NarrowRoad

A freedman of God hosting a journey to discover the lost ekklesia of God. As we continue this mini-series exploring how one obtains eternal life, in this episode we explore the context leading to the delivery of the Sermon on the Mount. We review the meaning of the ministry of John the Baptist and how that ministry was carried forward and expanded by the ministry of Christ. Specifically, we examine the full meaning of the central theme of John’s ministry summarized in his exhortation, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 3:2, also see vss. 8, and 11. Such preaching was reiterated often by Jesus. Matthew 4:17. Repentance is a realignment of the heart away from the values, objectives, and priorities of the worldly kingdom and toward those of the kingdom of God. Only in this way can one have a clear eye in order to receive the light of the teachings of Jesus with regard to the new kingdom being brought by Jesus as the mediator of the New Covenant. See Matthew 6:22. This is why the message of repentance first proclaimed by John was so critical to prepare the way for many to receive the teachings of Christ, one of the most important of which was the Sermon on the Mount that I have referred to as the Mount Sinai of the New Covenant.

A freedman of God hosting a journey to discover the lost ekklesia of God. As we continue this mini-series exploring how one obtains eternal life, in this episode we extend our discussion exploring the context in which the Sermon on the Mount was presented in order to better understand, among other things, Jesus' meaning when referring to the "poor in spirit." In doing this, we closely examine Jeremiah 5 that describes the spiritual condition of Jerusalem in the days of Jeremiah. This spiritually dead condition could have only been amplified by the 400 years of silence, when death prevailed without any light to call for repentance, just prior to the coming of the messenger preparing the way, through the preaching of repentance, for the initiation of the New Covenant by Christ, who was preaching repentance and the good news of the redesigned kingdom of God on earth under the New Covenant. The New Covenant kingdom of God, incorporating a redesigned New Covenant people of God, would certainly be spectacular news to those true worshippers of the Father trapped within a worthless, rebellious, and corrupted people of God who was designated under the Old Covenant. This spectacular news was the gospel (good news) of the kingdom of God that Jesus proclaimed throughout his ministry.

A freedman of God hosting a journey to discover the lost ekklesia of God. As we continue this mini-series exploring how one obtains eternal life, in this episode we complete our discussion on the necessity of persevering in obedience to the end in order to receive eternal life. [Of course, most of us have yet to begin our commitment to obey the commands of Jesus as almost all of us (in fact, I am not personally aware of any exceptions) do not even understand the commands of Jesus. Quite frankly, we live in a period of lawlessness that has spanned over 1,500 years beginning at the dawning of the church system, due to false teachings and practices of every sort.] We compare Romans 5:1-5 with 2 Peter 1:5-7 to explore the similarities inherent in the separate descriptions of the spiritual growth process by the Apostles, Paul and Peter. We compare these descriptions with other shorter depictions of the process such as, the laws being written on one’s heart, or one’s heart being circumcised, or the promise that “you will know the truth” (John 8:31-32). In each description or depiction, the requirement that one must persevere in obedience through tribulations and trials must be fulfilled in order for one to receive eternal life.

A freedman of God hosting a journey to discover the lost ekklesia of God. As we continue this mini-series exploring how one obtains eternal life, in this episode we begin to analyze the requirement that one must persevere in obedience to the end to receive eternal life. We examine numerous passages that make it clear that anyone who turns back after experiencing the joys and fruits of obedience in their travels down the narrow way, is not fit for the kingdom of God. E.g. Luke 9:61-62; Hebrews 6:4-6. We also explore Romans 5:1-5 to study the progression of spiritual maturity that should occur for one in the faith persevering in obedience through tribulation to the end. In the next episode, we will probe additional passages to provide a deeper understanding of the need for perseverance in obedience as a requirement to obtain eternal life.

