Thesis 12: A Call to Return to the Church of Acts!

This is Thesis 12 of the “End Times 95 Theses by The Two Witnesses of Revelation", a parallel of the work Martin Luther did hundreds of years ago. This thesis will explore the foundations of the early church, and how those have been corrupted. This thesis will be a call for Christians to get back to their roots and model themselves and fellowship after the Church of Acts.

Witness 1 is working on compiling this for me. : )

Introduction - The Lost Foundations

I have been reading the book of Acts, and it has been shown to me that the foundations of the early church were simple, and they are directly connected to the three components of God - The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. To begin this post, I made a diagram to represent this, and then I want to share with readers how these elements have been lost and corrupted over the centuries and have led to the current state of the dead church. In fact, I pronounce this church dead today as I write this because they have completely lost their way. I call the dead church to repent and to return to its early foundations!

In this next section, I am going to divide each of these elements and explain how the early church of Acts manifested them, and how now, they are almost completely lost in the modern dead church. While there may be elements still alive, they have all been corrupted, and this is my call for all of us to go back to our Christian foundations.

The Holy Trinity Is Modeled in The Early Church

In the first part of the diagram, I break down the "Trinity" into one representation: The Father, represented by holiness and creation, The Son, represented by obedience and righteousness, and The Holy Spirit, represented by love and compassion. I understand that each aspect of God has all of these qualities, but this is just one representation. For example, Jesus clearly has love, but for the sake of simplicity, I only wrote obedience and righteousness as qualities to focus on. The title clearly states this is just one representation of the Trinity, and there are many out there.

For more on the Trinity and how it works, see Salim's writing here.

When I was studying the Church of Acts this morning, chapters 3 and 4, I realized that its foundations were relatively simple and directly exemplified by different aspects of the Trinity. Let us break down each component.

1. Father represented by Structure and Worship:

In the early church, worship was authentic, and though there was structure, it was not "over-done." In contrast, I have found that modern churches are so organized that they allow no room for change or creation. The Father represents holiness and creation, and in order for a church to be fruitful, it has to flow with creativity. In the end times church, one method seemed to work, and then every single church copied this method. Almost every church we have gone to follows a similar "cookie-cutter" lay-out of worship and services, and it has taken the heart out of it. For example, these churches start with "Christian worship music", which just sounds like all Satanic pop music, they go into a 30- 40 minute service with a man preaching who is obsessed with himself (or several men preaching), and they end with a call to pray quickly and sometimes tithes. Sometimes they start with the tithes. Besides this service on Sunday and Wednesday, they have plenty of time for entertainment disguised as worship, such as endless potlucks and other frivolous activities. For example, the church we left spent thousands of dollars on summer extravaganzas and get-togethers, when there are truly people suffering who need our help in our area. This is of course, a generalization, but I am trying to paint a picture. Why do so few churches break this mold?

They have forgotten the power of God and who is in charge.

In a sense, the early church was all about reminding each other about the power of God, as one can see in these verses in Acts 4:

9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus[a] is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.[b] 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men[c] by which we must be saved.”

As one can clearly see, the original worship goes directly to God, not man. There is always a reminder of His great power, and how everything about their power is because of Him.

In the modern church, the "celebrity pastors" have taken over, and while they talk about Jesus, the passion and fire seems gone.

When I watch the men speak on stage on social media reels and such, it seems like they are following a script. They talk in the same patterns, intonations, and expressions. They are all wearing similar clothing, and something just feels fake and off about it.

I believe this is because their self-worship is apparent to those with the Holy Spirit. They, themselves, want to be honored, and it has taken away the power of God in the church.

Further, the structure may still be there, but it has stagnated. It no longer flows with creativity.

In our ministry, we are always coming up with new ideas, and things are always changing. That is because the more power we grow in God, the more creativity comes from Him.

Today, the end times church has stagnated. Verse chorus verse. There is little new, and it is dull. That is because the ministers wanted the glory, and they took it away from God. This is our call to give the glory back to God.

I can say that our ministry and everything good about it is due to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is running our ministry - and we are obedient vessels! Praise Jesus Christ, and may all glory we receive go right back to Him!

2. Son represented by Righteousness and Obedience

While the dead church today may quote Scripture, they do little anymore to call people to righteousness. They have relied so heavily on grace that they have forgotten Jesus's message of righteousness and obedience.

In the early church, righteousness is a super power.

13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. 15 But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, 16 saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” 18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” 21 And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.

Due to the righteousness and obedience of members, miracles and healing were taking place consistently, and nothing could be done to stop them!

The modern church is not righteous, and very few miracles happen anymore because of this. Yes, they still happen, but no longer in the magnitude of the early church.

However, in our ministry, miracles are happening, and these testimonies have been posted all over this blog. I believe as our ministry grows, these testimonies will exponentially increase.

In the meantime, the dead church produces little true fruit. You rarely see them on stage healing people because they do not have the faith, righteousness, or obedience to do that anymore. Their biggest sin is pride, which comes in the way from them performing miracles.

