The Church is Christ

Is this the New Age concept that Christ lives in each human being? According to this view all we have to do is to discover the "divine spark" that is in each of us. This is not what we mean when we say that the Church is Christ. No, this is what Paul called the mystery of the ages in Colossians 1:26-28 "the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. For to them God would make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory, whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, so that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." and in Ephesians 3:1-6 "For this cause, I, Paul, am the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you nations, if you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given to me toward you, that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I wrote before in few words, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it is now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, that the nations should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partaker of His promise in Christ through the gospel." In short what Paul says here is that Christ lives in all people who have come to faith in Him whether they are Gentiles or Jews and together, this group of believers form the 'fellowship of the mystery'(Ephesians 3:9) or simply the Body of Christ!

Now back to the idea of the church as Christ. Christ(Greek) or Messiah(Hebrew) means "Anointed One" and as believers we know that Jesus came as the 'anointed one' in the individual physical body of the man from Nazareth. In John 12:20-24 Jesus prophesied that this one man would become much more through His death and resurrection. " And there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the Feast. Then these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, Sir, we want to see Jesus. Philip came and told Andrew. And again Andrew and Philip told Jesus. And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone; but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit." Jesus made it quite clear that His death and resurrection would introduce a new order for humanity and in future Jesus will only be seen in the "much fruit" of His death-His Body! This truth took further shape on the day of Pentecost when Jesus, as the Life-giving Spirit returned to indwell His followers and suddenly the world was faced with thousands of "little christs" doing the works of Jesus!

Through the experience of the new birth, that birth from above or as some call it the 'born-again' experience, Christians have Christ placed in them and they become "partakers of the divine nature"(2 Peter 1:4). This does not mean that the individual Christian can run around claiming to be divine but it means that in their corporateness and in their organic oneness with the Head, the Church expresses the nature and attributes of Christ. Paul explains this in 1 Corinthians 12:12; "For as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ." Paul therefore says that Christ is one body with many members! The Head Jesus plus His body is now the Christ, God's anointed vehicle in the earth to bless the nations and so fulfil His promise to Abraham made so many years before.

Treat your brothers and sisters with respect and honour for Christ dwells in them and have made them part of His glorious expression in the earth!

The true Church

How do we determine what the true church is? Many churches and denominations claim, or at least imply that they represent the true church of Jesus Christ, not to talk of the many sects/cults that claim the same!

I believe that the true church of Jesus Christ is Catholic, but so much more than the Roman Catholic or Eastern-Orthodox churches. It's catholic because it is universal and includes members from all nations on the earth. The true church is Charismatic, but it's so much more than the charismatic movement. The true church is charismatic because the church is endowed with many divine gifts and abilities by her Head! The true church is Pentecostal, but so much more than the worldwide Pentecostal church. The church is pentecostal because without the Holy Spirit there is no real life, just dead formalism and dogma! The true church is also reformational but so much more than the Reformed churches and so much more than even the reformational movement. It is reformational because it is in a constant process of reforming and developing into the ultimate purposes of God! Is the house church movement or as some call it simple churches or organic churches with their emphasis on strong and intimate relationships perhaps the true church?

It is clear that various denominations and churches have emphasised aspects of doctrine and practice which you would expect to find in the true church. Things like the authority of the church, the gifts of the Spirit, the importance of the proclamation of the Word and the importance of authentic relationships. Unfortunately, when one aspect of the truth becomes the pet doctrine of a movement or church, Jesus loses His pre-eminence and the people of God suffers as a result. What will the true church look like?

Let us reflect once again on what the Head of the church has said about the true church. Jesus said to Peter that His church will be build through revelation knowledge about Him.(Matt.13) Paul expounded on this truth by saying that the church is build on the foundation of apostles and prophets with Jesus the chief cornerstone.(Eph. 2:20) What is the apostolic foundation? A revelation of Jesus Christ! The true church is where Jesus is revealed, whether through two or three or through two or three thousand! Jesus told Peter that he has become a rock because of the revelation about His person and the same Peter afterwards refers to the believers as "living stones". The true church therefore, are those who have become "little rocks" because of the revelation of Jesus Christ in their lives. This is the living Temple of God in the earth that He indwells and through whom He will display the fullness of His glory. What does this mean in real everyday experience?

How will we recognise the true church? Jesus will have His rightful place as the Head of the church at every meeting of the believers. There will be a humble waiting on the Lord together to find His mind for every decision and this presupposes authentic relationships between the members. Those kind of relationships are not the result of finding common ground in terms of likes and dislikes or of a charismatic preacher or lively praise and worship, but it is based on the common revelation of Jesus and the intention to see Christ in one another! Those kind of relationships come through the proclamation and revelation of Christ in the believer and as that revelation of Christ unfolds within the believer there is a desire to share this Christ with others! The true church lives in the realities of scriptures like Galatians 2:20- "I am crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me" and Colossians 1:27- "Christ in you ,the hope of glory" but especially Galatians 4:19 where Christ is formed in them to such an extent that no place can be found for legalism, carnality or superficial Christianity! How do we reach this standard in the church?

True apostolic ministry will breathe, eat, sleep and sometimes preach Christ! As they preach Him the Living Word, the Body will BECOME rather than DO and all the doctrines, beliefs and practices will fall into their right place. Look for those ministries who refuse to accept titles of apostles, prophets or pastors and who preach one Message-Christ Jesus and Him crucified! You see, the church is really Jesus the Head alive and present through His body and in that sense the true church is now the Christ in the earth!(1 Corinthians 12:12)

What is blind faith?

We do find amongst many religious people a blind faith because of cultural factors. If you grow up in a very religious area or country you may get religion in with your mother's milk and may not question your own beliefs until you leave home and that's when the fun and games begin. In certain cultures though, the power of the religion is so strong that even questioning it is seen as a gross sin with the result that you rather not dare make any contradictory sounds lest you lose your life!

