Unfortunately, most saints leave the institutional churches for the wrong reasons and their idea of a home church is to start a mini-institutional church in their living rooms. Which is simply compounding the error of the past 1,700 years.
Home ekklesia’s are simply families meeting together as a family. When it comes to God’s people meeting together as a family the only plan is that there is no plan. As Christian couples—or families, if you still have children or relatives at home—meet and encounter each other in different social settings, that’s “church!”
While it’s good to schedule occasional meeting times around a family meal, if it becomes a ritual then you have created another idol, haven’t you? And if you then attempt to create some type of procedure, or program or set ways of doing things, you reinforce the idolatry. Isn’t that what the institutional church system does? And isn’t that what we’re trying to get free from?
When Christian families meet with Christian families, then the Holy Spirit of God will prompt various people in the group that are there to certain things. There is no human leader, so to speak, although of course we’ll recognize those who are more mature in the Lord and who have some degree of Godly wisdom. And we will show them the same respect that is due to older people who are a good and stabilizing influence. But we don’t give them a title, or elevate them to some position of honor or any of that hierarchical junk. It’s simply family, with the older members, hopefully, more mature, a little wiser and the younger members doing the physical stuff that comes with youth. That’s the basis of the “elder/shepherd/pastor/overseer/bishop” and the “deacons.”
God’s not hung up on pomp and ceremony—it’s just us humans who are.
So when you come together for the purpose of ministering to each other [my definition of ministry is that of public service freely given]—when you come together and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit then there will be a Godly order with no confusion.
1 Corinthians 14:26: “How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.”
In the phrase “when ye come together,” the word “when” is hotan in the Greek. Strong’s Definition is: “whenever (implying hypothesis or more or less uncertainty); also caus. (conjunctionally) inasmuch as.” It’s variously translated in the KJV: “as long (soon) as, that, + till, when (-soever), while.”
Thayer’s Definition of hotan: “when, whenever, as long as, as soon as.”
The phrase “ye come together” is one word in the Greek, sunerchomai. Strong’s defines it as: “to convene, depart in company with, associate with, or (specifically) cohabit (conjugally).” It’s variously translated in the KJV as: “accompany, assemble (with), come (together), come (company, go) with, resort.” Thayer’s Definition is:
1) to come together
a) to assemble
b) used of conjugal cohabitation
2) to go (depart) or to come with one, to accompany one
Paul is saying to the Corinthians that on those occasions whenever you happen to meet together, then “every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.”
There is no planned meeting at a certain time, on a certain day, for a certain reason. He is saying that whenever you happen to meet together, that the charisma descension gifts of the Holy Spirit will become operative in the lives of those believers who are in attendance.
That could easily be those two or three who happen to meet at a restaurant, or at a mall, or drop by to say hello, or any number of places.
When Paul stated this he was describing the result, i.e., the effect of the cause, the cause being the Holy Spirit. We humans, in our attempts to control God, instead want to make what Paul said the cause in order to produce some type of feel good, chill bump, warm fuzzies experience.
Note what the writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 10:24-25:
24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
“Consider one another” ... consider what? “to provoke unto love and to good works:” Why do we assemble together? “... exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
Do you see the focus upon “one another?” And as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 14:26, “Let all things be done unto edifying.” We edify “one another” according to scriptural values, not the traditions of men!
When those who love God decide to assemble themselves together for the purpose of ministering to each other, then God will move among them. Our response to the moving of the Holy Spirit will automatically trigger praise and worship of our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Please note what I’m saying and not saying.
I am saying that we are assembled together with the motive of focusing on one another and offering to those among us true fellowship (Greek, koinonia), which encompasses three aspects: sharing, socializing and supporting. This includes those times of chance meeting, as discussed, and also those times when we assemble together on purpose to minister to “one another.”
I am not saying that we are assembled together in order to have some type of programmed “worship service” where we have some of the people play musical instruments, while another “leads” us in singing songs, using either printed sheets of words, or a screen using an overhead projector.
