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LET ME TELL YOU WHERE I'M COMING FROM

Joined
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Messages
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LET ME TELL YOU WHERE I’M
COMING FROM

Liberated From The Partisan Pier!
A few decades ago, I was set free from partisan religion. The experience was invigorating! As I sought freedom from spiritual slavery, the Lord operated upon my heart to alter my self-righteous attitude and modify my course. It was a simple but serious procedure. The only prerequisites were that I cast aside my sectarian, partisan shackles and open my mind and heart. In essence, I was deprogrammed.

Closer To Jesus
Did I leave Jesus when I abandoned organized religion or the religious establishment? Goodness, no! He and I are closer now than ever before. As a result of my surrendering institutional religion in favor of freedom in Jesus, I am now a “believer at large,” a free-thinker, and one of God’s instruments for reform. No human being and no partisan group or church does my thinking for me any longer. I arrive at conclusions after careful evaluation, study, and prayer. Simply stated, I have cast aside the chains of religious orthodoxy and deserted the Establishment’s status quo. God has blessed my ministry of reformation abundantly.

Diversity
We’re not all colored with the same paint or dyed in the same tub. We each have our unique personalities and ministries. We must grow and produce where the Lord has planted us. If your ministry’s methods and manners are different from mine, I must not conclude that you possess a closed mind and are coming over too rudely. Nor should you think I’m crude, harsh, and impolite because my ministry’s techniques do not bear the same trademarks as yours.

No Labels For Me
I’m not formally identified with any church or religious party. I’m a free man in Messiah Jesus. With the Spirit’s direction, I think independently and I arrive at my conclusions independently, regardless of what Calvin, Campbell, Wesley, Luther, and all the others taught. There are good teachings in each man’s history, but neither is my polar star. My Polar Star is Jesus—none other. Consequently, no one may preside over my concepts and teachings insofar as dictating my walk with the Lord.

I will gladly absorb and happily accept advice from godly men if it coincides with what I conscientiously believe is truth and understand as heaven’s grace. But I will no longer bow my knees to the “powers that be” of the religious bureaucracy. I’m a free man in Messiah Jesus. Praise His Name! I will no longer be enslaved by the institutional church or organized religion.

Organized religion? Yes, but let me explain. I believe in an organized life. I believe the believer should have his priorities organized. I believe in an organized mind and an organized schedule. Organization, of itself, is pleasant and necessary. But I have a problem with organizational structures and programs and projects within the body of believers that have supplanted the simple, informal but serious life depicted in the lives of early believers. Literally, and in this vein, we have organized ourselves out of practical existence. Overall, our programs, projects, and organizations have deflated our capacity and our enthusiasm to reach the unreached. Jesus said to get out and go, but we have come in to stay.

Wasting Our Dollars And Efforts
In essence, we have permitted our internal organizations and materialistic projects to strangle us. There’s no room, no time, and no money for the resurrection message. Our fancy edifices and polished organizations and programs are symptoms of our pride and digressions. Hundreds of millions of dollars are wasted on “materialistic evangelism” while millions of the world’s poor go hungry, not only for food but for the message of salvation. Our priorities are abused and misplaced. We have taken the simple arrangement of communicating the Good News to others and developed it into a complicated mess. [More later.]​
 
LET ME TELL YOU WHERE I’M
COMING FROM

Liberated From The Partisan Pier!
A few decades ago, I was set free from partisan religion. The experience was invigorating! As I sought freedom from spiritual slavery, the Lord operated upon my heart to alter my self-righteous attitude and modify my course. It was a simple but serious procedure. The only prerequisites were that I cast aside my sectarian, partisan shackles and open my mind and heart. In essence, I was deprogrammed.

Closer To Jesus
Did I leave Jesus when I abandoned organized religion or the religious establishment? Goodness, no! He and I are closer now than ever before. As a result of my surrendering institutional religion in favor of freedom in Jesus, I am now a “believer at large,” a free-thinker, and one of God’s instruments for reform. No human being and no partisan group or church does my thinking for me any longer. I arrive at conclusions after careful evaluation, study, and prayer. Simply stated, I have cast aside the chains of religious orthodoxy and deserted the Establishment’s status quo. God has blessed my ministry of reformation abundantly.

