( This article is rather long, so I have adjusted it to have 2 parts, so the reader can take a breather.)
It happened in 70 A.D. Jesus had warned of the happening in Matt, chap 24, and even stated that “this generation shall not pass” concerning his subject matter--the drastic destruction of the world order, (alias: end of the world, or--as rendered by Strong’s 165 & 4930--the consummation of the age). Jesus was talking to those within earshot. He was talking about their generation. And about 40 years after this prophesy by our Lord, Titus came with his army and destroyed Jerusalem and the whole legalistic worship system. Not one stone of the literal temple was left untouched, just as Jesus had stated (v.2). It was a violent happening due to resistance to God’s will. But God’s Son was the final sacrifice, making pomp and circumstance null and void. No more “professional” priests were needed for the former functions. No more religious hierarchy, expressing an outward, empty worship, and also expressing separation between God and Joe Nobody. A death blow had surely been rendered by God to end a substitutionary order. Yet, we still have a prominent, visible, pro-active clergy in our world. Why? Obviously, they don’t know that their Old Testament surface positions, statuses, and titles were eliminated at Calvary. Forever. They’re dead!
(Note: the New Testament reality of apostles, prophets, etc., will be addressed thoroughly later in this article, in Part 2.)
From a dictionary, “clergy”: the group or body of ordained persons in a religion, as distinguished from the laity; “laity”: the body of religious worshipers, as distinguished from the clergy. These definitions speak of religious affiliation and of divisions, separating people into categories, and in this case, two categories: the upper crust and the lower crust. My depiction may sound crude, but it very adequately states how the majority of people see the religious hierarchy (of any faith), and themselves. I grew up seeing it even though I wasn’t much of a church-goer. When we walk in darkness, we fall in line with the cues leading us around. I used to think if you were a Catholic you were a higher ranking person to God. I was very intimidated and also in awe. But of course! I didn’t know that what I was seeing was just the status quo and had nothing to do with God. I didn’t know that I was a spiritual creature and that God dwelled in me already! But those visuals associated with religion, they represent the grand drama of ambition walking around with robes and titles and respect, masquerading as emissaries of God. Scribes and Pharisees exist today in all expressions of the Christian RELIGION, and in all religions, because man-made orders have made themselves the representative of God for the people and that is a HERESY! It is addressed clearly in the Revelation.
But before I proceed, I would like to make my perspective a little clearer. While I am in no way looking down on those who partake of their religious beliefs in sincerity, I am trumpeting a truth and bringing light to a dark place. We have not been separated from God since Jesus died on the cross. He promised he would send Himself to be with us, and that happened when he returned as the Holy Spirit, infused permanently in the whole spirit/soul re-connection that would be experienced in each person uniquely. There IS no other mediator between God and man. Only Jesus has access to our spirit, and no mortal can speak from that high place, nor does any man have understanding of the individual purposes of our lives. But the religious nature of men still wants to set up some kind of workshop or organization dictating to humans how they are to approach God. The religious nature does not hear from God, nor does it want to.
“but this thou hast, that thou dost hate the works of the Nicolaitans, that I also hate.”; “so hast thou, even thou, those holding the teaching of the Nicolaitans -- which thing I hate.” Rev 2:6&15 (Young’s)
These scriptures are speaking to and of two churches (Ephesus and Pergamos), who supported doctrines of the Nicolaitans, a sect off of the original pure movement of Christ. The word “Nicolaitan” means “to conquer the laity” or “victory over the people”. Since God hates it, it should be avoided, for it is heresy to establish a caste system among God’s people--implicating rank and superiority of persons “over” other persons. The former order of the Mosaic system did have its rank, but it had a purpose, for it was a shadow of a higher order to come. The law--the letter of the Word--had to be established as a structure for the Spirit of the Word to have its haven in. Then, along came a Lamb that had been slain from the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8), and all levels of temple worship came together, zipped up and swallowed up in His life (Jesus), for he became creation’s final High Priest (Heb 5:10). Established law was now fulfilled in God's Son. The dead “works” of the Levitical priesthood were no longer needed; but they were remembered, revered, and reinstated, as we shall see.
