Jesus

It’s Time for An American Church “Barman Declaration”

/ JSB / 1 Comment

What is the nature of the nationalist fervor which has fallen upon our nation?
How do its tenets pollute the ethos of the ekklesia, and the pure proclamation of the gospel?
How does the nationalist fervor influence the body of Christ to walk out of step with the Spirit and ways of our Lord, Jesus Christ?
What are the real, and pragmatic faith issues that are at risk, because of this fervor?
What evangelical declarations need to be reenforced within the Church in this hour?

These were questions that stirred within Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and other pastors and theologians, who were watching a menacing political spirit overtake the people of God in 1930’s Germany.

In 1936, when Bonhoeffer did most of the writing of his book, “The Cost of Discipleship“, the Nazi rallies in Nuremberg were at their height of popularity. These rallies would run for a week, and include marches of various segments of the nation (ie. Labor workers, women and mothers, youth, religious etc.) who would participate in elaborate, festive parades that would snake through surrounding villages – all culminating in the large amphitheater in Nuremberg.

The Rally included speeches on the topics of The Power of the German Workforce, the Bolshevism in Theory and Practice, Homeland Security, The Youth Movement, The Task of the Judiciary, The Task of the German Press/Newspapers, The Financial Health of the German Government

On the seventh day of the rally, “the Fuerher” would address sometimes upward of 700,000 attendees.

“I see before me endless columns of the flags of our new Reich. I make this prophecy to you: This Reich will grow in the coming centuries, becoming strong and powerful! These flags will be borne by ever new generations of our people. Germany is healthy once more! Our people is reborn! I greet you as the hope of the present and the guarantee of our future. Fight! and Be upright and determined, fear no one and do your duty! If you do so, the Lord God will never leave our people. Heil Germany!” Adolph Hitler • September 14, 1936

The following Sunday, hundreds of thousands of these same people would go to church. (In 1936, 95% of the German population identified as Christian – 65% Protestant, and 30% Catholic.)

The pro-Nazi “German Christian” movement became a force in the church in 1933, primarily preaching that Bolshevism was using race as a way to pollute and divide the German people. The majority of Protestant churches, Lutheran, Methodist and Baptist fell in league with the Nazi Party by 1936, forming the “Protestant Reich Church”, and glorified Adolf Hitler as a “German prophet”.

Early on, some Catholic bishops prohibited Catholics in their dioceses from joining the Nazi Party. This ban was dropped after Hitler’s March 23, 1933, speech to the Reichstag in which he described Christianity as “the foundation for German values”.

The Reich Ministry of Church Affairs was established in July of 1936, creating for the first time in Germany an independent, centralized government ministry with responsibility for the Reich’s religious life.

The German Churches and the Nazi State https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-german-churches-and-the-nazi-state

Two years earlier, (1934) Bonhoeffer, along with a handful of other leading Protestant theologians, seeing the growing contraChrist spirit overtaking much of the German Church, formed “The Confessing Church”, centered around “The Barman Confession” (originally titled, “Theological Declaration Concerning the Present Situation of the German Evangelical Church”)
http://postbarthian.com/2018/05/21/karl-barth-and-the-barmen-declaration-1934/

“The Barman Declaration” (chiefly written by the Swiss theologian, Karl Barth) contained six propositions, each rooted squarely in Scripture, stating its implications for the present day, and rejecting the false doctrine of Nationalism. The declaration asserted the church’s fidelity to Jesus Christ alone, Who stands as Lord in every sphere of life – and Who’s ways are to govern the manner of His Body’s witness within each of these spheres as well.

THE BARMAN DECLARATION
In view of the errors of the “German Christians” and of the present Reich Church Administration, which are ravaging the Church and at the same time also shattering the unity of the German Evangelical Church, we confess the following evangelical truths:

1. “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved.” John 10:1,9

Jesus Christ, as he is attested to us in Holy Scripture, is the one Word of God whom we have to hear, and whom we have to trust and obey in life and in death.

