This will be one of the most highly contested articles ever published by this web site. Read and study the following. Then, weigh it for yourself. 

It is common Biblical knowledge that there are subjects in the Bible that find controversy. To put it simply, it is often outsiders telling insiders (true believers) that they are wrong to have standards that conflict with “their” standards. One hot topic is murdering the unborn or just born children if deemed wanted. Israel did the same with child sacrifices by their “so-called” priests. God judged their kingdom-nation for doing this.  

The United States was initially settled by Europeans seeking religious freedom. They had too many outsiders giving them great grief in Europe. This comment is not to the dismissal of the native Indians already occupying this American land. Europeans set up colonies as Theocracies. Israel had kings after 400 years of being ruled by Judges. If one looks at and examines the multiple Christian churches initially set up by the Apostles in Eurasia and the Middle East, where are these same churches today? Satan casually dismantled them by bringing outsiders to the inside. Now with these outsiders on the inside, their voices were then heard. A church begins to depend upon and calculate these donations into the Church budget. 

The original Church of Acts has today been replaced by churches. The Catholics state that they are THE (lone) CHURCH. However, even within their ranks there are differentiations. There are more church denominations than one can recite from memory. One simple example of this is within the names of Baptist Churches. There are more than 150 different Baptists churches; each has individual and select beliefs. The same is true of most if not all mainline denominations. When outsiders get into the mix, so do their views. This does not expand Bible understanding, rather it adds to differing understandings. Denominations do not unite the Church of which Christ is its head. It divides them.  

The Book of Acts is the foundation of a Christian Worship Service. 

1. Unequally yoked in worship also means believers trying to worship alongside unbelievers i.e., unequally yoked. Whether in business, relationships or worship, Christians are not to be equally yoked with unbelievers. [Amos 3:2 1 Corinthians 6:15] 

2. AFTER salvation, bring them to church for discipleship, worship, study, and fellowship as equally yoked. [Acts 5:14, Acts 4] 

Read the ahabiblemoment article on why quoting the Lord’s Prayer is not what scripture tells us how to pray as a church group. It is mostly because believers and unbelievers are chanting the same words. Two versions of this prayer are recorded in the gospels: a longer form within the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew, and a shorter form in the Gospel of Luke Secondly, the first few verses where we can find the Lord’s Prayer specifically states to go into one’s Prayer Closet… alone. Then follow the full instructions of Jesus and pray a similar type of prayer as he offered as an example to his disciples [Matthew 3-15]. It is a bit of a challenge to grasp that after three years with Jesus, they still did not know how to pray. 

Now the controversy of controversies... 

Deuteronomy 28:43 This passage is specific to the Israelis, but we should take all scripture for what it states. Click on this verse and read it before continuing. 

Different translations of the Bible use different terms or words in this and many other verses. What is a sojourner, foreigner, or alien amongst us? It is simple. Such people are not officially or regularly part of a specific group, setting, organization, team, or follower of the organization’s purpose. . This is the complaint against those crossing a nation’s border illegally, such as the Mexican border with the USA. They bring their culture with them. Such can easily conflict with the basic USA culture(s). Even enough to bring dangerous conflicts. Take any outside organization such as the Mason’s Gild. Trying to be invited into one of their gatherings as an outsider/nonmember. It isn’t going to happen.

Take any outside organization such as the Mason’s. Trying to be invited into one of their gatherings as an outsider/nonmember. 

Let’s cut to the chase. Looking at the NIV translation, this verse reads… The alien who lives among you will rise higher and higher (gain more influence), but you will sink lower and lower (losing influence or surrendering control) with (to) the alien amongst you. Has the modern-day church gotten it mixed up and surrendered evangelism/witnessing to the ministerial staff? Has the modern-day Christian determined that his or her job is to BRING outsiders (unbelievers) to church hoping the pastor will convince and lead this person to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ? This is not how the Book of Acts explains it. New church attendees at that time were already believers either by travel or new converts.  

If evangelical pastors sense s/he needs to constantly give salvation invitations due to the “alien” in the audience, their messages remain the Milk of the Word, not the meat.  

Rev. Dr. Jstark – 2024