Gospel Encounter 30
MODERN-DAY PHARISEES!
Who are they? How does one recognize them? They are probably leaders and they certainly will be ‘religious’ people!
They will be more concerned about doctrine and beliefs than being the expression of God’s life in the earth.
A religious person will not fully believe that God has given him the ability to have a relationship with Himself which produces a fully surrender to His direction and control. . . His will is then accomplished in His way at His timing.
A religious person will be involved with lots of activity in ‘programs and revivals’ before being quiet and allowing God to speak and change him from glory to glory into His image (II Corinthians 3:18).
To have CLOSE fellowship with the modern-day Pharisees, you will have to believe the same way usually spelled out in their constitution of beliefs which you must adhere to in order to become a member. That will last until you change through God’s releasing Spirit bringing revelation and truth to your hungry heart. If that happens ‘they’ will crowd you out!
This type of Pharisee-fellowship will endeavour to MANIPULATE, DOMINATE and/or INTIMIDATE its members for the furtherance of itself. They actually find it very difficult not to do these three things. They will plead with such expressions as . . . “Couldn’t you possibly help” . . . “don’t forget to support these special meetings” . . . “now we have a financial need” . . . “what is your gifting? — for this or that department needs you” . . . and so on.
No wonder Jesus had ‘a problem’ with those ‘pattern’ Pharisees of His day! Times haven’t really changed, have they?
As this scenario is allowed to progress unchecked by the Lord, we will see . . .
MOTHER-CHURCH become a one-parent family!
Father-God has brought forth new life through the Mother-Church (Galations 4:26) . . . it happens each time there is one who has been ‘born again’. The family increases in number. Mother has the charge from Father to nurture and teach the foundations that these children will need in order to grow.
Mother should care for these children until they are ‘12’ in the spirit . . . just like Mary did for Jesus in His natural walk.
‘Bar-Mitzvah’ then takes place which equates with the baptism in the Holy Spirit for us . . . when the mind of Christ, received at birth, is released. The ‘tongues’, consisting of words of a spiritual language, are released from the mind of Christ which each child of God has (I Cor. 2:16). It is expected that every child will grow up and develope, and to see this happen, each will need to come under Father’s direct care.
At the ‘bar-mitzvah’ ceremony, the child is handed over by the mother to the father. Jesus was handed over to His natural ‘father’, Joseph, for training in the carpenter’s shop.
Jesus, our example or pattern, declared from that point on, He was to be about His heavenly Father’s business. Jesus is the Pattern-Son for all present hungry believers to follow.
Today, it is not quite the same. Due to a shortfall in the relationship between the Mother-Church and the Father, she hangs on to ‘her children’ . . . keeping them ‘tied to her apron strings’ with repetitive juvenile teachings and lack of development in the gifts and the things of the Spirit — ‘she’ then operates as a one-parent family! Instead of moving under Father’s direct control and care, these children of such a ‘family’ become spiritually stunted in their growth.
The children’s covering was the Mother . . . but now these maturing ones should have ‘the anointing of Christ’ as their covering. Mother expresses much fear when some of her children who have started to grow up and move out to be under Father. This is because they have not had the correct foundation laid in their earlier lives. Father is always there for He said that He would build His Church and that they would be strong so that even the gates of hell could not stand against these ones. He is desirous of seeing His children grow up into Him in all things. (Ephesians 4:15). So let us cut the apron strings! §