A freedman of God hosting a journey to discover the lost ekklesia of God. As we continue this mini-series exploring how one obtains eternal life, in this episode we examine one of the primary new developments Jesus brought to the people of Israel (later, to be made available also to all Gentile peoples of God), that is, the New Covenant kingdom of God, aka, the ekklesia of God. This was the gospel of the kingdom of God being first introduced by John the Baptist and continued to be preached by Jesus as he repeatedly proclaimed, “The kingdom of God is at hand!” This New Covenant kingdom of God, as the image of the glorified Kingdom of God, is the centerpiece of the New Covenant in the same way as the Kingdom of Israel, as the shadow of the glorified Kingdom of God, was the centerpiece of the Old Covenant. Thus, not surprisingly, the primary command Jesus gave to his disciples was to seek the [New Covenant] kingdom of God, which is scalable on earth as a unified network of ekklesiai of God, as an image of the ultimate unified network of perfected ekklesiai of God, that is, the Grand Ekklesia, to rule as Queen, as an extension of her King, over a perfected Creation, to constitute the glorified Kingdom of God. Accordingly, the narrow way leading to life in this New Covenant age runs right through the ekklesia of God, the very teaching and understanding of which has been lost and buried for centuries. It is the ekklesia of God that forms the body of Christ, further demonstrating why Jesus refers to himself as the embodiment of the New Covenant way of salvation (as we learned in the last episode), and further highlighting the preeminent and singular importance of this primary command of Jesus, as all other commands are complimentary and descriptive of the New Covenant kingdom of God to be sought and established on earth, as was accomplished in numerous cities by the Apostle Paul.

A freedman of God hosting a journey to discover the lost ekklesia of God. As we continue this mini-series exploring how one obtains eternal life, in this episode we focus on the manner in which Jesus depicted himself in the role assigned to him by the Father. In short, Jesus describes himself as the embodiment of the way of salvation that believers must follow and know in order to obtain eternal life. Jesus states, “I am the Light of the kosmos.”, and, “I am the Good Shepherd.”, and, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Thus, Jesus was not merely providing written commands dictated by the Father as did Moses, as the mediator of the Old Covenant. Rather, Jesus embodied the way of salvation as the messenger of His presence in his role as mediator of the New Covenant. This is why Jesus would proclaim, “I am” the Light, the Good Shepherd, the way, truth, and life. Accordingly, one of the New Covenant age is seeking eternal life, he must seek to live as Jesus lived, and he must seek this with his whole heart. This is why Paul would repeatedly teach that you must be crucified with Christ, so that Christ might live in you. In other words, if Christ died in your place, he will be living in your place. If Christ is not living in your place, he may not have died in your place. This is the test Paul gave to the members of the Corinthian ekklesia to determine whether one was “in the faith.” 2 Corinthians 13:5. In order to learn to know Jesus, you must first understand his commands and obey them. If one perseveres in doing this, Jesus says one will be a “true” disciple and come to “know” the truth, or Christ himself as the “truth”, and the truth will set you free. John 8:31. Though all of the above is true, one should not falsely conclude that you can “earn” eternal life by seeking to live as Christ lived. Eternal life is not earned by your efforts and works, rather, eternal life is a gift or reward given to those who earnestly seek God, which, in the New Covenant age, means those who earnestly seek to live as Christ. Ephesians 2:8-9. Notwithstanding this truth, however, all will be judged by their deeds. Romans 2:5-11; 2 Corinthians 5;10. Moreover, one must never forget that the motivation of a deed is always considered when the deed is judged as righteous or unrighteous. (We learned this in an earlier episode when analyzing Romans 2.) Love motivated the works of Christ, together with his deepest faith in his Father as being true. Accordingly, only those good works motivated by a sincere love for God, and a true faith in His promise to reward those who seek Him, will be counted as righteous deeds.

A freedman of God hosting a journey to discover the lost ekklesia of God. In this next episode of the mini-series exploring how one obtains eternal life, we examine numerous passages further demonstrating the proper understanding of what it means to believe in Jesus as the requirement to obtain eternal life. We also analyze Matthew 10:42-43 to demonstrate how believing in Jesus without first being a true worshipper of the Father does not meet the requirement to obtain eternal life. In addition, we fully expound on Galatians 2:15-21 and 2 Corinthians 13:5 to explain in detail the basis for, and how to apply, the test proposed by the Apostle Paul to determine whether one is in the faith. Finally, we review multiple verses providing more support for the need to obey the New Covenant commands given to us by Christ before one can hope to receive the gift of eternal life.

