History Must Be Studied

Posted on March 15, 2012 by A Whisper, Screamed

One of the biggest mistakes people make when reading the Bible is reading it like a regular book. There are too many ancient customs and idioms that modern readers have trouble understanding that cause unbelievers to throw down the Scriptures in disgust and believers to gloss over them or accept erroneous explanations. Also, people tend to judge the past by the present, which ignores the fact that is was harsh and brutal because of the will of survival. This results in dismissals of the knowledge hidden to those unwilling to face the truth of how Yah operates. It is vital that teachers do their due diligence on these matters and seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance while researching.

Our Father amazes me constantly when He places items to share along my way. The title of this series of articles addresses the top criticism of the Bible by non-believers:

The Bible God: Cruel, Savage, Deranged, Evil, Barbaric, Intolerant, Insanely Jealous, Vengeful and Bloodthirsty?

Here is an excerpt:  Women being Forced to Marry their Rapists, and Women being Stoned to Death for Not being Virgins on their Wedding Night

The Bible says:

Deuteronomy chapter 22 (TEV)

13 “Suppose a man marries a young woman and later he decides he doesn’t want her. 14 So he makes up false charges against her, accusing her of not being a virgin when they got married.

15 “If this happens, the young woman’s parents are to take the blood-stained wedding sheet that proves she was a virgin, and they are to show it in court to the town leaders. 16 Her father will say to them, “I gave my daughter to this man in marriage, and now he doesn’t want her. 17 He has made false charges against her, saying that she was not a virgin when he married her. But here is the proof that my daughter was a virgin; look at the bloodstains on the wedding sheet!’

18 Then the town leaders are to take the husband and beat him. 19 They are also to fine him a hundred pieces of silver and give the money to the young woman’s father, because the man has brought disgrace on an Israelite woman. Moreover, she will continue to be his wife, and he can never divorce her as long as he lives.

20 “But if the charge is true and there is no proof that she was a virgin, 21 then they are to take her out to the entrance of her father’s house, where the men of her city are to stone her to death. She has done a shameful thing among our people by having intercourse before she was married, while she was still living in her father’s house. In this way you will get rid of this evil.

Apparently, the reason it was so important that a woman could guarantee her virginity on marriage was because in the days before a welfare state, when the literal survival of a family could depend on their ability to farm their land, it was essential that the paternity of any future head of an extended family who were all relying on that land for support could not be contested by greedy people who would claim that they had no right to the land because the head of the household might not be a legitimate heir, because his mother hadn’t been a virgin when she married. If someone contested the family’s rights to their land and succeeded, they could be forced off it, and become destitute, and potentially starve. Thus, it was vitally important for family survival that women remained virgins until marriage, and faithful to their husbands afterwards.

From an article called Are the Laws in the Old Testament About Rape and Virginity Unfair to Women? by Glenn Miller:

“… Secondly, we need to understand that Israelite law was not applied ‘blindly’ and ‘superficially’ to cases that came up. …

Although we don’t have any records of court cases going back to OT Israel, the rabbinic writers-often demonstrating significant continuity with ancient practice-certainly didn’t apply the ‘bloody sheet’ test in an unreasoning fashion:

“Several rabbinic sources shed light on the legal aspects of the problem of virginity. In various cases brides are accused of having already lost their virginity but the sages invalidate the accusation. All these cases appear in two collections of baraitot, one in the Palestinian Talmud and the other in the Babylonian Talmud, and the sages who appear in them, with the exception of R. Ishmael b. R. Yose, are all from the house of the nasi. In the first story, in which the protagonist dates from the Second Temple period, a man went before Rabban Gamaliel the Elder and claimed that he failed to find the signs of virginity in his wife, but Rabban Gamaliel believed the wife, who claimed that she came from the Dorkti family, which was a family in which women were known not to bleed when they lose their virginity (bKet. 10b). The same claim was twice brought before Rabbi, who accepted the wife’s explanation and rejected the husband’s complaint in both cases: in the first, the wife attributed her failure to bleed to years of famine (Ibid.), and in the second the wife maintained that her hymen fell from the rigor of climbing the steps of her father’s house (yKet. 1.1, 25a).R. Ishmael b. R. Yose, when he heard the case of the woman ‘whose signs of virginity were no larger than a mustard seed,’ ruled in her favor and even said a blessing over her…” …

But the most important thing to understand about ANE virginity (and marital fidelity, also) is its socio-economic function, in inheritance-based cultures. …

But, almost universally, adultery carries the death penalty in the ANE-because of the criticality of being able to prove paternity…it was a major foundation of community existence and stability.

Now, what this creates is an interesting socio-economic dynamic. The larger the household and landholdings, the more important to the community and to the family for the absolute certainty of paternity. This places a tremendous value on (1) demonstrable virgins and on (2) women with the ‘promise of fidelity’ (i.e., from a “good family”). The managing parents of a ‘rich’ household would diligently try to find a mate for a son that could satisfy these two criteria.

From the other side, the parents of a daughter would obviously seek the best possible future for her. This would generally mean trying to arrange a marriage into the most economically-stable family in the community, to provide the girl with every possible advantage for the future. This would primarily entail protecting her ‘demonstrable virginity’ to ensure that she would find a home in the highest-strata families. Needless to say, if the girl was deprived of her virginity via a rapist or seducer (and didn’t marry said individual), her probability of being sought out by families in desperate need for a demonstrable virgin (in other words, the families with the most inheritable property and land!) would drop to zero. This would make the task of providing for/ensuring the long-term welfare of the daughter that much more difficult. …”

Deuteronomy chapter 22:

28 If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, 29 he shall pay the girl’s father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the girl, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives.

Here is a clear case in which the rapist has (1) stolen the girl’s ability to guarantee paternity, and by doing so has greatly limited her future options; and (2) has limited her father’s options of arranging a good marriage for her.

The rapist is now forced to become what he has cheated the girl out of-a ‘well off’ husband. The fifty shekels bride-price (see below on the Exodus 22.16 passage) is five years worth of average wages, and is the price paid by the Pharaoh Amenophis III for the women of Gezer destined for his harem.

The girl’s future is now assured-she has a guaranteed support source (he cannot divorce her)-and she has a ‘big’ bride-price on deposit. …

What was this mohar or bride-price all about?

It can be thought of as a ‘pension’ or ‘social security’ for the woman. It was kept by the father (out of the clutches of her husband!), but not ‘owned’ by him:

Furthermore, it is probable that the father enjoyed only the usufruct of the mohar, and that the latter reverted to the daughter at the time of succession, or if her husband’s death reduced her to penury. …

There is some evidence that this was a variable amount in Israel, and that it was negotiated by the parents. In some of these cases of rape and/or seduction, the price being paid is typically higher than what would normally have been paid, so this was both a disincentive for would-be rapists, and a compensation for ”lost opportunities” for the woman. …”

Some sceptics ask why Christians don’t stone women to death for not being virgins on their wedding nights nowadays, assuming that it must be because “even Christians” can understand the “stupidity and barbarity” of the Bible’s laws! They clearly misunderstand the place of the Law – that it was meant for the people of Israel to last until Christ died.

