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News & Updates:

Announcements -

We hosted an in-person gathering at the Barrett home on Sunday, September 24th. We also hosted a Zoom meeting for those outside the region or who could not attend in person. It was a sweet time of fellowship and being together. I continued the series entitled, "Transformation, Change, Transfiguration" with the message, "Repenting, Renewing & Maturing." This message was the third in the series, all of which are posted in the upper right corner of this page.

Also, we invite you to check back on the website as you can and look for new resources. It has been a really busy summer for Melinda and me, with travel and a variety of family responsibilities. I have a number of messages that I hope to finish in the next few weeks. I will send email notices as these messages are posted to the website.

Lastly, we are working right now to settle on some schedule changes for our fall gatherings. One of the events that we will host this fall is a special Holiday Gathering. I expect that we will announce the date of that event by the 1st of October. I will also send an email notifications that will include dates for the next several gatherings.

We love you dearly and pray for you often. Blessings to you all,

Michael and Melinda

New Message -

You will see on the center of this page a new message entitled, "A Lamb for a House." The mandate of the corporate man is clearly typified in the key passages of Scripture used in this message. Also, to be correctly alligned and rightly joined in the Body of Christ has always been crucial, and it is moreso today. We invite you to prayerfully read this message and listen to what the Holy Spirit intends to say to you through it. You will note that we have posted only a portion of the message on the homepage but have provided a link to the entire message for your convenience.

We also encourage you to periodically check this site for new messages. Part of the "re-engage" this year involves writing and speaking messages that are current and relevant. "Profitable" (upper right on this page) and "Patmos" are both messages that are well suited for this time. And there are others soon to come. So, check back as you can.

Resources -

A recent quote from Sunday, May 7, 2023 Zoom meeting. Sam Soleyn said, "the problem with submitting to your own soverignty is that you can never move beyond yourself." If you are not on the email notification list for Sam's Zoom meetings, please email us and we will add you to the list. Email us by clicking this link: infoat@citychurchla.com.

Blessings to you,

Michael


SEAMLESS FELLOWSHIP
on 4/2/17
by Michael Barrett

THE ISSUE OF SOURCE
on 3/5/17
by Norman Moreau and Michael Barrett
  (
click here for companion notes)

AMBASSADORIAL REPRESENTATION
on 2/5/17
by Michael Barrett
  (
click here for companion notes)

ROYAL BIRTHRIGHT OR A BOWL OF STEW
on 1/1/17
by Michael Barrett
  (
click here for companion notes)

BUILDING GOD'S WAY (Spanish)
on 12/4/16
by Javier Lopez

THE GOSPEL OF PEACE
on 11/6/16
by Michael Barrett
  (
click here for companion notes)

DESTINED TO FAIL (Pt. 1)
on 9/1/16
by Michael Barrett


THE CRITICAL KEY OF SPIRITUAL HEARING
on 7/31/16
by Michael Barrett
  (
click here for companion notes)

LOVE - IF AND IS
on 6/5/16
by Michael Barrett

A TIME & A SEASON

on 5/1/16
by Michael Barrett

CRITICISM, A CRITICAL SPIRIT, OFFENSE & GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY
on 4/3/16
by Michael Barrett

ENTERING AND EXITING
on 3/6/16
by Michael Barrett

THE WEAPON OF QUIETNESS
on 2/7/16
by Michael Barrett

IMMEDIATELY
on 1/3/16
by Michael Barrett

THE BOUNDARIES OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD
on 5/3/15
by Dan Crawford

THE DUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST
on 4/5/15
by Michael Barrett

RESURRECTION AND THE TELEIOS MAN
on 10/5/14
by Michael Barrett

A CITY WITHOUT WALLS
on 8/10/14
by Michael Barrett

A CULTURE OF ONENESS
on 7/13/14
by Michael Barrett

EMPOWERED AND ENABLED
on 4/6/14
by Michael Barrett

WHAT'S IN A NAME
on 2/02/14
by Michael Barrett


2013 - 2014
on 1/05/14
by Michael Barrett

A YEAR IN REVIEW
on 12/08/13
by Michael Barrett

CHRIST FORMED
IN YOU

on 11/03/13
by Michael Barrett

WHAT IS GOD TEACHING YOU IN THIS SEASON and WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION
on 10/06/13
by Michael Barrett

The Schemes of the Devil

by Sam Soleyn

Scheme 1: "Ekklesia or Church"?