By the 3rd century, the strength and depth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ had exposed a powerhouse that Rome could not contain, in spite of all who were jailed and killed for their adherence to the Living Christ. The fires of conversion got hotter with the persecution. So Emperor Constantine decided to tame this movement and make peace with it. Following Christ ceased to be a pure move of God in hearts and became the state religion where allegiance was forced. No more persecution, no more moves of the spirit. The result was Christianity, a little monster child from Roman Catholicism where rank and order prevail. The clergy was appointed by the state and they were paid. Death again became the example, and “worship” went back into buildings made with hands. Today we see a broad spectrum of offspring that started with the Lutherans and has continued on to as many as we can find in the yellow pages of any phone book. Just look under “churches”. I submit to you that all these--from the greatest to the smallest--are misguided in their understanding of what God really accomplished in the sending of his Son. There really is no need for religion anymore!
Whether we know God or not, we are all in the same boat. Jesus is Savior of the world (John 4:42, 1 John 4:14), and at the cross all men were reconciled (spirit connection). But the salvation process (in our soul) only gets started and begins to be appreciated and understood as we are spiritually awakened. Our personal timetable is in Father’s hand and all the "church-going" in the world won’t speed up the happening. It’s an inward reality. As we awaken, the Holy Spirit becomes our teacher and leader (John 14:26, 1 John 2:27), so church attendance again adds nothing to our spiritual growth. God rules from His throne within us, and other humans--even spirit led ones--cannot overtake that Lordship. So why do we go to church? Because we're brainwashed or bullied into thinking that is what God wants.
Oh, we can have great fun and meet great people in church going, but this is the social side of our lives; this is true soul food in interactions with people. Most gatherings of “saints” are about TLC for our mind and emotions. Remember, God doesn’t require anything “outward” of us anymore. That ended two millenniums ago. But a sort of “meetings mania” overtakes our reason. We flock to hear someone who we believe can hear from God better than we can. Not so. I used to watch my brethren get excited about their escapades in following great leaders of God all over the state or the country to hear a new word. I finally figured out that the same God of the universe resided with me, and I didn’t have to go anywhere to get a better version! And He has proven me correct. My reward has been an ongoing, enriched relationship with Him, adhering more deeply to the Christ in me, and I have not been part of a religious affiliation for over 30 years! Nope. I’ve been freed up to abide in the spirit and be led as such. Sundays are just another day of freedom from religion! We can take the “Sabbath Day” off its pedestal, for entering into God’s rest (from religion) IS the Sabbath, and it’s 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
That doesn’t mean, however, that I don’t love to be with God’s people. And when I am, our fellowship might be in a phone conversation, in an e-mail, or at K-Mart. We can have lunch together or walk in the park! Wherever two or more living stones touch, He is in our midst. The temple has manifested in the visible for the need. This is being the Church. We don’t have to sing a certain number of songs, give testimonies, and listen to a sermon. Formal worship with pre-set dates and times establishes a schedule for "worship". We cannot sanctify the old style--God killed it! And all too often, because we are assembling in a building with a "church name" and "meeting time", we are a stumbling block to outsiders who don't understand the difference between flowing in the Spirit of God and having a religious gathering. Relying on the form keeps religion alive in our midst even though Father has called us out of it! (Rev 18:4) And we are not to return to former things (Isa 43:18). But what about the offices of apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds (pastors) and teachers? Don’t we have to go somewhere to get a benefit from these? Only out of habit. I will elaborate after the following assertion:
All religions are spiritually stagnant, followers being locked into holding patterns of waiting. Christians await the end of their lives or the end of the world, or they watch for the outward return of Jesus--either in the sky, or in a crop of brethren who will “manifest” and carry on where Jesus left off. Which of these concepts are bringing life to creation NOW? There IS no life, but plenty of dogma! The world that Jesus was speaking of in Matt 24 ended in the first century, and He returned as the Holy Spirit so there is nothing more to wait for. Jesus has, indeed, had other brethren, and their manifestations have been generational. The fruit of these happenings must be discerned in Holy Spirit. God’s Kingdom lives and breathes unobserved (Luke 17:20), and continual “unveilings” occur in the visible after there has been travail and victory in the invisible. Thank God! His spiritual Kingdom is gaining continual ground in warfare that the natural eyes cannot see, and I declare this from the battleground! Christianity is a lifeless form, dead to the mind of Christ. But God absolutely carries on in spite of it!
