Pope To Pastor

Over the course of the last year or so I’ve had to get divorced. And no I’m not speaking of my marriage HAHA 

IM SPEAKING of doctrines, ideas, motifs, and other frameworks from the various rivers I’ve swam in I’ve the years. Whether it be the Traditional Pentecostal Assemblies of God, The Word Of Faith, The NAR (New Apostolic Reformation), and even the traditional Southern Baptist I’ve had to reform, reframe, and rethink many of my closely held views due to a lack of balance and fruitfulness. 

And not only doctrines, such as early reformational frameworks, but even other things like the call of God to ministry, unity in the Body today among denominational lines, and other ideas that are common to all streams in The Body of Christ. And life in general. Just an off the cuff authentic conversation to kick this new playlist off.

Here, using Romans 7 & Galatians 2:19-21 we begin dissecting, dismantling above mentioned streams, analyzing, retrospectively renovating, rebuilding, and recentering what has gone off kilter. 

To begin using Scripture in a systematic conversational approach to bring to light not only inconsistencies, but slowly unpack a possible solution to this mess that has permeated the whole batch. 

We are slowly doing the work on this playlist, because it is necessary to take time, build with family in mind, with excellence, clarity, power, and genuine centered biblical truth that I believe is unique to the whole field of view on its own. Separate from the crowd. 

And lived out not in scholastic halls, but in the working class life of an everyday believer. I’ve been in the pulpit, I’ve been in the pit, and now I’m in the trenches with you hashing this out. In the words of Nehemiah in the midst of ruins, “Let Us Arise And Build!”

YouTube Handle: @JustinSnyder-zq1tc

Pope To Pastor

Be Filled With His Abundance of Grace, Richness of Love, Perfect Perfect Peace, and Complete Eternal Wholeness

Justin Luke Snyder

In this episode I wanted to take time to share a poetic devotional writing I’ve composed that explains the depths of my heart regarding the theological concepts I’m putting forth on this channel in a way that’s relatable, and relevant.

To rebuild healthy starts with a relationship with Jesus when the crowds are absent yet  He is present. So here is a snippet written below of the cry of my heart that I believe is the absolute center of what’s most important.

The cry of my heart is the Greatest Commandment of Love that Jesus gave. For that which John spoke of to be my life’s anthem.

Sometimes you forget that you are not truly abiding in Christ until you find yourself not loving those closest to you.

To be known for this commandment, especially by my own family is my prayer.

But it begins in the secret place of that like a tree receiving life and true nourishment before giving it out. You love as you are first loved.

More often than not, if I’m honest, your devotional life won’t feel like being still as a tree planted by streams of water (Psalm 1), as you desire it to be.

Rather, your day immediately being blown around violently. Just because of the nature of a busy life most people have. Not allowing you to calibrate.

Being first loved calibrates you to love. It centers you, balances you. The greatest commandment was to love as much as Jesus loved us. Remind yourself of the simple yet greatest commandment. Because in His great mercy and grace He makes you as consistently fruitful as that psalm 1 tree. A beautiful monergism of The Love Of God.

What is true love? Not to love, but to be loved. It is to be carried along by the Father’s embrace. Even when you feel like you are drowning in an open sea, you suddenly find that you are not sinking. But you are carried along to shore. His embrace always has you as a Father does His Child.

What does it mean to hunger and thirst for righteousness?
Blessed is the man who finds himself in the beautiful lifestyle.

To be abundantly satisfied with the childlike pursuit of the lifestyle of a hunger and thirst that never ends yet always satisfies.

A hunger and thirst that so supersedes the natural cravings that leaves you in an overly satisfied pursuit  leaving you in a place of the setting aside of natural needs. The purest form of fasting. A true content and upright heart.

What is it to Hunger and to Thirst?

To hunger for hunger For His Flesh. To thirst for thirst For The Living Waters That Never Run Dry. That is Free And Without Cost. The goal is not a momentary satisfaction, but to be overflowing with satisfaction every single day—Endless Bread, Endless Rivers—forever full. Give us this day, our Daily Bread.

What is the craving?

Righteousness. Right standing? No! You have been satisfied in that by believing on Christ in your beginnings. Righteousness is more than some declaration, it is an identity. A regeneration of nature into an ever deepening union.

So of Union? Yes!

