The House of God

In the kingdom of God, gifts are distributed among those whom God appoints in each generation, regardless of the determination or acceptance of men. The gift of salvation, the gift of the holy Spirit and His gifts to men are just that - gifts. They must never be confused with so-called natural talents or learned skills. Yet men prefer to apply their own precepts to the kingdom of God. They organize into various denominations, each differing enough from the other to justify their independence, but all sharing a similar corporate structure. Only qualified candidates need apply.

Much preparation is required for excelling in the workplace. I am sure you are aware of the process: A worthwhile student acquires knowledge in an accredited learning environment until some predetermined merit level is achieved. The newly qualified job seeker then applies for open positions within various organizations. Relying upon a winning combination of scholastic achievement, background, credibility, social standing and personality the employment candidate awaits a corporate decision (of course, such hiring decisions may or may not be made for the same reasons the applicant believes in). Moving up and down the rungs of the ladder may occur within in a single organization or across multiple organizations. This tried and true process is in effect for everyone, including manual laborers, office workers, administrative staff, management, etc. This is the way of men.

Brethren, this is not the way of the kingdom of God. Using the analogy of the whole man, our LORD Jesus is the head of that man. His body is comprised of those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. These are all then the “members” of His body, and thus members of one another.

NOTE: Members, as in body members like appendages and organs (arms, legs, etc), NOT club members (beware the activities of the great replacement).

His body does not consist of roles, positions, job openings, boards or committees. His body consists of men; living men. His body is a spiritual man. There is only one body and, generation after generation, we are added to it until it is complete.

NOTE: We are added to His body. There is no joining involved. Men join groups, or clubs, or organizations. God's children are added to the one body. There is an eternal difference.

In God's own temple, our LORD Jesus is the chief cornerstone. Living stones are built into that temple. There is only one temple and it is most certainly NOT made with human hands! It isn't located at 1st Street and Vine. It isn't the little church in the wildwood. It isn't the grand cathedral that attracts tourists during good weather. It is a spiritual building and, generation upon generation, we are added to it until it is complete.

The head of the man and the chief cornerstone of the temple are one and the same: our LORD Jesus. Each generation sees a refreshing of the members of the body and the stones of the temple. God is making for Himself a holy habitation. We are added as He sees fit. There is order and structure - His order, His structure. The foundation stones of that one temple are apostles and prophets. Living men, not the memories of men, not even the teaching of such men, but the men themselves. They are appointed by God, not man, with or without their consent, regardless of their so-called education, social standing or background.

Unlike the manner of men, God has not appointed the position of apostle to be filled by a qualified candidate. God appoints the man. He appoints the prophets, the shepherds and teachers, the performers of miracles, the gifts of healings, the helpers, the leaders and the speakers in various languages. He equips them as He sees fit. He assigns them as He wills. Compare this to men's notions of popes, cardinals, priests, elder boards, reverends, senior pastors, associate pastors, Sunday school superintendents, youth pastors, choir directors, worship leaders, directors of christian administration, trustees, ushers, secretaries, missionaries, camp counselors, Bible study leaders, bus drivers, etc. Whatever roles are created, and whatever titles accompany them, whatever you name your organization, it is NOT the House of God! It is a house built upon sand.

The body of our LORD Jesus, the Messiah, is not an organization. There are no positions to go to school for. There are no job openings to apply for. There are no memberships to purchase. Being added as a member is equivalent to attaching a finger to a hand. It has nothing to do with joining a club, or being employed by a business. It is not based on wealth, influence, accomplishments, I.Q. or the fulfillment of ceremonial rites. We are baptized into one body by one spirit and made members one of another. Like it or not, that is the way it is.

Fellowship (the state of being fellows/kindred) is then something you have, not something you do. It is a state of being; it isn't a verb. We have fellowship with one another - not: "let's go fellowship."

Our LORD Jesus says:

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

I beseech any who have heard His voice and yet continue to live according to the elementary principles of this world to come out from among them. Be taught of God. Grow in the knowledge of the will of God and of His Son. Receive the gift of the spirit of holiness as our LORD Jesus commanded and learn what this means:

The Most High does not dwell in a house made with human hands

and again,

Thus says the LORD, 'Heaven is My throne, and the Earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me?'

and again,

The LORD will build you a house.

May the grace of our LORD Jesus Christ, our Savior, God's Messiah be upon you as you seek Him.

