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Urges repentance from apostate institutional Christianity's bondage by overcoming and practicing genuine biblical Christianity
 
His Word
 "But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay" (Jeremiah 20:9b). A Prophetic Perspective
 
 
 

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God by the Spirit of Jesus Christ will build an assembly

Truth Or Consequences

        Since eternity past, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Who are truth, are polarized in unity around the truth that they are. Bound together in the truth and unity of the Godhead by love that reproduces in its own image and likeness, the Godhead experiences true biblical fellowship of sharing, socializing and supporting by sharing the totality of all of itself within itself, remaining in mutually surrendered socializing with complete support of every part of its own divinity.
        Because of these factors—Godly truth, polarizing unity, love reproducing in its own image and likeness, and consummate fellowship—all the elements necessary for achieving God’s eternal purpose by wholesome growth and expansion are set into motion.
        That is the means by which God will accomplish His eternal purpose. To answer the question of what is the desired end of that means, we find the answer in the writings of Paul the apostle.
        “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him” (Ephesians 1:9-10).
        That tells us “what” the end of the means is. God will bring all things in heaven and in earth together in one, in Christ. We understand that doesn’t include fallen, unsaved mankind and/or fallen angels and the devil.
        Paul answers the question “how” and “why” for us: “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:10-11).
        God, through the instrumentality of the church as defined by Jesus, will make His manifold wisdom known to the principalities and powers in heavenly places by the means outlined above. We’ll discuss this in depth later in the article.
        God, Who knows the end from the beginning, put His plan into motion and the Godhead created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. And created mankind to be fruitful, multiply, replenish the earth and subdue it, and “have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
        Psalms 8:5-9 reads: “For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!”
        “Angels” in verse 5 according to Strong’s Concordance is “elohyim, plural of 433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative.”
        Apparently, translators had a problem with accepting God at His word, so they changed it to “angels.” However the intent of scripture is clear in its meaning.
        We see the outworking of God’s love in reproducing after His Own image and likeness in creating mankind. And all the elements necessary for wholesome growth and expansion manifested through mankind in order to achieve His eternal purpose.
        Eventually God made a covenant with a man whose name was changed by God to Abraham. A covenant confirmed to his lineage through Isaac and Jacob whose name was changed by God to Israel. Israel became a nation known as the chosen people of God through whom God would establish His laws, ordinances, statutes, commandments and precepts and evangelize humanity.
        They were to teach God’s truth and be polarized in unity around His truth, and bound together in the truth and unity of the Godhead by love that reproduces in its own image and likeness. Experiencing true fellowship of sharing, socializing and supporting. Setting into dynamic motion all the elements necessary for wholesome growth and expansion.
        As we know from the biblical record, there were a lot of problems, but nothing God had not foreseen. Mankind’s recorded disobedience and rebellion against their Creator and joining in with the world, indulging the flesh and submitting to the rule of the devil in elevating self is a powerful testimony, relieved only by their subsequent periodic and temporary repentance as God tested them and when He punished them. And so we see the pattern of rebellion and repentance repeated many times.
        Finally, as warned and promised, God moved upon Assyria and the northern kingdom of Israel was attacked and destroyed and/or disbursed. For all practical purposes, never to be heard from again. The southern kingdom of Judah (which included Benjamin) suffered the same fate from Babylon.
        The Jews of the southern kingdom were taken to Babylon in exile. Under Babylonian rule they learned their language and culture. As captives, the Jews no longer had the temple as a pivotal central point for their religion so a man-made form of religion based upon human wisdom was born.
        In Babylon, with no temple or God-ordained rituals, the teachers, or scribes, created new laws. Eventually, the interpretive skills of these scribes were recognized as authoritative and legal, even when contradicting the Old Testament.
        Subsequently Persia conquered Babylon and many of the Jews settled in other parts of Persia. Persia was ultimately defeated by Greece and the Romans eventually came into control of the Greek empire. During the approximate 500 years the Jewish people lived under the foreign rule of Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome all of these language, cultural, societal, political and religious changes heavily influenced and changed the Jewish society and theological mindset.
        The fruit of this human influence and wisdom was the Babylonian Talmud being born in print from oral tradition. Composed of the Pharisees opinions, laws, customs, traditions and etc. which began in Babylon, it became the new “center” of the Jewish religion.
        God’s purposes of the Mosaic law—modifying external behaviour, by the temple, its rituals and sacrifices—had been cancelled out by the Pharisees by devices of their own making. When Jesus made His earthly appearance to transit us from law to grace—to modify the internal behaviour of our hearts—His purposes were challenged by the Pharisees. They continued in attempts to modify their external behaviour according to the desires of their own human hearts. The Pharisees never grasped the concept of the Gospel. Instead they pursued their own agenda and attacked Jesus head-on.
        The fullness of the revelation of God was replaced with the fruits of rebellion of man.
        The Judaism of today is not the Judaism of the Old Testament. The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia says: “... the ultimate authority for orthodoxy is the Babylonian Talmud. The Bible itself ranks second to it in reality, if not in theory.”
        The flawed occultic human teachings and practices that are the root and foundation of modern day Judaism lay bare and exposed for those who will take the time to investigate the facts. This has resulted in blindness, or hardness in part, relative to Israel “until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in” of which Paul spoke in Romans 11:25.
        We are still within God’s sovereign will relative to the partial hardening, or blindness, of Israel. This is part of God’s means to His end, His eternal purpose of bringing all things together in one. Every Gentile who names the name of Christ must acknowledge this and not censure, blame or persecute Israel for this state of affairs.
        In this discussion of biblical history we come to the time of the New Testament. Understanding of the circumstances by which the Jews became disobedient to God, and rebelled against Him, subsequently entering into apostasy, brings some rationale as to the state of mind of the first century Jews.
        First, their emphasis was no longer upon the pure law of Moses, but on a humanized version. Their spiritual vision blurred by the language, cultural, societal, political and religious changes of approximately 500 years, they gradually slipped into an apostate mindset.
        Three things are involved in this first century scenario: awareness, attitude and activity. There was an intense awareness of the Roman oppression and the expectation of a Messiah who would come and overthrow the Romans, and establish the righteous kingdom of God.
