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A Journey In The Wilderness
Becoming Fruitful In The Kingdom

by Paul K. Weigel

Chapter Seven

Stage Two: Jericho

“I have seen these people,” the LORD said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people.” Exodus 32:9 NIV

The Wilderness is a dry and weary place that seems to go on and on forever. It tests a man over time to see if he will believe God. Abraham believed God even though time was not on his side, and God counted it as righteousness (Romans 4:3). When the Children of Israel crossed over the Jordan, they were in the Promised Land but they did not possess it. In the Promised Land, the manna ended and Israel ate of the produce of the Land. This was a confirmation to them of their victory in the Wilderness. It was also encouragement that they would possess the Land, even though there were many nations still to depose.

Jericho became Israel’s biggest obstacle. As an army, they were virtually unarmed compared to the nations of Canaan. Jericho had walls which in the natural were insurmountable. However, Israel was a generation of faith and they had had some victories to encourage them. When the spies visited the city, Rahab believed that they would be victorious in spite of the walls. Her faith saved her and her entire family. For six days Israel marched around Jericho, not speaking a word as the Lord had commanded them. During the time they marched, they focused on how God would deliver them. He was building their faith as they faced their enemies. At Jericho, the objective changed. The Children of Israel believed God and were obedient. They did their fighting against their enemies instead of attacking God. This was a significant change in Israel’s relationship with Him. They recognised their enemies and trusted God for victory.

The Jericho Walls
The walls of Jericho were not only thick but also very high. The people who built the city were anticipating the worst. They had fortified themselves in what they perceived to be a safe place from a very hostile environment. Some of the nations that Israel would face came out against them. Their defence was an offense, but Jericho was different. Their main defence was the walls. In Scripture, cities are often interpreted as the Heart of man. The walls of the city were its defence. In the case of the heathen nations, the Lord revealed that these walls were protection that unredeemed persons use to protect themselves. They are walls that God wants to tear down. These walls don’t protect. They become a prison for us and they stand between our Heart and God. These walls of idolatry prevent God from completely reigning. They represent the things that captivate our Heart that are not the Lord. Sometimes we occupy our time instead of using it wisely, especially when it comes to doing spiritual things. Our mind is filled with a hundred urgent matters when it should be quiet before the Lord. We often accuse the Devil of causing this, but it is not always the Devil, it is primarily the Flesh. Anything which is more important to us than God is idolatry; the unredeemed Heart is full of idolatry, which is spiritual adultery. In stage two of the Process, God deals with those things which entice us and keep us from loving Him with all our Heart.

Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, `Come, for everything is now ready.’ “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, `I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ “Another said, `I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ “Still another said, `I have just got married, so I can’t come.’ “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, `Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ “`Sir,’ the servant said, `what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ “Then the master told his servant, `Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’” Luke 14:16-24 NIV

The Kingdom of God is illustrated by Jesus as a wedding feast in which the invitees have other more important things to do. They all respectfully decline the invitation of the Host. Obviously they are known to Him, since they were on his “A” invitation list. All of the reasons that were given in themselves were with some merit, but they should not have taken priority over the invitation to a friend’s wedding. The guests’ wrong priorities kept them from the invitation. Idolatry is characterized by improper priorities in our life. The Flesh will mercilessly invade and disrupt our efforts to have a time alone with God. The Flesh fills our mind with trivial concerns when we want to pray. Our worship is shortened by our wandering mind when we are enjoying the sweetness of His presence. The walls (idolatry) of the Heart must be put under the authority of the Holy Spirit. He wants to make us free to be obedient to Him. He wants our priorities to be His priorities. He wants to free us of the pursuit of temporal things which bind us to this earth and keep us distracted from the things of eternal value.

Jericho is unlike the Wilderness in that it is an intense and extreme battle and much more of a definitive death than the slow agonizing death of the Wilderness. Without the work of redemption done at Jericho and at Ai, we cannot go on to defeat the Seven Nations. God called Israel rebellious and stubborn. This was not only their problem. He also accused Saul of rebellion and idolatry and because of it took the Kingdom from him (1 Samuel 15:23). If we, as a people of God are to be true revolutionaries in this world, we cannot have any love for the things of it. We cannot surrender. We cannot make peace. We cannot compromise with the idolatry of the Heart. We must totally destroy it as Joshua did to Jericho and Ai.

The LORD your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you. But the LORD your God will deliver them over to you, throwing them into great confusion until they are destroyed. He will give their kings into your hand, and you will wipe out their names from under heaven. No-one will be able to stand up against you; you will destroy them. The images of their gods you are to burn in the fire. Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it for it is detestable to the LORD your God. Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Utterly abhor and detest it, for it is set apart for destruction. Deut. 7:22-26 NIV

In the Wilderness, God dealt with Israel’s unbelief (rebellion), and at Jericho He dealt with Israel’s idolatry. One of the manifestations of idolatry is (spiritual) stubbornness. We are not obedient to God when we are in idolatry because we have other objectives. Most of us have been beckoned by the Spirit of God to come away and fellowship with Him but we were watching our favourite TV show. We cannot be lead by God when we are in idolatry. Idolatry makes us act stubbornly toward the Lord. In its simplest form, it is easy to detect but idolatry is more subtle than this. We can presume we know what God wants and think we are acting for Him when we have not heard or been lead by the Holy Spirit. This was the sin that the Pharisees fell into and it is also idolatry. Religious teaching controlled by an idolatrous Heart interprets Scripture without the revelation of the Spirit. We act stubbornly before the Lord because we assume we know; therefore, we take charge. This is the work of the Flesh and not the Spirit. It is common to man, but almost impossible to see in ourselves. Only the “eyes” of the Holy Spirit can discern our Heart.

Idolatry Of The Heart
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. I Sam. 15:23

Another manifestation of idolatry is anything that we may use to create an image of ourselves. When we are separated from God by our sin, we do not know who we really are. The Adamic Nature does not want to surrender to God so it attempts to provide distractions (lusts of the Flesh) which will take us away from the Lord. These lusts are compelling and become idols in our lives without us consciously giving ourselves to them. They are an abomination to the Lord because they occupy His place in our life. We don’t openly worship these things, but when they take God’s place in our life, it is the same as worship. All of these things are vanity. They are designed to create an identity outside of Christ. For this reason, God has not been able to speak His destiny and Lordship into these areas of our Heart. These are the pursuit of things that make us feel we are valuable in the sight of others. They are vanity and foolishness that we give ourselves to instead of the Lord. We must strive and toil to achieve even the smallest level of fulfilment from them and even then, they don’t last. Only the Lord can fulfill us, and when He speaks love and destiny to our Heart, it brings us to rest from our striving for fulfilment. The Promised Land is the place of rest and abundant provision. When God tears down the walls of our Heart which stand between Him and us, and speaks life into us, we are fulfilled and cease from our striving. We are not aware of the striving and vain pursuits to which we give our energies. When life is over, much of what we have spent ourselves on will have no eternal value. There will be no businesses, cars, fancy houses and retirement savings plans. What a waste of a life for which Jesus died. These “vanities” of the Flesh begin in the Heart but are conceived in the imagination. It is there where the battle is fought.

