Walking by the Spirit

To close this class, let's view a scripture we've already enjoyed through a kaleidoscope of perspectives.

Acts 17:24
God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

Our home church leader in Bristol had arranged a day trip to visit believers in London. We would be travelling in three cars, we were to drive in convoy, and I would be driving the third car. The home church leader's wife would travel with me, and I would have another three believers in the back. I was driving a rather nice Audi 100 GL5S at the time, so I knew we would all be comfortable. Before we left, my home church leader had a quiet word in my ear and told me that we were not to be separated.

The drive to London was uneventful. There was good light and excellent visibility, so keeping the other cars in sight wasn't difficult. We arrived in London safely, and we all enjoyed a good day.

Before we left London to go home, it was getting dark. My home church leader again mentioned to me that it was important for all three cars to remain in convoy, that we were not to be separated. He would be driving the middle car, while another believer would be leading us back to Bristol. His wife would again be travelling with me, and off we went.

When we hit the M4, it was already dark. Dazzling headlights and red tail lights made the job of keeping the other cars in sight a little more demanding. To make matters worse, the guy leading us was clueless about how important it was to keep a steady speed while driving in convoy on a motorway. He was constantly speeding up and moving into the fast lane to overtake slow traffic. As a consequence, so was my home church leader, and I was constantly having to speed up and slow down to keep him in sight, and the further down the M4 we travelled, the more pronounced the concertina effect became. There was nothing I could do about it either, as I wasn't leading the convoy. All I knew was that we were not to be separated.

My home church leader was constantly disappearing into the thrum of red tail lights as he sped up to keep the first car in sight. Sometimes I didn't know which red tail lights were his, and inevitably, I lost him. I had absolutely no idea which red tail lights were his. He was gone. I sped up to 70 mph, but after five minutes there was still no sign of him. I knew he was still ahead of us, but I didn't feel comfortable breaking speed limits to catch up.

Then it happened. My home church leader's wife sitting next to me told me the other cars must have left the motorway and instructed me to leave at the next exit.

I sat for a few moments in bewilderment. What did she know about motorway driving? What made her think the other cars had left the motorway? I knew the other cars were still ahead of us, so I ignored her and drove past the next exit.

She sat in silence for a few minutes, then demanded I obey her and leave at the next exit.

What the fuck???

I knew the other cars were ahead of us. I knew they had not left the motorway. I just knew. The problem lay with the guy leading the convoy who was not keeping a steady speed.

I thought through my instructions, which were pretty clear. We were not to be separated. As the next junction approached and there was still no sign of the other cars ahead of us, she again ordered me to leave the motorway.

She was full of shit, but what do you do? I stuck the foot down, the bonnet rose and we rocketed past the exit at 100 mph. I kept the car at that speed as well until my home church leader appeared ahead of us. She didn't say another word. The believers in the back sat in a sort of shocked silence all the way back to Bristol.

When we arrived home, while unloading stuff from the boot of the car, I overheard that woman telling the rest of the believers, behind my back mind you, that I was disobedient, arrogant and had no respect for leadership.

Right, let's break this down, see if we can figure out what was going on spiritually.

First of all, my home church leader was walking by the spirit when he was inspired to arrange a day out for us with believers in London. He walked by the spirit and thought everything through to the last detail. My job was to drive the third car in the convoy. Everything was in place for a successful day.

So far so good. However, this is where things become a bit more complicated. You see my home church leader and his wife were also the UK country coordinators for an international ministry of which I was part at that time.

God had energised in my home church leader to choose me for the job of driving the third car in the convoy to London. God chose me to drive the third car because he knew I was the right man for the job. In addition to my driving responsibilities, I was also told that we were not to be separated. So who would God work within to will and to do of his good pleasure to ensure we wouldn't be separated from the others? My home church leader's wife? No, that's how broken cisterns operate, but God does not dwell in temples made with hands.

Read Philippians 2:13 carefully. What does it say? Does it say God energises only within leadership in religious organisations, churches and ministries? Read it.

Philippians 2:13
For it is God which worketh [energises] in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Philippians isn't addressed to leadership, it's addressed to the faithful in Christ Jesus, those who walk by the spirit. Here is how broken cisterns interpret this verse.