At the tender age of 75, Abraham (who would live a total of 175 years) departed from Haran on his way to the land of Canaan, as instructed by God. God blessed him, saying:

...in you and in your seed all the generations of the Earth shall be blessed.

Along the way, he pitched a tent at a place known as Luz (that would later be named Beth-el by his grandson) and built an altar to the Lord. See Genesis 12:3,8

Approximately 250 years later, Abraham's grandson Jacob was traveling in the region known as Luz. Having left Beersheba he was on his way to Haran, where his grandfather had dwelled. He stopped for the night, arranged a stone for a pillow and slept. In a dream he saw a staircase set up on the Earth, the top reaching to Heaven, and the Angels of God were going up and coming down on it. When he awoke from his dream he exclaimed:

How awesome is this place today! This is none other than the house of God and this is the gate of Heaven!

Note that it was Jacob who decided to change the name of the place from Luz to Beth-el ("Bayth-Eil") meaning, the house of God. He wasn't commanded to do so. God did not call the place His own house! See Genesis 28:12,17,19

Approximately 100 years after Jacob introduced the name Beth-el to the place formerly known as Luz, Moses, after returning from his encounter with the Most High upon Mt. Sinai where he had received the Law, was told by God to construct the Tabernacle (or Tent) of Meeting. He did not recently awaken from a dream and, being so moved by what he had dreamed, concoct a notion to fashion a tent. He was instructed by God to do so, with God explicitly stating its purpose:

There I will meet with you...

The design was not left up to Moses; he was not allowed to get creative. He didn't hire an architect or modify pre-existing plans. God showed him the real thing and told him to copy it down to the last detail:

...And they will make to me a sanctuary and I shall dwell among them. Everything that I show to you, the likeness of the Tabernacle and of all its implements, in this way they shall do.

And again:

See that you make them after the pattern...which was shown to you on the mountain.

And again:

Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen.

IMPORTANT - Although specific knowledge and skill would be required for making the Tent and everything inside including the Ark of the Testimony, the furniture, candlestick, altars, cloths of service, clothing for the priests, oils and incense, God did NOT instruct Moses to post job openings and conduct interviews in a hunt for qualified artisans, credentialed and accredited craftsmen. Instead, He filled select men with the spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship: metalworking, masonry, carpentry, embroidery, cloth dying, planners and every trade.

God filled men with wisdom of heart to do His will. See Exodus 31:2-11

Don't miss this: This process has never changed!

Yeshua answered and said: "My teaching is not Mine, but from him who sent Me." Whoever is willing to do his will understands my teaching, whether it is from God or whether I speak for my own pleasure.

Now the God of peace, who brought forth from the place of the dead the Great Shepherd of the flock, Yeshua the Messiah our LORD, by the blood of the eternal covenant, perfect you in every good work to do his will and perform in us whatever is excellent before him by Yeshua the Messiah, to whom is glory to the eternity of eternities. Amen.

And teach me to do your pleasure, because you are my God; your Spirit is sweet; you will lead me in the way of life.

For God is carefully working in you both to desire and to do that thing which you desire.

For 400 hundred years the portable Tent of Meeting, around which God had established the parameters whereby He would meet with men, traveled with the children of Israel wherever they went. God met with men where they were.

And that brings us to David. The time had arrived when King David was finally at rest from his enemies:

Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees, masons, and carpenters, to build a house for him.

As a sidebar: 400 years later Ezekiel laments the king of Tyre (obviously no longer Hiram) in a rather well-known passage: Ezekiel 28:11-19. But that is another story. For more on this topic, see my article titled, "Lucifer").

At ease in his new luxury abode, king David decided that God now needed a house and so informed Nathan, the prophet. See 2Samuel 7:2, 1Chronicles 17:1

Nathan responded to the king with a rather fascinating statement:

Do all that is in your heart; for God is with you!

• The advice: Do all that is in your heart
• The reasoning: God is with you!

Neither David nor Nathan had the benefit of having the word of the Lord via the prophet Jeremiah, born 327 years after David died, to reference:

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

In addition to NOT trusting your heart, it is never a good idea to say to another, 'God is with you' when He isn't. If Nathan, a prophet of God, could be so accused, beware the religious system mouthpieces who prostitute themselves for riches and honor.

God intervened, visiting Nathan in a dream that same night. He commanded the prophet:

Go tell David 'Thou SHALT NOT build me a house...'

