Mortify the Arm of the Flesh - Part 4
Church constructs- Cathedrals and Owned organisations
by Brett Jacobsen
This says the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm [zerowa- strength], and whose heart departs from the LORD. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good comes; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusts in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreads out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat comes, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. (Jer 17:5-8)
What goes hand in hand with the ‘sterile services’ and ‘flamboyant events’ of programme managed Christianity is the houses that hold them.
It is very clear from New Testament writings that “the household of God” was never meant to be a physical edifice nor was it to be a humanly owned and run organisation (Eph 2:19). For the scripture says “You also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices…” (1 Pet 2:5).
Even in Old Testament times it was not God’s prescription for His people to have a physical ‘house of God’, though He allowed and used it. Stephen was martyred for making this clear biblical observation when he proclaimed:
Howbeit the most High dwells not in temples made with hands; as says the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will you build me? says the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? Has not my hand made all these things? You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do you. (Acts 7:48-51)
As history repeats time and again we still see many professing Christians who clamour to modern Christian temples and prop up human organisations called “churches”, despite the plain biblical truth on the matter.
These sleek cathedrals and systemic constructs are a surety of producing carnal Christians by the truckload… not to mention carnal leaders.
The cathedrals tell the believers that the ‘house of God’ is spiritual, therefore rendering their everyday life in God’s creation as sub-standard spirituality. Due to the dualistic paradigms caused by cathedral centred Christianity, the saints become temple, programme and performance based and therefore lazy in the Spirit-led department. In other words, it’s another way we’ve produced a Christianity that “trusts in man” and “makes flesh his arm [strength]” and subsequently people’s hearts “depart from the Lord”.
Now, as for the modern systems, denominations and institutions of carnal Christendom, these hold a great deal of blame for the spiritual retardation of the masses. The human constructs which are common place in the body, are so human driven and human owned that they’ve created a general fleshly environment throughout.
Like the infighting zealot factions who caused the ultimate downfall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, our multitude of modern denominations continue to produce a “kingdom divided against itself” which “is brought to desolation” and “a house divided against a house” which “falls” continually (Luke 11:17).
The systems and institutions known as churches are not only an aberration of mass proportions, but they have so many saints side-tracked from living according to the Kingdom of God. Many are so busy doing things which hold very little to no Kingdom significance that they scarcely have time and energy to trust the Lord and be led by Him.
Also, modern cathedrals and constructs very often become idols in many regards, elevating themselves even above the Lord Himself in affection.
More and more party zeal and carnal division is produced as the members of the “churches” talk and care more about their “church”, their building and its trappings, their Pastor, their programmes, their growth and success, and their stage centred “worship”, than they do about Jesus.
The twenty fourth chapter of Ezekiel is a sobering reminder of how close idolatry can come to home… and be justified by religious piety. God told the Israelites “I will profane my sanctuary” meaning He was going to desolate His temple. The reason He was to do this was because it had become “the excellency [ga'own- arrogancy] of [their] strength, the desire [machmad- delight] of [their] eyes, and that which [their] soul [pitied] [machmal- delighted in]” (Ezekiel 24:15-27). There is way too much delighting in buildings, programmes and factional church constructs these days for God to do much amongst.
Our only biblically sound and prophetically demanded course of action is to leave behind the ways of the flesh by moving out of the temporal temples and de-constructing all the systems and human organisations which always lean on man’s might. Then we can practice trusting the Lord rather than man in both heart and in deed.
For more reading on New Testament community, unity, and leadership as well as other reformational insights, see the author’s book Heaven’s Underground Blueprint here- http://www.christisall.org/hub-book for a copy or a free PDF version.
To view an article on biblical unity in contrast to denominationally sympathetic, false unity go here- http://www.christisall.org/2006/01/25/one-body-embracing-true-biblical-unity-by-brett-jacobsen/
Chapter seven of Heaven’s Underground Blueprint is a teaching on biblical community instead of man’s traditions and human constructs. You can read the chapter called Heaven’s Underground Community Blueprint here:
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