EKKLESIA KIDNAPPED BY CULTURES
CULTURE CLASH
YESHUA REDEFINES THE TORAH
Having claimed that He had not come to abrogate Torah but to fulfil every jot and tittle of it, Yeshua radically upgraded it. Murder was no longer just killing a person, but character assassination became murder most foul. Just a lustful look at a woman became adultery. Tooth for tooth, eye for eye and life for life, “the law of retaliation” changed to clemency. Sacrifices were no longer well pleasing to God unless reconciliation with a sulking brother took place. He changed the hating one’s enemies to loving and praying for them (Matt. 5:17-44).
JEWISH BONDAGE
Almost all the early disciples, even outside Palestine were extracted from Jewish synagogues. However, when they ventured out among the Gentiles, cultural issues proved a major challenge. Judaizers believed that before becoming Christians, Gentiles should be circumcised and made to follow Jewish customs (Acts 15:1). Even eating food together proved a major divide. After Peter went to the house of Cornelius, “those of the circumcision contended with him because he had eaten with the heathen” (Acts 11:1-3). The Supreme Jerusalem Council wisely decided that the Gentiles do not have to become Jews before converting to Christ (Acts 15:6-23).
GREEK BONDAGE
After the first century, Christianity spread rapidly throughout the known world (Acts 13:41-52). However, it must be noted that within the first century itself, when the overarching influence of Judaism was lost, the church fell into Greco-Roman bondages, even adopting pagan cults, customs, and rituals of heathen temples, which are still prevalent in the modern churches. The church now must address this can of worms and find creditable alternatives.
The teachings of the great Greek philosophers like Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates, were pitted against the fledgling Athenian church consisting of Dionysius the Aeropagite, Damaris and a few men (Acts 17:34). Many practices in the modern church remain polluted by Greek culture and admiration for architecture of heathen temples. The NT was translated in the Greek language. The Greek Orthodox Church opted for clanging bells, smoky incense, burnished Byzantine chandeliers, gilded icons and flickering candle lights, with bearded priests adorned in splendid multicolored regalia, chanting unintelligible liturgies. All very romantic and religious but very pagan and far removed from the simplicity of the NT Ekklesia. The church must now articulate against such non-NT religious rituals with all the lung power she can muster.
ROMAN BONDAGE
The Greek word baseleus means king. The cathedral was patterned on the basilica (royal edifice), which housed the cathedra (throne). Ex cathedra means “spoken from the throne” like the words of a Roman magistrate which cannot be questioned. Pulpit is now the clergy’s throne, and his sermon cannot be questioned. Standing up to welcome the priest, the regalia and candles on the altar are all gifts of imperial Rome. The title Pope or Pontifex Maximus, which also means chief of pagan priests, was the worst possible gift of the Roman Emperor.
When Emperor Constantine left Rome for Constantinople, he gifted his royal basilica to the Bishop of Rome. The Bishop of Rome then declared himself Pope, which simply means Papa, the spiritual father to most Catholics. Instead of the gospel penetrating the world, the Roman top-down hierarchical structure and cultic culture completely vitiated the Ekklesia. The gospel was translated from Greek into Latin, and the Roman church took control of Christianity, leading it into the dark ages that lasted a thousand years. All worship was conducted in Latin, the language of God, which the common people did not understand. Catholics were strictly forbidden to read the Bible until Pope Pius VI (1 778). Pope Pius VII (1 820) encouraged Bible reading, and Pope Benedict XV (1 914-22) distributed the Gospels. Even so, many Catholics still decline to read the Bible, resulting in gross spiritual ignorance.
HOLY RELIC BONDAGE
Helena, the mother of Constantine, went on religious pilgrimage to the holy land where she collected trinkets and alleged pieces of the original cross. She placed the relics on church altars to make them holy. Thus, began religious tourism, and veneration of unholy relics, including hair, teeth and bones of saints, none of which is biblical. Sadly, relics continue to adorn many altars even today. Biblically, the altar must be made either with earth or non-hewn stone. Iron tools pollute the altar (Exo. 20:24-25). God lives neither in relics nor on church altars but in human hearts (2 Cor. 6:16).