Vain Imaginations
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 2 Cor. 10:5

The unredeemed Heart is subject to passions and lusts which “promise” to bring pleasure. They are conceived in the mind as imaginations, or visions, which the Heart offers as ways to bring pleasure, fulfilment and to bolster the identity. They happen so frequently during the day that they go almost unnoticed for what they are. These imaginations, however, have the potential to captivate the mind and the Believer, if the Flesh is not crucified. These imaginations which originate out of the Heart of Flesh, are usually images of what life could be if........ They appear as fantasies of fulfilment, but they are really attempts by the Flesh to lead us to find fulfilment outside of intimate fellowship with God. Television is a prime example of vanity and images. It has bred an epidemic of discontent, greed and striving in our society. The pictures we see are designed to stir up the Flesh and make it respond to the images. They offer the Flesh a vision of success or fulfilment. Most advertising is manipulation of the Flesh to get us to buy a product. We are presented with images which are lies built upon lies. They cannot fulfill what they promise and what they promise cannot fulfill. These vain imaginations, if undetected, captivate the mind and drive the Believer down dead-end streets in pursuits of images of success, wealth, and significance. Fantasies of grandeur, romance, family, home and children can also be idolatry if we are striving to get these things in the power of our own Flesh.

Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle. Proverbs 23:4-5 NIV

It is not only riches that captivate men’s minds. The idolatry of these vain imaginations is rooted in not knowing who we are in Christ. When we first come to Christ, we cannot understand the depth and implications of belonging completely to Him. We cannot fathom His unconditional love and that nothing can separate us from Him. The “fallen” Heart will not accept these concepts. The idea of being saved and accepted just because we exist is about as foreign to us as a life without time, or God without a beginning. We do not know Him; therefore, we cannot know who we are, since our identity is in Him. Without knowing and being at rest with who we are in Christ, our Heart searches for an identity in temporal things. This identity may be our giftedness, our intelligence, our sense of humour, our preaching ability, our leadership, our wealth, our good reputation, our knowledge or our business acumen. It is anything we believe can justify us before others and give us respect. Our society is having an identity crisis. Television subtly conveys a message that discounts any identity but those which would drive us to consume. We are children of God. Our identity is intrinsically rooted in the promise that nothing shall separate us from His love. We must have a transforming encounter through the work of the Holy Spirit, which will free us from the Flesh and root our identity in Christ. This is a huge death to die, to give up the thing we have hung our identity on for most of our lives. God will create circumstances over and over again, that will pull down every bit of respectability we ever had. He will make us weak before people, and resurrect the Spirit Man which has no reputation to defend. As painful as this process is, it is one of the most freeing, because it brings the Heart to peace and obedience. We become free to cease from our striving to be something that we think will make us respectable before people or acceptable before God. This kind of idolatry is subtle and easily rationalized, but if we seek the Kingdom and righteousness, He will pinpoint and destroy the idolatry that is part of our Adamic Nature.

In the beginning of our walk with God, we have carnal desires and imaginations. As we walk with God, we trade our carnal goals and objectives for religious carnal goals and objectives. Ministry in the modern Evangelic Church is structured to appeal to the idolatrous Heart. It offers power, and authority, respect, honour and even adulation. Ministry can provide wealth, fame, and independence. Some of the media ministries throughout North America are blatant expressions of the idolatry of the Heart, and not pure and fruitful ministry. They are like ravenous wolves who devour the sheep, rather than feed them. They preach the word but it is a Gospel which leaves room for their idolatry and impure motives. They don’t do it intentionally or knowingly; they have been deceived by their own Heart. There are exceptions, but idolatry is rampant in the Church.

Much ministry is motivated by ambition. Many ministries overwork and grossly underpay their employees. They how little respect or love for these servants and fellow heirs to the Kingdom of God. How can they love the lost or the Body of Christ if they can’t love their own co-workers? The world is more respectful and honouring of its people than the Church. This is a common experience among those who have had ministry “experience”. They have been used, abused, and cheated, all in the name of ministry. The motive of this kind of ministry is not love. It is the pursuit of the vanity of fleshly imaginations. It is ambition. Why is bigger better? Why does preaching have to be an entertaining performance? Does it make it clearer, deeper or more spiritual? Why is Hollywood style glitter a part of the Church at all? It is because the preachers and the “receivers” are attracted by the “place” this type of ministry gives to the Flesh. It feeds the Flesh and not the Spirit. This is not the character or nature of Jesus or the Holy Spirit. God is misrepresented not by the words spoken, but by the spirit in which the Gospel is presented. He is also misrepresented by what is not being preached. It is another Gospel.

If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matt. 6:30-34

Another expression of idolatry in our lives is setting goals. Nowhere in the New Testament is there instruction to set goals. We are instructed to live day-to-day without giving a thought for tomorrow. The Flesh rises up against this. It ratationalizes that we or the Church cannot operate like this. But how do we know what the Lord will do, or provide for us in the future (James 4:13-17)? It is folly and idolatry to set goals unless the Lord reveals them to us in order to pray them into being. It only leads to striving, unrest, idolatry and evil as the Lord Himself calls it. God rarely gives us goals because He knows how weak we are in the Flesh. We will run ahead and do things our own way and mess it all up. He has a tendency to give us only enough information for us to move forward today. He does not give us orders and then let us “run with it”. Living day-to-day requires a new level of dependence, trust, and submission to the Holy Spirit. This leaves no room for the Flesh. We cannot march to the sound of our own drum. When we are impatient and anxious and over focused on accomplishing a certain mark, rather than “being”, it is a sign that the Flesh is alive in us. This is the way of the world, not the Kingdom. If we cannot sit in God’s presence in peace because we feel we must be doing something, accomplishing and self-justifying, we are being tortured by the Flesh. In the Kingdom, it is out of “being”, that we do. In the world, we do in order to be. The world and the Flesh says, “you have to prove yourself and earn your way”. It is not so in the Kingdom of God. We have been justified by faith and given the Holy Spirit in whom is our inheritance as Children of God. As we surrender to Him, we acquire the Kingdom and its treasures. Everything we need in this life, and the next, is in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit has been given to us to lead us into His provision for every area of our life. He will never leave room for the Flesh.

Choose Poverty
In today’s world, poverty (modest means) is considered to be a sign of failure, but in the Kingdom of Heaven it is a role of honour (James 2:5). Paul said that he knew how to be content in abundance and in need. He became poor in material things in order to become rich in spiritual things and to minister them to the Church (2 Cor. 6:10). There is even a greater benefit to choosing poverty than for the sake of fruitful ministry. It is in poverty that intimacy with Jesus can be found. It was the poor with whom He spent His time. It was the weak He nurtured and healed. It is in the emptying of every power of self that we arrive where Jesus can be found. He chose to become poor, so we could become rich (2 Cor. 8:9). He is there in intimacy when we choose to be like Him. Poverty (weakness) is freedom, not bondage, as the world would portray. Wealth has with it the burden of protecting our assets against loss, and piloting our own ship into an unknown harbour. But in poverty, we have the promise of God’s provision, which is more trustworthy than a fat bank account. When we choose poverty we put to death our fleshly desire for financial independence and self indulgence. We are saying by our choice that we will depend upon the Lord for our supply and not our own efforts. We are setting our life goal to be the pursuit of the treasure of the Kingdom, rather than temporal things. For those who haven’t experienced intimate fellowship with Christ, there is nothing else but to amass temporal wealth. Unfortunately for them it is folly. When we give up the pursuit of material things in life and pursue the Kingdom of God, we gain one of the greatest treasures available in this world - intimacy with Christ. The Flesh ceases to strive when the Holy Spirit nails the lust for control over our own circumstances and the deceit of riches to the cross. We may appear to be failures if we choose poverty, but the value to us is freedom, powerful fruitful ministry, and a beautiful fellowship with Jesus.

