All for Now

1/6/2008

So what IS Christianity, in a brief summary? It is Life in the Vine, living through the Head, in the Body. Christianity is exemplified by its demonstration of LIFE, even while it is in the “Trenches” of pain. Jesus’ Life within shows forth supernatural patience, relentless love, and courage to draw the Line—where Jesus does—regardless of COSTS, just as Jesus did. Those “costs” can be personal or emotional or financial or reputation or relational or health. If JESUS lives within, and we are therefore Christians, we’ll live that way. Those who won’t go to the Place where JESUS is and LIVE it, “come what may,” are (as numbered previously) either 1) deranged, or 2) drift-wood, or 3) self-life religious flesh-monsters who just happen to be energized for “RELIGION” as their earth-thing.

No matter the spiritual “talk-track” of those listed above as 1) 2) 3), when these folks are cut loose, they all have serious problems with the Head and the Vine, demonstrating and confirming that the painful decision to break off Koinonia was Correct. Once the “walls of Protection” are not around them in the form of 1Cor.12 Life, all of the cleverness, memory, story-telling, singing, or ability to mimic others and put their own “signature” on it—none of that means anything. It is not Life in the VINE. If they can easily lapse into 1) 2) or 3), they are not Connected to the Head, and cannot by definition be allowed to stay in the Body, saith the Lord.

“Borrowed truth” and “ways” and “ideas” and “stories” and “quotes,” or “doctrines” and “good deeds” and “religious ambitious works” mean little to nothing. Plenty of people have made 50 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR selling religion to God’s elect. That is shameful. Such so-called “successes” and earthen “spirituality” mean nothing, in God’s eyes, or those who know Him.

All of these 1) 2) 3) were “Vine-less”, even before “disKoinonia.” But, it can be confusing to those who function superficially, and just “trust” that all these “nice people” must really know God if they are hanging around the church. In daily life, this can be an “illusion” to the undiscerning, or uninvolved, or those who are immature or spiritually lazy. If some don’t pay attention to the clear digression in the life of a person around them, then they can be totally confused when action needs to be taken.

If an immature parent is not alert and is not taking responsibility to love and care for their children, obviously they will be quite “surprised” when something terrible happens. The same is true in God’s Family! If someone is showing signs of obsession, or love of the world, or crude earthiness, or reactionary rebellion, some could be “surprised” when someone needs to be cut off from Fellowship. If they weren’t watching in care and love, they may not even notice as a person changes from innocent “immaturity”—to willful fake religion, or “using” God’s Grace and relationships to fan their own appetites for “friends” or “travel” or “fun” or “child care” or “spouse-seeking” or financial help.

It’s imperative that “in the race ALL the runners run”—there are no spectators. A KINGDOM of PRIESTS means that in this Covenant we all, “from the least to the greatest,” take responsibility to be “ambassadors of Christ” with one another, “as if God were making His appeal through us.” That’s just basic Christianity, as we’ve discussed. We all need to play our part to help put each other’s stubborn, dull hands into the hand of God, as best we can. And in so doing, “we have Fellowship with one another,” too.

Let’s dance His Dance, to HIS Music—and dance it well, all the days of our life! As someone has said, “A Revolution without dancing, is a Revolution not worth having!”

Love, in the Warrior-Lamb, in His Blood and Spirit,

yours in Christ,

mike, with the church here

housechurch.com

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