• The command: Don't build me a house!
• The reasoning:
  • I have never dwelled in a house
  • I have traveled with you from tent to tent
  • Did I ever ask anyone, 'Why haven't you built Me a house?'

God does not often explain Himself, so this must be a rather important issue... so much so that His reasoning is recorded in not just one passage, but in two separate accounts! See 2Samuel 7:6-7, 1Chronicles 17:5-6

God then laid it all out before David:

• I took you from chasing sheep and made you ruler over Israel
• I have been with you wherever you went
• I cut off all your enemies
• I made your name great
• I will appoint a place for my people
• They shall never be moved again
• The children of wickedness will not afflict them anymore
• I will build you the house
• After you are dead, I will raise up your Seed
• He will be the One who does the building
• I will establish the throne of His kingdom forever
• I will be His Father, He will be My Son
• Unto eternity

See 2Samuel 7:8-16, 1Chronicles 17:7-14

Impressively, David had interpreted God's response to be, "Great idea, David! I have always wanted a Palace on the Earth to replace that tattered old tent I came up with (what was I thinking?). But we'll have Solomon do the construction work." See 1Chronicles 28:2-7.

Indeed, it would appear that all of Judaism and Christianity have interpreted God's words "Thou Shalt Not Build!" to mean, "How soon can you get that (next) building project started?"

David would one day provide his son Solomon with the only reasonable explanation as to why God would refuse to allow him, David the king, the apple of God's eye, the one who came up with the idea in the first place, to personally go forward with such a grand plan. He told his son, "I was a bloody man of war. That is why I can't build God a house. But son, you will carry on with my dream; you will be the one to carry out my plans!"

You may recall that David believed that God had authorized Shimei to curse him, calling him a "bloody man." See 2Samuel 16:5-14

With David's interpretation of what he thought God probably meant, derived from his own history and guilt (re: getting Bathsheba, a married woman, pregnant and then having her husband sent to the front lines where he was swiftly killed, all so David could legally marry the man's wife), it is understandable why Solomon grew up to consider himself to be the object of such a grand prophecy. See 1Kings 5:5, 1Kings 8:19-20

The words God instructed Nathan the prophet to speak to king David are recorded in detail in not just one, but two separate passages, 2Samuel 7:1-17 and 1Chronicles 17:1-14. We do not find the slightest mention of blood or war in God's words - the words God Himself spoke and preserved for us to hear.

God had decreed more than once Who, precisely, would do the building of His house, and it certainly wasn't Solomon:

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit...In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of Him shall the nations inquire, and His resting place shall be glorious.

In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.

Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Mary was told:

...You shall call His name Jesus. This One will be great and He will be called The Son of The Highest and the Lord Jehovah will give to Him the throne of David His father, and He will reign over the house of Jacob eternally and to His Kingdom there will not be an end."

And he ...raised up for them David The King and testified of him and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man according to my heart. He shall do all my pleasure.' From the seed of this man God raised up to Israel, according to what was promised, Jesus The Savior.

In Jesus's own words:

How are the Scribes saying that The Messiah is the son of David? For David himself said in The Spirit of Holiness: 'THE LORD JEHOVAH said to my Lord, Sit at my right until I shall constitute your enemies as a footstool under your feet.' David therefore called him, 'My Lord'. How is He his son?

Some 250 years after David, with the temple that Solomon had constructed still standing (it would be another 100+ years before it would be torn to the ground), the prophet Isaiah declared:

Thus says the LORD, 'Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being.'

God was perfectly aware of the existence of Solomon's temple, and yet asked the rhetorical question, "Where is the house you could build for (to house) me, and where is the place that I may rest?" Do you recall our LORD Jesus, Who had spent much time in the second temple, the rebuilt temple, saying:

Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.

If Herod's temple really was Jesus's Father's house, then why would Jesus have no place to rest? Do you understand, yet? In Hebrews we read:

God spoke with our fathers by The Prophets, and in these last days he has spoken with us by his Son, whom he ordained The Heir of all things, and by him he made the world.

That passage in Hebrews continues with:

...and this One is altogether greater than the Angels, according to how much more excellent than theirs is The Name which he possesses. For to which one of the Angels did God ever say, 'You are my Son; today I have begotten you', and again, 'I shall be to him the Father and he shall be to me the Son'?