However, blind faith is not unique to religious belief: Science teaches cause and effect but some naturalist scientists say that the universe needs no cause, for example, Bertrand Russell said of the universe; "it is just there". Do we accept that premise by blindly believing it, or must we exercise our "faith" in the idea that science may one day find the answer? What if this answer is the same as the one already revealed by God in the Bible? We find the same kind of argument about the clear evidence of complexity and design in nature and biology but Richard Dawkins says that things "just appear to be designed" . We all have a sense that some things are right and some things are wrong, but the atheist says that it must be a result of evolutionary processes. In other words, there is no ultimate lawgiver! We use the laws of logic everyday in debate and argumentation but if there is no god where do they come from and who has determined that they are "laws" indeed? In recent years science has made wonderful discoveries regarding DNA which is a complex code full of information. So we have this information within all life but no "information giver"? It will appear to me that the real proponents of blind faith is not only to be found in fundamentalist religions but also in(very influential) parts of the scientific community. It is unfortunately true that scientists who dare to digress from the blind faith (assumptions) of evolutionary science will not get an audience in the peer reviews and their articles will not be published in scientific journals- just because they do not subscribe to the prevailing world view of the age, namely naturalism-how scientific is that?

Is true faith blind? I believe Christianity is a reasonable faith based on real historical events, e.g. the resurrection of Jesus, His existence, etc. There are also powerful arguments for the existence of God based on what we observe in nature, in humans, in the galaxies and in the laws of logic and morality as mentioned before, but at the end of the day we cannot know God through reason because God has chosen to be known by revelation, that inner intuition or knowing that comes to the heart of the searching human. Revelation is not blind faith!! Revelation is rooted in an experience of something or someone bigger than ourselves. God wants a relationship with His creatures, not a philosophical or even theological discussion! For this reason He sent Jesus in visible real flesh- and- blood form to this earth to testify and demonstrate Him. After Jesus' death and resurrection he became a Life-giving spirit in order to indwell all who accepted His redemption. This happens by revelation and once this happens you "know that you know" and you do not need any other evidence! Is this blind faith? Oh no; it's the kind of faith that says like the blind man said after Jesus healed him from his blindness; "All I know is that I was blind but now I see!"

Opinions, Faith and Tyranny

We live in a time where everyone seems to have an opinion. From young children to older people have opinions and while there is nothing wrong with opinions in themselves, we find ourselves on dangerous ground when these opinions become sacred and untouchable. Someone said "Opinions are like armpits, everyone has them but some stink!"

As someone who works in an educational environment, I am amazed at how strong this post-modern thinking of not daring to question a person's opinions has infiltrated young minds. Is this perhaps linked to the idea that there is no ultimate truth and that we all need to find our own truth as we go along in life because all opinions(beliefs) are equal? This is of course a world view or belief system in itself! This makes you wonder whether we have any right to question the ideas and opinions of Hitler, Stalin, racists and pedophiles? Or are certain opinions and beliefs more equal than others?

This trend could lead(or has it already?) to a new kind of tyranny where no real debate is encouraged and where no opinion can be challenged for the fear of being branded as a bigot or being intolerant! Just look at the reaction(and name-calling!) these last few months over the leaking of e-mails that indicate that all may not be well with the "science" behind global warming!

It also has serious implications for education because good teachers should have the right to challenge existing beliefs, ideas, opinions and views in order to cultivate skills of debate, analysis and evaluation. Children need to learn how to make informed choices, they need the basic human right to have the opportunity to be confronted with alternative world views in order to critique their own world view in an academic way. It's a myth to believe that children grow up without a world view. From my experience as a teacher I can say that the prevailing world view amongst most children goes something like this; "There is no ultimate truth; my opinion is my absolute right; fun and cool are in and cheesy is out, and the only value of education is to get a good job so I can make money".

In the absence of well informed parents and the increase of dysfunctional families, the media has probably become the biggest influence when it comes to the communication of world views. Sadly, most programs like documentaries, films and comedies seem to be driven by naturalistic, narcissistic and humanistic world views. Programs like Discovery Channel, to name one, have a powerful effect on especially young minds, because the theories of naturalistic world views are presented as fact! This in itself would not have been a major problem, but in the prevailing climate of intolerance these views are not scrutinised thoroughly enough in peer reviews and scientific journals. This is because the naturalistic world view was very successful in separating "scientific fact" from religious faith-in Huxley's words "not to allow God a foot in the door"

I believe that the Christian faith is deeply rooted in logic and that truth is able to stand on its own feet, and if given the opportunity in a climate of tolerance and critical examination it will pass any test of the mind and of the spirit! Let us beware of a new medieval darkness where only the acceptable world view of a small insider group of "intellectuals" control what is believed about life, morality and science! The danger signs are already there; try to challenge evolutionary theories, theories about global warming, views on homosexuality etc. The backlash is almost as severe as when you critisise the religious extremism in Islam.

Jesus said that the truth about Him shall make us free! Let us as Christians proclaim this truth with conviction but not in word only but especially by expressing Him who is the ultimate truth. Let us believe that Jesus' prayer in John 17 will be answered "Father, I pray that they be one...so that the world will know"

Redefining Christianity 3

Christianity has in many instances become a book-religion. In an attempt to stay true to the doctrines of Christianity the Bible as a book has taken the place of the Spirit. Jesus' warning about the "yeast of the Pharisees' is relevant in this regard. Many Christians have become slaves of the letter instead of followers of the Spirit. Jesus is known "after the flesh" as a historical person, but not as the Life-giving Spirit who indwells His Body now! His warning to the Pharisees and Scribes is now as relevant as ever; "You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you'll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me!"

Some Christians make a big thing about believing every word of the Bible as the Word of God, and the fact that they see the Bible as "inerrant, infallible, and eternal', but than go right ahead and declare that, for example, the gifts of the Holy Spirit were only valid until the Canon was determined by the church, or that infant baptism is scriptural! In other words, what they mean when they talk about the Bible being inerrant and infallible is actually that their interpretations of the Bible are inerrant and infallible! At the same time they ascribe qualities to the Bible that actually only belongs to God.

Anyone who truly loves the scriptures, but even more so the Lord of the scriptures, will find that Christianity is a lifestyle infused and directed by the Spirit. After Jesus emphasised the importance of a deep and intimate relationship with Him, He said in John 6:63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life" Did Jesus stop speaking to His disciples after His ascension? Paul made it clear that Christ was the life in us(Galatians 2:20) and when defending his apostolic authority he said in 2 Corinthians 13:3; " since you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you. " The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to help us hear the indwelling Christ speak. In this process He uses the lives of the ancient believers, and the words of Jesus and his apostles as related in the scriptures! Listen how Paul describes his ministry and the effects of the Spirit in the lives of believers; "Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it--not with ink, but with God's living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives--and we publish it. We couldn't be more sure of ourselves in this--that you, written by Christ himself for God, are our letter of recommendation. We wouldn't think of writing this kind of letter about ourselves. Only God can write such a letter. His letter authorizes us to help carry out this new plan of action. The plan wasn't written out with ink on paper, with pages and pages of legal footnotes, killing your spirit. It's written with Spirit on spirit, his life on our lives! (2 Corinthians 3-3-6) And this is how Paul describes his preaching and teaching; "and my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."