No, when we assemble and focus on true biblical fellowship with one another, then worship of our Lord and Saviour, Master, Creator and Redeemer will come spontaneously as the Holy Spirit leads us. Just as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:26. Glory!
You wanna follow human traditions and some human person? Then join an institutional church!
We share what we have with others, both material and spiritual things. We socialize together as a family. We outright support those in need. If I have two loaves of bread and you have none, then I share one loaf with you and keep one for myself. That’s sharing. When I socialize, I socialize with all the saints of God, regardless of their social or economic status. Just like I do with my brothers and sisters in the natural. No cliques, please! When I support I give of what I have, in conjunction with others in the group, to those in that same group who don’t have the things they need. Of course, we all expect them to make an effort to get into a position where they can provide for themselves, but while they are doing that, we outright support them by giving them what they need to have a decent lifestyle until they get there.
Jesus is our only Shepherd. Period. The “elder/shepherd/pastor/overseer/bishop” that we have recognized as such are really only under-shepherds. Note that they are not self-appointed. They are recognized by the majority in the group. That’s where their “authority” comes from. What they have to say is “authority” only so long as those in the group accept their mature outlook and wisdom. If they fail to display maturity and wisdom in some matter, then the group will simply not acknowledge what they have to say about some things. If you have a problem with that then study the life of Paul the apostle. His authority as an apostle was accepted as such only by those who accepted him as truly being sent by God. There were quite a few in the New Testament that did not accept his alleged “apostolic authority,” because they didn’t accept him as being sent by God to them. They had that freedom to reject him because in their twisted theological devices they thought that Paul did not state biblical values! We have that same freedom but we exercise that freedom to accept or reject the wisdom and advice of an elder if they don’t adhere to and reflect biblical values! Selah ... pause and calmly think of that ... (while you research it out from your Bible).
Families meeting as families is the key to true home ekklesia. If you get a whole city meeting in homes and according to scriptural precedents of sharing, socializing and supporting those in need you will be the salt and light Jesus mentioned and will attract a lot of favorable attention. That’s 24 hour a day lifestyle effective evangelizing!
As disciples of Jesus Christ, i.e., learners, followers, supporters and imitators of Him, we have to be the salt and light of the world. The institutional church thinks the way to do that is by doing things. But God wants us to “be” a disciple of Jesus, not continue to attempt to “do.”
We will “be” a true disciple of Christ by His example to us. He did nothing without the Father telling Him! The Father told Jesus what to say, what to do and where to go. So if we want to be a disciple of Jesus, we await the instructions of our Father. That’s how we become the ekklesia of God, the called out assembly. We assemble together to minister to each other, as Christ did to His disciples and to the masses of people He encountered. And we seek the Father for His will, not ours, not stepping out prematurely on some “whim” we think is God speaking to us.
There are two women in Texas who are living examples of thinking they heard from God. They both killed their children, one, as I recall, in a bathtub, the other stoned them to death. This is a valuable lesson for those in the charismatic/Pentecostal community who insist that they hear from God and then proceed to convince everybody else they heard from God—and then act on what they think they heard. I continue to encounter people who think they’ve heard from God and attempt to persuade others of that fact. However, it’s not too difficult to determine that they have absolutely no concept of the Father’s heart. Usually, it’s something from the flesh and occasionally from the devil. Those fleshly and devilish things are also usually a theme or variation of the traditions of men, especially of the institutional church. But ... if it’s not a precedent to be easily found in contextual form in the Bible, then forget it!
The institutional church mindset is addictive. It’s destructive and depraved and is insidious because of the manipulation and intimidation used to exercise control over other people. How can a bunch of beautiful people who came to know Christ come to such a sad state of affairs? Part of the answer is eyes wide open altered states of consciousness.
Here is a quote from the book “Prophets And Prophecy” in which I explain the problem:
“Altered States Of Consciousness
“David’s emphasis of the worship aspect of God’s people indicates that music affects the thinking and choosing processes of our soul.
“That this is so has been substantiated in the contemporary scientific community.
“Our brains produce simultaneously four brainwave frequency patterns named as Beta, Alpha, Theta, and Delta. Only one, however, is predominant at any given time. All of these states of consciousness can be measured on an EEG machine. They are scientific fact, not theory.
“Beta is approximately 14 cycles per second and up. This is our normal state of consciousness.
“Alpha is approximately 7 to 14 cycles per second. Dreaming takes place in the Alpha state, which is known as REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. In sleep, we transition through the four states of consciousness. Each cycle has a duration of approximately 90 minutes. In the Alpha state, known as the Rapid Eye Movement or REM sleep state, this REM time increases. We usually wake up from a long Alpha, or REM cycle, which is why we remember the dream we just had. The Alpha state is also considered to be the refreshing, or rejuvenation time for our bodies. While in this state we are 20 to 25 times more susceptible to suggestion.
“Theta is approximately 4 to 7 cycles per second. This is the hypnotic state. And the state of our consciousness while anaesthetized for surgery.
“Delta is approximately 0 to 4 cycles per second. Little is really known about this state.
“A repetitive beat, by music, voice or light, of 45 to 72 beats per minute is a tool by which a hypnotic state can be induced and generates the eyes-open altered state of consciousness called the Alpha state. As mentioned, while in this state you are 20 to 25 times more open to suggestion than while in a wide-awake, fully aware Beta state.
“In addition, sounds alone can induce an eyes-open Alpha state of altered consciousness. A 6-7 cycle per second sound generates an Alpha state, which can affect 10 to 25 percent of the population. In this altered state of consciousness suggestions made to them would be interpreted as virtual commands.
“Many other sounds produced at different cycle per second ranges affect us. We cannot isolate ourselves from them as some of these sounds are not stopped by natural substances. Sounds so produced can cause anything from agitated emotional upset to lethargic depression.
“In an altered state of consciousness, your brain releases chemicals almost identical to opium, creating an addiction to whatever caused the altered state.
“In simply watching television, the viewer constantly slips in and out of an altered state of consciousness. When subliminal messages and the insertion of black frames spaced a given number of frames apart are used, the subconscious of the viewer is greatly pre-disposed to accept what is said as being imperative.
“There are many conversion, persuasion and brainwashing techniques that are documented as being proven highly effective. When these techniques are used in conjunction with voice, sound and lighting methods to produce altered states of consciousness, the effect on individuals is such that it robs them of their ability to correctly perceive, analyze and interpret the effects of what is happening to them.
“Praise And Worship Music
“Music has rhythm, melody and harmony. Great care must be taken in utilizing the rhythm used for praise and worship purposes. Melody can also produce undesirable effects upon our state of consciousness because of differing vibrations per second. Harmony also greatly affects our emotions, from sad, even depressing, to one of high elation and joy. ...
“It would be fair to say that the right music, with the right instruments, played by the right people, is an aid to our worshipping God. However, because music affects our emotions, we must be very careful not to allow “praise and worship” music to become a ritual, or to become an idol to us. We must constantly keep Jesus and the cross in focus when we utilize music for worship purposes and keep in mind the Godly order that David implemented, not only in his worship, but in his organizational structure. The devil is very well aware of the effect of music upon our thinking (minds) and our feelings (emotions) and will attempt to utilize it for the purpose of drawing us away from God. And we must not forget that the Godly king David, who created instruments for praising and worshipping God and wrote 73 of the psalms also produced some bitter fruit in his life.
“This same principle of focusing on Jesus and maintaining Godly order would also apply to other situations such as laying on of hands for Holy Spirit baptism, healing, blessings, prayer and etc. We are not to obey the commands to mindlessly “receive” something when hands are laid upon us. For the simple fact that we may receive something that is not of God.”
I didn’t mention it in the book, but there are professional people who solicit churches to install lighting and sound systems (through which they can produce many sounds of different vibrations for desired effects on human beings) and they guarantee that their systems will increase tithes, offerings and attendance. And they are very successful in doing so.
I also didn’t mention it, but in analyzing worship experiences in New Testament scripture it’s clear such times were very private and very personal and specifically related to the presence of Jesus. There is also some debate about the usage of different instruments used in a “church service” as being unscriptural and therefore undesirable. The argument is made that only musical instruments stated in scripture are to be used.
The important thing is that there is no such thing as a “worship service” to be found in the New Testament, particularly in the assemblings, or meetings of the ekklesia. As I said before, worship is spontaneous and improvisational. If a person plays a musical instrument and wants to bring it to a meeting then they should be prepared to accompany them as a back up for those who are led by the Holy Spirit to sing a song, or a psalm or whatever. They should not, however, attempt to “lead” anyone by their music. Background music should soothe the emotions not incite or provoke them.
Here’s more explanatory text which I’ve gleaned from various writings of mine:
Elisha apparently used music to soothe his emotions, not to stimulate his emotions as did the musical prophets. He called for a minstrel in 2 Kings 3:11-16, when he was upset by the presence of king Jehoram. It apparently soothed his roused emotions so that “the hand of the Lord came upon him.”
We also see when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, David would take a harp and play and refresh Saul and make him well and the evil spirit would depart from him, which emphasizes the soothing aspect of music.
When music is used to arouse, stimulate or provoke the prophetic gift the end result is not a good work. In Saul’s case, the spirit of God departed from him and he eventually consulted a witch and ultimately committed suicide.
Even the musical prophets David appointed wrote only a few of the Psalms and had no effect upon the apostatizing of the nation of Israel. David himself wrote 73 of the psalms. Asaph wrote 12 psalms: Psalm 50 and Psalms 73 through 83. Heman wrote Psalm 88. Jeduthun wrote 3 psalms: Psalms 39, 62 and 77.
In fact, David himself, although God called him a man after His Own heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22), struggled badly with sin in his life. His adultery with Bathsheba and subsequent murder of her husband Uriah in an attempt to cover his sin was confronted by Nathan the prophet. The consequences of his sins plagued him the rest of his life. The child from the union with Bathsheba died. His sons were wrongly influenced by him. Absalom rebelled and tried to take the kingdom from David. Amnon raped his half-sister. Bitter fruit for the sweet Psalmist of Israel, who wrote 73 of the psalms.
We see in Amos that God is more interested in judgment and righteousness and in grieving for the afflictions of Israel than in songs and musical instruments. This type of activity by those who are at ease in Zion will also cause them to “go captive with the first that go captive” into exile.
Amos 5:23-24:
23 Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.
24 But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.
Amos 6:1-7:
1 Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!
2 Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?
3 Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;
4 That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;
5 That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David;
6 That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
7 Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.
This is an area that requires much caution, and exercise of the gift of discerning of spirits in conjunction with wisdom. The modern day contemporary practice of arousing, stimulating and provoking emotions in order to bring about the exercise of the gift of prophecy is questionable as a valid technique for the true prophets of God.
There’s an interesting passage in Isaiah that demonstrates the power of singing and music when properly used:
Isaiah 30:29-33:
29 Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the mighty One of Israel.
30 And the Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.
31 For through the voice of the Lord shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod.
32 And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the Lord shall lay upon him, it shall be with tabrets and harps: and in battles of shaking will he fight with it.
33 For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.
Isaiah 30:29 (NIV):
29 And you will sing as on the night you celebrate a holy festival; your hearts will rejoice as when people go up with flutes to the mountain of the Lord, to the Rock of Israel.
Isaiah 30:32 (NIV):
32 Every stroke the Lord lays on them with his punishing rod will be to the music of tambourines and harps, as he fights them in battle with the blows of his arm.
Isaiah 30:32 (Amplified Bible):
And every passing stroke of the staff of punishment and doom which the Lord lays upon them shall be to the sound of [Israel’s] timbrels and lyres, when in battle He attacks Assyria with swinging and menacing arm.