It was never about Solomon! The Seed of David, the Seed of Isaac, the Seed of Abraham, the one Who God raised up after David had gone to sleep with his fathers, Whose throne is to eternity, of Whom God said, 'I will be His father and He shall be my Son' is none other than our LORD Jesus!

The LORD will build you a house.

When men complete the construction of their buildings that will house their religious enterprise they often hold dedication ceremonies where they proudly cite:

...the glory of the LORD filled the house...

Solomon had installed the ark of the covenant, taken from the Tabernacle, in the temple he had built. And the glory of the Lord filled the place.

The same had occurred in Exodus 40:35, where the glory of the LORD had filled the cloth-walled tabernacle, just as one would expect would occur when God met over the wings of the cherubim of the ark of the covenant.

Not surprisingly, men fail to realize this glory was a feature of the ark, not the tent in which it resided. Unfortunately for the temple worshipping crowd, it had nothing to do with Solomon's temple, the temple that would later be razed to the ground. See 2Chronicles 5:13-14, Exodus 25:22, Leviticus 9:23, Numbers 16:42

After his own dedication ceremony to honor the building he had constructed, Solomon then dictated to The Most High his own terms for God's recognition of the temple he had completed:

• I know you dwell in heaven, BUT...
• This is what you must have meant when you said, 'My Name shall be there.'
• When people physically pray in the direction of this building, you need to hear them and forgive them.

See 1Kings 8:27-53

Praying while facing in the direction of a physical, earthly location in order to garner special treatment from God? I don't think Solomon had any idea how popular that meaningless practice would become.

We are told that the Lord appeared to Solomon and said to him:

I have heard your prayer and your plea, which you have made before me. I have consecrated this house that you have built, by putting my name there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.

Don't miss it: Contrast God's own words, "this house that you (Solomon) have built" with "the LORD shall build you the house!"

God then dictated His own terms to Solomon:

• IF you will walk before me perfectly, IF you will do what I commanded you, IF you will keep my statutes and judgements...
• THEN I will keep my promise to your father regarding an heir on his throne.
• HOWEVER, IF you turn away from me to serve other gods...
• I WILL DESTROY Israel!

See 1Kings 9:4-9

We all know how this turned out. God's conditional terms had to do with Solomon, not Solomon's building project. Sadly, Solomon turned away from God and God took the kingdom away from him, just as He said He would do. See 1Kings 11:4-8, 11,31-33

After Solomon's death the kingdom was split, with the northern kingdom of Israel being comprised of 9* of the 12 Tribes, and the southern kingdom of Judah consisting of Judah and Benjamin (*Simeon had since been absorbed into Judah. Some of Ephraim and Manasseh would migrate to Judah. Levi, who had never received an inheritance in the land, north or south, also came to Judah after Jeroboam rejected them as priests of the LORD). In 721 BC the Assyrians, who had recently razed Babylon (the city) to the ground, invaded, conquered and destroyed Israel, just as God had promised, taking captive those whom they didn't kill. These would later be scattered throughout the Earth in fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham to make him the father of many nations. Later, the Babylonians took the inhabitants of Judah into captivity, and Nebuchadnezzar, a mere man, tore the temple to the ground, the building that Solomon thought to be the very house of God!

Babylon had rebuilt their city, now greater than ever. They rose up and utterly removed Assyria. 135 years after the destruction of Israel, the northern kingdom, the Babylonians were authorized to take the inhabitants of Judah, the remains of the southern kingdom, captive.

After 70 years in Babylon, Darius the Mede released the captives of Judah, and Cyrus the Persian supplied those who returned to the land with materials to build yet another temple, a project which would take 6 years to complete.

514 years later, in 70 AD, in keeping with the Messiah's own words that 'not one stone shall be left standing on another' (See Matthew 24:2, Mark 13:2, Luke 19:44, Luke 21:6), the Roman emperor Vespasian along with Titus, his son, marched upon Jerusalem and tore the temple to the ground, the second building that some believed to be the very house of God!

Let's recap:

• God gave Moses the Tabernacle in 1446 BC, in which He met with the people wherever they were for 480 years.
• David, king of Israel, wanted to build God a house but it was his son Solomon who, in his role as king, erected a temple in Jerusalem in 966 BC. It was torn down 380 years later in 586 BC under the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.
• A second temple was (re)built in Jerusalem in 444 BC under the reign of Darius the Great, king of Persia. Standing 514 years, it was torn to the ground in 70 AD under the reign of Vespasian, emperor of Rome.

