Chip Brogden CHURCH WITHOUT WALLS

The Disciple's Goal
by Chip Brogden
I think most of us can grasp the increase of Christ. But what does it mean for Self to be decreased?
 
Does it mean, as some suppose, that somehow I must now cease to have all emotion, feeling and personality? Does it mean I completely disappear to the extent that I no longer exist? What does it mean to take up the cross daily, deny myself, and follow Jesus?
READ MORE
   https://www.chipbrogden.com/the-disciples-goal/
 
 
PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA

Hi Elaine,
 
Quick reminder about tonight's Online Bible study,,,
 
THE ART OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE (Part 8)
Thursday, February 4, 2021
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York)
 
Register here (if you haven't already):
http://chipbrogden.com/bible
 
Tonight we examine the four main areas of Redemption as the goal of Divine Intervention, which is the purpose of spiritual warfare.
 
I hope to "see" you there!
 
 
I am your brother,
 
Chip Brogden
http://ChipBrogden.com
 
P.S. As a reminder... even if you cannot join us at the scheduled time, register anyway and you will receive a link to the audio replay the next day. 
 
PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA

Hi Elaine,
How does spiritual warfare prepare the way for Divine Intervention?
Join us tonight for this week's Online Bible study...
THE ART OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE (Part 7)
Thursday, January 28, 2021
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York)
Register here (if you haven't already):
http://chipbrogden.com/bible
Diving Intervention is not just theory or philosophy, but a spiritual and Scriptural truth.
We'll dig into it tonight.
I hope to "see" you there!
I am your brother,
Chip Brogden
http://ChipBrogden.com
PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA

 

5 Critical Needs for Christians "Outside the Camp"
by Chip Brogden
If you are burned out on religion, fed up with Churchianity, despised, rejected, and cut off from the Institutional Church, then my message to you is simple: You are not crazy, you are not alone, and now is the greatest opportunity of your life.
 
You have been set free to serve: liberated from Churchianity, free to follow Jesus, free to love God and to love your neighbor, without being bound by the Spirit of Religion.

Or so it would appear…

Because just as the newly liberated Hebrews wandered the desert for forty years without entering the Promised Land, it is possible for newly liberated Christians to wander in the wilderness for years and never discover the purpose to which they are called...
READ MORE https://www.chipbrogden.com/5-critical-needs-christians-outside-camp/
   

PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA

Hi Elaine,
 
This week's Online Bible study takes place tonight...
 
THE ART OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE (Part 6)
Thursday, January 21, 2021
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York)
 
Register here (if you haven't already):
http://chipbrogden.com/bible
 
We're talking about spiritual warfare from a different depth than you may be used to, but the effort to understand makes all the difference on the battlefield.
 
I hope to "see" you there!
 
 
I am your brother,
 
 
Chip Brogden
http://ChipBrogden.com
 
PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA

Hi Elaine,
 
Spiritual warfare is about seeing whose will prevails: God's, satan's, or Man's.
 
Contrary to popular belief, Man cannot force God to abandon His Will and submit to his own, for God has a Will too, as well as all power in Heaven and Earth.
 
Man's declaration of independence from God, in the name of preserving his own "free will," is more about man's own self-worship, ego, arrogance, and blindness.
 
It is a deception as old as the Garden of Eden: that man can be like God without being accountable to God; and that, in the name of "free will" man can, and should, freely choose between good and evil and do what is right in his own eyes.  
 
In truth, man doesn't know his left hand from his right hand; and without the saving knowledge of Christ, his "free will" only brings him deeper into bondage.
 
The good news is...
 
1. Man’s power to rebel is not greater than God’s power to redeem!
 
2. Man’s power to sin is not great than God’s power to save!
 
3. satan’s power to deceive is not greater than God’s power to deliver!
 
We explore these issues in depth at this week's Online Bible study...
 
THE ART OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE (Part 6)
Thursday, January 21, 2021
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York)
 
Register here (if you haven't already):
http://chipbrogden.com/bible
 
It's free to attend, but your gift of any amount make it possible.
 
Thank you for supporting Christ-centered teaching.
 
