The Apostles’ International School of Ministry #Student #Orientation #Program – Workshop #4, Lesson #1: #Making “The Great #Transition”: Restoration of the Altar of Christ by Apostle. --------------------------------------------------- “Go on a 40 day fast from the thoughts that are keeping you from your destiny.” From the television ministry of Gregory Dickow “For a seed offering of $35 you can get this book and learn how the curse is broken so you can return to Eden and live life voluptuously as God intended.” From the television ministry of Paula White “8 Steps to Create the Life You Want” from the television ministry of Creflo Dollar The #Altar of our #Faith: #Moses or #Jesus? Why the Church must be Purged of the Doctrine of the Nicolaitines Every Christian desires to fulfill God’s design upon their soul and to reach the promise of eternal destiny and inheritance in Him. Every Christian wants to experience the blessings of God. Satan knows this and has subverted Jesus Christ by presenting many gospels that will entice Christians with this design and promise, but with the offering of their worship at a place and with tools and knowledge that destroy the soul. These gospels create many altars (places) of worship which reflect the proclivities and evolution of human need, human passion, human creativity and human skill. The idea of an altar is foreign to the modern Christian mind, as we do not practice faith as the Jews did. Although the Gentiles had pagan altars, their altars were built by the inspiration of Satan to the imagination of man and their sacrifices were profane. We read in Heb.13:10, We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.” In this passage we see God was establishing two things: First, that Christ, as the altar of our faith, is the place of sacrifice: God has placed our faith in Jesus Christ. Second, those who continue to serve at the altar of Moses have no right to eat of Christ. The covenants cannot be mixed. However, Satan has craftily enticed Christians to do just that: to take what is of Moses and bring it into Christ. These hybrid gospels of Moses and Christ have brought the faith of the Church into severe crisis as Christians journey trying to experience a relationship with God that is forged upon carnal works, with carnal tools and by a record and blueprint that the Spirit no longer bears witness to. Christians are often heard to say “Well, if is in the bible then it is truth.” Yet Apostle Paul told Timothy to be a workman not shamed, able to rightly divide the truth. Apostle Peter also spoke of being established in the present truth. Both apostles were speaking of the making distinctions between the covenant of Moses and the Covenant of Christ. They are not the same, not to be mixed and only one, the truth of the Covenant of Christ is authorized for our faith today. Those who try to express faith to God by using protocols from the covenant of Moses are worshipping God by the service of the tabernacle. All the articles of faith the Levitical priests used for service to God were things sprinkled in animal blood; those who touch these things now for service to God are touching the profane (things which were sprinkled in animal blood) now that Christ has shed His blood on a better covenant with better promises. Yet every day we hear preachers teach the Church to serve God by the promises, protocols and pattern of the Old Covenant. This is the doctrine of the Nicolaitines; mixing the 2 covenants together to form what works for me, what is practical and pragmatic for me; what entices my imagination to project upon God and give me a sense of security, identity and validation. That is why again we read: Heb.13:10, We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.” We see here that Apostle Paul is saying that those who try to serve God by the things of Moses such as tithing, washings, feast day celebrations, banners, Sabbath keeping, etc., have no right to partake of the Altar of Jesus Christ. They cannot blend into faith the animal sprinkled articles of the Old Covenant with the blood sprinkled articles of Jesus Christ , for one is physical, while the other is spiritual . That would be profaning the name of the Lord and trodding down the Son of God, counting His blood as an unholy thing, and doing despite to the Spirit of Grace. Our faith is to be only expressed at one altar, the Altar of Christ. Jesus spoke of this altar, the spiritual altar of Christ in Jn.4:20-24 when he spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well. She insisted, “Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, and you say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” Jesus’ answer was the beginning of many references to the “new Altar” that He would become and would shed His blood to sanctify. He pointed the woman to this new place of worship as he said, “The true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth.” Jesus was pointing to Himself as the new altar, the new place of worship. Just as the woman at the well, believers today are also seeking that same answer, wanting to know the right denomination, the best form of praise music, the best style of service (contemporary or traditional), the best way to minister to families and teens, the best programs for singles and couples, etc. These questions have led to the building of other altars that are based upon the imaginations of the people. However diligently worship is rendered at these altars, however passionately the heart is expressed, Christians continue to come away disillusioned and disappointed, because the soul is not being spiritually transformed. When the Church learns the original foundation of truth from true apostles they will be purged of these Nicolaitine doctrines that have left their soul outside of Gods care through powerless gospels; they will learn the true form of worship that is simple, perfect and productive for Christ-centered daily spiritual transformation. ~~Christianity’s Newest Face for their Altar of the Imagination~~ “Destiny