A freedman of God hosting a journey to discover the lost ekklesia of God. In this episode, we continue this mini-series by reviewing and discussing the passages that make it clear one needs to be a true worshipper of Yahweh before one may be a true disciple of Christ. This is because all those who follow Christ are given to him by the Father. In essence, the Father is giving His Son a Bride, and the loving Father would never give anything less than a true worshipper as a member of the Bride to be given to the Son. The criteria required for one to qualify as a true worshipper of the Father were discussed at length in the last episode, namely, that one love, obey, and serve the Father with one’s whole heart, mind, soul, and strength. To believe in Jesus is to extend one’s full devotion to the Father to the Son, that is, to love, obey, and serve the Son with one’s whole heart, mind, soul, and strength. This is the way of salvation to eternal life. In light of this truth, we examine the rest of John 3 that we had yet to discuss. We will discover much of that chapter has a quite different meaning than is typically taught in this modern Christian culture. As a result, the proper response to the question of how to obtain eternal life is beginning to look significantly unsimilar to the response typically taught by the Christian leaders of today. But there is much more to explore in the coming episodes of this mini-series.

A freedman of God hosting a journey to discover the lost ekklesia of God. In this episode, we take a pause from John 6 to discuss what should be the most important question for every man: How does one obtain eternal life? This was a question asked over and over in the time of Jesus and should be asked anew today. We examine multiple passages to seek a comprehensive answer to this question, which has not been adequately and truthfully answered by the teachings of the modern church. This will be the first of a mini-series of episodes where we will explore this topic in full.

A freedman of God hosting a journey to discover the lost ekklesia of God. In this episode, we explore in detail what it means to believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God. John 6:47. We observe that before the Father can give a follower to the Son, the follower must first be owned by the Father. One cannot give what one does not own. We then examine what it means when a follower is owned by the Father. We discover that the follower must be 1) born of the Spirit – John 3:5, 2) have faith that the Creator God exists and He is a rewarder of those who earnestly seek Him – Hebrews 11:6, and 3) will show the work of God’s Law written in his heart, i.e., will demonstrate works of one who loves God with all his heart and loves his neighbor as himself – Romans 2:14-16. This is one who has come to God, recognizing the Father as his shepherd – Psalm 23. Such a follower of the Father as the Great Shepherd will then be given to the Son as the Good Shepherd – John 6:37, 10:11. The follower will prove to be a true disciple of Christ by continuing in obedience of the commands of Christ – John 8:31, 15:8-11; Matthew 7:24-27; and James 1:22-25.

A freedman of God hosting a journey to discover the lost ekklesia of God. In this episode, we first add some comments on the mindset of Christ we are to follow as described in Philippians 2:5-11. Then, we examine John 6:44-46 regarding the nature of the faith in God that must be present before one can truly come to Jesus as the Good Shepherd. We discuss the truth that every person of God of every age, whether pre-Old Covenant, Old Covenant, or New Covenant, will have the law of God written on their hearts, i.e., in the heart of a person of God, the greatest two commandments, to love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself, will be embedded in his conscience along with the will to obey them. We also look at Romans 1:1-6, 16-17, 2:5-16, 3:9-18, and Hebrews 11:6 to better understand these principles. Finally, we explore the distinction Jesus makes between one “who has heard and learned from the Father” and one who has “seen the Father.”

