A Call For Big Change in Small Steps

At this point you may be thinking, "Ok Mr. Know-It-All, so what's your solution then? Do you really think YOU have all the answers? If there were a better way, we would have found it already!" Well let me start by saying that I do NOT have all the answers. And I don't have a master plan either. But I don't think that a master plan is what we need since it wouldn't apply to every congregation anyways. Home churches differ from one another just as much as 1000 member churches differ from each other as well. 

However, I do believe that there are certain principles and guidelines that do apply to every group and congregation. One of the reasons that Jesus taught in parables is so that the principle and message he was trying to get across would apply on the broadest scale possible. So based on what we've discovered together in our investigation of the Scriptures, I would like to share the following thoughts that are derived from these Biblical principles. 

These Things Must Stop

1. Tithing Needs to Stop - Now understand that I didn't say "giving needs to stop". But the teachings, fear-mongering, and threats that come from the Old Covenant demand for tithing needs to stop at once. We have concluded that there is no place for tithing in the New Covenant, so to perpetuate something that is harmful and misleading is unacceptable. The teachings of Deuteronomy, Leviticus, and Malachi on tithing are not relevant to the New Covenant people of Christ who are not subject to the Law of Moses.

2. Curb the Spending - The line between "need" and "want" seems to get more blurry as the congregation increases in number. Do church buildings "need" to be half built out of crystal? Do they need a man-made lake on their property? Are these needs or wants? This line of reasoning has to filter down into the smaller stuff too. We do not need to look like or emulate other non-profit organizations like the Cancer Society. We are supposed to be different!

3. Corporate Church - I understand that the government classifies us as a non-profit organization. And I understand that we need to have systems in place that keep everyone accountable in their accounting practices and administration. Money is being donated, expenses are being paid, and income-tax receipts must be given out by law. But is it possible to be a good steward of the money that comes in from people and manage it with integrity in adherence with the law of our nation but NOT TREAT the church like a business? Is it possible for board members (or elders) and leaders to stop acting like CEOs and CFOs and COOs? If we can't find LEGITIMATE and consistent New Testament support for the way we operate as a family of Believers, then we need to stop trying to find a verse here and a verse there to justify our methods and change them altogether into a method that is is harmonized with Scripture.

4. Church Growth - This goes beyond the scope of this article, but it does need to be added here. The goal and objective of any congregation cannot be just increase in membership numbers. It is un-Biblical, and has been proven faulty time and time again historically. Look at mega churches. What do we all say about them? "A mile-wide and an inch deep". Or, what about Christians that decide to move from one church to another? How can this be growth in God's eyes, since they are already in Christ? Discipleship is the only Biblical objective for the Body of Christ after evangelism. Matthew 28:18-20 cannot be spelled out any more clearly - Go out (not huddle in) and make disciples (not members). Then add in Ephesians 4:11-16 for some practical steps, and the mandate becomes pretty clear. If we are not taking people under our wings and walking out this faith with them, day in and day out, we are not making disciples. Jesus had purposely keep his group small so he could disciple them properly (for more, read here: http://ptmin.org/ministrytoday.pdf)

These Must Begin

1. Teach "Giving" From the New Testament - The Scriptures that were cited above from the New Testament carry enough weight and depth to support a life-long teaching series. We must realize that we are in a New Covenant. The call in the New Covenant to give is much greater than the call to tithe in the Old Covenant. Therefore, Christians must be made aware of this great call from our Lord Jesus Christ.

2. Change the Vocabulary - Tithes, Offerings, Sacrifices, First Fruits, and Storehouses are nouns that have been so abused and misused that they should just be laid to rest. Yes, they are brought up a few times in the New Testament, but they were only used to speak to a Jewish audience for the sake of explaining something about Christ and the fact that they were set free from the Law of Moses. Instead, as we teach people about giving from a New Testament perspective, we will develop a new vocabulary.

3. Change the Priority List - The mandate according to Jesus Christ, John, Peter, and Paul is that we first and foremost give to other Believers who are in need or lack. This includes ministers of the Gospel. This cannot be negotiable. Therefore, emphasis must be taught and placed on giving to another brother or sister who is in financial need. This is the first place a Christian's money must go to. Then, and only then, can a Christian give whatever amount they choose to their local congregation. The righteous shall live by faith, and leaders must rise to the call to believe that God will provide for the monthly expense needs of the facility and salaries.

Now, it is obvious that there will be weeks where you won't come across anyone that is in financial need. If that's the case then there is no problem in giving whatever amount you have purposed in your heart into the congregational collection plate. Just don't allow yourself to fall back into the old habit! There are people to the left and right of you on Sunday morning who don't have money for this month's rent, their daughter's braces, their son's tuition, or to fix their broken prescription glasses! YOU ARE UNDER OBLIGATION BY JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF TO GIVE YOUR MONEY TO SUCH PEOPLE, NO QUESTIONS ASKED!!! (Matt 6:2-4; Luke 6:30, 35; Luke 14:12-14; 1 John 3:16-18; Rom 12:12-13; Rom 15:26-27; Jam 1:27; 2:14-17)

4. Get Creative in Your Giving - Sunday morning or Wednesday night (or whenever you happen to gather with others) should not be the only place where you give. You don't need to "check" with anyone (other than your spouse or parent/guardian) in order to give to another Believer in need. New Testament giving stems from being in relationship with others. Therefore, you are free to rise to any occasion as you go about life outside the walls of your church building and meet needs to the best of your ability. And if you don't have money to give you can still give of your time, effort, skills, services, etc.

5. Never Forget the Poor - With the advent of organized social services and non-profit organizations that help the poor make it almost impossible for us to not give. But there is no better way to do it than to physically hand money, food, and clothing to someone in need face-to-face.

Concluding Thoughts

I believe that with Matthew 6, where Jesus teaches us about God's provision for us, in light also of what we read in the Epistles, we can conclude that God's provision will indeed come, even if it's on the 23rd hour in our time of need. And the provision can come supernaturally, or through a fellow Believer, or a total stranger, or even a job offer, contract, or sale. However it comes, it will come (Jesus and Paul both worked, for example. Both received provision from other people. And both received provision supernaturally). As David wrote,

"I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread." Psalms 37:25

The fact is that Paul almost always attributed any provision (food, clothing, shelter, money) he received from other people as having come from God. Now we today are very good at recognizing when God give us what we ask for and need. But I want to suggest that our greatest area of opportunity for growth is in learning to give. I truly believe that in the same way that God's plan of salvation is taking place through us (as we go out and make disciples of all nations, teaching them all that Christ taught us. See 1 Cor 3:5-17 and Mat 28:18-20) so it is with His system of provision. In the same way Salvation and discipleship is both natural and supernatural, so is God's provision. God wants to use us to be His agents of provision in the same way He is using us as His heralds of the Good News of His Son.

The implication of this reality, if it is indeed true, is monumental. If we can agree that the responsibility of taking God's Son to people (Mark 16:15-20, Matthew 28:18-20, and Acts 1:8) falls upon you and I, then it would seem that God also wants to use you and I to take His provision to people as well. Why this is monumental is because it will call for a complete change of thinking for many of us. Many have been conditioned to believe that God provides for us APART from people, using them only as a last resort. But the reality is that they are His preferred vehicle. On top of that, it is OUR decision to be obedient to the Gospel of Christ that often activates the provision of God in someone else's life. It's our choice to release God's provision, just like it's our choice to proclaim the Good News. As Paul wrote,

"For 'whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.' How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?" Rom 10:13-14

So how shall Believers who can't pay rent make their payment if you don't go to them and meet that need? How will Believers who can't afford reading glasses get them if you don't exercise obedience to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and manifest God's provision in their lives? Hard to swallow? Then why is this the reality for thousands, if not millions of Christians in North America? Credit cards and Lines of Credit have taken our place because of our ignorance and because of the desperation of those in need. This must stop!

Acts 4:34-35 makes it so clear.

"Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need."

The responsibility for giving to our fellow brothers and sisters and falls on both Believers and leaders. It's not an 'either-or' situation, it is a simultaneous one. Those with means gave out of their abundance to take care of their fellow brethren that were in lack. Secondly, the leaders immediately distributed these resources to those in need. This came first. To do otherwise is to stray from the New Testament model, the model that adheres to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our passivity is not only allowing millions go to Hell on a daily basis, but it is also causing millions of Believers strife, anguish, and financial hardship. It's time we embrace reformation and revolution in our minds, hearts, and congregations with regards to the New Testament model and mandate for giving. The lives of people and their families in your own midst depend on this change. We can't expect new results if we keep doing the same things we've been doing. It will not happen.

The reason why Christians are suffering financial hardship is primarily due to the fact that churches are not fully practicing the New Testament model of giving. I'm also aware of the fact that many lack financial literacy, live beyond their means, and make poor financial decisions. Financial education does need to be taught, or at the very least, the education should be sought out by those who lack it (there are great books you can get a your local library). But this is a secondary issue, since it is not demanded of us in the New Testament to be financially literate.

What is demanded of us is that we give to those around us in need first. If it's 10% you set aside, or 30%, or 90%, it should go FIRST to those in your life; those in your congregation or home group, those who preach the Gospel for a living, those in your family, a friend, a neighbor, etc. Then, and only then, do you give to secondary needs like the rent of your church building. The "church" isn't the building, it's the people. They need to be taken care of first. This is the New Testament model. Only once we follow it and obey it fully will we see a decline (and hopefully an end) to Christians struggling to get by financially.

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Part II: Understanding the New Model

Let's get the fluffy stuff people use in the New Testament to argue pro-tithing out of the way right off the bat. In Matthew 23:23 and Luke 11:42 Jesus addresses Scribes and Pharisees who though they kept the tithe according to the Law of Moses, they failed to realize the reason behind the tithe: to show justice, mercy, and faithfulness. And in Luke 18:12, Jesus again speaks about another Pharisee regarding tithing according to the provisions of the Law of Moses. And yet, two verses later Jesus comments that this was an act of SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS, and that the sinner he was contrasted with was more justified than the Pharisee. 

In all these instances, we need to remember that Jesus came to Israel WHILE they were still under the Law of Moses, the Old Covenant (Jesus included). The New Covenant did not commence until his resurrection. Everyone around him were still obligated to obey the Law of Moses - obviously including the Scribes and the Pharisees. But we know that everything was about to change, forever.

As for the Hebrew 7:4-10 mention of tithing, the writer's whole point is to make it clear to his Jewish readers that Jesus Christ was of the order of Melchizedek (before and outside the Law of Moses), an order greater than that of the Levitical priesthood (under the Law of Moses). He argues this by suggesting that even though under the Old Covenant the people gave tithes to the Levites (on a 3 year rotation), the Levites themselves tithed to Jesus Christ. The writer explains how: The Levites where in the loins of Abraham, and Melchizedek was a type or symbol of Jesus Christ. In short, the promise of Abraham came before the Law of Moses, and it was through Abraham that all the peoples of the world would be blessed. And it was through faith that Abraham was declared to be righteous, not by the Law of Moses. In no way, shape, or form is there any order or command given here in which we are required to tithe. In fact, the opposite is true. Because we are in Christ, we are the ones worthy of receiving tithes.

So it looks like we have a clean slate. We do not have to live under the thought or burden of needing to tithe as a sort of "hush money" to keep God's wrath at bay. We are free from the Torah, from Malachi, from any curse or calamity. Moving forward, we have concluded that we are not cursed (to use accounting terms, in the "red"). But how then do we experience the life that Jesus and Paul talk about with respect to living in abundance (to be in the "black")? The answers lie in the New Testament, not the Law of Moses.

Matthew 6:25-34

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

   “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

(I've written an entire article on all the teachings of Jesus Christ concerning money. I especially recommend it if you have a "wealth" complex, or think that poverty = righteousness. You can find it here: http://revolutionera.com/serve-god-master-mammon-part-1 )

Since I've written about this passage exhaustively in my other article, I will simply summarize the gist of it (realizing that doing so diminishes the richness of Christ's teaching here). Jesus is inviting us to fixate our attention on Him, whereby in the process we stop giving our attention to our present needs in the sense that it cause us to worry despair. To seek the Kingdom of God is to seek Jesus Christ. You cannot come into the Kingdom without Christ. As for food, clothing, and shelter, "all these things will be given to you as well." So stop placing your faith in the wrong place with the result that you live in worry. God is inviting us to live in a trust and love-based relationship, not a performance-based agreement. We are to learn from the faith and trust that God's other creations have in Him to provide for them and sustain them.

What About Paul - He suffered Lack! 

"...for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need.  Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account." Phil 4:16-17

"I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked." 2 Cor 11:27

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." Phil 4:12

There is no way to dance around the fact that one of the greatest Believers of all time seems to have lived almost in contradiction to what Jesus spoke of in Matthew 6. Or did he? Paul's circumstance, I will propose, exposes the reality of God's new system of giving (not tithing) in the New Covenant. Paul went through PERIODS of lack, not permanent lack. Most of us have had similar periods of lean living in our lives. But note also that Paul also experienced times of abundance. And how did he overcome those seasons of lack?

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phil 4:13

Paul was following the words of Christ in Matthew 6:33. Now I haven't yet explained why I have suggested that Paul experiencing periods of lack as being evidence that we are in a new system of giving in the New Covenant. I will now explain this notion. If we continue reading Philippians 4, we gain some insight:

"Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress. Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities." Phil 4:14-16

Paul suffered lack because other Christians in the places Paul was traveling through were NOT giving to Paul and meeting his needs, only the brethren of the Philippian church. And so Paul commends them, "even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities".

Consider also the context of the other passage I cited above, 2 Corinthians 11:27. Chapters 8 and 9 (which we will discuss later) Paul talks about the collection of money he is taking up for the Believers in Jerusalem, and essentially asks the Corinthians to honor their word which they gave a year or so prior to help contribute to this relief fund. In chapter 10, Paul addresses the fact that his authority and credibility are being called into question by cowards that wish to undermine and usurp Paul's leadership over the people in Corinth. In light of this, Paul begins to defend his role as an apostle. This is where one of two crucial statements are made by Paul that relate to our discussion. This first is in 2 Corinthians 11:7-9:

"Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge? I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you. And when I was present with you, and in need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied."

The second was made in an earlier letter to the same congregations, in 1 Corinthians 9:3-18:

"Do we have no right to eat and drink? ...Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock? ... For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about? ... If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? ...Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ... Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel... But I have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for it would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void."

We now know why Paul suffered lack in most instances. He refused to receive provision from certain Believers at times, and in other times Christians were unwilling to give to him. In refusing provision Paul stated he would rather starve in order to ensure that the Gospel is properly demonstrated (not just taught) than risk having people think that all he really wants is money. It was Paul's own initiative to ignore the fact that "the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel".

At other times, Christians were not able or willing to provide for his needs, even though Paul had obviously taught that giving to others is part of being obedient to Christ (2 Cor 8:12-14; 2 Cor 9:5-15; Rom 12:12-13; Rom 15:26-27). Paul did not suffer lack because God was unfaithful. Paul suffered lack for two reasons:

1.    Because he chose not to receive his provision in the manner God has chosen to give it.

2.    Christians were unwilling or unable at times to meet his needs.

More importantly, we must note that there were people who were WILLING to meet Paul's needs. In fact, they had been meeting the needs of other leaders as well. This should be considered in conjunction with the hearts of those in Jerusalem (Acts 4:32-37), who were WILLING to give to those around them in need. This is a foreign thought here in North America.

 God has chosen to manifest giving THROUGH His people. Not exclusively, but preferentially. This is the way Jesus Christ has chosen to establish things in the New Covenant. So how does all this apply to you and I? Paul's provision came from people. So when he didn't have Believer's around him to give, or when he would refuse their gifts, he often went without. Now does this exclude times of supernatural intervention? Of course not! But, it's amazing that it's not the norm. Why? Because it takes away from the need for you and I to learn how to be selfless. As we will see, the notion that Believers are responsible for looking after the needs of other Believers (and this action being attributed to God's provision) is one we will see again and again in the New Testament.

In the New Covenant, everything changed with regards to how God interacts with us. In the Old Covenant, it was God doing things for us and apart from us (Ex 33:12-16). Now it is God moving THROUGH us (Col 1:27). His Spirit would rest upon select people before the Cross, but now it has been poured out and takes up RESIDENCE inside us (Acts 2:14-24; 1 John 2:27). Now, God has sent YOU and I on a mission to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ with signs following (Mark 16:15-20, Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8).

The responsibility is 100% yours and mine when it comes to many things in the New Covenant. You choose to tell someone about Jesus Christ or not. You choose when to sin or not. You choose to pray for someone who is sick or not. You choose to spend time with the Lord or not. And finally, you choose to give or not to give. The reason we see Jesus rebuking Pharisees in Matthew 23:23 is because they failed to understand how to have love in their hearts towards others. Law bring conformity, and conformity doesn't allow for personal expression. Why I say this is because God wants people to be real with Him. He won't force you to come to Him - He calls you and gives you a choice. He won't force you to spend time with Him - He gives you a choice. And it isn't by accident that God doesn't force you to give - again, He gives you a choice.

The question then is why does God give you a choice. The answer is simple. Love. God will not force anyone to be intimate with Him (that's called rape). The Law made everyone look the same in action, but it hid their hearts and intentions (look at the Scribes and the Pharisees). Grace, on the other hand, exposes your heart and intentions. Your choices now not only matter, but they will always reveal your heart. It is the easiest way for you to see how well you've learned to walk in and manifest selfless love.

SIDE NOTE: The area of finances is just one of the many aspects of the Christian life that has suffered dearly from the Old Covenant mindset that still plagues much of the Church at large, which comes down to people putting on God what He's entrusted us to do. It's people asking God to do for them what He's told us to do for Him. Here are some examples: I won't tell people about Jesus (as Jesus told me to), I'll just ask God to touch their hearts. I won't advance the reign and rule of Jesus Christ over this earth (as Jesus told me to); instead I'll ask God to come quickly and blow up the planet. I won't lay hands on the sick so that they will recover (as Jesus told me to), I'll just trust that if God wants them well He will heal them Himself. The list goes on and on! Take up responsibility for your actions, and get to know what Christ is asking of you. God won't do things for you as much as He will do things through you.

Jesus Began to Model It 

"After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means." Luke 8:1-3

Wait just a minute! Did you just read what I read? The Messiah Jesus, Son of Yahweh the Living God, was receiving monetary funding from people? Not just people, but women, who at the time were considered to be second rate and classed differently in their society! Why wouldn't God have just kept sending fish to Jesus with coins in their mouths (Mat 17:24-27) and angels (Mk 1:13) to provide for him as he needed? I want to propose that Jesus was modeling a new way of life for us. He certainly was not following the customs and practices of Law of Moses or his culture here. If supernatural provision was to be the norm, then Jesus certainly would have lived that way all the time. But it seems as though supernatural intervention was never meant to replace the greater work of God manifesting Himself THROUGH people. Yes, that's right - greater work. So great is this reality we now live in that Paul writes,

" the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people... which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." Col 1:26-27

The mystery that has been kept hidden for ages? Wow! So with this in mind, we begin to see why Jesus would rather be financially supported by women (Luke 8:1-3), and housed by tax collectors and sinners (Mark 2:13-17; Luke 19:1-10), and be fed by teachers of the Law and Pharisees (Luke 14:1-24; 17:36), and given water by a Samaritan woman (John 4:7), than to have constantly had angels waiting on him (Mark 1:13) and fish finding him coins. Jesus wants people to be given a chance to learn how to love one another. And now with the help of His abiding Spirit, they are enabled to do so. The Law did not create an environment for those women to give to Jesus, nor did it bring about a change of heart in Zacchaeus so as to have him invite Jesus into his home and give half of his possessions to the poor. Grace created the opportunity for these individuals to express love.

Luke 6:27-36, 38

“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.

“But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful...

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Jesus sets the bar so high here that he goes beyond giving to friends, family, and those who are of God's family. Christ calls us to a level of giving that is unconditional because the love we are to have is also unconditional. Giving is a way to express God's unconditional love. Not only are we to act this way to our brethren, but even to enemies, sinners and strangers. Selah.

Luke 14:12-14

"Then He also said to him who invited Him, 'When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just.'' 

Wow. I won't say much about this one. I know that I haven't done this yet. I'm just in awe of the level of love Jesus has called us to walk in and manifest. I only know of one or two families personally that have done this. They are a great example to me.

1 John 3:16-18

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.  If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?  Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."

John, Jesus Christ's best friend, seems to emulate the heart of Jesus as he writes here. Instead of having a charity drive every 3 years (Old Testament tithing), we are are called to respond immediately, as occasion calls. Notice that no amount is specified here. Nor is there a call for the one in lack to give to the one with means. Yes, I am aware of the danger of slipping into Communist territory here. But the giving is initiated by love. Later we will see that it is advantageous for the one in lack to continue to give. But understand that they are not OBLIGATED to give. The love of God in a person enables them to give to another in need. This is how God wants to manifest His provision in the New Covenant - THROUGH you.

Hebrews 13:2

"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels."

This is a reminder to continue to manifest love in the form of hospitality and giving.

Romans 12:12-13

"Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality."

There it is again - distributing to the needs of the saints and practicing hospitality.

1 Peter 4:8-9

"And above all things have fervent love for one another, for 'love will cover a multitude of sins.' Be hospitable to one another without grumbling."

Love and giving go hand in hand.

James 1:27

"Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world."

James 2:14-17

"What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. "

What's sad is that this actually takes place every Sunday in church buildings across North America. Every Sunday families, single parents, students, and immigrants often lack basic necessities, don't have money for their monthly bills, and can't afford to give their children good clothes. And yet they are greeted by fellow Christians with the usual Sunday cheer and sent on their way often empty handed. This is to our shame.

Romans 15:26-27

"For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem. It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things."

What About Acts? 

Acts 4:32-37

"Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.

And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet."

Acts 6:1-3

"Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business..."

I've heard it said that churches today model their financial system after the events of Acts 4:32-37. This is simply not true. The only thing that is being emulated today is the fact that people bring their money to the leadership of a congregation. The rest, as we know, simply doesn't happen the way it did in Acts. In order for us to experience something similar to this event, several things need to change. But before this, we need to get a full understanding of what happened here.

There are a few key points that need to be made regarding the Acts 4 model in order to arrive at a concise understanding of what actually took place. For the sake of keeping this article as short as possible, I will just provide point form notes:

- "All who were possessors of land and houses" meant something different in their time and world than it does ours. Very few people then were able to afford land. Owning land and homes was an indication of wealth. Therefore, it was those who were affluent who were selling some of their properties to provide. And I want to propose that they didn't sell ALL their land. This wouldn't be smart for  business, and would result in them becoming poor as well.

- Acts 6:1-3 indicates that their system was not perfect. It also indicates that it is possible to stray from what Christ intends for his Bride. Thankfully, they recognized it and reformed their system.

- 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 shows us that the Acts 4 model was inconsistent. This may be due to the fact that there were a predominant amount of impoverished converts in comparison to affluent ones. Hence, Paul needs to raise money for a relief fund to send to them. Or it could be that if the affluent did indeed sell ALL their possessions. So once those resources were depleted, they had nothing left to contribute. (If this was the case, then they would have possibly misunderstood Christ's teaching regarding wealth. For more on this subject please read: http://revolutionera.com/serve-god-master-mammon-part-1)

Today, if we are to follow after this model, then it isn't enough to simply ask for people to place their money in offering plates. That is only the beginning. I wan't to suggest that the greater emphasis must be placed on the following passages:

"Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common."

This is a reform of the heart. It clashes greatly with our North American culture. Therefore, we must introduce, emphasize, and emulate heaven's culture. This doesn't begin with a teaching series or sermon, it begins with the leadership of a congregation or home group modeling it themselves.

"Nor was there anyone among them who lacked."

Why was this the case, even if it was temporal?

"[The Apostles] distributed to each as anyone had need."

This is the fundamental difference between their congregation and the majority of ours. As I will discuss in detail at the end of this article, our process needs to change entirely. The distribution went first to those in need among them. First... 1st... F. I. R. S. T. ... I don't know how to make this any clearer. Until we give to those in need among our groups or congregations first, we are not following this model.

Paul's Longest Discussion About Money

2 Corinthians 8 and 9

Since it will take up too much room here, I invite you now to pause your reading of this article and to look up and read 2 Corinthians chapters 8 and 9. Go! Do it! Paul is trying to raise money to send to the Christians in Jerusalem. Many had promised to help, and now Paul is checking to see that they will follow through on their promise and not flake out. He proceeds to remind them of why it is it that Christians need to give (remember that they come from a Hellenistic culture, where such acts of unconditional love were uncommon).

Highlights

"Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God." 2 Cor 8:1-5

These people were struggling financially and yet they decided to support Paul and his team financially. Now here's the kicker: Paul says that it was because they had given their lives to God [through Jesus Christ], that they acted out God's will to give to Paul and his team!

"For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have. For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality." 2 Cor 8:12-14

This is one of the key passages in chapter 8 and 9. First, Paul speaks about a person needing to be willing - which means they have a choice to not be willing. Second, he doesn't ask that those who are suffering lack suffer even more by giving more than they can. Yet at the same time, Paul sees that as the saints practice the teachings of Christ with regards to being selfless and practicing hospitality that in the end all the saints will be better off. Or as Paul puts it, "that there may be equality" (v14).

"Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation.

But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.  As it is written:

'He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.'

Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men, and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" 2 Cor 9:5-15

This is the crux of these two chapters. Paul begins by reminding them to give based on a decision they had already made some time ago when Paul first brought it up to them, asking that they begin to set money aside for this collection. God indeed loves a cheerful and willing giver because He doesn't force anyone to give. Grace exposes the heart. And those that choose to give are choosing to follow the ways of Jesus Christ in obedience to God. And God has put supernatural mechanics in place that trigger blessings to those that choose to give. Moreover, you'll notice again that Paul says that the needs of the saints are being provided for (remember Matthew 6?), and Paul attributes this collection as a gift from God to the saints in Jerusalem who are in need of it! (vs 15). Paul also says that the fact that they are giving to Believers who are in lack demonstrate their OBEDIENCE to the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Conversely, the opposite is true: When we DO NOT meet the needs of our fellow brothers and sisters (think 1 John 3:16-18 again) then we are being DISOBEDIENT to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Which then means that the blessings listed in Matthew 6 for example, or the blessings listed above (v. 6-10), aren't triggered. Now think about this. Think about what it means for us today, for you and your family. Have we truly been obedient to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in this area? I don't mean to hang this over us as a type of Law. But it's pretty clear here that Jesus Christ desires to have his love be made manifest through us to others by having us provide for their physical needs. The obedience to the Gospel Paul refers to here has nothing to do with tithing. It has everything to do with taking of your own resources and giving it directly to someone who is in need.