and Potential with Seed $$ Activations” Jesus warned that Satan’s Seat was intruding into the Church however, and was removing Christians from the grace of God. (Rev 2, 3). Satan’s Seat is the origin of false doctrine (false knowledge) and it is through false doctrine that the Altar of Christ becomes chiseled with the tools of man’s imagination. These changes continue over the decades and centuries in keeping with the tide of changes in the world. In Orientation Lesson #1 we reviewed how the “2008 Rethink Conference” of Robert Schuler’s Church was engendered to once again, try and make Christianity relevant to world changes. These changes come year after and always keep Christians seeking a new image for their relationship with God and the place of their service to Him. There are many false altars today that have been built. Because there are only so many ways to sing, shout, dance, design your stage, pulpits, pews, instruments, choir robes and church building, the “altar” has evolved into the realm of the imagination, where “destiny” and “potential” is the new face of focus and worship and larger and larger amounts of money are asked of the people to prove their faith and activate Gods blessings. We are now regularly seeing ministers such as Franklin Jenzten, Paula White, Larry Huch, Steve Munsey, Benny Hinn, The Copelands, Tood Coontz, Mike Murdock, TD Jakes, Eddie Long and so many others talk about sending in your $1,000.00 dream seed offering to activate your dreams or enter your destiny moment. Here are the some of the altars of the imagination where the Church is presently being enticed to worship at: 1. Serve Jesus passionately, share your heart with God, live life without limits. 2. Fast from the thoughts that are keeping you from your destiny. 3. Learn how the curse is broken so you can return to Eden and live life voluptuously as God intended. 4. Transform yourself from the inside out by getting into your “called place” where you can start possessing what God has destined for you. It is easy to speak to humans about their God-given potential. We saw in Orientation Lesson #1 how God originally designed the soul with His imprint, with the design to increase after His image. We also saw how the soul could only increase by the knowledge of Christ and how Satan counterfeited Christ by offering other knowledge forms. These knowledge forms of Satan have been entwined into the gospel and have created many hybrid gospels. Hybrid gospels create false altars, places where Christians come to meet with God that are not according to the original blueprint of Jesus Christ, places that have the chiseled imprint of man’s imagination. In the 21st century the imagination of man has become the Altar of Christ. The imagination is enflamed by the promise of potential and the promise of destiny and the tool of engagement is money and vain imaginations like intention and determination. The Church has suffered greatly by attempting to worship God at this false altar, suffering defeat, bondage, and spiritual confusion. Each year the altar of Christianity is given a new makeover, a new façade, and a new name. This makeover of the altar is intended to mitigate the suffering (of being disconnected from God and not able to increase in His fruits) and shift attention away from unrealized promises and disappointment. New humanitarian projects, new activation techniques and new strategies for success are all incorporated into the face of the new altar and each time Christians take hope that they can aspire and achieve to a likeness of God at this place of worship. But God is not mocked. His Spirit will only bear witness to what retains the integrity of the design of Jesus Christ and therefore these altars all prove to be hewn by the hand of man, as Christians continue to suffer a lack of lasting spiritual transformation. ~~~~ Restoring the True Altar~~~~ 12 Whole Stones of the Gospel of Jesus Christ If we look at the covenant of Moses we observe that there was a physical altar in a physical temple. But Jesus, shedding His blood for the sins of the word, purchased a second covenant where Jesus Himself is the altar of our faith, set within the temple of our bodies. If we compare the two covenants we will see the 2 altars and how the Old Covenant altar is a type and shadow of the New Covenant Altar. Christ was hidden in the old but in the new, He and His redemptive work is revealed. It is in observing this New Covenant Altar that we see our participation with God through our responsibility of priestly service. Deut.27:6: “Thou shalt build the altar of the Lord thy God of whole stones: and thou shalt offer burnt offerings thereon unto the Lord thy God.” Josh.8:31: “As Moses the servant of the Lord commanded the children of Israel , as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron…” When God commanded that no iron tool be lifted upon the stones He was restricting the imagination of man from faith. Stones that are taken and chiseled or cut speaks of the introduction of man’s philosophies and traditions into faith , whereas whole stones spoke of the purity of faith; the Jews were not to build an altar with stones they had labored over; they were to demonstrate faith by following the prescribed ordered knowledge God gave through Moses, who was the knowledge steward of the First Covenant. This order and purity of faith was reflected in the whole stone; w hat God provided for their faith sanctified their faith. Now we are under a new covenant. God no longer requires us to build His altar with the stones of the earth for Christ is now our altar of faith, and we build this altar with the knowledge of Christ. Each of the 12 elements of the gospel (#grace, #faith, #righteousness, #justification, #sanctification, #holiness, #peace, #rest, #charity, #truth, #regeneration, and the #renewing of the #mind) is a whole stone. The 12 elements of the gospel are the whole stones of Christ’s ordered knowledge that set structure to our expression and service of faith. Because they carry