Discerning Christ's Body!

By Pastor Bill Taylor

A publication of My Father's House, inc. Volume 10/ Issue 2

Prophecy: There’s no salvation outside of Zion. Zion is My church where I’m truly Head and where My people belong to Me and are one with My Spirit; they’re united to My heart. I tell you My salvation is in “My Father’s House” because here I’m the Head and here My people are truly one with Me. And I’m increasing My passion in you, saith the Lord, that when the peoples come to Me here in My church at “My Father’s House” there’ll be mighty salvations just as you’ve experienced a mighty revelation of Christ in you, thus they’ll come to know Me as their Lord and as Christ in them also. So saith the Lord.

Prophecy: I’m the one who’s able to keep you from stumbling and present you faultless in the day of My appearing. And I tell you one way I do that is through the man of God that I’ve set before you, Bill Taylor. And another through the brethren who know Me as Head and who seek My face to bring in the teaching, the revelation, the things of love that are for the edification of my people. And each of you have experienced times when a brother brought forth a teaching or a testimony that caused you to avoid a trap, to be kept from falling, that caused you to see the way to go. For that is how I work in My body, My church. I’m able to keep you from stumbling because I can use My people who seek Me diligently to bring in their part so the brethren are able to walk before Me blameless. And My Word also says those who love My law, great is their peace and there’s no stumbling in them. And you’ve tasted of My peace you who love My law of the Spirit of life. And to those of you who are sober and who watch and seek to be led by My Spirit always so that I may keep you from stumbling, there’s a fullness of peace. For it is truly of peace to know you’re in Me and I’m in you and you’re walking in the way that’s right and not stumbling because you’re taking heed to every instruction, and receiving the things every joint in the body supplies, so saith the Lord.

Prophecy: There are many bodies in the earth but there’s only one that’s My body. And you’re only in My body if I’m your Head. I’ve spoken to you who are Mine that you shall increase. I’ve betrothed you to Myself in faithfulness to My Word and to My Spirit, and as you walk before Me in faithfulness I’ll bring forth children of faith, children who will walk after you. I take it very seriously when I betroth one to Myself for I long for faithful offspring such as I’ll produce in you and your increase shall surely come from Me. The many bodies that aren’t My body have gathered together to unify in their disobedience. But My people are those who I’ll gather together and unify because of their obedience. And the voice of My mouth speaking in the earth today through the Glory of His Grace, through “My Father’s House” and through the many members here as I send you to the world, the voice of My Spirit in you shall beget and raise up true children of God. Even now I’m raising up those who’ll obtain a like precious faith with you My people. They’re being created now and as they hear My Word it bears witness in their hearts that they’re hearing something very different, a greatness of truth such as they’ve never heard before. I’m protecting and keeping My newborn lambs, and I’ll cause them to come home to My church. And I say to you that even in the natural as a Son grows up and goes out to build his own home; My sons and My daughters will also grow up and they will go out to build their own homes. But in fact they’re not only their homes, but our homes also, for they’ll carry with them our teachings, and they’ll carry the true gospel I’ve given you and that you’ve given them to their new homes. And what will be seen to be different from all the other bodies in the world is that as I expand My Church and bring forth My offspring each and every one will speak the same things, for they’re all in agreement with My Word, they’re all faithful to My voice and obedient to My Spirit. For though they may be many members they’re one body. And I’ll cause those who seek to fellowship with us to see that My church and I are one. And though I have a church over here in the west and another over here in the east; all will see that My people and My church speak the same things, and in them there’s no contradiction. Thus all the nations shall see Me clearly in My people, saith the Lord. For I tell you My children as I’ve betrothed you to Me in faithfulness the time has come where I shall cause you to increase by My Spirit and I’ll fill you with all of My fullness. And My fullness in you will go out to the world and the Word that I speak through you shall beget My true children and this I’m doing now, saith the Lord. And you shall be greatly increased for your increase is ordained of God and all will know that this work has not been done by man but by My Spirit, saith the Lord. (Prophecies delivered at “My Father's House”)

He who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. (1Cor11:29) Many “believers” today have a very low opinion of the church as being important to their salvation. They think they can just believe on Jesus, go anywhere, do anything, choose to go or not go to virtually any church they want to and; “it’s all the same because Jesus is Head of all the churches.” That’s a lie that comes from misinterpreting God’s Word according to the reasonings of men. Without God’s Spirit men always get things backwards. They think for example, “because I believe in Jesus, therefore I have the Holy Spirit in me.” Whereas the reality is you better examine yourself and see if you have the Holy Spirit in you because if you don’t have Him you really don’t believe in Jesus rightly. (2Cor13:5) People who presumptuously believe they’re “saved” are assuming they have things that God says accompany salvation when in truth they don’t. They’d do well to examine themselves to see if in fact they have the necessary characteristics of the “saved” before assuming they’re saved. Because if you don’t have the Spirit right, you don’t have the believing right! Here, for example, are some scriptural truths that must be found in you, else you aren’t really “saved.”

As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. (Ro8:14) For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. (v5) He who says, “I know Him,” and doesn’t keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth isn’t in him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. (1Jn2:4,6) Don’t love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father isn’t in him. (v15) Whoever has been born of God doesn’t sin, for His seed remains in him; and he can’t sin, because he’s been born of God. (1Jn3:9)

You need to examine your church to be sure you’re in the real church. Only the church Jesus is actually Head of is His real church. She’s the only church the gates of hell won’t prevail against. It’s obvious that no church that’s been around 200 years or longer; as most of the denominations have, and isn’t progressing towards becoming the glorious church but is actually degenerating can be of Christ. Whatever church Christ is involved in must be getting better. The path of the just is like the shining light that shines more and more towards the perfect day. (Pr4:18) And of the increase of His government there will be no end. (Is9:7) Where Jesus is things are getting better. Any church or denomination that’s been around for a hundred years or more ought to be a better church than it was in the beginning. But concerning the denominations, if they ever had any glory at all it was in their beginnings and from there they’ve degenerated. But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so the children of Israel couldn’t look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, (2Cor3:7) Thus if they’ve a fading or decreasing glory they’re old covenant in spirit. They aren’t Jesus’ New Covenant church. God has left them; it’s Ichabod; the glory has moved on. In that He says, “A new covenant,” He’s made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. (Heb8:13) Where you find the real Jesus and where you find the real church, people are progressing in holiness; they’re truly advancing in becoming like Jesus. Most of the means by which that progress is made can only be found in Christ’s visible church. The apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors and teachers are given to equip you so that you can help each other progress until you come to the fullness of the stature of the perfect man, and that can only happen in the midst of the brethren in God’s true church. (Eph4:11-16)

To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. (2Pe1:1) So the first definition of the true church is it’s composed of those who’ve obtained a like precious faith with the apostles and prophets. As a true Christian I don’t have the same faith as a baptist. The baptist “faith” isn’t based on Bible truth; it’s an erroneous theology based on a wrong interpretation of the Scriptures. (See our Glory of His Grace book “What the Bible Says About Once Saved/Always Saved” for an irrefutable proof of this.) Neither is my faith like the catholics. The catholics have ignored much of the Scriptures. God isn’t in their “church.” Jesus isn’t the head of their “church” and real Christians don’t have a common faith with them. (See our Glory of His Grace book “No Covetous Man” pg3) Because of the present apostasy there aren’t many who call themselves Christians today that we share a like precious faith with. There are no true believers in any of the denominations. The Methodists have degenerated. The Presbyterians have degenerated. The true believers have left them. True saints can’t abide with the false! (2Cor6:14-18) At present I can’t see any so-called churches except “My Father’s House” that are making any real progress towards being a church fit for Jesus to take to heaven; a church without spot or wrinkle. (Eph5:27) Therefore I’m not of a like precious faith with any of the denominational churches of today. They aren’t serving the Lord. If they were serving the Lord they’d be progressing in Christ as we are here and as the Scriptures require. I do believe God may have other churches hidden here and there where there may be some real progress in Christ-likeness being made. But we must leave that to the Lord to bring out at the proper time. The most important point however to understand about having real church is you can only have it with those who are of like precious faith. And those who have that true faith will really be preparing for the coming of the Lord. They’ll truly be hastening the day of Christ’s appearing by striving to become a glorious church without blemish or fault.