It is not only in "organised religion' that we find this pharisaical approach to the Bible, but also in some so called "Biblical Churches" where an attempt is made to do church perfectly according to the 'blueprint' in the Bible. The true blueprint can only be discovered by following the leading of the Holy Spirit or to put it differently; to listen to the voice of the Head Jesus Christ and do only what He instructs. In this process He will follow the principles that He has revealed (and is revealing) through the apostles and prophets! I believe He is still using the Living Word through the mouths of true apostles and prophets to build His church on the revelation of Himself as the chief cornerstone. This is the kind of church and lifestyle that is supported and exemplified by the Bible!

Redefining Christianity 2

It is with a bit of a heavy heart that I write this blog as I have just learned about the "Lakeland goings on". I know it has been in the news for some time but for various reasons I did not know about it. Many self-appointed "prophets" will no doubt jump on the bandwagon and try to score cheap "political points".

My burden and concern for God's people revolves around the realisation that all this is so unnecessary if only we can buy into the kind of church Jesus is building and if we can only rediscover the Message the early Christians preached through their lives! Before I am accused of romanticising the past, I must say that many of the problems we face today were faced by the pioneers of the faith. I think here of false gospels, greedy, manipulative leaders and obsession with angels. In this blog I want to look at the Message that we miss in Christianity today, with the prayer that those thousands of sincere Christians hurt by the sins of those supposed to lead will not only be comforted but also be inspired by the richness of the Word that was entrusted to us .

We do not have to look much further than Paul's writing in Colossians to reflect on the heart of the message that made up the DNA of the original church. First of all Paul reminds the Colossians that the Message they received revolves around the Person of Jesus Christ and that this message changed their lives because it/He works IN you! He reminded them how the Word brought purpose to their lives. "God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He's set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating. We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels--everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him." (Col. 1: 13-16). There is no purpose for anything in this universe outside of Christ!

Paul continues to give us hope when he makes it clear that Jesus' Church is not in disarray; maybe the human version of His church is; maybe the Babilonian counterfeit church is in disarray; maybe organised religion is, but the Church which Jesus has been building for the last 2000 years is still pure, organised and on track to become the Jerusalem which will shine forth the heavenly qualities of Christ! "And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body. He was supreme in the beginning and--leading the resurrection parade--he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he's there, towering far above everything, everyone. " ( 1:18) Than Paul wrote these dynamic words, "Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe--people and things, animals and atoms--get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the Cross." What an insight into the true nature of the cross! What an insight into the true nature of God's kingdom! The cross affected the material and the non-material worlds, it brought an integration of the spiritual and the material realms! To the Christian all ground is indeed holy ground and every bush is indeed a burning bush! God is everywhere and therefore, whether I play, work or attend a Christian meeting I am first of all a CHRIST-one!

In the following verses Paul summarises the Gospel so clearly and yet this message is not often heard in the Christian world. In these words Paul brought together the past dealings of God with His people, the present activity of God and the future hope of Christians in a few words. "This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it's out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, therefore you can look forward to sharing in God's glory. It's that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less." ( Col. 1: 26-28) Oh, that every person who preaches about the Old Testament, the covenant, the temple or Israel will relate it to "Christ is in you"; that every person who preaches about salvation will relate it to "Christ is in you"; that every person who preaches the baptism will relate it to "Christ is in you"; that every person who preaches about the baptism in the Holy Spirit will relate it to "Christ is in you"; that every person who preaches about the Church will relate it to "Christ is in you" and that every person who preaches about the return of the Lord will relate it to "Christ is in you" or if you cannot, shut up, and learn some more!

In the next chapter Paul deals with various excesses which threaten the purity of the Christ-Word. He touched on Mysticism, Gnosticism, Philosophy and Legalism and he made it clear that the answer to all these false doctrines was the simple mystery of Christ living His Life through believers in their everyday lives! Look how he confronted the desire for the Gnostic secret. "I want you woven into a tapestry of love, in touch with everything there is to know of God. Then you will have minds confident and at rest, focused on Christ, God's great mystery. All the richest treasures of wisdom and knowledge are embedded in that mystery and nowhere else. And we've been shown the mystery! I'm telling you this because I don't want anyone leading you off on some wild-goose chase, after other so-called mysteries, or "the Secret." ( Col. 2:2-3) Simple, isn't it? Paul also warned against intellectual philosophical rationalisations, " Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings. But that's not the way of Christ"( Col. 2:8) Philosophy means literally "the love for wisdom" but no search for wisdom has any hope if we do not realise that Wisdom is a person and that person is Christ! Lastly, Paul deals with mystics and legalists in one sweeping blow as he instructs the believers not to allow anyone to boss them around, either through pious sounding council or any other religious hocus pocus! "He stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets. So don't put up with anyone pressuring you in details of diet, worship services, or holy days. All those things are mere shadows cast before what was to come; the substance is Christ. Don't tolerate people who try to run your life, ordering you to bow and scrape, insisting that you join their obsession with angels and that you seek out visions. They're a lot of hot air, that's all they are. They're completely out of touch with the source of life, Christ, who puts us together in one piece, whose very breath and blood flow through us. He is the Head and we are the body. We can grow up healthy in God only as he nourishes us. So, then, if with Christ you've put all that pretentious and infantile religion behind you, why do you let yourselves be bullied by it? "Don't touch this! Don't taste that! Don't go near this!" Do you think things that are here today and gone tomorrow are worth that kind of attention? Such things sound impressive if said in a deep enough voice. They even give the illusion of being pious and humble and ascetic. But they're just another way of showing off, making yourselves look important. "( Colossians 2:16-23)

What a simple yet profound Message we have! What an honour to know the Reason for the existence of the universe wants to express His character of Love, Wisdom and Power through undeserved ones like us! Come Lord Jesus and find in us a willing people!!

