Theocracy – Applied Theocracy

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Matthew 6:24 I'll begin with a quick recap of the last post, by defining my working definition of Theocracy. Theocracy literally means the "rule of God". My use of the word describes the principle of an individual allowing God the right to rule one's life, in the present. For a further explanation of what I do and do no...

George Street

Dave Smethurst This all started a number of years ago in a Baptist church in Crystal Palace in South London. The Sunday morning service was closing and a man stood up at the back and raised his hand and said: "Excuse me pastor can I share a short testimony?" The pastor looked at his watch and said "You have three minutes." The man proceeded with his story: "I've just moved into this area. I used to live in Sydney Australia. Just a few months back I was visiting some relatives and I was walkin...

Why I Don’t Go To Church

Wayne Jacobson I know the way I relate to the church is a bit unconventional and some even call it dangerous. Believe me, I understand that concern because I used to think that way myself, and I even taught others to think that way as well. If you are happy with the status quo of organized religion today, you may not like what you read here. My purpose is not to convince you to see this incredible church the same way I do, but to answer your questions as openly and honestly as I can. Even ...

The Cleansing of the Sanctuary

Foreward This letter was orginally published on my first blogsite, CJaK's fOrEsT, on April 30, 2007. Apart from some minor updates, such as updating references to certain people, due to chronological changes (such as one person, who has since passed away, being referred to in the past tense), and the removal of some grammatical errors, missed ealier, it is presented here as it was presented then, avoiding the temptation to insert some of the information that has come across my path since. An...

Blaise Pascal

Petter Ottness Blaise Pascal was very much a man ahead of his time. His brilliant mind covered such issues as physics, mathematics and probability, theology, the first public transport system and the invention of the first calculating machine* to name but a few. He also lived his life in constant pain, from his early childhood until his dying day. It was both his brilliance and pain which shaped Pascal's life and his relationship and understanding of God, Jesus, grace and the state of hum...

The Crisis of a Christless Christianity

Chip Brogden "As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him... beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And you are complete in Him..." (Colossians 2:6,8,9a) The Christian life is a life that is lived IN CHRIST. That is to say, to walk IN HIM is to live as a Christian. Christianity is not a religion, bu...

Conqueror Plus One

Aaron Ireland "...in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us..." Rom 8:31-39 More than a conqueror No matter how great the conquest, the greatest title given to the victor is "conqueror". To conqueror implies that the war is over, and the enemy is defeated. In other words, successive "battles" are won until there emerges a final victor who is known as the "conqueror". When the conqueror emerges from the war there is no more fighting to be done. There is noth...

The Saint Must Walk Alone

AW Tozer Most of the world's great souls have been lonely. Loneliness seems to be one price the saint must pay for his saintliness. In the morning of the world (or should we say, in that strange darkness that came soon after the dawn of man's creation), that pious soul, Enoch, walked with God and was not, for God took him; and while it is not stated in so many words, a fair inference is that Enoch walked a path quite apart from his contemporaries. Another lonely man was Noah who, of all...

Escape From Churchianity

Chip Brogden It is important that we make a clear distinction between the True Church (the Ecclesia) and the Institutional Church, Organized Religion, or religion in general. The easiest way to begin is to discuss one critical thing that Organized Religion cannot do. Organized Religion cannot impart Life. "This is our testimony, that God has given us Eternal Life, and this Life is in His Son: He that has the Son has Life, and He that has not the Son of God has not Life (I John 5:11,12...

What Is Theocracy?

Theocracy means literally 'the rule of God' and the term was invented by Josephus (ad 38-c. 100) to describe the ancient Hebrew constitution and the role of Mosaic law. However, if you do not literally believe that the law has been handed down by God on tablets of stone, it may be difficult to accept theocracies on their own terms. - Lincoln Allison I make this small post to introduce an idea. Allow me to introduce you to a word which has greatly captivated my imagination of late, THEOCRACY. ...