JOHN 17:20 "I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be ONE even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me.
Here is how we can get back to the One..since that is where Jesus is and is waiting for is.
In these “Last of the last Days”, as we approach the end of history as we know it, and as we live out our lives as Christians awaiting the Coming of the Lord, (but first the antichrist must come, Joel 2:5), we watch and pray and seek his face in order to better understand our responsibilities as His people, His body, His Bride,..the Church. (the true Church not the other one, the worldly “Whore of Babylon” emerging and taking final form in the “countdown” of events we call history)
. Jesus, by His Grace, has saved us and is perfecting us to have a church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. even though we are saved, (scarcely,..by His awesome Grace)..washed clean (by the constant activity of the Holy Spirit) and blood bought, (He ransomed us from the clutches of sin and Satan and death), we still have an obligation to live our lives as though he was walking with us in the flesh and ordering our every move. He is nudging us in the Spirit and those of us who have eyes to see and ears to heart are equipped to achieve sanctification and to have a clean heart before God and our fellow Man.
We are taught in His word that his church..His body should demonstrate to the world His divine love and perfect unity of the brethren, (He prayed that they, ie “we”, would be One), like our model in the book of Revelations, .the Church of Philadelphia, the church of brotherly love.
(What does that mean to be One?)
It means that only through pure “selfless” LOVE can the church achieve that lofty but achievable state of love for the brethren and the ridding the consequences that exist in all the schisms, denominations, cults, home churches, seminaries, monasteries, Christian colleges, universities, and in every subdivided administrative office inhabited by fellow Christians anywhere and everywhere. Only by loving consistantly and constantly can one overlook the doctrinal (intellectual differences only) differences that have plagued and paralyzed and splintered Christianity into this many headed hydra like monster that now exists. And as long as churches are “set up” using the old “inherited” forms, the hand me downs, that every generation passes off to the next generation, or all those home churches, itinerant preachers, students, evangelistic organizations, television ministries, internet web sites, Christian authors and on and on, we are faced with the obvious contradictions and divisions that have plagued “the church” for almost its entire history. So how can we achieve that seemongly impossible condition? First by reexamining the Word of God and returning to the play book to guide us backwards into our origins, the early fire baptised birth simply described the New Testament.
We need to search the scriptures again and again to make certain we are in the church of Philadelphia or else suffer the consequences at the Throne of Judgment.
The rest of the churches on His hit list of types are examples of the failures on the part of Christianity for the last almost two thousand years.
The only guarantee that we have that our own pitiable righteousness is not what is carrying us through our daily deeds and responsibilities is the awesome and terrible spirit of “The Fear of the lord”
As we look around and consider His church..His body..we must ask ourselves the question..where do we stand individually and collectively under his watchful eye.
1. Is the Christian church at large united in Love? No
2. Is the Christian church united at all? No
2. Is the Church performing signs wonders and miracles? Only occasionally.
4. Is there unity among the brethren, is love paramount? rarely
5. Can the world point to the church of Philadelphia filled with people that love one another selflessly and run to its doors and fall on their faces to receive the Grace sufficient for their complete and total redemption? not very often
What we have instead ,if you look "objectively”, are countless churches planted in every city and town in the United States (and the rest of the world) with signs on their doors designating their affiliations with the many and various monolithic real estate holdings they call “church”. Each local church belongs to a corporation, usually made up of many buildings filled with paid staff (and of course enthusiastic volunteers) laboring to increase the membership, (ie income), so that they can make the claim “we are not them”, we are different from them”, we believe differently from the other churches in this town..we are better, we understand the scriptures better..we are happier..we are wealthier..we are more spiritual than the others, come in here” As the saying goes, “what is wrong with this picture”?
Are these churches all reading from the same book? the bible? usually, but not always..sometimes other books are substituted because they are funnier or they have a really cool video cassette or DVD that goes along with it..or gee, even sometimes a cable TV program designed to cheer them on and follow the leader in a very smart anus fashionable way. (Please excuse my “sarcasm” but really I’m not being sarcastic).
Hey wait a minute..where in the bible is all this commotion? I seem to remember that the bible is the only book that is guaranteed to tell us the truth..the whole truth and nothing but the truth..so why not read and study and preach from it? Is it old fashioned? boring? contradictory? outdated? confusing? well, if so, we need teachers that are equipped and mature to deliver the goods under the anointing of the Holy Spirit to bring it alive..ALIVE! What a concept ( the letter killeth the Spirit gives life)
The bible is the longest “death warrant” ever written. It explains how death first entered into the original “perfect creation” by reason of man breaking his covenant relationship with his creator with death and separation from God as the consequence. It, (the bible) proves that we deserve to die. That we all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God, therefore we have to die..right? The bible also contains all the information we need to repair that breech and reconnect to our maker and it contains anything and everything necessary to bring an individual and all the rest of the people that have been “born again” or born from above, to a perfect understanding of what God wants to do in their lives and in His bride, His church, to bring it into that remarkable and powerful condition of the only church Jesus respects and honors,..the church of Philadelphia.
