Chip Brogden CHURCH WITHOUT WALLS

Hi Elaine,
 
Surely we must consider God's sovereignty as we try to discuss anything pertaining to His Will.
 
Scripture tells us that God's Purpose cannot be thwarted, He will perfect the good work He has begun, His zeal will perform all His good pleasure, and His love never fails.
 
That's good news!
 
Whatever limitations or frustrations we may perceive in the present all melt away as His eternal purpose irresistibly unfolds.
 
The omniscient God does not have to micromanage every detail, for micromanaging is driven by fear of losing control, and a need to know every aspect of something in order to keep control.
 
God already knows all and fears nothing!
 
Without micromanaging, God certainly can (and does) intervene as necessary in those pivotal happenings where such intervention is needful, or in response to prayer, and in such a way that no one is forced or manipulated.
 
For example (and there are many) Jesus speaks of days so terrible that if they were not shortened, no flesh would be saved.
 
Does this not speak of Divine Intervention to prevent man from being destroyed, or from destroying himself?
 
Who else but God could intervene to prevent such a catastrophe?
 
Who sets the limits on man's inhumanity to man, setting boundaries so that only one-fourth or one-third of the earth is affected by various tribulations that both man and devils unleash in the end times?
 
Such Divine Intervention, carefully balancing free will with God's Will, acting with love but without force, is impossible for men but not for God, Who judges the hearts and knows our thoughts.
 
Let us consider:
 
- How do we fulfill our calling during perilous times?
 
- How can we facilitate God's Kingdom and Will in a hostile environment?
 
- How do we cooperate with, and participate in, God's purpose?
 
- Under what conditions can we expect Divine Intervention to disrupt the flow of history while preserving man's free will?
 
Join us as we discuss this (and much more) during this week's online Bible study...
 
THE OVERCOMERS: GOD'S PURPOSE IN THE END TIMES (Part 3)
Thursday, April 9, 2020
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York)
 
Register here:
http://chipbrogden.com/bible
 
Thank you for supporting Christ-centered teaching.

I am your brother,

Chip Brogden
http://ChipBrogden.com

Chip Brogden
Here's the first of several *F-R-E-E*
audio programs for you Elaine!
 
From the very beginning we have always offered tapes and compact discs on a "whatever you can afford" basis.
 
When the cost of shipping made that impossible to sustain, we moved everything online. This has worked fine, except the shopping cart can't handle our "whatever you can afford" philosophy. I've never liked that limitation but couldn't figure out a way around it.
 
Well, I've been talking to the Lord about this for a long time now and I hear Him saying,
 
"Give them away. Trust Me to provide!"
 
So, in addition to all the Bible studies freely available on the website (nearly 300 and counting), we are making all of our other audio teachings freely available online as well. 
 
This will take awhile to do, but I wanted to let you know the first free program is available now!
 
All we ask is that you listen as you wish, share as you like, and give as you can.
 
This is one of our most requested audio teachings, and I think it speaks to where a lot of people are right now - sitting home in lockdown! (That includes us.)
 
Why not put that time to good use?
 
Thank you for supporting Christ-centered teaching :-)

"Free At Last! How to Be a Christian
Without Going to Church"
LISTEN FREE
 https://www.chipbrogden.com/free-at-last/

PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA

Hi Elaine,
 
Our response to evil is the same, regardless of "why" we think it exists!
 
What should that response be?
 
Join us tonight for...
 
THE OVERCOMERS: GOD'S PURPOSE IN THE END TIMES (Part 2)
Thursday, April 2, 2020
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York)
 
Go here to register (if you haven't already):
http://chipbrogden.com/bible
 
Hope to "see" you there!


I am your brother,
Chip Brogden
http://ChipBrogden.com
 
PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA

Chip Brogden
Chip Brogden: Spiritual Encouragement During Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Video
A Personal Message...

Hey Elaine,
 
I just recorded a video message for you, sharing some thoughts, and what I hope is some encouragement, as we all go through this Coronavirus stuff. 
WATCH THE VIDEO
   https://www.chipbrogden.com/video-message-march-2020/

PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA

Hi Elaine,
 
Quick reminder about tonight's Online Bible Study
 
THE OVERCOMERS: GOD'S PURPOSE IN THE END TIMES
Thursday, March 26, 2020
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York)
 
Go here to register (if you haven't already):
http://chipbrogden.com/bible
 
We're just beginning this series so you can learn how you fit into God's Purpose in the end times. 
 