Our Present Circumstance 

There is no doubt that money is flowing today from the hands of Christians. In fact, billions of dollars are flowing every year here in North America. But where is it going? Conferences, books, CDs, theater-style seating, $150,000 salaries, programs, etc, etc. Now if billions of dollars are flowing out, and yet a great number of Christians are still struggling to make ends meet year after year in our very own groups and congregations, then the question must be asked: Are we being obedient to the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Even in the Law of Moses God's heart was made clear. "However, there should be no poor among you." (Deut 15:4). Is this the case today in our churches? You who are in abundance with say, "No." Yet you who are struggling to make ends meet will shout, "Yes!" This is a tragic reality, and is so because of our disobedience to the model of giving that Christ and his Apostles have established.

Now, before we all start finger point and playing the blame game on churches I want you to pause and think with me. Picture your favorite Christian speaker or writer. I mean your favorite! Now imagine that he or she moved nearby, and bought a house a block away from where you live. And imagine they began to host home-group meetings. Would you attend? Of course you would! But say that in about 6 months time, over 20 families are coming out on a regular basis to be a part of the meetings (if you'd like, you can swap out the speaker/author with yourself). The police begin to show up and write tickets because of this (now) illegal activity. Sooner or later you'll need a new venue. And be it a school, or an old church, or an office, or a warehouse, you are all going to have to split the bill on the rental and utilities. An open field may work for an African crusade, but good luck pulling that off during the 5 months of snow and winter here in Canada! So before you know it, you'll soon have the same issue to deal with as most churches in North America. I go to such lengths to make this obvious point because I want to demonstrate my sensitivity to the real-world challenges leaders face when it comes to dealing with choosing a place to meet, and funding those expenses.

I also understand that many churches have benevolence systems in place for those who qualify to receive them, and donation programs for the extremely impoverished in our society and those overseas. So it's not like churches aren't trying.

I am also an advocate for compensating and supporting financially those who have decided to be teaching, preaching, discipling, mentoring, counseling, missionaries, etc., as their daily activity (as per New Testament guidelines). These last three paragraphs were to show you that I'm not in some 'pie-in-the-sky' dreamland. I understand that there are principles and there is day to day reality. We need to come up with cash to pay for expenses we incur.

Unfortunately, things get mirky from this point on. What do I mean? Let me ask some questions, and you decide what is necessary and what are superfluous expenditures, and operating as a spiritual body versus a corporate enterprise. There are churches that become so big that they decide to build massive "baptism lakes" on their properties. Others have boards and committees that decide to run the church like a business, where religion is the product and Christians are the customers who make a purchase once a week through the offering plate. There are some that have limitless expense accounts for leaders. You decide for yourself: does this follow or make room for the New Testament pattern we've been studying up to now?

Is there a "need" to equip pastors with the latest technology so that they can "do ministry" more effectively? Or is there an absolute "need" to record albums and DVDs as an "evangelism" tool, knowing full well that only Christians will be buying them? I'm sure you have your own stories to add here as well. On the bright side, at least we aren't selling indulgences or upgrades from purgatory to heaven anymore (yes, it did happen for hundreds of years)! But this is what I meant by suggesting that things have gotten carried away in our congregations with regards to the use of the money that comes in. There is no place in the New Testament that even remotely suggests that providing for the financial needs of a building, property, or service takes priority over people's needs.

This is the end of Part II.

To continue reading, proceed to part III here.

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This is something I've been pondering for some time now. It's always been a mystery to me (until now) why there are always so many Believers who are struggling to get by financially month after month, year after year. These individuals and families love Jesus Christ, give and give, and are actively doing the work of the Kingdom. Yet it seems like they are living from need to need, and not from abundance.

Further, when we take into consideration passages like Matthew 6 (where we are told that God will give us what we need), and 2 Corinthians 9:10, "Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness", it makes the current reality that much more difficult to swallow. The truth is that we need to come to terms with the fact that a vast number of Christians (speaking to those in North America) are living in lack for years on end. Therefore, we also need to embrace the fact that compared to non-Believers, we are no different in this regard. 

Therefore, the question "why?" must be asked. It's foolish not to. And so, as I tend to do with many of the current circumstances in the churches of today, I began to ask questions. And over time, as I cross referenced the Scriptures and used them as a grid for our present reality, I began to find answers. It is these answers that I would like to share with you. My prayer is that you are liberated in your mind, and set free in your thinking in order to be set free from the bondage of lack and poverty. 

Rather than have you read all the way down to the last paragraph to find out what the answer is, I will give it to you right here: The reason why so many Christians today, Believers who love Jesus Christ, give and give and give, and are actively doing the work of the Kingdom are constantly struggling financially, is because the present day understanding of financial giving that many churches (from mega-church to house church) have is an Old-New Testament hybrid. We therefore are unable to fully benefit from the New Testament model of Jesus Christ that we are introduced to through the Gospels and the Epistles. This model of Jesus Christ emphasizes giving to those who lack, not tithing to an organization. Now that you have read the answer, I will proceed to support my statement and establish what I believe to be a solid and Biblical foundation that will give Christians a New Testament system that will lead them out of poverty and into sustainable living. 

DISCLAIMER: This is NOT an article that tells you to stop giving. This is NOT an article that seeks to tell you NOT to give money to your home group, church leaders, or collection plate. This is NOT an article that suggests that leaders should not be supported financially by those they tend to. We must give financially, always. 

Part I: Understanding the Old Model

Tithing. Storehouse. Seed. Sowing. Offering. Sacrifice. These are Old Testament nouns that for many Christians today are associated with giving money. It's become almost a knee-jerk reaction. And therein lies the problem. It's hard to speak about a subject that you already have a strong pre-conceived notion about. If I were to speak to you about the different schools of thought regarding String Theory in the world of advanced physics, most of you wouldn't have any strong emotional pull towards any one of them. But if we talk about an emotionally charged concept like prayer, or worship, or tithing, then we may already have communication breakdown before another word is even uttered or written. However, this is the challenge anyone faces when and if they fly in the opposite direction everyone else seems to be heading in. Well, I'm about to take flight.

Currently, tithing is both taught and practiced in most North American churches. Now understand that I admire and appreciate the hearts of those who understand that it is always better to give than to receive, and that all they want to do is make sure that they are being good stewards of their personal finances. So I want to be clear that I'm not addressing a heart issue. People who tithe or give mean well, and love to do so unto Jesus Christ. I'm all for it.

At the same time, no matter how joyously, selflessly, and faithfully you do something, if you do not have a full understanding of what it is that you are doing, how it is supposed to be done and why, then you will never reach the full potential of your efforts. Therefore, it is imperative that we take time now to explore the Old Testament concept of tithing. I mean REALLY look at it. Only then can we really understand it and see how (and if) it applies today.

What Was Tithing?

Tithing became a mandate for a people group know as Hebrews. It was part of the legal code of their nation, know as the Law of Moses or Torah. It was given to a specific people group, in a specific period in history. Here are some questions you need to ask yourself at this point:

-Am I a Hebrew or Jew?

-Have I been circumcised into the Law of Moses?

-Is the Law of Moses the legal code for my current nation?

-Am I required to keep and obey the Law of Moses today?

With that in mind, let's understand how the "tithe" or "tithing" fit into their Legal Code. Tithing was implemented into the Law in order to provide the Israelites with food for the Feast of Tabernacles (or Ingathering; read Lev 23:40, 43 for details), as per Exodus 23:16 and 34:22. Now the tithe worked on a 3 year rotation - not every person was on the same year (year 1, 2, or 3) in terms of that rotation, which allowed the system to work on an annual basis. The first two years the "tither" or the one who was tithing and their household were required to to eat their tithe in order to observe the Feast in Jerusalem, as per Deuteronomy 12:5-19 and Deuteronomy 14:22-27. If you lived too far from Jerusalem, you could sell your tithe, take the money to Jerusalem, and buy "whatever your heart desires" (Deut 14:26). Note also that a household would often include Levites, widows, orphans, or strangers (see Deut 16:14-15). Essentially, it was forced savings in ensure you had enough food for you and your family to take a week off in order to enjoy a time of celebration in Jerusalem (using temporarily erected tents) in the presence of God! Once again: for two years, the tithe went back to the owner (the tither) and his family. It was a primitive version of what we call vacation pay today.

On the 3rd year, this is what they were to do:

"At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands." Deut. 14:28-29

Also in Deuteronomy 26:12-13 it states:

"When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.  Then say to the LORD your God: 'I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, according to all you commanded. I have not turned aside from your commands nor have I forgotten any of them.'"

God had forbidden the Levites from land ownership or land inheritance, promising them that He Himself would be their inheritance (Num 18:20). So at the end of their harvest, every 3 years, families would give their tithe to the levites, poor, and widows. This was ONCE a year, every THIRD year. Now because one family would be on their 1st year of the rotation, and another on their 3rd year of this rotation, and yet another on their 2nd year, it meant that every year the Levites, widows, orphans, and poor were receiving tithes from different families year after year.

God not only used the 3rd year tithe to provide for the poor, but also this system:

"When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God." (Lev 19:9-10; Deut 24:19-22).

First Fruits

Here is another offshoot from the tithe that we need to understand. The "first fruits" differed from the tithe, and are not the same thing. The first fruits (Ex 13:2, Deut 15:19-20; 18:34; 12; Lev 23:14, 20; Num 18:3-4, 15; 28:26; 2 Chron 31:5) were to celebrate the beginning of the harvest, and were only given to be eaten by the priests, not the levites (while the animals were eaten by the people). The tithe on the other hand, celebrated the end of the harvest and for 2 years it was kept for the tither and his household to eat in Jerusalem, while on the 3rd year it was given to the needy and the Levites (who were not the same as priests; see Num 18:21 and Neh 10:36-37).

In the New Testament, Jesus is seen as being the "first fruits" metaphorically (1 Cor 15:20, 23; Rom 8:23; James 1:18). Its use in the New Testament is strictly prophetic; a call to those who were once under the Law of Moses, but now set free into the Grace of Jesus Christ, to rejoice and celebrate that the great harvest of mankind had begun with Jesus Christ who was the "first fruit" offered up to God. Paul spoke of those under his oversight in Corinth as being "first fruits" (1 Cor 16:15) too. The "Feast of Tabernacles", or the end of the harvest, can be seen in Revelation 14:14-20.

Abraham

"And he (Abraham) gave him (Melchizedek) a tenth of all," (Gen 14:20).

Abraham is often used as the iconic example of tithing because he did so before the Law of Moses. Of course, these same people often fail to consider that Abraham also offered animal sacrifices and possessed concubines!

In all seriousness, let's consider the following:

1. Abraham tithed ONCE. One time in his whole entire life. If you want to follow his example, then your duty is likely done.

2. We don't know why he tithed, but we do know that Melchizedek was a priest. In the Law of Moses, tithes were NOT given to priests. In the New Covenant however, all Christians are priests (1 Pet 2:9), and a part of Christ who is of the order of Melchizedek (Heb 5:6). Logically, this would imply that people should be "tithing" to you and I!

3. What Abraham actually offered was closer to a "first fruits" offering, since he took a tenth and gave it to a priest.

Jacob

"Of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You." (Gen 28:22)

Jacob here promises a ONE TIME offering to God, as part of a negotiation between them (Gen 28:20-21). We don't know where he gave it, how, or when. If you think you can negotiate something with God that is better than the Covenant Agreement Jesus Christ set in place and signed with his own blood, then by all means follow Jacob's example!

Malachi 3

Many a sermon has been preached from Malachi 3:8-12 all over the world. Yet the vast majority of Christians are unaware of the devastating consequences of doing so. How can a doctrine stating that Malachi 3:8-12 (an isolated passage out of a prophetic letter written in a pre-Christ era to a specific nation who were disobeying their specific legal code) still applies today in a time where:

-Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law of Moses and all it's requirements (Matt 5:17; Rom 8:3-4; 10:4; Gal 3:23-25; Eph 2:15)

-Israelites themselves are NO LONGER required to observes and keep the Law of Moses (2 Cor 3:17; Gal 5:18; Eph 4:14; 1 Cor 7:23; Col 2:20; 1 Cor. 9:21; Jam 1:15; 2:12, etc, etc.), and Jewish Christians are constantly warned by Paul to NOT subject themselves to the Law again (Gal 2-5; Rom 1-8, etc.)

-Those who come into Jesus Christ and the family of God who are NOT of Jewish descent are FORBIDDEN to subject themselves to the Law of Moses (Gal 2:1-21; 3:1-28; 4:8-31)

-Christ BECAME a curse FOR US (Gal 3:13)

This doctrine (that Malachi 3:8-12 is for today) blatantly ignores major theological and hermeneutical pitfalls. Even worse, to suggest that according to Malachi 3:8-12 God is ready, willing, and able to curse anyone who does not tithe contradicts key aspects of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and creates questions that have no Biblical answers. For example,

1. At what point does God require the Tithe from you - when you become a Christian? When you become a Jew? When you start earning income? When you turn 18? When You learn about the concept of Tithing? When you become a "member" of a church?

2. Who then comes under a curse? Hermeneutically, we know for certain that God was speaking to the nation of Israel between 515 and 445 BC. But if today it is taught that God is still cursing those who do not tithe, then we need to know who. Is the world cursed because it does not tithe? Is a Christian cursed even though this letter was not addressed to him or her? Are Jews still cursed if they don't tithe?

3. If Christ became a curse for us (Gal 3:13), and bore ALL of our sins, both past, present, and future (read the New Testament, it's everywhere), then how does God not violate His own covenant that was made with Jesus Christ and us who Believe (1 Cor 11:25) by cursing us again? If we come under a curse AFTER the fact that Jesus Christ already became a curse and took on our sins then it is no longer the death and and the resurrection of Jesus Christ that is at work in setting us free from curses but OUR OWN WORKS. We are redeeming ourselves from a curse, not Jesus. Galatians 3:10-11 is clear:

"For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.' Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because 'the righteous will live by faith.'"

We are better off NOT trying to obey Malachi 3! For if we subject ourselves to the Law of Moses (Malachi 3 is calling Jews to obey the Law again) then we must obey it fully, or else we are cursed.

Deuteronomy 26:12-15 needs to be read in order to understand what God is saying through His prophet Malachi. It states that in the 3rd year, the only year they were to give, they would make a public declaration that they had set aside the "sacred portion", and would call on God to look down upon them from heaven and bless them as a nation and their ground. Here in Malachi's time, in a post-exilic Israel morality and faith in God was at an all time low. Though they had rebuilt Jerusalem and the Temple of Solomon from the ruins, their commitment to God was being called into question.

Malachi specifically addresses many issues, not just tithing. Therefore, how then can we fail to apply the rest of the book of Malachi to ourselves as well? Were does it say in the Tanak (Law, Prophets, Writings) that we are allowed to pick and choose which portions to apply and which ones to not apply? In fact, the exact opposite is found in Scripture:

"Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do EVERYTHING written in the Book of the Law.” (Deut 27:26)

To subject yourself to the mandate in Malachi, which is the mandate of the Law of Moses, is to automatically place yourself under a curse. In other words, you are cursed for trying to obey the Law of Moses, because it is impossible to keep the entire Law of Moses. As Paul writes,

"Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace." Gal 5:2-4

Now, some may be more concerned about the blessing in Malachi 3:10 than they are about being cursed.

"'And try Me now in this,' Says the LORD of hosts, 'If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.'"

This is again a failure to understand the change that took place after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (for more on the transition from Old to New Covenant, read here: http://revolutionera.com/2010/10/simple-version-old-to-new-covenant.html). We no longer live under "closed heavens", and we don't need to ask God to open them. They were opened permanently by Jesus Christ (Mat 3:16; Eph 2:8, Rom 5:2; Heb 4:16; Rev 4:1). And because of Jesus Christ's finished work God is able to bless people UNCONDITIONALLY as a manifestation of His UNCONDITIONAL love. Malachi 3:8-12 is not unconditional blessing - it is VERY conditional. This is because it was based on performance (the Law of Moses). Now, under Grace, love comes to everyone without condition. All we need to do is accept it:

"[God] makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." Mat 5:45

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" Mat 7:11

Where is the condition of Malachi 3:8-12 here? Did Jesus forget to warn people about the pending curse of God that would come to them if they didn't tithe? And why would he suggest that all people need to do now is simply "ask Him" for good gifts? They must earn it, don't they? No, they don't!

"Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." Mat 6:30-33

God is no longer asking people to test Him like He did in Malachi 3:10. At that time He was asking them to test to see that God would indeed honor his agreement which He swore to do with Moses in their written covenant. God always honors His end of a deal. He was calling them to honor theirs according to the covenant as well.

YOU AND I ARE NOT UNDER THAT SAME COVENANT AGREEMENT. Jesus Christ established a NEW covenant with mankind:

"And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body.' Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.'" Mat 26:26-28

As the writer of Hebrews says,

"But now He [Jesus] has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says 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..." Heb 8:6-9

And,

"In that He says, 'A new covenant,' He has made the first [the Law of Moses] obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away." Heb 8:13

The apostle Paul also made it clear that no one, Jew or Gentile, is ever to go back to the Law of Moses.

"Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed... And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, 'If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.'" Gal 2:11-16

Final Thoughts Regarding the Old Covenant 

Our reality is that most Christians today tithe because it's the only way they know how to give. They honestly feel the Spirit of God compel them to practice generosity, and tithing is presented to them as the main outlet for that desire. I say this because I don't believe Christians are trying to subject themselves to the Law of Moses again (save for a handful of crazies out there) in the sense that they are willing to forsake their covenant with Jesus Christ and embrace the Old Covenant of Moses.

But to suggest that if one does not tithe today then they are subject to a curse is a pure contradiction to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our covenant is with Jesus Christ, who became a curse for us. If God makes it rain on the righteous and the unrighteous - an ancient near-eastern symbol for blessings - then surely he will bless us who are the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21). And according to the Torah (Law of Moses), we are not allowed to pick and choose which Laws to obey. So if we are to tithe, we are also to obey all 613 commandments. And according to Paul, we are not to try to place ourselves under the Torah at all. In other words, we need to drop the tithing doctrine all together and find out what Jesus Christ has called us to with regards to giving in His covenant with us.

A final note. Few people had the privilege of having the access to the Tanak (Old Testament) in Paul's day. And the New Testament was still being written. Therefore, if the "robbing God" argument was as big a deal to Paul as it is to some today, then why did he not once, in any letter, address this issue? Would Paul (a PhD in the Torah) have knowingly allowed all those under his care and oversight to become subjects to the curse of Malachi 3? Would he not have at least made mention of the tithe, reminding them of the pending curse that would come over them should they falter? The argument just doesn't hold any water no matter how you test it.

This is the end of Part I.

To continue reading, proceed to part II here.

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Hey Everyone,

This is an article written by a friend of mine, George Woodward. He shares some great points concerning current 21st century North American model and raises some great questions as well. When he sent me the article I asked him if I could post it on my blog. If you like what you've read here then be sure to pick up his book entitled, "The 1st Shall Be 21st And The 21st Shall Be 1st".

THOUGHTS ABOUT THE CHURCH

    I write this today with grave concerns for the Canadian Church and also knowing that I may be wrong and in deception. If I am wrong, I want to put this all behind me and continue as I am but if I’m right, then I must ask the question, “what responsibility do I have”?

    I submit these following thoughts to you for your critique and input.

The church’s current status:

·        The church in North America and western Europe is on the decline

·        Canadian statistics have not changed in 50 years (6% born again Christians)

·        The church has not only lost its influence in society, it is often viewed as a negative element to societal health

·        Canada has had pockets of revival, 1948 Latter Rain, 1971 in Saskatoon, the 1980’s Catholic Charismatic Renewal and the Toronto Blessing in 1994, but never a National Revival

·        Canadian society needs Reformation but before that happens; I believe it must take place in the church first.

·        Billy Graham has held major events in Canada and has seen many people respond to the “alter call” only to follow up and see that within two years, 95% of the respondents are not followers of Christ nor grounded in a local church

·        I see our North American gospel as very “me” centred and our churches and times of congregating, designed to attract and keep members.  Too much of church growth is transfer growth and often the church with the best programs and the most dynamic preaching/teaching, is the one that grows.

The goal seems to be just to get people saved rather than to make disciples.

Disciple making does not consist of just teaching, learning of principals and knowing techniques. To make disciples, Jesus lived with them, taught them, demonstrated to them and then gave them assignments and sent them out.  They returned and gave reports/testimony about how they saw His teaching take place through their lives as they put into practice what they were taught and observed.  When was the last time we heard testimony of disciples being made rather than converts won?

    Much in church revolves around the person with gifts, (the Pastor) who gears most of what’s done to please the member/hearer. The service structure, the timing, the music, and the messages are all designed to make contented members; those who are expecting to be on the receiving end, Sunday after Sunday.

    Too many Christians feel that living a good life, going to church on Sunday’s and giving in the offering is all that’s needed on their part, recognizing that it’s all designed for them anyway.

      The Pastor is the central voice of the church.  He/she does most of the preaching and the Pastoral gift is the one that is known by the congregation, voiding the other Five Fold voices.  As I look at scripture, I only see the term Pastor used once in the New Testament, but I see Elders overseeing the church and the Five-Fold Ministry in the back-ground equipping the saints for the work of the ministry.

      It’s like a football team.  They have a head coach, an offensive coach, a defensive coach, a special teams coach and a psychological coach.  These five coaches, teach, train, correct and encourage the players.  The coaches don’t play on the field, but the game wouldn’t go on too long without them.  In our North American church model, we put the five coaches (Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, Teacher) out on the field and expect them to play the game.   We sit up in the stands and are disappointed if they don’t perform. 

     Another extreme of too many charismatic churches is that the people are kept so busy with services, extra meetings, groups, committees and volunteering that they never have time to build relationships with the world around them.  It’s unspoken but evident none-the-less, that if you’re not at all these things, you are substandard and not part of the faithful.

     The way the gospel is presented to a pre-Christian is also “me” focused.  To think that to become a Christian, we must invite Jesus into our mess is contrary to the bulk of scripture that is very different to the “invitation” that is presented in many North American churches today.  The Bible says to lay down our lives, to die, to be grafted into and become part of His family.  We are to become His sons and daughters (what a privilege!).  Rather than saying, “Jesus, you came into my life, I accept you”, we should be asking/pleading for Him to allow us to be part of who He is, not Him to be part of what we are. I wonder if that is part of the reason that Billy Graham found that only 5% of the alter call respondents were still involved just two years later.

     Most Christians today say they know the terms: “We are not our own, we are bought with a price”, but they don’t function like they are owned. We say we are born again, but we don’t really die to ourselves because we still exercise our rights and free will. We say we give Him our life, but we keep very close control of it, directing every detail.

    We say we want to see new converts and some actually participate in converting others, but we won’t invest the time to make them into disciples, not just chair warming Christians, but disciples who are eager to make other disciples.

      Our desire has to change from one of doing everything to get people into our churches, to working on how to effectively get them out. The bulk of real ministry should take place outside the walls of the church building, not inside.

     So, can we change and if so, how? The following may be possible steps to consider:

1.  Admit and take responsibility for Canada’s current state and decline.

2.  Clearly define the goal.

o       Return to the First Century pattern of congregating and community.

o       Make converts into disciples

o       Establish His Kingdom, not ours, here in Canada

o       Yearn to see Canada enter Reformation

o       Don’t be satisfied with anything less than a majority

3.  Be willing to lay down the old wine skin and embrace the new.

4.  Re-think the way we measure success

o       Not size

o       Not Buildings

o       Not money

o       Not even converts but DISCIPLES

5.  Expand our big picture thinking.

o       Our community

o       Our city

o       Our Province

o       Our Canada

      All these thoughts are discussion items at this point but I do think that radical change is coming to the North American church whether we want it to or not.

George Woodward

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This article has been forged from my heart and soul more than anything else. It troubles me to see that today, still, we have such short sightedness and base thinking within the community of Believers when it comes to how women are portrayed, looked upon, and categorized. The purpose of this article is to confront the most common lines of thinking Christians (specifically men) have regarding women. And once confronted, I will destroy it piece by piece. Enough is enough already. Let’s get going.

One last thing. I will be “piggy-backing” off of some of N. T. Wright’s articles that complement what I am writing here. His insight into the Greek New Testament is almost unmatched, in my opinion, and he offers tremendous perspectives regarding women as he examines certain Scriptures. Consequently, I have chosen to cite him heavily below.

http://www.ntwrightpage.com/Wright_Women_Service_Church.htm

In the Beginning

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and 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… And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, [it was] very good.” (Gen 1:26-28, 31a)

God created ADAM אָדָם (man/mankind/mortals). And to ADAM אָדָם (man/mankind/mortals), God gave authority over the earth. This authority was given to His prize creation, even when he gave ADAM אָדָם (man/mankind/mortals) genders – male and female. And giving authority to males and females, a product of creation He categorized as ADAM אָדָם (man/mankind/mortals), was “very good” in the eyes of God. This was God’s original intent, and this was His desire for males and females.

“And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” (Gen 2:18)

Please note that the word ADAM אָדָם is a male noun (not indicating gender, but how a word is parsed. Those who speak any Latin-based language can appreciate this), and the emphasis here is not being placed on a male needing a female. Rather, ADAM (mankind) should live in community, just as the Godhead (Father, Son, Spirit) live in community. Love can only be expressed and recieved in community.

The term “comparable helper” כְּנֶגְדֹּֽו עֵזֶר here is yet another stain on the lack-luster translational efforts put forth by modern publishers of mainstream Bible translations. Allow me to cite Robert Alter, one of the world’s foremost Biblical Hebrew scholars:

“‘Help’ is too weak because it suggests a merely auxiliary function, whereas עֵזֶר elsewhere connotes active intervention on behalf of someone, especially in military contexts, as often in Psalms.” (Robert Alter, The Five Books of Moses, p. 23)

Also worth noting is the fact that out of the 21 times עֵזֶר (“helper”) is used in the Old Testament, 18 of those times it is in reference to God. More aptly translated, כְּנֶגְדֹּֽו עֵזֶר 

should be rendered, “warring aid”. Now pause and think about this, because your Sunday-school paradigm about women being a ‘help-maid’ can no longer be the same.

