V Indicates Scripture or other reference

Back in Babel, ungodly religious leaders built a tower to intimidate and control other people. They said, in effect, “We have the power to build a tower, and you don’t; so you’d better honor us, and pay tribute to us, if you know what’s good for you!” God slapped those tower-builders down – just as He will slap down everyone who tries to gain ungodly control over the American people after the fall of America’s twin towers.

There are three basic tactics that people use to wield control over other people:
                        ·   Illegitimate law (religious traditions,
                                    corrupt politics, dictatorships, etc.);
                        ·   Man’s institutions (legalistic churches,
                                    universities, corporations, etc.);
                        ·   Personal intimidation (street bullies, pushy
                                    salesmen, false prophets, etc.).

To protect His people from being controlled by ungodly legal systems, secular institutions, and petty tyrants both inside and outside the Church, God promised to do three things:
                        ·    Write His laws in our hearts;
                        ·    Build His Church; and
                        ·    Be with us personally when we gather together
                                     in the Name of Jesus.

These promises will not keep the “tower-builders” of the world from trying to force God’s people into their systems. That’s why the Scriptures that contain these promises were not given to the tower-builders. God gave these promises to His Church – to us! – so we would know that He has preserved a place for us outside those towers.

Here are the promises, along with some strategies to keep yourself from being trapped in the wrong towers – and to keep yourself from becoming a builder of towers to entrap others!

Never try to control other people according to your ideas of right and wrong, because God said He will write His laws in His people’s hearts:

After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Jeremiah 31:33b

In several later chapters, we’ll explain how and why God will write His laws deep inside the hearts of His people. For now, let’s just say: “Don’t use God’s laws as a club to control other people – and don’t let anyone else club you with God’s (or any other!) laws.”

Never try to control God’s Church by making it conform to your “vision” – because God said He will build the Church that He envisioned “before the foundations of the worlds.” The Bible makes that clear in this conversation between Jesus and His disciple, Peter:

[Jesus] saith unto [all His disciples], But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven [revealed this to you by His Holy Spirit]. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter (Simon’s Greek name was Petros, meaning “a rock”), and upon this rock [of Spiritual revelation] I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Matthew 16:15-18

We’ll say more about the Spiritual foundations of the Christian Church in later chapters. For now, let’s just say: “Don’t try to start any ‘religious movement’ based on your own ideas of right and wrong – and don’t let anyone else snare you into a religion that is not faithful to the Spiritually-revealed will of God.”

Never try to control God by expecting Him to show up when, where, and how you want Him to. Jesus Himself told us exactly when, where, and why He would show up:

I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them by my Father who is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them.

Matthew 18:19,20

Now this is a much-misunderstood – and much-abused! – passage of Scripture. It does not mean that any rag-tag group of people can get together, agree they all should get new Cadillacs, pray for their favorite make and model, tack the words “in Jesus’ Name” on the end of the prayer, and expect a Caddy dealer to show up at the door with a set of keys. It does mean: