As I write this article, we are in the middle of a rain event and it is not clear if there will be widespread flooding or not. For many farmers, the rain is coming at a critical time, threatening to downgrade or ruin the harvest.
For a farmer it is not enough to sow seed into a paddock. The process is not over until the seed has grown, the plant matured and the crop safely into storage. Storms, fires, mice and a hundred other hazards can destroy an otherwise valuable product.
Parenting likewise comes with a long term goal of producing well-adjusted, happy adults who can live their own life fruitfully. The humorous goal of “Just don’t kill them before they turn 18” is a very low bar to set. If you quit parenting when the child is a toddler you have pretty much failed.
There is a tree that grows in the Middle East which actively cools the air around it. This tree does more than provide shade; it actually makes the air cooler. The catch is that, if you plant a seed now, it will be your grandchildren who get the benefit of your care and nurturing.
There are many parts of life where we can make a great start, but we miss out on a reward because we don’t persevere to the end – music and dance lessons, a university degree, a promising sports career.
I have seen many people decide to follow Jesus, but after a month or several years, they just give up. Other things intervene, life gets hard.
The apostle Paul wrote, “I press on to reach the end of the race and the heavenly prize for which God through Christ Jesus is calling us.”
It’s not how you start the race of faith that matters, but how you finish. The good news is that even if you walked away from the race, for whatever reason, you can always get back on the track.
If it’s been a while since you have found yourself in church, why not give it a go this weekend?
The Lord spoke to me to encourage many hearts right now, that the enemy is SQUAWKING. He is SQUAWKING at the seeds of promise God has given to His people.
SQUAWKING: To make a loud and harsh noise. SYNONYMS: Shriek, squeal, scream, complain, protest, grouch, whine, grumble, wail, moan, crow, discordant tone (Google)
The Lord showed me that the enemy is SQUAWKING loudly at the seeds of promise the Lord has released. The enemy is SQUAWKING to bring fear and his lies. He is SQUAWKING lies that the seed is dying….. but the Lord spoke to me clearly this morning and said:
“Take heart! The enemy is SQUAWKING loudly, but the seed is not dying, it is THRIVING.”
The enemy is just attempting to bring fear, steal peace and joy at the thriving and increasing of the promise.
Many of these seeds of promise are seeds of RESTORATION and the Lord showed me that He is surrounding these seeds of RESTORATION of what was stolen, lost and killed as a wall of fire. There is divine protection surrounding the SEEDS OF RESTORATION AND PROMISE that are manifesting.
I heard the Lord say: “You are going to be in awe and full of joy at how the seed of promise I have released to you will THRIVE!!!!! Stronger than ever before!!!”
I saw Jeremiah 1:12 engraved over the seeds of restoration and promise:
The Lord said to me “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that My Word is fulfilled.”
The Lord showed me many that have been coming up against the SQUAWKING of the enemy’s lies and it has been bringing fear and fog over the seed, but I felt the comfort of the heart of God to encourage His people that have been given new vision for these new seeds, that you have seen correctly and that is why the enemy is SQUAWKING at the seed.
I then heard the Lord say:
“Where the enemy has been SQUAWKING now many will see that I am KING OVER THE SEED.”
“Shall I bring to the point of birth and not give delivery?” says the LORD. “Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?” says your God. – Isaiah 66:9
I saw the KING OVER THE SEED BRINGING THE SEED TO FRUITION!!!!!! COMPLETENESS! FULLNESS! Fear is coming against the seed because the decree of God over the seed is that it WILL come to FULLNESS.
A WHOLE NEW LEVEL OF AWE AND WONDER
The seeds that the Lord has given you and placed within you the Lord has decreed that their fruition and fullness will leave you in AWE and WONDER of who He is.
Through the THRIVING of the seeds He has given you, you are going to see Him in a whole new way. You are going to go deeper in intimacy with Him in a whole new way.
The release of these new seeds are decreeing and ushering in the new season of deeper WONDER and AWE of who He is.
A whole new level of praise will break out from within you. A whole new level of worship will rise to Him. A whole new depth of thankfulness.
Not only will you be in AWE and WONDER of Him like never before, you will KNOW His love that will leave you undone and marked again. You will fall in love with Him deeper than you have ever been and be yielded to Him in a more beautiful way than you have experienced before.
