Turning Humans Into Pavlov Dogs

C H U R C H   R E F O R M   S E R I E S

By Biblicism Institute

“Classical conditioning (also known as Pavlovian or respondent conditioning) is a learning process in which an innate response to a potent stimulus comes to be elicited in response to a previously neutral stimulus.” — Wikipedia

“A bully pulpit is a position sufficiently conspicuous to provide an opportunity to speak out and be listened to. This term was coined by President Theodore Roosevelt…” — Wikipedia

Have you ever wondered why politicians adopted and spread propaganda-style the expression Bully Pulpit, a term that reeks of religious connotation?

First, allow us to advance an explanation as to the true meaning of the term Bully Pulpit, not the “terrific platform” meme that was peddled by Theodore Roosevelt and his ilk.

When Christians go to church they are “bullied” to no end by a preacher who stands behind a “pulpit.” The reason it is qualified as bullying is because the preacher single-handedly commandeers Christ’s authority unto himself, as he disregards every gathering or assembly law stipulated by Christ and the Apostles in the bible. See Church Services Are NOT Biblical for an exposé.

Christians have been so “properly conditioned and programmed” by the Bully Pulpit practice that politicians salivated with envy, and could not resist the compulsion to appropriate it for their own end.

Who can blame them?

Let’s face it. Bully-Pulpitism is a very effective brainwashing method.

When believers attend church they are not allowed to speak or express their minds, even when the “preacher” spews out false dogmas. They are trained to passively sit in the pews and to robotically say “Amen.” They are thus perfectly molded to accept anything a mortal and fallible man says as long as he happens to stand behind a “pulpit.”

Consequently, from a spiritual perspective, the Body of Christ suffers a debilitating paralysis. See Church Services Are NOT Biblical for an exposé. However, for government leeches such a method is Nirvana or Elysium; Scoundrel Heaven, if you prefer.

The Pavlov Experiment

“Preachers do it and get away with it,” they properly deduced. “Why not use it for our benefit? Most of the work is already done. All we have to do is get the sheeple to associate us with the word ‘pulpit’ and… Abracadabra!”

Hence, politicians have not only arrogated Bully-Pulpitism, they have perfected it to such a degree that Authoritarianism is becoming the norm almost everywhere.

That’s why Presidents, Congressmen, Politicians, and Public Servants of all stripes act all indignant whenever people question their actions or their stands on the issues.

“How dare the sheeple talk back to us?” they bark. “They’re supposed to stay quiet and acquiesce with just ‘Amen.'”

The political practice of Bully-Pulpitism has become so bad that the People’s Representatives even vote against the will of the people they supposedly represent, not feigning so much as a modicum of care for the wishes of their constituents. Said disposition has even trickled down to cops who have turned savagely wild on those they have sworn to protect and serve.

To further cement the process, these government rascals, in cahoots with  the Medical Community, have engineered a solution for those who dare think for themselves and question “Authority.” See Of Authority and Christians for an exposé.

They classify them as mentally ill.

In reality, such a dubious “scientific” diagnosis should have been expected. It wasn’t long ago that these whorish pseudo-scientists bravely concluded that two-year-olds who naturally act out suffer from Oppositional Defiant Disorder. It must be that behind their own “pulpit” of Make Believe or Make Disease, Anti-Authoritarianism – as a “sickness” – is a natural extension or progression of that invented kiddy disorder.

CONCLUSION

Bully-Pulpitism originated in the Church. It then extended to the political arena where savvy propagandists made sure it infiltrated every stratum of society. Unfortunately for all, it has turned fully cognitive humans into pitiful Pavlov dogs.

“We must obey God rather than human beings!” Acts 5:9

Speaking In Tongues

C H U R C H   R E F O R M   S E R I E S

By Biblicism Institute

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels…” 1 Corinthians 13:1

There’s quite a polemic within the body of Christ regarding the gift of speaking in tongues.

VARIOUS TONGUES: OF MEN AND OF ANGELS

Biblically speaking, to speak or pray in tongues is to speak or pray in a celestial language. When said language or tongue is being spoken, each endowed individual strikes a unique cadence of sound and heavenly words – hence tongues, plural.

“On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues …” Acts 19: 4-7

However, at the first Pentecost, speaking in tongues took on a different aspect as well.

Judahite Hebrews, who were born and lived abroad, like the Apostle Paul who was born in Tarsus, Cilicia, were visiting Jerusalem for the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Weeks, and heard the disciples speak in their various native dialects.

“Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Judahites from every nation under heaven... Every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all this which speak Galileans? ” Acts 2: 5 -7

The speaking of foreign languages, as prompted at that time by the Holy Spirit, was for the benefit of these men who were part of the Hebrew House of Ancient Israel.

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Acts 2: 36

It was also for the benefit of spreading the Gospel worldwide, especially as many foreigners from around the world constantly traveled to Jerusalem, a major trade center at the time.

“And how hear we every man in our own dialect wherein we were born? Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and the parts of Lybia, about Cyrene, strangers of Rome, Judahites and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, We do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.” Acts 2: 8-12

“Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.” Acts 8:4

The Holy Spirit saw the need at that particular junction to supernaturally prompt many of the disciples to speak in various foreign dialects.

The bestowal of said gift (i.e., to speak in a foreign dialect) still occurs today, albeit not supernaturally like at the first Pentecost but as a talent or an aptitude, since many individuals all over the world are now fluent in more than one language. It thus recalibrates the event at the Tower of Babel where God confounded man’s one universal language into various dialects, and caused them not to understand each other.

“Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” Genesis 11: 7

Man’s hope at the Tower of Babel was to reach Heaven (Genesis 11:4). Now Heaven reaches down to man in the person of Jesus, using not only the aforementioned gift but a new universal language as well, a heavenly tongue, which itself reaches to the once unreachable Heaven, even unto God Himself.

“For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God…” 1 Corinthians 14: 2

However, unlike the supernatural outpouring of common languages at the First Pentecost, the heavenly tongue has kept its supernatural endowment, as it is God’s umbilical cord whereby He supplies His children with divine mysteries.

“…one who speaks in a tongue… utters mysteries in the spirit.” 1 Corinthians 14: 2

As such it is mostly for the benefit of oneself in prayer.

“One who speaks in tongues edifies himself…” 1 Corinthians 14:4

“Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groans which cannot be uttered.” Romans 8:26

Praying in tongues is something many Christians don’t do for whatever reason, whether out of traditional bias, ignorance, or unbelief. However, it’s one of many spiritual tools or gifts available in the Christian arsenal – just like God created many kinds of fruits and vegetables for all those with different tastes and gustoes.

“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another mighty works, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of languages, and to still another the interpretation of languages. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” 1 Corinthians 12: 7-11

But the day one desires the gift of speaking in heavenly tongues, which increases wisdom in the things above, all one has to do is ask God who gives to all liberally.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all [men] liberally, and without reproach; and it shall be given him.” James 1:5

When one speaks in a heavenly tongue, something is birthed deep inside the spirit man and one is edified.

“For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the spirit.” 1 Corinthians 14: 2

Yet, when we congregate it is better to prophesy in a common language and not speak in tongues.

“But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself, but he that prophesieth edifieth the assembly.” 1 Corinthians 14: 4

The one who prophesies in a common language edifies the body of Christ. But that doesn’t mean he is forbidden to pray in tongues when he’s on his own.

“So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.” 1 Corinthians 14: 39

“I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.” 1 Corinthians 14: 18

In a congregational setting speaking in heavenly tongues should only occur with the presence of a gifted someone who can interpret.

“The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the assembly may be built up.” 1 Corinthians 14: 5

Otherwise, it’d be a waste of the congregants’ time if someone is edifying himself at the expense of others who can’t be edified at that moment. See Church Services ARE NOT Biblical.

“Nevertheless, in the assembly I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.” 1 Corinthians 14: 19

CONCLUSION

Many harbor a bias towards speaking in tongues and fight tooth and nail not to speak it.

They spin the idea that when one speaks to God in a tongue, one actually speaks in one’s native dialect, and therefore others who don’t speak said dialect do not understand what is uttered. But that’s not true. If one speaks one’s own dialect, one’s mind is fruitful, but if one prays in a heavenly tongue, one’s mind is not, but the spirit man is.

“For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful.” 1 Corinthians 14: 14

Besides, isn’t it silly to babble in one’s native dialect in a congregation where no one else speaks that language?

And if one suddenly starts speaking in a foreign dialect that he doesn’t understand, prompted by the Holy Spirit like at the first Pentecost, how does he edify himself? He doesn’t. He edifies others who speak that language. But if he speaks in God’s heavenly tongue, he is edified by God Himself as “he utters mysteries in the spirit .“

Speaking in tongues, as Christians came to describe it since its advent at Pentecost, is different in scope than speaking in common dialects or languages. It is of angels, while the other is of men. It edifies oneself, while its counterpart edifies others.