We reject the false doctrine that the Church could and should recognize as a source of its proclamation, beyond and besides this one Word of God, yet other events, powers, historic figures and truths as God’s revelation.

2. “Jesus Christ has been made wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption for us by God.” 1 Corinthians 1:30

As Jesus Christ is God’s comforting pronouncement of the forgiveness of all our sins, so, with equal seriousness, he is also God’s vigorous announcement of his claim upon our whole life. Through him there comes to us joyful liberation from the godless ties of this world for free, grateful service to his creatures.

We reject the false doctrine that there could be areas of our life in which we would not belong to Jesus Christ but to other lords, areas in which we would not need justification and sanctification through him.

3. “Let us, however, speak the truth in love, and in every respect grow into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body is joined together.” Ephesians 4:15-16

The Christian Church is the community of brethren in which, in Word and Sacrament, through the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ acts in the present as Lord. With both its faith and its obedience, with both its message and its order, it has to testify in the midst of the sinful world, as the Church of pardoned sinners, that it belongs to him alone and lives and may live by his comfort and under his direction alone, in expectation of his appearing.

We reject the false doctrine that the Church could have permission to hand over the form of its message and of its order to whatever it itself might wish or to the vicissitudes of the prevailing ideological and political convictions of the day.

4. “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to have authority over you must be your servant.” Matthew 20:25-26

The various offices in the Church do not provide a basis for some to exercise authority over others but for the ministry [lit., “service”] with which the whole community has been entrusted and charged to be carried out.

We reject the false doctrine that, apart from this ministry, the Church could, and could have permission to, give itself or allow itself to be given special leaders [Führer] vested with ruling authority.

5. “Fear God. Honor the Emperor.” 1 Peter 2:17

Scripture tells us that by divine appointment the State, in this still unredeemed world in which also the Church is situated, has the task of maintaining justice and peace, so far as human discernment and human ability make this possible, by means of the threat and use of force. The Church acknowledges with gratitude and reverence toward God the benefit of this, his appointment. It draws attention to God’s Dominion [Reich], God’s commandment and justice, and with these the responsibility of those who rule and those who are ruled. It trusts and obeys the power of the Word, by which God upholds all things.

We reject the false doctrine that beyond its special commission the State should and could become the sole and total order of human life and so fulfill the vocation of the Church as well.

We reject the false doctrine that beyond its special commission the Church should and could take on the nature, tasks and dignity which belong to the State and thus become itself an organ of the State.

6. “See, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matt. 28:20 “God’s Word is not fettered.” 2 Timothy 2:9

The Church’s commission, which is the foundation of its freedom, consists in this: in Christ’s stead, and so in the service of his own Word and work, to deliver all people, through preaching and sacrament, the message of the free grace of God.

We reject the false doctrine that with human vainglory the Church could place the Word and work of the Lord in the service of self-chosen desires, purposes and plans.

The Confessing Synod of the German Evangelical Church declares that it sees in the acknowledgment of these truths and in the rejection of these errors the indispensable theological basis of the German Evangelical Church as a confederation of Confessing Churches. It calls upon all who can stand in solidarity with its Declaration to be mindful of these theological findings in all their decisions concerning Church and State. It appeals to all concerned to return to unity in faith, hope and love.

Verbum Dei manet in aeternum.
(The Word of God endures forever.)

Is it time for the American Church to establish her own Barman Declaration? Is it past time?

What is the nature of the nationalist fervor which has fallen upon our nation?
How do its tenets pollute the ethos of the ekklesia, and the pure proclamation of the gospel?
How does the nationalist fervor influence the body of Christ to walk out of step with the Spirit and ways of our Lord, Jesus Christ?
What are the real, and pragmatic faith issues that are at risk, because of this fervor?
What evangelical declarations need to be reenforced within the Church in this hour?