Do we cry out for more revelation or “reformation” to become that one true church? NO! We just continue with the business as usual momentum..rushing forward in our hapless spiritual quandary trying every new gimmick designed to attract new “members” in our exclusive clubs we call church. Please! enough already. Its getting dark and time to light the lamps folks and repent, turn from our wicked ways, so that God can hear from heaven and “heal our land”
New International Version
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Let us return to the bible and ask ourselves what does He say about a local church and how should we put it together. Let us return to the New Testament and back up and pause long enough to study the scriptures to see if there is something we are missing, or something that we are leaving out in our routines of church attendence (ie tradition bound) march (lurch) forward waiting for his coming. (He’s coming as a thief in the night the first time so be careful He might be sitting right next to you or he might be that homeless person at the front door or disguised as a single mom.}
After Jesus left the earth in His flesh, He sent us the Holy Spirit at the Holy Day named the “Feast of Pentecost”, to enter into us and give us the ability to enjoy an intimate personal relationship with Him each and every one of us. So first of all you that have “truly” been born again, have already the Paraclete..the Holy Spirit..inside you so not to worry. You are saved to the uttermost. All you have to do is believe, have faith. The bible is telling you the truth, you are His offspring now. If a calamity happens and a Holy tornado rips across this land of ours, and all the churches in the land fall down into thousands of piles of kindling, it will have no affect whatsoever on that fact that you are His property and he is with you always..even unto the end. So lets get that straight. OK? But in the meantime since we have so many churches to choose from lets find one that is put together accurately and well founded on that sure foundation..His Holy Word. No problem?, so what does the bible say about how to put a church together? Church meaning ecclesia meaning His body and local community of believers..His people. His sons and daughters, and ultimately, His bride
Very early in the New Testament we have the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit in great power, to enter into the hearts and minds of the one hundred and twenty disciples and followers of Jesus, the men and women that were on intimate terms with Him while he was walking this earth. Very quickly, or a short time after that, Saul of Tarsus was saved..a man that really did not walk with Jesus at all in fact he had attacked the early Christians from his self righteous position as a Pharisee..Not very fair you see?
Paul is like “every man”..you and me..we did not have the privilege nor the honor (nor the responsibility inherent) of walking with him on the shores of Galilee or the streets of Jerusalem or the Judaean Hills..but it was Paul of Tarsus first named Saul, that God chose to write most of the new Testament and turn the then known world upside down in his relentless one man crusade, even against the other apostles at times. So be advised “every man”, ..you too can turn the world upside down for Jesus, irregardless of the condition of the modern church and its traditions that hold it barely together or barely recognizable as Christs Church today.. I call the condition of today’s anemic church, Uncle TOM’s church,, for the fact that Traditions Of Men dominate what is taught..how churches are organized, (around one man), and the lackadaisical attitudes about our spiritual responsibility of maintaining church unity..(hence hundreds of schisms and denominations each vying for the title “Worlds Champion Church(s). . Man made doctrines passed on from one generation to another from cemetar..OOP's! seminary to seminary..bible college to bible college and so on. From one generation to the next with their bogus emphasis on an “upper class” priesthood separated from the people by hundreds of years of playing on the ignorance and weaknesses of human laziness and ignorance of the scriptures. Lets not get into the terrible racism..bigotry..self rightousness..hangings, burnings tortures,,persecutions..wars,..all done in the name of the Lord by the priesthood starting with the Roman version of Christianity, weaving its way through Protestantism's hero of the faith, Martin Lathers’, virulent anti- Semitism, through Europe's bloody upheavals and religious wars past the dark ages of unbridled savagery against unbelievers and then sailing across the oceans to loot the occupants of this hemisphere a flog them into some kind of submission to their “good news” of sadism, blood lust, greed, self righteousness and arrogance and weapons of war. Did the church do all that? Well, yes , or they turned a blind eye like they did when Hitler was preaching his counterfeit gospel to the Christians of Germany, Catholic and Protestant, lacing his speeches with passages out of the bible. So be warned,..be on the alert,..many will come in my name saying Lord Lord...but “I do not know them” smith the Lord.
Please excuse me for that diversion into infamy..I just had to make a point. Its the Whole word of God that we need to become familiar with not the pet doctrines of your favorite radio or TV preacher with his pearly white teeth great smile and a tiny gold chain around his neck attached to the corporate cash registers of America in their empire building avalanche towards Armageddon, ala George Bush..”a wonderful Christian man” There is a violent church today. It winks and nods to the warlords that play the pipes for them to dance to. Have you noticed? Sure you have. Be warned!
Now back to the bible and how in the world was the early church put together? How God designed a local church where the brethren had to learn to love one another since they were yoked together in a union as overseers of the flocks they were responsive for as ELDERS. Oh, by the way, the word P A S T O R is not in the New Teatamnent AT ALL,..only the plural form of the word, and only once in the entire New Teatament, in Ephesians, where the Lord says, He has aappointed first Apostles, then Prophets, then Pastor(s) Teachers and Evangelists, so that the body can be fitly formed and unified in the pure doctrines of the faith.
Paul now..not Saul any longer, now a man aflame for Jesus did this....
Tit 1:5
For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:
In every town or city n he came to, he preached the gospel..souls were saved..he taught them for a season..then asked the Lord, who are the elders here Lord? The Lord showed him and he then laid hands on them and ordained them..period., real simple so far right?
Ac 14:23
And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.
every church had elders right?
Ac 15:2
When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.
so the main church then in Jerusalem had elders also right?
Ac 15:4
And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the Apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.
more of the same..OK so far?
Ac 15:6
And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.
pretty simple..