In letters that were put in the New Testament, the apostle Paul wrote to Christians:

Galatians chapter 3 (NLT)

19 Well then, why was the law given? It was given to show people how guilty they are.

21 If the law could have given us new life, we could have been made right with God by obeying it. 22 But the Scriptures have declared that we are all prisoners of sin, … 23 Until faith in Christ was shown to us as the way of becoming right with God, we were guarded by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until we could put our faith in the coming Savior. 24 Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian and teacher to lead us until Christ came. … 25 But now that faith in Christ has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.

Galatians chapter 4 (NLT)

4 When the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. 6 And because you Gentiles have become his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, and now you can call God your dear Father. 7 … And since you are his child, everything he has belongs to you.

Corinthians chapter 9 (TEV)

21 This does not mean that I don’t obey God’s law; I am really under Christ’s law.

Romans chapter 13 (TEV)

8 Be under obligation to no one-the only obligation you have is to love one another. Whoever does this has obeyed the Law. 9 The commandments,
“Do not commit adultery;
do not commit murder;
do not steal;
do not desire what belongs to someone else” –
all these, and any others besides, are summed up in the one command, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” 10 If you love others, you will never do them wrong; to love, then, is to obey the whole Law.

The issue of what punishments should be given under the new system of authority didn’t arise, because Christians were a minority when the New Testament was written, so they were not in a position to influence the making of laws by governments. Thus, when they are, they have to decide themselves what should remain or become illegal, and what penalties are appropriate.

Do you see why it is important to continuously seek His truth?

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Too Many Words

Posted on March 10, 2012 by A Whisper, Screamed

In this version of Strong’s Concordance, the original meaning of the word is listed first, followed by what translators actually used. Reading the origin of the word gives a better feeling to the context in which it was applied.

diakonos: a servant, minister

Original Word: διάκονος, οῦ, ὁ, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine; Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: diakonos
Phonetic Spelling: (dee-ak’-on-os)
Short Definition: a waiter, servant, administrator
Definition: a waiter, servant; then of any one who performs any service, an administrator

1249 diákonos (from 1223 /diá, “thoroughly” and konis, “dust”) – properly, “thoroughly raise up dust by moving in a hurry, and so to minister” (WP, 1, 162); ministry (sacred service).

1249 /diákonos (“ministry”) in the NT usually refers to the Lord inspiring His servants to carry out His plan for His people – i.e. as His “minister” (like a deacon serving Him in a local church).

[A. T. Robertson, “1249 (diákonos) properly means ‘to kick up dust,’ as one running an errand.” 1249 (diákonos) is the root of the English terms, “diaconate, deacon.”

This root (diakon-) is “probably connected with the verb diōkō, ‘to hasten after, pursue‘ (perhaps originally said of a runner)” (Vine, Unger, White, NT, 147).

Definition: a servant, minister
NASB Word Usage: deacons (3), minister (7), servant (10), servants (9)

deacon, minister, servant.

Probably from an obsolete diako (to run on errands; compare dioko); an attendant, i.e. (genitive case) a waiter (at table or in other menial duties); specially, a Christian teacher and pastor (technically, a deacon or deaconess) — deacon, minister, servant.

So, servant = attendant = food waiter = minister = deacon.

episkopos: a superintendent, an overseer

Original Word: ἐπίσκοπος, ου, ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: episkopos
Phonetic Spelling: (ep-is’-kop-os)
Short Definition: overseer, supervisor, ruler
Definition: (used as an official title in civil life), overseer, supervisor, ruler, especially used with reference to the supervising function exercised by an elder or presbyter of a church or congregation.

1985 epískopos (a masculine noun, derived from 1909 /epí, “on/fitting contact,” which intensifies 4649 /skopós, “look intently,” like at an end-marker concluding a race) – properly, an overseer; a man called by God to literally “keep an eye on” His flock (the Church, the body of Christ), i.e. to provide personalized (first hand) care and protection (note the epi, “on“).

“Though in some contexts 1985 (epískopos) has been regarded traditionally as a position of authority, in reality the focus is upon the responsibility for caring for others” (L & N, 1, 35.40).

Word Origin: epi and skopos
Definition: a superintendent, an overseer
NASB Word Usage: guardian (1), overseer (2), overseers (2).

bishop, overseer.

From epi and skopos (in the sense of episkopeo); a superintendent, i.e. Christian officer in genitive case charge of a (or the) church (literally or figuratively) — bishop, overseer.

Therefore, elder = bishop = pastor (shepherd) = presbyter = overseer = guardian.

This article has the same conclusion I found: Elders, Bishops, and Pastors

The question is why did the translators create all of these different words for only two positions? Was it to create more positions of clergy living off the masses? If I find anything new on this topic, I will post a new entry with a link to this one.

Jesus did not want a hierarchy for we are to be equal in Christ for we are His Body while He alone is the Head (Matthew 20:25-28, Matthew 23:8-11, Mark 9:35, Mark 10:42-45, Luke 22:25-27).

The structure of the early ecclesia was a bottom-up one (Matthew 18:15-17, Romans 12:3-5, 1 Timothy 5:19, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, 2 Corinthians 13:1), with serving leaders raising up others to be serving leaders (Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 4:17, 1 Corinthians 7:7, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, 2 Corinthians 8:18, 1 Peter 4:10) and mature (perfect) in Christ (Matthew 5:48, Matthew 19:21, Hebrews 6:1-2, Ephesians 4:13, Colossians 1:28, Colossians 4:12, 1 Corinthians 2:6, 1 Corinthians 7:17, Philippians 3:12-15, James 1:4). Anything else is the pollution of man, period.

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Thought Splatters (Incoming!)

Posted on March 4, 2012 by A Whisper, Screamed

What I want to know is why are we not focusing on making sure every believer can hear from the Father directly? Why we are not encouraging people to seek His Guide alone and to make sure that spiritual connect is there? What good is repentance if we are not trying to transcend the flesh and soul to let the spirit have dominion?

There is a fine line between holiness and self-righteousness.

Many are called (the body of Christ prior to pruning) but few are chosen (the Bride, the marriage feast, the good branches on the Vine).

The best slaves are the ones who are given everything they think they want.

The closer to get to Jesus, the stranger you will become to non-believers.

Any godly wisdom I receive and give out comes from Him. To gain His wisdom, we must give ourselves over to Him.

From disciple (baby, student) to minister (servant, mature)…a few become prophets (warning of His judgments), apostles (starts worship/teaching assemblies), pastors (the sheepdogs who keep the wolves at bay; oversees the sheep and distribution of goods), evangelists (ones who spread the Good News), and teachers/preachers (feeding the babies milk; motherhood is a teaching position). The top-down structure of one on top is a man-made idea (Martin Luther screwed up there). We all have a job to do to advance the Kingdom.

