~Sectarianism is a disease that infects the soul with a lust for recognition and power.  It thrives on insecurity, addicting hapless souls to its sham sense of significance.  It’s the driving force behind all the cliquishness, racism and intolerance of man and it is the toxin that contaminates far too much of what the Christian church has become.  Given an inch it takes a mile and given a mile it takes over the entire landscape.  Its roots go clear back to the Protestant Reformation and actually far beyond that.  Once this partisan spirit was let loose its politics remained the same: divide and conquer~ LC

Let’s start with this. Until Apostles are restored to the church it will never be what it is supposed to be. We’re playing on a fiddle with a single string and no idea what it’s actually supposed to look like or how it’s supposed to sound. It is incredibly inferior but we’ve learned to enjoy it. Looked at another way, the church without true apostles is like removing the hub from a wheel or the engine from a car and expecting it to keep working fine. Which, very honestly, is how the church has been running, or should we say not running, ever since we left the most important office Jesus ever gave to His church ie. Apostles. But we have developed quite an aptitude for pretending. We sing all our favorite Christian songs, chant the best churchy lingo and yet love to turn a deaf ear to anything (like this article) that would suggest otherwise.

I know I’m in the habit of suggesting otherwise because “otherwise” is where most of the truth exists these days. So we will be focusing on what is “otherwise” here. Friends, the current church system is dying. The pallbearers are waiting, the grave is already dug and the ceremony is about over. There will soon be weeping and some wailing everywhere as we say good bye. It is dying of its own accord and if we were ever to do a postmortem autopsy we’d find the greatest thing that contributed to its death was a penchant for saying “NO.” But we have surrounded all our “No’s” with pretty walls, high-tech this and that, cushy chairs and an unending array of pulpit platitudes that do a good job of keeping the people in the “NO” and coming back next week. ( I hope you noticed the intentional play on words there, because we are not in the “know”, we are in the “NO.” Just don’t spell it for anyone and we’ll all continue pretending just fine ). But enough of that. Let’s get back to the truth which is usually a ways outside the door of the church, hanging out with other “objectionables”; “non-hierarchy” understandings and a very sparse crowd. But you’re out there aren’t you dear reader? You’re out there because you’re tired of the centuries old “Protestantized” and “Catholicized” gospel of pushing up walls, promoting personal agendas and going no-where.

“Revelation waits quietly outside church doors. It sits silently catching a questioning glimpse now and then. People keep walking by,
Nothing is said and time goes on. It’s still a stranger.
Why is it still a stranger?” LC

Pastors are no longer the real deal as they have been thought of throughout much of our modern church system. Apostles and Prophets are the real deal and the other offices are basically along for the ride; holding onto their coattails. As soon as they leave the leadership of Apostles and Prophets they become an ill-focused, unaccountable, self-promoting, haphazard ministry without the leadership they were meant to operate under. You never find that in the New Testament. All the pastors were not only established by Apostles but remained and thrived under their leadership. Consider these scriptures,

“Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,’ and, ‘The laborer is worthy of his wages.’ Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses. Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.” 1Tim.5:17-20

“For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you- if a man is blameless, the husband on one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.” Titus 1:5-9

Both Timothy and Titus were apostles under the leadership of the apostle Paul who was a chief apostle. It is more than obvious from the wording that both Timothy and Titus had authority over the elders of the Ephesian and Cretan churches. Now let me fine tune what I am saying in case it’s unclear.
This may be a little academic. Ok?

In the New Testament the “elders” were the leaders of the church. They represented all five offices- Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. I KNOW, I know- that is not the way it is today. But today is not our model. Scripture is our model. And back to scripture is where this whole thing is going very soon. In today’s church “elders” have become a subclass of church leaders under the “senior pastor.” They are usually unordained prominent businessmen in the community whose spirituality is often very questionable. The elders of today are an accommodation to our divisive four-walled mentality. They answer to a particular pastor of a particular church not to a city-wide church as it was in the New Testament. The whole thing today is bogus to say the least but we have accepted it and put up with it for centuries not knowing any better. But knowing or not it has had the same effect of undermining the Covenant and making the church powerless. OH YES it has! Our walls not only have separated us from one another, they have separated us from the Lord and so much of the ministry of the Spirit.
——Dear reader: Anti-covenant behavior is destroying us. It is no more mysterious than that. For a fuller explanation of this please listen to podcast #6 on this website. Now back to the point—-

Near the end of the apostle Paul’s ministry he had a meeting with the elders of the church of Ephesus as recorded in Acts 20:17-28 which says,

“From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. And when they had come to him he said to them…therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”

Did you note the highlighted words? The “elders” were to “shepherd” (same Greek word as pastor ‘poimaino’ used other places in the New Testament) and they were the “overseers” of the church. Consider another scripture,

“The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers..” 1Pet.5:1-2

Same point. Same truth. The elders were the shepherds of the church of the New Testament and were under the direction of overseeing Apostles and chief Apostles who were also elders in themselves but of a higher order. They were not a subclass under another ministry that was called the “pastorate.” Please mark those words and let them sink in. Sleep on it. Drink some coffee over it but let these words sink in. This apostle-elder relationship was how the New Testament church operated and thrived. The loss of this throughout Catholic and Protestant ranks today is one of the chief reasons why we function so far beneath the power and fruitfulness of the New Testament church. And that loss of power and fruitfulness will never be restored until we resolve our sectarianism and deal with this issue.

