It would be good to process our thoughts, feelings, insights and hopes for what we experienced at Papamoa. Some of the questions I heard were "When is the next meeting? Where do we go for more? It seems we have only just begun to "till the soil". The potential for connecting people who have a heart for unity and building up the Body of Christ seems to be waiting for those who "hear the call" to put their hand to the plough.
Many of those people who came were already outside the traditional church structures but had a heart to serve. Others just wanted to be part of a people who really cared, more about the people, than programmes.
At one point during our fellowship I heard a comment cautioning about being elitist or seen to be undermining the church. I agree!! Totally!!!!! Yet whenever I hear this statement, I feel a quietening and quenching of God's Spirit within me.
As I have mused on this statement I am more convinced than ever before that we need to rightly define "The Church". Israel had this problem with their own temple, believing it to be beyond judgement...yet Jesus said to them as they admired it, 'Not one stone shall be left standing upon another'. I feel there are currently two churches being built, one by man, the other by Christ. In Psalm 118: 22-24 we read 'The stone whom the builders rejected, has become the capstone'. I believe we are in that day.
We need to distinguish between that which God is building and that which men build. Jeremiah was required to pull down before he could build up (Jer 1:10). As a consequence he was seen as "antagonistic" to Israel, a false prophet and was rejected, yet he had the word of God. Motivation and spiritual discernment are key issues! One who may be seen to be against the church may actually be for the Church but against the false religious systems. Therefore if people do not distinguish between True Church and False church, they may seek to protect that which God seeks to expose and pull down.
On one hand I hear the cry of the Spirit against these systems and those who rule with Pharaoh hearts to ...'LET MY PEOPLE GO'...that they may worship me.
Then to his people in religious systems, His Spirit cries, 'Come out of her my people'. How do we express this heart of Christ for his Church, how do we discharge our seeing. This is one of the ultimate challenges we face as the spiritual battle heats up against those who would "TURN BACK the battle at the gate" (Isaiah 28:6)
Part of Satan's strategy is to muzzle the prophetic speaking that would expose his deceptions, through the fear of "knocking the church" and speaking against the Lord's anointed and causing division or strife among "God's people". This brings the prophetic back under the fear of man rather than keeping them faithful to the Fear of God. Either we seek to please God or we seek the favour of men. Many times to speak for God will mean incurring the displeasure and rejection of men.
Jesus himself said 'No prophet is acceptable and welcome in his own town". Jesus himself was rejected by the House of Israel (Luke 4:29) yet his heart was for Israel. Oh Jerusalem how often I desired to gather you as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings. But you would not. Behold your house is left unto you, desolate.
Jesus was the stone the builders had rejected and knowing the coming judgement of God upon the religious system of Israel he had said to them as they admired the great temple of Jerusalem, 'Not one stone shall be left standing upon another'.
Unless the Lord builds THE HOUSE the labourers labour in vain.
Jesus commended those who had tried those who called themselves Apostles but were false apostles. He also used the strongest possible language against this spiritual abuse, commending those who also had his HATRED for such falsehood...'You hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans whose deeds I also hate'.
This Nicolaitan spirit is that of man ruling over men, thus displacing Christ as "head of his church". There is a corporate responsibility on those who see such things to ...'expose these unfruitful works of darkness'. Fight the good fight of faith said Paul, but we do not fight against the leaders of these systems, nor the people in them, but against spiritual wickedness in high places. If we do not see this as part of our mandate the enemy may very cunningly turn us away from "contending for the faith first delivered to the saints". The work is his, we know that, but we are co-labourers, called to join hearts and hands together in one mind and spirit to build up his Body in love and extend his Kingdom.
Yet on another level, without perhaps even needing to speak words that could be misconstrued as "knocking the church" there are, right before us, up and down the nation...the outcasts of the religious system. Those who are like sheep without a shepherd. Broken, wounded, weary, discouraged, awaiting those who will go and restore them, reconciling them back to the Father and to Christ as their chief shepherd.
From these very ranks of those who (it would seem) are unwanted by the church, God, I believe, will raise up shepherds after his own heart and in a touch of divine irony, turn these rejects into a mighty army...just like he did with the outcasts he drew to King David (who "became greater than those who marched with Saul"). Called not to fight King Saul but the powers of darkness that troubled Israel which the armies of Saul had failed to engage, contend with, and defeat in battle.