The errors of the soul are the following:
False fire = emotionalism
Intellectualism = simple and incomplete to the wisdom of the Holy Spirit
Willpower = resistant to the changes Jesus tries to enact in one’s life

Disciple means a student of a discipline. What discipline are we to learn? Death to self (denying the flesh), crucifying self daily (subjugation of the soul), and doing what Jesus said and did while spreading the Gospel (the will of the Father through the Holy Spirit). The first two lead to spirit rebirth and staying in His hands.

I welcome serious discussion, but I am not in the mood to debate unless He gives me the words to continue. I did the endless debate thing years ago and got weary of the pointlessness of it. Now I realize the weariness came from Christ not being in it, just egos clashing. *yawn*

Demonstrated by their actions, very few actually trust His Guide to lead them. But, if you desire His truth, raw, sharp and pure, He will reveal it if you ask.

Staying in the wilderness, waiting for His children to “come out of her” as He directs His Body outside of man’s influence and control. One day, these churches will fall and scatter His sheep. They will have two choices: His will or the adversary’s. I pray most will join Him so we can become the Light on His Mountain.

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So Be It

Posted on February 22, 2012 by A Whisper, Screamed

Horrid times
Wondrous hours
Will be had by Your children
In these very final days.

Wake, we are
Sleep no more
Alive in spirit as we die daily
Transforming Your wants to ours.

Crippled flesh
Cries to You
You deliver joy in the midst of dread
And strength to handle all outcomes.

You know all
You bless us
We enter the Kingdom by Your hand
If we stay persistent in faith and truth.

Can’t You hear?
Can’t You see?
We cheer Your patient righteousness
And proclaim Your Kingdom to all who listen.

You knew us
Before birth.
Created, we were, for Your good pleasure
As we worship You night and day.

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From Provider to Provision

Posted on February 16, 2012 by A Whisper, Screamed

So You Lost It All. Where Is the Will of God Now?

How do we find and experience the will of God?  Is it simply asking for Divine guidance and God’s blessing upon our life?  Or, is the will of God something much deeper that is revealed in the process of living?

Many sincere Christians express their desire for the will of God in their life with comments like, “I’ll pray about that” or, “I‘m asking God to know His will in such and such a matter.”  Then after prayer and sometimes fasting, the petitioner emerges with a directive to move forward with a particular task, or perhaps a check in his or her spirit to NOT move forward.  It is good to prayerfully consider the decisions that are before us, but is this really what it means to find the will of God?   Is it possible there is a depth to the will of God that far exceeds following simple directives?  For example, what about those times when we are sure we heard the voice of God and yet the results were disastrous?  Did we miss it or was the will of God somehow revealed in the unfolding calamity?

The earthly-minded believer thinks of the will of God in terms of the preservation of the natural life.  That is why his or her prayers are usually focused on a desire for God to either change a situation, or to give a divine endorsement of something they desire.  Whereas, the spiritual man recognizes how all things, whether good or bad, work together to reveal the will and purpose of God for us and in us.

If we spent less time rebuking the devil and more time praying, “Father, not my will, but thy will be done,” we would discover the will of God is most often revealed when we are led like a lamb to the slaughter.   In order to embrace the resurrection life of the Spirit we must first be made willing to grapple with the Cross.    I have found that the hand of God intervenes in our life with the necessary obstacles needed to make us willing.

Many years ago Diana and I were facing some difficulties with a hair salon we owned.  My intentions were to grow the business and step from behind the chair into a management position.  We had a great business model and were attracting a clientele of mostly professional types.  In my mind’s eye I could see every detail and so I worked diligently toward the fulfillment of our goals, but there were hurdles we could not overcome and so we were unable to achieve our plan. The stress began to have an affect on my health.   I prayed for wisdom and for the Lord to bless the work of our hands, but the response I received was not at all what I expected.  One afternoon while at work I clearly heard the Holy Spirit speak to me:  “Many have known me as their provider but I desire that you would know me as your provision.” The reality of what the Spirit said that day hit me hard.  I was a very ambitious and determined young man who wanted to make his mark in the world.  In an instant I realized that the will of God for my life was far different from what I had imagined and that His chosen path for me would not include the promotion and recognition that others enjoyed.

I was looking for the will of God through the lens of my hopes and desires, expecting God to give His blessing upon them.   I wanted Him to provide for me, and in turn I would offer up the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for my blessed life.  Certainly God has written into His will a place for such provision.  Many sincere believers live out their lives, never aware there is anything beyond knowing the Creator as their provider.  In all honesty, I was content to do the same and had expected to do so.  My understanding of the will of God had much more to do with His blessing upon the natural man than it did with the spiritual man. I was looking outward to the needs and desires of the natural man while the Spirit was looking at the heart and the kingdom of God within.

So what does it mean to know God as our provision instead of provider?  First off I can testify that it requires a different way of seeing things.  As we learn to know Him as our provision we come to recognize that all things come from Him.   I did not come to this understanding by revelation – it was more like trial and error, for I did not willingly cooperate with the plan of God.  I didn’t know how to cooperate.  Besides, can you imagine a drowning person not struggling for air?  Instead I turned to the left and I turned to the right, trying to make our business a great success.  The result of all my efforts placed me in a bed of hell and turmoil.  Much to my surprise I could not escape the purpose or plan of God.  Every effort of self-will became like dung, which was the fertilizer, causing the seed of God in me to flourish.

After six years of struggling I felt defeated.  God’s purpose for the situation I was in was accomplished and it was time to move on.  We were considering closing down the salon when I heard: “When you leave it will not be like a dog with its tail between its legs.”  A short time later one of our wealthier clients offered to buy the salon.  We sold it for a profit that I didn’t think possible and used the extra money to start a specialty food business.  My prayer for the blessings of God upon my efforts to create a booming hair salon went unanswered.  Instead, the will of God was revealed in my failure to achieve my goals.  You see, though I had prayed, “Lord, I want your will,” I was looking for the will of God within the confines of my own interests and desires.

Years ago a small group of us were praying when one of the brothers broke out in prophesy over a dear friend of mine, Dorothy McCracken.  In the prophecy, there was one part in particular that stood out to Dorothy, which she recalls to this day,  “I must take everything, I must take everything, because nothing of the old can enter into the new.”  Dorothy was well thought of, with many friends in the church, where she and her husband attended and sang regularly.  Then after the Spirit of God began to call her to a deeper walk her husband left.   It was about the same time the Lord called her out of the church she was attending.  People didn’t know what to think of her anymore.  One friend asked her, “Dorothy, where do you go when you come out of the organized church?”  Dorothy replied, “You go to Him!”  So it didn’t take long for her to become the topic of many conversations and in a short time she lost her favorable reputation.  Then Dorothy lost her job and did not find regular work for ten years.  She was in a place where she had no choice but to live moment by moment. Her reliance on herself to make her own way was taken from her. In the process of her experience, Dorothy was stripped of everything that she had valued in this earthly realm, but in the process she was brought to a place of rest and trust in God.

Dorothy did not have to go looking for the will of God in her life for it unfolded before her according to His design.  The will of God was for her to be brought to a place of spiritual maturity.  If you were to ask her if it was worth it she would answer with a resounding, yes!

There is a song I liked as a young boy called, “Heart of Gold” by Neil Young.  In one of the lines Neil sings, “I’ve been a miner for a heart of gold.”  I can’t help but think that in each of us there is a desire and hunger for a heart of gold.  Where do you think this desire comes from?  I believe this deep desire is a glimmer of what God desires.  We are made in His image and likeness and so this desire for authenticity comes from Him!  I assure you that the Spirit of God is a miner for a heart of gold!

There is golden treasure buried deep within us and the Spirit of God continues to excavate the dirt and chisel away the rock that holds this treasure captive.  He must take everything that we have come to rely on that is not founded upon trust in Him.  Sometimes that requires a few sticks of dynamite to break away sections of our life that are in the way.  We have assurance though that He will finish the work He has started in us.  No matter what we may live through it is nothing compared to the glory that will be revealed in us.

We may search for the will of God in our many petitions for His blessing upon our lives, but we won’t experience the depth of His will until we have spent time with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane.  It is easy to say, “Father, not my will, but thy will be done,” when everything is going our way. It is quite another experience when we stand to lose our job, house and retirement savings.   Unlike Jesus, who submitted willingly, we often experience the will of the Father while kicking and screaming.  Eventually, our protests are quieted and we submit to the inner working of the Spirit.

The Transformation of Peter

One of my favorite characters from the New Testament is Simon Peter.  When the disciples saw Jesus out on the water it was Peter who cried out, “Lord if it is you, tell me to come out to you on the water” (Mt 14:28).  Peter was a man who was not afraid to get his feet wet, both figuratively and literally.  He was also the first disciple who said to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  Jesus explained to Peter this wasn’t something he figured out on his own, but the heavenly Father had revealed it to him (Mt 16:18).  Then Jesus went on to say: “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church …” (Mt. 16:18)

Jesus obviously saw great potential in Peter – a disciple who was greatly dedicated to serving his Master.   What is fascinating though is the conversation that ensued immediately afterward.  Jesus is telling his disciples all that He must suffer and how He will be killed and raised from the dead.  Then Peter takes Jesus aside and in a rebuking tone says, “Never, Lord ’ This shall never happen to you!’”   Jesus responds, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”  (Mt. 16: 22-23)

How is it possible that Peter, who had received Divine revelation that Jesus was the Christ, would stand in opposition to the very thing that would fulfill this reality?

When Jesus said, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.”  He was not speaking to Peter, the natural man.  Jesus was addressing the seed of God that was in Peter and the process of revelation, whereby the Holy Spirit illuminates the truth of God.  This is in contrast to Simon Peter, the natural man, who opposed any harm coming to Jesus.

The natural MIND always looks to the interest of the natural man.

“[That is] because the mind of the flesh [with its carnal thoughts and purposes] is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God’s Law; indeed it cannot.”  (Rom. 8:7, Amplified)

There was a duality at work in Peter.  He zealously desired to serve God and He had received Divine revelation that Jesus was the Christ, but for the most part his perspective was from an earthly vantage point. There is a vast difference between receiving a revelation and comprehending the depth of what the Holy Spirit has said. Peter’s failure to grasp the will and purpose of God continued to the very end when he drew his sword and cut off the servant of the high priests ear when Jesus was arrested.

It must have been quite upsetting to all the disciples to hear Jesus describe the suffering and violent death that awaited Him. It was especially difficult for Peter to grasp the will of God in all that Jesus was saying to him.  We can see Peter’s love was misguided, because it caused him to oppose the will of the Father, and that is why Jesus rebuked him.  Peter was concerned for the preservation and well being of the natural man, Jesus, and so his eyes were blind to the will and purpose of God.  Peter did not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.

Most of Christendom is like the natural man, Simon Peter, worshiping and adoring the natural Jesus.  It is the worst possible kind of idolatry.  IT IS THE WRONG JESUS!  And the Spirit of God continues to say, “GET BEHIND ME ADVERSARY!”   Peter was sincere in wanting no harm to come to Jesus, but he was sincerely wrong, for his natural man with all its good intentions was in opposition to the purpose and plan of God.  The will of God was hidden from Peter’s natural mind just as it is hidden from our earthly minds, for the Father’s kingdom is not of this earthly realm.

It seemed that Peter was a slow learner and so Jesus told him and the other disciples that they would all fall away the night Jesus was arrested.

“ Peter replied, ‘Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.’  ‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.’  But Peter declared, ‘Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.’ And all the other disciples said the same”  (Mt 26: 33-35).

You would think since Jesus gave Peter a heads up on what was going to happen that a determined Peter would have avoided at least one of the denials.  The truth is Jesus wasn’t telling Peter so he could prepare himself to resist the temptation.  To the contrary, Jesus was telling this to Peter ahead of time to underscore that Peter was approaching the things of God in his own strength and that Peter had in mind the things of man instead of the things of God.

There is something for all of us to learn about self-determination, failure and the working of the Spirit as we examine Peter’s experience.  It is the Spirit of God working in our lives that allows us to fail and make mistakes.  As Ray Prinzing said so many years ago, “God uses the interplay of good and evil in our lives to accomplish His purposes.”

Douglas B. Clark
www.theinwardjourney.net

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His Narrowed Focus for Me

Posted on February 15, 2012 by A Whisper, Screamed

Jeremiah 20:9 If I say, “I will not mention Him, or speak any more in His name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.

1. Deception/faulty knowledge
2. Death to self, alive in Christ
3. Refinement

These are the concepts He has drilled into my life since 2007. Everything I have been writing over the past few years either has been about or led to these three topics. Far from my intent and it trips me out whenever it happens. Conversations online and off have demonstrated the need for these topics to be addressed as often as possible. Therefore, my current mission will be to post up articles, whether by my hand or others, covering all three.

By His Guiding Spirit, may all who read them be strengthened during their climb up the Holy Mountain. Amen.

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Beware of Stealing His Glory

Posted on February 14, 2012 by A Whisper, Screamed

Psalm 106:32-33 They angered him at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses on their account, for they made his spirit bitter, and he spoke rashly with his lips.

Moses had a major flaw—even after all that the Lord had done through him, he still doubt himself as an instrument of Yah. This led him to make mistakes and complain about the overwhelming task and frustration of leading so many people.

It is taught, especially in biblical books for children, that Moses and Aaron were not allowed to cross over into the Promised Land because Moses struck the rock twice. I think there is more to it than that. Let us take a closer look at it:

Numbers 20:8-12 [The LORD said,] “Take the rod, and gather you the assembly together, you, and Aaron your brother, and speak you to the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and you shall bring forth to them water out of the rock: so you shall give the congregation and their beasts drink.”

And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as He commanded him.

Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and Moses said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we fetch you water out of this rock?” And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice.

And the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you believed Me not, to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.”

Moses had gotten into the habit of using a staff by the Lord’s direction (see Exodus 4:17, 14:16, and 17:6), so why did the water come out if he had disobeyed?

Sedimentary rock is known to feature pockets where water can collect just below the surface…by breaking through the surface can release the collected water. (The IVP Bible Background Commentary)

This was an old sheepherder’s technique to water flocks and Moses knew it. The Lord wanted His power to release the water, but Moses allowed his temper to cloud his judgment and took credit for the act.

In other words, he stole glory from the Lord (Romans 3:27, 1 Corinthians 1:29)—the worst thing anyone can do, since we are instruments for His glory (Isaiah 43:7).

Why was Aaron also punished? Because of his habit of going-along to get along (Exodus 32:1-6, Numbers 12:1-2), Aaron did not bother to stop or correct his brother.

David may have sinned, but he never took praise unto himself for what the Lord did through him. All praise Jesus received, he kept giving to the Father (Matthew 4:3-10, Luke 4:3-12, Luke 11:27-28, John 5:19, John 7:15-16, John 8:54, John 12:49). Peter reminded those who saw him heal he was still a man (Acts 3:12, Acts 10:26). Paul and Barnabas had trouble keeping the Greeks from wanting to treat the two like gods (Acts 14:8-18). Twice, John went prostrate before a heavenly messenger, but the angel told John he was no better than he (Revelation 19:9-10, Revelation 22:8-9).

On the flip side, how are we to handle glory given to us by humans? I have not a clue, but we should not make a big fuss over it. When I first found the Watchman’s Cry forum, I was impressed by the way they gave the Lord glory for working through a person. For Jesus, it was a common occurrence:

Matthew 16:17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”

Will we ever get into the habit of doing this?

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Dreams from Him, 2011

Posted on February 13, 2012 by A Whisper, Screamed

February 9, 2011
A catnap brought forth words to my mind: Some will be bold enough to go into the wilderness. They must seek Me and seek Me first.

February 10, 2011
Part of a dream I had involved me kneeling in the middle of my lit bedroom in prayer. Then, I was seated on the right side of a train carriage, watching the natural scenery roll by. After a bit, I was back in my bedroom, praying as I was before, hands raised, seemingly for a long time. It cut back to the train ride again, this time the train was going around a bend on a mountain so I could see the engine and then the prayer scene one last time.

The meaning is obvious: pray MOAR!

February 14, 2011
The words for this prayer came to me upon waking this morning.

An example of what a sinner’s prayer/dedication to Christ should contain:

Heavenly Father, the Great I AM and LORD of all existence, I come to you, a living sacrifice, for Your Will through me to be done.

Please, wash away my trespasses against Your Will and Nature as I forgive those who have trespassed against me.

I thank You for sacrificing Yourself through Your only begotten Son, Yeshua Hamashia, Christ Jesus, so that I may worship before Your Throne, cleansed and purified by the rebirth and refinement of my spirit.

All of my hopes, wishes, dreams, fears, worries, mind, body, will—my entire self I nail to the cross so I may be resurrected new in spirit, connected to Your Holy Spirit.

With the help of Your Holy Spirit, I will turn away from sin and set myself apart from this world.

For Your Kingdom is here among Your Children and may I be counted worthy among those who persist in obedience until You call me home. Amen.

April 2011
Why do you keep turning towards sin? So many rotten fish in this neighborhood… Shocked at the first sentence, I woke up and missed the rest of it. I have no idea what the second part meant. Ugh, I hate when that happens!

June 2011
“Proverb 16:9” flashed before my eyes. I wrote down the “proverb 16” part first, thinking it was one I had read before (Proverb 16:3), a brief bit of doubt. I turned to it and was pleasantly surprised:

Proverb 16:9 The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.

Whatever I do, for self, Him, and His Body, He will be the Guide, not me.

July 1, 2011
A plant entered my dream state, set in the ground and viewed from different sides. At the center of its long stem, it became bent at a 135° angle and then grew into a tight, vine-like curl ending with purple clover bloom, its flared head brushing the earth.

Next, men, women, children of various sizes and races mention God as their Lord and bowed in prayer. While bent, I saw their backs but not as they should have been. All were dull grey, narrow, vertebrae and ribs pronounced. One little boy had some damage to his spinal ridge but I knew he would be healed eventually.

The meaning rolled out to me upon waking: the plant represents true believers while on the earth. We came from dirt. We grow in the spirit and the physical. Our entire selves are bent and reshaped by Our Creator. By our submission to His will in every area, we blossom into a priest of His Kingdom (purple being a color of wealth and royalty). We will look peculiar to the rest of the world, be rejected because we do not stand up proudly as the world beckons us to do. Even from that position, we are nurtured by Him and thrive in spite of the problems that position places us in.

Job 14:2 – He comes forth like a flower, and is cut down: he flees also as a shadow, and continues not.

Psalm 37:2 – For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

James 1:11 – For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it wither the grass, and the flower thereof falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

1 Peter 1:13-25 – Why gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which has called you is holy, so be you holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be you holy; for I am holy.

And if you call on the Father, who without respect of persons judges according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: For as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who truly was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit to unfeigned love of the brothers, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and stays for ever.

For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass wither, and the flower thereof falls away (Isaiah 40:6).

But the word of the Lord endures for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached to you.

The thin backs of the people praying were their spirit man within, beginning to glow and strengthen through their confession (heart-felt agreement) of His majesty. It also means that if we want to be at His throne while in the flesh, we must bow, kneel, or prostrate ourselves before Him for He is Our King and deserves that honor. I got the impression He wanted to see His Light develop within us for no flesh shall have glory at His throne (1 Corinthians 1:29).

This was a great big hint to present myself before His throne (entering the Holy of Holies in spirit) more often instead of waiting until there is an emergency. I think He cut me a break because I do pray, talk about, and ponder Him all the day long. Glory goes all to Him if this inspired anyone to do that same.

July 18, 2011
You woke me at 4:21a, 4:30a, and 4:35a, so that was a great BIG hint I needed to get up and pray. I did for one hour, but my alarm, which was last set for 7a on Friday (today is Monday) buzzed at 6a. I need to build up my “worship endurance” to 90 minutes. Message received and thank you! 🙂

August 2011
According to a dream, I need to repent of lust and banish its demons from my body. Did I hear correctly that I have not submitted completely to my spouse in that area?

September 3, 2011
Was that pluck on a harp string at 8 in the morning to wake me up?

September 2011
A willful sin…guilt…an attempted repeat…

Within me, “Bee-dee-beeep! You have been temporarily disconnected…”

…shocked…thwarted…repentance…what am I to do?

Don’t do it again!

OK…later…amusing, Father, very amusing.

Early November 2011
Being ill and lazy, I forgot to pray last night…a big no-no. He awakened me by my younger son’s distress over a nightmare. As I came into consciousness, the Holy Spirit imprinted the statement, “You set him up for failure,” into me with the image of my older son’s struggling with his vocabulary assignment. I knew then he would not get it without us meticulously going over each and every word’s makeup and meaning, but I was tired of dealing with him. The constant attention he needs to push through his lessons is aggravating, but I realize this is part of my spiritual refinement.

