Feedback Box:

I'm not asking for much.

Just to empty all the crack houses, "bath" houses, abortion houses, and houses of prostitution -- and fill all the houses of worship -- and mend all the broken homes caused by all the Devil's houses. That's all I'm asking!

Just that every bureaucrat funded by our taxes, and empowered by laws and regulations to control our lives in any way, (whether to regulate our money, business, leisure, property, or children), exercise their power over us with humility, compassion, common sense, justice, and horror at the very thought of accidentally penalizing the innocent. That's all I'm asking!

Just that every child learns how to read and write fluently, count change, and balance a checkbook. And then when they graduate to the second grade, that they will continue towards a real education. That all parents will be able to train their children without undue violence, drugs, or weird psychological gimmicks. That's all I'm asking!

Just that all the divisions we have erected between each other, between black and white, rich and poor, Baptist and Methodist, management and labor, Republican and Democrat, be healed and that the people of Des Moines come together as one! Not that blacks have to become white, or the rich have to become poor, or that Baptists have to become Methodists, or that management has to unionize, or that Republicans have to become Democrats: but just that we can learn how to reason with each other without hitting each other, in love.

Just that "The Church" will apply the Gospel to the sins of society, so that Christian families won't worship on Sunday, and not realize there is anything wrong, on Monday, with Mom setting up an abortion appointment for daughter while son hurls a racial insult. Or on Tuesday, voting for candidates committed to laws which are benevolent in theory but oppressive in practice, including education funding which keeps children from learning to learn to read but helps them learn to be promiscuous. Or on Wednesday, dad fueling management/labor mistrust at work, and renting an "X" movie on his way home. Or on Thursday, mom filing for divorce. Or on Friday, Dad, on the advice of his divorce attorney, falsely accusing Mom of child abuse. Or on Saturday, the whole family going into debt at the Mall for music, products, and entertainment which competes with God for the soul, while all over the world, the innocent are oppressed and slain, while those offering their lives to save them fail for want of money, letters, awareness, and concern.

Just that REVIVAL will break out across Des Moines and offer hope to our land. Small things to ask, really! Jesus promised that with very little faith, God offers us the power to order mountains into oceans. Today we wonder if we have the power to order a child into a corner.

THE PLAN

Fortunately I have a plan. It's not mine, really. I found it in the Bible. Today you don't say a thing like that to impress people: most would rather listen to a new idea which some expert pulled out of the air. John 5:43. But honestly, this plan is so good, it's just as good as if I had written it myself. (Maybe even better!)

I should warn you, though: it requires really drastic action. I realize this is extreme, but it requires obeying God. Which, as usual, interferes with comfortable, established traditions.

It might require a little time. But at stake are your bravest, boldest prayers for your city. Are they worth your time? Your city is perpetually remolded: in some ways as you have prayed, in other ways as in your worst nightmares. If an opportunity rose where your time could make a difference, would you spare it? Jesus promises to answer every prayer of those who dare to believe. So if the believers in a city are working and praying for less than the answers to their bravest prayers for their city, God wants better for them.

So that you can see what this plan looks like, I need to first show you the puzzle pieces. Only then can we put them together into a clear picture.

Puzzle piece #1: The New Testament identifies Churches only by their city (Scriptures follow) rather than by their beliefs or leaders (1 Corinthians 1-4). This is a Trumpet Call for Christians to come together from many churches to perform Biblical church functions (examples below) which divided Christians can less effectively perform. (NT churches identified by city: Rom 16:27, 1 Cor 1:2, 2 Cor 1:1, Col 1:2, 4:16, 1 Thes 1:1, 2 Thes 1:1, 2 Tim 4:22 KJV, Tit 3:15 KJV, Rev 2:1, 8, 12, 18, 3:1, 7, 14. Gal 1:3 mentions "churches", plural, in Galatia, because Galatia was not a city but a province.)

Puzzle piece #2: The Jerusalem church was so numerous (Acts 2:41, 4:4) that it had to meet in smaller groups, (Acts 2:46, 20:20), but was united enough to hold a council representing all the groups (Acts 15). This is a Trumpet Call, not for us to stuff more bodies into fewer rooms, but to add the means of communication between believers across denominational lines.

Puzzle piece #3: There are Biblical limits to unity. The New Testament frequently advises Christians to "avoid" certain types of people, as indeed every human organization finds necessary to varying degrees, from time to time. The seeming conflict between the Biblical goals of Unity and Separation is reflected in the "Ecumenism" movement, which seeks to unite churches by minimizing the theologies which distinguish denominations, and in its passionate critics, who do not like their theologies being minimized.

