Excerpts From "Breaking The Mold" - By Kriston Couchey
DIVINE UNITY (Pages 35-36) Communion, community, common unity: these terms describe what those led by the Spirit have in common; UNITY. This communion (common union) is not based upon a church affiliation, doctrine, leader, or location. It is based upon: “…the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Complete unity with God is our destination in the kingdom. The kingdom will be released fully in those who learn to walk in union with the Holy Spirit regarding the heart and purposes of God. Not just obeying Him, but coming into agreement with His judgments and heart. The Bride of Christ is in complete agreement with the passion and purpose of God’s heart toward creation.
In this new day of the kingdom advancement we will see the progressive union of God with His children as He purges the earth of its rebellion and pride. As a groom consummates his love for his bride; so the Lord is consummating a union with His people that will express the very essence of God’s divine nature.
When those who walk with God in union enter fellowship, worship, and mutually encourage one another; you will see an even Greater Glory. This is an outpouring through those who have gathered unto Him as His body. Each one has first individually learned to walk in union with the king as the head, and then in communion with their brothers and sisters.
… and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, and the angel (messenger) of the covenant, whom ye desire: behold, he comes, said the LORD of the hosts.
God is fitting together a temple made of living stones that is at this present time scattered and coming out of wilderness trials and purification. But they are coming together in this time of earth’s upheaval and turbulence as a wave of refreshing to the earth. God is dwelling in His glory in these, and their common union is that they are partakers of His Spirit in nature and authority. They have learned to be at rest with God IN them and they IN Him. They have learned submission and accountability to God, and have come to maturity seen in obedience out of love.
COMMUNION IN COVENANT
There is coming a power and glory pouring forth from those walking in the “common unity” of the Spirit in the One Covenant of The Blood of Jesus. Truly this is the Wedding Covenant of Union with Christ. If you are led by the Spirit, you are His child, and are already in a completed covenant of unity with everyone else in heaven and earth who is one with God. In the One Covenant of “Common union” with God and each other, power will be released so mightily that many people will move beyond their old alliances and allegiances to their own church “communities”, denominations, leaders, and organizations.
The communion of the saints will be seen in the broader sense in its reality; as what God has deemed in “union” with Him is blessed, and that which is not in union with Him will not endure. You will know those in union with Him by His heart, His presence, and His power expressed in those He chooses to glorify; for we are the Glory He now chooses to clothe Himself in. He is the Glory we are clothed in. The new day’s work of God is going to be characterized by one thing: LOVE. By this ALL men shall know we are His disciples. The body will fully express what the Head (Jesus Christ) has created it to express; the divine nature of God seen in the person of Jesus Christ. God is pouring out a baptism of His Love and goodness to bring unity of purpose, heart, and vision to His people in this new day.
THE ONE COVENANT IS SUFFICIENT (page 59-62)
If the one covenant of Love given in Jesus is not enough for a group of people to work together in unity, will making another one of our own do any better? There is the bond of Peace in the Spirit. There is also a bond of “covenant” That men make with each other that is an agreement out of a need to “secure” relationships.
In I Sam. 20:14-17 Jonathan loved David like His own soul, but Jonathan made a "Covenant" with David out of fear of David changing his position toward him when he was in power. Fear has no place in the kingdom. Jacob and Laben made a covenant out of dislike to keep each other away. Covenants were made when one or more parties were unsure of the trustworthiness of the other. It is called a bond or “binding”. It is a need for security or surety that causes men to make extra-biblical covenants that bind together. Where is our security? Not in the bindings of church memberships or covenant relationships, it is in the Lord alone. Jesus told us to not swear (make a covenant) at all, but to let our yes be yes and our no be no. Anything more then that is of the evil one.
