"This word church has diverse significations" Pt 3 & 4

“This word church has diverse significations” Pt 3 of 4

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my congregation/assembly (Ekklesia), and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matt 16:13-18

This is the first and only time where Jesus Christ is quoted using the word ekklesia that has been engrained in our minds to mean church with all the baggage that comes with that meaning. As already revealed the correct translation of the word ekklesia is the simple, powerless and common word, “congregation” or “assembly” or “called out ones.” Let’s ask and answer a few questions pertaining to this place in scripture that Jesus uses the word ekklesia and seek deeper revelation on the what it is.

Who is Jesus talking to and why?

It is Peter and why is he referring to Peter? Lets look a couple verses back. “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.”

Jesus was talking to Peter, a nobody in those days, a regular fisherman, who had been drawn by the Father to give up everything (his life) and to follow Jesus. “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:44. Jesus called Peter as He calls all. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said…” Mark 1:17. Jesus was talking to Peter because at that appointed time, the Father in Heaven decided by His Sovereign Favor/Grace to bless Peter with the revelation of who Jesus was/is; the Christ, the Son of the living God. Family, friends, pastors, prophets, nor any form of flesh and blood did not reveal this to Peter nor will it to anyone. It was absolutely spiritual as it came from the Father who is Spirit. The Spirit spoke to Peter’s spirit and his heart and Peter uttered the revelation. In the same light, we too can only receive the true revelation of who Jesus is by and from the Spirit of God speaking to our inner man…..and not by way of flesh and blood. We can say the name of Jesus, we can say Jesus is Lord and my savior, we can memorize bible verses and say all kinds of wonderful things about Jesus and do a lot of works in Jesus name, but it’s all in error and false, and filthy before God when one has not had that spiritual revelation from the Father on who the Son is and has made Him his righteouness.

The Lord does not seek worshippers who worship on mountains or temples and on special days through customs, traditions and practices handed down from their forefather who worshipped a God they did not know. He is seeking true worshippers to worship Him in spirit and in truth. Peter is representative of all those that 1. are called to put faith in the Messiah and give up everything to seek, follow, serve, die and live for Him and 2. Those that God blesses by grace (sovereign favor) with the spiritual revelation of who the Messiah is. The revelation of who Christ is not a mere matter but ALL THAT MATTERS; it is eternal life. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. John 17:3. The revelation of Jesus, the true abiding knowledge of Him, is not a simple confession from the mouth that Jesus is Lord, the son of God etc etc. Its not about just saying and knowing what scriptures says about Jesus. The revelation of Jesus is not head knowledge of Him acquired by reading a book. It’s not an emotional high you get from reading about Him and listening to what people say about Him. Head knowledge of Him can be acquired by anyone, but it takes the Spirit to reveal spiritually and truly who He is. Such revelation is transforming internally and externally to the recipient. No one, after receiving the true revelation of Jesus is ever the same. When it truly happens to someone, the old dies off and a new creation is born. Such an experience, like everything else that comes from God, is being counterfeited by Satan and wayward men. People live under a delusion that they are “born again” yet they still are abiding in death. There is the fooling of men, for a time, but there is no fooling of the Living God. In that day all will be exposed and laid to bear. What is hidden in the hearts of men will be made known to all by the judgments of God. Blessed is the one who’s heart’s treasure is the Messiah.

On what rock?

On what rock is Jesus building His congregation? Now there are 2 popular answers to who the rock is. In fact in this world, hundreds of millions say its Peter and hundreds of millions say it’s Jesus. They can’t be both right. There is only one rock. Let’s see what the Spirit of God will reveal to us from scriptures about the rock:

§ For other foundation NO ONE can lay, but that which has been laid, which is Christ Jesus. I Corinthians 3:11

§ And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and THAT ROCK WAS CHRIST. I Corinthians 10:4

§ For they stumbled or the stumbling-stone, as it is written, "Behold I lay in Sion, a stumbling-stone and a ROCK of offence: and whosoever believeth on him (Christ) shall not be ashamed." Romans 9:33

§ And what did the Peter say in his letter? As you come to Him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture:"Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," and "A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense." I Peter 2:4-8

§ Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:11-12

§ The Lord is my ROCK, and my fortress, and my deliverer. My God, is the ROCK of refuge. Psalm 18:2, 94:22.

§ God was their ROCK, and the high God their redeemer. Psalm 78:35.

§ Unto Thee will I cry, O LORD, MY ROCK; Psalm 28:1.

§ Bow down Thy thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be Thou my strong ROCK, FOR A HOUSE of defense to SAVE me. for Thou art my ROCK and my FORTRESS; therefore for Thy name's sake lead me, and guide me. Psalm 31:2,3.

§ I will say unto God my ROCK, why hast Thou forgotten me? Psalm 41:l0.

§ Lead me to the ROCK that is higher than I Psalms 61:2

§ He Only is my ROCK and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. In GOD is my salvation and my glory: THE ROCK of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times, ye people, Pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah Psalm 62:6-8

§ To shew that the Lord is upright: He is my ROCK, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. Psalm 92:15.