Note in verses 29 and 32 the prominence of music, singing and, rejoicing of the saints. This depicts the importance of praise and worship unto God. In verse 30 it appears that the singing and music of verse 29 actually evokes the majestic voice of the Lord Himself and that He will cause us to hear His voice and to see His arm coming down in judgement. Verse 32 states that the cadence of the Lord’s punishing strokes will be to the beat of the music of the saints. Also note that flutes, tambourines and harps, as musical instruments, are specifically mentioned.
OK ... you might wonder why I’m so violently opposed to attending an institutional church and abandoning all their ways. Well, actually it goes a lot farther than that. I would also advise to stay away from those in the institutional churches and stay away from those conferences, meetings, conventions and etc. that are simply an extension of those with an institutional church mindset. And yes, that includes so-called “worship and praise” conferences. I would also advise to dispose of all CD’s, tapes and videos that have your favorite “praise and worship” songs.
Why so radical? It’s simple: all those things will induce an altered state of consciousness because of the psychological and emotional triggers inherent in those things.
Remember what I said above:
“A repetitive beat, by music, voice or light, of 45 to 72 beats per minute is a tool by which a hypnotic state can be induced and generates the eyes-open altered state of consciousness called the Alpha state. As mentioned, while in this state you are 20 to 25 times more open to suggestion than while in a wide-awake, fully aware Beta state.
“In addition, sounds alone can induce an eyes-open Alpha state of altered consciousness. A 6-7 cycle per second sound generates an Alpha state, which can affect 10 to 25 percent of the population. In this altered state of consciousness suggestions made to them would be interpreted as virtual commands.
“Many other sounds produced at different cycle per second ranges affect us. We cannot isolate ourselves from them as some of these sounds are not stopped by natural substances. Sounds so produced can cause anything from agitated emotional upset to lethargic depression.
“In an altered state of consciousness, your brain releases chemicals almost identical to opium, creating an addiction to whatever caused the altered state.”
A couple of musical or voice beats, a pulsing light strobe and you’re immediately back in an eyes open altered state of consciousness! You don’t know what sounds have been embedded in that CD or tape or video you so love to watch over and over and over! You are now 20 to 25 times more open to suggestion than while wide awake in a Beta state. And 10 to 25 per cent of the people interpret suggestive phrases as commands!
Do you understand what that means?
That means that institutional church leaders can tell you anything, absolutely anything, and you will believe it! That’s why the gospel of Jesus Christ is being twisted and perverted and believed by multitudes. That’s the very source of the apostasy today. You are like an opium addict who just got another dose every time you enter in to another altered state of consciousness induced by those things mentioned above! You are in total and complete bondage to that drug and absolutely powerless to get out of its grip!
Peer pressure by itself is a powerful motivating force. When combined with controlling manipulation and intimidation techniques (discussed in other articles) and these brainwashing techniques, the effect upon you is devastating. You are robbed of a huge chunk of your identity and integrity. No part of you is left unaffected—body, soul and spirit cannot function in a healthy and normal manner.
The way you think, feel and choose is severely impaired, which carries over into every area of your life.
In cumulative effect, your life is not your own any more. You are simply a subordinate—a “yes man”—within an organization of subordinates and your identity and integrity is now submerged into the controlling organization you call “church.”
Your value is not determined by who you are in Christ, but by the amount of money, time and personal abilities you contribute to the organization.
You have to get away from all that stuff. You have to avoid it. It is addictive poison to your body, soul and spirit! You have been in the system too long to get rid of the addictive habit by your sheer will power. You are helpless! Get away to a desert/cave/wilderness/exile place alone with God and the Bible. Hear Him, His voice is pure. Read His word with help from Bible concordances and dictionaries and Bible commentaries at least 200 years old. Cut the institutional church umbilical cord! Go directly to the source of love, life and liberty, Jesus Christ Himself!
OK, brainwashing induced by an eyes open altered state of consciousness, reinforced by peer pressure, is one of the reasons the institutional church system continues to flourish—even when people know in their spirit that it’s wrong, wrong, wrong. But there’s another reason also. And that’s simple biblical illiteracy. I won’t go into that ...
