It was interesting to hear what Bruce Ames, senior scientist at the Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute in California, recently stated about the unproven assertion pesticides on food are harmful to human beings.
According to Ames, the idea of not eating fruits and vegetables because of fear of pesticides, or not eating them in general, would be far more harmful to people than a small amount of pesticide on the food.
Ames also struck out at the assertion organic fruits and vegetables are safer.
He said, "If you ask the public what is causing cancer, they'll say it's the pesticides on fruits and vegetables, but that's the wrong message to give people. To me, the real risks are eating a bad diet, even if you just take obesity."
"Environmentalists hate me because I'm saying everything they've been passionate about for years is wrong. I think pesticides are good for the environment because you're getting more food out of less land and they're not giving you cancer at the level you're getting them."
In what would surprise most people, the majority of experts agree with Ames that it is better to eat fruits and vegetables of any kind, than to fore go them in lieu of fears of the effects of pesticides. That is more unhealthy than the latter.
Contrary to media reports, there is very little evidence pesticides on fruit and vegetables cause health problems.
Ames adds, that there are natural pesticides on every plant, which account for over 100 chemicals or more, which the plants have a a defense against predators. These account for over 99 percent of all the chemicals we consume, claims Ames, as are just as apt to cause cancer as synthetic pesticides are, according to studies.
"When you eat broccoli, you make compounds that work the same as dioxins" and bind the same receptor, Ames said. "When you compare the amounts, it seems like you should worry about broccoli. The whole thing didn't seem plausible."
The bottom line for Christians is to continue to be very skeptical of reports and studies which always have behind them more government control and centralized authority. This is even more dangerous to your health than anything else.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011
In this article, we'll look at what T. Austin-Sparks considered traits a properly functioninglocal Church must have if it is a true one. To me it's obvious that this will happen over time, and it has to be worked on to come to this state.
But having said that, as Sparks has said, if Christ has required it, then it is attainable. That's where he focuses on the need for heavenly resources and a deep work of the cross. Without either one, the attempt will be futile.
Here's Sparks take on functioning, local churches:
That last statement on the cross is so understated and vast, it will be treated separately in another series. The deep work of the cross in the lives of believers must happen in order to a local church to effectively reveal and release the life of Christ.
But having said that, as Sparks has said, if Christ has required it, then it is attainable. That's where he focuses on the need for heavenly resources and a deep work of the cross. Without either one, the attempt will be futile.
Here's Sparks take on functioning, local churches:
The Local Expression of the Church
BEFORE leaving our consideration of the Church, I feel strongly that I should say a few things of vital importance as to a true local expression of the Church. I know only too well how difficult it is to find or secure any such true expression, but that is no reason why we should abandon the whole matter: rather is it a pointer to its value, for history and experience have shown that this is one thing that is of very great account where the adversary of Christ is concerned. To prevent or destroy such expressions has always been a major concern of the powers of evil. The true Church, universal and local, is a very great menace to the kingdom of Satan. This we have emphasised in earlier chapters. But let us summarise:
(1) The importance of the Church in local expressions
We must first remind ourselves that a solid block of the New Testament was written specifically to local churches; which churches had been the first result of apostolic ministry. That ministry, and all the suffering involved, had been vindicated in local corporate bodies of believers. It was for those churches that the apostles travailed, laboured, prayed and fought. The bulk of the New Testament had its
supreme concern for such assemblies which, themselves, had known great sufferings in their very birth, and were in "a great fight of affliction" for their continuance and survival.
Then we must remember that the Lord's own personal concern for, and evaluation of local churches is made very evident by His direct messages to the seven churches in Asia with which the book of finalities (Revelation) commences. There is no mistaking the importance to the exalted Lord of local churches when we read those messages, the focal point of which is a clause in one of them "These things saith the Son of God." The Psalmist Would say: "Selah" -- "think of that!"
(2) This importance is to be seen in the specific values of a local assembly, when rightly functioning (a) Here the principle that "No man liveth unto himself, and no man dieth unto himself" (Romans 14:7) is enunciated in relation to the
local church in the messages to the churches in Asia. It is said of the church in Ephesus that through them "all they which be in Asia heard the word of the Lord" (Acts 19:10 -- see 1 Thessalonians 1:8).
It should be impossible for a local assembly of God's people to exist without it being known over an area far greater than its own locality. A living company will, sooner or later, be known abroad for what it has of the Lord.
(b) To enlarge on this, a local church should have, not only enough spiritual bread for itself, but basketfulls over to spare, and many beyond its borders should be receiving enrichment from its spiritual wealth. Is this not so very evident in history? Have not the Lord's people been feeding down the ages unto this day upon the bread ministered to and through those New Testament churches? Is it not true that multitudes have been fed, and are still being fed by the food ministered in local churches in many places in the last century? So the Lord would have it. The church which only ministers to itself and does not do so to the Church at large is committing a sin against the trust of life; it is a cul-de-sac, not a highway. Of course, it is particularly important that the ministry in a local church is truly
anointed ministry. Not by man's appointment, selection or decision from either side. Not by studied-up and made-up addresses, but by illumination and inspiration as through an open heaven. Not just keeping something going as a must, but by revelation of Jesus Christ. It must be evident to all that those leading and ministering are under a genuine burden from the Lord, and the evidence is life!
(c) The local church should, and can be a refuge, a covering, a protection to its own members. One of Satan's master-tactics is to isolate believers and then knock them out. This can be done by unwise and independent action, choices, movements, uncounselled decisions.
The church by its prayers, and counsel, and fellowship is a Divine provision against the tragedies which lie in the way of independence and isolation. Co-operation and coordination in the physical body are a provision and a law against many diseases. So it is in the spiritual body corporate.
(d) The local church should provide personal ministries to the Lord's people, and to the unsaved near and far, and it should provide an encompassing safeguard and support for the fulfilment of such ministries. Those who go forth in the church's ministry should know that they are being upheld and stood with by those from amongst whom they have gone. Indeed, they should go as sent forth by the church!
The lack and absence of these characteristics in local companies is the cause of much weakness in the Church universal.
(e) Finally, a local church rightly functioning is a wonderful provision for the training of its members for service. Training is so largely a matter of being able to work corporately. How to live and work with others, and to sink individualism into fellowship, is a real part of the discipline which makes a fruitful ministry!
There is a real danger in departmentalism; the separation into isolated groups, so that these groups do not come into the corporate life and function of the church. It is possible to have groups associated with a local church which really have no true church life.
This means weakness and loss. Moreover, the local church should be its own Bible School, for systematic instruction in the Word of God.
Careful reading of the Bible, especially the New Testament, will show that what we have said above is all there as exhortation, admonition, warning, instruction, and example.
Were I to add one more vital and all-inclusive thing, I would say that the absolute essential to such churches is a real work of the Cross in everyone concerned.
That last statement on the cross is so understated and vast, it will be treated separately in another series. The deep work of the cross in the lives of believers must happen in order to a local church to effectively reveal and release the life of Christ.
Friday, August 26, 2011
In this article we'll look at what Sparks finally says on what he considers the essential features of a true local Church.
He says:
To me the key element talked about by Sparks is in the teaching being personified in a people. We are after all a people being read by all men. If we in deed personify, or have Christ manifested in our lives, it will be of great glory to Him on behalf of those doing the reading, as well as meet His purpose and demands for the reasons for the local Church in the first place, which is to embody Christ.
He says:
THE ESSENTIAL FEATURES OF A TRUE LOCAL CHURCH?
We are seeking to keep close and true to the overall principle that the Church -- universal and local -- is called to be an expression of Christ. It is impossible to read the New Testament without seeing that the presence of Christ anywhere was the presence of
1. Heavenly light and power
This we have just indicated as the basis of His judgment of churches (in Revelation 1-3).
With Him it was not only the light of teaching or doctrine. It was teaching personified. There was the teaching incarnated in manhood. His teaching and His works were one. It was very practical light! It was light from another world. If the stars ruled the night they did so by the reflected light of the sun. If the churches are to have the power of truth it must be because they give a rebound of Christ upon human darkness. A local expression of Christ should mean that there is effective light, both for the Lord's people (the candlesticks) and for the world (the stars). The people who have contact with such a local church should feel the power of the teaching, should be affected by it, and it should be fruitful in them. This is not only a test, but it is a testimony to what the Lord has provided for. A people living in the good of the heavenly light received through that vessel? Is sin rebuked and exposed? Are sinners convicted? Do the perplexed get understanding in that presencing of Christ?
2. Heavenly life
The Lord said that His very coming into this world was "that they might have life". Therefore, His presence in a locality by means of the church there should mean that all who come and go register a heavenly livingness. Not just excitableness, noise, activity, etc., but a life which is not of this world. There are not dead forms and customs. There is nothing in a rut. Life is mediated by all that has a
place and a part. There is a spiritual lift as of resurrection life! No depression!
3. Heavenly food
Yet again, as we have seen earlier, the presence of Christ meant bread for the hungry. The very "compassion" of Christ meant that He could not bear to have people come hungry and go away the same. A true local expression of Christ will mean that that company of His people will have, not only enough for themselves, but the margin, or overflow to all the hungry -- spiritually hungry. That will be a house of bread where none ever fails to be fed. The food will not be just localized, but will be ministered to many beyond.