Also, Jesus said, “Wherever two or three are gathered in My name, I’m in the midst of them” and that is one way to define His church. Where two or three are gathered in My name indicates they’re of like precious faith; thus Jesus says “I’m there.” Scripturally, “In My name” means in My identity – they identify with Christ; to serve Christ’s interests, to do His will. Note, they can’t be gathered together in the name of the baptists, to serve baptist’s interests, nor in their own name to accomplish their own purposes. They must be identifying with Christ and have it in their hearts to do the will of God. Then two or three gathered in the name of the Lord can constitute the firstlings of a church and Jesus will be in the midst of them. He’s in the midst of the lampstands (Rev1:13) and the lampstands are the churches. (v20) He holds the pastors of the churches in His hand. (The word “angel” also means “messenger;” the messengers of God to the churches.) And so where He has two or three gathered in His name and there’s a messenger that constitutes a church, a lampstand, and He’s in the midst of that gathering. So to be a real church the believers must be of like precious faith, and there must be a messenger or pastor. If there’s a pastor, teacher, a messenger, and two or three of like precious faith the people will be able to grow in the things which pertain to the will of God. When the Lord called me to start  “My Father’s House” our first church service had a congregation of three meeting in my living room.

The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house. (1Cor16:19) Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas and the church that is in his house. (Col 4:15) To the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house: (Phn2) Aquila, Nymphas, and Philemon all had churches meeting in their homes. So it’s obvious that to have a true church has nothing to do with having a church “building.” The church is the believers; the congregation. What’s necessary is that they meet together often in the name of Jesus to accomplish the will of God. It’s God’s will that His church should grow and it requires the participation of the members of the church to produce growth in the church. The members must love one another and be connected to Jesus as Head to receive the blessings they need to edify one another if they’re to grow up into Christ. Holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God. (Col 2:19) But, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the Head – Christ – from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. (Eph4:15-16) The church is where the growth of the believers takes place. If you’re outside the church there isn’t any growth for you. The church is where you’re eating of the Passover (1Cor5:7-8) (See our previous Glory of His Grace publication “Christ our Passover.”) Partaking of the New Covenant Passover is being conformed to the image of Christ by receiving (eating) of Christ’s words as He said, “I am the Bread of Life.” (Jn6:35) Nobody can have eternal life unless they eat of Christ. (v53) The Passover is served in a house (Ex12:46) and there are many “houses” in the New Covenant body of Christ. Each one of those “houses” is a “local church.” And every “house” has to have it’s own whole lamb. (Ex12:3) You can’t have just a part of the lamb and be conformed to the image of Christ; you must have the whole lamb together with all the other things that pertain to the Passover since Christ is our whole Passover. Salvation through Christ’s blood is represented in the Passover, but you have to stay in the house to be under the blood. The blood is on the entrance to the house so you have to be in a local congregation of Christ’s church to be under the blood. And there’s no mystical church apart from the visible church. Water baptism is your entrance into the visible local church. (Act2:41,47) Those who believe and are baptized will be saved, (Mk16:16) because baptism is what qualifies them for entrance into the visible church. In second century New Testament churches unbaptized people couldn’t even sit with baptized members of the church. The unbaptized were called “catechumens” and they were kept in the back. They could observe the service but they couldn’t participate in the church actively until they were properly baptized. So baptism is the entrance into the church and it’s the visible local church that you must enter. To enter Christ’s church is to enter into fellowship with true believers where the Lord is in each of the members and can minister, edify and build you up till you come into maturity in Christ. The goal is for the whole church to come to the perfect man and be the glorious church without spot or wrinkle; the fullness of the stature of the Son of God. This can only happen in the visible church. And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the Head – Christ – from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. (Eph4:11-16)

The visible church is the present earthly expression of the Kingdom of God, and she’s preparing the saints for their entrance into the New Jerusalem. (Rev21) You won’t get into the New Jerusalem except through the doorway, Christ (Jn10:7) which includes baptism and active participation in the true visible church; His body! Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. I’m the door. If anyone enters by Me, he’ll be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. (Jn10:1,9) The sheepfold is the church where the believers go in and out and find pasture. Jesus is the door. You must enter the sheepfold (church) through the door to be saved. You can’t be saved apart from Christ, but note also you must enter the sheepfold, the church, to be saved and Christ is the entrance. Only if you’re a true member of the real church can you attain to the heavenly Kingdom; the New Jerusalem. And the local visible churches are the gates.

The Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he’d found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. (Mt13:45-46) When you’ve found the real church; the true body of Christ, you’ve found the pearl of great price. The pearl is the entrance to the place where Jesus dwells. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. (Rev21:2,21) To enter the New Jerusalem where Jesus dwells you must come through a gate and you better consider that gate to be a pearl that’s worth selling everything to possess, because your entrance into eternity begins at the visible local church which is your gate to the Kingdom. And as there’s one city but twelve gates so there’s one church but many local churches or gates to the one church, yet each local church is the same, “a pearl,” differing only in location. Remember the Passover, the blood is on the door and the blood only covers those who enter the house. It doesn’t cover those who exit. So you must be in the church participating, partaking of Christ, receiving the Passover to be saved from the death angel who kills the firstborn. Christ is the firstborn and if you’re in Him you’ve become a firstborn too. So the death angel will kill you if you go outside the door. You must stay in that house of refuge to be saved. This is like the Old Testament city of refuge. You stay till the High Priest dies or the avenger of death can kill you if you go outside the city. You’re only safe while you’re under the covering of the High Priest. (Num35:11-28) But our High Priest is immortal; He never dies! Which means the New Covenant believers are never to go outside of the city. In our city of refuge we’re escaping the death angel. But what’s been born into us through water baptism is Christ in us. Salvation is never found outside the door. Our salvation is to abide in Him inside the church. You’re never to be found outside of the church. Of course, this doesn’t mean the physical church building but it means the Spiritual/physical relationship you have with Christ and the believers. You’re never again to be on your own. You’re to be where God puts you and He’s put you inside the house for your safety and fruitfulness. I’m the vine, you’re the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone doesn’t abide in Me, he’s cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they’re burned. (Jn15:5-6)

            He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. Whoever abides in Him doesn’t sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. (1Jn2:6;3:6) We should all know the Scriptures about abiding in Christ, but have you ever considered that since Christ’s church is His body, one of the ways you must abide in Christ is to abide in His church? And if you depart from His church, His visible local body, you’re no longer abiding in Christ. When Paul was in jail, he said to the Corinthian church, my spirit is with you. (1Cor5:4) This shows he hasn’t departed from the church in his heart even though physically he can’t be present. Yet we know of people who may be physically in church, but who aren’t spiritually in church because their mind is somewhere else. In their hearts they’ve departed from Christ. They have a wicked heart of unbelief in departing from the Living God. (Heb3:12) To really be in Christ and in His Church you must be present spiritually and mentally not just physically. You must delight to be a part of the gathering of the saints and enjoy your fellowship with the brethren in the Lord. Those who’ve abandoned the church, the body of believers, may think that they can do that and still have Christ in them but they’re deceived! They don’t have God. They’ve left the place where God is, in the midst of His brethren. What they have is imaginations. And what we’re doing right now is casting down imaginations. (2Cor10:5) It’s the most common delusion of the flesh to imagine you’re all right with God when it’s not true. When so-called believers aren’t in a real church; when in their hearts they’ve departed from the real church, they’re estranged from Christ and they’re out where the death angel is slaying; where satan goes about like a roaring lion. (1Pe5:8) Many souls have been destroyed and many more will be destroyed because they have an evil heart of unbelief, and in departing from the true local church they’ve departed from the Living God.