____________________
JSB • March 22, 2025

Party Rally of Honor by Dr. Walther Schmitt http://research.calvin.edu/german-propaganda-archive/pt36int.htm

The 1936 Nazi Rally Order of Ceremony
https://research.calvin.edu/german-propaganda-archive/pt36.htm

Jesus’ Invitation Out of Babylon

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Right now, across the earth, in the midst of impossible crises; elections; climate-fear; Israel; epidemics; and even church scandals, the way of Babylon is being heralded, elevated, and strengthened through all forms of media, governments, organizations, and human interaction – and especially through social media.

At its essence “Babylon” is the way of self-determination, and self-rule. The voice of Babylon says: “Come, let us build ourselves…” (Genesis 11:4) It’s the way of developing solutions to human crises. It legislates laws. It forms think-tanks and committees. It develops strategies and initiatives. It protests, and then demands countermeasures.

Resolutions that are impossible to accomplish, and enforce – but programs that are put in place none-the-less; without humiliation; without abasement; without poverty of spirit – liberal, socialist, conservative and nationalist; these endeavors of human flesh “promise the world” without the encumbrance of being subjected to (and waiting upon) the One Who created, died for, and is coming to rule the world.

These very human ways; the way of Babylon, are fouling the earth with insurrection against the essence of our endemic relationship with God. These are the ways of human striving and impatience.

We belong under our Father’s intimate, daily, and holy care. Apart from this life-giving connection, we’re in rebellion against our God. We are living in human autonomy – ultimately, only accountable, “on the curve”, in comparison to others who are also living alienated from our true life-source.

This way of Babylon is being touted by political champions, cultural idols, and religious intelligencia; prophets and priests alike – everyone who attempts to crowd-source a unity rooted in the power of human strength, rather than human poverty.

This is the prevalent, endemic way of the human heart – and the Bible tells us, it will mushroom, compound, and thoroughly infect the whole earth…

“And (the angel) cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, ‘Babylon the great… has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.” (Revelation 18:2-3)

The first Words of Jesus’ sermon on the mount spell the end to the kingdom of Babylon: “You’re blessed when you realize that you’re poor, and you live with the daily awareness of your impoverished spirit. In fact, THIS mental attitude is the gateway into My Kingdom.” (Matthew 5:3)

Right now, those who are (even blindly) caught up in the ways of Babylon, are urging communities, nations and churches to come up with solutions to the troubles and tribulations that threaten us – without needing to acknowledge our mutual poverty; without needing to admit that none of us are righteous; without acknowledging that none of us have the keys to life.

Do you see the difference? The Lord is orchestrating circumstances, and training the redeemed to perceive the distinction between the way of true life, and the way of perpetual darkness, curse and frustration.

Those who humble themselves and learn from Him, are seeing the distinction; and are becoming more and more rooted in intimate, humble, repentant-even, conversation with the dialogue-speaking God. He’s our way; our truth; our life; (John 14:8) breath by daily breath. He is our very Present Shepherd Who guides, counsels, provides, protects, and resurrects EVERYONE who comes to Him out of the contention of Babylon, and says: “I’m poor. Completely poor. Without a cent. Without one plea. Show me the way.”

Those who never come to Him in this manner; who continue to follow the self-sufficient-siren-song of Babylon, will never sing the song of the Lamb. When push comes to shove, they will not have cultivated lives that have learned the blessed place of putting all their weight, and hope on the close, leadership of the King. And with the rubble of Babylon’s laws, edicts, projects, initiatives and mandates all around them, they will not understand the tingling zeal of those who herald Him with the words: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing… and who sits on the throne… forever and ever!” (Revelation 5:12,13,14)

Today is a day for us to come to Him, and behold Him in all His unique, life-giving sufficiency; to fall at His feet; to lay the millions of our wisest solutions before Him; to plead utter poverty – and to plead for grace to continue to live before Him in such an impoverished manner. When we do, the Kingdom of heaven will open to us (Matthew 5:3) – and we may even be privileged to offer His Kingdom to others who are being chafed by the barren promises of Babylon.

