Smoke and Mirrors

no smoke

no mirrors

Christ made

ever clearer

God's word

truly heard

the Holy Spirit

hearts stirred

entertaining not

the world

mirey mixtures

Christ blurred

wooden welcome

pure joy's peace

living water

people set free

I rarely share this part publicly, but when I write a poem in the Spirit, I often receive a tongue afterwards, or even as I'm writing. Usually, it's a brief flurry of Hebrew, Aramaic, or both. I hope more believers seek the Lord for this grace, because it's powerful and edifying, and I wish I'd been encouraged to seek it sooner.

Here is what I received after I wrote this poem:

"Rash da daka ta'ah Yah monos."

Rash - bloom, prosper, flowering, flourishing

da - room or chamber

daka - to be contrite, crushed, shattered

taah - to wander, err, stray, be seduced

Yah - God

monos - only, alone, only thing, mere, sole

I believe this means what I was expressing poetically. God, through the Holy Spirit, will enter the space we call church to refresh and prosper us, when it is not shared with other idols. When it's Christ alone that attracts us and Christ alone that we hold out to others, we will worship the Lord in both Spirit and in Truth. (John 4:24)

There are some wonderful churches that are moving and operating in the power of the Holy Spirit. There are anointed preachers of the gospel in these churches. God's church is not a brand or a pastor, however. God's church is not a cafe or a social club. It's not sensual music and good vibes. It's not a trendy social justice mission. It's not a place to relieve the guilt of unrepentant sinners or soothe itching ears.

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and a contrite heart." (Psalm 51:17)

I'm seeking the Lord to listen and understand what it is that he wants in his church, because it's us, God's people --- not a building or a program or a sermon . We can see in scripture that not even the early church was perfect. But, I have been praying that all of my self-congratulatory worship that is actually a stench in God's nostrils will become just as repugnant to my spirit. He has answered this. But now, I am restless and grieved by the current ecclesia and my own err, but so grateful for God's deliverance from religion and the seductions of sleepy church.

God has been answering my cry for clarity. He gave me a dream about a self-centered church.

The church was at a luncheon in a church-like building. Nice people, eating and enjoying fellowship around a table . . . but, ignoring an entire table of inmates with no food. It convicted me, and I began to take some simple food off the "dressed for church" table and feed it to the prisoners, who began to eat like they were starving. I woke up. I asked the Lord what to do, and he just said, "Feed them."

"The harvest is ripe, but the workers are few." (Matt.9)

Do we let God work the offering of a broken and contrite spirit in us? Do we agonize in prayer with the Lord over sinners that he loves -- that we love - who are going to hell? I was convicted. Lord, soften the cold hearts of people who claim to be yours.

Let's repent and do the first works, just as the churches in Revelation are warned to do. We are called to obey, out of our love for Christ, to share the gospel. Evangelize. Make disciples. To feed the bread of life, Jesus, to those who are in captivity to sin and this world.

We need simplicity. We only need the Holy Spirit bearing witness to Christ, among us. Not more Churchianity. The real church, going out, bringing in. Not to a concert or a members' club or man-made traditions and programs. simple. bread.

Simon Peter asked three times, if Jesus knew that he loved him. Jesus repeated back, the same response, three times:

"If you love me, feed my sheep."

The Lord also showed me, while I was at church, that he was outside the doors of the church. Our backs were turned to him, though we were singing. During the sermon, I saw Jesus again, outside. He had all these gifts. A giant sea of them. His arms were full of gifts. It was a good sermon, but God was not in it. I saw during the preaching, in the spirit, a dove, representing the Holy Spirit. It was on the church roof, waiting to be invited. Looking bored. The Lord kept giving me this mental of picture of him and my heart broke.

Later, tears fell from my eyes, as I prayed at our church fellowship group, over sin and the lost world while everyone complained about their lives in the form of "prayer requests." Afterwards, I got patted on the head and told, "Awe. You remind me of myself when I was young."

More times than I can count, I've heard Christians condescend zeal for Jesus by attributing it to spiritual immaturity. 

I wonder what satanic lullaby slowly smothers the flame of the fear and love of the Lord. Of gratitude. Of union with him. Of brokenness over the lost world. Of love for souls still bound, on their way to hell. What quenches the passion of the One who bled to save them? I am tempted to respond, "Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?" James 4:5 

There's wisdom in meekness. And quietness. But not in passivity. In deadness and dryness. Not everyone is as revved as the disciple, Peter. Some are gentle, like John. God gives us all different but equality valuable jobs. But, lukewarmness is not a sign of a mature relationship with the Lord. It's a sign that we have left our first love (James 4, Rev. 3:15-16, 2:4).

David Wilkerson addresses this in his message, "A Call to Anguish". He cries, "I had nothing worth giving to God in 50 years of ministry that wasn't born in agony."

Brothers and sisters, is Jesus weeping alone in Gethsemane over sinners, while his disciples are sleeping? Let's ask God for the baptism of anguish and to be healed of complacency and comfort. Life is birthed through agony. In the contractions of the beating love of God. When God blesses us by drawing us into his heart to tarry fervently with him, let's not be gaslit by the lukewarm into thinking that there's something wrong with us. "Do not quench the spirit." (1 Thess 5:19)

I eventually arranged a meeting to share these things with my pastors. Kind men. I gave them a couple of the prophetic messages and warnings that I've received, for them to test. I got kind of a pat on the head. The next thing we knew, the church was telling us to read woke books. That really clarified things. After seven years at this church, we never went back.

It was hard to walk away. We were blessed by people, there. We were taken care of when we were in need. We love them a lot and have maintained a couple of the relationships that we made there. But, we had a choice to make: sentimentality and loyalty to man or loyalty to the Lord. When the Lord is calling us away, we must obey, even if he's calling others differently.

God is doing a separating work, have you noticed? His glory is coming. But, not to the religious institution. To his remnant: The Lord's House.

The things that are coming upon the earth are going to completely defy common sense, expectation, and experience. When these things take place, will we be found on the side of fear or of glory? Will we be in the great falling away (2 Thess), or will we endure like the wise virgins, as God's steadfast remnant (Matt 25)?

We mustn't look to the right or left for how we should imitate Christ or for how to operate as the body of Christ. There are wheat and tares in the church, and they look the same (Matt 13). Of the seven churches, only two endure as followers of Jesus Christ (Rev. 3). That means that the majority of professing "Christians" (including leaders) are actually under God's wrath. We must never look to people, but to Christ alone. We should never suspend our personal pilgrimage into the depths of Jesus Christ because of fellowship. Called to it as we are, it's no replacement for knowing God and his word personally and intimately.

"As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him." 1 John 2:27

God will use those who are surrendering to him now in the hour of trial ahead. Now is the time to dig deep. To fast. To pray. To offer our bodies as living sacrifices.

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

Matthew 7:13-14

Jesus was most persecuted by the church. Let us be like Jesus.

You can't have the Holy Spirit and not be a trouble maker. If our ear is leaned towards Jesus, we will inevitably experience friction with the world and religion. We are not to be belligerent, but "the righteous are as bold as a lion" and will stand ground (Prov. 28:1). Do not apologize for speaking the truth. Humility submits to the Lord, not to man or to tradition.

Do not look to the right or to the left.

Follow the Shepherd. 📖 👂

The narrow road is not on the beaten paths.

Lord, continue the stripping. We want to see you.