great commission? The very idea of being holy, separate, and pure, is counter to the real goal of “reaching the world”. Yet, we are doing it trying to be relevant at the cost of our very identity of a holy ghost filled church. It simply won’t work!

This is why our young people are giving in to the lie of alternative lifestyles, bi-sexuality and homosexuality, because we changed the purpose of the great commission and we didn’t stay true to the core message of the cross.

God has one method to win the world – just one. It’s the gospel through the preaching of the word. That’s it! Uno tournaments, Christian rock concerts, seminars, community activism, none of it can never or will ever become the tried and true formula that God has placed into position to win the world, it’s still the preaching of the word and nothing more.

The problem is, when we start going to bed with the world to win the world, you wake up with contamination, a spiritual STD. This is why the church today has virtually no power it once had, all because it tried to be like the world in almost every way, yet God said over and over to be less like the world and more like him. Until we realize this, the less of an impact we will have on society and the world. And God knows we need to be an impact on the world today!

When the message is about loving ourselves, there’s something wrong. When leadership begins to fall morally, there’s something wrong. When a Pastor can write a book and state that Hell no longer exists, there’s something wrong.

We must begin to shake ourselves as Samson did and realize that the enemy is all around us, we’ve slept in the lap of Delilah for too long and it’s time to wake up and loose the bindings on us. The world is in chaos, the world is hurting, it’s looking for something that is true, tested, sure and not been re-invented. It’s looking for the gospel.

We must return to a faithful prayer life. Give ourselves over to fasting at times as well as getting back into the word of God. A faithful dedication to reading our Bibles, studying the scriptures daily, is the only true means of success the church can assure a positive and healthy life.

We must be willing to denounce our sins, our pride and arrogance which has brought us false teachings and corrupt ideas. When we remove the leaven in our lives, we’ll begin to see God’s healing within us.

I believe in the coming years God is going to wake his church and then the greatest revival of evangelism will occur, but we need to start preparing and part of that is going back to what is true and good, the old paths, the old ways.

I’ve tried the new Coke and you can have it, give me that old stuff, the good stuff. It might sound cliche’ but that old time religion was good enough for my parents, it’s good enough for me.

It sits at the corner where it has sat for 75 long years. The name is unimportant as well as who is Pastor, for this church is not just one simple country church, it’s also a well established main street church, it’s a mega church, it’s every church in America and as such, they all have something unique about them, they are all beginning to accept that which many years ago they would never think to accept – sin.

In many churches across America, from the largest innercity one to the smallest rural setting, there’s a common bond between them all, that bond is homosexuality. For many years, the church has faced many problems within it’s walls, from gossip to adultery to divorce, problems of the flesh have always seemed to challenge the Church and yet the Church has remained strong. But now that strength which has endured for centuries against every demonic force from hell, is giving in toward something more destructive and almost no one is voicing a concern.

There is a policy among many within the church that is nothing more than what I would call a “conspiracy of silence” among leadership – and for good reason. The statistics of people involved in homosexual sin are growing at an astonishing rate among believers and the question needs to be asked as to why? And why is leadership protecting this behavior?

In 2009, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America adopted a resolution which allowed openly gay pastors to serve within their churches in their organization to the dismay of many faithful and long time members. The stunning resolution adopted by the ELCA made the radical step possible to ordain and establish the long time evangelical group, the first “gay” friendly Christian Organization.

On top of the defense of homosexuality within the church by the Lutheran’s, came another sad aspect to the downward slide to depravity, and that was the recent revelations of several popular evangelical Pastors whom publicly denounced such sins, yet were privately living the lifestyle.

The recent acknowledgments of Jim Swilley, Pastor of the mega church in Georgia, the past indiscretion(s) of Ted Haggard and the most recent charges against Bishop Eddie Long, the fact that these prominent and celebrated leaders within the evangelical church whose personal morality have been tainted with moral intrigue should cause all of us to examine what is truly happening in the body of Christ and more importantly, what are we willing to do about it?

A recent poll among evangelical Christians showed an interesting move away from views that were once considered the issue of the day, to a more liberal, broader view. In a recent 2008 poll of those asked what the current issue(s) for the church were, surprisingly it had nothing to do with immorality or sin, but secular issues. The top issues for those Christians polled were; personal indebtedness (81%) followed by poverty (78%) and illegal immigration (68%) [ source.]

