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Just Because You're Having A Meeting Doesn't Mean You're Having Church! By Pastor Bill Taylor A publication of "My Father's House, inc. Volume 5//Issue 7 I write so you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the Truth. (1Tim3:15) Bring charges against your mother, bring charges; for she’s not My wife, nor am I her Husband! (Hos2:2) Much of what call themselves churches today are by no means Jesus’ church. They don’t qualify. They aren’t the pillar and ground of the Truth. Jesus isn’t their Head. (Eph1:22) They aren’t a gathering together of the elect. They don’t love each other fervently with a pure heart. (1Pt1:22) They’re strangers who don’t even know each other in many “churches” today. They aren’t pastored by men appointed by Christ, (Eph4:11) who are crucified, filled with the Spirit and fulfilling the purpose which God has assigned to bring the believers into perfection in Christ Jesus. (Eph4:15) That’s God’s purpose for pastors. It isn’t to make a name for yourself. It isn’t to impress people with the size of your ministry. It’s to equip God’s people to grow up in Christ, as Paul expresses when he says, “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” (Col 1:28) “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.” (1Th2:19,20) It’s not the goal of most “christian leaders” today to attain to that glory and joy! And what’s going on in most “churches” today isn’t the gathering described as, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (Heb10:25) Let us consider one another to provoke one another unto love and to good works: (vs24) isn’t happening in these “churches.” In the majority of congregations today you’re more likely to hear deceptions and lies telling you you’re all right when you aren’t than to be provoked into holiness, godliness or a higher faith in Christ. Instead of “speak the Truth in love” (Eph4:15) today’s “christians” think to avoid the Truth is love. They don’t want to “hurt feelings.” If a lie makes people “feel good” then to love you must lie! What’s most often heard in these places is excuses for disobedience to God instead of admonitions to obey: excuses for why we don’t do it the way the bible says, instead of exhortations to repent and do it God’s way. “If you love me don’t confront me!” Most of what’s called “church” today doesn’t measure up in any way to what the bible calls church. What’s actually going on is just gatherings of psuedo-religious people who pretend they believe in Christ by going thru some superficial motions of christianity while they ignore much of the Truth of God’s Word! Since you have purified your souls in obeying the Truth (many “churches” today don’t even consider obedience to God’s Word necessary to salvation) through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren. (1Pt1:22) In most contemporary “churches” there’s no sincere love of the brethren. Strangers can’t effectually minister to one another, so there’s rarely any real focus on forwarding the interests of Christ. Whereas in the true church our fellowship is for the purpose of advancing the Kingdom of God and what we have in common with each other is we’re all working towards bringing about the fulfillment of the scriptures – hastening the coming of the Day of God. (2Pt3:12) In real salvation, you must be born of the incorruptible Word of God. Love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the Word of God which lives and abides forever. (1Pt1:22,23) Until you’re born again there’s no entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven. Unless one is born again, he can’t see the Kingdom of God. (Jn3:3) James says, “Of His own will He brought us forth by the Word of Truth.” (Jms1:18) We can be born again only thru the Word of God, which is also the Word of Truth. Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted Word, which is able to save your souls. (Jms1:21) Paul shows us what it means when James says implanted. Clearly you’re an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. (2Cor3:3) The implanted Word is the Word that’s written in your heart! That’s what God prophesied He’d do in the New Covenant. “I’ll write My Words in your heart.” and “This is the covenant that I’ll make with them after those days,” says the Lord: “I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them.” (Heb10:16;Jer31:33) When Paul says, “you’re an epistle” he’s showing God’s Word is written in our hearts by the Spirit of the living God thru preaching in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies that foretold what the New Covenant would be like! So to agree with the scriptures a true New Covenant church must be a place where the Word of God is being implanted in your heart. And receive with meekness the implanted Word, which is able to save your souls. (Jms1:21) So then, my beloved brethren, (vs19) James isn’t speaking about evangelizing the lost here – he’s speaking to the “beloved brethren.” To receive God’s living Word also relates to what Paul says about our being reconciled by the death of Christ but saved by His life, (Rom5:10) which includes His living Word. Jesus says, “My Words are Spirit and My Words are life!” (Jn6:63) The one who’ll be saved must feed on Me. (Jn6:57) Many of His disciples left Him when He said, “If you’re to have My life in you, you must eat My flesh!” (vs53) meaning you need to feed on My Words. How many “believers” reject His Words today yet how important it is we feed on Him because that’s the true food for our souls, the everlasting Word of God that liveth and abideth forever. (1Pt1:23) Doing the Word is what connects our souls to eternity. The world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1Jn2:17) And The Word of the Lord endures forever. Now this is the Word which by the gospel was preached to you. (1Pt1:25) When God’s living Word gets into your soul, God gets into your soul. But the soul that’s filled with lies and heresies will soon be cut off. (Ps31:17,18;2Pt2:1) In the Old Testament God warns, “Nor shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you be doomed to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest it and utterly abhor it, for it’s an accursed thing.” (Dt7:26) An abomination is something that’s been cursed by God. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (Rev21:8) Liars are included with what’s abominable. The righteous will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. (Rev22:15) A lie is an abomination to God since we’re saved by Truth. “Don’t think I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I didn’t come to destroy but to fulfill.” For assuredly, I say to you, “till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” (Mt5:17,18) Jesus didn’t say, “Till the Old Covenant passes away.” He said, “Until heaven and earth pass away.” Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the Kingdom of heaven. (Mt5:19) Many so called “churches” today say the Law is Old Testament and has no relevance to New Covenant Christianity but Jesus says here they’re liars. Till heaven and earth pass away the Law must be fulfilled. (Rom8:4) God’s true church is the pillar and ground of the Truth but “churches” who teach lies fulfill, For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it’s no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness… (2Cor11:14,15) If they teach lies such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. (2Cor11:13) Anyone who’s practicing or teaching a lie is a minister of Satan. Any church that’s practicing or teaching a lie is a church of Satan. No lie is of the Truth. (1Jn2:21) God hates duplicity, as in those who seem to do some good but also do evil. (Zeph1:5) Concerning those who do such, He considers their whole work to be evil. God rejected Saul because his obedience wasn’t complete. (1Sam15:13-26) To be clean you have to chew the cud and divide the hoof. (Lev11:3,4) You can’t have only some of what is right and claim to be clean because the part that’s unclean makes the whole unclean. (Hag2:12,13) It’s a subterfuge, a clever deceit satan uses, to mix some things that are clean or appear to be true with his lies so he can do his evil works under the guise of the good. But the end result of all such is poison, as the righteous will discern. You aren’t in the true church if you’re church doesn’t honor, love and obey every Word of Jesus. You’re saved by the incorruptible Word of God. (1Pt1:23) You’re