“The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the assembly.” 1 Corinthians 14:4

To speak in a heavenly tongue is God-given to build us up individually. As with any gift anyone can choose to accept or reject it.

But why would anyone reject a gift from God?

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1: 17

Click here to know how to be baptized in the Holy Spirit and pray in tongues.

The Heart Adjustment

For Perfect Everyday Living

C H U R C H   R E F O R M   S E R I E S

By Biblicism Institute

“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5: 48

The very essence of Christianity is Service, and at the very core of a true Christian is the perfect heart of a Servant.

Jesus washes the disciples’ feet

Unfortunately, the word Service has been somewhat corrupted by its liberal use in the labeling of the erroneous principle of “Church Service.” See Church Services are NOT biblical.

TRUE SERVICE

Service implies that Christians become Servants.

There are a great many bible verses about becoming a servant, but here Jesus spells out the most important one.

“…whoever would be great among you must be your servant.” Matthew 20:26

To be a servant is to be of use.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

From a Ministry standpoint, Service is understood by most to be within the confines of the five-fold Ministry – explored at length in Understanding the Duties of Ministry.

However, there is the forgotten Everyday Life Ministry. The very one that Jesus lived and practiced constantly. The one where every instant becomes an opportunity to serve and display the fruit of the Spirit.

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5: 22-23

With these everyday moments God catches us unaware and pushes us to walk in the kind of service He has prepared for us.

There are myriads of them. They usually go unnoticed because they are simply needs. But just like Jesus, we only have to look around to find them.

“He [Jesus] got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet…” John 13:4,5

Feet washing is a service. The disciples’ feet were dirty and needed to be washed. So Jesus, without complaining and lecturing, took care of it. Mary Magdalene, who washed Jesus’s feet with her tears, also performed said service. (Luke 7:38)

Now all we have to do is look for similar opportunities, and we too will be in the Service Business – sorry, Ministry. 😉

Examples:

1. take out the trash;

2. don’t leave the shopping cart in the parking lot, take it back;

3. visit a sick friend or relative (read Of Healing and Miracles before you go);

4. be courteous and responsible while driving;

5. pick up your boss’s clothes at the cleaners if he asks, or volunteer if the need arises;

6. cook dinner once in a while for someone who’s always busy;

7. babysit your siblings’ kids so they can have a night off;

8. bake your mother-in-law her favorite cake even if she hates you, or do your mother’s nails, or cut your father’s or brother’s hair;

9. serve the clients/customers in your business by going the extra mile;

10. mend broken family relationships;

11. help a family member or a trustworthy friend jump start his career;

12. give some money away. See Who Should Christians give their money to?

And the list goes on and on.

There is no need to fuss about how we can be of service, it bobs up incessantly. Let us catch the opportunities and run with them.

Whether our acts of service are acknowledged or reciprocated and whether gratefulness is expressed or not are irrelevant.

Peter reacted arrogantly and poorly to Jesus washing his feet, and yet Jesus kept at it.

“ ‘Then, Lord,’ Simon Peter replied, ‘not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!’ ” John 13:9

However, when we serve we must not complain. Here’s what happens when we complain.

“The people started to complain about their problems. The LORD heard them. He became very angry. He sent fire. The fire burned among them and it destroyed the edges of the camp.” Numbers 11:1

God is none too happy with such an attitude. All it does is create fiery conflicts. If we are griping and grumbling, it means that the disposition of our hearts is not that of servants but that of arrogant sinners with entitlement issues.

If such is the case, a heart adjustment is sorely needed.

THE RIGHT HEART

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23

When our hearts are not right (and they usually aren’t), God has no choice but to fix them. Just remember that He has a very strange way of regulating them.

He uses something that we do not plan for. Something that doesn’t fit neatly into our preconceived idea of what Service or Ministry should be. Something that at first glance seems like nothing God would ever resort to. Something like this:

“As the Midianite merchants were passing by, the brothers pulled Joseph out of the cistern. They sold him to the Ishmaelites for eight ounces of silver. The Ishmaelites took him to Egypt.” Genesis 37:28

Well, how would we have reacted in a similar circumstance?

Many Christians in Joseph’s stead would have performed the binding-and-casting-out-the-Devil routine, and they would have prayed mountain-moving words of faith in order to pry themselves out of such a predicament. Unfortunately, it would have been to no avail.

Something more profound was in the works: the making of the right heart, of the obedient and grateful heart.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Joseph was sold into slavery in order to turn him into an obedient and faithful servant.