A freedman of God hosting a journey to discover the lost ekklesia of God. In this episode, we concentrate on the lessons to be learned by the dismissal of Jesus by some Jews based on the fact that they were familiar with Jesus, his parents, and his siblings, and that Jesus was apparently no one special. They were forced to admit he “suddenly” had extraordinary wisdom, though uneducated, and miraculous powers, but instead of honoring Jesus or praising God, these Jews were offended by Jesus. This reaction by many Jews is consistent with the adages, “a prophet is never honored in his hometown”, and “familiarity breeds contempt”. Yet, the choice of Jesus to live 30 years with such a low profile, though anointed as the messenger of His presence in the flesh, is a remarkable revelation of the Father’s character and a demonstrable example for every disciple of Christ to follow. This mindset of Christ is explained and promoted by Paul as a New Covenant principle to be obeyed in Philippians 2:1-18, which we explore in detail.

A freedman of God hosting a journey to discover the lost ekklesia of God. In this episode, we first review ideas we have discussed regarding the ministry of the Spirit in the 3 ages, i.e., pre-Old Covenant age, Old Covenant age, and New Covenant age. We also explore why Jesus called his message the “gospel of the kingdom of God”, rather than “the gospel for sinners”, or “the gospel for mankind”. Then, we examine John 6:38-40, again, in order to consider the numerous works Jesus needed to perform to carry out the will of his Father while on earth. In doing this, we analyze the parable of the Good Shepherd in John 10:7-16 and one of the final prayers of Jesus recorded in John 17.

A freedman of God hosting a journey to discover the lost ekklesia of God. In this episode, after having taking a close look at some of the New Covenant commands of Christ, we now examine a few of the New Covenant promises of Christ. A believer in Christ must obey the New Covenant commands and rely on the New Covenant promises as the sole foundation and purpose of his life before he is worthy to be called a disciple of Christ. This is an uncompromising core truth of Christ’s teachings. One cannot rely on his own conscience or intuition when trying to identify the ways of God. Jeremiah 10:23-24. One must come directly to Christ to understand the way, the truth, and find life. A servant of Christ may never serve himself just as Christ did not come down from heaven to do his own will, but the will of the Father who sent him. As Christ’s servants, we must do the same. Jesus understood his Father’s agenda for this New Covenant age and his role in it. Jesus taught us the Father’s agenda and explained our roles in it. We must dedicate our lives to perform our roles in the most excellent way to further God’s agenda in this New Covenant age. Otherwise, we will not play a role in His glorified kingdom in the age to come.

A freedman of God hosting a journey to discover the lost ekklesia of God. In this episode, we closely examine Jesus’ statement, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom He has sent.” John 6:29. To believe in Jesus, the Son of God and the mediator of the New Covenant, one must receive the commands of Jesus as the commands of God. Jesus was approved by God to deliver the New Covenant laws, to be followed and obeyed by all New Covenant believers. We review some of the essential New Covenant laws and reflect on whether we truly believe in Jesus as the Christ. We also discuss the meaning of the illustrations Jesus uses to describe himself as the “true bread out of heaven”, the “bread of God”, and the “bread of life.” Finally, we deliberate on what it means to come to Jesus and not hunger, and believe in Jesus and never thirst. John 6:35.

A freedman of God hosting a journey to discover the lost ekklesia of God. In this episode, we tie together John 1:14, 3:13, and 6:27, 33. Many have been born of the Spirit. But there is only one man who has been conceived of the Spirit to become a messenger of God's presence from above, in the flesh. This man is Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah and mediator of the New Covenant, the Son of God. The Spirit of God is the messenger of God's presence in spirit. The Son of God is the messenger of God's presence in the flesh. The Spirit of God promises life, the Son of God fulfills that promise to all those who walk the way of salvation in the Light. As the mediator of the New Covenant, God has chosen Jesus Christ to show us through his life and teachings the New Covenant way of salvation, which differs in some respects from the ways of salvation proscribed in the other two ages, i.e., the pre-Moses age and the Old Covenant age. To find life in this New Covenant age, one must walk in the New Covenant way of salvation. Should one fail to walk in the New Covenant way of salvation, he will not find life.

