God, Jesus Christ, the Bible are not reflected in human life
The Problem
Life And Art Imitate Each Other
“In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.”
So it is in the world and so it is in the institutional church system, the land of the spiritually blind.
In the beginning, there was life. Life evolved into more complicated patterns with the passing of time. As patterns and trends developed, rituals, customs and traditions slowly evolved. Cultures and subcultures began to form and to constantly change, like the ebb and flow of the ocean tides.
Art forms were created by those with an artistic talent, art forms which reflected various aspects of life’s patterns, trends, rituals, customs and traditions. These prolific art forms selectively chose to emphasize and dramatize different aspects of facets of life in contemporary societies.
As life continued with its ever-changing dynamics so did the various art forms. Literature, paintings, architecture, drama, music, dance forms, religious attitudes, contemporary moral values and ethics all succumbed to the relentless societal changes as they reflected changing values in the human heart. Entanglements and enmeshing of life and art forms and morals and ethics wove new patterns of shifting shapes, colors, texture and substance.
Art began to imitate life with the same constant flux apparent to all within a given society with the passing of time. Art looked to life and specialized in reflecting “niche” values. Some were very broad avenues of expression. Others were very narrow and constricted in their focus. But undeniably, art imitated life.
As the communications networks of the world began to improve and unify and to shrink some global values and condense them into more predictable categories, something else changed. News publications, radio, television, movies, plays and music all became instantly accessible to all persons on the globe. The communication time lag became sorter and shorter. The internet thrives and hums with constant 24 hour a day activity. Satellite communications are instantaneous. There are no more delays in communication of things happening in life and expressions of those changes in art forms. With this speed of communication a new consensus developed.
As the people on this planet became bombarded with not only the things of life all around the world, they were also flooded with the expressions of the various art forms, especially in TV, movies and VCR’s and DVD’s.
The change in perception of life and art relentlessly invaded every home and every person in that home was affected. Slowly, but forcefully the changes continued.
Then one day, the social commentators realized what was happening: in addition to art imitating life, it was now clear that life was imitating art. Society was now reflecting the values that art projected. While art continued to imitate life, life began to imitate art.
Art forms which selectively chose to emphasize different aspects of facets of real life formed new patterns and trends. New and different rituals, customs and traditions were developing alongside the old ones previously established. Cultures and subcultures reflected different aspects of life’s patterns, trends, rituals, customs and traditions.
In fact, an artistic perversion of all facets of life were now being introduced as real life and profoundly affecting society.
People subjected to the new art forms began to imitate what they heard or viewed. No longer were the art forms considered to be an exaggerated and emphasized descriptive of various aspects of real life—they were now viewed as prescriptive, i.e., the new way to model in their lives what they were subjected to from the art form sources.
No longer were TV programs, movies and VCR’s and DVD’s considered to be descriptive of how an individual or a group interpreted those events of life and channeled them into an art form to express what they saw or felt about those issues. No, they were now considered to be improvements in the society, a new norm to model in their own lives.
“The only constant in life is change” and for humans, change is welcome, no matter how bad or how good it is. It’s the change that is desired, as a relief from sameness [read: boredom] not the consequences of it.
The same with books, articles, newspapers and other publications. “It’s in print so it must be true” became the new unspoken motto of followers of change at any cost.
The world has become blind to that physical fact. Just as the institutional church system has become spiritually blind to the consequences of change at any cost.
No longer is the Bible read and spiritually discerned as to what in that Bible is descriptive and what is prescriptive. In the minds of the change seekers at any cost, the entire Bible has become prescriptive. Discounting the differences between history, legends, religious and secular laws, proverbs, oracles, poems, narratives, parables and allegories, the Bible has become to those who read it a homogenous mix of prescriptives of God. And it is all to be imitated by those who read it.
The Bible reveals to us the life of humanity, from its inception to its ultimate end. The contemporary mindset which cannot determine the difference between life and art selectively chooses to emphasize and dramatize different aspects of those facets of life described in the Bible. That mindset forms new patterns and trends, new and different rituals, customs and traditions, developing them alongside the old ones previously established. Cultures and subcultures within contemporary Christianity today reflect different aspects of life’s patterns, trends, rituals, customs and traditions as delineated in the Bible.
The people of God subjected to the new “art forms” of perverted biblical teachings now imitate those teachings. No longer are the biblical “art forms” considered to be exaggerated and emphasizing descriptions of various aspects of real life depicted in the Bible—they are now viewed as prescriptive, i.e., the new way to model in their lives what they are erroneously being taught by the “art form” mindset.
The kooks, flakes and rebellious are having a field day. Confusion reigns supreme and God’s people are running around like chickens with their heads cut off.
