The Exposition Of A Failed Church, Domination Part #4

It has been the intent of the Devil to dominate the church from the day it was conceived, the same as it was his plan to dominate man the day he was created.  For reasons we shall not delve into, he chose Eve to put his infamous plan of divide and conquer into action.  The church was formed as a spiritual entity that existed within the heart, thus creating a strange paradox.  If the Devil were to enter the secret chambers of the heart in search of the church, the church could not be found.  Thus Jesus, speaking of the spiritual church, proclaimed that the gates of Hell would not be able to stand against the church.  To circumvent this proclamation and to achieve it ends, the Devil realized the necessity of recreating the church or assembly as a natural, organized and most importantly a corruptible body.

The road to the domination of a church or the church as an organized earthly body began with false claims being made in the name of God.  Like the rock star of the sixties who proclaimed that, “God is dead”, church leaders began to preface their message with, “God spoke to me.”  In the face of such stunning proclamation there were no questioning the validity of the message, as the church marched down the wide road of emotional bliss.  New doctrines emerge and new leaders are lifted up the same as the Children of Israel lifted up the golden calf.  The ancient end time prophecies of Daniel and Revelation is cast aside as men of piety with impressive titles before and after their name debated the relevancy of God in a modern society.  As the new day dawns, humanity embraces a new and politically correct deity

The spirituality of the church as an organized body has changed as the natural elements of life is being embraced.  The message of salvation has changed into a message of deliverance.  God is portrayed as delivering his people from all types of  adversities.   The promise of healing, deliverance and financial blessings are used by the unscrupulous to draw people into a cult type relationship.   Often our eagerness to hear God speak causes us to step outside of the sheepfold and our ears to become attuned to the voice of the Devil.   Maybe the message should be, “God has already spoken.” 

Now, it is not acceptable to speak of false claims  being made  in God name because the God of our salvation is capable of performing any and all acts.  God is redistributing wealth, buying cars and providing all of the basic necessities of life.  The acceptances of this conclusion, allow us to depend on God for deliverance in every situation.  Daniel was able to say in  Daniel 3:17,  “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.”  Yet, Paul wrote to all of the saints in Christ Jesus which was at Philippi, in Philippians 1:29, “ For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;.”  Paul, whose life was a true example of suffering was writing and offer consolation to the church who was enduring persecution.  2 Timothy 2:3  Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.  2 Timothy 3:12  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 

The Church in Pergamum depicts the Era of Church-State Union (A.D. 312–590).  It denotes a visible church that began to organize itself under guidelines set forth by the State.  State acceptance and control of the church was now becoming a reality.  Jesus frowned on this type of organized church that was formed by those who desired to be leaders of the church.  Revelation 2:14-15  But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

Who was Balaam and what was his claim to fame in the Word of God?  Numbers 22-23 detail the story of a man of God, whose focus was on the money. In  2 Peter 2:15 Peter spoke of the leaders, “ Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;” Jude 1:11  Woe unto them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. 

Many leaders claimed to have the knowledge of Christ, but their motives are contrary to the teaching of Christ.  False claims became an indisputable road to power in an earthly organized church.  This is necessary because the church as a spiritual body offered no earthly enhancements of life.  Jesus often spoke of the suffering one must endure to follow him.  False claims or twisted the Word of God to deceive is a concept that has been in practice from the beginning of time.  In the garden the Devil convinces the created that they could be like the creator by explaining what God meant.  Imagine a church whose message was to prepare its members to suffer, with all of the suffering going on in the world, people would run from the church.

In the early days of the church the people came together, without any preconceived idea or notion of a blessing, their purpose was to search the scripture in hope of obtaining everlasting life.  Whether they worked as a successful fisherman or had great wealth, they were attuned to the fact that I know I am going to leave this place and leave all of this behind.  Jesus posed the question in Matthew 16:26  “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”  Their joy and emotional stimulate was derived from remembering and reflecting on the promises that Jesus made.  John 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  Galatians 6:8  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

John 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.  In this age when God is silent and Jesus after being rejected, returned to the right hand of his father, The only thing that is standing between mankind and judgment in this final age and dispensation is the Holy Spirit within the heart of humanity, pleading and struggling to bring mankind into the way of truth.  If you were to read the Bible as the unfolding history of God’s interaction with his creation, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you into the way of truth, this would be the inspired conclusion.  If it is your desire to establish a conduit of control and manipulation then you will overlook ages and dispensations and use the Word of God to create a cure all for the common ills of humanity.  In doing so, we create a sellable product, we also create an impotent god whose power is derived from those who are blinded by the glitter.  The same as we create “stars” whose value is of an irreverent nature, whose purpose is to entertain.  Entertainment is a sellable product and the visible church has now become dominated by entertainers.