4. Heavenly fellowship
An impressive feature of Christ when personally present among men was the way He transcended the things which divide men in this world. He made no attempt to make everyone and everything uniform by organization, institution, denomination, class, category, forms, systems, etc. Every type and temperament, if free from prejudice and hypocrisy and of open heart and conscious of spiritual need, found a common ground of fellowship and oneness in Him. He just rose above the dividing things, and in response to Him people found that things which had separated them just vanished. Christ became their common ground.
Thus should it be in any local corporate expression of Christ. Questions of association, denomination, sect, tradition, etc., should not arise, but just vanish in the presence of the warmth of fellowship and entire occupation with Christ. The only effective way of true unity, heavenly fellowship, is that of the higher than earthly ground -- the love of heaven.
5. Heavenly order
All the four things which we have mentioned as characteristic of a true local expression of the Church and of Christ will be helped or hindered by the presence or absence of a heavenly, spiritual order. All appointments, positions, "offices", should be by the definite witness of the Holy Spirit; not by man's choosing, whether by others or by the person's ambition. As the result of much prayer by the church it should be manifest where anointing and gift rests, so that the function of those in any position of leadership should definitely mean that the church is inspired, strengthened and built up. Failing this heavenly order, there will exist an element of artificiality, a straining to make something and keep it going. The highest level of genius will fall far short of the smallest measure of Divine inspiration. It is this Divine inspiration that determines all Divine service and functions. There is no effort or strain where the anointing rests, but spontaneity and liberty and unction. Oil has ever been a symbol of the Holy Spirit, and where He is things should move as in oil.
This is not at all an impossible standard, but the normal expression of the Lordship and Headship of Christ.
What God requires He makes possible.
To me the key element talked about by Sparks is in the teaching being personified in a people. We are after all a people being read by all men. If we in deed personify, or have Christ manifested in our lives, it will be of great glory to Him on behalf of those doing the reading, as well as meet His purpose and demands for the reasons for the local Church in the first place, which is to embody Christ.
Sparks dealt strongly with what he termed as people in a "false position," referring to those who believed they had been saved, but in fact were more than likely not, as their lives showed forth no fruit to confirm the assertion.
He mentions this in relationship to the local church, where in our modern day a Church can be comprised of many people not born again of the Spirit, but still be considered as a brother.
Sparks said this about being too inclusive or too exclusive:
As for the inclusive, exclusive issue, a Church can't even be a Church if it isn't comprised of those with the supernatural experience of being born from above, or born again from above, which is the more full meaning of the words in the Greek.
The Church universal, and by extension, locally, has become a gathering of a spurious group of people that may or may not be saved, and that of course generates many of the problems we have in our day in what is wrongly identified as Churches.
He mentions this in relationship to the local church, where in our modern day a Church can be comprised of many people not born again of the Spirit, but still be considered as a brother.
Sparks said this about being too inclusive or too exclusive:
The part of the New Testament which most specifically brings the Church into view uses such words as: "The exceeding greatness of his power which is to usward who believe."
We have far from understood the terrific thing that was involved in the death and resurrection of Christ in order to secure the Church unto God!
Surely we have said enough already to do one or two very -- supremely -- important things.
Firstly, to show what the true Church is according to the New Testament revelation. If this is not a misapprehension of that revelation, it must be a very discriminating thing; that is, it must reveal a very great difference between the true Church, on one side, and that immense umbrella which goes by the name on the other side, an umbrella under which have gathered so many institutions and conflicting conceptions.
It should be a corrective of two extremes. The extreme of a too great an inclusiveness which overlooks the fundamental and essential nature of the supernatural, of which we have spoken: the supernatural in the new birth from heaven of every individual in the Church. Also a corrective of the opposite extreme of an unscriptural exclusiveness, which makes Christ smaller than He really is in excluding from fellowship truly born-again believers on the ground of some particular technique of 'protection', or some specific interpretation of truth.
Further, if what we have said is a true definition of the Church and its nature, then, surely, it explains loss of power, of impact, of supernatural influence, and it explains the confusion, the poverty of spiritual food for hungry sheep, and the scatteredness which is Satan's special strategy to rob the Church of its vocation to take the Kingdom and reign!
The explanation is that the great power of utter dependence upon God, which is the categorical demand of God for the showing of His own glory, has been surrendered to recourse to the world for means, methods, fashions, etc., to make God's work 'successful'. Satan is not
one bit afraid of anything that will use his own kingdom for its glory! He will even sponsor anything that will give him a place. The curse resting upon him and this world will always spell frustration, confusion, and eventual vanity to all that is of his kingdom, hence so much of these very things in a Church which is -- in any respect -- of this world. The Church has so largely failed to discern why -- in essential relation to His mission and ministry -- the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness is given a place in three of the Gospels, and in that specific connection John's Gospel is so gathered up in chapter 17, where the emphasis of Jesus is upon His not being of this world, and the same of His Church!
The Church -- universal and local -- which is constituted on spiritual and heavenly principles will have food enough for its own needs, and to spare for all the world. The hungry will gravitate toward such. It will be a spiritual magnet which will draw the Lord's people together in a spiritual fellowship. It will therefore be an object of Satan's special attention to undo it. But, even if he succeeds in destroying its temporal aspects, by martyrdom, fire, dissensions, scatterings, places, etc., such a church will have held spiritual values which are indestructible and eternal -- "for the things which are seen are temporal (transient, passing) but the things which are not seen are eternal".
The ultimate test is the eternal!
We said at the commencement that, while we are concerned with the nature of the true Church universal, we have a special concern for the local expression. We shall therefore now concentrate our attention upon that expression.
If we take seriously the first three chapters of the book of the Revelation (and surely we must do so) we shall be impressed with the Lord's serious concern for such local expressions. A matchless presentation of Himself is given by way of judging the churches according to Himself. Every feature of that presentation is a factor in judgment. Then the churches are given a twofold symbolic definition; one as of stars and the other as lampstands. Leaving many details until later, we, at the moment, note that the common feature is that of the power of testimony. It is the positive element of a challenge to world darkness. All through what follows in relation to the churches the feature and factor of positiveness of spiritual life and influence are dominant and paramount. All controversy by the Lord with the churches -- on whatever specified account -- is focused upon this ultimate issue: the positive effect of the church being where it is. Is there an impact within (lampstands) and without (stars)? Are they telling, accountable, effective, unmistakable? Have they an influential impact upon their surroundings? Is there spiritual power that has effects? Ultimately, the continuance of their place in the Divine economy -- being retained or 'removed' -- rests upon this issue. Many things are detailed as the cause of the loss of power, but it is that loss which makes for judgment.
As for the inclusive, exclusive issue, a Church can't even be a Church if it isn't comprised of those with the supernatural experience of being born from above, or born again from above, which is the more full meaning of the words in the Greek.
The Church universal, and by extension, locally, has become a gathering of a spurious group of people that may or may not be saved, and that of course generates many of the problems we have in our day in what is wrongly identified as Churches.
The ongoing press by those hoping to use the so-called global warming or climate change as an excuse to participate in massive government intervention in the global economy is being again undercut, this time by the first results of CERN lab’s CLOUD (“Cosmics Leaving OUtdoor Droplets”) experiment, which offers support for a “heliocentric” rather than “anthropogenic” approach to climate change.
That means at this stage, as thousands of scientists have already stated, is the sun, not man, is the cause for changes in the weather.
According to CERN, this means that "climate models will have to be revised."
"[I]t is clear that the treatment of aerosol formation in climate models will need to be substantially revised, since all models assume that nucleation is caused by these vapours [sulphuric acid and ammonia] and water alone."
Like the false theory of evolution, which scientists have been abandoning in droves, the continual moving of the goalposts suggest the theory is completely unsupportable, even in light of the faith of those who desperately want to create the type of global governance used to control all aspects of the economy, and by extension, people's lives.
It's of course another way for the progressives to steal money from Americans and other Western countries in order to use it in theirs. We've seen how that has worked out after decades of foreign aid which has been almost completed wasted.
This should offer more than enough evidence for American politicians to put a hold on the outrageous idea of reducing the size of the coal industry, based on the unproven theory, and in some cases, outright lie, that it is part of the cause of non-existent global warming.
More testing will be done. But there can be no doubt when it's all completed, it will be the sun that is found to be the most significant reason for changes in temperature and weather, not man.
That means at this stage, as thousands of scientists have already stated, is the sun, not man, is the cause for changes in the weather.
According to CERN, this means that "climate models will have to be revised."
"[I]t is clear that the treatment of aerosol formation in climate models will need to be substantially revised, since all models assume that nucleation is caused by these vapours [sulphuric acid and ammonia] and water alone."
Like the false theory of evolution, which scientists have been abandoning in droves, the continual moving of the goalposts suggest the theory is completely unsupportable, even in light of the faith of those who desperately want to create the type of global governance used to control all aspects of the economy, and by extension, people's lives.
It's of course another way for the progressives to steal money from Americans and other Western countries in order to use it in theirs. We've seen how that has worked out after decades of foreign aid which has been almost completed wasted.
This should offer more than enough evidence for American politicians to put a hold on the outrageous idea of reducing the size of the coal industry, based on the unproven theory, and in some cases, outright lie, that it is part of the cause of non-existent global warming.