the virtue and design of Christ, the Spirit enters into our activity with them and issues power for the spiritual transformation of our inward man. These 12 elements are the very “foundation of truth” the apostles set within the heart through instruction. ~~ The 12 Elements of the Gospel ~~ Our True Education to Jesus Christ and His Covenant. Now, let’s take a short look at the make up of the Altar of Christ, which are the 12 elements, the very components of the education of Christ we call the Foundation of Truth. As you study each of these elements in New Covenant Foundation of Truth education program, you will see the original definition, the operation of God upon our soul, the rhythm of the Spirit and the testimony of Christ. And understanding these things through the study of the Doctrine and the assisted ability of the Spirit, then we can make the distinctions between what imitates Christ and what is Christ, what is from beneath and what is from above, to keep our soul from spoilage. You are building the Altar of Christ in your inward man as you study these elements and this is to be the place of your worship. ~Grace: When you study the element of grace we see the rhythm of the Spirit in how he empowers the will with a persuasion that is outside of our first birth, outside of the imagination of man. Jesus set a new pattern in Himself by not living by the powers of His divinity, rather He lived by the power of grace which was brought to him by the ministry of angels. This is why He said he lived by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of the Father. This is the same pattern we must follow, not living by the inspiration of our flesh or the world, but living (expressing our faith by) the inspiration called grace. In order to do this, you must be educated to what the true definition is, the operation of grace and its purpose. The grace of God carries Christs testimony because it references the soul back to Him for confidence. We don’t have to chisel this stone and find principles to improve our service to God, we just need to receive instruction from the apostles concerning how to live by grace. ~Faith: When we study the element of faith we see the rhythm of the Spirit in how he endues the heart with a measure of Himself for obedience to His commandments, and as we exercise this measure, it increases, therefore it carries his testimony because what is born of Him gives substance to our hope. Faith is not about believing God for something rather it is an activity we do in connection to keeping the New Covenant commandments. Praying in tongues is a New Covenant commandment, therefore as you keep this commandment, you are exercising your faith, you are expressing faith and you are doing an activity of faith. Thats how easy it is to serve the Lord under the New Covenant terms. We don’t have to chisel this stone and seek God for a breakthrough in faith, we just need to use the authorized tools of faith. ~Righteousness: When we study the element of righteousness we see the rhythm of the Spirit in how he has provided a standard in Himself for our expression of faith so that we can walk free of the righteousness of the law and free of the principles formed in the conscience by sin and death. This righteousness carries His testimony because it is of power to free us from death. For so long the Church has expressed its own righteousness by drawing upon the imagination and moral convictions as a record to resource for ones expression of faith. Such is not acceptable to God, for He has already given us the Record of Christ to resource for our expression of faith. When we learn from the stewardship of apostles that righteousness is a standard, quality of faith, virtue, activity and fruit then we are empowered to understand and meet Gods standard each day by the simple New Covenant worship tools. We don’t have to chisel this stone by thinking of ways we can change our circumstances, our world or our attitudes, we just need to order our faith by His standard, not our own. ~Justification: When we study the element of justification through the stewardship of apostles we see the rhythm of the Spirit in how God has provided an exemption for us in Christ from keeping the Law of Moses. The believer who expresses faith by the New Covenant terms and tools is daily freed from the curse of sin upon the soul and freed from the condemnation of the breaking of the Law of Moses brings. As well, he/she is justified to express faith now by the terms of Jesus Christ. This means God gives you permission to speak as His oracle, to serve Him as a holy priest, and to come before His throne with sacrifices of praise. This permission is only for your activity of faith within the boundaries of the framework of the New Covenant. Because the Law of Christ carries the power of the Spirit for our redemption we do not need to seek out any tools of the House of Moses to please God. Our faith is perfect and justified when it is expressed in the House of Christ by the tools of Christ. ~Sanctification: When we study the element of sanctification we see the rhythm of the Spirit in how God provides a pattern (the pattern of Christ, the pattern of the New Covenant) to separate us from the defilement of the world and the defilement of sin. We see also how this same pattern separates us unto Him, and therefore it carries His testimony because it is a power that saves from corruption and bonds us to Him for holy and divine service. We don’t have to chisel this stone by spending years trying to figure out which signature strengths is His will for us to pursue, or making repeated vows of consecration to God we just need to walk in sanctification by using the New Covenant tools of faith. ~Holiness: When we study the element of holiness, we see the rhythm of the Spirit in how God provides a pattern for us to separate ourselves from the inspiration and tools of the world. The knowledge of the world was as our parent, educating us and filling us with the fruits of sin, which defiled our conscience. God