saved by the Word of Truth. You’re born again of that Word and can continue in being saved only by obeying it. Salvation is a process in which the saints are being transformed by the renewing of their minds. (Rom12:1,2) It’s a process that leads to perfection. (Col 1:28) It’s a process that continues after the initial born again experience until we grow up to the fullness of the stature of Christ. (Eph4:13) It’s a process of receiving with meekness the engrafted Word so God’s Law is being written in your heart. (Jms1:21,Heb8:10) And the church is the place where most of that work takes place. And she must be the pillar and ground of the Truth for that work to be successful. Thus anything that claims to be God’s church that isn’t the pillar and ground of the Truth is a fraud, which is what most “churches” are today! In “My Father’s House” God has taken us thru quite a battle to make us into a real church. We had to chase off apostates, heretics, and carnal “christians” who wouldn’t repent. We had to expel people who had different agendas than God. I can testify that Christ Himself spoke to me concerning the Wolf family and said, “Cast out that bond woman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman will not inherit with the son of the free woman.” (Gal 4:30) The Wolves weren’t born from above, but were “serving” God according to their interests in this world instead of for His Kingdom. Because they aren’t sons, they aren’t doing the things God is doing. In God’s true church the people are in unity. They all follow the same Spirit. They aren’t half in the Spirit and half in the flesh because flesh is contrary to the Spirit, and will always oppose God’s will. Unless you get the whole church into the Spirit those in the flesh will be fighting against what the Spirit’s doing and holding the Spiritual back. (Gal 5:17) Unless everyone in the church is in unity and loving one another fervently you’ll have those with selfish purposes hindering the Spirit, sowing lies and working to undermine what God is doing. No other “church” I know of has even begun to fight the battle to become a truly Spirit led and unified church. In most of them a preacher just preaches to the congregation a couple of times a week. And the people who come to such “churches” think listening to the preacher a couple of times a week fulfills their duty to God. But they walk out and before they’re home they’ve forgotten what the preacher’s preached. (Mt13:19) There’s no purpose in what they’re doing. They’re just going thru the motions of religion. They’re not trying to attain to God’s goals for His people. They’re not growing up into Christ or fulfilling God’s will in the earth. They’re like children playing church. But it isn’t church; it’s pretending! And pretending is lying! Many people we meet in witnessing profess to be saved because they go to “church.” But what most people call “church” isn’t saving them! The true church must be a people of God who are striving together to fulfill the will of God. (Phil 1:27) We’re truly a part of the Kingdom of God, destined and ordained to bring forth fruit unto Jesus. (Jn15:16) And that fruit can only come by way of the Word of God. (vs7,8) You can only be born again by the Word of God and you can only be saved and continue to be saved by continuing in the Word of God, (Act20:32) which is also the Word of Truth. Nothing else can save you, therefore consider how important it is that the true Word of God be preached in your church if your church is to be the pillar and ground of the Truth (1Tim3:15) and how only God’s Truth can be permitted in Christ’s church if it’s to be a place where people can attain a real salvation. So in the true church every enemy to God’s Truth must be cast down, imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. (2Cor10:5) Because everything that isn’t God’s Truth is anti-Christ and anti-salvation. The true children of God must be warriors for God’s Truth. They must stand up for His Truth. Jesus’ brothers and sisters are those who hear the Word and do it. (Lk8:21) They aren’t just hearers but doers. They have to live the Word of Truth! Jesus also says the one who breaks one of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be least in the Kingdom of God. (Mt5:19) To the law and to the testimony! If they don’t speak according to this Word, it’s because there is no light in them. (Is8:20) The true Christian, who’s really born of God, has a “knowing!” But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. (1Jn2:20) But the anointing which you’ve received from Him abides in you, and you don’t need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and isn’t a lie, and just as it has taught you, you’ll abide in Him. (1Jn2:27) No man can usurp the place of the Spirit of God as teacher of the true Christian because we can only know Truth by the Spirit of Truth! Godly men can teach us according to the Spirit of God but never apart from the Spirit. The bible says, “No lie is of the Truth.” (1Jn2:21) Therefore no church that’s teaching lies is of the Truth. They may claim to be a “church” but if they’re teaching lies they aren’t of Christ because no lie is of the Truth and Christ is the Truth! (Jn14:6) No one who claims to be a “christian” who’s teaching lies is of Christ! And anyone who teaches we can break even the least of Christ’s commandments can’t be of God and doesn’t love Jesus. You don’t honor Jesus if you don’t respect His Word! When the wicked Roman Catholic church claims to love Jesus they lie! They neither respect nor obey the Words of Jesus. They’ve made Mary into a “mediator” when the bible says there can be only one mediator between God and men “Christ Jesus.” (1Tim2:5) And many similar things they do, as in praying to “saints.” They terribly disrespect God’s Word. They favor the rich. They invent a temporary hell which they call purgatory then claim the rich can buy their way out of it by paying for “prayer masses.” Such things are the very opposite of what the bible teaches. God doesn’t favor the rich. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? (Jms2:2-4) Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. (Jms5:1,2) For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (1Tim6:10) Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he’ll pass away. (Jms1:9,10) Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. (1Tim6:17-19) The rich don’t have an advantage over the poor with God because God isn’t partial but the wicked Roman church says the rich do have an advantage in that they can shorten their sufferings in “purgatory” while the poor can’t. They make God look like He takes bribes. And that’s blasphemy! It’s terrible to misrepresent God like that. And that’s what the wicked Catholic church does to the God they say they love. They don’t love Him! They hate Him! They despise His Words. There can be no salvation in such a religion! Nor in the churches who teach, “You don’t have to obey Jesus because we’re saved by grace not by works.” They make Jesus a liar when He says you’d better not break one of the least of the commandments. (Mt5:19) And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the Kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- (Mk9:47) They say they love Jesus but they argue with His Word. How can they be a church that worships Him when they despise His Truth. They hate Him! They disrespect Him! You can’t ignore somebody’s words, argue with their words, turn their words into lies, tell people their words don’t mean what they mean and then say you love that person. It’s time Christ’s true believers wake up to the reality about who really is the church! Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame. (1Cor15:34) The true church is composed of a people who love Jesus and who honor Him by keeping His Word. (Jn14:15) They love His Word and know how important His Word is. His Word saves you, His Truth saves you and you don’t mess around with what saves you. You don’t twist it. You don’t pervert it. You don’t dilute it. You hold to it and you keep it. Too many “churches” today think the Word is just a piece of clay they can mold into whatever they want, twist into anything they want. But such people don’t know Jesus! They don’t love Jesus! They aren’t His people! (Hos1:9) They aren’t His church! They’re as much in need of evangelism as any pagan tribe in darkest Africa, because they’re as far from salvation as any prostitute or any junkie or any drug dealer. They’re as far from salvation as you can get if they’re playing around with God’s Word. They don’t know Jesus! They’ve no idea who Christ is. They’ve no idea how important our awesome Savior is, this God who spoke and the world was created by His Word. Who upholds all things by the Word of His power! (Heb1:3) They’ve the arrogance, the effrontery, the stupidity to play with God’s Word, to try to make their corrupted “christianity” seem acceptable to the scriptures when it’s contrary to God Himself. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven. (Mt5:19) It’s the true people of God who are heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven, and those who break God’s commands are least in our sight because they don’t regard the Word of God by which we’ve been born into that Kingdom. But the one who highly respects the Word of God will be considered great. The one who holds to God’s Word most closely, most fervently will be the greatest in the Kingdom. Because how much you love Jesus can be seen in how much you love His Word, how much you respect His Word, how much you obey His Word, how much you honor His Word. (Jn14:23,24) The one who loves Jesus the most will be the most respected. (Jn16:27) The one who respects Jesus the most will be the most honored. The one who honors Jesus the most will be the most loved. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven. (Mt5:19) Even if this could be interpreted that the commandment breaker does make it into the Kingdom of Heaven, he’s just barely made it! You’re on the very edge of not making it if you’re least. But those things the Catholics, the Baptists and many other corrupted churches have been doing while they claim to be serving Jesus; isn’t just a breaking of the least of the commandments; they’re breaking the big ones! If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? (1Cor6:4) Here Paul calls “unbelievers” the least esteemed by the church. (vs1) Therefore those who are esteemed least in the Kingdom of God are those who didn’t make it – the unrighteous, the lost, the unbelievers! So when Jesus is warning us whoever breaks the least of these commands will be considered least in the Kingdom of Heaven He’s warning that you’d better not be breaking any because if you’re teaching men to break a commandment, even a little one, you’re an unbeliever and you won’t even make it to the Kingdom – you’re out! Consider the numerous parables and teachings Jesus has given which indicate how many religious people will be cut off. The five foolish virgins are out. Why? Did they break one of the least of the commandments? They weren’t prepared for Christ’s coming. And of course they were commanded to be prepared weren’t they? (Mt24:42) They didn’t have oil in their lamp. That’s all it took for them to be out. (Mt25:1-12) And the servant who didn’t multiply his talent but buried it, did he break one of the least of the commandments? It must have been an important commandment to God because he’s out! He doesn’t get into the Kingdom. (vs24-30) Then there’s the parable of the marriage supper. First the ones who were invited but didn’t come are out. But then the one who came and didn’t put on the marriage garment, did he break one of the commandments; because he’s also out? (Mt22:1-13) And the servant who thought the Lord was delaying His coming so he begins to mistreat his fellow servants, he’s out! (Mt24:48-51) All of these parables indicate that if you’re breaking any of Jesus’ commandments you won’t make it to Heaven. Because if you break one, just one of the least, you’re on the very edge of destruction. To disregard any command of Christ is to imperil your soul! If you love Me, keep My commandments. (Jn14:15) To disobey Jesus is to disrespect Jesus and to teach men to disrespect Jesus is even worse. He who doesn’t love Me doesn’t keep My Words; and the Word which you hear isn’t Mine but the Father’s who sent Me. (Jn14:24) If anyone doesn’t love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. (1Cor16:22) Anathema Maranatha. Can people who love Jesus respect people who don’t? Do I not hate them, O LORD, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies. (Ps139:21,22) Can people who love God’s Word respect people who don’t? No! If they don’t speak according to this Word there’s no light in them. (Is8:20) If I say of someone there’s no light in him, what am I saying? I’m saying I regard him as the least of anyone I’d want to receive advice from. I disregard his opinions because there’s no wisdom in him if he’s speaking against the Word. It’s a very great crime in the sight of true Christians for someone to speak against the Word of God because to the true Christian that Word has saved and is saving me. I’m born again by God’s Word and the Word keeps me abiding in Jesus Christ. And my salvation continues even as His Word is being imparted to my soul. How dare you speak against the Word that’s saving me! That’s a terrible thing to do, and it deserves a sharp rebuke. It can never be tolerated in God’s true church! It isn’t right to respect someone’s opinion who doesn’t respect God’s opinion and God’s opinion is His Word. His church is the pillar and ground of His Truth. (1Tim3:15) In the church when someone rejects God’s Word you rebuke them! And if they don’t repent you cast them out because if they won’t receive God’s Word they’ve no right to be permitted among the brethren. (Tit3:10) The brethren are those who hear the Word and do it! (Lk11:28) Those who resist God’s Word aren’t of the brethren and any church that’s not teaching this isn’t God’s church at all. It’s just wicked people getting together to deceive themselves, which too often is just what’s been going on around us. Most “church people” are just pretending to love God! They don’t have a high regard for His Word. They don’t have respect for His Spirit! They never make it their purpose to fulfill the will of God. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Phil 3:14) Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. (Phil 3:12) Most so called “christians” today don’t even know what they’ve been apprehended for so they sure can’t be trying to attain to it. In reality they’re just trying to live their temporal lives and get God to bless them in that while hoping to get to Heaven in the end. There’s little true interest in the call of God and no concern that they may be found blameless in the day of Christ’s appearing. (Col 1:21-23) But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we’ve preached to you, let him be accursed. As we’ve said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you’ve received, let him be accursed. (Gal 1:8,9) The Catholics are preaching something totally different from the Gospel. The Baptist churches are preaching something different from the Gospel. They’re preaching a salvation because of something they say Jesus did without preaching the salvation that comes because of the life Jesus lives in you. (Jn5:39,40) Saved by His life. (Rom5:10) I’ve been crucified with Christ; it’s no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Gal 2:20) Baptists say you don’t have to live the Christ life! That holiness is works! They undermine the work of the Holy Spirit to perform God’s will in you, and form Christ in you, by saying that none of it’s required. They’re accursed because they have an accursed gospel. For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, but those cursed by Him shall be cut off. (Ps37:22) Nor shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you be doomed to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest it and utterly abhor it, for it’s an accursed thing. (Dt7:26) Taking a lie into your soul is the same as bringing an abomination into your house or tabernacle. (2Pt1:14) If you allow a lie to come into your soul God will destroy your temple in order to destroy that lie because that lie is accursed. If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. (1Cor3:17) The true Christian must utterly detest and abhor any lie; any teaching that would cause you to disobey God. You must not accept the excuses that heretical christians, who are serving the devil, make up to cover their sins while they claim to be saved. You must detest and abhor their lies. If you start believing “once saved/always saved” (See our Glory of His Grace book “What the bible says about Once Saved/Always Saved”) or that you don’t need godly