        Because of this awareness, they had developed an attitude of acute desire to be found living and doing righteously upon the arrival of Messiah. This awareness and attitude, in turn, greatly influenced their activities to be considered righteous. Although they had been wrongly influenced by erroneous teachings, they still had a fear of God which probably outweighed their love for God.
        Into this muddied spiritual atmosphere, the Father sent His Son Jesus Who began His ministry to the Jews at age 30. Jesus selected His disciples and began a ministry of three years which would culminate in His being killed by those He had come to redeem. All of which is still within the parameters of the Fathers plan to bring all things together in one, in Christ.
        The ministry of Jesus was primarily to the lost house of Israel, yet He opened the door for the Gentiles, as had been prophesied by the Old Testament prophets. Paul the apostle further revealed God’s plan, and elaborated throughout his letters on how the working dynamics were to be implemented. Other writers of the New Testament also filled in needed details for the outworking of God’s plan. With the writings of the New Testament, and the closing of the scriptural canon, we have a detailed explanation of how the household of faith is to function, however, much error still continues to be taught on this subject.
        The King James version states that Jesus said “... I will build My church ...” In researching the original text, we find that He said something quite different.
        “I”—(emphatic in the Greek).
        “will build”—The Greek word used here means “build a house.”
        “My”—this should be translated as “of Me.”
        “church”—this is a real can of worms. Every translator before the King James translators translated this word ekklesia as either assembly or congregation. However, since King James was not only the King but also the head of the “Church” of England, he gave his translators instructions (among others) specifically not to use these words because if there were no “church” then there was no king (speaking of himself), i.e., he could not be called the head of the Assembly of England or the Congregation of England.
        In researching the word “church” it opens up endless conjecture by very intelligent and informed experts and their opinions are many and varied. There is nothing definitive to be found regarding this word church, other than that today it has come to mean a building, an organization, or a group of religious people, either universal in scope or a small group of people, or a bunch of smaller groups. It’s a word association thing. The word “church” brings to mind for the most part today, a building with a steeple and a cross on it, or some variation of that.
        In the Greek it means “a called out assembly.” And that’s what Jesus meant.
        To sum up Jesus did not say “... I will build My church ...”
        Jesus said “I” (emphatically) “will build a house of Me, a called out assembly.”
        The argument has been advanced that in the phrase “I will build” that the verb form of oikodomeo used is oikodomeso which is the first person singular form of the future indicative active tense of the verb oikodomeo. Because of this verb form, it is correctly translated as “I will build.”
        The problem here is that the phrase “I will build My church” makes the statement by Jesus sound as though His intentions are to build something brand new, i.e., the “church” and that He is relegating the building of that “church” to some time in the future.
        In scriptural history and fact, however, there is no such thing as “the church” in God’s redemptive economy.
        As I mentioned, the word ekklesia, prior to the King James Version was always translated as “assembly” or “congregation.”
        In discussing one of the Old Testament words for “congregation” Vine’s Expository Dictionary makes these comments in this excerpt: “edah, “congregation.” This word may have etymologically signified a “company assembled together” for a certain purpose, similar to the Greek words sunagoge and ekklesia, from which our words “synagogue” and “church” are derived. In ordinary usage, edah refers to a “group of people.” ... The most frequent reference is to the “congregation of Israel” (9 times), “the congregation of the sons of Israel” (26 times), “the congregation” (24 times), or “all of the congregation” (30 times). Elders (Lev. 4:15), family heads (Num. 31:26), and princes (Num. 16:2; 31:13; 32:2) were placed in charge of the “congregation” in order to assist Moses in a just rule. The Septuagint translation is sunagoge (“place of assembly”). The KJV has these translations: “congregation; company; assembly.””
        “Congregation of Israel” is used in Exodus 12:3,6,19,47; Leviticus 4:13; Numbers 16:9; 32:4; Joshua 22:18; 1 Kings 8:5; 2 Chronicles 5:6.
        Exodus 12:6 is “assembly of the congregation of Israel.”
        The word assembly is qahal meaning assemblage (usually concretely). An excerpt from Vine’s Expository Dictionary makes this comment: “Elsewhere, the word qahal is used to signify all the people of Israel. The whole congregation of the sons of Israel complained that Moses had brought them forth into the wilderness to kill the whole assembly with hunger (Exod. 16:3). The first occurrence of the word also bears the connotation of a large group: “And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude [qahal] of people...” (Gen. 28:3).”
        In Jeremiah 24:6, 31:4, 33:7; 42:10; Ezekiel 36:36 and Amos 9:14 the word “build,” is banah.
        Vine’s Expository Dictionary tells us in these excerpts that banah means ““to build, establish, construct, rebuild.” In its basic meaning, banah appears in (Gen. 8:20), where Noah is said to have “constructed” an ark. In (Gen. 4:17), banah means not only that Enoch built a city, but that he “founded” or “established” it. This verb can also mean “to manufacture,” as in (Ezek. 27:5): “They have made all thy ship boards of fir trees…” Somewhat in the same sense, we read that God “made” or “fashioned” Eve out of Adam’s rib (Gen. 2:22)—the first biblical occurrence. In like manner, Asa began with the cities of Geba and Mizpah and “fortified” them (1 Kings 15:22). In each case, the verb suggests adding to existing material to fashion a new object.
        “Banah can also refer to “rebuilding” something that is destroyed. Joshua cursed anyone who would rise up and rebuild Jericho, the city that God had utterly destroyed (Josh. 6:26).
        “Metaphorically or figuratively, the verb banah is used to mean “building one’s house”—i.e., having children. Sarai said to Abram, “I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her” (Gen. 16:2). It was the duty of the nearest male relative to conceive a child with the wife of a man who had died childless (Deut. 25:9); he thus helped “to build up the house” of his deceased relative. Used figuratively, “to build a house” may also mean “to found a dynasty” (2 Sam. 7:27).”
        God says He will build, banah, i.e., build, establish, construct, rebuild, add to existing material to fashion a new object and add new children to the house of Israel and the house of Judah in building up His house, his dynasty (which He implemented during the reign of king David.)
