An open e-mail to Eddie Long

Dear Eddie Long,

I greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus, the firstborn from the dead, seated at the right hand of the Father as the true King of kings and Lord of lords.

This is the second time I have come to you by letter. The last time I contacted you, it was about conduct as one who has declared himself to be a child of God. I spoke to you regarding your decision to challenge your accusers in a court of man’s law, and how that opposed the instructions given to the apostle Paul by the Holy Spirit to bring our issues before the church, that the church may judge the matter.

I now come to you again, this time as one grieved in spirit. The recent video of you being wrapped in a Jewish scroll has caused much angst among many, inside and outside of Christianity. For the record, I have not viewed the video. The Holy Spirit would not permit me to watch such antics, which make a mockery not only of Judaism, but also of our Lord Jesus Himself. Those actions clearly were not of God, for why would it be necessary to apologize to God’s beloved if we are truly obeying our Lord and operating in His will? Such actions in no way glorify God, and is ignominy to the glorious gospel given to us by the grace of God.

Your “enthronement” as king is an abomination to our Lord, and opposes the very oracles of God spoken by the prophet Ezekiel:
Ezekiel 21:26-27 ( KJV ) 26Thus saith the Lord GOD; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. 27I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.
I pray that the Holy Spirit would bring about a conviction and remorse such that you go before the congregation, ceremonially remove your diadem, and give it to him whose right it is.

Was no thought given to how your actions would be perceived by those to whom the oracles of God were given? Even the Scriptures remind us that there is an advantage to being a Jew:
Romans 3:1-2 ( KJV ) 1What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? 2Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.
These are the same oracles that testified of the coming Kingdom:
John 5:39 ( KJV ) 39Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

If that local fellowship belongs to you, then you certainly can and will do whatever you desire. If, however, you recognize that the congregation belongs to our Lord Jesus, purchased with His blood, and intended to be presented as a glorious bride without spot or wrinkle, then I pray the Holy Spirit prick your heart such that you repent for your recent conduct and publicly correct what has occurred. Our Lord is rich in mercy, and will have mercy upon those who humble themselves before Him.

I certainly will make myself available should you desire to contact me.

May the grace of our Lord be with you,

Ron Mosby
Elder, The Ekklesia of the Lord Jesus Christ

Megachurch issues part 2

This will be my last post on this issue, but I needed to talk about this last point. "Megachurches," as they are called here in the United States, have become the trend in Christianity lately. I see pastors who desire to have these types of churches. Never mind God's will anymore; keeping up with the spiritual Joneses has taken priority.

How have we come to this place? We have deviated so far from the original commission that we have convinced ourselves that God's priority is to make us comfortable and happy. I do agree with the statement that "Jesus came to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comforted," but we as a country are by no means afflicted.

Let's face it - we are allowing the materialistic objectives of the world to creep into the church. The focus has become more about being trendy than about preaching the uncompromised Word of God. Come to church, get a free car wash! Come to church, relax, and have a cup of coffee! It seems totally opposite of what we as one church are called to do - go out into the world and preach. This type of marketing is what is becoming the priority in many of our congregations today.

A very good friend of mine told me a profound statement that I will never forget. He said "if you get them with a gimmick, you have to keep them with a gimmick." So, if you are lured into a church because of free coffee, soon that will not be enough. Sooner or later, you will become tired of that and want more - maybe free breakfast! We have only one thing to lure people with, and that is Jesus Christ. The moment we deviate from Christ, we lose focus. It is time for us to regain our focus.