§ but the Lord is my defense; and MY GOD IS THE ROCK of my refuge. Psalm 94:22.

§ Come, let us sing unto THE LORD; let us make a joyful noise to THE ROCK of our salvation. Psalm 95:1.

§ The stone which the builders refused is become the head of the corner. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. Psalm 118:22, 23.

§ Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Isaiah 28:16.

§ Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto OUR GOD! He is THE ROCK, His work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: Deuteronomy 32:3-4.

§ Then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed THE ROCK of his salvation. Deuteronomy 32:15, 18

§ And he said: THE LORD IS MY ROCK, and my fortress, and my deliverer II Samuel 22:2.

So who do you say is the rock? Jesus has made it clear to us what will happen to those who build on any other rock apart from Him:

"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great."

So what exactly is the Lord building?

Before that, what is He not building? He is not building churches and church buildings and church branches. He is not building the choir department, usher department, prayer department, music department, bible study department, or any department, section, component or part of what goes into the churches of men. He is not building all these nicely named ministries and NGOs of men. He is not building on what rebellious men built generations ago and handed down to us to continue to build. He is not continuing the treacherous work of their evil hearts and blood stained hands.

What Christ is building is His ekklesia, which is His congregation or assembly, composed of people like you and I. He is building people! Us! The nobodies of the world, not the proudly trained, skilled, knowledgeable, well-spoken, self sufficient prominent people of the world. He is building the weak, the poor, the meek, the humble, the lost, the seekers and the lovers of love, truth, justice, integrity and the merciful. He came for the sinners, not the righteous, He came for the sick, not the healthy. He has personally embarked on the will of God to building each of us that have been called out to Him; individually and collectively. He has the design, the blueprint, the materials, the supplies, the equipment, resources, the strategy, the methodology and everything needed for those He is building. He has it all in all-sufficiency and needs nothing from man to build. Man but only is to have faith (which he also gives) and receive the gift God gives through Jesus.

The ekklesia are those persons that Jesus has called-out to Himself. When Jesus began His public ministry He went through Judea and called-out a group of men that became His disciples. Jesus did not begin His ministry in the temple or within the denominations of the priesthood. Jesus began His work outside the temple format and the religious practices of His day by building up men upon "a rock" of revelation: "Thou are the Christ, the son of the living God." Upon this rock I will build My ekklesia, my people, you! Jesus set out to build people up and into Himself, upon the rock of revelation—He is the Christ! He is anointed King and Lord. He is God!

The Ekklesia is you! The Ekklesia is you! The Ekklesia is you!

The Ekklesia is us! The Ekklesia is us! The Ekklesia is us!

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 2 Peter 1:3-4

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. Roms 8:28-30

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. Eph 1:3-6

For consider your calling, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 1 Cor 1:26-29

You see the Lord’s will and desire and purpose is to build those who He has called; the regular, common unimportant people in this world, you and I… in His image, into perfection and excellence as He is. He is building us into sons and daughters God, children of God. He is offering us to partake in His divine nature; love, humility, holiness, righteous, justice, mercy, endurance, perseverance, patience, compassion, wisdom, knowledge, understanding, purity, power, might, majesty, splendor, honor, glory etc. We have been predestined to be conformed to His image. We have been predestined for adoptions as sons of God, Christ the firstborn and we that follow after Him! Our destination is in Jesus and Him in us, the hope of glory! He is building us to this effect; that as He is so shall we be! That as the Son of God is so shall you be! Imagine that!

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The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man. Acts 17:24

Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. Is 66:1-2

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house. 1 Pt 2:4-5

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

The Lord has said that Heaven is His throne, earth His footstool, and has asked “what is the house you would build for me, and where is the place of my rest?” The answer is not what men build with their hands, it is not what is built with mortar and clay, it is not churches and church buildings, and it is not anything of the flesh or of this world. “what is the house you would build for me…?’ We can’t build anything for the Lord. It’s not us who is to build, it is not us who are supposed to be doing the building, but His Spirit, The Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of God!. “…where is the place of my rest?” The answer is those of us that have been called and chosen by God’s mercies and love! See all are called (for the Lord desires all be saved), but those chosen are few; the humble, meek, the lowly. Those who are contrite, repentant and remorseful. Those that are righteous (like Abraham, Noah, Job). Those that die to “self” and live for Christ. Those that live holy lives, and do not conform to the ways of this evil world. Those that fear God and tremble at His word. Those that love. Those that hate evil. It is us that the Spirit of God is building into God’s place of rest. We are the individual living stones being built up as a spiritual house for the Lord God! It’s us! It’s you! We are the temple of God! God’s resting place!

Let me say it again, WE, YOU AND I, ARE THE TEMPLE OF GOD. GOD DOES NOT DWELL IN PLACES BUILT BY MEN. God wants to dwell in us, live in us, rest in us, operate in us, fellowship in us, and tabernacle in us.

