Note: This was first posted June 12, 2018 www.dfwleader.org
EMERGE FROM CHURCH (ancient 2012-13 TCL Website) NOTE: you may need to go FAR BACK in archives to see the direct up front COMMENTS.. http://www.emergefromchurch.wordpress.com
EMERGE FROM (TOO MUCH) CHURCH TWITTER @EmergeFRMchurch Recently, at the Lord’s bidding, I am now going to start posting, intended as helpful but direct comments, to THOUGHT PROVOKE and let persons feel SAFE entering in the doors of a Jesus Accepting Hallowed Fellowship.
WHY EMERGE FROM (TOO MUCH) CHURCH
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EVER SINCE the (starting maybe late 1980’s, entered my area early 90’s) the usually “spirit filled) Apostolic Overseer..which in my personal long life experience, has ONLY or let’s say USUALLY apostolic humans of Western European descent….has caused me a lot of concern. As it began the need to Noble Berean Bible Study..and it simultaneously occurred with the over all perceived USA “falling away” from Christ following …plus the RISE of “Religious Right” “Moral Majority” which I submit has (although perhaps God even called, well intentioned) created a BIG CONFUSION about accepting JESUS CHRIST .and /or IS, WAS HE RIGHT WING REPUBLICAN, TEA PARTY ?
BUT THAT MAJOR POINT (above) is the byproduct of OUR OWN FORM OF HISTORY
And what now follows is at least ONE interpretation of it, meaning MY VERY OWN. (Piece of the nonpartisan puzzle).
STARTING FROM MY MEMORIES(time 13- 20)..note each Seasoned Reader may have a different spin.
- Beatles came (vivid memories, age 13, had Beatle wall paper on my wall (a lengthy swatch of it). Also noticed within myself, recalling this apparent DAWNING of become Self Aware: I can remember noting to myself, “I LIKE TO THINK!” (meaning to ponder, consider, realistically think about, evaluate all realms of Life, eternal, thinking EXISTENCE) I really don’t understand WHY but I do vividly recall WHEN this happened and WHERE exactly.
2.Drugs then came( but not around or with me..however over eating, as in sugar addiction, can be just as controlling..), And, having a deep relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, I told the very few college persons who did use drugs,(very few)… who actually asked me if “I were HIGH” …I replied, “Yes, I am high… on Jesus” (which I was then and I still fully AM!)
- Deep intrinsic accuser racism produced various Civil Rights grass roots, national movements
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Vietnam War started division,college campuses erupted (was in high school, and the only college protest at my very conservative university was barely attended. Though they did have a few big panty raids and streakers ..when I was a sophomore.) So I saw most of it through the nightly news (remember, no online back then)
- I fondly recall when Harder rock (on my turf LOCALLY “acid rock”…but after my family moved to Norfolk, VA…and this was past the innocent Beatles stage. By then the California, Haight Asbury,deep “progressive rock” was blossoming…and I found it deeply enthralling(always from afar)..And as an aspiring musician..I(selectively) I loved hard rock, but again, never participated in drugs…only listened,by recording, only went to a handful of concerts, because in my spirit, I really knew it wasn’t all always right. Plus, as a very sensitive Believer… I didn’t feel good when I overly immersed in it..as I found it made me depressed.
ALSO Here’s WHY I probably was granted God’s GRACE…to walk the straight and narrow… Both my parents prayed for me, loved me so much that I didn’t need anything to fill any missing deep inner VOID. And also, finally Jesus got me and so I gave it listening to it up, but have always loved the rock Christian WORSHIP even to RIGHT THIS NOW…**
**NOTE: I had come to college, in the early 70s expecting it to be politically active, much more liberal, and like me a long hair, jeans wearing hippie (flower child,Jesus real Person) as my family lived in much less conservative Norfolk, Virginia Beach cosmopolitan metroplex. However, being LESS CONSERVATIVE, more OUTSIDE THE proverbial THINKING BOX… was not the case when I went to central Virginia to the then Baptist Liberal arts college. So I played, really enjoyed it, dating and having a GREAT TIME..apart from scholarly pursuits. I managed to squeeze by with a 2.8 GPA with a BA in RELIGION. One reason; I was absolutely bored. Other reason(for not majoring in music) Only because I had a big distaste for the music department at that particular time..as I am not and have never ever been rivalrous nor deeply competitive, minorly cutthroat..nor ever will I run around with the crowd who chooses to be.
And as every one in the cosmopolitan, very progressive, surfer, area dressed a tad hippie…when I arrived at the Baptist college, I was the ONLY ONE who wore jeans and preferred long hair on guys. Thus I felt like my hippie, less traditional views, dress, probably stuck out like a sore thumb. Also I was very disappointed at the mainly conservatism, zero noticeable activism..didn’t realize that some could label me a conservative. (historically non partisan, always deeply concerned about ALL skin colors of human persons being treated equal and fairly…and always simply voted real LIFE ISSUES). Yet, it made me get to know the Lord God in an even better private, ongoing personal REAL TIME mostly JOYFUL (self governing) Way.
WE NOTE: that (mid 1960’s -70’s) concurrently, the Accuser had started to really grow, media fanned, with Vietnam War descent, college campus riots. Also on the east coast, the civil rights movement, marches and the peaceful non violence of Dr Martin Luther King were continually immersed DEEP in accusation and big controversy…so much so, that it ended in his untimely MURDER.
Also very noticeably, there was no such RAMPANT BLATANT CONTINUAL accuser of almost EVERYBODY hateful real SPIRIT all across our entire no longer servant humble, (mature?) NATION!
I evaluate that most of these EMERGED onto what had prior to this been a Billy Graham, many subtle national charistmatic..Holy Spirit real moves had also formed and were just beginning to spread (start to affect, EMERGE) into where I once lived..along the East Coast. AND I was very happy to find the Jesus People (Vineyard later or then) which was NOT traditional or RELIGIOUS.
Later South African Pentecostal David DuPlessis,( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI3pXRK4_m8 ) New Wine Magazine, whole BUNCHES of national Christian Holy Spirit television, glossy magazines announced the arrival of what has been a TV MEDIA PERSONA major non naive ONSLAUGHT!
APOSTOLIC WORSHIP.. ASIDE..(To then in Norfolk, VA and my Central VA Baptist College) MY VERY FIRST non traditional JESUS MOVEMENT, Jesus FREAK.. “I WISH WE’D ALL BEEN READY” Larry Norman music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1FcTKNXlO0
I, on the deep big Grass Roots end of things...had a normal, very natural (not into being Southern Baptist but “Jesus accepter”) dear hard working happy camper, senior pastor’s very well educated (non religious, not one whit “white bigoted”) deep south pure hearted church going family.
I lived my “ONLY LIFE” following Jesus, yet had never known very much about Holy Spirit or The Eternal Father. They were in my belief sets as the other two thirds of the TRINITY..but it was not later, until college,(back then a BAPTIST non religious one).. when I attended my very first “PRAYER AND PRAISE” acoustic praise band, meeting, that following that (to this person) important meeting, one of the leaders asked me if I wanted pray for more of God’s Holy Spirit “speaking in an unknown prayer language, being filled, baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Being raised in fear and trembling,meaning in the fear of the Lord, but of also of possibly going big OFF in “doctrinal ERROR” I prayed what all normal equally sincere Southern Baptists,possibly Methodists,family Presbyterians, Catholics and skeptics might have also prayed. “YES, LORD, I want YOU to please fill me with YOUR Holy Spirit and baptize ME with the evidence of praying in an unknown tongue…IF (BUT) ONLY…if it be YOUR (PERFECT) WILL!”
..which it scripturally (New Testament) was and is, but one truly can comprehend the abject FEAR of departing possibly into being controlled, jerked around, being made a LAUGHING STOCk and/or of having some strange and powerful SUPERNATURAL (previously never really knew much at all about) TAKE ME COMPLETELY OVER..maybe even make me FALL OUT, SHAKE, WRITHE…and manifest WACKY SPOOKY (to me NON DIGNIFIED) blatant spiritual FALSE TEACHING.
Besides, my Seminary grad, dear Dad, had been trained that “the Holy Spirit gifts had ceased when the first chief apostles departed this earth.” And while he was the MOST down to earth, sincerely happy, and servant leader giving and loving, natural FATHER, he never did ever in his whole life PARTAKE of being filled, baptised, praying in a prayer language. However, we understood that it is everyone’s CHOICE.
However, within my spirit I recalled my Grandmother, Boo, my mother’s prayer warrior, emotionally healthy, equally as adventurous, big IQ Mom. She had a saying, “God is a gentleman. He will never do anything to embarass you” So I went with THAT.
AND I am so GRATEFUL I did. I will tell you, that I did get a few tiny words that one night. But didn’t feel anything . However, later, I did notice that I would now be able to PERCEIVE the things of GOD and LIFE and BIBLE in a newer, deeper but ONLY SUPER PEACEFUL, RELAXING and BLESSED fashion..and to sum it it, this his how it has been since. (for most of the last 46 years!)
MORE LATER on that Hot Topic
WISE GREAT FATHER ASIDE
YET I never met any other human being as loving and devoted and pleasant as my now late, imparting and ministry discerning, very perceptive One Woman Real apostolic ministry MAN..great FATHER to us two leader women… MY WISE DAD!
AND THIS lends itself to me RIGHT NOW..as I want to NEVER force, apply pressure or judge ANY PERSON who chooses NOT to go after MORE of the (wonderful, very down to earth) but (wholly) HOLY (lively, genuine, happy FUN) SPIRIT.
AND following the Living LORD led me through college, to marry my college football player sweet heart and then later to pick a kind of church which would bridge HIS being raised ONE sort of denominational (Catholic) and me another (S. BAPTIST) ..it was then we picked a 1/2 traditional/1/2 pleasant charismatic PRES”B-Y” TERIAN..and during that major Sent Season, this non traditional Christ Follower, was challenged and imparted to, meaning in the Holy Fear of the Loving LORD…by the amazing senior pastor, Dr. Earl Morey. Who has long since departed to be with the Lord Jesus Christ.
And one Sunday, when I was married and about 24, sitting there in attendance, the Holy Spirit moved upon me and strongly impressed me in the following, God kind of whispered, “I want you to study my Christian leader born again BODY. I want you to study their vocabulary, their doctrines, their pet peeves, their dress, worship..so that ONE DAY I will use you to build bridges to different parts of my CHRISTIAN BODY.
BUT..gonna have to close this FIRST EMERGE FROM CHURCH part…
This is ONLY the Part 1. Part 2..how I entered into regional , part time, but them mostly Full time Ministry and when, how, I noticed the FUN IN FELLOWSHIPPING, CHURCH going slowly began to be repeatedly influenced, assaulted by leader WINDS and apostolic TRENDS of both wholesome and TRUE and negative and assessed as FALSE, some plain old arrogant errant Self Important untrue Doctrine.
HOWEVER….NO DOGMA. Simply JAMES 3:17 RELATIONSHIP SELAH.
To be continued…
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