(Note: the New Testament reality of apostles, prophets, etc., will be addressed thoroughly later in this article, in Part 2.)
From a dictionary, “clergy”: the group or body of ordained persons in a religion, as distinguished from the laity; “laity”: the body of religious worshipers, as distinguished from the clergy. These definitions speak of religious affiliation and of divisions, separating people into categories, and in this case, two categories: the upper crust and the lower crust. My depiction may sound crude, but it very adequately states how the majority of people see the religious hierarchy (of any faith), and themselves. I grew up seeing it even though I wasn’t much of a church-goer. When we walk in darkness, we fall in line with the cues leading us around. I used to think if you were a Catholic you were a higher ranking person to God. I was very intimidated and also in awe. But of course! I didn’t know that what I was seeing was just the status quo and had nothing to do with God. I didn’t know that I was a spiritual creature and that God dwelled in me already! But those visuals associated with religion, they represent the grand drama of ambition walking around with robes and titles and respect, masquerading as emissaries of God. Scribes and Pharisees exist today in all expressions of the Christian RELIGION, and in all religions, because man-made orders have made themselves the representative of God for the people and that is a HERESY! It is addressed clearly in the Revelation.
But before I proceed, I would like to make my perspective a little clearer. While I am in no way looking down on those who partake of their religious beliefs in sincerity, I am trumpeting a truth and bringing light to a dark place. We have not been separated from God since Jesus died on the cross. He promised he would send Himself to be with us, and that happened when he returned as the Holy Spirit, infused permanently in the whole spirit/soul re-connection that would be experienced in each person uniquely. There IS no other mediator between God and man. Only Jesus has access to our spirit, and no mortal can speak from that high place, nor does any man have understanding of the individual purposes of our lives. But the religious nature of men still wants to set up some kind of workshop or organization dictating to humans how they are to approach God. The religious nature does not hear from God, nor does it want to.
“but this thou hast, that thou dost hate the works of the Nicolaitans, that I also hate.”; “so hast thou, even thou, those holding the teaching of the Nicolaitans -- which thing I hate.” Rev 2:6&15 (Young’s)
These scriptures are speaking to and of two churches (Ephesus and Pergamos), who supported doctrines of the Nicolaitans, a sect off of the original pure movement of Christ. The word “Nicolaitan” means “to conquer the laity” or “victory over the people”. Since God hates it, it should be avoided, for it is heresy to establish a caste system among God’s people--implicating rank and superiority of persons “over” other persons. The former order of the Mosaic system did have its rank, but it had a purpose, for it was a shadow of a higher order to come. The law--the letter of the Word--had to be established as a structure for the Spirit of the Word to have its haven in. Then, along came a Lamb that had been slain from the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8), and all levels of temple worship came together, zipped up and swallowed up in His life (Jesus), for he became creation’s final High Priest (Heb 5:10). Established law was now fulfilled in God's Son. The dead “works” of the Levitical priesthood were no longer needed; but they were remembered, revered, and reinstated, as we shall see.
By the 3rd century, the strength and depth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ had exposed a powerhouse that Rome could not contain, in spite of all who were jailed and killed for their adherence to the Living Christ. The fires of conversion got hotter with the persecution. So Emperor Constantine decided to tame this movement and make peace with it. Following Christ ceased to be a pure move of God in hearts and became the state religion where allegiance was forced. No more persecution, no more moves of the spirit. The result was Christianity, a little monster child from Roman Catholicism where rank and order prevail. The clergy was appointed by the state and they were paid. Death again became the example, and “worship” went back into buildings made with hands. Today we see a broad spectrum of offspring that started with the Lutherans and has continued on to as many as we can find in the yellow pages of any phone book. Just look under “churches”. I submit to you that all these--from the greatest to the smallest--are misguided in their understanding of what God really accomplished in the sending of his Son. There really is no need for religion anymore!