“Fasten me upon your heart as a seal of fire forevermore. This living, consuming flame will seal you as my prisoner of love. My passion is stronger than the chains of death and the grave, all-consuming as the very flashes of fire from the burning heart of God. Place this fierce, unrelenting fire over your entire being.” (Song of Songs 8:6) – The Passion Translation
The Burning Coal The Lord hears the words of a sinner who cries out to him. When Isaiah cried, seraphim took a burning coal from the altar of the Lord, touched Isaiah’s lips, and cleansed him. If he could be purged of his sin, how much more can we? His vision of glory resulted in a visit of healing grace. It is the same for us—our recognition of his glory and our great need humbles us and invites his remedy.
In the presence of God is an altar of incense that burns continually. It speaks of God’s satisfaction with the finished work of Christ. It is an emblem of the cross and what Jesus did when he was consumed as God’s perfect sacrifice. Isaiah was touched by the burning coal, but we are eternally cleansed by the fire of the cross.
Lord, I need you, today and always. As I stand before you, aware of your holiness and glory, I’m undone. Let the fire of your passion consume my heart! Set me free from lesser loves and let me burn for only you. I long for my life to be a sweet-smelling fragrance before you.
Isaiah 6:6–7 The Passion Translation Out of the smoke, one of the angels of fire flew to me. He had in his hands a burning coal he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my lips with it and said, “See? The burning coal from the altar has touched your lips. Your guilt is taken away; your sin is blotted out.”
It’s Not What You Think: The Best, Least Expensive Way To Grow Your Church
I’ve been visiting some remarkable churches lately. I’m talking about churches that were growing before the pandemic, then embraced the digital world during the pandemic, and now are back growing again after the pandemic.
In every case, they cited one powerful tool for growing the church – and it’s a tool that doesn’t cost a thing.
That’s right. The fastest growing churches in America are growing because their people tell their friends about it. They recommend it. They can’t wait to share what’s happening.
From a purely marketing perspective, a 2019 report by Edelman discovered that 63% of consumers between 18 and 34 years old said that they “trust what influencers say about brands much more than what brands say about themselves in their advertising.” In other words, they trust their friends more than they trust advertisers. Other research reveals that what we call “seeded” marketing campaigns (those that use influencers to discuss brands online and with friends) can increase sales by up to 18%.
When people talk about something, their friends listen. And like I said, it doesn’t cost anything, but there’s one critical thing that needs to happen before word of mouth advertising kicks in:
There needs to be something happening at your church that gets people talking.
It happened to Jesus on a regular basis:
Matthew 4:25: Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan.
Matthew 8:1: When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him.
Mark 5:21: When Jesus had crossed over again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him; and so He stayed by the seashore.
There’s plenty more but you get the idea. Those crowds didn’t come to hear Jesus because of the billboards, social media campaigns, or TV commercials. They came because they wanted to see what everyone was talking about.
What’s happening in your church that gets people talking? Are lives being changed? Are people experiencing God? Are they discovering something that’s been missing in their lives?
For all the church growth programs, marketing strategies and advertising, we too often forget the simple fact that when things are happening at your church that gets people talking, they invite their friends.
What will it take to get people talking about your church?Whatever it is, it’s time to start…
After months of lockdowns, restrictions, and unprecedented attacks on freedom, the Covid pandemic is nearly done. I am so looking forward to ditching the masks for ever – as soon as I put one on, I feel my whole body tense up.
I am thankful to be living in New South Wales which has generally gone through the panic with a lighter touch than other States. We have kept open borders and minimal lockdowns. Other States have scorned this lighter touch, but we are coming out earlier than those states.
So, God willing, by December there will be very few restrictions in force. We can get back to life as normal.
Covid has been a great disruptor over the last two years. Many have died, others have become extremely ill.
For christians, the Good News is that even in this messy tme, God has been with us and contrinues to be with us.Of all people, we have the right to be hopeful.
As we move towards summer, Christmas, and freedom, remember that our God is greater – greater than the virus, greater than the Government, greater even than death.