More testing will be done. But there can be no doubt when it's all completed, it will be the sun that is found to be the most significant reason for changes in temperature and weather, not man.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
We've been going through T.Austin-Sparks' revolutionary view of what the Lord's view of the church is, and how we are to appropriate and incorporate that into our lives.
In this article we'll talk about the need for supernatural, and what it was Sparks meant by that.
Sparks said this:
Let's get one barrier immediately out of the way when Sparks refers to supernatural, and that is it has nothing to do with the contemporary idea of when signs and wonders and healings are demonstrated, people will flock to Jesus Christ and the Church will be built.
In reality, that premise is largely a false one, as many decades of that experimental mindset and practices have shown. That's not to say there aren't healings and signs and wonders, just that in the way Sparks uses the term, it's not how we usually apply it. It was the source and resources, in Sparks view, which was the vital importance of the supernatural, not the outward manifestations that at times can accompany it. Think of Israel, which was called the "church in the wilderness," right after the extraordinary and supernatural deliverance from Egypt as an example.
Here's how he describes it:
Sparks saw the quiet and slow impact of supernatural resources of the early church as vital to it being a church truly born of God from heaven. In his view, nothing in that regard has ever changed, as it remains a vital part of the overall picture of what constitutes the church in the heart and mind of Jesus Christ.
In this article we'll talk about the need for supernatural, and what it was Sparks meant by that.
Sparks said this:
WHEN our Lord made the great pronouncement about His Church: '... I will build my Church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it,' He intimated three things. One, that He would build a definite entity called His Church. Two, that that Church would encounter an opposing force in its full and final enmity. Three, that that power would be taken at its ultimate strength and be destroyed, that is, made incapable of prevailing against that Church. In this full statement there is a very definite indication of the fundamental nature of His true Church. We have been saying earlier that the Church is essentially a spiritual thing, and that spirituality is its basic principle. But can we be still clearer as to what we mean by spirituality? Yes, I think that we can, and that by using an alternative word, the word 'supernatural.'
"The Church is the embodiment of true Christianity, and true Christianity is supernatural, or it is nothing! It is only when and where that is fully realized and accepted that the Church really exists and can be the power that it is intended to be.
Let's get one barrier immediately out of the way when Sparks refers to supernatural, and that is it has nothing to do with the contemporary idea of when signs and wonders and healings are demonstrated, people will flock to Jesus Christ and the Church will be built.
In reality, that premise is largely a false one, as many decades of that experimental mindset and practices have shown. That's not to say there aren't healings and signs and wonders, just that in the way Sparks uses the term, it's not how we usually apply it. It was the source and resources, in Sparks view, which was the vital importance of the supernatural, not the outward manifestations that at times can accompany it. Think of Israel, which was called the "church in the wilderness," right after the extraordinary and supernatural deliverance from Egypt as an example.
Here's how he describes it:
1. SUPERNATURAL IN ORIGIN
First of all, Christianity and the Church (in truth, identical terms) came down from heaven, and have still unceasingly to be received and entered from there. This is the very foundational truth of Christ Himself and of the Church in every individual incorporated into it.
The teaching of the New Testament everywhere is this. The origin and home of Christ was in heaven. John's Gospel and Paul's Letter to the Ephesians are a particular and emphatic argument for this one thing, and they comprehend the New Testament in this truth. In the former the repeated affirmation of Christ as to His heavenly origin is the basis of everything in the whole Gospel. It is a "verily, verily" -- 'most truly', and everything in the Gospel is intended to bear that out and be evidence of it.
But when that has been recognized, the Gospel, and the rest of the New Testament return from that to affirm equally that the Church embodies that truth and fact of Christ. John 3 will employ the identical language -- "verily, verily" -- in connection with any single individual entering the Church. That individual, no matter if he be the best specimen and representative of the Old Testament Israel (such as Nicodemus) just "cannot" enter along the horizontal line of this creation; he cannot enter by the door of nature, of tradition, of 'religion;' he "must be born from above." By this birth he is constituted a super-natural being in the innermost reality of his being: what Paul calls "a new creation."
Then correspondingly the Church is born from above on the Day of Pentecost. The difference between the same persons before and after that event, and the corporate nature of the new entity, are patent to all who have eyes to see. It is supernatural.
2. SUPERNATURAL IN SUPPORT
What was -- and is -- true of the origin and home of Christ and His Church is shown with overwhelming evidence to be true of their sustenance and survival. 'Bread from heaven' only means the sustaining, supporting power of heavenly resources. This is seen in two connections. One, in the law of utter dependence upon God and heaven; the very principle of the Incarnation -- "He emptied himself" (Philippians 2:7). Again, John's Gospel is a constant emphatic assertion of this. The double "verily, verily" is employed to affirm this -- (5:19): "Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of (out from) himself", etc., etc. For every work, for every word, for every time, He declared that He was dependent upon His Father, upon heaven. It explains His lowly birth, His lowly upbringing, His later homelessness. It explains His being "despised and rejected of men". But was there ever a life and work so powerful as His?
The other connection is that of the Church. When we consider the human material of the first nucleus, and mainly of its growth; when we take into account what it did not have of this world's goods and support; and when we think of all that was against it in every conceivable way, bent upon its annihilation; and then remark its more than survival as an entity, there is only one word for it - supernatural! I confess that I have marvelled at the sustained and triumphant faith of a man like the Apostle Paul when I see him suffering as he did, and when I read his own catalogues of sufferings. The natural mind would say: 'This is not the support of heaven', but we have the verdict of many centuries, and it is the evidence and verdict of the supernatural.
Surely all this is contained in that further double "verily" of John vi, where -- with an allusion to Israel's life in the wilderness -- Jesus declares Himself to be the Bread of God from heaven. Indeed, so strong, meaningful, and imperative is His mind on this matter that in that chapter He uses the double "verily" four times. The wilderness has always been the symbol or figure of a place outside of the world, and the succour and sustenance in conditions so inimical to life demand resources from another realm. The history of the spiritual life is the history of secret supernatural support. Silently, without demonstration; sustained, without failing, sufficient, without poverty, the Manna fell, and the Heavenly Lord of Life has maintained His Church in the same way. Yes, while it has been silent and often almost imperceptible to the natural senses, yet in fact, it has been a working of immense power. The New Testament will teach us that the very birth and sustenance of the Church is the counterpart of Israel's emancipation from Egypt. There and then the power of God extended and exhausted the whole might of Egypt and its gods, and then nullified death itself.
Sparks saw the quiet and slow impact of supernatural resources of the early church as vital to it being a church truly born of God from heaven. In his view, nothing in that regard has ever changed, as it remains a vital part of the overall picture of what constitutes the church in the heart and mind of Jesus Christ.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Concerning the church in general and local church specifically, T.Austin-Sparks struggled at times during his lifetime to communicate what it was a true church would be, as there are enormous dangers and variables associated with the telling, as people almost always organize, bureaucratize and institutionalize something when they discover it; especially when it's passed on to the next generation, or at least attempted to be passed on.
Here's the revelation of the church - universal and local - that Sparks saw:
In the interest of being extremely exact, sometimes by the time Sparks ended up explaining something the reader could get lost because of memory lapse, especially in the short-term memory world we live in today.
To make it short. What Sparks is saying is the same way an individual believer must be born from above to be saved, so must a corporate group of believers be born of the Spirit to be a church Christ recognizes as such. That which born of the Spirit is Spirit, and nothing else. This is what he rightly called 'spirituality.' Anything else, whatever you want to call it, isn't spiritual; including an alleged church.
The only way to see Christ is to be born from above. The only way a body of believers can meet God's expectations is to come together as a result of that revelation of Christ within them, forming a spiritual dwelling place for Christ Himself. That was the mystery hidden from the ages and revealed by the Spirit through Paul the apostle.
Here's the revelation of the church - universal and local - that Sparks saw:
"There we have touched the very heart of the true nature of the Church. The touchstone of the Church is a seeing by Divine -- supernatural - Holy Spirit revelation and illumination the real significance and meaning of Jesus Christ and His mission. It is so evident that the great Apostle of 'the Mystery' -- the Church, came to his knowledge and understanding of the true Church by way of the revelation of Christ to, and in, him (Galatians 1:16)."
"...a Person who was to be reproduced by the Church, as the Corn of Wheat, through death, being reproduced in resurrection in a corporate body."
"To truly see Christ is to see the Church, and only so can there be a true church."
"So spirituality, which is a heavenly other nature and endowment, is the first basic principle of the Church. Let us repeat that the Church is the vessel and embodiment of 'the mystery' so often referred to in the New Testament, especially by Paul, and the mystery was and is the hidden meaning of things, and of Israel, but which mystery is now revealed to and in the new order, the new Israel, the Church. The 'mystery of Christ' is the meaning of Christ, inscrutable to all but those who have 'the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the Knowledge of him.'"
"This all means, that fundamentally, a true expression of the Church, locally, is not more, nor less, nor other, than the spiritual apprehension of Christ by believers. The Church, local or universal, is not traditional. That would make it second-hand and therefore artificial. The Church cannot be seen through other people's eyes, whether those others be of the past (Apostles, etc.) or present (teachers)."
In the interest of being extremely exact, sometimes by the time Sparks ended up explaining something the reader could get lost because of memory lapse, especially in the short-term memory world we live in today.