Like it has been said earlier, doesn’t really matter what you want to call what the Lord has said He is building by Himself and for Himself. What really matters is the substance of it; being Jesus Christ. The ekklesia is synonyms with many words in scripture; bride of Christ, body of Christ, Zion, [New] Jerusalem, Jacob, Israel, Temple of God, household of faith, Household of God, Kingdom of God, Kingdom of Heaven, Tabernacle, Priesthood, Holy Nation, Congregation, Assembly, His people etc. These names in essence point to the same thing; our relationship with God as He desires it. Ultimately Jesus is building you and I into complete oneness with Him and the Father. It’s not about what you call it; it’s about what it actually is! May the Lord reveal it to your spirit and heart!

Beloved has not the time come where we do not worship on mountains and high places or in our modern day Jerusalems where neighborhood and streets are lined with temples and churches? Has Jesus not abolished the temple worship? If Jesus has abolished it and men have decided to bring it back, elevated men who give themselves titles and positions, men who claim to know the Lord yet do not obey His word… are we to obey Jesus or them? Are we to follow the way of our fathers or to follow the Way? There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. Proverbs 14:12. Do you truly believe that their way will lead to life? If our forefathers and fathers now worship in error and ignorance are we to ignorantly continue in their footsteps? Are we to just blindly follow them because they are older, and claim to be called, and experienced and so on? If we know the truth about the kind of worship the Lord desires and doesn’t desire, if we know the truth about what Jesus is building and what men are building, are we to change/repent or continue in the error of our ways? If the sword of truth has made the clear distinction and drawn the line in the sand with Jesus’ ekklesia on one side and the churches of men on the other, then what side are we going to be found on in that day? Can you see to choose wisely what side you’ll stand on? Can you hear to discern between the calling of Jesus and the calling of others ? I pray so.

“This word church has diverse significations” Pt 4 of 4

The veil remains

The Lord does not live in temples, churches or any of the high places built by man. Has he not made this clear? Yes He has! But, the veil remains over their eyes, the god of this age continues to blind them, their minds and hearts remain harden for they continue to reject the truth, the people continue to rebel against the word of God. They say “yes the Lord has said He doesn’t dwell in temples but…,” They say, “yes we are the temple of God, but bible also says…” They say, “My church is different, my pastor is different because…”, They say “can you not see God is blessing my church and my leaders? How can we be so blessed if we were doing the wrong thing?” , They say “We are definitely doing God’s work and worshipping God, you haven’t been to my church so you don’t know”, They say “My leader is definitely called by God, His messages have helped me, the church has blessed me, we are not like the others, my pastor serves God, we serve God in my church” They say “But bible says don’t forsake the gathering of the saints”, They say “ You have some valid points, but..”, They say you shall know them by their fruits, look at the fruits of my church, if it was God how come…”. They have reasons, justification, causes, explanations, validations, rationalizations, excuses, and bible verses for all they have done and what they will continue to do. Here is the truth as William Tyndale put it:

“By grace I understand the favor of God, and also the gifts and working of his Spirit in us; as love, kindness, patience, obedience, mercifulness, despising of worldly things, peace, concord, and such like. If after thou hast heard so many masses(preaching at Sunday services, singing and dancing etc), matins (morning or night prayer services) and after thou hast received holy bread, holy water (communion), and the bishop’s blessing, or a cardinal’s or the pope’s (or the pastor’s, archbishop’s, papa’s, reverend’s or whatever they are titled as), (and after thou hast given offerings and tithes religiously),…. (if after doing all these things) if thou will be more kind to thy neighbor, and love him better than before; if thou be more obedient unto thy superiors; more merciful, more ready to forgive wrong; done unto thee, if thou will more despise the world(the desires of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of possession all are from the world and not God 1 John 2:6) , and more athirst after spiritual things(love, joy, peace, patience, forgiveness, mercy, humility, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, faithfulness, long suffering, patience, endurance etc); if after that a priest hath taken orders he be less covetous than before(not desiring what others have; house, marriage, money, car, status clothes, physical looks etc); if a wife, after so many and oft pilgrimages, be more chaste, more obedient unto her husband, more kind to her maids and other servants; if gentlemen, knights, lords, and kings and emperors,…know more of Christ than before, and can better skill to rule their tenants, subjects, and realms christianly than before, and be content with their duties; then do such things(what things? All your church things)... IF NOT (if churching doesn’t conform me into Jesus, if churching doesn’t fulfill the Will of the Father for my life then), IT IS A LIE. Whether it be so or no, I report me to experience.”

What is your experience?

“And He (Jesus) gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some shepherds and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. Ephesians 4:11-16

Are you experiencing this in the churches? Are your leaders equipping you for the work of ministry that God has purposed for you, or are they equipping for the work of a man’s ministry, the “church work” like joining the prayer department, choir, becoming an usher, a sunday school teacher etc? Have you received a vision from God about the purpose of your life (the the purpose Jesus came to the earth) or have you been given the churches vision to make as yours? What's the church's theme for this year? Are you fulfilling the heart’s desires of God or are you coming to church to tell Him to fulfill yours? Are you walking in the will of the Father or doing great works saying ”Lord, Lord’, “Jesus, Jesus” ,“Amen, Amen”? Are the divided churches of men, with their denominations, sects, and the many rogue pastors who have broken off to form their own churches, are all these coming to the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God? How can there exist a unity in faith in One Lord and One God in a divided religion? Do people see Jesus in you, the perfect holy righteous Son of God? Are you being perfected, to the measure and stature of the fullness of Christ? Is this happening to the man, woman and child sitting around you in church every Sunday? Apart from on Sundays, Saturdays and on the holidays instituted by men…how joined are you to the person you sat beside in church during the other days of the week and year? How knitted are you together with these people when there isn’t “churching” going on? How well do these people know you? Are you being edified, built up in love by those you sit in pews with? Or is this someone else’s job to edify and build up like the pastor and the other spiritual “elite” of the churches?

