SPIRITUALITY - A Response to - THE CHURCH: A LIVING ORGANISM or a LEGAL ENTITY?

I recently wrote an article (Dec. 16, 2010) entitled: The Church: A Living Organism or a Legal Organization? In this article, I explained that, according to the State, when God’s people seek to establish a non-profit organization, this

“… Corporation derives its existence and all of its powers from the State and, therefore, has only such powers as the State has conferred upon it…the source of this power is the charter and the statute under which the corporation was organized.” - Len Young Smith and G. Gale Roberson, Smith and Roberson’s Business Law, West publishing Company, 1966, page 796.”

I went on to explain that

The Church is not a “corporation” (a “legal entity”)!
It is a living, breathing organism!

A reader online posed some questions about that article and I believe that these questions and my response are worth sharing.

READER: It seems that in your comments you see the "church" and Christian organizations as the same entity. Is that true? I'm wondering if you see a difference between an organization registering and a "church" doing so?
I can clearly see the reasons a local fellowship does not need to register and the downfall in doing so, but I'm not sure the same reasons would apply to an organization. Do you see an inherent fault in a Christian organization or just in registering? I'd love to hear some more!

My response:

Thank you for your questions and for your desire to understand my concerns.

It may be that the clearest way for me to answer your questions is to ask a few questions.

Is there any evidence in the New Testament where God's people ever established an organization, made a covenant with and sought the approval of the worldly government regarding the work Jesus appointed to them? Did Jesus ever encourage His people to make a covenant with the worldly government in order to obtain benefits from it?

Many of us have come to believe that the institutional church was never God’s intention for His people. With that awareness in mind, are we being inconsistent in institutionalizing His work!

Do God’s people need to apply for the state’s approval for
accomplishing His work any more than His fellowship?
Do God’s people need a board of directors for
accomplishing His work any more than His fellowship?
Do God’s people need bylaws for
accomplishing His work any more than His fellowship?

Considering that the local fellowship is made up of God's people and that the Work of Jesus is performed by His people:
• Should we ever seek to make the fellowship or the work of God’s people a legal entity?
• Does the fellowship or the work of God's people "derive its existence and all of its powers from the State"?
• Does the fellowship or the work of God's people have "only such powers as the State has conferred upon it"?

If we promote that the fellowship of God's people should not be institutionalized, are we being consistent when we make a covenant with the State seeking it to be the "source of power and the statute under which” His work is accomplished?

These are the questions that I’ve wrestled with and that have led me to the understanding which I’ve written about in this article. I don’t believe that we can separate the fellowship of His people from the work to which He has called them. I don’t think we can institutionalize one without it affecting the other. We cannot serve two masters!

If I still haven’t made myself clear, feel free to keep asking questions!

Whole-Heartedly,
Bonnie

SEX SLAVES – For the Sake of the Priceless

Over the last couple of years, the Spirit of Jesus has been drawing my heart toward those who are trapped in Human Trafficking. Human trafficking involves an “act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harboring or receiving a person through the use of force or coercion for the purpose of exploiting” them. After reading statistics and stories about victims of this detestable crime, my heart is especially drawn toward young girls being sold as sex-slaves.

Honestly, I initially resisted learning more about this heinous crime. I knew that if I learned more, something would be required of me. I questioned whether or not I have the emotional, physical or spiritual strength to respond like Jesus. Yet, God continued to tug at my heart and I believe He has brought me to a place where I’m genuinely saying: “Ok, Lord, I’ll do whatever you want with me in this.”