Stumbling Blocks
From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord” he said. “This shall never happen to you” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” Matt. 16:21-23 NIV

It is the Flesh that has taken the suffering out of the Gospel. It is the only way to the treasure of the Kingdom. The Flesh is a stumbling block to the things of the Spirit, and the things of the Spirit are a stumbling block for the Flesh.

Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no-one may boast before him. 1 Corinthians 1:22-29 NIV

The weak and the despised are chosen by God, but to someone in the Flesh, this is a stumbling block. Weakness is despised in this world. Vulnerability is hated. For those in the Flesh, they look for signs of success as indications of right standing. They cannot “read” the things of the Spirit, which are lowly and despised by men. The most Godly of men in the Bible had no credentials other than the call and affirmation of the Holy Spirit. To the humble, these men were seen with spiritual eyes for their gifting, call, and ministry. It was the Pharisees who were offended by their lack of human (Flesh) acceptability. They were abhorred by these men’s lack of regard for the Flesh’s gatekeepers. The values of the Flesh are not the values of the Spirit and therefore truth is often presented in such a way as to be a stumbling block to the arrogant. Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is hidden to those who are not humble (Mark 10:15). When the things of the Spirit are measured by the Flesh, they will always appear to be foolishness. The things the Spirit of God will lead us to do will be a stumbling block to Christians who are carnal and unable to read the purposes of God. They see and judge the works of the Spirit by the Flesh, using Scripture and carnal understanding to judge the Spirit. Therefore, there are two Gospels and two Churches, and they are together. There is the carnal Church and there is the Spirit Church. These Scriptures about the Kingdom of God confirm a two Church Kingdom.

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matt. 7:21-23

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. John 15:5-6 NIV

This is an account not of the world, but of the Kingdom of Heaven. It is an account of Believers who are judged as unbelievers because they did not walk in the Spirit. They lived the Scriptures but didn’t surrender to the One who wrote them. The Scripture is a stumbling block to them. It is idolatry that stands between them and their Saviour. These are the walls of Jericho. People like this run their own lives, based on their interpretation of the Scripture, but they have a carnal understanding. They live life to satisfy the Flesh, pursuing things that will never satisfy. Paul was conscious of the subtle difference between walking surrendered to Christ and independence and idolatry. Even after all he suffered and accomplished, he warned his fellow workers and himself to not get overly confident because that would beget independence (1 Cor. 9:26). It is only by humbling ourselves and giving up our lives, that we will find the treasure of the Kingdom. We can please God only one way. It is to walk in faith, trusting Him with all areas of our lives, by surrendering them to His Holy Spirit. All else is dead works, which are the works of the Adamic Nature.

Idolatry comes in many forms and there is not a Christian who is not subject to it. The key to discerning what is Spirit and what is Flesh is that the Spirit always brings victory in humility, peace and sweet fellowship with Jesus. The Flesh stirs strong emotions, anxiousness, and a wall of separation from God that can’t be bridged. It likes to pretend it knows what God would or would not do. By doing so, it sets itself up as judge of what is God and what is not. God is unpredictable. We do not know Him completely. The Pharisees never imagined that He would send the Messiah and then let Him die on a cross. Doing what we think God wants is usually more pleasing to the Flesh, than the Spirit. God will never condone the works of the Flesh by joining us in intimate fellowship if we have chosen “our way”. He rewards us with Himself when we choose death to the Flesh. The pleasure of the works of the Flesh is always shallow because there is no lasting fulfilment in it. But when we choose the Spirit, we also gain the presence and beauty of the Lord, and in Him we are completely fulfilled.

Identity
The Devil challenged Jesus on His identity. He said, “if you are the Son of God” then prove it. Jesus was secure in who He was. He had nothing to prove to anyone. He just wanted to please His Father. He did not have to prove He was the Son of God. He knew the love of the Father and who He was. He had chosen poverty, no reputation, and lowliness. He was free of the struggle to “be”. He had nothing to accomplish but the will of the Father. He was free to serve Him. He had no other agenda or motive. He was the one who was being tested in the Wilderness, it was not God on trial. It was not who He was that mattered, it was who His father was that mattered most of all to Him.

Then the Devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike Your foot against a stone.” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Matt. 4:5-7 NIV

The root of idolatry is the lack of knowing who we are in Christ. Our identity has been established by who our parents, teachers, and friends say we are. But God sees our spirit. The essence of who we are is resident in our spirit. Our giftedness and calling, personality, and preferences are part of our being which is resident in our very core. Only by the revelation of the Holy Spirit can we see who God has created us to be. Only by a word of affection and love can we realize our enormous worth to Him. It is our worth to Him that establishes our identity. We are Children of God, redeemed and given a life in Christ that is characterized by His love for us. When we have been touched at the Heart level by His love, the walls of our Heart that protect and imprison us come down. We are free to live our lives open to God and to man, without fear. We can be who we are, and never fear that anything will change or separate us from the One who has made us one of His own. Our identity can never be shaken and the folly of “identity crutches” are seen for what they are. We are no longer seeking approval or adulation from the rest of the Church or the world. We are free to be who we are, and to follow Him regardless of what that might look like to others. Hearing “Well done good and faithful servant” is more important than anything else for the servant whose Heart is fully set on pleasing Him.

The Law
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites you clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Matt. 23:25 NIV

As good as the Law is, it is never good enough. Jesus came to provide us with what the Law could not. When He ascended, He said it was better that He go, so the Holy Spirit could come (John 14:26). It was better for us because Jesus could only be in one place at one time. He could teach only with words. The Holy Spirit blankets the whole earth. He can live inside us and teach us with spiritual revelations and visions in the “eyes” of our Heart. Jesus is our justification before God. The Holy Spirit has been given to us as our teacher, comforter, deliverer, and our friend. All that God does in our life is done by the Holy Spirit. He is our “connection” to the Father. The purpose of the process of sanctification is to enable us to more fully walk in obedience to the Holy Spirit. When we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfil the lusts of the Flesh. That is to say that we will not do anything that is sin, or foolishness, or displeasing to God. If we walk in the Spirit, we will not be unwise, or unkind, or selfish. We will not fall prey to the deception of the enemy since the Holy Spirit will warn us, or protect us. In the Holy Spirit there is complete and total fulfilment of the intent of the Law which Jesus summed up to be: to love God with all of your Heart soul, strength, and mind, and your neighbour as yourself (Luke 10:27).