Philippians 2:13
For it is God which energises in your broken cistern shithole leadership both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

God does not dwell in, he does not live in, he does not frequent, he does not attend, he does not energise in temples made with hands. Jeremiah warned us about this thousands of years ago.

Jeremiah 2:13
For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

On the way home from London, when my country coordinator's wife first told me to leave the motorway, I knew she was not walking by the spirit. She thought the other cars had left the motorway, but I knew she was wrong. She thought she was walking by the spirit when she ordered me to leave the motorway, but I knew the other cars were still in front of us. I knew she was wrong. I knew she was not walking by the spirit. She had become agitated, and it was her emotions driving her.

When she demanded that I leave at the next junction, I put the foot down and we rocketed past that exit at nearly 100 mph. A couple of minutes later, we spotted my home church leader, and I moved in behind him and slowed down. So who was walking by the spirit and who was walking by the senses?

Later, when that woman was telling everyone behind my back that I was disobedient, arrogant and had no respect for leadership, what spirit was she walking by? She wasn't walking by the spirit of God, the Christ in her, that's for sure. If I'd submitted to her leadership, we would have been separated from the others. Better get this crystal clear in your mind folks.

This, as it happens, is an excellent real life example of God not dwelling in temples made with hands. She thought that just because she was my country coordinator and she had become emotionally agitated that God was working in her both to will and to do of his good pleasure. The thing is, driving that car was not her responsibility, it was mine. If it had been her responsibility, sure, then it would have been God working within her to will and to do of his good pleasure. It wasn't her responsibility to drive that car though, was it? It was mine. So who was God working with? Me, of course, because it was my responsibility to drive that car and ensure we were not separated. She was walking by her senses.

If you follow men rather than walk by the spirit of the Christ in you, you're walking by the senses, you are putting your trust in men. Had I listened to her and followed her instructions, I would have been walking by the senses as well. I would have been putting my trust in men. Had we left the motorway, we would have been separated from the others, and who knows what would have happened to us.

Let's take another brief look at Acts 15 to see if there's any more we can learn about this.

Acts 15:1,2
And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them [the men from Judea], they [the men from Judea] determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

Who was walking by the spirit here and who was walking by their senses? Paul and Barnabas were walking by the spirit, not those interfering religious pricks from Judea. Who were those guys? On whose authority were they acting? What made them think they had the right to march in there and start telling Paul what to do? What made that woman in my car think she had the right to start telling me what to do? See, it's the same thing.

Constructing organised ministries, churches and religions, and implementing structures of leadership to oversee them is how you construct a temple made with hands. That's how you cut off the fountain of living waters. If I'd followed that woman's instructions, I'd have been walking by the senses, the fountain of living waters would have been cut off, and we would have been separated from the others. Walking by the senses is not the way to go.

There is an astonishing truth buried here, which we need to dig out and understand. You see, God will energise in home church leaders and the believers to move the word even if they are part of temples made with hands. He does his job faithfully. However, when leadership structures of men become involved, he steps out. When we walk by the spirit, he's there. When we submit ourselves to leadership structures of men in temples made with hands and do what they say, he's not there because we're not walking by the spirit, we're walking by the senses.

Just as there was a conflict in Acts 15 between believers who walked by the spirit and believers who walked by their senses, so there was a conflict in that car between a believer who walked by the spirit and a believer who walked by the senses. I'll bet those men from Judea thought Paul was disobedient, arrogant and had no respect for leadership as well.

If we do not understand the depth of the truth that God does not dwell in temples made with hands, we will never walk by the spirit. Walking by the will and counsel of men is putting your trust in the flesh, it is walking by the senses. Don't believe me? Look what happened to Paul in Acts 21 when he refused to walk by the spirit and did what a counsel of men told him to do instead. This stuff is real.

Acts 21:17-31
And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.

And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.

And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.

And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews [Judeans] there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:

And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews [Judeans] which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.

What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.

Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;

Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.

As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.

Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.

And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews [Judeans] which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him,

Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.

(For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)

And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut.

And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.

Were those men leading the church in Jerusalem walking by the spirit when they gave instructions to Paul? No, they were not. If they were walking by the spirit, they would have told Paul to leave Jerusalem. God's will for Paul was very clear.

Acts 21:10-12
And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus.

And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.

And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.

Even Jesus Christ himself tried to get Paul to leave Jerusalem.