Ecumenism's critics speak as if it is unity itself, not just a few troublemakers, which is the enemy. The danger they see is more and more laymen coming under the influence of fewer and fewer leaders at the top. Laymen in this system have a weaker and weaker voice to object when their money and name are used for purposes they cannot support.

But it is not only progress towards a One World Dictatorship that threatens the freedom of religious expression of laymen. When laymen believe their own pastor is wrong, they can talk to him, or even approach the church board. But if he won't change and they still disagree, the only way left for them to take a stand is to leave the church and search for a more agreeable church. It would be considered extremely "unChristian" to communicate their reasoning to the rest of the congregation; everyone would consider that too "divisive". (By contrast, Robert's Rules of Order provides for a "minority report", similar to a "dissenting opinion" in a supreme court case.) In this situation, splitting a church is the only possible response, and sometimes it is an appropriate, sensible response, to doctrinal error.

But God does hate denominations, 1 Cor 1-4. God wants us to be "one". John 17:21-23 literally says "oneness" is so important that it is the key to revival: "that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." (NIV: "that the world may believe that you have sent me.") God must offer some better way for us to take a stand for what we believe, and to escape world enslavement, than to stop communicating with each other. This is a Trumpet Call for Christians to learn to communicate what they believe without driving Christians apart.

Puzzle piece #4: Not only does the Bible call for all the Christians within a city to communicate with each other, but also for Christians to communicate with nonbelievers. Not only to reason with them, Acts 17:2, and let them participate in the service, 1 Cor 14:24, but when Biblically appropriate, to work together for a common goal.

(God honored the decision of His people to ally with a pagan prostitute to overthrow a city, Hebrews 11:31. Joseph fulfilled his agenda through pagan Egypt, Daniel worked alongside pagan Babylon, and in Acts 23:6-10, Paul allied himself with the Pharisees to gain support for the reasonableness of Jesus' resurrection.)

Puzzle piece #5: Two Holy Spirit Gifts, of the many listed in 1 Corinthians 12, are discussed so seldom that they seem foreign: "...helps, governments...." (NIV: "...those able to help others, those with gifts of administration....") (Verse 28) Also Romans 12:7-8 "...or ministry, let us wait on our ministering...he that ruleth, with diligence...." [Greek note: "gubernaysis", translated "governments" in 1 Cor 12:28, KJV, has almost the same meaning as the word for "authorities" in Romans 13:1. From it comes our word "gubernatorial", referring to the race for state governors.]

"Helps" isn't controversial. "Helps" seems to describe ministries serving human needs. Many churches (but by no means all) have such ministries, from food pantries to homeless shelters to free minor medical attention to emergency financial relief for members in need. Besides having official church ministries, pastors receive many calls from needy individuals.

The efficiency and effectiveness of "helps" is greatly diminished when Christian service is divided, by breaking up both the resources available to serve the need, and the investigations needed to discern who is needy. This is the reason so many churches already cooperate in such ministry, especially in the area of food and shelter.

Increasing the communication, cooperation, and coordination of Christians throughout the city will naturally offer special opportunities for those of the Holy Spirit Gifts (1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12:3-8, Ephesians 4:11-12) which especially depend, for their efficiency and effectiveness, on Christian unity. "Helps" and "governments" are such gifts.

"Governments", 1 Corinthians 12:28, or "he that ruleth", Romans 12:7, indicates political involvement, which gets theological blood boiling faster than a teakettle at a nuke test. Certainly political effectiveness depends, big time, on unity. Just one or two Christians in several churches, who all meet together to interview candidates and study issues, and who are allowed to share their findings with the people of their home churches, could control the political outcome of any matter upon which they could agree. That is because Americans today are so apathetic about their Proverbs 3:27 responsibility that literally one in a thousand (Psalm 91:7) determine whether our laws will teach the ways of God or Satan. (Galatians 4:24-25 explains the educational value of laws. Moses' laws were Paul's example then, but today most Americans assume our secular laws actually define right and wrong, so that God wants us to obey them. The laws we allow thus influence much behavior, from pornography to abortion, which affects where people spend eternity.)

Not that political involvement in New Testament times was like what we see today, in which Christian activists do not tell the public the Scriptures supporting their positions. When Jesus and the apostles interacted with political leaders, it was to scrutinize human lawmaking by the beacon of God's Word! Of course today's Pharisees will tell you to go ahead and get involved if you want, but just don't quote Scripture during political debate where it isn't appropriate and it will only "offend" people, Acts 4. As if to say "You can debate with us if you follow the rules, starting with #1: you must agree that God has nothing definitive to say about any issue we talk about. Now what did you say you want to talk about?"