What is your experience? Does it feel good to dress up for church, to sing and dance, to hear sermons and people preach, to shout amen and hallelujah, to pray and recite, to give your money away? Does it feel good to be part of a church, that’s lively and exciting every Sunday/Saturday or whatever day you meet? Does it to feel good belong, to feel that you are working for God and serving Him in church? Does it feel good to have an answer to the question, “where do you go to church?” “Who is your pastor?” Does it feel good when your pastor ask about service to the God and the church and you can say "I'm an usher", "I'm in the choir", "I lead sunday school", "I pay my tithe every month"? Does it feel good to have somewhere to go and something to do every Sunday morning? Does it feel good to be around people just like you, who agree with everything the pastor says, and who do everything that the church requires just like you do? Does it feel good to have a place you can go be in god's presence and to worship god in song and dance and clapping? Is this your experience?

You answer to yourself…and to God.

Behold, prophesy continues to be fulfilled:

“As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,

a cornerstone chosen and precious,

and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,

“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.”

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do”

How long will we stumble? How long will you stumble? How long will you disobey the Word? How long will you harden your heart to the truth? How long will you continue to conform to worship and service to God as the world and men have devised, and not as how God Himself desires? How long will you fulfill the requirements of men and seek not God’s requirements to fulfill them? How long will you blindly follow after the churches of men? How long will you give excuses and justifications for your actions and those of your leaders and your church? How long will you keep fooling yourself?

How long will you settle for the love of the world and your church in exchange for the Father’s love in Christ Jesus? Do you fear them hating you, questioning you, being different from them? Do you fear being alone, an outcast? Do you wonder what your family will say and your friends? Did not Christ tell you that they would hate you because of Him? Did He not tell you “He who loves father or mother, more than Me, is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter, more than Me, is not worthy of Me. And he, who does not take his cross and follow after Me, is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life, for My sake, will find it.”? Has He not told you these things? How long will you continue to be indifferent? How long will you continue to sit among them, unnoticed to many, but an eyesore to God? How long will you continue to be lukewarm, to be in between? How long will you continue to side with the church members and your leaders who go about pursing their will, the desires of their hearts, the devices of their minds? How long will you follow them, and not follow Jesus?

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Matt 7:13-14.

How broad and easy is the way of the churches of men. What do they require of you? Sunday service, singing and dancing, praying and rambling, reciting and chanting, listening to the preaching of men who give no account to anybody but themselves? What do they ask of you? “Come to church on Sunday, give offerings and tithes to church, joining the choir, join the prayer department, finding some way to serve the church.”? Is this what they require? And after submitting you are then made a member, a Christian, a part of the church, are you not? Your presence and submission to the church is all they ask and nothing else, is it not? What do they ask of you?

I pray your eyes see and your ears hear, and your mind discern the narrow gate, the hard way, the tough way, the difficult way, the non-conforming way, the way of the suffering-servant, the way that leads to the cross, the way that leads to death to this world, the way that lead to life eternal, the way that cause you to be hated like they hated Jesus, the way that leads you to be loved and honored by the Father as He loved and honored His faithful Son who fulfilled His will; even the cross, the way that has been destined for you and you alone, the way that leads you to the will of the Father for your life. I pray you be counted among the “few” who find it...for the wide gate and easy way is what many have entered and walk in and its end is death.

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The Lamb’s Judgment

Every building they erect in the name of the Lord God is an abomination. Did God not destroyed the last Temple that bared His name? But yet we still build, put His name on our works and profane His name! We profane His name to the gentiles, the nations the unbelievers who look upon the churches and laugh, who look upon them and are not fooled by their outward appearances. A rebellious generation we are indeed! Worse than our forefathers! See how the abominations have multiplied across the face of the earth, each the work of men, their glory, their pride, their downfall. See how they set their hearts to build more and more. Is it not their dream to build a branch here and another there? Is it not their dream to build bigger and better? What is the churches plan for expansion and growth in membership? Have you asked? Are you not working hard to bring someone to church?

Behold the Lord has spoke concerning your temple, synagogue, your your church and all the high places of the world:

“And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

See the land you have purchased for your temples, see the temples you have built with mortar and clay. See how adorned your church is and how magnificent the plans are for the next church you plan to build? See how your offerings and tithes have beautified your churches and sustain them? See how they rob God to build! See how their hearts are set to build more, to build bigger, to build better. See how they wish to increase their church membership, to house more lost sheep. See all the churches, big and small, see how numerous they are? See how your small church desires to be like the more glorious ones? See how the glorious churches desire even more glory! Do you see it? Do you!