Another reason is a problem with understanding what Paul is talking about when he talks about “church” in the New Testament.
Quoting from the article “Does Anybody Out There Hear Me?:”
“Today, when we speak of the “church” we have a mental image of what we have known all of our lives, good, bad or indifferent. However, when Paul speaks of the “church” in the Bible, he is talking about a living organism composed of the true saints of God that functions as a family does and that met in a home to be the body of Christ. This includes, but is not limited to, male spiritual headship, as it should be in the individual families. ...
“It’s tremendously difficult for people to let loose of pre-conceived ideas of the meaning and form of “church” and to embrace the true and full biblical meaning of what Paul was talking about, from the “church in the wilderness” spoken of by Stephen in Acts right down to the numerous biblical home churches, i.e., ekklesias of Paul’s day.
“Because those who name the name of Christ today have no concept of what a biblical home church, i.e., ekklesia is, much less what their purpose is, according to God’s eternal purpose, they think that the “church” today that they are involved in personally, and what they see and hear being preached, taught and practiced is the same thing that Paul was talking when he talked about the first century New Testament ekklesias.
“There is limited or no understanding that Paul’s written and spoken instructions conveyed a contemporary meaning that created a totally different mental picture that colored the understanding of all those who were there to read and hear his words.
“This institutional church system has only one place in God’s economy: it’s a spiritual Babylon, from which the overcoming remnant bride of Christ will depart when they finally come to recognize that fact.
“The institutional church of the past 1,700 years is the problem. I see the solution as abandoning the institutional church system, and meeting in a home church as the ekklesia of God, as is taught and exemplified in the New Testament.” [Click here to read the full article “Does Anybody Out There Hear Me?”
]
I had mentioned what the purpose of the ekklesia meeting or assembling together on an infrequent basis is and what it is not. As someone said we all have a God shaped vacuum inside of us that only God Himself can fill. Amen to that! How many times have we heard an expression along the lines of, “This worship music/experience/conference or whatever brings or will bring you into the presence of God.” Or it will bring God’s presence, etc., ad nauseam? Hey, guess what guys and gals? I don’t need any experience, music, preaching, teaching, anointing oil, etc. to usher in the presence of God! According to my Bible, Father, Son and Holy Spirit are resident within the believing disciple of Christ! It’s in the word! If you don’t know that, then spend a couple of years reading the word from Genesis to Revelation in several different versions/translations until you get the heart of the Father. All that “usher in the presence of God” stuff is hype, totally unfounded.
God created the vacuum in me and you, and for the disciple of Christ, the learner, follower, supporter and imitator of Jesus Christ, He has also already filled it for the believer. But man ... in his earthly, demonic, sensual wisdom (according to James) apparently doesn’t “feel” that way. So they have to elaborate at great lengths to create an ungodly institutional church system that allegedly meets all your need for God. Since “antichrist” means against Christ, and in place of Christ, we should be able to correctly assert that the institutional church system is not only ungodly, but it’s also antichrist.
What’s my point? It’s simple, there is no, absolutely no, need for an institutional church system, or a substitute for it. With the Trinity of God residing within us, we should be experiencing the love of the Father and demonstrating it. We should be enjoying the life and life more abundantly that Jesus has given us—and helping others physically and spiritually to do the same. We should be enjoying the liberty of the Holy Spirit and helping others to be free in that liberty.
Bottom line: we don’t need “church” in any way, shape, manner or form in our lives! That includes our pathetic attempts at substituting “home church” for our “institutional church” experiences!
When we come to realize the absolute evil of the institutional church system, and to get out of it, we have an extremely difficult time in getting that evil institutional church system out of us. Because of the psychological and emotional triggers I mentioned above and also because we are by nature a community minded creature. That is to say that we want to “herd” together for many different and valid reasons. Companionship, protection, and for economic and political reasons and so on.
But ... we have to come to realize that we do not need any part of such a formal organization as any type of “church!”
