Comments on: Churchianity Today

By: Chip Brogden

Chip Brogden — Thu, 08 Nov 2018 21:27:25 +0000

In reply to Bob Claro. Hi Bob, You make some great points, but your central thesis is incorrect. The Ekklesia is not a democracy. Democracy is about majority rule. Everyone gets a vote, and the will of the majority prevails. This is how many governments, churches, and organizations conduct business, but that is very different from the Spirit-led consensus of the Ekklesia. Even the leaders of the Ekklesia are not voted on, but are selected by the Holy Spirit and only affirmed by the Body, not voted on by the Body. The religious system is broken and without a prophetic voice precisely because it follows the majority rule of democracy, and they long ago voted that the pastor is the spiritual head of the church and that prophets are not for today. Democracy in action.

By: Bob Claro

Bob Claro — Thu, 08 Nov 2018 19:27:52 +0000

Hi Chip, In your article Churchianity Today, you said, “…Who are the leaders of Organized Religion? Those who have been elected to fill leadership positions. Democracy is a fine system of government, but we note that the Kingdom of God is not and never will be a democracy.”

Christians have been taught to hate democracy as a church system! They fly the American Flag in front of churches and up in front at the “altar”, but hate democracy??? Why fly the American Flag??? Why not fly the flag of some totalitarian dictatorship? Oh yes, they also fly the “christian” flag: maybe that’s the flag of dictatorship.

However, Jesus said, “I will build My ekklesia….” The ekklesia was a well-known system of government in the first century. In fact, the ekklesia dated all the way back to 500 BC when the Greeks introduced democracy. The ekklesia is a democratic, deliberative, assembly. This is what was so unique about the ekklesia: it is utterly democratic. And, it is deliberative, that is, matters are discussed, debated, and voted on. In the membership of the church over which Jesus is the head, we are taught to yield ourselves one to another (1 Peter 5:5, 1 Thes 4:9). In other words be able to come to an agreement without some authority figure calling all the shots for you.

The elders of the assembly are to give wise guidance and keep it orderly, but the assembly of Christ has Christ as its head. Jesus said, “Do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren” (Matt 23:8). The ekklesia of Christ is led by elders (plural) and is a democratic, deliberative, assembly of God’s people. See Acts 15 where elders led the people to a consensus of opinion and policy. The “church” service of 1 Cor 14 doesn’t even include a “pastor” at all!

In fact Jesus said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matt 20:25-28 NKJV). I think “those who are great exercise authority over them” describes the role of the pastor (no matter how “benevolent”) as we know it today: “those who are great [or think they are great] exercise authority over them.”

The ekklesia has functioned as a format for associations, organizations, clubs, and even parliaments and governments (our own senate for example). The ekklesia was a functional format in Jesus day: for example, Acts 19 where a craftsmen’s guild was known as an “assembly” (from the word, ekklesia). Yes, that guild meeting got out of hand, but that’s the nature of an ekklesia: it can get out of hand. The ekklesia, as applied to the assembly of the saints, (or Christ’s ekklesia) can only operate successfully if God’s love is applied. Other than that, you’ve just got “church” where a pastor has all the final “say-so” and the grown men of the congregation sit as children, every week, listening politely and never having a voice at all: that’s why all the prophets disappeared.

The best example of Christ’s ekklesia in operation is in 1 Corinthians 14. But what churchman wants that to happen today? And, anyway, where are the prophets of God today? Have the gates of hell prevailed against the church? Jesus said, “I will build My ekklesia, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matt 16:18). It’s up to us to push down the “gates of Hell” and reclaim Christ’s ekklesia.