Christians have made a significant change in their views on morality and this new ideological change has seemingly pressed itself into the church and it’s acceptance of things which are forbidden by God. This is the result of the religion of tolerance which, among young people, many are embracing and why those within the Christian community is failing to rectify this problem.

Which brings me back to my original point of this article, the church today has changed her appearance and resembles nothing of her former self. The modern church is becoming a haven of immorality and abomination. The current gospel of wealth and self-esteem has replaced her original message of repentance and holiness and it has made her sick and weary. If she does not reject the current messages that run rampant within her many pulpits across this nation and the world, her impact will become less effective.

Pastors, youth pastors, choir directors, church staff, are all becoming active roles for many within the gay movement. Even in contemporary Christian music, we are beginning to see the fruits of tolerance teaching and the acceptance of alternative lifestyles and disturbing even more is the mood of many within the vast denominations who simply turn their head out of ignorance and impartiality. The truth remains the same, the church is facing it’s own cultural war and from the recent events in Christian circles of those believers coming out of the religious closet, she’s losing this battle.

The apostle Paul made it perfectly clear when he warned of what would occur in these last days when he wrote, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;” (2 Thess. 2:3)

A falling away from what? From the truth. When Christians no longer view immorality and idolatry as their top concern but instead focus on the things of the world that are but temporal and meaningless, then something is wrong at the core. Our desires have changed to reflect more of a cultural relativism than a Biblical perspective and in so doing, we have allowed diversity, immorality and social apathy to be our guide. This is not the commission of a Christian.

In order for us to salvage our message, there must be a call to repentance within the body of Christ. Our ways have become deluded with the cares of this world and not a desire to see lives changed. We have become tolerant to sin and immorality and this must change, even if it means the removal of those who are in authority who have ushered this sickness in. Our mandate, our spiritual life depends on it if we are ever going to survive the coming challenges which lay ahead.

God give us leaders and spiritual warriors who will not bow at the altar of tolerance and acceptance, but will lead the church into her finest hour. The bride is still worth it.

Since GCM Watch began investigating and documenting the biblical and moral errors of the gay christian movement (gcm), over time, it became clear that this movement was the spiritual replica of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) in the body of Christ. A movement riddled with heresy, the parallels are quite stunning.

HIV, like all other viruses, has proteins that are indigenous to itself. These proteins are called “antigens”. Antigens have diverse functions in viral replication. In the case of HIV, a combination of two antigens, gp120 and gp41, allow the virus to hook onto T cells and infect them. The virus pretends to be a healthy cell,  thus fooling the healthy cells to accept it. The consequences are devastating for the body:

HIV eventually destroys many of the white blood cells, which protect us against disease.

HIV invades and attacks helper T cells, the very cells that direct the body’s defenses. By destroying helper T cells, HIV disables the entire immune system that protects us against diseases.

HIV infection leaves people helpless against many other serious infections and cancers.

Likewise gay christian doctrine, using the cloak of love, acceptance and peace, presents itself as true and has fooled many unsuspecting Christians into accepting the very thing that destroys relationship with God and sexual integrity in the body of Christ. SIV (Spiritual Immunodificiency Virus) has infected entire denominations and wreaked havoc all over the Christian Church. But instead of fighting the disease with biblical truth and public information, church leaders have coddled it and exposed their members to certain spiritual death.

Seven foundational truths you can’t afford to compromise

We’ve identified seven key foundational truths that the gay christian movement (the little c is used to indicate a false christian) have compromised and/or denied. You can see examples of this here, here and here. These truths are central to our faith and  cannot be compromised. We caution you to arm yourselves with truth, protect your spiritual health and do not accept any doctrine or teaching which detours from the faith once delivered to the saints. Even if an angel from heaven comes and preaches any other doctrine, let them all be accursed.  It only takes a little leaven to leaven the entire lump! Brothers and sisters, that’s how serious this is.

Let no one fool you: orthodoxy and doctrine are important indicators of a person’s spiritual bearing. Alone, they can become the source of ritualistic legalism, but when advanced in the power of the Spirit and love, it forms a solid foundation under the feet of the believer.