Visualize a church without walls, a church without denominational restrictions.  Visualize a church whose sole purpose is the spiritual enlightenment and empowerment of its members.   The church that Jesus founded was never intended to rule over by a man, even Jesus referred to himself as being a servant.  What the church has become was what the spiritual church was never intended to be.  If the question was asked, what is the church?  The researched and studied answer should be, the church is a spiritual body, referred to as the bride of Christ.  Many noted theologians refer to the church as been purchased by the blood of Christ, therefore it is infallible.  This is the grand ideology as Jesus spoke of the gates of Hell not being able to stand against the church, but there is a “but” included here for Jesus himself condemned what the church had become and issued threats against the visible corruptible church

Is the church of today a conduit to salvation?  This is a question that screams for an answer if the church wishes to regain its relevancy.   In today’s political correct society, the question cannot be truthfully answered because the answer would be based upon  denominational affiliations.

Next

The Exposition Of A Failed Church, Substitution. Part #5

The Exposition Of A Failed Church, Pagan Worship Part #3B

There is a specter of witchcraft and voodoo hanging heavily over many church worship services as pastors and worship leaders strive to replicate the powers manifested by Jesus Christ and his apostles.  The use of God’s name in rituals that have no spiritual edification has become commonplace.  God is often introduced in the social media, making vain promises to award money and special favors to those who type “Amen”.  I got a message from God that says your prayer is about to be answered, is a familiar ploy designed to elevate the status of the speaker.  It usually evokes an emotional response equivalent to the home team scoring a touchdown.   Reminiscent of the day when  the minister began his message to a crowd of fifty or more listeners with,  “God said there is somebody in here with a headache…” Exodus 20:7  Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.  Somewhere in all of this a grain of common sense was missing.

Many church leaders are traveling to third world countries and are attempting to commune with Pagan deities in search of the familiar powers.  Church and worship leaders are engaging in rituals and dances that exposes the fabric of the soul to the dark influences of the world.  Paul warned the church in Ephesians 6:12, For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. What began as an experiment with chicken blood and chicken parts have morphed into an elaborate scheme of mind control that is being played out through a process of indoctrination, cute clichés and misquoting the scripture.  

Ceding from the position of offering spiritual guidance to a spiritual body, the new church of today has taken on the role of a Provocateur of Pagan or earthly values, offering earthy richness, and emotional edification of the flesh in exchange for money, and Jesus is left standing at the door knocking. 

The Christian life is and always been a warfare against sin, Satan, the world, and the flesh.  The Gospel teaches us that we must never yield to our spiritual enemies.   Jesus promise to the spiritual church in Revelation 2:10 was, “… be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life”.  There is nothing in that statement that says I will give you a big bank account.  As Christians, if we are faithful unto death, we shall have a glorious triumph and reward. All who persevere, shall derive from Christ, as the Tree of life, perfection and confirmation in holiness and happiness, not in the earthly paradise, but in the heavenly.  The Gospel of the Kingdom never was intended to deliver one from the suffering of this world, but to minister to those who chose to suffer to follow Christ.  The questions that the Christ asks today is, “do you love me?  Will you suffer for me? Will you die for me?”

The Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Gospel of the Kingdom is often made of none effect by the desire of those who wish to be a wonder or a superstar.  Many are  making spurious promises in the name of God.  From the pages of social media to the alter of the church, God is making promises to fix situations, to heal sick bodies and to fight battles for us.  The promise of healing and blessings is used to promote our earthly agenda.  The earthly promises that were made to an earthly people (Jews) are now being transferred to a spiritual body (the church), creating contradictions in the Word of God.  With hungry hands uplifted to God, we beg for the blessing of Abraham. 