In the institutional church system the tremendous emphasis upon “titles” gleaned from the words used by the King James Translators of the Bible is one indicator that something is horribly wrong. The Bible describes functions of the spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit (in the original language), not titles to be bestowed upon men. This characteristic of over-emphasizing “titles” creates in the mind of men a hierarchical structure of human authority where, in fact, there is none in God’s economy.
This leads to another problem in the institutional church system: unbalanced doctrines. Prophecy is a current favorite, with inventions of man that stagger the imagination. All such “focused” ministries utilize esoteric methods of biblical interpretation and spiritual methods, to the exclusion of the whole counsel of God.
If they would teach, preach and practice a biblically balanced presentation of the word of God their efforts at manipulating and intimidating (by twisting scriptures) to control the people would be defeated.
These people, who wear spiritual blindfolds, claim by their false titles and false authority and false teachings that they are much more special to God than others and therefore have a right to command their followers. In physical and spiritual truth, Jezebel lives and reigns in their institutional church systems and in their lives.
In Genesis God said:
Genesis 6:5-6: 5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Nothing has really changed, has it?
In this land of the blind, however, there are those who continue to see through a glass darkly, and perceive the truth of God. These are the “one-eyed man” in this land of the blind.
These are those who will become a kingdom of priests in the kingdom of God. They work on developing the gift of discerning of spirits, being guided and led by the Spirit of God.
However, there are those in the land of the blind who sense that in some way they are different. And they want them to be just like them. “Come, take our simplistic view of the Bible as one huge prescriptive. Quit attempting to learn and simply accept the Bible as something to be imitated in all of its writings. Invent your own biblical art form, just like we do! Be happy, stop attempting to be better than we are!”
Don’t let them do it to you, saints. Their ignorance is not the bliss that you will be happy with.
Art imitates life and conversely, life imitates art and that phenomenon has brain-washed those with an institutional church mentality.
The Solution
Imitate Christ!
For the child of God, however, the Bible is crystal clear in telling us to be disciples of Jesus Christ, which word incorporates the understanding of imitating Jesus—instead of imitating life or imitating art.
Does that make it a whole simpler than what is being preached, perpetuated and practiced in today’s institutional church system?
Strong’s Dictionary defines mathetes as a learner, i.e. pupil.
This excerpt from Vine’s Expository Dictionary defines mathetes, as:
“... lit., “a learner” (from manthano, “to learn,” from a root math—indicating thought accompanied by endeavor), in contrast to didaskalos, “a teacher”; hence it denotes “one who follows one’s teaching,” as the “disciples” of John, (Matt. 9:14); of the Pharisees, (Matt. 22:16); of Moses, (John 9:28); it is used of the “disciples” of Jesus (a) in a wide sense, of Jews who became His adherents, (John 6:66; Luke 6:17), some being secretly so, (John 19:38); (b) especially of the twelve apostles, (Matt. 10:1; Luke 22:11), e. g.; (c) of all who manifest that they are His “disciples” by abiding in His Word, (John 8:31), cf. (13:35; 15:8); (d) in the Acts, of those who believed upon Him and confessed Him, (6:1-2,7; 14:20,22,28; 15:10; 19:1), etc.”
“A “disciple” was not only a pupil, but an adherent; hence they are spoken of as imitators of their teacher; cf. (John 8:31; 15:8).”
The definition of mathetes, the Greek word translated “disciple” as utilized in conjunction with Jesus means a learner, i.e. pupil, utilizing thought accompanied by effort, following the teachings of their teacher Jesus, by abiding in His word, and believing in Jesus and speaking out that belief.
We are to focus on Jesus as a true disciple, learning of Him, following Him, supporting Him and imitating Him as much as we humanly can, and here comes the hard part folks, utilizing thought accompanied by effort, not just following, like blind sheep, those who don’t understand that.
Do The Works Of God And Obey Jesus
The local institutional church is not, absolutely not, God’s primary method of discipling people.
The fulfillment of the Great Commission is the duty of each and every saint of God and will be accomplished by obeying Jesus.
The Good News of the kingdom of God and His Christ will be preached through the whole world by the biblical pattern that God has established for us to follow: multiple local assemblies, i.e., ekklesia’s, representing the corporate body of Christ.
By multiple local assemblies I mean what is termed by many as “home church.” However, the practice of ceasing to attend an institutional church for the purpose of starting another “church” more to your liking, in a home, is not a legitimate biblical ekklesia. It’s silly to think that by simply moving all of the institutional church practices, procedures and programs into somebody’s living room that it constitutes a “home church.” A biblical home church is basically Christian families meeting together as families, as the Holy Spirit leads, focused on “one another” and sharing, socializing and supporting those in need [read: fellowshipping].
“Home church” is only a stepping stone, a doorway, a time of transition into the greater freedom that God has already provided for us. We don’t have to “do” home church any more than we have to “do” institutional church. We must simply “be” free disciples, learners, followers, supporters and imitators of Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, we can “be” even if we live on a desert island and there is no one else around to “be” with. Because we are “free” from environmental and cultural things and free from having to “do” things.
The bottom line, as I’ve emphasized in my writings, is that local ekklesias of God are composed of Christian families, i.e., those who are disciples of Jesus Christ, learning of Him, following Him, supporting Him and recognizing Him as the only true Shepherd to whom they are accountable. These Christian families simply meet together as a family, as the Holy Spirit leads, not on some regulated basis, and for the purpose of focusing on “one anothering.” Focusing on one another, recognizing Jesus as their only spiritual head will automatically prompt worship of Him as stated in scripture. No “worship leaders” or one man band pseudo-“pastors.” Just Christian families meeting together as a family, focused on “one anothering” and recognizing and being lead by the Holy Spirit of Jesus.
Paul, the apostle’s teachings have been both mistranslated and misapplied by “religious” folk who need to utilize their carefully crafted controlling techniques to guarantee an income and a position of power and control for themselves. Apparently they are incapable of otherwise providing for themselves and their families. This has been discussed in many articles posted on this web site.
Jesus has commissioned His ekklesia to make disciples and teach them what He taught. The book of Acts traces the steps of the disciples of Jesus in struggling to do what Jesus had told them to do. Throughout this account we are made aware of the presence of Jesus through the Holy Spirit of God.
Scripture records what you and I and all who name the name of Christ must do to do the works of God:
John 6:28-29: 28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
If we will but believe on Him, Jesus Christ, Who the Father sent, then we will obey Jesus.
Matthew 28:18-20: 18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
How simple! Teaching to observe all things that Jesus commanded! If we did that we would eliminate about 98% of all the other junk the institutional church system teaches today! And we would be doing the works of God!
Jesus said “Teaching them to observe all things...” We’ve been doing that for centuries, just observing what Jesus said. However, the word “observing” in Greek means “... to guard (from loss or injury, properly, by keeping the eye upon) ...” according to Strong’s Dictionary. Vine’s Expository Dictionary says this about the word: “to watch over, preserve, keep, watch.”
The meaning of this passage is to teach all nations to guard the things that Jesus commanded, or ordered, His disciples to do from loss or injury by keeping watch over them and preserving them.
Instead, we have a variety of opinions, conjectures, guesses, traditions, personal experiences, heretical teachings and doctrines of demons flooding our minds from every conceivable source.
Our Eternal Standard
The standard of the ekklesia of God must be the scriptures which have been given for us as the rule of faith and practice. Our rules of conduct must be according to the teachings of Jesus and scripture.
If we will but stick with what the Bible says and do our very best to research the original languages to see what has been put in there by opinionated translators throughout the years, then we will be well guided by the Holy Spirit in our endeavors to be good Bereans and disciples of Christ.
Today’s visible “church” has few, if any, characteristics of the New Testament ekklesia. Instead, today, we have the solid foundation of Romanism with some doctrinal truths (and some erring human opinions), from the 15th century on added to the church. We also have the solid foundation of Judaism co-existing with the Romanism system, which calls itself a “Messianic Congregation.”
This visible “church” then is clearly at odds with God’s eternal purpose to bring all things together in one, in Christ.
Getting Alone With God
If you continue to stay in the spiritually defiled atmosphere of any institutional church, you will become an antichrist. Vine’s Expository Dictionary says about the antichrist: “antichristos can mean either “against Christ” or “instead of Christ,” or perhaps, combining the two, “one who, assuming the guise of Christ, opposes Christ ...” If you don’t understand that the institutional church system of today is “against Christ” and “instead of Christ,” you need to read the Bible a little more closely and compare what you read there with what you see and hear in the institutional church system.
The only positive pro-active course of action you can take is to remove yourself from it and submit to a desert/cave/wilderness/exile experience.
I’ve mentioned a “desert/cave/wilderness/exile” experience more than several times in various articles. However, I’ve never really explained what I think that means. So I’ll discuss that now.
Moses
Moses spent 40 years in the desert between Egypt and Canaan. When he was called by God he was called to be a prophet and he was well prepared to teach and shepherd the Israelites.
David
David left the “establishment” and hid in the cave of Adullam where he gathered together a group of the lower class and outcasts of society. He also assembled an army against the Philistines. When he exited from that experience he was subsequently anointed and installed as king over Judah.
Jesus
Jesus, full of the Holy Ghost, was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. He returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee “and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about” (Luke 4:1,14).
At that time, when the devil left him, “behold, angels came and ministered unto him” (Matthew 4:11).