The unsanctified Christian will take the principles of Scripture and try to live them. He will order his life and pattern it after the Law and attempt to walk in it. The human nature loves to find the principles of Scripture and with the power of the Flesh do them. The Pharisees were the greatest at studying the Law and applied it meticulously to their lives. Yet it was they who Jesus found to be the most despicable. The Pharisees were “able”. They understood the Scriptures because they studied them. They worked diligently to follow them, day and night, and it was all for nothing. The people with whom Jesus spent time with and in whom He invested His short ministry, were completely “unable”. These are the humble of Heart. They were failures, losers, hopeless, and despicable in the eyes of the Pharisees because they broke the Law. The Law cannot justify, yet it is the Law and its principles we continue to teach and revere throughout the New Testament Church. We don’t openly call these the Law; the Flesh is never that blatant. We teach “principles”, and the Flesh loves principles. It rises up with principles in its hand, and attempts by will and determination to live in them, falsely promising that this will please God. The Law was not good enough to justify us before God because it qualifies the “able”, and disqualifies the “unable”. Principles are for the “able”. They are for those who still have enough confidence in the Flesh to attempt to live “up” to the Law. But God’s plan was just the opposite. He intended to save the hopelessly “unable”. The observance of the Law only puffs up and further crowns the Flesh Lord. Principles become stumbling blocks to following the Holy Spirit. The Pharisees thought they knew all about God, but they missed Him when He came. The Law or the observance of laws and principles is idolatry in the sight of God. It keeps us from surrendering to the Holy Spirit and following Him into sanctification. Our Flesh wants to lean to our own understanding of Spiritual things. We have made a place for the Flesh in the Church by hiding from God behind His Law. We have built walls around the observance of principles instead of surrendering to His Spirit with sayings that are neither true nor Scriptural. For example, it is commonly said that, “the Holy Spirit will never lead you to break God’s Law”. The implication of this is to say, “Just follow the Law; it is the same as the Holy Spirit anyway”. Yet Jesus, under the leading of the Holy Spirit, broke the Law on several occasions. When the adulterous woman was brought to Him, He was obliged to condemn her to death by stoning, which is what the Law required, but He didn’t. He neither turned her over to her accusers for punishment or accused her Himself. He did this by the direction of the Holy Spirit. He broke the Law. She should have been stoned or at least reprimanded for her sin. Jesus fulfilled the Law by providing us a way to love God with all of our Heart, mind and strength. We are to fulfill the intent of the Law by walking in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit will lead some people some times to break the written Law. David ate the sho bread which was punishable by death, yet he did not perish. The Law had its purpose, and now that the Holy Spirit has come, we are not subject to the Law but to the Holy Spirit. Why is the law so prevalent in the Church? It makes a place for the Flesh. The Church has been afraid to trust the Holy Spirit in their fellow Believers. They don’t believe the Scripture John 10:27, “my sheep know my voice.” They try to justify principles and other manifestations of the Law and the Flesh because they are afraid the Church will become lawless. They see immaturity in some of the sheep and want to protect them and the Church’s image with rules rather than trusting God and teaching them how to hear and obey the Spirit. The Church is not structured to bring proper correction through mentoring, therefore it has had to compensate by making laws. This has created a hierarchical structure in the Church. Without ever saying it, members are working up a ladder toward their opportunity to be useful to God and acceptable to the Church for ministry based upon their ability to observe laws. This structure accommodates the Flesh. We are qualified by the unmerited favour (grace) of God, not by our ability to observe rules. Isn’t the qualification for ministry the flow of grace? If God choses and condones by His Spirit, who are we to stand in judgement? This system is carnal and builds the ego and the self-image, and it does not please the Lord. He hates it. Doing the right thing in our eyes will never accomplish the work of the Holy Spirit. We could be knowledgeable in all the principles of the Gospel, even the things of the Holy Spirit, but if we are not walking in humility and surrender to Jesus, we are like the unbelieving generation of Israel. It is the Holy Spirit’s job to put to death its enemy, the Flesh, and to resurrect the Spirit Man. It is the Holy Spirit’s job to prepare us for ministry which is fruitful, and that can’t be accomplished by observing the Law.

You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. Gal. 5:4

All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly no-one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. Gal. 3:10-14, NIV

Legalism subtly says that the good or bad circumstances in our life are the result of obedience or disobedience to the Word. It threatens God’s judgement or blessing in a “cause and effect” Gospel. We were saved by grace and mercy because of love. We will never be able to “do it well enough” to acquire God’s blessing. The new covenant is not reap and sow, but grace and mercy; how else could we be saved? As children of the New Covenant our blessings are by grace and our difficulties are our discipline and testing. Fruitful ministry is not the reward of the obedient to the “rules”, but the natural outflow of having received the grace and love of God. The Law says, “be obedient, or suffer the consequences”. But Jesus said that all of the Law is summed up in: “Love the Lord God with all your Heart, soul and strength and your neighbour as yourself” (Luke 10:27). Out of love comes obedience. We love Him because He first loved us. If we are obedient only to avoid consequences, we do not love God, we fear Him. We are not only servants, we are also sons and daughters. Sons and daughters love their Father, and because of love and trust, obey Him.

In the coming years as we approach the return of Jesus, the Church will be sanctified and cleansed of its idolatry. Lordship will be given fully to the Holy Spirit in individuals’ lives and in the life of the Church. Those who refuse the sanctifying work of the Spirit and who continue to operate in the Flesh will see the true Church as heretics, because they will not observe the Law as they interpret it. The Pharisees had Jesus killed because He demonstrated power which won the people’s Hearts, yet He broke the Law. The Pharisees felt they had to save God’s people (the Church) from this heretic, Jesus. They “knew” He was a heretic because He did not observe “their” Law. In the days to come, there will be a battle between the Flesh and the Spirit. It will cause turmoil in the Church. The lawyers who cannot trust the Holy Spirit to guide them will fall further and further into the idolatry of their own understanding of Scripture. They will deliver up brothers as infidels. It will be the Flesh alive in the Church which will be the Spirit-filled Believer’s greatest threat. There will be a dividing of the wheat from the chaff, the weeds from the grain, and the good fish from the bad fish, in the Church. It will be painful, and it will seem as though the Church cannot survive the internal war between the Flesh and the Spirit. It will be the final revealing of the true Church before the return of our Lord, just as Scripture says.

For I have come to turn “a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.” Matt. 10:35 NIV

Other Laws
Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. Gal. 6:12-15 NIV

In every family their are certain priorities, perceptions, sayings, and opinions. Some of these are good, some are evil. They usually are the expressions of the grace or lack of grace which is in a family. In my family for example, it was commonly said: “If you want it done right, you will have to do it yourself.” This is only one example, but there are many, many rules that are part of our prideful way of determining how one should live. “Get a good secure job, and save your money.” This is human wisdom which must not interfere with following the Lord, or it is idolatry. These are the “laws” we use to “judge” between right and wrong before we know the Lord. These spoken or unspoken laws are hindrances to our freedom in the Spirit. They are ingrained in us and pushed very deep in our being, and we do not recognise their effect on us. They are our justification. “We work hard and save our money - we do the right thing”. God is not impressed. They cause us to judge others by a standard that is not the Lord’s. They also cause us to try to get others to live according to our own idolatrous rules and laws. When we judge others by our human and personal “laws”, we set ourselves up as God. We are justified by our own “right doing” and measure others by the standard by which we believe we can be measured. God doesn’t care for our laws and standards of conduct. This form of idolatry is so subtle. Our Heart is so deceptive and wicked. We can’t avoid doing this. It is the nature into which we were born. This type of legalism only causes strife and turmoil in a family and in the Church. God does not care about our laws and rules; He despises them. We are not to judge others by them. The Lord said to me once: “they are doing the best that they can”. I realized that all people are doing the best they can, no matter if they meet a certain standard or not. They are making the best of what they have to work with. If they are broken and disillusioned inside, they are doing the best with what they have to work with. If they are tormented and wounded, they are doing the best they can in the state they are in. We cannot judge what others should be able to do, because we cannot see the woundedness and brokenness of their Heart. We are in no position to judge anyone since we are so desperately in need of acceptance and grace in our own fallen state. We must not make others subject to our, or any laws. We must rather throw off the oppression and judgement of these laws we have acquired, and surrender afresh to the Holy Spirit. Much of the strife between parents and teenage children could be skirted by taking a non-judgemental attitude toward young adults who are choosing to discover their own values. Even as parents we don’t have the right to judge.