        In these verses mentioned above, and printed below, the word “build” or “built” is banah, and in every instance refer to God rebuilding the house of Israel, either explicitly or implicitly. Truth of this is evident in the context within which they are stated in your Bible.
        Jeremiah 24:6 “For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up.”
        Jeremiah 31:4 “Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.”
        Jeremiah 33:7 “And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first.”
        Jeremiah 42:10 “If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you.”
        Ezekiel 36:36: “Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the Lord build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it.”
        Amos 9:14 “And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.”
        Our Lord was certainly aware of the usage of the words “assembly” and “congregation” in the Old Testament used for the house of Israel.
        In the New Testament the writer of Acts also understood the concept of “assembly” or “congregation” and used the word ekklesia in the phrase “the church in the wilderness.”
        Acts 7:37-38:
        37 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
        38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
        Paul, the apostle taught “That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:” (Ephesians 3:6).
        Ephesians 3:1-7:
        1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
        2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
        3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
        4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
        5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
        6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
        7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
        “Fellowheirs” is sugkleronomos or sunkleronomos, a co-heir, i.e. (by analogy) participant in common. Vine’s Expository Dictionary comments on this word: “... is used of Isaac and Jacob as participants with Abraham in the promises of God, (Heb. 11:9); of husband and wife who are also united in Christ, (1 Pet. 3:7); of Gentiles who believe, as participants in the gospel with Jews who believe, (Eph. 3:6); and of all believers as prospective participants with Christ in His glory, as recompense for their participation in His sufferings, (Rom. 8:17).”
        Paul makes it clear that the “church” the ekklesia, is the body of Jesus:
        Ephesians 1:22-23:
        22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
        23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
        “Partakers” is summetochos, a co-participant: partaker.
        Note Paul’s careful emphasis in using the words “fellowheirs,” “of the same body,” “partakers of his promise ...”.
        Paul speaks of “the house of God, which is the church of the living God ...”
        1 Timothy 3:14-16:
        14 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:
        15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
        16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
        Peter the apostle assures us believers are lively stones in building up the spiritual house of God.
        1 Peter 2:5:
        5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
        It should be clear from the totality of scripture that Jesus did not establish a second ekklesia of elect commonly called “the church,” but that He came to restore the houses of Israel and Judah (the totality of Israel).
        Then why did He use the future tense in saying He “will build?”
        Picture, if you will, a man standing in front of a house that is clearly not yet completely built. There is an enemy that is attempting to prevent the man from completing his task of building the house unto completion. But in dogged determination, he states to the enemy and to the world: “I will build my house.” The understanding is clear: he is not going to start building a house at some future date. But he is going to complete that which he started.
        A house he started building as far back as the biblical book of Exodus.
        If we can only get that much straight in our heads we are on the way to understanding the Father’s eternal purpose and how He is accomplishing it.
        Understanding that Jesus said “I will [continue to] build a house of Me, a called out assembly” should raise a question in our minds. Inquiring minds want to know. That question is “Who is being called out?”
        For the answer to that question we have to look at the words preceding those:
        “And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
        “... That thou art Peter...” The word “Peter” here is Greek for a large rock. “... and upon this rock ...” Rock here is Greek for a huge rock. Rocks, among other things, were (and are) used to build houses.
        Who are the called out ones that will become living stones for Gods house of faith?
        Those who receive the revelation from the Father that Jesus is the Christ (Greek), i.e., the Messiah (Hebrew). This was for the Jews to understand as they were awaiting the Messiah.
        And those who receive the revelation from the Father that Jesus is the Son of the living God. This was for the Gentiles to understand. They were not looking for the long awaited Messiah, but they knew what the Son of the living God meant.
        There is much confusion about the New Covenant (Testament). Jesus said “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28).
        What new testament was Jesus talking about? There is only one: “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah” (Jeremiah 31:31).
        You’re in trouble “church” because God didn’t make a new covenant with you. Read the text: He made a new covenant “with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah.”
        Can I get a witness?
        “For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people” (Hebrews 8:8-10).
        In light of this, it’s clear that when Jesus said “I will [continue to] build a house of Me, a called out assembly” that He did not create a new future institution to be called “the church.” Instead, He was opening up the door for the Gentiles to come into the existing household of faith, nominally called Israel as explained by Paul the apostle in his letters.
        Jew or Gentile, if the revelation from the Father of Jesus as the Messiah, and/or as the Son of God, has been received and acted upon by faith and the scriptural procedure of confessing with your mouth and believing in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, and your lifestyle reflects that belief, then you are part of a called out assembly as a living stone in the house of the true Israel that God has been building since He spoke to Abram (Abraham).
        Scripture is very clear that if a person is truly saved by their faith in Jesus Christ that they are the true Jews regardless of their race, ethnicity, culture or previous religious beliefs (Romans 2:26-29; 9:6-8; Galatians 3:26-29; 4:28-31; 5:1-6; Ephesians 2:8,9; 11-22; Philippians 3:2,3; Colossians 3:11; 1 Peter 2:9,10; Revelation 2:8,9).
        God made specific promises to the nation of Israel, the natural Israel. Jesus opened up the existing house of Israel that God has been building since He spoke to Abraham to those who had a revelation of Jesus as Messiah and/or Son of God. This existing house of Israel, now comprised of those who meet the requirements for being a “spiritual” Jew had its origin in the nation of biblical Israel, however, it’s equally plain in scripture that the spiritual roots of both Jew and Gentile who are now “spiritual Jews” and living stones of the house of the true Israel are in Jesus Christ.
        Gentiles in the household of faith do not have “Hebrew Roots” as some teach. There is no separate institution called “the church” in God’s economy. It is a fabrication that evolved from an apostate mindset, and was officially sanctioned by powerful human, religious, political and social influences over a period of many years.
        There is only the house of Israel, the household of faith, nominally called Israel, which has its “roots” in Jesus Christ. If our roots in Jesus Christ were more firmly entrenched we would not make such a mistake as to say “the church” has “Hebrew Roots.”
        “For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee” (Romans 11:16-18).”