HEAVENLY LANGUAGE BONDAGE
By the 16th century, the Scriptures were translated into many languages. As common people began to read the Good News in their own language, the Christian faith grew vigorously. Even so, translators of the Scriptures had to face the wrath of their religious authorities. However, many of the translators, being themselves embedded in their contemporary hierarchical religious culture, sprinkled in words and phrases that were not in the original manuscripts. In the 16th century, there were more Muslims than Christians. The Muslims refused to have their holy book Quran translated, because they considered Arabic to be the language of Allah. As a result, today there are just over a billion Muslims in the world and twice as many Christians. The world is now divided into 5000 clusters, speaking 13,500 different languages. One day, all these will stand before the Throne. Hence the need to reach all the different ethno-linguistic groups in their own lingo (Rev. 7:9-10).
GLOBAL INTERCESSION BREAKS BONDAGES
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Pentecostal renewal took place, resulting in the rapid expansion of the kingdom with a new enthusiasm. Initially this movement was confined to speaking in tongues, but fifty years later it morphed into the charismatic movement, accompanied by signs and wonders. There followed large healing and deliverance crusades. In late eighties, it matured into the global intercessory prayer movement, culminating in the AD 2000 Movement, when millions prayed for 10/40 Window nations. This intensive united prayer movement precipitated Ekklesia planting movements in the middle nineties, also precipitated unprecedented economic prosperity in the third world, including India.
BONDAGE OF COMMUNIST ATHEISM
In the early 20th century, Eastern European countries, including East Germany, Russia, China, Cuba and others came under various brands of atheistic Marxism. At one stage, it appeared as though the whole world would be engulfed by communism. However, the intercessors were not quiet. Suddenly, like the Jericho wall, the Berlin wall came tumbling down, and Communism suffered a domino effect in all the countries of the world. However, the Maoists of India and of neighboring countries, called Naxalites are still murderously active.
BONDAGE IN 10/40 WINDOW AND THE NRI’s
Situated between 10 to 40 degrees north of the Equator are 69 countries spanning the globe from western Africa to eastern Asia. Of the four billion poorest of the poor people who live here, many have yet to hear the gospel message even once. Many lack religious freedom, their faith being dictated by political masters.
Every major, non-Christian religion is based here. Islam is the dominant religion in 47 countries, Buddhism in 12, Hinduism in two, tribal religions in two, Christianity in four, Judaism in one and atheism in one. Of the 50 worst countries in the world 43 are known for persecution of Christians by tyrannical dictators and evil fanatics. 26 countries in the Window are ready for the gospel. It is time that Indians focus their prayer and resources on sending missionaries to 10/40 countries. Many Christians are already there as nurses, doctors, engineers, and other workers, and these can be trained as disciple-makers.
Many non-Christian, Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) not only build temples and mosques but also heavily fund training and support of militant organizations. Unfortunately, many Christian NRIs lack vision and so they waste their resources on luxurious houses, fancy cars, swimming pools and gizmos. Others waste it on erecting ornate church buildings, fancy pulpits, padded pews, air conditioning, etc., but invest little in the equipping of grass-root disciple-makers and Ekklesia planters. This has the best returns on investment as it saves souls. Christian NRIs have enough resources to fund all the Disciple Making Movements (DMM) in their own countries and to send missionaries to all the 10/40 window countries.
YESHUA MUST INCARNATE IN EVERY SUBCULTURE
About 2500 years ago, India was one of the 127 provinces over which a Satrap and many administrators were appointed to rule by the then Prime Minister Mordecai, a hard-core Jew (Esther 10:3). The Jews established synagogues, which were later converted into Brahman (from A-Braham) temples, with no idols.