Many great schemes have been enacted to keep the body of Christ from coming to maturity. Last time I talked to you, about calling the church, calling the body of Christ the church. You remember that one? If you don't remember that one get the tape.  These are the, these are the other two heresies that are to be added to this one, the ones that I spoke about the last time. Last time I spoke primarily about calling the body of Christ the church. And you will say, and I know there are many of you here who weren't there so I'll just, for one moment, I'll explain what I meant..  In Scripture, every time the word "church" is written down, it's the word "ekklesia."   And it's translated "church," which was an English word, actually a Scottish word, that meant "the house of God" and did not mean "the elect or the called out."   So we've been introduced to institution because "the house of God" was always a building in ancient Scotland or England.  By the time it was written as "church," nobody doubted what "church" meant.  Everybody knew what "church" was. "Church" was a building where you went to worship God, in which to worship God. And it had a sanctuary and it was really set up, the whole system was set up in a manner similar to the ancient temple in Jerusalem. And it's just the perpetuation of the Levitical order in the day of the Melchizedek order.

As opposed to "the called out" who were always meant to be a people and never an institution.  I believe these issues today qualify as heresies, under the Biblical - and by the way, the term "heresy" literally means "the exclusion of the truth."  It's not like we blame each other with heresies if somebody says something we don't agree with.  But you could see where they came in, but we pull out the big gun and we say, "It's a heresy."   No, no we just don't see the same thing.  But a heresy is something that's meant to obstruct the truth.  That's the true meaning.   And it cannot exist in the same frame of reference as the truth.

The two heresies I spoke about the last time were, first of all, calling the body of Christ the church, calling the ekklesia the church, institutionalizing it from the time that that word was brought into the English language - or the English Bible - in 1611.   And I won't elaborate any further than that. Get the tape if you're curious enough to know what I was talking about.

Scheme 2: "Assembly or Meeting"?

And the second of these two heresies was to call a meeting "the assembly" because the assembly spoken of in Hebrews 10:25 and following says, "Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together." Now this was a reference to the collection of the parts and the fitting of the parts together as they were supposed to be fit.   And that this was not, and does not occur in a meeting.   I'm not against meetings, but I'm against calling them the assembly of the body because what it does, it obscures the truth, prevents the truth, and that is that we are being knit together and it causes us not to anticipate both that we're a part of the body of Christ and that we are to be fit, joint fit in a proper relationship within the body of Christ. Instead it causes us to believe that meeting on Sundays or whenever, that that's "the assembly."  Now there can be assemblies, but that, but this is a particular reference to a particular type of assembly.  And it's the fitting of the body together.  And it says: "Do not forsake that. Do not forsake where you have been put by the Holy Spirit when He put you in the body - both what He put you as and how He put you in the body."   And that's what the other one was about.

Schemes 3 & 4: "Royal Priesthood or Clergy/Laity"? And "The Word or the Book"?

So now, to those two I want to add the doctrine of clergy and laity. That's another forbidding heresy because that one excludes you from even the expectation of being in the presence of God. And further, I want to add calling the written Word the "Word of God."  And what that does, it does not allow you to anticipate that you will hear from God, that the Holy One actually speaks to you.  Instead, it relegates all that you will hear from God to human interpretation of what God has said. Human interpretation, apart from the Spirit, is always a matter of cognitive associations.  It's based in logic and it persuades men because they can see the logic of it.  This is the very carnal and sensual wisdom that we are told to avoid.  It's tainted and polluted because it's origin is not from God but from man.  Paul said, "We didn't come to persuade you by the wisdom, by that kind of wisdom, but by demonstrations of the Spirit's power that your faith might not rest in the wealth of words, or in human credibility."

The above article is an excerpt of a larger article by Sam Soleyn entitled, "The Schemes of the Devil."  You are encouraged to view the entire article, and other articles that relate by going to: http://www.soleyn.org/.  Click on the link "Resources", and select the tab, "Alphabetical By Title."  You may then view all articles in an alphabetical list.

Our intent in furnishing this article is not to offend or upset you, but simply to offer another view.  Please remember the words of the Apostle Paul, "we see through a glass dimly."  Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the Father's heart to you and you will see what you need to see for now.  There's always more to see and receive from the Lord.