“Potiphar liked Joseph so much that he made him his trusted servant.” Genesis 39:4

A true servant nurtures within the core of his soul the virtue of obedience, and no egregiously unfair circumstance will turn him against the will of his God.

So when Potiphar’s wife made a sexual advance, the fruit of said virtue, buried deep within Joseph’s soul, showed its true colors.

“… you’re his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” Genesis 39:9

To adjust our hearts, God has to instill in us the true spirit of obedience. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the way He goes about it is by placing us between a rock and a hard place, where He squeezes out the impurities.

“Although He was a Son, He [Jesus] learned obedience from the things which He suffered.” Hebrews 5:8

If Jesus, who did no wrong, had to suffer in order to learn obedience, how much more we who are all sinners.

None of us is perfect and everyone needs a heart adjustment. Without said adjustment no plan or dream of ours will bring forth fruits worthy of God’s Kingdom.

OUR PLANS

Joseph had a dream, a great dream. It was his dream. Or so he thought.

“Joseph had a dream and when he told his brothers, they hated him even more… Then his brothers asked him, “Are you going to be our king or rule us?” They hated him even more for his dreams and his words.“ Genesis 37:5,8

No matter the size of a dream or plan or goal, if it is from God it will meet opposition and face great hardship. But fear not!

The purpose of adversity is to mold us into Christ’s perfect image before God can make our goal a reality.

By dream or plan or goal we are not talking about marriage and such. Different situations require different biblical approaches. Let wisdom be our guide. See The Biblical Marriage Blueprint and Of Authority and Christians.

What we’re talking about is the plan or goal that will cause us to deal with the world outside our own little world, like Joseph’s unexpected new environment as pertained to his destiny which was set in motion by his God-given dream.

When we execute such life-changing plans or goals, different scenarios might take place.

1) If a plan is not of God, we may still meet hardship. In turn, we will get discouraged and abandon it, or it will quickly succeed and then crash.

2) If it is from God, it will materialize. But if adversity causes us to abandon it, somehow it will, in spite of ourselves, become a success, especially after having put a lot of hard work into it. Still, that doesn’t mean it won’t fail later on.

“When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.” Ecclesiastes 7:14

The vicissitudes of life and the pressures thereof are God’s tools to constantly adjust our hearts. A grateful heart welcomes them like David did.

“It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.” Psalm 119:71

Is it any wonder that God loved David?

CONCLUSION

No plan or goal is bigger than a regular act of service. King David stepped into his destiny while performing a simple act of kindness, caring for his brothers.

“Now Jesse said to his son David, ‘Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp...’ He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry… David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and asked his brothers how they were… As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines… David asked the men standing near him, ‘What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine…?” 1 Samuel:17,20,22-23,26

In reality, God’s plan for our lives, once implemented, is itself also an act of service. Joseph’s dream was not for his benefit.  It was to be his opportunity to serve by saving the lives of others, including his family’s.

“I am Joseph, the brother you sold into slavery in Egypt! Now, don’t be sad or angry with yourselves that you sold me. God sent me ahead of you to save lives.” Genesis 45:4,5

In fact, it would have been so much easier for Joseph to hate his brothers than to forgive them.

“If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?” Matthew 5:46

So, Joseph heeded God’s voice and chose forgiveness and love. In other words, Joseph effected a heart adjustment and thus recognized that he was simply a servant of God.

Every plan or goal must be looked at from the angle of serving others, without regard to race or faith, lest we’ve concocted it just to satisfy our own ego, greed, and ambition.

“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” James 4:3

By taking real stock of how we plan to serve, we come to understand that the riches of God’s Kingdom and of our inheritance can only be measured by how much love we have one for another.

“A new command I give you: Love one another.” John 13:34

Love is not a feeling. It is an act of service, a sacrificial deed, a heart adjustment.

“Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” James 2:18

The Family Is God’s Plan

And The Vehicle Of His Covenant

C H U R C H   R E F O R M   S E R I E S

By Biblicism Institute

God’s purpose begins and ends with the family.

“The only institution which God loves.” Malachi 2:11

It started with the marriage of Adam and Eve and will end with the marriage of the Lamb to His bride, the Church Assembly. It’s no wonder that Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, performed His first miracle at a wedding in Cana (John 2:1-11).

Throughout the various biblical covenants God chose the family to enact His will.

THE ADAMIC COVENANT

For the initial covenant God created the first family. Adam and Eve.