I am your brother,
 
Chip Brogden
http://ChipBrogden.com

PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA

Hi Elaine,
 
Learn why "spiritual warfare" is doomed to fail if we're walking around with religious baggage!
 
 
THE ART OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE (Part 5)
Thursday, January , 2021
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York)
 
Register here (if you haven't already):
http://chipbrogden.com/bible
 
I hope to "see" you online tonight!
 
 
I am your brother,
 
 
Chip Brogden
http://ChipBrogden.com
 
 
PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA

Hi Elaine,
Spiritual warfare is based upon a principle of Divine Intervention to alter the course of things, to change the current state of affairs, and to "overcome evil with good" (Rom. 12:21).
But to be victorious, we have to get rid of some religious programming around the idea of FREE WILL.
To keep it simple, I reduce it down to two positions.
1. "Determinism" says you have no free will, that forces outside of you control your decisions.
2. "Radical Free Will" says God gave you the absolute freedom to choose, and that freedom is so powerful that God Himself cannot interfere with what you decide.
(For example, if someone "chooses to go to hell" then God has no choice but to give them what they want.)
We discussed the errors with these two positions in our last study.
If either one of these extreme positions are true then it negates the whole purpose of spiritual warfare.
If we are not free to choose then we are powerless to overcome evil.
But if God is not free to override man's will then HE is powerless to prevent evil.
So which is it?
Like all spiritual paradoxes, this one sounds like a contradiction.
Are we free to choose, or not?
Fortunately, between these two impotent extremes we discover the truth, and the solution to this mystery is the topic for consideration this week.
Join us for this week's online Bible study as we consider these things more deeply...
THE ART OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE (Part 5)
Thursday, January , 2021
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York)
Register here (if you haven't already):
http://chipbrogden.com/bible
It's free to attend, but your gift of any amount make it possible.
Thank you for supporting Christ-centered teaching.
I am your brother,
Chip Brogden
http://ChipBrogden.com
PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA

Chip Brogden
Image
The Glory of the Lord
by Chip Brogden
“But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD... For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” (Num. 14:21).
 
God makes a very bold declaration and promise. He swears upon Himself: “As I live.” This is a powerful oath. Since we know that God is true, and cannot lie, shouldn’t we pay attention to this declaration? Because what God swears will surely, certainly come to pass.
 
What is the promise? That the knowledge of the glory of God will fill the earth as the waters cover the sea. How completely do the waters cover the sea? It’s a wonderful way of illustrating total coverage. The sea is entirely made of water; therefore, the waters absolutely and completely cover the sea. There is no part of the sea that isn’t covered with water! And so, just as surely as the waters cover the sea (says God), so surely and completely and totally and thoroughly will the earth be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God...
READ MORE
   https://www.chipbrogden.com/the-glory-of-the-lord/
 
PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA

Hi Elaine,
 
Quick reminder to join us for tonight's online Bible study:
 
THE ART OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE (Part 4)
Thursday, January 7, 2021
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York)
 
Register here (if you haven't already):
http://chipbrogden.com/bible
 
If you can't join us live, register anyway so you can receive the audio replay as soon as it becomes available.
 
I hope to "see" you tonight!
 
I am your brother,
Chip Brogden
http://ChipBrogden.com
 
PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA

Hi Elaine,
 
After a brief pause (and some much-needed rest) I'm ready to get back into our series on spiritual warfare with an important question:
 
ARE YOU REALLY FREE?
 
We have been taught that man is free to decide whether or not to follow Jesus, free to choose whether or not to be saved, free to choose whom he will serve.
 
Is he?
 
Some carry this freedom of man's will to such an extreme that they make man more powerful than God - that God Himself is powerless to do anything about what we freely choose.
 
Is He?
 
But others say freedom is an illusion, and that God chooses who will or will not be saved - and the bad news (according to them) is that God only chooses to save a few, and there's nothing anyone can do about it.
 
Really?
 
Both arguments are made to sound smart in church but they are pretty dumb when you analyze them (which we will).
 
But what does this have to do with spiritual warfare?
 
Everything!
 
If we have messed up ideas about God's Will and Man's Freedom, we won't have the boldness or confidence to go to war and set the captives free.
 
If we think God decides in advance everything that will happen then what business do we have trying to pray for a different outcome?
 