I think the final straw was a book that I read entitled, Priceless, a novel about Stuart, a photojournalist on assignment in Russia. Stu joins a life-risking operation to rescue girls from the sex-slave trade. Throughout the book, the author, Tom Davis exposes the evil committed against millions of girls while the government stands by, not only allowing it to happen, but even participating in the horror! Yes, the book is fiction. However, the realities it exposes are these:

1.2 million children are trafficked every year;
this is in addition to the millions already held captive by trafficking.
Every 2 minutes a child is prepared for sexual exploitation.
The average victim is forced to have sex up to 40 times a day!
The average age of a trafficked victim is 14 years old.
Tragically, only 1-2 percent of the victims are rescued,
and only 1 in 100,000 Europeans involved in trafficking are convicted.
Child sex tourism is a multi-billion dollar industry.
By 2010 Sex Trafficking will be the number one crime worldwide!


I can’t explain the why behind this kind of suffering any better than the words of Oscar Wilde (Irish writer and poet) –

Now it seems to me that love of some kind is the only possible explanation of the extraordinary amount of suffering that there is in the world.

I will be leaving tomorrow for Angeles City, Philippines which is one of the largest sex tourist destinations in the world with over 15 thousand women working in its sex establishments. A.C. is also the Philippine's second largest destination point (after Manila) for internal trafficking, & is one of the main recruitment points used by trafficking networks. I will be working with RENEW Foundation which is a Christian International Organization that “aims to empower female victims of prostitution & sex trafficking through an holistic approach to recovery. RENEW also works to prevent young women from being trafficked and from entering prostitution through community development programs including income generating projects, seminars and scholarships.” http://www.renew-foundation.org

If the Lord places me on your heart over the next five weeks, please pray that He would use this experience to teach me more about Love: Suffering With and For Others. I realize that there is more in store for me to receive than what I could ever offer. However, it is my prayer that Father would use even me to bring the healing hope of Jesus to these Priceless ones.


Whole-Heartedly,
Bonnie

Spirituality - A Response to “A More Pure Celebration of the Gift”

Although most have completed their “Christmas” celebrations, this is such a well-written, thought-out response to Gary’s article, A More Pure Celebration of the Gift that I felt moved to share it with you.

Very early in our marriage, my wife and I moved away from Christmas. We couldn't see anything in it, neither in the way it happens in the larger culture nor within the practice of the church, that reflected the humility of Christ's incarnation.

Christmas, in our view, was a demonstration, built into the rhythm of the year, that we love being a part of a consumer culture and are willing to lend spiritual legitimacy to the spend-and-be-busy mentality by attaching romantic family coziness to it, as well as by co-opting biblical support for it, insisting that we're doing what the wise men did by presenting gifts to the infant King!

There were too many distortions of truth for us to feel comfortable with. How could we participate in an event that nurtures self-centered consumerism in our children ("What do you want for Christmas?")? By contrast, the incarnation of Christ demonstrates, along with many other things, denial of self. Christmas knows nothing of that, as far as we could see.

For our part, we do understand the blessing that people experience, especially in being together as His people, witnessing their children re-enact their version of the Birth story, singing the incarnation and salvation songs and hymns, hearing hope-filled messages about an amazing Savior-Son. If that were the single focus, we would gladly join! We could identify with that -- although we're happier to do that sort of worship any day or time of the year.

What has put us on the outside of those "Christmas" celebrations is the inclusion of so much more in the those gatherings that does not belong to Him. Our reading of Scripture has led us to believe that God does not accept the mixture of Himself with that which is not-God.

For much too long, a customary greeting in the foyer of the church building has been "Well, what did Santa bring you?" or "was Santa good to you this year?" or "Christmas would just be so complete if we could have some snow". For the weeks of "Advent", the sanctuary's central decoration is typically a "Christmas tree", with brightly-wrapped boxes beneath it, and there are "Advent" candles lit each week to build the momentum and drama up until "the big day". People are tired and ragged, many softly muttering, "I'll be glad when this is over" (they’ve shopped right up till midnight!) or "I've put on 10 pounds!" (they've gorged at dozens of banquets, workplace parties, and family eat-fests).

Most people do recognize that all those extras do not have anything to do with "the real Christmas". It's a peculiar thing that there is an acknowledgement, even from the pulpits, that the "real Christmas" has nothing to do with all the hoopla, they nevertheless guard all those traditions with such fervor!