Ac 15:22
Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:
Ac 15:23
And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The Apostles and elders and brethren send greetings unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria an Cilicia:
Ac 16:4
And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.
Ac 20:17
And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.
Did he call for the priest? pastor? senior elder? NO
Ac 21:18
And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.
1Ti 5:17
Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine.
Tit 1:5
For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:
Heb 11:2
For by it the elders obtained a good report.
Jas 5:14
Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
Oh for the miracles of healing elders again. Gee, will they never stop? When do we get to the part where my church is described? We just have a a Pstor and a bored..Oops board., how come we are so different from what the bible says?
1Pe 5:1
The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
So Peter was an elder? apparently.
Re 4:4
And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
why not four and twenty Pastors? Evangelists, Prophets? Priests, Bishops,? because Gods word says elders that's why. Do you want to be seated about the throne, clothed in white raiment? Well then let’s get down to business with Gods Word, OK?
Re 4:10
The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worshiped him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy Oh Lord, to receive glory and honor and power...
so elders have crowns? they are from a Royal Priesthood and are called elders the highest title you can attain to.
Re 5:5
And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
Re 5:6
And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
Hey,these Elders are real close to the Lord..real tight. I like that
Re 5:8
And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints.
Re 5:11
And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
Re 5:14
And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
Re 7:11
And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
Re 7:13
And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they ?
Re 11:16
And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
Re 14:3
And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
Re 19:4
And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
The KJV Strong's Version
He has given each of us the authority to be Kings and Priests and it is up to each of us to grow into the crown and don the breastplate.
So dear Christian..it should be abundantly clear that the original church, the one that we claim to be inheritors of, had a substantially different form of government than our churches today. What is wrong with following a single leader which we have today? Let’s examine the biblical reasons first then the psychological.
First of all let’s look at Gods word again.
The natural tendency ingrained in mankind for eons is to look for leadership outside ourselves. To look for that special leader, that person who takes more initiative, organizes, leads, inspires, (like Aaron...speaks well), disciplines, teaches, corrects, has visions on behalf of the group, and has “spiritual insights” experience beyond the norm. People are attracted to those kind of leaders by nature..but is that spiritual? Apparently not according to the bible.
God wants everybody to hear from Him and act as His prophets, His agents on earth, but the people are not willing. Remember Moses in his assignment as leader of the people and the incident when Moses had to climb the mountain and sojourn with God? The people said Moses you go talk to God he is so scary so you go face him since you are the leader.
In other words the people do not want or are unwilling to assume responsibility in matters of such gravity and such profound consequence.
The Spirit of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy.
The most unique feature of the Bible is the prophetic utterance or "predictive" foretelling of events that merge the two turbulent streams of politics and religion, into the River of History, in its course through the Canyons of Time. Usually the outcome of the prophecy is accomplished through the actions of the leaders or rulers that make the decisions on behalf of whole nations or peoples. Whether by free elections or force of arms, the rulers or kings are the "Heads" that govern the body of peoples that form the "union" of humans that are brought together under one banner of State, Nation, Community or Tribe. The rule of Kings is a "second" choice, (actually third choice, His first choice was that all men were prophets,) in Gods ideal dream plan (on the Seventh Day of creation God rfested and I am not sure but perhaps we are being Dreamt..especially since His world is not this one. We are incased in a dream..perhaps) His second choice was the "prophet" as spokesman to the people, (sorry for the confusion, God is extraordinarily patient and has given us so many different chances to relate to himself). But prophets tend to be a motley lot, they have no savoir faire, and no material wealth to speak of. Just kind of plain brown wrapper like, so to speak.. But the people clamor for a king, so God appointed them a king and the prophet has been forgotten and passed over as the unique Messenger from God, and Jehovah's loudest, clearest Herald of the Supernatural, used by God to reveal the information needed to make the monumental decisions required for the welfare and common good of the community, tribe or nation.
God always has “a people” that worship Him in Spirit and in Truth, so in the Dark Ages, that thousand years or so where the the illiterate masses were kept ignorant of the Holy Bible and His Word, the corrupt church in alliance with the State, ruled Europe and every other nation that they could dominate . The Brotherhood, (I will use this term to represent the truly pious servants of Good), through the "Hermetic Traditions", and other confidential or secretive schools and systems of learning about the ways and purposes of God, were secretive and hidden and taught lessons from the bible that we now call esoteric (hidden and some times called occult, another word for hidden) communities, which communicated and recruited secretly and covertly, using various methods and cryptic codes and ciphers in order to avoid the monsterous and devious political priesthood prevalent for hundreds of years. These underground Brotherhoods kept the "prophetic" visions and spiritual training and traditions alive, erupting through the myths and stories carried by the poets and troubadours, and secret clans , while the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy tried (and for hundreds of years succeeded ) in dominating and controlling the religious beliefs of the people, by insisting on themselves being the only game in town and sole interpreters of the Bible, and as "executioners" of that right, they tried to wipe out all opposition to their twisted and beastly agendas.
This loss of the prophetic traditions is foreshadowed and explained in the Book of Samuel, Chapter 8, in the Bible, by the rejection of Samuel the "prophet of God", by the people of Israel, and the appointment of Saul as the first King of Israel. Samuel takes his complaint to the Lord and says "Lord, they are rejecting me”. The Lord says, "Obey the voice of the people in all they say to you, for it is not you they have rejected, they have rejected me from ruling over them. All they have done to me from the day I brought them out of Israel until now-they deserted me and served other gods-they are doing now to you. Well then, obey their voice; only, you must warn them solemnly and instruct them in the rights of the king who is to reign over them”.