Funny how your "head" can get in the way of your "heart" and make it impossible to win the battle, even when God gives you the victory!
 
So a big part of spiritual warfare is unlearning the junk we've accepted as truth, working through these mental reservations and theological conundrums (i.e., stupid church teachings) so when we do go to war, we will overcome just as He overcame.
 
Yes, the first battle you fight is the one in your own head, and if you lose that battle, you can't win anywhere else.
 
Join us for this week's online Bible study as we consider spiritual warfare from a Christ-centered, Spirit-led, Scripture-based perspective:
 
THE ART OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE (Part 4)
Thursday, January 7, 2021
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York)
 
Register here (if you haven't already):
http://chipbrogden.com/bible
 
It's free to attend, but your gift of any amount make it possible.
 
Thank you for supporting Christ-centered teaching.
 
 
I am your brother,
 
Chip Brogden
http://ChipBrogden.com
 
PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA

December 25

Today's Reading: Zephaniah 1; Revelation 16

Today's Thoughts: Merry Christmas!

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6

If you look at today’s verse, you see how it beautifully proclaims the birth of Jesus, our Savior. But if you look at its reference, you see that it comes from the Old Testament book of Isaiah. So often, we tend to focus only on the Gospels to learn about Jesus, His life and His purpose, but the coming of Jesus was foretold from the beginning.

Many people, even Christians, tend to focus on the New Testament writings more than the Old Testament. One year, we studied the book of Exodus in our women’s Bible study and the impact for most women was amazing. They were able to really see how God worked through His people. They learned new insights to His sovereignty, His mercy, His power, and His amazing love for us. And every week, we pointed out the message of Jesus. We found Jesus in every chapter. The study of the tabernacle went from words describing seemingly endless details of clasps and boards to a powerful understanding of how God just wants to dwell with His people. We looked at how that foretold of what Jesus would do when He came to earth. People who never really had an interest in studying the Old Testament left with a desire to study even further. I think many of them went into the books of Leviticus and Numbers. They discovered the awesome power of the Word of God…in the Old Testament.

The birth of Jesus was not just mentioned in the New Testament Gospels. If we see it only from that perspective, we miss the awesome sovereignty and love of God. God had a plan from the beginning. This plan was not begun in the New Testament, it was completed there. We need to be challenged and encouraged to read and study the whole Bible. As the year end approaches, now is the time to make some new goals for next year. Prayerfully consider beginning a reading program that takes you through the whole Bible in one year. If you have never done that before, you are in for a blessing of unimaginable value. It will change your life. The enemy will do everything he can to thwart these goals, but if you are persistent, God will prevail. And when you get to the book of Isaiah sometime next year, maybe you will remember today’s verse. If today’s verse and this reading stir your heart to make this commitment, then give God the glory when you get to it next year. We pray that you make this resolution and that you allow the Lord to truly bless you through His word. There is no greater Christmas gift than Jesus Christ, the living Word.

Our mission is to evangelize the lost and awaken the saved to live empowered lives by the Work of God and His Holy Spirit. Daily Disciples Ministries makes a difference for the kingdom of God by teaching and training believers how to be in God's Word, how to pray and how to walk with Jesus every day, as His daily disciple.
Daily Disciples Ministries, Inc.

 

Hi Elaine,
 
Just as we pray for daily bread, we also pray daily “deliver us from evil.”
 
Evil is a daily reality.
 
But we are not powerless, passive subjects in the daily onslaught of evil.
 
Prayer is usually considered our most powerful weapon, but our mindset and attitude towards evil is perhaps even more powerful than prayer; for, without an attitude of humility towards God and resistance to evil, we might not be inclined to pray at all.
 
The kind of prayer that successfully overcomes evil begins with a heart-attitude and mindset that refuses to accept the status quo; that not only sees evil, but rebels against it, and actively resists it the way any peaceful people would resist a foreign army invading their homeland.
 
It is an attitude that refuses to yield one minute, or one inch, or one soul, to the evil that comes to steal, kill, and destroy. 
 
Join us for this week's online Bible study as we consider spiritual warfare from a Christ-centered, Spirit-led, Scripture-based perspective:
 
THE ART OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE (Part 3)
Thursday, December 24, 2020
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York)
 
Register here (if you haven't already):
http://chipbrogden.com/bible
 
It's free to attend, but your gift of any amount make it possible.
 
