Culture VS Kingdom Principles.
CULTURE AND LOCAL CIVILIZATION.
The term CULTURE is a derivative of the original concept CULT. Without exploring it in depth, we can easily identify in probably
every local "culture" the original OC-CULT local traditions that shaped it. Further, it does not take a deep theological research
to determine the sinful, pagan, even downright demonic, occult roots that were prevalent in every local element of civilization
apart from Christ.
In some CULT-ures it is easier to identify the pagan roots than in others. For example, it is easier to identify the pagan, idol
worshipping customs and traditions in black African CULT-ure, than it is to identify the ANTI-Christ-ian CULT-ure in some
"civilized" western societies.
Where do the words "civilized" and "civilization" come from, and what concept do they convey? To begin with, the key concept is
CIVIL, and the key differentiation which it targets to establish is versus the NON-CIVIL-ized.
What is CIVIL? And, what is NON-CIVIL? A careful examination of almost every local group of people and the locally derived set of
rules and regulations by which they operate will point us to the same common denominator:
-something is CIVIL if it is socially acceptable, and a norm by which the majority are comfortable with, whereas NON-CIVIL would be
anything that falls outside of the social norms. Thereby, the local CULT-ure is established on the basis of what the majority of a
crowd of pagan, heathen, idolatrous sinners will accept as a norm. CIVIL-ization is the byproduct of a consensus among sinners…
CIVIL-ization is the fruit of OC-CULT practices which have established themselves among people who do not know God, do not fear
God, who have their own opinions and ideas about "god", other than what Biblical Christianity identifies, who are by definition
children of the devil and habitat of evil spirits.
DEMOCRACY VERSUS THEOCRACY.
A fundamental root principle underlying every western CULT-ure and CIVIL-ization is DEMOCRACY, which is to say "people rule".
CIVIL identifies with CIVILIAN, which is a person in a society. The fundamental and ultimate element of power and authority in
western CIVIL-ization is the right of each CIVIL-ian. The aggregation of rights of such CIVIL-ians establishes what is acceptable,
and therefore the CULT-ural norm, and what not. This is in fact the underlying power and ultimate authority behind DEMOCRACY.
People enjoy DEMOCRACY because it is the projection of their personal preferences. The problem with DEMOCRACY is that it is the
opposite of THEOCRACY! When we examine carefully the Bible, we identify one common denominator across the ages. When God speaks
and directs people, He always comes against the prevailing local CULT-ural norms, and His ultimate goal is to actually overthrow
the established CIVIL-ization and replace it with one that is not rooted in pagan traditions and practices, that is not the
derivative of ideas and preferences of pagan and heathen sinners, but one that is spoken into existence from the Holy Lord of
Hosts.
When we realize the consequences of the reality that satan is still the ruler of this world, and that the work of the Gospel is to
SAVE God's elect OUT of this present world, then it flows naturally that God does not approve the status quo of man made
CIVIL-ization. He actually wants to destroy it and utterly abolish it. God's plan is to create a new world, where God rules, and
not people. In God, this present world is the exact opposite than His intention! The Bible identifies the "spirit of the world"
as a key enemy of Christ and God's people.
God is calling us OUT of our cultures, OUT of our civilizations, OUT of our traditions, and INTO a new realm, a new norm, a new set
of underlying rules and principles of society and public order.
CULTURE AND CHURCH.
Having understood the previous principles, we are now confronted with an overwhelming realization with serious implications; the
broader Body of Jesus Christ, as defined by the people who call themselves "Christian", are not set apart from the local CULT-ures
and CIVIL-izations, but are identifiably integrated within them. The majority of the leaders of the various institutions, which
form the prevailing concept of "Church" of our times, have become leaders by means derived out of the fundamental principles of the
DEMO-cratic and CULT-ural CIVIL-izations. Let me explain it in plain words: Young people go to College, become academically
educated, they receive special theological training within the boundaries of their denominational perspectives, and then become
appointed employees of organizations which identify themselves as "Church". Some become eventually promoted within their own
organizations, and are now employed to rule over others who are also employees of their organization. When it comes to Principles,
Rules, and Regulations, but also to the affirmation of people's calling and anointing, the consensus is drawn by means of
CULT-urally acceptable DEMO-cratic rules… Do you get it? In other words, the prevailing authority of the institutions which
identify themselves as "Church" winds down to the same common denominator as in every other aspect of the world… The public
consensus among a group of "trained". "skilled", "approved", "appointed" people in ecclesiastical authority is actually the sum
total of individual preferences, ideas, choices, theological convictions and belief systems, which were slowly and gradually
indoctrinated into them by means of a common system of academic education. Naturally, the respective consensus among such
"leaders" of other "Church" organizations cannot be the same! Is that the Church of Jesus Christ? ...
