Co-housing
We at Congregation of Israel are now in the process of forming a kibbutz or community living, cohousing. While there are many things that may seem obsure in the Bible, others are certainly clear, crystal clear. All throughout the Bible mankind is being summoned to return to love. The basis of this love is, loving your neighbor as yourself and to love God with all your heart. Learning to love and practicing love is waxing old in the earth. Mankind for the most part is on a mission to obtain all he can and obtain it all for himself. Those who believe in the writings of the Holy Bible are called to do something entirely different, something that may seem outlandish to most people in the world…share.
As our community continued to walk the path to righteousness and salvation, as well as continue to strive toward keeping God’s law, we seemingly continued to stumble upon pooling resources, sharing and aiding one another. Precepts upon precepts continually urged upon our hearts to aid the fatherless, poor and widow and even members of the body. The big question was how! With all of the struggles that we had as individuals light bills, rent, mortgage, gas bills etc, how could we consistently help others and struggle to make ends meet for ourselves. It was not until the Creator opened our eyes to a call to forsake our lives and come together on one accord to have all things in common. After much intense study we were open to an entire new world of intentional communities that live together as the pattern set forth by Jesus and his disciples. The same pattern we found was followed by the early church in Acts (and other cities) when members came together and had all things in common.
This new way of living which we have come to find allows us to practice love and become perfect. It helps the true saints of God to work out differences, test their sincerity and become truly at one, as the Father and the son are at one
John 10:30 : “I and my Father are one.”
This oneness is what the true believers must become. This is most likely why the road to salvation is so narrow and few will find the way, because not all will forsake their life to follow Christ. Notice
Matthew 19:21-22 “Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.”
Just as the man with many possessions walked away to continue to cleave to his possession, many today will ignore the same call. His opportunity to fulfill the commandment was abandoned.
Leviticus 25:35 “And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee.”
There were many poor, widows and fatherless who were ignored by those who “claimed” that they kept the commandments in Jesus day. Noticed how Jesus compared the kingdom of God.
Matthew 13:44-46:
“44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.”
As Jesus began to pick his disciples, many of them left their lives to aid in the great work which was to be done. A community of disciples began to form. In the course of time Peter would ask, what they would obtain for leaving all that they had. Notice the answer Jesus gave:
Mark 14: 28-30
“28 Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.
29 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s,
30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. “
Jesus made the proclamation that men who left all to follow him would receive an hundredfold in this time houses, land etc. The question is how? And why do many who are deemed followers of Christ not have hundredfold lands. As we have come to learn, through the unity and pooling of resources, creating kibbutz or cohousing that plentiful resource will exist to establish communities in other cities, states and countries. All of those who will forsake this life will acquire brothers, sisters, mothers and lands to share as Jesus has promised. They will also learn to be as Jesus prayed for his people to be at one
John 17:21 “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”
Today there are literally thousands of groups, with hundreds of thousands of members, that live in intentional communities and extended families based on something other than blood ties. Although many take no heed to Jesus petition, communal living has been around for thousands of years, not just decades. Although often ignored it is well documented that early followers of Jesus banded together to live in a “community of goods,” simplifying their lives and sharing all that they owned. This teaching is what we have begun to form in mid 2005. Torah believers and Christians alike have a mission to minister to the homeless, the poor, orphans, single parents, battered women, and otherwise neglected and oppressed minorities. Although this can be done from time to time by clothing drives and feeding dinners once a month to the homeless, the mission is greater to be accomplished through a collective effort as written in the Bible.
A kibbutz Hebrew Language, plural:kibbutzim: gathering or together is a collective community. A collective commnity is what Jesus invited the rich young ruler to be a part of.
Matthew 19:16
” 16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.”
As to the way of being perfect, the young ruler was asked to lay down his life (riches etc.) and give to the poor. This act is the ultimate act of perfection as pertaining love.
Notice also what is written in John 15:12-13
“12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Other passages of the Bible reveal an exact pattern of what is to be done by those who believe.
Acts 2:44
“44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;”Acts 4:32-37:
“32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
35 And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,
37 Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”
With these things being understood, we are now in the process of forming a kibbutz or community living. Several of our members having been working to both sell our current properties as well as renovate our cohousing dwelling. Please be sure to visit our picture section.