There are two movements of Israel described in great detail in the Old Testament.
The movement from Egypt to Canaan symbolises our Individual life - coming out of sin, out of Satan's grip and out of the world, through the blood of Christ, water-baptism and the baptism in the Holy Spirit, into a life of victory over sin and a personal walk with God.
The movement from Babylon to Jerusalem symbolises our corporate life - leaving counterfeit Christendom and coming into a genuine expression of the Body of Christ.
Many Christians think that Babylon refers to certain denominations in Christendom and imagine that once they have left those dead denominations they have left Babylon. This is not true.
Babylon is a commercial system. The principle of all commercial systems is profit - gain for oneself. As long as a man is living by the principle of "personal gain through Christianity" - What he can gain by doing something for the Lord, What he can gain by joining a church or organization, etc., - he is motivated by the principle of Babylon.
A Christian, who lives after the flesh and seeks his own, even if he is in the best denomination in the world, is still a part of Babylon. The spirit of Babylon is found primarily within a man, and not primarily in a denomination.
Jerusalem however is a city of sacrifice. Its spirit is the opposite of the business spirit found in Babylon. It is the spirit found in the words of David when he said, "I will not offer to the Lord that which costs me nothing" (2 Sam.24:24).
To build the body of Christ - "the heavenly Jerusalem" - requires such a selfless spirit that is concerned about the glory of God alone, and that does not seek one's own. And a person with such a spirit may be found at times even in a dead denomination. For the spirit of Jerusalem too is primarily an inward thing, and not an outward matter.
If we seek to build the Body of Christ, it is important that we gather together those who have understood this principle of sacrifice. Otherwise we shall build another system like the old one. This is what many of the so-called �separated assemblies' have done, and they are now just as dead (or more dead) than the mainline denominations.
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Zac Poonen ( - Present)
God called brother Zac Poonen to a new work early on in his Christian experience. The movement is now called Christian Fellowship Churches where the New Covenant of New Testament Christianity is clearly preached.Brother Zac Poonen has written 25 books most of them being on the deeper Christian life. Many of these have been translated into a number of languages and have been circulated widely around the world. He clearly and passionately shares the narrow way of Christian discipleship that is neglected by so many modern preachers.
Recommends these books by Zac Poonen:
Through The Bible by Zac Poonen
The Final Triumph-A verse by verse study of the book of Revelation by Zac Poonen
Beauty for Ashes by Zac Poonen
Zac Poonen is a former Indian Naval Officer who has been in full time ministry in India for nearly 50 years as a Bible teacher and preacher. He holds responsibility for a number of churches in India and abroad. He currently pastors the Christian Fellowship Church in Bangalore, Karnataka.
He has written more than 25 books and numerous articles in English - which have been translated into many Indian and foreign languages. His messages are available on audio and video format.
Like the other elders in his church, Zac Poonen also supports himself and his family through what he describes as "tent-making" and does not receive any salary for his services. He does not receive any royalties for any of his books, CDs or DVDs, that are published by Christian Fellowship Centre, Bangalore.