Establish Messianic Communities

“The poor” in Luke 12:33 as in Matthew 19:21 is a reference to the early Christians. They were called poor because nobody among them owned anything. The concept of personal or family property was removed from them. They relinquished their claim of ownership over their blessings and turned it over to the real Owner through His Body, the Church. They sold their possessions and pooled the sales proceeds into one common purse. They lived together and shared their blessings with one another.

⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. ACTS 2

³² All the believers were one in heart and mind. ³³ No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. ³⁴ From time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales ³⁵ and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. ACTS 4

Semblance of Marxism

“Give to the poor” comes with a call for Christians to live as a Messianic community. Personally we dream of joining one because doing so concurs with God’s instruction. Unfortunately, the community formed by the early Christians had disappeared. We talk of re-establishing another one, but the idea is almost always met with instant reaction. Doubts and worries are raised with regards to its feasibility:   

§  Can the community be organized in such a way that it can effectively and efficiently service all the needs of its members? 

§  Should the community prove to be efficient and effective, people would be attracted to join it for selfish reasons. Wouldn’t that defeat the purpose for setting up the community? 

§  Should the selfish be stopped from joining the community? If yes, how?

§  Can the community generate enough revenue to sustain its needs? 

§  If the community goes into business as apparently it must, how can its enterprises succeed vis-a-vis the dirty tricks (underselling, shortchanging, bribery, intimidation, mudslinging, back-stabbing, etc.) of satanic enterprises? 

§  The poor would outnumber the rich. The consumption of the poor would outpace their contribution. Can the contribution of the rich suffice to subsidize the consumption of the poor?

§  Will the rich (who are independent-minded and used to pampering themselves, and who get what they want when they want it) be attracted to a life of rationing, of receiving according to need?

The reactors discount the fact that God is with us (Matthew 1:23, 28:10). There is no limit to the signs and wonders He can do for the community (Numbers 11:23).

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not depend on your own understanding. PROVERBS 3 nlt

¹⁴ Is anything too hard for the Lord? GENESIS 18

²³ Is there a limit to My power? NUMBERS 11

Let us look ahead using eyes of faith: The community would go for quality, not quantity, of members. No one would be allowed to defile its holiness and purity. Membership screening would be stringent, full compliance of the baptismal requirements emphasized. The souls whose hearts are not right with God and who do not have the Spirit of God in them shall be disqualified from it. Divine love would prevail, the community members filled with it. Should the selfish, the liar or the mocker become a member, he would be soaked in divine love. Should he harden his heart, the Spirit would deal with him the way He did to Ananias and Sapphira.

¹ But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. ² He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest. ³ Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Lucifer fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money to yourself. ⁴ The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God.” ⁵ As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified. ⁶ Then some young men got up, wrapped him in a sheet, and took him out and buried him. ⁷ About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what happened. ⁸ Peter asked her, “Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?” “Yes,” she replied, “that was the price.” ⁹ And Peter said, “How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too.” ¹⁰ Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. ¹¹ Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened. ACTS 5 nlt     

The community members would divest of their wealth willingly and gladly, pool them, and share them with everyone in the community. They would bat for self-discipline and 100% obedience, and would govern and police themselves accordingly. They would move as one, united in the faith.

²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one Body… ²⁴ God has combined the members of the Body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the Body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 1 CORINTHIANS 12  

General harmony and contentment would develop. Creativity would be inspired and work, enthusiastic. Grumbling, murmuring and whining would be very negligible, if not eliminated. Everybody would work hard and contribute generously to the common good. Productivity would be heightened as never before.

All the above developments would please God. The floodgates of His blessings would be opened. Signs and wonders would visit the community. The harvests would be unusually big and one hundredfold (Genesis 26:12). Everyone’s needs would be fully satisfied.

¹³ [The Lord your God] will love you. DEUTERONOMY 7

⁴ You will be My people, and I will be your God. JEREMIAH 11

In stark contrast, general scarcity and misery would hound their neighbors.   

² Sing about a fruitful vineyard; I, the Lord, watch over it; I water it continually. I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it. ISAIAH 27

²⁹ I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you. ³⁰ I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine. EZEKIEL 36

¹⁰ Just as the Lord your God promised your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, He will give you a land with large and prosperous cities which you did not build. ¹¹ The houses will be full of good things which you did not put in them, and there will be wells that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant. DEUTERONOMY 6 tev

Can you follow? Be with us now. We are looking at a Divine Vision.

The scenario seems to be communistic. In communism everything was placed in the hands of the State and, in return, the citizen got from the State the things he needed. The State owned everything and the citizen was a part-owner of everything.

Apparently the father of communism, Karl Marx, patterned his ideology after the Messianic call. However, alterations had been made which proved to be its downfall. Ownership over everything was removed from God and given to an artificial entity, the State. Citizen participation was compelled by punishment and fear; it was neither voluntary (wholehearted) nor motivated by love. The citizenry was not of one heart and one mind. Everyone thought of contributing the least and of receiving the most. Corruption and manipulation were rampant because selfishness ruled.

The call for a Messianic community is different.

²¹ If any of you wants to be My follower [disciple], you must turn from your selfish ways… MATTHEW 16 nlt

²⁰ They are not to worry about leaving their possessions behind; the best in the whole of [God’s kingdom] will be theirs. GENESIS 45 tev