In my previous post I dwelt on exposing falsehood, indicating that our current civilization is sustained by falsehood. There has not been any other promise ever advanced, for a new civilization, except what is recorded in the story of Jesus. Greek philosophers attempted, but could not provide conclusive solutions.
The Holy Bible is about Jesus, promising a New Civilization, whose tenets are summarized in what most believers call ‘Sermon on the Mount’ (Matthew 5, 6 and 7). However, what is recorded does not look like a sermon, but a lecture given to the disciples who had then formed a nucleus of what today comprises Christian community. At the end of that sermon Jesus emphasized what He had said, using a parable with comparisons between building on solid rock and building on sand (Matthew 7:24-27).
His teachings comprised instruction on the foundation of a New Civilization, or God’s Kingdom. If that Kingdom had takers in the first century, the reverse seems to have become true. Today, Christian organizations are structured in accordance with what Jesus said was a pattern of the Gentile kingdoms. I have not found one denomination, among Christian churches, identifying with what Christ taught. Some churches are closer, others are further away. The common denominator of error being Leadership structures.
Cutting across what was identified as the general pattern of relationships; Jesus showed the opposite of what was normal. For instance, as hinted in my previous post, Jesus eliminated hierarchy (Matthew 23:8-12). This is obviously unfathomable among Christian Leaders of today. Such leaders are like the Pharisees and teachers of the Law, as existed during Christ’s ministry.
The scripture that blows any possible argument by scholars is Matthew 11:11. The Bible reveals that anyone, having accepted Jesus Christ as personal saviour has adopted God’s Kingdom. My argument then is: if John the Baptist had not been supervised by anyone, why do Church Leaders seek to supervise those greater than John the Baptist?
The Church needs leadership, who is Christ; using whomever, He decides to use at any given time (Romans 12:3-11). Jesus is the only rock of our salvation, not necessarily Peter, Paul, or any of the first century apostles. What those apostles taught ought to be weighed against what Jesus taught, not the other way round.
The Pharisees of Jesus’ time failed to comprehend, stumbling on the obstacle: What is new cannot be compared with what is old (Matthew 9:16-17). Currently, Church Leaders assume authority that does not belong to them, as Jesus said:
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you, must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:25-28) NIV.
This quote is not in tandem with what is randomly practiced in orthodox and some other so-called heretical church structures. If the authority of the Bible stands, why deviate from what Jesus said? As previously stated; for a problem to be a problem, it has to contain a lie. The unsolvable problem of denominationalism stems from deviation from what Jesus said, because everyone wants to be a leader.
Controlling other people appears attractive in the Christian world, yet Jesus said it came from Gentile kingdoms. Where does this leave us, in terms of maintaining truth, once delivered by Christ, in order to remove error that causes all problems?
In Christ we do not have problems, as all problems are handled by Christ Himself. Those caught up in worrying about how to put order in churches are dabbling in an area that is out of bounds. They are behaving like Uzzah who attempted to put right what had gone wrong with the Ark of the Covenant (2 Samuel 6:6-7). Jesus Christ is the only Lamb of God that takes away the sins of humanity (John 1:29). Let us give Him Glory.
The Zimbabwean problems are influenced by Christian Churches, assuming that a leader is greater than other fellow human beings. Of course, government leaders need respect, to facilitate their governance. There is no record of Jesus ever breaking any of the Roman laws. Nevertheless, it is only in Christianity, as taught by Christ, that the commonly most despised person among Christian societies should be treated as the greatest among all (Matthew 9:16-17).
The New Civilization is guided by Jesus Christ. Having accepted Christ as personal saviour, the old has gone and the new has come. True repentance requires stepping out boldly in faith, discarding everything old and accepting the teachings of Jesus, which are the opposite of what is known in the structures of the current civilization.
I have often been disturbed by the scripture in Matthew 7:21-23. How do my brothers interpret this scripture? Maybe they suppose that Jesus Christ is referring to those that they consider lost, as not practicing Christianity in accordance with their respective approvals? But who are they to take the responsibility of Jesus?
A lot of bad things had besieged humanity, since the time of Adam. Human civilizations had come and gone, just as is the case today. However, as the prophet Daniel said, Jesus came to establish an eternal Kingdom that is different from the wold’s kingdoms (Daniel 2:44).
What is new cannot be accepted easily, which is the reason why they killed Jesus and the first century apostles. Unfortunately for them, they could not destroy the New Civilization that is founded upon the only Man, on the entire planet, recorded as having defied death. The resurrection of Jesus holds no precedent.
Andrew Masuku is the author of Dimensions of a New Civilization, which lays down standards for uplifting Zimbabwe from the current state of economic depression into becoming a model to other countries worldwide. A decaying tree provides an opportunity for a blossoming sprout. Written from a Christian perspective, the book is a product of inspiration, bringing reliefs to those having witnessed the strings of unworkable solutions––leading to the current economic and social instability. In a simple conversational tone, most Zimbabwean readers should find the book as a long awaited providential oasis of hope.
The Print copy is now available at Amazon.com for $13.99
Also available as an e-copy at Lulu.com for $6.99
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