As far as the precedent of home ekklesia’s in the New Testament it should become clear to us that assembling together is highly recommended because it meets and fulfills our need for community life. Call it fellowship if you will, sharing with others, socializing with others, helping to support those in need.
But ... that is not the desired end, the final goal, the total purpose of our meeting together. Why not? Because we must fulfill the eternal purpose of God to bring all things together in one, in Christ. And the ekklesia of God will do just that—and will manifest the wisdom of God—because scripture says so.
So what is this “home church” thing all about? Simply stated, home church is a stepping stone, a doorway to freedom, a means to a desired end. For what? For freedom, total and complete and absolute freedom in Christ! Either he paid it all for us and satisfied God’s justice in His death, or He didn’t! Which is it? Do I have to continue to “do” and “pay” things to help God to accept the death of Jesus? If so, what?
It’s like a man standing before a judge and he’s been found guilty and faces a tremendously costly fine or he gets put to death. He pleads with the judge that he has no money. The judge says, ‘OK, then the law is clear, in that you must pay the penalty by being executed to death.’ A benefactor steps forth and pays millions and millions and millions of dollars for your fine. The judge says, ‘OK, justice has been satisfied,’ and then tells the man that he is free to go.
But after a little while the man begins to feel guilty because although he’s been freed he is not the one who paid the fine. He didn’t “do” anything! Because of this he knocks on the judge’s door and says, ‘Sir, I can’t pay back the fine but I can give you a little bit every week. How about ten per cent of my income?’ What does the judge say? ‘Your fine has been paid, justice has been satisfied and there is nothing you can do or say that will add to that. So I cannot and will not accept any of your efforts to placate and satisfy justice. It’s a done deal. Get a life, and go away and leave me alone.’
(There are other such “doing” devices instigated by the cunning of man to sooth a guilty conscience, none of which have worked in 1,700 years. Besides “paying” an unscriptural New Testament tithe, there is the traditional myth of “having” a “covering,” the threat of disobedience to God for not “assembling” at their church building, and not “obeying” “them which have the ruler over you,” thus being rebellious against God’s earthly authority. These subjects have been covered in other articles on this web site and I won’t rehash them here. I will only say they are unscriptural concepts invented by the stupid wisdom of human beings in order to have an income, power and prestige for themselves.)
In the same way our fine has been paid, justice has been satisfied and there is nothing you can do or say that will add to that. We are free in Christ, plus , plus, plus ... we are absorbed into the love of the Father, we are absorbed into life and life more abundantly, we are absorbed into the liberty of the Holy Spirit of God. There is nothing we can do or say that will add to the price that has been paid for us to enjoy love, life and liberty. Nothing!
But ... we poor, pathetic, misguided human beings still feel guilty and still want to “do” or say something, anything, to add to the price already paid by Jesus. And in so “doing,” we make the word of God of none effect by our traditions and call God a liar and the death of Jesus ineffective on our behalf. Don’t we?
The love of God will motivate us to gather together with other like-minded believers who are true disciples of Jesus Christ. It will be spontaneous, extemporaneous and improvisational and we will be led by the Spirit of God in how it’s carried out and who to meet with and when to meet. And what to do or what not to do when we get there. Jesus, our Shepherd, will lead and guide us through His Holy Spirit as to how we are to manifest our “one anothering.” We have that freedom to not sweat the small stuff and let the Holy Spirit lead us in this matter of assembling together. We are free to assemble and we are free to not assemble if not led by the Holy Spirit of God!
You can meet every day if you like. However, that can become unduly wearing on your lifestyles. In the article “God by the Spirit of Jesus Christ will build an assembly,” I wrote how the early ekklesias did for awhile and then changed to once a week. In time they probably met less frequently. By the end of the first century the ekklesias were being bogged down by language, cultural, societal, political and religious changes which heavily influenced and changed the biblical concept of the true Israel as the household of faith. And there came a time when Paul had to say: “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears” (Acts 20:29-31).
