A Preview of ‘Heaven’s Underground Blueprint’
by Brett Jacobsen
The following are two excerpts from chapter two (The Wander Years/The Church’s Extended Dark Age) of the authors book Heaven's Underground Blueprint. The book which brings a prophetic context to the end time underground church is available here - http://www.christisall.org/hub-book.
Man reclaims the reins
For much of the church age men have been leaning on their own understanding and embracing false leadership structure due to this tendency to act out of self when the pressure is on. Although there were early signs of the spirit of man trying to rule in the church there are some key landmarks which sealed the deal and allowed mankind to snatch back the reins from the Lord.
One of those landmarks happened early in the second century due to a man named Ignatius of Antioch. As factionalism began to set in due to the many various doctrines and orthodoxies there began a move towards a universal (catholic) church which Ignatius seems to be the instigator of.
In 110 AD Ignatius was working to centralize the authourity of Christians in one town under one person. He moved to consolidate all the house churches into one large organization (congregation) complete with a central authourity in the form of a single bishop (the equivalent of our modern day Senior Pastor / Minister etc). Sorry Pastors but it’s the truth.
Jesus had set His church up with a plural local leadership of Elders from amongst the brethren. Their role was to “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock” 1 Pet 5:1-3. We will look at true New Testament leadership in chapter five, “The end time church baptism”.
Ignatius’ proposed structure for the church was a copy of the Roman city government so that in effect the church congregation becomes the Roman city and the bishop becomes the Roman administrator. Every congregation was to resemble a Roman municipality in the Empire of Christianity.
This was almost identical to the Israelites demanding “we will have a king over us; that we also may be like all the nations”. Obviously the Roman government system was a proven institution, well able to facilitate even the largest of empires. Only one problem there, it was a worldly structure rather than the New Testament Biblical one so it was widely susceptible to corruption. Let’s remember that God doesn’t need to look to the world for flash contemporary ideas, the world is meant to look to Him through us, His “light of the world”.
The church was now governed by the civic standards of the most powerful empire in the world, Rome. How sad it must have been for the Lord, after years of building a flourishing, multiplying kingdom over which He alone was king, to watch man in all his finite wisdom look to his own means and take over as head of operations.
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Thank you.
December 24th, 2005 at 3:47 pm
Hit them right between the eyes you maniac. BRING ON THE REFORMATION.
January 26th, 2006 at 3:16 pm
I seriously hurt for the “church” as it has become, so many rad people trapped in there cause they don’t know any better, stoked there’s crew standin up n lettin everyone know what’s been kept so secret as man tries to build his church instead of lettin the Lord build His church and us just bein led by the Spirit n flowin with Him, keep hittin it real n on the word bro.
March 28th, 2006 at 1:20 am
Don’t get me wrong with the above statement, there’s so many sic crew n churches doin amazing things n furthering n discipling people in the ways of the Lord, but there’s also heaps of stagnant crew too that need to step up their game in the Lord n pursue Him more and abide in Him and just full on die to themselves n put to death the flesh…it’s no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in me…in saying that I’m not judgin, I gotta keep steppin up my game eveyday too and hit the word and prayer and be real with it all. We gotta not focus on all our differences n rather get some unity goin n focus on what we have in common…the Lord Jesus…where there’s unity God commands a blessing. Keep frothin on the Lord!
November 1st, 2006 at 2:21 pm
The Word has just been smokin me hey, the systems of man are crook and the only way to hit it is the way the Word tells us to. It grieves me that so many crew hit up a man-made system that apparently “works” when its just not Biblical. There’s too many organisational churhes that operate according to man’s ways of business, and trying to build their own churches accordingly. It’s wierd cause God’s way seems like it would be less effective than man’s way, but it’s the only way. It’s not even about the numbers anyway, its about true Biblical fruit. I don’t wanna see a massive mago tree with heaps of leaves and a disgustingly limited amount of fruits! I know I am crook too apart from Jesus, but its so sic seein what the Lord is doin in His body and seein crew operating in true Biblical fellowship. I’ve been frothin on that 2 Kings 7 that you showed us, so relevant hey! Keep hittin the truth Bretto, even when people tell ya your wrong, just keep hittin the Word and stickin to it, thanks so much for tellin it real and not just what the people wnat to hear! PS lets donate $10000 to Benny for his new jet so we can have a plaque in the jet with him and he can pray for us when he flies! Yeeeew! Beware of wolves in sheeps clothing….not suggesting anything, but seriosly we have to beware cause the word says it heaps. Bless ya, see you soon.