Nelson’s Bible Dictionary, says this about Jesus in these excerpts:
“For a time, Jesus’ healing aroused great popular enthusiasm throughout Galilee. But the religious leaders and teachers found much of Jesus’ activity disturbing. He refused to be bound by their religious ideas. He befriended social outcasts. He insisted on understanding and applying the law of God in the light of its original intention, not according to the popular interpretation of the religious establishment. He insisted on healing sick people on the Sabbath day. He believed that healing people did not profane the Sabbath but honored it, because it was established by God for the rest and relief of human beings (Luke 6:6-11).”
“This attitude brought Jesus into conflict with the scribes, the official teachers of the law. Because of their influence, He was soon barred from preaching in the synagogues. But this was no great inconvenience. He simply gathered larger congregations to listen to Him on the hillside or by the lakeshore. He regularly illustrated the main themes of His preaching by parables. These were simple stories from daily life which would drive home some special point and make it stick in the hearer’s understanding.”
And in an excerpt from the Holman Bible Dictionary:
“Summary: Christ is the way to God. His way of being in the world was a way of obedience, faithfulness, and service. The earliest Christians saw who He was in what He did. In the great deed of the cross they saw the salvation of the world. The inspired writers offered no physical descriptions of the earthly Jesus. The functional way the New Testament portrays Him is found in the statement that He was a man “who went about doing good” (Acts 10:38). The good that He did came into dramatic conflict with the evil all mankind has done.”
John
John, the apostle, was in exile on the island of Patmos, where he had a powerful revelation (unveiling) of Jesus Christ. John’s message to humanity is both enlightening and frightening.
Nelson’s Bible Dictionary comments in these excerpts:
“John portrays God’s majesty and power through two key words. The first is the image of the throne. Elsewhere in the New Testament this word is found 15 times, but in Revelation it occurs 42 times! The throne stands for the rightful reign of God over the course of history. Angelic choruses bow before God’s throne and chant, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty” (4:8).”
“The second term is Almighty. Outside Revelation this term is found only once in the New Testament (2 Cor. 6:18), but here it occurs nine times (once as Omnipotent in (19:6)). Almighty means “without contenders.” No matter how fierce and wicked Satan may be, he cannot defeat God. In God’s time and in His way He will fulfill His promises and accomplish His sovereign purpose in history.”
“Special Considerations. Revelation was written originally for first-century Christians who faced severe trials under a totalitarian political system. Its imagery reflects the historical realities of that time. This is not to say, however, that it is not also addressing succeeding generations, including our own. As is true of all biblical prophecy, God’s Word comes to a particular situation; but it yields a harvest to later generations as they receive it. Thus, Revelation assures us that God is present, purposeful, and powerful today, no matter what forms the beast may take.”
You!
This desert/cave/wilderness/exile experience comes to every true disciple of Jesus Christ according to God’s timing. There are many people who refuse to undergo the experience, preferring instead the traditions of men over the effect of the word of God.
However, with patient endurance you may come out of this experience as a prophet, with a shepherd’s heart towards God’s people.
With the anointing of God Himself, instead of the rewards of men, you may come out as a king in God’s eyes, part of a kingdom of priests in the kingdom of God.
It’s not by accident that you have arrived at this experience. You have been led by the Spirit of God into the wilderness, in His timing, so that you can resist the temptations of satan of lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, and exit from that place full of the power of the Holy Spirit. Then the devil will leave you (for awhile) and God’s angels will minister to you.
You will disturb the religious leaders and teachers of this day and hour. Instead of falling prey to the popular “art form” interpretations of the religious establishment, which are based upon false titles, false authority and false teachings, you will come to understand and apply the laws, orders, statutes, commandments and precepts of God and you will bring healing and relief to humanity.
The contemporary self-appointed religious leaders will bar you from their institutions, but you will be received by even larger congregations of hearers seeking the truth of God who will listen to your simple teachings and stories expressed to them in language which they can understand.
In short, you will show them how Christ is the way to God by your obedience, faithfulness and public service freely given [for the religious read: ministry]. People will see who you are by what you have become as reflected in your 24-hour a day, 7 day a week lifestyle, i.e., a person “who goes about doing good.”
In your time of exile, you will get revelations as to the true nature and heart of God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Your insights into the rightful reign of God upon His throne and the supremacy of God in all things will give prophetic assurance to those who need it that God is present, God is purposeful and God is powerful, yesterday, today and forever no matter how many different types of foes come against you. And no matter how much life changes, or how much art forms change.
Our Priority
This time alone with God is definitely a priority for the true disciple of Christ.
In all things we have to allow God to deal with us according to His priorities, which we humans will never fully understand as it conflicts with our desires. Doesn’t it?
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