When you get a real baptism in water you can enter the visible church, but you must stay in the true church and never depart until the Lord comes. That’s what the Passover teaches. You mustn’t go out the door of the church in the sense of being a Christian on your own without participating in a true local church because the blood only covers you when you’re part of the true church participating with the brethren in being conformed to the image of Christ. (Eph4:11-16) That’s where you’re safe. What’s going on around the Passover table? “Please pass me the bitter herbs.” “Can I have another piece of lamb?” “Here, have some unleavened bread.” Everybody is serving each other at that table. Outside of the church you aren’t serving anything to anybody and nobody is serving anything to you. Participation in a true local church is necessary to your salvation. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 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. (Heb10:24-25) The closer we are to the Lord’s coming, the more you should be participating in the local church! You’re a fruit bearer only if you’re joined to the Head. (Jn15:5) And the fruit you bring forth is primarily to feed and edify the brethren. (Eph4:16) Outside of the true church there’s no bearing fruit. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. (Jn15:6) But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1Ti5:8) Even Paul in his missionary journeys was sent out by the Spirit through the church and didn’t go independently. (Act13:2-3)

If you leave Christ’s true church, you aren’t abiding in Him. You’ve left His vineyard, His garden, the place of fruitfulness, and you’ll be cut off from His Spirit and you’ll dry up. But even if you stay in the physical church, if you don’t stay in the Spirit of Christ you’ll also dry up and become fruitless. If this happens you’ll be cut off physically from the visible church if you don’t repent because you have nothing to contribute. As a dead branch you become a party to the logjams that block the wells and clog the rivers of life. If you are not abiding in Jesus you’re an obstacle to the Spirit moving in the church; you become an Achan (Josh7) and God must get rid of you. And when God cuts you off from one church you can’t go to another because He only has one true church and to be cast out of one is to be cast out of all! He’s not going to throw you out of one branch of His church and welcome you into another. God isn’t crazy. If you’re cast out of a true church, but attend another “church” you’ll end up in a synagogue of satan, a dead church, a false church where the rejects go to pretend they’re having church but it’s a deception and a dream because God isn’t there and no one there is participating in the true purposes of God. Also regarding people who stay home and say they watch church on TV, you’re not in church because you watch church on TV. If you watch church on TV it’s like watching a football game on TV, you’re not in the game you’re just watching it. God doesn’t have mere spectators in His earthly church. He says the clouds of witnesses are in heaven. (Heb12:1) Down here is the playing field. Down here you’re not to be sitting on the bench, not to be merely sitting in the pew, and you’re not to stay in the bleachers. Down here you’re to be playing the game, fighting the good fight of faith. If you think you can go to church by TV you don’t understand what church is because all you can do on TV is watch other people have church and they might not even be having church by God’s definition. But you certainly aren’t participating; you’re not serving anyone any good thing and you aren’t bearing fruit because you can’t bear fruit while you’re merely watching a TV.

The Scripture says God added to the church daily. (Act2:47) He wasn’t adding to the mystical church. Believers were having meetings daily. (v46) They were the visible church in Jerusalem and new members entered into that visible church by water baptism. (v41) Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church. (Mt16:17-18) The rock you build on is the foundation and Jesus teaches us that rock foundation is the doing of the Word of God. “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: (Mt7:24) Now the church is made up of Christ’s brethren. But He answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the Word of God and do it.” (Lk8:21) So Christ’s brethren are those who hear the Word and do it. Christ’s church is composed of His brethren, and its foundation is in that these brethren hear and do God’s Word. It’s of those who hear and do God’s Word, God’s unshakeable rock people, that Christ builds His church. Jesus says, “Peter you hear God. Blessed are you, Peter.” And if Peter hears God what does that mean? Recently we received a letter from brother A.J., a man we’ve never met, but who’s read our Glory of His Grace books. Brother A.J. told us God was speaking to his heart the very things he found in our books.  Even before he read our books God was telling him these same things He’s shown us. So brother A.J. didn’t learn these things from us. He learned them from God Himself. But he found a confirmation of God’s speaking to him in our Glory of His Grace books. Before he found our books he was struggling against false brethren, baptists and many wicked false christians around him who told him that he wasn’t hearing God. Then God brought him into contact with us and he could see someone else who knows God is hearing what I’m hearing. So from our books A.J. receives the confirmation that he really is hearing God. When Peter says, “You’re the Son of God” Jesus answers, “I’m confirming that to you. You’re hearing God, Peter. And it’s of people who hear God that I’ll build My church.  The people who hear God and obey God and who do what God is telling them to do, those are the people founded on the rock. I’m building My church of people who obey God’s Word.” The New Covenant Church is defined by “They shall all know Me.” (Heb8:11) Brother A.J. already knew God before he found us. He was already hearing God tell him the same things God was telling us.  After the apostle Paul met Jesus, Paul was hearing the same gospel through the Spirit that the rest of the apostles heard. But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. (Gal 1:11-12) So Paul received his revelation supernaturally from God but it was the same revelation as the Jerusalem apostles had already received.  And we see that brother A.J. received his revelation supernaturally from God but it’s the same revelation God had already given us. And we have the testimonies of many others who have similar experiences; they’re hearing God but sometimes they’re wondering, “Are we really hearing God?” because all the wicked false christians and baptist-types around them are telling them what they’re hearing isn’t God.

The false “believers” who don’t hear God sit under “teachers” who tell them what to believe and because they all have the same sources, the same books, commentaries, CBN, TBN, etc. they all say the same things. So they all agree with each other and they think that’s confirmation. But all they have is “common knowledge;” the same thing everybody else has and that’s available to anyone who can read or turn on the T.V. But here we’re seeing the real church has people who’ve never met each other coming together after having heard God personally and they’re all saying the same things even when those things are rare and not common knowledge and not found in the usual sources of books, commentaries and communications media. And what they’ve learned, they’ve learned from God without having a human teacher feeding it to them. But when they encounter a true teacher from God they receive a confirmation that what they have is from God. And this defines the real church; a people who are taught of God, who are hearing God. (Jn6:45;Heb8:11) Although it’s a struggle for them when they’re on their own because they’ve so many demonic people around them telling them they’re wrong, when God brings them together with His body they can recognize each other as true brethren by the Spirit. And God can use men who are taught of God to teach other men who have the Spirit of Truth in them, such men as can recognize this teaching is coming from God. That’s where the true church is; that’s 1^st John 2:27; the anointing of truth and that’s Ephesians 4:11; the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers given by Christ to edify the church. They all know what they’re hearing is from God because they have an anointing from God to recognize truth.

But suppose somebody comes into our gathering who just believes what we say without ever meeting or hearing God. What makes him different from a baptist? He’s in our church because he got here first but if he went to a baptist church first he’d have believed them. Now what does that tell you about him? He’ll do what you say, but he doesn’t hear God. He’s not really a Son of God then, is he? For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. (Ro8:14) He can pass himself off as one of the brethren because he’s listening to and agreeing with what the brethren are saying, but when he gets into a situation where he has to operate from being joined to the Head he doesn’t operate rightly because he doesn’t hear the Head. Such people can’t provide anything of real value to the church because there’s nothing coming from God through them. They can make a pretence of following God by listening to what the brethren say and going along with the others in the true church, but they’re really not in Christ nor the church. To be in the true church you have to know God yourself. Only those who hear and know Christ for themselves are His true church. “On this rock I will build My church” the rock is made of living stones; those people who are taught of God, who hear God, who recognize the truth. When God’s true people come together, God can teach them even better and they won’t be led astray because they know the voice of God. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they don’t know the voice of strangers. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. (Jn10:5,27) So if someone starts teaching something that isn’t of God they’ll reject it. But they can receive everything that is of God. When people like that come together you have a real church, a church indwelt by Jesus Christ, an awesome church. You’ll have a mighty church; a powerful church, and the gates of hell won’t prevail against such a church. “I’m building My church on this rock. I’m building it out of rock solid people; I’m building it out of people who hear God. And these people are the ones no one can snatch out of My hand because they won’t follow the stranger. They only follow Me. And the gates of hell can’t prevail over these people because they’re Mine and they listen only to Me. They hear Me and obey Me with all their heart.” And that’s the only church that means anything to God! The rest of these so-called “churches” aren’t worth spit. The rest of these so-called “churches” are rejects, counterfeits, man-made “churches,” imitation “churches;” people who pretend in their imaginations they have some kind of relationship with God, but they don’t hear Him and don’t obey Him and they aren’t His. The believers who do hear and obey don’t have myriads of conflicting doctrines and thousands of denominations. The ones who hear Him are in unity because they all hear the same thing from the same God. God’s not an author of confusion. (1Cor14:33) His people aren’t in unity because they have the same human teachers. Their unity is they hear the same things from the one God who’s speaking to all of them. They have a supernatural teacher; the Holy Spirit. That’s the definition of the real church. What kind of church do you attend?