Now, what about Genesis 3, you may ask? “Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” Indeed, over all of mankind were curses released (Gen 3:16-19). So let me ask you, are you living under the curse of Genesis 3, or under the Blood-Covenant of Jesus Christ? It’s one or the other, according to the New Testament.

“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.” Rom 5:12-15

The “many” referred to here must include women, or else they are completely removed from the Blood of Jesus.

“For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.” 1 Cor 15:21-23

“For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” Rom 8:19-21

Creation itself will be liberated from the decay that it has been subjected to since Genesis 3 until now. If creation, therefore, will be returned to its original state, how much more every ADAM that is in Christ – both male and female?

“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” Rom 8:29-30

Males and females are being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, in equal measure, with equal invitation. Both are called, justified, and glorified.

Even in the Old Covenant, where God’s true desire for Mankind – both male and female was shrouded and veiled, King Solomon by divine inspiration caught a glimpse of God’s heart regarding women. In the famous 31^st chapter of Proverbs, speaking of what a virtuous woman looks like, he writes:

       “¹³ She seeks wool and flax,
      And willingly works with her hands.
       ¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships,
      She brings her food from afar.
       ¹⁵ She also rises while it is yet night,
      And provides food for her household,
      And a portion for her maidservants.
       ¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
      From her profits she plants a vineyard.
       ¹⁷ She girds herself with strength,
      And strengthens her arms.
       ¹⁸ She perceives that her merchandise is good,
      And her lamp does not go out by night.
       ¹⁹ She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
      And her hand holds the spindle.
       ²⁰ She extends her hand to the poor,
      Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.
       ²¹ She is not afraid of snow for her household,
      For all her household is clothed with scarlet.”

Almost every paradigm that societies have held (and still hold, in certain cultures) regarding women is broken here.

1.      The woman is seen as a breadwinner here.

2.      The woman is seen as one making major financial decisions.

3.      War terminology often used to describe a warrior is used in relation to the woman (v17).

4.      She is depicted as being able to make wise business decisions.

5.      The woman’s “extending her hand to the poor” reveals that she is out of the house, and active in her community.

But the real eye-opening, Male-Chauvinism shattering truths are found in the New Testament Scriptures – both in the Gospels and in the Epistles. Let us therefore turn our attention there.

The Gospels and Acts

I will begin this section by quoting N. T. Wright in his paper, “Women’s Service in the Church: A Biblical Basis”. I highly recommend you read the entire article, which can be found here: http://www.ntwrightpage.com/Wright_Women_Service_Church.htm

“Among the many things that need to be said about the gospels is that we gain nothing by ignoring the fact that Jesus chose twelve male apostles. There were no doubt all kinds of reasons for this within both the symbolic world in which he was operating and the practical and cultural world within which they would have to live and work. But every time this point is made – and in my experience it is made quite frequently – we have to comment on how interesting it is that there comes a time in the story when the disciples all forsake Jesus and run away; and at that point, long before the rehabilitation of Peter and the others, it is the women who come first to the tomb, who are the first to see the risen Jesus, and are the first to be entrusted with the news that he has been raised from the dead. This is of incalculable significance. Mary Magdalene and the others are the apostles to the apostles. We should not be surprised that Paul calls a woman named Junia an apostle in Romans 16.7. If an apostle is a witness to the resurrection, there were women who deserved that title before any of the men.”

This is a profound introductory statement, and one that you can take to the bank. But now we will see some key insights as we continue to read:

“I think in particular of the woman who anointed Jesus; as some have pointed out, this was a priestly action which Jesus accepted as such. And I think, too, of the remarkable story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10. Most of us grew up with the line that Martha was the active type and Mary the passive or contemplative type, and that Jesus is simply affirming the importance of both and even the priority of devotion to him. That devotion is undoubtedly part of the importance of the story, but far more obvious to any first-century reader, and to many readers in Turkey, the Middle East and many other parts of the world to this day would be the fact that Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet within the male part of the house rather than being kept in the back rooms with the other women. This, I am pretty sure, is what really bothered Martha; no doubt she was cross at being left to do all the work, but the real problem behind that was that Mary had cut clean across one of the most basic social conventions. It is as though, in today’s world, you were to invite me to stay in your house and, when it came to bedtime, I were to put up a camp bed in your bedroom. We have our own clear but unstated rules about whose space is which; so did they. And Mary has just flouted them. And Jesus declares that she is right to do so. She is ‘sitting at his feet’; a phrase which doesn’t mean what it would mean today, the adoring student gazing up in admiration and love at the wonderful teacher. As is clear from the use of the phrase elsewhere in the NT (for instance, Paul with Gamaliel), to sit at the teacher’s feet is a way of saying you are being a student, picking up the teacher’s wisdom and learning; and in that very practical world you wouldn’t do this just for the sake of informing your own mind and heart, but in order to be a teacher, a rabbi, yourself.”

It is unmistakable that Jesus Christ was clashing against the social conventions of his day. Other notable instances include his encounter with the Samaritan woman (John 4:1-26), and with the adulterous woman (John 8:1-30). On both occasions, Jesus outright violated both the Law of Moses and the cultural norm of his day. We cannot appreciate the gravity and severity of his actions in the eyes of a Jewish male onlooker. But a point was being made. Jesus even allowed women to be a source of financial provision for his ministry (Luke 8:1-3).

Now, every Christian male chauvinist’s “Ace” in the hole is the Apostle Paul. Unfortunately, once proper exegesis of these miss-translated, miss-interpreted, and misused passages is exercised, we will soon see that the “Ace” is nothing more than a bluff.

Rather than have you take my word for it, I will allow Professor Wright to do the writing for me. I hope you like steak, ‘cause we’re about to have us a slaughter of Sacred Cows.

1 Corinthians 14

“I want instead to home in at once on one of the two passages which has caused so much difficulty, the verses at the end of 1 Corinthians 14 in which Paul insists that women must keep silent in church.”

“I have always been attracted, ever since I heard it, to the explanation offered once more by Ken Bailey. In the Middle East, he says, it was taken for granted that men and women would sit apart in church, as still happens today in some circles. Equally important, the service would be held (in Lebanon, say, or Syria, or Egypt), in formal or classical Arabic, which the men would all know but which many of the women would not, since the women would only speak a local dialect or patois… the result would be that during the sermon in particular, the women, not understanding what was going on, would begin to get bored and talk among themselves. As Bailey describes the scene in such a church, the level of talking from the women’s side would steadily rise in volume, until the minister would have to say loudly, ‘Will the women please be quiet!’, whereupon the talking would die down, but only for a few minutes. Then, at some point, the minister would again have to ask the women to be quiet; and he would often add that if they wanted to know what was being said, they should ask their husbands to explain it to them when they got home.”

“What the passage cannot possibly mean is that women had no part in leading public worship, speaking out loud of course as they did so. This is the positive point that is proved at once by the other relevant Corinthian passage, 1 Corinthians 11.2–11, since there Paul is giving instructions for how women are to be dressed while engaging in such activities, instructions which obviously wouldn’t be necessary if they had been silent in church all the time.”

“Paul wasn’t, of course, addressing the social issues we know in our world. Visit a different culture, even today, and you will discover many subtle assumptions, pressures and constraints in society, some of which appear in the way people dress and wear their hair. In western culture, a man wouldn’t go to a dinner party wearing a bathing suit, nor would a woman attend a beach picnic wearing a wedding dress. Most western churches have stopped putting pressure on women to wear hats in church (western-style hats, in any case, were not what Paul was writing about here), but nobody thinks it odd that we are still strict about men not wearing hats in church.”

“In Paul’s day (as, in many ways, in ours), gender was marked by hair and clothing styles. We can tell from statues, vase paintings and other artwork of the period how this worked out in practice. There was social pressure to maintain appropriate distinctions. But did not Paul himself teach that there was ‘no male and female, because you are all one in the Messiah?’ (Galatians 3.28)? Perhaps, indeed, that was one of the ‘traditions’ that he had taught the Corinthian church, who needed to know that Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female were all equally welcome, equally valued, in the renewed people of God. Perhaps that had actually created the situation he is addressing here; perhaps some of the Corinthian women had been taking him literally, so that when they prayed or prophesied aloud in church meetings (which Paul assumes they will do regularly; this tells us, as we’ve seen, something about how to understand 14.34–35) they had decided to remove their normal headcovering, perhaps also unbraiding their hair, to show that in the Messiah they were free from the normal social conventions by which men and women were distinguished.”

“Another dimension to the problem may well be that in the Corinth of his day the only women who appeared in public without some kind of headcovering were prostitutes. This isn’t suggested directly here, but it may have been in the back of his mind. If the watching world discovered that the Christians were having meetings where women ‘let their hair down’ in this fashion, it could have the same effect on their reputation as it would in the modern west if someone looked into a church and found the women all wearing bikinis.”

“[In verse 3] what does Paul mean by ‘head’? He uses it here sometimes in a metaphorical sense, as in verse 3, and sometimes literally, as when he’s talking about what to do with actual human heads (verses 4–7 and 10). But the word he uses can mean various different things; and a good case can be made out for saying that in verse 3 he is referring not to ‘headship’ in the sense of sovereignty, but to ‘headship’ in the sense of ‘source’, like the ‘source’ or ‘head’ of a river. In fact, in some of the key passages where he explains what he’s saying (verses 8, 9 and 12a) he is referring explicitly to the creation story in Genesis 2, where woman was made from the side of man. I suspect, in fact, that this is quite a different use of the idea of ‘headship’ from that in Ephesians 5, where it relates of course to husband and wife and where a different point is being made. That doesn’t mean Paul couldn’t have written them both, only that he was freer than we sometimes imagine to modify his own metaphors according to various contexts.”

“The underlying point then seems to be that in worship it is important for both men and women to be their truly created selves, to honour God by being what they are and not blurring the lines by pretending to be something else. One of the unspoken clues to this passage may be Paul’s assumption that in worship the creation is being restored, or perhaps that in worship we are anticipating its eventual restoration (15.27–28). God made humans male and female, and gave them ‘authority’ over the world, as Ben-Sirach 17.3 puts it, summarizing Genesis 1.26–28 and echoing Psalm 8.4–8 (Ben-Sirach was written around 200 BC). And if humans are to reclaim this authority over the world, this will come about as they worship the true God, as they pray and prophesy in his name, and are renewed in his image, in being what they were made to be, in celebrating the genders God has given them.”

If this is Paul’s meaning, the critical move he makes is to argue that a man dishonours his head by covering it in worship and that a woman dishonours hers by not covering it. He argues this mainly from the basis that creation itself tends to give men shorter hair and women longer (verses 5–6, 13–15); the fact that some cultures, and some people, offer apparent exceptions would probably not have worried him. His main point is that in worship men should follow the dress and hair codes which proclaim them to be male, and women the codes which proclaim them to be female.”

“Why then does he say that a woman ‘must have authority on her head because of the angels’ (verse 10)? This is one of the most puzzling verses in a puzzling passage, but there is help of sorts in the Dead Sea Scrolls. There is it assumed that when God’s people meet for worship, the angels are there too (as many liturgies, and theologians, still affirm).”

“For the [Dead Sea] Scrolls, this means that the angels, being holy, must not be offended by any appearance of unholiness among the congregation. Paul shares the assumption, that the angels are worshipping along with the humans, but may be making a different point.”

“When humans are renewed in the Messiah and raised from the dead, they will be set in authority over the angels (6.3). In worship, the church anticipates how things are going to be in that new day. When a woman is praying or prophesying (perhaps in the language of angels, as in 13.1), she needs to be truly what she is, since it is to male and female alike, in their mutual interdependence as God’s image-bearing creatures, that the world, including the angels, is to be subject. God’s creation needs humans to be fully, gloriously and truly human, which means fully and truly male and female. This, and of course much else besides, is to be glimpsed in worship.”

“We face different issues, but making sure that our worship is ordered appropriately, to honour God’s creation and anticipate its fulfilment in the new creation, is still a priority. There is no ‘perhaps’ about that. When we apply this to the question of women’s ministry, it seems to me that we should certainly stress equality in the role of women but should be very careful about implying identity. This passage tells, for me at least, quite strongly on the side of those who see the ministry of women as significantly different to the ministry of men and therefore insists that we need both to be themselves, rather than for one to try to become a clone of the other.”

Galatians 3:26-29

“Galatians 3 is not about ministry. Nor is it the only word Paul says about being male and female… The point Paul is making overall in this passage is that God has one family, not two, and that this family consists of all those who believe in Jesus; that this is the family God promised to Abraham, and that nothing in the Torah can stand in the way of this unity which is now revealed through the faithfulness of the Messiah. This is not at all about how we relate to one another within this single family; it is about the fact, as we often say, that the ground is even at the foot of the cross.”

“What he says is that there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, no ‘male and female’. I think the reason he says ‘no male and female’ rather than ‘neither male nor female’ is that he is actually quoting Genesis 1, and that we should understand the phrase ‘male and female’ in scare-quotes.”

“What Paul seems to be doing in this passage, then, is ruling out any attempt to back up the continuing male privilege in the structuring and demarcating of Abraham’s family by an appeal to Genesis 1, as though someone were to say, ‘But of course the male line is what matters, and of course male circumcision is what counts, because God made male and female.’ No, says Paul, none of that counts when it comes to membership in the renewed people of Abraham.”

1 Timothy 2

“When people say that the Bible enshrines patriarchal ideas and attitudes, this passage, particularly verse 12, is often held up as the prime example. Women mustn’t be teachers, the verse seems to say; they mustn’t hold any authority over men; they must keep silent. That, at least, is how many translations put it. This, as I say, is the main passage that people quote when they want to suggest that the New Testament forbids the ordination of women.”

“The key to the present passage, then, is to recognize that it is commanding that women, too, should be allowed to study and learn, and should not be restrained from doing so (verse 11). They are to be ‘in full submission’; this is often taken to mean ‘to the men’, or ‘to their husbands’, but it is equally likely that it refers to their attitude, as learners, of submission to God or to the gospel – which of course would be true for men as well. Then the crucial verse 12 need not be read as ‘I do not allow a woman to teach or hold authority over a man’ – the translation which has caused so much difficulty in recent years. It can equally mean (and in context this makes much more sense): ‘I don’t mean to imply that I’m now setting up women as the new authority over men in the same way that previously men held authority over women.’ Why might Paul need to say this?”

“There are some signs in the letter that it was originally sent to Timothy while he was in Ephesus. And one of the main things we know about religion in Ephesus is that the main religion – the biggest Temple, the most famous shrine – was a female-only cult. The Temple of Artemis (that’s her Greek name; the Romans called her Diana) was a massive structure which dominated the area; and, as befitted worshippers of a female deity, the priests were all women. They ruled the show and kept the men in their place.”

“Now if you were writing a letter to someone in a small, new religious movement with a base in Ephesus, and wanted to say that because of the gospel of Jesus the old ways of organizing male and female roles had to be rethought from top to bottom, with one feature of that being that the women were to be encouraged to study and learn and take a leadership role, you might well want to avoid giving the wrong impression. Was the apostle saying, people might wonder, that women should be trained up so that Christianity would gradually become a cult like that of Artemis, where women did the leading and kept the men in line? That, it seems to me, is what verse 12 is denying. The word I’ve translated ‘try to dictate to them’ is unusual, but seems to have the overtones of ‘being bossy’ or ‘seizing control’. Paul is saying, like Jesus in Luke 10, that women must have the space and leisure to study and learn in their own way, not in order that they may muscle in and take over the leadership as in the Artemis-cult, but so that men and women alike can develop whatever gifts of learning, teaching and leadership God is giving them.”

“What’s the point of the other bits of the passage, then? The first verse (8) is clear: the men must give themselves to devout prayer, and must not follow the normal stereotypes of ‘male’ behaviour: no anger or arguing. Then verses 9 and 10 follow, making the same point about the women. They must be set free from their stereotype, that of fussing all the time about hair-dos, jewellry, and fancy clothes – but they must be set free, not in order that they can be dowdy, unobtrusive little mice, but so that they can make a creative contribution to the wider society. The phrase ‘good works’ in verse 10 sounds pretty bland to us, but it’s one of the regular ways people used to refer to the social obligation to spend time and money on people less fortunate than oneself, to be a benefactor of the town through helping public works, the arts, and so on.”

“Why then does Paul finish off with the explanation about Adam and Eve? Remember that his basic point is to insist that women, too, must be allowed to learn and study as Christians, and not be kept in unlettered, uneducated boredom and drudgery. Well, the story of Adam and Eve makes the point well: look what happened when Eve was deceived. Women need to learn just as much as men do. Adam, after all, sinned quite deliberately; he knew what he was doing, and that it was wrong, and went ahead deliberately. The Old Testament is very stern about that kind of action.”

“And what about the bit about childbirth? Paul doesn’t see it as a punishment. Rather, he offers an assurance that, though childbirth is indeed difficult, painful and dangerous, often the most testing moment in a woman’s life, this is not a curse which must be taken as a sign of God’s displeasure. God’s salvation is promised to all, women and men, who follow Jesus in faith, love, holiness and prudence. And that salvation is promised to those who contribute to God’s creation through childbearing, just as it is to everyone else. Becoming a mother is hard enough, God knows, without pretending it’s somehow an evil thing. Let’s not leave any more unexploded bombs and mines around for people to blow their minds with. Let’s read this text as I believe it was intended, as a way of building up God’s church, men and women, women and men alike. And, just as Paul was concerned to apply this in one particular situation, so we must think and pray carefully about where our own cultures, prejudices and angers are taking us, and make sure we conform, not to any of the different stereotypes the world offers, but to the healing, liberating, humanizing message of the gospel of Jesus.”

“How then would I translate the passage to bring all this out? As follows:

‘So this is what I want: the men should pray in every place, lifting up holy hands, with no anger or disputing.  9 In the same way the women, too, should clothe themselves in an appropriate manner, modestly and sensibly. They should not go in for elaborate hair-styles, or gold, or pearls, or expensive clothes;  10 instead, as is appropriate for women who profess to be godly, they should adorn themselves with good works.  11 They must be allowed to study undisturbed, in full submission to God.  12 I’m not saying that women should teach men, or try to dictate to them; they should be left undisturbed.  13 Adam was created first, you see, and then Eve;  14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived, and fell into trespass.  15 She will, however, be kept safe through the process of childbirth, if she continues in faith, love and holiness with prudence.’”

N. T. Wright has provided us with a great deal of clarity. I am grateful for his contribution here. Now, there is one more passage that we need to address. Dr. Wright did not make mention of it, so I will provide you with my personal observations regarding Ephesians 5:22-28.

Ephesians 5:22-28

The emphasis on this passage is on men loving their wives AS CHRIST loves the church, NOT on women submitting. Read what I said once more. The burden of this passage weighs much heavier on men then it does women. Now men, let me highlight some key points here:

a) Are you honestly loving your wife IN THE WAY Jesus demonstrates love to us? If not, then what right do you have to demand submission from your wife?

b) Have you created an environment that promotes freedom, growth, love, joy, and peace in your relationship, IN THE WAY Jesus Christ has done so in the relationship we have with Him? If not, then what right do you have to demand submission?

c) Are you so concerned with the spec in your wife’s eye (submission), and yet fail to notice the log in yours (loving her IN THE MANNER and EXAMPLE set by Christ)?

d) Do you present your wife as holy and blameless to Christ, or do your actions, attitudes, and words leave her defiled?

In the same way that we delight in following Christ as leader, and submitting to him as our King and Lord, women should feel the same way as they follow your lead in the relationship. But what we FAIL TO REALIZE is that Christ doesn’t lord it over us, nor does He permit us to (Mat 20:25-26).

Have you become the least in your marriage? Have you taken the role of servant? When Jesus washed the disciples feet, He said, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (John 13:14-15). Do you honestly believe that this command was exclusive to the 12?

This is the love men are to have towards their wives. Jesus focus was never on having his followers submit to Him, and he constantly demonstrated becoming the least and serving, right up to the cross. This is love. God is love, not a male chauvinist.

“But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Mat 20:25-28

Have you, husbands, literally and practically taken this to heart and into constant action in your marriage? Do you demand to be recognized as the “head”, the “leader”, the “decision-maker”, the “one in charge”, or the one who must be submitted to? Do you honestly think that you emulate Christ with that mindset?

Closing Remarks

My personal observations over the years have led me to realize that much of the social conventions we have in the world both in and outside of the Church regarding women is due to tradition. Traditions form social norms and protocol. Regardless is the tradition stems from religion or not, this reality stands true.

It is interesting to see then that Jesus Christ consistently and systematically defied and broke almost every tradition and social convention in his society when he walked the earth. Now, let’s clarify something:

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” Col 1:15

“’If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.’

Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?  Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.  Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.” John 14:7-11

Jesus wasn’t just making a point. Jesus was revealing the heart and desire of our Father. The Old Testament was NOT the full revelation of God – Jesus Christ was. Therefore, it is imperative that we embrace the fact the God does not value social conventions and/or traditions if they violate his work of grace, redemption, and restoration of creation.

“Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, ‘Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.’

He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? … Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.” Mat 15:1-6

So what’s my point here? What traditions and social norms are you upholding that violate the love of God and the finished, redemptive work of Jesus Christ?

-          The woman is the homemaker, the cook, the cleaner, etc.

-          The man works, the woman stays home and raises the children.

-          The man has the last say, and is the deal-breaker.

-          Women are the “weaker” sex, and should be treated as thus.

-          Men are natural leaders, woman are not.

-          In God’s order, men are first, women are second.

These are some common ones, but I’m sure the list can easily be doubled many times over. Now let me ask you, men, based on what we’ve read so far, do you see any of the above statements/mindsets holding any water? “Yes”, you say? Really?

Tell me: Where does Jesus tell us that women are to cook and clean? That only men should work? Or that women can’t be leaders, business owners, or mentors? Where does he tell us that woman are 2^nd in rank? Where does Jesus even hint at promoting male chauvinistic thinking?

For the sake of your traditions and social conventions are you nullifying the finished work of Christ and the law of his love (Gal 6:2)? Jesus Christ was and is number 1, Chief King, strongest, fiercest, deadliest, wisest, and the most powerful being in all existence, and yet he never “touted” his own horn, never demanded to be respected, or told others that they were the lesser being, and number 2 in his presence. In fact, he did quite the opposite:

“No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15

And,

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them.” John 17:20-22

Christ made us all one with Him, and even His glory he bestows on us. We are seated in heavenly places (Eph 2:6), and we can approach his throne with boldness (Heb. 4:16). I do not see any hint of any sort of chauvinism in our Lord, nor any desire on his part to ‘put us in our place”.

It’s time to do what Jesus modeled 2000 odd years ago. It’s time to break the traditions and social conventions of our day that hinder people from embracing, experiencing, and walking in the glorious freedom and redemptive work that Christ has made available to ADAM – both male and female. 

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Hey friends!

This is less an article, and more a sharing of information. Below you'll find links to articles that help us to understand why tithing is not a part of the New Covenant we have with Christ. Yes, it did have it's place in the Law of Moses. But as we know, the Law and the Prophets were until the time of John the Baptist. Now, in the Law of Grace, we have new standards of giving.

Please note: I DO ADVOCATE GIVING MORE THAN JUST 10%. Again, GIVING IS A GOOD THING AND SHOULD BE DONE OFTEN. But, the reason why we give in the New Covenant is different than why Jews were required to give every third year (yes, you read this right) in the Old Covenant.

So, without further delay, here are some great articles that will set you free!

1. http://www.tithingdebate.com/E​atingSacredCowsDownload.pdf

2. http://www.harvest-now.org/fil​eadmin/resources/en/The_Tithe_​__the_Covenants_EN_v2.pdf

3. http://thegracereformation.com​/2011/06/17/why-tithing-is-ant​i-gospel/

4. http://www.revivalorriots.org/​archives/2035

Again, this is not meant to be used as an excuse to not give. Giving, much like everything else in the Covenant of Grace, immediately reveals our hearts. If we fear, are greedy, or do not fully trust God, or do not care for those who are in need, then we won't give. But when we know based on personal experience that He is our provision, and that we need to give before we get, and that what we have is to be used for the Kingdom of God, then we are always inclined to give.

The difference is that God doesn't make giving a requirement, in the sense that it was in the Law of Moses. Instead, God gives us a choice. In the same way we choose to sin or not, or choose to preach the Gospel or not, or choose to pray or not, we can choose to give... or not. The choice is ours. And the choice we make reflects our heart. This is what grace does - it exposes our true self, whereas the Law created conformity and falsehood.

No one should ever force you or require that you give. It is a choice - one that you make before God, not people. And if your choices in giving are frugal ones, then you need to ask yourself (and God), "Why?".

 Grace enables. It enables you to see where your heart is, and enables you to renew that part of your life to the place where it reflects Jesus Christ. He is our model and example of giving. And it is before Him that we decide what to give, how often, and to whom.

Enjoy the articles, and be sure to share your thoughts!

Leo.

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The article is here: http://db.tt/VUQplu8

I've been having formatting issues, and this was a much easier solution. You can download the article as well!

Thanks for reading - please share your comments! 

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Anytime the Lord declares or reveals something new, it does not negate things He's previously said. Therefore, if we are to examine this new revelation spoken by Jesus Christ, it should be done so in light of existing truths.

I feel it necessary to present these statements that were said both before and after Mt 24, chronologically speaking, since we are not in the position of 1st century disciples. We are 21st century disciples with access to many Gospels, epistles, and documents from antiquity. It would be foolish not to utilize the resources that have been made available to us in our present day. And though obvious, it should still be mentioned that Jesus knew all that he would say while he was with his followers here on earth. Therefore, we can approach these statements of his with this in mind as well.

For example,

Lk 10:18-19, “And He said to them, ‘I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you.’”

Mt 16:18b-19, “I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

Jn 14:12, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.”

Mk 16:20, “And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.”