Contrary to popular understanding, the Vedas, the Hindu holy texts, do not prescribe idol worship. Led by the wily Parsuram (Hebrew: Pur = crush; Ramah = height), perhaps during the feast of Purim, the Brahmins crushed the Kshetriyas (locals) 23 times. Muslim and British invaders are hated in India, but the Aryan invaders, the colonizers who established of the evil caste system, continue to be honored. Later the Jains and Buddhists resisted bloody ritual sacrifices whilst the Muslims fought against idolatry. Both failed.
Finally, God sent Christians to blur caste boundaries and redeem local cultures. They, too, failed, because they preached the gospel in the Western cultural garb insisting on change of name, dress code, food, worship, language, etc. Messiah must become incarnate in every culture in order to eliminate exclusivity, to the end that redeemed people from every culture can stand before the throne of God as brothers and sisters.
INSTITUTIONAL BONDAGE
The earliest missionaries were church planters, until the intelligentsia came and institutionalized the church by setting up schools, colleges, seminaries, and hospitals. Preaching of the Gospel and the planting of churches were put on back burners. These institutions proved so successful at attracting major financial and human resources, that the growth of their churches suffered. Today, many of these institutions have become a liability. Non-Christians that have great reverence for Yeshua shy away from the symbols of Western culture, Gothic buildings, and liturgical worship. Such trappings conspire to kill the free movement of the Spirit.
INDIGENOUS RELIGIOUS REFORMERS IGNORED BY THE CHURCH
Our people eagerly go to study Western theology, which has failed. Liberals are busy debating the theology of homosexuality and of abortion. In USA in 1990, 86 percent were professing Christians. By 2019, it had dropped to 65 percent. Less than 50 percent of millennials identify themselves as Christians. The number of atheists, agnostics, ‘nones’ and Satanists is rapidly growing and so are people of other faiths. By this projection, USA will be without Messiah by 2035.
Sadly, no one bothers to study the Hindu Vedas or the poems of Kabir, which have a lot of Gospel truths in them. They do not read the writings of Ambedker, Phule about Baliraja (the self-sacrificing king), about Ghasidas and Satnamis or Guru Nanak, Jain and Buddhist reformers. In South India, great poets like Thiruvalluvar and Jothiramlingam and later ‘Periyar’ EVR Ramaswamy Naicker of Tamilnadu and Shri Narayana Guru of Kerala. These caused massive social upheaval by condemning idolatry and the cruel caste system. God sent all these people to prepare the way, so that in the fullness of time, millions would be redeemed. Tragically, the church was so busy chanting liturgy, celebrating Christmas and gathering tithes that it completely failed to seize the opportunity.
PAUL VISITED HEATHE TEMPLES AND STUDIED THEIR SCRIPTURES
Visiting a temple would be highly objectionable and anathema to many devout Christians. But how else can you bind and plunder the “strongman” unless you enter his house (1 Cor. 10:19-20; Matt. 12:29)? Many Christians do not study the scriptures of other faiths, thinking that our Scripture is all sufficient. Contrast Moses who was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, their language, culture, science, music even astrology. Daniel was appointed chief of the Magi (magicians) (Act 7:22; 1Kings 4:30; Dan. 4:9).
Paul visited heathen temples where he found out about their “Unknown God.” He studied their culture and religious texts. Paul then delivered a masterpiece of contextualized talk to the intelligentsia of Athens. Without once mentioning the name of Yeshua or the Bible he quoted from their texts saying, “God made all nations of one blood to dwell on earth, allotting times and boundaries of their dwelling, to seek the Lord, and find Him, though He is not far from us. Your own poets said, “We live and move and have our being in Him” (Acts 17:23, 26-28).
God divided human beings into different bitable ethno-linguistic groups for easy access to them. Unless we choose to learn the scriptures, beliefs, and practices of the 16,700 People Groups that comprise the 7.6 billion people of the world, we cannot understand their mindset and worldview, so remain unable to witness to them effectively. We tend to vegetate in our own spiritual, mental and social ghettos, while God wants us to spread abroad like dust reaching the ends of the earth. Like Paul, a hard core Jew, we need to shift our paradigm and become all things to all men so that we may win some (1Cor. 9:19-23; Gen. 28:14).
RETURN OF THE PRODIGAL SONS OF ISHMAEL
Many Christians do not bother to even pray for Muslim brethren, nor read the Quran, a gold mine about Isa al Masih and an important bridge to reach the 1.4 billion of them worldwide including the 500 million in the Indian subcontinent. Thousands of Neighbors in India, 4000 in Central Asian Republic, 15,000 Kazakhs, 30,000 Berbers in N. Africa, 40,000 in Algeria, 4000 in Azerbaijan, 30,000 in Bosnia and tens of thousands in Bangladesh and Indonesia have turned to Messiah recently. Mombasa in Kenya changed from 95 percent Muslims to 50 percent Christians in a couple of decades.
The rogue country of Iran now has the fastest growing Ekklesia in the world. Estimates vary from half to one million Iranian Muslims who have embraced Yeshua. Ayatollah Khemini, their spiritual head, is considered one of the greatest evangelists of our time, for he has made such a mess of Islam, that Muslims can’t get out of it fast enough. According to Mohabbat TV, since the Corona Pandemic, ten times more Iranians are coming to Christ than previous years. According to Ahmad Al Qattani, a Libyan Islamic scholar, some six million Muslims turn to Messiah every year. This figure may be a bit inflated, but it indicates the trend.
Ineffective missionary methods, gross ignorance of Islam, and Islamophobia among Christians has created a climate of catastrophic disbelief. Until recently, less than 1 percent of all missionary force was deployed among Muslims. We have utterly failed to take the long walk to Emmaus with Ishmael and introduce them to Yeshua. They have 99 beautiful names of Allah but the name “Saviour” is missing. God is patiently waiting for Kedar and Nabaioth, the sons of Ishmael, to come riding on racing camels to His altar, to glorify His house (Isa. 60: 6-7).
DALIT (CRUSHED) AND BACKWARD COMMUNITY CULTURE
Of the 450 million Other Backward Classes (OBC), 140 million Harijans (Untouchables) and 100 million Tribals (animists) of India, a mere 2.3 percent are Christians. In North India that figure is less than 0.5 percent. Many of them have benefited greatly from educational, social and financial facilities provided by the church, but were never encouraged into leadership positions of their own communities. Formerly they were subjugated and exploited by the evil caste system and now they suffer the same fate under the hierarchical church structure controlled mostly by outsiders. No wonder the church is only growing at a snail’s pace among the most receptive people on earth.
THE EKKLESIA HAS BEEN HIJACKED
The hijacker came in Western cultural garb, denominationalism, soul-destroying traditions, buildings, and property ownership, which have made the church an ineffective tool for the advancement of the Kingdom. All these act like the fishing ship’s anchors that stop it from going anywhere. What use is an anchored ship that goes nowhere? It will certainly not catch any fish.
LEARN FROM GANDHI
Gandhi followed Yeshua’s model of non-violence. Although he was barrister of law trained in England, Gandhi wore a dhoti (loin cloth) to identify with the culture, launching a mass movement to set India free from slavery. When Hindus and Muslims were slaughtering each other in Calcutta, he shouted, “Where are the Christians who understand the language of love?” Unfortunately, the Christians were hibernating.
It happened when Sikhs were slaughtered in Delhi. It happened again in Punjab, Gujarat, Kashmir and in several other states. Dalits (crushed ones), children, and women are violated all the time, as the culture of violence continues unabated. But true to our character, we consistently fail to visit the widows and the orphans and thus lose golden opportunities to witness, proving to be the salt and light to the world.