Of this state we hunger and thirst for. Righteousness is a state of being. A hunger for the eternal feast of our ever deepening union with The Godhead. To be that which we are in Christ and yet are also becoming. Now and not yet. Jesus prayed that we might become one as He and The Father are one. We don’t become God as He is but we are co-heirs, we become like our Master. 

True fasting is a devotional union of our desire to seek Jesus producing an abandonment to self because He accepts us. So our life becomes an intimate pursuit of Jesus. And He, The Holy Spirit, conforms us into Christ’

YouTube Handle: @JustinSnyder-zq1tc

Pope To Pastor

Be Filled With His Abundance of Grace, Richness of Love, Perfect Perfect Peace, and Complete Eternal Wholeness

Justin Luke Snyder

Galatians 2:18  says this, “For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor.”
‭‭(NASB1995‬‬)

In this episode this is the approximately the starting block for the episodes ahead. A contextual overview of what I want to address by way of exegetically work ing my way through a key set of passages, Galatians 2:17-3:22, and help point out not only faults in the various streams I’ve been involved with, but also pointing towards a solution. 

Analyzing The Gospel I have known and “renovating” it so to speak in a way that I believe more aligns with The Scriptures. Recentering Jesus as Lord, The Holy Spirit as Lord, and rebuilding with such a balance that it produces what The Scriptures teach organically. 

These verses have been absolutely instrumental in my life this past year in doing spiritual inspections over the past yearish. So I want to sit down in an authentic conversational style and just share what I’m learning in hopes that it not only impacts those that need to hear this. But be apart of the actual legitimate solution to the cry of many to rebuild what is crumbling today before our eyes. 

Due to technical difficulties I the video was cut short at the end but the crux of this conversation is there. I’m looking to do more long form content that really addresses issues like what I’m sharing today. With that said, may God richly bless you and thanks for watching! 

Let us arise and build!

YouTube Handle: @JustinSnyder-zq1tc

Pope To Pastor

Be Filled With His Abundance of Grace, Richness of Love, Perfect Perfect Peace, and Complete Eternal Wholeness

Justin Luke Snyder

Welcome to another episode of Pope To Pastor

I’m your host, Justin lending my hand and hammer to…

Renovating The Gospel.

Rebuilding The Church. 

Restoring Jesus To The Center. 

Rebuilding The Church One Truth at a Time

The Church has fallen, its ruins laid bare. My heart is to help rebuild with pastoral care. I’m a builder, cabinet maker, a fixer, a husband, a dad, and a believer. I’ve been in ministry teaching and I’ve been the regular laymen. I’ve built with words and with my hands. And have also torn down with the same. I have my story. My testimony. And my own credibility. So I lend my hand and my hammer to rebuild what’s dilapidated and broken. 

From Pope to Pastor you see two extremes, two totally different worlds, functions, cultures, histories, timelines and completely vast in its forms of attempts to create the true expression of The Church. 

Though it began in the garden and beforehand, it is evident of the poor infrastructure in the far western church building many call home. Including myself. In this episode we go impromptu in an unedited conversation returning to the foundation before I begin any more building. To come back to the heart of this channel.

Here reforms are not only offered for the micro details of what is wrong today, but for the macro foundational footers of The Church. To bring forth a legitimate organic solution, which is Christ alone that had always been there, to the foreground. So that the actual rebuilding can begin. So that we may see the rebuilding of The Church restoring Jesus’ sheep to pasture.

In the words of Nehemiah, “Let Us Arise, and Build!”

YouTube Handle: @JustinSnyder-zq1tc

Pope To Pastor

Be Filled With His Abundance of Grace, Richness of Love, Perfect Perfect Peace, and Complete Eternal Wholeness

Justin Luke Snyder

The First Several Episodes and the few following this one are apart of a one piece work I’ve been writing on, and living out, for several years now. Subdivided off into the listed titles you see. 

The piece is a paper I’ve titled, For Freedom’s Sake. 

As is this a personal journey I feel the need to give some credibility and context as to why I’m doing this. I have lived in this spirit filled charismatic community for over a decade. I have been a leader and laity. But as of today I feel upon my exit from this world for a bit I want to govern my response to this mess we all are witnessing unfolding. But not to be a part of the problem I also believe it begs us to be a part of the solution to a house in need of renovation. For Freedom Sake we must do so.