All that Yahweh had said, Samuel repeated to the people who were asking him for a King. "These will be the rights of the king who is to rule over you. He will take your sons and assign them to his chariotry and cavalry, and they will run in front of his chariot. He will use them as leaders of a thousand and leaders of fifty: he will make them plough his plough land and harvest his harvest and make his weapons of war and the gear for his chariots. He will also take your daughters as perfumers, cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields, of your vineyards and olive groves, and give them to his officials. He will tithe your crops ands vineyards to provide for his eunuchs and his officials. He will take the best of your manservant's and maidservants of your cattle and your donkeys, and make them work for him. He will tithe your flocks and you yourselves will become his slaves.
When that day comes, you will cry out on account of the King you have chosen for yourselves, but on that day God will not answer you."
The people refused to listen to the words of Samuel. They said "No!, We want a King, so that we in our turn can be like the other nations; our king shall rule over us and be our leaader and fight our battles."
Then again with Samuel the prophet of Israel was rejected by the people because they wanted a king “like the other nations”
This event is a turning point in the history of Israel and represents the "longing of the people" (any people) to have a man rule over them, and to lord over them. (In this cosmic opera we are all singing and dancing in, Israel represents the nation of"everyman," our strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, generosity and covetous, devotion and rebelliousness) This decision on the part of the people, a rejection of the chain of command ordained by YAHWEH, and an adoption of the notion of the "demigod" or the strong "man as god" concept of rule, is an example of a weakness of the democratic ideal of "decisions made by the many" since the decisions can override the plans and purposes of their Creator. In short, the "Caesar Principle," that courses through our veins to this day. Whether he is called Pope, Priest, Pastor, Politician, or President, the notion of a spokesman acting on behalf of the body politic, commonwealth or group, is the separation that breaks the flow from the Godhead to the individual.(Lev, 20; 24-26 plus the map of skull) As God says, "I would that all Men were Prophets". So instead, the old axiom reigns "the people get what they deserve:" (the kind of government they deserve since they choose not to participate and push the tall fellows forward to rule in their stead.)
The following passages I have chosen from the amazing book,Loves Body, by Norman O. Brown, to further elaborate on the "tradition of men", of having a "representative man" speaking for and to the people, in the Church today. Norman O. Brown is an outstanding diagnostician of our troubled society, with a particular interest in the "prophetic tradition" and its mysterious demise in Christianity today.
Professor Brown describes in great detail, drawing mostly from a multitude of thinkers, philosophers, mystics, poets and thinkers throughout the ages, including the Holy Bible, the deep, unconscious, unrealized, motives we have for our "subconscious" insistence on placing men on pedestals, instead of establishing a personal relationship with God the Father, face to face, (I would that all men were prophets...God), by and through the Spirit of Jesus Christ. These deep unconscious spiritual roots, dangling at loose ends, in our souls, are waiting for the spiritual surgery necessary to reconnect us to the Godhead, the God of Abraham , Isaac, and Jacob of the Bible.
Here are some thoughts put in order by Professor Norman O Brown,
“Political society articulates itself and produces a Representative; and then is ready for history; tragedy; even as the chorus, the dance group, , articulates itself and produces the hero, the dying god. The chorus as a leader of the dance, the Couretes, the young men of the war dance have a Leading Man. More and more they differentiate themselves, make him their vicar. Their attitude becomes more and more one of contemplation. More and more they become spectators, of his action. Theatrically speaking, they become an audience; religiously speaking they become worshippers; he becomes a god. Gradually they lose all sense that the god is (in) themselves."He is utterly projected."
Harrison, Themis, 46, from N.O.. Browns LOVE'S BODY
The hero is a "collective ego" of the same substance as the chorus. "A Primary group is a number of individuals who have submitted one and the same object for their ego-ideal, and have consequently identified themselves with one another in their ego" (Freud); "By Covenant of every man with every other man , in such a manner, as if every man should say to every other man , "I Authorize and give up my right of Governing my selfe to this man" (Hobbes). The ego ideal of every man is projected into the representative who becomes the "authorized bearer of their Persons", the "publique soule." The self projection is a split in the self, or schizophrenia; a self -alienation, to confer all their power and strength upon one man", and therein to submit their wills , every one to His Will, and their judgments to his Judgment." It is a mental alienation; a permanent reduction of the self to a condition of tutelage, as in minors and madmen. And the madness is the self-commitment to an asylum. The representative body is an asylum for the soul substance of the group; a safety deposit bank, bearing the Person of them all." Primitive man takes his soul out of his body and deposits it for security in some snug spot," just as people deposit their money with a banker rather than carry it on their persons. "If he should discover some place of absolute security, he may be content to leave his soul there permanently. The advantage of this is that, as long as the soul remains unharmed in the place where he has deposited it, the man (thinks of) himself as immortal."
Freud, Group psychology, 80,. Hobbes, Leviathan, 143, 146, 287, cf. 507. Frazer, The Golden Bough, 688, 700.