Diversity
We’re not all colored with the same paint or dyed in the same tub. We each have our unique personalities and ministries. We must grow and produce where the Lord has planted us. If your ministry’s methods and manners are different from mine, I must not conclude that you possess a closed mind and are coming over too rudely. Nor should you think I’m crude, harsh, and impolite because my ministry’s techniques do not bear the same trademarks as yours.

No Labels For Me
I’m not formally identified with any church or religious party. I’m a free man in Messiah Jesus. With the Spirit’s direction, I think independently and I arrive at my conclusions independently, regardless of what Calvin, Campbell, Wesley, Luther, and all the others taught. There are good teachings in each man’s history, but neither is my polar star. My Polar Star is Jesus—none other. Consequently, no one may preside over my concepts and teachings insofar as dictating my walk with the Lord.

I will gladly absorb and happily accept advice from godly men if it coincides with what I conscientiously believe is truth and understand as heaven’s grace. But I will no longer bow my knees to the “powers that be” of the religious bureaucracy. I’m a free man in Messiah Jesus. Praise His Name! I will no longer be enslaved by the institutional church or organized religion.

Organized religion? Yes, but let me explain. I believe in an organized life. I believe the believer should have his priorities organized. I believe in an organized mind and an organized schedule. Organization, of itself, is pleasant and necessary. But I have a problem with organizational structures and programs and projects within the body of believers that have supplanted the simple, informal but serious life depicted in the lives of early believers. Literally, and in this vein, we have organized ourselves out of practical existence. Overall, our programs, projects, and organizations have deflated our capacity and our enthusiasm to reach the unreached. Jesus said to get out and go, but we have come in to stay.

Wasting Our Dollars And Efforts
In essence, we have permitted our internal organizations and materialistic projects to strangle us. There’s no room, no time, and no money for the resurrection message. Our fancy edifices and polished organizations and programs are symptoms of our pride and digressions. Hundreds of millions of dollars are wasted on “materialistic evangelism” while millions of the world’s poor go hungry, not only for food but for the message of salvation. Our priorities are abused and misplaced. We have taken the simple arrangement of communicating the Good News to others and developed it into a complicated mess. [More later.]​
Sorry to hear that.

Do you worship alone? Study alone? Serve alone?
 
Thank you, my brother, for reading me and for your question. I write a weekly column under the caption "REFORMATION RUMBLINGS," which goes out to hundreds of readers.

At the end of each column, I insert, "
Thank you for being one of the many hundreds in my cyber-space assembly as we mutually enlighten each other." That should answer your question, "Do you worship alone? Study alone? Serve alone."

I might add that worship is a 24-hour-a-day function for the committed believer, not just on Sundays
(John 4:21-24).
 
I might add that worship is a 24-hour-a-day function for the committed believer, not just on Sundays (John 4:21-24).
The Eucharist is available 7 days a week as well! After all, who wouldn't want to remain in Christ!
 
I might add that worship is a 24-hour-a-day function for the committed believer, not just on Sundays (John 4:21-24).
But, there is an important benefit of meeting with other believers on Sunday.

Heb 10:25 Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

You had mentioned " I was set free from partisan religion."..... I would imagine that might be a good thing depending upon the church you attend. For example one may be extremely "legalistic" which I admit I'd free myself from. Some may be what they call "name it and claim it" which I would also free myself from. There are others I would free myself from. On the other hand there are plenty of Christ following bible preaching/believing churches.
 
The Eucharist is available 7 days a week as well! After all, who wouldn't want to remain in Christ!
Not to pick...but this is one church I would free myself from as taking the Eucharist isn't what keeps an individual "in Christ"
 
Not to pick...but this is one church I would free myself from as taking the Eucharist isn't what keeps an individual "in Christ"
It doesn't? 🤔

Jn 6:56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.
 
LET ME TELL YOU WHERE I’M
COMING FROM

Liberated From The Partisan Pier!
A few decades ago, I was set free from partisan religion. The experience was invigorating! As I sought freedom from spiritual slavery, the Lord operated upon my heart to alter my self-righteous attitude and modify my course. It was a simple but serious procedure. The only prerequisites were that I cast aside my sectarian, partisan shackles and open my mind and heart. In essence, I was deprogrammed.​
While self-righteousness is something that we should avoid, people in general sometimes confuse righteousness for self-righteousness. God's law is His instructions for how to testify about His righteousness, not for how to establish our own. Likewise, by doing good works in obedience to God's law we are testifying about God's goodness, not establishing our own, which is why our good works bring glory to Him (Matthew 5:16). Self-righteousness does not involve relying on anyone else, so it is contradictory for someone to become self-righteous by relying on what God has instructed. If God's law were His instructions for how to become self-righteous and God does not want us to do that, then it would follow that God therefore does not want to be obeyed, and which is absurd considering that all throughout the Bible, God wanted His people to repent and to return to obedience to His law.