Modern American politics suffers from want of the Gift of Governments. NonChristians are even less capable, than Christians, of the Love necessary to bring many people together to communicate what they believe without driving people apart. The result is national apathy so great that most do not even vote in most of the half-dozen annual elections, and hardly anyone studies the dozens of candidates in them. Citizen tolerance for information is so low that candidates resort to expensive communication with simplistic content, like TV ads and costly brochures with few words since the average citizen scans them only 10 seconds before throwing them away. These costs are borne by one in a thousand, who thus become, by default, the real "power brokers". Christians in whom the Holy Spirit is nurturing the Gift of Governments cannot easily find good information about candidates, because (1) general apathy forces candidates to be superficial, (2) secular media doesn't necessarily focus on the issues that concern Christians, combined with (3) candidate evasiveness resulting from an atmosphere hostile to serious scrutiny in which votes are decided by impressions.

America began through the full operation of the Gift of Governments, and America will be restored to her original holy calling when that Gift is once again honored with the other Holy Spirit Gifts. Early Americans knew an important duty of Christians is to oppose Satan's advance on the political fronts. Christians in those days were so united that entire states had only a single denomination. But that didn't mean they agreed on everything! They weren't mind-numbed robots! They were among the most profound political thinkers of all time. Their debates were vigorous, and their insights deep. They acted as if sharing political information were a legitimate church function, not at all to be censored. After all, the Old Testament Levites had, among their duties -- among the reasons they received the tithe, the functions of the judicial and legislative branches of government, Ezekiel 44:24. Today many say the Old Testament isn't supposed to guide us. But it is only in the Old testament that we find the idea of a 10% tithe. Should we not direct our tithe where it will be used for God's purposes? 1 Corinthians 6 likewise charges the city-wide Church with judicial responsibilities.

Unity can never mean any other pressure to agree with an idea, than the pressure of persuasion. Unity doesn't have to mean everyone reaching the same conclusion. But unity always has to mean, at the least, people communicating, sincerely wanting Truth, in love.

An example of a ministry that falls under both "helps" and "governments" is help for victims of bureaucracy, Proverbs 24:11-12. Government agencies enact "Administrative Rules", never voted upon by any elected body, yet whose violation can cost you money, property, business, or your children (depending on the agency). Their prosecutors have big budgets, requiring those they accuse, innocent or guilty, to spend family assets on attorneys.

This is a Trumpet Call for those Christians with the Gift of "governments", that is, for people who share burdens such as those listed on page one, who are sprinkled throughout the churches of every city, to seek out each other and serve Jesus together.

Puzzle piece #6: 1 Corinthians 14 is the only place in the Bible that describes the format of a Christian meeting, and it describes more interaction between church members than any of us have ever seen.

The primary activity of fellowship gatherings is supposed to be our exercise of the Holy Spirit Gift of "prophecy", according to the KJV, NIV, Book, Jerusalem Bible, New English, RSV, and Living Bible; or "to be able to speak the messages of God", Phillips, or "to be able to preach the messages of God", Living Bible.

We have three indications of what God means by prophecy: (1) the definition of it in Greek lexicons, (2) the definition of it, by Paul, in verse 3, and (3) the use of it as described in Acts 11:28, 21:10-11, 13:1-2.

But the most annoying thing about 1 Cor 14 is its insistence, not just once but six times, that not just one person, but everone in the assembly should, ideally, be sharing whatever this Gift is. (Or at least should be free to share it.) 1 Corinthians 14:24-25 even promises revival within the church when this happens. (See "More Scriptures" for more details.)

Puzzle piece #7: Whatever this Gift of "prophecy" means, verses 29-33 of 1 Corinthians 14 describes the format for sharing it which sounds very much like the modern format we call a "panel discussion". (See "More Scriptures" for more details.)

The Picture

As we put all these pieces together, here's what we may look forward to seeing:

A giant Partnership Machine, sponsoring nonpartisan meetings of hundreds of Christians and unbelievers, Republicans and Democrats, black and white, young and old. All have a voice: even Christians are allowed to tell about Jesus, and the Scriptures that support their positions. Even if that "offends" some. Lies are stopped by the convicting power of the Truth, Rom 3:19 -- through a forum friendly to Truth -- not by the human power of censorship.

The agenda (the discussion topics and proposals for action) could be selected by the group at the beginning of each meeting. If anyone wants more group time for an issue than the whole group is ready to give, the group can select a committee to study the issue with the person and make a recommendation to the group at the next meeting. (Robert's Rules.)