In this age it’s not an easy thing to find a real church. However, in the apostolic days of the first century it would be fairly easy to get into the real church because that’s all there was. If you became a Christian you’d be baptized into the real church because almost every church was truly of God. It wasn’t hard to find the real church even in the satellite nations where the gospel spread. The gospel grew so rapidly in that first century that it reached virtually every nation. So every major city had a real church. It didn’t have a First Baptist, First Presbyterian, Christian Science, Faith movement and a Charismatic church in it. Every city had one real church. And if God touched your heart to get saved that’s the church you went to. Also all the churches were in agreement. You could travel from the church in Rome to the church in Jerusalem to the church in Thessalonica and be welcome in each church. There were no doctrinal differences, no arguments whatsoever between them. They were all kept straight by the apostles and the Holy Spirit. They were all hearing and believing the same things. “As I teach in every church,” Paul says. (1Cor4:17) So it would have been relatively easy for you to get a real salvation in any church in those days. The difficult thing was escaping the persecutions. They were feeding Christians to lions, confiscating their properties, and coming against the true saints in many ways. Today the difficult thing is finding a real church. It isn’t so hard to overcome the persecutions at least in the western world. And it isn’t hard to learn about Jesus today. There are Jesus billboards on every highway in the country. There are Jesus programs all over the radio, all over the TV. So it isn’t hard to hear and learn that you can come to Jesus to be saved. What’s difficult is finding the true way to be saved. Most people won’t take the effort that the Bereans did to check out what the Scriptures actually say about salvation. (Act17:11) The difficult thing today is getting through the distractions, deceptions, interference, and twisting of the Scriptures that stands between you and a real salvation. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation – as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. (2Pe3:15-16) Today it’s easy to know where the salvation is (it’s in Jesus) but it’s hard to get to know the real Jesus and it’s very difficult to find a real church. There are obstacles the saints must overcome today they didn’t have to overcome in the first century. It was easy to get to the real church then but the saints of that day had other obstacles to overcome. They could lose their lives for professing Christ! The truth is that whatever age we’re in and whatever the obstacles are, all true Christians must be overcomers. (Rev21:7) The first century saints were overcomers who overcame the lions, the tortures, and the threats, But the true believers of today have to overcome the lies, the very deceitful influences of false churches, false brethren, heretics, and the outrageously salacious and distracting “electronic” world around us. In every age if you’re to be qualified to enter the Kingdom of heaven you must be an overcomer. (Rev21:7)

“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you’ve gained your brother. But if he won’t hear, take with you one or two more,” How can you take one or two more with you unless you’re in a church where you have true brethren available to go with you. So even in this lesson, Jesus is assuming all believers are members of a true visible church. That “by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church.” (Mt18:15-16) Jesus doesn’t say, “If you’re one of the believers that go to church tell the church.” This passage requires every believer to be a member of Christ’s visible church. Are you to tell it to the mystical church? Are you to take a couple of mystical believers with you to confront the offender? Christ is giving a very practical instruction here as to how to deal with offenses in the real and visible church in the earth.  How many churches today will do this? “Well we don’t want to judge our brother” or “We don’t want to embarrass him in front of the whole church.” How many times does a brother actually sin against another brother in Christianity? Jesus expected it to happen often enough that He needed to give instruction to His church as to how to deal with it. Everyone who goes to a true church should have seen sins dealt with this way in the church. And if this isn’t being carried out in your church then your church is disobeying Christ and covering up or ignoring the offending member instead of dealing with him as Jesus instructs. Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear. (1Ti5:20) In the first century church the believers were taught by apostles who knew Jesus personally; even some of the lay people knew Jesus. Paul commands the church to cast the offending member out of the church that satan may destroy his flesh. (1Cor5:5) He does this again with Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.(1Ti1:20) And he admonishes the believers  But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who’s sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioners – not even to eat with such a person. (1Cor5:11) So are Paul and the early churches wrong about this and the contemporary churches more loving, and more wise than they?

Actually the first century church is much holier than the “churches” of today – yet even then there was a need for this kind of correction again and again in dealing with offending members. In most of today’s churches these passages are treated as though they don’t exist. Yet according to Christ church discipline requires us to do this. So the contemporary “churches” are in flagrant disobedience and that tells us they aren’t Christ’s church. They are undisciplined, which means they aren’t disciples. Jesus isn’t their head. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father doesn’t chasten? But if you’re without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you’re illegitimate and not sons. (Heb12:7-8) Since the contemporary churches won’t discipline their members nor endure chastening, they aren’t sons. And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. (Mt18:17)

Most of today’s “churches” don’t deal with unrepentant sinners according to Christ’s instructions, which says, if the sinner won’t hear the church – the visible, local church – have nothing to do with him. That means shunning! Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. (v18) Which means when you cast him out of your church he’s cast out of all God’s true churches. What you’ve cast out on earth is cast out in heaven. Most “Christians” use this verse only to bind the devil. Bind him hand and foot and cast him into outer darkness. (Mt22:13) But these verses are actually referring to unrepentant sinners that are to be “bound” and cast out of the church. (Mt22:13) And because what we bind on earth is bound in heaven that offender can’t be cast out of the church here and then run to another true church and be accepted! When an offender has been cast out of God’s true church, he can’t get back into God’s church here or in any other place until he’s properly repented. And this also proves Jesus doesn’t accept a multiplicity of “churches.” There can’t be several real churches in one community. If that were true how could we deal with an offender according to this passage? If you cast him out of one church, he just goes to another. Can Jesus reject him from His right hand and accept him with His left? What you bind on earth will be bound in heaven means when an offender is cast out by a true church; he’s out of the body of Christ, period! Jesus backs His church up in her disciplinings. But if all the neighborhood “churches” were of Christ then the offender wouldn’t be cast out of Christ’s church but just out of one congregation while he’s still accepted by the others. It borders on blasphemy to think such a thing could go on in Christ’s true church. Obviously the multiplicity of “churches” isn’t of God nor is it acceptable to God. The multiplicity of “churches” makes the Word of God of no effect thus it flagrantly spits in the face of God to say there can be multiple churches in one area that are all of Christ. Concerning this passage where Christ instructs the church on how to deal with an offender who doesn’t repent and hear the church – this can only work when there is one true church united so whoever is cast out of one congregation is cast out of all. That’s how Jesus sees it and He instructs us accordingly. And it has to be as true today as when Christ spoke it. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words will by no means pass away. (Mt24:35) Even today there can be only one true church and if you’re cast out of it you can’t be a part of another true church. If the unrepentant offender joins another “church” he could only join a false church because what is bound on earth is bound in heaven. Christ would not accept the castaway in any of His true churches. If an offender has been bound from coming to a true church like “My Father’s House,” that means he won’t go to heaven either unless he repents. “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. (Mt18:19) What the asking is related to first and foremost is the casting out of a sinner. If you as a church agree to cast him out, and turn him over to the devil, Jesus will back you up. So the true church has tremendous power to discipline. When a true church that is doing right has to deal with offenders, Jesus backs them up with all the power of heaven, and that ought to be a fearful thing. Of course, we’re aware of the abuses of the false churches and how some want to force people to obey things that aren’t of God and we’re not afraid of them. But when a church is of God you better not be haughty but fear because they have the power to turn you over to satan! The true church has life and death power in that way!

The Kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. (Mt13:47-48) They aren’t all Israel who are of Israel (Ro9:6), and not every “church” who claims to believe in Christ is a real church. When Ananias and Sapphira bring their deceit into the church they are quickly dealt with by the Holy Spirit. (Act5:1-10) A supernatural gift of the Spirit reveals to Peter the wickedness in their hearts; they’re lying to the Holy Spirit and to the church. They’re hypocrites, pretending to be what they’re not and it’s a mockery of God for them to do that and think they can get away with it, as though because natural man can’t see therefore God can’t see their trickery either. To protect the church from the leaven of hypocrisy God kills them that – the gates of hell will not prevail against My church. (Mt16:18) So great fear came upon all the church. (Act5:11) Does great fear come upon the mystical church? No. This happened in the physical, visible church because this wicked couple was mocking God in the physical, visible church. “By those who draw near Me I must be regarded as holy, and before all the people I must be glorified.” (Lev10:3) You don’t come into God’s church to shame Him and get away with it. There’s an appropriate behavior in the church. But if I am delayed, I write so that 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. (1Ti3:15) You must glorify God in all that you do. Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1Cor10:31) And especially before the congregation. God killed Nadab and Abihu for not glorifying Him! He stopped Moses from entering into the Promised Land because Moses didn’t glorify Him at Meribah. If you claim to be a Christian you need to wake up to this; you’re here for the glory of God! Each of you is to be a fountain of living waters that adds to the flow that comes out from the temple of God. Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. (Ezek47:1) You better be very serious about this because “My Father’s House” is God’s church and I’m telling you prophetically in God’s church we’re going to see judgments like Sapphira and Ananias and even more. The early church had a descending glory. The sun was setting on them. I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. (Jn9:4) But our sun is rising. What that means is we live out the book of Acts backwards. We started in darkness but we’re moving into glory! The early church started with the glory and moved into the dark ages. But we have come out of the darkness and are moving into the light. So things like what happened with Sapphira and Ananias are sure to occur in our future. With God’s true church today what we’ve seen as glories of the past are now becoming glories soon to come.

You can’t glorify God in the mystical church. He must be glorified in the visible, earthly church. When He judged Sapphira and Ananias great fear came upon all the church. Those who don’t fear God now will fear Him before His work in the end time church is over because He’ll make His fear come upon the peoples again. Christ will ensure there’s enough fear of God in His church that no one will shame Him in His own church ever again. No one will disobey Him in His church. No one will lie to the Holy Spirit and play the hypocrite in His true church! “The fear of the Lord is clean.” (Ps19:9) God will bring this “fear” to pass again that He may have a “clean” church, a glorious church. And He’ll do it the same way he did it before, through judgments. 

Now Saul was consenting to his (Stephen’s) death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church. (Act8:1) You can’t persecute the mystical church can you? It’s only the visible church that can be persecuted. Everything in the bible concerning what’s going on in the church is happening in the physical, visible church. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church. (Act8:3) Saul can’t touch the mystical church, so what church is he making havoc of? And when Jesus knocks him from his horse and says, “I’m Jesus whom you are persecuting, it’s hard for you to kick against the goads.” (Act9:5) Jesus is saying, “When you touch My physical church you touch Me.” He’s also saying, “you are kicking against Me when you kick at My church.” The church is the goads. And you’re only hurting yourself when you come against Christ’s visible physical church. But after Saul was converted Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied. (Act9:31) So again this is talking about the visible physical church. And what God’s true church should be doing is walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. They now had peace because God dealt with their enemy. And though there are many churches they’re all walking as one church, in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. They may have different locations, but they don’t have different beliefs.

The apostasy of today is demonstrated in that the multitudes of churches are of different doctrines and beliefs. That implies there’s a different god for each church. This is a throw back to Babylon, to Assyria, to Rome when you could choose from a thousand different gods the ones you wanted to worship. There were a thousand temples in Rome. You could worship the frog god or you could worship the vestal virgin god. You could worship the panther god or you could worship the emperor himself. You could worship any or all these multiplicity of gods; Dianna of Ephesus, Jupiter or Zeus. You could worship Mercury. Take your pick; whatever appeals to you. Similarly today in the multiplicity of churches we have all different kinds of christs; so you can choose the Jesus that pleases you. Paul says, “If you’ve received a different Christ you may well put up with it.” (2Cor11:4) And they are well putting up with it today! But if you’ve received a different christ, you’ve received a different gospel and if you’ve received and preach a different gospel you’re 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 1:9) So all these false churches today who preach a different gospel are accursed. Their people are in bondage. They don’t know the real Jesus. They’re not blessed. They’re not saved. They claim Jesus is in them but they lie. They’ve no testimony of Jesus actually being in them. They say they’re righteous in Christ but they lie. They’ve no testimony of the righteousness of Christ actually manifesting in their lives.

True saints don’t just say they have what the bible says the saints should have – but true believers actually demonstrate what God says of His saints is actually in them. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. (Rev12:11) The saints are crucified with Christ. (Gal 2:20) They aren’t interested in the world’s ways or attached to the things of the world. The false christians lie. They say they have what the bible says the saints have but they don’t have it. They say they’re crucified with Christ when they aren’t. They say Christ is in them, but He isn’t. Whatever the bible says the true saints have, the false christians claim to have but they don’t. They think, “If the saints have such things and the bible says they have them, then I must have it in some way because I’m saved.” But that’s the lie. The false christians aren’t saved. They don’t have what the saints have. True Christians demonstrate they have what God says they have and can give testimony to prove Christ is actually in them. So the true saints are lovers of truth. But the false are lovers of lies; their father is the devil. You’re of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn’t stand in the truth, because there’s no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he’s a liar and the father of it. (Jn8:44) And their “churches” aren’t Christ’s churches. Their “churches” are enemies to the truth. Their “churches” are enemies to the saints who really hear God. Everybody who hears God has found if you go to one of these “churches” and try to tell them what God is saying, they will viciously attack you. Try to tell them a Christian can be perfected in Christ. “Nobody is perfect,” they’ll scream. So they’re not Jesus’ church; they’re antichrist. They’re all following a fake jesus, and they war against the real Jesus. Little children, it’s the last hour; and as you’ve heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it’s the last hour. They went out from us, but they weren’t of us; for if they had been of us, they’d have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us. (1Jn2:18-19) John says you can identify the antichrists because they’ve gone out from us. John isn’t talking about mere geography. He’s talking about sound doctrine; the antichrists have departed from the truth; “The faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude3) And most churches today have departed from God’s truth. John says, Whoever has been born of God doesn’t sin, for His seed remains in him; and he can’t sin, because he’s been born of God. (1Jn3:9) The antichrist churches don’t believe that. Paul 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) Jude says, Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, (Jude24) and Peter says, but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, (1Pet1:15) But these antichrists say “nobody can be perfect” and they reject the very words of Jesus. Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Mt5:48) In these churches if you stand up for God’s truth they regard you as an enemy. Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth? (Gal 4:16) So truth fails, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. Then the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no justice. (Is59:15) This is a rebellious people, lying children who won’t hear the law of the LORD; Who say to the seers, “Don’t see,” and to the prophets, “Don’t prophesy to us right things; speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits. Get out of the way, turn aside from the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.” (Is30:9-11) These antichrist “christians” have departed from the living God. They’ve become hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. (Heb3:12-13) To be saved today true believers have to depart from the antichrist church. Therefore “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Don’t touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2Cor6:17-18) Today the true believer must return to the church of the Scriptures, to the true church that agrees with what Jesus, Paul, Peter, John and God’s real apostles and prophets speak. In John’s day foolish people were leaving the true church and the true gospel to join the antichrist church. To be “saved” in those days you had to stay in the true church. But to be saved today you must leave the antichrist church to return to the truth and Christ’s real church – the pillar and ground of the truth. (1Ti3:15) Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. (Heb13:13)

 Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. And when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. (Act11:25-26)  Then Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. (Act12:1) This all relates to the visible church. But constant prayer for Peter was offered to God for him by the church. (Act12:5) Which church is praying for Peter? The visible local church in Jerusalem or the mystical church?  The visible church of course. And it’s in answer to those prayers of the visible local church that a miracle takes place and Peter is set free. Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals;” and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.” So he went out and followed him, and didn’t know what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. (Act12:8-9) There’s an awesome difference between a vision and a manifestation. Peter wasn’t having a vision. This was real.

