Breaking With Tradition

The most amazing thing about this topic is almost everyone believes I am talking about
someone else and this can't possibly be, “My thinking or my church because 'we' are the
true.” Let me begin this with “we are ALL in need of refining” and unless you are face to
face with the Father and walking in the fullness of Sonship and power, this section applies to
you.

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the
tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Colossians 2:8

Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have
delivered: and many such like things do ye. Mark 7:13

This chapter is usually the hardest part for people to fathom, that we might be doing church
wrong or even worse we might have some ways and traditions we hold dear that are
actually contrary to life in Christ.

There are people in almost every religious group who are hungry, who want God so bad,
and who do have ears to hear and are willing to throw off tradition and religion to move
deeper into God.

Taking Down the High Places

We find in many places in scripture, when the presence of God was brought back to His
people that it was always necessary to “take down the high places” meaning the king or
priesthood went in and destroyed the temples, places of worship and the idols that the
people set up during the times when God was far off.

And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his
father.

And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that
his fathers had made. And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from
being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her
idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron. 1 Kings 15:11-13

And even though we are commanded to honor our fathers and mothers, we are never to
tolerate idolatry or religious tradition ‘of’ our fathers.
Today we are seeing the same thing happening; there is a move for the hungry to run into
God and away from old systems and man-made rules of religious order. There are millions
of believers who are feeling it is time for something fresh and real and alive. Even in the
most lively of church services the cry for more is evident.

Much of what we have in place in the “Local Church” for order and training is either old
tradition based on old religious systems or in some cases doctrine modified just enough to
keep people from growing and finding their place in God. In some local church
organizations, it is even worse; the techniques of mass-hypnosis, mind control, and power
games are as bad as any cult I’ve ever seen.
Principle of Tradition vs Glory

We know that Paul warned and Jesus taught that traditions sown into a group have the
potential to kill the very life of God and we are warned to find it and destroy the unfruitful
doctrine at every turn.
I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of
Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that
trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel
from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have
preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again,
if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him
be accursed. Galatians 1:6-9

How Do We serve & Not Offend

I have heard it said, that we need to do more preaching of the real and not focus on the
counterfeit. The best way to detect a counterfeit dollar is not by studying all counterfeit
dollars, but by knowing the real so well that we can discern error when we see it. This is a
very good principle and one I mostly agree with; that’s why this book focuses mostly on the
glory and the promise.

What we also need to be careful of is the potential for people to fall back into the lies of
religion once they see the truth because no one is making it clear enough that those things
are dangerous. Let us remove or take down the high places so as not to become rebound by
them.

Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over
Jordan into the land of Canaan; Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the
land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten
images, and pluck down all their high places: And ye shall dispossess the
inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to
possess it. Numbers 33:51-53

What we have seen in almost every revival in history is the local “leaders” take control of
the fire, build denominations and buildings around the life and eventually kill it, having only
buildings and people left, with no fire.

Tearing down and plucking up is something I believe is a necessary part of restoration of

God's presence. Great care needs to be taken in this process because it is very likely, if not
done correctly and in the right heart, you will breed rebellion and feed woundedness in the
hearers. Many people will be able to see what's wrong in any person or group of people, but
we are only changed by beholding Him, not by beholding error.

this is part of the book Power of an Endless Life