When we are subject to a Law or any authority which is not the Holy Spirit, it is idolatry in God’s sight because these laws circumvent our full devotion and obedience to Him. We must do as God commanded Joshua when He captured the heathen nations - to utterly destroy them.

You must destroy all the peoples the LORD your God gives over to you. Do not look on them with pity and do not serve their gods, for that will be a snare to you. Deut. 7:16 NIV

“when you cross the Jordan into Canaan, drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places. Numbers 33: 51-52 NIV

God will have no other gods before Him. It may be the Law, it may be our sayings, it may be our ambition, but they are an abomination to the Father.

Reputation
God is not like a man; He is not concerned about His reputation. Nobody has ever come to Jesus because He had a good reputation as a Saviour and Lord. They come because they are without hope on their own, and the Holy Spirit has revealed Jesus as the only answer. In most denominations, there is a hierarchy of pastors and churches based upon size and reputation. The Flesh wants to find acceptance. It fears rejection and seeks approval, even adulation. A pastor, church, or individual is not free to walk in the Spirit if they are seeking acceptance from others. The struggle for a good reputation is a work of the Flesh. With every perceived fluctuation in our standing, one way or the other, we are tormented by unrest. The Flesh cannot be satisfied, it must be put to death. Jesus and the spiritual men of the Bible were despised by most men. Only in the long view of history were their lives confirmed and redeemed. Martin Luther, although he had many subscribers to his Spirit-led conviction that we are saved by grace and not dead works, had far more people in his time declare him a heretic. Who was he to oppose the established authority of the Church? To walk and stand for the things of the Spirit is to invite conflict, criticism, and dissension against our actions and our person. If we are not free of the struggle to be seen as “right” and “good” we will never be able take a stand for what we know is the Spirit’s “walk” for our lives. Our reputation is a wall that stands between us and God and His purposes for us. It is good to have the opposition and hatred of some people. The image we present to others needs to be crucified on the Cross. We need to confess our faults to others openly, being transparent as sinners, redeemed only by grace. It is in this lowly position that we find freedom from the tyranny of the Flesh. Jesus picked the lowly and poor to spend time with because that is what He was. They were humbled in His presence, but the Pharisees were agitated. He reduced them to mere sinners who had nothing with which to make themselves better than others. They could not be justified by their good works in His holy presence. Pharisees operate in self-sufficiency and independence. They are looking for someone to elevate them to a new level of independence, honour, and sufficiency. As leaders, they had an image to maintain. What is the image that we project as the Church? The Church projects the image of being sufficient, able, together, capable. We present ourselves to the world as if we have it “together”. We think that if we look good, we will attract people to Christ and His Church. This is misguided at best. It is for this reason we have not been able to attract the unable. These are the ones Jesus came to save (Luke 4:18). The poor and the weak know what they are, and are looking for an answer to their need. The more able and sufficient we appear to be, the less the unable are attracted to us as a Church. We want the able for our Church because they appeal to our Flesh.

The transformation of a Heart is not carnal. It is not with human understanding that we are saved. It is spiritual. It is the work of the Holy Spirit which draws people to Jesus. It is the Flesh that wants to look good. This is carnal thinking in spiritual matters. Unbelievers intuitively know that Christians aren’t as “good” are we project, and many are outside the Church because we are not completely honest about who we are. In light of the Holiness of God, we are relatively no better than them - just forgiven. Leaders and the Church will gain respect, not loose it, by humbling themselves as the “chief of sinners”, as Paul did (1 Corinthians 15:9). It will provide incentive for others to live in the truth about themselves and pull down the idolatry of a “good” reputation. If we become like Jesus, of no reputation, we will see the fresh wind of the Holy Spirt blow in our Churches, which will be the most attractive thing possible for Believers and Unbelievers alike. If we are considered by most people to be of good reputation, then we probably are not walking in the Spirit, because the Spirit always offends the carnal man. When we walk in the Spirit we will pay a price, and usually it is our reputation we pay it with. God will sacrifice our reputation in order to accomplish His goals in us and others. He will lead us to do the right thing rather than the thing that looks good. David put his reputation in the hands of God. He asked Him to redeem him and defend him. He was free to do what he knew was right before the Lord, without concern for what others would think. Our reputation is a matter that should be in God’s hands. He will put it to death and resurrect our reputation in His good time.

Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbours; I am a dread to my friends—those who see me on the street flee from me. I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery. For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side; they conspire against me and plot to take my life. But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I have cried out to you; but let the wicked be put to shame and lie silent in the grave. Come near and rescue me; redeem me because of my foes. You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed; all my enemies are before you. Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none. Psalms 31:9-20 NIV

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 1 Peter 5:6 NIV

Who Is Our Teacher?
It is part of our church culture to have a teaching in almost every meeting. We have teachings on the radio, on television, on audio tapes in the car, and in Sunday morning, and Wednesday evening meetings. We are the most taught people on the planet. So much of our spiritual life is given to sitting in meetings being taught. One would think that it is through “knowing” that we are saved. Through “knowing” we are healed, delivered, or overcome the world and the Devil. How much more do we need to know before we engage in the real work of the Church, like healing the sick, and delivering the oppressed? If we were to spend SOME of that time in prayer, as a Church, we would learn far more from the Holy Spirit as He reveals His purposes and plans to us. The apostles were prepared for ministry not only by Jesus’ teaching, but even more so by watching Him minister. Much of the teaching in the Church is out of duty and tradition. The 30 to 45 minute sermon is the highlight of the service; however, most teaching just “tickles our ears”. It may sound good but it will not change us. It makes us think we are moving forward, but in fact we haven’t moved an inch. We don’t change anything, by JUST knowing. It is our traditions which contain us in a form that robs us of all God has for us, and that is idolatry. Part of the reason we do not change and flow with what the Spirit wants for our meetings, is that most members refuse to be flexible. They want it the way it always has been; they want it their way. They would leave the Church if there were changes, and then the budget wouldn’t be met and then....and then..... Who controls the Church, the members or its Head? There will be a price to pay to free the Church of this idolatry, but it will be well worth it. It will separate the sheep from the goats. This is not a change that can be brought about by the hands of men, but only by the redeeming work of the Holy Spirit, in His time, not our own.