You have a purpose and a calling beyond "survival."
 
Now is the perfect time for all of us to get aligned with something and Someone much bigger and greater than ourselves.
 
I hope to "see" you online!
 

I am your brother,

Chip Brogden
http://ChipBrogden.com
 

PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA

Hi Elaine,
 
"If God is good, why does He allow evil to exist?"
 
We began a discussion last week to explore this question in some detail.
 
It seems God gets all the blame, either for sending wrath and judgment, or allowing bad things to happen.
 
Christians have been taught to accept whatever happens as God's Will, part of a mysterious plan that supposedly explains (yet never really explains) why bad things happen to good people.
 
To be blunt, passive acceptance of evil is the coward's way out - because it doesn't require anything of us.
 
To the contrary, Jesus demonstrates, and Scripture teaches, active resistance against anything that comes to steal, kill, and destroy because these things are opposed to God's Will, which is to save, heal, and deliver.
 
Put that way, the problem seems simple....
 
1. God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.
 
2. Satan hates you and has a terrible plan for your life.
 
But it still doesn't answer the question of why God lets bad things happen.
 
- Why didn't God prevent the Holocaust?
 
- Why doesn't God stop coronavirus?
 
- Why doesn't God do something about global warming, human trafficking, and serial killers?
 
- Why does God allow evil to exist?
Etc.
 
I would like to propose a different question, one that is seldom asked:
 
"Why do WE allow evil to exist?"
 
Because what we will see from Scripture is that MAN is responsible for evil, and MAN is responsible for overcoming evil with good.
 
Meaning, we opened the door to the devil; we have to close the door.
 
Certainly, we cannot do this alone, which is why the Son of God was manifest: to destroy the works of the devil and to deliver those bound by the devil.
 
The process for how God brings this about, and how God ultimately triumphs over evil through the Overcomers, is a wonderful mystery unfolding over the ages and ongoing as we speak.
 
We need to know this so we can get off the sidelines and get involved in this great movement of God for the salvation and healing of the nations.
 
Scripture provides the puzzle pieces; now, all we have to do is put the pieces together to see the end result.
 
Join us this week as we work on this Biblical puzzle together...
 
THE OVERCOMERS: GOD'S PURPOSE IN THE END TIMES
Thursday, March 26, 2020
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York)
 
Go here to register:
http://chipbrogden.com/bible
 
These studies are free, but your gift (of any amount) makes it possible.
 
I am your brother,
Chip Brogden
http://ChipBrogden.com
 
PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA

Hi Elaine,
 
In case you're interested, here is a link to the audio recording of this week's Bible study:
 
DEFENDING GOD FROM CORONAVIRUS
https://www.chipbrogden.com/defending-god-from-coronavirus/
 
Feel free to share this link with others.
 
Hopefully the message stirs you to consider the "bigger picture" beyond the present crisis.
 
I also hope it stirs up some additional questions, even objections, as we consider issues that theologians have argued about for centuries, including: If God is good and all-powerful, why does evil exist?
 
Will I answer all those questions and objections in one message?
 
Hardly.
 
But, we have to make a beginning somewhere.
 
So give it a listen and make plans to join us for the other messages in the series as we explore these things in great depth.
 
We need wisdom, not wackiness; hope, not hype; faith, not fear; victors, not victims.
 
Here is the link again:
https://www.chipbrogden.com/defending-god-from-coronavirus/
 
I am your brother,

Chip Brogden
http://ChipBrogden.com
 

P.S. If you want to register your spot for this week's online Bible study, click below:
https://chipbrogden.com/bible
 
PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA

Hi Elaine,
 
Life goes on.

This ugly little thing is a baby bluebird I photographed last spring – although it certainly didn’t look like a bluebird when it was first born.

Don’t judge by appearances, because things are hardly ever as they appear to be.

No, it’s not the end of the world; not even close.

But if it were the end of the world, what a way to go – it would be said of this generation that when the end came, we were fighting over toilet paper.

And while the media breathlessly report every negative statistic related to coronavirus, just know that some of us who watch and pray have been discussing these developments at the highest levels of the universe as early as mid-January, before national emergencies, pandemic, and fear gripped the world.