        (Care must be taken in reading Romans 9-11 as Paul uses the term “Israel” throughout scripture to mean alternatively natural Israel or “spiritual” Israel. The very terms “natural Israel,” and “spiritual Israel,” are in themselves, confusing. Natural Israel is best understood as biblical, historical Israel, to whom God’s promises are made. Human attempts to identify this entity are unsatisfactory and incomplete—only God knows what comprises “natural Israel.”
        (“Spiritual Israel” would be the universal called out assembly, or congregation, i.e., the ekklesia, of which Paul speaks, which is comprised of “spiritual Jews.” This “spiritual Israel” would, of necessity, include some segments of the “natural Israel,” which as mentioned is, for all intents and purposes, not identifiable from a human standpoint.
        (It may be best, or easier, to think in terms of “spiritual Jews” which we know is the true ekklesia of Jesus Christ and includes all who have received the revelation of Jesus Christ as Messiah and/or the Son of God. To attempt to think in terms of “natural Israel,” or “spiritual Israel” includes scenarios of preconceived mindsets which only bring confusion into the issue.)
        Note the firstfruit and the root are holy. Who is the firstfruit and who is the root? Judaism? And some of the branches of Judaism have been broken off, even if holy? And the Gentiles now partake of this Judaistic root? And this root now bearest the Gentiles?
        I don’t think so. Judaism is not holy and the Gentiles are not to partake of Judaism. Therefore Judaism doesn’t now bearest the Gentiles.
        Are we then talking about Abraham and his seed? Abraham is our father in the faith, but not our flesh. Jesus is the Root of David whose (fore)-father was Abraham (Matthew 1:1; Revelation 5:5; 22:16). “And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29).
        The Amplified Bible reads: “Now if the first handful of dough offered as the first fruits [Abraham and the patriarchs] is consecrated (holy), so is the whole mass [the nation of Israel]; and if the root [Abraham] is consecrated (holy), so are the branches” (Romans 11:16).
        That makes the text easier to understand. Abraham and the patriarchs are consecrated and so is the nation of Israel. And, Abraham is consecrated and so is his seed, the believing remnant (branches). There are two analogies, however there is only one natural olive tree:
        (1) Abraham and the patriarchs (firstfruit, i.e., first handful of dough), and the nation of Israel (lump, i.e., the whole mass) are consecrated.
        (2) Abraham (the root), and his seed, the believing remnant (branches) are consecrated.
        Paul then goes on in the verses following, discussing the branches (2) above. In verse 25 he changes the topic from branches to Israel (1) above, where he discusses the partial hardening of Israel.
        There are Jews and there are Gentiles—unbelievers, unsaved, who were formerly a wild olive tree—that have been grafted in as saved believers among the seed, the believing remnant (branches) of the natural olive tree because they received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. As such, they share the root (Abraham) and fatness [richness] of the olive tree. “And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree” (Romans 11:17).
        Who or what is the olive tree?
        It’s not “Abraham and the patriarchs,” they’re the firstfruit, i.e., first handful of dough.
        It’s not “the nation of Israel,” that’s the lump, i.e., the whole mass.
        It’s not “Abraham,” he’s the root.
        It’s not his “seed,” the believing remnant, they’re the branches.
        The olive tree is the household of faith, the faithful of Israel, the true Israel. There is only one olive tree and there is only one household of faith, the faithful of Israel, to be distinguished from natural Israel, the lump, i.e., the whole mass of which Paul spoke.
        The root of the olive tree, the household of the faithful true Israel is Abraham, with whom God made a covenant. As the Ryrie Study Bible mentions in a note on this passage: “The root of the tree is the Abrahamic covenant which promised blessing to both Jew and Gentile through Christ.”
        Colossians 2:6,7 reads: “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.”
        “Rooted and built up in him ...” Therefore our roots as a Christian, a member of the household of faith of the true Israel, as a “spiritual Jew,” are in Jesus Christ. Jesus is also our foundation (Matthew 7:24-27; 1 Corinthians 3:11), and our cornerstone upon which our foundation is built (Matthew 21:42; Acts 4:11; Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:6). And the branches are holy in that we “... as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 2:4). And we “... are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:” (2 Peter 2:9).
        We “... as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house ...” A spiritual house, not two or more spiritual houses. The nominal “church” is not “spiritual” Israel. Claiming to be a Christian, or a Messianic or completed Jew, or saved, or an apostle, or prophet, or pastor or displaying bumper stickers on your car, or wearing a T-shirt with a religious message, or listening to CD’s or watching TV by those who have made such claims, does not make a person a lively stone in the house of the true Israel.
        (Why do we weak, pathetically sin-prone human beings continue to attempt to describe ourselves in terms that makes us appear to be better than we really are? When, in fact, any goodness in us comes through the gift of God’s Holy Spirit within us? Praise God for His love and grace and especially for His mercy!)
        What makes you a lively stone in true Israel, i.e., a “spiritual Jew,” is that you have received a revelation from the Father that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. And you have become a disciple of Christ, learning of Him, and being a supporter, imitator and follower of Jesus. And your lifestyle reflects your new biblical values.
        There are many who claim to be a “Christian,” whatever that means today. However, their lifestyle does not reflect the biblical values of a disciple of Christ. These nominal “Christians” may or may not become true disciples of Christ with the passing of time. The Holy Spirit will continue to call, convict and convince of sin, righteousness and judgement. Some of these nominal Christians will receive a revelation of Jesus Christ as the Messiah and/or the Son of God.
        Out of this group of people who, by their words, claim to be a “Christian,” God will call a remnant of overcoming true believers, true “spiritual Jews,” some of whom are from national Israel. This is the true ekklesia, a called out assembly, of God of which Jesus said “I will [continue to] build a house of Me, a called out assembly.”
        Going back to the first analogy Paul made, “For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy...” that of Abraham and the patriarchs (firstfruit, i.e., first handful of dough), and the nation of Israel (lump, i.e., the whole mass) are consecrated.
        God has reserved a special place in His heart for the patriarchs of Israel which extends to their sons and daughters of today and tomorrow. In what way is the lump, i.e., the nation of Israel holy [consecrated]? Paul says, “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” (Romans 11:25). A New Testament mystery is a revelation of something previously hidden. Paul reveals here how God will deal exclusively with national Israel at some future time.