Redefining Christianity 1

It is clear that Christianity is in need of a radical redefining because over time the concept has become associated with practices that has little or nothing to do with Biblical Christianity. Most of what people see as Christianity is a mixture of the 'churchianity' of the dark Middle Ages and the evangelistic revivals of the previous eras. Even where some ministers of the Gospel see some of the new things God is doing, they find it apparently difficult to make the transition in their minds from the Christianity they know to what Jesus really wants. It is indeed necessary for those who want to see His purposes come to fulfillment to die to themselves, including their present ministries, churches, income, status or whatever gives them identity and to trust Jesus completely to raise up 'their' ministries in His own time and manner.

In the process of redefining Christianity, concepts such as the Word of God, heaven, hell, Kingdom of God, apostle, prophet, church, pastor, etc need to be redefined as well. This does not mean we define them according to popular tastes to fit more 'modern' mind-sets. No, we define them according to the Bible and the practice of the First church. The ' church' was the Ekklesia or 'called out ones'- those who responded to a Word about Jesus being raised from the dead who now lives IN believers through His Spirit. A better description for the church would probably be, 'The koinonia in Christ' or the 'In-Christ koinonia'. The early apostles and prophets never went out to 'plant' churches, they were propelled by the indwelling Christ to proclaim a Message. The fruit of the message became known as the Ekklesia! The 'Word' was the Message about a Person, Jesus Christ! For the first 100 years or more the believers did not have a 'Bible' other than the Scriptures (the Law and the Prophets)- the Apostles and Prophets spoke a living, dynamic and authentic Word. The Word was authentic because the Living Christ Himself was speaking through them, something He still does, if allowed.

The early ministers preached Christ, not about Him! 'Heaven' was a spiritual, dynamic dimension of living that could be entered in the present by faith in the Living Word; it was not a future physical place of 'golden streets and mansions'. It is the realm where God's presence is experienced in fullness and the only thing that prevents us from experiencing it in it's fullness now, is the fact that we are still hampered by our physical limitations.

In future articles we will pick up on some of the other concepts in Christianity which need to be redefined according to their original meanings.

The Church Jesus is building 7

In this last article on the kind of church Jesus is building we will try to summarize the main points from the previous articles and add new ones as the Lord leads. We have seen that the church Jesus is building is being built on the foundation of a revelation and that revelation is of Christ as the Son of God. Paul unpacked this revelation in more detail and we understand that Christ the Son now lives in believers and has become their only Life( Col.3:4; Gal 2:20)

We have also seen that we need the foundational ministries of true Apostles and Prophets to impart this revelation to the church(Eph.2:20). This kind of church cannot be an organisation or institution brought forth by human ingenuity or religious zeal because this kind of church is born by the Spirit and is free from human control like the wind( John 3:6-8) The truly apostolic church is totally sold out to its King and Lord and go wherever He leads- even the cross!

The church Jesus is building is prophetic. This means that the very lifestyle of the church prophesies of another world that has penetrated this world and has made believers the only true aliens on planet earth! Despite this awareness of the "other world" these kind of Christians are known as very "nice" and approachable people because they are so real and genuine. The church Jesus is building has no hierarchies or a professional elite but all are equal and all are ministers of reconciliation. This church has only one Head and He is present at all meetings and He leads all proceedings because he has not delegated His authority but administers it by the Holy Spirit through human vessels.

This church meets on various days of the week for different purposes in all kinds of places and they regard the Lord's Supper as a proper meal where the Life of Christ is celebrated by looking back to His death on the cross and looking forward to His return. The church Jesus is building is very aware of the reality of Christ living in the other person and therefore very careful to treat each other as they would treat Christ Himself and in so doing they discern the Lord's Body! The very DNA of Jesus in the Body releases a divine energy which creates a magnetic field of healing and Light that draws people to it! These communities of Divine Light will bind the principalities and powers of the air and release the glory of God which will bring freedom to our troubled communities and youngsters living without hope and purpose.

The church Jesus is building is the only hope for this planet to be liberated from the futility and darkness which are presently ruling over it. This darkness and futility are perpetrated by the Spirit of Antichrist who operates in various forms-from the religious(Christian and otherwise!) to the humanistic, but this corporate "man of lawlessness" are no match for the corporate Man- the mature Son of God, the full stature of Christ!(Eph.4:13; 2Thess. 2:8).

Glory be to God in the church!

The Church Jesus is building 6

In our last article we tried to explain the kind of church Jesus is building as a community where true koinonia(fellowship) takes place in such a way that people are healed emotionally, spiritually and physically. In the reality of honest and open relationships based on the common sharing of the Christ-Life, people know they belong and are accepted despite their faults, ethnicity, background or social status! In this process a powerful testimony of the Incarnation is created; in other words Jesus is fleshed out and becomes a reality to all the world.

This kind of DNA can only be imparted to the church through true Apostolic foundational ministry where the central doctrine is the revelation of Christ in the human. A gospel which only preaches a Jesus who died on the cross to take people to heaven one day is lacking. A gospel which only preaches about the coming of the Kingdom to earth is also lacking. A gospel which preaches Jesus plus anything is lacking. We must preach Paul's understanding of the gospel or as he put it "the mystery of the ages" namely "Christ in us , the Hope of Glory". All biblical doctrines, be it covenantal theology, the return of Jesus , the Kingdom, church, baptism, sanctification etc. find their true meaning in the In Christ/ Christ in us-message! This revelation of Jesus living in humans and wanting to reveal Himself through (sinful) flesh is indeed a mystery and despite the simplicity of the message one of the most difficult for humans to accept. As far back as Cain and Abel we see the simplicity of God's expectation that we trust in the Life of Another; Cain put his trust in the works of his hands, but Abel put his trust in the blood of the innocent creature! As a matter of fact it goes back even further when the first humans failed to put all their trust(faith) in God's simple instruction not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. After they disobeyed God they tried to cover up their nakedness and shame with fig-leaves and right there at the beginning God established the principle that only through trusting in His provision of the life of the Innocent will our shame and nakedness be covered!

Most of what passes as Christianity and church today are still our fig-leave attempts to impress God and cover our nakedness. Even "going to church"(a contradiction in terms!), witnessing, working for the Lord, prayer-meetings and many of our programs and projects could be nothing more than fig-leaves if these "works' do not flow out of a living faith based on the Life of Christ in us!