provides the element of holiness to provide for our separation from sin, and this carries His testimony because it releases us from the tethering of Satan’s knowledge to being tethered to Christ through His knowledge. We don’t have to chisel this stone by changing our dress, our appearance or our thoughts, we just need to observe Christ by the priesthood he has give us for our holiness. ~Peace: When we study the element of peace we observe strong distinction from the peace of the world. We see how God provides 2 types of peace, the peace of God and peace with God. We observe how critical it is that this power be issued daily to accompany the operation of grace upon our soul, so that we can be persuaded to continue with God in His Fatherhood work of circumcising the soul. We don’t need to chisel this stone by changing our thoughts so our attitude or circumstances will improve, rather we trust in God that no matter the trial of faith or the storm of life, we will overcome through grace and His peace will sustain the inner man that our focus of faith may remain upon Him. ~Rest: When we study the element of Rest we observe how God has set a pattern for our rest not in a day of the week for physical rest, but in the Sabbath Man, Christ, for our spiritual rest. Because the soul is designed by God to build and increase, the soul is very busy continually trying to fulfill its design. Laboring by the knowledge of the world however, does not bring rest, but the opposite: sin, confusion, anxiety, fear, disorientation, trauma, anger, depression, etc. Thus there we observe how under the New Covenant our rest in Christ is not by honoring or keeping a day of the week, rather we rest by honoring God by keeping our faith restricted in expression to solely the New Covenant commandments. This spiritual Sabbath rest is a daily experience and carries His testimony as through our labor with the pattern and tools of grace and truth we cease from our labor with iniquity and completion (rest) for our souls in Him. ~Truth: When we study the element of truth we observe how Jesus Christ is the manifestation of the Word of Life, not as the written record but as the Living Record, and has set the very blueprint for our faith in Himself, which blueprint carries the facts that are consistent with God’s character, purpose and plan. Through this blueprint from the apostles’ office we observe the testimony of Christ in that as we reciprocate this knowledge to the Father one another He rewards our faith with the power of Christs Witness, which transforms our soul. We don’t have to chisel this stone by trying to find “secret strategies to enter into our prophetic future” rather as priests we simply carry the yoke of truth and God will be actively involved in our faith and our lives. ~Charity: When we study the element of charity we observe it is the form truth takes when it is spoken and therefore we love God as He first loved us by our reciprocation of the knowledge (truth) of Christ. Charity carries the testimony of Christ because it carries the power of Christ enabling us to bear all things, believe all things, hope all things and endure all things. When charity is perfect then fear is cast out and our hope is continually brightened by the Witness of Christ giving substance to it (our hope) and transforming our souls. We don’t have to chisel this stone and weary ourselves with many humanitarian works and carnal traditions, rather when we express Christ through this tool we are perfectly loving God and the brethren as ourselves. ~Regeneration: When we study the element of regeneration we observe the impact of spiritual healing upon the soul and spirit of man Christ promised by His stripes. This inward healing carries his testimony as it forms Christ in the inner many through fruit and virtue and the soul no longer reflects the mar and stain of sin, but the beauty of holiness. We do not need to chisel this stone by bending our will with behavioral modification techniques, we simply yield to the grace of God through the tools of the priesthood and the Spirit will work effectually to transform our souls. ~Renewing of the Mind: When we study the element of renewing of the mind we observe how our thinking patterns are changed as a result of the power of the new man taking shaped with us. We do not have to chisel this stone by confessing scripture, changing our thoughts or ‘framing our world through positive speaking’, rather it is a divine result of Christ being born in us through our engagement with God at the Altar of Christ with the Second Covenant priesthood tools. This is snapshot view of the whole stones of the Altar of Christ. This spiritual, invisible altar of Christ is the authorized, sanctified place where God expects your service of worship to be rendered to Him. This is where your faith is perfect, pleasing to God and productive in Christ. At this Altar God authorizes you minister to Him as a royal priest and to bring to Him spiritual sacrifices that are to reflect His Son Jesus Christ through the reciprocation of his knowledge. These sacrifices will be your food as well, and as a priest you will also dine on this knowledge and feed your soul. These utterances are holy prophecies and as you set them as a gift upon the Altar of Christ, the Altar sanctifies your gift as holy and it becomes as a sweet smelling aroma to God. Are you ready to build the Altar of Christ in your inward man through the study of the 12 elements of the gospel? Are you ready to learn how to become a Priest unto God and learn the order of service for the Second Covenant Priesthood and the order of assembly under the Second Covenant terms? Praise God, if you are then we will train you in the Priesthood of the Believer and the Assembly order and give you the living tools of service for the House of Christ. We will equip you with the knowledge of truth you need for this divine service to our Father in Heaven.
Posted on: Fri, 15 Nov 2013 00:51:36 +0000
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