What was it that caused the church as depicted in the Book of Revelation 2:3 to abandon its position?   Jesus said it began with the church losing its first love.  "… And you have perseverance and have endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.  'Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lamp stand out of its place-- unless you repent.…"  What was the church’s first love?   Was the church promoting a love affair of earthly goods? 

The church’s love for the bridegroom had declined.  The church’s love for spiritual things had declined.  The church was warned that it  must be grieved and ashamed for its sinful declining, and humbly confess it faults in the sight of God. The church must endeavor to recover their first zeal, tenderness, and seriousness, and must pray as earnestly, and watch as diligently, as did when it first began its Christian journey.  If the presence of Christ's grace and Spirit is slighted in the least bit, we should expect the presence of Christ’s  displeasure.   

The early sixties saw the rebirth of Paganism in the United States as a religion.  The sixties also  herald the birth of a new type of consciousness that was described in song as the dawning of the age  of Aquarius.  The Age of Aquarius, an astrological term denoting either the current or forthcoming astrological age, depending on the method of calculation.  An age when mankind takes control of the earth and its own destiny, as  its rightful heritage. As such, mankind will become the "Son of God"  Jesus or Christianity was no longer promoted as the only way, they were characterized as one of many ways, by those whom we had lifted up. 

One of the keywords of Aquarius is "enlightenment". The destiny of mankind in the Age of Aquarius is the revelation of truth and the expansion of consciousness.  These also are the attributes of Paganism made possible through the  proliferation of the forbidden knowledge of good and evil.  Paganism is no longer a loosely constructed group or ideology.  As a religion, it is a way of life and it affords all of the protections that other religions are entitled to under the constitution of the United States.

How can this be in a God fearing country such as the United States?  How could a country that prided itself in being, one nation under God, fall so far from grace?  How can the God of our salvation be cast about and discarded so easily?  It's really not a hard question to answer when we consider that it began in our school systems where the young minds are shaped.  A slow erosion of Christian values replaced by a Pagan view of the heavens and the earth, this left the church in an untenable position.  Many church leaders were not prepared or even qualified to stand against the onslaught of this Pagan knowledge and found themselves changing to accommodate the viewpoints of this younger generation.  It was a necessary act to increase the body count and sustain the cash flow of a failing organization.

The United States, was once considered a Christian nation until it was forced to acknowledge the sins of its past.  In an overt attempt of self correction, new laws were enacted, but not without forethought and extensive planning.  The church, sided with the minority population, using the world as a stage was instrumental in chastising the government.  The church along with other groups had presented itself as entities that needed to be punished and brought under the control of the government. 

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 enacted July 2, 1964 was considered to be a landmark piece of civil rights legislation in the United States.  In the simplest terms, it outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.   In churches across the nation this piece of legislation was hailed as a blessing from God, diverse and ethnic groups joined hands and danced in the street at the awakening of a new day for America.  Like the rat who only see the cheese while anticipating the feast, the subliminal control was never noticed until the trap sprung shut.  In less than forty years, Christianity a two thousand year old religion was downgraded from the true religion to just one of many religions, and the church is being brought under the control of the government. 

President George W Bush's first executive order created the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives in the White House. This action expanded on the "Charitable Choice" provision, passed as part of President Clinton's 1996 welfare reform bill, that allowed smaller and more overtly religious groups or churches to receive government funding for providing social services.  There are many varied definitions of religion which allow for the inclusion of all types of belief structures, thus Christianity is but one of many religions.   In 2003, faith-based social services grants is said to have totaled more than $1.17 billion dollars. Critics of the government’s action, including some evangelical Christians warned that it will lead to the entanglement and endangerment of the church.  Jesus frowned on this type of relationship.  

The warnings proved to be especially foresighted. It soon came to light that under Bush, promises of faith-based money were being dangled in front of religious communities in return for political support.  Throughout the bible, this type of relationship is called, “playing the whore.”  In 2002 and 2004, staffers from the White House faith-based office appeared at rallies alongside GOP candidates, implying to voters that the best way to get faith-based grants was to support the GOP.  Faith-based grants were also used to silence critics of the program.  A well known TV preacher was an early opponent of the initiative, asserting that churches would become dependent on government aid, which would become “like a narcotic.” He stopped voicing these concerns, after his charity was given a $1.5 million grant.

