Community

Will the Trees of the Field Clap their hands?

  In a book that I wrote (My Fathers House) one of the main points is that Jesus did not die to force us to live under a Corporate Babylonian church system. Just for us to labor under this monster to prove our dedication to Him. Jesus died to bring us into a Holy Community in eternal fellowship with each other and all of the Trinity. His resurrection was a seal of the new covenant, a promise of things to come not only in Heaven but on Earth as well.

  This Holy Community was to be the central hub by which all of Jesus's attributes would be demonstrated in word and deed to the world. This was to expand outward in waves whose timing and strength would be controlled by the Holy Spirit as the Body was healthy enough to care for each ingathering. And so, this cycle was to repeat until the whole Earth was filled with His Glory. There have been a few times in our History when this really started to happen that I will discuss later.

  But for now, let’s back up and take a closer look at what is Community. A community is basically a common unity of gathered people for a reason or purpose. In a Christian sense, such common unity is based around Christ himself, as historically anything else causes problems. Building a community based around a pastor’s personality or just one Spiritual gift becomes problematic. This is the example we see nowadays in many Christian venues. I am sure on one hand alone you can name a fair number of fellowships based on a single Pastor like Joel Osteen or single gifting like Mike Bickel’s International House of Prayer.

  Jesus is the start and the ending of all things, all things were made by him and for him. And without Him, all things fail in time. Fellowships correctly built on this cornerstone automatically have a level of endurance as long as He is lifted up and pursued. It is when human wisdom, masquerading as the Holy slips in, and cracks in the foundation start to form. Unfortunately, this human wisdom soon becomes a social tradition and all of us humans who are spiritually self-centered from Adam’s fall, will fight tooth and nail to preserve our traditions. Just ask any former Catholic, Muslim, or Mormon.

  Traditions become the high walls that not only keep people out, but they lock the people inside making them feel secure. No Christian movement or denomination is immune to the good and bad effects of tradition. What’s truly needed is a constant reevaluation of spiritual traditions by the elders who are called to be the watchmen.

Aspen Trees

  The Bible uses a lot of symbology, within its pages we the people of God are often represented in many ways, the most famous would be sheep, and another would be trees. “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” Isaiah 55:12 Obviously, trees do not have hands. But there are so many different kinds of trees that symbolically represent different aspects of the Body of Christ, like Box Elder that we simply can not ignore the Aspen tree.

  A single Aspen tree is so interconnected with the grove of trees that it is considered a single organism that is part of a larger community. In this way, a grove or clone colony of Aspens can be looked at as symbolic of a Spiritual Community. What makes them special is not only what is above, but what is below.

Above

  Using Biblical color symbology, when you first walk up to Aspen the first thing you notice is the pure white trunk.  “…Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow…” Isaiah 1:8 The Body of Christ is to stand pure, and sinless before the Lord. 

  The second thing to notice is the amazing leaves during the fall season. “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.” Rev 3:18 Our righteousness is on display. The harvest season (think spiritually) is when all righteousness will mature.

  In effect, one could argue that at the time of harvest, the Body of Christ is called to stand sinless, clothed in righteousness before our awaiting Lord.

Below

  Aspens are considered one organism by what is below, not above. Each grove or colony has just one root system that feeds all the tree tops we see. Normally each tree has its own, but not Aspens. This speaks directly to not only our hidden life in Christ as a shared experience. But our strength to stand against the world. Because of this, the oldest known tree root system in the world is not Sequoias or the biblical Bristlecone Pines. But it’s on the side of Utah’s Fishlake National Forest. This root system is so old, it might even date back before the flood.

True Community

  True Community is not held together by a system of rules. “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility, and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.” Colossians 2:21-23.  Many have tried over the years to enforce covenants and rules of order to only see such fellowships slowly diminish in size. These rules intent often slowly degrade into social traditions (Amish) with little resemblance to Christ.