RECENT MESSAGE

REPENTING, RENEWING & MATURING
on 9/24/23
by Michael Barrett

THE REVEALING OF THE SONS OF GOD
on 8/27/23
by Michael Barrett

PREDESTINATION, TRANSFORMATION & TRANSFIGURATION
on 7/23/23
by Michael Barrett

SUFFERING AND REIGNING
on 6/25-23
by Michael Barrett

SENDING AND RECEIVING
on 5/28/23
by Michael Barrett

THE IMPERATIVE OF UNDERSTANDING
on 4/26/2023
by Michael Barrett

PROPHETIC STEPS FOR 2023
on 3/26/2023 - Zoom @ Varghese Household
by Michael Barrett

PHILEMON -PROFITABLE FOR YOU & FOR ME
on 2/4/2023
by Michael Barrett

PROPHETIC MINISTRY - SOAKING IN THE ANOINTING
by Michael Barrett

SEAMLESS FELLOWSHIP
on 7/21/2022
by Michael Barrett

THE EMOTIONS OF THE SOUL IN THE NEW SEASON
on 7/4/2022
by Michael Barrett

VOWS & OATHS - A REFUGE OF LIES
on 9/6/2020
by Michael Barrett
   (
click here for companion notes)

REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE
on 6/14/20
by Michael Barrett
   (
click here for companion notes)

A CONSCIENCE VOID OF OFFENSE
on 3/1/20
by Michael Barrett

SAM SOLEYN MESSAGE
on 1/5/20
by Sam Soleyn

THE SPIRIT OF EVANGELISM
on 11/17/19
by Dan Fox

THE VOICE OF ONE
on 11/3/19
by Michael Barrett (with open sharing)

THE RELATIONSHIP OF SON TO FAITH
on 10/6/19
by Michael Barrett

ESTABLISHED IN RIGHTEOUSNESS
on 9/1/19
by Michael Barrett

FROM MOURNING TO DANCING
on 8/4/19
by Michael Barrett

WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG
on 7/7/19
by Michael Barrett


THE GENESIS FACE
on 6/2/19
by Michael Barrett

CREATION'S EXPECTATION AND GOD'S PROVISION
on 5/5/19
by Michael Barrett

SEAMLESS FELLOWSHIP
on 4/7/19
by Michael Barrett

JESUS - YOUR KINSMAN REDEEMER
on 3/3/19
by Michael Barrett
   (
click here for companion notes)

INHERITANCE - DOCTRINE & EXPERIENCE
on 2/3/19
by Michael Barrett

AN ANSWER FOR YOUR MIND
on 1/6/19
by Michael Barrett

A SON, A HOUSE, A NATION
on 12/2/18
by Michael Barrett

A SEASON OF AWAKENING
on 11/4/18
by Michael Barrett

BROKENNESS, HUMILITY AND PRIDE
on 10/7/18
by Michael Barrett

PEACE THAT PASSES UNDERSTANDING
on 9/2/18
by Michael Barrett

DAN FOX: A MESSAGE OF ENCOURAGEMENT
MICHAEL BARRETT: PROPHETIC WORD
on 8/5/18

THE EYES, WHICH EYES AND SEEING AS GOD SEES
on 7/1/18
by Michael Barrett
   (
click here for companion notes)

THE OIL OF GLADNESS
on 6/3/18
by Michael Barrett

THE HOUSE AND THE PRIESTHOOD
on 2/4/18
by Michael Barrett

EYES ALL AROUND
on 1/7/18
by Michael Barrett
   (click here for companion notes)

THE KINGDOM OF GOD - A KINGDOM OF ORDER
on 12/3/17
by Michael Barrett

APPROACHING THE GOD OF GLORY
on 11/5/17
by Dan Fox

CROSS OVER AND OCCUPY
on 8/6/17
by Michael Barrett

ANNOUNCING A CHANGE OF SEASON
on 7/2/17
by Michael Barrett

PERSPECTIVE - GAINING GOD'S VIEW (includes discussion)
on 6/4/17
by Michael Barrett


ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER
on 5/7/17
by Michael Barrett
  (
click here for companion notes)

*other messages may be found on the "Media Resources" tab at the center top of this page

    City Church
    132 Scopena Circle
    Bossier City, LA 71112

    email: City Church