Faith-based grants forces the church to operate as a business, and when a business receive funds from the federal government it must operate according to the mandates of the federal government.  Under The Civil Rights Act of 1964 the government has gained control of  the message of many mainstream churches.  Marriage, a Christian institution is now being defined by the government.  Church conventions or meetings that once were held for spiritual empowerment, now give space to teach budding ministers how to get money from the government. After decades of chipping away at the facade of, In God We Trust”,  first the schools, then the courts, the president of the United States was finally able to go on national television and declare to the world, “America is no longer a Christian nation”, and the church said, Amen. `

In the book of Revelation we have the symbol of seven golden lamps, signifying the Church in its completeness and perfection here upon the earth. The true Church is perfect, and without spot or wrinkle.  Not the local assembly, the visible church, but the invisible Church as described in Ephesians 5.  So the “seven golden lamps” symbolize the Church in its perfect estate. The seven Asiatic lamps have long since been removed according to the divine threat (Revelation 2:5). And a similar judgment is about to overtake the professing church as a whole (Romans 11:22). Where are the lampstands of gold today? This should be a solemn and a searching question for the church on earth today. 

The Exposition Of A Failed Church., Pagan Worship , Part #3-A

The influence of Paganism in church worship services is that elephant in the room that modern day Christians have learned to ignore.  If we were to look closely at the parallels brought out in this discussion, we would be forced to admit, Paganism is playing a role in modern day worship services.  Voodoo and witchcraft has reemerged and is given a seat at the table of respectability, they are now being introduced as the power of God.   These processes can either be studied more closely or they can be cast aside as nothing more than the irrelevant rant of an ambiguous old man. 

Christians have a long history of being dogmatic, legalistic, and often misusing, mis-locating and misquoting the Scriptures when striving to validate various points. Any question concerning the influence of Paganism in the modern church often digresses into a discussion of Saturday versus Sunday worship services or Christmas and the Easter rabbit.  It is almost impossible to discuss the subject from a biblical viewpoint without somebody disagreeing. Each person tends to think of himself or his group as being properly balanced, but the truth is, people of different denominations draw lines in different places, based upon their knowledge or lack of knowledge, thus adding to the overall confusion of Christianity.   This level of confusion allowed the Devil to invade the church and install elements of Pagan worship that is acceptable to many, but contrary to the word of God.

Paganism embraces the concept of multiple gods, which is contrary to the Word of God who said, “I am God and there is none other”.   Existing first as a non religion, Paganism prided itself on being in tune with the heaven and the earth.  The god of the sun and the god of the moon being the dominant gods, but there were gods of war and gods of peace.  The days of the week were named after pagan gods, or they originated from pagan cultures.  The first day of the week was named to honor the god of the sun, whereas Monday was named to honor the moon god, Tuesday derived its name from the war god, (*Tīwaz (“Tyr, god of war”) + *dagaz (“day”). In the ancient days, no god fearing Pagan would dare go to war or even enter into marriage without first vainly invoking the blessing of their war god or the god of fertility. 

Exodus 20:7  Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.  It seems as if God is saying do not use my name in settings that do not modify my spirituality.  Thou shall not use the name of God in vain worship of men or money.  Matthew 15:9  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.  John 4:23-24  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Much of the argument that consumes the religious community has already been settled by the scripture, yet it seems to be in the best interest of the religious community to keep these arguments alive.   Controversy and confusion, allow those who are seeking power and control to expand their own group.  For instance, the confusion that exists concerning the application of the Law could be put in the proper perspective by reading Galatians 3:24-25, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”  It is often to the advantage of many to argue the evidence away. Proverbs 4:7  Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

One of the most astonishing attempts in the Bible to merge Pagan practices into the worship of God took place while Moses was up on the mountain receiving God’s laws.  Moses spent forty days (Exodus 24:18) up on the mountain communing with God, and by the end of that time, the people were beginning to think Moses had died or left them. The people urged Aaron, a leader that was chosen by God, to make a god for them to follow. Their Egyptian upbringing had fostered a false concept of a god that required a visual representation. This was the result of their confused thinking, tainted by the influences of growing up in a Pagan society.  Rather than being a strong leader and standing firm against the will of the people, Aaron gave in.  He took their gold earrings, which they had brought from Egypt, and melted them down to make a golden idol.   (He took their money and made an idol out of it.) The idol he crafted for them was a calf, but Aaron maintained the name of the Lord in connection with it (Exodus 32:5).