Whether we know God or not, we are all in the same boat. Jesus is Savior of the world (John 4:42, 1 John 4:14), and at the cross all men were reconciled (spirit connection). But the salvation process (in our soul) only gets started and begins to be appreciated and understood as we are spiritually awakened. Our personal timetable is in Father’s hand and all the "church-going" in the world won’t speed up the happening. It’s an inward reality. As we awaken, the Holy Spirit becomes our teacher and leader (John 14:26, 1 John 2:27), so church attendance again adds nothing to our spiritual growth. God rules from His throne within us, and other humans--even spirit led ones--cannot overtake that Lordship. So why do we go to church? Because we're brainwashed or bullied into thinking that is what God wants.
Oh, we can have great fun and meet great people in church going, but this is the social side of our lives; this is true soul food in interactions with people. Most gatherings of “saints” are about TLC for our mind and emotions. Remember, God doesn’t require anything “outward” of us anymore. That ended two millenniums ago. But a sort of “meetings mania” overtakes our reason. We flock to hear someone who we believe can hear from God better than we can. Not so. I used to watch my brethren get excited about their escapades in following great leaders of God all over the state or the country to hear a new word. I finally figured out that the same God of the universe resided with me, and I didn’t have to go anywhere to get a better version! And He has proven me correct. My reward has been an ongoing, enriched relationship with Him, adhering more deeply to the Christ in me, and I have not been part of a religious affiliation for over 30 years! Nope. I’ve been freed up to abide in the spirit and be led as such. Sundays are just another day of freedom from religion! We can take the “Sabbath Day” off its pedestal, for entering into God’s rest (from religion) IS the Sabbath, and it’s 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
That doesn’t mean, however, that I don’t love to be with God’s people. And when I am, our fellowship might be in a phone conversation, in an e-mail, or at K-Mart. We can have lunch together or walk in the park! Wherever two or more living stones touch, He is in our midst. The temple has manifested in the visible for the need. This is being the Church. We don’t have to sing a certain number of songs, give testimonies, and listen to a sermon. Formal worship with pre-set dates and times establishes a schedule for "worship". We cannot sanctify the old style--God killed it! And all too often, because we are assembling in a building with a "church name" and "meeting time", we are a stumbling block to outsiders who don't understand the difference between flowing in the Spirit of God and having a religious gathering. Relying on the form keeps religion alive in our midst even though Father has called us out of it! (Rev 18:4) And we are not to return to former things (Isa 43:18). But what about the offices of apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds (pastors) and teachers? Don’t we have to go somewhere to get a benefit from these? Only out of habit. I will elaborate after the following assertion:
All religions are spiritually stagnant, followers being locked into holding patterns of waiting. Christians await the end of their lives or the end of the world, or they watch for the outward return of Jesus--either in the sky, or in a crop of brethren who will “manifest” and carry on where Jesus left off. Which of these concepts are bringing life to creation NOW? There IS no life, but plenty of dogma! The world that Jesus was speaking of in Matt 24 ended in the first century, and He returned as the Holy Spirit so there is nothing more to wait for. Jesus has, indeed, had other brethren, and their manifestations have been generational. The fruit of these happenings must be discerned in Holy Spirit. God’s Kingdom lives and breathes unobserved (Luke 17:20), and continual “unveilings” occur in the visible after there has been travail and victory in the invisible. Thank God! His spiritual Kingdom is gaining continual ground in warfare that the natural eyes cannot see, and I declare this from the battleground! Christianity is a lifeless form, dead to the mind of Christ. But God absolutely carries on in spite of it!