The Church Jesus is building is a church who revels in the freedom from dead religious works and out of their celebration of the fullness and creativity of the Life of Jesus in them living works of faith are born which bless all the nations

The church Jesus is building 5

In this artice we look at the shepherding aspect of the church Jesus is building. In previous articles we have seen that the church Jesus is building and in which Paul so ably participated will be the "full measure of the stature of Christ" which mean it will be Apostolic, Prophetic, Pastoral(shepherding), Teaching and Evangelistic. Only in the perfect balance of all five these aspects of Christ will the church reach maturity and be able to effectively minister to the world the saving grace of God. (Ephesians 4:11-16). This will also be linked to the manifestation of the Sons of God which in turn will lead to the liberation of all creation from futility(Romans 4:19-21).

A very important aspect of the church Jesus is building is the fact that the community which is the result of a common revelation of Christ will experience a koinonia( heart-to-heart relationship) which surpasses anything else which maskerades as "fellowship". Many groups assemble together because of a common history like Methodist, Reformed , Catholic or Pentecostal; others assemble because of a love for lively "praise and worship" and others because the Pastor is such a "wonderful shepherd". Even worse is when people assemble or meet together because they are of the same ethnic group or cultural persuasion. The heart of the apostolic revelation was that in Christ all dividing walls were broken down and Christ alone became the plumbline.( Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 2:14-16).

Jesus referred to the kind of relationship which would become reality in Him in John 15:5 "I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing."(The Message). In one of his letters John said the reason he wrote to the Christians was to help them experience the joy of having a relationship with God the Father and the Son and than he says in 1 John 1:7 "But if we walk in the light, God himself being the light, we also experience a shared life with one another, as the sacrificed blood of Jesus, God's Son, purges all our sin. " It seems as if their is a secret in true koinonia which has serious ramifications for believers. First of all there is a purifying and healing power in true koinonia and secondly this will release a testimony so powerful that the world will see Christ again be incarnated in a corporate Person which will bring thousands upon thousands into the Christ-Life! This will be the answer to Jesus' prayer in John 17:21 "The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind-- Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, So they might be one heart and mind with us. Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me. "

The only true basis for relationship in the church is a common revelation of Christ as the only life of the believer; only in the knowledge that we all stand in His righteousness and His holiness will we drop our defenses and become real and honest with each other, and as this happens, the Light which is His Life will shine in a dark world which will draw all men unto Him! In this koinonia the church becomes God's therapeutic community where sinners of all sorts can feel welcome-not to continue in their sins but to be loved so sincerely that they become free in the freedom of Christ! In this community people will experience Jesus incarnated-God's love and grace will not be theological and philosophical concepts anymore, but these concepts will be experiental knowledge because they are being incarnated in His people!

The Church Jesus is building 4

We have seen so far that the church Jesus is building is a church where He is manifested in His ministry as Apostle, Prophet, Shepherd(pastor), Teacher and Evangelist. As Head of His church he has not delegated his authority to the church as if He is absent! He may be physically absent, but He is very much present in and through His Spirit. He is building His church and does not need our clever plans, church growth strategies, projects or our enterprise spirit to complete the job. He has not delegated his authority to apostles, prophets, teachers or evangelists and definitely not to that Babylonian created "ministry" called Pastor!

When Paul defended his apostolic authority he did not call on anything else but "Christ who speaks in me"(2Corinthians 13:3). His ministry centered on the revelation of Christ in the believer( Galatians 2:20) and he therefore, knew of no other authority than an incarnational authority! It's Christ the Apostle, speaking through the apostolic man or woman; it's Christ the Prophet, speaking through the prophetic man or woman, etc. He gave these gifts to the church and He administers them through people of His choice until the church becomes "a Perfect man"( Ephesians 4:13) This is the safeguard against the abuse of authority; The believer has the divine Teacher, the Holy Spirit in him/her and will recognise Christ in the apostle, prophet etc. for, "my sheep know my voice". Believers should never bow before a man or woman because they claim some delegated authority, or thousands follow them, or they perform mighty deeds in the name of Jesus- we must ever only bow to the Lordship of Jesus Christ as he speaks through His humble servants!

Once we recognise what true authority is and how Jesus ministers that authority in an incarnational way, we will see the fulfillment of many of His promises; "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it." Note how Jesus emphasised the fact that he is the One with the authority to perform the works; we have the privilege of being the vessels through whom His power is channeled.

Come Lord Jesus and release the flow of your authority and life through us to those we come into contact with!

The Church Jesus is building 3

The church Jesus is building is a prophetic church. As a matter of fact, if Jesus is building the church it should be apostolic, prophetic, shepherding, teaching and evangelistic-the so called "fivefold ministry" is nothing less than "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" .(Ephesians 4:13) Christ is being incarnated in His Body! This is the mystery of the union between the Head and His Body and the fulfillment of Jesus' prayer;"I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me". (John 17: 23)

The church Jesus is building is God's shop window to both the material and the spiritual world! The church are those who live in two worlds; they are heavenly minded but this make them also earthly good. Even though their citizenship is in heaven they reach out to the sinful world in order to tell them that they do not have to live in bondage to sin anymore. They have become "ministers of reconciliation" and as part of the New Creation they are sharing in the mission of Jesus to "make all things new". To the church Jesus is building, heaven has arrived and their constant prayer is "your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven"

In the transition between the now and the future, the Church Jesus is building, demonstrates heavenly realities like grace, joy, peace, reconciliation and unity to the world. The church is the ongoing incarnation of Jesus Christ on the earth and as such displays His character and attributes to the world(Ephesians 3:10). Jesus is not interested in building a church which is an expression of cultural, social or racial uniqueness or peculiarities. The church Jesus is building is an expression of the "fellowship of the mystery" where all walls of seperation have been broken down in Christ( Ephesians 3:6, 9) and the members demonstrate this in their relationships with one another.

The church Jesus is building is not an exclusive club of the perfect elite, but is full of very imperfect people who realised just how dependant they are on the salvation offered in Christ. Their trust is not in their good behaviour but only in the perfect behaviour of Christ. They have stopped trying to improve themselves on the road of holiness because they know that Christ and His life in them, is their only holiness! They have received the revelation of Jesus Christ as their Sabbath-Rest!

The Church Jesus is building 2

We have seen how Jesus is building His church and not ours, and he is building this church on the Rock of revelation knowledge about Christ and Him being being the Son of God! A revelation of Christ therefore comes before a proper understanding of the church. The church are those who have a revelation of Christ. They walk as sons of God and are not mere "church members".

