The Key to Everything

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." - John 1:1-5 & 14

"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." - John 14:12-14

"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." - John 14:16-17

"In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you." - John 14:20

"If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." - John 14:23

"As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." - John 9:5

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden." - Matthew 5:14

"Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God...But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code." - Romans 7:4 & 6

"For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - Jews or Greeks, slaves or free - and all were made to drink of one Spirit." - 1 Corinthians 12:12-13

Perhaps the greatest and most crippling inadvertent teaching that has happened in the church through the years is that the Bible is the Word of God. In so far as it is an inspired account of God's relationship with his creation and his creation's response back to him it is a perfect (inerrant) documentation of that relationship. As a ruler, curb and mirror it is flawless as a description of what the Body of Christ looks like.

It is not, however, the Word of God. The Word of God is flesh and blood living in the midst of God's creation. The Word of God is active, alive, engaged and vibrant. The Word of God is everywhere present.

You...if you believe in Jesus Christ...are the Word of God.

You are empowered to speak blessings and curses.

You hold the power to forgive, heal, prophesy, and raise the dead.

You can do greater things than Jesus did during his sojourn on this earth.

And you don't need the permission of a pastor, a degree from seminary or an extensive knowledge of scripture to do it. You are a member of the Body of Christ indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God who reveals all truth and moves you to where God wants you to be.

The Bible is your one and only ruler (like the one you had in grade school with which you drew straight lines), curb (like those that keep you on the road when you bump into them), and mirror (like those that confirm by your appearance that you are who you say you are). That means that if and when you speak the Word of God it must never...not ever...contradict or conflict with the inspired account provided to us in writing by God Himself. And you should always be ready to have someone check you against that ruler, curb and mirror.

Beyond that...go for it.

In every situation YOU are the Word made flesh dwelling among us. You are the Word speaking truth to people at work. You are the Word demonstrating love to your enemies. You are the Word praying for those who persecute you. You are the Word bringing hope to the nations and light to the world. That is relational. That is the guts and bone and the marrow of this whole thing we call Church.

And when the body gathers in large groups or small we acknowledge (worship) the head, check the ruler, curb and mirror, rejoice with those parts that are rejoicing, suffer with those parts that are suffering and encourage each and every person to go out confident in the knowledge that YOU ARE THE WORD MADE FLESH!

Organized religion with all the rituals they embrace doesn't want you to know this. Not fully. From some you will hear that the gifts of the Spirit ceased to be active once the canon of scripture was set (though there is still disagreement among denominations which books belong in the canon). Poppycock! Others will give you the impression that only theologians with extensive Biblical knowledge can be trusted with the mysteries of God. Ridiculous! Others will convince you that only ordained clergy can administer the sacraments. Bald faced liars! Many will have you believe you must have a correct, academic understanding of God or you may unwittingly condemn yourself to hell. Preposterous!

Jesus is the Word of God...the very creative force that spoke everything into existence. Jesus came to reveal the heart of God the Father to the whole world. Jesus told us that he will make his home in those who believe and that we are one with him as he is one with the Father. Jesus told us we will do even greater things than he did while bodily present on this earth. Jesus said we are the light of the world. Jesus said, 'Follow me!' Jesus said, 'Go!'

Any church, pastor, denominational leader or theologian who tells you otherwise is standing in direct opposition to Jesus Christ. They are anti-Christ...you might say. And eventually churches under their leadership that fail to fully equip and release the Body of Christ into the world and instead hold dominion over their 'flocks' will suffer decay, decline and death.

In short...members of the Body of Christ don't need permission from any human to be who God is dwelling within you to be. Your faith in Jesus Christ makes you the Word in the flesh and, empowered by the Holy Spirit to do greater things in your sphere of influence than even Jesus did in his. The freedom that comes with that fact terrifies those who cling to organized religion and the control it allows them to exert over the lives of others.

It is past time in this country for the Body of Christ to arise and take seriously the fullness of mighty power that is ours as the Word made flesh!