To make it short. What Sparks is saying is the same way an individual believer must be born from above to be saved, so must a corporate group of believers be born of the Spirit to be a church Christ recognizes as such. That which born of the Spirit is Spirit, and nothing else. This is what he rightly called 'spirituality.' Anything else, whatever you want to call it, isn't spiritual; including an alleged church.
The only way to see Christ is to be born from above. The only way a body of believers can meet God's expectations is to come together as a result of that revelation of Christ within them, forming a spiritual dwelling place for Christ Himself. That was the mystery hidden from the ages and revealed by the Spirit through Paul the apostle.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
For about two decades so-called scientists have been using advancements in genetic engineering to experiment on developing what are being called transhumans, which is basically a chimera, or the result of combining human DNA with animal DNA, along with technology, to create a possible super being which would no longer be fully human, if human at all.
To understand the potential consequences, you have to consider what has happened when similar combinations in the plant world have ended up with the side effects of super weeds which can't be killed.
According to a documentary by author and researcher Tom Horn, federal U.S. dollars have been flowing into these programs since Obama has been elected president, "he overturned restrictions that had been put in place by President Bush which would have prohibited federal dollars, American taxpayer money, flowing in to pay for experiments to be done on human-animal chimeras (combinations) and other forms of science such as stem-cell sciences – which is also important to the transhumanist movement.
Horn adds, "But what most of the public doesn't realize is when we're talking about stem-cell sciences, we're almost always talking about the creation of a human-animal chimera from which those stem cells are being derived. But now, tax dollars in the United States from the federal level are flowing into thousands of laboratories."
"The public mostly is still under the impression that this is being done at the embryonic level, and that the amount of human DNA in a transgenic animal is so minute as to be excusable," says Horn.
"But where they want the debate to go now is, 'Can we raise these to full maturity in the public's knowledge and experiment on part-humans, part-animals that are fully grown?' And by admitting that that's now where they want the public to be comfortable with this research, they also said that they knew that there are some rogue scientists out there that are not operating with federal dollars, and they're getting ahead of them in this technology and it could even become a new kind of a weapon of mass destruction. It could, at a minimum, become a molecular biological nightmare."
We're going to cover a lot more of this at Acts29Review, as it's far too detailed a topic to cover in a short time, and the repercussions are potentially extraordinary and dangerous.
For believers in Jesus Christ, there is only one union that is eternal, and that is the one between the Lord and believers, as He dwells within us. Combinations of humans and animals is a step backwards, obviously, and is motivated by military uses, longevity, and other factors.
To understand the potential consequences, you have to consider what has happened when similar combinations in the plant world have ended up with the side effects of super weeds which can't be killed.
According to a documentary by author and researcher Tom Horn, federal U.S. dollars have been flowing into these programs since Obama has been elected president, "he overturned restrictions that had been put in place by President Bush which would have prohibited federal dollars, American taxpayer money, flowing in to pay for experiments to be done on human-animal chimeras (combinations) and other forms of science such as stem-cell sciences – which is also important to the transhumanist movement.
Horn adds, "But what most of the public doesn't realize is when we're talking about stem-cell sciences, we're almost always talking about the creation of a human-animal chimera from which those stem cells are being derived. But now, tax dollars in the United States from the federal level are flowing into thousands of laboratories."
"The public mostly is still under the impression that this is being done at the embryonic level, and that the amount of human DNA in a transgenic animal is so minute as to be excusable," says Horn.
"But where they want the debate to go now is, 'Can we raise these to full maturity in the public's knowledge and experiment on part-humans, part-animals that are fully grown?' And by admitting that that's now where they want the public to be comfortable with this research, they also said that they knew that there are some rogue scientists out there that are not operating with federal dollars, and they're getting ahead of them in this technology and it could even become a new kind of a weapon of mass destruction. It could, at a minimum, become a molecular biological nightmare."
We're going to cover a lot more of this at Acts29Review, as it's far too detailed a topic to cover in a short time, and the repercussions are potentially extraordinary and dangerous.
For believers in Jesus Christ, there is only one union that is eternal, and that is the one between the Lord and believers, as He dwells within us. Combinations of humans and animals is a step backwards, obviously, and is motivated by military uses, longevity, and other factors.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Confirming he's a defender of the free and coal, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. blasted the Environmental Protection Agency over proposed rules which could devastate Kentucky and other states, as well as weaken the power grid in many areas of the country.
Paul said the EPA was an “out of control” bureaucracy that is waging a war the coal industry.
He said:
Coal is a vital sector of Kentucky’
s economy. More than 200,000 jobs in the commonwealth depend on it, including the jobs of about 18,000 coal miners. America’s coal miners produce the fuel for nearly half our nation’s electricity needs.
Yet, the out-of-control EPA has waged a war on coal and the families whose livelihoods depend upon it. Washington’s bureaucratic regulations and excessive taxation have sought to limit our energy choices and kill even more jobs during this recession.
As a defender of the free market and of coal, I will continue to fight back against the EPA and any other federal agency whose goal is to stifle coal production. I will continue to stand up for our miners in Washington as we continue to recognize the sacrifices they make to provide food for their families and energy for America.
Paul is absolutely correct, and we need to eliminate the EPA as an agency and slash the federal debt and federal spending levels, rather than attack productive and important industries like coal, which provide over 40 percent of America's electricity.
Picture the hell that will come if these new rules aren't rejected, and numerous places in the country experience man-made blackouts.
A new U.S. study confirmed what most already know, that a healthy lifestyle will in fact result in a longer life.
The elements most of us think of for a healthy lifestyle were part of the conclusions of this study. Regular exercise or physical activity, not smoking, modest alcohol use and a good diet contributed to living longer.
Smoking was found to be the worst contributor to premature death in the study.
Study findings:
"Those who practiced all four healthy habits were 66 percent less likely to die early from cancer, 65 percent less likely to die early from cardiovascular disease, and 57 percent less likely to die early from other causes."
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers, 47.5 percent of those participating in the study had never smoked, 51 percent were moderate drinkers (no more than two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women), 40.2 percent got enough physical activity, and 39.3 percent had a healthy diet.
The findings are from an analysis of data in the CDC's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III Mortality Study, which included people recruited from 1988 to 1994 and followed through 2006.
Even with the findings, it was found that few Americans engage in all four healthy behaviors, while smoking has been drastically reduced.
The elements most of us think of for a healthy lifestyle were part of the conclusions of this study. Regular exercise or physical activity, not smoking, modest alcohol use and a good diet contributed to living longer.
Smoking was found to be the worst contributor to premature death in the study.
Study findings:
"Those who practiced all four healthy habits were 66 percent less likely to die early from cancer, 65 percent less likely to die early from cardiovascular disease, and 57 percent less likely to die early from other causes."
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers, 47.5 percent of those participating in the study had never smoked, 51 percent were moderate drinkers (no more than two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women), 40.2 percent got enough physical activity, and 39.3 percent had a healthy diet.
The findings are from an analysis of data in the CDC's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III Mortality Study, which included people recruited from 1988 to 1994 and followed through 2006.
Even with the findings, it was found that few Americans engage in all four healthy behaviors, while smoking has been drastically reduced.
After years of staying on message, presidential candidate Ron Paul is capturing the hearts and minds of a growing number of people, being perceived as a real threat from Democrats and Republicans alike.
That has resulted in both parties putting pressure on media outlets to ensure Paul gains no more traction.
John Kass said:
Why is the American media so intent on ignoring congressman Ron Paul and his prickly libertarian views?
Paul is running for president in the Republican primaries, and it's plain that the handmaidens of the political establishment — Democrats as well as Republicans — are freezing him out.
Libyan Civil War (2011) He came within a few votes of winning last week's Iowa straw poll, just 152 votes short among almost 17,000 cast.
But rather than shower this intriguing candidate and his views with attention, the news media willfully forgot about him. The question is, why?
Perhaps the answer could be found during the recent Fox News debate in Iowa, in which Paul trashed Republican saber-rattling toward a potentially nuclear Iran.
"They're building up this case like, just like we did in Iraq — build up the war propaganda," Paul said. "It's time we quit this. It's time — it's trillions of dollars we're spending on these wars."
After that, he couldn't get himself into a news story for days.
But this media freeze-out started long before. The Project for Excellence in Journalism studied media coverage of Paul from January through Aug. 14, and demonstrated that he received much less coverage than non-candidates such as Donald Trump and Sarah Palin.
After reading that, I got a little paranoid and did what any reasonable guy would do. I fashioned a cone-shaped hat from aluminum foil and put it on as I typed this column. The last thing I needed was to have my mind channeled by either Democratic Merlin David Axelrod or Republican Rasputin Karl Rove.
Even liberal comedian Jon Stewart, not my typical go-to source, seemed ashamed of the media's treatment of Paul. On his show last week, Stewart ran clips of broadcast news coverage that slapped Paul around.
News anchors gushed over the "top tier" Republicans in Iowa, and even though Paul came in second behind U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, he wasn't considered "top tier" enough to be mentioned.
"Really?" asked Stewart, as Paul's photo flashed on the screen. "You're not forgetting … say, an ideologically consistent 12-term congressman who came within less than 200 votes of winning the straw poll? Isn't anyone going to give that gentleman any love?"
Love may indeed be the reason the media ignores Ron Paul. Under this theory, the media is merely trying to provide us with loving protection from Paul and those challenging libertarian ideals:
Such as the view we shouldn't be eager to be groped in airports or to fund another war in the Middle East, or that we should legalize drugs rather than fight the drug wars, or the wild idea that a coffee shop waitress should not be expected to pay taxes on her tips.
These are extreme notions, though the principles behind them were once held dear by a few old guys in powdered wigs who founded this country.
The TV people are happy to do the work for you, and tell you what notions are fit for public debate. Thinking for yourself is really, really hard, and it's just easier to watch TV and listen to discussions about Bachmann's hair.
Another possible reason why the media is ignoring Paul could be fear rather than love. Perhaps Democrats and Republicans are afraid of him.
Paul is anti-war, and there are many independent Democrats who've been anti-war, including those who elected President Barack Obama in 2008 and have since turned on him because, well, he recently help start a war in Libya, turning America's two wars into three.
Paul also doesn't campaign on social issues, like outlawing abortion, or involving the government in the bedroom. He's not a political evangelical, so Paul's stance would be attractive to many Democrats.
And that is why I put on my tinfoil hat, lest magic-man Axelrod zap me with one of his mind-control spells before I could finish typing. Yet it's obvious that tin-foil brain prophylactics are also needed against the powers of Axelrod's doppelganger, Rove.
For years now, Rove has sputtered angrily about the libertarians, and it's obvious Republicans see Paul as a threat. Perhaps it's the fact that Paul ridicules the GOP military drumbeat against Iran. It may be that he appeals to tea party fiscal conservatives, and if these voters begin to lean toward Paul, the establishment GOP will be left with defense contractors, neocons and evangelicals, not enough to win a national election.
I'm not picking a candidate yet, and I reserve the right to flip and flop like any other voter, depending on what the candidates say and how their hair looks on TV.
Paul loathes government even more than I do, but his throw-the-baby-out-with-the-bathwater philosophy of reform gives me pause. Still, he's intriguing.
So even a blind goose can see that by freezing Paul out, the media serves the political establishment, but that's about it.
"It is hard for them to accept," Paul told Politico's liberal Roger Simon in a recent interview about the candidate's media treatment after the Iowa vote. "They (the media) believe this guy is dangerous to the status quo, but that is a reason to be more energized."
Paul is dangerous to the status quo. And that's a reason not to ignore him.
The bottom line to me is Paul has earned and the public deserves far broader coverage of his campaign, as much that he represents, especially in regard to government spending and economics, is what is needed at this time in the country. Hopefully the media will respond so a wider representation of people will hear an alternative and refreshing message than they've heard for some time.
credit: (Justin Sullivan/Getty)
Republican presidential candidate Rep. Michele Bachmann has been feverishly working to expand her base, as she tackles issues outside of her social conservative record, which is known by most people.
Bachmann has been staunch in her economic stand for some time, something a lot of people may not know, but is also very easily followed from past comments.
This is why conservatives and others in the Tea Party movement support her so much.
With this election surely to be based primarily on the economy, Bachmann has a good record to work from, including her voting against raising the debt ceiling, which was a disaster, and one which many Republicans voted into office to resist, capitulated on. They will probably pay for that in the next election. Bachmann won't.
Bachmann noted, "You cannot spend more money than what you take in. It's a simple fact of life, right?"
Campaigning in South Carolina, Bachmann noted her beliefs and credentials: "Fiscal conservatives -- I'm one of those. National security conservatives -- I'm one of those. Social conservatives -- I'm one of those. And the tea party -- I'm one of those."
Some libertarians also support Bachmann, but others are furious over her voting for the Patriot Act under the Bush administration.
She concluded this weekend in a speech, "We are going to make the case that we're the unifying candidate who can beat Obama."
Bachmann is highly respected for her principled stand on issues, and for helping troubled children by taking in 23 foster children while raising five of her own, along with her husband.
It appears Sarah Palin could be poised to enter the 2012 presidential race, with expectations she'll announce sometime around the Labor Day weekend, according to Karl Rove. On September 3, Palin will be the keynote speaker at the Tea Party of America's "Restoring America" event in Iowa, which could be the ideal time for her to make an announcement, if in fact that is her intention.
Rove said about the timing, "This is her last chance. She either gets in or gets out. I think she gets in."
If Palin gets in, she'll be running on her own terms and strategy, which will be interesting. Rove has been skeptical of Palin skirting the trappings of traditional campaigning and still being able to win, but Rove has admitted politics is changing, but wouldn't admit Palin may be on the right track.
This could be because Rove and others like him have dictated much of the platform and agenda, and Palin it appears, assuming she enters the race, will dictate what she wants to address and focus on if she runs.
Michele Bachmann recently stated about the EPA if she is elected president, “I guarantee you the EPA will have doors locked and lights turned off, and they will only be about conservation,” over its atrocious attack upon the American people, proposing new rules that will result in the closure of many power plants run by coal.
According to industry groups Edison Electric Institute and the American Legislative Exchange Council, the rules will be the “EPA’s Regulatory Train Wreck.” They say it will cost as high as $129 billion to implement the rules, which would still result in approximately 20 percent of the power generated by coal to be lost. Coal accounts for 45 percent of the power in the United States, showing the dire circumstances we face from this socialist arm of the U.S. government.
House Republicans are the best bet to stop this attack, and they need to come together and completely stop this outrage from happening.
The EPA conjured up some unprovable statistics by saying an air-transport rule disallowing sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide would alone prevent 23,000 heart attacks and 21,000 cases of bronchitis, saving about 36,000 lives by 2014. They don't add how many deaths would result from power grid failures, which would expose babies and the elderly to inclement weather, as they are the most susceptible to temperature extremes.
The attack on humanity continues from the earth worshippers.
According to industry groups Edison Electric Institute and the American Legislative Exchange Council, the rules will be the “EPA’s Regulatory Train Wreck.” They say it will cost as high as $129 billion to implement the rules, which would still result in approximately 20 percent of the power generated by coal to be lost. Coal accounts for 45 percent of the power in the United States, showing the dire circumstances we face from this socialist arm of the U.S. government.
House Republicans are the best bet to stop this attack, and they need to come together and completely stop this outrage from happening.
The EPA conjured up some unprovable statistics by saying an air-transport rule disallowing sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide would alone prevent 23,000 heart attacks and 21,000 cases of bronchitis, saving about 36,000 lives by 2014. They don't add how many deaths would result from power grid failures, which would expose babies and the elderly to inclement weather, as they are the most susceptible to temperature extremes.
The attack on humanity continues from the earth worshippers.
As with many seemingly surprising movements throughout history, the Tea Party is one that has its roots far back in time, and has emerged in response to the realization government is out of control, and its policies, along with those of the Federal Reserve, are leading us to destruction.
That destruction will be the inevitable result of those of liberals, or progressives, which is just another name for the socialists Americans and much of the former free world all opposed in the past.
So while the Tea Party appeared to explode out of nowhere, in reality it has been building up for years, and soared onto the public scene in light of the Obama Administration, emboldened by the Carte Blanche offered it by the press, brought past socialists policies to entire new levels, even taking the healthcare bill and ramming it down the throats of the majority of Americans who opposed it.
Obama didn't start the policies leading to the emergence of the Tea Party, but his arrogance and dictator-like actions brought what has been boiling under the surface for decades to the top.
Even though it's true the Tea Party has largely backed Republican candidates, it's not because they are necessarily apologists for the Republican Party, but rather it's because Democrats have refused to listen to and heed the underlying concerns of the Party.
As to the Tea Party, it's not a political party, but is identified as that from a reference to dissent long ago when Americans opposed taxation without representation from the British. It is in fact a loose conglomeration of locally focused people.
Along with the disastrous healthcare bill forced upon the people, other laws generating and producing the resultant political dissent included, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Some see the bailing out of the banks as the major catalyst which brought people to the streets. But the refusal of Obama and the Democrats, especially, to listen their voices, was also an important part of the political uprising.
Republicans in general don't get off the hook either, as 87 percent of those organizing local tea parties say they aren't satisfied with the mainstream leaders of the Party.
At this time the Tea Party is made up of libertarian and conservative people, with a strong emphasis on lowering taxes, slashing the national debt, cutting the federal budget and reducing government spending. All of this is under the auspices of adhering to the United States Constitution, and not, as Obama has contended, interpreting it as a "moving" document. In other words, making it say whatever you want it to say to justify your policies.
On the social side, supporters of the Tea Party, according to a University of Washington poll, are very conservative, with 88 percent approving of the law put into effect by Arizona, 82 percent opposing homosexual marriage, and another 52 percent saying homosexuals have far too much political power. Obama's policy with foreign countries is also opposed by 73 percent of those identifying with the Tea Party.
From these disparities, you can see the Tea Party, in fact, is made up of libertarians and conservatives.
Contrary to media reports, a sizable percentage of those supporting Tea Party principles aren't white, with 21 percent saying they're of another race. The idea it's also a bunch of older people isn't true either, as 60 percent say they're younger than 55, according to a Bloomberg National Poll of adults 18 and over. As for Christians, 44 percent identify themselves as being born again.