The format is something like a panel discussion conducted by rules such as Robert's Rules of Order. Its rules should welcome input from all, yet discourage arguments undertaken for love of argument rather than for love of truth. As the group grows, and sees the need of rules better adapted to the group's needs, it may elect a Rules Committee to propose changes. Participants can indicate their desire to interject an idea by standing until being "recognized" by the moderator, 1 Cor 14:30.

The focus should be the operation of all the Holy Spirit Gifts, although the unity achieved by the group should make the Gifts of Helps and Governments/Ruling Well especially effective, so therefore probably more predominant, than at meetings of divided Christians.

When people disagree about God's meanings of a particular Gift, the group may study the question together if that seems likely to bear fruit, but should not censor any sincere attempt to share a Holy Spirit Gift.

As foreign-born members join who struggle with English, translators should be sought, that no Christian in Des Moines be excluded.

.

More Scriptures

1 Corinthians 14 is the only Scripture that specifies the format of a Christian meeting, and it says everyone should "prophesy". "...ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted." Verse 31. (NIV: For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged.)

The corresponding Greek word ("propheteia") is defined "to bring a message from God". That sounds like "preaching", which we today define as a pulpit lecture; except that if everyone in the church "preaches", "in turn", then what you have is more like a discussion.

Verse 3 defines 3 purposes of prophecy, all of which can be reached in a discussion between people who know each other. "...he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification (Gr. "building up"), and exhortation (Gr. "to correct"), and comfort." (NIV: ...everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort.)

Verses 29-33 describe something like what we today call a panel discussion followed by audience questions and comments: "29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. 30 If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. 31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. 32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. 33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." (NIV: 29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 30 And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. 31 For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. 32 The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. 33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.)

Verse 29 speaks of going "two or three", which is a good size for a panel discussion. The bigger the panel, the more need for artificial controls like timed statements. Verses 29 and 32 describe the speakers being scrutinized by others, as naturally occurs when panelists take audience comments. Verses 30-31 talk about speaking one at a time, like a well organized panel discussion. Verse 33 says the result is well organized, and indeed panel discussions have proven almost a foolproof way for a roomful of people to interact with each other in an orderly way.

One difference between God's model and a modern secular panel discussion (or most Sunday School discussions) is that any member can introduce any new topic of discussion as he is inspired, v. 29-30. This is a bit like the provision in Robert's Rules of Order that any member can propose that the group consider any "new business". Robert was a Christian, by the way.

Even though the Bible says "all" should participate, verse 30 indicates it is not the moderator's duty to say "Well, Suzie, you haven't said anything yet. Wouldn't you like to contribute something now?" Rather, the Spirit directs people to speak. The moderator only makes sure Suzie is allowed to speak when she is ready. Verse 30 implies that the speaker may continue freely as long as no one is waiting to speak; but when someone stands, he needs to wrap up his point and allow a response.

God doesn't say only once that all should (at least be allowed to) "prophesy" during the discussion. God says it five more times in just this one chapter.

1 Corinthians 14:1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. (NIV: Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.) This verse ties together chapter 12, about "spiritual gifts", 13, about "charity/love", and 14, about "prophecy". This verse is addressed to everyone who should love and who should develop their talents: that is, to ALL believers.

5 I would that ye ALL spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied:...that the church may receive edifying. (NIV: I would like EVERY ONE OF YOU to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy...so that the church may be edified.)

12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. (NIV: ...Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.) (In other words, "anyone who wants spiritual talents will learn to prophesy -- my plea throughout this chapter -- because prophecy edifies, as I pointed out in verse 3.")

24 But if ALL prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of ALL, he is judged of ALL: 25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth. (NIV: But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, 25 and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!") What an incentive for "everybody" to "prophesy"! When sinners react like that, don't we call it "revival"? "Judged of all" means that this sinner, walking into our fellowship, doesn't just sit and listen. He participates in the conversation, through which others discern things about him which he has struggled to understand. For example, when a barely recovered addict came to a Bible discussion and saw she could talk freely, and that the others had experiences she could learn from, she directed the conversation to questions on her heart, and received something warmer than "professional counseling": fellowship.

39 ...brethren, covet to prophesy...40 Let all things be done decently and in order. (NIV: 39...my brothers, be eager to prophesy...40 But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.)

A Bible Discussion without rules isn't the vision here. But God wrote us a great Rule Book.

