Body-Politic and the Way of Lawlessness

[Apprehended]

They (the Tulsa 6) have now formed a very effective "super-dooper-holiness voting caucus" within the UPCI. One is now left to wonder how things will unravel in light of this supposed high road to greater and stronger holiness stance within the denomination. They are proud to lift the banner higher, to raise the standard of holiness from the mire of Tampa. Certainly, their names will go down in history.

There can be no doubt...the UPCI as a political animal has a huge political quandry on its lap that will not be worked out with a few phone calls and a few letters. The level of debate within the house has now been raised several decibels which is not likely to subside within the foreseeable future. I fear that it will only grow louder.

The tsunami is not so evident out at sea but quickly becomes manifestly destructive when it comes home to shore, as it is sure to do in rapid and successive waves. The old mama lion may not be on her deathbed as another has claimed it to be, but certainly she has a huge toothache and a thorn in the paw as well.

Everyone determined to take the highroad is admirable. Sooooo admirable. But look, in the world of politics, everyone starts out on the highroad but always end up in the ditch, slinging mud. It never fails.

It's the nature of the BEAST. Politics has its roots in the world's governments. World governments have their power derived by conquest or it is created by and has its powers conferred upon it by a greater government which gained its powers by armed revolt or violent conquest. This is the genesis of all politics. Its fruit is politics, the art of compromise accepted by ballot. The root of ecclesiastical government emerge from deep within the soil of the state by which is derives its power to exist.

Politics is the fruit of the tree. It is the way of the world. It is known as worldliness...but people love it. The definition of iniquity is not always sin. Sometimes it is not sin at all, but just plain old lawlessness. In otherwords, it is outside the dominion (kingdom) of God's laws. Anything that operate, has life, have its power, recognition and authority outside the laws of the Kingdom of God is INIQUITOUS. All who repent, God says that he will remember their sins AND iniquity no more. Sins and iniquity are not always the same.

The slick, cool hand of the art of politics is a bloody hand. It is the cause of far more souls lost to eternity than can possibly be saved, even with the finest oratory for the good.

Can you imagine Jesus telling a bunch of preachers who did everything in his name...who called him LORD by revelation, who cast out devils, prophesied in his name, did many wonderful works, obviously had the Holy Ghost and were Oneness...TO DEPART FROM HIM AS WORKERS OF INIQUITY. That blows your mind. How can it be? They were sinless but full of INIQUITY...the way of the world, outside the laws of the Divine Kingdom.

Please don't tell me how annointed are men who are fast, persuasive ecclesiastical operators of the art and science of the politic. That annointing will profit nothing when Jesus says, "Depart from me ye WORKERS of iniquity, I NEVER KNEW YOU." Just another way of saying, "You operated outside the bounds of the laws of the KING-DOM...the DOMinion of God.

Something to think about.

Nice words...

[Raven]

Apprehended
You are rapidly becoming one of my favorite writers. You do have a way with words!
Excellent insight and spiritual perception. That bit of writing is something we all need to remember and file away for future reference. Operating outside the "laws of the Kingdom" is a warning that should make us all pause and check our hearts.
Raven

[Steve Epley]

Politics is the blight of the Pentecostal movement some that ain't moving.

[NW Pastor]

Martin Luther admirally stood firm on his conviction of "the just shall live by faith" 500 years ago. He also claimed the moral high ground. However, within just a few years religious warfare erupted in his homeland, claiming the lives of 10's of thousands of innocents. There was bloodshed on both sides. Though his initial convictions were without a doubt correct, his methods can never be condoned.

I pray that this political divide between us will not spiral into indescriminate "warfare". Planting the flag of holiness or righteousness upon the highest hill is admirable, but is always polarizing. All the men from Tulsa know this to be true. For them to tell others to expect otherwise is ignorant at best (which is hard to believe" and disingenuous at worst.

