By Ben Williams
"...the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force." (Matthew 11:12)
The two previous issues of The Amercian Christian asked (and answered) the question, "What is the Ecclesia." In those issues, I showed the meaning of "ecclesia." I also showed the meaning of the word "church" -- which most English-speaking churches wrongly use to replace the word "ecclesia." Churches have led people to drop the word "ecclesia" and replace it with the word "church." The reason for this becomes obvious after you realize the mission of the churches and their master, the state. Thus, the people have lost the original concept of the ecclesia.
This subject is crucial! The more you learn about the Gospel of the Kingdom, the more you realize the importance of re-discovering the meaning and purpose of Christ's ecclesia system.
There is yet much to be uncovered -- much to understand and put into action concerning the ecclesia system of God. There is much yet to do and to teach. The Bible refers to the ecclesia system of God, i.e., the Reign of Christ, many times in definite terms. But, church people have been blind to it in the past due to mistranslation, miseducation and brainwashing.
For instance, in the New Testament writings, where you read the phrase translated in the KJF: "...before the foundation of the world...," you are actually reading about the "ecclesia system." In Greek, it comes across more clearly, as: "...before the founding of the system...," -- meaning Christ's ecclesia system. This verse is not referring to the time before the earth was created, but to a time before the kingdom system was established in Christ (i.e., the New Covenant age with its ecclesia system). It simply means, before Christ was raised from the dead and given the throne over Israel.
This example is just the tip of a huge iceberg. There is much more to uncover and teach on this subject.
The ecclesia system is the system of Christian freedom given to us in Scripture, established by Christ and his apostles, and still viable today to anyone who understands it.
The church system is the great counterfeit system. It has been shoved-off on us to keep us blind to the loss of freedom we've suffered from losing sight of Christ's ecclesia system. The churches have obscured this simple truth with their lies and religious flim-flam. The Church-State establishment has staged a coup, giving the appearance of having overthrown the ecclesia system -- replacing it with the Church-State duo.
The wine of religion and politics has done its work on the minds and hearts of the people. The spiritually drunken condition of church people usually prevents them from discerning the subtle, but immense, changes. Church people simply cannot generally understand and appreciate the monstrous changes that have occurred -- changes which have swallowed them up, and of which they are now a part.
If you are a church person reading this, you likely think of yourself, and your church, as "a different sort." You may read my comments and summarily agree with me, thinking I am referring to THOSE OTHER churches, and not to your church. This mentality is common, and I understand it -- having gone through it myself. It is very easy for a church person to view it this way. You may even subscribe to the theory that yours is "the only true church," and it alone has God's approval.
But, reader, please understand -- the difference of one, or a few, doctrines is not the criteria by which churches are unacceptable. Churches must be rejected for their very nature. They are not what they purport to be! Any organization which supports and/or subscribes to the common concept of "church" in general -- whether it calls itself a church, a synagogue, a fraternity, or any other name -- is unacceptable regardless of its particular name or doctrinal peculiarities. Churches, like synagogues and psychiatrists, must be avoided! They confuse, pervert, and dissipate.
GET OUT OF THE CHURCHES! They are NOT of God! They are NOT of the ecclesia system of Christ! They may incorporate the name "Christ" in their title, but without his authority it means nothing. Christ didn't institute churches! He doesn't want churches! He instituted a civil system of independence and liberty, called "The Christian Ecclesia System."
Juxtaposed to Christ's ecclesia was the church system -- as represented by Simon Magus.
Another noted church father was Elymas the sorcerer.
The sorcery described in the above verses is the basis and mode of the church system. People entrenched in the church system generally cannot see this -- but churches, by their very nature, are products of Babylon. They stifle intelligence, independence and liberty.
Therefore, we have didicated ourselves to learn more about the ecclesia system, expose the church system for the harlot that she is, and hopefully encourage people to develop a sincere dislike for churches and church functions.
We shall fan the fire of contempt against central government and churches, and encourage everyone to read the Bible for themselves -- as a manual for life, rather than a formula for sorcery and superstition. People must, sooner or later, realize that the commandment to "come out of her my people," refers also to the churches.
Christians who have suffered under years of brainwashing from the churches will find the ecclesia concept a little hard to grasp. So, as an illustration to help get the idea across, we'll use the plantation analogy -- an example familiar to most people. This should help clear up some points.
For the purposes of this illustration, think of The United States as The Big Plantation. Think of Washington D.C. as the plantation manor, and Congress as the master ("massah"). And, remember, the International Bankers are the mortgage-holders and true behind-the-scenes owners and controllers of the Plantation. Lastly, you are the slaves (regulated residents) on the Plantation.