        The blindness (partial hardening) of Israel is “until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” The fact of that happening is revealed to us by Paul, however when that happens and how that happens is known only to God. The significance of this happening is staggering in its implications. When it is an established fact in God’s economy, then Gentiles from that point on are excluded from the possibility of being saved. Selah, pause and calmly think of that ...
        However, because of its favored status with God, national, or natural Israel, will continue to have the opportunity to be saved. In this sense, then, natural Israel is still holy and consecrated unto God.
        Like it or not, those of natural Israel—however God defines them in His divine wisdom—will have to become “spiritual” Jews, i.e., members of the household of faith of the true Israel (in accordance with Paul the apostle’s scriptural definition of a Jew). They must be overcoming remnants, and by faith, accept Jesus Christ as their Messiah in order to be adopted as God’s sons as scripture reveals in 2 Samuel 7:11b-16 and referred to by Jesus in Revelation 21:7.
        By biblical definition those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord of our lives are now Jews and we are the constituents of the true Israel. Argument against this biblical truth is fruitless. Only God truly knows the answer to the question of what constitutes “national Israel.”
        If a person doesn’t believe in Jesus and is not His disciple, then they are not a true Christian and are not a “spiritual Jew.” And if they don’t become the true Israel as a “spiritual Jew,” then they will never become part of the “national” Israel of which Paul said “And so all Israel shall be saved ...”
        Paul said in Romans 11, verses 26 and 27: “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.”
        In those verses Paul refers to Isaiah 59:20,21; 27:9 and Jeremiah 31:33.
        For an understanding of what Paul meant here, let’s look at the passage in Isaiah:
        Isaiah 59:20-21: “And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord. As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever.” (The difference in the texts is due to the fact that Paul is quoting from the Septuagint).
        We can see here that the Deliverer/Redeemer refers to Jesus Christ. How will Jesus cause them to: “turn from transgression in Jacob ...” Study of the meaning of the word “transgression” reveals that The New International Version’s translation of Isaiah 59:20 conveys the intended meaning: ““The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,” declares the Lord.”
        Upon repentance and acceptance of Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, immediately following in verse 21 we see God’s Holy Spirit upon them, and they, and their posterity, speak the words God puts in their mouth for all of eternity—which is the promise of the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31:31.
        In view of the full meaning of Paul’s references to, and the actual text of, Isaiah 59:20,21, the point that emerges very clearly from Romans:11:26,27 is that Jesus will come to national Israel as their Deliverer/Redeemer. And there will be those Jews who will turn from transgression in Jacob (repent of their sins).
        There is no mass conversion of national Israel indicated in these passages. In accordance with true New Testament doctrine, salvation is an individual personal matter. Paul well understood a remnant of Israel shall be saved and mentioned it in his discussion in Romans 9-11. “Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved.” (Romans 9:27). “Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace” (Romans 11:5). Paul’s reference to “all Israel” is simply a broad usage to indicate a group of people who have been so identified previously many, many times in the Old Testament.
        The remnant Jews are the natural branches, though some (most) were broken off because of unbelief, and the believing Gentiles are grafted in. It is the place of both Jew and Gentile who are grafted in by reason of their acceptance of Jesus Christ as biblical, scriptural “spiritual” Jews to bring salvation to the “national” unsaved Jews “for salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22).
        God has a timetable for dealing with natural Israel and God has a timetable for the living stones of the true Israel. Dispensationalist and covenantal theological views contain and exclude truth, contradict each other, and each uses the theology of the other in certain points to bolster their argument. As such they are unacceptable, inappropriate and irrational in explaining God’s eternal purpose.
        The promises of God to national Israel and the true Israel of “spiritual Jews” will be fulfilled according to God’s timing, in His way. Neither identity has “replaced” the other. The details of the working dynamics of this spiritual process are known only to God.
        God uses natural things many times as a precursor of that which will occur in the supernatural (1 Corinthians 15:46). So it is with the natural, or national, and the true Israel. There is a relationship there and should be understood as such. To think that one “replaces” the other is flawed logic.
        Meanwhile, back to our chronicle of New Testament times ... we see history repeating itself.
        Those of the Jews who received a revelation of the Father that Jesus is the Messiah were able to evangelize Gentiles, who received the revelation that Jesus is the Son of the living God. The dividing partition between Jew and Gentile was torn down. All were eligible to be citizens in the kingdom of God by becoming members of God’s household of faith, i.e., the true Israel, under the terms of the New Covenant.
        Awareness by the Jews of the Roman oppression and the expectation of a Messiah who would come and overthrow the oppressive Romans and establish the righteous kingdom of God was replaced with the revelation of God’s agenda. Many interpreted this to be simply a temporary delay in the return of Jesus as a conquering Messiah Who would then establish the kingdom of God on earth. So they maintained an attitude of acute desire to be found living and doing righteously upon the re-arrival of Messiah. This awareness and attitude continued to greatly influence their activities to live righteously. Their love for God and fear of God came into proper perspective and balance.
        Belief in gods, magic, or chance was very strong among Gentiles of the Greco-Roman world. It was difficult for them to reject their pagan beliefs and begin to exercise their faith in the one true God. However, the abundance of love, healings and miracles that abounded during this time made this transition easier for them as the Holy Spirit convicted of sin, righteousness and judgement.
        The living experience of their revelation of Jesus as Messiah, and the Son of the one, true, living God was still fresh in their souls and spirits. With their awareness of the potential soon return of Jesus, an attitude promoting righteous lifestyles, and activities reflecting those things, the new disciples turned the world upside down.
        The new members of the true Israel met daily, primarily in homes, and centered their activities around prayer, teaching of Gods truth and a shared meal. All things were shared in common. “And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need” Acts 2:44-45). This was done as acts of generosity at the beginning. But later after immediate needs were met, “And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common” (Acts 4:32). (This was not an example of biblical communism: private ownership was still retained—“the things which he possessed”).