This is an appeal to The Spirit Filled Church as a brother in Christ cut from the same cloth, raised in the same stream. Not as a stranger but as one who has lived in the same house for the last 14 years. But now I am sensing, until further notice.  It is time to run from a burning building. It was not my choice but I believe it is becoming more clear every day. And for freedom’s sake let me share what I believe is the heart cry of God, and my own, with my fellow family members in Christ.

So for now as you hear my heart giving context for why I’m posting I leave with this scriptural exhortation echoing the apostle Paul as a lens for this channel:

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” 

“This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?” 

Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬, ‭7‬-‭9‬, ‭13‬ ‭NASB 1995‬‬

YouTube Handle: @JustinSnyder-zq1tc

Pope To Pastor

Be Filled With His Abundance of Grace, Richness of Love, Perfect Perfect Peace, and Complete Eternal Wholeness

Justin Luke Snyder

The American Church is built upon your failures, not Christ’s freedom. It is built with endless bounds of religious rainbows that have nothing left in its life but pride. And this condemning life that breeds endless condemnation in the conscience. And it is this endless cycle that breeds behavior that we ourselves condemn internally though man applauds all the more. Therefore, let us endeavor to understand actual condemnation in the right way so that we will quit being blind leading the blind into endless ditches. 

Condemnation is not as law/penalty based as it is guilt based by fully understanding the definition and its context (See Strong’s 2632 “Kata-ak’-ree-mah.” You see, the penalty is often taught in relation to the guilt conscience of man. 

1 Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, (‭‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭6‬‬:‭1‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬)

14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (‭‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭9‬‬:‭14‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬)

In this video the seeping work begins in not only addressing how condemnation, and its leaven, in the American church at large has led us to the current state of affairs. 

Not only is the problem addressed, but here, in Christ there is a solution. 

This is Part 1 of 2 of the video entitled Condemnation…

YouTube Handle: @JustinSnyder-zq1tc

Pope To Pastor

Be Filled With His Abundance of Grace, Richness of Love, Perfect Perfect Peace, and Complete Eternal Wholeness

Justin Luke Snyder

In this video I retrospectively begin to take a spiritual trencher to the footers of the condition of the modern church’s foundations. 

Identifying systemic cracks in the foundational wall, and the poor footings poured that has allowed such a skewed expression of The Church to be erected in our day.

Not just pointing out the obvious dilapidated condition anyone can see with even an untrained eye. But, as a specialist would, or an inspector would, come to see what’s not up to code. Only pointing out issues that only they could see. 

In this retrospection, I begin the deep dive into what the issues truly are. But not only that, but begin to trace back the origins so that a solution may be offered to our house in desperate need of renovation. This house, as scripture states, is His House, The Household of Faith. 



The full transcript is found in the posts on my YouTube page. 

   

   Be Filled With His Abundance of Grace, Richness of Love, Perfect Perfect Peace, and Complete Eternal Wholeness

 Justin Luke Snyder

YouTube Handle: @JustinSnyder-zq1tc

Pope To Pastor

Be Filled With His Abundance of Grace, Richness of Love, Perfect Perfect Peace, and Complete Eternal Wholeness

Justin Luke Snyder

Here we address The Beginning. And by the beginning I specifically hit ground zero. 
The very ground where religion enter into humanity and creation. From where we get to today, and its many branched expressions. Both the good and bad. 

But we tend to blame expressions and man for failure when it’s Satan deadly concoction of transactional leaven woven into the condemned conscience of man that produced such poor reflections of Christ in the earth. It began in the beginning with The First Great Lie. 

The First Great Lie to Mankind was a deadly concoction of Accusation and Condemnation. A deadly drink that its poison is quietly being consumed across not only all of Christianity, Protestant and Catholic, but within the body of the non believing mankind.

The First Great lie was satan attempting to condemn God through the actions of men’s disobedience at The Tree. By way of questioning. The great catechism of satan. Introducing the leaven of transactional theology...

This leaven has birthed many fruitless branches we ought not to be nesting in today. In all streams of Christianity today, from then until now, in religious traditions and non religious this is the leaven woven throughout. Mankind longs for reconciliation, but has fallen short due to this leaven. This leaven is “transactional theology.” If I do this then I can be like God. 