A new level of understanding could be open up by reading and rereading the action of Aaron and the people of God.  What was it that Aaron did wrong?  Lets make several simple observations  and agree to discuss them in detail later.  He took the people gold and fashioned a golden calf, then he lifted it up before the people.  He maintained or claimed that this calf represented the Lord that brought them out of the land of Egypt.  He used a natural object to modify a spiritual God, this allowed the people to have a natural and emotional experience with their god.  He used the name of the Lord in this obscene practice, and by doing so he felt he could justify his actions.   God had already spoken in Exodus 20:4, and said, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:”

Aaron and the people were merging the pagan practices they were familiar with and the worship of the God they were just beginning to be re-acquainted with. Aaron, I repeat for the sakes of reiteration, at the risk of being redundant,  was a man chosen by God,  called the people together and lied to them, he told them that the golden calf was the god that delivered them from Egypt. If there were any doubters of the action of Aaron or the people, a proclamation of this nature was enough to win them over.  Aaron also proved to be envious of Moses position.  The people offered sacrifices and then engaged in rituals, to worship this new god image.  The Pagan rituals that they were familiar with being, meditation, chanting or singing, drumming, myth- and storytelling, ritual drama, dance, and other acts of emotional ecstasy.

Exodus 32:17-19  And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp. And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear.  And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.

2 Timothy 3:1-9  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are better,  Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.  Now, as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.  But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.

Within the last few decades, there has been many strange occurrences within the household of faith that has been touted as the power or spirit of God.  The use of snakes in a worship service is nothing new, but encouraging members to get down on their knees and eat grass, while another sent his parishioners throughout the church in search of angel feathers and angel dust introduces a new level of confusion and disbelief.  In many church worship services, members are encouraged to throw money on the altar at the foot of the preacher, a practice I first observed in a strip club in my younger days.  Positions and entourages are created within the church that places the pastor, praise leaders or others in a lifted up position that demands honor and respect Church and pastor’s anniversaries have taken on a life of their own and the driving force behind salvation is money.  Are we guilty of creating a golden calf?

Most Christian messages are geared around convincing the listeners to give more money with a promise that God is going to return their gift one hundred fold.  Those on the outside looking in often come to the unsustainable conclusion that from a financial perspective the sinner is poor and the Christians are rich. 

It has been said that music is capable of soothing the savage beast.  Music can be relaxing or it can be stimulating.  In the church often music is viewed as a means to facilitate an encounter with God; it will move us closer to God. In this schema, music becomes a means of mediation between God and man. But is this idea closer to ecstatic pagan practices than in Christian worship?  1 Timothy 2:5  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;  Some churches embrace the use of musical instruments, while some churches refrain.   According to Paul, Wine is good, but in the hands of a fool it is a mockery. 

Often the discussion of pagan worship is centered around what day those who was involved in pagan worship set aside to worship their god or the rituals they used to edify the group.  Admittedly, there is a divide within the household of faith on the day of worship or even the celebration of certain holidays.  Christmas and Easter usually rank high on the list of pagan influenced holidays.  New and modern day studies seeks to destroy the traditions of the past, thus creating a vacuum that is quickly filled by warring spirits.  This divide is further amplified by the desire to include selective elements of the Jewish law into the Christian worship. (Galatians 3:23-25).  

To Be Continued 

The Exposition Of A Failed Church., The Split, Part #2

The Splitting of The Church

John to the seven churches, seven is a symbolic and representative number used in the scripture to indicate a period of time, a time of repetition, such as seven days is a week, a period of time that will repeat itself as long as time exist.  It signifies the fullness of and a marker that indicates the completeness of the works of God.  If man is involved, then the number seven is a time of testing and it requires, and is indicative of, an act of faith. Joshua was required to march around the walls of Jericho seven times; Naaman was required to wash in the dirty river of Jordan seven times. Now, if we can view the seven churches as representative churches, then we can see the history of the church unfold and the message that is passed down to the church of today. If we refuse to accept these churches as representative churches, and the significance of the use of the number seven then we are justifying the changing and polluted messages that are being preached in many of the churches today.

