Read this today, it really hit home, thought I would share it here;

In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. (Hebrews 8:13)

This letter to the Hebrews sets forth the all-inclusive revolution or reconstitution which God made when He brought His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world - that is, the religious revolution. This revolution, which was rejected by Judaism, has been almost entirely overlooked or lost sight of by Christendom since Apostolic times. The entire present system of Christianity as generally accepted would be impossible if the meaning of this letter were received as a heavenly revelation in the power of the Holy Spirit. That is - if it came into the heart by the Spirit's power with the effect of a revelation in the same way as the Apostle Paul came to see who "Jesus of Nazareth" is, then a Christian-Judaism, or Judaistic-Christianity (which Christendom so largely is) would be impossible; as it became in his own case. The letter to the Hebrews is only one other aspect of the battle fought out in the letters to the Romans and Galatians.

In the light of such a spiritual eye-opening a whole lot of things would go: but being a "heavenly vision," there would be no tears, no sense of loss, and no fond farewells. The gain and joy would rather put all such things into the category of a worn-out and no-longer-to-be-desired suit of clothes. In saying this we are only contemplating the full-tide of spiritual life known before any of these things came into being. These things only came in when the fullness of the Spirit had gone out, and being an artificial substitute they can never but be limiting things in the realm of Divine purpose. And yet, behold how these things have become the very nature of traditional and organised Christianity! So much so that to touch them in any way which threatens their existence is to meet something more bitter and formidable than any persecution from the world. This is not said carelessly. Religion can be, and is very largely, a terrible force; and Christianity has become a religion. There are very few communities of Christians - even the most evangelical, and spiritual - who wholly escape the tendency or propensity to persecute or ostracise other bodies of Christians who might be regarded as rivals in their field of activity..."God...hath at the end of these days spoken...in His Son." But the new era and new order had brought out a new and mightier-than-ever-conflict.

-from God Hath Spoken by T.A. Sparks

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Ron Halverson

Amazing observation by Sparks and that he had the courage to say it. Sparks must have really loved the Lord, since he was willing to speak such truths. He obviously feared God and not man.

All these words should be digested, slowly. Surely, Sparks must have run into Christians who felt threatened over something they held dear, some religious idol in their heart they were protecting with whatever was needed to protect it (at all costs) and hold onto it. We should not feel the slightest twinge of losing anything in the Kingdom of God. The gates of hell SHALL NOT PREVAIL! We have nothing to be insecure about.

"The entire present system of Christianity as generally accepted would be impossible if the meaning of this letter were received as a heavenly revelation." INDEED, if the entire Word of God were received as a "heavenly revelation", for Hebrews refers to so many other books and all Scripture is "GOD BREATHED".

"And yet, behold how these things have become the very nature of traditional and organised Christianity! So much so that to touch them in any way which threatens their existence is to meet something more bitter and formidable than any persecution from the world. This is not said carelessly. Religion can be, and is very largely, a terrible force; and Christianity has become a religion. There are very few communities of Christians - even the most evangelical, and spiritual - who wholly escape the tendency or propensity to persecute or ostracise other bodies of Christians who might be regarded as rivals in their field of activity.

I have always said and history confirms that the religious system persecutes the saints of God, much more severely (without mercy) than the world (non-religious).

What did Paul say in Galatians?

Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then HE THAT WAS BORN AFTER THE FLESH PERSECUTED HIM THAT WAS BORN AFTER THE SPIRIT, EVEN SO IT IS NOW. (Gal 4:28-29)

From experience and the Word, Christians know it as "religious" flesh which persecutes those born after the spirit. Earthly vision versus heavenly vision, son of the bondwoman vs the son of the freewoman, Jerusalem below vs Jerusalem above. All from Galatians 4.

This is the age old conflict from Genesis to Revelation. Satan's false religious kingdom (earthly) vs the Kingdom of God (heavenly). From the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias (Matt 23:35). And from the early church believers unto believers today who are still being persecuted and slain by the "church" of Satan.

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Ron Halverson