Disclaimer: Statements in this book concerning Sound Doctrine Church and Mr. William’s wife are not relevant. Sound Doctrine Church is no longer in existence and the wife of Timothy Williams passed away over a decade ago.
Intro: The following is a special edition of the Consider Podcast. The New Testament Church, the model church was slanderously called “a sect”, or in modern terms, “a cult”. People everywhere talked against the leaders, churches and disciples of Jesus labeling them a cult. The same is true today. Any church that is loving God and others by the power of the Holy Spirit will be defamed in the same manner. Let us consider a portion of the events recorded in Acts. When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself with a soldier to guard him. Three days later, he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had assembled, Paul said to them, “My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the cusPauls of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans.”
They examined me and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death. But when the Jews I was compelled to appeal to Caesar. Not that I had any charge to bring against my own people. For this reason, I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain. They replied, “We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you and none of the brothers who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you. But we want to hear what your views are. For we know that people everywhere are talking against this cult.”
They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening, he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the law of Moses and from the prophets. Some were convinced by what he said but others would not believe. (Acts 28:16-24).
The audio book is entitled “Eu De Cult”, and delves into the matter of what causes true Christianity to be labelled a cult. Eu De Cult is the French word for “perfume”. As Paul declared, “For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing, to the one we are the smell of death, to the other the fragrance of life.” (Second Corinthians chapter two verses 15-16). Every true Christian church will be labeled a cult but every church that is called a cult is not necessarily of Jesus.
So, a word of caution: Do not attempt to live this in your church unless the full complete gospel message has been laid down as a solid foundation. Take serious note of what Paul wrote in first Corinthians three ten. By the grace God has given me. I laid a foundation as an expert builder and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. The Consider Podcast Examining today’s wisdom, folly and madness. www.consider.info.
Speaker: Eu de Cult, Love in the First Church by Timothy Williams. For more information, stop by the Consider Podcast at www.consider.info. Ecclesiastes 1:17, “Examining today’s wisdom, folly, and madness.” Unless otherwise noted, all scriptures are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society.
Dedicated To all who seek more of the love of Christ in the church. I pray that out of his glorious riches, he may strengthen you with power through his spirit in your inner being so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, and I pray that you being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. (Ephesians 3:16-18).
Chapter 3, “Worker of perfume”:
“As you come to him, the living stone rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him, you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ”. (1 Peter 2:4-5).
God makes his chosen ones into priests who will love him forever. We are a holy priesthood meant to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. The following passage describes one such sacrifice the Holy Spirit will fulfil in our lives and churches if we allow him. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices, gum resin, Anika and galbanum and pure frankincense all in equal amounts and make a fragrant blend of incense. The work of a perfumer. It is to be so and pure and sacred. Grind some of it to powder and place it in front of the testimony in the tent of meeting where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you. Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves. Consider it holy to the Lord. Whoever makes any like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off from his people”. (Exodus chapter 30 :34-38).
Let us examine this perfume and fragrance with which God wants to anoint the church. Then the Lord said to Moses, Take fragrant spices, gum resin, Anika and galbanum and pure frankincense in equal amounts. Creating a balanced incense requires the work of a perfumer. It is a work not in terms of earning salvation but in terms of a labor of love. Fragrance that is not manufactured by works, but with the willing joyful obedience of man. It does not come easily but by perseverance. The craftsman makes the perfume with equal amounts of ingredients and a blend of fragrances. Whatever aspects of the holy spirit occur whether represented by spices, gum resin, Anika and galbanum or frankincense, they are of equal amounts. The kind of church or person who has this fragrance is not emotionally unbalanced. They do not dance or clap at every church meeting, but have various times and degrees of all the emotions of the holy spirit.
They rejoice but do so with fear and trembling. Each ingredient never overpowers the other. But all come together to fill the senses with the fullness of the Lord. Such believers are not judgmental but neither are they without judgement. They do not have dry studies of the word, but make their feelings obedient to the ways of scripture. They have things of the world, but they are not engrossed in them. They may have money, but know how to hate and despise it. They go to doctor, but don’t put their trust in them. They believe in miraculous healing, but can accept sickness from the Lord. They know when to offend Pharisees, but desire peace. They know how to point out the faults of others without being a fault finder. They do not gossip, but can speak of others in truth. They are filled with a holy hatred, but their lives overflow with the deepest of love for others. They have all things in common, but the leadership does not own everything. They stand one in heart, in mind, but different in every way. They do not waste time but know how to play in the Lord. They know how to constantly aim for perfection, but also how to rest in God’s Sabbath of mercy.