On that authority, the news is good, and the word is: “Rejoice in hope, be patient in affliction, persist in prayer” (Rom. 12:12).

Beyond these basics, the current situation offers an opportunity for us to better understand the ways of God.

First, please understand that COVID-19 is not God’s will, nor God’s judgment.

Neither do HIV, influenza, opioid overdoses, automobile accidents, or natural disasters serve some mysterious divine purpose.

God’s desire is to save, heal, deliver, and reconcile all people to Himself. 
 
But there is another who seeks to steal, kill, destroy, and deceive.
 
That’s why Jesus encourages us to pray daily for God’s Will to be done “on earth as it is in heaven” - if His Will is always done, then such prayer is superfluous.
 
The general intent of the Lord’s Prayer is that we daily align ourselves with God and stand with Him against that which steals, kills, and destroys people Jesus died to save; it is both a prayer of surrender (to God) and a prayer of resistance (to evil).
 
If we resist evil in all its forms, might this help to explain why the Revelation plagues - as devastating as they are - are nevertheless limited to only one-quarter or one-third of the earth? Why not the whole earth?
 
Certainly, the Destroyer wants to kill and destroy as much as possible, so it is not any act of kindness on the part of the Destroyer to spare the majority of the earth. Instead, it is God's grace, as well as the intercession of the Overcomers, that limits the destruction. 
 
We have this power now. You can DO something.
 
But if you see all this as God "pouring out His wrath" then you won't resist it at all; indeed, a majority think God will rapture them out at the last minute, so this does not enter their circle of concern.
 
What a slick and seductive deception: to accept what we ought to resist, and attribute to God's judgment what should be more accurately attributed to those elements hostile to God who would destroy the earth and its people.
 
Blaming God for every bad thing that happens is misguided, but praising God for every bad thing that happens is equally misguided. Both perspectives hold God responsible for evil by causing it directly, failing to prevent it, or allowing it as part of some mysterious plan for the greater good.

Sickness, disease, death, and disaster are not unavoidable facts of nature; we are to resist them as enemies coming to steal, kill, and destroy God's Creation and those whom Jesus died to save and deliver. 

To fail in this responsibility is to deny God's original purpose for man to "subdue the earth" as well as the admonition to overcome evil with good, to pray for all to be saved, and to collaborate with God for the healing of all creation.

I realize that is a lot to think about – especially if you are personally going through difficulty, which I understand.
Perhaps seeing the “big picture” will encourage you to know that (1) you are not alone, and (2) you have more power than you realize.

If that resonates with you then I invite you to this week’s online Bible study to explore these things from a Scriptural perspective...
 
DEFENDING GOD FROM CORONAVIRUS
Thursday, March 19, 2020
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York)
 
Go here to register (if you haven't already):
http://chipbrogden.com/bible
 
I am your brother,

Chip Brogden

http://ChipBrogden.com
 

PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA

Be of Good Cheer!
by Chip Brogden

The Bible does not promise anyone a world free from difficulties, challenges, trials, and tribulations. At the same time, Jesus does not want His followers to be overwhelmed or stressed-out. 
 
Studies have shown that the emotional and physical symptoms of stress are not caused by the event itself, but by how we perceive the event.  Your perception of things becomes your reality.  So if you “think” something is bad, you’ll react badly.  If you “think” something is only a temporary challenge to overcome then you will find a way to overcome it. Stress can be a negative or a positive force, depending on how we choose to interpret life. Apparently, things have no meaning until we attach a meaning to them. Once we decide what something means we give it the power to make us either bitter, or better.

I’m not suggesting that you can just trick your mind into thinking that bad things are really good, or that you can turn your life around with a little positive thinking.  It’s not that simple.  But Christians do have a very good reason to think about life challenges in a different way than the world does...
READ THIS ARTICLE
 https://www.chipbrogden.com/be-of-good-cheer/

PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA

Hi Elaine,
 
How did the early Christians see the cross?
 
How did they apply it to their lives?
 
That will be the focus of this week's online Bible study as we look at what Jesus said, and what the early Christians believed, about the cross.
 
Why?
 
Because, 2,000 years later, I think we have gotten sidetracked a little bit by "language."
 
Phrases such as "death to self," "crucify the flesh," "take up the cross," and similar concepts have become muddled.
 