works and Christ-like good behavior to attain to the resurrection; (Phil 3:8-11) if you start believing such foolishness you become an abomination – you’ve an accursed gospel inside you, and you’ll be destroyed if you don’t repent! God will cut off all the wicked from the earth. (Mal 4:1) He’ll cut off all the heretics. He’ll cut off all the false preachers. He’ll cut off all the false christians. (Is1:28) Everyone who practices or teaches a lie will be cut off by God. (Rev21:8) Throughout the scriptures God teaches us to be patient and to always continue to do good; because He’ll destroy the wicked in the proper time. He says, “Don’t be vexed by their wickedness.” (Ps37:7-9) Their end will come. One of the things God often emphasizes is our extraordinary need for wisdom. (Pr1:20-23) Only true Christians receive God’s wisdom for Jesus is made unto us wisdom. (1Cor1:30) Wisdom comes from God (Pr2:6) and God doesn’t give wisdom to His enemies: He doesn’t give wisdom to heretics and false christians. He doesn’t give wisdom to carnal people who’d only use His wisdom to try to escape punishment but not to serve the Lord. He gives them ears that don’t hear and eyes that don’t see. (Mt13:14,15) He won’t give people wisdom who have wicked hearts and will only use His wisdom for their own selfish advantages. But to those whose hearts have been transformed by the work of Jesus Christ and who truly love the Lord and will use God’s wisdom for the glory of God and not for selfish purposes but for the advancement of God’s people and His Kingdom, He’ll give them His wisdom abundantly. He’ll give them as much as they need or want. (Jms1:5) And that wisdom often begins its appearance in the guise of enigmas. To understand a proverb and an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles. (Pr1:6) Enigmas occur when you have two seemingly contradictory things yet they’re both true. God often uses enigmas to lead us to Truth! It’s a characteristic of a real church that they can reconcile the apparently contradictory scriptures whereas false “churches” and false “christians” can’t see thru the enigmas. They foolishly take hold of one side of the issue, and interpret it wrongly because they don’t recognize the Truth in the other side. So they end up believing a half-truth which is a lie because it’s not the whole Truth. False “christians” don’t have the wisdom to see both sides of an issue! A prime example is where Jesus confounds the Pharisees with, How then does David in the Spirit call Him, (the son of David) “Lord,” saying: “The Lord said to my Lord,” ‘Sit at My right hand till I make Your enemies Your footstool?’ If David then calls Him “Lord,” how is He his Son? (Mt22:43-45) This is an enigma Jesus understands but the Pharisees don’t. And there are many such things in God’s Word! One of the simple mysteries is reconciling the fact that God says He wants to save everyone (1Tim2:3,4) with the Truth that He’s going to kill, destroy, or cut off everything that’s accursed or wicked. (2Th1:7-9) This enigma may cause some to think, “Is God going to save the people or destroy them?” because the bible says on one hand He wants to save but on the other hand He’ll destroy. (1Tim2:3,4) (Rev20:15) (Ps9:17) (Ps101:8) Yet the answer is found in the simplicity of understanding that in the end God will destroy but He’s very patient to save as many as possible and bring them to repentance. So God gives people every opportunity to repent before He destroys. Peter in resolving this enigma says, “Let’s account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation.” (2Pt3:15) And as true Christians we must be as patient with the wicked as God is. So entering into the patience of Christ (Rev1:9) means we’re allowing God to have all the time He needs to deal with apostates, heretics, the wicked, and all these foolish people who claim to be Christians but aren’t; to give them the fullest opportunity to see what real Christianity is so they can repent and not be unnecessarily destroyed. Yet we must also realize all the while the clock is ticking, their destruction slumbereth not, and they’ll surely be destroyed if they don’t repent. (2Pt2:3) So we can’t grow weary in well doing, or slack in our efforts to call the lost to repentance, because even though God is love, every ungodly person and thing will be cut off at some point at or before the end. The accursed are doomed to destruction even though God would prefer to see them repent. Understanding this has much to do with our calling as true Christians in that we’re here to help God show the lost their terrifying peril that they might realize their need for Christ. We must convince them they’re perishing so they may come to their senses. We must also show them from the scriptures and by example what real Christianity is so they can see what ever good they have apart from Christ isn’t enough to save them and that includes their false man made “christianity.” (Col 2:23) We must also show them by scripture and example what a real church is so they can see that what they have isn’t church and won’t save them. And He said to me, “Son of man, this (the true church) is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever. No more shall the house of Israel defile My holy name, they nor their kings, by their harlotry or with the carcasses of their kings on their high places. (false churches) When they set their threshold by My threshold, and their doorpost by My doorpost, with a wall between them and Me, they defiled My holy name by the abominations which they committed; therefore I’ve consumed them in My anger. Son of man, describe the temple (Eph2:19-22) to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the pattern. And if they’re ashamed of all that they’ve done, make known to them the design of the temple (the true church) and its arrangement, its exits and its entrances, its entire design and all its ordinances, all its forms and all its laws. Write it down in their sight, so that they may keep its whole design and all its ordinances, and perform them.” (Ezek43:7,8,10,11) As the prophet shows here false religion pretends to be of God while it actually stands in the way of good and prevents people from finding the true church by deceiving them with the false. One purpose God has raised “My Father’s House” up is, that we might show the false “christians” their “churches” and ways aren’t acceptable to God before He cuts them off. These “believing” sinners need to see the truth about themselves so they can really repent and sincerely cry out to God in faith to be saved. Isaiah says some things that are much applicable to the false churches of today. Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower (They build big buildings full of fancy stained glass windows but it’s a fading flower that won’t last.) which is at the head of the verdant valleys, to those who are overcome with wine! (To be overcome with wine means they’re drunk with success, presumption and thinking things will always be good because they don’t see the signs of God’s impending judgment) Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong One, like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, like a flood of mighty waters overflowing, who’ll bring them down to the earth with His hand. (Is28:1,2) The strong one of the Lord of course is Jesus Christ. This Old Testament passage is foundational to Jesus’ New Testament teaching, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine and does them, I’ll liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock. Now everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and doesn’t do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” (Mt7:24-27) This proves it’s a lie when “churches” say they don’t have to obey Jesus because they’re saved by faith without works and they call obedience a work. Jesus tells us explicitly here our house will fall if we don’t obey and do His Word. Some also say, “You’ll die physically but be saved Spiritually.” That’s a lie too. If Jesus wanted to say that He’d have said it, but instead He says your house will come down. My house is my Church, my soul and my Christianity. If they endure into eternity my house didn’t come down. Everyone loses their houses in this world. Everyone dies physically. Jesus isn’t talking about us dying in this world because everyone dies in this world. But the true saints are looking for a city made by God. (Heb11:10) God even promises the