The Holy Spirit is named in Scripture as our teacher (John 14:26). This does not mean that He will not use people, but it does mean that He is our final authority on what we should retain and accept for our lives and what we should reject. There is a lot of teaching in the Church which is distorted or unbalanced truth. We must be wary of legalism and other forms of heresy. Only the Holy Spirit can save us from that. Paul warned that we are to be careful that we do not receive any other Gospel but the one through which we were saved (2 Corinthians 11:4). We must submit what we are taught to our teacher the Holy Spirit, for Him to confirm and to give meaning to it for our lives. It is He who will make what we learn relevant. We must depend on Him for our teaching, using whomever He chooses to be His agent. If we want to learn and grow, we must put our need for knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in the Holy Spirit’s hands. The Church may well be His agent, but it is He who we must acknowledge and make our teacher. Anything else is idolatry.

Ai And The Devoted Things
Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you any more unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction “Go, consecrate the people. Tell them, ‘Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: That which is devoted is among you, 0 Israel. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove it. Joshua 7:11-13 NIV

When Israel went up against the city of Ai they were soundly defeated. It should have been an easy victory, but they were beaten badly by their enemies. At Jericho, God banned Israel from taking the gold and silver as spoil. But Achan saw a beautiful silver lamp and could not resist taking it. He hid it in the ground in his tent (Joshua 7:21-22). For this reason, the Children of Israel were defeated. They had hidden things to which they were devoted. For the New Covenant Believer, the hiding of a devoted thing speaks of holding back something that should be devoted to God. The hiding of it in his tent indicates that this is a Heart issue. Achan had coveted the gold and silver of the heathen nations (the world). He was not free to be obedient because the lusts of his Heart overruled his devotion to the Lord. The things that are hidden in our Heart are the reason we are weak and lack the authority over the enemy in our lives.

Achan coveted silver and gold. Although this can mean money or wealth, it really refers to temporal things in general. The hidden desire of the Heart for the temporal comforts and pleasures of this world are like a thorny weed which will choke out the good seed (prophetic word of calling) in our life. A house divided against itself cannot succeed. With a Heart seeking after temporal love, we are vulnerable and not fully armed to take on the battles of the seven nations. We are stuck where we are and cannot go forward until we put to death by the Holy Spirit the thing that is alive in us. Achan’s silver and gold were hidden. Our deepest loves get buried because the carnal nature wants to hide from God. It is our love of these things that make them so offensive to God. It is blatant idolatry and it stands between us and Him. If we covet the things of this world, we lose some of our authority as Believers, and hinder our relationship with God. We must not hide our desires from the Lord. He sees them. They are empty and vain, and leave us unfulfilled anyway.

Examples Of Idolatry
When Jesus said that, “the love of money was the root of all evil”, He was speaking about the seeking of self rule and power that does not come from God. He was speaking about the power of money. In this world, money is power. With money you can do what you want, buy what you want, go where you want. Nothing is out of reach if you have money. You are master of your own destiny. The Flesh loves money because it empowers it. Money can feed the Flesh with power and indulgence. When God sets to put the Flesh to death, the first thing He does is remove the power of money. Disposable income, credit, and reserve cash are consumed by the fire of God. He makes us dependent on Him. It is through this we learn obedience to the Holy Spirit. He will put us in situations where we cannot do as we please. We learn to give everything into His hands when we are helpless without Him. We can only move forward if He opens the way. Things we wouldn’t think of committing to prayer must now be won as Spiritual victories. We learn that everything must be covered in prayer and surrendered to the Holy Spirit. This is a painful transition. We cannot buy, do, or go where we want without the Lord providing. Eventually, we see the folly of our idolatry and appreciate what the Lord is doing in us. We see the things we did to satisfy the lusts of the Flesh and are grateful for the mercy and grace of the Lord that has put them to death. We enter a new freedom and intimacy with the Lord which we did not have before. It quiets the Heart and puts to death the raging passions and lusts of the Flesh, so we can “walk” in the Spirit.

It is hard for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom because he has power. He has no needs. He has everything he wants here on earth. The poor man, however, is disenfranchised, despised and without power to help himself. The poor are closer to the Kingdom of Heaven than the rich (Matt.19:23). When Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell everything and follow Him (Luke 18:22), He was saying, that all his good deeds were not good enough for him to enjoy the treasures of the Kingdom. Humility, which is to be helpless and know it, is the gate into the Kingdom and its treasures. As long as we are empowered with anything other than the Holy Spirit, the Flesh will use it for independence and disobedience to God. Can a man be rich and be surrendered to God? Wealth built by the arm of the Flesh is a stumbling block to our spiritual growth. Wealth, spiritual or natural, which is provided for by the Spirit is joy and peace. Only the Holy Spirit can reveal to us, which it is. Either way, the “call” is God’s. He knows just how to put the Old Man to death. He will consume all our sources of independence, in just the perfect way.

The “Prosperity Gospel”, as it is called, is based on Scripture but it has been distorted and is a stumbling block to the Church. We are called to die to independence and self-rule. The prosperity of the Gospel is not material things, it is a promise of the treasures of the Kingdom which cannot be bought with money. They are far more valuable than silver and gold. The Gospel is not a means to material gain, nor is it the “good life” in temporal terms. Jesus’ Kingdom is not of this world, nor are love, joy, and peace and the fulfillment that comes from fruitful ministry in our calling. The great weakness of the North American Church is materialism, and it has modified the Gospel to accommodate carnal Believers’ pursuit of its folly.

The Church has been compromised because it is afraid of the consequences of taking a stand. People would leave the Church or cut their giving and there would be a number of repercussions from there. The Church has become an organization rather than the Body of Christ. It is an organization which like other organizations has financial needs. It is bound by its material needs to a compromised Gospel. Pastors and leaders are held hostage by their fear of not having enough money if they did what they believed was best for the Church and its members. This is common in many Churches. Under the circumstances, “nobody is willing to rock the boat”. There are other reasons for compromise, but the organization called the Church and its huge financial needs have become idolatry which keep the Body of Christ from being completely free to follow the Holy Spirit,

Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’ he is not to ‘honor his father’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’” Matt. 15:1-9

The work of the Flesh has not changed since the beginning of the Church. It likes to organize, quantify and contain the Church with rules that will make it predictable and controllable. Through rules and law, the Flesh can gain control of the Church. In the Church, there has been no greater example of control and the work of the Flesh than in the teaching of tithing. If there is human control of the income of a Church then it can be organized and plans can be made. Fleshly desires and ambitions can be appeased quite easily. It is an opportunity for the Flesh. The argument that the Church needs order is nonsense considering it was the Holy Spirit who gave order to the universe. His order seems like disorder to the Flesh because it is not in control. This argument for order is a manifestation of the battle of the Flesh with the Spirit for control of the Church.

One of the great idolatries and manifestation of legalism and the Flesh in the North American Church is the prolific teaching of the practise of tithing. It is theologically unsound. It is clearly an observance of law, rules, the Law, or guidelines. They may sound good but, if it is not the Holy Spirit who is Lord over our giving, we have missed Him. Until now, the Holy Spirit has tolerated this, but now the Lord is raising up voices against this practice. Recently, a renowned Bible teacher has come out and openly declared tithing as a legalistic observance that has no place in the Spirit-filled Believer’s life. Since he is so well respected, it is hard to dismiss him as a fool, or heretic. He will be criticised for his stand and may well suffer attempts to discredit him. From a scriptural point of view if we are observing “guidelines” or rules, or the Law or cultural laws, it is idolatry that keeps us from turning over full lordship of our giving to the Holy Spirit. This teaching is in fact a stumbling block to hearing the Lord clearly for what He wants to do. The teaching of tithing has been damaging to individuals but nothing like the damage it has done to the Church. Tithing has put an obligation on the Believer, and it has allowed the Church to operate like a business. Seeking the Lord for direction and guidance is a much lower priority if the income of the Church can be controlled. When we are walking in the Spirit we know that God will only supply enough for what we are to do. If we make a mistake in hearing Him, we will not have enough money to take care of the bills. It makes everyone much more dependent on God for their supply, and more importantly, it releases the power of God to supply far above the capacity of the congregation’s financial ability. When we operate in the Spirit, God comes and adds, so as to confirm His Word and meet every need.