“And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’ ” Genesis 1:28

Hence began the great journey of the family to subdue the earth. A task that proved extremely difficult following the serpent’s poisonous deception.

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’ ” Genesis 3:1

The end result was Adam’s fall from grace and into sin.

“…sin entered the world through one man…” Romans 5:12

THE NOAHIC COVENANT

Sin metastasized and corrupted Adam’s descendants.

“The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.” Genesis 6:5

Then God set apart Noah and his family and saved them from His Judgment, which took the form of a killer flood. Once the waters receded, God enunciated His covenant with Noah and his descendants.

“And God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.'” Genesis 9:12-15

Thus began the salvation angle of God’s plan for all the families of the earth. However, to ensure such salvation, an everlasting cure for the bondage of sin was needed.

THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT

It was shaped with a promise by God to Abraham and his wife Sarah that they would have a son.

“Then God said, ‘Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.’ ” Genesis 17:19

“Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the families of the earth shall be blessed…” Genesis 26:3,4

The Covenant took wing with Abraham’s twelve great-grandsons, who grew into the 12 Tribes of ancient Israel. God then sent Moses as their deliverer to free them from their bondage in Egypt.

It then fully bloomed with Abraham’s offspring Jesus as the Savior of the world (i.e., as the Savior of all the families of the earth), through the everlasting covenant in His blood as the cure for man’s sinful nature.

Consequently, the Abrahamic Covenant bifurcated into the following two covenants: the Mosaic Covenant and the Christian Covenant – though some would argue that the Christian Covenant was the culmination of the Mosaic one, itself a culmination of the Abrahamic one and so on and so forth.

In either case, two further covenants became reality.

THE MOSAIC COVENANT

It was a family affair.

God called Moses and his family to deliver and guide their 12 Hebrew families or tribes out of bondage and into the promised land.

The lineage of Moses’s brother, Aaron, became known as the Levites or the Priests, while Moses’s sister, Miriam, was a Prophetess.

“Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing.” Exodus 15:20

God then established the Covenant.

“And Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.” Exodus 34:28

The final blessings and duties of the Covenant are recorded in Deuteronomy 28:

“ 1 And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God…

15 But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you…”

and Exodus 19:

“…and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

The salvation inherent in the Mosaic covenant was to be sealed every year with the sacrifice of a lamb. It was known as Passover, and was to be performed by every single Hebrew family.

“Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household… you will celebrate it as a statute forever.” Exodus 12:3,14

With mild exception, such a law was only for the families or tribes of Israel.

“No foreigner may eat of it.” Exodus 12:43

The entire exercise or raison d’être of the twelve Hebrew tribes was God’s way of nurturing for Himself an earthly home and family for when He decided to visit in the person of Jesus, the Savior of the world.

THE CHRISTIAN COVENANT

It was also a family affair.

God chose Joseph and his wife Mary in order to care for His son Jesus. John the Baptist, Jesus’s cousin, was also chosen. He was to prepare the way for the Messiah.

“In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’” Matthew 3:1,2

The New Covenant is recorded in all the Gospels.

“And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.'” Luke 22:19,20

Said covenant was introduced by Christ during Passover rituals.

“Say to the owner of the house, the Teacher says, ‘Where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?'” Mark 14:14

It was followed by His Passover crucifixion, which his cousin John predicted.

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'” John 1:29

There are more similarities with the Mosaic Covenant. The following are a few examples:

1. Wilderness Test. The Ancient Hebrews failed it, but Jesus came out swinging.

“Your sons shall be shepherds for forty years in the wilderness, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness, until your corpses lie in the wilderness.” Exodus 14:33

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted… Then the devil left Him and angels came and attended Him.” Matthew 4:1,11

2. Sold for Silver. Both Joseph and Jesus were sold for silver.

^“As the Midianite merchants were passing by, the brothers pulled Joseph out of the cistern. They sold him to the Ishmaelites for eight ounces of silver. The Ishmaelites took him to Egypt.” Genesis 37:28

“Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?’ And they weighed out thirty pieces of silver to him.” Matthew 26:14,15

3. Sin Offering. With the Old Covenant it was a lamb, but with the New Covenant God offered up Himself as the ultimate sacrifice.

“Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household.” Exodus 12:3

“God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood–to be received by faith.” Romans 3:25

4. The Priesthood. The Old Covenant priesthood was composed of a select group of men, but now thanks to the New Covenant it now encompasses all believers.