A freedman of God hosting a journey to discover the lost ekklesia of God. In this episode, we take a close look at John 1:12-13. In doing so, we will analyze the conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus recorded in John 3:1-21. However, we will only go as far as considering the passage up to verse 14. We will discuss the necessary requirement that one be born of the Spirit in order to enter the kingdom of God and how this requirement has been in effect throughout all of history. We will also explore in what ways the ministry of the Spirit to reveal the person of God and His ways stays the same and in what ways it changes in the ages of pre-Moses, Old Covenant age, and the New Covenant age. The ignorance of the well-educated Nicodemus regarding the born again criteria, the rebuke of Jesus, and an explanation of the earthly vs. heavenly things, among many other things, are all addressed.

A freedman of God hosting a journey to discover the lost ekklesia of God. We continue our introductory episodes to our study of 1 Corinthians 12 by proceeding forward in our examination of John 1:6-11. We will discuss the ministry of John the Baptist and his role in preparing the hearts of the people of Israel for the coming of the Word made flesh. We will also follow the review of the ministry of the Holy Spirit as John describes the work of the Spirit in shining a light on the way of salvation to the world through creation, and then targeting the people of Israel, who was created and owned by God, with abundant Light and instruction, all of which was rejected by His own.

A freedman of God hosting a journey to discover the lost ekklesia of God. In this one of a few introductory episodes to our study of 1 Corinthians 12, we will examine the role and person of the Spirit of God by analyzing John 1:1-5 among various other passages. We are doing this to gain a deeper understanding of the Spirit described in 1 Corinthians 12 as bringing together, orchestrating, and equipping the ekklesia members with gifts so they better perform their roles as body parts of a full body of Christ to express the full person of Christ as an ekklesia of God. My prayer is that the introductory episodes will enhance our understanding and appreciation of how essential and necessary it is for the Holy Spirit to be conduction our gatherings as New Covenant believers. There is no substitute, nor should any believer want one.

A freedman of God hosting a journey to discover the lost ekklesia of God. In this episode we discuss the consequences of eating the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner. Jesus says, “[H]e who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.” Matthew 10:38. We have already discussed at length the meaning of this commandment, i.e., sacrificing your life for the benefit of the ekklesia as did Christ. Thus, those who do not sacrifice their lives for the benefit of the ekklesia in the same manner as Christ, by employing the teachings of Christ and having the attitude of Christ (Philippians 2:5-8; Hebrews 12:1-2), are not worthy of Christ, and eat the Lord’s Supper in an “unworthy manner.” There were “many” in the Corinthian ekklesia eating the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner and, as a result, were becoming weak, sick, and some dying. Clearly, those attempting to exalt themselves to lead disciples away from the ekklesia (see also Acts 20:29-30), dividing the full body of Christ, are traitors to Christ’s body, and, thus, betray Christ, eating the Lord’s Supper with the heart of Judas, the traitor (see John 13:2), being guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. Judas, posing as a devoted disciple of Christ, ate the Lord’s Supper with a traitorous heart and, thereafter, betrayed Jesus with a kiss of hypocrisy, leading to the capture of the Lord by the world, i.e., the Jewish religious establishment already captured by Satan. The capture of Christ led to his death, but followed by his resurrection, walking a brief period on the earth before his ascension into his glorified kingdom at the right hand of the Father. In the same manner, those posing as disciples of Christ, eating the Lord’s Supper with a traitorous heart, began speaking perverse things, leading disciples away from the ekklesia (Acts 20:29-30). Eventually, these traitors made a deal with the world and, with a hypocritical display of affection for Christ and his people, gave the body of Christ a kiss of betrayal leading the body of Christ into capture by the world, resulting in the apparent death of the ekklesia, having been transformed into the church system. However, by this message, God may be intending to resurrect the ekklesia of God, possibly for just a short period, before ascending into the glorified kingdom of God upon the return of Christ.

A freedman of God hosting a journey to discover the lost ekklesia of God. In this episode we first explore how Paul could receive the account of the Lord’s Supper from the Lord as he states in vs. 23. We then strive to gain a deeper understanding of the meaning behind Christ’s New Covenant teachings instructing us to eat his flesh and drink his blood in John 6 (one year prior to the Lord’s Supper), abide in him as referenced in John 6 and 15, obey his command to pick up our cross and follow him, laying down our lives for the benefit of the ekklesia for which Christ laid down his life, and having the same attitude of Christ while doing so as explained in Philippians 2 and Hebrews 12.