        Why was this? Because of their awareness and attitude influencing their activities. Peter preached on the day of Pentecost and 3,000 were saved. These people were on a pilgrimage from distant places. No doubt they had limited resources, but because of their newly found faith, they probably wanted to linger and also engage in those activities which were prompted by their awareness and attitude. And because of these factors, those who could shared what they had with those pilgrimage visitors so they could stay and learn. In addition, they met daily primarily in homes and also in synagogues and the temple.
        Meetings in the homes engendered a sense of family, and the new converts soon found that their new lifestyle, free of idolatry, incest, adultery and pagan practices and beliefs was liberating. In this liberating spiritual climate, there was a conscious awareness of acknowledging and worshipping Jesus as the Son of the true and living God instead of their lifeless images and idols, and focusing upon “one another” in recognition of the revelation of Jesus as Messiah and the Son of God. This fulfilled not only their desire for congregating, or assembling with other like-minded Christians, but also provided a means of expressing their love for fellow “family” members. They acknowledged Jesus as the Son of God and the one true Shepherd to whom they were accountable, and “ministered” to “one another” as family, experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit. Meetings were usually held in the larger homes of wealthier members who underwrote the expenses of providing for the common meal and also for helping the poor among them with daily baskets of food.
        Being part of a local assembly and of living stones in the house of the true Israel presented a stark contrast with their former lifestyles. They were now part of a family that took care of each other when they were hungry, or without proper clothing, or in need of a place to live, or sick, or lacking a means of transportation, or in need of a comforting and loving family.
        Apostles, prophets and evangelists had been raised up and sent out from the local assemblies to establish assemblies in other places. Missions had been started in Samaria and along the Palestinian coast. The Good News of the kingdom of God and His Christ had been noised abroad. New local assemblies had been established.
        The eternal purpose of God was being realized. These various local assemblies, polarized in unity around the truth of God, bound together in love, were reproducing in image and likeness of Jesus, and fellowshipping in the true sense of the word. They shared what they had with those who didn’t have. They socialized through meeting daily. They supported outright those who needed food, clothing, shelter, medical care, transportation and loving family relationships. Apostles and prophets were raising up elders and deacons in those local assemblies. Evangelists were being sent out. The dynamism of wholesome growth and expansion was set in motion.
        Paul encourages the saints in those local assemblies: “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. If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God. Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints” (1 Corinthians 14:26-33).
        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!
        Eventually, with the passage of time, the newness and excitement of their new found faith faded and they began to meet once a week. 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).
        By the end of the first century Godly truth, polarizing unity, love reproducing in its own image and likeness, and total fellowship—all the elements necessary for wholesome growth and expansion for realizing Gods eternal purpose—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.
        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. There were tremendous problems relative to persecutions for the true disciples of Jesus Christ. New theological beliefs sprouted up every day and many councils were held over a period of time. Most of them aligned newly evolving theology with scripture.
        From roughly 500 A.D. to 1500 A.D. there were a thousand years of darkness in the world and in the “church.” Luther and others got spiritual light from the Holy Spirit and changed some things in the then predominant authoritarian, hierarchal Roman Catholic church. However we have not gotten rid of the errors. Instead we have simply added more truth. The core of errors we have inherited still co-exist with biblical truth.
        The flawed occultic human teachings and practices that are the root and foundation of the modern day church system lay bare and exposed for those who will take the time to investigate the facts. We have seen the source of apostasy come into maturity in the same pattern as the evolution of today’s Judaism.
        In fact, contemporary Judaism and institutional Christianity are the opposite sides of the same apostate coin. Instead of Godly truth, the institutional churches have substituted earthly, sensual and demonic human wisdom. Thousands of “denominationalized” groups each claim superior knowledge and revelation of God’s truth, teaching their favorite doctrines and abandoning the whole counsel of scripture. A different church on every street corner tells the world that Christ is divided, not polarized in unity around the truth of God. Love has been replaced with selfishness. Fellowship has become selective socializing and deliberate exclusion of certain classes, groups and segments of their members. God’s eternal purpose is cast aside to pursue man’s temporal purposes in establishing personal kingdoms.
        How do we return to our first love? By first recognizing God’s word as truth and receiving the love of His truth. “And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12).
        The only other option is to not receive the love of the truth and “... God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie ...” We cannot continue doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results each time. Only by following the pattern established by God Himself will we continue on with God’s eternal purpose. And that pattern starts with God’s truth.
        We must cast off the unbiblical bondage to a rigid schedule, rules of a man-made institution, an unbiblical concept of “covering,” false authority over us, unjustified fear of being cursed for not tithing or obeying the whims of those who appoint themselves as “elders” or “ministers” and teachings of human traditions and human wisdom. (I deal with those subjects in other articles on this web site).
        As we change our awareness and our attitude we must pursue activities that reflect that change. Activities that center upon Godly truth, polarized in unity around God’s truth, love that reproduces in its own image and likeness, and total fellowship—all the elements necessary for wholesome growth and expansion for the true Israel.
        We must develop an attitude of acute desire to be found living and doing righteously upon the arrival of Messiah, the Son of the living God. An awareness and attitude that greatly influences our activities to be considered righteous with a proper balance of fear of God and love for God. We must become intensely aware of the fear and oppression of the institutional churches and instead establish the righteous kingdom of God.
        Emphasis must be on the pure word of God, not a humanized version. Our spiritual vision must refocus on being a disciple of Jesus, and be free of the language, cultural, societal, political and religious changes that have blurred it over the years. We need the mind of Christ, not an apostate mindset.
        We must re-live our experience of Jesus and freshen our souls and spirits and awareness of the potential soon return of Jesus, and let our attitude promote righteous lifestyles and activities which reflect those things. And turn our world upside down.
        With renewed awareness, attitude and activities we can follow the spirit of the first century converts and meet as much as possible centering our activities around prayer, teaching of God’s truth and sharing meals. When we gather together polarized in unity around the truth of God’s word, we must choose to love one another, and to truly fellowship with each other. Sharing, socializing and supporting where necessary.
        When we assemble as a family of God, as living stones of the true Israel, each member of the body of Christ must be that part of the body they are called to be. Recognizing Jesus Christ as our head and Shepherd. Exercising gifts and anointings for the benefit of the body.