Acts 22:17-21
And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance [he saw a vision];

And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:

And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.

And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.

See, if those men in Jerusalem, the leadership of the ministry in Jerusalem were walking by the spirit, they would have told Paul to leave. So they were not walking by the spirit, were they? God does not dwell in temples made with hands. Those men had cut off the fountain of living waters and instead had put their trust in counsels of men.

Put it this way, if you're walking by the spirit and the spirit tells you to go out knocking doors, it will be profitable because the fountain of living waters is flowing. If some board of directors orders everyone in their ministry to go out knocking doors, it won't be profitable because that's broken cistern horseshit. Christ is the head of the church, not men.

Why did Paul refuse to walk by the spirit in Acts 21? Why did Paul instead submit himself to the will and counsel of men? I'll tell you why, it was because he still hadn't seen the depth of the truth that God does not dwell in temples made with hands. He was trying to save the ministry. Doing the will and counsel of men almost got him beaten to death by a rioting mob.

I refused to listen to that woman in the car and instead decided to walk by the spirit. I refused to submit to her leadership. We all got home safely that night because I refused to put my trust in men.

People, if you still go to church, or attend any ministry or religious organisation constructed by men, you need to leave them and establish home churches which are self governing, self propagating, and self supporting. God's plan for his church in this administration is to have home churches which are self governing, self propagating and self supporting. When we submit to men rather than to the Christ in us, when we walk by what leadership structures of men in temples made with hands direct rather than by the spirit, we turn our backs on the fountain of living waters. That's evil.

Jeremiah 2:13
For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

Before we close, ask yourself why Saul went house to house to attack the first century church. Think about it, and evaluate it from a spiritual perspective.

Acts 8:2,3
And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling [dragging] men and women committed them to prison.

Acts 22:4,5
And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.

Why did Saul go house to house?  Why did he have to attack the first century church house by house? It was because there was no 'ministry' as yet, no religious organisation in Jerusalem staffed by men from Judea who thought they had the right to control everything. At that time, each home church was the headquarters of the move of the word in that area. Each home church was self governing, self propagating, and self supporting. There was no other way for the devil to attack the church other than by house to house. That's why he constructs temples made with hands. That's why organised religion demands the church of God submits itself to their structures of leadership. That's how the devil cuts off the fountain of living waters. That's how he moves this evil.

God does not dwell in temples made with hands. Once a counsel of men or a board of directors, or men from Judea take control of the church of God, the fountain of living waters is cut off.

Jeremiah 2:13
For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

Was I being disobedient and arrogant when I refused to listen to that woman on the way back to Bristol when she demanded I leave the motorway? Was I disrespectful of leadership when I put the boot down and rocketed past that exit at 100 mph? Figure it out. Consider what happened to Paul when he submitted himself to the counsel and will of men in Acts 21. Had we become separated that night, who knows what would have become of us.

This year, 2017, is the 40th anniversary of when I was born again sailing up the Gulf of Aqaba, when God spoke to me at the very spot where he parted the sea for Moses and the children of Israel. For 40 years I've wandered around in the spiritual wilderness of the churches unbelief while studying, learning, researching, and putting my two classes together. It's time to march across the parted oceans of religion to the promised land of the Age of Grace

To close my work, here's a final starburst of new light that is going to shake the heavens. In Acts 19, Paul moved the word all over Asia, yet before his death he knew the word was already lost.

Acts 19:10
And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews [Judeans] and Greeks.

2 Timothy 1:15a
This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me;

The word was lost, not because it died out with the believers or it was forgotten about, it was because the church was transformed into a temple made with hands. That church is still around. The church of the first century believers didn't die, not at all, it's now the largest and most powerful church on earth. Only we don't call them followers of the way any longer, we call them the Roman Catholic church.

That's why the pope refers to the Roman Catholic church as the mother church. He's right, it's the whore mother of them all. That's why Paul went to Jerusalem in Acts 21. He saw where things were going and he tried to stop it.

If you still go to church, or attend any kind of broken cistern ministry or religion, and you submit yourself to their structures of leadership, you are not walking by the spirit, you are walking by the will and counsel of men. That is putting your trust in the flesh. That is cutting off the fountain of living waters. Get the fuck out of those shithole places, get a church established in your home that is self governing, self propagating and self supporting, learn to walk by the spirit and let's move the word again.