Thus saith the Lord, “Do not trust in these deceptive words: 'This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.'” Jeremiah 7:4

Do not trust in these even more deceptive words: "This is the church of the LORD, the church of the LORD, the church of the LORD."

“There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

"This word church has diverse significations" Pt 1 & 2

“This word church has diverse significations” Pt 1 of 4

These were the words of William Tyndale. Do you know of William Tyndale? Well if not, Tyndale is father of the first English Bible. He is the man responsible for the first translation of Greek and Hebrew Scriptures into the English language. In 1539, Tyndale's New Testament and his incomplete work on the Old Testament became the basis and in large part content of the Great Bible. This was the first "authorized version" issued by the Church of England during the reign of King Henry VIII. Your KJV bible, NIV, ESV, NLT, NASB and the countless other English renditions of the bible are in large part due to the work of Tyndale. Tyndale’s was the first English translation to draw directly from Hebrew and Greek texts, and the first to take advantage of the new medium of print, which allowed for its wide distribution. So what did it cost Tyndale to translate the bible into English for you and me and the rest of the English reading world? The answer is his life. His translation was taken to be a direct challenge and attack to the supremacy of both the Roman Catholic Church and the English church and state. In 1535, Tyndale was arrested by church authorities and jailed for over a year. He was tried for heresy, strangled and burnt at the stake in 1536. Some of the accurate words and phrases introduced by Tyndale did not sit well with the hierarchy and power controls of the Roman Catholic Church, using words like "overseer" where the Church preferred "bishop," "elder" for "priest,", “love” rather than “charity”, among others. More controversially, Tyndale translated the Greek "ekklesia," (literally "called out ones") as "assembly/congregation" rather than "Church." It has been asserted this translation choice "was a direct threat to the Church's ancient non-scriptural claim to be the body of Christ on earth. To change these words was to strip the Church hierarchy of its pretensions to be Christ's worldly representative (and to strip away their powers), and to award this honour to individual worshipers (common people like you and I) who made up each congregation across the nations, towns, cities, neighborhoods and families."

Tyndale was burned by the collaborative efforts of the Roman Catholic Church and King of England for his treasonous crime of translating the scriptures into the language of the layman. He was killed because the church and state didn’t want ordinary people like you and I to be able to read, study, meditate and learn from scriptures so that we could seek and find the Lord for ourselves. No, they wanted control of that, control of the truth, control of the message, and control of the people. To have this they essentially needed control of scriptures to ensure that their traditions, customs, practices, rituals, doctrines and theology would be fed to the ignorant people, accepted and followed by them without question, challenge or contest. With control of the written word, they deceptively took the role as mediator (the middleman) between God and men. They wanted sole control of the written word because they knew of the power it possessed. With it they could falsely play the role as man’s link to God and Jesus Worldly Kingdom. Yes, the church wanted to be the God’s physical Kingdom on earth and the link between God and man; the anti Kingdom of God, the anti-mediator, and the anti-christ. Behold!How much they have accomplished since then…

Tyndale, a true believer and follower of Jesus (unto death) thought otherwise to the plans and intent of the church. Here are some of his quotes:

§ I had perceived by experience, how that it was impossible to stablish (establish) the lay people in any truth, except the scripture were plainly laid before their eyes in their mother tongue, that they might see the process, order, and meaning of the text.

§ Take heed, therefore, wicked prelates (high-ranking members of the clergy, eg.bishop), blind leaders of the blind; indurate and obstinate hypocrites, take heed …. Ye will be the chiefest in Christ's flock, and yet will not keep one jot of the right way of his doctrine …ye keep thereof almost naught at all, but whatsoever soundeth to make of your bellies, to maintain your honour, whether in the Scripture, or in your own traditions, or in the pope's law, that ye compel the lay-people to observe; violently threatening them with your excommunications and curses, that they shall be damned, body and soul, if they keep them not. And if that help you not, then ye murder them mercilessly with the sword of the temporal powers, whom ye have made so blind that they be ready to slay whom ye command, and will not hear his cause examined, nor give him room to answer for himself.

§ I defie the Pope and all his lawes. If God spare my life, ere many yeares I will cause a boy that driveth the plough shall know more of the scripture than thou doest.

§ Christ is with us until the world’s end. Let his little flock be bold therefore. For if God be on our side, what matter maketh it who be against us, be they bishops, cardinals, popes, or whatsoever names they will?

§ Mark this also, if God send thee to the sea, and promise to go with thee, and to bring thee safe to land, he will raise up a tempest against thee, to prove whether thou wilt abide by his word, and that thou mayest feel thy faith, and perceive his goodness. For if it were always fair weather, and thou never brought into such jeopardy, whence his mercy only delivered thee, thy faith should be but a presumption, and thou shouldest be ever unthankful to God and merciless unto thy neighbor.