And make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer. This perfume is so special that it requires the work of a perfumer, a specialist. Someone skilled in the way of the cross. No young convert knows how to make this perfume. No uncrucified person is permitted to create this perfume. Those who do not understand or accept the offensive message of the cross, do not have the wisdom to blend this perfume. It is an art that comes only from above when the flesh has been sufficiently crucified. Many a ministry attempts to mock it like a cheap copy of an expensive perfume. But those with discernment recognize it as a lousy imitation. The grandest prize of all awaits those who have this fragrance, “Fellowship with God.” He will come and sit with them and quietly hold and embrace them with his glories. For God declares that, “There I will meet with you.” You will sense his presence without speaking a single word. Many times, you will feel God’s mercy and pleasure, as when a child just sits on a parent’s lap, many falsely believe they feel his presence. But unless the cross does its painful work every day, they live a lie.
My wife and I can testify that this is true. The church we worship can testify to the reality of this love that is hidden from those who reject the offensive message of the cross. What you are about to read we have lived and continued to live. I regret the need to point to the church I currently pastor, and it is never meant as a boast. Indeed, with fear and trembling, we share a small fraction of what God works, because we know that sin could easily ruin it. A year from now, we could lose it all. It is that simple. We do not share abstract goals or high ideals, but something God has worked by his mercy. But be warned, it is difficult to acquire this fragrance from the Lord. During the past 23 years, God has led my wife and me to pastor four churches. The first rejected the love of the Holy Spirit from the start. God opened the door to start a new church but God had us shut it down because the members made us their Holy Spirit.
We started another church. But it grumbled and complained about the message of the cross so much that God permitted it to self-destruct. Finally, our current church embraced the fullness of the love of the gospel. This fragrance is costly and not easily obtained or maintained. It requires that a man surrender all and pay the price daily. A daily brokenness is the only way. The Old Testament law reserved this perfume for Aaron and his sons, but we under the New Covenant are all priests who may enter the Holy of Holies and wear this fragrance freely. Indeed, it is a sin for any church not to live up to the level of love we will look at in this book. Not only is this powerful love possible, but God requires it. Those who desire this perfume must lay a foundation as an expert builder. It is hard, exhausting work, but results in abundant life. It is to be salted and pure and sacred. This fragrance is pure and sacred with enough salt to be separated from the ways and manners of the world. It is salted with the righteous demands of the gospel that instructs us to deny self, pick up our cross and obey Jesus in everything.
Take for example, the Christian music, books and worship found in the church today. They might have the word of God or good lyrics but have no salt nor sacredness making the holy sounding words demonic. To be acceptable to the Lord, such things must reflect the trinity of God in all of his holiness with salt, purity and sacredness. All the ingredients in their proper amounts must be present. Grind some of it to powder and place it in front of the testimony in the tent of meeting where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you. This perfume is ground into powder placed in front of the tent of meeting and it draws the Lord. We pay the cost by falling to the ground and dying, and therefore the Lord meets us there. Self has been ground down and pulverized, when we are willing to actually die to who we are and there God and man meet to fellowship.
Again, the perfume or incense is made by grinding some of it into powder. Self must be ground out of us more and more each day. Just as we must carry a daily cross, the priest perpetually offered this fragrance. We must submit to the Lord’s work at the threshing floor day and night, removing the chaff from the wheat. Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves. Consider it holy to the Lord. This is a holy or separate perfume in the Lord and we must never make any of this for ourselves. When Satan began to look at himself and selfishly grabbed onto Godly things, he became a devil. In other words, we must never try to make this happen. Not only is such self-effort futile, it is also sin and makes the perfume unholy, tainting it by the corruption of man. Today, I know that churches everywhere teach that there is no difference between the holy and the common. But God gives special things to each person and church that they must regard as most holy.