Scripture is very specific; but we tend to be non-specific in our application of Scripture (and inconsistent, to boot).
 
If we get the concepts wrong then we will think the Bible says something it doesn't really say.
 
And if we misunderstand what the Scriptures teach, we will err in putting them into practice.
 
This is why people get frustrated over spiritual-sounding teaching that doesn't produce fruit.
 
Something is wrong.
 
So we've been engaged in this process of adjusting ourselves to God's truth and explaining the way of the Lord more perfectly as it relates to the cross - a mystery of transformation rather than destruction.
 
It has been an amazing journey so far.
 
Join us this week for the final installment...
 
THE DEEPER WORK OF THE CROSS (Part 5)
Thursday, March 12, 2020
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York)
 
Go here to register (free):
http://chipbrogden.com/bible
 
And as always, thank you for supporting Christ-centered teaching.
 

I am your brother,

Chip Brogden
http://ChipBrogden.com

4 Pillars of a Christ-Centered Faith
by Chip Brogden

The Christian Religion has, for over 1700 years, successfully convinced millions of people to adopt a Church-Centered Faith. 
 
Scriptures are used to justify a view of the spiritual universe that is erroneous. It is a line of thinking in which everyone and everything connected with God is supposed to revolve around the Church: build it, support it, attend it, and invite people to join it. Christ, mistakenly credited with having founded this Church, is in their eyes obliged to protect, defend, love, honor, cherish, bless, and provide for it. Those who challenge this view are likewise seen as rebellious heretics.

The truth is that God never called us to a Church-Centered Faith. From the beginning, God has called followers of Jesus to a Christ-Centered Faith: a way of living that revolves around Christ having the central, preeminent, and most important place in a person’s heart. The Assembly of Called-Out Persons (the Ekklesia) was to be both a spiritual and a practical community of Christ-followers who had entered into a new covenant with God and with one another: to value, believe, teach, practice, and experience a Christ-Centered Faith...
READ THIS ARTICLE
 https://www.chipbrogden.com/4-pillars-of-a-christ-centered-faith/

PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA


“If the foundations are destroyed,
what can the righteous do?” (Ps. 11:3).
Just 400 years ago it was commonly accepted that everything in the universe, including the sun, moon and stars, all revolved around a stationary Earth. Not only did this seem obvious to those who lived on Earth, it seemed to be supported by Scripture.
So when the astronomer Galileo began to spread the idea of the earth and everything else revolving around a stationary sun, he attracted the ire of the Roman Catholic Church. Galileo provided a solid scientific basis for his ideas, and tried to show that his theories did not contradict Scripture at all. Nevertheless, Galileo was branded a heretic, forced to recant, and obliged to live the rest of his life as a prisoner in his own home. Today we know that the Roman Catholic Church was wrong, and Galileo was correct.

In a similar way, the Christian Religion has, for over 1700 years, successfully convinced millions of people to adopt a Church-Centered Faith. Scriptures are used to justify a view of the spiritual universe that is erroneous. It is a line of thinking in which everyone and everything connected with God is supposed to revolve around the Church: build it, support it, attend it, and invite people to join it. Christ, mistakenly credited with having founded this Church, is in their eyes obliged to protect, defend, love, honor, cherish, bless, and provide for it. Those who challenge this view are likewise seen as rebellious heretics.

The truth is that God never called us to a Church-Centered Faith. From the beginning, God has called followers of Jesus to a Christ-Centered Faith: a way of living that revolves around Christ having the central, preeminent, and most important place in a person’s heart. The Assembly of Called-Out Persons (the Ekklesia) was to be both a spiritual and a practical community of Christ-followers who had entered into a new covenant with God and with one another: to value, believe, teach, practice, and experience a Christ-Centered Faith.

That is simply another way of saying that the belief and practice of the New Testament was based upon, and centered around, a relationship with a Person. The focus was not on the systematic theology of a new religious group, nor was it the particular nuance of doctrine from a breakaway splinter group within Judaism. New Testament belief and practice was unique in that it was centered upon a Man Who lived, died, came back to life again, and would now rule in the hearts of men and women until He returned. You could say that in the New Testament universe, God clearly established that everything was to revolve around the SON.

If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? I believe the answer, as it pertains to the Ekklesia, is to go back to the One Foundation that cannot be destroyed: Christ Jesus the Lord. “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11). This Foundation is strong and secure.