If Christians want to advance the Kingdom, then they must incarnate Messiah in the indigenous culture, beginning in their own homes. Only then will Christians’ homes become an oasis in the desert. Messiah will incarnate in the hearts of the common people, and the vision of every tongue and tribe praising Him will be realized. 1900 years before Gandhi, Yeshua walked the dusty roads, from village to village, identifying Himself with the common people, finally wearing a loin cloth, on the cross redeemed all humankind from slavery of sin.
APOLOGETICS
Many non-Christian scriptures, affirm Yeshua in many direct and indirect ways. Jews and Christians believe that the Allah of Islam is not the same as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; that the Isa al Masih of the Quran is not the same as the Yeshua of the gospels, that the Quran is not a direct revelation of God and that Mohammad is a true prophet. Similarly, we do not believe in the Hindu or Buddhists texts, but we use them as bridges, simply because they repose their faith in them. Paul did the same when he visited their temples and used their texts when he addressed the Athenian elite.
DENOMINATIONALISM GAVE BIRTH TO ISLAM
Mohammad, a pagan married Khadijah, a Christian, who venerated Mary. Her cousin Waraqah ibn Nawfal was a Nestorian Bishop of Mekkah which was inhabited by idolatrous pagans, Jews who denied Yeshua as Messiah, Nestorians who believed in the duality of Christ being fully man and fully God, Arians who believed that the Son of God is not co-eternal and is distinct from the Father, therefore subordinate to Him. Unitarians believed that the NT is an uncertain guide to the actual events and believed in the Unity of God and not Trinity, that he was a saviour but not a deity or God incarnate.
Interactions with them shaped Mohammad’s Christology. He believed in their prophets (all 24 prophets mentioned in the Quran are Jews) and called them ‘the people of the Book’. He accepted virgin birth of Isa, his mighty miracles even raising the dead, his being the Spirit (Ruhollah) and the Word of Allah (Kalimatullah), his physical ascension being nearest to Allah, his return to destroy the Anti-Christ and judge at the Apocalypse and rule but denied the Trinity, Sonship (Allah neither begets nor is begotten) and His divinity and death on the cross. These are central to Christianity as all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and there is no redemption without the shedding of blood (Rom. 3:23; Heb. 9:22).
The hard-core Muslims called Jihadis (terrorists), introduce cruel Sharia or Islamic laws which militates against Muslims of other expressions and people of other faiths, with Apostasy and Blasphemy laws to Islamize through terror, intimidation, flogging and beheading. Whereas moderate Muslims dare not speak up. There are many verses in Quran that affirm Isa al Masih. Christian apologists can resolve all issues through the Quran itself. Muslims recite the Quran in Arabic which they do not understand. They only know what they have been indoctrinated. They do not come to Messiah by vilifying their prophet or their Holy book Quran in debates, but by love, intercession, dreams, miracles and by cultural adaptation (Read my Muslim-friendly book DOST).
BUILD BRIDGES WITH HINDUS
Ramah (Gen. 10:7) and Shiva (2 Sam. 20:25; Acts 19:14) are Biblical names. The name Noah (‘Ish Nu’) in Hebrew became Vishnu in India. A’brahm became Brahma, Sara became Saraswati and Aaron became Aryan. The smearing of ash and the bath of purification (Num. 19:17) were common practices among the Jews. The red heifer remains the holy cow of Judaism (Num. 19:2). Over time the white gowns of Levite priests got saturated with blood, turning Saffron in color. Fruit, grain and new wine were offered as sacrifices, and then shared and eaten together (Num. 18:8- 19) just as they share prasad (Holy Offerings). Jews took vows and shaved their heads (Num. 6:18; Acts 18:18) just as Hindus, Buddhists and Jains do to this day.