Now we have all the elements for a plantation system:
This illustration fits according to Isaiah 5 (quoted above) where a nation is called "a vineyard." A plantation, then, is a vineyard with a central government.
Vineyards grow well and flourish in God's natural environment -- as long as central government doesn't take over and abuse the land. The ecclesia system can be likened to a system of husbandry and preservation of the vineyard of Yahweh. Caring for the vineyard includes being on guard against any kind of central government taking root and spreading throughout the garden -- a purpose forgotten by most of our race, thanks to the brainwash of the churches.
As Isaiah said, it is wrong to "join houses and fields" together until one person, or one corporation, has control of large areas of land. The largest corporate monopoly in America is the U.S. Government. It owns and controls the whole nation. No private ownership has existed in the U.S.A. since the Constitution was ratified over 200 years ago. U.S. citizens are tenants on government land. We can use the land for a fee (taxes), but we cannot own it.
The Bible gives clear warnings against the sin of monopolies of property and power. For instance, Micah tells the people that their acceptance of central monopolies has brought them slavery:
Again, Micah explains that corrupt government and religion have brought poverty in the land:
Habakkuk warns that a nation which builds with blood and oppression will be overthrown:
One cannot read these scriptures without thinking of the evil central government in America. The only difference between the beast powers of the Old Testament times, and the central beast of America, is that today's beast is many times larger and more powerful.
Looking at a map of the Big Plantation (The United States), you can see little lines here and there marking the state boundaries. Just think of those lines as fences. As any good farmer or rancher knows, it is important to maintain good fences on the plantation to properly manage the cattle and keep them in their proper areas. The plantation master (Congress) must keep close track of the cattle, which includes branding them for identification and keeping records on them.
Or, perhaps more correctly, you could think of the state borders as marking off smaller sections of the Plantation -- each section containing its own group of slaves. The boundaries between each section of slaves are there to help each section manage its slaves and keep them from getting mixed up with the slaves of other sections. Dividing the land into smaller sections is for the purpose of keeping better local records, keeping the slaves working and producing, and avoiding rebellion. This is called "political science."
Of course, there have been other Big Plantations. In the Bible, we read about the Garden of Eden -- a godly vineyard to start with, but eventually spoiled by the serpent system of central government. All it took was a slick politician (the serpent) showing man how he could "become wise," and "be as a god," creating his own laws. Thus, the first central government is recorded in the Bible.
Of course, the well-known epitome of central government was Babylon with its central tower.
We also read of the ancient kingdoms of Egypt, Assyria, Persia, Greece and Rome. These were Big Plantations with forced slavery. They built their plantations on the blood of the common people the same as the United States has done.
There is nothing new under the sun. Slavery continues today under the guise of central government. But, today's slavers understand the business better than the old plantation masters did. They've always known that incentive was needed to keep the slaves on their plantations "where they belong." The slaves need to know that they'll get regular meals and clothes as long as they behave themselves... and, that they'll be severely punished if they break the rules or try to escape.
But, political engineers discovered long ago that this kind of incentive alone is not enough. The threat of beatings and the loss of regular meals has never been enough to keep healthy slaves from rebelling. The need to be free was still there... burning in their hearts... bursting forth at times in the form of rebellion, even though it cost them dearly. The urge is just uncontrollable.
The masters knew they needed more control. They needed something that would break the spirit of freedom so that it could not surface. In other words, slaves must have reason to WANT to stay put, and shut up, and do their work for the big massah. They must be made to peacefully ACCEPT their circumstances. The only thing that could accomplish this was a system of brainwashing that would actually convince the slaves that they did not WANT to escape. They needed a system of control that would actually inoculate the minds of the slaves against rebellious thoughts. This would eliminate the potential of rebellion -- nipping it in the bud, so to speak.
The Plantation masters needed a propaganda mill that would brainwash the people and make them docile and dull of mind, like cattle. That propaganda mill -- that stupefier and pacifier -- was THE CHURCH SYSTEM. It is truly "the opium of the people." Christ brought liberty, but the churches counterattacked with ignorance, confusion, religion and slavery. The masses accepted the churches. But, the true followers of Christ cannot accept them once they see the truth.
Thus, a brilliant plan was conceived and implemented. In their scheme to keep on top, to stifle the ecclesia system of Christ, the Plantation masters set up the propaganda and brainwash mill called "church," and declared it a full partner of the "State." The institution was accepted by the people because they were told that it was instituted by Christ, and that it had approval of the central government.
The church system was put into place by the masters in Washington D.C. more than 200 years ago. Over the years, the people came to accept the "church syste," and the church system killed their spirit of freedom. All this was accomplished in the name of religion.
Thus, the true ecclesias were forgotten -- along with freedom. Central government enjoys sovereignty over the people. The churches re-defined freedom and stupefied the people.
But, the thing we must keep in mind is that the "church," as we know it, has absolutely no scriptural authority. The "church" is not the "ecclesia." The ecclesia is an entirely different concept from a church. The "church," as we know it, is NOT in the Bible. The closest thing to it is the Jewish synagogue.
Furthermore, the word "church" is like the word "Jew." It is a misnomer used only to confuse and neutralize Christians. As the word "jew" has been used wrongly to replace the word "Israelite," so also the word "church" has been used wrongly to replace the word "ecclesia" -- all for a pre-determined purpose. And, just as the Israeli state is rightly called an illegitimate entity, so also is the institution of "church." Church, combined with State, has been usurping the Christian Community System ("the ecclesia") all these years.
Jesus gave us His system as a political alternative to Babylonian "states" and "churches." In the book of Acts, the ecclesias were in the process of undermining the church-state complex (i.e., "The Beast"). The efficiency and workability was undeniable. The success was unstoppable. Indeed, prophecy indicates that eventually it will completely destroy the Beast System!
When Christ told Peter that His ecclesia would be built upon the rock, and that the gates of hell would not prevail against it, He was talking about His kingdom as it was to be expressed in Christian civil communities -- NOT churches! Independent communities (ecclesias) were the mortal enemies of the centralized church-state complex. Central governments cannot allow independent, autonomous communities to exist. It would break their power to tax, plunder, and control the people.
Jesus set up His kingdom, and dispersed it in the ecclesias. The apostles carried this vital message: "the good news of the reign of Christ." As they travelled, they set up independent civil ecclesias (communities) here and there, based upon Christ's reign. Man could make no law. Only God could make law.
Christ's ecclesias met immediate hatred and violence from the plantation masters and their local officials of that day. They knew that the ecclesias would destroy them if allowed to continue. All central-government systems were at risk if the ecclesia system survived. The ecclesia system was designed by Christ to make centralized government obsolete, and remove the "massahs" from power.
In Revelation 12, John describes the great struggle between the beast and the man child (i.e., between the central-government system and the ecclesia system):
What our people need today, more than anything else, is to rediscover the real meaning of freedom. Freedom is the purpose and hope of Christ's kingdom -- i.e., the ecclesia system.
But, here we are today -- on the big Plantation. Americans are conquered slaves, and most of us are so brainwashed that we actually imagine that we are somehow free. If we are ever to get off the Plantation, or if the Plantation is ever going to be forced to relinquish its control, there is only one path we can take. We must learn how God would have us live in freedom with one another! We must re-learn the simple truths about the ecclesia system of Christ.
This will require that we, first of all, stop affiliating with, listening to, supporting, and most of all DEPENDING UPON, churches! We must stop our church idolotry!
When we begin to view church, and state, with equal contempt -- then we will be ready to progress into the free ecclesia system under Christ.
"Yoke" was an expression for taxation and other burdens which an overlord levied on his subjects. Just as the neck of an ox bends under the weight of a heavy yoke, so a man felt crushed under heavy duties and taxes.
In some cases, when very heavy taxes were exacted, men revolted because they felt they could no longer carry the yoke of their lord. One could hear people say to one another, "our yoke has become unbearable."
When a new leader ascended the throne, the first thing he did, if he was kindly and merciful, was reduce the taxes and lighten the burdens accrued from the former government.
At the time Christ spoke this, the people were heavily burdened with taxes. There were imperial, state and temple levies. The people maintained the state and its officials, as well as the temple and its extravagant priests. Both temporal and spiritual rulers lived in luxurious palaces at the expense of the poor.
However, Jesus (the new King) had no palaces, temples and sacred shrines. The God He preached was a loving father, not a slave master. He could be approached with a simple prayer. His demands were honesty, a contrite heart, and rejection of other gods. Thus, in taking on Christ's light yoke (i.e., accepting His reign), men were freed from their heavy yokes of tyranny, and allowed to keep and enjoy the produce of their own hands.
What is often called "anarchy," the Bible calls "the Kingdom of Heaven." Independence, liberty, and self-government are usually called "anarchy" by those in government. They cannot agree to anything that might remove them from their coveted positions of power over the people. However, what few of them fail to realize is that, when the Beast falls, they are going to fall with it. Their worst fear (freedom for the people) will be realized. They try to label it "anarchy," but it is liberty. To the central politicians, "anarchy" means "any situation where central government is not in control."
But, Scripture describes central government in less than friendly terms, and promises retribution and an ignominious end to the corrupt system.
Thus far, I've described the United States as a huge plantation -- with us as the slaves, and Congress as our masters. The bankers (i.e., the money merchants), of course, hold mortgage on all the land. They control the Congress. Thus, they are the true owners of the plantation.
I've touched upon the Bible laws forbidding rulers -- and any form of monopoly. I've done my best to convince you that you should hate this evil government system of enslavement (called "Mystery Babylon" in the Bible) -- just as I hate it.
I will probably manage to convince a few. And, I know that there are a good number of you who already despise this central-government system and hired church system which serves as the propaganda tool for keeping the slaves pacified.
So, for those of us who are ready to forsake Babylon and are only waiting for Jesus to reveal to us a way to do it... we'll go on to look at some of the features of a free Christian society where no central government exists, or where it is too small to force it's will upon those who don't want it.
A century ago America was experiencing a mass migration westward. Families, by the thousands, were leaving the eastern states and moving west. What prompted this mass migration? The answer is simple. It was caused by central government!
Washington D.C. was on the east coast. The old establishment, with its oppressive corporate network, was on the east coast. A century ago the Eastern Establishment was synonymous with "central government." Families who yearned for freedom fled the east to settle in the wild, but free, western territories. They preferred the risk of hostile elements, the lack of conveniences, and the hard work of survival in the wilds, to the oppression of the Eastern Establishment and its central government. Fortunately, most of the Indians were friendly and quite helpful -- except when the "massahs" of the Eastern Establishment began doing to them what was already being done to our own race in the eastern states. Some of the Indians eventually realized that the Eastern Establishment meant to conquer them, steal their land, and put them on God-forsaken reservations... and they fought the new plantation owners. Would-to-God that our own race would have done the same! But, instead, we allowed the Eastern Establishment to move in, rout the Indians, and continue enslaving us.
The alternative to Babylonian (central) government is the Christian ecclesia system -- the system that Christ and His apostles began setting up immediately after Christ announced His reign. It was that system that Paul and Barnabas were setting up in their travels to Asia Minor and Europe. They were not building churches! They were sharing the good news of Christ's reign, and showing how to live free within an ecclesia community system -- independent from central, state rulership.
It was this same ecclesia system of Christ's reign that the apostles took to their scattered kinsmen in the nations of the world. That message was called "the gospel of the kingdom." And, it was this message which caused the disciples to be beaten, imprisoned, persecuted, and murdered by the central governments of those nations. The disciples were spreading "sedition" in those lands because they were declaring a different king and a different government.
The new king was Jesus -- and that government was the ecclesia system Jesus told Peter about in Matthew 16:18:
"Upon this rock I will build my ecclesia (i.e., my kingdom via communities all over the world), and the gates of hell (i.e., destruction) will not prevail against it."
Obviously, churches are not ecclesias. The churches pander pacifism among the slaves, worship the U.S. Constitution (which put the central rulers in place) and preach conformity to the collectivist policies. Churches do not support freedom. There is no similarity between churches and ecclesias.
Central government needs the churches! It even gives them preferred tax status over other institutions. The ecclesia system, on the other hand, is hated by central government!
The church system pacifies people through mythology, brainwashing, hypnosis, priestcraft, social events, emotion catharsis, parties, commitees, organizing, and more organizing. But, the ecclesia system avoids all that, deals in the real world of honest work and accomplishments, allowing Christians to live natural, wholesome, self-governed lives.
People who have been "properly churched" become apathetically dissipated. They have no energy left, nor any desire, to face the real problems of their day. They only think about the unreal mythologies of the church world. In fact, they lose the ability to even see the real problems. They cannot rise above the weekly routines, the religious rituals and the endless organized activities of the church. If they have any potential for concern it gets wasted on nonsensical rituals and church programs.
There are a growing number of us who do not like plantation life. So, for those who are ready to progress away from central government, and its harlot churches on every street corner, we shall go on to discuss the features of life WITHOUT the plantation beast on our backs.
Contemplating life without church and central government brings questions to mind. And, that is good! Questions cause more thinking. Thinking provides more solutions. We need solutions! We need good minds thinking on this subject.
Liberty is yet a mystery to most people. How could society function if people were left to make their own decisions, handle their own affairs, and provide for their own safety and welfare? Even those who claim to be free cannot contemplate such drastic measures. Like the Israelites of old, who thought they wanted liberty (until they experienced it firsthand in the Egyptian wilderness), church people of today have little, if any, understanding of real liberty. They don't really dislike central government. They don't really mind living as a slave.
Central government is considered a necessary feature of society by most church people. Here are three arguments I often hear from them when I say we don't need central government:
First, I'll show you the weakness of these arguments. Then, I'll show the strength of real Christian liberty and the ecclesia system.
The point is this: there is no benefit whatsoever in central government EXCEPT to those who are in the government, and to the bankers to profit from government.
International wars are nothing more than bankers squabbling over investments and property disputes. Central governments are tools of bankers to keep watch over their investments and loans. Anyone who wants a central government is either an enemy or a fool!
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Now, lets talk briefly about commerce and law enforcement in a free society -- without central government. What does the Bible say? [TLP Editor's note: An excellent source of information on this is contained in a book called Victims Rights, by Dr. Gary North. It is available free online, at freebooks.com.] Law for Commerce
Law Against Violence
Law for Punishment & Enforcement
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THE RIGHTS OF MANTyrants! Know that the rights of man are inherent and inalienable, and therefore not to be forfeited by the failure of any form of government, however democratic. Let the American Union perish; let these allied States be torn with faction, or drenched in blood; let this republic realize the fate of Rome and Carthage, or Babylon and Tyre; still those rights would remain undiminished in strength, unsullied in purity, unaffected in value, and sacred as their Divine Author. If nations perish it is not because of their devotion to liberty, but for their disregard of its requirements. Man is superior to all political compacts, all governmental arrangements, all religious institutions. As means to an end, these may sometimes be useful, though never indispensable; but that end must always be the freedom and happiness of man -- INDIVIDUAL MAN. The time for the overthrow of any governmnet, the abandonment of any alliance, the subversion of any institution, is whenever it justifies the sacrifice of the individual to secure the general welfare; for the welfare of the many cannot be hostile to the safety of the few. In all agreements, in all measures, in all political or religious enterprises, in all attempts to redeem the human race, man, as an individual, is to be held paramount. The doctrine, that the end sanctifies the means, is a maxim of profligates and imposters, of usurpers and tyrants. --Selections from
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Offenses should be settled between the parties involved. Remedies for crimes must be sought by the victims, or their next-of-kin. The power of law enforcement cannot be forfeited into the hands of central mercenaries ("police") and greedy politicians. To do so is to open the door to tyranny. The judges are to judge matters and declare what is right -- no more -- no less. Enforcement of that judgment depends upon the people. There is no police force in the Kingdom of God!
Without a cental law maker, and without a police force, there would be no laws deterring wholesome business, creativity and enterprise. Coordination between people and communities would happen naturally. Cooperation and planning would take the place of central bureaus, and men would not conspire to monopolize, control, and defraud.
The same is true with regard to a defense system. Banding together for the purpose of helping and defending each other is a funtion of the ecclesia system. However, Christians must remember that there is a big difference between "cooperation," and "corporation." A co-op is comprised of independent persons or entities who take part voluntarily. However, a corporation is comprised of persons and/or entities who have sacrificed their independence to become a part of the corporate body. Their performance is no longer voluntary, but under control and demand of the corporation... which becomes an actual entity itself.
In a free Christian society, with voluntary cooperation, the common law would be based on one principle: Man is free to do anything he desires as long as he,
The great enemy of these principles of freedom is the church-state beast system called "Babylon" in scripture.
The great friend of these principles of freedom is the Christian Ecclesia System (independent, autonomous, cooperative Christian communities).
If you profess to follow Christ, then it's time you quit voluntarily feeding the anti-Christ beast. Men that want liberty must wean themselves from central government and churches. It is the height of absurdity for a Christian to attend and support the very institutions which are destroying his freedom and sanity. Those who voluntarily support a central government, or a church, by believing and teaching that it is good in any way, or that it helps us, or that we need it, are still living in a dream world.
In terms of central government, the old axiom is still true: "The best government is the least government." In fact, we'd like to see it abolished.
The ecclesia system, with its self-government and responsibility, is capable of freeing us from the bondage of the church-state Plantation. Liberty cannot be found outside of Christ. Christ's system is the Ecclesia System.
Freedom awaits all those who will stop idolizing the churches and central government, and will start pursuing Christian independence.
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Reprinted from The American Christian
published by American Christian Ministries
P.O. Box 740, Grangeville, Idaho 83530
http://benwilliamslibrary.com/