  One of the reasons that the Law has passed away is the anointing of the Holy Spirit within you. Within the Charismatic circles, there is an understanding that has not been fully fleshed out. It is the idea of the second filling as some have described, or spirit-filled. This terminology has caused confusion among non-Charismatics that I won’t be going into here. What does need to be brought up is how this is handled within the Charismatic world.

  The general attitude has been one of being placed at a higher level because the infilling has now elevated us within the brotherhood of Christ, creating a multilevel system. This infilling does not give special permission to walk around with a feeling of superiority or to act like an idiot at spiritual gatherings. Consider this scripture, “And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him remains in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you remain in Him.” 1 John 2:27 If the fruit of our own actions is leading us away from biblical Purity and Holiness, then is that not evidence that we are either in rebellion to the very infilling we claim to have or we never had it to begin with? 

  What is truly required is personal submission to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within you. Your submission is not one of a master/slave relationship but of brotherhood and friendship. In this aspect, we learn to “… work out your salvation with fear and trembling” Philippians 2:12. This is how everything changes, law & rules pass away and become pointless as we now start walking out our new nature in Christ (John 3:6) in effect, we start becoming entwined, deeply with his presence. And a new, more powerful reality becomes the truth. We become self-governing. 

  This is why the law means nothing, as we walk with the Holy Spirit in all things, he teaches us and we become self-governing. The old has passed away and the new within you has come, there is no greater life than Christ within you, the Hope of Glory.

  This becomes the true seedbed for true community. From this foundation, people start to experience a freedom unknown to them before. As it grows, the roots spread out until to can not tell one from another. When Peter told Jesus, “…you have the words of life.” John 6:68 the roots were already deeply growing within him. When Jesus talked with the woman at the well about water, he was speaking of the mystery of the Hope of Glory. “Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14

  Jesus is the well at the center of the Community, and he will give himself abundantly so that the whole Community can not only experience him. But through the community, he will be overflowing in wonder to the world beyond.

Iona

  The rise of Celtic Christianity after Patrick was quick and had a powerful impact on paganism in Ireland. Around a hundred years after Patrick arrived Columba left Ireland and landed on the Island of Iona to set up a community. This community grew in number and quality until Oswald from North Northumbria requested that Iona send someone to teach the people about Christ.

  Aidan arrived and Oswald gave him the Island of Lindisfarne. And with a hundred years this outpost of Christian community had almost converted all of the British Isles to Christ. Paganism had been driven back and this was now a bright spot in the Body of Christ.

  Unfortunately, an event would arrive that would cause a major problem. A man by the name of Wilfred was studying in Rome during the time of Pope Vitalian. He was fully intent on bringing the “Celtic Church into submission under the authority of Rome.” Through the acts of deception, lies, and well-sounding arguments Celtic Christianity was crushed as Catholicism now became the law of the land and paganism soon returned.

 But what of the community that birthed this? They themselves were eventually driven off the island around 200 years later by Catholic monks and their armies. But within this simple place, life flourished. In today’s Christian world, we hold up many things like a banner to say we are this or we are that. But to Iona, growing your spirituality was central as it was seen as interwoven with the very concepts of the Trinity itself.

 God is seen as three in one and we are a part of that. Many early Celtic poems, songs, and tales reflect this thinking. Was the Word of God important? Yes, it was from this place many copies of it were sent with Celtic Missionaries all over Europe and beyond. But the word was a tool to bring people closer to the Well of Life. For them, there was little higher than your spiritual life in him. For if you grow in the light, then you will become the Tree that blesses the world around you.

  If you want to know more, I suggest my book, “My Fathers House.” It is the first in what I am calling the New Life Series. Book two is about 90% percent done and it will be called, “The Well.” This second book is moving at the speed of funds available, so if you want to support this work we have two ways. #1 Become a paid subscriber to this Substack #2 A donation of any size on our website, it’s safe and secure, just click HERE