Washington, DC International Christian Church

“In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out – until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels.” Exodus 40: 36 – 38

Throughout the Bible, the presence of God among His people is obvious!  Of the tenth and final plague “Moses said, ‘Every first born in Egypt will die… there will be loud wailing throughout Egypt… But among the Israelites [no one will die].  Then you will know the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’” God made the “distinction” between Egypt and Israel obvious!  When the Israelites traveled through the desert, they were inspired to see the cloud of the Lord above the tabernacle and were surely comforted at night by the glow from the fire in the cloud.  God’s presence – by day and by night – was obvious!  God’s will – to stay or to go – was equally obvious!  At the battle of Jericho, the walls fell when the Israelites marched around the walls for seven days and then blew their trumpets.  God’s presence and power were obvious!  Though few in comparison, Gideon’s 300 routed 135,000 Midianites!  It was obvious, God was with His people.
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“Hear, O Israel. You are now about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities that have walls up to the sky…After the Lord your God has driven them out before, do not say to yourself, “The Lord has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.” No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is going to drive them out before you. It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the Lord your God will drive them out before you…” Deuteronomy 9: 1,4-6

Since our Inaugural Service on September 14, 2008, God has grown our 18 member mission team to 29 sold-out disciples!  This is truly a testimony to the power of God! We have studied with scores of people, many of them having a “form of godliness, but denying its power.” (2 Timothy 3:5)  It has been tedious work that requires great faith, especially because Washington, DC is home to hundreds of churches, all of whom are proclaiming their “version” of Christianity.  After a recent worship service, Patrique and I, along with another couple, Kenneth & Cheryl Chin, drove up 16th Street NW and were shocked at the number of large, extravagant church buildings, which represented scores of different denominations!  Early in Washington, DC’s history, many foreign countries located their embassies on 16th Street because of its proximity to the White House.  Many religious denominations followed suit by building churches on the street to serve symbolically as embassies, thus earning the street the nickname “Church Row.”  I must have counted at least 40 different churches on 16th Street alone!  Some of them were of the same denomination yet had no connection to one another!  This is in direct contradiction to 1 Corinthians 1:10, where the apostle Paul states, “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.” Denominationalism is accepted in Washington, DC as just another “religious freedom.”  However, this confusion and lack of wholeheartedness to the biblical standard saddens my heart and reminds me of the apostle Paul’s warning to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”
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