When two agree on something it is technically covenant. Agreement is a required component of the Body. But that agreement is in the Holy Spirit, who gives us unity in the Spirit that is a “bond” (binding) of peace. Intentionally making a “binding” covenant not based on the Spirit’s “bond” as basis for relationship turns what should be a love relationship into law. People cut covenants to keep people or relationships secure, when all we need to really do is give people to Him for safekeeping in the first place.
If we need to make a covenant to keep a group of people loving each other and sticking together, then Christ’s love is not enough. It is better to live in the one Covenant of selfless Love; the one made by Christ’s shed blood. His blood is sufficient and His covenant is too. It is all one sided with the Lord. He cut the covenant with us because we were the untrustworthy party who had unbelief or doubts. God cut covenant to get rid of that unbelief and doubt in Him. Any covenant other than Christ’s is a division that separates us; it is an added covenant that devalues the ability and worth of the one covenant of His blood to bind us ALL with cords that cannot be broken.
There is a depth of brotherhood and love in the Spirit when He is in control and moving in power. In this setting, the constructs of men are meaningless. When the Spirit of God is moving in power, memberships, hierarchies, and institutional divisions become insignificant. This has been true of all powerful moves of the Holy Spirit. There is a unity in the Spirit that binds people together across all barriers and this is the NORMAL state of the church. We must learn to know one another by the Spirit in these days as the Lord will be rapidly moving ministries to many places to equip in a fashion that NO church denomination, apostolic network, or covenanted ministry can orchestrate. If we only trust the bonds of our membership, network, denomination, or covenant group we will miss God’s messengers.
The old ways of binding and uniting people will keep people sectarian and stunted.
When church government is a plurality of leadership that recognizes the across the spectrum need for cross pollination of the body, we will see great glory released to the body. This can only be fully realized when we start seeing ALL are in ONE covenant together. Many are in need of being brought the reality of the completeness and unity of covenant all His children already have in Christ.
COVERING EACH OTHER IN COVENANT
In the Body of Christ we are covered as we come into agreement with the Holy Spirit and then with others who have also come into agreement with the Holy Spirit. This covering comes from communion (common union) in the covenant that ALREADY EXISTS in Christ. When Christ manifests in His body, those who are in agreement with the Holy Spirit in prayer, word and worship become a covering for each other as they partake of the one covenant in submission to one another. As Christ is released in edification, encouragement, and even correction; we protect and care for each other in the Love of God. This has NOTHING to do with a leader, and is an ever broadening and widening reality that will be fully manifest body wide in the Kingdom Age.
You will not find the modern church concept of coverings ANYWHERE in scripture. The covering doctrine has given to men what ONLY belongs to God; our unquestioning, unwavering submission and contrition. It took me years to break free of the guilt and fear that comes from the “covering” doctrine. It is fear that keeps people bound to this false doctrine. Being part of the covering or "under authority" teaching does not mean you are evil. But, adherence to this doctrine systemically gives place in the body for someone other than the Lord to control, dictate, and take the place of “head”.
The covering doctrine is about being connected to leadership INSTEAD OF Christ. Many use "Covering” as a means of keeping people submitted to their doctrines, agendas, or leadership without question. For those unfortunate enough to have come under this influence, to disagree with your “covering”, or hear something from God they don’t agree with is to be unsubmitted to God and vulnerable to the devil. I have good news for you, it is not true. You have no need that any man teaches you, (definitely not me) but the anointing within you teaches you. He will teach you things men may not agree with. Go with the Holy Spirit and not the “covering”. Trust the anointing He has put in you by His Spirit. This is a work of the Spirit that makes available to people all of the teaching, direction or correction we need.
When the Lord told me I was to marry the woman who is now my wife, this is what He spoke: "She will be a covering for you". Wow, what a shock of a statement. But it has been truer than I could have ever imagined. She does not exercise authority over me. She has great influence on me and sways my heart with love; just as the Bride sways the heart of the Groom. But when her prayers open a path in blizzard (seen even on radar) for us go to a place of ministry, I must say, "she is a covering for me". I cannot imagine the impact of her prayers for me. My mother is also a covering for me with her prayers. She doesn’t exercise authority over me to bring me into submission to her agendas, doctrines, and church structure. But she certainly can speak to me the word of the Lord, and I must submit to the word if it is Him. I must submit to the voice of the Spirit in anyone speaking by Him, even my own children.
