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
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 07, 2012
Thursday, September 08, 2011
Religious or political church?
“Upon this rock I will build my church.” With these eight words, the Lord Jesus announced the establishment of the body of citizens that would populate His spiritual polity. In this system, the citizens are called the “Ekklesia,” the Greek word translated church. The church is a body of believers who submit their lives to the Lord Jesus because they have faith that He is the One to rule the kingdom of God, the spiritual kingdom spoken of by Moses and the prophets. This body of believers received the good news that the kingdom and the King had come. They are the official representatives of this spiritual kingdom in the earth. Simply put, the church is a political assembly.
Today, however, millions of people get dressed up to “go to church.” What caused this shift from people being the church to people going to church? How did the church mutate to a religious body from a political one? Finally, how do we recapture the spirit of what the Lord Jesus started when He established the church?
The people of the early church did not refer to themselves as Christians. They called themselves the people of the Way. The term reflected what the Lord Jesus declared when He said “I am the way.” This description implied that the Lord Jesus alone was their leader. A shift occurred when Christianity was instituted as an official state religion. With this shift, Christianity came under man’s control instead of under the spiritual control of the Lord Jesus Christ. The king ruled over the religion, and men were placed in the churches to rule over the congregations. To be called a Christian denoted being a follower of the official government approved religion instead of being a follower of Christ Jesus and Him alone. This included assembling on the approved day, in the approved buildings. Once assembled, the ruler of the congregation was able to persuade this mass of people that what he was saying was truth. His credibility was based on the fact that the government approved the religion, and he was selected to lead that congregation based on church leadership. For the people in the congregation, reliance upon the Scriptures for personal understanding was no longer necessary; the Lord gave that “special” or “anointed” person the understanding to impart to the people. This pattern has endured for centuries.
How then, do we return to the spirit of the church that the Lord Jesus established? Such a radical change will require a revolt; only this revolt is one of obedience to the Lord Jesus. The focus must return to the people, rather than growing an organization. To shift the focus away from a single leader back to Christ Jesus, the governments of local fellowships need to follow the pattern provided to us in the Scriptures, where presbyteries of elders provided the leadership for the congregations. Most important, the church must grow according to the pattern that our Lord Jesus established. He commanded His disciples to preach the kingdom of God and make disciples. This will not be a simple task, but it is necessary if we truly desire to see His kingdom manifested in our lives.
© 2011 Ron Mosby, Cincinnati, OH
Today, however, millions of people get dressed up to “go to church.” What caused this shift from people being the church to people going to church? How did the church mutate to a religious body from a political one? Finally, how do we recapture the spirit of what the Lord Jesus started when He established the church?
The people of the early church did not refer to themselves as Christians. They called themselves the people of the Way. The term reflected what the Lord Jesus declared when He said “I am the way.” This description implied that the Lord Jesus alone was their leader. A shift occurred when Christianity was instituted as an official state religion. With this shift, Christianity came under man’s control instead of under the spiritual control of the Lord Jesus Christ. The king ruled over the religion, and men were placed in the churches to rule over the congregations. To be called a Christian denoted being a follower of the official government approved religion instead of being a follower of Christ Jesus and Him alone. This included assembling on the approved day, in the approved buildings. Once assembled, the ruler of the congregation was able to persuade this mass of people that what he was saying was truth. His credibility was based on the fact that the government approved the religion, and he was selected to lead that congregation based on church leadership. For the people in the congregation, reliance upon the Scriptures for personal understanding was no longer necessary; the Lord gave that “special” or “anointed” person the understanding to impart to the people. This pattern has endured for centuries.
How then, do we return to the spirit of the church that the Lord Jesus established? Such a radical change will require a revolt; only this revolt is one of obedience to the Lord Jesus. The focus must return to the people, rather than growing an organization. To shift the focus away from a single leader back to Christ Jesus, the governments of local fellowships need to follow the pattern provided to us in the Scriptures, where presbyteries of elders provided the leadership for the congregations. Most important, the church must grow according to the pattern that our Lord Jesus established. He commanded His disciples to preach the kingdom of God and make disciples. This will not be a simple task, but it is necessary if we truly desire to see His kingdom manifested in our lives.
© 2011 Ron Mosby, Cincinnati, OH
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