        It will take time. But when we polarize in unity around the truth of God, to the exclusion of human wisdom and tradition, we will learn to choose to love one another. Out of that reproducing love, we will turn others to Jesus. Fellowship will be more than selective socializing and will encompass all biblical aspects. We will be a local family of living stones. Not split by arguments and human passions and desires, but looking only to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. Just like a real family, with parents, we will have Father, Son and His Holy Spirit as our authority and our teacher.
        When we gather together we will represent a local expression of the corporate body of Christ, recognizing Him as our head and following His orders through His Holy Spirit. The effectiveness of representation of the body of Christ will be determined by how much of the word of God, and Jesus and His Holy Spirit have filled us.
        Obviously, if a meeting consists mostly of brand new converts, they will have very little of the word and Christ to minister to others. But in a year, or two, or three years, with study and prayer, there will be more of the word and Christ in each one. And more of the power of Christ manifested. In five years, or ten years, with continued discipleship, they will be a powerful group. Elders will have been raised up by the Holy Spirit, deacons will have been appointed, the doma ascension gifts of Christ will have become manifest.
        Those who have been gifted, called and prepared by God will be sent out as His special messengers. Those who have been gifted, called and prepared by God to proclaim His mind and council will speak. Those who have been gifted, called and prepared by God to be itinerant preachers will go where they are led. Those spiritually mature individuals (elders) who have been gifted, called and prepared by God to shepherd the local assemblies will oversee (bishop) the flock and teach them truth and protect them from negative influences, both from without and from within. Those who have been gifted, called and prepared by God to teach His word to the local assemblies will teach.
        Yes, we call them apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers, but those are job descriptions, not titles. How many know that some deacons will mature and become shepherds? Or apostles, or prophets, or evangelists, or teachers?
        The body of Christ is not frozen in time and space. It is a living, changing, dynamic spiritual organism that incorporates God’s truth, polarization in unity around that truth, that reproduces in love in the likeness and image of Jesus, and which dynamically fellowships by sharing all things, socializing with all and supporting those in need.
        In time, different saints will gain maturity and move into different gifts, callings and anointings—if we will but let the Holy Spirit of God speak to us as the corporate body of Christ. Human wisdom wants to freeze them perpetually into one place, one area, one mindset. Not so in God’s ekklesia.
        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.
        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.
        A single assembly of God’s saints who meet will grow and probably be too large for the home it started in. They will have to start another assembly next door, or down the block. And this single family will become a multi-family and the process will repeat as others see the salt and light of the people who are part of the assembly and are drawn to them. And who join them as the true Israel of God. Godly love in action reproducing its likeness and image.
        Multi-families will join together in meeting in larger places as the occasion demands, for corporate worship and teaching. Rented spaces such as hotel conference rooms will be paid for by free-will offerings at that time.
        The expense formerly incurred in overhead and maintenance of institutional churches will free up money needed for the fatherless, the widows, the sojourners and strangers in the land and those who are truly anointed and called by God as His servants. And to provide true fellowship by sharing, and supporting the poorer among the assemblies, in addition to just socializing.
        Families will become multi-families, multi-families will become multi-communities, multi-communities will become cities, which will become multi-cities, which will become countries and multi-countries. And the Good News of the kingdom of God and His Christ will be preached throughout the whole world. By the biblical pattern that God has established for us to follow: multiple local assemblies representing the corporate body of Christ.
        “Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:16-20).
        There have always been doubters of Jesus, even those who saw Him after the resurrection. Jesus said “... Teaching them to observe all things...” We’ve been doing that for centuries, just observing what Jesus said. However, the word in Greek means “... to guard (from loss or injury, properly, by keeping the eye upon) ...” according to Strong’s Dictionary. Vines Expository Dictionary says this about the word: “to watch over, preserve, keep, watch.”
        The meaning of this passage is to teach all nations to guard the things that Jesus commanded, or ordered His disciples to do from loss or injury by keeping watch over them and preserving them.
        Instead, we have a variety of opinions, conjectures, guesses, traditions, personal experiences, heretical teachings and doctrines of demons flooding our minds from every conceivable source.
        How many know that the apostate system of today’s contemporary Judaism and today’s institutional Christianity breeds apostate believers? Why? Because they both evolved from an apostate system through very similar processes.
        Biblically ignorant wannabee “preachers” or “ministers,” like children, are tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive and accept anything that comes along so they have a “new thing” to “scoop” the other ignorant wannabees. In their haste to be “first” they fail to be good Bereans and check the scriptures to see if these things are true.
        And equally scripturally ignorant “believers” blindly accept those things so they can be part of the latest and greatest in spiritual fads.
        In contemporary institutional “churches” false prophets claim extra-biblical “prophetic” revelations for what they want God to do, according to their theological bent and understanding, and the sheep follow these false prophets like Israel and the golden calf, not realizing they are witnessing a classical case of the tail attempting to wag the dog.
        Are we true disciples of Jesus, as a learner, imitator, supporter and follower of Him and Him alone? Allowing our salt and light to affect those around us? Are we preparing ourselves for full citizenship for all of eternity in the kingdom of God as His kings, priests and prophets? Is the world attracted to our salt and light and biblical example of our lifestyles? Is our lifestyle a built-in 24 hour a day, 7 day a week evangelistic tool?
        As the ekklesia of Jesus Christ—the natural and spiritual descendants of Abraham—do we meet in groups in order to be a partial, local expression of the totality of the corporate body of Christ? Are we filling ourselves with the word of God and knowledge of His Christ and allowing the Holy Spirit to teach us all things about the word and Christ? So we have some degree of fullness to minister to others? With each member being their part, exercising their gifts and anointings? And in so doing taking back territory from satan wherever our feet tread as we become a close-knit family of the seed of Abraham? A family that meets together as led by the Holy Spirit—meeting as natural families meet—and shares what they have with the other members of the family, and socializes on a regular basis, and supports those less fortunate among them. A family that is being overseen (bishops) by a plurality of the physically and spiritually mature among them (elders) who feed [read: teach] the family flock and protect them from the wolves that would devour them—both from the outside and the inside (shepherds).