On the libertarian side, and for conservatives emphasizing fiscal responsibility and smaller government, Ron Paul is largely the figurehead of the movement. Michele Bachmann is another powerful force in the movement, embracing the social issues important to conservatives, something that has always been perceived as a weakness for Ron Paul. Bachmann struggles with her signing of the Patriot Act, something many in the Tea Party movement oppose, as it granted even more power to an already too powerful government.
Even so, when asked about who best represents the local Tea Party groups, 34 percent responded with "no one," suggesting the resistance to someone co-opting the movement with a personal or national agenda.
Others identified on the national level as having influence, along with Paul and Bachmann, are Sarah Palin, Jim DeMint and Glenn Beck, although as time goes on, it seems the latter three are diminishing in importance, rather than gaining strength among Tea Partiers.
Having said all this, it appears at this time there is no real leader of the Tea Party, and hopefully that will remain the case; at least on the national level. Even Ron Paul, who as far as fiscal issues and big government go, has always adhered to these beliefs, and with or without the Tea Party, will continue to, has offered advice for which direction the Tea Party should go on certain issues, but hasn't attempted to step in and lead it. And I don't think he could. Neither will Michelle Bachmann, or any other visible leader; now or in the future. If they are able to, the essence of the Tea Party will disappear, and it'll be relegated to an interesting side note in the march of history, but nothing that had sustainable impact. Hopefully that won't happen.
We'll talk a lot about and follow the Tea Party as the events of our day unfold. Those who are considered as having an impact, like some of those mentioned above, we'll look more closes at, but also, and more importantly, what is happening on the local and regional levels with the movement.
That destruction will be the inevitable result of those of liberals, or progressives, which is just another name for the socialists Americans and much of the former free world all opposed in the past.
So while the Tea Party appeared to explode out of nowhere, in reality it has been building up for years, and soared onto the public scene in light of the Obama Administration, emboldened by the Carte Blanche offered it by the press, brought past socialists policies to entire new levels, even taking the healthcare bill and ramming it down the throats of the majority of Americans who opposed it.
Obama didn't start the policies leading to the emergence of the Tea Party, but his arrogance and dictator-like actions brought what has been boiling under the surface for decades to the top.
Even though it's true the Tea Party has largely backed Republican candidates, it's not because they are necessarily apologists for the Republican Party, but rather it's because Democrats have refused to listen to and heed the underlying concerns of the Party.
As to the Tea Party, it's not a political party, but is identified as that from a reference to dissent long ago when Americans opposed taxation without representation from the British. It is in fact a loose conglomeration of locally focused people.
Along with the disastrous healthcare bill forced upon the people, other laws generating and producing the resultant political dissent included, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Some see the bailing out of the banks as the major catalyst which brought people to the streets. But the refusal of Obama and the Democrats, especially, to listen their voices, was also an important part of the political uprising.
Republicans in general don't get off the hook either, as 87 percent of those organizing local tea parties say they aren't satisfied with the mainstream leaders of the Party.
At this time the Tea Party is made up of libertarian and conservative people, with a strong emphasis on lowering taxes, slashing the national debt, cutting the federal budget and reducing government spending. All of this is under the auspices of adhering to the United States Constitution, and not, as Obama has contended, interpreting it as a "moving" document. In other words, making it say whatever you want it to say to justify your policies.
On the social side, supporters of the Tea Party, according to a University of Washington poll, are very conservative, with 88 percent approving of the law put into effect by Arizona, 82 percent opposing homosexual marriage, and another 52 percent saying homosexuals have far too much political power. Obama's policy with foreign countries is also opposed by 73 percent of those identifying with the Tea Party.
From these disparities, you can see the Tea Party, in fact, is made up of libertarians and conservatives.
Contrary to media reports, a sizable percentage of those supporting Tea Party principles aren't white, with 21 percent saying they're of another race. The idea it's also a bunch of older people isn't true either, as 60 percent say they're younger than 55, according to a Bloomberg National Poll of adults 18 and over. As for Christians, 44 percent identify themselves as being born again.
On the libertarian side, and for conservatives emphasizing fiscal responsibility and smaller government, Ron Paul is largely the figurehead of the movement. Michele Bachmann is another powerful force in the movement, embracing the social issues important to conservatives, something that has always been perceived as a weakness for Ron Paul. Bachmann struggles with her signing of the Patriot Act, something many in the Tea Party movement oppose, as it granted even more power to an already too powerful government.
Even so, when asked about who best represents the local Tea Party groups, 34 percent responded with "no one," suggesting the resistance to someone co-opting the movement with a personal or national agenda.
Others identified on the national level as having influence, along with Paul and Bachmann, are Sarah Palin, Jim DeMint and Glenn Beck, although as time goes on, it seems the latter three are diminishing in importance, rather than gaining strength among Tea Partiers.
Having said all this, it appears at this time there is no real leader of the Tea Party, and hopefully that will remain the case; at least on the national level. Even Ron Paul, who as far as fiscal issues and big government go, has always adhered to these beliefs, and with or without the Tea Party, will continue to, has offered advice for which direction the Tea Party should go on certain issues, but hasn't attempted to step in and lead it. And I don't think he could. Neither will Michelle Bachmann, or any other visible leader; now or in the future. If they are able to, the essence of the Tea Party will disappear, and it'll be relegated to an interesting side note in the march of history, but nothing that had sustainable impact. Hopefully that won't happen.
We'll talk a lot about and follow the Tea Party as the events of our day unfold. Those who are considered as having an impact, like some of those mentioned above, we'll look more closes at, but also, and more importantly, what is happening on the local and regional levels with the movement.
Friday, August 19, 2011
T. Austin-Sparks could be maddening to some at times when it came to his insight and beliefs on the church - universal and local. If it wasn't for his his articles in "A Witness and a Testimony," we may have been left with the assumption Sparks didn't believe there could be a church as required by Jesus Christ.
As far as I've been able to see, in his books, Sparks kept the issue at arms length and revealed the Lord Jesus Christ, while primarily noting what a church wasn't, but not being willing to communicate what it was.
This comes from his understanding that anything he said could, and probably would, be taken out of context and used as a type of blueprint for a "New Testament" church; something he totally opposed.
As mentioned, fortunately he did offer up his thoughts on this in his bi-monthly newsletter, and we have his comments as to how he viewed the vital subject.
Maybe the despair of some of his listeners caused him to move out of his comfort zone. I don't know. But we'll now cover some of the things Sparks so as being essential to their being a local expression of New Testament churches.
First we'll begin with what he heard Christians of his day say on the topic.
As you can see, Sparks knew there was something in the Church God was after, but also understood a lot had to be cleared out concerning the matter so what was in the heart of God could be brought forth.
Next time we'll look at the attributes Sparks saw as necessary to be a "true" local Church.
The four articles below are the material drawn upon for this series. If you click on them you'll leave this website.
The Church -- Its Nature, Principles And Vocation
The Church -- Its Nature, Principles And Vocation (2)
The Church -- Its Nature, Principles And Vocation (3)
The Church -- Its Nature, Principles And Vocation (4)
Back to T. Austin-Sparks Channel
As far as I've been able to see, in his books, Sparks kept the issue at arms length and revealed the Lord Jesus Christ, while primarily noting what a church wasn't, but not being willing to communicate what it was.
This comes from his understanding that anything he said could, and probably would, be taken out of context and used as a type of blueprint for a "New Testament" church; something he totally opposed.
As mentioned, fortunately he did offer up his thoughts on this in his bi-monthly newsletter, and we have his comments as to how he viewed the vital subject.
Maybe the despair of some of his listeners caused him to move out of his comfort zone. I don't know. But we'll now cover some of the things Sparks so as being essential to their being a local expression of New Testament churches.
First we'll begin with what he heard Christians of his day say on the topic.
Some of these are as follows:
1. A large section of Christians have answered definitely 'NO', and they base this upon what they term 'the total ruin' position. They say that the Church is in unredeemable ruins, and therefore a corporate expression is no longer possible. Of course, they especially relate this to the Church universal, but they bring it very close by arguing that at the end-time everything will be individual. The basis of this is that in Revelation 2-3, where the Lord directs His address "to him that overcometh". Well, that is argument No. 1.
2. Then there are those whose answer is that the only possibility now is an approximate expression of the Church. That is, there can be no full and complete expression, but something comparative, provisional, and partial. There can be some features, and we must build upon some things which we perceive to be in the New Testament. In large instances the major denominations represent this position. Presbyterians base their whole position upon one interpretation of New Testament Church order, as they conceive it. The same is true of Lutherans, Congregationalists, Baptists, Methodists, 'Brethren', etc. For each and all of these the term 'Church' is employed. But it is a concept which is a convenient solution to the problem namely, a partial approximation.
3. Then, there is the answer which is expressed by what is called 'Sublimation'. That is, that the Church is a sublime conception and idea. It is idealistic, and we must live in the abstract realm of a sublime conception and not try to bring that 'down to earth', be too practical and demanding in reality. This answer and interpretation is expressed in the term 'The Church Mystical:' but not practical.
4. There are those who have written off the whole idea of Church, either as impossible or unnecessary. They are definitely Christian Institutions and organizations, but not a Church or churches. To this category belong the Quakers, the Salvation Army, and a vast number of mission halls, and 'Missions.'