The teaching of tithing in the Church is a stumbling block to Believers walking in the Holy Spirit in their giving. If we were to make these same obligations and guidelines for worship they would be deemed by most to be ridiculous. It has become idolatry to the giver and for the Church. Giving is meant to put to death our dependence on our own abilities to get money and dependence on God for our needs. Tithing will produce a cause and effect result as part of the natural law of the universe. If you give you will receive. But God wants us to live in the blessing of the power of walking in the Spirit in our finance, so we can defeat nations and situations much greater than ourselves. When we surrender our giving to God, His promise is to meet our every need, even if it is far beyond our own capacity. Jesus demonstrated this principle in the feeding of the 5000. God multiplied what they did have, so that the need would be met. It is important for us as a Church to get to this stage of walking with God, because in the future the battles we are going to face will be far beyond what we can do, and we will need God to provide for us. Scripture says that, “He has the cattle on a thousand hills”. This is obviously not specifically cattle, but means that He has resources which cannot be seen. He can give favour and grace to us in any situation and through anyone in order to meet our needs. There are times in the Process that He will allow us to remain in need but that is for a specific purpose. No amount of tithing will get us out of the need which is meant to humble, discipline and instruct. The problem with the Law (tithing) is that it demands 10%, but the Spirit of God will only be satisfied with 100% (complete surrender). He will only accept complete surrender of everything, including our finances and wealth. Observing tithing as a guideline or law or suggestion or good practice is idolatry which stands between us and the Lord.

It is taught that tithing is not the Law since it was demonstrated before the Law, when Abraham tithed to Melchizedek, King of Salem (Hebrews 7:1-2). This is correct. Abraham knew nothing of the Law and without obligation or the burden of the Law, he gave a tithe to the King. He did this because the Spirit of God caused Him to do it. It is the Flesh that wants to turn what the Spirit does into some religious observance. Abraham, in obedience to the Holy Spirit, took Isaac up the mountain and was going to sacrifice him (Genesis 22:2-18). We don’t try to make this into a law and have every father perform this as a ritual. There are many, many depictions of the leading of the Holy Spirit in peoples lives in the Bible, but we don’t turn them into some “guideline”. The Flesh wants control. It is part of its nature and the issue of money brings control to the Church over what is being done. The Church is in bondage to the Flesh in this area and needs God’s victory to become free to walk obediently to the Holy Spirit. When a Church decides to follow the Spirit completely, it will be like jumping off a cliff. They will have to trust that God will catch them and He will; however, it won’t be all glorious victory. There will be much criticism from those who cannot see where the Church is going and can only see the circumstances in the natural. First there is death, and only after death can there be resurrection.

Circumcision Of The Heart
Joshua took all the men of Israel and circumcised them before they entered into the Promised Land. This was a new generation who were born in the Wilderness but were not “set aside” for God. Circumcision of the Heart is the act of being set aside fully for God, not on a physical level, but on a spiritual level. The Law prescribed that circumcision be performed on the eighth day. It was not the Sabbath day (the 7th day) but the 8th day. The 8th day is the first day of the week. It was on the first day of the week that Jesus was resurrected from the dead as a symbol of the first fruit which belongs to God. The circumcision of the Heart is the destruction of the Old Man and the resurrection of the New.

When we are sanctified (circumcised in the Heart), we are resurrected on the first day of the week as “first fruits” unto God (Romans 6:4-6). We are therefore, living sacrifices unto Him (Romans 12:1). We are dead to the Law and alive to Christ. Observance of the rules of the Law (the 10% of tithing) is not enough and (100%) only complete sacrifice and surrender to the Spirit will do.

In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God who raised him from the dead. Col. 2:10-11 NIV

The Concept Of A Leader
The picture of the Body of Christ in Scripture is a much different picture than that of the current Church. The Body should have a beautiful deference and respect for the gift of grace within the other members. Leaders are men and women who will make others more important than themselves (Phil. 2:3-4). They must maintain their authority and right to lead not by an authoritarian use of power, but by the respectful acknowledgement by the other members that that is their rightful, God-given role in the Body. With that role comes a responsibility, like husbands who are called to die for their wives (Ephesians 5:25). They are called to sacrifice their life for the Body as Christ did. They should do whatever it takes to create opportunity for the Body to mature and develop into fruitfulness, regardless of the cost to them. Leaders must be able to identify giftedness in others. They are the coach of the “team”. Their job is to place people in the role in which they are best suited so they can be successful by grace.

Generally, the Church is carnal in the way it picks its leaders. In most cases, the elders of the Church are businessmen who can apply their skills to the financial or other logistical areas of the Church. They are people who are respected for their temporal abilities. The Church has respect for those who are powerful and who have money. Usually, they are the least qualified to lead since their methods and those of the Holy Spirit are opposite to each other. In other cases, leaders are chosen because they appear to have no needs. It would seem from outward appearance that they have their life “together”. We measure spirituality by outward signs. This outward sufficiency is more of a disqualification than a qualification for leadership. Leaders must set an example of humility. It is not weakness to be needy, it is truth and humility. The real qualifications of a leader should be: can they hear and walk obediently to the Holy Spirit, do they love the Body, and are they called at this time to serve? Paul wrote to the Church that men called to leadership must be able to discern and protect the Church from false doctrine and especially the idolatry of legalism (Titus 1:9-10). One of his greatest concerns was that the “leaven” of legalism would not distort the Gospel of Grace which he taught them. Paul confronted Peter openly and quite strongly on the issue of legalism (Galatians 2:11-17). He accused Peter of going back to observing the law of the Circumcision in order to appease certain zealous legalistic Believers. Paul saw the threat of a legalistic observance of laws (the manifestation of the work of the Flesh) as a real danger to the Gospel of Grace. If we chose our leaders based upon the guidance of the Holy Spirit free from our human prejudice and understanding, we would be very astounded by whom the Spirit would choose. It would not be the Sauls. It would be the Davids.

Paul, speaking about the qualifications of leaders said: He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group. Titus 1:9-10 NIV

Debates And Criticism
It is believed and taught by most Church leaders that they and the Church should not be criticized or corrected. Anyone who criticises the Church or disagrees with a leader is seen as being a troublemaker. Martin Luther was one of the more important Christians in the history of the Church. His writings reveal how he openly condemned the things that were not scriptural about the Church. Today’s Church has not been very good at receiving or giving criticism. Even though it is generally considered poor “form” to criticize, it has a valid and important role in the health of the Body. Many leaders are defensive and not really open to receive sincere criticism of their ministry or decisions. It is often implied that any criticism is against God, not them, or that it is destructive, not constructive. For this reason when people see something terribly wrong, they gracefully “bow out” rather than confront the problem in love. Because of their particular gift or perspective, they are able to identify problems that others do not see. Sadly, they leave rather than confront and debate the issues and the Church is the worse for it. It is the input of other perspectives and “graces” in ministry which are safeguards for the Body’s life and ministry. Inflexibility, closed mindedness, desire for control, stubbornness, and defensiveness are manifestations of the Flesh and are self and Body destructive.