Some time ago while the church was engaged in worship at “My Father’s House” I glanced out the window and saw a woman dressed in white, her hair and body were fully covered. Her hands were upraised toward heaven. She appeared to be interceding powerfully for the church. She stood outside the door in the parking lot between my car and another, very close to the church entrance. Laurie was sitting near me and she looked directly at the woman. I glanced away for a moment to deal with something in the service and when I turned back the woman was gone. So I asked Laurie where did the lady go? And Laurie though she was looking right at the place where I had seen the woman, said she hadn’t seen her. If the woman was a real person Laurie couldn’t have missed her. It was very unusual. Laurie was looking directly at her and didn’t see her. So what I’d seen was a vision. If it were real Laurie would have seen it too. But Peter was visited by a real angel not a vision. This angel opened the prison doors and if there’d been anybody else ready to escape they could have run out that open door too, because this wasn’t a vision of an open door, it was an actual open door. Sometimes God does things in reality and sometimes He sends visions. But when you need real He gives you real. Now, do you need a real church to be saved or a mystical church? When Peter was about to be executed he needed a real deliverance not a vision. And if you want to be saved from hell you need a real church – not a dream church! A vision may have to do with information, teaching, and encouragement. Real would have to do with deliverance. Now, sometimes we need to know things and God can give us a vision for that. But when we need to have something real, God does real. And the gospel isn’t mere information. It’s the power of God to salvation. (Rom1:16) For in Mount Zion there’s deliverance – not just information. Christ’s true church is not mystical – it’s real!

In the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: (Act13:1) If you want to find a prophet or teacher you must go to the true church; the visible, local church. You’ll not find them in the “mystical” church. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. (Mt10:41) In order to receive a prophet or a righteous man’s reward you must be where the prophets and righteous men are. If you want to be taught by a teacher from God, you need to be in the true visible church where God’s teachers are. So when they’d appointed elders in every church… (Act14:23) Did they appoint elders in the visible church or the mystical church? Where are the elders found? Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. (Jas5:14-15) If you’re sick and want to be healed where can you find God’s power to heal you? Only in the visible church where the true elders are. In the Old Testament, the elders would meet at the gates. In the New Testament God’s churches are the gates, and that’s where God’s elders meet. It’s in the gates of hell where satan forms his strategies, but it’s in the true visible church, the gates of His Kingdom, where Jesus shows His people God’s strategies. But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (1Cor1:24-25) The gates of hell will not prevail over Jesus’ church, because His church has His wisdom. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God – and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. (1Cor1:30) And where do you find Christ’s wisdom? In Christ and in His church! 

Now when they’d come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, (Act14:27) God’s been doing a great work of evangelizing the Gentiles, but for the believers to hear of it they have to gather in the church. The people who stay home thinking, “I’m in the mystical church” won’t hear anything! Apart from the visible church you won’t know what’s going on. You have to be gathered together with the visible church to hear the report. And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you’re circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you can’t be saved.” Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question. So, being sent on their way by the church, (Act15:1-3) Did Paul and Barnabas just decide to go on their own? Were they sent by the mystical church? No, they were sent by the physical, visible church. It’s the true, visible church that decides they need to get this issue resolved. So the visible church is demonstrating their unity and support for Paul and Barnabas in this mission on behalf of the truth! And are they being “sent” to inquire of the mystical church? No they’re being sent to Christ’s visible church in Jerusalem. And when they get to Jerusalem they’re received by the real physical church there. See how the Spirit of God in the believers is maintaining the doctrinal unity of the churches in this matter. When a division arises between the churches the leaders bring the issue before the apostles who settle the dispute and order the wrong party to repent. Thus they bring the churches back into unity. Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, (Act15:22) The whole church is of the same mind and again this is the visible physical church. So how does the church come into unity concerning these things? Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church. They come into unity by having a meeting where the whole church in the Holy Spirit considers the matter. And the Spiritual members speak what the Spirit is saying to the church. As Peter (v7-11) and James (v13-21) respond to the Holy Spirit. “My sheep hear My voice.” (Jn10:27) And they all agree, “This is what God wants to do.” For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: (Act15:28) Nobody in God’s true church is sitting home having things their own way. If you’re not participating in Christ’s physical church you’re missing out on what God’s doing. And you’ll find out how much you missed when you get to the judgment.

But Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. (Act15:40-41) Obviously, Paul’s not strengthening the mystical churches. How can anybody get strengthened by Paul when he’s in the church preaching and they’re at home. You get strengthened when you’re where the Holy Spirit and the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers are. Because Paul has come to the visible church with a message from God those who come to hear are strengthened. At “My Father’s House” we’ve sometimes experienced disobedient “brethren,” who’d refuse to attend the daily meetings. They’d try to get by attending church only once or twice a week. These people were always non-productive. When they did attend they’d have no testimonies; nothing worthwhile to share. They were without fruit, stumbling again and again into the flesh; weak and without faith. Eventually Christ cuts them off like dry branches. (Jn15:2,6) In “My Father’s House” God told us to meet daily. 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) Those who won’t obey God and come to church as often as possible will always be weak and they’ll never be an example of true Christianity. They don’t have a real faith. And God won’t bless their disobedience. You can be as stubborn as you want holding on to your own opinions and ways, but you’ll find God can be more stubborn than you and He’ll not bless you in your ways and your opinions. You won’t be blessed until you repent of your disobedience. And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily. (Act16:4-5) The true believers can see the Holy Spirit and the whole church have agreed on the true doctrine of God and in that unity they’re greatly strengthened in  faith.

When he’d landed at Caesarea, and gone up and greeted (saluted, OKJ) the church, he went down to Antioch. (Act18:22) At Caesarea, Paul was entering the area of authority of the Jerusalem church and he felt it his duty to “salute” the church before doing anything else. This shows us Paul’s recognition of the importance of a church’s authority. Paul is an apostle but he doesn’t enter into another church’s sphere of influence without letting them know why he’s there. From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. (Act20:17) Paul called the elders to deliver an important message which they’ll need to share with their congregations. And in closing he charges them, Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. (Act20:28) You can’t be shepherded unless you’re with the flock and where the shepherd is in the real church. If God has made me a shepherd, why don’t you listen to me? These men are not shepherding the mystical church. They’ve been made overseers by God for the purpose of shepherding the visible physical churches in the earth for the protection and salvation of the brethren. Nobody disobeys the shepherd and prospers! God doesn’t undermine the shepherds He puts in authority. You disagree with a God given shepherd who’s doing a work for God and you’re disagreeing with God. (Jn13:20;15:20) You’ll never prosper until you get that disagreement straightened out (Mt5:25) because you’re not independently a Christian. To be saved you must be in God’s church and you must be a functioning part of the true visible church. You’re under the authority of Jesus the Head and the Word of God and such men as He places in authority over you. And you’re to be finding ways to obey, not making excuses to disobey and writing yourself indulgences (excuses) to disobey! If you want to solve your problems repent and get into obedience and you’ll be blessed.

For if I preach the gospel, I’ve nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I don’t preach the gospel! For if I do this willingly, I’ve a reward; but if against my will, I’ve been entrusted with a stewardship. (1Cor9:16-17) Either you’re going to be a good example or a bad one. Abel is a good example. By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. (Heb11:4) Cain is a bad example. It’s up to you which you’ll be. Now “take heed to yourselves,” Paul says to the elders and “take heed to the flock.” Meaning pay attention to what’s going on in the flock and keep them safely for God because Christ has made you an overseer to shepherd His church, and He’s holding you responsible for them. Now, where is this overseeing taking place? In the visible church or the mystical church?