Mt 28:18-20, “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’”

MATTHEW 24

Mt 24:3, “’Tell us’, they said, ‘when will [the Temple in Jerusalem be destroyed], and [tell us] what will be the sign of your coming and [what will be the sign] of the end of the age [we are in]?’”

Jesus doesn't answer them in the order they asked, nor does he speak in a progressive chronological order. Nevertheless, Jesus, from Mt 24:4 to 25:46 answers all three of these questions. One of the challenges then for the reader and the discerner is to identify which verses are answering which of these three questions.

One more thing we need to address is the immediate and broader context of this section we will be examining. In chapter 21, Jesus comes into the Temple in Jerusalem on a donkey. A large crowd of Jews welcome him, while other crowds question what this means. Now in the Temple, Jesus begins to teach about the Kingdom of Heaven from ch.21:18 to 22:14. From 22:15 to 22:45 He is confronted by waves of religious leaders who try to discredit him. And in ch.23, Jesus reveals to them what the Lord has determined to be their fate since they have not repented. Then Jesus reveals to his disciples that the Temple and Jerusalem would be torn down and destroyed. This prophecy falls in line with what Jesus prophesied in Mt 11:20-24,

20 Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent.21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.22 Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.23 And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day.
24 Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.”

It is in this context that the disciples come to Jesus and ask him to clarify for them what it is that he meant by all that he had just said in ch.23. For Jesus had just revealed to the religious leaders, and his disciples, that on the heads of the religious leaders would be the blood of all the prophets and righteous men that had been shed on the earth. And that this judgment and the seven woes would come upon that generation he was speaking to. And to Jerusalem, Jesus begins to reveal that it will be desolate (Jesus will continue to reveal more about this in ch.24).

Now why does Jesus say that the people of Jerusalem will not see him again until they say, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord"? The footnote in your bible will say that Jesus has quoted Ps 118:26. So my question is, why would he quote this Psalm? Ps 118:22-26,

22 The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone; 23 the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it. 25 O Lord, save us;
O Lord, grant us success. 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
From the house of the Lord we bless you.

Until they embrace and accept the stone that they have rejected, they will not see Jesus. For now that Jesus has ascended, he only comes to those that seek him. As Jesus said in Jn 14:19-21,

19 “After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. 20 “In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him."

And also, Jn 17:24-26,

24 “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 “O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; 26 and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

These things he said to the religious leaders and Jerusalem because Jesus was given the authority to judge (see Jn 5:22-23).

Now, back to chapter 24.

4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you.5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.6 You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.”

Jerusalem was going to be destroyed roughly 40 years after these words, and the Temple with it. His disciples are Jewish, born and raised in Israel. Why would there be a need for Jesus to warn his Hebrew friends about the possibility of being misled? Who in the next 40 years would rise and declare themselves to be the Jewish Messiah? Let us again turn to history to find out.

75AD Flavius Josephus writes (note: Josephus was not a Christian but a Jewish historian), "A false prophet was the occasion of these people's destruction, who had made a public proclamation in the city that very day, that God commanded them to get up upon the temple, and that there they should receive miraculous signs of their deliverance. Now, there was then a great number of false prophets suborned by the tyrants to impose upon the people, who denounced this to them, that they should wait for deliverance from God; and this was in order to keep them from deserting, and that they might be buoyed up above fear and care by such hopes. Now, a man that is in adversity does easily comply with such promises; for when such a seducer makes him believe that he shall be delivered from those miseries which oppress him, then it is that the patient is full of hopes of such deliverance." (The History Of The Destruction Of Jerusalem Book VI, Chapter V, Section 2).

325AD Eusebius writes, "Meander, who succeeded Simon Magus, exhibited himself in his conduct an instrument of diabolical wickedness, not inferior to the former. He also, was a Samaritan, and having made no less progress in his impostures than his master, reveled in still more arrogant pretensions to miracles; saying that he was in truth the Saviour, once sent from the invisible worlds for the salvation of men; teaching also, that no one could overcome even the very angels that formed the heavens in any other way, than by being first initiated into the magic discipline imparted by him, and by the baptism conferred by him for this purpose," (Book 3, Ch. 26).

Many leaders had risen, both before and after Jesus of Nazareth, claiming they would lead the Jews to freedom from the Roman oppression. Jesus’ words to his disciples were to assure them that no matter how convincing these other leaders may be, and no matter how many fellow citizens of Jerusalem would bear arms and follow such leaders, those movements were not of the Lord. The summons is that they abstain from participating in any sort of revolt or uprising, for though these things must take place to fulfill what was written in the Prophets (Lk 21:22), Jesus’ followers are not to be a part of it.

Nations arose and rebelled against Rome, and Israel arose against its neighbors. “From the reign of Nero to that of Antoninus Pius, the Jews discovered a fierce impatience of the dominion of Rome, which repeatedly broke out in the most furious massacres and insurrections. Humanity is shocked at the recital of the horrid cruelties which they committed in the cities of Egypt, of Cyprus, and of Cyrene, where they dwelt in treacherous friendship with the unsuspecting natives; and we are tempted to applaud the severe retaliation which was exercised by the arms of the legions against a race of fanatics, whose dire and credulous superstition seemed to render them the implacable enemies not only of the Roman government, but of human kind,” (Chapter XVI: Conduct Towards The Christians, From Nero To Constantine Part I).

And there were famines and earthquakes in various places, just as Jesus prophesied.

325AD Eusebius Pamphilius, Ecclesiastical History: (On Matthew 24:7) “Caius had held the power not quite four years,[1] when he was succeeded by the emperor Claudius. Under him the world was visited with a famine,[2] which writers that are entire strangers to our religion have recorded in their histories.[3] And thus the prediction of Agabus recorded in the Acts of the Apostles,[4] according to which the whole world was to be visited by a famine, received its fulfillment. And Luke, in the Acts, after mentioning the famine in the time of Claudius, and stating that the brethren of Antioch, each according to his ability, sent to the brethren of Judea by the hands of Paul and Barnabas,[5] adds the following account,”(Book II, Ch. VIII).

Observe what The Jewish Sibylline Oracles say concerning Jerusalem (c. 71 AD), “He seized the divinely built Temple and burned the citizens and peoples who went into it, men whom I rightly praised. … For on his appearance the whole creation was shaken and kings perished, and those in whom sovereignty remained destroyed a great city and righteous people. . . .” (5: 150-154 OTP 1:396).

250 AD Lactantius writes, “For after a short time the Emperor Vespasian subdued the Jews, and laid waste their lands with the sword and fire, besieged and reduced them by famine, overthrew Jerusalem, led the captives in triumph, and prohibited the others who were left from ever returning to their native land." (EPITOME OF THE DIVINE INSTITUTES, Ch. 46).

MATTHEW 24:8, "‘But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.’" Something was being birthed here. But what could it be? What did Jesus preach? That the Kingdom of Heaven was about to invade earth, and it’s role is to overthrow the kingdom of darkness. The balance of power and authority was starting to shift, and these were the birth pains of the kingdom being born, of Heaven invading Earth. Satan will throw everything he has to try to stop it, attempting to kill off this ‘child’ of God.

These birth pains are not a birthing of destruction over the Earth. What sort of Father would look forward to having a child of death and judgment? God is about to birth what He has spoken of through His prophets of old: The Kingdom of Heaven, filled with a royal priesthood made up of peoples from every tribe and tongue (1 Pet 2:9).

Look at Psalms 110:1-4 in the Amplified:

"THE LORD (God) says to my Lord (the Messiah), Sit at My right hand, until I make Your adversaries Your footstool. The Lord will send forth from Zion the scepter of Your strength; rule, then, in the midst of Your foes. Your people will offer themselves willingly in the day of Your power, in the beauty of holiness and in holy array out of the womb of the morning; to You [will spring forth] Your young men, who are as the dew. The Lord has sworn and will not revoke or change it: You are a priest forever, after the manner and order of Melchizedek."

Night will pass and give way to a new day. And the glory of his new people and his new Kingdom will be like the brightness and beauty of a rising sun. We are the children and the Kingdom born from the womb of the dawn.

Meanwhile, though nations war and Jerusalem revolts, as Jesus had just foretold, He then draws their focus back to themselves and their mission. Though they don’t know it yet, Jesus will later command them to go into the nations to make disciples of them. But as they do this work - because the Kingdom is being birthed and Satan is bent on suppressing the movement that will both disarm and de-throne him - followers of Jesus will feel the full brunt of Satan’s initial retaliation. So now Jesus begins to explain to them that for the next two and a half centuries, this is how things will be for many believers:

24:9-13, “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. “At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

He tells them these things so that they will not loose heart when it begins to happen. Things are going to look hopeless in that season of birthing. But he reminds them of the hope and the mission of the Kingdom, saying that they will be rewarded for enduring through it, even if they are killed. But despite all these things, Jesus says, "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come." (24:14).

Now, what does Jesus mean by “the end”? The end of what? What was the question the disciples asked? “…[W]hat will be the sign… of the end of the age?” (Mt 24:3).

ENTER CONSTANTINE

I want to propose that this was “The Age” in which creation lived in from the time of Adam’s sin until the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The birth of Israel and its Law came into this darkness, but the world was still oppressed by an evil Tyrant. The ‘age’ was an era birthed from Adam’s fall – and age of darkness, where an entire planet lost touch with the Lord God and the tast his goodness and freedom.

It’s hard to appreciate what life was like before Christ when you live in 21st century North America. Why? Because half the nations in our world now have laws modeled after the Laws of the Torah. Women have rights. Racial barriers are diminishing. Cannibalism is illegal in most nations, as is human sacrifice. Everything is easy. Everything is fast. Everything is accessible. It’s been some 2000 years now since God poured his Spirit out on all flesh, and anyone who calls on him can receive it. Gone are the days where only a handful of people in the entire world had the Spirit of God on them. We don’t live in fear of plague, famine, raids, or the risk of being taken into slavery.

The fact is that the world now has Light from one end to the other, only with mere pockets of shadows in between. It is no longer engulfed in the darkness of the age past (Is 60:1-3). Nor does the one who led the world into that darkness have any more authority. Were it not for the countless saints who went before us taking the light of Christ to the corners of the earth, things would not be as good as they are.

To say that the world has never seen such evil as it does today, and that it will only get worse, is to buy into the lie that the Accuser has been trying broadcasting to everyone on this planet. Our influence has shaped entire continents. Even the restoration of Israel in 1948 was because of the influence of the Saints of the Most High. Christians have influenced the very course of history for the past 1700 years.

Jesus came to usher in a new age, a new era. “I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom.” (Dan 7:21). Which means that the old age had to end. The destruction of the Temple, the wars and earthquakes, and the persecutions of the early church were the birth pangs of this transition. It was the pangs of an age that started from the days of Adam until Jesus passing, and the birthing in the womb of the dawn of the age of the Saints establishing the Kingdom of Heaven. The darkness would pass before the light of day broke forth. The darkness of night lasted many millennia, but the dawn of the day would be eternal.

So then, why does Jesus say that, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (Mt 24:14)? Did Jesus know that there was a New World, what we call the Americas? Absolutely. Did Jesus know that the world was round, and that it revolved around the sun? Absolutely. Did his disciples, or anyone else in that era know about these things? Nope. Was it worthwhile for Jesus to explain to them that the Sun didn’t actually orbit around the Earth, or that they wouldn’t fall of the edge of the ocean if they sailed too far, or that the Earth wasn’t actually flat, and that the Known World didn’t actually include yet-to-be discovered continents? Probably not, or else he would have taught them these things.

So, because his followers, as well as future followers like St. Luke and St. Paul, or Tertullian and Augustine, are convinced that the “Known World” covers the span of our globe, and that all the nations under the whole heaven (Col 1:23) were between Spain and Ireland in the West, to India and China in the East, so be it.

And I want to propose that it was in the forth Century that “the end” of the transitions of “the age” had come. The birth pangs had ceased, and a New Age was born. The backlash of Babylon against the Saints, the waves of persecutions, and the punishment of God against the powers in the heavens and the kings on the Earth (Is 24:21) had subsided. For it came to pass that, between 310 and 313 AD, The Edict of Milan (Edictum Mediolanensium) was issued. This letter, signed by emperors Constantine I and Licinius, granted religious tolerance to the Christians in the Roman Empire. The head had crowned. And on 27 February 380, Emperor Theodosius I enacted a law establishing Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire. The child was born from the womb of the dawn.

(A LARGE SIDE NOTE: Revelation 11:2, God had revealed that "They will trample on the holy city for 42 months", to John ahead of time.

The number 42 is one of three sets of numbers in this chapter. Now, in Daniel 7 and 12, the Lord said that there would be a period of birth pangs where His Saints would be oppressed by the devil. And this period would last a time, times, and a half time. Now, if you look at these sets of numbers John has written - 42, 1260, and 3 and a half - they are all variants of the prophetic description of time, times, and a half time. 42 months is 3 and a half years, 1260 days is also 3 and a half years, and 3 and a half days are, well, self explanitory.

Now what I want to suggest is that all these numbers are purposefully varied. Why? Because the time, times, and a half time was symbolic of a period, or season. Part of the reason, I believe, it was revealed in mystery is because it took place both in the visible and invisible realms - in both heaven and earth. The time, times, and a half time were periods of epic shifts in the heavenlies which had earthly consequences. And within that season, different stages that were bound or in submission to it were also governed by it chronologically.

In other words, the grand scheme of a time, times, and a half time, had within in it different periods or stages that lasted a time, times, and a half time. For example, A 350 year period could have also had 3 and a half year periods and 3 and a half day periods within that span of time, each period having it's own significance. That's why to John, who lived in the first century, the exact chronology of the time, times, and a half time came in a variety of ways.

For John, the matter may have been shrouded in mystery. But today, we have more disclosure than John did. How, you ask? History. History is advantageous because, as they say, hindsight has 20/20 vision. And in our case, we have some 1800 plus years of it. Historcally, we know that the greater period of the trials and persecution of the Saints started with Jesus around 30 AD, and ended with the triumph of Christianity over Rome in 380 AD - 350 years, or, a time, times, and a half time. We also know historically that in 67 AD, Titus, son of Vespasian, led the seige against Jerusalem (in reaction to the Great Revolt) until it and the Temple were destroyed in July of 70 AD - 42 months, which are three and a half years, or a time, times, and a half time.)

THE FLIGHT AND DREAD OF PEOPLE AS THE TEMPLE WAS BEING DESTROYED

And as Paul said, even creation longs for us to come forth, since “creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” (Rom 8:20-22). Even Paul, who wrote these words between 55 and 60 AD, felt in the Spirit the birth pangs Jesus spoke of here in Matthew 24. The birthing of the New Age was not only for the Saints, or for the inhabitants of the Earth, also for Creation itself.

Peter later finds language to explain this in Acts 3:19-21,

“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive [and retain] until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time."

That is the hope and the mission of the Church: to make disciples of all nations, to teach them all that Jesus taught us, and to carry out the work of restoration of peoples, cities, nations, and the Planet.

Jesus then pulls their attention back to what they had first asked about - the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple of Solomon.

24:15-22,

15 “Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. 17 “Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. 18 “Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. 19 “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 “But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. 21 “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. 22 “Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short."

Many Christians are unaware of the historical events that took place in fulfillment of this prophecy. So I want to quote here a few ancient writings:

Around c. 160 AD, Clement of Alexandria, On Matthew 24:15, "The Abomination of Desolation, writes, "We have still to add to our chronology the following, -- I mean the days which Daniel indicates from the desolation of Jerusalem, the seven years and seven months of the reign of Vespasian. For the two years are added to the seventeen months and eighteen days of Otho, and Galba, and Vitellius; and the result is three years and six months, which is "the half of the week," as Daniel the prophet said. For he said that there were two thousand three hundred days from the time that the abomination of Nero stood in the holy city, till its destruction. For thus the declaration, which is subjoined, shows: "How long shall be the vision, the sacrifice taken away, the abomination of desolation, which is given, and the power and the holy place shall be trodden under foot? And he said to him, Till the evening and morning, two thousand three hundred days, and the holy place shall be taken away."

“… These two thousand three hundred days, then, make six years four months, during the half of which Nero held sway, and it was half a week; and for a half, Vespasian with Otho, Galba, and Vitellius reigned. And on this account Daniel says, "Blessed is he that cometh to the thousand three hundred and thirty-five days." For up to these days was war, and after them it ceased. And this number is demonstrated from a subsequent chapter, which is as follows: "And from the time of the change of continuation, and of the giving of the abomination of desolation, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and thirty-five days." (The Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 2, p. 334).

And in the times near 160AD, Tertullian, in ‘Of The Times Of Christ's Birth And Passion, And Of Jerusalem's Destruction’, writes, "Accordingly the times must be inquired into of the predicted and future nativity of the Christ, and of His passion, and of the extermination of the city of Jerusalem, that is, its devastation. For Daniel says, that "both the holy city and the holy place are exterminated together with the coming Leader, and that the pinnacle is destroyed unto ruin." And so the times of the coming Christ, the Leader, must be inquired into, which we shall trace in Daniel; and, after computing them, shall prove Him to be come, even on the ground of the times prescribed, and of competent signs and operations of His. Which matters we prove, again, on the ground of the consequences which were ever announced as to follow His advent; in order that we may believe all to have been as well fulfilled as foreseen.”

“…Therefore, when these times also were completed, and the Jews subdued, there afterwards ceased in that place "libations and sacrifices," which thenceforward have not been able to be in that place celebrated; for "the unction," too, was "exterminated" in that place after the passion of Christ. For it had been predicted that the unction should be exterminated in that place; as in the Psalms it is prophesied, "They exterminated my hands and feet." And the suffering of this "extermination" was perfected within the times of the LXX Hebdomads, under Tiberius Caesar, in the consulate of Rubellius Geminus and Fufius Geminus, in the month of March, at the times of the Passover, on the eighth day before the calends of April, on the first day of unleavened bread, on which they slew the lamb at even, just as had been enjoined by Moses. Accordingly, all the synagogue of Israel did slay Him, saying to Pilate, when he was desirous to dismiss Him, "His blood be upon us, and upon our children;” and, "If thou dismiss him, thou art not a friend of Caesar;" in order that all things might be fulfilled which had been written of Him." (Against the Jews, Ch.8) (On the Significance of A.D. 70)

But why does Jesus say woe to those who are with child, or woe if this happens on the Sabbath?

The flight of escape would have been impossible for the pregnant, and impossible for those unwilling to break the Sabbath Laws if indeed it took place on the Sabbath. The distress of those days were indeed great, as Jesus had foretold.

Jesus then continues, "If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened." (Mt 24:22). Who were the elect that Jesus made reference to here? I believe it was both for the sake of the Jews and of the Christians. Even though many of the Jews had rejected Jesus, the Lord was not without mercy towards them. As for the Church in Jerusalem, led by James the Just, the half brother of Jesus, for them too I believe these days of Roman attack were cut short.

Around 325AD, Eusebius Pamphilius, in his great work Ecclesiastical History comments on Matthew 24:21, saying, "But the people of the church in Jerusalem had been commanded by a revelation, vouchsafed to approved men there before the war, to leave the city and to dwell in a certain town of Perea called Pella." (Book III, Ch. 5)

Moreover, Eusebius, quoting Hegesippus an early church historian who had lived just after the time of the apostles, writes:
“James, the brother of the Lord, succeeded to the government of the Church in conjunction with the apostles. He has been called the Just by all from the time of our Saviour to the present day; for there were many that bore the name of James. Now some of the seven sects, which existed among the people and which have been mentioned by me in the Memoirs, asked him, ‘What is the gate of Jesus?’ and he replied that he was the Savior... The aforesaid Scribes and Pharisees therefore placed James upon the pinnacle of the temple, and cried out to him and said: ‘Thou just one, in whom we ought all to have confidence, forasmuch as the people are led astray after Jesus, the crucified one, declare to us, what is the gate of Jesus.’ And he answered with a loud voice, ‘Why do ye ask me concerning Jesus, the Son of Man? He himself sitteth in heaven at the right hand of the great Power, and is about to come upon the clouds of heaven.’

And when many were fully convinced and gloried in the testimony of James, and said, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David,’ these same Scribes and Pharisees said again to one another, ‘We have done badly in supplying such testimony to Jesus. But let us go up and throw him down, in order that they may be afraid to believe him.’ And they cried out, saying, ‘Oh! Oh! The just man is also in error.’ And they fulfilled the Scripture written in Isaiah, ‘Let us take away the just man, because he is troublesome to us: therefore they shall eat the fruit of their doings.’ So they went up and threw down the just man, and said to each other, ‘Let us stone James the Just.’ And they began to stone him, for he was not killed by the fall; but he turned and knelt down and said, ‘I entreat thee, Lord God our Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’

And one of them, who was a fuller, took the club with which he beat out clothes and struck the just man on the head. And thus he suffered martyrdom. And they buried him on the spot, by the temple, and his monument still remains by the temple. He became a true witness, both to Jews and Greeks, that Jesus is the Christ. And immediately Vespasian besieged them.”(Eusebius, Church History, Book II, chapter XXIII).

Jesus then continues, 24:23-26,

" At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect–if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time. “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the desert,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it."

What was the purpose of the Messiah in the minds of the people? They were expecting a leader and liberator to come and free them from Roman conquest and oppression. In fact, this was one of the initial reasons why his followers found it so hard to understand Jesus' mission. The Messiah that had long been preached and proclaimed by religious leaders, the warrior king that would bring freedom, had now come, and yet he didn't even carry a sword. This reality is the context for what Jesus says in Mt 26:50-56,

Jesus replied, “Friend, do what you came for.” Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” At that time Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me".

The leaders that arose before and after Jesus were simply trying to fill the shoes their culture had designed. Because they lacked revelation into their Scriptures, they failed to see what the Messiah would actually do.

“The enthusiasm of the Jews was supported by the opinion, that it was unlawful for them to pay taxes to an idolatrous master; and by the flattering promise which they derived from their ancient oracles, that a conquering Messiah would soon arise, destined to break their fetters, and to invest the favorites of heaven with the empire of the earth. It was by announcing himself as their long-expected deliverer, and by calling on all the descendants of Abraham to assert the hope of Israel, that the famous Barchochebas collected a formidable army, with which he resisted during two years the power of the emperor Hadrian.” (Edward Gibbon, Chapter XVI: Conduct Towards The Christians, From Nero To Constantine. Part I)

Jesus did indeed come to establish a kingdom, but it was not Israel's national kingdom. It was the Kingdom of Heaven, on Earth. And Jesus was indeed a liberator of captives. But the freedom he brought went far beyond what can be seen in the natural realm. Indeed, Jesus did come as a warrior and a king. But he was not concerned about the power of mere mortals - he was going to take on, and overthrow the one power that has influenced and manipulated every human ruler on Earth.

Now, 24:27-28 then reads,

"For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather".

In other words, none of you will miss it when he comes with ‘the end’ of ‘the age’. Jesus even likens this event unto a carcass. Saying, in fact, that there will even be a gathering around it, that many will be a part of it the New Age.

As James, the half-brother of Jesus suggested, the coming of the Son of Man would bring about the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.

The aforesaid Scribes and Pharisees therefore placed James upon the pinnacle of the temple, and cried out to him and said: ‘Thou just one, in whom we ought all to have confidence, forasmuch as the people are led astray after Jesus, the crucified one, declare to us, what is the gate of Jesus.’ And he answered with a loud voice, ‘Why do ye ask me concerning Jesus, the Son of Man? He himself sitteth in heaven at the right hand of the great Power, and is about to come upon the clouds of heaven.’ ... And one of them, who was a fuller, took the club with which he beat out clothes and struck the just man on the head. And thus he suffered martyrdom. And they buried him on the spot, by the temple, and his monument still remains by the temple. He became a true witness, both to Jews and Greeks, that Jesus is the Christ. And immediately Vespasian besieged them.” (Eusebius, Church History, Book II, chapter XXIII).

Finally, Matthew 24:24-25:

"Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."

Indeed, from the time Christ uttered these words, until their fulfilment, it was roughly 40 years that passed - a timeframe many scholars will argue to be a Hebraic period for a generation.

This is where I will end. If you've made it this far, congratulations! If you'd like to read the full paper, then please email me and I will send you a copy.

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We’ve all been had. By “we”, I mean us post-modern, North American Christians. By “had”, I mean that we have been living in an environment not unlike that of the sci-fi blockbuster, “The Matrix”. We live in a culture, an environment, a prison that has been pulled over our minds to blind us from the truth. This is a rant, so be prepared. But I guarantee it is unlike any other rant you have ever read or heard before.

In the past six months, more tragedy has struck my sphere of life than at any other time in my existence. These circumstances obviously beg the question: “Why?” Now, let’s be honest. When it comes to things to say in the midst of adversity and loss, Christians are both the quickest to speak up, and best at offering the worst possible words of ‘comfort’ and/or ‘advice’. But this is but a snowflake that has just landed on the tip of the proverbial iceberg. The rabbit hole goes much, much deeper than this.

Here are some hard hitting, self proven facts:

1. Jesus said repeatedly that if we ask anything in His name (some will stress, “according to his will”), He would grant it (John 14:14).
Fact: You and I have prayed for people’s lives, health, wellbeing, miracles, financial provision, etc; all to no apparent avail. Why?

2. Jesus said that we would at least do what He did, and in fact, even more so (John 14:12).
Fact: You and I haven’t even started to live a life that looks like the one Jesus modeled. Why?

3. Jesus made it clear that to follow him was a sold-out affair. It would cost us everything. It would require radical obedience, change, and self-sacrifice.
Fact: Most of us look like everyone else in North America. People couldn’t point you out as a Christian from a group of demoniacs. Why?

4. Church was established by Jesus to be a people group who modeled a lifestyle that was totally unique.
Fact: Church today is a physical building, and functions as a formal event. The people are a part of such “churches”, but they themselves are not considered to be the church. Why?

5. Divine healing, and many other miracles, is still active all over the world. Those who refuse to believe this either live under a rock, or refuse to accept the thousands of reports that surface online on a daily basis (not to mention documentaries, and so on). Nevertheless, their frequency is often sporadic.
Fact: Many of you and I have had hit-and-miss experiences with the miraculous. Yet Jesus Christ never said that would be the case. Why?

These are just a handful of many other such realities that are present today in the lives of the everyday Christian. But the question no one seems to want to really pursue is, “Why?”