5. Finally for our purpose, there are those whose answer is a very positive one! Yes, we must return to the New Testament pattern 'and have New Testament churches!' They believe that the New Testament contains a definite 'blue print' for local churches, and they are committed to 'forming' such wherever possible. Unfortunately, they vary very much as to teachings, emphases, and practices, and some of them are characterized by excesses, abnormalities and exclusiveness.
Well, what are we going to say to all this?
As we see it, all are more or less wrong or right (we underline 'more or less', but we would say that some are totally wrong), because the true nature of the Church has been either lost or lost sight of.
As you can see, Sparks knew there was something in the Church God was after, but also understood a lot had to be cleared out concerning the matter so what was in the heart of God could be brought forth.
Next time we'll look at the attributes Sparks saw as necessary to be a "true" local Church.
The four articles below are the material drawn upon for this series. If you click on them you'll leave this website.
The Church -- Its Nature, Principles And Vocation
The Church -- Its Nature, Principles And Vocation (2)
The Church -- Its Nature, Principles And Vocation (3)
The Church -- Its Nature, Principles And Vocation (4)
Back to T. Austin-Sparks Channel
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
While we are zeroed in like a laser on the person of Jesus Christ with this website, issues and learning aren't the only thing of importance, as living and enjoying the Lord is vital a well.
With that in mind, the lifestyle channel will look at and report on things like family, home, gardening, food, entertainment, and many other things that make up our everyday lives.
Articles:
Healthy Lifestyle Equals Longer Life
Diet, Not Pesticides, Major Health Problem Says Scientist
Chocolate Reduces Heart, Stroke Risk
Daycare Bad for Children Says Top Psychologist
Hilarious Seniors Video
Wal-Mart Heiress' Art Museum
Bossy Wives Have Less Sex
FDA Attacks Asthma Sufferers
Mother with Cystic Fibrosis Gives Birth to Triplets
With that in mind, the lifestyle channel will look at and report on things like family, home, gardening, food, entertainment, and many other things that make up our everyday lives.
Articles:
Healthy Lifestyle Equals Longer Life
Diet, Not Pesticides, Major Health Problem Says Scientist
Chocolate Reduces Heart, Stroke Risk
Daycare Bad for Children Says Top Psychologist
Hilarious Seniors Video
Wal-Mart Heiress' Art Museum
Bossy Wives Have Less Sex
FDA Attacks Asthma Sufferers
Mother with Cystic Fibrosis Gives Birth to Triplets
The Business Channel deals with all aspects of business, including management, specific companies, performance, and probably most importantly: economics.
Obama's Solar, Green Failure
Obama Retreats on Smog Regulation
Jim Rogers on Commodities, Swiss franc, Yuan, U.S. Dollar
Get Rid of National Parks
One World Order and Socialist Greece
Greece's Failed Socialist Experiment
Spain Downgraded by Standard & Poor's
Joni-Eareckson-Tada Ignorant on Economics and Medicare
Jim Rogers on European Crisis
Bernanke More Reckless Than Greenspan Says Schiff
Jim Rogers on Commodity Sell Off
Jim Rogers on Gold, Economy
Jim Rogers on Agriculture and Farming
Obama's Solar, Green Failure
Obama Retreats on Smog Regulation
Jim Rogers on Commodities, Swiss franc, Yuan, U.S. Dollar
Get Rid of National Parks
One World Order and Socialist Greece
Greece's Failed Socialist Experiment
Spain Downgraded by Standard & Poor's
Joni-Eareckson-Tada Ignorant on Economics and Medicare
Jim Rogers on European Crisis
Bernanke More Reckless Than Greenspan Says Schiff
Jim Rogers on Commodity Sell Off
Jim Rogers on Gold, Economy
Jim Rogers on Agriculture and Farming
See Article Links Below
The Tea Party movement in America, and to a lesser extent, other countries, has been one of the most significant responses to out-of-control government in decades, if not since the formation of the republic.
With that in mind, and the Tea Party not going to go away, we'll talk of many of the issues associated with the concerns which birthed the Tea Party. We'll also look at those who have joined or identified themselves with the movement in hopes of co-opting it or using it to further their individual political career and power.
As to the Lord Jesus Christ in these matters, like the Church, His eternal purpose is to fill all things with Himself, so it is impossible to be a believer pursuing Christ and not be salt and light in various arenas of life, including government.
But it's who Christ is that matters, and even though there are outward manifestations of Christ in all areas of life, it must be kept in mind that it is what is being worked within us; that is of primary importance, and not the secondary practicalities emerging from Christ in us.
In other words, hopefully the Tea Party will keep its heart and soul and not focus primarily on the outward, but what it was that spontaneously launched it in the first place.
I'm not saying, by covering the Tea Party, that it is in any way, shape or form, something initiated by Jesus Christ. It's too early to tell what direction it's going to take, and it could very easily be derailed very quickly, causing it to lose much of its purpose, power, and attraction. What I am saying is it has potential, and we'll follow the ebbs and flows as events unfold.
What is the Tea Party?
Sarah Palin Entering Presidential Race?
Ron Paul Getting Media Blackout
Michelle Bachmann Expanding Base
Rand Paul Demands for Kreuger to Step Down
Michelle Bachmann on Obamacare
Marco Rubio Blasts Big Government
Ron Paul and Rick Perry in Texas Showdown
Ron Paul on Voluntary Giving
Michelle Bachmann on Obama's "Job Plan"
Bachmann Blasts Obama on Healthcare, Stimulus Spending and Debt
Michelle Bachmann, Sheriff Joe and Illegal Immigration
Ron Paul Blasts Big Government in California
Rand Paul Battles EPA on CSAPR Cap and Trade
Sarah Palin on Obama's Heels
House RINOs Unleashed
Rick Perry the Liberal?
Ron Paul Wins Orlando Debate says Fox News Poll
Ron Paul Beats Obama in Latest Harris Poll
Country Primed for Revolution says Ron Paul
Michelle Bachmann on Limited Government, Right to Life
Ron Paul on Pro-Life Stance
President Ron Paul Would Cut $1 Trillion in Spending
Ron Paul Supporters Confront Alec Baldwin
Michele Bachmann Educates 'Occupy Wall Street'
Tea Party and Economics
Tea Party Rising Up Against OWS
Rand Paul at Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition Event
Audit the Fed and Bernanke's Word Games
Ron Paul on Competing Currencies
San Bernardino and Need for Limited Government
Why Christians Must Oppose Big Government
Austerity, Children, and the Socialist Lie
Jesus and the End of Worldly Empires
Crackpot Liberal Millionaires
===============
The Tea Party movement in America, and to a lesser extent, other countries, has been one of the most significant responses to out-of-control government in decades, if not since the formation of the republic.
With that in mind, and the Tea Party not going to go away, we'll talk of many of the issues associated with the concerns which birthed the Tea Party. We'll also look at those who have joined or identified themselves with the movement in hopes of co-opting it or using it to further their individual political career and power.
As to the Lord Jesus Christ in these matters, like the Church, His eternal purpose is to fill all things with Himself, so it is impossible to be a believer pursuing Christ and not be salt and light in various arenas of life, including government.
But it's who Christ is that matters, and even though there are outward manifestations of Christ in all areas of life, it must be kept in mind that it is what is being worked within us; that is of primary importance, and not the secondary practicalities emerging from Christ in us.
In other words, hopefully the Tea Party will keep its heart and soul and not focus primarily on the outward, but what it was that spontaneously launched it in the first place.
I'm not saying, by covering the Tea Party, that it is in any way, shape or form, something initiated by Jesus Christ. It's too early to tell what direction it's going to take, and it could very easily be derailed very quickly, causing it to lose much of its purpose, power, and attraction. What I am saying is it has potential, and we'll follow the ebbs and flows as events unfold.
What is the Tea Party?
Sarah Palin Entering Presidential Race?
Ron Paul Getting Media Blackout
Michelle Bachmann Expanding Base
Rand Paul Demands for Kreuger to Step Down
Michelle Bachmann on Obamacare
Marco Rubio Blasts Big Government
Ron Paul and Rick Perry in Texas Showdown
Ron Paul on Voluntary Giving
Michelle Bachmann on Obama's "Job Plan"
Bachmann Blasts Obama on Healthcare, Stimulus Spending and Debt
Michelle Bachmann, Sheriff Joe and Illegal Immigration
Ron Paul Blasts Big Government in California
Rand Paul Battles EPA on CSAPR Cap and Trade
Sarah Palin on Obama's Heels
House RINOs Unleashed
Rick Perry the Liberal?
Ron Paul Wins Orlando Debate says Fox News Poll
Ron Paul Beats Obama in Latest Harris Poll
Country Primed for Revolution says Ron Paul
Michelle Bachmann on Limited Government, Right to Life
Ron Paul on Pro-Life Stance
President Ron Paul Would Cut $1 Trillion in Spending
Ron Paul Supporters Confront Alec Baldwin
Michele Bachmann Educates 'Occupy Wall Street'
Tea Party and Economics
Tea Party Rising Up Against OWS
Rand Paul at Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition Event
Audit the Fed and Bernanke's Word Games
Ron Paul on Competing Currencies
San Bernardino and Need for Limited Government
Why Christians Must Oppose Big Government
Austerity, Children, and the Socialist Lie
Jesus and the End of Worldly Empires
Crackpot Liberal Millionaires
===============
The News Channel deals with many issues of interest to Christians. Things like abortion, climate change hoax, evolution myth, homosexuality and other aberrations, government, educution, feminism, among many other topics.