We're saddened that Incarnated God is lost in a cute rendering of idyllic versions of a peaceful birth ("sleep in heavenly peace"?) and in trite and predictable sermons that omit how the Incarnation contains a dramatic challenge to live a radically self-denying and Christ-incarnated life. That message can't be spoken in the midst of a self-gratifying and frivolous event, without trashing what folks regard as the most sacred event on their calendar.

We have truly experienced such joy and freedom as we have gradually, over some years, moved out of the various practices of Christendom, Christmas included, that bring a cloud over the incomparable Christ and that bring confusion around His person and name.

As we seek to glorify our King, it is my prayer that God’s people prayerfully consider His desire for how we can more purely celebrate the birth of his precious Gift, Jesus.


Whole-Heartedly,
Bonnie

SPIRITUALITY - THE NEW BEGINNING THAT COUNTS

Although some see the first day of the year as an extraordinary “new beginning,” I really don’t view it as being different than any other day. In fact, Thomas Mann clearly describes my prespective on marking the passage of time,

Time has no divisions to mark its passage,
there is never a thunder-storm or blare of trumpets
to announce the beginning of a new month or year.
Even when a new century begins
it is only we mortals who ring bells and fire off pistols.

I do love new beginnings, though, …when God does it that is! For it is our Father who “makes all things new” (Revelation 21:5). Through the working of His Spirit, “a new birth” is conceived! A “new person” is created (Eph. 4:24, Col 3:10)!

Did you catch that? Our creator didn’t do a “patch up” job. He created a new being! Those who are His are human, but they are a totally new “breed” of human! There are two different “species” of man, if you will. The heart and spirit of the first “species” is different from that of the new!

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.
I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
And I will put my Spirit in you and
move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
- Ezekiel 36:26

Many argue over whether or not we have free-will or if God chooses us. It seems that what gets in the way of our understanding is that we fail to consider that there are these two “species” of man:

• The man with a heart of stone cannot love God.
o However, the man to whom God gives a new heart is capable.
• The man upon whom God’s Spirit does not move cannot follow His decrees. His absolute corruption makes this impossible. He has no desire for God.
o However, with a new heart and God’s Spirit, the new creature has a new attitude (Ephesians 4:23). The desire and the power to follow God’s law is available to the one upon whom God has moved.

What is God’s law for His new creature? The new law is to love (John 13:34). Is the new creature’s love for God “forced” by God, thus not genuine, as some suggest? No! The new creature chooses to love God because that is his nature! Isn’t it the created nature of all mankind to have the ability to choose God? Obviously not, or every man would! Instead, our Creator designed only the new ‘breed” with this priceless ability. “This can’t be! That’s unfair!” some say.

If God, as the Creator, chooses to place the ability to love Him in one “breed” but not the other, isn’t that His prerogative? We don’t consider it unfair because He didn’t plant the ability to love in a cow! Why do we get in a quandary when it is suggested that He planted the ability to love in His new “breed” of man, but not the old?

Manmade “new beginnings” are only deceptions.
Truly, what counts is a New creation
(Galatians 6:15)!

Whole-Heartedly,
Bonnie

Spirituality - A More Pure Celebration of the Gift

When my husband, Gary shared with me an analogy that the Lord had placed upon his heart regarding the mixing of good and evil in our celebration of Christ’s birth, I felt strongly that it was meant to be shared with others. So…I invited him to share it with you….

CHRISTMAS!--Just the mention of that word has always brought a stirring of excitement within me. The reasons for that have changed and matured over the years. The typical anticipation of a child lost in a super-charged wonderland of special sounds, smells, sights, activities, music, cookies and gifts eventually morphed into a busy pastor's concern to help others anticipate the wonder of God's gift from heaven which alone brings help and hope in an often dark and challenging world.

In recent years, however, less busyness and fewer responsibilities have provided time for a genuinely deeper reflection and more careful observation of all this seasonal holiday activity. As a result, the word "Christmas" stirs more sadness than excitement. A recent conversation helped to bring into more clarity the reason for this shift of emotion. A story was shared among several of us about a woman who serves both as an ordained Christian pastor as well as a faithfully practicing Muslim. We all were horrified, recognizing that such an attempt at mixing two contradictory beliefs could only weaken, cheapen and ultimately destroy the effectiveness of what is true. However, I saw there a parallel to our modern observance of Christmas.

I certainly have no desire to be a "bah! humbug!" Scrooge, but I do believe that some words of caution are in order for those of us who honor the Name of Jesus as our King and Lord.


There is no denying that worldly greed and pleasure-seeking,
along with heathen fantasy have been mixed with
the pure thanksgiving for
the wonderfully supreme gift from the God of the universe,
sent to us in His Son,
Jesus.
Is it possible to mix these without cheapening the gift and dishonoring our God?

Several years ago, Bonnie and I began to re-evaluate and re-design our celebration of Christ's birth, removing those things which distracted from what is true and pure. We were absolutely shocked to discover how thoroughly this worldliness had infected us and how deeply we had been dishonoring our King.

We concluded that even such seemingly innocent inventions as Santa, the elves, Christmas trees, Frosty and Rudolf had to go. Next we jettisoned many of our "favorite" Christmas carols, movies and stories which had nothing to do with the birth of Jesus. Decorations, gift-giving, and card-sending all came under scrutiny in the effort to purge the "evil" from the "pure" in our home and lives. Many believe and tell us that we have become too radically extreme in all of this; perhaps so. However, the Bible, from beginning to ending, demonstrates that our God is also radically extreme about the dangers of mixing the worldly with the holy. May this word of caution become an encouragement for all of us to more seriously evaluate "Christmas" and bring us to a deeper, purer celebration of the wonderful gift that injected the glories of heaven into our world and lives.

"The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.
We have seen His glory, the glory of the ONE and ONLY,
who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
- John 1:14


Whole-Heartedly,
Gary & Bonnie Jaeckle

THE CHURCH : A Living Organism or a Legal Organization

Christian groups of nearly every variety have obtained a “tax exempt, non-profit status.” It is often believed that unless this label is acquired that the group is untrustworthy. In fact, some are taught that a religious establishment must obtain this status in order to “legally” exist.

In actuality, it is the right, guaranteed by the Constitution, of any religious group to operate free of the corrupting and compromising influence and control of the State:

Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion
prohibiting the free exercise thereof…!

Additionally, according the Internal Revenue Code, “a church, its integrated auxiliaries, and conventions and associations of the church are excluded from taxation.” United States Code, Title 26, 508(c)(1)(A). Section 508, subsections (a), (b) and (c) shows that religious groups do not need to “notify the Secretary” to be treated like a tax exempt organization!

What baffles me is why any Christian group would seek unity with a worldly government when it so obviously goes against what the Church stands for. The work of the Holy Spirit is a ministry of the Body of Jesus which is a living organism. We must wake up to the reality that when we seek to establish His Body as an incorporated organization, we are subordinating ourselves and His work, in a covenant relationship, to the civil government!

“A corporation derives its existence and all of its powers from the State and, therefore, has only such powers as the State has conferred upon it…the source of this power is the charter and the statute under which the corporation was organized.” - Len Young Smith and G. Gale Roberson, Smith and Roberson’s Business Law, West publishing Company, 1966, page 796.


The church is not a “corporation” (a “legal entity”)!
It is a living, breathing organism!

Many religious groups seek to establish a “tax exempt” status believing that this is the only way that those making contributions to it can receive tax deductions for their gifts.
Even if this were true, why would we desire to compromise by seeking “privileges and benefits” from a worldly government?