In my 2020 debate with Kent Hovind, the topic of Daniel’s 70-weeks-of-years prophecy in Daniel 9:24–27 came up. Like all futurists like Hovind who hold to a rapture during a seven-year interval in which supposedly the antichrist shows up and makes and breaks a covenant with Israel, the temple is rebuilt, and the Great Tribulation takes place, includes a parenthesis after the 69th week (483 years). According to this view, the prophecy clock stopped after the completion of 483 years and won’t start again until sometime in the future. Pre-tribulationialists believe the so-called rapture of the church occurs before the 70th week that consists of the final seven years of the 490 years while post-tribulationialists claim the rapture of the church takes place after the final seven years. The five rapture positions (pre, mid, post, pre-wrath, and post) depend on the gap between the 69 weeks-of-years and the final seven years. See my book The Rapture and the Fig Tree Generation for a comprehensive critique of the rapture.
Like the 70th year of captivity followed the 69th year of captivity with no postponement or gap in time (Jer. 25:11; Dan. 9:1–2), Daniel’s 70th week follows the 69th week with no gap in time. Notice that Daniel’s chapter on the seventy weeks of years begins with a look back at the 70 years of captivity as predicted in Jeremiah’s prophecy.
Jesus’ ministry begins the 70th week and ends when He is “cut off” (Dan. 9:26) “in the middle of the week [when] he/He will put an end to sacrifice and offering” (Dan. 9:27). There are still 3.5 years to finish the 70th week of seven years.
As a result of many failed predictions, many Christians are beginning to take a second look at a prophetic system that they were told is the only one that takes the literal interpretation of the Bible seriously. Gary DeMar has taken on the task of exposing some of the popular myths foisted upon the public by prophetic speculators.BUY NOW
During the next 3.5 years, the gospel is preached to Israel (Acts 2:5, 37–42) since the 70 years are about Israel. This final half of the 70th week was nearly at its end when “some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen” (6:9) after he performed “great wonders and signs among the people” (6:8).
Here are Stephen’s last words before he was stoned to death by the religious leaders including the high priest (7:1) with Saul “in hearty agreement with putting him to death”(7:54–8:1):
You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did. Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers—you who received the law ordained by angels, yet have not kept it (7:51–53; cp. Matt. 23:31–36).
This was not enough for Saul and the religious leaders as Saul continued to persecute the church “going from house to house” where “he dragged off men and women and put them in prison” (8:3) and continued “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord” with the full support of the priestly establishment (9:1–2). Soon after, Saul had his Damascus Road encounter with Jesus, and Jesus tells Ananias that Saul is His “chosen instrument … to bear My name before the nations and kings and the sons of Israel” (9:15). In my opinion, this was the end of the 70 weeks-of-years prophecy: to the Jew first and then the nations without excluding the Jews. It took a vision and words from God to make this point clear to Peter in Acts 10–11:18. There was no longer a redemptive difference between the nations and Israel (see Ephe. 2).
Inserting a gap between the 69th week and the 70th week allows premillennialists of all types to conjure up an end-time antichrist, a rebuilt temple, and a covenant made and broken with Israel by the antichrist. Much of the support for this view hinges on the identity of the words “prince” in Daniel 9:26 and “he” in 9:27. For someone like Kent Hovind, this problem is easily solved if one looks at the original typeset version of the King James Bible. In our debate, I did not have the opportunity to raise this point since he admitted that Daniel 9:24–27 is difficult.
But if the original KJV is authoritative, then it becomes necessary for King James Only advocates to explain each occurrence of “Prince” in Daniel 9:25–26 are capitalized along with “Messiah” lit. “anointed”): verse 25, “Messiah the Prince; in verse 26 it’s “Messiah” and “the Prince that shall come.” Are there two princes? Not if each time “Prince” occurs it’s capitalized. While Hebrew does not have any uppercase letters, the KJV translators believed there was one “Prince,” and that single “Prince” was Messiah.
But sometimes, what looked like love for Jesus turns out to be a mask that conceals a lust for money, power, fame, or sex. It is a stunning and painful experience to realize that someone would intentionally violate our deepest values to take advantage of us.
So what if we could find out what separates those who love Jesus from those who want to use Jesus?
In all honesty, sometimes we can’t. Cunning operators are often successful in their deception and manipulation. They tell us what we want to hear, and it works.
Still, in John 6, we have one story that can help us.
A little boy offers his five little barley loaves and his two little fish, and Jesus blesses the weakness of this humble offering. We see the beauty of bringing together human weakness and God’s power: a crowd of many thousands eats their fill.