We have also seen how the church Jesus is building is a church build on the foundation of apostles and prophets. The foundation is Christ! The church Jesus is building is therefore an apostolic church. What is the meaning of "apostolic"? The word means literally, "a sent one". Jesus is the chief apostle and we know that He is the one sent from heaven to earth, and part of his sending was to die on the cross in order to bring humanity back to God. Almost all of the original apostles eventually died for their faith and most on a literal cross! The cross is therefore part and parcel of being "apostolic", a far cry from the popular use(and abuse) of the function(not title!) we find in churchianity today. A truly apostolic church consists of members who are prepared to be send wherever God may lead because they have "taken up their cross and are following the Lamb wherever He goes". Apostolic also refers to a vision for the nations coming into the kingdom of God and cannot be limited to one denomination or building the image of one or two "apostolic teams"! All systems , political, religious, economical and ecological must be subjected to the authority of the King of kings and Lord of lords! The church Jesus is building is therefore a catholic church!

Another word which comes to mind when we think about the church Jesus is building is the word, "authentic". One of the meanings is "to conform to reality" and another is "unadulterated". Those ministering to the church as well as those who are the church, are people who are becoming conformed to the death of Christ through the work of the cross in them, and have finished with all pretense. You cannot lure them to church meetings where the relationships do not go deeper than the cup of tea after the service or where the "worship" comes from superficial hearts who lack a true revelation of Christ and His cross. In the church Jesus is building worship is first of all a lifestyle before it's singing and dancing.

The Church Jesus is building 1

After Peter confessed Jesus as the Christ the son of the Living God, Jesus commended him and promised;"...on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades(Hell) will not overcome it."( Matt. 16:18) Organic church author Wolfgang Simson notes that Jesus did not say;" You will build my church " or even "I will build your church" but He Himself will build His church! Jesus will only bless the church/ekklesia which He is building and not our plans or projects, however sincere they may be!

What is the rock Jesus is building His church on? It is the revelation about Jesus as the Christ, the son of the living God! This revelation is not just head knowledge or some superficial decision for Jesus, but is dependent on the mysterious work of God's Spirit in us. Embedded in this revelation is the concept of 'sonship'. To the believers He is the Messiah/Christ, but to the Father He is the Son! The true church will have a revelation of Christ and the outworking of that revelation is that believers will walk in an understanding of sharing His sonship. The church Jesus is building is not first of all concerned about titles, ministries, or anointings, but in relationship-that of intimacy as sons before their Father!

Jesus also said that Peter became a "little rock" because of this revelation(the Big Rock) and Paul said in Ephesians 2:20 that the church is build "on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone." Apostles and prophets(the true version!) are people who have received the revelation about Jesus and have been molded through the workings of God to present an accurate presentation of the Living Christ, both through word and in incarnating the Life of Christ. The result of their ministry will be an apostolic church which will incarnate(manifest) Christ in every locality and will in so doing bind the ruling powers of the heavenlies-and not only bind them but will become itself the ruling power in that locality! One of the biggest "gates of hades" for example, is prejudice against other races or religious groups, but where a church becomes truly apostolic, people of different races and religions will come together in the unity of the Spirit, reconciliation will be demonstrated(incarnated) and the prejudice and racism will lose it's stronghold on the minds of the people.

The only real hope of this world is the church which Jesus is building, and it starts with the church becoming truly apostolic and for that to happen the church must be given back to it's rightful Owner, Jesus the Christ, the Son of the Living God!

Christ my life!

Oh, the glorious freedom of knowing Christ as my Life! He has become my only Life-He is my past, my present and my future! In Him, I have entered the reality of the New Creation. He has changed my world view because I see through all things to Christ! I do not see every other person as a vile sinner, but through that person and his/her actions I see the finished, perfect work of Christ on the cross. I see a person who just needs to awaken to his/her salvation which is already achieved in Christ-all we can do is to work with Christ in us to awaken this person to righteousness-this will only happen if the unrigteous experience acceptance and respect from us.

I do not see the church as some organisation, meeting or club of 'backscratchers' but as a bunch of Christ-lovers who have become loyal to only Him and a revelation of His Life in them!
I do not see Apostles and Prophets as mighty, charismatic personalities or gifted MD's but as simple men/women(what??) who have been through the mill of God's stripping and now breathes Christ and Him alone. They share Paul's apostolic burden to see Christ formed in local communities which will shake the powers of the air because they manifest the Life of Christ! (Ephesians 3:10) They do that because they flesh out Grace, Love, Joy , Peace, etc in communities who meet daily in various places, for various purposes and in fluidity of numbers.

I do not see tsunami's, earthquakes and other natural disasters as God's judgement on a sinful and deserving humanity, but rather as the birthpangs of the new creation because Jesus has already endured God's judgement for humanity as well as creation as illustrated by the crown of thorns which was pressed into His head-the curse which was on humanity and nature was put on Him! Rather than God's judgements on sinful humanity, natural disasters could be an indictment against the "House of God" which has not appropriated the fulness of Christ's finished work on the cross and is not in divine order. I believe that when Jesus is again acknowledged as the Head of the Church( not in absentia!) divine order wil be restored, the Sons of God will be manifested and creation will be delivered from futility and decay!( Rom 8:19-23)

Sons of Adam and Sons of God

There are really only two kinds of people on the earth, namely the sons of Adam and the Sons of God. The sons of Adam could be religious or anti-religious but they all eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Some more from the evil part and some more from the good part, but still the same old tree!(Genesis 2:9) The sons of Adam build their ethics on questions of right and wrong and like to be controlled by rules and laws; they are ruled by the senses, things which could be empirically tested and observed. They are very good at creating their own devices to hide their shame and nakedness. Religious effort, church programs, visionary projects and even charitable duties become handy "fig-leaves" to impress God or their religious/moral conscience.(Genesis3:7)

They may even go so far as to devise a pseudo- science based on naturalism to hide from the idea of God. If there is another way of looking at reality, like naturalism, than they do not need to face up to the chance of there being a God and if there is no God than they do not have to face up to their 'sinful' desires and inclinations. Scientific dogmatics and religious dogmatics may be appalled at discovering that they are really in the same bed so to speak! Their 'fig-leave' garments may look a bit different at first but it's really made from the same stuff.

On the other hand we find a growing number of people who have discovered how to feed on the Tree of Life, Jesus Christ! They have accepted God's covering for their shame and guilt; they have allowed themselves to be clothed in the garments of Christ's righteousness; they have trusted fully and unconditionally in the blood of the innocent! They got rid of the fig-leaves of religious effort, Law, Churchianity and the self-deception of human wisdom. They have learned how to eat the bread of heaven and nothing else but revelation can satisfy their New Creation-spirits. The Sons of God live in the consciousness of Sonship as the Pattern-Son lives His Life through them. The Sons of God are not concerned about titles, ministries and callings but they are concerned first of all about integrity before their Father and integrity in relationships with other people, always aware of Christ in them who wants to touch and impact the lives of human beings.

To the Sons of God church happens whenever and wherever two or three are gathered in His name; whether in a house, club, pub, around a barbecue or just a family meeting together. The Sons of God hate organizational instead of organic growth; professional and disposable relationships rather than genuine and lasting relationships; formal meetings for the sake of meetings(or the big preacher!) instead of vibrant and joyous celebrations of Christ's life together! The Sons of God want to see all of humanity come forth in their true destinies and therefore want to see people empowered to live in authentic relationships with Christ and one another, rather than being dependent on "ministries" for acceptance and spiritual growth.The Sons of God are hungry to be led by the Spirit at all times and refuse to be led by fads, moods and what seems to work at the moment.

The Sons of God are satisfied with obscurity at the moment and they have learned (mostly through trials and tribulation) to remain in their Sabbath-Rest(Christ) and trust Him to bring forth the manifestation the whole of creation is waiting for.(Romans 8:18-19)

Science and Faith, part 2

Persons with different worldviews(basic beliefs, presuppositions) approach science with a belief in something/someone that is self-existent. This entity represents for them the ultimate reality. For the atheist it will most probably be matter or reason; for the naturalist it will be nature; for the new ager it will be a "collective consciousness"; for the pantheist it will be an impersonal spirit and for the theist "it" will be God. This means that faith is basic to the human existence; humanity must have a god or he will invent one! Total neutrality is therefore an impossibilty, and as I pointed out in the previous article every scientist come to scientific study with presuppositions and assumptions(Faith).

Too often in the debate about science and faith, any opposition or alternative to the prevailing naturalistic theories is vehemently attacked as an attempt to drag religion into the field of "neutral and factual knowledge", which is maskeraded as science. Fact is, religion( the belief in an ultimate reality that is self-existent) is part and parcel of the naturalistic worldview. Watch with what dogmatic and religious zeal some naturalist scientists attack anyone who proposes that children should be taught different ways to look at the origins of life; I thought we live in an enlightened era where children should be taught to think by comparing different theories, ideas and even facts in order to make up their own minds about reality. One should think that something that is "proved beyond any reasonable doubt", as some scientists want us to believe about Darwinism and other naturalistic interpretations of creation, will be able to withstand the test of scrutiny from other perspectives.

It is general knowledge that modern science was promoted by theists and Christians who believed that the laws of nature could be studied because there is a God of order. Some of these scientists were Isaac Newton, Louis Pasteur etc. E. Stanley Jones says in his book, The Christ on the Mount; "It is no mere chance that with the rediscovery of Christ during the last century there has been a rediscovery of the scientific method, nor that only where Christ is known has the scientific spirit been developed. Science now swings back to faith because faith has Christ as it's center and the very essence of that Christ is love of truth and reality. May this swing back to faith be a swing back to the Faith which has Christ (by whom and for whom are all things and who uphold all things by the Word of His power) as it's essence! Science, like revelation, is for the humble, and I believe that the greatest discoveries await those who search with humility. Stanley Jones also wrote; "The secrets of heaven are open to those who are simple of heart and straightforward, and we may add, the secrets of the earth also. Everything in heaven and earth is open to the man who himself is open. It is only as we become as little children-frank,open,simple, that the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of earth is open to us"

The Sons of God can look forward to an integration of the heavenly and the earthly, the spiritual and the material, the sacred and the secular as well as an integration of revelation and scientific discovery as Christ comes forth in His Sons! The ONE who lives within the Sons of God is the one who has created all things by and through His awesome power, He is still in charge of everything, and he is eager to reveal the mysteries of His creation to the humble! Once science is "reposessed" by those who acknowledge the greatest Scientist, more children will perhaps want to study science again, and those who do so with the right kind of Faith will be the ones who will make the greatest breakthroughs humanity has ever known! Then will the kingdom of heaven come and God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven!

Science and faith: Part one

There seems to be a hot debate these days over the issue of science and faith. In the following article or two I will show that faith is a universal trait and part and parcel of the basic make-up of any human being. Has science proven that humanity has progressed so far that they have outgrown the "childish" belief in a god? What is true science and what do we mean by faith? By true science I mean that discipline where we come to conclusions based on careful study, observation and repeated testings in laboratories. Despite these criteria we must acknowledge that even true science is fluid, and theories and "facts" change constantly as we discover new things.

We must also state right at the outset that all scientists "come to the table" with certain assumptions and beliefs that may cloud and colour their observations.This kind of science is normally called observational or operational science and this science has helped humanity tremendously in medicine, travel and the information technology to mention just a few. The other form of science is more what we could call philosophy of science or also historical science where an attempt is made to answer questions about the origins of life, the creation etc.This kind of science is just as much about beliefs and assumptions as any religion or philosophical system. This kind of "science" sometimes makes claims and put forward conlusions as if they are proven facts and anyone criticising or questioning these conclusions will be branded as stupid and ignorant. Not less dogmatic than many fundamentalists in religion!

Let's ask what true(observational) science has definitely proven as fact. What follows are the observations from someone who is not a scientist, but just a thinking human being. Science has proven that humanity does not know everything and is constantly discovering new and wonderful things in the cosmos. Science has proven that humans must live with a lot of humility when we compare our own insignificance to the vastness and the mysteries of the creation, and also the fact that scientists are still looking for cures for cancer, aids and the common cold! Science has proven that there are laws that control nature and that there is therefore good reason to expect the existence of a lawgiver. Science has proven that the human genome is full of information and where there is information you can expect there to be an information-giver! Science has proven that inside molecules is an entity that scientists struggle to define that is apparently not solid, but behaves like an idea or a wave! This reminds the Christian about the Bible that says that all things are held together by the Logos(Word/ Idea) of God! Science has also proven that humans cannot create anything out of nothing, but can discover what is already there and use it to invent things eg. electricity, gravity, aero-dynamics, etc. Science has proven that this planet of ours seems to be just right to sustain life-just the right distance from the sun at just the right angle with just the right amount of oxygen!

