“Foundations and First Things” by Dave Bessey

2005 was my first year here in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. I can’t  speak for all of the Philippines or even the areas outside of Negros Island in Panay Island or Cebu Island and beyond. The first  few months here I noticed that everything was very similar to the 1960’s and 70’s here. Even where computers were used they did not know how to utilize them through out their true useful function. Even people were the same way. There was  lot of micro management or dictatorial leadership. I felt like Paul did when he first arrived in the City of Ephesus.

That really is the key. We do not arrive with pre- conceived notions. Everything we say and do should be God ordained. Our talk should be in our walk and our walk should be in our talk. Hypocrisy was exhibited by the Pharisees and they received the most rebukes from Jesus.

Some of the funny things here that make you laugh like the presence of carabao on the main streets of the City or modern buildings next to bamboo huts. Traffic here had no light or stops signs back then and this City was over 500,000 people.

When I was a boy in San Jose, California it was still a farm and ranch town. Orchards, farm land and ranch lands covered the area. We had our downtown, but it was in the 70’s that the true boom occurred. Malls grew up like weeds. It reminds me of Bacolod City and this region, but for one caveat. Despite the modernization, the church is still stuck in the 60’s. Even though worldwide we have seen a major transition to the Kingdom ministry of Christ our kingship as sons and priesthood and the 5 grace gifts of the Pauline teaching in Ephesians and Corinthians, we have not seen a change in the foundation. I have written quite extensively on this subject based in Ephesian 4 and 1 Corinthians 12 patterns.

Only one  apostle had a vet long ministry, the longest of any of the original Lamb’s Apostles and that was John. Basically the reason for this was not only because he lived longer, but because, like Paul,  he had an intimate relationship with Christ, on the mountain tops and in the darkest valleys. John went through it. When he received the revelation of Jesus the Christ, he was highly trained and equipped to bring the words anx from there the Spirit moved. Just like Paul their training was, even more than the other apostle a matter of equipping in the fog and friction of severe spiritual warfare in the heaven-lies. Like the prophets of old, they suffered immensely. For every physical attack there were spiritual powers or entities that were using people to attack them. This is not unique to only John and Paul, but we have the most recorded about them.

John was that guy. Everywhere Jesus was it was John beside Him. That song “Me and My Shadow” was his theme song. Just kidin’ folks, but to get back on track, Paul and John had another commonality, they (especially Pail) had ministry not just to the Jews, but to the gentiles of non-believers also. They understood that foundations are important by way of teaching and “trial and error”.

Our foundations here in the Philippines are ancient. Before the Protestants, the Muslims, and the Roman Catholics came here, these Islands were built on a foundation  of animism or worship of animals. Witchcraft was its main foundational feature  which was birthed in hell. The false gods of this area are basically similar to the coastal area of Israel.

This is  not discussion of the hierarchy of the enemy. We need to understand how the Church and the Kingdom are supposed to function. We have seen how the church has not been functioning or out of order. Love has been missing in our pattern of model. Jesus said they (the non-believers )would come to know Jesus by our love for one-another. This He said was the highest commandment after loving God. In order to teach the proper foundation the old foundation must be excavated and exposed. There are cracks in the old foundation, which is based on religion and a one man show. Religion that God honors is a religion of service through love, but not traditions and myths and ignorance which cause division. These traditions, which many being  demonic or cultural,  are not from God and some are from God but twisted of wicked. These teachings were never intended for today. Thry srd dead or based in law and not in the Spirit and love.

Now Bacolod, 19 years later, the City has grown considerably, but the Church is still divided just as the City is also divided. We have some joint worship time, but overall we have NOT been obedient to the commands to love and to advance the Kingdom together in unity. Many truly don’t even know who Jesus really is, let alone,  the reason they are on earth or their function. We are not accidents of nature. God has placed a call on each person. We must walk by true faith in Him, serve each other and preach the gospel of the Kingdom as Christ did. IT IS SIMPLE WHEN YOU HAVE THE RIGHT FOUNDATION. Then unity and victory comes.

THE apostle Paul wrote:

Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭22‬ ‭AMP‬‬

“And you [He made alive when you] were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of your transgressions and sins, in which you once walked. You were following the ways of this world [influenced by this present age], in accordance with the prince of the power of the air (Satan), the spirit who is now at work in the disobedient [the unbelieving, who fight against the purposes of God]. Among these [unbelievers] we all once lived in the passions of our flesh [our behavior governed by the sinful self], indulging the desires of human nature [without the Holy Spirit] and [the impulses] of the [sinful] mind. We were, by nature, children [under the sentence] of [God’s] wrath, just like the rest [of mankind]. But God, being [so very] rich in mercy, because of His great and wonderful love with which He loved us, even when we were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of our sins, He made us [spiritually] alive together with Christ (for by His grace—His undeserved favor and mercy—you have been saved from God’s judgment). [Rom 6:1-10] And He raised us up together with Him [when we believed], and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, [because we are] in Christ Jesus, [and He did this] so that in the ages to come He might [clearly] show the immeasurable and unsurpassed riches of His grace in [His] kindness toward us in Christ Jesus [by providing for our redemption]. For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation]. For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us]. [Rom 1:20] Therefore, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, who are called “Uncircumcision” by those who called themselves “Circumcision,” [itself a mere mark] which is made in the flesh by human hands— remember that at that time you were separated from Christ [excluded from any relationship with Him], alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise [with no share in the sacred Messianic promise and without knowledge of God’s agreements], having no hope [in His promise] and [living] in the world without God. But now [at this very moment] in Christ Jesus you who once were [so very] far away [from God] have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace and our bond of unity. He who made both groups—[Jews and Gentiles]—into one body and broke down the barrier, the dividing wall [of spiritual antagonism between us], by abolishing in His [own crucified] flesh the hostility caused by the Law with its commandments contained in ordinances [which He satisfied]; so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thereby establishing peace. And [that He] might reconcile them both [Jew and Gentile, united] in one body to God through the cross, thereby putting to death the hostility. And He came and preached the good news of peace to you [Gentiles] who were far away, and peace to those [Jews] who were near. [Is 57:19] For it is through Him that we both have a [direct] way of approach in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens [outsiders without rights of citizenship], but you are fellow citizens with the saints (God’s people), and are [members] of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the [chief] Cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together, and it continues [to increase] growing into a holy temple in the Lord [a sanctuary dedicated, set apart, and sacred to the presence of the Lord]. In Him [and in fellowship with one another] you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”

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Without the grace gifts of the apostle and prophet working together with the rest of the gifts there is no proper foundation. The building will fall even it there is the true chief cornerstone, the connectivity is broken. No pattern for victory. The image of Christ is not fully formed and the holy temple is not a a dwelling place of true grace. We are all supposed to be set apart doing it together and not as lone wolf disguised as sheep.