And why did Jesus do this astounding miracle? He explains it the next day, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” If you depend on Jesus to feed you bread and fish, then do you trust Jesus to satisfy your deepest longings?
Sidebar:What are your deepest longings? Does Jesus fulfill them for you?
But what does the crowd want from Jesus? They want what they want! John tells us they are on the precipice of forcibly demanding that Jesus be their king. His powers are fantastic; he can overthrow the Romans!
So what does Jesus do? He withdraws to a mountain by himself. And when the crowd chases after him, he challenges them.
Notice the contrast?
Jesus draws close to the weak — and blesses them.
Jesus moves away from the power-hungry — and confronts them.
At the core of Jesus’ teaching was the concept of God’s Kingdom. In fact, His call to His disciples was not about salvation but about the Kingdom.
“The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” (Mark 1:15)
Jesus never directed people to ask Him into their hearts to avoid Hell. He never talked about “Four Spiritual Laws” or “Two Ways To Live.” The program of Jesus was very different to our modern religious industrial preaching.
So what does it mean to believe that the Kingdom of God is here?
Since the original sin of Adam and Eve, men and women have been under the reign of satan. We are born in sin and we live and die in sin, unless we turn to Jesus.
Satan has been in control of human beings for our entire history. Yet he is a fake ruler, an intruder, an impostor.
Jesus has come into the world as the true ruler, the real king. He is calling us to follow Him.
When I became an Australian citizen, I was required to swear allegiance to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, who is Queen of Australia as well as of the U.K.
To become a citizen of heaven, you must swear allegiance to Jesus Christ.
To swear allegiance means that no other ruler will direct your loyalty. You promise to obey and to serve faithfully the Sovereign.
To be a citizen of God’s kingdom means that I will be faithful to Jesus, that I will obey Him and not allow any other person to direct my affections.
The word repent means to change our thinking so that we bring our thoughts and actions into alignment with God’s thoughts and actions. It means that I don’t live for myself any more but for Jesus.
To be a christian is much more than a religious experience, although it is that. It is more than a promise of eternal life, although it is that.
To be a christian means nothing less than complete surrender to King Jesus. He directs my thoughts, actions, and emotions. He has it all.
In 1 Corinthians 7, we read where Paul tells the Corinthians that they should not marry, although it’s not a sin if they do. Following Jesus means that I am prepared to let Him lead my relationships.
Everything has to be given over to Jesus, for the sake of a higher reward.
Jesus must be King over all my life, or else He is not King at all.
The New Heavens and New Earth Church (Shincheonji)
Last Monday I received a phone call from a pleasant- sounding man who called himself Ivers. He wanted to invite me to an online prayer meeting that is to happen next Monday. He said that the focus of recent prayer meetings has been Afghanistan and Covid . They have had people take part from many denominations. It sounded good to me, so I agreed.
Ivers then asked if I would like to talk to him some more later in the week to get to know each other better. We made an appointment to meet on Zoom. The day of the meeting he texted me to ask if I would be alright if a lady from their outreach team joined the conversation. I agreed.
So on Wednesday we had our Zoom meeting. Both Ivers and Dewi were very personable and friendly people. Dewi took the major part of leading the conversation. A pleasant 45 minutes, but there was something odd about them. Ivers looked like a robot or someone playing a role, and while Dewi was very friendly, she managed to speak in very general terms without actually revealing much about herself. You would describe it as a typical first meeting with people, but there was something not quite right.
I did ask the name of the church that they were a part of, and they told me it was a non-denominational church founded in Korea called New Heavens and New Earth Church.
The New Heavens and New Earth Church, it turns out, is a Korean- based cult and not the mainstream christian church they lead people to believe. It also goes by the name of Shincheonji which is the Korean word for New Heavens and New Earth. The group’s official name is Shincheonji, Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony.
The group was founded in 1984 by Lee Man-hee who was previously involved with a Korean cult called the Olive Tree. Lee teaches that he is the one true pastor who is to come at the end times. They do not come out and say that he is Jesus reborn, but it is hinted. He is the only person who can interpret the Bible correctly, and all the prophecies concerning the end times church in Revelation have come true in their church.
Amongst their heretical teachings, they deny the Trinity, they claim that the 144,000 witnesses in Revelation 7:4 are members of the so-called 12 tribes of Shincheonji, that angels are actually human beings, and that Revelation 7:2 “I saw another angel coming up from the East bearing the seal of the Living God” is a prophecy concerning Lee.