The other area we as Christians avoid is constructive confrontation. Paul confronted Peter on his duplicity about not eating with the gentile Believers (Gal. 2:11-17). It is common in the Church to hear contradicting interpretation of Scripture on a variety of subjects. There is so much bad theology, even amongst sincere Believers, because most teachings are never put to the test of the scrutiny of the Body. If the teaching is given by someone renowned, it becomes widely accepted without any scrutiny. By debate, the truth is discerned and lies are exposed. Rarely, however, do we take the time to know and understand a particular theological position and determine whether it is true in the wisdom of the Spirit. Debate and criticism should be a provision in the Body for bringing the truth to the surface. It would batter a few egos but it would also make people accountable for what they say and teach. It is a work of the Flesh to try and eliminate constructive criticism and debate in order to avoid being corrected. In the right spirit, criticism and debate can be a positive and constructive part of the life of the Body.

The Promise Of Fruitful Ministry
Jericho is the Believer’s first entrance into the Promised Land. Sometimes at this stage of the Process, God will provide a token opportunity of fruitful ministry. It is symbolic of the entrance into the Promised Land. This first release of ministry may be in the area of a Believer’s calling, but it usually is a mere shadow of the main or true calling. This “introductory” ministry may continue for a number of years, but more commonly it ends as a person progresses through the Process. At this stage of the Process, Churches have conflict, especially with those who have the prophet gifting/call. The idolatry stage of the Process will bring head-on conflicts that often cause Prophets to leave the Church. Usually at this stage, God will call the intercessors together to pray for the Church through this most difficult stage of the Process.

God uses leadership and ministry as a place to prepare leaders. Leaders who are in this Process may have been in ministry for years, but feel that they are not completely living in the full call of God. They know that their ministry is marked by areas of power and authority, but also by other areas of weakness. They may be plagued with problems which steal the joy out of ministry. “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:30 NIV). Whatever the symptom, they know that they need more of the Lord in their ministry.

Death And Dying
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet. Matt. 21:45-46 NIV

Jesus was put to death by the Pharisees. They used their authority and manipulated the Roman authorities to condemn Him. He had violated the Law in their eyes and had influence with the people. The Pharisees believed that they had to save God’s Kingdom from this infidel and His heresies. Jesus’ unmitigated truth threatened men “chosen” by God. He threatened them and what they thought was sacred. All of it was vile in God’s sight. When the time was right, Jesus surrendered to them. He surrendered to the Flesh. It was not the Devil who killed Jesus, although he may have inflamed and incited the Flesh to act. It was the Adamic Nature (Flesh) that was at work in the Pharisees from whom Jesus had come to redeem men. Jesus, therefore, surrendered to the Adamic Nature and its hostility toward God, so we could be redeemed from it. He became despised and shamed and took on all the separation from God that is inherent in the Fallen Nature. Jesus’ death is an example to us of what the death and defeat of the Old Man is like. Just as the process of sanctification follows a pattern as illustrated by the Children of Israel’s journey, the process of death of the Adamic Nature is patterned by Jesus’ death. The following are the steps of Jesus’ death which are parallel to the steps in the death of the Adamic Nature.

Palm Sunday
It would seem unusual to include such a glorious event as part of the process of dying, but it is an important part of the pattern. When Jesus entered Jerusalem, it was a symbol of his Lordship and authority to reign. It is the equivalent of a prophetic word to us. It spoke of what was to come. Before God does something in our lives, He will give us a revelation of what He is going to do. In the case of the Children of Israel, He told them that He was going to take them to the Promised Land. It was a place filled with prosperity and abundance and peace. He did not tell them what it would take to get there. He wanted them to understand what it was that they were going for. We often think when we are at this stage, that we now have, or will soon have, what we are promised, but it is only the first stage of the Process. Much of the preaching today is powerfully prophetic, proclaiming the great victories of the Church. They are in fact preparing us for the struggle of death. God whets our appetite for the good things He has for us. Little do we know what it will take to enter into that blessing. The Kingdom treasure can only be had through death. We see the beginning and the end but not what is in between; it is easier to say “yes” to God that way.

Last Supper
The Last Supper was the preparation for the changes that would occur in His disciples in the next few days. Jesus used this time to prepare the disciples for what was to come, after His resurrection. He modelled to them the humility of leadership by washing their feet. By doing this, He also demonstrated His love and complete commitment, even unto death, for the Church. He was also very intimate with those around Him. There was no public meeting, just the twelve disciples. When we are in the process of death, the last supper stage is a short season of intimate fellowship and reassurance from the Father that we are on the right path before death becomes obvious.

Gethsemane
The garden was a place of sorrow. Death was imminent and there was at this time a period of sorrow, melancholy, even sadness which precedes the death of an area of the Flesh. It is also a place of choice. There is still time to turn back, but if we choose to face the death, this stage will become “sweet sorrow”. Just as Jesus was deserted by the disciples at this stage, we are either deserted emotional or physically or feel deserted spiritually. We have to die alone; no one can comfort us or help us at this stage in the process of dying.

The Cross
The cross is death, and no human being will give himself over to death. Everything within us is raging against the situation, but at the same time we continue to move forward into it like a bug drawn to a lamp. It may seem self-destructive, and in a manner of speaking, it is. In death, there is an emptiness, and spiritual darkness. This darkness is not an evil darkness. It is just the absence of light. On two occasions I experienced a sense of torment in my spirit during this time which lasted several days. These experiences (the darkness and torment) gave me a glimpse of what awaits a person who does not know the salvation found in Jesus.

Resurrection
When resurrection happens it is almost a surprise. It is as if someone unexpectedly turns on the lights. We feel a wonderful revelation and sweet intimacy and fellowship with Jesus. We experience a deep humility which seems so natural and effortless. We feel grateful, and repentant for our rebellion and rage against God that is inherent in the process of death of the Flesh. Most of all, we have a revelation and an awareness that we are now standing on higher spiritual ground. It feels like a spiritual high point, where all that was suffered was nothing compared to the treasure that is now suddenly available to us. It is the glorious moment that was “prophesied” on Palm Sunday, fulfilled. The death that has transpired has put another nail in the coffin of the Old Man and all of Heaven rejoices. From that day on, we have a new freedom and perspective on the Kingdom. We also have a new spiritual authority. Things never seen before in the Scripture or in the Kingdom seem obvious or come by revelation. This does not mean we will never sin again, but it does mean we have gained another level of authority in the Kingdom, and over the Flesh in our lives. With it comes revelations of understanding, knowledge, and wisdom which now take up residence in our Heart. These are treasures we own and which will be taken with us into eternity. These treasures are the foundation and pre-qualification for our ruling the universe and the earth with Jesus in the Age to Come.

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life, if we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was Crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Romans 6:4-7 NIV

 

© Paul K. Weigel, January 2000

 

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