But if we do not understand why, then how can we understand such great fundamentals like purpose, causality, and functionality. If we actually took time to assess our purpose, the way in which we are to function, and the way in which the laws of God and the spirit realm function, then we actually have a chance at understanding causes and effects. We see the effects of causality all the time. But we subconsciously refuse to pursue the “why”.

This sort of thinking has been taught, promoted, and passed down by a long lineage of religious leaders, theologians, and mindless Believers. These individuals (some well meaning, some corrupt, and some of them cowardly) infused into the consciousness of Christendom that to ask “why?” is to defy God. Since the inception of the Clergy-Laity split, right through the Dark Ages, and into the 21st Century Church, the asking of “why” was best left to the ‘Men of God’. No, I can’t be bothered to cite sources to support this statement. But do yourself a favor and do a little reading on church history and you too will see what I mean.

“I’m a Christian”, you say, “And I ask my pastor questions all the time. You don’t make any sense.” Allow me to elaborate. The process of questioning is one that assumes the one doing the asking actually wants to find a plausible answer. But in reality, what most Christians get are roadblocks to those answers. Let me illustrate:

“Why did my brother get cancer? He’s 25, healthy, prays every day, and is a Christian.” The “why” has been asked, and the one asking legitimately wants to find an answer. But what is the response he is given?
1. “This is God’s will. We must give Him thanks for such things.”
2. “God works in mysterious ways. Who are we to understand them?”
3. “All things work together for good. Give it time.”

Any of these sound familiar? Allow me to shock you. None of these answers are plausible. None of these answers are Biblical. And none of these answers will lead you to the truth. They are merely roadblocks, causing you to stop asking and continue to live blindly.

How about this one: “I prayed and fasted for a week, and my son never got healed. I prayed for someone else last week, and they were healed.” Common answers?
1. “We must focus on the victories and contend through times of trials.”
2. “We just have to keep on praying and let God do the rest.”

Though these answers are well meaning, they do not lead you to truth. They too are roadblocks.

Or perhaps this one: “The more I read the Bible, the more I realize that we don’t live according to it. Not just me as a Believer, but us as a congregation.” Answer?
1. “We can only do what is within our means to do.”
2. “We can’t be expected to compare ourselves to those in the Bible. They lived in a different age, a different culture, and had different obstacles.”
3. “Do your best, and let God do the rest.”

Again, roadblocks. A legitimate, truth-seeking question gets derailed by the “man-of-God”, the “great theologian”, or the “small group leader”. The person asking now has no reason to pursue the matter any further, so he continues to live out a confused life.

These are just a few examples. I’m sure you can think of better ones yourself. The point is, if we cannot ask and seek to understand why, how will we ever understand cause and effect? By this I mean, for example, I (a devout Christian who lives his life preaching the gospel) pray for financial provision based on the promises of Christ. Provision does not come. Something caused this effect. But if we don’t ask “why?”, we will never know the cause. Another example. I prayed for someone who was sick, based on the promises of Christ, and they were healed. I prayed for another person with the same sickness, and they weren’t healed. Something caused this effect. What was it, and why? If we do not ask “why?”, and seek out an answer, we will run into the same scenario over and over again down the road.

Finally, functionality is equally important to understand. Function leads to form, and form leads to purpose. In other words, unless I understand my purpose, I won’t know what form to take, and consequently, won’t know how to function. Let me illustrate:

Take a police officer that has amnesia. Let’s say he wakes up on the street, and has no short-term memory. He still has his basic instincts he gained from training, but has no idea where to apply them, when, or how. If someone explained to him that his purpose is to serve citizens by protecting them from harm and maintaining law and order within his sphere of authority, he now has a better chance of understanding his form and functions. His form is to conduct himself according to the model and standards set by his officials. Uniform, codes of conduct, routines, training, responsibilities, and so forth, all contribute to his form. Finally, with purpose and form in mind, he has a better chance of actually applying proper functionality. His deeds are his function. How he reacts to situations, how he responds to circumstance, how he carries out an order, how he decides to take action, these functions are all rooted in his form and purpose.

Now, let’s run with this illustration one step further. Because this officer understands his purpose, adheres to his form, and properly functions as an officer of the law, he is better able to understand cause and effect. If he pulls a car over, and the car then speeds away, he can usually explain the cause of this scenario, based on his purpose and function. If he approaches a home of known drug dealers, and is suddenly shot at from within, he understands that the cause of this is associated with his purpose.

Sounds simple, right? Good. Then allow me to paint an absurd, contrary picture for you in order to hone in my point:

Picture a soldier. She lives in a country that doesn’t have conscription, meaning all soldiers choose to serve. Now, let’s say she just joined. In the hype of her decision, she goes through the first week of Basic Training, but towards the ends begins to skip class. Soon, she only shows up once a week for Parade. Let’s also say that she, and 98% of all other soldiers in her country, never really bothered to listen in class, study their course materials, or run through training drills. To add to this craziness, their General has chosen to let them do as they please, because he maintains that everyone is responsible for the consequences of their own decisions.

Soon, the national newspapers all share the similar headlines, “We Are At War.” Experts predict that this war may last hundreds of years. The 2% that understood their purpose, their form, and their function, quickly and effectively leap into battle. They are able to defend their country, their lives, and the lives of their loved ones. For the remaining 98%, things look much different.

First, some are ambushed. They are easily beaten down, and many are killed. Others try to open fire, attempting to fires weapons they’ve never used or trained with. The radio waves are jammed with calls to superior officers as they ask for help and reinforcements. But with only 2% of the army capably of providing reinforcements, no one shows. Time passes. The war is a brutal one. Before long, the enemy begins to have the upper hand, even establishing their own bases in the country they’ve invaded. The losing army then breaks out into factions. Those factions later break out into even more factions. Soon, they revert back to their old ways: They show up to the front lines once in a while to fight, but always get defeated. They don’t bother to train and they don’t bother to study. They become ‘part-timers’, casually strolling into base once a week talk about the war effort. They have no idea what their purpose is, what their form is, or what their function is. And all the while, they sing and chant to each other that things are they way they are because their General has willed things to be this way. It was his choice, and they are all doing exactly what he wants them to be doing.

The years pass, and things get even more absurd. Those in the 2% group of elite fighters become heroes and legends. Stories, books, and tales are passed along to the remaining 98% of soldiers. “When they shoot, they actually hit their targets!” people comment in amazement. “I hear they train 7 days a week?”, asks another. “They all seem to have a sense of purpose”, some say. Others grieve over loved ones that were killed, and are comforted when told that their General killed them for a great purpose. When invaders come to destroy local homes and cities, these soldiers are quick to remind everyone that they should not interfere, but rather, place it in the hands of their General. Those who have been wounded by the enemy are brought into the nearby bases for treatment. The paramedics are untrained, though. They have all heard of stories of paramedics who were able to aid wounded soldiers and heal them, but they themselves have never studied nor practiced such things. So they begin to explain away their incompetence, saying things like, “Let’s ask our General. Radio in to HQ and put in a request for this wounded individual’s healing. If our General wants you healed, he’ll come by and perform the surgery. If not, then your death is part of his great plan.”

However, in the midst of all this, there are a small number of people who begin ask questions. Questions like,
“What is our purpose anyways?”
“Why are we called soldiers?”
“What am I responsible for doing in the midst of this war?”
“How come when I pull the trigger of my gun, sometimes I hit my target, and sometimes I don’t?”
“If our General is supposed to be doing all the fighting, all the healing, and all the protecting, how come we are losing, people are sick and dying, and our loved ones stand unprotected?”
“Why is that those who practice, train, and study more often than I do have better success rates in terms of target-strikes, healing, and low casualties? I was told that training doesn’t matter, nor does study, or fighting on a daily basis.”
“How is it that enemy forces are able to beat us down, injure us, and even kill some of us, if it isn’t our responsibility to be actively fighting them in the first place? Why are they targeting us, anyways? And how is that our General isn’t around to do all the fighting for me?”
“I heard that part of the General’s plan is to actually let the enemy overtake our country. He’s then going to destroy our country, evacuating us just before he does, and annihilating both enemy forces and our own comrades who failed to hear the radio call for evacuation. Now, supposing this is true, what is the purpose of the war? Why am I fighting? Why isn’t our General fighting? How does him sending enemies forces to kill some of us off factor into this supposed plan?”

Yes, a small percentage of these soldiers actually had the nerve to upset the system, challenge social convention, and defy what had become the norm. Sadly though, we have no mention of what happened from this point on…

I hope you enjoyed that illustration. Now, allow me to ask you, which group is more likely to find out their purpose, form, and function – those who were content with the way things were, or those who were audacious enough to keep asking “why”?

I created that story as an obvious parody based upon the present state of local churches. Very few know their purpose, their form, and their function. Some only know one or two of the three, but even fewer know them all. The ones that do are the ones you read about in books and history texts: St. Paul, Martin Luther, St. Patrick, John Wesley, Charles Spurgeon, John G. Lake, Smith Wigglesworth, Billy Graham, and so on. People that were supposed to be the norm are elevated to legendary status.

What’s worse, today’s churches perpetuate and enforce the great veil of lies that blinds and castrates believers. Every leader will make great statements like,
“We need to be like the church of Acts”
“We believe in divine healing”
“We don’t go to church, we are the church”
“You are all ministers of the gospel, we don’t have hierarchy”
“We have a plan to transform our city”
“We have a plan to reach the youth of our neighborhood”
“We want everyone here to realize that they are to manifest Christ everyday”

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not suggesting that these individuals and their staff members are lying. They truly want these things to happen. But the problem is that the Operating System (OS) is fundamentally flawed, and such Programs will never execute (.exe). But why? Yes, there it is again, why?

I’m not sure. But I have a hunch. And it goes something like this:

1. Culture forms thought. All over the world, people perform the same basic tasks for the same basic needs. They work, they eat, and they procreate. Yet country-to-country, you will see that how they go about these basic functions is vastly different. Their cultures affect their thoughts, which in turn affect their actions and behaviors. Christian culture is propagated in our local churches. And the culture of the 21st century North American church is so different from that of the churches of the 1st and 2nd century AD that it is baffling. Their culture affected their thoughts, which in turn affected their actions. Based on their understanding of purpose, form, and function, they were able to live life accordingly. St. Paul, Clement of Rome, Polycarp, Ignatius, Ireneaus, and Justin Martyr were great examples of this. They understood their purpose. They understood what sort of people they needed to be, including disciplines, practices, and habits. And they understood what they were supposed to do, meaning, their duties and responsibilities.

Today, if someone is demon possessed, we don’t cast out the devil, we call a psychologist. If they are sick, we don’t pray for their healing, we call the doctor. If they die, we don’t command them to be raised back, we call the morgue. We don’t actually preach Christ, we just happen to mention that we are Christians (so long as we don’t run the risk of being embarrassed in the process). Christ isn’t our obsession, no matter how often we sing it on Sundays. We don’t pray continually. Praise and worship isn’t the first thing out of our lips when we get up in the mornings. We don’t pull all nighters in prayer. We don’t visit the sick and poor in our neighborhoods. We don’t give to people we know are in need (we figure that dropping a check off at our local congregation is enough). We’ve never spoken about Jesus Christ to the point of being beaten, humiliated, slandered, kicked out of a place, or even killed.

This truth stings me as much as it should sting you: Our lives look nothing like the lives of Jesus of Nazareth, St. Paul, Justin Martyr, St. Patrick, or John Wesley. When we read of the events that took place in the New Testament, there is very little that we can relate to and identify with.

2. Part-time Christianity yields part-time results. One of the greatest of all subtle atrocities (within reason, of course) continually practiced in today’s North American churches is the promotion of the lie which, in essence, says that it’s okay in God’s eyes to be complacent. Now of course, no one ever words it like this. But it doesn’t mean that the message isn’t being communicated. If it isn’t seeker-sensitive gatherings, it’s the sermon that says, “God is pleased with you just the way you are. Keep on living the good, white-picket-fenced, 1950’s status quo family life, and you’ll be just fine in heaven.” The American Dream has replaced the dream of Jesus Christ. It’s no longer about a sold out, take it or leave it life of complete, 100% devotion to his life, his wants, and his mission. It’s partial devotion to your local congregation as you plow through life in the attempts of living out the American Dream.

We read the promises of Christ, ones that say that we can bind and loose in Him name, where we can ask anything according to His will and have confidence that we will receive, and others that say that when we lay hands on the sick, they will recover. But what we fail to realize is that these promises are all conditional. However, Jesus wasn’t a sleazy lawyer or salesman. There is no fine print. In fact, the print is actually quite large, loud, and clear. So much so that we often choose to ignore it, avoid it, or come up with theological jargon to diminish it. So what is this print? The lifestyle he modeled. Peter, Paul, Ignatius, Tertullian, and so many others read the large print and lived according to it. In fact, allow me to propose that if you study major Christian figures in history, men and women who did extraordinary things during their time on earth, you will find one common theme in their lives: They lived out the large print.

What do I mean? I mean that they did what Christ and his apostles modeled for us. They etched into their lives a habit of prayer, devotion to fellowship, boldness to preach Christ to people that weren’t already Believers. Many worked in the marketplace and raised children. Yet they did not conform to the social conventions of their day – both inside and outside their church walls. It is a sad reality that such individuals stand out. In fact, it is an extremely problematic circumstance that causes these figures in history to stand out.

But when conformity is acceptable, that is what happens. When Christianity happens in a building, during a specific day for a specific period of time, that is what happens. When no one dares face the reality that Christianity is a sold-out life, to the point that it causes us daily inconvenience, and even hardship, that is what happens.

And yet, we want the same results Jesus and his apostles had. We want to see prayers answered, demons fleeing, cancers disappearing, and the dead being raised. Yet none of us are willing to put in the time, energy, sweat, and tears to live the way they lived in order to get what they got. We want “instant”, “fast”, “now”, and “free”. The only thing that’s free in Christianity is the chance to be in relationship with Christ Jesus (Rom 5:15). Everything else comes by process (Rom 5:1-5).

3. Our ‘services’, ‘congregations’, ‘meetings’, and ‘churches’, look nothing like the meetings and assemblies of Believers in the first and second century AD. “So what? We live in a different time, have grown and evolved, and are no longer under persecution. Why should it look the way it did then?” Granted. The problem is that no one wants to admit the fact that we’ve come to a point where we are so alienated from the principles and examples of what a fellowshipping with fellow saints is supposed to look like that we’ve begun to defend our position by misusing Scriptures in order to justify where we stand. We have created a business-charity-community-centre hybrid that look more like Frankenstein that it does a Bride.

There are a few really great books written on the matter (Pagan Christianity, Organic Church, Finding Organic Church, and Jesus Manifesto), so I won’t go into great detail. The one point I want to hammer out is there is a great problem at hand when we can no longer apply the counsel given by Paul and Peter to the local assemblies of theirs to our current ‘churches’. We have created and are sustaining an entity that is foreign to the New Testament Scriptures. We need to admit this fact, and we need to deal with this fact.

4. Discipleship vs. Membership. The reason why the Twelve (yes, even Judas Iscariot) were able to do what Jesus had been doing (Luke 9, 10) is because he discipled them. He did not rent a synagogue, become the pastor, and politely ask for a tithe. He didn’t promote membership. Judas betrayed Jesus when the time came to make a bond of unity and fellowship (covenant) together. That isn’t membership, that is commitment to each other.

Jesus constantly had crowds of 5000-15000 attend his meetings. Yet he never asked them to return next week, or got them to fill out a ballot with their contact information so that He could “connect” with them. He always chose to have small numbers by his side. You can’t disciple 1000 people. But you can disciple 12.

Christians today don’t know what there purpose is. Others do, but don’t know how to live out a daily life of fellowship with Christ. Others still don’t know how to function in society as agents of God called to manifest Jesus Christ. This is a really big problem. And unfortunately, sermons, programs, and great music will not solve this problem. But discipleship will.

We don’t need pastors and paid clergy whose salaries are funded by the spectating laity. We need seasoned Christians who are willing to take two or three people under their wing in order to help them grow and develop. Our current Christian culture has conditioned us to think that by attending an event once or twice a week, we will become like Christ based on our participation in that event. This is a lie. When we have people that are willing to disciple one or two fellow Christians indefinitely, anytime, anywhere, you have discipleship. This is church.

People don’t know how to pray for the sick because all they have are communicators of information (preachers), but not one mentor them by walking them through the "how-to" it on an ongoing basis. We don’t have a lifestyle of prayer and constant fellowship with God because all we have are leaders who tell us about it, but no one who will walk me through it on a daily basis.

5. Opium, Morphine, Ecstasy. All these chemicals will cause a person to become sedated, hallucinated, or euphoric. This is the exact state and condition of almost every Believer in North America. How can I say this? Because have in place a culture, a system of believes, a pattern of thinking, and an educational system (within churches) that keeps us sedated. We have within our churches a well developed system that keeps people in a euphoric, comatose state. Allow me to exemplify:

Problem: Jesus sent us out into the world, to tell them the good news, and even compel them to come in His Kingdom. However, people everyday are dying, and on their way to an eternal life of agony. Eternal. That’s a long time.

Solution: Induce a coma-like state of being by telling Christians that they’re not responsible for lost souls. Tell them it was God’s will, and that He chooses who gets to be with Him and who doesn’t. Tell them they don’t need to do anything, just mind their own business and keep living their ordinary lives.

Problem: Jesus told us to lay hands on the sick so that they will recover. However, it takes a long time to learn how to manifest healing. And many leaders have never bothered to learn.

Solution: Ecstasy. Inject them with the good feeling that comes from the lie which states that sickness actually comes from God, and He chooses to inflict whoever He wants to with it. To pray for the sick as Jesus commanded us to would be a violation of God’s will. So let’s be obedient to God and accept sickness as part of His great plan.

Problem: Jesus regularly gave people ultimatums. He told them, either you follow me and abandon your life, or you don’t. He would even preach hard sermons in order filter out the flakey followers from the true ones. Jesus wants sold-out people. He was even crazy enough to suggest to his core group of twelve that they are more than welcome to leave him too. However, this is a hard thing to teach, even if it is a central element of our faith. We would run the risk of losing ‘members’, and our cash-flow would decrease. And it would look bad on us a church if we suddenly lost half our congregants.

Solution: Morphine. Ease the pain of this “all or nothing” reality. Tell them that it’s ok to be lackluster, lethargic, and inactive. Commit yourself incrementally. Tell them that God couldn’t possibly demand that they inconvenience themselves to the point of adjusting their habits, routines, schedules, and lifestyles for the sake of Jesus Christ and his Gospel. That’s what the pastors are there for. Make them feel good for participating in the meeting, and supporting the causes and initiatives of the church organization. Tell them that not everyone is called to proclaim the gospel. Tell them that God has ‘gifted’ only some to live a radical, obedient life as a Believer.

Problem: Jesus placed a whole lot of responsibility on our shoulders. He entrusted the proclamation of the Gospel to us. The deliverance of sick people to us. The process of discipleship to us. His commands were given to everyone, not just leaders. However, this means that positions of leadership, control, and authority will be diminished.

Solution: Cause the people to hallucinate. Make them think that they are actually doing something significant for Christ. But keep them within the walls of our church, under our doctrinal statements, and under our control. Applaud the ones faithful to us. Cast out the ones who challenge us. But be sure to keep everyone cheering and happy.

Problem: We understand that we need to disciple people. We need to teach people how to pray for others. We need to train up and equip leaders and future mentors. We need to be sending out people into our communities. But, all that takes a lot of time. Also, I myself as a leader haven’t actually done many of these things, I’ve only read about them. Plus, I have a new series on Daniel that I am going to be teaching on, then we have the children’s choir next month, and so on.

Solution: Put it off indefinitely until people stop asking for it. “Maybe we can approach this idea again in 6 months or so?” you say. Rather than admit that you can’t mentor people in areas you haven’t experienced yourself, keep the ball you have rolling as best you can. Create momentum in areas you are experienced in, like teaching. Don't let anyone know that your degree in Theology doesn't actually qualify you as a mentor and discipler of people unless you yourself were actually mentored and discipled by someone else.

Now I’m going to try to close things off. I hope I’ve made it clear by now how important it is to ask “why?”. I also hope that I’ve stirred something in you - be it anger, frustration, or enlightenment. And I think I’ve made it clear how important it is for us as Believers to know our purpose in this life (believe me, it’s not ‘going to church’); the shape or form we need to take as Believers (ditch the suit and tie, embrace the inconvenienced life of praying more often then you’re used to, praising God frequently, and renewing your mind through Scripture); and that responsibility leads to action (praying for the sick, witnessing to people regardless of your feelings, mentoring and discipling others).

I’ve come to realize in these past few days how short I’ve come of living a dedicated life to Jesus Christ (please note that this has nothing to do with Salvation). I want the healing testimonies of Smith Wigglesworth, and to bring people to Christ like Billy Graham, and to work miracles like Gregory (Thaumaturgus) the Wonderworker. But I’m not willing to pay the price they paid in order to get the results they got. Prayer, praise, and obsession towards Christ were key traits these individuals shared.

But most of us first need to overcome the glossy, sugarcoated lies fed to us for most of our Christian lives. We need to wake up to the reality that we are responsible for the inhabitants of this world. We need to take ownership of the fact that it is we who control how much of Christ flows through us, not Him. If we choose T.V. over prayer, porn over praise, and apathy over action then we have chosen for ourselves the measure in which Christ will work through us.

We also need to come to terms with the reality that going to a church building on a weekly basis does not equal obedience to Christ. We were given the option to gather, but we were given the command to preach the gospel and disciple nations. But the truth is, I don’t even know how to go about this because it seems that hardly any other Believer around me worries about what Christ told us to do. They would much rather do what their pastor tells them to do.

So why don’t I see consistency in my prayer life? And why don’t I see people healed all the time? As my good friend Henrique wonderfully illustrated for me, it’s totally dependent on how often and how hard we train. Christ is the gift, but manifesting Him is a process. Let me expand:

I love reading about church history, especially regarding the lives of revivalists, reformers, and radicals. Most, if not all of them, worked jobs, had families, and suffered hardships. Yet they were all obsessed with Christ Jesus. They all prayed and allocated one-on-one time with God way beyond what I have ever done. They proclaimed Christ to anyone and everyone. And they stuck it out, even in this midst of great hardships. This is why we read about them. But ironically, they are extraordinary to us because they did what should have been ordinary, according to Jesus of Nazareth.

Finally, the great lie, hurdle, reality, and whatever else you may call it that we need to identify, understand, and overcome, is this: God is the one that does ‘it’. What do I mean? I mean that we have been spoon-fed a lie that places all the responsibility of things God has given us to do back on Him. Examples:

“I prayed for God to heal her and she didn’t get healed.” Truth is God told YOU to heal her. This means that you are responsible for figuring out how to manifest healing, not Him.

“I prayed God to deliver him from that demon, but it never happened.” Truth is God told YOU to cast out devils, meaning you have to learn how to walk in the power and authority He’s made available to you.

“I prayed for her soul, that God might lead her to Him and save her.” Truth is, God sent YOU out into the world to be salt and light, to be fishers of men. It is YOUR responsibility to lead them to Christ, not God’s.

These are but a few of the many other consequences we face today as a result of these lies. We have been conditioned to think that we don’t need to do anything, but instead, wait for God to do it. Yet the New Testament flies straight in the face of this sort of thinking. Now, many years and many tears later, we come to realize that it’s been up to us all along. So few preach it, because so few have lived it. The “God is in control” card has left us naked, blind, handicapped, and ill-prepared. And our Enemy not only knows it, he fully exploits it. It’s like a police officer who wakes up in the middle of a city overrun by rioters and mobs. But for the first time in his life, he realizes that he is responsible for the city and it’s citizens. Unfortunately, he has forgotten all his training in law, self-defense, firearms handling, and even basic motor vehicle operation. And the crime-lords are fully aware of this.

We’ve been had. We’ve been going through motions, systems, and religious rites for countless years, all the while being blinded and drugged by leaders who are themselves blinded and drugged. Now is the time to escape the lies, the futile motions and exercises, the rituals and rites. We need to come to terms with the truth that says that we are responsible for our actions and their consequences. And we are responsible for the people of this earth. We need to get a grip on the fact that we actually have to learn how to manifest Christ through us, and admit to the hard-hitting reality that we need to work long, hard, and often at living out a ‘normal’ Christian life. And we need to be willing to pay the price paid by whomever it is that we admire in the Great Hall of Faith in order to get what they got.

That's all for now.

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Part 2: Christ's Groundbreaking, Religion-Shattering Teachings on Prayer

This Part will be divided into two sections:

I) What Did Jesus Teach?

II) What Did Jesus Demonstrate?

What you will find below are the words of Christ Himself. The translations are taken from various versions (NIV, KJV, etc), and augmented where necessary in order to best match the Greek texts. All I provide is brief commentary for most passages, allowing you to think for yourself and draw conclusions based on Christ's words, not man-made doctrines. Enjoy!

i) What He Spoke

After The “Lord’s Prayer”*

* Why am I skipping “The Lord’s Prayer”? Because it has been taught on exhaustively. I do not feel that I have anything new to contribute.

“And when you pray (proseuchomai), do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray (proseuchomai) standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward (misthos, “dues paid for work”) in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward (apodidōmi, “to give away for one's own profit what is one's own”) you.

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling (battalogeō, “stammer, repeat the same things over and over”) like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask (aiteō, “ask, beg”) him.” Mt 6:5-8

- The “reward” (misthos) of hypocrisy is likened to a wage, or salary.
- The “reward” (apodidōmi) of honest prayer is that God gives us what is His, and it’s for His own benefit! And, obviously, we benefit as well!
- It’s interesting that Jesus, as we will read, often spent an entire night in prayer. Yet, we can logically assume that He didn’t stammer and repeat Himself over and over. Therefore, we need to understand that prolonged time spent in fellowship with God is something Jesus modeled. But I would like to suggest that, because God already knows what we need, that the CONTENT of our prayer time needs to be kept in perspective: Very little time asking and begging (aiteō), and a whole lot of time in intimate conversation and praise.
- “For they [Pagans] think they will be heard because of their many words”. We need to pray from an understanding that our Father knows us, loves us, cares for us, and wants the best for us. Paganism promoted deities that needed to be appeased, convinced, won over, and enticed (you might now a Christian or two who thinks along these lines…). “Do not be like them [Pagans]”, Jesus says.