In Korea they actively target christians from normal churches by inviting them to Bible Studies where they indoctrinate participants with their unorthodox teaching. When a person joins the group, they are strongly encouraged to break off contact with friends and family members so that the group becomes their sole source of friends.
In Australia, the group targets University students, particularly those from overseas. In the UK, they have a group called Parachristos which has infiltrated Anglican churches and offered its Bible Studies to lure people.
This group shows all the standard heretical beliefs and practices of cults:
vague or generic description of their beliefs to those outside the group
theology which is outside the standard teaching of christian churches
the elevation of the leader as the only true source of authority and teaching
the description of the group as the only true church, and its followers as the only ones who will be saved
This all goes to show that christians need to be on their guard against such deceptive groups. The spiritual gift of discernment of spirits has never been more needed,
Now is the time to insist that churches be re-opened. For everyone: vaccinated and unvaccinated.
With the harsh, prolonged lockdowns in Australia’s two most populous States, there has been much spruiking of “online church” over the last eighteen months. Churches in the city of Melbourne have been prohibited from physically meeting for some 50 weeks cumulatively—including 40 consecutive weeks between March and November 2020.
While they have been unable to get together physically in any way, shape, or form, Christians have resorted to interacting via Zoom and Skype, and watching live or pre-recorded church “services” on platforms such as YouTube and Facebook.Fight Censorship! Join Our Mailing List Today
“Virtual church” is again being endorsed in light of State Government plans to segregate Australian society on the basis of Covid vaccination status. The “fully vaccinated” will soon be able to re-enter real-life church, along with restaurants, shops, cinemas, gyms, hairdressers, camping grounds, galleries, and stadiums.Advertisement
Some Christians are arguing that the exclusion of the not-fully-vaccinated from church is acceptable, in light of the fact that such people will still be able to “attend” church online, and online church is an adequate (if perhaps not ideal) substitute for real-life church.
These sentiments about “online church” could not be more wrong, and here are ten reasons why:
1. The Meaning of “Church”
The Biblical word for “church” is ekklesia, which means a physical assembly of people. The ancient ekklesia was a Parliament-like civic assembly of Greek citizens in Athens. “Online ekklesia” is thus an oxymoron, a contradiction in terms, like “peaceful war” and “ordered chaos”.
Perhaps Christians are becoming comfortable with Orwellian uses of language because governments have been encouraging such things throughout the coronavirus pandemic:
2. Church in the Old Testament
The first ekklesia in the Bible was not on the Day of Pentecost. It was not in the upper room. It was more than a millennium earlier, in the wilderness of Sinai, when Israel (over half a million men plus women and children) physically assembled to receive the Law of God.Advertisement
This is he that was in the church [ekklesia] in the wilderness with the angel that spake to him in the Mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received living oracles to give unto us (Acts 7:38).
Physical assembly of the people remained important throughout the Old Testament. All Israel were required to gather physically for worship at designated times in the year (Deuteronomy 16:16)—an onerous requirement when travel was mostly on foot. The most important of these events was of course Passover.
The people of Israel assembled at other great moments, such as at the dedication of Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 8), and at times of national repentance and renewal (eg. 2 Kings 23; Ezra 10; Nehemiah 8-10). The inconvenience of bringing together well over a million people (cf. 2 Samuel 24:9) into one place cannot be understated. Yet it was considered a necessary part of relating correctly to God, and to one another as the people of God.Advertisement
3. Church in the New Testament
From the very beginning, a hallmark of the New Testament church was its regular, physical gatherings to partake in “the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42).
The epistles of the New Testament were written to churches, with the assumption of a regular physical assembly. For example, in 1 Corinthians 5:4, Paul instructs that the discipline of the sinner must occur “when you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus”.
When Paul rebukes the Corinthians’ corrupt practice of the Lord’s Supper, he is addressing the circumstances “when you come together as a church [ekklesia]” (1 Corinthians 11:17-20, 34). Paul’s later instructions about spiritual gifts and collection of money likewise pertain to the physically assembled church (1 Corinthians 14:26; 16:2).
4. Church is Physical Togetherness and Physical Contact
Even if you want to argue that information can be communicated via letter or email, church is not a mere transfer of information. Church requires physical contact with other believers. It is very significant that in Acts 2:42 the breaking of bread is included along with the other practices of the gathered church.