If we consider this fragrance to be common or a normal saying, God will stop the flow of love in the church. Such a church will be left to its own plans and schemes to make up for this loss. Sadly, that is what most experience. Whoever makes any like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off from his people. Anyone who seeks to obtain this fragrance apart from the cross will be cut off. When we begin to enjoy the things of God for ourselves, they become defiled with selfishness. For example, many teach that in order to love others we have to first love ourselves. They will quote Matthew 22:39, and the second is like it. “Love your neighbor as yourself”. Since they do not understand the cross, they think Jesus said we should love ourselves before we can love others. They want to enjoy the fragrance for themselves and in doing so cut themselves off from Christ.
What Jesus meant is this: We are 100% selfish. Each of us loves self-first above everything and everyone else. We are to take that love and turn it to love others. We are to love our neighbor as we would love ourselves, giving him the 100%, looking to get nothing out of the relationship. This makes us like Jesus totally selfless. This explains why the first church permeated the fragrance of Christ. They loved and honored each other above themselves. Indeed, they were unaware that they loved others more than themselves. So lost to self were these believers, that they loved without any thought of blessing or favor. “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love, honor one another above yourselves”. (Romans 12:10).
One of the gifts Jesus left behind for his followers was the church. In fact, the forming of a church is one of the first signs that the Holy Spirit is truly being poured out on individuals. Even today if someone has really received the Holy Spirit they will desire to fellowship deeply with others in the Lord. Those who do not have this attitude or who say, why do we need to go to church to worship God? Have not surrendered to the spirit. After all, heaven is about fellowship. For anyone who knows the truth will love deeply those also in the faith. In obeying God, a natural fruit grows in a person’s life. The fruit from obeying the truth is the deepest of love. The love comes because we are obeying the truth and God can pour sincere love into us. Those who, for whatever reason, remain unwilling to pass from belief to obedience, do not and cannot love others. We only become pure enough to love by obeying the living God hour by hour and keeping the commands that the Holy Spirit speaks to us from the scriptures. “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply from the heart”. (1 Peter 1:22).
At Pentecost God formed a church of 3000 in one day. 3000 people began to love each other, had everything in common and agreed about the truth. Their love and devotion for one another look so different from the world that others called them a sect or a cult. We are talking about the kind of fellowship the world can never create nor desires to create. Indeed, both Satan and the world hate to see it come to life. For it rebukes their love for what it really is. Selfishness disguised as love. Those in the world use the word love to gain what they selfishly want. The world and the worldly Christian will hate true fellowship created by the Holy Spirit because it requires a death to self. It shakes everything up. It shakes our flesh. It brings a baptism of fire that only the Holy Spirit can work in surrendered saints. Notice how they prayed and the place was shaken and the great love that manifested itself.
Mid Point
“After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them, for from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them. Brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostle’s feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. (Acts 4:31-35).
We will explore this in greater detail later. But for now, just look at the shaking of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit shook these believers out of their concern for money and the things of this world. The Holy Spirit took a hold of them and shook them in such a way that they lost their opinions about God in scripture. Everything was from dress, hair, conversation, and attitudes to motives of the heart. The power of the Holy Spirit crucified these saints. No seminar, tape series, booklet or anointed speaker can produce this kind of shaking. No wonder scripture declares much grace was upon them all. God’s grace is like that. It causes members to sell lands and houses to meet the needs of Jesus. In fact, out of poverty, the grace of God will work giving. This happen to the degree that there was no needy person among them. Not only did they fulfill the law, they surpassed it in Jesus. Such as ever the way of a grace with power.
Acts chapter 2:46 declares that, “They met daily as they broke bread in their homes and ate together”. Their desire for comfort after a hard day at the office didn’t stop them from fellowshipping. The lusts for pleasure in sports didn’t overcome their desire to spend time with their brothers and sisters. They certainly had no worries about lower attendance during the week or during the summer months. In the church I formally pastored, we meet for worship on Sunday at 1:30 in the afternoon. That way we can give our best to God. God let us years ago to meet at this time and it has been a complete joy. It keeps the worldly away and allows us to devote the whole day to the Lord. After all, he who will not give up an afternoon for the Lord will certainly not give up his life. And those who cannot say no to the one 30 kickoff time for a sporting event will not surrender to God’s will hour by hour.