Part 2
Now, concerning the giving of the apostles, prophets, etc., these distinctions of the Holy Spirit were not to become identifying labels on any person so as to regard them in an exalted or leadership status. Yet, that has happened. Isn’t the main purpose for meetings about hearing a pastor or teacher speak while everyone else listens? Why? There is only one leader and that is the Holy Spirit. A pastor has been given a tender heart for certain brethren, and this has nothing to do with "speaking". A person isn't a teacher because they say so. They are a teacher because we discern it as such. All of the individual administrations are gifts to the living church (people), with no carnal agendas--including monetary payment (religious entitlements), because the person expressing the gift is a spiritual vessel, not an employee. "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." Luke 16:13 (NIV) We are servants to a Master, and we are a FAMILY member, NOT an employee! If being a pastor, teacher or preacher has become our “job” or an identification, we have become a clergyman, and the public will render us as such! Being known as a clergy person SEPARATES US (like the priesthood of old going behind the veil), and re-instates religion. (Nicolaitan)
Instead, happily, we are free to be an expression of God wherever we go. Freely we have received, freely we will give. If we look to people to support us, we have lost our view of Father and His administration. Our wages flow from Him as HE chooses--from any source on the planet, brethren or not. In true humility, any financial giving we have for each other should be private, and not displayed openly. Why? Religion has become a big turn-off to the world (and many believers) in its obsession with money issues. And the world is watching us. We are to seek first His Kingdom, and the rest will be added. (see Matt 6:24-33)
While we all have bills to pay, meetings of the brethren should not have a “business” atmosphere quenching the spiritual flow. Even the view of an offering plate setting out keeps religion alive in the most sincere gatherings of God’s people! But truthfully, sisters and brothers, building expenses and preacher compensations are burdens that we should throw off. We were never meant to have them in the first place! (Remember from whence they came--Emperor Constantine.) Can we see how easily the spirit of the world (1 John 2:16) enters into gatherings of God’s people? It abides comfortably among even the smallest groups, and among those who have been given the higher insights of God and His Kingdom. Christian internet sites establish a veil by having symbolic offering plates (visa, etc.)--even though everything is offered for free. However, the pay “portal” is an acknowledgment that payment will be accepted for services. (It’s like the “free” car washes where donations are accepted.) While this may sound condemning, it is meant to be enlightening. Should we receive payment for blessing people? Is that putting a price on ministry? Or are people just sending in payment out of old religious habits?
I know some wonderful people who minister good things freely, but don’t see the religious contamination associated with an outward showing of where payment can be received . Unfortunately, it is the “status quo” of religion (a hangover from the paid priesthood), and hasn’t been seen as such. Since we know in our hearts that we must not receive payment for freely giving what God has blessed us with, shouldn’t we keep the stumbling block off our web sites? While giving to anyone is a good thing, we can always have our private e-mails and phone conversations concerning any financial aid we want to offer or receive. And there is no condemnation in these things!!
That being said, do we really trust our Father to provide for us without hinting for offerings? Has he spoken to us (lately) about this subject matter? Have we sought him on it? Are we afraid of how he may choose our provision? Are we assuming we shouldn’t have a regular job like regular people? How can the religious partition be removed if we still act like an elite club? The stigma of a paid clergy must be removed!! We only need to live and BE the Christ in the earth. Any hidden agendas should be only about spiritual insights that cannot be expressed just yet, but of which we will offer when the time is right--to all inhabitants of the earth. Everything mankind needs flows from each of us, for we are fused into a spiritual network that has no end! (Note: since I first wrote this article, God has laid it on my heart that those who still receive offerings are doing so because they have not been set free of it–due to their citizenship in the order of religion. They are doing the best they can. And, only when they “pass” will there be a gain in the truth. 4-21-21)
As spiritual members of the Body of Christ, any of us can stand in any of the appointments (of 1 Cor 12) as we move in the Holy Spirit. And spiritual “gifts” are to a receiver. For example, the “gift of prophesy” is not bestowed on a person to speak prophesy. The gift is the prophetic word through a vessel to a receiver. The receiver (the person who the message was for) gets the gift. And the gift can be given over the phone.
In my experience, these things just flow from my life without announcing “I have a word from the Lord”. I have been a vessel of all sorts of healing, with the person receiving it knowing only that it came from God. It is time to pull this administration into its proper place. All "ministry" is spontaneous and has practical application as we live our normal lives. We all have the same Holy Spirit residing in us and not an inferior model of anyone else’s. We don’t have to go anywhere to display or receive God’s blessings and leadings, but, of course, we can. While it is wonderful and to be desired to dwell with the brethren--to share and encourage each other, we should also be encouraging ourselves, growing in spiritual status and accessing Father directly (relationship). More important than gathering together, we should be displaying the Kingdom of God (in us) to a lost and hungry world, and not segregating ourselves from that pursuit.