Because many Protestant Christians tend to have a low view of the sacraments, it can seem somewhat odd to them that Luke includes bread-breaking alongside teaching and prayer, but that is indeed what he does and it is important for us to grasp the theological significance of this (see also Acts 20:7; 27:35).
It is impossible to partake in the sacraments via Zoom. The whole point of partaking in the “one bread” which is broken and distributed is to underline our corporate unity (1 Corinthians 10:17). Having bread and wine at home while watching a screen is no more an authentic practice of Lord’s Supper than getting in a bathtub at home while watching a screen is an authentic baptism.[1]
The New Testament repeatedly references the practice of “laying on of hands” (e.g. Hebrews 6:2). Christians are repeatedly commanded to “greet one another with a holy kiss” (eg. 1 Corinthians 16:20). When a member of a church is sick, the New Testament speaks of elders “praying over” him and anointing him with oil (James 5:14).
Physical contact with other believers is integral to church life. The concept of “online church” does serious dishonour to the sacraments, and to all other references to physical contact in the New Testament.
5. Humans Are Flesh
The fact that church requires physical contact is not surprising if we remember that humans are physical beings with physical bodies. Adam was created from the dust of the Earth. Eve was created from Adam’s own flesh and bones (Genesis 2:23). Jesus, in order to save us, had to become incarnate in “flesh and blood” (Hebrew 2:14) and he was raised bodily from the dead, flesh and bones (Luke 24:39). The apostles were not convinced that Jesus had been raised until they touched him physically (John 20:27).
Without our physical bodies, we are not fully human. Disembodied human existence is not authentic human existence (2 Corinthians 5:1-4), and likewise, disembodied human relationships are not authentic human relationships.
In order for members of a church to relate properly to one another, we must be able see one another in the flesh. We must be able to look one another directly in the eye (cf. 2 John 1:12). We must be able to touch one another—to shake hands, kiss and embrace. Being the physical creatures that we are, prolonged separation from one another is a cause of grief (cf. Acts 20:37-38; 1 Thessalonians 2:17-18).
6. “Online Church” is Gnostic
Those who have been advocating for the adequacy and legitimacy of “online church” are in fact promulgating Gnostic theology. Gnosticism is one of the earliest (if not the earliest) Christian heresies, and throughout church history it has been one of the most reviled.
Gnosticism teaches that the physical world, including our physical bodies, is unimportant, and indeed worthless and corrupt. Gnostics seek to escape from physicality. They believe that we should pursue an existence as spirit-beings. Many sections of the New Testament were written in opposition to early forms of Gnostic thinking, including Colossians 2:18-23 and 1 Timothy 4:1-5.
The epistles of John are the parts of the New Testament that most directly counter early Gnosticism. Such was Gnostic hatred for physicality that they taught that Christ was a spirit-being who only temporarily inhabited the body of the man Jesus. Thus, John attacks those who deny that Christ had come in the flesh, denouncing them as Antichrist (1 John 4:2; 2 John 1:7).
The login name, the digital profile, the avatar of “online church” is equivalent to the spirit-being of Gnosticism. It is an entity that lacks flesh. It thinks and “talks”, but it does not eat, it does not feel pain, it does not walk, it does not touch. It is cold. It has no tears. It has no sweat. It is a stream of zeros and ones transmitted along cables and stored on magnetic disks.
Please understand this: if you are someone who would argue that “online church” is church, you have joined yourself doctrinally to the people who John labelled as “Antichrist”.
7. Church Is a Family
If there is anything that the New Testament teaches consistently, it is that church is a family. The church is “the household of God” (1 Timothy 3:15). Timothy is instructed to encourage an older man in the church “as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters” (1 Timothy 5:1-2).
The practice of calling fellow believers “brothers” and “sisters” is a startling one, and it spans the entire New Testament. After 2000 years it has become second nature to us, but to do such a thing in the ancient world was so unusual that early Christians were accused of practising incest.
In the cruel lockdowns imposed in Australia, governments have at least had the decency to allow most nuclear families to continue living together in the same homes. I say “most” because there have been exceptions.