We must tear down the flimsy structures we have built and rebuild upon the firm foundation of Christ. I offer the following Four Pillars as a basis upon which the Ekklesia can re-establish itself in the current age and ensure the continuity of an authentic, Biblical, Christ-Centered Faith for this generation and for however many will follow.

The Testimony of Jesus. The preeminence of Christ must be the cornerstone of all our belief and practice. Remember, this Testimony declares that “all are saved in Him, none are saved apart from Him.” This Testimony inspires all prophetic utterance. This Testimony is our lamp, and if the lamp is extinguished, the Ekklesia ceases to exist (Rev. 2:5). We cannot dilute, distort, or disfigure this Testimony for any reason. If we fail to discern and declare the truth concerning Jesus to the world around us, then we have utterly failed.
Scriptural Integrity. Before we seek new, exciting revelation we must master what has already been revealed. The Scriptures are necessary for the spiritual growth and spiritual discernment of the Ekklesia. The Written Word reveals the Living Word, and the Living Word reveals the Written Word: “Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Lk. 24:27, NLT). Since Jesus thought Scriptural teaching was important for His disciples, we cannot afford to lightly dismiss it. We must know the Scriptures, obey them, and teach them to others.
Intentional Fellowship. The post-church landscape is a lot like the Dark Ages after the Roman Empire collapsed; with no institution to keep them in check, people ran wild. In the absence of the Institutional Church, the Ekklesia must provide safe places where people can learn about Jesus in a non-religious, non-traditional setting. Intentional Fellowship means that we gather together for a purpose: to reach up to God, to reach in to one another, and to reach out to the world around us. We must transcend the “meeting” mentality we inherited from the Institutional Church and begin to think in terms of an extended Family that nurtures long-term relationships and meets both spiritual and practical needs.
Passing the Torch. To successfully hand down a Christ-Centered Faith to the next generation, three things are needed. First, we must master the core teachings that constitute basic discipleship; those essential elements of the Faith that need to be passed down. Next, we must find and equip faithful people who know these essentials and will teach them to others. Finally, we must create opportunities for real discipleship to take place within the faith community of the Ekklesia – a nurturing, safe place to be born-again, to be healed, to learn, to grow, and to go forth; a place where spiritual wisdom can be imparted.
prophetic_mandate_banner

Hi Elaine,
 
Do you ever get frustrated by feeling like you can't measure up?
 
Like, no matter how hard you try, you can't seem to get it together - either in your own eyes or in someone else's? Maybe even God's?
 
I used to feel that way all the time.
 
If you can relate then I think you'll really enjoy this week's topic: The Spirituality of Imperfection.
 
We're discussing the deeper work of the cross as "transformation of Self" rather than "death of Self."
 
And I've been using the phrase "perfection in love" a lot.
 
Here comes the interesting part...
 
We are perfected in love through this amazing process I'm calling "The Spirituality of Imperfection."
 
That is, perfection in love is achieved, not by trying to be perfect, not by trying to achieve sinless perfection, but by embracing our weaknesses.
 
I love me a paradox!
 
And the paradox here is that by embracing our weaknesses, we get stronger; but the more we resist our weaknesses, the weaker we become.
 
Understand... I'm not saying hang on to your sin!
 
But I am saying when we accept our imperfections and weakness, we can cooperate with this process of perfection in love.
 
It's amazing once you see it.
 
But of course I can't say it all here.
 
Which is why I'm inviting you to join us for this week's online Bible study...
 
THE DEEPER WORK OF THE CROSS (Part 4)
Thursday, March 5, 2020
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York)
 
Go here to register (free):
http://chipbrogden.com/bible
 
I'm going to show you EXACTLY how perfection in love works through the spirituality of imperfection. It will be an amazing study.
 
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,
 
If you have not registered for tonight's online Bible study yet, we still have room and you still have time:
 
THE DEEPER WORK OF THE CROSS (Part 3)
Thursday, February 27, 2020
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York)
 
Go here to register:
http://chipbrogden.com/bible
 
Transformation of self, rather than death of self, is the goal of the Cross. Join us as we explore this deeper work.

