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Who
We Are
 The ASSOCIATES
ONLINE EKKLESIA (not to be confused with the
ASSOCIATES
FOR SCRIPTURAL KNOWLEDGE) is not supported by any church,
ministry or evangelical movement. We
are international, independent and
nonsectarian. Our ekklesia
(a gathering of like-minded, called out people)
is connected
together only by the Internet and a
common belief in the major biblical
understandings we have learned from the late Dr.
Ernest L. Martin... and the
subsequent biblical understandings that we
have learned since his
passing (listed
above in the Statement of Beliefs). Dr.
Martin's audio
teachings and notes are still
available. We are
a
functional
group of Christians, not just a fact
gathering group.
The Christian
Philosophy
is the basis of our
lifestyle and we try to live our lives
accordingly. To
quote Dr. Martin:
So,
what kind of conduct should you be
practicing while you are still in the
flesh on this earth? Knowing who you
are, you should be acting like a Son
(a
Prince) of God or a Daughter (a
Princess) of God. You are even now a
part of the royal Family of God and you
should act like members of that Family.
No one in this Royal Family practices
rituals or keeps holy days, and
neither do you need to practice such
things as other humans have had to in
the past. You should now conduct
yourself as you see God the Father and
Christ Jesus conducting themselves. And
what conduct do they display? The Bible
shows that they are motivated purely and
consistently by the virtues that the
apostle Paul called the fruit of the
Holy Spirit.
"Love,
joy, peace, longsuffering (patience),
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,
temperance."
•
Galatians 5:22–23
Dr.
Martin also
writes:
Christianity
is truly a Philosophy of Life (Christ’s Life)
that leads us in our everyday walk. It has
NOTHING TO DO with keeping religious rules
and regulations that God once used to
govern men and women. Our new Philosophy
of Life is governed by unwritten
principles that Paul catalogued as the
nine fruits of the Spirit in Galatians
5:22,23. This is why real Christianity
remains a Philosophy of Life. It is not a
religion of denominationalism with rules
of do's and don’ts made up by human
leaders. Humanity was not created to be in
"church" for all our periods of
existence. No, indeed. We are destined to
partake of an intimate Family position
equivalent to that of
"firstborn." This will allow us
to rule and to enjoy the totality of this
universe with God in the eons of time that
await the glorious manifestation of us as
His Children.
We
also believe in Jesus' admonition in
Matthew
25:31-40. From Dr. Martin's
article on tithing:
In
summing up this chapter on giving monies
to Christ for the spreading of the
Gospel to the world (that all of us
should be active in doing), I wish to
give a final method by which anyone can
be assured that what money or
contribution is given goes directly
to Christ. This is a sure way that
no one who loves the New Testament
teaching can argue with. The teaching
comes from Christ himself. Christ told
people this certain way to give things directly
to Him,
"When
the son of man shall come in his
glory, and all the holy angels with
him, then shall he sit upon the throne
of his glory. And before him shall be
gathered all nations: and he shall
separate them one from another, as a
shepherd divideth his sheep from the
goats ... then shall the King say unto
them on the right hand, Come, ye
blessed of my father, inherit the
Kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world: for I was an
hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was
thirsty and ye gave me drink: I was a
stranger, and ye took me in: Naked and
ye clothed me: I was in prison and ye
came unto me."
•
Matthew 25:31–40
Christ
went on to say that the righteous might
be puzzled over this, because none of
them ever gave Christ these things
personally. But Christ went on to say:
If you have "done
it unto one of the least of these my
brethren, YE HAVE DONE IT UNTO ME"
(Matthew 25:40).
There
we have it! This is the assured manner
to give something to Christ. If you help
out the unfortunate brother in Christ,
you have given something directly to
Christ. "Ye
have done it unto me."
The ASSOCIATES ONLINE EKKLESIA requires
little money to operate, so contributions
will never be requested.
If
you feel that you are out of step with the
teachings and practices of today's
churches, you just might be a "misfit".
If so, you'll feel right at home here. We
hope our endeavors will prove to be of
value to you as you grow
in grace and knowledge and apply
these understandings to your life.
Thank you for taking the time to visit our
site!
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