Living Sacrifices
1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his[b]faith. 7If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
Love
9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[c] Do not be conceited.
17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"[d]says the Lord. 20On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."[e] 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
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Psalm of Ascents - Ps122 verse3: Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together . KJV.
Fifteen Steps Out by Bob Mumford -1969
The new Jerusalem is being built now.And of what is it being built? Living Stones. You and me. A pile of stones does not make a building.A minister asked me to come and see his church.He had 1200 members,he said. So I went.But I didn't see a church.I saw 1200 stones. I said,"Beautiful stones, when are you going to start building?"
He said,"What do you mean?" I said,"The stones have to be chipped,fitted and builded."
He said," You should meet Sister Smith, she is very spiritual." I said, "She is? Who is she spiritual with?"
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Paul Noble referred recently in Prophetic Voice to God telling him that this was a year when there would be a synergy in teachings and revelation across the Body of Christ.
I referred last year to how the Body of Christ is built by each person supplying. That the whole Holy Spirit realm once we enter the Holy place is built by the Holy Spirit working through each believer's gift. Ern Baxter describes the 1 Corinthians pattern as "everyone hatha"...so everyone hath a gift for the upbuilding one of another. And by some miraculous means God weaves these contributions together week by week in a meeting into a glorious whole. So each week we practice ....totteringly...to walk the 3rd level walk...of Christ as Me...initially in meetings...then as we grow stronger and more confident...we export this walk to the highways and byways of daily living.
So far so good.
The Fall left us corporately in tatters. We took on the nature of our father the devil...who is pretty disjointed and dysfunctional himself. We only related to others in as far as they could scratch our back. The nature of the devil's family is disjointed, split into schisms...Paul calls it "party spirit"....and in our early Christian life we import that into the church. So we say "I am of Apollos, I am of Paul. I am of Rob Rufus. I am of Benny Hinn." Paul says when we are mature we know all the people are there for all of us!!!! But by then our spirit has expanded to be able to take "some" of Mark Driscoll, with loads of Rob Rufus. With a topping of gazillions of historic saints too.
The Devil, like the Family that bears his resemblance, the Mafia, rules by fear. And rules from the top of a pyramid. Which ofcourse is where he likes to refer to himself as No.1.
While young in the Lord, and without the severe breakings which smash this out of our system, we import the same pyramids into the churches we are in. Who me? But I am so nice. Yes Me.
The third level is all about the Mystery of Syn. God's life miraculously synchronises all of us into a seamless whole. Somehow he takes all our backgrounds , cultures and nationalities and ages, and works us into a Body, a Temple prepared out in the quarries...then without a sound, fitted together first in meetings, then in our localities....then as the pattern catches on...the glory will link up like loads of rain puddles finding each other and joining into one mass of water. But that's for another post on the subject of piano tuning and harmonisation. (A Little clue there!)
After the last post, you would have thought I'd got all the stuff out of my system! But no, as I was tuning, I really sensed I should press home on this.
I was saying that many super anointed ministries, who have served God faithfully for years...are kind of operating in a 2nd level pattern. A talking heads operation!. God Channel is filled with it.
Morris Cerullo tries to bring in diversity by getting 10-20 of the most anointed current speakers to help bring teaching in a short sharp intense training session called "School of Ministry".
The issue is this! It's artificial! It's not organic. And the world can smell a rat!
Local churches are organic. They are real! Real life lived out for the better or worse!!
Trouble is...they haven't a clue about the 3rd level. So doing stuff as churches usually resorts to puppet shows. Singing choruses in the streets. Whipping together a few girls who like contemporary dance....oh we know all the tricks don't we!!!
So that doesn't work either...well not in a proper New testament sense.
Ministries of God at the moment, apart from Jerry Savelle, Kenneth Copeland, Jesse Duplantis, hardly ever relate together. They can be super anointed on a platform together. But they don't actually like each other. Not for every day purposes.
Believe me I am talking out of reality. Few of you have lived 24/7 for 6 years in a Christian Community....and 10 or more years in a less committed structural lifestyle. So right now, you can just shutup and say ...on this matter at least...yes Chris!
So franchising out 2nd level ministries that haven't the first clue about
living together extensively
of praying each other free
of bearing with one another as the yuk surfaces, the hurts hurt,
and seeing each other through
hmmm... do you see why I take a lot of what is out there with a big pinch of salt!
Especially "warehouse churches".
Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus, Lord Jesus, I just pray that that precious church in Hong Kong does not become just another "warehouse church". Lord she is so precious in your eyes. if there is anything in Rob of the Pyramid builder still left in him...deal with that man...so the precious, precious truths on grace lead to more Holy Spirit power in the whole church...and to a life lived that means Hong Kong never have to smell a rat! But are saved in glorious "knit together quantities!" Amen.
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