~We continue to extract scriptures written from a “Kingdom minded” perspective and filter them into our non-kingdom minded sectarian, divisive church systems and theologies.- It doesn’t work, it never will and the results prove it~ LC

~Before we move on let me bring some desert to the table. One of the most misunderstood scriptures in the New Testament ( Yes there are many ) is due to the above confusion. In James chapter five we read,

“Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed any sins, they will be forgiven him.” Ja.5:14-15

Please hear me on this. The interpretation of this is almost unanimous across church lines today and it is completely wrong. I said it is completely wrong! Why? Because we continue to extract scriptures, which were written from a “Kingdom minded” perspective, and filter them into our non-kingdom minded sectarian, divisive church systems and theologies. They don’t work that way and the results prove it. So we call for the elders of our personal church to pray for us and we don’t get the results James is talking about. We are not even on the same page of what James is talking about and yet we expect results?? It simply won’t happen and only God’s amazing grace allows it to happen at times.

Jesus is the same Yesterday, Today and Forever. He hasn’t changed, we have! James is saying we are to call for the true elders of “the” church not “a” church; Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers. As was explained above they are the true elders of the citywide and regional church not the sectarian church of today. When that kind of powerful gathering comes together to pray for someone who is sick James’ words come true, “the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick..” Yes ladies and gentleman it is really that simple if we do things right. It’s amazing what obedience will accomplish! The confusion and lack of results that surrounds this issue today is because we are inside the problem trying to see out but the distance from the bottom of the problem to the top is now so far only God himself can help us view it right. Remember, the New Testament scriptures were written from a Kingdom perspective not the sectarian perspective dominant today. To interpret them right they need to be viewed from a Kingdom viewpoint. Bias is built into our divisions and therefore our understanding of scripture. Much more could be said but we must move on~

We are operating so far beneath the standard of the Cross today (as has most of church history) and as a result healing is extremely rare. This kind of gross ignorance and deception is costing millions to suffer under a man-driven, man-centered gospel that fortunately is coming to an end very soon. The judgment of God is coming across our world and will shift about nineteen hundred and twenty plus years of church history; making things right. Make room for it dear reader. Make room for it. Jesus will have a bride “without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish” Eph.5:25-27 .

When God’s people sink low enough the most impossible things to believe are often some of the most probable things to come to pass. LC

The biblical Apostle-Elder relationship is IMPOSSIBLE in today’s divided church system. Think about it. PRACTICALLY NO ONE IS WILLING TO GIVE UP WHAT THEY CONSIDER TO BE ‘THEIR’ TURF. Biblical Apostles ( not the majority of those who claim apostleship today ) carry a citywide and regional authority to correct and guide pastors (elders) for the edification of the whole church in a city or region. Who would submit to that kind of ministry today?? Please understand what I am saying and don’t just dismiss it. The current environment of the Christian church is so divided, independent and unaccountable across church lines there is no way it would welcome someone from outside its walls and organizations claiming oversight. Satan has us so bound up in this mess we call church today there is no solution outside of revival and thorough reformation from heaven- Which is going to come as a shock too many real soon! People are so bound to our current church systems they dismiss words like these as ridiculous. As it says of Noah’s flood, “they knew not until the flood came and took them all away.” (Matt.24:39) So it will be again. Many will know not until this thing comes in like a flood and overtakes them unaware. When God’s people sink low enough the most impossible things to believe are often some of the most probable things to come to pass.

Remember our Lord’s parable,

“But everyone who hears these sayings of mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” Matt.7:26-27

As was alluded to above we like to extract scriptures like this from their Kingdom setting and fit them into our sectarian thinking, thus the meaning of this one has fallen prey to the same process. We filter out its prophetic significance for a sermon “unquality” gutted application. We need to take it beyond contemporary thinking and understand it prophetically to the church.

“He that hears these sayings of mine and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand..”

Striking words dear readers. There is a day of reckoning coming for all our religious sand castles. Oh they have been built and they’re standing as this scripture says but they have been founded on sand and a very soon coming storm will take them down. It reminds me of the Three Little Pigs nursery rhyme.

“Three little pigs went out one day, one built a house made out
Of hay…the second used sticks to build away…for the third pig
Bricks were the way, he knew the house wouldn’t fall, fall, fall.
Then came a Wolf who was big and bad,” he said, “I’ll huff and
I’ll puff and I’ll blow, blow, blow! And boy did the hay house go…
And boy did the stick house go…but the bricks surely did not go.”