        Are we a family that knows every members part, gifts and anointings are necessary in order to grow, mature and increase to become a series of multi-families that grows from local to world-wide groups?
        Are we a family of spiritual descendants of Abraham that is free from denominations, or institutional organizations that maintain a one-man rule by utilizing fear methods of manipulation and intimidation and misinterpretation of scriptural commands, principles and practices?
        The institutional church has no such results. Instead we constantly travel hundreds and thousands of miles away from our homes, spending our time and money in a vain attempt to chase after the latest “anointed” teaching or preacher. So we can learn to “minister,” or “hear God” or “activate our spiritual gifts,” or learn “spiritual warfare,” or how to “heal” according to somebody’s method. And so the “church” ignores its own household and its own neighborhoods. And Bible reading and time spent with God is neglected in favor of traveling.
        There is a tried and proven method detailed throughout the New Testament—God’s method. We work so hard to avoid it because it requires a lifestyle change that incorporates all of the changes and sacrifice and pain and inconvenience involved in family living.
        In the world families are becoming extinct with marriages failing, homosexual unions, and rebellious children. Why should the ekklesia of Jesus Christ follow their pattern? The true Israel should be setting a pattern for the world, not following the world’s pattern.
        So what do we do with this monster apostate system we created? “It’s such a beautiful building, and some of the people are so nice, and the pastor is so loving, and the choir sings so beautifully,” and on and on and on ...
        Question: What happened to the monster Dr. Frankenstein created? It lurched and stumbled all over the landscape. What happened? It was killed.
        What’s gonna happen to today’s humanly created apostate institutional church? It’ll be killed.
        Why? Because the world system has grown weary of watching this misguided, grotesque, hypocritical creature wander all over their landscape and condemning them all the while doing the same stuff they do. They will most likely bring widespread persecution to Christians and the nominal Christians will leave it. And the remnant will continue to pull out of the institutional churches. No people, no money. No money, no institutional church.
        The bless-me, spiritually incestuous, fear-based gatherings will fade away as fast as the latest Hollywood movie. The great falling away will be accomplished in a very short time. Playtime will be over for the “church.”
        However, the “religious” people will continue to coalesce in unity around their humanized version of the truth, claiming love at all costs, with even more selective socializing, pushing their human agendas through ecumenical councils. And will most likely syncretize and synergize with the New Age Movement.
        But praise God, this failed clone experiment of the body of Christ still contains within it the true seed of Abraham, the true Israel! God’s eternal purpose of bringing all things together in one will become the remnants’ priority. The overcomers, the remnant, will stand alone for awhile. Humiliated, embarrassed, alone, broken, chastised and disciplined. Those who have not been through those schools will get a crash course. But the true remnant of overcomers will attain to greatness in the kingdom of God, by the word of their testimony and by the blood of the Lamb.
        The institutional churches will be abandoned and out from their ashes will come the totally apostate “church” and the remnant overcomers, who will be persecuted by the apostate church.
        “Well, brother, that’s not gonna happen. There’s gonna be a great revival all over the earth, not apostasy and persecution.” How I wish that was right, but I doubt it, if I’m reading my Bible correctly. And if that is the case, then all the more reason to abandon the institutional church system.
        What are you going to do if 50,000 people show up one Sunday morning at your 1,000 member church? Where are you going to put them? How are you going to answer their multiplied 50,000 questions? And minister to their multiplied 50,000 hurts?
        Have you trained your people how to assemble together in a home, according to Godly and biblical patterns and pursue the eternal purpose of God? Those 50,000 all came out of a home somewhere, and they will all fit into a home somewhere.
        Either way, good scenario or bad scenario, better start being the body of Christ. Now. “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches” [read: assemblies] “of the saints.”
        “Professional ministers,” must teach their people how to be members of the true Israel. And get a job, and support themselves and families and become a real member of the body of Christ. Then God can use them to build His kingdom. If they are one of the “spiritual” Levites called, appointed and anointed by God, their local assembly will find it out by the Spirit of God. And God will take care of them while they are supporting themselves.
        Those of you who bought into the clergy/laity lie and consider yourself laity, think again. The “Let George do it” philosophy won’t work in God’s kingdom. Get into a biblical local assembly, as you are led by God to do so, and be your part in the body of Christ, and use the spiritual gifts, callings and anointings God has graced you with. Exchange your travel time for quality time with the true Israel.
        If you’re one who is satisfied with today’s “church” scene, then invest in high performance air-conditioners. You’ll need them where you’re going.
        Godly truth, polarizing unity, love reproducing in its own image and likeness, and consummate fellowship—all the elements necessary for achieving God’s eternal purpose by wholesome growth and expansion is a dynamic process and will produce radical results.
        Radical results require radical changes.

        If you’re dissatisfied with today’s “church” scene, then invest your time in reading some related articles:
•“Free Indeed,” will explain the withdrawal symptoms you’ll have from the cultic mindset you developed while in the institutional church system. Like it or not, it can last for years ...
•“Free in Christ!” explains how and why we are so gullible and defenseless against the lies of an institutional church system which is responsible for the apostate mindset that prevails today in every “religious” endeavor of human beings.
•“A Sinking Submarine,” explains why today’s concept and practice of Christianity fails to measure up to scriptural standards.
•“The Spirit Of Antichrist,” explains how to remove yourself and your loved ones far from the antichrist influence.
•“God’s Will And Purpose,” will help you to understand that you are not in the family of Jesus when you hear the word of God and don’t do it.
•“Women Keep Silence, or Don’t Lose Your Head, Please!,” discusses biblical types and antitypes, examples and clear scriptural instructions for scriptural spiritual headship, why Paul the apostle insisted upon it, and the dangers of irresponsibility by the men of the ekklelsia.
•“Does Anybody Out There Hear Me?” states the case for the urgent need for biblical home ekklesias in God’s economy as compared with today’s standardized religious institutional mindset.
•“Americans religious faith in self and church, not Christ” explains how surveys show that Americans religious faith is in self and church, not Christ, the Bible or God as biblically illiterate people obey flesh strongholds not the Holy Spirit

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