When instead we ought to believe in The One who condemned sin in the flesh and in The One whom now offers no condemnation apart from our works. That we don’t have to eat (do anything) to be like Him. In Christ this Promise has been given as a gift. Then satan, nor man whom often does similar acts as him, can determine how you can become like God. The framework of many religious structures today. Rather, it is In Christ you can become as He is, by the continuous work of The Spirit. 

Transactional Theology is unscripted leaven woven throughout all of Christianity from its inception to its present state. Spoken of as “religion” or “works” by many streams but never truly explain how this is the case. Our senses smell the rigor mortis of religion beginning to set in but do not know how to identify it. Or reverse this deathly leaven with the right life giving solution. Many claim to have a belief system that warrants against such leaven to be present in their sphere yet nonetheless the fruit of the trees they have planted contain deeply buried at its root system, the seed of transactional theology. This is the leaven Jesus warned of. This is religion, as vague as it has been described and veiled from plain sight. It is there if you can see it. But the Solution I have been given to this systematic disease within The Church today is “Seed Theology.” A theology that rightly centers Jesus and The Holy Spirit in their rightful place, and that is Lord.

YouTube Handle: @JustinSnyder-zq1tc

Pope To Pastor

Be Filled With His Abundance of Grace, Richness of Love, Perfect Perfect Peace, and Complete Eternal Wholeness

Justin Luke Snyder

Part 2 of 2 Conclusion of Condemnation 

As we conclude we trace how this leaven hidden, like a Trojan Horse, within transactional theology offers freedom to love for God yet actually hinders. Woven throughout Church history, from Pope to Pastor, from Catholic to Protestant, Pentecostal to Mainline Reformed is this found. We must address this and offer a viable solution, “Seed Theology.”

“Many Charismatics are afraid of the leaven of The Reformed Church. And the Reformed are repelled by Charismatics. Yet this transactional condemning leaven is as culturally interconnected as is the childhood story of Charlotte's Web. I dare say that this is the very framework that the entire Spirit filled community is built upon alongside denominational churches. How ironic. Real leaven is hidden, not obvious. And it’s because of this that it is woven throughout all of both Catholic and Protestant Christianity.”

“Our ministries are failing, and the people are being weak and anemic. Cultures built upon systemic failures. 
Not leading to eternal life but effecting the endless cycle of sin and death by way of condemnation. This is why I believe that Romans 8:1 is the lens of which all of the New Testament, and even our Christian experience, ought to be viewed through. Because it frees The Church from not only condemnation but enables the proper environment for The Body of Christ to grow to full mature status as was intended.”

“The Real Good News that draws man to repentance in realizing He had always been accepted in Christ. He just had to believe he had been saved. Rescued from his illusion and delusion of his captivity. Stripping Death of the power to condemn your conscience. In Christ you are like God. You are the righteousness of God in Christ, cleansed, and empowered by The Spirit to serve a living God. Not a transaction to receive power but a distribution of power solely from Christ Himself.”

YouTube Handle: @JustinSnyder-zq1tc

Pope To Pastor

Be Filled With His Abundance of Grace, Richness of Love, Perfect Perfect Peace, and Complete Eternal Wholeness

Justin Luke Snyder

What have we done that has so taken away from the hope of The Gospel? A gospel that sets men aright with life and resurrection power. Setting people free, and brings a smile on your face? Why are we wearing the cares of life in our bodies, wearing us down, with a downed countenance? The Gospel brings life to the soul, freedom in our whole existence. I have found lately a fresh kindling of the lightness of Christ that has led me to ask what have I been doing. 

I have carried way too much in my own strength for too long. Are you? Does your countenance reflect a person that has been set free? Or bound?  

What have we done that has made The Gospel of Jesus one that yokes with slavery once again rather than a yoke that is easy and a burden that’s light? 

Here I read and discuss Colossians 1:13-23 which encapsulates The Gospel and discuss the points listed above. 

Not only that even discuss a specific example on how The Gospel can reconcile the mainline denominations and the charismatic spirit filled community. Yes, I said it. I believe it’s possible. We just have to have a framework centered on Jesus to accomplish this task. 

Please like, subscribe, and share. If you feel that you would like to. I have this posted here and on Apple Podcasts, and Spotify under the same page name. Have a blessed Day!

YouTube Handle: @JustinSnyder-zq1tc

Pope To Pastor

Be Filled With His Abundance of Grace, Richness of Love, Perfect Perfect Peace, and Complete Eternal Wholeness

Justin Luke Snyder