| In
30 lectures, a man called Steve Gregg takes
the listener through 2000 years of western
church history.
To overstand the situation of
"Christianity Today", it is
important to know the history of the western
church.
I have just spent some days listening to 40
hours of audio material. 40 Hours containing
a brief history of the western church from
the days of Yesus to the 20th Century.
It was very interesting to hear about the
church reformers, the popes, the hermits,
the missionairies and all of that. To hear
how Yesus and the Apostles founded the
church.
In 30 lectures, a man called Steve Gregg
takes the listener through 2000 years of
western church history.
Western Church History?
Yes.
Steve Gregg, in his lectures, admit how he
has a focus on the western church. He
acknowledges how the church is surely not
limited to Europe, and he admits how he
himself doesn't have an expertise on it,
too.
But that doesn't matter. Because the history
of the western church is an important aspect
of the history of babylon, and especially
babylon christianity. In Babylon, you see
the babylon church, the antichrist church,
and the true church as well.
What is the church?
A group of people who simply knew themselves
to be saved by Yesus. They came together in
groups. And there were no political games.
This was impossible, for didn't Yesus say:
"Who-ever among you wants to be the
biggest, let him be the most humble"?
Everyone who was looking for power by-passed
the church. Besides, there was a tremendous
persecution on all believers in the Messiah.
You can read in the bible, that the Holy
Spirit of JAH Rastafari convinced people
about the Truth that Yesus Kristos is the
Divine Lord and Saviour.
Allready in the Bible you can read how there
were differences in opinnion, and how they
were solved. In the times of the apostles,
this wasn't too difficult. The New Testament
is filled with stories and teachings from
the apostles themselves.
Churches were not really being led. Not even
the apostles took positions of authority.
Rather, when you closely check the writings,
they were humble servants of Yesus Kristos.
When they "planted churches" (as
some call it today), they put tremendous
effort in teaching and sharing JAH RASTAFARI
message.
There was no system of "pastors"
and "popes", there was no "christian
industry". It was clear: YESUS KRISTOS
is the HEAD. His HOLY SPIRIT added people to
the church. His HOLY SPIRIT provided people
with gifts and "functions", each
one after their talents and charsimatic
gifts.
Paulus and other apostles
"appointed" elders. These elders
were all humble people. They loved Yesus
Kristos so much, and most of them were on
the way just a little bit longer. In the
local congregations these elders were being
treated as brethren, not "persons of
authority". They were the kind of guys
that you recognize today as "Humble
Lions"...
But then, when the apostles were dead,
politricks started to enter. The letters and
books that now form the New Testament became
law-books.
Paulus warned for this, when he said that
THE LETTER KILLS and WE ARE CALLED TO BE
FREE.
But problems came. False teachings!
Even in the days of the apostles, there were
allready false teachings. Gnostiscism, for
example. Comparable with the new age
teachings of today. John wrote about it and
said that every spirit that denies Yesus
Kristos to come in the Flesh is of
antichrist. Or Hymeneisn, the fore-runner of
a false doctrine we today know under the
name "preterism". the book II
Timothy speaks about it.
After the apostles were gone, the New
Testament was being seen as the canon, and
rightfully so. But the apostles made it
clear, in the Bible, that they applied
certain principals rather than their own
"position of authority" in order
to solve problems.
One of the first "rules" that came
into the church after the days of the
apostles, was a "rule" that
"bishops" should allways be
present whenever a teaching was tought, a
baptism performed et ceterea. Possibly this
could be good, in the sense that there was
maybe a situation in which it was better
when a bishop (or elder, which is the same
thing) was present, but it became a rule.
This process continues until today and it
results in what we know as
"Christianity" or rather X-IANITY.
Throughout the whole 2000 years of western
church history, you see how the
"official church" becomes a body
of political power. It starts with the right
doctrine but, "authority" comes
looking around the corner.
People stand up and claim to be persons of
authority, whom "all have to
obey". More often than not, these
persons of authority are related or at least
connected to with the
"powers-that-be".
They might even speak about Yesus Kristos
and so on, they might even lead people to
the real Kristos Yesus. But because they sit
on the SEAT OF JAH RASTAFARI, the
"church" and even the
"truth" become tools of
enslavement.
Listening to the 40 hours of western church
history, you see this pattern, this
principal. It is obvious and clear.
The whole 2000 years is one big line, a
pattern. The church changes from a true
congregation of believers in Yesus Kristos
into a religious prison that keeps the
people under control of the
"powers-that-be".
It starts with persons claiming authority,
persons claiming things reserved for Yesus
Kristos alone. Then this
"authority" is being abused.
Ofcourse! Power corrupts, absolute power
corrupts absolutely.
There is only One Person Who can handle His
Authority without abusing it, and that
Person is the MOST HIGH, YESUS KRISTOS, RAS
CHURCH!
So, throughout the ages, there is also an
underground church, a Spiritual Body of
Believers. People who love Yesus Kristos and
who fellowship with others who love Him,
too. Some of them tried to
"reform" the "official
church", others silently departed from
it and simply trod their own trod with the
Lord.
The pattern, from congregation to
corruption, is the big history of the
western church. And it is a pricipal too. It
happens all the time.
So everytime the underground church, as I
call this spiritual congregation that we
name "the Body of Kristos", goes
mainstream so to speak, gets organized,
starts to deal with "authority",
you'll see the corruption.
Today, the western church has been corrupted
until such a great extend, that it is
crucial to speak about leaving the Christian
Industrial Complex that it has become. 2000
years in 40 hours speak volumes....
Download the MP3's
01.
Introduction
02.
The Very Beginning
03.
Passing the Torch
04.
Persecution & Ecclesiastical Development
05.
Early Heresies
06.
The Canon of Scripture
07.
Early Theologians
08.
Rome's Truce with the Church
09.
Defining Orthodoxy
10.
Augustine's Influence & Contemporaries
11.
How Rome Became Papal
12.
Principal of the Middle Ages Part 1
13.
Principal of the Middle Ages Part 2
14.
Principal of the Middle Ages Part 3
15.
The Persecuted Non-conformistsPart 1
16.
The Persecuted Non-conformistsPart 2
17.
Beginnings of the Reformation (Luther)
18.
The Rise of the Radical reformation
19.
The Spread of Anabaptism Part 1
20.
The Spread of Anabaptism Part 2
21.
The Life and Legacy of John Calvin
22.
Reform in France & England
23.
Reformation & Counter Reformation
24.
From Reform to Reason 1550-1650
25.
Enlightenment & EnrichmentPart 1
26.
Enlightenment & EnrichmentPart 2
27.
Revivals of the 19th Century
28.The
Birth of Modern Mission
29.
Liberalism & Fundamentalism
30.
Developments in the 20th Century
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