I. The inerrancy and authority of scripture Rom 15:4; 2 Tim 3:16, 1 Pet 1:24,25; 2 Pet 1:20:21

What it means: The authority of Scripture cannot be separated from the authority of God. Whatever the Bible affirms, God affirms. And what the Bible affirms (or denies), it affirms (or denies) with the very authority of God
Why its important to you: The scriptures are your first consult and last check as to whether your actions, words, thoughts are in line with what God says pleases him.
What can happen if you compromise this truth Without the scriptures as your guide, you will be left to your own devices, logic, righteousness and ultimately create your own god who will approve whatever actions, thoughts and words you tell him to. Rm 1: 21-22

II. The identity and divinity of Christ Jn 8:58;10:24-33, 1:1-3, Psalms 90:1

What it means:  Jesus Christ is God who came in the flesh. By his suffering and death, he completely paid for the sins of the world. Consequently those who believe in Him will have eternal life and escape the wrath of God to come.

Why its important to you:  his identity and divinity is important because he uniqueness distinguishes him from others who claim to be him
What can happen if you compromise this truth:  Failure to recognize Christ as God come in the flesh places you at risk for certain deception.

III. The definition of sin Gen 6:5; Ps 53:3, Prov 28:13, Col 3:5-6, Romans 3:23

What it means:  Sin as defined in the original translations of the Bible means to “miss the mark”. The mark in this case is the high standard of perfection established by a holy, sinless and perfect God and evidenced by Jesus (Heb 4:15).  Sin, then is a transgression of God’s standards whether intentional, unintentional, by commission or omission, whether in thought, word or deed.

Why its important to you:  Viewing sin in its biblical definition you will never excuse or justify your actions, words or thoughts when they are in conflict with God’s standards. Rm 3:23 The desired result is a repentant heart, thus maintaining a meaningful relationship with God.
What can happen if you compromise this truth:  If you change the biblical definition of sin, self righteousness is inevitable.

IV. The significance of the Cross Phil 2:5-11, Eph 2:14-16

What it means: The cross is a symbol of ultimate deliverance which comes from the ultimate sacrifice

Why its important to you: You are expected to sacrifice as Christ did to help others find deliverance
Luke 22:31, Rev 12:11, Luke 9:23
What can happen if you compromise its truth: You will live in fear never fulfilling the purpose of God for your life.

V. The resurrection of the dead Lu 24:45-47; Jn 21:26,27; Acts 2:23,24; Rom 10:9, 1 Cor 15:13-14

What it means:  The resurrection is the hope of every believer that death will not have victory over us.
Why it is important to you: The resurrection is the cornerstone belief of our faith. If it is not true, then nothing we believe is true.
What can happen if you compromise this truth:  We lose our unique identity as Christians.

VI. The promise of Christ’s coming Mt 26:64; Luke 21:27, John 14:1-3

What it means: Christ promised that he would return and take away all those who believe in him to a place where he now resides. John 14:1,2 His return is imminent and will be without warning.
Why it is important to you: It should cause you to live your life in a state of readiness
What can happen if you compromise its truth: You can become cold, lazy and foolish thus missing his return.

VII. The standard of holiness 1 Thess 4:1-7, Hebrews 12:14, Leviticus 10:10-11, 1 Peter 13-16

What it means: Holiness is a commanded standard of living made possible only through sustained right relationship with God.
Why it is important to you: Without holiness no man shall see the Lord. God commands that we live holy as it is the only accurate spiritual reflection of himself. 1 Thess 4:7
What can happen if you compromise its truth: You open yourself up to believe and accept every wind and doctrine as valid and lose out on eternal life with Christ.

Endnote: Some gcm include elements of the above (holiness, baptism,  Spirit, resurrection, etc)  in their teachings, but it is taught from a perspective relative only to their view that homosexuality being acceptable to God. See one example here.

One of my favorite dispensational authors and bible teachers Clarence Larkin has an awesome and detailed chapter on the church and kingdom in his book Rightly Dividing the Word. If you can get your hands on a copy, do it and value it as the teaching is golden.