I am your brother,
Chip Brogden
http://ChipBrogden.com
 
PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA

Hi Elaine,
 
As we continue exploring the deeper work of the cross, let's recap the main concerns I've stated so far:
The way some teach, interpret, and try to implement “denial of self” becomes a morbid celebration of death instead of a robust celebration of life.
 
Self-denial as a spiritual discipline is unsustainable; it is like committing yourself to a strict diet that you cannot maintain, dropping some pounds only to gain it all back (and then some).
 
The truth (especially the truth of the cross) should make us free, not frustrate us, or bring us into bondage and fear of failure.
 
Most of all, despite all these teachings, people can’t put it into practice, so they put themselves under condemnation and guilt.
The way to resolve these concerns is not to dispense with the cross, but to understand that our relationship to the cross must be founded on LOVE not LEGALISM.
 
The key idea is:
 
"Not death to Self, but transformation of Self, through perfection in love."
 
I'd like to continue exploring this in this week's online Bible study and show you how Love answers to all our concerns about spiritual growth, discipleship, Body Life, taking up the cross, and overcoming sin, self, and satan.
 
Will you join us?
 
THE DEEPER WORK OF THE CROSS (Part 3)
Thursday, February 27, 2020
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York)
 
Go here to register:
http://chipbrogden.com/bible
 
It's free to register; donations are welcome but not required.
 
Thank you for supporting Christ-centered teaching.
 
I am your brother,
Chip Brogden
http://ChipBrogden.com
 
PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA

The Missing Ingredient
by Chip Brogden
There came a time in my life when I realized I was called, and I was gifted, and God had given me great revelation, but I still lacked something.
 
Now when I was younger I believed that having a calling from God and being gifted by God was all you needed. Then I began to learn some things by revelation and thought that was God’s seal of approval upon me.

Even so, I could not get away from the fact that there were then, and there are now, lots of people in the world besides me who are called by God, have spiritual gifts, and enjoy an abundance of revelation. But God cannot trust them in any kind of a servant leadership capacity. They may have a title or a ministry but they are unqualified because they do not have the missing ingredient. I noticed they lacked something, and worse, I lacked the same thing. Eventually I discovered what everyone, including myself, is lacking.
 
What is the missing ingredient? The missing ingredient is... 
READ THIS ARTICLE https://www.chipbrogden.com/the-missing-ingredient/
 

PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA

Hi Elaine,
 
If you haven't registered yet, we still have room for you at tonight's online Bible study...

THE DEEPER WORK OF THE CROSS (Part 2)
Thursday, February 13, 2020
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York)
 
Go here to register:
http://chipbrogden.com/bible
 
We'll continue to explore the idea of "transformation, not elimination" of Self, and how all of this fits together in a way that celebrates life instead of death, love instead of legalism, faith instead of fair.
 
I hope to "see" you there!
 

I am your brother,
Chip Brogden
http://ChipBrogden.com
 
PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA

Hi Elaine,
 
A couple of weeks ago I shared with you my thoughts on "The Deeper Work of the Cross."
 
In a nutshell, I admitted that (all good intentions aside) the way we teach this and try to apply this to our lives often leaves us more frustrated than fulfilled.
 
"Death to Self" is really impossible, since "self" never really dies.
 
"Crucifying the Flesh" is also impossible in the present-tense, since Scripture views this as having already happened. :-)
 
"Dying Daily" sounds impressive, but I don't know if anyone has ever successfully done this; and if I successfully died today, why do I have to do it daily?
 
Yes, I'm challenging some of the language we have used regarding the Cross and what it means to follow Jesus.
 
And I'm suggesting the way we have taught and practice this often sets us up for failure, frustration, and a legalistic, morbid view - a celebration of death, rather than a celebration of LIFE.
 
God's goal, rather than "death to self," is TRANSFORMATION of self; specifically, PERFECTION IN LOVE.
 
And we have only just begin exploring this!
 
So I want to follow up that first teaching with part two...

THE DEEPER WORK OF THE CROSS (Part 2)
Thursday, February 13, 2020
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York)
 
Go here to register:
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,
 
Our online Bible study starts soon...
 
THE DEEPER WORK OF THE CROSS
Thursday, January 30, 2020
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York)
 
Go here to register (if you haven't already):
http://chipbrogden.com/bible
 
If you can't make it but want to hear the replay, register anyway so you will automatically receive the replay link about 24 hours after.
 
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,
 
As I mentioned in my last email...
 