Thank you for supporting Christ-centered teaching.

I am your brother,
 
Chip Brogden
http://ChipBrogden.com

PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA

Chip Brogden

Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?
by Chip Brogden
Yes, I know that Jesus was not really born on December 25th. I’m not sure that anyone really thought He was born on December 25th.
 
But way back in the fourth century, about the time that the Church became institutionalized and systematized, “the powers that be” decided that December 25th would be a day to celebrate the birth of Jesus. This became known as Christ’s Mass, and the first recorded observance took place in Rome on December 25, 336 AD – some 23 years after the edict of Milan in 313 AD that stopped the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire. Fast forward a couple of thousand years and December 25th has became the religious, cultural, and social holiday event known around the world as Christmas.
 
The question is: Should Christians celebrate Christmas?
https://www.chipbrogden.com/should-christians-celebrate-christmas/

*Resending with the corrected subject line :-)
-CB
----
Hi Elaine,
 
I have on my desk one of many theological books discussing the Problem of Evil.
 
In it, multiple learned and educated authors try to explain why God allowed the Holocaust to occur.
 
Not a single one of them asked why MAN allowed the Holocaust to occur.
 
Even theologians find it difficult to allow MAN to take responsibility for evil - something is wrong with God for allowing evil, but nothing is ever wrong with MAN for doing evil!
 
Blaming God for evil has a long history, beginning with the first man created: Adam.
 
When Adam got caught eating the fruit God told him not to eat, what did Adam say?
 
"The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate" (Gen. 3:12).
 
Oh yes, he blamed his wife - typical, right?
 
But did you catch the other subtle accusation?
 
"The woman whom YOU GAVE to be with me..."
 
In other words... "It's not MY fault! YOU gave me this woman, and she gave me the forbidden fruit! It's YOUR fault, God!"
 
Adam threw both God and Eve "under the bus."
 
This is what you might call "confessing someone else's sins."
 
Oh, we're good at that, aren't we?
 
Eve blamed the devil - which, in a way, blames God, because didn't God create the serpent?
 
Ever since, mankind has blamed God or the devil for the problem of evil.

Isn't that the reason for a lot of foolishness in some "charismaniac" circles?
 
"The devil made me do it!" says the multiple sex offender priest.
 
"The spiritual warfare is just too strong over this city!" says the pastor of a failed church.
 
"Lord, we tried to cast out the demon but it wouldn't obey us!" says the frustrated disciples of Jesus.
 
"It's not our fault!" all the children of God say in unison.
 
So long as we blame the devil, or blame God, then we are destined for defeat.
 
The devil doesn't care if you blame him or blame God, because he wins either way.
 
But when we stop blaming, start taking "response-ability" for our own heart and behavior, THEN we are in a position to JOIN THE RESISTANCE.
 
Then, we can "resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
 
Then, we can "stand therefore."
 
Yes, and Amen!
 
Join us for this week's online Bible study as we explore these things in more detail and teach you...
 
THE ART OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE (Part 2)
Thursday, December 17, 2020
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York)
 
Register here (if you haven't already):
http://chipbrogden.com/bible
 
The classes are free, but are made possible by your generous gifts.
 
Thank you for supporting Christ-centered teaching
 
I am your brother,
Chip Brogden
http://ChipBrogden.com
PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA

Hi Elaine,
 
There may be more, but I've identified 11 (failed) attempts to solve the problem of evil and explain why God allows evil to exist.
 
We'll discuss those tonight, and what the Bible says, and why all of this matters.
 
Will you join us?
 
THE ART OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE (Part 1)
Thursday, December 10, 2020
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York)
 
Register here (if you haven't already):
http://chipbrogden.com/bible
 
Hope to "see" you online!
 
I am your brother,
 
Chip Brogden
http://ChipBrogden.com
 
PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA

Hi Elaine,
 
From the beginning of time, good people have wondered why God allows evil to exist.
 
This is an important question because our view of the world depends upon how we answer that question.
 
And how we think about, and participate in, spiritual warfare hinges upon the correct view.
 