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Shameless Audacity

“One day Jesus was praying (proseuchomai) in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples…”

Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend (kichrēmi, “lend”) me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity (anaideia, “shamelessness”) he will surely get up and give (didōmi, “give”) you as much as you need.
“So I say to you: Ask (aiteō) and it will be given (didōmi) to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks (aiteō) receives (lambanō, “takes for himself”); the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Lk 11:1, 5-10

- The need of the friend is legitimate.
- Legitimacy is often not enough (though Jesus fails to explain why). Nevertheless, it is a truth we must embrace.
- Shamelessness here is used in view of the fact that the one asking knows that he is not only breaking social convention, but exploiting the ‘friendship’ card, and foregoing politeness; indeed, to the point of inconvenience.
- “So I say to you: Ask”, says Jesus. That is to say, ask in the manner Jesus just illustrated - breaking social convention, foregoing politeness, and inconveniencing.
- The friend in the story gave (didōmi). But Jesus goes on to say that when we ask God, we literally end up “taking” what we need. For everyone who asks (aiteō) receives (lambanō).”

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Persistence Pays

“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up (ekkakeō, “be utterly spiritless, to be wearied out, exhausted”). He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering (parechō, “to reach forth”, From ἔχω, “to have (hold)”) me, I will see that she gets justice, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’”
And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God avenge his chosen ones, who cry out (boaō, “to raise a cry, to implore his aid”) to him day and night, though he bear long (makrothymeō, “not to lose heart, persevere patiently”) with them? I tell you, he will avenge them quickly.
However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith (pistis) on the earth?” Lk 18:1-8

- The key to this passage is this: “Listen to what the unjust judge says.”
- This is what the judge said: “because this widow keeps bothering (parechō, “to reach forth”, From ἔχω, “to have (hold)”) me…” The widow kept reaching forth, trying to take hold of something she needed.
- MOREOVER, it was the thought that she wouldn’t stop coming until she got that she wanted that convinced the judge: “lest by her continual coming she weary me." THIS IS VITAL to understand.
- Sometimes, it is necessary (for reasons unbeknownst to us) to, “…cry out (boaō, “to raise a cry, to implore his aid”) to him day and night. This is a reality. So embrace it.
- As for God, Jesus says that he will “avenge”, or, “vindicate”, those who cry out to Him.
- But Jesus adds something peculiar here: “though he bear long (makrothymeō, “not to lose heart, persevere patiently”) with them”. What does this mean? Look at Luke 18:1 again. This parable was to teach them to, “always pray and not give up (ekkakeō, “be utterly spiritless, to be wearied out, exhausted”).” We are not to loose heart, because God does not loose heart. We are to always pray, because God always perseveres.

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Faith-Filled Commands

“The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. And Jesus answered (apokrinomai) and said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you ever again.” And his disciples heard him say it…
When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.
In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed (kataraomai) has withered!”
And Jesus answered, “Have faith (pistis) in God. Truly (amēn) I tell you, if anyone says (eipon, “to speak”) to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt (diakrinō, “to separate, make a distinction, to be at variance with one's self, hesitate”) in their heart but believes (pisteuō, “to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in”. Root, pistis, “faith”) that what they say will happen (ginomai, “to come into existence, be made”), whatsoever he says he shall have (esomai, Root, εἰμί, “to be, to exist, to happen, to be present”). Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask (aiteō) for in prayer (proseuchomai), believe (pisteuō) that you have received (lambanō, “takes for himself”) it, and you shall have (esomai, Root, εἰμί, “to be, to exist, to happen, to be present”).” Mk 11:12-14, 19-24

“Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said (legō, “to say”) to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.
When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.
Jesus replied, “Truly (amēn) I tell you, if you have faith (pistis) and do not doubt (diakrinō), not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done (ginomai). If you believe (pisteuō), you will receive (lambanō) whatever you ask for in prayer.” Mt 21:18-21

- When Jesus says, “not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also…” he reveals two things:
a) His heart: he wants us to do what he did, and even greater things (echoing Jn 14:12)
b) That we are supposed to operate in the same level of faith, power, and authority as He did.

“You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.
Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
He replied, “Because of your unbelief (apistia, “anti-faith, want or weakness of faith”). Truly (amēn) I tell you, if you have faith (pistis) as a grain of mustard, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible (adynateō, “not to have strength, be weak, incapable”) for you.” Mt 17:17-20

- Unbelief (apistia) is an actual condition, or state of being. It literally means, “anti-faith”, or “afaith”, kind of like “atheist”.
- The analogy of the mustard seed is ancient. At its core, the message is this: small beginnings blossom into exponentially great results. The “mustard seed” illustration does not focus on the small size of the seed; its focus is on the relatively massive plant that it eventually becomes. THE PROCESS OF GROWTH is the message.

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Ask, Expecting To Receive

“How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe (pisteuō) that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I speak not of myself. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, he does the works (ergon, “business, act, deed”). Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe me for the very works’ sake. Very (amēn) truly (amēn) I tell you, whoever believes (pisteuō) in me will do (poieō, “to make, produce, construct, form, fashion; to do”) the works I have been doing (poieō), and they will do (poieō) even greater (meizōn, “greater, larger, elder, stronger”) things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do (poieō) whatever you ask (aiteō) in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do (poieō) it.” Jn 14:9-14

- With all the passages we will read that we written by John, I suggest we do so with the following words in mind:
a) “As my Father has sent (apostellō, “one ordered to a place”) me, even so send (pempō, “to send; a) to bid a thing be done, b) to thrust, insert”) I you.” Jn 20:21
b) “To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Col 1:27
c) “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.” Rom 8:11
d) “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” Rom 8:29
- We are called to live and operate as Jesus did. This is a fact. We need to embrace this truth, and renew our minds to it, to the point that we are fully convinced, and no longer needing to observe it repeatedly – as for example, your given birth name, or your fixed address, or the date of your birth, or that that the earth spins, and orbits the sun – these are facts that are etched in the stones of our mind and heart.
- If we are ever to experience practically the fulfillment of John 14:12 in our lives, then we need to start by believing what Christ says about us, and stepping out in faith (much like Peter leaving the boat into the open waters) and look for impossible circumstances. Even if you fail, Christ is there to pick you up out of the water. Perseverance, and diligence, combined with obedience, are what I believe to be keys that will help unlock John 14:12 in our lives. We must be open, and expectant, of the impossible (yes, walking on water included - just don't ask me how).

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done (ginomai, “to come into existence, be made”) for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, so shall you be (ginomai) my disciples.” Jn 15:7-8

- How do the words of Christ remain in us? “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” Rom 10:17. We must always be reading and hearing the words of Christ, and the inspired words of his apostles. We must also commune with Jesus Christ in daily fellowship, where we allocate time for intimate prayer (Mt 6:5-8). We must in communion with Jesus so that his words will renew our minds, allowing us to prove God’s will (Rom 12:2). Being a scholar isn’t enough: “You [Pharisees] study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” Jn 5:39-40. We must realize too that we already have the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16). And, “And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” (Rom 8:29). Our mind and our spirit in aligned with the mind and Spirit of God!
- Because we know the Father’s heart, we know that we can ask confidently.
- “[That] you bear much fruit”: part of the fruit we bear (which is setting captives free and making disciples) will come as a result of answered prayers. Therefore, our answered prayers bring glory to God.

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask (aiteō) in my name the Father will give (didōmi, “of one's own accord to give one something, bestow a gift”) you.” Jn 15:16

- Prayer, first and foremost (READ: BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY) is to be purposed for the Great Commission. Jesus Christ was sent on a mission, and now we have been sent on a mission. Jesus prayed prayers that were relevant to His mission. In like manner, our primary prayers must also be relevant to the mission at hand (Mt 28:18-20; Mk 16:15-20, Acts 1:8). We have no present record of Jesus, Paul, James, Peter, John, Matthew, or anyone else discipled by Christ praying for “new toys”, or expensive luxuries, or for bigger homes. God does indeed supply our need (Mt 6:33), and He is able to give us more than we can imagine (Eph 3:20). But His constant giving goes to those who are Kingdom minded (Mt 6:33), and who’s minds are aligned to His (Jn 15:7; Rom 12:2).
- Obviously, we can pray for a host of other things as well: giving thanks, healing, direction, financial provision, favor with people, open doors, employment, etc.

“Very (amēn) truly (amēn) I tell you, my Father will give (didōmi) you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive (lambanō, “takes for himself”), and your joy will be full.” Jn 16:23-24

“Ask and it will be given (didōmi) to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives (lambanō); the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give (didōmi) good gifts (agathos, “of good constitution or nature”) to those who ask him!” Mt 7:7-11

- This literally reads, “I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking, keeps on receiving. And he who keeps on seeking, keeps on finding. And to him who keeps on knocking, it shall be opened.” This is significant to realized, because it falls in line with the teachings of Jesus on persistence and boldness in prayer (Lk 18:1-8; Lk 11:5-10).
- “[How] much more will your Father in heaven give”: A revelation of the Father’s heart, one that we must renew our minds to. God is always, always, good.

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Faith That Astonishes Jesus

“There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and thoroughly heal (diasōzō) his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” And Jesus was going on with them.
He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say (eipon, “to speak, say”) a word (logos), and my servant will be healed (iaomai, “cured”). For I myself am a man under authority (exousia, “power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases, the power of rule or government”), with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great (tosoutos, “large quantity”) faith (pistis) even in Israel.” Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.” Lk 7:2-10

- Before you believe me when I say that Jesus wants you and I to operate in this level of faith and authority, all me to validate my statement with Jesus’ own words:

a) “And Jesus, having known their thoughts, said, `Why think ye evil in your hearts?
For which is easier? To say, the sins have been forgiven to thee; or to say, Rise, and walk? But, that ye may know that the Son of Man hath authority upon the earth to forgive sins - (then saith he to the paralytic) - having risen, take up thy couch, and go to thy house.' And he, having risen, went to his house, and the multitudes having seen, wondered, and glorified God, who did give such authority to mankind.” Mt 9:4-8. (For more, see this)
b) “He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” Lk 10:18-19
c) “And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Lk 22:29-30
d) “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Mt 16:19

- The soldier’s commentary about was true, since Jesus never corrected him. In fact, Jesus used it as a lesson to his audience. Therefore, we need to understand that this illustration of authority applies to us too. We need to get to the place where we command, and expect obedience. We do not give Christ orders. We give orders as people filled with Christ. We command sickness, demons, and any other ‘mountains’ to move. (See also: Mt 21:18-21; 17:17-20; Jn 14:9-14).

“Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”
Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”
The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
“Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great (megas) faith! Be it (ginomai, “to come into existence, be made”) unto you as you will.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.” Mt 15:21-28

- The woman had mega-faith. Because of this, Jesus caused something to take place ACCORDING TO HER WILL. That may have shattered a sacred cow or two (more on this later)…
- So what was it about her that Jesus observed, causing him to see mega-faith? “IT IS NOT right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs,” said Jesus. “YES IT IS, Lord,” she replied. In other words, one way or another, I’m getting my miracle. This is hard for some of you to swallow. Yet have we not read Jesus teaching this very thing? (See also: Lk 11:5-10; Lk 18:1-8; Jn 14:9-14; Jn 16:23-24; Mt 7:7-11).
- Religion teaches the opposite of what we read here. That is way for many, this is difficult to believe. But if you profess to be a follower of Jesus Christ, then why the resistance towards His own words?

ii) What He Demonstrated

“Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.” Mt 14:22-23

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Mk 1:35

“Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.” Mk 6:45-46

“Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Lk 5:15-16

“One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles.” Lk 6:12-13

Stay tuned for Part 3!

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Welcome to another series! This time, I will be exploring another massive topic - PRAYER. Much like worship, prayer has been muddled, meddled, poorly taught, and abused. So much so that the very word can produce polar-opposite thoughts and emotions from one Christian and another. The reason for this is, I will propose, two-fold: 1) Misguided teaching, wrong teaching, and/or biased teaching. 2) A failure in the Body of Christ, as a whole, to realize and embrace the fact that Jesus Christ not only established a New Covenant with us, but also shattered many of the paradigms, hindrances, and structures both in the spirit and the natural when he declared, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." (Mt 28:18). EVERYTHING changed after the Cross.

Because of the limitations in length here, I have chosen to condense this series into 4 Parts:

I) A word study on common Greek words accosiated with prayer.
II) A look at the teachings of Jesus Christ regarding prayer.
III) A look at the teachings in the New Testament Epistles regarding prayer.
IV) Destroying Sacred Cows!!!

The purpose of this series is to explore the teachings of Jesus and his immediate followers, in order to establish a New Covenant perspective and understanding on the notion of prayer. In doing so, we can then use these teachings as our foundation for renewing our minds (Rom 12:2) and adopting a Christ-centered life in the arena of prayer. Finally, we will also be able to examine some currently held teachings and doctrines on prayer, and see if they are based on Old Covenant paradigms (Old Wineskins), or if they are based on the teachings of Jesus Christ (New Wineskins). As Jesus taught,

“No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’" Lk 5:36-38.

Religion will always taste better, because it is well aged and smooth. New wine is bitter, and hard to swallow at first. Even to Christians, Jesus' teaching are often hard to swallow, because they sound nothing like the teachings of the Torah (Law), nor have they the aged taste of Christian religiosity.

Part 1: Why You Need To Know The Greek Truth

Now, I know that this may seem like a bore to many of you; having to plug through some Greek word definitions. Don't underestimate this section though! It is absolutely imperative that you at least browse through the list of word presented below. Why, you ask?

1) In order to see that we have been robbed of the true weight and meaning of many teachings of Christ and his apostles because of the poor and conservative translational efforts of modern day Bible translations.

2) To have full revelation and insight into each and every passage of Scripture we will be examining (and, hopefully, passages you will examine on your own time too).

So then, let's have a quick run through the list of common words used today in English pertaining to the arena of prayer, and discover their Greek sources. You will soon realize how much richer the Greek word is in each case!

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"Pray", "Prayer"

> προσεύχομαι (προσευχή) – proseuchomai (proseuchē)

1) to offer prayers, to pray

KJV - pray 83, make prayer 3, pray for 1

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites [are]: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Mt 6:5

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name... Mt 6:9

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed [is] willing, but the flesh [is] weak. Mt 26:41

> δέομαι - deomai

1) to want, lack
2) to desire, long for
3) to ask, beg
a) the thing asked for
b) to pray, make supplications

KJV - pray 12, beseech 9, make request 1

Pray [beseech] ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. Mt 9:38 (Lk 10:2)

And when they had prayed [beseeched], the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. Acts 4:31

For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God; night and day praying [beseeching] exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith? 1 Th 3:9-10

> εὔχομαι – euchomai

1) to pray to God
2) to wish, to pray, to pray for

KJV - wish 3, pray 2, can wish 1, I would 1

And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds. Acts 26:29

Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray (εὔχομαι - wish, would) one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer (δέησις – seeking, asking) of a righteous man availeth much. Jam 5:16

> εὐχή – euchē

1) a prayer to God
2) a vow

KJV - vow 2, prayer 1

And the prayer (εὐχή – vow) of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up... Jam 5:15

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"Ask", "Demand"

> αἰτέω (αἴτημα) – aiteō (aitēma)

1) to ask, beg, call for, crave, desire, require

KJV - ask 48, desire 17, beg 2, require 2, crave 1, call for 1

Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. Mt 6:8

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you... Mt 7:7

Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. Mt 18:19

And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask (αἰτέω - aiteō), we know that we have the petitions (αἴτημα - aitēma) that we desired (αἰτέω - aiteō) of him. 1 Jn 5:15

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"Supplication"

> δέησις – deēsis

1) need, indigence, want, privation, penury
2) a seeking, asking, entreating, entreaty to God or to man

KJV - prayer 12, supplication 6, request 1

But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. Lk 1:13

And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise [the disciples] of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink? Lk 5:33

These all continued with one accord in prayer (προσευχή) and supplication (δέησις – seeking, asking), with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. Acts 1:14

Praying (προσεύχομαι ) always with all prayer (προσευχή) and supplication (δέησις – seeking, asking) in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication (δέησις – seeking, asking) for all saints... Eph 6:18

> ἱκετηρία – hiketēria

1) an olive branch
a) for suppliants approached the one whose aid they would implore holding an olive branch entwined with white wool and fillets, to signify that they came as suppliants
2) supplication

KJV - supplication 1

Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers (δέησις - deēsis) and supplications (ἱκετηρία – hiketēria) with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered Heb 5:7-8

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"Intercession"

> ἐντυγχάνω – entygchanō

1) to light upon a person or a thing, fall in with, hit upon, a person or a thing
2) to go to or meet a person, esp. for the purpose of conversation, consultation, or supplication
3) to pray, entreat
4) make intercession for any one

KJV - make intercession 4, deal 1

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray (προσεύχομαι – proseuchomai) for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession (ὑπερεντυγχάνω - hyperentygchanō) for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what [is] the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession (ἐντυγχάνω - entygchanō) for the saints according to [the will of] God. Rom 8:26-27

But this [man], because He continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession (ἐντυγχάνω - entygchanō) for them. Heb 7:24-25

> ὑπερεντυγχάνω – hyperentygchanō

1) to intercede for one

KJV - make intercession for 1

but the Spirit itself maketh intercession (ὑπερεντυγχάνω - hyperentygchanō) for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Rom 8:26

> ἔντευξις – enteuxis

1) a falling in with, meeting with
a) an interview
1) a coming together
2) to visit
3) converse or for any other cause
b) that for which an interview is held
1) a conference or conversation
2) a petition, supplication

KJV - intercession 1, prayer 1

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications (δέησις – seeking, asking), prayers (προσευχή), intercessions (ἔντευξις – meeting with [God], converse, petition), [and] giving of thanks (εὐχαριστία – “Eucharist”), be made for all men... 1 Ti 2:1

For every creature of God [is] good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving (εὐχαριστία – “Eucharist”): For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer (ἔντευξις – meeting with [God], converse, petition). 1 Ti 4:4-5

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"Giving Thanks"

> εὐχαριστία – eucharistia

1) thankfulness
2) the giving of thanks

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer (προσευχή - proseuchē) and supplication (δέησις - deēsis) with thanksgiving (εὐχαριστία – eucharistia) let your requests be made known unto God. Phl 4:6

Continue in prayer (προσευχή - proseuchē), and watch in the same with thanksgiving... Col 4:2

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications (δέησις - deēsis), prayers (προσευχή - proseuchē), intercessions (ἔντευξις - enteuxis), [and] giving of thanks (εὐχαριστία – eucharistia), be made for all men... 1 Tim 2:1

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"Faith"

> πίστις – pistis

1) conviction of the truth of anything; belief
2) fidelity, faithfulness

From the root word, πείθω – peithō

1) persuade
a) to persuade, i.e. to induce one by words to believe
b) to make friends of, to win one's favour, gain one's good will, or to seek to win one, strive to please one
c) to tranquillise
d) to persuade unto i.e. move or induce one to persuasion to do something
2) be persuaded
a) to be persuaded, to suffer one's self to be persuaded; to be induced to believe: to have faith: in a thing
1) to believe
2) to be persuaded of a thing concerning a person
b) to listen to, obey, yield to, comply with
3) to trust, have confidence, be confident

KJV - faith 239, assurance 1, believe + 1537 1, belief 1, them that believe 1, fidelity 1

> ἀπιστία – apistia

1) unfaithfulness, faithless
2) want of faith, unbelief
3) weakness of faith

KJV - unbelief 12

And he marvelled because of their unbelief. Mk 6:6

> ὀλιγόπιστος – oligopistos

1) of little faith, trusting too little

KJV - of little faith 5

And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Mt 8:26

See also, Mt 6:30; 14:31; 16:8; Lk 12:28

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"Fast", "Fasting"

> νηστεύω, nēsteuō

1) fast

KJV - fast 21

> νηστεία, nēsteia

1) fasting

KJV – fasting 7, feast 1

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"Amen"

“The word "amen" is a most remarkable word. It was transliterated directly from the Hebrew into the Greek of the New Testament, then into Latin and into English and many other languages, so that it is practically a universal word. It has been called the best known word in human speech. The word is directly related -- in fact, almost identical -- to the Hebrew word for "believe" (amam), or faithful. Thus, it came to mean "sure" or "truly", an expression of absolute trust and confidence. – HMM” (source)

Hebrew:

> ןמא – ‘amen

1) verily, truly, amen, so be it

KJV - amen 27, truly 2, so be it 1

Greek:

> ἀμήν – amēn

1) firm
a) metaph. faithful
2) verily, amen
a) at the beginning of a discourse - surely, truly, of a truth
b) at the end - so it is, so be it, may it be fulfilled. It was a custom, which passed over from the synagogues to the Christian assemblies, that when he who had read or discoursed, had offered up solemn prayer to God, the others responded Amen, and thus made the substance of what was uttered their own.

KJV - verily 101, amen 51

And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. Lk 4:24

And all the angels stood round about the throne, and [about] the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, [be] unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. Rev 7:11-12

Alright, we made it!

I hope you were somewhat enlightened by some of the Greek words we've looked at. You're now ready to move onto Part 2!

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continued from Part 2

Part 4: A Few Examples of Worship and Praise in the New Testament:

From Jesus

“At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.” Lk 10:21

ἐξομολογέω exomologeō; “to confess, to profess”

From The Magi

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." Mt 2:1-2

“worship” - προσκυνέω proskyneō; “kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication.”

From The Disciples

“Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." Mt 14:33

“worship” - προσκυνέω proskyneō

“Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.” Mt 28:9

“worship” - προσκυνέω proskyneō

From Paul

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. “ Phi 2:5; 6-11*

*[Philippians 2:6-11 is considered by many scholars to be an excerpt of one of Christianity’s first hymns]

See also: Romans 11:33-36; Colossians 1:3-14; and Ephesians 1:3-14

From The Book of Revelation (John)

“Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."

Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."” Rev 4:8-11

So, from the non-exhaustive list of examples above, I believe we can find some commonalities:

1) Worship (προσκυνέω proskyneō; “kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication.”) is an action. Yes, we did also discover, as Jesus and Paul taught, that it is a lifestyle. But referring to specific instances where the word is used, the ACTION that follows is the same. It is NOT singing songs, so words of praise. It is an act of bowing down prostrate before God.

Gesenius's Lexicon entry for Strong's H7812 – shachah in Hebrew, states:

“…to prostate oneself before anyone out of honour. Those who used this mode of salutation fell on their knees and touched the ground with their forehead…”
“…in worshipping a deity; hence to honour God with prayers, Gen 22:5; 1 Sam 1:3; even without prostration of body; Gen 47:31; 1 Ki 1:47.
“to do homage, to submit oneself. Ps 45:12”

2) Praise, or, express, (ἐξομολογέω exomologeō; “to confess, to profess”) as uttered by Jesus, is a VERBAL expression of admiration, adoration, and confirmation. The Hebrew, yadah, (Strong's H3034), is similar in meaning. Praise comes from our lips, and in praise we can utter wonderful things to God, be it in the language of men or the language of angels. They can be said, or sung. But context seems to indicate that praise is spontaneous, and intimate. Praise can be found in a group setting, but it is a creative expression released from an individual.

The Hebrew, halal (Strong's H1984) is also rendered “praise” by translators. It too needs strong consideration.

Literally, it means “to be clear, to be brilliant; used of a clear, sharp tone or sound.” It can also mean, “to make a show of external appearance and grandiloquent words”, and, “to praise, celebrate.”

3) Songs, hymns, odes, and psalms are music that is composed. With music comes instruments, or a cappella. There are 37 Hebrew words, and 21 Greek words, used to describe song and singing! I don’t have the space (or patience) to go through them all.

Let me simply share this excerpt from Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words:

"ōdē, “a song, lay, ode” (G5603) is the generic term; psalmos, “of a striking the chords of a musical instrument” (G5568) and hymnos, “a song in tithe praise of gods, heroes, conquerors” (G5215) are specific, the former designating a song which took its general character from the OT Psalms, although not restricted to them, the later a song of praise. While the leading idea of psalmos is a musical accompaniment, and that of hymnos, praise to God, ōdē is the general word for a song, whether accompanied or not, whether of praise or on any other subject. Thus it is quite possible for the same song to be at once described by all three of these words."

Part 5: Making Sense of it All

I’ve personally learned a lot from this study. The maze of Hebrew and Greeks words affiliated with worship, praise, and singing left me dizzy at times, but in the end I came away with a much stronger understanding of the “worship” arena. But what do we make of all the thoughts and information I’ve shared above? For starters, I hope you realized that my approach was one of a fellow student, and not a dictating professor. I’ve simply presented the information the New Testament contains (not exhaustively, of course) and put it out in the open for us to look at and examine.

It is also interesting to note that, in stark contrast to the Hebrew Scriptures, the New Testament is almost silent when it comes to worship, singing, and praise. It makes mention of it, but has very little content in the form of instruction. But based on the teachings of Jesus and Paul, the reason for this silence becomes clear. To do a great job of worshipping God apart from the Spirit and the Son of God is nearly impossible without instruction and guidelines. As Bill Johnson once said, “You become that which you worship.” God’s heart was always to have His character, His heart, deposited within us. But apart from God, true worship was impossible.

However, as Jesus declared, we are now in a time where true worship is possible. And because the very Spirit and Son of God dwells in us, we no longer need forms, rituals, and instructions on how to worship God. “The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship” (Heb 10:1,2). But now, as for us, we worship God through the intermediary agency of the Holy Spirit.

The apparent silence in the New Testament regarding worship is the same silence we have regarding prayer, and songs/Psalms. Why? Because such things now FLOW FROM WITHIN US, naturally. They are no longer taught by rituals, but by the Spirit. The constant flow of worship we read of in Revelation is Spirit driven. And that SAME Spirit abides in us, and therefore compels us and leads us into the same heavenly worship. All it takes is intimacy with God.