There are well kept graves of Noah and the sons of Adam in Ayodhya (originally Yahudiya), the abode of most popular god Ramah, even today. Yeshua was born in Bethlehem of Ramah (Matt. 2:13;21). Jacob took a stone pillar and poured oil on it, calling it Bethel, the house of God (Gen. 28:17-19). Hindus pour milk and clarified butter on stone idols. Lydia was baptized in the River Gangates (Acts 16:13-16). India was splintered into hundreds of small kingdoms. The Christian British for the first time united the country as one nation under God. It is time to blow the shofar (trumpet) of truth in the land of Ramah (Hos. 5:8).
ONLY FOUR ITEMS WERE BANNED IN THE SCRIPTURES
The first council of the leaders in Jerusalem was not a spiritual convention but specially called to thrash out cultural issues. Circumcision and Sabbaths were the most contentious issues on the agenda. Wisely, they imposed only four restrictions on Gentiles (non-Jews): (1 ) no idol worship, (2 ) no sexual immorality, (3) no eating the meat of strangulated animals, and (4) do not drink blood (Acts 15:20, 29). Interestingly, all the great religious reformers of this country likewise focused on these cultural issues, lifting their people from idolatry, immorality and unhealthy food habits.
The Indians have adopted the Western culture, language, education, dress code, food and toilet habits. All that the church needs to do now is to help them adopt Yeshua as their saviour (Col. 1:27-28).
CULTURAL HYPOCRISY IN THE CHURCH
When a Bible-thumping pastor thunders from his pulpit in a sacred building to an organized congregation, affirming that we are a truly biblical church and preach the pure word of God, then we need to point out that neither the sacred building, nor the pulpit, nor the organized crowd, in fact not even the professional pastor himself, are biblical.
Yeshua never preached from same pulpit twice. He preached daily in His road shows to highly unorganized, spontaneously gathered crowds. How can we claim to be biblical, if we force new believers, or seekers wanting to join Christianity from other faiths, to join such a church, to eat meat, to adopt European names and Western culture? We insist on things that have no approval in the Scriptures, such as asking women to remove from their foreheads their “red vermilion” marks, necklaces and bangles, all symbols of their marriage. God does not look at what is on the forehead, but at what is in the heart.
INDIGENOUS EKKLESIAES ARE THE NEED OF THE DAY
Paul wrote, “To the Jews I became as a Jew, to win them over … to those who are of other faiths I became like them, to win them to Messiah. I have become all things to all men that I might by all means save some” (1 Cor. 9:19-23). We do not need bridal gowns, bouquets, tuxedos, diamond rings, beauty parlors, cake, liquor, limousine rides or a honeymoon in an upscale hotel, to hold a so called “Christian wedding”. We need only to break away from mental slavery to Western cultural accretions. Indigenization is the answer. Like her Master, the Ekklesia must go to the people, in their own cultural garb, not with imported garbage (Luke 10:1-9; Acts 20:20).
YESHUA IS TRANS-CULTURAL
Many indigenous movements have started. Some worship by offering flowers, incense and lighting lamps, whilst others break coconuts (breaking open of the grave) to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. Yet others offer Ganga Snan (holy bath) for baptism. Hindus are flexible about going to their temples any day, anytime, anywhere. Their religious discourses take place all through the night, while Christians are rigidly conditioned to meet once a week for a couple of holy hours.
Anything not Western is dubbed as syncretistic. There are negotiables, practices useful for conveying the gospel, whilst practices that would compromise biblical truths remain nonnegotiable. We should look at motives before passing judgment, for God is waiting for “the Gentiles to burn incense and make pure offerings in His name, from the rising of the sun to the going down, in their homes” (Mal. 1:11; Phil. 1:18).
MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS
Major obstacles to accepting Christianity are social and cultural, seldom spiritual. Every community resists change because no one wants to lose its adherents. We should therefore refrain from projecting Christianity as a competitive religion and focus on enabling them to make the crucial change of allegiance to Messiah. We must not limit our message to individuals but focus on Households and communities. The historical change in the Northeastern states came through community decision.