. from LOVE'S BODY
The essence of Commonwealth is "One person of whose acts a great Multitude, by mutual covenants one with another , have made themselves every one the author. In authorizing the authorities we are the authors. We own their actions: "Every one to owne and acknowledge himself to be the author of whatsoever he that beareth their Person (Passion) shall act;" "For that which is speaking of goods and possessions is called an owner, speaking of Actions, is called Author." The boundary separating actor and spectator is a false one, concealing the deeper reality of the collective authorship. The multitude is many authors, of everything their representative saith, or doth in their name; "Every man giving their common Representer, Authority from himself in particular; and owning all the actions the Representer doeth."
Hobbes, Leviathan, 134, 137, 143. from LOVES BODY
The chorus is really the author. Their act is to repudiate responsibility; this is part of the net of lies in which they entangle the hero, their bull, their victim. This is what Freud calls their "refined hypocrisy", as they say, Not unto us O Lord, Not unto us, but unto thy name. The hypocrisy of the chorus makes them too an actor (hypocrites)
Freud, Totem and Taboo, 156, Psalm XCV, 1. from LOVE'S BODY
The chorus identifies with the hero; he is their vicar; in whose actions they take vicarious pleasure The hero is "created to perform deeds to which the community would like to perform but which are forbidden to it." Their vicar also in vicarious punishment; their victim , the scapegoat, the lamb which takes away their sins; through whom they obtain vicarious redemption. Vicarious redemption: the deed is both theirs and not theirs. On this self-contradiction, this hypocrisy, this illusion, representative institutions ( political and religious government) is based.
Friedman and Gassel, "The Chorus in Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus,"225. from LOVE'S BODY
In vicarious experience there is both identification and distance. The mediator is to keep reality at a distance, to keep the multitude in remote contact with reality. Hobbes saw the paradigm in Exodus XX, 18-19: "And all the people saw the thundering , and the lightning's, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountains shaking ; and when they saw it they removed and stood far off. And they said unto Moses, speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us lest we die." Representative institutions depend on the distance separating the people from the actors on the stage; the distance which permits both identification and detachment; which makes for a participation without action; which establishes the detached observer, whose participation consists in seeing and is restricted to seeing; whose body is restricted to the eyes. Everything which is merely seen is seen through a windowpane; (for now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face we shall see even as we are seen, 2 Cor. 3;18), distantly, and purely: a pure aesthetic experience. Representative institutions depend on the aesthetic illusion of distance.
Hobbes, Leviathan, 453.Cf. Psychoanalytic Explorations in Art, 40, 201-203, 209,256. Richard, Mellarme'. from N.O.Brown, LOVES BODY
The detached observer, who participates without action, is the passive spectator. The division of citizens into politically active and passive is the major premise of modern political (party) organization The detached observer is also the major premise of the Lockean or Cartesian mind, waxen tablets for passive impressions: "the mistake in empiricist theories of perception has been the representation of human beings as passive observers receiving impressions from the outside.
Hampshire, Thought and action, 47. Cf. Schattschneider, Party Government, p.52,58.Turbayne, the myth of metaphor, 205. from LOVES BODY
The detached observer: subject and object distanciated; the subject -object dualism. The dualism that distunciates subject and object , allows the subject only pictures; the first effect of the "influencing machine" to which schizophrenics imagine themselves plugged in-the Cartesian world as machine- is to make the patient see pictures , "something like a diluted reel of film in my brain." Pictures , spectral images on the inside, which represent external reality to the subject. Cognition then, as well as politics, is mediated through representative institutions. Correspondence is then a relation of likeness, or copying or intuition, between internal image and external reality; instead of correspondence as sympathy, or action at a distance, or active participation; methexis and not minesis . The principal reason which Levy-Bruhl, Durkheim, and others assign for the fact that primitives do not perceive with the same minds as ours, is that in the act of perception, they are not detached as we are." Primitive participation, participation mystique , is self and not self identified in the moment of experience. "Primitive mentality" involves participation an extrasensory link between the participant and the perceived; a telepathy which we have disowned.
Roheim, Magic and Schizophrenia, 110, 165. Barfield, Saving the Appearances, 31; cf. 32-34. Cf. Tausk, The Influencing Machin in Schizophrenia."N.O. Brown, LOVE'S BODY
The spectator whose participation is restricted to seeing, who is passive, is held in passivity by what he sees; he is spellbound or hypnotized. In Yeats vision, "Locke sank into a swoon." "The garden died". McLuhan says, "The Lockean swoon was the hypnotic trance induced by stepping up the visual component in experience until it filled the field of attention." Psychologists define hypnosis as the filling of attention by one sense only. At such a moment "the garden" dies". That is the garden indicates "the interplay of all the senses in Hepatic harmony." The garden is polymorphism of the senses, polymorphous perversity, active interplay; and the opposite of polymorphous perversity is the abstraction of the visual, obtained by putting to sleep the rest of the life of the body. The pure knowing subject of modern philosophy, winged cherub without a body, is in a swoon, or dream. Like the spectators in the traditional theater, as perceived by Brecht:"They sit together like men who are asleep , but have unquiet dreams. True they have their eyes wide open. But they don't watch , they stare. They don't hear, they are transfixed. They look at the stage as if bewitched." Or in liturgy , when participation consists in attendance at a spectacle in which a priest enacts a dramatic representation of the Passion. In representative institutions there is always subjection to the visual image; idolatry.