Now, in this third segment of our series on understanding church and kingdom, we want to look at the sameness of the two. We previously explored differences, noted paradoxes and then  issued admonitions on ignoring  or diverging from the will of God, the King.

And let me just say parenthetically that  the Bishop Eddie Long case, has coughed up multiple layers of confusion.  Many people are conflicted about what they see and hear and what God intended. These posts are to help clear up that confusion. Do not be deceived, this will happen again, so let us understand God’s will and receive saving knowledge, enabling us to stand strong when tumultuous storms hit again.

To be perfectly clear, I am not anti-church. I am however very much against the commercialized, Jesus-deficient, capitalistic, mausoleum-building empires of men masquerading as the church. I am against any religious organization that does not live out God’s stated purpose for it. The church was never intended to be a den of thieves, but a house of prayer. In fact, notice in Luke 19:46, Jesus says it was man who changed the will of God.

“It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”

The implication is that what God intended has been forcibly changed to satisfy the lust of wicked men. The result: thieves of all stripes are now comfortable in the house to God. That includes sex thieves, money thieves and power thieves. Theives should never be tolerated in the house of God because they have only one goal: to steal and destroy the sanctity and integrity of the Body (reference John 10:10). If we are to take Jesus’s example, we should drive them out. If you do not drive them out, they will only regroup, recruit and steal again.

But the church as a house of prayer is to birth souls into the kingdom. That’s the only “hospital” analogy I can agree with. Its a birthing room. Sadly, we are seeing less and less of that today and more membership drives.

Major parallels of the church and kingdom

1. Both the kingdom and the church are comprised of saints – Kingdom (Colossians 1:13) – Church (Colossians 1:2). Understand that saints are people who have been “set apart” for a holy purpose. Nothing more, nothing less. Saints are not perfect, they are people being perfected by the will of God. Saints are not ” just sinners who fell down”, saints are called out to live out the purpose of the kingdom of God in the earth. That’s why we must guard against and reject the doctrine of perfectionism. Such a doctrine is false and built of a presumptive self righteousness, rather than grace, mercy and repentance.  The Apostle John shot down the doctrine of perfectionism in 1 John 1:8. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Its just that simple. Saints do commit sin, but that does not make them sinners. The bible acknowledges this (1 John 1:8) and consequently provides one corrective response: repentance (1 John 1:9). Its not hypocrisy to call yourself a saint even if you have sinned as a saint.  Sinners are those unredeemed who practice sin as a lifestyle. 

2. Both the kingdom and the church was purchased with innocent blood – Kingdom – (Revelation 5:9-10) – Church (Acts 20:28). In order for the “purchase” to be authentic, eternal and secure, it had to be by the blood of an innocent man. That man was Jesus Christ. The blood of Christ became the currency, untainted by sin, which paid the price for our sins thus satisfying what God required once and for all. Just like a natural family, it is the blood that is foundational for relationship in the kingdom.

3. Both the kingdom and the church are comprised of priests – Kingdom (Revelation 1:6,9) – Church (1 Peter 2:5). The old system of a selected tribe of men, gave way to a new covenant where every believer is now a priest. We are now a kingdom of levites. This does not conflict with Ephesians 4:11-16. We are all equal in our relationship and standing before God although some from among us have been selected and gifted to edify and equip us for the work of ministry. That is not a license for prophets, pastors, teachers, apostles or evangelists to lord over God’s people. They are to instruct on how to weather the storms and become mature, productive citizens of the kingdom of God. Sidebar: I’m doing that right now!

4. Terms of entrance to both the church and the kingdom are the same. But we should note it is man, not God, who has circumvented those very important requirements with the membership system. – Kingdom (John 3:5) – Church (Ephesians 5:26, Tit. 3:5). Membership does not facilitate discipleship, nor is it in congruence with the Great Commission. As we explained before, one can be a “good” member of a church and never be in relationship with the Lord Jesus.