While some will receive the truth offered here, many will resent it. Some very famous "professional" evangelists and teachers (and pastors) will fight to keep their status and income. A need for recognition and fame (ambition) is devoid of humility. Dr. so and so and Reverend so and so got their degrees from a college (maybe online) and not from God. They really must get over themselves! “But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.” Matt 23:8, 10-11 (KJB) We, also, are not to be respecters of persons or ministries, no matter who they are, no matter how much we love them! There are no more “Men of the Hour” (or women). There is only He dispersed across the globe in a meek, humble people concerned for mankind; these are led daily by Father.
Many cannot give up their addiction to and reliance upon organized church activity. And, whether gathering in an arena or a humble building, religion makes people feel secure. They just don’t know God yet in an intimate relationship, or they are co-dependent on the gathering. There is also a lack of trust toward God to handle everything (again--relationship). Those in power believe they are assisting God in keeping people safe. But how can mortals help God with the unique spirit/soul issues of each person? How can we know the levels of spiritual assignments of each man?
I’ve heard preachers talk of baby-sitting, like it was their burden (and they resented it). What an insult to the abiding Holy Spirit inside the person deemed as weak. Ironically, it is religious gathering that keeps people dependent on a human leader. Father can surely handle the spiritual development of all! But for those who want to carry on in religious activity, just know that this is all it is. A spiritually dead format with a dead agenda from an obsolete clergy. God doesn’t dwell in religion, but patiently tolerates our need for it and our ignorance in indulging in it, which is a replacement of Him--or idol worship. Actually, it's the spirit of anti-Christ: standing in the place of Christ. That is what religion has to offer.
This article has been a STRONG appeal to all those awakened (or awakening) in Christ to reject organized form in approaching God. Our world is surrounded by it and it blocks the view of Him!! Soulish habits, routines and traditions have no life-giving properties; they are merely distractions. We should be repulsed that our lives may in some way reek of the stench of religion! If any reader has been enlightened in any way, I encourage that one to joyfully throw off the leftover garbs of religion that block the view of Christ. Be not condemned! Just step out from behind that veil and manifest Him!! The time is NOW.
The TRUE Church exists without fanfare. There is no visible clergy among them, and they have no ties to organized religion. They have no titles, they receive no acclaim. But they do great exploits in God (secretly), being led of the Holy Spirit, awakened and enabled, very effective in prayer and intercession. Paul, himself, was a chief Pharisee before he became a great man in Christ. And he considered all his gain in the religious hierarchy to be nothing. Titles weren’t important. Those who flaunt their positions on pulpits and stages, those who expect a fee for services, those who wear robes and garbs of exaltation, those who need to be seen in a respected status--they all express a religious mind set, acting out roles of a religious order that no longer exists!
God’s purpose in this hour is to expose this great truth. To be set free of our world of deception, with all of its religious orders, sects, cults, etc., we must become non-believers in them--any and all of them. They exist in the high realms of the Adamic make-up separated from God. They all take us back to Genesis where Adam was put into a sleepy state to learn to live in death so he could appreciate the Divine state as was impossible before! ALL natural governmental orders are affected by and subject to the highest government in this outer world of death and darkness: RELIGION. To dispel the Adamic dream world all around us and truly wake up, we must turn our backs on religion and break the power of the spell. The allegorical fig leaves comforted the delusional “nakedness” of Adam, setting up shop for an approach back into God that has done nothing but fail.
But while we were all dreaming, God brought into manifestation the slaying of His Lamb. Religion was axed out of the soul realm and the slaves were freed. I tell you truthfully, the true Jubilee (setting creation free) is the end of religion!! The clergy is just parading around trying to prove to the world that we are still separated from God and need a “worthy” representative. But they are also deceived and will have their own day of deliverance. Embrace this truth: Approach to God is beautifully available to all in Christ Jesus. All religions are empty and dead, and the keepers of the tombs--the clergy--are phantoms of a time past. The clergy is dead, and it will never be resurrected! What good news from our wonderful God!!