Intimacy cannot be taught, it can only be experienced. That’s why worship in the New Covenant is not taught by humans, but by the Spirit. Mentors can point you in the right direction. Worship leaders can help you along. But you yourself must learn to develop intimacy and a loving relationship with Jesus Christ. When you start dating, you do not have the same level of intimacy as a couple married for 25 years. It takes time. The example left to us by Jesus, by Paul, by John, serve as guideposts for developing this intimacy. Men find this harder to undergo than women. But all the individuals listed above were men. You couldn’t handle the responsibility of a direct visitation of the Lord Jesus like John had without having the same intimacy he had established over the years.

At the time of this writing, my daughter is 10 months old. To say that she is wonderful is an understatement. Now, I want to share with you some things about her that I've observed, things which I believe pertain to natural, Spirit lead worship. Michaela has always been drawn to music, since she was born it seems. But what is amazing to me is how she has developed in her response to music. First, she learned to clap. Clapping was a way for her to express excitement and enthusiasm. Soon though, she began to clap when we would play songs we knew she liked. Later, She began to lift her hands and shake them from side to side - something she will only do when listening to music. Then, if she was sitting upright, she would sway her torso from side to side during music. Mind you, she is a little ahead of schedule for her age - she learned to walk at 9 1/2 months! More recently, she has begun to stand in front of the TV when her songs are playing and sway her whole body, clap her hands, shake her arms, and sing out loud in baby language. It is a sight that only a parent can truly enjoy and appreciate.

The reason why I share these intimate moments with you is to make this point: None of the responses my daughter has to music were taught. We did not show her how to clap, sway her hands, or move her body from side to side. They came naturally to her. They were born out of spontaneous expressions from deep within her own heart.
When I realized these things, I came to a personal conclusion - That clapping, dancing, singing, moving, jumping, shouting, and anything else along those lines, when it comes to praising Jesus Christ, is as natural as it gets. Religion teaches you the opposite. It tells you to be still, somber, upright and proper, restricted, and orderly. But if you think about it, any part of the Globe you travel to, you will see that it is natural, and enjoyable, for people to laugh, dance, clap, jump, and shout, when they sing together.

Therefore, I now have a new appreciation for spontaneous songs of praise. And also, for the freedom we have to jump, clap, dance, laugh, and celebrate when we are alone or united in corporate praise. These actions are second nature to children. And thus, if they aren't second nature to me anymore, it means that life, religion, or Satan (or all of the above), has robbed me of this innocence somehow. But I want to propose to you that the Spirit of God, which is now inside you, and Jesus Christ, has not only restored these things within us, but has enhanced them as well. The corporate expression of praise the John the Apostle saw, and wrote down, depicted a scene where animated worshippers expressed praise to God our Father with song and action. This eternal event is Spirit driven. And as such, that same Spirit can drive us into animated, free, and unrestricted expressions of praise towards our Father, and Jesus Christ.

Now for many of you, this is hard to swallow. Some people do not like to do anything more than more their lips on a Sunday morning. Others think that anything along the lines of what I've described above is inappropriate, or chaotic, and unfit for praises render unto God. To this line of thinking, I have one suggestion. It is profound, in fact, so much so that one may miss the true meaning of it in it's entirety. Here it is:

Get over yourself.

Read Revelation 4, 5, 7, 11, and 19. Watch children sing along to songs. Observe other cultures when they engage in celebrations that date back hundreds of years. It is natural for us to be glad, to be noisy, and to be active when we sing and dance and celebrate. Allow the Spirit of God to manifest Himself through you in praise and adoration towards Jesus Christ. Let go of your hinderances and self-consiousness, and embrace God-consiousness. It will revolutionize the way you praise God. And I truly believe it will allow you to worship in Spirit and in Christ.

Afterthoughts

So, what about Sunday mornings? What about conferences? What about worship leaders? What about “harp and bowl”? I will offer these thoughts:

1. The type of gathering will call for a different setup when it comes to songs and praises. A 5000 person rally will look different than a 10 to 12 person home meeting. The intimacy will differ. The focus will differ. Therefore, how you worship will differ.

2. We live in a culture that is greatly different than the Judeo-Christian culture 2000 years ago. Music, back then, was sung or played by someone in your midst. You had no personal music devices, no studio perfection, no sound systems able to carry music to the ears of 20,000 listeners at one time. Music was naturally more intimate than it is today. In a sea of thousands, you can be isolated. With your iPod, you can be isolated. Music today has been made to be individualistic.

That said, I believe it is necessary for there to be individuals who can help lead people who are conditioned to be alienated from each other in corporate settings, and used to a “me” experience when they listen to music at home, into unity of song and worship. People simply don’t know how to worship God on a corporate level because society doesn’t teach us how (2000 years ago, in the Mediterranean regions, it did).

Likewise, in a small group setting, many people are embarrassed to sing in front of each other. Many only listen to music by themselves, or with one or two other friends. And even then, those who sing out loud with others are few and far between. Many people seem to be more comfortable singing in the shower than they do in a small group setting. So again, it takes leadership to teach people how to sing and praise God with other people, and to get them to the point where they are comfortable enough to sing without any help at all.

Also, because we are not used to singing corporately (outside of church), a cappella is foreign to most. And not everyone is able to play an instrument well enough to provide music for themselves and others to sing to. So again, it is delightful to have musicians who can provide music for others to sing along to.

3. “Intercessory”, “Davidic”, etc, are all Old Covenant based. That is a fact, whether you accept it or not. “Harp and bowl” is based on the visions of John the apostle. I would strongly caution you to not base your doctrine of worship on a prophetic, symbolically charged vision had by a fellow brother in Christ. “Prophetic” worship comes from Paul’s descriptions of “spiritual songs”. I think this ‘style’, as it were, of corporate worship is a good way to introduce believers to the experience of singing spontaneous songs and songs in the language of angels (tongues) in the Holy Spirit. Sadly though, like so many other good things, it has been abused, exploited, and taken to wrong extremes. So, just be discerning and test what you see and hear by the Word and the Spirit if you participate.

Finally, I think we need to re-define some of the terminology we have grown accustomed to in church circles:

Worship: By Jesus’ and Paul definitions, it is a life lived in Christ. It is yielded living to the Holy Spirit. And it is also an ACT of bowing down on one’s knees in honor to God. Technically, we don’t have “worship services”, or “times of worship”. It is 24/7, and it is not specifically singing.

Praise: This is the noun we should employ when describing the times saints come together to sing songs to God. We come to shout, clap, sings, jump, play instruments, make noise, and have fun. All of these verbs encompass the essence of the Hebrew and Greek words used to describe “praise”.

Worship Music: technically, it doesn’t make sense. Perhaps “songs of praise” or “praise music” would more accurately describe what is meant. It is music – lyrics that are sung and most often accompanied by instruments – that is created and used for the purpose praise admiration, and adoration towards God.

Now, don’t go to your pastor with this new list of terminology! I’m not trying to make a big deal of it. But just keep it in mind as you move forward.

That’s it! I know I didn’t answer all the questions I raised. But I really don’t want to make laws and rules here. These are simply guidelines, to help you consider these matters and think for yourself. The same Spirit that is in me is in you, and He will lead you into all truth, so long as you are willing to accept it!

Glory to Christ Jesus our Lord, and to God our Father!

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Part 3: The New Testament - What New Covenant Worship Can Look Like

a) From the Writings of Paul

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Rom 12:1-2

A sacrifice, in the mind of a Jew, only happened once. They animal was slain and killed. In other words, “don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Rom 6:3-4). Living life by the Spirit of God, in Christ, as slaves of righteousness, IS COUNTED AS WORSHIP unto God.

Most Christians can quote this verse, but few understand it. But in light of Jesus’ revelation in John 4, Paul’s words here continue to shed light on what New Covenant worship looks like. “[God’s] worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth [that is, in Christ]” (Jn 4:26). A form of worshipping in Spirit and in Truth is by living out a life as those dead to their old self and old ways, and totally committed to Jesus Christ. As we count ourselves dead to sin and alive to Christ, as we live out the Great Command (love) and the Great Commission (discipleship) we are IN A CONSTANT STATE OF WORSHIP towards God. That is new indeed!

As Paul stated elsewhere: “For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh” Phil 3:1-3

So far, we haven’t read anything about Sunday morning gatherings, music, or intercession. I’m not mocking anyone here. I just want to highlight this fact: In the New Covenant, WORSHIP, AT IT’S CORE, IS A LIFE LIVED IN CHRIST, according to Jesus Christ Himself.

Now, that said, I am not in any way eliminating corporate expressions of praise and song lifted to God. Such things are also a part of New Covenant life. But I want to be sure that your foundational understanding of worship is based on Christ’s teachings, not Moses’ and David’s.

“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written:
“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
I will sing the praises of your name.”
Again, it says,
“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.”
And again,
“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
let all the peoples extol him.”
And again, Isaiah says,
“The Root of Jesse will spring up,
one who will arise to rule over the nations;
in him the Gentiles will hope.”
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another.” Rom 15:5-14

Here we begin to see an element of corporate worship being touched upon. However, it has nothing to do with a specific event, gathering, and so on. Paul here still stresses that our LIFESTYLE is one of glorifying God. Specifically, as we love one another as Christ loved us (Great Command) we are IN A CONTINUAL STATE OF BRINGING GLORY TO GOD. The Prophets Paul quotes all prophesied of a time where Gentiles (meaning, anyone who wasn’t born a Jew) would begin to praise God along with the Jews. Paul uses these prophecies to explain that they are for the New Covenant. Anyone can become one with Christ, and enter into true worship of God through the Holy Spirit.

Now we come to more familiar passages.

“Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Eph 5:17-20

Now, the problem with this verse is the context. Nowhere in this letter does Paul specifically say that these guidelines are for a formal meeting or gathering. He doesn’t exclude them, but it isn’t like in 1 Corinthians 11:17, for example. Also, we are dealing with specific expressions of worship: psalms, hymns, and songs. These are all verbal utterances (and can include instruments). They take action on our part, same as Godly living and loving others does, but it is through words.

That said, it begs the question: what setting did Paul have in mind here? Paul has been talking about LIFESTYLE choices for almost the entire letter. Daily living. Without a doubt, this would include their fellowship times together. But it wasn’t exclusive to those times. In other words, “speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit” was meant for any time a believer met and interacted with another believer! A hard sell for our individualistic, gotta-be-cool, 21st century Christian culture. “Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord” can be either by yourself or in the company of other believers. It doesn’t matter.

Allow me to suggest that the point here is this: Because we now worship on a whole new level, from a whole new Covenant, where the Spirit and Christ reside in us, and our lives are already worship, and our fellowship is praise, then it is only natural to verbally express adoration and worship as well. And if we allow Christ to fully dominate our minds and hearts, then we won’t mind singing and making music by ourselves or with fellow believers, no matter when or where.

Again, I haven’t ruled out Sunday mornings. But again, I want your foundation to be based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, not popular Christian culture.

In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, we again see that his focus is on LIFESTYLE. He paints pictures of what a New Covenant life looks like. And, as in Ephesians, we again see verbal expressions of worship as a natural part of this new life.

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” Col 3:15-16

To close this Pauline section, let’s look at 1 Corinthians. Here, Paul is addressing their corporate gatherings, or services. But before we read, understand this: These guidelines were written to a specific church, with specific problems, that needed specific instructions. Not every church Paul planted was eager to acquire Spiritual gifts, or had some getting drunk during the Eucharist. So we have to read these passages with this reality mind.

“Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker is a foreigner to me. So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church.
For this reason the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that they may interpret what they say. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding. Otherwise when you are praising God in the Spirit, how can someone else, who is now put in the position of an inquirer, say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since they do not know what you are saying? You are giving thanks well enough, but no one else is edified.
I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.” 1 Cor 14:10-19

Paul is addressing several problems. One being this: Believers are being filled with the Spirit, and are singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (like we read in Eph 5 and Col 3). They may have done so individually, and were certainly doing so corporately. Again, such things Paul had written to other believers to do, as we’ve read. BUT, now Paul has to help them along. My guess is that they were doing as he told them to do – in regards to songs and praise – and thinking that the confusion that can result when everyone is singing spiritual songs and hymns is okay.

Now Paul has a challenge: how do I keep from discouraging them from singing spiritual songs and hymns (which is an expression of worshipping in Spirit and Truth, right?) whether alone or together, yet keep them from total chaos when they come into assembly and wish to sing spiritual songs and praises to God? Paul’s answer is written above. Does it apply to you? Maybe, maybe not. Depends on how much your gatherings look like the gatherings of the Corinthian church during the period of time in which they had these issues.

“What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.” 1 Cor 14:26

Here is one of those oft-quoted passages we’ve all heard a million times. The setting is for corporate worship, so Sunday mornings would apply here for sure. Yet, let me ask you, have you ever ACTUALLY experienced it on a consistent basis? My guess: nope. The top-down, hierarchical setting of today’s churches (from Catholic to Pentecostal) does not make allowances for this passage. As much as you’ve heard it quoted, chances are you’ve never experienced it.

I’m not even sure how we could apply this passage to a modern day Sunday morning gathering. The setting Paul wrote this for was intimate, small, and most likely for home-based groups. But again, we need to keep in mind that this letter was not written to you, or your church, specifically. Therefore, we need to understand the context, the situation, which led Paul to write these instructions. We can glean from them, but I would not suggest taking them as law.

b) From the Epistle to the Hebrews:

There are two points I want to bring up here.

1) The Old Testament system and style of worship, including the Psalms, were part of their Law. That Law no longer applies to us.
2) We should not covet the lives and experiences of Moses, David, or any other Old Testament great. Why? Because if you understand what you have through Christ, you’ll realize that Moses and David would covet YOUR life.

“Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now. When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry.” Heb 9:1-6

“The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” Heb 10:1-4

The sacrifices and rituals performed were a part of their worship to God. But it is not a part of our worship to God, as the writer will explain here:

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Heb 10:19-25

We have “a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body”. The new way is the New Covenant.

“You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”
But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”” Heb 12:18-24; 28

All that ‘glory cloud’ stuff is done. We don’t need to ask for God’s goodness to pass by, because we have His Son dwelling in us. Now, at the same time, I do not want to discount divine encounters with our Lord Jesus. Yes He dwells in us. But John for example, had an encounter (likely, more than once) with Jesus Christ in which He was made manifest before him:

"I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Rev 1:10-11; 17-18

And Paul speaks of someone’s (possibly himself) experience in heaven, saying:

“I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell.” 2 Cor 12:1-4

Tertullian, and early church father, wrote the following:

“We have now amongst us a sister whose lot it has been to be favored with sundry gifts of revelation, which she experiences in the Spirit by ecstatic vision amidst the sacred rites of the Lord’s day in the church: she converses with angels, and sometimes even with the Lord; she both sees and hears mysterious communications; some men’s hearts she understands, and to them who are in need she distributes remedies. Whether it be in the reading of Scriptures, or in the chanting of psalms, or in the preaching of sermons, or in the offering up of prayers, in all these religious services matter and opportunity are afforded to her of seeing visions… This was her vision, and for her witness there was God; and the apostle most assuredly foretold that there were to be “spiritual gifts” in the church.” (Tertullian; Ante-Nicene Fathers/VolIII/Apologetic/A Treatise on the Soul/Chapter IX)

Spending time in the Holy Spirit, fellowshipping with God, and longing to see Jesus Christ manifest visibly in the same way He did with John are all honorable and commendable things to incorporate into our lives.

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Heb 13:15-16

This last passage so wonderfully describes New Covenant worship: to “do good” and “share” comes from a lifestyle of worship and praise, while songs and praise from our mouths are also expressions of worship we can offer God. All of them are pleasing and acceptable to Him.

c) From the Epistle of James:

“Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.
[The] tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?” Jam 3:2; 5-6; 9-11

James here put full emphasis on the verbal expression of worship – the praise from our lips. Just as Paul stresses that we ought to develop a lifestyle of living apart from sin and in submission to Christ, here James stresses that we discipline our tongue so that is remains dead to sin but alive to Christ. Just as our bodies are instruments of worship, so too are our tongues. Both need to be monitored and in submission to the Spirit.

“Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.” Jam 5:13b

The context is dubious in the sense that it can imply either individual or corporate expression of songs and praise.

to be concluded in Part 3

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"God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:24

The whole arena of praise and worship is somewhat out of my area of normal discussion and research. However, over the last few months my curiosity has been growing as I’ve pondered over the entire landscape of worship activities we have today in churches across North America. “Harp and Bowl”, “Prophetic”, “Davidic”, “Intercessory”, “Soaking”, “Hymns”, and “Spiritual Songs” are some of the more popular buzz words you’ll hear in most evangelical and charismatic circles.

My question is simple: What does the New Testament teach regarding worship?

And, as a follow-up to the first question: What transition did the New Covenant produce in regards to “praise” and “worship”, as we know it?

The task, when I first approached it, seemed daunting. Indeed, it is a vast subject. But, there is a way to at least steer the ship in the right direction, as it were, and begin to make some New Covenant headway on the subject.

So, here’s what we are going to do:

1. Take a quick look at the more common Hebrew and Greek words used in the Bible regarding worship. This is a necessary starting point, IMO.

2. Take a look at what Jesus teaches regarding worship. This will be the benchmark, or plumb line, that we will use to help weigh other passages with. Christ and his teachings must be at the center of all things – including our doctrines on worship.

3. Let’s see what the New Testament Scriptures say regarding Old and New Covenant worship. Here, we will begin to see a line drawn in the sand, and differentiations made between Old and New Covenants.

4. Look at New Testament examples of worship

5. Making sense of it all.

Here goes!

Part 1: Dilemma - It’s all Hebrew and Greek to Me!

The point of this this, in all honesty, is to simply show you that there isn't just one word for "worship", another for "praise", and one for "song". There are countless words, in both Hebrew and Greek, that we translate into the same English words. You need to have an appreciation for this reality. Now, if you can't be bothered, then just skip down to Part 2.

Here is a list of the most common Hebrew words used in the Old Testament in terms of worship and praise.

For an exhaustive list click here.

הלל halal – often rendered, “praise”;
יה והלל hallelu-jah – two words, “praise (3rd person plural, imperative) Yahweh!”
1) to shine
2) to praise, boast, be boastful
occurs 183 times in 140 verses in the Hebrew concordance of the NASB

שחה shachah – often rendered, “worship”
1) to bow down
occurs 220 times in 165 verses in the Hebrew concordance of the NASB

Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you." Gen 22:5

עבד `abad – often rendered, “worship”
1) to work, serve
occurs 299 times in 263 verses in the Hebrew concordance of the NASB

Then [Pharaoh] called for Moses and Aaron at night and said, "Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the sons of Israel; and go, worship [literally, “serve”] the LORD, as you have said. Ex 12:31

זמר zamar – often rendered, “sing”
1) to sing, sing praise, make music
occurs 90 times in 41 verses in the Hebrew concordance of the NASB

תהלה tĕhillah – often rendered, “praise”
1) praise, song or hymn of praise
occurs 56 times in 55 verses in the Hebrew concordance of the NASB

גיל giyl – often rendered, “rejoice”
1) to rejoice, exult, be glad
occurs 45 times in 44 verses in the Hebrew concordance of the NASB

Here is a list of the most common Greek words used in the New Testament in terms of worship and praise.

For an exhaustive list click here.

ψαλμός psalmos – rendered, “psalms”
1) a striking, twanging
a) of a striking the chords of a musical instrument
b) of a pious song, a psalm

ὑμνέω hymneō – rendered, “hymn”
1) to sing the praise of, sing hymns to
2) to sing a hymn, to sing
a) singing of paschal hymns these were Psalms 113 - 118 and 136, which the Jews called the "great Hallel"
occurs 5 times in 4 verses in the Greek concordance of the NASB

ᾠδή ōdē – rendered, “song”
1) a song, lay, ode
occurs 7 times in 5 verses in the Greek concordance of the NASB

ψάλλω psallō¬ – rendered, “making melody”
1) to pluck off, pull out
2) to cause to vibrate by touching, to twang
d) in the NT to sing a hymn, to celebrate the praises of God in song
occurs 5 times in 4 verses in the Greek concordance of the NASB

“…speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord” Eph 5:19

“After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” Mt 26:30

ἐξομολογέω exomologeō – often rendered, “praise”
1) to confess
2) to profess
occurs 10 times in 10 verses in the Greek concordance of the NASB

“At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, "I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.” Lk 10:21

εὐλογέω eulogeō – often rendered “bless”, and once, “praise”
1) to praise, celebrate with praises
2) to invoke blessings
occurs 41 times in 38 verses in the Greek concordance of the NASB

“Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; Hosanna in the highest!" Mk 11:10

σέβω sebō – rendered, “worship”
1) to revere, to worship
occurs 10 times in 10 verses in the Greek concordance of the NASB

“They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.” Mt 15:9

προσκυνέω proskyneō – rendered, “worship”
1) to kiss the hand to (towards) one, in token of reverence
2) among the Orientals, esp. the Persians, to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence
3) in the NT by kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication
occurs 60 times in 54 verses in the Greek concordance of the NASB

“On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.” Mt 2:11

λατρεύω latreuō – rendered, “serve”, or, “worship”
1) to serve for hire
2) to serve, minister to, either to the gods or men and used alike of slaves and freemen
a) in the NT, to render religious service or homage, to worship
occurs 23 times in 21 verses in the Greek concordance of the NASB

“Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"” Mt 4:10

Part 2: What did Jesus Say About Worship?

“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.” Mt 4:8-11

Ok, so that was an obvious one! But what else did He say?

“So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?”
He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:
“‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.’
You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” Mk 7:5-8

Wow, now those are some heavy words! “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain”. Now, as we will discuss in the next part in greater depth, Jesus is addressing a form of worship that these religious leaders had been handed down from Moses. Yet Jesus makes the assertion that these people were merely going through the motions. They sang the Psalms, the Songs of Assent, and the Songs of David. But it was all in vain, in the eyes of God. They had so scrutinized the Law, Prophets, and Writings that they became devoid of any life and Spirit.

Jesus was able to say these words, as blunt as they were, because He was about to bring about an epic transition. One that would set a dividing line in heaven, on earth, in time, and in space. The old ways were about to be fulfilled, and a new way was about to be established. The Old Covenant method of worship was about to be replaced.

Now, let’s move on to the crux of this article.

““Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
“Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.” Jn 4:19-26

The woman was making an appeal to Abraham over Moses, a common debate between Samarians and Jews. Jesus dismissed the argument all together. Lineages, ancestors, and religious rituals no longer mattered. A transition was about to take place: “Yet a time is coming and has now come”. True worship to Yahweh God would no longer be validated by ancestors, nor by patterns of worship established in the Law, Prophets, and Writings.

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth”. Jesus is bringing to light three points here: 1) For Him to specify “true” worshippers, indicates that there had been false ones (eg, Mk 7:5-8). Meaning, it is possible to worship God in vain, and falsely. 2) That we now must worship in Spirit means that people worshiped outside of, and apart from, the Holy Spirit. Remember, aside from those God chose to have His Spirit come upon them, NO ONE on the entire planet had the Holy Spirit. 3) To worship in truth is to worship in Christ. He is “the Word”, He is “the Light”, and He is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life”.

The entire operating system (OS) of worship was going to change. We are now in the age where we no longer worship to God, we worship IN God. We worship in the Holy Spirit and in Christ Jesus, both of Whom dwell IN US. The rites, rituals, and regulations of Moses, the Psalms, and the Prophets were fulfilled, and those requirements are no longer demanded of us. As great as David’s intentions were, and as much as his efforts afforded him, he will still bound to the Old OS (operating system), limited by its laws and regulations. We do not suffer the same circumstance. Our New OS has given us abilities, freedoms, and limitless possibilities when it comes to worship. David would have cashed in all his chips to have but a taste of what we have today.

continued in Part 2!

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Fourth Layer - What Do We Have As Children of God?

This is not a prosperity doctrine. This is not a bless-me club membership. This is not a 5 steps to success guideline. What I am presenting here is Bible, plain and simple. Every son, every heir, every king, has responsibilities. But he also has attributes, authority, power, titles, privileges, weapons, resources, and benefits. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU AND I BECOME AWARE OF WHAT IS OURS. Why? So that you and I can stop wasting time praying for and seeking things that God HAS ALREADY given us. Moreover, by knowing what HAS been made available to us, we can begin TO USE these resources and privileges to aid us in fulfilling the task God has assigned each of us to do. Readers beware: once you read this, you will be short on excused for your apathy and inactivity.

“He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.” Luke 10:18-21

Satan fell from his seat of authority. And he hasn’t gotten back on it, because Jesus took over it (Mt 28:18, remember?). Now, because you are a co-heir with Christ, you have authority in heaven and on earth (see below). If Satan fell, so did demons, principalities, and strongmen. That’s probably why Jesus and his disciples never taught on doing spiritual warfare against regional principalities. Let me be blunt: Daniel’s Prince of Persia (Dan 10:13) has fallen. Well what about Ephesians 2:2, and 6:12 – Paul is clear in stating that we war against demons, you say. Yes, we do. Jesus and the Apostles cast out devils. Daniel didn’t. We fight a defeated enemy. These demons no longer resist angels. If Jesus has ALL authority, then someone has NO authority. That someone is Satan. Again, this is one of the shifts that took place from Old Covenant to New. YOU and I now have authority over all these snakes and scorpions (Biblical imagery for demons). Jesus said it, not me.

“Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’” Mat 16:17-19

You didn’t believe me when I said you had authority on earth AND in heaven, I know. Well, now I’m even more confident to say it again. YOU and I share in the Matthew 28:18 declaration. And Jesus here even takes it a step father – whatever WE bind ON earth will be bound in heaven. Understand something: this isn’t a neat trick; it’s a truck load of responsibility. Note also the fact that Jesus says HE will do the building of churches, not us. And finally, He has declared that Hell itself will not overcome us. Why? Cause Satan and his demons fell. They are under your feet. We resist the devil, AND HE FLEES FROM US. That never could have taken place in Daniel’s day, under the Old Covenant.

“And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." Mrk 16:17-18

If you don’t believe they will follow you, then they won’t. It’s that simple. Put yourself at risk, where God has to do the impossible through you. If a miracle happens, you’re on the right track. If it doesn’t, you’re still on the right track. Keep at it, and eventually you will die to yourself to the point where it is no longer you who lives, but Christ who lives in you. Then you’ll be a ball of Holy Spirit fire.