McLuhan, Guttenburg Galaxy, 17. Brecht, "A Little Organon for the theater," 22. from LOVE'S BODY
Our representative keeps us hypnotized: "The command to sleep in hypnosis is nothing g more or less than an order to withdraw all interest from the world and to concentrate it upon the person of the hypnotist," The power of the hypnotist is of the same nature as the mana or majesty of kings; (or Popes, priests, pastors and politicians ) it is based on the magical property of a look. "The hypnotist then is supposed to be in possession of this power; and how does he manifest it? By telling the subject to look him in the eyes; his most typical method of hypnotizing is by his look. But it is precisely the sight of the chieftain that is dangerous and unbearable for primitive people, just as later the Godhead is for mortals. Even Moses had to act as an intermediary between his people and Jehovah, since the people could not support the sight of God; and when he returned from the presence of God his face shone-some of the mana (manna) had been transferred on to him, just as happens with the intermediary among primitive people." (to a much lesser degree) italics mine.
Freud, Group Psychology, 96. Roheim, Animism, 149-150.
from LOVE'S BODY
Identification with the representative person we "look up to", takes place through the eye. In psychoanalytic jargon, the superego is based on "incorporation through the eye" or "oracular interjection", it is the sight of a parental figure that becomes a permanent part of us and that now supervises us, watches us. In other words, the superego is derived from the primal scene.
A tragic example of the application of what I call the Caesar Principle is in what is passing as Christianity today, where you have thousands of disparate groupings of people calling themselves followers of Jesus or Christians, who really in fact "follow the leader", like the game we played as kids. Whatever the leader says or does we are expected to do and say or else we are out of the game. If this Saturday we are going to march in a parade of protest against an abortion clinic or next Saturday march in support of Desert Storm then that's the activity that is expected for the members to support and follow their leaders with. Another food offered to the false idols that holds the flocks together are "special doctrines" taught by the leaders. Whole churches, church organizations and denominations, clustered around a pitiful and meager handful of pet doctrines to create exclusivity as their mark of identification. It's more an exercise in "we are different (read better) then them," attitude, totally contrary to what Jesus says, "Come, all that are thirsty, and I will give you water to drink". Let's not even talk about the racism that prevails in the churches. When black folks were not welcomed in white churches because of the differences in their color, culture, and life style, they had to organize themselves into their own churches and organizations ,as we have today. That game sucks!
The New Testament is very clear on the subject of Church government and Church leadership. God knows only too well, mans' weakness for the demigod to rule over him, so, He installed safeguards to guarantee the SURE FOUNDATION and building up of the True Church, His Sons House, His Sons' Bride, His Body. In every local church, as the church was in the process of being formed or "called out," of their particular nation, as the governance of the new converts required more and more administrative oversight, you had elders appointed as overseers. You had a plurality of leadership, in harmony with each other, operating as a team, yoked together, submitted to each other in Love and Humility. You have a group of Elders with no one man as head and all strictly forbidden to act as the head. Following that way, the believers will see more distinctly the Lord as the True and only Head of the Body. They will learn to trust the Lord. Follow the Lord, Hear His voice more easily, and not have confidence in the flesh of the elders, but to pray for them always, since they too are just sinners saved by grace themselves, lest any should grow boastful and self righteous.
The main impediment to the most powerful revival this nation or any nation has ever experienced is the so called leaders. I wonder if they are illiterate or what in the world do they think when they read the New Testament to figure out how to form a local church..because..
The word Pastor is not in the New Testament for you Protestant and Catholic Bible scholars, (?), students, (?), out there, the plural form of the word appears in the entire New Testament once only, "pastors" as a description of one of the five separate and distinct offices or functions or expressions of the group of elders as defined in Ephesians 4;11, "And to some, his gift, (to thechurch) was that hey should be, (1)apostles, (2) prophets, to some, (3) evangelists, to some, (4)pastors, and (5 )teachers.
The word eiders appears over sixty (60) times in the New Testament for you slow at learning, hard of hearing, or visually challenged, (read blind.) I count five different, distinct offices, don't you? Five different types of manifestations of the Spirit through your TEAM, or pool of elders or "overseers", That doesn't imply there should only be five principal elders either, Five is not a magic number, there may be two prophets, seven evangelists, three pastors and four teachers for example, the number five is to show the various manifestations or channels of the Spirit, moving through the local (holy) ground or LOCALE, (example Church of Ephesus, Church of Corinth, Church of Rome, Church of San Francisco, Church of Topeka, Church of Dallas, Church of Singapore, Church of Moscow, Church of Peking, Church of Paris, Church of London, and so forth and so on) each local church is necessary , in odder to form a healthy limb of the One True Body, the Universal Church Triumphant. The five fold ministry is likened to the five fingers on the hand of God in the "local" Church, as an appendage of the larger mystical and corporate body. Let's get it right for once before the Lord returns. Let's really present Him a Church that is united under the banner of Love and Unity of the Spirit operating in unison under One Head, that follows the model given to us in the Bible, written by the Holy Spirit through the Apostles and built on the Blood of the Saints during the birth pangs of the Church almost two thousand years ago. Not this ugly, man made, tradition bound, hundred thousand headed hydra strutting around the globe as the Lords Church. I think the title "Practicing Christians" is a very appropriate term, they are still just "practicing". Well, they have been practicing for too long now. It's at least time for a Recital.