The seven churches named in the second and third chapter of Revelation represent the churches throughout the church age. They are representative churches, chosen by the spirit because of certain characteristics typical of the character of the church, not only in the day when John wrote, but on down through the centuries until the church is caught up to meet their Lord in the air. These seven churches represent periods of time clearly defined in both sacred and secular history. 

Many growing churches, in search of the Mega-Church status have divested themselves of the spiritual and atonement promises of the Gospel and began to focus on the entertainment and financial motivational aspects of Christianity.  The knowledge of God is cast aside as new or updated messages emerge that redefine God and caters to the needs and progress of the knowledge of good and evil.  The modern day organized church operating as a business began the process of recreating itself when it was forced to acknowledge a dwindling pool of indoctrinated souls.  In view of Daniel’s prophecy, (Daniel 12:4), the indoctrination process failed with the sudden increase of knowledge that took place within the last two hundred years. 

Studies showed that many of the young people who grew up in the church were leaving the church after reaching the age of consent.  A church without young people is a dying church To remain viable new methods of attracting and involving young people had to be implemented.  To attract this vast pool of young and old, ministers begin by learning to preach motivational messages with a scriptural subtext and the spirit of God was redefined as nothing but an emotional reaction.   The church that is depicted in Revelation 3:14, underwent a startling transformation.

The changing course of the organized church is not a new thing.  During the early days of the New Testament Church when the Gentiles were becoming believers, they were forced to accept the Jewish Law and all of its provisions, particularly circumcision. For many non-Jewish descent, it was a source of contention and one which faced St. Paul in his ministry to the gentiles. It was the first major dispute in the New Testament Church  It is a dispute that was settled, yet it is still alive today.   Galatians 3:24-26  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.  Paul’s teaching is re-interpreted in such a manner the it gives a certain instability to faith in Christ.

The oldest organized church of record, the Catholic church became embroiled in disputes, soon after it was established as an organized body.  In his letters to the seven churches, Jesus describes it as a church that had lost its first love. For the first thousand years of Christianity, there were no "denominations" within the hierarchy of the church as there is today.  Offshoot groups existed, but they were considered "heresies" and part of the church’s mission was to bring these groups into one fold.  In 1054 the catholic church, the church that lay claim to being the church founded by Saint Peter split. 

The first division within Christendom came in 1054 with what was called the "Great Schism" between the Western Church and the Eastern Church. From that point forward, there were two large branches of Christianity, which came to be known as the Catholic Church (in the West) and the Orthodox Church (in the East). The next major division occurred in the 16th century with the Protestant Reformation. The Reformation was sparked by Martin Luther and "Protestantism" as a movement or denomination officially began in 1529.

We will not attempt to do a detailed study of organized church history, but from 1054 and forward church history will show a pattern of splits upon splits.  Many of these splits were orchestrated by men who were striving to maintain the purity of  Christian values, while there were those who was in search of power. 

The church of England, initially prompted by a dispute over the annulment of the marriage of King Henry VIII to Catherine of Aragon, the Church of England separated from the Roman Catholic Church in 1534 and became the established church of the Empire by an Act of Parliament in the Act of Supremacy, (Rights of the Empire), thus beginning a series of events known as the English Reformation.  Once the door was open and God’s refusal to actively take sides, ‘splits’ became acceptable within the household of faith as the means of starting a new church or denomination.

The desire to stand out, the desire to be a superstar, the desire to be in charge is the driving force behind many new denominations and ministers entering into the vineyard of Christ.  To  make such statements is to open myself up to criticism, but there is an urgent need for the truth to be told.  Hiding behind scriptures out of context and making false claims of God has placed the church in a tenuous position.  To sustain itself in a blatant attempt to remain relevant, that which was once considered to be a part of the world is now being drawn into the church, not for the purpose of edifying God, but for the purpose of attracting more people into the church as a place of entertainment.  Modern day churches are seeking to merge worship and entertainment,  and there are those who are good at this are reaping the benefits while Jesus is left standing at the door knocking.