eunuchs who obey Him an everlasting name (house) better than sons and daughters. (Is56:4,5) Christ is saying, “Without doing My Word you won’t enter into an eternity with Me.” But your house will stand forever if it’s based on the Word of God which liveth and abideth forever. (1Pt1:23) That’s what Jesus is saying here. The house that’s built on the temporal is coming down. Unless you abide in the doing of the everlasting Word of God, you’ll not enter into eternity with God. You’re going to hell! You won’t inherit eternal life because your house is coming down. Whose voice then shook the earth; but now He’s promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which can’t be shaken may remain. (Heb12:26-27) Your house also includes your family and your personal relationships. The damned don’t get family visits. It’s like they’re totally alone in hell. They’re surrounded by strangers who are completely absorbed in their own guilt and suffering. The residents in hell have no comforts to share with anyone else! They’ve no “house” down there. In hell you’re separated and lost from everything you ever knew. Everyone you ever loved is gone from you. Your house is destroyed and great is the fall of it. My “house” includes the people I know and love and have fellowship with and because they’re the family (house) of God also they’ll be with me in eternity. The house of the true believer isn’t coming down because it’s founded on doing Truth. And the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on (the Truth) the rock. Now everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall. (Mt7:25-27) A great fall is a total destruction, which is what hell is; a total destruction. Jesus knows the prophets have said, “Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one, like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, like a flood of mighty waters overflowing, who’ll bring them down to the earth with His hand. The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, will be trampled underfoot; And the glorious beauty is a fading flower which is at the head of the verdant valley, like the first fruit before the summer, which an observer sees; he eats it up while it is still in his hand. (it’s gone with nothing left to show for it) In that day the LORD of hosts will be for a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty to the remnant of His people.” Those who’ve been trusting in the eminence of their churches, and the renown of their leaders, “Copeland,” “Cho,” “Charles Stanley” etc. are going to lose it all. The only beauty that will remain for the true Christian is the glory of Christ. He’ll be for a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty to the remnant of His people, for a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, and for strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate. Through Christ the true Christians will be enabled to judge rightly and fight victoriously. But they also have erred through wine, and through intoxicating drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink, they’re swallowed up by wine, they’re out of the way through intoxicating drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. For all tables are full of vomit and filth; no place is clean. (Is28:2-8) This speaks of the worldly church which is corrupted thru pride and temporal lusts. Because from the least of them even to the greatest of them, everyone is given to covetousness. (Jer6:13) When Israel asked Samuel to appoint a king for them, Samuel was grieved because he realized in doing this they were rejecting his judgeship. But God told him, “It’s not you they’re rejecting but Me; that I should not reign over them.” (1Sam8:7b) Then God told Samuel to give them a king but warn them what would happen to them. (1Sam8:5-9) Then in the day Samuel presents them with their new king “Saul” he says, “Is today not the wheat harvest? I’ll call to the LORD, and He’ll send thunder and rain, that you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which you’ve done in the sight of the LORD, in asking a king for yourselves.” (1Sam12:17) This is similar to when the people said to Moses, “You talk to God for us. We don’t want to talk to Him ourselves.” (Dt5:25-27) God understands the people don’t want a personal relationship with Him. Let our king do that for us. Carnal people hate the presence of God. Flesh can’t stand God’s Spirit. A carnal church won’t pray much. They may go thru the motions for show but they won’t really get in the presence of God because flesh can’t stand the Spirit! A carnal church wants a pastor who’ll go to God for them. They want someone (a king) who’ll tell them what God is saying, and who’ll fight their Spiritual battles for them and play religious games with them. Because of that the devil will send them false preachers to scratch their itching ears. (2Tim4:3) And they’ll gladly accept the false preachers because of their great distaste in actually going to God for themselves. That’s what’s going on today in many so-called “churches” with their Pat Robertsons, James Kennedys, Jerry Falwells etc. These “political churches” want a “Christian” president, a “Christian” congress to fight their battles for them because they don’t have faith to pray, and depend on God Himself. They want a “church” leader rather than God to help them. They want to be able to trust in a man, to do things for them. To get God to do your will, you must come to Him in humility and holiness and with a heart that seeks His will. It’s much easier for wicked carnal men to control a leader who wants to please them – (Act12:3) who they can approach and petition without giving up their sins. And do you think Christ needs your vote to put His man in office? Jesus is already Lord of lords and King of kings. He rules over dictators, parliaments, and presidents with a rod of iron that can dash in pieces like a potter’s vessel! (Ps2:9) He raises up who He wills and brings down who He wills. (Dan2:21) He kills and makes alive. (1Sam2:6) The hearts of kings are in His hands (Pr21:1) and He doesn’t need your vote to do it. The political church today is Israel asking for a king. They want to have a man to serve their interests because they’ve rejected faith, prayer and the Spirit and they won’t come boldly to the throne of Grace. Instead of praying, they march in the streets, petition and politic. They prefer political activism to Spiritual activism. That’s one reason why it’s often difficult to get a real church together, because the flesh must be crucified before people will really come to God to serve Him. The carnal won’t stay in God’s presence because their flesh can’t stand to be near His Spirit. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. (Gal 5:17) Every real Christian has experienced this. When you were first trying to become Spiritual and set your heart to have a real prayer life, numerous excuses and seemingly needful things would come up to interfere with your desires to pray. Often you’d run around trying to get everything done before praying. But your flesh would make up anything to keep you away from the prayer closet and it had to be crucified before you serve the Lord. Flesh doesn’t want to submit to God. So the flesh will do everything it can to keep you distracted and not praying. When the Lord is trying to convict someone they often behave that way also. They run to and fro. They can’t sit still because they can’t stand the Spirit. They need a radio blaring all the time. They have to be continually in conversation. Before you can have a quiet time with God your flesh must be nailed to the cross because the flesh doesn’t like God and won’t voluntarily submit to Him. The majority of “churches” today are filled with carnal people who can’t abide God’s presence in any real sense. They don’t mind having a little “drunken” spirit when they play their “christian choruses.” But that’s often flesh, not the Spirit. There’s nothing holy in “swaying” to the beat! They don’t mind having conversations with other people about things that seem “spiritual” but that’s often flesh too. It’s getting into the presence of God where He can shine His lamp on their life and show them what’s going on in their heart that they can’t stand it. A 30 minute sermon is too much. They want someone else to do their praying for them. They want the “preacher” to seek God’s guidance for them, and tell them what to do. They don’t want to hear God