EKKLESIA – Where are you?????
By: Kelita Deems
My People are destroyed and go into captivity for lack of knowledge. Hosea 4:6
Since returning from Appeal to Heaven in Ohio in late October, I have been praying with a whole new revelation. Apostle Tim Sheets (brother of Dutch Sheets) did an excellent job on the last day teaching on the “Ekklesia.” This term, I must admit, I have never given much thought to. I associated it with the Body of Christ. However, being that when I study the Word of God I love to find out the deeper meanings and look things up in the original Greek and Hebrew, it is to my chagrin that I have never dissected this word.
I want to thank Apostle Sheets for his teaching and I will state up front that all my notes are coming from his sermon that day.
He started off by reading Matthew 16:13-20 – Peter’s confession of Christ as the Messiah. Jesus went on to say that upon this revelation He would build his “CHURCH” and the gates of hell would not prevail or stop it. He goes on to say that whatever His “CHURCH” bound on earth would be bound in heaven and whatever is loosed the same. The word “church” there is the Greek word EKKLESIA. Why is this so important?
Most Christians, including myself, thought the word church simply meant the Body of Christ, the place we attend worship, the different denominations of the body, etc. Therefore, when it came to matters of politics, many people have just deferred to the secular world. We have been brainwashed into thinking we cannot mix the two and it is two separate issues. After the research I have come across recently, I came to say THIS IS NOT SO.
Jesus, being the most brilliant human who has ever lived, obviously, did not throw words around on a whim. When He said ekklesia, that is exactly what He meant. Here is the definition of the word ekklesia according to Strongs – (and Tim Sheets did extensive study and listed his bibliography, which I have for any scholars who want to study this for themselves.)
EKKLESIA – (Strong’s concordance) the popular assembly of the confident full citizens of a city. It met at regular intervals but could be called quickly in cases of emergency.
EKKLESIA – Liddell and Scott Greek Lexicon – an assembly of citizens to legislative assembly.
EKKLESIA – Thayer’s Lexicon – Assembly of people convened at the public place of council (Aeropagus) for the purpose of deliberating. It is the lawful assembly of those who possess the rights of citizenship for the transaction of public affairs.
The Aeropagus, the earliest council of ancient Greece would often meet in the city square to debate policies however, they were responsible for investigating corruption, BUT, the power remained with the Ekklesia.
Responsibilities of the Ekklesia included:
A. Decisions on suggested laws and final decisions on all new law
B. Appointments to official positions
C. Both internal and external policies in regions including contracts, treaties, and financial matters.
D. Rule on acts of treason.
E. Summon an army for war.
F. Rule on societal and cultural matters for its geographic location or territory.
G. Choose by upraised hand (voting) who would sit at the Aeropagus – the high court comparable to the Supreme Court.
The Ekklesia is: a governing, ruling body responsible to hold natural government, culture, societal standards, judges and political leaders accountable to God and His word. It is a governing, ruling body established by King Jesus to look after His kingdom on earth and to disciple it.
Let’s look at Christ’s definition of Ekklesia:
A. To represent Him and His kingdom on the earth
B. To affect public policies
C. To judge corruption
D. To pass and enforce legislation that aligns with God’s laws
E. To shape culture by working to promote God’s standards.
F. To speak against idolatry
G. To speak against vain philosophies
H. To speak against judges that legislate unrighteous and anti-biblical laws
I. To speak for and work to see standardized societal codes of conduct that align with God’s word.
Important to note!
THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE CANNOT BE FOUND IN CHRIST’S STATEMENT.
BY using the word EKKLESIA Jesus was cleary saying “ Church, be involved and shape the culture! Disciple your nation!
What you forbid (bind) on earth will be forbidden in heaven. The Kingdom of God will back you!
I am embarrassed and regretful that I have not known this information before. I didn’t even vote until I was 27 years old. When Jesus said, on this (revelation – Peter knowing He was the Messiah) I will build my church (my EKKLESIA – my governing body) and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. …Whatever you (my Ekklesia, my governing body) bind/forbid on earth shall be bound/forbidden in Heaven, etc. Does this now take on a deeper meaning?!!! WOW
If you are born again and Christ is your Savior, you do not have the option of not voting, and when you vote, you must, according to the Bible, vote for laws, judges, treaties, and appoint to offices men and women who will uphold standards that return us to our biblical heritage – or at least steer us in the right direction. We have to start somewhere!!!!!
Friends, this cannot be any plainer. I heard Mike Hayes make a statement this morning – he said “Until Jesus runs for office we will always be voting for the lesser of two evils!” True!
So, I am putting a call out there to the body of Christ, the Ekklesia, we are being convened! We must forbid unrighteous judges from being appointed, we must speak against abortion, we must appoint men and women who will govern according to the word of God, take us back to the foundational roots of this country and influence society for the kingdom! We must be a light and dispel the darkness! To do anything less is to be in utter disobedience.
No more ignorance. No more winking. No more silence. We have been called to task.
Please join me in this prayer – Father, we, Your people, come to You and we repent for our wicked ways, we repent for being ignorant, lazy and not searching out Your ways. We repent for allowing the iniquity in this country to rise to this level. Father! Forgive us! We cry out for MERCY! MERCY! MERCY! MERCY! MERCY! MERCY! Heal our land! We forbid any person to take any office that would govern according to the cultural iniquities of the day. We call upon the Heavenly Host to go forth and enforce the righteous decrees as we give voice to Your word. (Psalm 103:20) We pray for every believer, Lord, to be awakened to righteousness and truth – NOW! As members of the Ekklesia – we call for corruption to be exposed NOW and to the right people so that it has no success. We call all voting fraud exposed and thwarted. We release angels of peace and declare that violent acts are being thwarted now…plans of murder, mayhem and rioting, shootings and thievery, are being stopped even before they start. Angels go and surround the polling places to influence people for righteousness and to thwart any plans of the enemy for violence and intimidation. Angel armies be released and empower the Ekklesia to do our Father’s will. We declare Your kingdom come, Your will be done, Lord, on earth as it is in Heaven. AMEN!