Beloved. Right now, the Father is waiting for us to do His Son’s first beatitude; to humble ourselves; to desperately need Him; and to urgently cry out for His tangible, daily, in-our-midst, administration of our lives.

His invitation into (or BACK into) His Kingdom is open to us at this very moment.

____________________
JSB • July, 2024

The Sins of the House of Prayer: 25 Points of Repentance

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The only way to move through the trauma, destruction and tribulation that’s engulfed the House of Prayer world is to be wholly honest about the sins within our family. Unless we see these sins in the Father’s light, we will not understand…
A • the depth of sin that has been worked against us, and how seriously it has injured us.

B • the various levels of our own complicity and participation in these sins.

C • the nature of the thorough healing and redemptive trust-building we must engage in, individually and collectively.

D • the fathoms of mercy that Jesus makes available to the sinner(s), and all affected by the sin.

E • Neither will we be adequately prepared to enter into the many promises of the coming season, as the Bride prepares herself for the return of our King.

When persons within the “family” refuse to cooperate with the essential work of naming the sins, the rest of the family is left with the extremely painful, and tender task of identifying the sin. This task is fraught with holy danger, but is vital if the family, and her individual, organic members are to recover in Christ. This endeavor is all the more difficult when the heads of the family are the ones refusing to come into the light and set the tone for those they are called to lead.

Yes. The Lord can heal, forgive and restore, but it is immensely more difficult to work for and receive this depth of redemption once the wounds have become infected, the limbs have been severed, and the perpetrators (that’s all of us) are enclosed in their/our towers of self-defense.

PART 1
THE DEADLY SINS of OUR “FATHER”, MIKE BICKLE

1 • Sexual abuse against our vulnerable, young sisters in Christ

2 • Covering, deceit and manipulation re these abusive sins – for decades

3 • Failure to seek out, and submit to family help/accountability re: the nature, and long pattern of these disqualifying sins

4 • Refusal to trust the mercy of God, as his own sons; our brothers came to him in the spirit of Matthew 18 re his hidden sins

5 • Building a campaign of self-defense, counter-attack, and prophetic machination against his own sons, and daughters, for the benefit of keeping his sins hidden

6 • Repeatedly lying and deceiving investigators about the substance of his hidden sins

7 • Remaining in the shadows for months, allowing his own family to suffer utter decimation, for nothing more than protecting that which should have long been crucified in Christ.

PART 2
THE DEADLY SINS of the LEADERS of IHOPKC

8 • Failure to initially respond to allegations with collective call to humility, trembling, repentance and fear of the Lord (Joshua 7)

9 • Cultivating an adversarial posture against victims and those who were speaking on behalf of the victims

10 • Fostering a self-saving, business as usual, public-relations management spirit while resisting the Lord’s wholesale call to the threshing-floor. 

11 • Refusal to listen to hundreds of respected sisters and brothers in Christ; allies, compatriots, fathers and mothers in Christ who have been calling for an objective, third-party investigation

12 • Developing a pattern of communicating with other leaders, counselors, pastors and the rest of the House of Prayer family rooted in suspicion, hostility, pride and pretense

13 • Neglect of the spiritual/emotional needs for staff, families, students and interns to have a safe, holy space to grieve, mourn, speak truthfully, and receive intensive spiritual counsel

14 • Dogged resistance to suspend all other activities and blow the trumpet for a Joel 2 assembly

NOTE TO “US” (House of Prayer Leadership at Large, and the Whole House of Prayer Global Family) If we don’t see that the tribulation that has engulfed the House of Prayer is foremost about the Father judging us, and our household, whatever else we have to say, either as accusation, or in defense, is gonna be off-point. Profoundly. Generally speaking, we humans would rather do the easy work of “destroying”, than the hard work of “healing”. For this reason, the last SINS are not only listed, but also accompanied with words of confession, contrition and repentance. It is vital that we allow the Holy Spirit to search and engage our own souls about these matters.