Most Christians, however, do not study the culture and religion of those they hope to impact, assuming that the Bible is enough. Wisemen from the east took a long journey to see baby King Yeshua, after reading about His special star in their own texts, about which the Jews had no clue. Paul wrote, “Brethren, whatever things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things” (Phil. 4:8). There are many noble things in other cultures, we can redeem and use.
PAUL’S WARNING
Scholarship does not guarantee salvation. Many scholars in the past have led the innocent people up the garden path. Today the world is replete with false prophets of doom. That is why Yeshua warned, ”Do not call yourself Rabbi (teacher)” (Matt. 23:8). Paul also warned that “knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (1 Cor. 8:1-2). Often qualified pastors are proud of their knowledge but not necessarily known for their love or fruitfulness. This does not mean that we should not have knowledge. Scripture says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as My priests. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children (Hosea 4:6).” Further, “For the priest’s lips should guard knowledge, and they should seek the Law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of Jehovah of Hosts (Mal. 2:7).
Paul prophesied about future sectarianism, when he warned the Ephesian elders against shepherds who would “draw away disciples after themselves” (Acts 20:29-31). All the sheep belong to the Chief Shepherd, Yeshua. There is only one flock in each city. Calling them “my sheep” is a mistake and dividing them on sectarian lines is a blunder. High profile theologians, Right Reverends have proved to be divisive. Thank God that the sectarian walls are crumbling around the world and soon there will be one flock and one Shepherd (John 10:16).
FIVE STEPS TO SALVATION
- Repent - (Zacchaeus model- correct the wrongs you have done)
- Be baptized with water in the name of Yeshua.
- Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit for your own transformation, of your family and others (Gentiles)’ (Acts 2:37-39)
- Believe in your heart that Yeshua is a living God.
- Confess with your mouth that He is your Lord (Rom. 10:9,10)
Repentance is not just saying sorry but returning to the form and function of the NT church according to the pattern shown by Yeshua Messiah. The NT pattern had no fancy buildings, Sunday service, reverends, pulpits, musical instruments, tithing etc. They met in the simplicity of homes, sharing meals with Jews and Gentiles, believers and unbelievers, baptized and unbaptized, rich and poor, especially with widows and orphans. And naturally their numbers grew exponentially.
God showed a perfect pattern of the ship to Noah. If he had used his ingenuity, it would have sunk like the Titanic. God showed the exact pattern of the Tabernacle to Moses. If he would have changed it, they would have all perished in the wilderness. Yeshua showed the exact model of his Ekklesia to His disciples. It was so basic that it could be implemented anywhere, anytime, by anybody. The modern church has completely changed the pattern and made it dysfunctional and therefore irrelevant for Kingdom purposes. God is now overhauling the system back in the homes of the people so that the lost can have access to it.
GEMS:
- The five steps to salvation, to save the lost, require none of the essentials that constitute the modern church.
- No one is going to heaven, rather heaven is coming down to earth, and the tabernacle of God will be with men, and He will dwell with them (Rev. 21:3, 22).
- God does not dwell in fancy buildings made with human hands. He resides in tents like us, made with His own hands (Acts 7:48-49; Mark 14:58; Dan. 2:34-35).
- “God is building His spiritual house with living stones that include us. He has appointed us priests to offer spiritual sacrifices (repented, baptized souls) through Yeshua Messiah” (1 Pet. 2:5).
- Idols require temples made by humans, whereas God dwells in repentant hearts, turning them into His walking, talking temples (2 Cor. 6:16; Psalm 51:17).
- Now that you have discovered that you are His two-legged walking and talking temple, prove it by catching some two-legged fish.
- Yeshua did not say, “Go and erect buildings and find members”. He said, “Go find the lost and make disciples so I can build my Ekklesia” (Matt. 16:18; 28:19).
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