What is coming is not a children’s nursery rhyme ladies and gentlemen. This time around we are talking about real structures and real lives. The atmosphere is charged with the sense of a soon coming storm. It has already gotten serious in some parts of our world. This storm will be from the Lord. Are you ready? Articles like this are trying to get us ready. Gutless pulpits will not prepare you for what is coming. We need to be on our knees and very open.

“But now He has promised, saying, ‘Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.’ Now this, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.” Heb.12:26-27

Yes our God knows how to get our ears and our hearts attentive and He will do so for those who are willing. The Apostle-elder relationship will be restored and with it a Biblical church system that will transform the world and bring us into alignment with our Lord Jesus before we are taken to be with Him. Eph.4:11-13 says,

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…”

The fivefold offices of the church are going to be around “until we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ..” This has not happened yet and it clearly says that these offices will bring it about. Not pastors only but all five offices according to this scripture. The conclusion is as simple as 1+1=2. All five of these offices are going to have to be restored significantly from their current level for the fulfillment of this scripture. And with this restoration will come the restoration of the Apostle-elder (pastor) relationship.

We are coming into one of the most prophetically pregnant eras of church history on a par with our Lord Jesus’ first coming. This will initiate and signify His second return. Conservatively Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies during his short life of around 33 1/2 years. This same compilation of Messianic, church and National Israel prophecies will surround our Lord’s next coming. Most of the prophecies surrounding Christ’s first coming centered around His short ministry of 3 1/2 years. It will be no different as we move into His second return and the involvement of the church and Israel. Massive amounts of prophecy will come into play and be fulfilled in very short order. We will have no say about this. God will move it forward and fulfill it whether we come on board or not. Prepare yourself. As the structure of the church begins to change quickly, the role of apostles will come back onto the scene and their dominance over pastor-elders and citywide and regional wide church growth. Prepare for the huge shift from division to unity. Pastors who are unwilling to allow for that kind of oversight and accountability will not just be resisting change. They will be resisting God Himself.

Let me emphasis one more facet of this Apostle-elder relationship we haven’t yet mentioned. The ordination of pastors (elders) in the New Testament changed radically after the New Testament era. Like so many other covenant friendly truths that became transformed into covenant “not-so-freindly” after the first century, this one is no exception. I’m going to get a little academic here again so please stay with me. Note the following scriptures,

Paul told Titus,

“For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you, if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife….” Titus 1:5-6

Paul wrote similar words to Timothy who was in Ephesus,

“This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop (overseer), he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife…” and, “Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure.”1Tim.3:1;1Tim.5:22

Please don’t confuse the word “Bishop” with the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. The Greek word is ‘episkopos’ and just means ‘overseer’. It is simply another term that describes the role of the Biblical “elder.” They are the “shepherds” and the “overseers” of the New Testament church. The meaning of these terms didn’t change until they became “Catholicized” and “Protestantized” later. (I hope this is understood. If not please reach out to us in the contact section of this website).

Both Titus and Timothy were apostles under the leadership of Paul a chief apostle. They were given the leadership over the work of the church in a city after Paul left: Titus in Crete and Timothy in Ephesus. It was they who ordained pastors (elders) over the church in those areas through the laying on of their hands. Apostolically led ordination gave New Testament pastors giftings and power that was not available any other way. This is very similar to what Moses did when he ordained Joshua to take his place in leadership over Israel. Scripture says,

“Now Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; so the children of Israel heeded him, and did as the Lord had commanded Moses.” Deut.34:9

This is the Biblical way of ordination. Those greater in authority and power pray for those lesser. Note another scripture,

“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” 2Tim.1:6

The apostle Timothy received a gifting through the laying on of the hands of his father in the faith; chief apostle Paul. The one in greater authority to the lesser.

So where is this today? We have powerless people from powerless denominational, sectarian organizations and schools ordaining and appointing others into various types of ministry. So what do we get? Powerless ministries! Powerless pastors and Christian leaders whose path to acceptance is little more than a sprinkling of charisma, organizational skills and a superficial knowledge of the Bible. We have left the pattern of scripture. We have left the Covenant we have been called into through the blood of our Lord Jesus and we are off doing our own thing: promoting our own methods and ideas sanctified by all our divisive thinking. Over all this foolishness a phrase is literally shouting at us: WHERE ARE APOSTLES?! All the ministries, ministers, teachings and giftings of the New Testament flowed out of and were accountable to apostles. Why we left that pattern down through the centuries since, is one of the greatest mysteries of our time. While a dying and troubled world sinks further into the abyss of hellish darkness we, the church, continue on with all our damning efforts to build bigger and better on a foundation of sand. The winds will blow, the rains will fall and the floods will soon come and beat upon our castles of clay. And great will be the fall of them!!

“Come out from among them and be separate , says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father
To you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
2Cor.6:17

Luther Canon
Sola Scriptura