The problem of evil is something smart people have struggled with for centuries, and different arguments have been put forth.
 
For example...
 
Perhaps God isn't really all-powerful - He wants to stop evil, but He cannot.
 
Perhaps God really isn't good - He has the power to stop evil, but chooses not to.
 
Perhaps there is no God - Fate, chance, luck, and cause-and-effect rule the universe.
 
Perhaps there is no evil - Good and evil are moral judgments, just your interpretation of things!
 
Perhaps Good and Evil are like Yin and Yang, two equally powerful forces always battling for supremacy; sometimes Good wins, sometimes Evil wins, and there's nothing anyone can do about it (that's called "Cosmic Dualism").
 
Which is correct?
 
None of them! :-)
 
Want to learn the truth about why God allows evil to exist?
 
Join us for this week's Online Bible study as we dig into this question...
 
THE ART OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE (Part 1)
Thursday, December 10, 2020
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York)
 
Register here (if you haven't already):
http://chipbrogden.com/bible
 
It's free to join, but your gift (of any amount) helps make it possible.

Thank you for supporting Christ-centered teaching!
 
 
I am your brother,
 
 
Chip Brogden
http://ChipBrogden.com
 
PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA

The Battle of the Ages
by Chip Brogden
We are rapidly heading toward a time when the governments of this world will be forced to regulate and censor “religious speech” as the only solution to world peace.
 
They will (correctly) determine that religion is the source of most of the world’s wars and deaths from war. They will then move decisively to silence, punish, and eliminate anyone who disturbs the peace with “hate speech,” which they will define as anything that appears to offend someone else’s beliefs or religious practices. This will not violate the conscience of most of the world’s religions, who will be allowed to practice their faith however they please, so long as they do not infringe upon the religious faith of others. But for the ones who bear the Testimony of Jesus – that all are saved in Him, and none are saved apart from Him – this will lead to widespread, universal persecution and death. Eventually, politics and religion will merge into a single entity that destroys all that oppose it.

This is not some wild conspiracy theory; it is precisely what the Book of Revelation describes...
READ MORE
 https://www.chipbrogden.com/the-battle-of-the-ages/

 

Hi Elaine,
 
I know this year has been a struggle for so many people in so many realms - the pandemic, the economy, social upheaval, and political turmoil (just to name a few things).
 
On top of that are all the things that concern us on a personal level - health, finances, relationships, etc.
 
Then, there are the spiritual things that come against us - all the things trying to lead us astray from the simplicity of Christ.
 
So I am led of the Lord to begin a serious, in-depth study I'm calling, "The Art of Spiritual Warfare."
 
While I don't claim to have all the answers to everyone's problems, I want us to shift our focus from "defense" to "offense" in a way that is Christ-centered, Spirit-led, and Scripture-based.
 
To accomplish that, I think a fresh look at spiritual warfare is long overdue.
 
Some of the questions we'll discuss in this study include...
 
Where does evil come from, and why does it exist?
 
Is spiritual wickedness real, or just an idea?
 
How do we exercise spiritual discernment?
 
How do we recognize and defend ourselves against spiritual attack?
 
What is the “whole armor of God” and what does it mean?
 
What are the weapons of our warfare, and how do we use them?
 
How do we overcome the Dragon – personally, and globally?

But we’ll teach these things without hyperbole, without imagining things that aren’t real, without seeing “angels and demons” behind every bush! :-)
 
Join us this week for the beginning of the series...
 
THE ART OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE (Introduction)
Thursday, December 3, 2020
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York)
 
Register here (if you haven't already):
http://chipbrogden.com/bible
 
Thank you for supporting Christ-centered teaching.
 
I am your brother,
 
Chip Brogden
http://ChipBrogden.com

PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA

Hi Elaine,
 
Looking forward to tonight's online Bible study...
 
THE MESSIANIC PSALMS (Part 3)
Friday, November 27, 2020
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York)
 
Register here (if you haven't already):
http://chipbrogden.com/bible
 
We're discussing the rule and reign of Christ - so encouraging, given the current state of the world!
 
I hope to "see" you there!
 
 
I am your brother,
 
 
Chip Brogden
http://ChipBrogden.com