§ If God promise riches, the way thereto is poverty. Whom he loveth, him he chasteneth: whom he exalteth, he casteth, down: whom he saveth, he damneth first. He bringeth no man to heaven, except he send him to hell first. If he promise life, he slayeth first: when he buildeth, he casteth all down first. He is no patcher; he cannot build on another man’s foundation.

He will not work until all be past remedy, and brought unto such a case, that men may see, how that his hand, his power, his mercy, his goodness and truth, hath wrought altogether. He will let no man be partaker with him of his praise and glory. His works are wonderful, and contrary unto man’s works.

§ The preaching of God’s word is hateful and contrary unto them. Why? For it is impossible to preach Christ, except thou preach against antichrist; that is to say, them which with their false doctrine and violence of sword enforce to quench the true doctrine of Christ. And as thou canst heal no disease, except thou begin at the root; even so canst thou preach against no mischief, except thou begin at the bishops.

§ As Christ compareth the understanding of scripture to a key, so compareth he it to a net, and unto leaven, and unto many other things for certain properties. I marvel, therefore, that they boast not themselves of their net and leaven, as well as of their keys; for they are all one thing. But as Christ biddeth us beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, so beware of their counterfeited keys, and of their false net; which are their traditions and ceremonies, their hypocrisy and false doctrine, wherewith they catch, not souls unto Christ, but authority and riches unto themselves.

§ Where no promise of God is, there can be no faith, nor justifying, nor forgiveness of sins: for it is more than madness to look for any thing of God, save that he hath promised. How far he hath promised, so far is he bound to them that believe; and further not. To have a faith, therefore, or a trust in any thing, where God hath not promised, is plain idolatry, and a worshipping of thine own imagination instead of God.

§ I call God to record against the day we shall appear before our Lord Jesus, that I never altered one syllable of God's Word against my conscience, nor would do this day, if all that is in earth, whether it be honor, pleasure, or riches, might be given me.

§ This word church has diverse significations.

After the death of Tyndale, the King of England eventually allowed the bible to be printed in English for all the people to read. And just about all of the Tyndale’s translations made it into the KJV and the countless other versions that have followed. The fifty-four independent scholars who created the King James Version of the bible in 1611 drew significantly on Tyndale's translations. One estimation suggests the New Testament in the King James Version is 83% Tyndale's, and the Old Testament 76%. The translators of the Revised Standard Version in the 1940s noted that Tyndale's translation inspired the great translations that followed, including the Great Bible of 1539, the Geneva Bible of 1560, the Bishops' Bible of 1568, the Douay-Rheims Bible of 1582–1609, and the King James Version of 1611, of which the RSV translators noted: "It [the KJV] kept felicitous phrases and apt expressions, from whatever source, which had stood the test of public usage. It owed most, especially in the New Testament, to Tyndale". Many scholars today believe that such is the case. Moynahan writes: "A complete analysis of the Authorised Version, known down the generations as "the AV" or "the King James" was made in 1998. It shows that Tyndale's words account for 84% of the New Testament and for 75.8% of the Old Testament books that he translated.[35] Joan Bridgman makes the comment in the Contemporary Review that, "He [Tyndale] is the mainly unrecognized translator of the most influential book in the world. Although the Authorised King James Version is ostensibly the production of a learned committee of churchmen, it is mostly cribbed from Tyndale with some reworking of his translation."

Much of Tyndale’s work made its way into your bible, BUT BUT BUT BUT… what didn’t make it in there? What critically important and significant word didn’t make it in there? What remained unchanged? What one word could the powers that be not afford to have changed in your bible? What one word could they not give up? What one word, if you had to pick one, do you think of all of Tyndale’s translation was linked to his death? What word would cost Tyndale his life in your estimation? What one word do you think threaten the false supremacy, false power, false control, false authority and deceptive influence the church had over the people? Did I just give the answer away…“This word church has diverse significations.” How true Tyndale, how so true!

“This word church has diverse significations” Pt 2 of 4

The Lord says we should not argue over words. And this article is not intended to do that. It is to 1) share a truth that has been revealed to me on the substance of what Jesus Christ said He is building (He the Builder and Owner) when He said, “on this rock I will build My Ekklesia (wrongly translated as church), and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” And 2) to preach against what Jesus is NOT building, that is, what men are building in vain under the lie that what they have built and are continuing to build, is what Jesus is building when He said "on this rock I will build My Ekklesia". For "Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Ps 127:1" For I am convicted as Tyndale was that, “The preaching of God’s word is hateful and contrary unto them who rebel against God. Why? For it is impossible to preach Christ, except thou preach against antichrist; that is to say, them which with their false doctrine and violence of sword enforce to quench the true doctrine of Christ.” Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Jesus did not come to bring peace to this fallen, sinful, wicked world, but a Sword. The Sword, which is the Word of God, divides the truth from the lies, the truth from the half-truths, the humble from the arrogant, the righteous from the unrighteous, the holy from the unholy, the innocent from the wicked, the hot from the cold, the true from the false, the sons of obedience from the sons of disobedience, the children of love from the children of the Wicked one. His Sword will and is cutting all that is not of God and casting it into the fire so that all that remains and abides forever is that which is of God; purity, holiness, righteousness, joy, peace, love and all the unsearchable and infathomable riches of God and His Christ.