This and many other things God worked, kept away those who falsely profess to be brothers and sisters in the Lord. After all, many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who confined. Many churches claim and even boast they have love, but remain unfaithful to God’s word and his definition of love. A vast chasm lies between what man calls love and true Godly love. As we have seen, God’s ways are not ours. So, it should not surprise us that his way of love lies as far as the heavens are from us. It should also not amaze us that others will think the love of true Christians looks different and even cultic in nature. For the love of heaven is nothing like the love the world shows or can show. It is a bizarre love with many facets too difficult for man to accept and comprehend. People often slander us because we preach repentance as Jesus did. They say that we have no joy or love. Such individuals do not have the slightest grip on reality.
Many who visit or join, find themselves surprised not only that the rumors are invalid but also that they have never experienced such love and joy in any of the churches they attended before. Most people however refuse to consider or even look, because they cannot see past the shame of the cross to the resurrected life. Jesus promised that we would find his joy at the cross. As we follow the Holy Spirit obeying all of scripture and picking up our crosses, Jesus can fill us with his joy and love. Without disobedience to his commands, God cannot work his love. Jesus is very clear even if most pastors aren’t. Only those who obey God by grace remain in God’s love. Obedience to the spirit guiding us each day as we pick up our cross allows the love of God to work a complete joy.
How many people desire the love of heaven without obedience? The wide gate, just ask Jesus into your heart Gospel has robbed many of the true joy of Jesus. For as he clearly stated, “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, Just as I have obeyed my father’s commands and remain in his love.” If you want the true joy and love of heaven, then you will have to obey the voice of the Holy Spirit and God’s word. Again, this is no shallow or socializing kind of love but a love wherever person will lay down his life for his friends.
“As the father has loved me, so I have loved you, now remain in my love. If you obey my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: ‘Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this. That he lay down his for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.’” (John 15:9-14). Again, many who visit Sound Doctrine Church, stayed amazed at the love and fellowship. Even those who never come to church but watch in the community. Often remark that we really are a family. In no way I’m boasting about ourselves, but rather that you might know God can work more than you could ask or imagine. If you are willing to obey and wear Eu de cult.
Chapter 4, “Fragrance of love”:
“Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart and the pleasantness of one’s friends springs from his earnest counsel”. (Proverbs 27:9). Eau de cult is the essential fragrance required by God. It is the only acceptable fragrance and must cover everything done for God. The fragrance of eau de cult is the fragrance of love. It transforms a church from being a mere church into a cult of God. This kind of love must be present in your heart, church, ministry, study group or Bible college. If it is not, you can forget about all your doctrines and projects. You have already failed the first test of belonging to Jesus. A church that does not have all things in common has nothing in common with Jesus and needs to get back to the basics of what it means to have faith. After all, the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. Indeed, all of our works, projects and worship end in vain if a church does not have a cultic kind of love. “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging symbol”. (1 Corinthians 13:1).
How many Christians are nothing more than clanging symbols as they think they defend the faith? To the Lord they make a clanging sound as they debate doctrine, discern faults of and speak of arguments passed down through history. They may be correct on some doctrinal points, but they remain clanging symbols to the Lord out of tune with the living God. Unless a ministry adds to the offensive message of the cross facing everything it does and teaches on the crucified life then that ministry stands in the way of Jesus Christ. As Paul would say, “Those men added nothing to my message. Just as Jesus always headed to the cross a ministry should people always to the cross, they too must die upon”.
If this does not ring out louder than any other message then that ministry or church is just a clanging symbol. Everyone in your church is brainwashed is an accusation thrown at me or the members of our ministry too often to count. Well, brainwashing does actually occur. However, contrary to the implied accusation, I am not the one doing the brainwashing. Through the Holy Spirit, God cleans up everyone’s mind, transforming and giving everyone the mind of Christ. The love of God compels everyone to give up their opinions and become totally united in Christ. No one utters the statement that we agree to disagree, because we have tasted the power of God that works perfect unity. This unity causes those who do not understand or remain unwilling to die to their opinions to label everyone brainwashed. If a church contends as one man for the gospel of course outsiders will think you are all brainwashed.
