Category: Boldness

Jesus Hired Fishermen And The Church Hires Celebrities – The 21st Century Impotent Church – By Thomas Koester

I think what has actually occurred these past few years is that God has pulled back the curtains. He has done this to show us all how evil our Nation has become, and how perverse our political and corporate leaders actually are on both sides of the political spectrum. God has shined the light on you and me too, to convict us of our own personal wickedness and unfaithfulness.

We should not expect God to bless America until we turn from our personal, corporate, and national sins.

What can the Righteous do when it’s the “Righteous” that are practicing unrighteousness?

It is not the unbeliever or the pagan that is to set the moral standard, but the believer. When a nation loses its moral standing, it is not the fault of unbelievers, NO! We, God’s people, bear the responsibility before God and the country.

The Church has failed to honor Jesus’ Great Commission. It’s the Gospel of the Kingdom, which changes the hearts of men and women, and which preserves a nation. The prosperity gospel, “Christian fads,” Christian this, and Christian that, heavenizing everything we touch is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s conformity to the world standards, and unfaithfulness to Christ Jesus, which has neutralized and besmirched our testimony and witness.

We were supposed to take on the same attitude and humility of Christ Jesus. We were supposed to do the good deeds of Jesus, and even surpass them because he has gone to the Father. We were supposed to be filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered with God’s grace to move mountains and to bring Good News. But instead, we built buildings and hid behind walls and stained glass windows.

Jesus hired fishermen, and the Church hires celebrities and the mighty. We’ve become the Church Impotent of the 21st Century. Let me repeat that:

We have become the Church Impotent, not the Church Important of the 21st Century. If we had been the Important Church, our culture, society, and politics would be reflective of righteousness, fairness, and justice.

Amos 5:23-27

23-27 “I can’t stand your religious meetings.
I’m fed up with your conferences and conventions. I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans, and goals. I’m sick of your fundraising schemes, your public relations, and image-making.


I’ve had all I can take of your noisy ego-music. When was the last time you sang to me?
Do you know what I want?
I want justice—oceans of it.
I want fairness—rivers of it.
That’s what I want. That’s all I want.”

Didn’t you, dear family of Israel, worship me faithfully for forty years in the wilderness, bringing the sacrifices and offerings I commanded? How is it you’ve stooped to dragging gimcrack statues of your so-called rulers around, hauling the cheap images of all your star-gods here and there? Since you like them so much, you can take them with you when I drive you into exile beyond Damascus.” God’s Message, God-of-the-Angel-Armies.”

Do you see what happens when we make our Kings our idols [president], and Hollywood type stars our religious gods [pastors, prophets, and priests]?

Tens of thousands of people, families, and businesses have left oppressive governors and states. To where will you go under a Biden/Harris administration? Beyond Damascus?

We have long since abdicated our religious duties and responsibilities to the State, and the State has willingly taken the place of the Church in society.

Authority in a vacuum is always replaced with another authority. In this case, the “New Authority” will not rule according to the Church’s values or ethics. We gave it up willingly for a 501-C3 tax break!

Judgment always begins with the House of God. And, my dear brothers and sisters, this is not the kind of judgment that a rapture will save you from. We did this, and it’s our robes which we have soiled.

Prepare for a season of purification and trials. Not to destroy us, but to bring us back to God that we may take our place in this age and the age to come. That we may once again be the Light and Salt of the earth. That we may preach the true Gospel of the Kingdom, which is actually the real Good News, which the world needs and yearns for. That we may make true disciples.

Turn back to God Churchgoer. Repent Pastor, prophet, and priest. Pour out your lament for yours and our sins. Put ash upon our own heads, and pray that God will grant all of us contrite hearts and godly repentance.

Here’s the Church, And Here’s The Steeple, Open The Doors And Where’s All the People? – By Thomas J. Koester

The COVID-19 virus caused the emptying of 21st-century Christianity’s churches and cathedrals.

While the empty tomb of our Lord and Savior is, and forever, will be the main power source of Christianity, the Social Distancing edict might have inadvertently caused a miracle. Due to COVID-19, maybe empty church buildings will also become, in a small way, (a) power source for modern-day Christianity. Maybe our closed buildings will mean an opening to global evangelism.

The empty tomb meant that the old religious order of continual animal sacrifices was over. It means that the old order of the priesthood was over. It meant that the veil, which separated you and me from direct access to God, was torn down. And very importantly, it meant that where two or more are gathered, there in their midst is the very presences of God, and no longer confined to the temple made by man. It means that even when we are alone, and without each other, that God is with us and in our very own hearts.

God’s people no longer needed priests. God’s people no longer needed animal sacrifices to make atonement. God’s people no longer had to experience His favor and presence by proxy. And, God’s people no longer were confined to a temple made of bricks and mortar.

Because of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are free of all the religious trappings and traditions of men and of the consequences of the law. We are free to be the Church wherever we gather, even as few as two people!

Let us capitalize on our present situation and be convinced, once and for all, that we, as God’s people, are the Church. We are the living church. We, you and I, are the bride of Christ. Our church buildings, plain or palatial, were never meant to be the representation of the world.

Although, sadly, Church buildings had become the identity of Christianity. It is my hope that God’s people will be recognized as the Church and regain her position as the living bride of Christ and the center of Christianity.

One Sunday, Toni and I visited a church in Oakdale, California. When we arrived, we walked in and learned that the Church was emptied except for a few people who were preparing a luncheon, later to be enjoyed by the returning congregation. Rather than their typical service, the Church was in the downtown square, assisting their local community. We were actually pleasantly surprised and not at all offended by the empty sanctuary.

Do not be overcome because we cannot presently occupy a building, but celebrate that with or without buildings that we are the Bride of Christ, and that we’re meant to deliver the Gospel of the Kingdom to every nation and to every people. In doing so, our proclamation will hasten the ending and will launch the new beginning that we’ve all been longing for.

For the past 1700 years, Christianity created and built ornate cathedrals with spires and steeples pointing to the heavens.

Let the truth be known:

“Church steeples can be traced back thousands of years to Egypt and pagan worship. Roman Emperor Constantine and his “Edict of Milan” in 313CE made the Empire officially neutral with regard to religion. Eventually, Pagan and Christian symbols were eventually merged at the Council of Nicea in 325CE, and new doctrines and dogmas were set up by the Holy Roman Catholic (meaning universal) Church, and strictly enforced, under penalty of death.”

Since then, this building emphasizes that along with Christianity, continually orbiting ornate and palatial constructs, we’ve ceased going into all the world with the Gospel and instead invited all the world into our buildings. Over time, the contrast between Christianity and “worldlism” diminished. Rather than the world becoming more influenced by Christianity, the world’s influence had crept into our churches and has negated our need for faith and the Great Commission.

Let’s pray that this COVID-19 virus heals Christianity from its obsession with buildings and steeples and instead goes out, even as few as two-by-two, to all the peoples.

God’s blessings and power to the true Living Church and Bride of Christ – Amen