Ordinary People Extraordinary Royal Priests: Being the Church in the World

Many years ago, God's people moved to Egypt to survive a famine, but eventually became slaves to Pharaoh. The pyramids, symbols of death and monuments to the grave, are pictures of their bondage and oppression. By grace they escaped into the wilderness toward the Promised Land. Yet many rebelled. Once in the wilderness, the food of Egypt looked good, even at the price of servitude. Years later in the Promised Land, they chose to reject God's Kingdom rule for an earthly king like Pharaoh. Their choices eventually caused them to be exiled to Assyria and later to Babylon. In time a small remnant returned through the wilderness to rebuild the broken walls and re-lay the broken foundations.

These historical stories hold important messages for the Church. When the Church was birthed it walked in a freedom and with power never seen before. Ordinary people anointed by the Spirit did extraordinary things. They were willing to allow the Spirit to guide and direct their lives, and leaders led by example. Their authority came through relationship and servanthood. They were in the world, but not of the world. Then their very success overtook them, the Christian faith became the official religion of the Roman Empire and it changed the foundations. Within a short time, the Church found itself in its own Babylonian exile and outside of the Kingdom of God. What seemed like freedom after the years of persecution became bondage to the control of Levitical priests. On the surface it looked great, and many church buildings dot the landscape to this day, but God does not live in houses of brick and mortar. Underneath the surface there are many who are tired of seeking the straw to make the bricks to build the expensive earthly sanctuaries to keep the system going. Those who have spiritual eyes see that much of the effort and investment led to pyramids of power, monuments to death, and there is no life coming out of these, however well dressed and preserved.

Today God is preparing to perfect the Church to be a spotless bride for his Son. He is restoring the broken foundations, calling forth a remnant to move out of exile and into freedom. He is calling forth those who will walk out of the bondage past the gate of fear and intimidation into the wilderness to meet him. He is calling a new generation of deliverers like Moses to spend time in the wilderness, learning to take care of sheep and willing to live in obscurity. He is calling out those who are tired of serving men with titles and robes, even if they have good intentions. He is calling out the No-names willing to pay the price to be perfected for the kingdom. He is calling those who have seen the truth and are not willing to be buried in the magnificent graves of ecclesiastical pyramids. God is calling his son out of Egypt!

Hear his voice: "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?"