Before we proceed further, to understand the word of God as pertaining to the churches we must be able to reconcile the meaning of these scriptures: Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  Acts 8:3  As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.  Acts 12:1-2  Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.  And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.  I know you heard in church recently that God was just standing by waiting to deliver you, or he is just waiting to pour out his blessing upon you.    These types of statements invoke a feel good emotional response, but this is not the true mission of the church or  the Gospel.  

If we abide in Christ, then we are a member of his church.  Though we might suffer and even die, the Devil will not be able to stand against us.  The church is a spiritual body, the Devil can affect our natural but he is powerless against our spiritual body.  Understanding the word of God is not complicated, but when we let one or two words shape our understanding of what is being said, or what we see, the end result can be disastrous.   The three most important aspects of any conversation is, who is talking, who is being spoken to and what is the conversation about.

Recently I posted a picture on the internet with the caption, “Can you see the bear?”  A simple question that required a yes or no answer.  There were those who said yes, they could see the bear and there were those who said no.  Now there was a third group that publicly stated that I had seen a bear and went on to poke fun at my sighting.  A simple test that was suppose to be used in support of this discussion turned out to be rather embarrassing based upon the number of people who didn’t get the question right.  The same as Jesus was not standing there pointing at a rock and telling Peter, upon this rock I will build my church.  The church was to exist within the heart and not on a piece of ground.

Before the level of the knowledge of good and evil was allowed to progress to the level it is today there was no need to restudy the Bible in the original cultural context. Now I will challenge you to step out from behind your wall of indoctrinated beliefs and ask yourself several questions.  What is the purpose of the church and what is the purpose of the Gospel?  Some will exclaim, to bring glad tidings.  Glad tidings of what? God is about to give you a whole lot of money?  How profane.  A breakthrough is coming on your job?  You don’t have to go to a church building or even pray to God for a breakthrough on your job.  The church is suppose to be about the Gospel of Christ, not about the doctrine of men.  The doctrine of man is a Pagan response to a spiritual God.

False teachers are in the majority and they are flourishing today. They have erased the powerful gospel of the water and the Spirit which Jesus announced on the earth, reducing it to little more than a faint memory, dismissing it as being too elementary, condescending about it. In its place they have created another gospel, and, preaching only about the righteousness of man. This is what has allowed Christianity to degenerate into such a sorry state that it finds itself in today.   What we see today in masses in the pulpit and on TV is the smiling faces of pastors, stoking their ego's, as they preach a failed gospel of prosperity and promising favors,  while nothing is said about Luke 21:11, and there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. (NASB)

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The Exposition Of A Failed Church, Pagan Worship Part #3

The Exposition Of A Failed Church., Part #1

The Exposition of a Failed Church.

Revelation 3:14-22

In this letter to the church, the seventh church that is representative of the seventh and final church age, Jesus issued a stinging indictment against this mutant form of a church and threatens to take punitive action.  This church had entered its final state of apostasy and Jesus was threatening to, ‘spew it out of his mouth’, the same judgment that God rained down upon the children of Israel.  This type of indictment does not set well within the modern church structure who says it is rich in God’s favors and God is providing it needs.   A careful reading of Revelation 3:14-22 seems to indicate that Jesus is addressing the issues of a failed church.  

Revelation 3:14-22: And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me.

Whenever there is a conversation about the state of affairs within the household of faith, namely the church, there are those who are well versed in the scriptural will use Matthew 16:18, out of context of course, to stifle any complaint level against the church.  Jesus said to Peter, “And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”  A common and simple interpretation of that verse is that it does not matter what the Devil bring against the church, the church will always stand.  This verse is used by churches of all classes, creeds and denominations, from the storefronts to the fancy edifice.  Yet, the truth of this statement cannot be found in the modern day English translation of the word church.  Many different doctrines are formulated to promote the establishment of different churches, thus presenting the picture of a kingdom divided against itself.  The Devil has played havoc with organized religion, he has infiltrated the organized church, he has weakened some, some he has taken over and some he has even destroyed.

Now there are those who will be quick to condemn me for making such bold statements, in view of the Words of Jesus, that said, “the gates of hell could not stand against the church.”  As we seek to understand the condemnation of the church as issued by Jesus, Revelation 3:20-22  Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man (he is not speaking to a group now) hears my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him (come in to HIM), and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.  The key phrase here is, to him that overcometh.  