DIVINE UNITY-THE CITY CHURCH
DREAM - ONE CITY CHURCH
I had a dream in which I was going to church in a city. I was going with some others to this big church and as I was walking to the building a women stopped me and said, "For every great leader there is a denomination!" I realized that this is very true.
For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?~Paul~ Paul saw the same tendency of men in his day to form divisions in the body according to the leaders of his day. We have seen the fruit of this error manifest fully in the church. Whether it be a network of churches under and apostle, a fellowship of churches, or a mainline denomination; Many churches associate almost exclusively with a leader or administrative head-quarters that "heads" the group of churches. Most "churches" do not fellowship and relate with all other believers in their location, but according to those who agree with their doctrine or are subject to the same leadership regardless of where it is located.
As the dream continued, we entered into an auditorium in a building that was separate from the "main" church building. After looking again from outside the auditorium, I realized that the building actually adjoined and was part of the one main church, and shared the same stage and pulpit. I then realized that even though it was a different building it still was part of the larger church. As I pondered this it hit me! There was only ONE church in the city.
THE CHANGING CHURCH
One of the great changes coming to the ekklesia in this hour of transition is the changing structure and expression of the church. Those submitting to the cleansing and moving of the Holy Spirit in this hour are going to begin to recognize and walk in a unity of the Spirit not seen since the initial days after Pentecost. Old structures and divisions that have separated and bound people to a single man or movement are going to disappear. It will be important to recognize that the tie that binds us together is the bond of peace found within the Holy Spirit. Any bond with a man or ministry that hinders or undermines the ONE covenant of union in Christ Jesus is going to be seen as divisive and sectarian.
If you are led by the Spirit, you are God's child, and are already in a completed covenant of unity with everyone else in heaven and earth who is one with God. In the One Covenant of "Common union" with God and each other, power will be released so mightily that many people will move beyond their old alliances and allegiances to their own church "communities", denominations, leaders, and organizations. There is coming a move to unity of believers in a city or region. The true church will learn to organize and relate based upon location and not division. You will begin to see and recognize those Father has given authority to be elders of cities or regions.
ONE CITY CHURCH, MANY GATHERINGS
People will gather regularly in cities and regions in groups ranging from small house church groups to church groups in buildings. The difference will be the unity of Spirit in which all the children of God relate. One "head" means all are of the same body, and are the same church. While groups of a region will meet in separate houses or locations, they will all come together from time to time for worship and equipping at city or regional events. Ascension gifted individuals will be brought in to release kingdom realities that affect the whole body, and not just a small part of it. There will be those who travel to the small groups equipping on a smaller scale, but will be part of the team of elders recognized by all. The Lord Himself will orchestrate by the Spirit the equipping for each city/regional church. Cross pollinating of truth and revelation will cause deeper maturity to come to the common believer.
UNITY RELEASING BLESSING
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that runs down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard, that goes down to the skirts of his garments; as the dew of Hermon, that descends upon the mountains of Zion; for there the LORD commands blessing and eternal life.
The reason the church has not seen the power and presence of God released in a more profound and broader scale is division among brothers. He commands blessing and eternal life where brothers dwell in unity. As the church becomes more and more unified we will see clearly the blessing of God in abundant life flowing in every aspect of kingdom life. There is one kingdom, one church, one head, and one body. When the body is functioning in unity, the glory of God will be released in great measure. As much as this seems unlikely to some right now, it is already beginning to happen, and will be accomplished here on earth as it is in heaven.
You may find this book for free to download at: Breakingthemoldonline.net
Edited by Moderator on 09/06/2011 at 1:27pm
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