That's twice, now, that a structure men claimed to be the very house of God, was destroyed. Two separate attempts to establish a house for God on Earth were dealt with by utterly destroying the buildings. Let that sink in...

The nations had kings and governments to rule over them, while God had given the children of Israel the law and the judges. That wasn't sufficient for them so they pined for a king and thus joined the nations in the system of crown adulation. Mankind just loves to subject themselves to a crown, while they refuse to bend the knee to the Most High! It is befitting that the rider of the White Horse of Revelation 6 is given a crown with which he goes forth conquering.

For more on this topic, see my article titled, "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse".

The nations constructed temples, while God had given the children of Israel the portable Tent of Meeting (Tabernacle). With this mobile outfit, God would meet with the people wherever the people went. But that wasn't acceptable to them, so they joined the nations in the system of temple worship.

And it continues to this day.

The House of God is definitely made, just not with human hands. See Acts 7:48, Acts 17:24

Listen to the the words of our precious brother Stephen, spoken just prior to being stoned to death by temple worshippers:

Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed him to make it according to the pattern which he had seen. And having received it in their turn, our fathers brought it in with Joshua upon dispossessing the nations whom God drove out before our fathers, until the time of David.

And David found favor in God's sight, and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. But it was Solomon who built a house for Him. However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands...

...You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.

Stephen explained that the fathers had the tent just as God directed Moses to make it. David wanted to house God, but it would be David's son Solomon who would construct the building. HOWEVER, God doesn't live in buildings. He closed with, "You stiff necks, who are uncircumcised in your hearts and in your hearing, you always are opposing The Spirit of Holiness. As your fathers did, so do you!"

Ouch!

The whole temple fixation started with the forefathers of those who executed Stephen, including David, Solomon's dad, and continues to this day. And yet even David spoke of something different...

More than two dozen times throughout the Psalms David had referenced the house of God (house of the Lord, Thy house, etc). This occurred long before his own death, let alone the construction of Solomon's temple. What house, exactly, was David referring to?

The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.

In defense of the construction of their religious enterprise architectural projects, men love to cite the passage from the Gospel of John where Jesus went up to Jerusalem. By the way, Jesus did not have His organizational headquarters in Jerusalem, there was no business office for His itinerant ministry, no broadcasting studio, not even a branch office. Men are just certain that, from this passage, they have positive proof Jesus had given His stamp of approval to a building being the House of God:

And he found in The Temple those that were selling lambs, sheep and doves, and there were money exchangers sitting. And he made for himself a whip from rope and cast all of them out of The Temple, and the sheep, the lambs, and money exchangers, and he poured out their money and overturned their tables. And to those who had been selling doves he said: 'Take these things out of here, and do not make my Father's house a house of trade.'

Not surprisingly, they all fail to cite the following verses from that same passage:

But the Judeans answered and said to him: 'What sign are you showing us that you are doing these things?' Jesus answered and said to them: 'Tear down this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.' The Jews were saying to him: 'For forty six years this temple has been being built, and will you raise it in three days?' But he said this concerning the temple of his body. But when he had risen from the grave, his disciples were reminded that he had said this, and they believed the Scriptures and the word that Jesus had spoken.

Did you catch that? Jesus was not speaking of the same temple the Judahites were speaking of.

He said this concerning the temple of His body.

Paul asked:

Are you unaware that your bodies are the temple of God?

Peter urged:

Come as living stones and be built up as a spiritual house unto God.

Paul said:

You are built upon the foundation of Apostles and Prophets, Jesus being the chief cornerstone. The whole building is constructed by Him and grows into the temple of the Lord. You are being built together into the habitation of God.

Jesus said:

There are many lodgings in my Father's house, and if not, I would have told you, because I go to prepare a place for you... Whoever loves me keeps my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and we will make our lodging with him.

The people of God are destined to be the abode of God - not cathedrals, not mosques, not synagogues, not so-called church buildings. His people, collectively, are the house of God, the temple of God. Note that this temple is comprised of living stones, not dead rocks.

For more on this topic, see my article titled, "Born Again".

But just as a log pile is not a log house, even a pile of living stones does not a temple make. We are each fitted into place over the course of a lifetime. We are built into that glorious house by master builders (I realize how infuriating this is to the proud and arrogant, and the rebellious of heart. You want to do what you want to do when you want to do it. Well, that isn't how it works). Living stones are added from each generation as He sees fit until His holy temple is complete.