It would be unthinkable to expect husbands and wives, parents and children, to carry on their relationships for any significant length of time via YouTube and Zoom. If the church is truly a family as the Bible so persistently teaches, then it would likewise be unthinkable to expect brothers and sisters in Christ to carry on their relationships for any significant length of time via YouTube and Zoom.
8. Church Is a Body
It is not only individual human beings who are bodies. According to Scripture, churches themselves—local assemblies of believers—are bodies. “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it”, writes Paul to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 12:27).
In a healthy body, the constituent members will serve and strengthen one another with their various gifts (Romans 12:4-8; Colossians 2:19). The members of the body also share deeply with each other in trials and joy: “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together” (1 Corinthians 12:26).
Paul’s “incarnational” description of the church is not something to be sneezed at. It is simply impossible for the kind of intimate fellowship described in Scripture to be replicated via the NBN.
9. Church Discipline and Accountability Require Physical Presence
I will not dwell on this point, but a church that has relegated itself to online interactions cannot exercise proper discipline. Just as a father cannot meaningfully discipline his son via Facebook, a pastor cannot meaningfully discipline wayward members of his flock via the internet.
It is significant that New Testament texts which deal with discipline speak of the church being assembled physically, and rebellious members being physically banished from fellowship (Matthew 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 5:4-5; 2 John 1:10).
It is far easier to commit sin when you do not need to front up regularly to your church leaders and other members of your church family who hold you accountable for your thoughts and behaviour.
10. Church History Firmly Rejects It
The final reason that “online church” is not real church is that church history rejects it. As this essay demonstrates, the church throughout its 2000 year history has given utmost priority to its regular, physical gatherings. The church has continued to gather under circumstances far more dangerous than the coronavirus pandemic of 2020-21—both circumstances of persecution and circumstances of contagious plague.
It is true that the church has adapted its gatherings to mitigate risk in times of danger. No responsible Christian would advocate in favour of conducting meetings in ways that expose people to unnecessary risk.
Nevertheless, it must be underlined: the church in history has never so prioritised “safety” that it has neglected its duty to continue assembling for the preaching of the Word and administration of the sacraments for long durations. Months-long closures, as we are experiencing today, are thoroughly unprecedented.[2]
Conclusion: Churches Must Re-Open
I am disappointed that I have had to write this article. Every Christian leader who has been through seminary will be fully aware of the theology and Biblical teachings I’ve outlined. Prior to 2020, they would have taught these things in precisely the same way I have laid them out here.
Indeed, our Christian leaders still believe all of these truths—in theory. The only problem is that various pragmatic factors have caused them to falter in the application of these truths. Foremost among these pragmatic factors are:
1. Governments have disallowed churches from meeting, and therefore doing so would require acts of civil disobedience with potentially costly consequences.
2. Many Christians, both clergy and lay, sincerely perceive Covid to be a dire threat to physical health and safety.
3. Many Christians, both clergy and lay, are afraid of a hostile reaction from the secular public if they were to act contrary to official advice and re-open.
On the flip side, the enormously positive reaction to the Ezekiel Declaration indicates that there is a massive groundswell of “grassroots” opposition to the prolonged closure of churches in 2021. While the Ezekiel Declaration is concerned primarily with the monumental social evil of Vaccine Passports, based on the fact that the declaration also condemns the prolonged, harsh lockdowns of society we can infer that most of the 25,000 people who have signed it would be strongly in favour of churches re-opening.
In addition, we can confidently say that in September 2021, every older and medically vulnerable Australian has had an opportunity to obtain a Covid vaccine, thereby relieving their anxieties about the risks posed by infection with Covid.
I would contend therefore that now is the time for Christians to call on their leaders, loudly, to heed the words of Scripture, and to put into practice what we believe about what it means to be the Church, the ekklesia, of Jesus Christ.
Now is the time to insist that churches be re-opened. For everyone: vaccinated and unvaccinated.
If you believe that church should re-open, please sign The Moses Statement today!
[1] There are of course extreme situations where the church resorts to “uber eats” communion, such as when a member of a church is very ill and unable to move from their bed. It should be noted that when this practice occurs, pastors usually endeavour to bring bread to the communicant which has been broken off the “one loaf” (and, depending on denominational theology, appropriately “consecrated”).
[2] Based on information available to me, churches in some American cities suspended their services for a period of approximately one month between October and November of 1918, during the Spanish Flu.
New Life Narrabri 