Closer To Jesus
Did I leave Jesus when I abandoned organized religion or the religious establishment? Goodness, no! He and I are closer now than ever before. As a result of my surrendering institutional religion in favor of freedom in Jesus, I am now a “believer at large,” a free-thinker, and one of God’s instruments for reform. No human being and no partisan group or church does my thinking for me any longer. I arrive at conclusions after careful evaluation, study, and prayer. Simply stated, I have cast aside the chains of religious orthodoxy and deserted the Establishment’s status quo. God has blessed my ministry of reformation abundantly.​
People in general sometime misunderstand the freedom that we have in Christ. In Titus 2:14, Christ gave himself to free us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people of his own possession who are zealous for doing good works, so the freedom that we have in Christ is the freedom from sin in transgression of God's law, not freedom from obeying it. In Psalms 119:142, God's law is truth, and in John 8:31-36, it is sin in transgression of God's law that puts us in bondage while it is the truth that sets us free.


Diversity
We’re not all colored with the same paint or dyed in the same tub. We each have our unique personalities and ministries. We must grow and produce where the Lord has planted us. If your ministry’s methods and manners are different from mine, I must not conclude that you possess a closed mind and are coming over too rudely. Nor should you think I’m crude, harsh, and impolite because my ministry’s techniques do not bear the same trademarks as yours.​
Agreed.


No Labels For Me
I’m not formally identified with any church or religious party. I’m a free man in Messiah Jesus. With the Spirit’s direction, I think independently and I arrive at my conclusions independently, regardless of what Calvin, Campbell, Wesley, Luther, and all the others taught. There are good teachings in each man’s history, but neither is my polar star. My Polar Star is Jesus—none other. Consequently, no one may preside over my concepts and teachings insofar as dictating my walk with the Lord.​
It hard to truly avoid labels because that you are a free man in Messiah Jesus is labeling yourself. Saying that you follow the Spirit's direction is labeling yourself. Saying that you are someone who thinks and arrives at your own conclusion independently is labeling yourself. The purpose of a label is to quickly convey information about ourselves. You might not fit under other labels in accordance with what those other people taught, but you're still using labels.

I will gladly absorb and happily accept advice from godly men if it coincides with what I conscientiously believe is truth and understand as heaven’s grace. But I will no longer bow my knees to the “powers that be” of the religious bureaucracy. I’m a free man in Messiah Jesus. Praise His Name! I will no longer be enslaved by the institutional church or organized religion.​
In Psalms 119:142, God's law is truth, and in Psalms 119:29, he wanted God to be gracious to him by teaching him to obey it.
 
It doesn't? 🤔

Jn 6:56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.
So, tell me how it works....if I miss a day of eating and drinking....am I then once again condemned to hell...or does it take a week or two for the flesh and blood to wear off?
 
But, there is an important benefit of meeting with other believers on Sunday.

Heb 10:25 Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

You had mentioned " I was set free from partisan religion."..... I would imagine that might be a good thing depending upon the church you attend. For example one may be extremely "legalistic" which I admit I'd free myself from. Some may be what they call "name it and claim it" which I would also free myself from. There are others I would free myself from. On the other hand there are plenty of Christ following bible preaching/believing churches.
Yes, it is true, God has children in most churches/sects/religious parties, just as He had children in Babylon of old. His children back then finally escaped Babylonian captivity, but not until they reclaimed the God of their freedom and threw off the shackles of slavery.

Let it be understood that Jesus did not die for religious parties, churches, denominations, the Latter-day Saints (Mormon) cult, or the Jehovah’s Witnesses sect. Instead, He died for Jews, He died for Gentiles, He died “for all the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one” (John 11:52).