[Apprehended]

Originally Posted by Raven

Apprehended
You are rapidly becoming one of my favorite writers. You do have a way with words!
Excellent insight and spiritual perception. That bit of writing is something we all need to remember and file away for future reference. Operating outside the "laws of the Kingdom" is a warning that should make us all pause and check our hearts.
Raven

Thank you Raven.

We all have a choice. We can go the way of the world, loving it, practicing it and being wholly a part of the world. However, are we not taught to "love not the world, neither the things in the world. For all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, lust of the eye and the pride of life?" Is it not in those lusts and that pride, found all disharmony, dischord, which spurious peace is devoid of the heavenly peace.

Except the way of the world (worldliness) be forsaken, there can be no depth of evil in which a movement can descend. It is why we are commanded to come OUT of the World. Baptism in the name of Jesus was suppose to have separated us from the WORLD under a curse passing through the waters of separation from that world into a new world, under a new auspices, a new way, a new life, a new government with a NEW LAW. How then have we been deceived into picking up the craft of Egyptian brick makers? Shall not our taskmasters ever be pleased with our tally? Shall we once more build again THAT which has been destroyed by the Stone hewn out of the mountain, without hands? To build daily which is destroyed nightly, is the futile labor of fools, which is destined to crumble into nothingness together with all who are its practioners.

Perhaps we need to give more attention to that new LAW which is fundamentally that of LOVE...divine love, shown forth in a life according to its principles.

[Apprehended]

Originally Posted by NW Pastor

Martin Luther admirally stood firm on his conviction of "the just shall live by faith" 500 years ago. He also claimed the moral high ground. However, within just a few years religious warfare erupted in his homeland, claiming the lives of 10's of thousands of innocents. There was bloodshed on both sides. Though his initial convictions were without a doubt correct, his methods can never be condoned.

I pray that this political divide between us will not spiral into indescriminate "warfare". Planting the flag of holiness or righteousness upon the highest hill is admirable, but is always polarizing. All the men from Tulsa know this to be true. For them to tell others to expect otherwise is ignorant at best (which is hard to believe" and disingenuous at worst.

I too pray the same prayer.

However, practically speaking, you have underscored the inevitable. It is the WAY of Cain of which Jude spoke.

Politics, whether it be secular or ecclesiastical, has its beginning from the Garden, with the first and ultimate politician, Cain. He gained his ascendency over his brother by bloodshed. He took the highroad by rendering the answer, "Am I my brother's keeper?"

Rather than loving his brother, discharging his responsibility toward his brother by that love, he fell under another law which gained its power from disobedience and the subsequent curse. Cain separated himself from his brother by murder and bloodshed while inwardly absolving himself of all brotherly responsibility toward him.

So is it today. Politically, various factions vye for ascendency which is ultimately seen by spiritual bloodshed in the craft of the politically astute. The politically astute have a clever way of disguising their disgust with oneanother feigning an heavenly peace and love. However inwardly, they GO THE WAY OF CAIN, hating and separating from their brother, having no sense of responsibility while faking the highroad which end can only be seen in the fruit of bitterness, though yet unripened, on both sides of the great divide.

Yes NWPastor...,

Indeed Martin Luther attempted to travel the highroad, but in the end, though the tiara of light crowned his noble brow, he finally subcumed to the ignoblility and LAW of he of whom it is said, was a "murderer from the Genesis."

Shall we all go the way of Cain? Shall we all practice the art of Worldliness? Is there not anyone left who came out of the waters of separation to serve a new Kingdom guided by freedom's holy light of (divne) love? OR, shall we ALL go back to serving our Egyptian taskmasters with our daily tally?

The UPC was born out of a desire from within two groups, the PCI and the PCofJC. These groups had, in their infancy, broken away, along with others, from the AOG over doctrinal differences, primarily, Oneness Vs. Trinity. This was proper and right, because the disagreement was one of a foundational doctrinal nature.

However, they did not agree among themselves on everything totally. There were some huge gaps that had to be overlooked in order for these two groups to merge. The feeling that they could do more together than apart was the driving force that compelled them to lay aside their differences and focus on their strengths. The rest is history.