5. Both the church and the kingdom will experience divine glory and exaltation – Kingdom (Isaiah 2:2-3) – Church (Ephesians 3:21). Both the kingdom and the church will receive glory and honor in the last days. Now, is not the season for our glory. We are to be humble servant exalting God and his Christ for the sake of his will being done on earth.  In time, he will glorify us his church and the people of his kingdom. Too many churches are not caught up in marketing themselves in order to attract members. I suspect that is to feed the god of mammon. More members=more money=bigger buildings=more members=more money…ad infinitum. Its a dangerous and rebellious trap to fall into, but some church pastors are driving full steam ahead to glorify themselves using their own devices.  Again, I am not suggesting that money and people are irrelevant, just that our priority should always be the glory of the Father and the Son (ref Matt 6:33).

6. Both the church and the kingdom have the same owner.  Kingdom (John 18:36) – Church (Matthew 16:18). The head of the kingdom is God who is in Christ.  Its obvious who the owner is. Or is it? Some act as if they are the owners: “my church, my people”. Its an arrogant statement to make, yet those who were intended to be managers (undershepherds) are claiming ownership of something, they could never even remotely be qualified to purchase (see #2). The usurping of the Christ’s authority in the church by hirelings and pulpit thieves is partly the blame for the sordid abuses we see happening right now. The other part of the blame is to be laid on those who have passively allowed such people to remain in place (for solutions see Luke 19:46).

Whenever you are confused about something, go back to the beginning. The genesis will give you the blueprint for the Creator’s intent. We are in just one of the many storms of our times which will only worsen as the Lord’s return nears. I encourage you to examine yourself and see if you have been in a spiritually infantile state  for too long. Whether you are currently under a leader who keeps you on a pacifier and a bottle of sugar milk or you have resisted the training of the Holy Spirit, get up and move forward. Earnestly study God’s word, pray fervently and be faithful to the will of God. In doing so, you will mature and bring forth fruit that pleases our Father.

The kingdom of God is suffering violence, but its not from without, its from within. A trifecta sickness of false teachings, idolatrous practices and deadly, but alluring voices are systematically pushing and luring us closer and closer to the edge of a pit with no bottom. Fear of the tricks of the false prophets has caused us to mollify them with silence.

Misconceptions about the church and the kingdom of God have colored and influenced the contemporary church to the point to where it is barely recognizable as representative of God.  We are living in the age of an out of control church reminiscent of a wild jackass.  A spiritual run-a-way bride. But beloved please know that such things should not be mentioned once among the people of God.

These misconceptions —which in reality are false doctrines— have pierced the body to its core and are wreaking havoc on our outward witness and out inward compass.

People of God, look at what has been spawned among us:

In recent years, especially during the Earl Paulk sex abuse saga, we heard about “kingdom relationships”. Said kingdom relationships centered around the idea that in the “kingdom” leaders such as Paulk were entitled to sex from whomever they chose. Somehow “kingdom relationships” transcended the moral boundaries of scripture. But in reality it was nothing more than a church harem for a deluded sexual addict with a big church title. Last week, Atlanta’s WSB-TV made the connection between Paulk and Long and the sexual ideology both seemed to incorporate into their religious empires.

Ole Anthony of the Trinity Foundation, a watchdog organization which monitors clergymen like Long, says the late Bishop Earl Paulk mentored Long as a young pastor.

When WSB Radio asked Anthony about Long and the three lawsuits filed by three former members of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, said he was shocked.

“But his mentor was Earl Paulk,” said Anthony.

Paulk, who died last year, was an evangelical mega church leader accused of having sex with many women in his congregation including his brother’s wife and his own granddaughter.

Anthony compared Long’s “Spiritual Sons” program in which his three young accusers were members with Paulk’s “Kingdom Relationships,” saying both were really designed to sexually gratify the clergymen.

We’ve also heard of “kingdom principles” from a number of megachurch and junior megachurch leaders.  Perhaps those in the prosperity movement have capitalized the most on these principles which generally can be traced to the lust for mammon. The rather unseemly practice of throwing money at the altar or at the feet of a preacher while he is speaking emanates from the idea that when you hear what you believe to be a “good word” you pay the speaker. The act has been attributed to Word of Faith heretic Leroy Thompson of the “money cometh” fame. The practice is eerily similar to men throwing money at strippers in a club, especially when she performs titillating lewd acts.