While I am not saying it never happens, it is much more rare.

On top of that, though some churches are still reading Scripture, they often present the milk with little meat for fear of offending people. The same 50 sermons are recycled from ministry to ministry, and very few are led to repentance.

3. Holy Spirit represented by Agape Love and Compassion.

The end times church has focused on cleverness, and it has forgotten love. They spend time and energy on perfect PowerPoint presentations, instead of taking time to just serve people.

In the early church, everyone took care of everyone:

They Had Everything in Common

32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35 and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. 36 Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, 37 sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.

Money and power has completely corrupted the modern church. The churches have turned themselves into corporations, and the donations are used as salaries.

While I am not saying the pastors should not take care of themselves, I have no doubt, that like the Pharisees, their gifts mean nothing to God because they are not true sacrifices. Remember the message of the poor widow if you need more information on this. At the heart of the early church was sacrifice, and now that is completely missing.

I will say this: there are many who sacrifice to us, and we are thankful.

A reader today, Janine, sacrificed her time, and she sent me an encouraging message about a rainbow. Thank you, Janine.

A man today, Adam, gave me some money for some new running shoes. Believe it or not, Witness 1 and I are pretty poor, and this gift will help me on my running journey. Running is where I get my ideas for writing, even this post I am writing right now! Thank you, Adam, for your sacrifice.

Many readers have given us money to give to the poor. As we have written, we are extremely generous, and we do not hoard money given to us. We spend a great deal of time and energy serving the poor. Thank you to all who have sacrificed your money to this ministry. I will continually update how we are serving the poor.

Now, I am not saying there aren't any ministries out there giving to the poor or anything like that, but something just seems off. When you tithe your money to your church, do you know where it goes? We try to be extremely transparent to readers about where money you send is going to us, and if you ever have any questions, just ask.

The point is that the love of money has corrupted the end times church, and I think there is no denying that. In fact, I was going to write a whole thesis on this point, but is it really necessary to say? Isn't it apparent?

Yes, perhaps churches still donate their funds, but is it really a sacrifice in the way God wants, or is it just the show the modern Pharisees perform?

They seem to be living in pretty nice mansions, wearing expensive clothing, and ensuring they have great vacations which they call "mission trips."

In the end, it is up to readers to decide, but the last church we were going to, we stopped because they were getting an excessive amount of money, and instead of it using it to give back to the people, they just kept making bigger churches, with more expensive sound systems, and more general excess. The pastors' eyes had grown black, and he had lost his soul to the love of money.

Money corrupts all good things, and I will say this, Witness 1 and I are not wealthy, and we give all we can to as many people as we can. We are always pushing ourselves to be sacrificial.

No, we are not perfect, but we are always reflecting and growing.

Conclusion - The Call to the Dead Church

It is time to return to the foundations of the Church of Acts, which are represented by elements of the Holy Trinity.

Right now, readers can join us in our Bible study of Acts, and we will start Acts 5 tomorrow if you want to catch up. Thank you, Janine, for reading along with us!

While the dead church may have crumbs of these elements, I believe they have been totally corrupted by Satan, and I believe Satan is manifesting most pastors today. I believe the anti-Christ spirit has fully taken over.

Again, this is my call to return to true Christianity. Let's return to its roots which are simple but have been complicated by Satan:

1) Worship God with all of our hearts and souls.
2) Love and take care of each other.
3) Obey Jesus Christ and walk in righteousness.

It is simple, yes, but it is not easy, and I pray all of us can return to these three sacred foundations of the early church in Jesus's name!

With love,

Elisha

Reader Contributions

News from Finland by Jesse

News

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https://www.iltalehti.fi/ulkomaat/a/a81e270a-dfb1-4e04-9edf-4dda6d23e6db Spain introduces 'porn passport' - The purpose of the new application is to prevent minors from accessing adult entertainment websites.

Spain is taking new measures in an effort to combat children's exposure to adult entertainment. The Spanish government is introducing the so-called "porn passport", which is practically a new way to identify yourself on sites whose content is not suitable for children's eyes. On Monday, the Spanish government introduced an application officially called a digital wallet (Cartera digital beta). The application gives websites the opportunity to check whether the user aspiring to the page is over 18 years old. Porn viewers are advised to use the app to verify their age. After verification, they receive 30 credits that are valid for a month and give access to adult sites. The most enthusiastic users can request additional credits if the amount is not enough.

The app has been criticized for its complexity, but the Spanish government says the credit-based model is safer for privacy and makes it harder to track users' online activities. The application will be introduced in Spain by the end of the summer. Its use is voluntary, at least initially, because for now websites can use other methods to verify the age of viewers.

In 2027, a new EU law will enter into force, requiring websites to prevent minors from accessing pornographic sites. Spain's porn passport will probably be replaced sooner or later by the EU's own digital identification tool, which will be used throughout the Union. - We act in advance and we also ask the online platforms to do so, José Luis Escrivá, the minister responsible for digital affairs in Spain, says to the El País newspaper.