themselves. That’s being expressed when the Jews say, “Moses, you do that for us” and “We want a king to rule over us.” That’s why God was grieved when they asked for a king to replace Samuel. He knows they’re rejecting a holy man who has fellowship with God, in favor of a carnal King who has fellowship with man! They don’t like people who have fellowship with God. It’s the same today. Mankind’s antipathy towards God exposes the great wickedness of his flesh. In Hebrews it warns: How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him. (Heb2:3) Jesus is a man but He’s also God. Because the people said, “We can’t stand in the presence of a holy God.” God sent a man. But most people hate to stand in the presence of a holy man too. So they can’t stand the presence of Jesus! They don’t like to be around anything holy because they’re in the flesh. And that’s what such people need to be saved from. Most so-called “churches,” “preachers,” and “christians” love the “idea” of being saved but they don’t really love Jesus. They don’t like to be close to God. They don’t love or even respect His Word. They don’t seek to know God’s will that they might do it. They just want to think they’re “saved” while they go on about their carnal lives. What such people call “church” is a lie. It isn’t church! And what they follow isn’t salvation. They hire liars and call them preachers to scratch their itching ears. (2Tim4:3,4) “Tell us how much God loves us just the way we are and how He’ll never do us any harm no matter what we do.” Such deceptions shield them from the conviction that they ought to get right with God. The Word of the LORD was to them, “Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little,” that they might go and fall backward, and be broken and snared and caught. (Is28:13) Because they aren’t much interested in God’s Word; just a little bit here and a little bit there, they’re going to fall and be broken. There’s a big difference in being hungry for the Word of God versus taking a little dab at it now and then. True Christians are hungry for God’s Word! Desire the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby. (1Pt2:2) Because Ephraim has made many altars for sin, they’ve become for him altars for sinning. (Hos8:11) Instead of “churches” being places where you repent and turn away from sin, many have become sin excusers where people confess thinking by doing that they’re forgiven to go back to sin all the more. Such “churches” multiply sin! I’ve written for him the great things of My law, but they were considered a strange thing. (Hos8:12) Many “christians” today consider such things as And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (Gal 5:24) a strange thing. They consider Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. (1Jn3:9) a strange thing. But to Jeremiah God’s Word was food and the rejoicing of his heart. (Jer15:16) That’s how it is in the real church. That’s Christ’s Spirit. So called “christians” who look at the things God shows us here and can’t understand them, who consider them a strange thing, consider God’s Word strange because they themselves are strangers to God. God is a strange thing to them. And the reason God is strange to them is because their “churches” aren’t of God and the doctrines they teach aren’t of God. False teachers have taught them lies, scratching their ears, preaching “peace and safety” (1Th5:3) when they should be calling the people to repent. False teachers deceive them into thinking they’re “saved” and can’t lose their salvation. Then when God tries to show them the Truth they don’t like it. Professing to be wise, they became fools. (Rom1:22) They can’t endure sound doctrine! (2Tim4:3) But the Lord will bring them down! Therefore hear the Word of the LORD, you scornful men, who rule this people who are in Jerusalem, because you’ve said, “We’ve made a covenant with death, and with Sheol we’re in agreement. When the overflowing scourge passes through, it won’t come to us, for we’ve made lies our refuge, and under falsehood we’ve hidden ourselves.” (Is28:14,15) What they call “salvation” is a spider’s web. You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you aren’t willing to come to Me that you may have life. (Jn5:39,40) Many believe they have eternal life because they know some things about Jesus when in fact they don’t have a relationship in which they’re obedient to Christ! The scriptures they trust for salvation have been perverted. Like, “if you believe Jesus is the Son of God you have eternal life because the bible says so, so just believe it!” Whereas if you truly believe Jesus is the Son of God then you’d obey Him as the almighty Lord. (Lk6:46) You’d trust and do what He says, and you’d let Him live His life in you, which is eternal life, and that’s how you believe in a way that’s acceptable to God. Now it’s a very different thing from the first to the second. And the one who believes the first believes a lie because he thinks he has eternal life based on a false understanding of “believe” whereas the scriptural meaning of “believe” means to believe in such a way that you obey. So being deceived he thinks he’s “saved” when he doesn’t obey and he thinks he “believes in Jesus” when he’s only agreeing with some facts about Jesus. He presumes he’s safe while he actually lives a predominately carnal life because he listens to false teachers and “believes” some scriptures that have been twisted into lies which he’s misapplied and misunderstood. Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation.” (Is28:16) A foundation is something you build on. If you’re thinking, “I’m saved because I believe Jesus is my Savior” yet your “faith” in Jesus isn’t the foundation upon which you’re building a Christ like life, then your “faith” is vain. You’re required to behave like Him. (1Jn4:17) You’re to be conformed to His image. (Rom8:29) Sound doctrine would cause you to become like Him because He’s our foundation. Whoever comes to Me and hears My sayings and does them, I’ll show you whom he’s like: He’s like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and couldn’t shake it, for it was founded on the rock. (Lk6:47,48) Doing what Jesus does; doing His Word is your foundation. If your doctrine doesn’t make you like Jesus and obedient to His Word then you and your doctrine will fall. As He is, so are we in this world. (1Jn4:17) If your doctrine is sound it will establish you solidly in Christ. But if you follow a doctrine that says you’re saved when you aren’t being conformed to Christ the foundation stone, you’re following a lie. Whoever believes won’t act hastily. (Is28:16) One who’s established in Christ is on a solid foundation and won’t have to run in a panic. Like when his house is falling down on him. He’ll be kept safe from many evils and He’ll always be prepared for whatever else may come by Christ’s Spirit! (Jn16:13) I’ll make justice the measuring line, and righteousness the plummet; (Is28:17) Those who preach salvation by grace not by works and say behavior doesn’t matter, stumble here because God will judge behavior. When He says “I’ll make justice the measuring line,” He means I’m going to measure you to see if you actually behave justly. Who “will render to each one according to his deeds.” (Rom 2:6) The bible says you should do unto your brother as you’d want him to do unto you. (Mt7:12) That’s the measuring line! It’s that simple! No matter what kind of “church” you’re in or how many bible studies you’ve attended or how impressively you seem to pray, if you’re a hypocrite you’ll be judged for not being a doer of God’s Word. God will bring you down and expose your disobedience! I’ll make justice the measuring line. (Is28:17) It’s not justice for you to treat others in ways you wouldn’t want to be treated. And how much of that is going on in “christendom” and being self-excused by wicked “believers” who say things like, “He’s still working on me?” Well you’d better repent and get straight because very soon He’s going to be done working on you and if you aren’t fit in that day you’ll be lost! (Lk13:6-9) You’d better repent and recognize that justice is the measuring line. And the things you expect others to do toward you you’d better be doing yourself. Righteousness is the plummet. (Is28:17) And Jesus is made unto us righteousness. (1Cor1:30) Christ’s righteousness must be evident in the way you live. If you don’t measure up to Christ the plummet you won’t get into