“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron…’ ” Leviticus 21:1

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood.” 1 Peter 2:9

“And made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father.” Revelation 1:6

5. The Believer’s Home. Just like the slaughtering of the Mosaic Covenant lamb took place in the Hebrew home, church or assembly gathering and communion also take place in the Christian family home. See Church Services Are NOT Biblical .

“…each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household.” Exodus 12:3

“To the assembly in your house.” Philippians 1:1

“Likewise greet the assembly that is in their house.” Romans 16:5

“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.…” 1 Cor 11:26

The reason for this resemblance is because all the end goals of the Mosaic Covenant, unlike its Christian counterpart, could not be permanently achieved.

“For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” Hebrews 10:4

“For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.” Hebrews 8:7

The Everlasting Covenant in Jesus’s blood frees man from the bondage of sin.

“For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23

Thus the Christian Covenant became the final chapter of the Abrahamic one, a process that started with the Adamic Covenant.

“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned… For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.” Romans 5:12,15

As a result, the Mosaic Covenant was rendered obsolete as further evidenced by the fact that every family anywhere on earth can now participate regardless of race.

“Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism.’ ” Acts 10:34

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved–you and your household.” Acts 16:31

“By calling this covenant ‘new,’ he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete is outdated.” Hebrews 8:13

With a powerful new covenant in play, salvation has been made freely available to all families everywhere. Subduing the earth for the glory of God (i.e., the Adamic Covenant) has now become feasible, especially since deceptive and poisonous doctrines from the serpents are bound to fail.

“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall raise their voices against the serpents (or malicious ones); and if they imbibe any poison (or poisonous doctrine), it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” Mark 16:15-17

CONCLUSION

The family is God’s plan to bring order to the world.

“The only institution which God loves.” Malachi 2:11

Therefore, evangelists should tailor their missions as much as possible to reach the heads of families. See Understanding the Duties of Ministry .

“For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.” Ephesians 5:23

The husband is not only the head of his wife, he is also the one whom God has anointed and commanded to teach his children.

“Fathers, do not anger your children, but rear them in the discipline and in the teaching of Our Lord.” Ephesians 6:4

Fathers are God’s designated “Youth Pastors” to their children, and their wives their assigned helpmates. This means they are the ones to dedicate their newborns to the Lord, to lead them to Christ, to baptize them – water and Holy Spirit – upon the Holy Spirit prompting them of their readiness, to teach them God’s word, to partake of the Lord’s Supper with them, and finally to marry them when the time comes. See The Biblical Marriage Blueprint.

In order for the work of ministry to be effective, the family must be reached and the husband empowered.

In the end, the bride of Christ (i.e., all those who follow the way of Jesus) will be the amalgamation of all the blessed families of the earth that God promised Abraham his seed Jesus would deliver.

“And in your offspring all the families of the earth shall be blessed…” Genesis 26:4

Ministry Money And The Tithe Lie

C H U R C H   R E F O R M   S E R I E S

By Biblicism Institute

Abraham and Melchizedek

Most church ministries depend heavily on the tithe to keep them afloat. So it is no wonder that the law of the tithe was dusted off from the Old Covenant shelf and arbitrarily repackaged by mortal men for the consumption of New Covenant Christians.

We’ll examine the first tithe, the law of the tithe, and the standing of said law within the New Covenant. As we conclude, it should be clear that no Christian has been commanded to tithe, and that all ministry money should go to the poor and needy.

Church Services Are NOT Biblical

C H U R C H   R E F O R M   S E R I E S

By Biblicism Institute

“You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” Mark 7:8

To the well-versed, a “church service” is in reality a show put together to entertain Christians. God never meant it to be so. The gathering of Christians is supposed to be an opportunity for believers to edify and encourage one another.

“…not neglecting to meet together… but encouraging one another…” Hebrews 10:25

How are Christians supposed to edify and encourage one another?

“When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the assembly may be built up… Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged.” 1 Corinthians 14: 26, 29-31

“When you come together… the Lord’s Supper… the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread… In the same way, after supper he took the cup…” 1 Corinthians 11: 20, 21, 25

Sermon on the Mount by Carl Bloch

Except for communion, have you ever been to a congregation that puts all of these commands into practice? Some gatherings known as Bible Studies might be the closest to try but still fail. However, the above biblical commands are for any and all gathering of Christians. There is no distinction in the Bible between “Bible Studies” and “Church Services,” and that’s because neither one is mentioned. The only thing mentioned is, “When you come together.”

“…the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 14:37

Let’s examine these commandments closely.