Again, it is part of the fragrance Christ or eau de cult. Let us look at the first church and see this love in action. Keep in mind this is not a goal to work up to, but the starting point where all churches should begin. This love was the first fruit of the spirit coming on those gathered at Pentecost. If your church does not have this, then it already lags way behind message of the cross and needs deep repentance. Indeed, it calls for a sincere confession of sin by the leadership for failing to allow the Holy Spirit to work this fruit. “All the believers were together and had everything in common, selling their possessions and goods they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people, and the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:44-47).
Jesus commanded that all who follow him must both hate and despise money. Those in the first church allowed the cross to crucify their greed, self-centeredness and respect for money. Because of this crucifixion to self, they could sell their possessions and goods. They joyfully gave to anyone as he had need. This outpouring of love came because the believers were together and had everything in common. They ate together as one family and with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and fellowshipping. Think of most churches how sad that you cannot rest in the fact that everyone present has a sincere heart that loves the Lord. Today, most churches falsely declare that their members have sincere hearts. But it only appears that way because whitewash covers them. And behind this thin layer of whitewash, everyone knows they live for themselves. But this first church had been cut to the heart and it showed in the outpouring of love every day. Therefore, the Holy Spirit rather than the programs of men added to the church daily.
This love was so important to God that he repeats the description of it in Acts 4. “All of the believers were one in heart and mind; no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had”. (Acts 4:32). Here again, we see that not a single person claimed that any of his possessions was his own. No one would have claimed that their car was their car or their food and things belong to them. They passed such things around from person to person as they had need or just to bless others. You will notice that the leadership did not own all the things in the first church. Each person owned and stood responsible before God for the property he had given them. Each family, each member gave those things away as God worked and willed or their hearts moved them. Because of this kind of love in our church slander spreads that we are a cult and that I own everyone’s property. Nothing be further from the truth. After all, when I was a pastor, the Lord scripture declared that I was not permitted to own land or homes.
The same cross that I preach to others to be dead to the things of the world, God also expects me to carry. The power of the cross keeps us safe. If someone comes into the church and begins to take advantage of the fellowship, believe me, the Holy Spirit reveals it and will deal with it. Read Acts chapter 5:1-11 to see how the Holy Spirit can work holiness in a church. Everyone shared everything they had. They didn’t wait to be called up but looked for opportunities to share and give. It wasn’t needs that drove them to give, but the happiness of giving even if there was no need. They discovered that it is more blessed to give than receive. No one worried about gaining favor with men, but they lived to favor others. Remembering that Jesus did not wash the feet of the apostles because he would gain something from it, but because of his heart. Love so overwhelmed Jesus that he could wash the feet of even Judas.
At Sound Doctrine we wash one another’s feet daily, even hourly. We take the lowest of positions and seek to become nothing before one another. No one strives to get a ministry or be something in Jesus. Rather, everyone prays for and allows the heart of Jesus to transform them into his image. The image of love that never sees itself as it loves others. The first church had the joy of heaven that makes oneself poor for the sake of others. No wonder God could bless them. They had the heart of Jesus that makes oneself poor. In the church, I pastor, we find it difficult to keep track of who owns what. In fact, we don’t even try. It is a hopeless effort. As just one example, I gave a new air conditioner to someone in our church, but it wound up being used in a totally different household. It was passed around. It blessed the most-needy and that person didn’t even know it had come from me. They thought someone else bought it, which was great.
Again, this example is only the tip of the mountain of love God builds in our midst. An air conditioner seems frivolous compared to the clothing, food, cars and homes we share with each other. This love comes out in thousands of different ways as God moves through the church. You might think this sounds cultic. It sure does. It sounds that way because it is the fragrance of Christ flowing from everyone laying down their lives for others, but it gets better. Remember in our passage, they were also one in heart and mind. On the surface, it must have looked like brainwashing occurred. For not only did they all think alike, but they all had the same heart in what they thought. What joy and perfect unity in the church.