Well, the digital-id is coming to EU in few years. Once again, just like Witness 2 has been prophesying. Even when in this article it is only mentioned to affect adult sites, that is not the whole truth. That digi-id will contain all the possible information about you and more than likely it is tied to the coming digital currency. Don't have all the required "vaccinations", your bank account is frozen. Talk against the "accepted narrative™ ", your funds are frozen and you might be jailed. Preach the gospel and teach about Jesus Christ and end times, believe or not, jail. Every action you do will be traced and it will be really easy with digital-id. Without it, you will be branded as "extremist, terrorist, harmful individual etc. " whatever fits at the coming agenda. Be prepared. The road to hell is paved with "good" intentions. Like in this article, the digital-id is first marketed as "optional, easy and simple, to increase safety " until it is suddenly mandatory and used to control every aspect of your life. And this is not just something that happens in EU. Currently Vietnam is forcing digi-id to its population. Australia is doing same thing, but it is "optional" at this point. You can be certain that it is only matter of time until this comes to your country too, no matter where you might live.

Contributions from Jane

Small Straws by Marsha Burns:

Pay attention and watch for valuable insights that will prepare you and facilitate your spiritual development. You are ready to proceed and take the next step in a series of actions and understanding necessary to this vital process of spiritual growth. I have called you to a closer walk with Me, and that will require that you leave behind the hindrances that keep you from intimacy with Me, says the Lord. Proverbs 4:12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered, and when you run, you will not stumble.

https://petermcculloughmd.substack.com/p/on-stupidity

"On Stupidity" By JOHN LEAKE

Dietrich Bonhoeffer's theory explains much of contemporary politics and culture.

In 1943, the Lutheran pastor and member of the German resistance, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, was arrested and incarcerated in Tegel Prison. There he meditated on the question of why the German people—in spite of their vast education, culture, and intellectual achievements—had fallen so far from reason and morality. He concluded that they, as a people, had been afflicted with collective stupidity (German: Dummheit).

He was not being flippant or sarcastic, and he made it clear that stupidity is not the opposite of native intellect. On the contrary, the events in Germany between 1933 and 1943 had shown him that perfectly intelligent people were, under the pressure of political power and propaganda, rendered stupid—that is, incapable of critical reasoning. As he put it:

Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than wickedness. Evil can be protested against, exposed, and, if necessary, it can be prevented by force. Evil always harbors the germ of self-destruction by inducing at least some uneasiness in people. We are defenseless against stupidity. Nothing can be done to oppose it, neither with protests nor with violence. Reasons cannot prevail. Facts that contradict one's prejudice simply don't need to be believed, and when they are inescapable, they can simply be brushed aside as meaningless, isolated cases.

In contrast to evil, the stupid person is completely satisfied with himself. When irritated, he becomes dangerous and may even go on the attack. More caution is therefore required when dealing with the stupid than with the wicked. Never try to convince the stupid with reasons; it's pointless and dangerous.

To understand how to deal with stupidity, we must try to understand its nature. This much is certain: it is not essentially an intellectual, but a human defect. There are people who are intellectually agile who are stupid, while intellectually inept people may be anything but stupid. We discover this to our surprise in certain situations.

One gets the impression that stupidity is often not an innate defect, but one that emerges under certain circumstances in which people are made stupid or allow themselves to be made stupid. We also observe that isolated and solitary people exhibit this defect less frequently than socializing groups of people. Thus, perhaps stupidity is less a psychological than a sociological problem. It is a special manifestation of the influence of historical circumstances on man—a psychological side effect of certain external conditions.

A closer look reveals that the strong exertion of external power, be it political or religious, strikes a large part of the people with stupidity. Yes, it seems as if this is a sociological-psychological law. The power of some requires the stupidity of others. Under this influence, human abilities suddenly wither or fail, robbing people of their inner independence, which they—more or less unconsciously —renounce to adapt their behavior to the prevailing situation.

The fact that stupid people are often stubborn should not hide the fact that they are not independent. When talking to him, one feels that one is not dealing with him personally, but with catchphrases, slogans, etc. that have taken possession of him. He is under a spell; he is blinded; he is abused in his own being.

Having become an instrument without an independent will, the fool will also be capable of all evil, and at the same time, unable to recognize it as evil. Here lies the danger of diabolical abuse. Through this, a people can be ruined forever.

But it is also quite clear here that it is not an act of instruction, but only an act of liberation that can overcome stupidity. In doing so, one will have to accept the fact that, in most cases, real inner liberation is only possible after outer liberation has taken place. Until then we will have to refrain from all attempts to convince the stupid. In this state of affairs, we try in vain to know what "the people" actually think.”

The Bible states that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Thus, the inner liberation of man begins by living responsibly before God. Only then may stupidity be overcome.

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich.“Von der Dummheit”: Widerstand und Ergebung. Briefe und Aufzeichnungen aus der Haft. S. 17–20. Muenchen, Christian Kaiser Verlag, 1951

Conclusion

May God bless all who support this ministry in Jesus's name!

Love,

Witness 2 aka Elisha