“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.” Col 2:9-10

Again, this is to remind us that our enemy is UNDER us, not over us. He fell from his place of authority. He is stripped bare. The only thing left is for us to advance and repossess the land and the lives he has taken. OUR COARSE OF ACTION IS NOT TO SIT AND PRAY FOR GOD TO REMOVE PRINCIPALITIES AND STONGMEN. He did that. Now you move in and apprehend the enemy, and set people free.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” Eph 1:3-6

If you have BEEN blessed (past tense) with EVERY spiritual blessing, is there any blessing left to be blessed with? Honestly, think about it. We ask God to bless us. But can He? Is there anything left for Him to give? “Oh Lord bless me, and keep me, cause your face to shine on me”. It’s a beautiful prayer. But does it still apply today? Is not Ephesians 1:3-6 even more wonderful?

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ...” Rom 8:17

Too good to be true. Which is why so few dare to teach on it today.

“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” Eph 2:6-7

Whatever seat Satan fell from, be sure of this: your seat is much higher, and greater. Again, he is defeated. Act accordingly.
Also, for those who often feel that God is “far from you”, or, that He has “hidden His face” from you, to you I say this: Be reminded of who He is, and who you are because of Him. How can God hide from you if you are sitting next to Him in heaven, and He is dwelling inside you on earth? Renew your mind!

“For through [Jesus] we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” Eph 2:18

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.” Eph 1:13-14

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” Eph 3:20

I couldn’t resist! God’s power works through us! Just like it worked through Jesus when he walked the earth!

----- Part 2: Applying Our Pyramid to Modern Teachings and Doctrines -----

This Pyramid can be used as a sort of ‘measuring stick’ or ‘grid’, if you will, to a host of doctrines, traditions, and teachings that are prevalent in the church today. The intent is that you now can verify if what you are being taught lines up with the completed work of Jesus Christ and the New Covenant He established. For the scope of this article, I will limit my attention to teachings on mantles, impartations, and anointing, as I mentioned above.

So Is There Anything More That I Can Receive From God?

This sort of article will undoubtedly beg such a question. So I have taken the liberty of asking it myself, with the obvious intent of answering it.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” Eph 1:3

So, can we receive more? Well, as far as blessings go, no.

“Now concerning spiritual [gifts], brethren, I would not have you ignorant.” 1 Cor 12:1

I figured this chapter, or Ephesians 4:7-13, would have also come to your mind. “I don’t have this certain gift, but I’d like to”, you say. This is a big issue, and I don’t have room to cover it. So I’ll simply say this: Gifts simply help the church mature into Christ. Once we mature into Christ, we don’t need gifts. Did Jesus operate in gifts, or did he reflect the Father because he was mature in the Spirit? Did Paul walk in gifts, or did he reflect Jesus Christ because he was mature in the Spirit? Here are some passages from 1 Corinthians 12, 14, and Ephesians 4:

“But covet earnestly the best gifts.” 1 Cor 12:31

Don’t pick one gift - pick them all.

“Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy...
Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.” 1 Cor 14:1, 12

Again, the purpose of these gifts is to help people in your local church mature into Christ.

“But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it…
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” Eph 4:7, 11-15

So, can we receive more? Yes and No. It would seem that in learning how to have the Holy Spirit manifest through us, we can grow more, learn more, and have more. This is done by seeking to have more. But it isn’t a matter of God holding back. It is a matter of OUR OWN MATURITY and UNDERSTANDING. The more we seek to do things that build up and edify our brethren in the church, the more we will see the Spirit manifesting through us. This includes teaching, discipling, laying hands on the sick, songs of worship, etc. As times passes, you will learn how to RELEASE the power of the Spirit through you, instead of waiting for a sovereign move of God. Take this example: Jesus healed on command. Peter healed on command. Paul healed on command. They did not operate in the gift of healing; they operated in maturity, through an understanding of who they were.

“I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift” 1 Cor 1:4-6

In essence, we don’t need more ‘gifts of the Spirit’. We need to have our knowledge of Jesus Christ and ourselves enriched. More on this in the following section.

LORD, I WANT MORE!

Now, gifts aside, there is another theme I want to cover. This is pretty much the crux of this article. IT IS BY FAR, THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT TO BE STRESSED HERE. What I am about to cover is the one thing we can receive more of. It is the one thing we need to have taught more often, sung more often, prayed for more often, and emphasized more often. If you want ‘more’ from God, or from your church, or from the next conference you’ve registered for – THIS IS THE ‘MORE’ YOU NEED TO BE AFTER. It’s better, more powerful, and more effective than an anointing, mantle, impartation, sermon, worship CD, or warm-fuzzy you could ever experience. Ready?

Want more? You got it!

“I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor 1:4-8

Growing in the gifts of the Spirit comes from being enriched through teaching and knowledge of who we are in Christ. Knowledge. In other words, the more we know about who WE ARE, THE LESS WE WILL LACK. Interesting…

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” Eph 1:17-19

What was Paul asking? That his church KNOW Jesus Christ better, and that they KNOW who Jesus SAYS THEY ARE more thoroughly. Not only that, but that they would KNOW MORE about our calling, and KNOW MORE about our inheritance, and KNOW MORE about our power through the Spirit. It doesn’t seem like it’s enough to hear it once and move on…

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Eph 3:16-21

This is bizarre. Paul is so wanting that these people KNOW Christ and who THEY are because of Christ that he actually prays that they be given divine power to enable them to KNOW these wonderful things. He even implies that their experiencing fullness in God seems come from their experiential knowledge of who Jesus is and who they are in Him.

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” Php 1:9-11

Haven’t we seen this already? It’s like Paul can’t seem to stress this knowledge thing enough! The more we know Him, and who we are in Him, the more we can discern what is best, and live apart from sin. Amazing!

“[We] have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.” Col 1:9-12

Wow! Want to know what pleases our Father?
-bearing fruit in every good work,
-growing in the knowledge of God,
-being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,
-and joyfully giving thanks to the Father

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER! Look at the emphasis Paul places on being filled with wisdom and knowledge and understanding, in order that we might know Jesus Christ EVEN MORE!

“I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Col 2:1-3

Read this again: “so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding.” This is key. This is vital. This is what keeps you from begging God to give you something He already gave, and to do for you what He has commanded you to do for Him. This is what keeps us from thinking that God has held back, held out, or has disqualified you in some way. This is what make you realize that you ALREADY have all the power, authority, calling, anointing, leading, permission, and any other hindrance you’ve hid behind in order to keep yourself from bearing good fruit for Jesus Christ. Knowing Jesus Christ, and who you are in Him, sets you free from religion, doctrines, powerlessness, and apathy.

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another. But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again…” Rom 15:13-15

I’ve said this once, but I will stress it again. It is not enough to read about Jesus, and about who we are, then get the T-shirt, go to the conference, and move on.

THERE IS NO MOVING ON.

Where can you go beyond Jesus Christ? You are in Him, He is in you. You’re stuck. Finding Him will lead you to finding yourself in Him. Paul seems to indicate here that he was writing to people that were not only full of this knowledge that I’ve been advocating, but that they were also admonishing each other in this knowledge. Yet Paul felt it was ok to remind them of things they already knew! He didn’t move on; he went over it again and again. This is the fundamental difference between them and us. Their focus was Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ alone. And as their knowledge of Him grew, so did their knowledge of themselves grow.

“Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” Col 3:9-10

Remember how I emphasized the fact that we are a new creation? Guess what we need to do in order to live like a new creation? By renewing our thinking!

Now, If you’ve had enough of Paul, let’s hear from Peter. I believe that this passage is a wonderful summary of what we’ve been exploring together up till now. So read it carefully, and slowly:

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body.” 2 Pet 1:3-13

----- Part 3: So what About…? -----

What About Impartation?

New Covenant Biblical Context:

“For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine.” Rom 1:11-12

“But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. Having so fond an affection for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us. For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.” 1 Thes 2:7-9

The impartations Paul speaks of are in the sense of encouragement, and edification. They stem from a desire for intimacy and discipleship. It has nothing to do with giving someone an ‘anointing’ during an alter call at the end of a Sunday service. Remember, you already have EVERYTHING given to you. You just need to go learn what it is that God has given you.

What About Anointing?

New Covenant Biblical Context:

“But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.” 1 Jon 2:20

“See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he promised us—even eternal life. I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.” 1 Jon 2:24-27

There is no biblical basis for teachings on ‘anointing for finances’, or ‘anointing for healing’, or ‘an anointed man of God’, or the ‘anointing was there that night’. We are all smeared with the Holy Spirit. God anointed us first, and then filled us with His Spirit. End of story. What more could you want? What more is there to have? Think of it this way: In the Old Testament, the anointing of olive oil was like painting a big “X” on someone, and then God telling His Spirit, “Go land on that “X” down there. Now, that “X” is no longer on our foreheads – it is in our hearts. And God himself did the anointing (whereas before he would send someone to do it), and then tells His Spirit to fill in the space where the “X” was. Then out comes you! Born anew, and filled with His Spirit.

What About Mantles?

New Covenant Biblical Context: None.

Old Covenant Biblical Context:

“So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him.” 1 Kings 19:19

“As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, "My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!" And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them apart. He picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. Then he took the cloak that had fallen from him and struck the water with it. "Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.” 2 Kings 2:11-14

Mantle: 'addereth – The Hebrew word literally means “wide”, or “ample”. However, it is most often rendered “cloak” (in the sense that the cloak is wide), and also “glory”.

The Closest Thing You Will Find in the NT:

"I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." Luke 24:49

“If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.” 1 Pet 4:14

"The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." Rom 13:12-14

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." Eph 6:10-11

“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” Gal 3:26-27

Well, take your pick: a New Covenant Mantle is either the armor of God, or Jesus Christ. I’m leaning towards Jesus Christ on this one. Seriously though, our mantle is not that of Elijah, Moses, John G. Lake, Smith Wigglesworth, Mariah Woodworth-Etter, Martin Luther, John Calvin, or an other man or woman of God’s. My mantle is great than Elisha’s, or David’s, or Isaiah’s. That’s right. They would have given everything they had to have the mantle I have today. My mantle is Jesus Christ. You can’t beat it, not matter how many you wear.

What About Double-Portions?

New Covenant Context: None.

Old Covenant Context:

“When a man hath two wives, the one loved and the other hated, and they have borne to him sons (the loved one and the hated one), and the first-born son hath been to the hated one; then it hath been, in the day of his causing his sons to inherit that which he hath, he is not able to declare first-born the son of the loved one, in the face of the son of the hated one -- the first-born.
But the first-born, son of the hated one, he doth acknowledge, to give to him a double portion of all that is found with him, for he [is] the beginning of his strength; to him [is] the right of the first-born.” Deut 21:15-17

“And Israel saith unto Joseph, `Lo, I am dying, and God hath been with you, and hath brought you back unto the land of your fathers; and I -- I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I have taken out of the hand of the Amorite by my sword and by my bow.'“ Gen 48:21-22

“And Elijah taketh his robe, and wrappeth [it] together, and smiteth the waters, and they are halved, hither and thither, and they pass over both of them on dry land.
And it cometh to pass, at their passing over, that Elijah hath said unto Elisha, `Ask, what do I do for thee before I am taken from thee?' and Elisha saith, `Then let there be, I pray thee, a double portion of thy spirit unto me;'
and he saith, `Thou hast asked a hard thing; if thou dost see me taken from thee, it is to thee so; and if not, it is not.'” 2 Kings 2:8-10

Portion: peh – The Hebrew literally means “mouth”. But in relation to the passage it is used in, can be rendered “helping” [of food], or “portion” [of food]. The legal implications of a double portion primarily related to the inheritance allocated to the first-born male in a Hebrew household (see above, Deut 21:15-17).

The Closest Thing You Will Find in the NT:

In Romans 8:28-29, Christ is “the firstborn among many brethren.” Jesus is our Elder Brother. He has authority and power over us, His younger brothers and sisters. He is the head of the Church. He is honored and obeyed.

In Colossians 1:15-17, Christ is “the firstborn over all creation.” He has power and authority over the whole creation and universe, for He created them. His Name is above every other name, Phil. 2:9-11. He has authority over all men, angels, principalities and powers. He is King of all kings, and Lord of all lords.

In Colossians 1:18 and Revelation 1:5, Christ is “the firstborn from the dead.” Jesus has complete power and authority over death. Death fears Him and bows before Him. Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life, and has the keys of death and hell, Rev.1:18, Jn.11:25.

In Hebrews 12:22-23 we read of “the Church of the firstborn [ones.]” In the original Greek the firstborn is plural. This speaks of believers who are firstborn ones among their brethren.

There you have it folks. Christ is our eldest brother, and legally entitled to a double portion of any inheritance His Father was to give him. But, because God our Father wanted to do a new thing on the earth, God decided to change that old system and introduce a better one: The last-born, and the first-born, all share in the same inheritance! WE WERE ALREADY GIVEN A DOUBLE PORTION. In fact, because our portion is not material, but spiritual, it has no limit, no bounds, and no end. It can’t be quantified. It can’t be counted. It can’t be multiplied.

Read: “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him” 2 Pet 1:3

and,

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” Eph 1:3

Well friends, that’s it for now! Pass it on and read it over and over again!

Praise be to God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!!!

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“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” Col 2:6-8

If ever there was a buzzword in the 21st century Charismatic Evangelical communities that so greatly took hold of the attention of people and cause such widespread demand for new teachings and new doctrines, it would be this: “Anointing”. And with it, its de-contextualized synonyms, mainly: “mantle”, “impartation”, and “double-portion”.

The purpose of this article is to address these words, their meanings, and their biblical implications. And I will do so by constructing a simple pyramid: I will lay a foundation that is based on finished work of Christ on the Cross; then layer that with a foundation of who Jesus Christ is; followed by a layer of who we NOW are in Christ; then add to that an understanding of what we HAVE because of the fact that we are in Christ. From there, I will address these buzzwords from their original context and explain how they apply to us today.

The end goal is to provide the everyday Christian with a Christ-centered approach to teachings on “anointings”, “mantles”, “Impartations”, and “double-portions”, as well as a host of other excuses Christians have invented in order to keep themselves inactive and lethargic.

Prelude

“Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” 2 Tim 4:2-5

“You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.” Tit 2:1

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines.” Heb 13:8-9

These scriptures remain true today, and carry the same gravity (if not a greater one) that they did when they were first written. Any teaching that is not centered on the finished work of Jesus Christ need to be tested and laid up against the New Covenant that Christ established with His Bride. Do I want revival? Do I want signs and wonders? Do I want to see everyone manifesting Christ in word and in power? “Yes!” I say, to all of these. Yet I do so under the caution Paul gave:

“Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.” 1 Ths 5:19-22

----- Part 1: The Pyramid -----

What Have We in Christ?
>>Who Are We Now, As New Creations in Christ?
>>>Foundation: Who is Jesus Christ Now As Resurrected Lord?
>>>>Foundation: The Old / New Covenant Transition – The Finished Work of Christ

This pyramid, along with everything else in this article, will be mainly established on Scriptures, read within context, with a bit of commentary following each passage quoted. In other words, I’m leaving as little room as possible for me to establish any sort of new teaching or doctrine, and simply letting the Bible speak for itself. Here goes!

First Layer - The Old Covenant to New Covenant Transition

This is by far one of the greatest stumbling blocks in the Bride of Christ and in church communities across the globe, as we know it. I will be blunt, and I will be clear: The Old Testament era has ended. Its promises are made true through the finished work of Jesus Christ. A new era began when Christ ascended from death and sat at the right hand of the Father. The Gospels depict Jesus coming into an age that was about to end (Lk 16:15-17). In fact, the New Testament, a new era, doesn’t actually begin until Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 20. This first full book of the New Covenant is the book of Acts.

A transition took place on the cross. An epic shift happened in all realms, dimensions, heavens, the visible world, and the invisible world. The balance of power changed. How God dealt with creation changed. How Satan ruled the world changed. Listen to the words of our Lord himself before you cast your stones:

“…the face of the earth and of the heaven you know how to evaluate and interpret. But this strategic, epochal period of time, how is it that you are not evaluating and interpreting it?” Luke 12:56 (WET)

Jesus here was addressing the crowds and the religious leaders of his day, concerning the importance and gravity of the transition He was about to bring about in heaven and on earth.

So, what are some of the things that changed? Well, the obvious – like Christ dying for our sins, and God’s work of salvation for humanity, are things that I will not cover. It is the finer points that we need to comb through.

Let’s begin to build our pyramid.

“Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Mat 28:18

This is by far one of the greatest statements in the entire Bible. Yes, that’s right. Why? Let’s reason through it: Authority over heaven and authority over the earth WAS NOT Jesus’. If it was, He would not have made this announcement. Heaven was the Father’s, and Satan subdued the earth. Now, Satan no longer has authority over the earth. What was stolen from us (Gen 1:28) in Genesis 3, Christ has restored.

“I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come.” Mat 11:11-14

David, Moses, Elijah, Samuel, Enoch, Rachel, Rebecca – these were all great men and women of God, indeed. Yet, Jesus Himself says that John the Baptist was even greater. So if you want to strive to be like an Old Testament figure, then go for John the Baptist, not David. Now, what’s even more amazing is what He says next – in the Kingdom of God, which has now come, anyone (including you) is greater than David, Moses, Elijah, and John the Baptist. Greater. Now. Yes, you! So why on earth would you hold up Moses or David as inspiration if you are already greater than them in the Kingdom? Want my advice? Hold up Jesus Christ as your inspiration and model, and no one else. Seriously.

“However, as it is written:
"No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love him"— but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.” 1 Cor 2:9-10

"For who has known the mind of the Lord
that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Cor 2:16

How many times have you heard Christians say, “God only knows…”, and, “It’s impossible to know the will of God”? Well, it is now possible. In fact, it is demanded of you:

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Rom 12:2

You are now supposed to be able to PROVE what the will of God is.

“Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” 1 Cor 3:16-17

“Let’s go to the house of God”, and “This is the house of the Lord”, are common statements heard in churches. Problem is, they are Old Covenant derivatives, and they no longer apply today. God’ house today is a mobile unit – you.

“We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Cor 3:13-18

We don’t need to “seek His glory”, or ask for a “cloud of glory”. We are not like Moses, as we just read. Moses only saw God’s back. We have seen His Son. That trumps Moses’ experience hands down. Moses saw his goodness pass by. We have the same God with His goodness ABIDING IN US, AND HE DOES NOT LEAVE. And we don’t need to look for His glory, for we now radiate it (I will cover this more in a little bit).

“Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man. For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer. For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second…
In that He says, “A new covenant, ” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.” Heb 8:1-7, 13

I’m glad Paul wrote this, or else you wouldn’t believe me. The Old Covenant is obsolete. Does this mean that its promises are made null? No! They are made true through Jesus Christ. Does this mean that Psalms and Proverbs are now irrelevant? No! But we no longer approach the books of the Old Testament in the shoes of someone who is still under that age. We no longer need to identify with anyone in the Bible (Job, Daniel, Solomon, etc) except for Jesus Himself. We are now like Him, and no one else. We must be able to apply knowledge and wisdom when we read the Hebrew Scriptures, in order that we may discern what has been fulfilled, what is yet to come, and what no longer applies. “I know this already”, you say. Then why do you spend so much time and effort seeking after the things of the Old Covenant? Mantles, glory clouds, God’s goodness to pass before you, lifting up a beggar’s prayer, and wanting to be like David, Joshua, or Elijah? A transition has taken place. It’s been 2000 years. We need to renew our minds and align them with teachings of Jesus Christ and his apostles.

Second Layer - Who Is Jesus Christ, the Resurrected Lord?

I’m sorry to say this, but Jesus is no longer the carpenter who bears a shepherds rod in his hand. His is a majestic, warring, conquering, victorious, holy, noble king, seated on the highest throne, in the greatest kingdom, reigning over heaven and earth. Understanding the full measure of who He IS will be a lifelong endeavor. However, grasping key elements of who Jesus Christ is now is vital if we are ever to understand who WE are, BECAUSE of who He is.

Take time as you read these passages. Mediate on them. Think them over. Let them sink into you. Don’t read them in haste.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” John 1:1-3

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 

Who, being in very nature[a] God, 

did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 

but made himself nothing, 

taking the very nature[b] of a servant, 

being made in human likeness. 

And being found in appearance as a man, 

he humbled himself 

and became obedient to death— 

even death on a cross! 

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place 

and gave him the name that is above every name, 

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, 

in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, 

to the glory of God the Father.” Php 2:5-11

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” Col 1:15-20

“Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Mat 28:18

“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” Eph 1:18-23

“[This] mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.” Col 1:26-28

I chose to end with Colossians 1:26-28 because of how absurd it is. Above, we read of the vast and great complexities, grandeur, and power of the Risen Lord Jesus – only to learn that the One who encompasses all things and holds all things together resides IN YOU and IN ME. That this is a “mystery”, as Paul put it, is an understatement. It almost doesn’t make sense. Think about it. He holds the universe together. He has all authority, and all power. He is seated on the highest throne in the highest heaven. And, He is also in you.

I think that it is best for me to accept this mystery, and do as Mary did when she was told that the Christ-child would be birthed through her: “Behold, the bond-slave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word." Lk 1:38.

Third Layer - Who Are You, O Believer in Christ?

This is another catastrophic plague in the Body of Christ – a lack of knowledge and understanding concerning our identity as new creatures in Christ. I am guilty of this same issue. Perhaps this too will take a lifetime to full grasp and live out. Nevertheless, it is imperative that we understand the basic elements that make up the believer – ones the world calls, “Christians”.

“You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed you [I have planted you], that you might go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit may be lasting [that it may remain, abide], so that whatever you ask the Father in My Name [as presenting all that I AM], He may give it to you.” John 15:16

We have been appointed. Which means, we have been given a responsibility. Meaning, if the task isn’t completed, it’s your fault, not His. And the task is that we bear fruit. And fruit is souls – to be fishers of men. We are to bring people out of the Kingdom of Darkness and into the Kingdom of Light.

Now, to be clear: who’s responsible? I’ll give you a hint – it’s not Jesus.

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17:20-23

In case you though John 15:16 doesn’t apply to you, Jesus makes it clear here that it does. Now, check this out:
-Jesus has given us HIS GLORY. Why chase a cloud? Just look in the mirror!
-God and Jesus and Holy Spirit are IN US, right now. And we are in them. Crazy.
-In unity, meaning we need to work together, WE are to let the world know about Jesus Christ and God our Father.

“The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.” John 14:10-13

The only thing keeping us from living this out are those who teach and believe that we can’t live this out. Believe His words, and start going for it. Trial is error is not a bad thing.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” John 14:27

Shalom peace is good. But the peace of Jesus Christ is better. Receive it!

“Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." John 20:21

No, Jesus is not sending you to die on a cross and be a sacrifice for mankind. But, He HAS SENT YOU OUT ON A MISSION. God sent Jesus to establish the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, to set captives free, to destroy the works of the Devil, to heal the sick, raise the dead, and preach to everyone that God is establishing His dominion and rule over the earth, and freedom from Sin and the dominion of Darkness is now available to everyone who wants it. Now, the baton has been passed on to us. The choice is YOURS, not God’s, as to whether or not you will run the course during the time you spend on earth.

“It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master.” Mt 10:25

This just emphasizes John 20:21. Jesus Himself WANTS us to be like him. Religious jargon says otherwise.

“On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." Acts 1:4-5

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them…
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: ‘[This] is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
"In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.”’” Acts 2:1-4, 14-17

How do you see John 14:12 play out in your life? Holy Spirit in you. The Trinity abides in YOU, right NOW. That is a good head start, don’t you think?

“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ…” Rom 8:15-17

“Less of me, more of you God!” “I am nothing”. “God, kill me, destroy me, do whatever you please with me!” These all sound good a religious during worship sets at your local church. But they are contrary to the reality at present. If Jesus every said such things right now, would it honor God? Oh course not. They why do you say them? “…because as He is, so are we in this world.” 1 Jon 4:17. We are sons, just as Jesus is a son. Period. We hold the rights of a son, the title of a son, the authority of a son, the responsibility of a son, and the access to our Father as a son (this is all gender, race, and age inclusive).

“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” Gal 3:26-27

Case in point.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” 2 Cor 5:17-20

Wow, this is a lot! Let’s break it down:
-We are representatives of Christ, here and now. And God has committed this responsibility TO US, meaning you and me.
-God’s ministry is reconciliation. Therefore, our ministry is reconciliation – not counting people’s trespasses against them. So much for God judging nations, intercession for God’s mercy over our lives and our country, ‘prophets’ who give ‘prophecies’ against cities and nations, etc. GOD is reconciling the entire world to Himself; WE are NOT reconciling the world to God.
-finally, WE ARE A NEW CREATION! NEW! NEW! NEW! YOUR HISTORY GOES BACK ONE GENERATION – TO CHRIST! Notice my enthusiasm here? Read Romans 4-6. Our old self was killed off; not fixed, rehabilitated, or bettered. It was killed. We were born anew. We are a strange new breed: human, but full of divinity. Flesh, but full of Divine Spirit. Nothing else in the cosmos exists that is like us. Even your neighbor, if he doesn’t know God, is not like you. Hence, a “new” creation.

“And [God] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.” Eph 1:9-10

“In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.
He says, 

"I will declare your name to my brothers; 

in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises."
And again, 

"I will put my trust in him."
And again he says, 

"Here am I, and the children God has given me." “ Heb 2:10-13

You are a son, and a brother of Jesus Christ, and you have been brought to God’s glory. If Moses knew about this age we live in, he would have fainted.

“Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God's house.” Heb 3:1-2

Forget David. Forget Elijah. Forget your old self. Christ is able to occupy your mind for the duration of your life, if you so let Him. Hear me out. Imagine a life where you are in the habit of meditating on the above passages you’ve read, day after day. Is there any wonder that Paul was a man obsessed with Jesus Christ? Look at the fruit of his life. He new the Old Testament better than you ever will – yet his one obsession was Jesus. So again, forget David. Forget Elijah. Forget your old self. Fix your thoughts on Jesus Christ, and Him alone.

“Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” Eph 3:8-12

Here’s that responsibility thing again. “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known”. Not through anyone else, not even Jesus. It’s you and me. It’s our job. And if we don’t do it, no one will.

“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.” Tit 3:4-9

Wow, Just, wow. It speaks for itself.

That's the end of PART I !!!

Take a breather, and when you're ready, head over to part II !

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