At the same time, God refers to His people as His body, the Messiah being the head. There is one body and we are members of that body, as arms or legs or eyes or ears. We are each members, one of another. See Ephesians 1:22, Ephesians 5:23

We are His Assembly, His Congregation, His Church, His Flock. See Matthew 16:18, Acts 20:28, Galatians 1:13, 1Timothy 3:5

God had explained to David that the reason He never asked any man to build Him a house (besides the fact that it would be physically impossible, as the Earth is but His footstool!) was that He met with men where they were. The Tent of Meeting traveled with men and God met them where they congregated. This has never been about putting God in a box and scheduling trips to come visit him. See Acts 7:38

Jesus said:

...If two of you will agree in the Earth about any matter which they will request, it will be done for them from the presence of my Father who is in Heaven. For where two or three are assembled in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

WHERE we gather is of absolutely NO significance!

Remember, the glory of the LORD was a feature of the ark. It was NOT a feature of the tent or building in which it resided.

WHO is gathering and in WHOSE NAME (with WHOM) is of every significance!

Mankind has a penchant for systematizing processes; for insisting upon formulae for repeat functionality. Systems built on the acquisition of power and wealth, such as government or industry, require strict adherence to organizational structure and stringent rules to ensure operational success.

The religious system, religious organizations and so-called organized religion are no different with their facilities, hierarchies, rituals, requirements and traditions. "God comes on promptly at 1100 hours, so everyone take your seats. Sound check... OK, here we go... 3... 2... 1... Que music..."

• Question: Where do we read in the Scriptures that God ever instructed Moses to form an organization, to start up a new religion called Judaism, one that would include Pharisees, Sadducees, Rabbis, the Sanhedrin, the Talmud, the Kabbalah, synagogues, temples, etc?
• Answer: We don't. Because He didn't.

What we do read is that the leaders of the region's predominant organized religion were soundly rebuked by John the Baptizer as well as by the LORD Jesus Himself for promoting their own teachings. See Matthew 3:7-12, Luke 3:7-11

• Question: Where do we read in the Scriptures that the Messiah came to correct some slight deviations from a religion that His Father had allegedly founded long, long ago?
• Answer: We don't. Because He didn't.

What we do read is that God had established His righteous requirements in the Earth; requirements that would/could only be fulfilled by His Son, the Seed to Whom the Promise was made. This He did, not for His own sake, but for ours. See Matthew 3:15, Matthew 5:17, Romans 8:4

While we are at it, "Christ" is not Jesus's surname (family name, last name). It is a transliteration (into English) of the Greek word Christos, which is how the Greeks referred to the Messiah. The Greeks had transliterated the Aramaic "Meshika" into Messias, and then translated Messias as "Christos". The word Messiah is itself a transliteration (into English) of the Greek transliteration Messias, and the Aramaic word Meshika (also Hebrew Mashiach). Christ, Christos, Messiah, Meshika, Mashiach all mean the same thing, and refer to God's One and Only Anointed. When we say Jesus Christ we can as easily say Jesus Messiah, Jesu Christo, or Yeshua Meshika, or Yeshua Mashiach. Thankfully, He knows Who He is! But do you? You can read more about this in my article titled, "Jesus is Lord".

• Question: Where do we read in the Scriptures that Jesus started up a brand new religion called Christianity intended to offer an alternative perspective of God, another path up the mountain, one that could include cathedrals, popes, priests, reverends, choirs, pews, altars, vestibules, rectories, parsonages, Sunday services, tithing, Bible schools, seminaries, mission programs and so much more.
• Answer: We don't. Because He didn't.

Men fail to realize that God didn't start their religious business enterprise. They did that all on their own.

God began His work before the foundation of the world, and is continuing it to this very day. But men love the world and all that is in it; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life.

The flesh is so easily seduced by beauty, money (wealth) and title (honor, power). The kingdoms of men along with their enterprises are built entirely upon these elements. And mankind is determined in his thinking that it is somehow permissible, even possible, to conflate God's Kingdom with any kingdom of men.

But the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the spirit of holiness. See Romans 14:7

• Question: But what about my religion?
• Answer: The English word "religion" appears to derive from the Latin religio/religo, meaning "to bind." It infers a Roman oath sworn to the gods and any subsequent obligations of such an oath. As one contemplates one's moral duties before God, consider this, first:

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Attending weekly services appears to have been left out of that passage. Hmm...