Jesus is not interested in uniting churches, denominations, and cults—whether they be church cults or cults in the likes of Latter-day Saints or Jehovah’s Witnesses. He’s interested in uniting all of God’s scattered children, wherever they are, to bring them together into one body of believers, “so that they may be united as we [Father & Son] are united” (John 17:11). Holy Father, may that day soon arrive!

When will we ever learn there were no Baptist Christians, Methodist Christians, Lutheran Christians, a cappella Church of Christ Christians, Presbyterian Christians, Roman Catholic Christians, Christian Church Christians 2,000 years ago? All of these sects were founded by man centuries after Jesus ushered in His new reign, the redeemed community.​
 
Yes, it is true, God has children in most churches/sects/religious parties, just as He had children in Babylon of old. His children back then finally escaped Babylonian captivity, but not until they reclaimed the God of their freedom and threw off the shackles of slavery.

Let it be understood that Jesus did not die for religious parties, churches, denominations, the Latter-day Saints (Mormon) cult, or the Jehovah’s Witnesses sect. Instead, He died for Jews, He died for Gentiles, He died “for all the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one” (John 11:52).​
No one ever said Jesus did die for a "group" of people....except you in a strange strawman way.

The "religious parties, churches, and denominations" are simply a group of like minded people expressing the Gospel.

Jesus is not interested in uniting churches, denominations, and cults—whether they be church cults or cults in the likes of Latter-day Saints or Jehovah’s Witnesses. He’s interested in uniting all of God’s scattered children, wherever they are, to bring them together into one body of believers, “so that they may be united as we [Father & Son] are united” (John 17:11). Holy Father, may that day soon arrive!

When will we ever learn there were no Baptist Christians, Methodist Christians, Lutheran Christians, a cappella Church of Christ Christians, Presbyterian Christians, Roman Catholic Christians, Christian Church Christians 2,000 years ago? All of these sects were founded by man centuries after Jesus ushered in His new reign, the redeemed community.​
True in a sense....but there was differences in the churches 2000 years ago. If you would like to learn about some of them and how Jesus praised them and corrected them you can study the 7 churches in the opening chapters of the book of Revelation.
 
It doesn't? 🤔

Jn 6:56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.
The metaphor to "drink blood" in John 6 is in respect to the unseen spiritual understanding found in parables. (The unseen hidden things of God's faith or"labor of Love "

Water like blood represent the unseen work of God pouring out His powerful Spirit and dying flesh in jeopardy of his own Holy Spirit.

He gives us a commentary in two places on the drinking of blood (giving one Spirt in jeopardy of one's own life.

There like with Jonn the Baptist (Luke 7:22)and David (2 Samuel 23: 14) the witness of two began having doubts. They were given a thirst for hearing the gospel. to strengthen them to finish the work.

2 Samuel 23: 14 And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate! And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem,( Living water woman by the well ) that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the Lord.And he said, Be it far from me, O Lord, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.

JW's also literalize the parable. Saying men must die rather than drink blood . . transfusions.

The others teach things seen the temporal that do enter our mouth do not come out as waste but some say literal food made with human hands what the eyes se does enter our soul No need to cover it up on outside of the camp. The smell of death dying.

Matthew 15:16-18King James Version16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
 
The metaphor to "drink blood" in John 6 is in respect to the unseen spiritual understanding found in parables. (The unseen hidden things of God's faith or"labor of Love "

Water like blood represent the unseen work of God pouring out His powerful Spirit and dying flesh in jeopardy of his own Holy Spirit.

He gives us a commentary in two places on the drinking of blood (giving one Spirt in jeopardy of one's own life.
v 55 For MY FLESH IS TRUE FOOD, and my blood is true drink.
 
v 55 For MY FLESH IS TRUE FOOD, and my blood is true drink.

Blood or water are used to represent the doctrine of God that fall and cause growth throughout the bible in many parables

Deuteronomy 32King James Version Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:

Yes it is two metaphors used in parables to represent the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on dying flesh A work God performs in jeopardy of his own Spirit life .

Drinking literal blood is forbidden .When it enters one's mouth it comes out as waste. it cannot enter one so. l It must be buried outside the camp (the smell of death) for Beelzebub the lord of the flies.

David imprisoned is shown God sent him a famine for hearing the gospel Using betheslem (the city of bread drawing living water as did the women by the well by the east gate enter salvation.