It's time to take inventory of what we call ourselves and what we claim to the world is His Church, lest the Lord returns suddenly, like a thief in the night, and says "I don't know you " it's time the Spirit of the "Fear of the Lord", falls on His Church and brings a new honesty and integrity and holy seriousness to the fore Let's admit to and face squarely, the divisiveness, shallowness, self rightousness, rascist, sexist, and materialistic condition of the modern corporate thing called "The Church", brothers and sisters, and insist that we and our so called leaders repent! , and fall on our faces before God, and cry out for forgivness for the sin and sham of Denomenationalism, Sectarianism, Cultism, Catholicism, Protestantism, Adventism, Mormonism Jehovah Witnessism, Non Denominationalism, Racism, etc. etc. etc. Ad Nauseam. I dare you!
“If my people, whom I have named my own, submit and pray to me and seek my face, and turn back from their evil ways, I will hear fro Heaven, forgive their sins and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 14.
It is groossly appearant that the church is neglecaing it's basic and fundamental God given responability of being HIS people, to create a unified, loving, harmonious Body and community of witnesses, and a vessel for the Spirit to incarnate in, to show the world His Sons' shining Face of Love, Kindness, Forgiveness, Power, and Absolute Authority, to a dark and fallen world.
What we have instead of Gods plan for Church government is what exists today as the "Caeser Principle", one man, usually called Pastor in the Protestant format, ( a "petite pope", quite like the Roman Catholic Church they broke away from, and hurriedly copied, without quite as much pomp and circumstance, but the same in principle.) that presides at each service as the voice of spiritual authority, inspiration, instructiuon and correction. A token board of Cardinals and Crows sits behind him, cheering him on or punishing him if he gets "out of line".Efficient, orderly, economical, handsome, hypnotic, but unbiblical. Patterned after the worlds way of governing but not Gods way. The real power of the church, the Spirit of Prophecy, is left at the doorstep ,or at best,allowed to manifest at the whim of the hierarchy until it is quenched if the people get "out of hand," and realize they are all potential Prophets and Kings (and Queens), with no one needed to lord over them but the Lord Himself. So what we have today instead, is a perfectly convenient model, for the Antichrist Spirit to slip in and take over the church surreptitiously, since the people are programmed to accept the customary tableau without question.It is simply "traditions of men" being perpetuated by the momentum of a "central" government of sectarianism and denominationalism, which at its root is money money money... yes money. In case you diden't beleive your eyes money; real estate values, investment portfolios, salaries, retirement plans, bonuses, popular acclaim, Mercedes Benz'z, political clout, usually from the Political Far Right, fitting perfectly the "Fascist Agenda," which is defined as the Wedding of the Corporate State with the Church, lock step, perfectly at ease and in harmony with the anthem of the "Fourth Reich" and the New World Order. Sieg Heil ! Uber Alles?????
Ubtil the creation of the United States, the Declaration of
Independence, Bill of Rights and the Constitution, the political/religious authority was bound up in the King (Caeser principle) tradition. It thrived in and dominated the Western world throughout most of our history. Now, in theory, we no longer have a King, but in fact, the office of President, with the cooperation of the Congress and the blind Judicial system, has gradually eroded the "New Order of the Ages" (established by the Brotherhood,) until today the President governs by "fiat" again. (Harry S Truman spooks the government and establihes the National Security Agency and the CIA in an end run around the snoozing populace and Congress, ZZZZZzzzzzzzzz, sound asleep in their belief that Fascism and Hitler were dead. (NOT) Executive, National Security Memos, now can commit the sleeping citizenry to wars and global "racist" policies, as was done in our ten year national anguish called Viet Nam, as we poured innocent blood over the steaming jungle villages of Southeast Asia, in a psychedelic and frenzied Apocalypse, then and now.
The powers that took charge of the United States government after World War Two, the last Rightous (ala Augestine) real world war, created a "smoke and mirrors" shift in our attention, like the magician that has you looking "over there" while he tricks you with his other hand where you are not looking, behind your back. ":The shift" was to focus all our attention on the "threat" of Communism and Socialism ,so we would forget the "continuing " threat of Fascism that went underground until the "heat was off". Many of the Nazi elite were secretly and "illegally" brought into the United States and secretly and Illegally given new positions of power and authority within the bureacracy of the secret elitist, "unelected" government, hidden behind the closed closet doors of the National Security State and its satellite agencies all over the world.. (More on this later),. Governments come and go, administrations as well, but the agendas of the NSA (National Security Agency, CIA, National Security Council,and other less public agencies hidden within the Federal Government ,behind Black Budgets, secret and invisable from the prying eyes of you and I) continue, undetected, and free to perform their own unconstitutional agendas. (elaborate on the loss of freedoms) According to the Declaration of Independence, it is incumbant on the citizenry to closely monitor the actions of their leaders or risk the loss of their Liberties, de facto. With the establishment of the "National Security State, the "secret" state within the state, the Constitution was secretly shredded, and violated, and a coup d'etat occured. The United States is really being governed by an unelected unprincipled, covert and secret bureauracracy, floating above the huffing and puffing heads of our "duly elected" (sound of canned laughter, read, bought and paid for by the corporate elite) Congressional, Executive, and the Judicial bodies, like dark Avenging Angels.
We the People... are cut off from the decision making process entirely. If "they" want a war in Viet Nam, and the President does not cooperate, they assasinate him and install their "hand crafted in Texas", puppet to "Face the Nation" and take the heat. The Multi- National Corporations One World economic system is guarded and advanced by the National Security State, and whoever gets in their way, be he President, Politician, or John Q. Public, is soon eliminated, disgraced, or bought out.