I am sorry, Lord. Forgive me.

November 16, 2011
Who is Christy? Why does that name keep popping up in my head? Is that someone I am to witness to? To pray for? (Pray for her.)

November 18, 2011
I saw a short, young white woman with a full face and baby blue eyes in my mind near-waking. Who was she? Is that Christy? (Yes, pray for her.)

December 2011
A young black man with glasses and a strange tenor voice came out of my neighbor’s door (the one on the right) and said, “Quit rationalizing what to say.” I have been having problems finding the words for prayer and praise. I do not want unfeeling yet proper words to come from my mouth. That is no excuse since I have no issue talking about Him with others. True to form I did a little research on the word, rationalize. He knows me so well…LOL!

ra·tion·al·ize

verb (used with object)
1. to ascribe (one’s acts, opinions, etc.) to causes that superficially seem reasonable and valid but that actually are unrelated to the true, possibly unconscious and often less creditable or agreeable causes.
2. to remove unreasonable elements from.
3. to make rational or conformable to reason.
4. to treat or explain in a rational or rationalistic manner.

In psychology and logic, rationalization (or making excuses) is an unconscious defense mechanism in which perceived controversial behaviors or feelings are logically justified and explained in a rational or logical manner in order to avoid any true explanation and made consciously tolerable by plausible means. Rationalization encourages irrational or unacceptable behavior, motives, or feelings and often involves ad hoc hypothesizing. This process ranges from fully conscious (e.g. to present an external defense against ridicule from others) to mostly subconscious (e.g. to create a block against internal feelings of guilt).

People rationalize for various reasons. Rationalization may differentiate the original deterministic explanation of the behavior or feeling in question. Sometimes rationalization occurs when we think we know ourselves better than we do. It is also an informal fallacy of reasoning.

Or, simply put, do not analyze; just say aloud the words coming to mind.

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Dreams from Him, 2009-10

Posted on February 12, 2012 by A Whisper, Screamed

May 2009
This one is my favorite because I see it come into focus in this reality:

I stood before a brick building with a dull metal door. The odd thing about the door is that it had no doorknob, just a rounded tab where it would be. I said, “Why would someone make a door without a doorknob?”

A firm hand took hold of my right shoulder and I was spirited inside the building.

There, church was being held, some standing with hands palms-up. Before I had time to process more, the grip spun me around to face the door once again.

Metal scaffolding as high and wide as the door supported a huge bolt about the size of my arm where the knob should have been. A large nut held the bolt in place.

A male voice said, “They have locked everyone out. How are people supposed to get in? How am I supposed to get in?”

Startled awake, I went over it with my spouse. The only thing I could grasp at the time was how His Spirit was not welcome at those “family country club” type assemblies in our area. Now, I understand it as man’s wisdom locking out any one who does not fall in line with whatever doctrine that church practices [the traditions of men (Isaiah 29:13, Matthew 15:9, Mark 7:8, Colossians 2:22)]. No witnessing, no prophecy, no being in the Spirit, partial biblical truth, no gifts, no questions, etc. IOW, a spiritual dead tomb instead of a living part of the Ecclesia.

Remember 1 Peter 4:17:

For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

The lukewarm have not truly invited Him into their midst:

Revelation 3:14-22 And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write: “These things said the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot: I would you were cold or hot. So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth.

“Because you say, ‘I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.’ And know not that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel you to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that you may be rich; and white raiment, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness do not appear; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me. To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit said to the churches.”

Mid-June 2010
Close to 2 in the AM Tuesday, I had nodded off to sleep when Nathan Leal’s (online prophet) voice speaking in tongues penetrated my chest instead of my ears. Freaked out, I snapped awake and told my spouse about it. I had requested to join Nathan’s forum over a week prior and had emailed him the day before asking why it was taking so long to be approved. I got approved the next day when he released a prophecy about a heavily-populated city being destroyed.

July 2010
I saw this in a quick dream. I was on Godlike Production and this sentence came up: Those who strive to follow Me should not use My Name to garner attention. *blue angry face*

I pray this isn’t me, Jesus. Please forgive me if it is!

August 2010
It was a beautiful, warm, nearly cloudless day. With the sun high above casting no shadow, I trudged up a dirt peak on a hill or mountain. I peered over the cliff and saw a destroyed city as far as the eye could see. I awoke immediately and told the spouse. I had never had an apocalyptic dream before.

September 2010
I was at my computer, typing out something, when a male voice began to speak to me. The only thing I remember was the last sentence: “…you are part of the remnant.” I woke up and told my spouse.

December 2010
During a long fast, I had a disjointed, apocalyptic dream about the future: people working together, garden plots, caravans, animal bones patching up wagons, etc. At some point, I became the old woman with rotting teeth dispensing wisdom and making remedies from insects (I hate bugs and spiders). I somehow ended up back where I currently live and was giving a speech on my way to the bathroom in my bedroom. I can only recall the last line: “This is the end of the Bible for me.”

I have no idea what that statement means. Impending death (physical or spiritual)? That I will become a doer of the Word instead of a student?

On the thirty-first day of the same fast, I made a stupid mistake. I decide to try oil rinsing with extra virgin coconut oil, although I am allergic to coconuts. The vitamin D drops I use contained fractionated coconut oil and I had no problem with the product. Also, the oil had been recommended for cleansing teeth and gums due to the palmitic acid in it (palm oil as well). No reaction occurred until the next morning, when my mouth tissue felt a little off. Later that day, my tummy began to hurt and it would not let up. I broke the fast with some crackers to see if my stomach lining was starting to break down. The bland crackers actually highlighted the taste of blood in my mouth: my gums were bleeding!

In a dream, I saw myself in the bathroom mirror brushing with peroxide instead of as a mouthwash. I believe it was from the Holy Spirit, so I did just that. One night, I felt “liquid energy” flow into my head and through my gums—the familiar sensation of the Spirit going directly to work on me. The bleed, which had slowed, stopped completely right then. A few weeks of extra dental care and obedience led to getting rid of the allergy-induced gingivitis.

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Excise “Church”

Posted on February 11, 2012 by A Whisper, Screamed

Ecclesia (or Ekklesia)

Called-out ones

Assembly

Congregation

Gathering

Flock

Body

These are the words used in Scripture to define the meeting of believers. Why did the translators use the word church? Where did it come from? After years of searching, I have found the best, most-concise article on the subject:

THE MYSTERIOUS WORD “CHURCH”

The word “church” in our Bibles has alarming roots. Why did the translators use it?

There are two main approaches to producing an English version of the Bible from the original languages, which, in the case of the New Testament, was Greek. The most common approach is translation and the other is transliteration.

Transliteration is the practice of replacing the Greek letters of a word with English letters to form a new word with a distinctive meaning. This approach was used in select places with the word baptize. The English letters of the original Greek word baptizo, means “to dip or sink.” When Jesus dipped a morsel of bread and gave it to Judas in John 13:26, this is the word baptizo. The scholars chose to transliterate this word, rather than translate, to avoid conflict with those branches of Christianity having unique approaches to baptism.