In the fourth century, Emperor Constantine institutionalized the ekklesia of God, the called out assemblies, as the “church” and integrated all other pagan religions into one pot and called it Christianity. The true Israel went from being disciples of Jesus Christ to a “church” of glass, steel and brick institutionalized buildings. [Click here to read the full article “God by the Spirit of Jesus Christ will build an assembly.”
If we will but let God be God, and bask in the love of the Father, and in the abundant life of Jesus Christ, and in the liberty of the Holy Spirit of God and do nothing until we hear from Him, then we will be truly free, free, free! But when we continue to attempt to “do” things and “pay” things to “help” Jesus along in what He paid for us, then we are calling the death of Jesus ineffective to free us.
So “home church” is only a stepping stone, a doorway, a time of transition into the greater freedom that God has already provided for us. We don’t have to “do” home church any more than we have to “do” institutional church. We must simply “be” free disciples, learners, followers, supporters and imitators of Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, we can “be” even if we live on a desert island and there is no one else around to “be” with. Because we are “free” from environmental and cultural things and free from having to “do” things.
That is why I suggest isolation in a desert/cave/wilderness/exile experience. It will condition you to respond to the voice of God without all the psychological and emotional triggers that continue to divert us from true Godly love, the abundant life in Jesus Christ, and the liberty of the Holy Spirit. We are free to do that! We are free from “doing” anything! (It’s called “deprogramming.”) We are free to let God lead us, in His way, to what He would have us to do. If He does not release us from our desert/cave/wilderness/exile experience then we are to stay there. We are still free while there. You won’t hear His voice until you get into that place of isolation. And it will take possibly years to rid ourselves of the deadly addictive institutional church mindset. So what? We will be following the leading of God, and will learn to truly, truly, truly hear His voice. No killing of one’s own children by bathtub drowning or stoning. No following our human impulses to continue to “do” things that we have been falsely taught will appease and placate God’s wrathful judgmental anger against us because we have failed to “do” or say something.
No! Jesus paid it all. We have to rid ourselves of the mentality that thinks that He just made a down payment and we have to continue to pay monthly installments! That philosophical mindset is conditioned in us by the devil and his crowd and the antichrist climate which prevails in every “religious” activity pursued by man.
As a true disciple of Jesus Christ, a learner, follower, supporter and imitator of Him, we will be known by our love for one another. We will love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and we will love our neighbor as ourselves. Everything we think, say and do will be measured against those divine instructions by God when we stand before Him in that day. In your 24 hour a day, seven day a week lifestyle every decision and action you make must be personally measured by you as to whether or not it reflects the lifestyle of Jesus and your love of God and neighbor. There is no bondage to be found in doing this for those who truly love Jesus, God and neighbor. You will find yourself voluntarily refraining from those things that violate your identity and integrity as a disciple of Jesus Christ who loves God and neighbor. That is your freedom in Christ!
You will please God when you focus your lifestyle on being a disciple of Jesus, loving God and neighbor. That’s the only thing you can “do” that will please Him. Everything you do to attempt to please man will displease God and displease man. Why not pursue the more sure word of God?
If you feel that you are not totally free in Christ remember that this is a two-way street. It’s your discipleship in Jesus Christ, your love of God and neighbor that brings you freedom. And the Bible study and research that’s necessary to learn to be a disciple, and love God and neighbor. If you are lacking in those activities then you will be lacking in freedom in Christ. As you get rid of the distractions of the institutional church antichrist system and focus upon the Bible and being a disciple of Jesus, you will come to a love of God and neighbor. Continue to hang around the institutional church and honing that mindset and you will get further and further away from being a true disciple of Jesus, and learning to love God and neighbor. It’s your choice to make a conscious decision as to what you want to do. Not making a decision is the same as making a decision not to change your spiritual environment, isn’t it?
We are free, free, free in Christ!
Additional suggested reading on this web site for those who are serious about getting out of the institutional church system, and losing that mindset in order to be free to truly serve God and be an effective disciple of Christ:
