A Church on Every Corner

I totally agree with you, but think it is not only an American problem. Here in SA we have a joke that if I am the only survivor on an island, there will definitely be 2 or more shelters built, of which one will be the church you don’t go to anymore.
The division between churches is a powerful stronghold of Satan, I think. They agree to disagree on nearly everything, accept “their love for God”. Still lots of work towards unity?

A few months ago I read the “The Harlot Church system” written by Charles E Newbold, Jr. Although I do not agree with everything he says, it sure made me ask some questions.

“As soon as the church can survive without the aid of the Spirit….” is true for me, His church, as well? Then I am no more?

Skip,

Were you in Tulsa? The capital of Mega Churches! It seems a lot (450,000) of churches and the sad thing about them, probably 99% are worshiping on the first day of the week instead of the seventh day like G-d commands. But it shouldn’t surprise all of us, since G-d prophesied it in Revelation 13:3; “… and all the world marveled and followed the beast.”

I have enjoyed Skip’s teachings, but this one, A Church on Every Corner, needs some work. I’m not a huge fan of mega churches, but some of them are bearing much fruit for the Kingdom. House/Home churches are great, but they also have their limitations. The building and physical facility of the church only has relevance if it contributes to the fullfilling of the vision and mission of the church. Let’s also remember that the church is people, not buildings. When the building becomes a burden and a heavy yoke, maybe it would have been better to remain in the home. Buildings should not bridle the work of God. They should be a tool to further the work of God. Now back to Skip’s teaching from Hosea.

It seems Skip has misinterpreted the context of Hosea, which negates his premise about American churches. He begins with a verse from Hosea 10.

Israel is a luxuriant vine; He produces fruit for himself. The more his fruit, the more altars he made; the richer his land, the better he made the sacred pillars. Hosea 10:1 NASB

I know this is NASB, my favorite translation most of the time, but the translators have missed it here again in Hosea. “Boqeq” does not mean luxuriant, but comes from the Hebrew word to empty, make void, depopulate, remove or destroy. Abraham Ibn Ezra says, “Empty in the sense it has no strength to produce fruit, and so it has no fruit.” Ibn Ezra agrees with Rashi here by translating, “Israel is like a vine that empties all of its good fruit.” Ibn Ezra also translates “peri yeshaveh lo” as “he [Israel] thinks that he will be fruitful, or… his fruit will be as a vine that is empty.”

So starting with the premise that Israel is “luxuriant” is misleading. Actually, Israel is empty, a nation where there is “no truth, no mercy and no knowledge of God in the land.” (Hosea 4:1) They have transgressed the covenant and rebelled against the Torah. (Hosea 8:1) They have increased the altars of Ba’al, but not the altars of God. They have become empty, reprobate, void of judgment.

Skip then says:
According to Hosea, affluence produces an increase in religion. There is no better example than America.

On the surface, I can see how he could apply this to the church in America. Our nation is “luxuriant” and we have produced much fruit for ourselves. But the altars and sacred pillars mentioned here were not for the LORD, but for the Ba’alim, the false gods of the Canaanites. Israel’s affluence may have produced an increase in religion, but it was not “true” religion, but the religion of their pagan neighbors. Skip goes on to say,

In Hosea’s time, Israel’s prosperity produced many new religious sites but from God’s perspective, those sites didn’t make one bit of difference.

Again, these were not “sites for the LORD,” but sites for false gods, producing more harlotry, sin and debauchery.

I don’t think the churches of America, howbeit capitalizing on the desire to build, expand and create user-friendly “estates” for worship, can compare to the totally lost nation of Israel right before they were taken captive to Assyria, that is, unless, our houses of worship are pagan at its core and not honoring to God.

Skip continues:
God has something to say about all this religious frenzy, this penchant for greatness. God’s evaluation of the situation comes in the next verse. “Their heart is faithless. Now they must bear their guilt.” Proliferation of congregations is not a priority of Scripture.

The proliferation of pagan places of worship cannot be compared to the “proliferation of churches/congregations.” It’s apples and oranges. I personally think God wants places of worship all over the globe in as many places as possible. This could be in buildings, or in homes, parks, tents, etc. The more worship of the one, true God… the better.

I do agree with Skip when he says, God is able to do more with one man abandoned to Him than with a million Sunday church attendees. Affluence may produce an increase in religious organizations but it seems that affliction produces true devotion.

Ahmen to that.

I also think his Hebrew alliteration analogy in the last paragraph demonstrates a lack of Hebrew understanding and is out of context.

Skip says:
Oh, yes, the Hebrew words translated “more” and “better” are ravah (to become many) and tovah (good, better). “Mo’ better” in Hebrew might be ravah tovah. Hosea uses the alliteration to get our attention.

He is referring back to verse one: The more his fruit, the more altars he made; the richer his land, the better he made the sacred pillars.

There is no alliteration in Hosea’s Hebrew. Hosea says “he [Israel] increased the altars”, “hirvah lamizb’chot.” The word “made” may be implied, but it is not in the original Hebrew. And the word “more” or “increased” is not ravah, but hirvah.

It doesn’t say, “the richer his land, the better he made the sacred pillars.” The Hebrew reads, “k’tov l’ar’tso haytivu matsayvot.” A more accurate translation would be, “as the goodness of his land, or according to the good of his land, they have decorated pillars,” or KJV, “according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images.” The English word “better” is not found here and should not be used. It looks like Skip and NASB took the Hebrew word “haytivu,” (they decorated, or made) which has two Hebrew letters the same as “good,” and used that to come up with his reference to Hosea’s alliteration (tovah), which simply does not exist in the original text.

I could have typed the Hebrew throughout, but I don’t think it would have benefited many. If the Hebrew is desired to back up my claims, I am more than happy to include it with the Hebrew transliterations I have used.

This is my first time writing on this forum. I am a messianic Jew who leads a messianic congregation in Washington state.

For the sake of good hermanutics, and for the sake of the Kingdom of God,

Dear Skip,

Thank you for posting my rather lengthy comments above. This demonstrates your humility and willingness to hear other opinions, a trait of a good teacher. I am aware of the debate regarding the Hebrew “boqeq.” I choose to go with the Jewish sages on this one, while I respect and often use the LXX as well. Thanks for pointing out the difference.

I’ve recently preached 30 sermons through the Book of Hosea, and we just finished chapter 8. I see clear similarities between the Israel of Hosea’s day and our dear US of A. I’ve spoken it clearly from the pulpit. Some think I have been “too political,” but I tell them, Hosea was political, too. I’m not afraid to preach a hard message. That said, I don’t think our American Christian enterprise is even close to what Hosea encountered in the northern kingdom. Our churches may have some replacement theology and anti-Torah teaching, but they preach Jesus is Lord and salvation if found in no one else. They point people to God, not Ba’al, Molech or Ra.

I was in gentile Christian churches for 26 years before becoming a messianic rabbi. My wife and I came home and can never go back. We visit friends there and I preach in them when invited, but our home is within the messianic Jewish movement where we honor the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, worship on Shabbat (a weekly Appointed Time of the LORD), support the nation Israel, celebrate the Festivals of the LORD, and basically live a Biblical lifestyle honoring Messiah Yeshua.

My Christian friends may be missing something I consider essential. They may have some replacement theology, which I detest, and they may think Sunday is the new Sabbath, etc., but they are not pointing people to pagan gods like Israel did when they went to Egypt and Assyria. Israel went to their enemies; mixed with the nations; they sowed the wind and reaped the whirlwind.

The church lost its moorings when it rejected it Jewish roots and ripped themselves from the olive tree. But there is a movement of the Spirit in the churches, and it’s not from the top down but from the bottom up. Christians are asking themselves, “Isn’t there something about the Jewish roots of Christianity that may be helpful in understanding and enhancing our walk with God?” I don’t want to alienate them, but encourage them to press on to know the Lord and to search out the roots of their faith.

Regarding buildings: We own 5+ acres with buildings. We also have a strong community, which is one of our high values along with the Word, worship, mission and discipleship. We also have people who live far away meeting in their homes for fellowship and bible study. I don’t think one is good and the other bad. Both are good as long as we continue to love one another in the fear of the LORD. If buildings produce massive debt, they become a noose and a weight beyond what is good. May God grant us wisdom as we grow and mature so that we don’t become enslaved to the lender, but use our money wisely as stewards of the Most High. LORD, lead us into what You have for us as a community of believers. Ahmen.

FYI, about 15% of our general offerings goes toward our mortgage. Would you consider that “massive?” Thanks again for listening.

We were at L’Abri from November 1970 till April 1971. We are very fortunate indeed. Grace is when we get what we don’t deserve. Mercy is when we don’t get what we do deserve. God is good to us.