We’ve already covered most of the Scriptures concerning the church in the Gospels and we’re now well into the book of Acts and there hasn’t been a single reference to the “mystical church” yet. Every Scripture is talking about the visible physical church in the earth. Now can you see from the Scriptures there’s something very wrong with the way most people think about church today? Most “believers” seem to think what’s important is to be part of the mystical church and regarding the visible church you can take it or leave it. They think one church is as good as another. It doesn’t really matter which church you attend or even if you attend. Such people aren’t saved. God’s visible church is vital and absolutely important to your salvation. What goes on in the real church has everything to do with your progress and joy of faith (Phil 1:25) and whether or not you will have an abundant entrance into the Kingdom of God. Abundant entrance! (2Pet1:11) I had a vision while we were worshipping a couple days ago. Someone had just prophesied and suddenly I saw myself entering the New Jerusalem. Now I’ve never sought personal glory as a preacher; I never think that way of such things. Concerning going to heaven, I love the Lord with all my heart and I’m doing everything I know to follow the Spirit and do right. I’ll just be happy to meet Jesus and the other saints. I don’t need any personal glory. But I had a vision in which I was coming down the street towards the Holy City and there were thousands and thousands of saints cheering loudly; “Well done Bill! Well done. You’ve finished the race. Welcome Home!” I tell you there’s going to be an abundant entrance into glory for the real saints. Not a barely noticeable one. In “My Father’s House” we’re accomplishing something great, something worth dying for, and worth living for! There’s a cloud of heavenly witnesses cheering us on. (Heb12:1) And when they see us do a good job they’re delighted. If you want to be blessed to have an abundant entrance into heaven it’ll be because of what you did for the Lord and for His church.

I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who’s a servant of the church in Cenchrea, (Rom16:1) Once again each church has a location and is Phoebe a servant of the mystical church? No it’s the church that’s located in Cenchrea. And when Paul commends Phoebe to them he’s saying this is a woman you can trust. She’ll be a help to you. Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. (Rom16:3-4) Why do all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks? Because Priscilla and Aquila saved Paul’s life at the risk of their own.  And if the Gentiles are being blessed by Paul it’s because of what Priscilla and Aquila have done in saving Paul’s life. Thus Priscilla and Aquila are sharing in Paul’s fruit. They’ll have a share in the rewards for everything Paul’s doing since they saved his life. And it isn’t the mystical church who’s thankful; it’s the visible, physical churches that are thanking Priscilla and Aquila. This is so contrary to what goes on in the so-called “churches” of today where the people aren’t listening to the Holy Spirit and they’re all having church their own way according to their own preferences. Today we have a multitude of separated churches each desiring to do their own thing with no sense of God’s guidance. While in Paul’s day there was just one church in various locations but all the same church. And before Jesus returns it must be that way again. Jesus will make his church glorious. And He’ll demonstrate such a difference between His church and the false churches that the people will easily see which is the real church.

To the church of God which is at Corinth. (1Cor1:2) Again in bible times the location is all that defines one church from any other. There can be no doctrinal difference and Paul rebukes them for even carnal divisions. Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it’s been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. (1Cor1:10-11) For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church. (1Cor4:17) All the churches are being taught the same things. They may have various teachers but all the teachers are being guided by the one Holy Spirit. Who then is Paul, and who’s Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one. (1Cor3:5-6,8) He who plants and he who waters are one because they are of the same Spirit.

 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) Unbelievers are the least esteemed by the church. If they’ve rejected Christ what wisdom do they have? For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they’re without excuse, because, although they knew God, they didn’t glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, (Ro1:18-22)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. 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. (Mt5:18-19) Those who don’t keep God’s Word are least in the esteem of the church but those who keep it are the greatest. Then the church should never go to unbelievers or false brethren for guidance or to decide issues between brethren. And Paul goes on to say concerning the brethren, “Why do you go to law against one another? Why do you not rather accept wrong or let yourselves be defrauded?” (1Cor6:7)

Recently Laurie testified about walking away from an argument and letting herself be defrauded rather than exacerbating a situation that could interfere with someone being drawn to the Lord. I’ve experienced similar things. Once, very early in my Christianity after church I stopped at a restaurant I didn’t realize was a hangout for the Sunday brunch baptist crowd. One very loud and arrogant baptist man was assailing everyone he didn’t know concerning their faith. I suppose he thought he was witnessing or showing what a zealous baptist he was to the others. He was making himself obnoxious even to the waitresses. Finally he said something to me and I responded that I’d just attended services in an Assembly of God Church. This set him off in bad mouthing the Pentecostals. At the time I was a “baby” Christian. I’d only been in church a couple of months and this proud Pharisee stands up in a public restaurant in front of many unbelievers trying to provoke an argument with me by telling everybody everything he thinks is wrong with the Pentecostals. I said to my wife, “It would be a reproach upon God to argue with this man in this place. We’ll just walk out quietly.” Love does not behave unseemly. (1Cor13:5) It took some time after that for God to show me all baptists were of the devil but I knew that one was. Since then God has shown me they’re all Godless heretics. They’re a brood of vipers. It’s the fruit of their bad theology that produces such nasty people as that arrogant baptist man! Baptists don’t know the first thing about being led by the Spirit or letting yourself be defrauded or suffering for Christ. We’ve often had to suffer with wicked baptist-types defrauding us at the prisons. They’d take over counseling rooms, slander us in mixed meetings and usurp positions that didn’t belong to them. Many such things they’ve done through which we’ve suffered meekly so as not to bring reproach upon the Lord, particularly before the young men who are just learning to know Christ. True saints often suffer themselves to be defrauded rather than bring a reproach upon God in situations like that. But Paul says concerning the Corinthians “You do wrong and defraud others.” (1Cor6:8) We’ve used that Scripture to rebuke our own children when they get in the flesh. “Why don’t you let your brother defraud you rather than sin by getting into an argument. Don’t you know Christ is the judge? Don’t you know He’s standing at the door? (Jas5:9) Don’t you know the unrighteous won’t inherit the Kingdom of God?” (1Cor6:9) That proud baptist isn’t going to heaven. You might say, “Unless he repents!” But he won’t find repentance in the false church he attends. His “brethren” flatter him! They think he’s a super baptist. He’s a bold defender of their faith! How can he repent when he thinks God will reward him for his foolishness?

As God has distributed to each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches. (1Cor7:17) Paul doesn’t permit different rules for different churches. We’re all to walk by the same rule. Nevertheless, to the degree we’ve already attained, let’s walk by the same rule, let’s be of the same mind. (Phil 3:16) Generally, it’s the same rule for everybody in the church. God says it to one person in the church then it’s for everybody in the church. The few exceptions to this are those things where, for example, Jesus says “To some it’s given to be a eunuch, to some it’s not” (Mt19:11-12) Or when Paul says “It’s better if you remain single if you have that gift; but you haven’t sinned if you marry.”(1Cor7:7,28) So where there’s an exception, the exception is made known in the Scriptures. And when counsel is given to the church as a whole if some members are excepted God will make known who the exceptions are, and He’ll distinguish those who are excepted so everyone can see it doesn’t inhibit them from being Spiritual and from participating fruitfully in the services. But when somebody makes an exception God hasn’t made and does it their own way, they always end up stumbling publicly. In such cases you can know for a certainty their indulgences are not from God but are their own presumptions. They stumble because they’ve disobeyed! For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you. (1Cor11:19) If they were actually in obedience to God and God was giving them different instructions, He’d glorify them in their obedience to His special instructions by showing the church He’s very much with them. So they’d be bright and shining stars; they wouldn’t be people who are always failing or being rebuked. You can tell those who are hearing God from those who are lying when they say it’s God. If you’re obeying God, He’ll bless you. He’ll distinguish you; He’ll reward you openly. If you’re resisting Him He’ll shame you. And He’ll keep shaming you till you repent. Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, (1Cor10:31-32) It’s important as much as lieth in you not to offend and particularly not to offend the true church.