• Question: Where did the word "church" come from?
• Answer: (see below...)

When referencing The Almighty the Greeks, having no word or term for The Living God, used their general word kurios, meaning the person in charge; ruler, master, lord, sir, mister, etc. Kuriakos translates as that which belongs to the person in charge. A building is a doma. In Greek, the house belonging to the person in charge is a kuriakon doma.

Old German transliterated and shortened the Greek kuriakon doma into kirika. This word went through several iterations (kirich, khirch, kerrich, kersche, etc) before becoming kirche (pronounced: kirshuh).

English transliterated the German kirche to give us the word kirk (yes, really. You can find it in old documents). It appears that the Old High German pronunciation of the word (xi.rix.xa - chi.rich.a) influenced the iteration of kirk to churche. The "e" was eventually dropped and the English word church was established. Ta da!

These words (this word in its various forms) have referred to a building ("a house belonging to a lord") from their (its) origins. By substituting "lord" with "the LORD", a house where worship is said to occur is then claimed to be "the LORD's house" and the word "church" is applied to it. Today, the English word church is recognized throughout the Earth to be synonymous with both a building dedicated to religious purposes as well as the religious organization or group that owns and/or operates it. According to this definition, there are countless such churches.

Our LORD Jesus was neither Greek nor German, nor was he English. It may come as a shock to some to discover that, nearly 2000 years ago, Shimeon Kaypha (Simon Peter) did not hear the Master say the tonal equivalent of: "...and upon this rock I will build my church..."

What our LORD did say to the disciple He referred to as The Stone sounded completely different from any derivation of the phrase "my church":

לעדתי (pronounced: L'eeD'Tay)

The Aramaic word ēḏtā means company, congregation or assembly. No physical building is implied or inferred. The word quite specifically refers to a group of people. It NEVER refers to a facility. And there is no head count associated. As long as there is more than one, you have a group. And nobody, including the Master Himself, ever said the group had to all be in the same place at the same time for any of it to matter!

• Question: But didn't Jesus start a church?
• Answer: No.

Not only did Jesus NEVER start a church, He didn't start a ministry or run a business. He didn't construct facilities or hire staff, either.

Jesus did not gather the people from across the lands to attend services at Herod's temple in Jerusalem, nor did He conduct regularly scheduled events at any of the satellite facilities, the public meeting houses (the local coffee shops) known as synagogues. Jesus NEVER instructed any man to build a facility to house His Father, Himself, or any of His followers.

Jesus didn't file for 501(c)(3) tribute exemption as a Roman C Corporation, S Corp, LLC, Sole Proprietorship, Ltd or GmbH, either. And it wasn't because Caesar didn't make it all available. These provisions of the kingdom of men have nothing to do with the Kingdom of God. These are the instruments of men... ONLY.

Hint: What is God's IS God's. It does not seek acknowledgement, let alone permission, from Caesar.

Our LORD Jesus met with people wherever they were, wherever He traveled. Man, that sounds familiar! Where did we hear about God meeting with men wherever they were, wherever they travelled? Large crowds of those who were actually interested would gather outside the city in fields, not coliseums or stadiums, to hear Him. No admission was charged, and children didn't need to be shuttled off behind closed doors so they wouldn't interrupt. Small groups would meet in homes. Collections were not taken. Those who weren't much interested in Jesus gathered at the public meeting houses and discussion (argument) centers. Neither Jesus or any of His followers ever had much success at those places. I can relate.

After His resurrection, the brothers and sisters continued to meet in homes... houses which they already had. Those assemblies of believers were referred to as the body of the Messiah (aka assembly, congregation, or "church" if you must) at so-and-so's house. Several gatherings in a given locale would be referred to collectively as the church at such-and-such a city (town, village, etc) - whether they all gathered in the same place at the same time, or not.

Christian tradition would have you believe that fear of persecution prohibited the apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers of the first century from constructing proper facilities to house God and entertain His people. According to this false teaching these cowardly, timid folks, "primitive Christians" as they are often referred to as, had to suffer the tortuous embarrassment of meeting in mere houses, instead of attending scheduled services in the grand cathedrals we all know God wanted them to have.