As we noted in our previous post, people are attaching the word “kingdom” to their doctrines of devils and effectively deceiving many people who are marginally in the faith. I might also add that it is being attached to the music of devils and achieving equally disastrous effects.  Everyone wants to cash in.

Also, the idea that a particular church or denomination is the only right organization has truly hindered the work of the kingdom. I grew up in a denomination (COGIC) that taught  merely going inside a Baptist church was a sin. We could only fellowship with other COGIC churches and the only way we could go into a church of another denomination was if we went to accompany the Pastor. Out of that belief was the idea that if you left COGIC, you were backslidden. It didn’t matter if you were saved, you’d left “the greatest church in the world”,  therefore you could not possibly remain saved.  This idea is still prevalent (although somewhat subdued) in that denomination’s mindset. This is a pride that is not from God.

While some organizations  most certainly embrace doctrinal error, the idea that one church (physical building, association) was the only true church is a fallacy within itself.  And while I cite COGIC, I’m certain other dogmatic organizations have some of the same beliefs at varying degrees.

A radical return to holiness

I wrote sometime ago that we  desperately needed a radical return to holiness. But I soon realized that such a return to holiness cannot occur without first a radical return to the Word of the Lord. Above all, his word is our source document for life. We cannot even begin to understand holiness if we do not return —now and fervently— to his Word.

If the church is ever to mirror the glory of the Kingdom —and it will— we must find the will to purge the wicked thing from among us. It doesn’t matter if that wicked thing takes the form of a person or a passion, it must go. And we must re-inaugurate God as King and Christ as Lord.

A history lesson should help us get the passion and the will to do what must be done in this hour. Reputations must be laid aside and the each of us must see ourselves as needed volunteers in the restoration of the glory of God.

Consider the passion of one Phinehas, recorded in Numbers 25:

And behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand; and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.

And those who died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.

And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, “Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned My wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for My sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in My jealousy. Therefore say: `Behold, I give unto him My covenant of peace.

Of course God is not in the business anymore of ordering us to kill those who sin. That price of death was satisfactorily paid in full by Christ on the cross (that’s what propitiation means).

But we still have an obligation and a mandate to restrict, restrain and remove sin and those who refuse to repent from our midst. This is an act of discipline which protects the integrity of the body as well as protects us from opportunistic spiritual infections.

Phinehas’ radical passion to honor the will of God infused the blessing of God to his legacy. Too many of us see the abominations being loosed in the body, we know that it is against the word of the Lord, but we stand on the sidelines fearful. I will tell you why. Our thinking is not in snyc with God’s. A great majority of the universal church is locked into a carnal processing mindset. The case of Bishop Long has exposed that in many places.

But we need a radical return to honoring the will of God by adhering to the Word of God. That’s what Phinehas did. Take special note that he didnt steal away into prayer and fasting. He acted. There is a time to pray and there is a time to act. Now, is the time to act and restore order in the house of God so that it may accurately reflect the glorious kingdom of God.

Bishop Long’s revelations are not the only ones which will arise. Others are in the pipeline. And there will be many more opportunities for us to speak up and stop what we know dishonors God and his kingdom. The only other alternative is for us to continue this insane game of  musical church chairs.

Proverbs 4:7 strongly encourages us to get an understanding in all that we do. And it can be said that much of our problems stem from a lack of understanding. Sometimes that understanding is because we just havent walked into yet, sometimes it is because we reject it when it comes. Thus, this post on understanding the Church and the Kingdom. I will try to keep it as simple as possible. Hopefully, it can clear up some misunderstandings you have had, if at all and consequently help you better understand certain situations and circumstances happening around us. Many times we question how can these things happen in the church? It is confusing and distressing. Why? Because we do not have a proper biblical perspective of church and kingdom.

There are a lot of religious people who are employing the word “kingdom” as a new buzzword of sorts. It gives the appearance that such people are in tune with God, but on closer examination some are simply playing a word shell game. To the unsuspecting, it can be a deadly one, both spiritually and naturally.