Anytime personalities are brought together, differences are quickly exposed. This is true in building a marriage, a business, a church, or an organization. Any group that breaks away because of disagreements they might have with the current structure will encounter similar issues again. Its the nature of people.

With the formation of a new movement, there is immediately within its body, opposing sides. There will be a liberal side and a conservatiive side. They will have to vote on their disagreements and it will be expected of everyone to respect the "will" of the majority.

There is normally a process by which they can challenge those issues with which they disagree, generally a resolution at next appointed gathering of that body. Its not a perfect system. I know this because I have not always been in the majority on some issues. If it were perfect, I would always be happy with the results.

Eph. 4 instructs us to "endeavor". Jude speaks of "contending." There is a finished product that we should all be focused on, but I also believe God is looking at the "process" of how we respect each other and deal with each other. We would do well to examine how best we can move this powerful gospel, doctrine, salvation, into all the world. It is best served by remaining "Kingdom Minded" which means that I purpose to be a team player. Even if I don't like all the calls that are made.

In all my years of Pastoring, 25 plus, no resolution at any conference, including Tampa, has made me come home and change the way I pastor my church.

I am thankful God saw fit to let me just be on the team. That fact requires me to give my all daily.

I am "bloodbought" and very grateful.

[Apprehended]

Originally Posted by bloodbought

The UPC was born out of a desire from within two groups, the PCI and the PCofJC. These groups had, in their infancy, broken away, along with others, from the AOG over doctrinal differences, primarily, Oneness Vs. Trinity. This was proper and right, because the disagreement was one of a foundational doctrinal nature.

However, they did not agree among themselves on everything totally. There were some huge gaps that had to be overlooked in order for these two groups to merge. The feeling that they could do more together than apart was the driving force that compelled them to lay aside their differences and focus on their strengths. The rest is history.

Anytime personalities are brought together, differences are quickly exposed. This is true in building a marriage, a business, a church, or an organization. Any group that breaks away because of disagreements they might have with the current structure will encounter similar issues again. Its the nature of people.

With the formation of a new movement, there is immediately within its body, opposing sides. There will be a liberal side and a conservatiive side. They will have to vote on their disagreements and it will be expected of everyone to respect the "will" of the majority.

There is normally a process by which they can challenge those issues with which they disagree, generally a resolution at next appointed gathering of that body. Its not a perfect system. I know this because I have not always been in the majority on some issues. If it were perfect, I would always be happy with the results.

Eph. 4 instructs us to "endeavor". Jude speaks of "contending." There is a finished product that we should all be focused on, but I also believe God is looking at the "process" of how we respect each other and deal with each other. We would do well to examine how best we can move this powerful gospel, doctrine, salvation, into all the world. It is best served by remaining "Kingdom Minded" which means that I purpose to be a team player. Even if I don't like all the calls that are made.

In all my years of Pastoring, 25 plus, no resolution at any conference, including Tampa, has made me come home and change the way I pastor my church.

I am thankful God saw fit to let me just be on the team. That fact requires me to give my all daily.

I am "bloodbought" and very grateful.

A good post...

I appreciate your sweet, humble disposition here.

Thank you.

[RevBuddy]

Originally Posted by Apprehended

The tsunami is not so evident out at sea but quickly becomes manifestly destructive when it comes home to shore, as it is sure to do in rapid and successive waves. The old mama lion may not be on her deathbed as another has claimed it to be, but certainly she has a huge toothache and a thorn in the paw as well.

Apprehended...well said...

If there are those who think the UPCI will not take political action...then, they will be sorely mistaken!!

Look for a particularly swift response at the DISTRICT level...that's where the REAL power lies in the UPCI...an extra-organization in the organization will not be tolerated at the district level...there will be a rapid assessment of those district ministers attempting to hold fellowship with BOTH outfits...and as a result, those that do will be brought under close scrutiny, if not outright pressure and stress to pick one or the other, but NOT BOTH...

I'm not saying such action will be the correct or proper actions...just that it is certain to occur...