"Tolerance" v. Discipline: Fellowship Attitudes

You say, "Discussions between people who don't agree are anarchy. God says 'be separate'."

Many verses are assumed to condemn "tolerance", justify church splits, and require church discipline (excommunication) over doctrinal differences. But what if those verses were indeed written to control disruptions in a fellowship built around discussion, not to "endorse" those we "agree" with by "associating" with them during a sermon without interaction? What if the Biblical purpose for coming together is to correct misunderstandings which prevent our serving God together? What if we aren't even supposed to be talking about abstract controversies that don't affect how we live, or how we cooperate, 1 Timothy 1:4? What if we shouldn't be afraid of theological differences, but should expect them? Just as a garbage collector sees garbage as his job; not that he exactly loves it. He may not love garbage, but he appreciates his job.

Titus 1:10-16 says to stop those who preach circumcision. But the doctrine itself is not a reason for excommunication: rather, lies, financial motives, human reasoning without Biblical support, living like pagans, and not even obeying God's laws as they insist others obey their laws. Paul did not accuse every Circumcision advocate of these qualities, but only said these qualities are generally associated with those who promote Circumcision, just as we today might generally associate them with those who promote "Choice (to kill your own baby)", but it would be inaccurate to accuse every pro-abortionist of these qualities. It would be foolish to refuse to reason with them.

People listening to pulpit lectures have little opportunity to disrupt anybody during the meeting. But in a discussion, even sincerely held beliefs can cause commotion. (Although only once in a blue moon does a "Sgt. At Arms" need to escort anybody out, even in a secular meeting without Christ.)

Church splits today prove laymen can still be divisive. But not during meetings, where the scrutiny of the whole assembly would nip spurious objections in the bud. The only avenue of expression for discontent, today, is gossip. That is, complaints about those not present, passed from one person to another, in the absence of group scrutiny or the right of the accused to defend himself.

Matthew 18:15-17 says when you have a problem with someone else, first you approach your brother alone; second you take a mediator; third, before anyone can be excommunicated, he has a chance to defend himself in a fair trial before the whole church. When the pastor is the subject of the complaint, steps one and two are permitted, though heavily discouraged. But unless the pastor and the church board agree, the layman may not take his complaint before the whole assembly -- except through the medium of gossip.

Titus 3:10 has been misunderstood, both because "heretick" [Gr: "divisive"] has been incorrectly translated as someone with intolerably wrong doctrines; and because it does not occur to modern readers that Paul's scenario is disruptions during (as well as between) meetings.

"A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject". (NIV: "Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him.") The NIV misses the allusion to Matthew 18:15-17, assuming that whatever a man's crime, he gets to commit it twice before anyone is allowed to stop him. But the NIV is right about the meaning of "heretick".

This verse, which in the past has been used not only to split churches but to burn people at the stake for being "hereticks", actually says it is not any particular doctrine which must be separated from, but the very divisiveness which heresy hunters cause -- not deficient intellect, but attitude.

Under today's "Gossip" method of doctrinal correction available to laymen, where laymen primarily see only the doctrines and people-handling skills of the pastor, no wonder the pastor is the subject of most laymen complaints! Under the 1 Corinthians 14 system, learning how to love and get along with other laymen will dominate the attention of laymen.

Before we judge another for how long it is taking him to correct his doctrinal errors, we should remember how long it has been known to take us. When someone is wrong but really hungers for Truth, that is the kind of person we want in our fellowship, so we can learn from each other.

Toleration of error is not a virtue. Error is a thing to be uprooted to the extent that wisdom and time allow. That does not mean we should snub people as soon as they disagree with us, or cause them to question whether God will accept them. Romans 14 specifically warns us not to tell "the brother weak in the faith" that unless he repents of his doctrines he will go to hell ("receive him not to doubtful disputations") (NIV: "Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters."). "Let everyone be persuaded in his own mind", (NIV: "Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind") Paul orders, even about theological disputes among the most divisive of all time (what to eat, and which day to worship): get along, don't stop reasoning, hold out hope, and come together for prayer & action! !

(For detailed analysis of these issues, see "Who Owns the Pulpit?" at www.panews.org <http://www.panews.org> or contact The Partnership Machine, 137 E. Leach, Des Moines Iowa 50315. 515/244-3711w, 256-0637h)

Part 2: Bylaws of The Partnership Machine, Inc., "the missing ingredient"

Feedback Box Got feedback? Send it, along with name or url of the article, and a little of the text on either side of where your comment belongs, so I know what you are responding to, and I'll post your response. I might even place it right smack dab in the article! (If you don't want your email posted, SAY SO!)