Grace be to you, and peace, from GOD our FATHER, and from the LORD JESUS CHRIST. ✝️🔥✝️
“Greet the Ekklesia in your House” Greek for the Gathering of True Believers.
By Dr. Choudhrie
and Colossians 3:17
ministries. ✝️✝️
Separating the “Ekklesia”, the people (true church of Believers) from the “Building made with man’s hands – (Acts 7:48-49)
A traditional Christian is a passive listener and not a passionate doer. (James 1:22). Instead of standing in the gap for the lost nations, he is standing in a corner. He has foolishly built his house upon the quicksand of rituals and traditions- the rains descend, the floods come, the winds blow and his house is washed away. (Matthew 7:26-27) (John 14:24; Matthew 15:9) A Great Commission Christian resonates with the will of GOD and obeys the commandments of JESUS, to love each other and to go and make disciples. He has wisely built his house upon The Rock (JESUS)- with gold and silver and precious stones and not with wood, hay and straw, and the fires descend but his house does not burn but stands firm. (John 13:34, 35; John 14:21, 14:23; 1 Corinthians 3:11-17) You shall know them by their fruits. (Matthew 7:16, Matthew 20:24-27)
The face of Christendom is changing rapidly from a structured monolith to more and more apostolic, like the Book of Acts. JESUS likes HIS “oikos” or the dwelling place to be full. JESUS likes to make our homes HIS house of prayer, where “all nations” can be discipled. The modern church is a barrier and a black hole for the 99% of the disadvantaged of this world. (Luke 14:21-23; Mark 11:17)
The word “church” is corrupted beyond redemption. It means a building with its infrastructure of reverends, pulpit, pews, tithes, traditions, rituals, programs, professional music and sermons. All of these are idols and therefore, sinful. The New Testament (NT) Ekklesia or the “called out people of the LORD” require none of the above paraphernalia to worship. The pulpit is divisive as it stands between the shepherd and the flock. The pulpit is a den of thieves as it steals the right of the believers to participate. (Mark 11:17; 1 Corinthians 14:23-26, 29-31) The gap between the pulpit and the pew needs to be abolished by removing the pulpit. (Ezekiel 22:30, 31) The pulpit/pew dichotomy has done more damage to the church than any other Heresy.
THE NEW TESTAMENT EKKLESIA IS THE ORIGINAL MODEL: This message brings out many principles of the New Testament (NT) model of Ekklesia with a brief history of her form and function. It then goes on to tell how the Ekklesia was systematically corrupted over the centuries. No one “went to church”, because they knew that they were the Ekklesia !. They met almost daily in the simplicity and intimacy of homes. The network of Congregations in a region functioned as a living organism. The temple, the priests, and all the religious rituals of Jewish and Gentile faiths were gone. The net result was that, even in the face of persecution, the Ekklesia grew and multiplied exponentially.
A VISITOR FROM THE JERUSALEM EKKLESIA: If a first century Christian visited us today, he would have difficulty in recognizing this mutant ogre as an Ekklesia. The ornate buildings, the Sunday worship, the sermon, the loud music, institutionalization, tithing to sustain the above structures, fund raising drives for projects, would give an epileptic fit to a visitor from the 1st Century Ekklesia. Unfortunately, these are now the pillars of the modern church. The visitor will have to go to a (1 Corinthians 14:26) version of a house Ekklesia, to feel comfortable. LOVE FOR ‘EACH OTHER’ IS THE BENCHMARK: Many people believe that the NT Ekklesia did not have buildings, because they were poor, but that is not the case. Cornelius the centurion, Lydia the seller of purple and the treasurer of Ethiopia, were well off and could have easily built buildings. Even persecution could not stop them from constructing, because persecution was only periodic. The real reason was that the LORD JESUS had given them a new commandment to “Love one another as I have loved you. By this shall all people know that you are MY disciples because you have love for one another.” (John 13:34,35). The glue of love bonded them, gave them a new identity, set them apart and characterized their whole new way of life.
