THE EKKlesia

To: The Global EKKlesia – One New Man (Ephesians 2: 15, 16)

How does a person respond to an encounter with God in which He establishes a Divine Covenant that is global in its scope and is a clarion call to all people of faith both Jew and Gentile, bond and free? This visitation could be likened to that of Moses when he met with God at the burning bush in the mountain of God at Horeb  “And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5 KJV).  My Holy Ground experience of Divine presence and communion, though brief, penetrated my innermost being as deep calleth unto deep, The Spirit of God calling unto my born again spirit. The message was “call my people back to me.” My response was, “yes Lord.” A yes without conditions but filled with faith in the one who had spoken it.

I did not faint under the weight of the assignment but I began to seek the face of God for understanding and wisdom. An undertaking like this can only be birthed, guided and sustained by His plan and His hand. So I started from a place of humility, crucified flesh and dependence upon God.

My search began with the meaning of the word church. In Unger’s Bible Dictionary the Greek word Ekklesia (ek-lay-see-a) means church, or called out. It is used to refer to any called assembly, whether religious, political or even a town meeting. Also, as a type only, Israel is said to be the Ekklesia in the wilderness having been called out of Egypt “This is he, [Moses] that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us” ( Acts 7:38 KJV).(1) The believers in Christ likewise are called out of darkness into His marvelous light “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” ( I Peter 2:9 KJV).

A New Testament definition of Ekklesia, the church, is found under the heading of Simple New Testament Usage. It states that “Ekklesia is applied even to bodies of professed believers who have largely departed from the true faith and practice, though in such cases the title is no longer appropriate except as a reminder of what they once were or professed to be, or only as a convenient designation, the significance of which in such cases is wholly lost”. (2)

I have studied the Bible, and things related to it for many years, and I have lived long enough to witness an accelerated downward spiral of the Church’s prominence, influence and moral footprint on the culture of my day. Although some of the above “New Testament Usage” scenarios have been seen before my time yet the description is also fitting for us today.

We are not the church of the first century, a church that fearlessly proclaimed Christ with power and demonstration, which resulted in a bible verse which says, “… these that have turned the world upside down are come hither also” (Acts 17:6 KJV). We are by and large the Church in title only, the fire has been turned into formality and its significance and mission have been swallowed up by the culture. I speak primarily from an American Church perspective but I am keenly aware of the unwavering faith of those in other parts of the world who today are willing to be martyrs for their love and commitment to Jesus Christ.

You may be asking yourself what then is the Ekklesia? But I would like to shift your thought process away from “what” it is to “who” it is. The Ekklesia is not only a “what” but a “who” also. Being a “what” can make the church an abstract, whereby it can be intellectualized, defined and compartmentalized with detachment. An abstract, as defined in this case, allows a person to put the most important concepts of life, such as origin, accountability of human behavior, death and eternity into individualized systems of thought void of biblical truth. All religions then are put into definable components of which Christianity is but one of the many. Herein is the compartmentalization with detachment.

The concept of a “who” brings to the fore an active human dynamic that makes the Ekklesia a living organism which is not denominational but relational with Christ. It now has a face and the “face of the Ekklesia is you!”

When a societal change or realignment is desired, stating its lofty ideals and a strategy to achieve them is impactful but putting a face upon it greatly enhances both impact and response. Likewise, putting a face on the Ekklesia turns the view from a landscape to a portrait; a portrait of an individual who is the Ekklesia, and is living to be the Ekklesia.

Any reference to the church today or even Christianity results in an inability to clearly define it or to comprehend the centrality of its message. It is divided by many factors and this division is its greatest enemy.

The Ekklesia in the book of Acts had an active unity both with Christ and in Christ which brought about rapid advancement of the message of the cross combined with exponential growth in its number of converts. They believed and expected Jesus to return soon and were guided by a faith that had no formalized doctrine or systematic theology. As these were developed later on, what should have reinforced unity has proven to be walls that separate us from being: full of the hope of one calling, filled with the one Spirit- the Holy Spirit and joined to the one Lord- Jesus Christ “Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3 KJV).

In St. John 17:21 Jesus prays for His followers in all generations that they be one as He and the Father are one. But, early in the life of the Church, the Apostle Paul had to address division so that the body of Christ would have a pure heart for a pure mission “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (I Corinthians 1:10 KJV).

It is easy to point out where there are problems in the church and to complain about what is going wrong but what is needed today is solution oriented thinking. The greatest solution is for the real head of the Church to be invited to reign over us and to be our King. That person is none other than Jesus Christ “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church” (Ephesians 1:22 KJV). It is our responsibility to worship Him in his place of preeminence in our hearts and also in our ecclesiastical structure. His faithful followers are in nearly every nation and should begin to think of themselves as larger than life with Christ as their banner over them.

As squabbles have persisted over the elementary things of repentance, faith and baptism, God’s prophetic word about the end time events which point to the return of Jesus Christ require that His bride, the Church, the EKKlesia be made ready for Him “Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment” (Hebrews 6:1, 2 KJV). Readiness is our responsibility in our generation and ensuing generations have this same Divine mandate!
You will see that the pages of this website are addressed in this manner, To: The Global EKKlesia - One New Man. This is not my doing but this is how I was inspired by the Holy Spirit to refer to people of faith everywhere who have identity and connectivity to Christ without the restriction which a denominational label brings. The Global Ekklesia encompasses any local assembly, of any size and in any location which will embrace Jesus Christ as Lord and be the Church in their sphere of influence.

We are united by faith in the risen Christ which results in an inward change of the heart and the will. Where there is no internal rebirth in these areas there is no joining to Him by the Holy Spirit “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit” (I Corinthians 12:13 KJV). We may say that there is a true church and a false church but make no mistake, there is only one Ekklesia. And the Lord knows those who are His “…Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Romans 8:9 KJV).

A check of her vitals show a weak pulse, low blood pressure, labored breathing and signs of disorientation but her prognosis is: A Full Recovery. She, the Church, the EKKlesia of Christ, may be weak, battle scarred and on life support but the breath of God is poised and ready to blow on her again with a fresh wind of His Holy Spirit and His power.

The Divine Shofar is blowing to assemble His people “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches …” (Revelation 2: 7, 11, 17, 29; 3: 6, 13, 22 KJV). Conditional forgiveness is shown in II Chronicles,  “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (II Chronicles 7:14 KJV). Unconditional forgiveness and unlimited Divine love flow from the Cross of Calvary, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (St. John 3:16 KJV).

You may have wandered far from the love of God but you are never too far to repent and “come back to The Love of The Father.” (3)  Let Him reset your life and begin again. No matter how many times you have messed up He is the God of second chances and yes, “you can begin again” (4) and be the Ekklesia for His glory.

Again, the Shofar is blowing, the Call is being made, who will hear and who will respond?

Shalom,
Coram Deo
Edward Donalson Jr.
CEO The EKKlesia, Inc.

End Notes:
(1) Unger’s Bible Dictionary by Merrill F. Unger Moody Press Chicago ILL 1974 Page 204.
(2) Unger’s Bible Dictionary by Merrill F. Unger Moody Press Chicago ILL 1974 Page 204-205.
(3) Joseph Prince Ministries Telecast – Destined To Reign.
(4) Marcus and Joni Lamb Daystar Television Network Reflections DVD.