To further explore the truth, we need to understand the meaning of the word church and be able to differentiate when a church is not a church.  The use of the word church in the English language is misnomer, in that it fails to express the true meaning of the original Greek word.   Based upon the original language of the Bible, a church is best defined as an assembly or group, but never as a building.  The existence of the church was and is a condition of the heart, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, not some glitzy glass cathedrals. Therefore, when Jesus spoke of the church he was referencing the true gospel within the heart of man.  This was not some made up gospel that caters to the desires and wants of humanity, but a gospel that catered to the coming of the kingdom, the return of Jesus Christ.

In the New Testament era this group or assembly did not meet in the temple on the Sabbath day, rather they met in homes or other private locations.  There was no high priest or offering of the sacrifice, they met and edified each other through the words of their testimony.    The church was a new thing based upon the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The assemblies of the church expressed a love for each other that attracted the attention of those outside of the assemblies.  The focus of this new thing was not wealth building, but its focus was on being prepared to meet the bridegroom when he comes.  New assemblies were formed as the need required to accommodate the ease of assembly.  In essence groups were formed in cities and outlying communities.  Full-time pastors did not exist, as the group or assembly was governed from within and traveling preachers or ministers was always welcome.  They often stopped by to expound the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  This was a weakness that the Devil sought to exploit.  It became a tool of the ‘church busters’.   In many instances there  did not appear to be any special or set day for the assembly to meet, the church was always available.  When there was death, sickness or even hungry the church was there to help. 

Paul traveled extensively and wrote letters admonishing the churches to stand fast in the Gospel.  When the assemblies came together they often read the letters that Paul or others had written to them.  The church flourished, not as an organizational body, but as a body of believers.  There was a type of love that drew men and women together, a type of concern that they showed for each other.  

Under the Roman rule, after the persecution had ceased,  the Christians joined hands with the government, and with their access to newly found wealth and status, they then became known as the builder of the glitzy glass cathedrals.  Leaders emerged and under government sanction established themselves as rulers or leaders of the Church that Jesus founded.  In the letters to the churches in the Book of Revelation, Jesus spoke of his hatred for these groups.  The evolution of the church continued as men of dubious honor and causes sought to hew out positions for themselves by dividing the church into denominations, creeds, cultures and doctrines.  Each brand of Christianity became a religious entity within itself, thus the confusion of Christianity began to spread worldwide.  The Devil through the creation of the church as an organizational body was able to present the body of Christ as a divided body.  The English speaking nations that once claimed to be the defenders of the true faith, played the harlot with it Christian values and what emerged was a polluted mess.  Jeremiah 3:8  And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; (scattered her among the nations) yet her treacherous sister Judah (The western world) feared not, but went and played the harlot also.  The once so-called Christian nations are guilty of committing the same grievous errors that once was attributed to the children of Israel.

In the Garden of Eden, using the knowledge of good and evil the Devil introduced a form of  interpretation of the scripture that is still being used today.   This interpretation is based upon a suppressed knowledge of God and it is empowered by the worldly knowledge of good and evil, it sows seeds of doubt wherever it is spread.  If members of the assemblies (church) were challenged to step out from behind their indoctrinated beliefs in search of a true experience with God and his Word the confusion and division of Christianity would cease to exist.  The knowledge of God requires us to ask God questions, the same as Job, David and other great men of the Bible.  Once the question is posed, knowing that the Devil will be the first to answer, we should wait for God to open up our understanding.   How do we know when the Devil is speaking when he has transformed himself into an angel of light?  1 John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Much of the confusion that exists within the household of faith is caused by the dubious claims made as pertaining to what God is doing or what God can do.  God can do anything but fail is a common cliché that is supposed to remove doubt and foster a strong belief in God, yet it is these type of clichés that cause the seed of doubt to grow. Sitting through a church service where the speaker informed the congregation  that while they sleep God would be preparing a blessing for them.  The crowd responded with an emotional outburst that was equivalent to a crowd watching their home team score a touchdown.   In the Book of Revelation John saw an angry God sitting on his throne waiting to pour out his wrath.  

The Exposition Of A Failed Church., Part #2