By: Joanne Aalders

Joanne Aalders — Sat, 10 Dec 2016 12:34:03 +0000

How amazing is His grace !
After becoming a Christian I fell among thorns (went to church ) and the thorns grew up and chocked my living word, the lust for other things, the prosperity gospel.
I also experienced a heart by the wayside, a road well travelled, thought I had all the answers and that I had arrived.
Again a stony heart, one of a Pharisee, self righteous !
By His grace I am now experiencing good ground, Jesus, and the living from out of Him, our vine, the knowing that apart from Him I am nothing and can do nothing, His work in progress. He who Is light exposed me for the fraud I was, because of His love for me !
He is so faithful. As I submit to Him and the cross, no longer is He being hidden under the bushel and bed which all those other grounds produced.
I praise Him our treasure in this His candlestick (earthen vessel )
I thank Him for the gospel through you and the contending for the faith once delivered !
Lots of love
In the Shepherd

By: Chip Brogden

Chip Brogden — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 16:27:28 +0000

In reply to teresa. Hey Teresa, believe it or not, I'm an introvert also. I think God uses all kinds to reach all kinds. Not everyone is made to function the same way.

By: teresa

teresa — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 01:15:52 +0000

I find it difficult to love people now days. They are such a troublesome species. I don’t get humans at all. Maybe that’s why I’m not married either. I have low tolerance for a society made up of folks that want to control each other. ……….. what causes arguments amongst you? I’m an introvert by nature. I like it very much. People are exhausting. I’m not sure how Jesus put up with it. I got a long way to go before I ever become like him.

By: Richard Schwery

Richard Schwery — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:25:25 +0000

100%. All of it is true. This prosperity gospel has landed in Switzerland. Church growth…. Marketing programs…. In my little city we have a heavy burden for the soul. The Lord told us “where are the anointed?, what have they done ?” 1/3 of my vine has been blown away with false doctrine. 1/3 is being eaten by the mite and 1/3 has dried up. There is urgent need for the truth to be proclaimed, to bring the souls to Jesus so H can take off their burden. But when we want to find some christians to pray for it, we are blocked because the answer is always the same : we need to establish an evangelical church, so we can bring people to the church.
Bro Chip, we do feel lonely sometimes. But we have faith and it will be a time when a difference shall be made between those who serve the Lord and those who do not. Faith and patience with the Lord always pays. We have lot of testimonies ot the supernatural and wonders We experience with the Lord.
Be blesses.

By: J Tucker

J Tucker — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 09:59:11 +0000

Wow. This is truly an answered prayer. I’ve been disturbed about the way the churches I’ve been to operate so pridefully. We are brought up to go with the flow, but the Holy Spirit is telling me to be selfless and proclaim Jesus to all. I’m tired of feeling bound to being quiet as a mouse, quenching the Holy Spirit. Amen. Thank you.

By: teresa fazzolari

teresa fazzolari — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 04:26:48 +0000

Ever watch the animation “Z” with Woody Allen?
It has got to be the most prophetic picture of the Church today. The ants are so regimented and programmed it takes an insignificant Ant to go against the flow and save the entire colony.

By: Larry

Larry — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 19:30:22 +0000

I understand that the word of the church is not God’s plan. The church in the world is human organization,is the structural building by man’s hands. The church(the earthly kingdom) is not the part of the ekklesia. The ekklesia is essentially spiritual in nature, and because it is spiritual, it is heavenly. Jesus IS building His called-out ones into an unseen, holy, heavenly Building of His design and making; He is calling us out of Sin, Self, Church,and Substitutes into Himself as The Place where God is…in Life,in Freedom,in Peace,Rest, Love and All that Christ Himself is!
While we look not at the things which are seen,but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. The church means the physical structure are seen are temporal. The ekklesia of Christ are not seen are eternal.
(2 Corinthians 4:18) Christ is building His ekklesia in AD. 33 in Matthew 16;18.

Larry

By: James Mal

James Mal — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 13:41:46 +0000

Dear Chip Bless you in the name of Jesus.
I have read Prophetic Savant not once but four times or more. I will read it again and write little more about it. I do not want to give my comments. To be honest, I do not like the word “Comment”. It is foolishness to try to give comments on the Things of the spirit of God. What you have written is not commentable it is commendable. When I read it I was lifted up to the heavenlies.( I do not know what is wrong with me)It subtantiated what is happening with me, I will write again about the Church, where I had been one of the leaders for forty years.Not any more.”World shall hate you” and you will be left out alone in the cold. World is not out there, they are perishing. The world has infiltrated in the Church.Math.13:39-41. I would love to come to U S and meet with you. Hopefully I will do it, when? I don’t know.
Bless you