CONSENSUS OR OBEDIENCE?.
I want you to form this picture in your mind. A group of top Ecclesiastical Leaders hold a council to come to a consensus on a hot
issue on behalf of the Global Body of Christ. What could that issue be? You are free to select; let me suggest this: are there
Apostles and Prophets today?
Imagine the Catholic Pope, the Orthodox Patriarch, the General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, and all the top leaders of
the Baptist Church, of the Anglican, of the Methodist, etc. Churches, all sitting around a table. The Global Body of Christ is
eagerly waiting for their decision. They are the modern representatives of Christ on earth; they also represent millions of
Christians who are the absolute majority of the world Body of Christ.
What do you think will happen in that meeting? The key to discern the situation is this: IS CHRIST ALIVE TODAY, or is He not?
If Christ is alive, and if He is the God of communication and personal relationship as He chooses to portray Himself in the Bible,
then it follows naturally that all these folks should be able to receive the same Word from their Master… they all have the same
Master -don't they?
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If we were talking, I would be silent now, to let you reflect on this! …
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Even if such a group could reach an agreement on one or two issues, we know for sure that absolute division would surface on other
issues, many of which are fundamental principles of the life of faith. What is the issue at hand? It is very simple really… Either
Christ is NOT the HEAD of His Church, or, we need to re-examine where the Church of the Living God is at… Let me suggest to you
that BOTH can be simultaneously true. Christ is NOT the Head of His Church, because people have voted Him out of His Throne by
unanimous consensus (!), AND we need to seriously re-examine the present state of the Church!
SELF-APPOINTED?.
A typical label that Ecclesiastical Leaders attach to independent preachers who have not graduated from Seminaries, have no formal
theological education and have not been ordained by some established Church Organization is "self-appointed". The immediate
negative connotation to such a label is that such a person does not have the right to speak, to lead, to pastor, to prophesy, etc.;
let us rise up above the circumstances now, and take a bird's eye view of the Body of Christ:
Each leader dismisses other leaders on the basis of one of two things: either because the other ordained and accepted leader is not
in agreement with his own denomination, theology, practices, etc. or because the other leader is labeled as "self-appointed". If
the issue were only "Who has appointed you?", then all the ordained ministers of the other organizations and denominations would be
welcome, since they are rightly appointed by someone; but they are not. Therefore the issue is really NOT "Who has appointed you?",
but it all boils down to "if you are not in agreement with me, then I do not recognize you anyway, no matter who has appointed
you".
In effect the question "Who has appointed you?" does not aim at setting things in right order, but aims at downgrading and
disqualifying the other person. It is not a question of order, but a question that manifests the spirit which prevails in the
hearts and minds of people who ask such questions; that is a spirit of DEMO-cracy. Such question points us back to the authority
of the consensus of Ecclesiastical Councils, Church Boards, Denominational Assemblies, etc. The underlying logic is: PEOPLE RULE
BY THE POWER OF MAJORITY VOTE AND ORGANIZATIONAL AUTHORITY… But then one wonders… when you put together all the top leaders of
such DEMO-cratically ruling authorities, why do they not all receive the same Word from their Master? Is Christ schizophrenic?
WHO SHAPES TOMORROW?.
Was it God's will that humanity go through the Dark Middle Ages? Was it God's will that the original Church of the Apostles of the
1st century AD be replaced by humanistic organizations that divided the Body of Christ on the basis of their doctrinal convictions
and political choices?
I believe it was not! God's delegated authority upon mankind has given the power and freedom of choice to humans to shape our own
future as we see fit for ourselves. In fact I believe that the Lord is in a deep and agonizing effort to draw His Church back to
Himself, and re-establish Himself as the Head of His own rebellious and disobedient Body. He is looking for people who will totally
submit their lives to Him, will deny themselves even to the point of death, and will have the humility to declare the Words of the
Lord fearlessly and with divine authority backing them up.
Today we have a choice; we can allow tomorrow to happen by itself, casually, or, we can steer it according to God given directions.
But does tomorrow happen casually? No! It comes as a result of the CULT-ural influences and trends. We have a choice! We can
confront the CULT-ure of the devil's world by the testimony of the Truth that descends from the Kingdom of God. We can shape
tomorrow on the basis of Kingdom Principles.