Jesus does give the true believer His own peace, not the counterfeit peace of the world. It is not the peace in money, the peace in a job, the peace in a house, the peace in a family, or any other carnal peace that men seek which does not last. His peace is the peace that is within, the peace of the heart, soul and spirit that is never lost because of what is happening to the flesh or in the world; it is an eternal, not of this world: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.”

Ekklesia does not mean church

The true and accurate translation of the word Ekklesia, where Jesus said, I will build My Ekklesia, and all other places it is used in the New Testament, is “congregation” or “assembly” and NOT church. The word...ekklesia....is a compound word coming from the word kaleo, meaning 'to call,' and ek, meaning 'out of.' Thus...'the called-out ones.' The Ekklesia of the Messiah are the congregation/assembly of the ones called out from the world by God onto Jesus, who rescues them from sin and death makes them into a new creation and gives them the gift of eternal life. Ekklesia, " is the same word used by the Greeks for their assembly of citizens who were 'called out' to transact the business of the city. The word...implies...'assembly.' Tyndale preferred congregation. Simple enough, no? You see ekklesia was a common word used by the common greek speaking people, just like assembly and congregation are common words used by us common English speaking people. Jesus didn’t forge a new word when He first used ekklesia which is recorded in the original Greek scriptures. He did not create the word church as a new word for men to use. He did not make it a holy word or a word of any special significance. The word in itself is powerless, it grants no authority, right, privilege, no supremacy, no divinity, no holiness, no righteousness, NOTHING. All these reside in Jesus Christ alone. They reside in the Creator. Merely slapping His name on an Ekklesia, or a church, or a congregation, assembly, gathering or building doesn’t make Christ the builder, or founder or head of that entity. Christ does not become the SUBSTANCE of whatever men use His name in association with just by mere mention or print or display of Jesus, God or Holy Spirit or the other names/titles of God on whatever person, place or thing or any noun out there. No matter how many times people want to use His name for whatever thing there is out there, it does make it Jesus’ personal possession or affiliate. In this world, what hasn’t been done in His name? What the world that men call “good” and evil hasn’t been done in the name of Jesus? You name it and someone has said it is from or by or through or of Jesus Christ and God. Many things have been done in His name and continue to be that are not His Will. Yes many things are done in error using his name but should not be so. Just because one might say my ekklesia, or church or congregation or building is built for or by Jesus Christ doesn’t make it true or false. What will determine the substance is FIRE.

“For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day of the Lord will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” 1 Corinthians 3

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.” 2 Peter 3

Why the inconsistency?

Ekklesia is used 115 times in the King James version of the New Testament. But, ekklesia is translated "church" in 108 times of those times. What about the three (3) appearances of ekklesia in the New Testament where it is NOT translated as “church”? The other three appearances of ekklesia are in the Book of Acts, Chapter 19.

The story line concerns Demetrius, who starts a riot in Ephesus. Demetrius, a silversmith, made shrines to the goddess Artemis. Paul and his ministry partners had created a great disturbance in Ephesus by proclaiming the kingdom and the ekklesia. Demetrius’ trade in silver shrines was adversely affected and he wanted Paul and his buddies out of town. Demetrius follows a simple plan. Start a disturbance, blame it on Paul, the known "trouble-maker," and get the sheriff to run him and his partners out of town. However, things did not happen like that in the Roman City of Ephesus. The citizens of Ephesus were educated in the Greek way of considering new ideas and thoughts and then arriving at their own deduced decisions. They gathered in a "town meeting" to hear new philosophies—they gathered as the ekklesia. The regular people shared, discussed, debated and finally they collectively came to a decision on a matter. They did not gather to hear one man’s voice, and take from one man’s counsel, obey one man’s instruction and order and then go home and call it a day. No. The citizens of Ephesus, in a gathered assembly, would decide the dispute between Demetrius and Paul together.

The other three times the word ekklesia appears in this story about Demetrius and Paul, they are translated "assembly" —which embodies the true meaning of ekklesia as the "called-out ones" or those called to assemble/congregate.

The Ephesians were "called-out"—from their everyday pursuits—to an arena to hear the "charges" and counter-charges. The citizens would then decide for themselves the issues.

The Ephesians did not go to "church" to play church.

To translate the word ekklesia to “church" in this passage would have misled the reader, (that’s you), about Demetrius and Paul and what the people of Ephesus were doing! They did not go to "church" to settle their dispute nor did they go to church to worship God or met God or experience God or get blessed by God. The citizens of Ephesus gathered as the ekklesia to decide for themselves on the dispute between Demetrius and Paul. So in Acts 19, the powers that be didn’t want to mislead you in this way concerning the definition and use of the word ekklesia. But how about in the 108 other places it is mentioned? Were they so cautious and consistent and honest with their translation of ekklesia as they were in Acts 19? Or were their different motives? We know how father of the English bible, William Tyndale, would answer this, how about you?