Translating, the practice of replacing Greek words with English words of similar meaning or intent is the most common practice. Our interest is in the English word for church, which replaces the Greek word ekklesia. In Acts 19:25-41, we have an example of the real meaning of ekklesia; the people of Ephesus gathered to deal with Paul’s alleged preaching against their god, Artemis of the Ephesians.

So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the assembly was in confusion and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together.

But if you want anything beyond this, it shall be settled in the lawful assembly.

After saying this he dismissed the assembly. Acts 19:32, 39, 41(NASB)

In each of these cases, ekklesia is correctly translated “assembly” since it means “citizens called to be a governing assembly.” In Acts 7:38 and Hebrews 2:12, ekklesia is translated as congregation, also a good interpretation. The rest of the one hundred fourteen times that ekklesia is used in the NT, it has been replaced with “church” or “churches”—replaced, because the word “church” is neither a translation nor a transliteration of the original word. Someone chose to use “church” rather than the meaning of the Greek word or its letters.

Here begins the mystery.

OLD ENGLISH BIBLES

John Wyclife, of Yorkshire, England, translated the first Bible into English in 1382, not from the original languages, but from the Latin. Therein, John translated the Latin word ecclesiam into chirche (in old English spelling):

And Y seie to thee, that thou art Petre, and on this stoon Y schal bilde my chirche, and the yatis of helle schulen not haue miyt ayens it. (Matthew 16:18 Wyclife, c1382)

The Latin word is similar to the Greek, but because he did not know Greek, he may have used what was commonly called a religious gathering in his day. More on this later.

Other English translations that followed were:

* Tyndale’s Bible (1526) – used “congregation”:

And I saye also vnto the that thou arte Peter: and apon this rocke I wyll bylde my congregacion. And the gates of hell shall not prevayle ageynst it. (Matthew 16:18 Tyndale, c1526)

* Coverdale Bible (1535) – used “congregation”

* Matthew Bible (1537) – used “congregation”

* The Great Bible (1539) – used “congregation”

* Geneva Bible (1560) – used “church”

And I say also vnto thee, that thou art Peter, and vpon this rocke I will builde my Church: and ye gates of hell shall not ouercome it.” (Matthew 16:18 Geneva Bible, c1560)

* Bishop’s Bible (1568) – used “congregation”:

And I say also vnto thee, that thou art Peter, and vponn this rocke I wyll buylde my congregation: And the gates of hell shall not preuayle agaynst it.” (Matthew 16:18 Bishop Bible, c1568)

The word “congregation,” in place of ekklesia, is a good translation since “congregation” means “to gather a flock” and refers to people, not places or institutions.

GOING IN CIRCLES

Wyclife’s word chirche, or as we spell it today, “church”, has some interesting twists to its meaning. According to modern dictionaries, such as the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, the word “church” is derived from a Greek word meaning house of the Lord:

[Middle English chirche, from Old English cirice, ultimately from Medieval Greek kurikon, from Late Greek kuriakon (doma), the Lord’s (house), from Greek kuriakos, of the lord, from kurios, lord.]1

This in itself is a poor derivative since it refers to a place (a house) rather than to people, as Jesus intended. Many older sources on etymology doubt this Greek connection.

In Smith’s Bible Dictionary from 1884, page 452, we read:

“the derivation of the word ‘church’ is uncertain. It is found in the Teutonic and Slavonic languages and answers to the derivatives of ekklesia, which are naturally found in the romance languages and by foreign importation elsewhere. The word is generally said to be derived from the Greek kyriakos, meaning the lord’s house. But the derivation has been too hastily assumed. It is probably associated with the Scottish kirk, the Latin circus/circulous, the Greek klukos, because the congregations were gathered in circles.”

Lidellan’s Scott’s Greek English Lexicon also tells us that the origin of our word “church” is uncertain. On defining the word klukos, from which church allegedly came, it says:

“Of or for a lord or master (speaking of a secular lord). Assumed to be original of the Teutonic kirk, kirche, or church, but how this Greek name came to be adopted by the northern nations rather than the Roman name or Greek name ekklesia has not been satisfactorily explained.”

Regarding the word church, Ebenezer Cobham Brewers Dictionary of Phrase and Fable of 1898 reads:

“The etymology of this word is generally assumed to be from the Greek, Kuriou oikos (house of God); but this is most improbable, as the word existed in all the Celtic dialects long before the introduction of Greek. No doubt the word means “a circle.” The places of worship among the German and Celtic nations were always circular. (Welsh, cyrch, French, cirque; Scotch, kirk; Greek, kirk-os, etc.) Compare Anglo-Saxon circe, a church, with circol, a circle.” (emphasis mine)

If church is derived from the word “circle,” how then did the original Greek word ekklesia become “church” or “circle?”

Throughout England, pagan religious gatherings were always held at a circle. The Druids with their Stonehenge, the Celts, and Saxons also met at stone circles, to worship their gods. Many of these stone circles still exist throughout England and about twenty eight are found in the Wyclife’s Yorkshire area. Many of the first English Christian buildings for worship were located on these circle sites or were built using stones from these circles. Through this association, the people of Wyclife’s day continued to call these buildings a kirk (Scottish), a cirice (Old English), or chirche (Wyclife’s version), each variation meaning “circle” and describing a place-occult-and not the people.

Although we can see Wyclife’s rationale for using the word “church” or “circle” as common to his day, it was not suitable then or now, since it does not meet the meaning or intent of the original word—a reference to people. Because “church” or “circle” describes a place, the real meaning of ekklesia is lost. The better translation, “congregation”, was used by most other translations after Wyclife, except the Geneva Bible and the one authorized by King James—the later being the foundation of our modern versions.

THE KING JAMES VERSION

The story gets interesting when King James I of England decided to authorize his own translation of the Bible in 1611. The other versions fell to his disfavor because their footnotes failed to honor the King. To correct this, he gathered fifty-four scholars and gave them fifteen edicts to follow as they translated and published the King James Version. The first edict was that they use the Bishop’s Bible (which used “congregation”) with as few changes as possible. The third edict specified that, in select places, they were to use the word “church,” and not “congregation,” in place of ekklesia. His fourteenth edict stated that they could use the Tyndale, Matthew, Coverdale, the Great Bible (also called the Whitchurch, Cranmer, and Cromwell Bible), and the Geneva versions of the Bible wherever they were closer to their accessible manuscripts. The King’s influence is also seen where the names of the apostle and brother for Jesus were translated as “James” rather than Jacob (Iakobos)

Why would the King be so adamant about using a word, church, that he knew to mean circle rather than using the correct translation? What do we know about this King?

One detail of his life that history books do not often discuss occurred before he became King James I of England-while he was James VI, King of Scotland.