We'll not only report the stories, but there will be commentary and insights added to more fully explore some of the stories which are of vital importance to Christians.
News Stories
Will EPA Rules Destroy Power Grid?
Transhumans Being Developed?
Global Warming, Climate Change Hoax
Women Who Abort Babies Develop Mental Health Problems
Progressives Attack "Paper or Plastic?"
Evolution Flavor of the Week
Global Warming Lie Results in Nobel Prize Winning Physicist Resigning
Slow Death of the European Union
Wind Turbines Destructive to Oyster Industry
Jews Abandoning Obama, Democrats?
Mark of the Beast in Oklahoma?
Student Suspended for Saying Homosexuality Wrong
Majority Distrust Mainstream Media
EPA in War Against Property Owners
Gospel Singer Jessy Dixon Dies
Dead Sea Scrolls Now Available on the Internet
Conservatives Applaud Ron Paul
Another Scientist Refutes Global Warming Hoax
Cancer and Peer Review Scandal
Rand Paul Endorses David Williams for Kentucky Governor
Global Warming "Science" Doesn't Exist
Climategate 2.0: EMails Reveal IPCC Corruption
"Curiosity" Rover on its Way to Mars
Eco Evil: Windfarms Causing Global Warming
We'll not only report the stories, but there will be commentary and insights added to more fully explore some of the stories which are of vital importance to Christians.
News Stories
Will EPA Rules Destroy Power Grid?
Transhumans Being Developed?
Global Warming, Climate Change Hoax
Women Who Abort Babies Develop Mental Health Problems
Progressives Attack "Paper or Plastic?"
Evolution Flavor of the Week
Global Warming Lie Results in Nobel Prize Winning Physicist Resigning
Slow Death of the European Union
Wind Turbines Destructive to Oyster Industry
Jews Abandoning Obama, Democrats?
Mark of the Beast in Oklahoma?
Student Suspended for Saying Homosexuality Wrong
Majority Distrust Mainstream Media
EPA in War Against Property Owners
Gospel Singer Jessy Dixon Dies
Dead Sea Scrolls Now Available on the Internet
Conservatives Applaud Ron Paul
Another Scientist Refutes Global Warming Hoax
Cancer and Peer Review Scandal
Rand Paul Endorses David Williams for Kentucky Governor
Global Warming "Science" Doesn't Exist
Climategate 2.0: EMails Reveal IPCC Corruption
"Curiosity" Rover on its Way to Mars
Eco Evil: Windfarms Causing Global Warming
The Church Channel is for the purpose of looking at church history outside of the institutional church, as well as present the various elements and nature that a true church, specifically a local one, should have.
In the end, the church should be nothing less than a representation of who Jesus Christ is. Obviously there is growth and a journey involved, but the goal and purpose of a real church can be none other than that.
Understand, the church isn't a building, and you can't go there in that sense. It must be a spiritual, supernatural people, filled with the life of Jesus Christ via the interaction of individual believers. That sharing of the life of Christ together results in the building up of a living temple filled with the only God.
That will result in an overflow which ultimately reaches the world, which will respond to seeing Jesus Christ revealed in His people.
This isn't idealism, it was the purpose of God from before the creation to have a people that are filled to the utmost with Christ Himself; not in a general sense, but with the specific purpose of being changed into His image - individually and corporately. That is what will build up and attract to Christ and His people the truly hungry and needy of the world.
Church Outside the System
Priscillian
Silvanus Constantine
John Wycliffe
Peter Waldo
Waldensians
Paulicians
Albigensians
Iconoclasts
Moravians
Moravians - Centered in Christ
T. Austin-Sparks on Local Church
T. Austin-Sparks on Local Church - Part 2 - Seeing Christ
T. Austin-Sparks on Local Church - Part 3 - Supernatural
T.Austin-Sparks and Local Church 4 - Inclusive, Exclusive
T.Austin-Sparks and Local Church 5 - Features of a Local Church
T. Austin-Sparks and Local Church 6 - Functioning
Quotes from Gene Edwards
Church and Christianity without Christ
In the end, the church should be nothing less than a representation of who Jesus Christ is. Obviously there is growth and a journey involved, but the goal and purpose of a real church can be none other than that.
Understand, the church isn't a building, and you can't go there in that sense. It must be a spiritual, supernatural people, filled with the life of Jesus Christ via the interaction of individual believers. That sharing of the life of Christ together results in the building up of a living temple filled with the only God.
That will result in an overflow which ultimately reaches the world, which will respond to seeing Jesus Christ revealed in His people.
This isn't idealism, it was the purpose of God from before the creation to have a people that are filled to the utmost with Christ Himself; not in a general sense, but with the specific purpose of being changed into His image - individually and corporately. That is what will build up and attract to Christ and His people the truly hungry and needy of the world.
Church Outside the System
Priscillian
Silvanus Constantine
John Wycliffe
Peter Waldo
Waldensians
Paulicians
Albigensians
Iconoclasts
Moravians
Moravians - Centered in Christ
T. Austin-Sparks on Local Church
T. Austin-Sparks on Local Church - Part 2 - Seeing Christ
T. Austin-Sparks on Local Church - Part 3 - Supernatural
T.Austin-Sparks and Local Church 4 - Inclusive, Exclusive
T.Austin-Sparks and Local Church 5 - Features of a Local Church
T. Austin-Sparks and Local Church 6 - Functioning
Quotes from Gene Edwards
Church and Christianity without Christ
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
T. Austin-Sparks was a British man of God living mostly in the 20th century, who brought one of the more profound revelations of the Lord Jesus Christ as He is in heaven, that has ever been made What we do have of Sparks' works is voluminous, and we'll be going through it on this website in the years ahead, commenting and interacting with the enormous amount of material offered by Sparks to the body of Christ.
One thing you'll find out about Sparks, is he deals largely with the truths beneath the surface, and you can get frustrated over what at times appear to be very impractical teachings and revelation given by Sparks.
You've got to travel with Sparks to garner the more indepth meaning of the scriptures if you want to benefit from his teachings. I've found it's very much worth the journey, and you will discover practical usage once you grasp the enormity of Jesus Christ as revealed in the scriptures and through the ministry of T. Austin-Sparks.
In general, a helpful tip is to understand Sparks had an enormous burden to reveal the length, depth, width and height of Christ, and didn't focus primarily on the practical outworking but the spiritual apprehension of who Christ is. So to read and study the works of Sparks, that will help you in getting started, so you can not flounder around wondering what is is he's trying to say, and know it's Jesus Christ alone who is the center of Sparks' teaching.
In the end, Sparks wanted to unveil the greatness of Christ in a way that all the ancillary "issues" of the Church and believers would fall away in light of the magnificence of the person of Christ; to get His people once again fixated on Him so the things of this earth would fall away in the light and glory of the revelation of His life.
That's the first step to understanding the motivation of T. Austin-Sparks, and should help clear away some debris right away so you can dig right into what it is this man of God had to say.
--------------
Articles on T. Austin-Sparks
Sparks on Eternal Purpose
Sparks on Local Church
T. Austin-Sparks on Local Church - Part 2 - Seeing Christ
T. Austin-Sparks on Local Church - Part 3 - Supernatural
T.Austin-Sparks and Local Church 4 - Inclusive, Exclusive
T.Austin-Sparks and Local Church 5 - Features of a Local Church
T. Austin-Sparks and Local Church 6 - Functioning
Quotes from T. Austin-Sparks
Austin-Sparks.Net
One thing you'll find out about Sparks, is he deals largely with the truths beneath the surface, and you can get frustrated over what at times appear to be very impractical teachings and revelation given by Sparks.
You've got to travel with Sparks to garner the more indepth meaning of the scriptures if you want to benefit from his teachings. I've found it's very much worth the journey, and you will discover practical usage once you grasp the enormity of Jesus Christ as revealed in the scriptures and through the ministry of T. Austin-Sparks.
In general, a helpful tip is to understand Sparks had an enormous burden to reveal the length, depth, width and height of Christ, and didn't focus primarily on the practical outworking but the spiritual apprehension of who Christ is. So to read and study the works of Sparks, that will help you in getting started, so you can not flounder around wondering what is is he's trying to say, and know it's Jesus Christ alone who is the center of Sparks' teaching.
In the end, Sparks wanted to unveil the greatness of Christ in a way that all the ancillary "issues" of the Church and believers would fall away in light of the magnificence of the person of Christ; to get His people once again fixated on Him so the things of this earth would fall away in the light and glory of the revelation of His life.
That's the first step to understanding the motivation of T. Austin-Sparks, and should help clear away some debris right away so you can dig right into what it is this man of God had to say.
--------------
Articles on T. Austin-Sparks
Sparks on Eternal Purpose
Sparks on Local Church
T. Austin-Sparks on Local Church - Part 2 - Seeing Christ
T. Austin-Sparks on Local Church - Part 3 - Supernatural
T.Austin-Sparks and Local Church 4 - Inclusive, Exclusive
T.Austin-Sparks and Local Church 5 - Features of a Local Church
T. Austin-Sparks and Local Church 6 - Functioning
Quotes from T. Austin-Sparks
Austin-Sparks.Net
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