If you are enamored with the word "church" then, by all means, use it. But use it properly. The "church" is the company, congregation, or assembly of the righteous across time, and thus also includes those who are being added in this current generation. This is the body of our Messiah, comprised of living stones being built into His Temple in which he dwells. It is not comprised of wood, rock or steel. It is not a building, place or location. It most certainly is not a business organization. God forbid!

Lest any still be confused: believers assembling at a house do not make that house a "church." Once again, contrary to popular usage, the term "house church" never appears in the Scriptures. Sadly for those who participate, the concept of a "house church" largely amounts to nothing more than a facility swap, where today's abominable religious system, loaded with the teachings of the traditions of men, is temporarily relocated to an insufficient but allowable facility (perhaps scaled down slightly) only until such time as governmental permission is granted to return the organization to its preferred temple or cathedral of choice.

The "church" of the LORD Jesus Christ is the assembly, not the facility.

• Question: Where do you go to church?
• Answer: A man can no more go to church than he can go to husband. He is a husband; he does not go to one.

This is not simply a matter of semantics, but of ignorance, deception and/or disobedience. Search the Scriptures. You will never find the phrase, "go to church." If you are steeped in the religion of Christianity, there are a lot of phrases you may use and/or be familiar with that never appear in the Scriptures.

• Question: What about attending church services?
• Answer: Service??? Yet another religious system contrivance, so named to co-opt the service of God. One does or performs service (or not). Service is not something one attends. Plays, concerts, performances, gladiator events... these are things people attend.

Remember the part about visiting the fatherless and the widows in their affliction? That is the service of God. Joshua said to the tribes of Israel,

Choose this day whom you will serve... as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Jesus told His disciples,

You cannot serve both God and money.

By showing up and participating in and/or enduring a religious system presentation, then somehow equating it with the service of God you deceive yourself. Just as a man cannot go to church anymore than he can go to husband, he does not serve God by attending so-called "services".

• Question: What is the Church?
• Answer: (see below...)

God's holy temple is made up of living stones. You must be born again, born of the spirit, to be a living stone, a live stone. Otherwise you are a dead rock, and dead rocks have no place in His temple.

For more on this topic, see my article titled, "Born Again".

Living stones don't fit themselves into God's temple any more than logs fit themselves into lodges, nor does fitting occur as a result of group get-togethers, potlucks, Bible studies (or, more accurately: opinion-fests), religious outings, etc. Living stones gathered together are simply a rock pile, not God's holy temple. Master builders, raised up and appointed by God in each generation (not appointed by man, not even recognized by man, and certainly not honored by man) participate in the "fitting into place" of a given living stone. And this occurs as God wills - not as you will. Whether you like it, or not. God is NOT asking your permission to do as He wills. The sooner you get ahold of that, the easier it will be for you.

I know this will further frost some fritters out there, but so-called "pastors" are not master builders. Some guy attends a so-called Christian college, Bible school, or seminary to be indoctrinated in the religious traditions of men, gets honored for his effort with a certificate or diploma, joins or affiliates with or gets employed by a denomination or other funding group, gathers some taxpayers together, and they are off to the races with their new "local" church. But this has nothing to do with the kingdom of God. You heard me correctly.

Living stones are added locally, in their locale, to the one temple. But there is only one temple, and it spans all places and all time. Living stones avail themselves for fitting by assembling with one another and waiting upon God. God introduces the master builder/builders, and the fitting begins.

Warnings:

• Do not equate any kingdom of man with the Kingdom of God.
• Do not equate any of the religious institutions or organizations of men with the assembly (church) of our LORD Jesus the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.
• Do not equate club membership in some tax-exempt organization with being a member of His Body.
• Do not be deceived. God does not dwell in temples made with human hands.
• Do NOT start a business, plaster it with Jesus stickers, and call it the House of the LORD.

Rather than restrict themselves to what God has declared regarding Himself and His creation, men prefer to make God more imaginable; more suitable and palatable; more believable. Generation after generation, men insist on putting God in a box and wrapping Him up in a marketable, appealing package. Thus they develop religions to organize their beliefs and teachings. Those organizations really love their altars, worship facilities, temples, cathedrals, services, buses, extra-curricular activities, etc. And money. And titles.

All of these organizations commingle light with darkness, the Kingdom of God with the kingdoms of men.

The Body of the Messiah is not an organization. It is not a business. It is not a religion. It is not a building. It never has been any of these things.

The Body of the Messiah is the House of God!

...the house of God, which is the church (assembly, congregation) of the Living God...