"Truth, according to Jesus, should make us free - not bring us into bondage."
 
Interesting that the language is not that the truth will "set" you free (as is commonly misquoted); but rather, the truth will "make" you free.
 
We would all like to be "set" free because this sounds instantaneous - someone else is doing something for us, and we passively receive the benefit of it.
 
But if the truth will "make" us free then this implies (1) a process (so it's not instant) and (2) something we participate in on a deeper level.
 
That's what we'll talk about in this week's Bible study.
 
And, as I have said, I feel it is time to bring some adjustment to this teaching on "death to self" and "crucifying the flesh."
 
Partly, because people leave out HOW you do that, exactly.
 
Partly, because people often implement this "death to self" in a legalistic way and bring themselves (and others) into bondage.
 
That's the opposite of the truth making us free; that's the truth (even the truth of the Cross) bringing us into bondage.
 
I think we're missing something (I think I have missed something) and I want to add this "something" to the message of the Cross so we can use it to liberate people, not tie them up with a spiritual burden they aren't meant to bear.
 
To register for this very important online class taking place next week, click the link below:

THE DEEPER WORK OF THE CROSS
Thursday, January 30, 2020
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York)
 
Go here to register:
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,
 
By this time I have usually planned an online Bible study for this week and announced it, but this week I'm still preparing my heart and mind for what I think is a much-needed and long-overdue adjustment in our understanding of the Cross.
 
I use that word "adjustment" quite a bit (as in Prayer: Adjustment to the Eternal Purpose and Adjustment to the Government of the Holy Spirit).  The Oxford Dictionary says the word means "a small alteration or movement made to achieve a desired fit, appearance, or result."
 
That's a decent definition, but I would say "to achieve a more perfect fit." It reminds me of Acts 18:26, where Aquila and Priscilla heard Apollos boldly proclaiming the baptism of John - nothing wrong with that, but it was incomplete. So "they took him aside and explained the way of God to him more perfectly." 
 
That's adjustment.
 
And if you heard last week's message, you know I believe adjustment is an ongoing process of spiritual growth - unless we think we know everything already. If we are growing then we are changing.
 
Adjustment doesn't mean repudiating or overturning what you thought before (that's revolution); it just means we need to take something that is accurate in and of itself but add another layer to it so that we understand it more perfectly.
 
So in that sense, having taught and written for two decades on the cross, death to self, self-denial, etc., including the book Embrace the Cross, I perceive that there needs to be an adjustment in our understanding of the Cross.
 
In fact, I've been praying and pondering this for some time - and I'm still praying and pondering it.
 
For that reason, I'm going to continue preparing this week, so that next week I will be ready to "explain the way of God more perfectly."
 
Truth, according to Jesus, should make us free - not bring us into bondage.
 
To register for this very important online class taking place next week, click the link below:

THE DEEPER WORK OF THE CROSS
Thursday, January 30, 2020
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York)
 
Go here to register:
http://chipbrogden.com/bible
 
Thank you for supporting Christ-centered teaching.

I am your brother,

Chip Brogden
http://ChipBrogden.com

I Know Whom I Have Believed
by Chip Brogden
“For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day” (2 Tim. 1:12).
 
An exciting thing begins to happen in the spiritual life of the Christian who desires to grow and mature. It is hoped that after some progress in spiritual things, once the new Christian has experienced a few defeats or disappointments, that he or she will ask, “Is there more to the Christian life than what I am experiencing?”
 
Oh, blessed question! How God has worked long and hard to bring the Christian to this point! And the Answer which God so desires to give us is, “Yes! There is more to this Life! You have but scratched the surface!” The Question often comes to us in the middle of a church service, when everyone else seems to be worshiping the Lord and having a good time. We try to join in but the Question continues to bother us week after week until we resolve to do something about it...
READ THIS ARTICLE
https://www.chipbrogden.com/i-know-whom-i-have-believed/
 
PO Box 282
Bunn NC 27508
USA

Hi Elaine,
 
If you haven't registered for tonight's online Bible study, we still have room and there's still time...
 
IN THE WILDERNESS, PREPARE
Thursday, January 16, 2020
7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (New York)
 
Go here to register:
--> http://chipbrogden.com/bible
 
Hope to "see" you there!
 

I am your brother,

Chip Brogden
http://ChipBrogden.com