One very important distinction to remember is that Jesus said the kingdom of God ( per Romans 14:17 love, joy and peace in the Holy Ghost) is within you and eternal. Conversely, the kingdom of man (buildings, money, fame, positions, sexual desires) is external and temporal. Most people see the church as a building ( i.e. New Joy Church 1500 West Adams Street). A building can be called a church but it is not the church.  The reason is because buildings can be destroyed and/or used for altogether different purposes, even evil. Changing your thinking paradigm about the church versus a church will significantly enhance your ability to endure when the sinful excesses in the building conflict with the purity of the kingdom of God.

While the terms “church” and “kingdom” are generally used  interchangeably by people,  in scripture there are distinct differences in the two. Both are present expressions of The Lord Jesus Christ, yet one has not reached its perfection. (Eph 4:11-15).

Let’s deal with the kingdom first. In simple terms a kingdom is the domain or residence under authority of a king. When applied to God, David said it best in Psalms 24:1 The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein. Thus it is clear that God’s kingdom comprises both heaven and earth. Heaven is under control, but earth is still in transition. As Jesus prayed:  “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”.

One theologian described the kingdom of God like this:

In today’s parlance the equivalent of the Kingdom of God would be something like the Presidency of God rather than the Nation-State of God; or the Episcopacy of God rather than the Diocese of God. This Divine Regime or Presidency which operates by gracious mercy (because of God’s love) and righteous justice (because of God’s holiness) is unlimited, eternal, spiritual, and sovereign over all. Since Christ came in grace and in the flesh and began His earthly ministry, the inward earnest of the Kingdom life became accessible as a present mediatory EXPERIENCE for whosoever believes in Christ. The full outward manifestation of the Kingdom is a future vindicatory EXPECTATION when Christ comes again in judgment (Eph 1:7-14).

The Kingdom (of God, of Heaven) are also used interchangeably in scripture. Jesus did in several places but there are differences that should be noted. Both the “kingdoms” are ruled by God. The main difference is time. The kingdom of God is within us now, while the kingdom of heaven has not yet come.   (Matthew 16:19,Luke 17:20,21)

The Kingdom of God is physically represented by the earthly Church of Christ (this is not the denomination of the same name).

The tale of two churches

As with many situations in the bible paradoxes exist and quite frankly appear to the undiscerning eye to be contradictory. Such is the case with what I will call the church triumphant and the church universal.

The church triumphant is triumphant (victorious) both now and forever. It has both corporate and individual applications. I take that from 1 Cor 2:14. The CT isnt defined as a denomination. Nor is it a nondenominational, interdenominational or independent religious body.  It is understood to be comprised of those out of every kindred and nation, every tongue and tribe, who have been washed in the blood of the lamb and whose names are written in the lamb’s book of life. The church triumphant has formed and is forming daily as the Lord adds to the church. It is the church which, according to Matthew 16:18, is indestructible, built on the Rock. It is this church-bride which will be presented in that day: pure, holy, blameless, faultless before the presence of God (Jude 24,25). While the church triumphant is universal, the church universal is not necessarily triumphant.

The church universal is universal because it worldwide in terms of its logistical placement and membership. Thus, it is comprised of those who are joined to the physical church of Christ. It is a consortium of the denominations, nondenominations, interdenominations, et al. The church universal includes the wheat and the tare, the hypocrite and the saint, the open homosexual and the downlow choir leader, the sheep and the goats. It is from this church which will come those who find out that their good works are useless because they feigned relationship with Christ or had none at all. They will discover that they will be rejected because they added or detracted from the words of the Lord causing others to be lost. The church universal is in essence a snapshot of the doctrine of inclusion pre-judgment day. All are included, but the day of separation has not come (see Matt 25:31-46).

The church has “membership” rolls and on any given Sunday whether  a person is redeemed or not, they can step out into the aisle, walk up front, shake the pastor’s hand and become a member. Even if they never confess Christ and are never born again and filled with the Spirit, they can remain “members” of the church. Even become “leaders”.

But not so in the kingdom of God.

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders ¹⁰nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Cor 6:9-11

The entrance requirements are set not by the will of man, but by God. Only those who are redeemed, washed in the blood of the Lamb and sanctified by the spirit of Christ will come in. There’s no hand to shake , no secretary to see, no new members class to attend, no St Peter at the gate, just a change of heart and lifestyle. That’s not the gospel of inclusion, its the gospel of exclusion. And its 100% the will of God.