To Oversee BECAUSE They’ve Seen

Posted on March 17, 2023 by LovingLikeGod.com

Unfortunately, it is not clear to me at this time, whether life is even possible on this side of an “authentic eldership.”

I’ll try to expound.

Once life begins, once it’s vital enough to be detectable, the “children of the slave woman” make war against it, Galatians 4:29. When there is no identifiable heaven-sourced eldership, that is, no one with the perspective, power, and authority of a Paul, men will rise up and tear the body apart. Sadly, I’ve seen this even among the ranks of “good” eldership with “well-meaning” agendas. (That should be our first red flag…agendas.)

I think that by now I’m correct in this. The body of Christ is old enough where there should be “elders indeed,” and not “elders in training.” These are those who are secure enough in the Lord that they don’t have to do something, in order to be somebody. They’ve been set free to see. And thus they can truly “oversee,” because they’ve seen.

One of my highest priorities of late, has been to find this holy city of men, and women. They are older, mostly. Probably old enough that many have gone on to be with the Lord, or are on their way.

Meanwhile the young, spiritual fast guns continue to come into town. They are being cranked out by the canneries faster than ever. So let us, only as we are equipped by the Spirit, continue to work against the tide, even the tsunami. 

“And I will send Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord, and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”– Malachi 4:5

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Something Worth Being Passionate About

Posted on February 28, 2023 by LovingLikeGod.com

Someone once asked me how I could continue to endorse, by silence, religious meetings that go on in the name of the Lord. He mentioned the fact that in the Gospel of John, Jesus virtually began his ministry by cleansing the temple, not ending with it. 

Well, I don’t know the exact number of those who have already dropped out of religion (with a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ), but my impression is it’s enormous. Perhaps even greater than those who continue to go to meetings! Add to this number those turned off by what we, as believers, have done with Jesus. Then try to add those still going to meetings, but who haven’t yet come into their inheritance because the “gate keepers” want to keep them in religion, rather than life. 

What does this number total up to? It seems to me there’s not many left for me to offend—if I was even called to offend!

That’s my brief summary of the multitudes. And it’s pretty hard to get very passionate about the multitude. Jesus did at times, but for me, I have to have a very uncommon anointing, or someone to share with in this connection, to be in a place by the Spirit where I am moved by a multitude. 

But what I am moved by, much more often, is by individuals who I love, being hurt, trivialized, trashed, shelved, or deceived by the religious system. It is very common for the Spirit to bring me to a very emotional, and very passionate place about this.

I recently went to a conference for believers who meet in house groups. It was a wonderful time, but robbed somewhat by religious factions. That served to make it even more clear to me: the issue is not where we are meeting in a physical sense, but where we are meeting in a Spiritual sense. “…Not in that mountain, house, or church building, but in Spirit and in Truth.” 

From my paraphrase of what Jesus said to the woman at the well, it is past time that we go up to God’s place, not the place our flesh finds comfortable or familiar.

With some people I can speak candidly about this; others I cannot. But I will say it nonetheless. Big meetings and pixie dust is not what we need. God’s “Church” is relational, not institutional. It should be passionate, like Christ was/is passionate, about a spiritual reproduction that raises and nurtures babies in a spiritual family. It should not be passionate, as the devil was/is passionate, about a carnal reproduction that raises and nurtures multitudes who support the religious institution! 

The saints are being worn out with meetings, conferences, training programs, schools of ministries, seminaries, seminars, crusades, camp meetings, prayer meetings, ministries, and all such other spin-offs. Where is the impassioned, fruitful, reproductive life that Jesus came to bring? I’ll tell you where it is: it lies in ruins, both in, and outside the gate. Why? Because life empowered by Jesus has always been bad for the business of religion.

On a positive note. Relationships in the Lord are awesome and fruitful! They cost a lot, but Jesus warned us about the cost going in. And they are really all that is worth being passionate about.

By Jay Ferris

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Unwrapping the New Birth a Little More

Posted on December 1, 2022 by LovingLikeGod.com

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold , all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

We are speaking about a new generation populated by new creatures. Before we get too carried away with our new selves, however, it’s important to note this new creation is in the Spirit. It is home to the DNA of God, from the Spirit of Christ, but it is not finished yet, any more than any of us are in the Spirit all the time. Our old man, that is our old creation person, is still in the flesh, bound up in old creation time. Old creation time can only touch Eternity in the moment. Jesus is “I Am,” not I was. His way with us today is not necessarily His way with us yesterday.

It is right here where we come to grips with Romans 8:23, “Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.”

The order of our entry into the new creation is first adoption, (a legal matter) then the “new birth.” (made possible by the very DNA of God) This just to say, the Romans 8 passage seems to deny our new birth in the present. How can this be when Peter tells us, “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God,” 1 Peter 1:23. Clearly there is no seed involved in adoption, but there is in birth, even new birth. Since the Bible doesn’t contradict itself, there must then be a sense in which the new birth is already ours. It is ours in the Spirit. Would that we would be, or stay there longer and more often! Not to worry, though. He is faithful that promised.

All of this is foundational to what I would really like to do here, and that is to unwrap this new generation a little bit further. Look at the light of Isaiah 9:6, 7: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.”

Isaiah introduces this “great light” to a people who had been living in darkness. That would be us. This “great light” comes to us in a number of ways: “a child,” “a son,” “a governor,” “a Wonderful Counselor,” “a Mighty God,” “an Everlasting Father,” and “a Prince of Peace.” All of this comes to us packaged in the firstborn of a new creation. It takes some time to open so many Christmas presents, to say nothing of coming into some understanding and closeness with them all. In any given moment of eternity, brought to us by the Spirit of God, we may find ourselves with any one of those qualities or personalities wrapped in the flesh of another person. In short, Christ may give Himself to us in another person, for whatever we need at that moment. We can learn more from having a child, for instance, than we can from going to college. I think you can figure out the rest. It takes spiritual discernment to receive Christ and the things of Christ in another person. It is a spiritual matter, and Jesus Christ is Lord of it all.

And so, with gratitude in our hearts, we can say with Paul about these whom the Lord gives us as gifts: “For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy,” 1 Thessalonians 2:19, 20.

Love!

By Jay Ferris, originally posted April, 2012

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