There is a cost incurred when you shop for freedom.
THE PRICE OF LIBERTY IS ETERNAL VIGILENCE.
Senator Joseph R. McCarthy, with the cooperation of all the major media whores, (talk about a conspiracy), grabbed the attention of the American people, in a choke hold with one hand, while through the backdoor, the Nazis that "The Keepers" chose to spawn new schools of piranhas in our National “body politics” bloodstream, were waved in with the other hand, (without their green cards), into the inner sanctum of the government bureaucracy, to occupy their new desks and reestablish their agendas all over the world , to prepare for the sequel to the Third Reich, the Ffffourth.
Joseph R.McCarthy, as a Freshman United States. Senator from the State of Wisconsin, argued on behalf of Nazi War Criminals, that had been sentenced to death or long prison sentences, for their crimes, including the massacre of unarmed, U.S. Army prisoners of war, in the town of Malmedy in Belgium, during the last major confrontation with the Nazis at The Battle of the Bulge. After a brief period of Congressional "hard of hearings" and the trumpeting of the Press, McCarthy, and the “beastly brain trust” languishing in their “unholy” inner sanctum, deep in the bowels of the U.S., Governments' bureaucrazy. eventually suceeded in having them all released, and their sentences commuted. None of them ewere executed or served out there sentences for their crimes, thanks to Joseph McCarthy, the darling of the Right, and the United States Press,in concert with the Congressional leaders (looters) at that time and the silent, snoring, sound asleep, church.
The bulk of the rest of the Nazi "management team", had scattered to their "predesignated" sanctuaries all over the world. Sanctuaries in Spain, Egypt, Syria, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, as well as the United States, had been quietly created by Hitler for his strategic retreat and safe Exodus of most of his demonic vempire, in the slickest con job in the history of planet earth. The Vatican assisted the Con, by secretly and quickly dressing the principal Nazi Warlords in their appropiately black, priestly garments from the wardrobe closets in Rome, to enable the entire ensemble to pass unoticed from the stage of the Second War For the World, to start rehearsals for the next song and dance extravaganza; "The Destruction of Godless Communism by the Noo-Ffascist West, Cha Cha Cha." Starring Caeser in his centuries-old role as warrior against socialism and the sharing of the means of production with the people that actually produce it.
Let's study for a moment Hitler's strategy used to gradually indoctrinate and "program" the entire nation of Germany to accept him as the Father of the Motherland. Just a quick look at the recent past to make sure we won't repeat it, because, "those that neglect to study the past are doomed to repeat it", Okay? And besides, Doom has such a final ring to it.
At this point I shall defer to the expert on Fascism and ppolitical leadership in the application of the Caeser Principle, none other then the man himself, the incomparable Mr. Fascism, Adolf Hitler (sound of roaring applause) I will show you how he hoodwinked the whole nation of Germany and nearly hoodwinked the entire world, and continues to hoodwink us to this day. His Agenda is still operating, with or without his directions, because it is so succesful and it is the agenda of Babylon the Great, the whore that has for centuries grown fat and strong in her riches and spleandor, by her persistent use of the Caeser Principle.
Let’s look at the New Teatamment to see what the attitide was about church leadership
Acts 18:24-28
Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately. When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
Acts 19:1-7
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" "John's baptism," they replied. Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.There were about twelve men in all.
so we have an example here in the early church of a man named Apollos, called of God, iinstrumental in preaching and teaching and organizing the early church and so had developed a good reputation among the leaders and apostles but Paul still warned against following him to the exclusion of the other annointed leaders, himself included.
1 Corinthians 1:10-13
I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?
Well that should put to the forefront the hazards of following any one man to the exclusion of the other “elders” in your midst. Of course we need to first appont elders in every church that proclaims they believe the bible is the “Word of G O D” and not Uncle T O M (Traditions of Men)
The New Testament is very clear on the subject of Church government and Church leadership. God knows only too well, mans' weakness for promoting the demigod to rule over him, so, He installed safeguards to guarentee the only SURE FOUNDATION and building up, of the True Church, His Sons House, His Sons' Bride, His Body. In every local church, as the church was in the process of being formed or "called out," of their particular nation, as the governence of the new converts required more and more administrtive oversight, you had elders appointed as overseers. You had a plurality of leadership, in harmony with each other, operating as a team, yoked together, submitted to each other in Love and Humility. You have a group of Elders with no one man as head and all strictly forbidden to act as the head. Following that way, the believers will see more clearly and distinctly the Lord himself and His person o, as the True and only Head of the Body in their midst. They will learn to trust the Lord, follow the Lord, hear His voice more easily, and not have confidence in the flesh of the elders, but to pray for them always, since they too are just sinners saved by grace themselves, lest any should grow boastful and self rightous.
Let's get it right for once before the Lord returns. Let's really present Him a Church that is united under the banner of Love and Unity of the Spirit operating in unison under One Head, that follows the model given to us in the Bble, written by the Holy Spirit through the Apostles and built on the Blood of the Saints during the birth pangs of the Church almost two thousand years ago. Not this ugly, man made, tradition bound, hundred thousand headed hydra passing itself off as the Lords Church. I think the title"Practicing Christians" is a very appropiate term, they are still just "practicing". Well, they have been practicing for too long now. It's at least time for a Recital.
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