Then the Holy Spirit revealed the work of three used to denote the end of the matter David realized it was preserved for the demonstration of the Father and Son of man jesus during the three day and sight demonstration so he poured out the water calling it life given blood the Holy Spirt pouring its Spii.t in jeapordy of his own life he gives us litel calling us of "little faith"( the golden measure) he must increase


2 Samuel 23:14-17 And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem(city of bread flesh) which is by the gate!And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the Lord.And he said, Be it far from me, O Lord, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.
 
Blood or water are used to represent the doctrine of God that fall and cause growth throughout the bible in many parables

Deuteronomy 32King James Version Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:

Yes it is two metaphors used in parables to represent the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on dying flesh A work God performs in jeopardy of his own Spirit life .

Drinking literal blood is forbidden .When it enters one's mouth it comes out as waste. it cannot enter one so. l It must be buried outside the camp (the smell of death) for Beelzebub the lord of the flies.

David imprisoned is shown God sent him a famine for hearing the gospel Using betheslem (the city of bread drawing living water as did the women by the well by the east gate enter salvation.

Then the Holy Spirit revealed the work of three used to denote the end of the matter David realized it was preserved for the demonstration of the Father and Son of man jesus during the three day and sight demonstration so he poured out the water calling it life given blood the Holy Spirt pouring its Spii.t in jeapordy of his own life he gives us litel calling us of "little faith"( the golden measure) he must increase


2 Samuel 23:14-17 And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem(city of bread flesh) which is by the gate!And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the Lord.And he said, Be it far from me, O Lord, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.
v53 Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you DO NOT HAVE LIFE within you.
 
Jesus is not interested in uniting churches, denominations, and cults—whether they be church cults or cults in the likes of Latter-day Saints or Jehovah’s Witnesses. He’s interested in uniting all of God’s scattered children, wherever they are, to bring them together into one body of believers, “so that they may be united as we [Father & Son] are united” (John 17:11). Holy Father, may that day soon arrive!
They already are one body of believers. Don't confuse what is seen with what is not seen.

A believer is one who has put all their trust in Christ alone, through faith alone, to redeem them from the kingdom of darkness and bring them into the kingdom of the Son whom He loves. (Col.) A believer is one who is trusting in and believing in the substitutionary work of Jesus on the cross, one who believes that He is the Son of God and is God incarnate, who was without sin, fulfilling all the Mosaic Law in both letter and spirit, and took God's just punishment for for the sins of those who would believe, upon Himself; satisfying God's just punishment of them which is eternal death separated from the life of God found in Christ; one who believes that Jesus died and that He rose from the grave, and ascended back to the Father where He is now, interceding for us, and that He will one day return for final judgement of the unbelieving and the destruction of all evil, and bring in a new heaven and a new earth.

Other doctrines notwithstanding, some true, some false, if the above is believed in one's heart and not just intellectually agreed to, they are a believer. You cannot throw a blanket generalization as you did, making the existence of the visible church as a bad thing, and over the existence of denominations. We are to weigh what we hear against the word of God, the whole counsel of God, and admittedly many do not and have never been taught how to do that. But if they are a believer, even that cannot separate them from Christ. That is the glory and power of the resurrection of Jesus.

It is no longer possible for today's church in structure to imitate that of the early church. The gospel has spread far and wide and gathered in many, many people, too many for them to gather together to worship God as the people of God corporately, to hear the word preached, and to learn from the shepherds God has appointed, along riverbanks and in private homes. (And again, the fact that many are not appointed by God and do not preach the word accurately, is not the issue. That judgement rests with God.) And its existence is not meant of keep true believers from gathering to corporately worship our God.

Denominations become denominations because they have specific beliefs that not all have. Truly Christian churches that broke into denominations following the Reformation, with truly Protestant orthodox doctrines as given in their confessions etc. often disagreed on non salvational issues and are labeled to denote those differences. They are labeled so that people who identify accordingly in their own beliefs know this, or any can come to learn of it. The labels are identifiers. They are not dictators and they are not bad.
 
v53 Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you DO NOT HAVE LIFE within you.
Ok I see the literal words used in the parable. What is the spiritual understanding of the gospel as the mysteries of God?, Cannibalism?

Where can we find this flesh? How large is the largest organ flesh? Im' 5' 10" enough to eat for all the believers ?
 
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