“The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desire are they than gold; yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.” (Psalm 19:9-10)

PART 3
CONFESSION of THE DEADLY SINS of HOUSE of PRAYER LEADERS and FORMER HOUSE of PRAYER LEADERS in the DIASPORA

15 • We have refused to respond to the Lord’s summons and have not gathered ourselves to the Lord’s threshing floor through this crisis. We have not called for, nor responded to a collective Joel 2 assembly.

“Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the Lord your God… Blow the trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly; gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and nursing babes… Let the priests, who minister to the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar; let them say, ‘Spare Your people, O Lord, and do not give Your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’“ (Joel 2:12-17)

16 • We’ve watched our sisters and brothers in Kansas City suffer gross sin, difficulty, conflict, and great aspersion without coming to them with united support, encouragement and solidarity.

17 • We’ve attempted to “save self”, and have too easily “jumped out of the number”in our living fellowship with our sisters and brothers in Kansas City.

“He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:12)

18 • We have compounded our family’s crisis, by too often allowing ourselves to become embittered observers, and social-media critics of our sisters and brothers in Kansas City.

19 • We have utterly failed to recognize, and call others to respond to the depth of the Lord’s active, holy presence and judgment in the midst of our family.

“Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness…’ Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 3:7-8; Hebrews 10:29)

PART 4
CONFESSION of THE DEADLY SINS of the ENTIRE HOUSE of PRAYER FAMILY

“I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for Your servants, and confess the sins which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded.” (Nehemiah 1:5-7)

20 • We have generally not recognized the depth of the Lord’s holy initiative and judgment in the midst of our family through this crisis.

21 • We have tolerated, and helped to create a communal atmosphere where the prominent were vaunted, and protected, while the nameless were left vulnerable, marginalized and/or scrutinized.

22 • When our leaders have failed to “blow the trumpet” we have not prayed for them, nor pressed the need for such holy response to the judgments of the Lord.

23 • We have majored on responding to each other, seeking consolation and building self-honoring narratives in preference to seeking truth, counsel and consolation from the Lord, Himself.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my fears; and see if there is any wicked way in me.” (Psalm 139:23-24)

24 • We have allowed our opinions, our criticism, and bitterness to dictate the thoroughfares of our heart, rather than the Word of the Lord, and His cleansing, redeeming judgments.

25 • In our attempt to remain free of guilt and complicity, we too have easily, and often “jumped out of the number”, and become accusers, rather than fellows with sinners. Our hearts remain all too filled with self-exoneration.

“God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.“ (1 John 1:5-10)

Beloved family, we have deep, long furrows of spiritual work ahead of us, if we are to walk in the light as He is in the light (1 John 1:7). Our many, common and diverse future assignments from the Lord will not freely go forward with Holy Spirit power if we short-change this cleansing, purging, forgiving, redeeming process. This is no hour of human history to allow any sliver of unhealed or unsubmitted darkness to remain in our lives together. As the title of this article notes, to leave these sins partially or completely undealt with spells ultimate death to the fellowship the Lord has cultivated in the House of Prayer over the last 25 years. 

“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:2-8)

“Who is a God like You, who forgives wickedness and passes over the rebellious acts of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He constantly delights in mercy and lovingkindness. He shall again have compassion on us; He will subdue and tread underfoot our wickedness [destroying sin’s power]. Yes, You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea. You shall give truth to Jacob and lovingkindness and mercy to Abraham.” (Micah 7:18-20)

For the month of March (2024) All Nations House of Prayer Southwest is dedicating every prayer-set, prayer gathering, and prayer topic to engage the Lord in corporate confession, mourning, repentance and and purification. If you would like more information about visiting us, and participating with us in this work, contact me, Jonathan Boegl, at xaris4u@yahoo.com 

There remains a great promise for all who thoroughly bring their house before the Lord in this hour: “The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.” (Joel 2:24)

____________________
JSB • February, 2024