“On the west wall of the lodgehall used by Lodge Scoon and Perth No. 3 in Perth, Scotland, can be found a mural depicting James VI kneeling at their altar at his initiation. The oldest existing record of the Lodge, called The Mutual Agreement” of 24 December, 1658, records that James was “entered Freemasonry as a Fellowcraft of the Lodge of Scoon” on 15 April, 1601.”2

On April 15, 1601, King James entered the secretive society of the Freemasons. In fact, Masons credit him as being the originator of the worldwide system of lodges within Freemasonry.

His version of the Bible became, and still is, their favored version.

One of the most important symbols in Freemasonry is a circle with a dot in the center—part of their motif-the shape that is drawn by the compass.3

SYMBOLS OF NOTE

Throughout Europe and England, the circle was a significant occult symbol and remains so today. It connotes inclusion or influence, as does that of being surrounded. Many good symbols such as the five-pointed star and the six-pointed Star of David become the occult pentagram, pentacles, and the hexagram when encircled, and each is used with prominence in Freemasonry and Witchcraft. Does a circle surrounding these and other symbols place them under the influence of occult powers?

Adherents of the occult believe symbols have power and influence, and especially so when those carrying or connected to the symbol are not aware of it. Would the expression “Ignorance of the law is no excuse” apply to spiritual concerns too? Does ignorance of the law of gravity excuse us of its influence?

Recently, I had occasion to pray with an individual whom Jesus was calling out of a high position within the occult. During our prayers, she asked if we could use a word other than “church” as we prayed. That startled me and when I asked, her reason was that what we refer to as occult covens are referred to as churches by those within occult circles. She wanted to be clear that her prayers referred to the Body of Christ and not to occult churches/covens/circles.

Why do occult organizations such as the Church of Illumination, Church of Scientology, Church of Wicca, Church of Satan, and others embrace the word “church” in their identity? Do they better understand its true meaning and significance? Could it be that we are naive?

TRUTH SETS FREE

Since the word “church” has no foundation in truth, we would be wise to move away from its use in our Bibles, writings, and speech, replacing it with terms such as “those people I call”, “governing assembly”, “congregation”, or similarly suitable translations, more directly referring to God’s people rather than to a place. Even our meeting places would do well with a change away from meeting in “the circle” to our “gathering place”, “place of assembly”, or “worship center.”

Compare Jesus’ words in the verses that follow, and see the richness of the real meaning:

I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. (Matt 16:18 NASB)

In Jesus’ day, walls encircled cities and access was by way of the gates. Was Jesus thinking of Samson? In their plan to capture and then take Samson’s life the Philistines locked him in the city of Gaza4 but he tore the gates from its hinges and carrying them to the top of a nearby hill.

When Jesus calls the citizens of his kingdom to a governing assembly, the confines of the realm of the evil spirits (Hades) that encircle us will not be able to hold us when we determine to break free of its bondage.

I will edify the people I’ve called to assemble; and the gates of the realm of the evil spirits will not be strong enough to keep them confined. (Matt 16:18 my rendition).

This has a richer, more personal meaning than does the use and understanding of the word “church” today. Are we like Samson when Jesus edifies and empowers us?

Building a “church” or rather “the people called to assemble” is Jesus’ work; ours is to promote the kingdom, God’s kingdom, not our little local versions.

It’s about people, not institutions!

BREAK FREE

Jesus called out or assembled twelve ordinary people and spent three years teaching them about the kingdom of God. Then they turned the known world upside down in 300 years—teaching and being witnesses of Jesus, with signs and wonders.

Looking back to the Pentecostal, Charismatic, Vineyard, Salvation Army, Methodist, and other movements, why did their initial revival, renewal, and uniqueness dissolve into the same basic powerless style and function as that of the mainline churches? By ineffective style and function, I refer to the process wherein people, participating for even thirty or forty years, are ill—equipped to share the joy and privileges of the gospel message with their neighbors, or to exhibit the qualities of Jesus’ life.

When we unknowingly identify ourselves with the occult symbol of the circle, through our association with the word “church,” do we also place ourselves under the rule and authority of occult principalities and powers as mentioned in Ephesians 6?

Are these principalities and powers responsible to see that we remain ineffective by pressing or subjugating us into a common and powerless style and function?

Are the words we use important? In the following verse, Jesus suggests they are important.

But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. (Matt 12:36-37 NASB)

George Barna writes, “The church seems afraid to invest in new modes of being the church, breaking free from antiquated models and irrelevant traditions toward living the gospel in a twenty-first-century context.”5

Is it fear, as he suggests, or is it a bondage to the confines of the circle? I will leave you to answer that question.

CONCLUSIONS

The word “church” has no foundation in scripture, being a transferred word and not an interpretation or transliteration. We should consider that there might be negative spiritual ramifications resulting from our identification with this word.

Aside from that, the Gospel is not places, buildings, or circles; rather, it is about unique, individual, and precious people. The Samaritan woman at the well changed the course of her discussion with Jesus to places of worship. Jesus turned that discussion toward people who would worship in spirit and in truth.6

Jesus pointed out that people are important, not places, when he spoke to her:

Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. (John 4:21-24)

Jesus demonstrated an interest in the people, his sheep. He led them, taught them, healed them, and then sent them out to do the same. He was not interested in larger stalls or larger flocks but that they would be equipped to go out to do as he did, and so to every nation.

Ekklesia is about calling out and equipping people, not institutions!

Since this word “church” is so very entrenched in Christianity, the simple solution is to redeem and set this word apart for our use as Israel did of vessels for the temple. Pray this with me:

Our Father, the Most High God, redeem the word “church” from every occult connection and association with the word and symbol called “circle,” Remove everything ungodly and everything having unrighteous intent from past, present, and future use and association with the word “church” as it is used as a replacement for the Greek word ekklesia, and its meaning-those people called by Jesus Christ to assemble. We command a blessing on this word “church” as it is used to describe the various local congregations of people redeemed by the blood sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus of Nazareth, in whose name we assemble. We also ask that the use of the word “church” by those in the occult would work to draw them to Jesus, because we bless this word for the exclusive use as describing the assembly of Christians. In all this, may you be glorified. Amen

Footnotes
1. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition copyright© 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Electronic version licensed from InfoSoft International, Inc. All rights reserved.
2. D. Crawford Smith and William James Hughan, History of the Ancient Masonic Lodge of Scoon and Perth (Number 3, The Lodge of Scone) Perth: Cowan and Company, Limited, 1898. (http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/biography/james_vi/james_vi.html)
3. Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas, The Hiram Key, Arrow Books, London, England, pg. 426
4. Judges 16
5. George Barna, editor, Leaders on Leadership (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1997), page 29.
6. John 4:19-24

©2009, Steve Bydeley.
All Rights Reserved

All publishing rights reserved. Permission is granted to reprint this article for personal use; however, no commercial re-publishing of the material in this article is permitted without prior written consent.

Dr. Steve Bydeley is the author of Fathered by God and with his wife Dianne, co-author of Dream Dreams and Dreams the Heal and Counsel. He has been a guest on the Miracle Channel, Trinity Television, and Crossroads Communication, and have taught internationally on various topics.

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