But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom. (1Cor11:16) The custom Paul is talking about here is the head covering for Christian women. The “contentious” are those who are accusing Paul’s churches of doing away with the covering and trying to change the tradition. And what Paul’s saying is we have no such custom in our churches as to tell our women they don’t need to be covered. The churches are being accused of changing this custom and Paul is upholding it by explaining why a woman must demonstrate by her covering that she’s under authority. So he rejects this accusation that the churches are violating this tradition and closes by saying, we don’t have a custom of telling our women they don’t have to be covered where as the “contentious” false churches today have done exactly that. He begins saying, Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. (v2) The specific tradition he’s telling the church to keep is that the women should be covered when they pray or prophesy in the corporate church meetings. So what he’s arguing against is someone who’s been saying his churches have started a new custom that women don’t have to be covered in the church. But Paul says “We have no such custom, that’s not us, we’re not doing that,” nor do the (other) churches of God. (1Cor11:16) “We believe in covering!” And so you see again the agreement. Everything Paul says here concerning the churches is always “I teach the same thing in every church.” There’s complete doctrinal unity in the church. “The other churches of God don’t reject the covering either.” Which tells us that the churches who reject the doctrine of covering aren’t among “the churches of God.”

For first of all, when you come together as a church, (So you aren’t a church unless you come together visibly and physically) I hear  there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you. (1Cor11:18-19) When there are disagreements between “believers,” God uses them to demonstrate who the true and who the false christians are. He’ll bless the true and shame the false publicly so the elect can know what’s acceptable to God and what isn’t. Every faction that separates from the truth will be shamed publicly by God while the approved, obedient ones will be blessed in such a way that all can see this is the kind of Christianity God favors. God wants the true people of God to see plainly how to serve Him correctly. Who are the people who get blessed in “My Father’s House?” The ones who are here and attentive every night. Those are the blessed! You can see the difference plainly in the joyful lives of the believers who are obedient versus the troubled lives of the disobedient. “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.” (Is57:21)

 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God? (1Cor11:22) Most so-called “believers” today do despise God’s church. When you’re careless about church attendance you’re despising the church. When you come to church unprepared to edify the brethren (Eph4:16)) you’re despising the church. When you don’t do your fit part in supporting the church financially, you’re despising the church. Do you despise the church of God? What does Paul connect that with? Not rightly discerning the Lord’s body. (1Cor11:29) The church is the Lord’s body and it’s composed of the flesh and blood people of God. If you think you can be part of the mystical body of Christ while you despise the actual people that compose the flesh and blood body of the Lord, you’re dreadfully deceived. “You’re kicking against the pricks!” Jesus said to Saul, “What you do to the least of these My brethren you do to Me.” For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. (Eph5:30) The true believers have put on Christ. He’s living inside us and we’re serving Him as His body. If you disregard the brethren to do things your own way or think you don’t need to be a part of the work God is doing in the church or you don’t need to listen to and obey what the Spirit is saying to the church, then you aren’t a part of the body! If you don’t do your part in blessing and edifying the brethren, then you’re of the factions God will shame, cut off, curse and show everyone they’re disapproved. Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I don’t praise you. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. (1Cor11:33,21-22,29)

The people are eating selfishly without concern for the other members of Christ’s body. And Paul says, “This isn’t the Lord’s Supper! (v20) You’re having your own supper. You’re having it your own way. Don’t you understand you’re to be meeting together as the body of Christ? Don’t you understand what you do to a real brother in this place you’re doing it to Jesus? And Jesus will judge you accordingly.” If you’ve done it to the least of these My brethren, you’ve done it to Me. (Mt25:40) As a Christian you’re even expected to treat unbelievers decently. But when you enter into the congregation of God’s people, who are joined to the Lord, who’ve put on Christ and are doing the will of the Lord, who are edifying each other and causing the Kingdom of God to be forwarded; when you’re getting together with people in whom Jesus is actually living, you better not despise those people because they’re Christ’s body and you better not despise what’s going on in that congregation because it is Christ Himself you are despising. What you think of them and say of them and do to them you’re doing to Christ.  

In “Christendom” today there’s no subject on which the people are more ignorant than church itself. The so-called believers today know nothing of what it really means to be a part of the body of Christ and to function together in the Spirit as the true church of God. It isn’t the Lord’s church they’re having. And there’s no more demonic doctrine, no greater lie than to believe you can be in Christ’s body, His church, when you don’t participate in the true visible local church. In this teaching we’ve just examined the many Scriptures concerning Christ’s church and not one is referring to anything except the visible physical gathering together of believers in the earth. As concerns the doctrine of “having church” and “being in Christ’s church,” there is no mystical church. If you aren’t in Christ’s visible physical church you aren’t in Christ at all; you aren’t bearing fruit, you aren’t saved, you aren’t a brother or sister to the true believers. If you aren’t a functioning member of Christ’s true visible and physical church you have no part in Him. (Jn13:8) If you aren’t being washed you’re lost, not saved, and you can only be washed in the true church. That he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word, That he might present her to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that she should be holy and without blemish. (Eph5:26-27)

Prophecy: I’m God and I do whatever I please. But many today say they believe in God yet they do whatever they please. You can only demonstrate you know I’m God when you’re doing what I please. It’s only then good things are happening, excellent things get done; you’re at the right place at the right time to minister and give the gospel of light to someone who’s needy! There’s prophecy, there’s prayer, there are sharings, and there’s increase but only when you’re doing what I please, saith the Lord. Do My will and I’ll back you up. I’ll pour out My Spirit and I’ll increase all My blessings in you. I say also that My elect are those who have a heart for Me, who love to serve Me, who honor Me; who search out My will that they may always do those things that please Me. These are My people, the ones I bring to My house. These are the true increase and I’ll bring such home to My church, saith the Lord.

Prophecy: Just as I told Naaman through My servant Elisha that he must go and be washed in the waters of the Jordan, I tell you My people that you must come to My church and be washed in the waters of My Word to be cleansed of your iniquities or you’ll not be made fit for the day of My appearing. And just as Naaman if he hadn’t obeyed would never have received his cleansing, so those who refuse to come to My church and be washed in My Word will never receive the cleansing that will make them fit to be part of My Kingdom. And I tell you that it’s My Kingdom and I choose who enters. And no one can be made fit for My Kingdom according to their own ways apart from Me, saith the Lord. It’s My Kingdom. I’ve established it. And I’ve set forth the pattern and I show you the way you must come to be cleansed and be made fit. I’m cleansing you here at “My Father’s House” and I’m making you worthy of My everlasting habitations; worthy to dwell with Me and to be of My heavenly family. Yet there are many who think they’ll be a part of My Kingdom because they “believe in Christ” yet they won’t come and be washed. I tell you in that day they’ll be utterly rejected. For I won’t let iniquity into My kingdom. And I won’t let their filthy rags be seen in the midst of those who wear My glorious robes, saith the Lord. (Prophecies delivered at “My Father's House”)

 A Call To My Elect

You seek for truth though it seems you cannot find it.

So many lies, your mind is surrounded.

Oh weary soul, I have the answer.

Turn to Me, I will show you My banner.

The Glory of His Grace is My banner raised

To settle doubts and set you free from heretics today.

“I want to be righteous,” I hear you say.

I’ll lead you to Zion, will you quickly obey?

I have one True Church and My Son is the Head.

She’s a Lily among thorns yet a shelter and I’m her strength.

Outside of My church, you will not be saved.

You must choose to be in or you’ll wither instead.

The narrow and right way your heart wants to choose.

That’s My Son in you bearing witness to what’s true.

“Come out to My church,” is My calling to you.

So saith the Lord to My elect precious few!

(Poetic Prophecy delivered at “My Father’s House” By: Elia Taylor)

The Glory of His Grace is offered free of charge. However, tax-deductible contributions can be made to “My Father’s House” and are much appreciated.
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 My father’s House, inc.
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