EXAMPLES OF IMPORTANT EVENTS IN HOUSES IN THE NT: 1. JESUS taught at Mary and Martha’s house. (Luke 10:38-42) 2. JESUS healed a paralytic in a house. (Mark 2:1-12) 3. A 12-year-old dead girl was raised in Jairus’house. (Matthew 9:23-26) 4. JESUS attended a wedding in Cana in a house. (John 2:1-12) 5. JESUS ate in the house of Zacchaeus the tax collector, resulting in his repentance. (Luke 19:1-10) 6. JESUS was anointed with perfume by Mary in the house of Lazarus. (John 12:1-8) 7. The Ekklesia prayed all night in the house of Mary for the release of Peter from jail. (Acts 12:5, 12:12) 8. Peter went to the house of Cornelius for his first ever meeting in the house of a Gentile. (Acts 10:24) 9. Saul created havoc in the Ekklesia, entering every house and dragging men and women into prison. (Acts 8:3) 10. Paul shared the whole counsel of GOD in public and from house to house. (Acts 20:20, 20:27) 11. Paul greets the Congregations in the houses of Priscilla, Apphia, and Nympha. (1 Corinthians 16:19, Philemon 1:2; Colossians 4:15) 12. Paul dwelt for two years in a rented house in Rome and preached openly before he was executed. (Acts 28:30-31) 13. The first European Ekklesia was planted in Lydia’s house at Philippi. (Acts 16:15) 14. JESUS served the Lord’s Supper in a house. (Luke 22:10-11) 15. The HOLY SPIRIT descended like tongues of fire on the day of Pentecost, in a house. (Acts 2:1-4)
SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NT(New Testament) EKKLESIA AND THE MODERN CHURCH: 1. The NT Ekklesia was communitarian, where everyone shared everything with everybody. The modern church has institutionalized strongly individualistic salvation. (Acts 4:32-35) 2. In the NT times, a priesthood of all believers was practiced, while in the modern church only one priest dominates. (Acts 15:22) 3. The NT Ekklesia, ability to question was an integral part of Body life. JESUS encouraged this practice. In the modern church, mute acceptance and unquestioning loyalty are encouraged. (Matthew 21:23-24; Acts 17:11-12) 4. In the NT Ekklesia everyone entered His gates with joyfulness, praise and thanksgiving, while in the modern church, members enter with somber faces. (Acts 2:46-47; Psalms 100:4) 5. In the NT, breaking bread and eating together was central, while in the modern church, the sermon is the focal point. (1 Corinthians 11:24-26) 6. In the NT , alms were collected for the poor and the itinerant preachers, while the modern church keeps it all. (Galatians 2:10; 1 Corinthians 16:1-3) 7. The NT Ekklesia appointed practitioners; the modern church ordains theoreticians. (Matthew 28:19; Acts 1:1, 1:8; James 1:22-27) 8. The NT Ekklesia was open, free, transparent, informal, flexible and chaotic but organized chaos, while the Modern church is highly organized, programmed and institutionalized to fulfill its purpose. 9. The NT Ekklesia was known for fruitfulness while the modern church is known for barrenness. (Acts 2:47; 16:5; 2 Peter 1:5-11) 10. Women and children actively participated in the Body life of the NT Ekklesia, in the modern church, they have a subservient role. The true church survived throughout the centuries, not in the cathedrals of the institutionalized apostate church, but in the homes of the believers, through the blood of the martyrs. JESUS said- wherever two or three congregate in My name, I am present in your midst. (Matthew 18:20).. When two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My FATHER in heaven. (Matthew 18:19)..Wherever and whenever two or three congregate in JESUS name, this is an authentic Ekklesia because JESUS is present. JESUS said- “Do not fear ‘little flock’ for it is your FATHER’S good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32) Privatization of Christianity from the public arena into private homes is the key for acceleration.
This is but an excerpt from a powerful exposure of the modern church compared to how JESUS designed HIS Ekklesia, (us), to gather in HIS Name.
Part 1……..
Thank you for reading, learning and passing it on.
“But GOD has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and GOD has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty (1 Corinthians 1:27)…Amen and amen ✝️🔥✝️
Colossians 3:17 ministries