A freedman of God hosting a journey to discover the lost ekklesia of God. In this episode we examine 1 Corinthians 11:20-22. We observe Paul’s language implies the Lord’s Supper, as a full meal, was a practice to be observed in every gathering together as an ekklesia. We learn through other explanations of the elements of the Lord’s Supper that this practice serves as a reminder of the core objectives of an ekklesia of God, i.e., unity in Christ and purity as defined by Christ. In addition, we carefully explore the meaning of the example given by Jesus when initiating the Lord’s Supper as he got up, dressed himself as a servant, and then proceeded to wash the disciples’ feet. See John 13:1-20. We find the example rich with spiritual meaning designed to be practiced during the Lord’s Supper as a means of preparing the hearts and minds of the ekklesia holy members to serve and worship in the New Covenant holy temple of God by removing any obstructions in the eyes accumulated while walking in the world. Finally, we compare the proper manner in which the Lord’s Supper is to be observed with the conduct of the Corinthian ekklesia displayed during the Supper to understand Paul’s outrage.

A freedman of God hosting a journey to discover the lost ekklesia of God. In this episode we finalize our analysis of 1 Corinthians 11:17-19. We continue to pursue an answer as to how an ekklesia of God, though beginning with sons of the Kingdom, can devolve into an environment of jealousy and strife, leading to chaos or even to the promotion of an evil doer as a prominent leader and bully in the ekklesia. We examine Luke 13:22-30 regarding the narrow gate, Parables of the Sower and the Seed, Wheat and Tares, and the Net in Matthew 13 as further warnings of Christ regarding impostors and evil doers within the unperfected Kingdom of God on Earth. In addition, we look at the Parables of the Ten Virgins, Talents, and the illustration of the Sheep and the Goats in Matthew 25 to provide more insight into the characteristics of deluded impostors and evil doers that one should expect to be among the members of an ekklesia of God. We also analyze the seven woes expressed by Jesus regarding the hypocrisy and lawlessness of the Pharisees, though appearing clean and righteous to men. Again, such people might easily be among the members of an ekklesia of God, causing confusion and detrimental counsel that might lead to the demise of the ekklesia. Finally, we carefully consider Paul’s prophetic warning to Timothy recorded in 2 Timothy 3 regarding self-serving and deceived leaders, “holding to a form of godliness” but denying its power, who will not spare the flock, but will rise up and deceive others, which has become a reality today. We highlight the remedy Paul gives to escape from such deceptions and entrapment, that is, to personally examine the Scriptures “which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” “16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

A freedman of God hosting a journey to discover the lost ekklesia of God. In this episode, we continue our analysis of 1 Corinthians 11:17-19, extending our discussion of the presence of jealousy and strife due to worldly ambition within the Corinthian ekklesia. We explore how Jesus handled the subject of spiritual ambition by probing the account of the private preferment request of the mother of James and John, namely, that Jesus appoint James and John on his right and left in the coming Kingdom. See Matthew 20:20-28. We discuss what it means to act as a servant and slave within the Kingdom of God, as opposed to those same roles within the world in Satan's domain. In addition, we consider John's description of the evil conduct of Diotrephes while having a a powerful influence on what appears to be an ekklesia of God. See 3 John 9-11. We ponder how an ekklesia could become so dominated by such an evil actor. In this regard, we study the four warnings Jesus gives in Matthew 7 concerning those believing they are destined for the Kingdom of God, when, in fact, they are destined for destruction.

A freedman of God hosting a journey to discover the lost ekklesia of God. In this episode, we begin our analysis of 1 Corinthians 11:17-19. We examine the issue of how jealousy and strife can be a dominant issue in the Corinthian ekklesia of God. In doing so, we take a close look at Paul's powerful, instructive, prophetic, and emotional farewell address to the elders of the Ephesian ekklesia of God recorded in Acts 20:17-35.