Many scientists have found that their faith in the existence of a Supreme Being is strengthened through their study of science while others have used their studies and knowledge to become "puffed up" or full of pride. Two thousand years ago the Creator of science came in person to this planet to bring together in His Person all things that became disjointed and fractured through the rebellion of humanity in Adam and Eve. In his Person and body he brought together in perfect harmony matter and spirit, the material and the immaterial, the visible and the invisible, heaven and earth, future and past and also God and Man! In Christ, God the Father found a Man who perfectly lived by His laws, and in Him, Man found a God who demonstrated a science that most humans still only dream of-walking on water; speeding up the process whereby water become wine; increasing the quantity of food; healing all kinds of sicknesses and defeating the laws of death! Man discovered a God who demonstrated a perfect love and made possible a perfect peace between the Creator and His creation. In intimacy with Christ man not only discover the laws of nature but also the laws of life that brings contentment, commitment, meaning, purpose and a sustainable joy!

Son of Man

What does it mean to be truly human? What was the original creative purpose for man? What does it mean to live spontaneously as a human being? Our definition for "human" is so often just an excuse for our deep sense of failure and of our falling short of our true design and creative purpose. I believe that an understanding of true "humaneness" is the key to living free and spontaneous according to our true design!

Increasingly, humanity's response is to throw off all yokes and laws in order to find this illusive "higher life", some turn to drugs, fame, sex, money and all sorts, only to discover that when you live contrary to your true design, your new found "freedom" is short lived and becomes a harder slave master than the one(s) you threw off! A fish will always be only free if it stays within the water! Unfortunately most humans associate God and Jesus with religion or religious activities and therefore have become almost immune to the only antidote to lawlessness- a relationship with Jesus! Only in a relationship with Him find the human being completeness and fulfillment.

Jesus came to earth not only to demonstrate God, but also to demonstrate true humanity-He came as the last Adam and as the Second Man! In Him we see our true purpose and design. The title "Son of Man" is the one Jesus chose to use most when referring to Himself, much more than any other title, including the title "Son of God". I believe He was trying to spell out to His "human" followers His total identification with humanity even in their sinful condition. That is also the meaning of His baptism by John the Baptist which was a baptism of sinners unto repentance-That baptism prophesied about His "baptism" on the cross when His total identification with humanity would reach it's climax!

The title "Son of Man " is first used in Daniel 7 in the Old Testament; "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. (vv 13-14) This "son of man" appears to be a corporate entity as explained to Daniel by the angel; "I approached one of those standing there and asked him the true meaning of all this. So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things: ... But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever--yes, for ever and ever"(vv.17-18). Paul refers to this in 1Cor. 6:2-3 when he says;"Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!" and John heard the same message in Revelation 2:26-27 " To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations--
'He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery' -- just as I have received authority from my Father."

At the heart of this title lies the revelation of humanity's origins in God, but also the revelation of humanity's authority in it's association and identification with Jesus! May we understand what Jesus tried to get through to Peter when He said; "When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"
They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (Matt 16:14-19) Jesus was trying to show His disciples that true authority was linked to humanity discovering their true origin and identity-the son of man is the son of God! He wanted them to "see" their true identity in the "pefect law of liberty". Faith is to see what God sees and to acknowledge His work in us.

A revelation of our origin in Christ will bring about a perfect balance between authority and humility. "The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus.
Joh 13:3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;
Joh 13:4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.
Joh 13:5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped"(John 13:2-5) around him.Jesus knew His origin and that is why He could serve His disciples, even the one who was about to betray Him!

The Bible and the Living Word

What is the Word of God? Is it a compilation of books? Is it letters on paper? Is the Bible the Word of God or is there more to it? There is a real danger that Christians could make the Bible something that was not God's intention at all! This danger is what is sometimes called "Biblidolatry"-making an idol of the Bible! When you listen to some Christians you get the feeling that they worship the Bible more than Jesus. "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe." (Hebr1:1-2)

Despite the fact that I read(studied) Biblical Studies as part of my degree and achieved excellent results, my spirit was still "dead" until I met the Living Word, Jesus. Suddenly the Bible became a living book as I could identify with the experiences of Abraham, David, Peter, Paul and other heroes (and "villans") of faith. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."(John1:1,14)

Whichever way the Word of God came to the human race in the past, it was always an expression of the Eternal Word that was with God, and this Eternal Word became a human to reveal God, but not only God, also our true identity! It is generally known that the original ekklesia(church) did not have the Bible as we know it today. They had the Old Testament scriptures and the public preaching and teaching of the apostles and prophets. James Fowler put it like this: "The early Christians were not propogating a belief-system. They were not dispensers of theological information about God. They were not Book-bearers. They were bearers of the Living Word, the Life, the Person, the Power of Jesus, "who is the Spirit" (II Corinthians 3:18)."

We need to be careful not to fall into the Pharisaical trap that Jesus referred to in John 5:39-40 "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life." The Bible's importance lies in the fact that it testifies of Jesus in whom is the Life! It can assist in helping us to find the Living Word and once we have found the Word, the Bible becomes a living book full of meaning and life. The Bible serves as an objective standard whereby we can test and judge our own experiences and understanding of God against the experiences of other men and women in the early ekklesia.

We live in a largely post-modern society where you cannot witness to people by saying," The Bible says..." We must become carriers of the Living Word, Bibles of flesh and blood, demonstraters of the Christ-Life, expressions of true humanity, and once people have been hooked by the sweet fragrance of Jesus through us, we can introduce them to the Bible which can then become to them what Paul said about the Scriptures.(at that time only the O.T.) "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."(2 Tim.3:16-17) My hunger for the Living Word often drives me to the Bible to feed on the Life that has breathed upon the lives of so many people,and because I have the Living Word in me the scriptures becomes spirit and life. "who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." ( 2 Cor. 3:6) or in the words of The Message:" The plan wasn't written out with ink on paper, with pages and pages of legal footnotes, killing your spirit. It's written with Spirit on spirit, his life on our lives!"