the Kingdom of Heaven. And he who breaks one of the least of these commandments. (Mt5:19) What can we say about someone who breaks Jesus’ commandment? They aren’t straight are they? They aren’t demonstrating His righteousness. They don’t measure up to the Christ plummet. Hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters will overflow the hiding place. (Is28:17) Like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm (Is28:2) your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol won’t stand; when the overflowing scourge passes through, then you’ll be trampled down by it. As often as it goes out it will take you; for morning by morning it will pass over, and by day and by night; it will be a terror just to understand the report. (vs18,19) There’s coming a day when these “grace without obedience christians,” these people who preach the accursed gospels; there’s coming a day when these who think they’re “saved” and they can do whatever they want and never be lost, and who believe God accepts them in their sin so they don’t need to go on to perfection; there’s coming a day when God’s holy terror will fall upon them. (2Cor5:11) In that dreadful day they’re going to discover that God Himself is fighting against them, and they’re being cut off, not “saved!” Therefore I’ll number you for the sword, and you’ll all bow down to the slaughter; because, when I called, you didn’t answer; when I spoke, you didn’t hear, but did evil before My eyes, and chose that in which I don’t delight. (Is65:12) Because I’ve called and you refused, I’ve stretched out my hand and no one regarded, I also will laugh at your calamity; I’ll mock when your terror comes, when your terror comes like a storm, and your destruction comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. (Pr1:24,26,27) It will be terrifying just to hear what goes on in that day. For the bed is too short to stretch out on. (Is28:20) All their complaining to God and their unrepentant praying isn’t going to change what God will do. If it’s false doctrines you’ve been trusting in then you’ve been trusting in lies instead of Jesus. Too many “christians” have been trusting in what false “preachers” have said will save them instead of trusting in Christ and obeying His Word. In the Garden of Eden there were two trees: the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life. (Gen2:9) And most of the so-called “churches” today aren’t of the Tree of Life. They’re of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. People who go to “churches” where the “preachers” merely tell them some things about “good and evil,” often come out, feeling qualified by what they’ve learned, to be judges and to be like God and decide for themselves what good and evil is. But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath?(I speak as a man.) (Rom3:5) But many of the things they think are good are evil and vice versa because they’re just men’s opinions. What the devil said to Adam and Eve was if they ate of this tree they’d be like God to know good and evil (Gen3:5) and many so-called “christians” today think they can judge good and evil as though they are God but they aren’t God and they don’t really know what good is. They just think they do! They make evil judgments and stumble on, “Judge not, lest you be judged” (Mt7:1) when they think they can determine what good and evil is on their own. So they put themselves in the place of God and become judges with evil thoughts. (Jms2:4) They depend on their own feeble understanding. Instead of God’s Word they teach cultural morality in the “churches.” And while they claim they’re no longer under God’s law, they teach man’s morality and man’s law instead! In vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. (Mt15:9) They teach each other to behave in the way they think a Baptist should behave or a Pentecostal should behave but they don’t teach one another to behave like Jesus behaves! Whereas the Tree of Life teaches you how to have Jesus living in you so He becomes our standard of what good is. Jesus becomes our light and the Spirit of Christ Himself shows us how to do good and avoid evil. When your faith is in Him and you trust in His Word, that’s eating from the Tree of Life. You’ve come to eat of the Tree of Life when you stop having your own opinions and judging for yourself what good and evil is and instead you eat of Christ and His Word (Jn6:54,63) so He can live His life in you. Only the Spirit and the Word of Christ can show you and empower you to be good and to do good! Most so-called “churches” aren’t teaching people to know Jesus that way! When the “churches” are teaching people to judge for themselves, that’s the Tree of Death. The true church will teach you how to live united to Jesus so He’s the One who leads you. Jesus is the Tree of Life. Your faith in Jesus to live in you and lead you causes Jesus, His living Spirit, to become your righteousness, and your wisdom. (1Cor1:30) You must depend upon Him to show you Truth, and you must follow what He shows you instead of thinking for yourself. You’re eating from the Tree of Life when you’re letting Jesus show you His Word, His way of thinking, His mind. We have the mind of Christ! (1Cor2:16) Look, all you who kindle a fire, who encircle yourselves with sparks: walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks you’ve kindled-- this you shall have from My hand: you shall lie down in torment. (Is50:11) Too many “churches” are teaching people to think for themselves, but they’ll lie down in torment! They’re playing on the people’s carnal understanding and that means such a “church” itself is the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Such “churches” are death not life. And that’s exactly what the devil intends them to be. Satan’s a murderer and he draws people to the Tree of Death! That’s what he did in the Garden of Eden and it’s what he’s still doing today. The devil will take you to the wrong tree: the tree of “self” instead of Christ. Such are “churches” (synagogues) of satan. (Rev3:9) We have the Tree of Life in the true church of Christ. But most people today who claim to be “christians” are eating from the Tree of Death. How can they know what it is to have the Tree of Life when they aren’t connected to the Spirit of the living Christ? (Jn5:39,40) For the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the covering so narrow that one can’t wrap himself in it. (Is28:20) As long as things are going well people can be comforted in their lies and think everything is fine but when the storm actually comes their lies can’t save them. For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He’ll be angry as in the Valley of Gibeon -- that He may do His work, His awesome work, and bring to pass His act, His unusual act. Now therefore, don’t be mockers, lest your bonds be made strong; for I’ve heard from the Lord GOD of hosts, a destruction determined even upon the whole earth. (Is28:21,22) The accursed churches, the Catholics, the Baptists, every church that’s not teaching the whole Truth will be cut off. The job of the true church is to warn them. Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. (Pr24:11) But if they become mockers, the more they mock the stronger their bonds become. The stronger their bonds become the harder it is for Truth to set them free or for God to grant them repentance. (2Tim2:25) The more they mock the more God gives them ears that don’t hear and eyes that don’t see. (Act28:26) But if they’d turn to the Lord and ask God to have mercy and show them the Truth He’d break their bonds. (2Cor3:16) The call of God for every true disciple is to let patience have its perfect work (Jms1:4) while we await the consummation when the visible Kingdom of God will appear. We need to patiently endure the hostilities of the wicked, even “sinners in Zion,” and understand God’s longsuffering in that presently He’s still offering them salvation. (2Pt3:15) But we must also realize how very awesome and deadly the future is for transgressors, apostates and heretics, and try to convince them to turn from their lies while there’s still time because if they don’t repent the certainty of their destruction is absolute. Only for now does the possibility exist that they may be saved. For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. (2Cor6:2) So every true Christian must be vigorously taking hold of both the potential of saving the lost and the perfecting of the church! We may not save all but we can save some! And our prayers are, “God open their eyes and show them what they have isn’t real church. Show them what they have isn’t salvation; it isn’t agreeable to the scriptures.” God gives us powerful weapons to accomplish this. For the weapons of our warfare aren’t carnal but mighty in God for the pulling down of strongholds. (2Cor10:4) A stronghold, for example, is a place that has only Baptist religion in it. It has a Baptist culture and only apostate “christianity” can be found in such a place. It’s like Jerusalem when David is trying to conquer the Jebusites and he’s pondering, “How can we get into the city?” Then God shows David a secret entrance called the water shaft. (2Sam5:8) Thru the water shaft Truth comes in and the stronghold comes down. The stronghold can be a congregation of people who are so completely captured by satan’s lies that it seems there’s no way you can get the Truth to them. But God knows where there’s a water shaft. God knows how to get His Word to them. Whoever climbs up by way of the water shaft and defeats the Jebusites… he’ll be chief and captain. (2Sam5:8) God’s mighty weapons will pull down every stronghold. His Truth will conquer the lies. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations…(2Cor10:4,5) Casting down imaginations is a ministry of exposing and refuting lies. Strongholds include every kind of barrier satan has raised up to prevent his captives from receiving Truth! True churches and true Christians are continually pulling down strongholds. But most so-called “christians” today are captives themselves to the very lies that need to be brought down. A real church is the pillar and ground of the Truth (1Tim3:15) and composed of true brethren who are battling to preserve and expand on the Word of God’s Truth so it may run swiftly, (2Th3:1) prevail and be victorious over the lies. Real Christians are busily trying to save others before the cutting off comes. The cutting off can come in many ways. The ax is laid at the root of the unfruitful tree. (Lk3:9) The branch that doesn’t bear fruit is cut off. (Jn15:2) Carnal “believers” must be warned that if they aren’t fruitful, God will cut them off! We’ve seen Him do it often right here. God’s judgments are manifesting right in front of our eyes. But there’s also a final judgment where the destruction comes upon the whole earth. At that time every false way, every false religion will be found untrustworthy. Everything that can be shaken will be shaken so only what’s of God can remain. (Heb12:26,27) And if we’re to save others and be saved ourselves we must flee from every shaky foundation and become solidly established in Christ! We must expose the heretical “churches,” the erroneous salvations, the lying doctrines, which are capturing so many and leading them to destruction. We must pray, and witness not just to “unbelievers” but to heretical “christians.” And it starts with praying for God to give you His Truth to speak in such a way that you may turn sinners and heretics away from their destruction and from believing satan’s lies. It also includes praying for God to forgive the lost for Christ’s sake and give people a heart to receive His Truth. So there’s much prayer, preparation, witnessing and an actual Spiritual warfare involved in doing this! And we true believers can feel the need to pray and work these things out because the Spirit of Christ is working in us! (Phil 2:13) If Christ is in you, you’ll know you need to be able to speak the Truth effectually. And you’ll pray for God to give you the grace, the opportunity, and the place to do it. Where you find a people who are working together for this same end to advance God’s purposes, you’ve found a real church. The believers are listening to the Spirit and they’re learning God’s Word and they’re using what they’re learning to accomplish great things for God. They’re helping each other to be fruitful branches and to grow into maturity in Christ. So you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who’ll also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1Cor1:7,8) That’s what makes a real church! Where that isn’t going on the people are only “playing” church. What they’re doing isn’t real. It’s a fraud. And it won’t save them or anyone else. The true gospel saves. The true Word of God changes people into Christ-like children of God and effectual workers in His Kingdom. People who are born of God’s true Word, love His Word. Because we know God’s Word is our salvation we don’t mess around with God’s Word twisting it or perverting it. We pray and study to understand God’s Word correctly! We live by the Word. We know we’re saved by God’s Word, but only if it’s His Word in Truth! The false church is always playing games with God’s Word. By disrespecting His Word they prove they’ve no respect for Jesus, no love for Him. Instead of obeying His Word, they’re always looking for loopholes or excuses, to be able to think they’re saved when in fact they know they’re disobedient to Christ. They stupidly undermine their own salvation by fiddling with the very Word God sends to save them. The foundation of salvation is doing the Word of God but these fools reject that true foundation and make it worthless. Instead of establishing a solid foundation for themselves by doing God’s Word they resist His Word saying such things as, “God couldn’t mean that. We can do it our way!” So they end up building on sand. They despise what Jesus says, argue with what Jesus says and disobey what Jesus says but they believe they’re saved anyway just because they call Him their “Savior.” Yet their “doctrine” is based on misinterpreted scriptures, and their own worthless opinions. They eat from the Tree of Good and Evil and think they’re smarter than God. Anyone who argues with the things Jesus says must believe they’re smarter than Jesus! Such people aren’t brethren. They’re of satan. (Mt16:23) They give lip service to Christ while they oppose and undermine His Word. They make Him a figurehead in their church. Like the Queen of England is a figurehead of British Government but she has no power to rule, no authority – so the false churches today lift Jesus up as a symbol at their “churches” while they ignore His Word and do things their own way. The English claim to love their Queen but they don’t obey her. She has no government! So the false churches claim to love Jesus, but they don’t obey Him. They’ve actually stolen His Name and put it on their church not His. The thief comes thru the window and what’s going on in most “churches” today is thievery! The people claim to serve Jesus but actually they serve themselves. You can’t identify “christians” by the fish symbols on their trucks or the scriptures on their T-shirts. You can really see who’s of Christ only by how they behave. Do they love His Word? Do they obey His Word? When you see people twisting God’s Word, making excuses and disobeying His Word, you know they aren’t Christians and no matter what they say they don’t love Jesus. (Jn14:24) They’re arrogant, proud, worldly (1Tim6:3,4) and they think they have a right to tell God how to behave. They’re ministers of satan, pretending to be ministers of Christ. (2Cor11:13-15) You can tell what they are by how they treat God’s Word. You can’t tell by what they say they are, you can only tell by what they do! “My mother and brothers,” Jesus said, “are those who do the will of God.” (Mk3:35) That’s the only valid criteria for Christianity today. And God’s will is first and foremost expressed in His Word! You’re my brother or sister if you hear the Word of God and do it. Only then are you of the true brethren. Only then are you blessed. (Lk11:28) Only then are you one with the true church. But if you’re arguing with God’s Word or ignoring it you’re accursed and you’re by no means a brother or sister to the saints. You aren’t a true “church” if you teach men to break one of the least of Christ’s commandments. As such you’re least in the esteem of all real Christians (Mt5:19) and you have no light in you. (Is8:20) You’ve no right to call yourself a Christian. You’ve no right to expect to be treated as a brother or a sister in the Lord. Jesus says, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (Jn14:15) Now If anyone doesn’t love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed: Anathema Maranatha! (1Cor16:22) Amen!
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