Are we not entering into a covenant with pagan powers when we sign a contract uniting ourselves with a worldly government (Exodus 23:32; 34:12)? According to the Supreme Court, organizations with 501(c)(3) status are restricted from any communication which “intends to, prevail upon, indoctrinate, convert, induce, or in any other way influence a recipient or any section of the public within the United States.” We must understand that by signing this oath we are agreeing to remain silent about that which Scripture tells us to proclaim ( 2 Tim 4: 2)!
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=481&invol=465#t19
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?navby=case&court=us&vol=347&invol=612

Jesus never delegated His authority to rule in the affairs of His church to the civil jurisdiction. The ecclesia has been called out of the world’s political and religious system.

Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,

“I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM;
AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.
Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says the Lord.
“AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN;
2 Corinthians 6:14-18


Whole-Heartedly,
Bonnie

COMMUNITY LIFE - HOPE OF HEALING

Have you ever noticed that the people of God seem to have as much difficulty resolving issues in their lives as unbelievers? Gossip, immorality, harshness, addictions, deception, impatience, selfishness, etc., are often as prominent among those claiming to be of Christ than those who do not!

Throughout the years, I have counseled a multitude of people, mostly Christians. Although I saw the powerful hand of God move in many lives, it seemed that there were almost always barriers to the deeper levels of healing which I knew God intended. In fact, there are issues in my life that I just can’t seem to get beyond. I’ve often wondered if there is any hope of deeper healing this side of heaven!

Although I’ve frequently sought the Lord for answers, it wasn’t until recently that I’ve recognized the missing link:

there is limited healing in the Church,
because
there is minimal community among God’s people!

During my years of counseling, I quickly became aware that those sitting in pews are often hurting, but their Christian “family” typically had no clue. Because most of us have been programmed to believe that “good Christians” are supposed to “have their act together,” we rarely admit otherwise fearing that we’ll be perceived as a “back-slider” at best or not Christian at all! This apprehension leads to isolation and loneliness.

It’s common practice to wear the “plastic smile” for the weekly hour while in the presence of “family members” who know little about what goes on behind the scenes in our lives. However, it wouldn’t take long when living in close community, before the mess which often exists behind the façade is identified. It is through this life of transparency that our unhealthy behaviors are more likely to be exposed and confronted for what they are. It is here where the Holy Sprit most often does His deep and abiding work.

There are always “sandpaper people” in life who are difficult for us to deal with. It is these precious individuals whom God places in our lives to expose our rough edges and whom He uses to smooth them out! While it’s bearable to tolerate them once a week for a few minutes; it’s yet another thing to “deal with them” on a regular basis! However, it is through the close and on-going fellowship of community with them that our sinful nature is exposed in order for the necessary healing to take place!

Gary and I recognize that there are issues in our lives that we’ve learned to “sweep under the rug.” Sadly, this seems easier than digging to the core and allowing the noxious invaders to be uprooted. However, in a community setting Family members would eventually bump the rug and the “piles of dirt” would no longer go unattended! Having them exposed certainly wouldn’t be pleasant! Yet, Jesus never promised that purification would be easy!

I believe that, thankfully, there is hope for pervasive healing this side of heaven! However, it may only be found in the unity of His Body. Father desires for the world to see His glory. Yet, John 7:23 reminds us that its fullness can only be recognized in the close fellowship of His Family.

I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity,
so that the world may know that You sent Me,
and loved them, even as You have loved Me.

The level of intimacy among Christians determines, to a large extent the level of healing within the Body of Christ. “Every healthy group is therapeutic . . . . Community groups should be therapeutic, inasmuch as they assist members to grow to the fullness of their life in Christ” (Hammett & Sofield, Searching Together, 24:3, 1996, p.4).

“People need to see a group of persons, motivated by the gospel and their love of God, who live in such a way that loneliness and alienation are dispelled” (Hammett & Sofield, PP.2-3).


Whole-Heartedly,
Bonnie