Origins of the word church

The word “church” is said to come from a different Greek word “kuriakon,”. Kuriakon actually means “pertaining to the lord.” It is actually used correctly twice in scripture: 1 Cor 11:20 The “ Lord’s [ kuriakon] supper;” and Rev 1:10, the “ Lord’s [ kuriakon] day.” In those passages it is the supper belonging to the Lord and the day belonging to the Lord respectively. Kuriakon was not a newly forged word when it was incorrectly and erroneously picked to translate Ekklesia. It had long been in use by pagans (idol worshippers) to mean “a religious building” originally and later used by fallen Christians who were following pagan customs. Christians originally didn’t use buildings, which distinguished them from the pagans whose focus was on buildings, statues, rituals and physical objects. The faithful earlier Christians did preach in temples and synagogues (they did, because they went to where the people were, they went everywhere and talked to everyone they were led to share the gospel with, sometimes even they tried going to places to share the gospel but were prevented by the Holy Spirit to go there. Act 16:6-7. Yes the Holy Spirit leads the true servants of God to where and where not they are to share the gospel!!), but there was never an emphasis, obligation, requirement, responsibility, compulsion, duty, necessity or importance about these places of “worship” and residence nor a special importance of the type of people. He said to them that were led by the Spirit to, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation (to everyone)” Mark 16:15 and “go and make disciples of all nations” Matt 28:19. There was nothing special or significant or noteworthy about where the saints met to fellowship either. They were never devoted to their place of fellowship and worship but were rather devoted to the fellowship itself, with Christ and among each other. They had real, active, personal and sincere relationships with Jesus and each other as brothers, sisters and a family in the Lord. There was absolutely nothing binding or holy to their place of fellowship and worship. Can the same things be said about the churches as they are today? Could you, ask that the location of your gathering be changed? Could you ask that you and a few people from your church meet at your home on Sunday instead of coming to church service? How would your pastor feel about this? For how long could such a thing last?

The words "kuriakon" and "ekklesia" are not synonymous by any stretch of the imagination and there is no justification of the use of “church” for ekklesia. Unless of course one has a built-in bias in shifting the meaning of the word from “the people” to “a building”. Or maybe one prefers the darkened understanding that men today have ascribed to what the church is and what it is about.

It interesting to see that even the most popular online bible concordance gives a variety of definitions of what Ekkleisa means, even various “Christian” meanings for your selection:

1) a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly

a) an assembly of the people convened at the public place of the council for the purpose of deliberating

b) the assembly of the Israelites

c) any gathering or throng of men assembled by chance, tumultuously

in a Christian sense

1) an assembly of Christians gathered for worship in a religious meeting

2) a company of Christian, or of those who, hoping for eternal salvation through Jesus Christ, observe their own religious rites, hold their own religious meetings, and manage their own affairs, according to regulations prescribed for the body for order's sake

3) those who anywhere, in a city, village, constitute such a company and are united into one body

4) the whole body of Christians scattered throughout the earth

5) the assembly of faithful Christians already dead and received into heaven

So what is your pick? Is what you, your fellow church members and your leaders say the church is and what actually happens in your church and what actually comes together to be called your church all in sync and in line with each other and the will of the Father? Is Jesus the builder, the architect, the head, the foundation and substance of your church and the churches of your friends and other family members’ , and the churches you see on tv and the churches of the pastors you hear on radio and those you check out on the internet? Behold:

The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. Acts 17:24-25

But Solomon built Him a house.

“However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says:

‘ Heaven is My throne,

And earth is My footstool.

What house will you build for Me? says the LORD,

Or what is the place of My rest?

Has My hand not made all these things?’

“You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you." Acts 7:47-51

Every time we hear or read the word church, a veil rests over our minds and our hearts harden. No matter how much you tell yourself that the "church” is not just the building but other things, you still think that the building is important, you still give it some special significance (you tell people to come to church don’t you?) —along with all the services, customs , activities and various components that are setup for it existence, functioning and operation. You still give special importance to all the baggage and weight that comes with churching. What do unbelievers think when you tell them “come to my church”, “come to the House of God”, “come to where Jesus lives”? What kinds of things do you say to convince the person to come to your church? What does a Christian who has bounced from church to church think the church is? How would you divide or distinguish your church from the rest? Isn’t yours different and unique from the others? Or would you say you are all the same? What makes your stand out? Your pastor? His teachings? Your membership? Your choir? Your various church departments? What makes your so special? What makes your church, church?

Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem (where the Temple was and “temple worship” was done) will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know... But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:20-24

Has God not said He does not dwell in temples, nor is He served by human hands? How do you justify your church and the other churches of men and all you and they do in the name of service and worship to God? Has this hour not come and even passed, where we are to no longer worship God in temples, synagogues, mountain tops and churches? Isn’t it time now to seek the Lord’s desired worship, worship in true and in spirit? Hasn’t the curtain of the temple been torn in two from top to bottom? Has Christ not risen? Has the temple not been destroyed as Jesus prophesied? Have we not the confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus?

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world and the world’s style and manner of worship onto God, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect, the will of the Father that gets you into heaven and not great church works you do and the “Lord, Lord” “Jesus, Jesus” “Hallelujah, Hallelujah” that you say when you are playing church!