The fact is, of course, there was brainwashing going on. And again, it resulted from the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, not of any man. This is partly what Paul meant when he declared, “I no longer live.” Men dead to themselves have no thoughts of their own. Dead men in Christ can be filled with the mind and heart of Jesus. God transforms and fills their souls with the thoughts and emotions of Jesus. Each person hates his own opinion about scripture and all things concerning this life. Jesus can pour out a love for the truth. Such a powerful holy love causes disciples to consider his or her opinion an obstacle. Men can grow to hate their opinions and doctrinal concepts if they embrace the message of the cross. God provides a power that makes it possible. Otherwise, Paul would have mockingly asked the impossible when he wrote to the Corinthians that they and I quote, “Be perfectly united in mind and thought”. I appeal to you brothers in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. (1 Corinthians 1:10).
Think of it. Not just united in mind but also in the way we think. Those who agree to disagree, slap Jesus in the faith and poor contempt on the power of the cross. They do not really believe that the love that comes from heaven can so fill a person that perfect unity in the truth can happen. They remain unbelievers even as they profess belief in God. Those mature in the way of the cross and familiar with its power can trust God work complete and total agreement even when a difference of opinion occurs. Those who do not know this power think this is a fairy tale or a subtle form of manipulation. But if you do not understand or have never really experienced the painful crucifixion of self then you cannot possibly claim the promise below. “All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. and if on some point you think differently that too God will make clear to you.” (Philippians 3:15).
What happens in our churches today is not true unity but a false unity, where individuals agree to disagree or agree to a small list of basic beliefs and ignore differences. They make a convenient difference between essential and non-essential beliefs. In reality, there is no such thing as a non-essential belief in the Lord. What really happens is that each man’s opinion becomes more important to him than the word of the Lord. Therefore, wide gate of doctrine swings open.
Everyone falls more in love with his own opinion than with the living word of God. He commits the sin Jeremiah preached against a long time ago. Instead of perfect unity and mind and thought, each person worships his own opinion and distorts the words of the living God. “But you must not mention the oracle of the Lord again, because every man’s own word becomes his oracle and so you distort the words of the living God, the Lord Almighty, our God. (Jeremiah 23:36). You might think that the kind of love and fellowship God requires, sounds pretty scary or too much like becoming some kind of robot. This only underscore how little we understand today the loss of one’s life. For Jesus said that, “Only those who lose their lives find life.” Yes, it is scary. A true walk of faith is always risky. I have loved many people hard and deep with the love of Christ. Only to see them leave and trample on that love. Jesus never promised that the way of love and unity would be easy.
You might have some very honest questions. Questions like, how can you be sure that the leadership will not take advantage of everyone and control others? The answer is only found in the message of the cross.
In this short book, we only have the space to explore some of the hundreds of scriptures about the power of love that flows from heaven in the fragrance we call “eau de cult”. A rich buried treasure remains available for those willing to seek it and dig it up. All we can say at this point is that if a church will get this fragrance, God will work a unity that is precious oil poured out over each person in the church. And all the persecution, slander and betrayal can never take away this joy. All of who We are, our pride, opinion, Bible head knowledge cannot stop God from working unity if we pick up the cross. For love, love for God and each other is stronger than death, even death itself. God will honestly give such a church blessing and life forevermore.
The following song is a song of a sense. It leads up to higher ground in the Lord. Of passing beyond a mere salvation experience to the fullness of love and fellowship. It is true precious because most refuse to ascend the heights and remain only selfishly concerned with their salvation. Doomed even when they claim salvation. It is precious because God can so seldom work perfect unity in a church. Our love remains too shallow. And we refuse to be broken enough of self to allow God to work this miracle. A song of a sense of David. How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity. It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Herman were falling on Mount Zion. For there, the Lord bestows his blessing even life forever more. (Psalms 133:1-3)
Think of it. There is no true blessing in ministry projects and works, unless we have this anointing. How many will see their burned up because they did not flow from this kind of love? Too many wine. So, you mean we have to agree with you? The answer is no, never with me, but always with Jesus who will crucify your thoughts and give you his. This love is not an option to all who would seek to enter through heaven’s gate. It is the very essence of Eau the Cult. All who fail to live up to the example of the first church, shame themselves before Christ. For only here, can the Lord bestow his blessing even life forever more.
End
The Consider Podcast
Examining today’s wisdom, folly and madness with the whole gospel
www.consider.info
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