What Is A Church (Part #1)

What Is a Church

With the emergence of new gospels to compete with the institutes of higher learning and the Gospel of the Kingdom, it was necessary to revisit the ideology of the church as the Kingdom of God.  If the church is the Kingdom of God, then the church would be entitled to all of the earthly blessings promised in the Holy Scriptures.   To validate these blessing, it would also require the reinterpretation of the meaning of the word 'blessing.'    The spiritual blessings promised by Jesus would require a type of explaining away and in their place the insertion of the blessings of Abraham.  This would fulfill the need of the Gospel of Prosperity that preys on the gullibility of the Saints.   The greatest blessing is no longer salvation; it is waking up in the morning and collecting blessings.  

None of the new age definitions fully defines what a church is.  Now this might seem like an easy question, the sort of question one might answer in a simple sentence or two.  Try it.  Ask yourself the question.  What is the answer formed in your mind?   “A building in which Christians meet for Bible study and worship,” is one distinct possibility.  “A group of Christians who gather for religious purposes” is another.  A critic might says, “A church is a club for insiders and hypocrites.”  A more modern day answer would be, a church is a place we go to get our praise on and collect blessings.  These quick answers do not take us very far if we are searching for a deeper understanding of what the church is, or what the church ought to be.  

In the above paragraph and throughout this book, I will move back and forth between the descriptive of what a church is to the prescriptive of what a church ought to be.  There are times I will speak from the perspective of the visible (organized) church and time I will reference the invisible (within the Heart) church.  My seemly rambling is not accidental, nor is it the product of a nomadic disposition; it is because trying to reconcile the church of the Bible with the church of today is a daunting task.   In my study of the church, I am not so much interested in what churches are, or in what people think churches are.  I am more concern about what the churches should be or once was.  When I ask, “What is a church?” I am wondering about the ideal church sanctioned by Christ, rather than those spoken of in the book of Revelation. 

Try to imagine; Christ is coming back for his church.  Try to combine into one cohesive unit all of the concepts and ideologies then visualize them as the Bride of Christ.  It boggles the mind when we think of the confusion that exists within the households of faith.  The visible church seems to have discarded the biblical concept of Heaven, Hell, The Kingdom of God and everlasting life, and even the prophecies are cast aside.  The church has become a business, and it is all about raising money, earthly gains, and continued blessing. 

To understand what a church should be, sometimes we need to take a closer look at the things the church should not be.  The evolving aspect of Christianity has placed the organize church in a tedious position as it struggles to redefine and maintain its relevance in a changing society.   Is the church just a place of entertainment? 

We must keep the proper perspective as related to the problems facing the modern day church.  To do so, it is necessary that we began with Jesus' statement to Peter concerning the establishment of the church and ending with his letters to the churches in Revelation.   Somewhere between Acts and Revelation, we ought to be able to reconcile the diverse views and opinions.

In the book of Revelation, Jesus sent seven letters to the representative churches.   Each church is said to represent a particular time in the church age from inception to the raptured (caught up).   We will discuss these letters in detail later on in this book.  In each of the letters, Jesus offered a stern condemnation and recommendation to the church.   The mention of these letters now is to show that I am not alone in offering my condemnation of the church.  The church had failed to live up to Jesus' expectation the same as the Children of Israel failed to live up to what was expected of them.   

Jesus mentioned the church to Peter, but regardless of what spin we put on it, the church did not begin until the day of Pentecost.   In a conversation with his disciples, Jesus posed the question, "who do men say I am?"  Some of the disciples compared him to John the Baptist, some to Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.  There is a profound message in the answers given; Peter responded with the appropriate response, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus said to Peter "And I also say 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."(Matthew 16:18).   The operative word prevails and from today's perspective understanding what the church is is imperative to understanding this scripture.  

Let us take a closer look at some of the numerous interpretations of this scripture, and then we will try to decide what a church is and how we will refer to it throughout this book.  Remember, the road to misinterpretation began with the failure to understand the symbology used in Jesus' speech.  

Peter is a Greek word, meaning rock. Peter held a very prominent and conspicuous place among the apostles, during our Savior's life; and he was afterward foremost in counsel and action, in the early efforts made for the promulgation of the gospel. Peter continued until the apostle Paul entered the field; and from that time, Peter disappears from the sacred history.  Peter's prominence while it remained was due to the boldness and energy, of his personal character--qualities in which he excelled all others until Paul, who united the boldness, surpassed him and strength of Peter with the calmness and steadiness of John.

There can only be one true meaning to this scripture, yet there are diverse interpretations.  The question of 'why' is rarely addressed.  Regardless of the ideology presented, "I am right, and you are wrong", is often the only citation needed to prove one's point.   In those instances when this type of citation is not sufficient, the proclamation of it being a message from God or, "God said", eliminates much of the doubt.  There are numerous ways to interpret the scripture, yet, we err when we interpret the scripture in a manner necessary to justify our self-serving rhetoric.  Failure to follow the proper guidelines will result in a fluid interpretation that is not scripturally sound and will not withstand the test of time.

The Roman Catholic Church rely mainly on (Matthew 16:18), so far as they rely at all on the direct authority of the Scriptures, for supporting the claims of the bishop of Rome to be the head of the church, they also consider him the successor of the apostle Peter. That the apostles, however, did not understand these words as investing Peter with any official supremacy, is evident from the conversation in respect to precedence, which afterward arose among them.

"At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" (Matthew 18:1).  To demonstrate his point, "And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:2-3).

These verses place emphasis on becoming as a little child, in a hierarchy built on power and control this is not an acceptable position.   The person vying for a position of power will use condescending clichés such as, "In the church there is no big (I's) and little (U's)", the assembly response with fervor as a web deceit and control is spun.  

"And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house; he asked them, "What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?" But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest" (Mark 9:33-34).

They disputed (augured) among themselves on who should be in charge.  Whenever a group assembles there seems to be the question of who is in charge.  Common within the church and it is human nature to want to be in charge.   It was easy for the Nicolaitans, a thing Jesus hated, to come in and set up positions of rulership within the church.

The Prophecy

While serving in the military a German immigrant and I shared the same sleeping quarters.   One of our many conversations centered around what is known as, ‘The Holocaust.'   It was his opinion that this tragedy was not an act of hatred, but an action that was supported by other nations for the purpose of circumventing biblical prophecies. If the Jews were eliminated or not allowed to reclaim their homeland, then the biblical prophecies would not be valid. History also bears out that Hitler was deeply concerned about the prophecies of the Bible and  Nostradamus.

Throughout Bible history and even today, many world leaders and groups have attempted to destroy the Jews as a nation and people, thereby claiming their birthright for themselves.  If this were allowed to happen, the written Bible prophecies would fail, and it is the thinking of the Devil (Antichrist) that Jesus Christ would not have a reason to return to this earth.  Even religious organizations and churches have unwittingly participated in this unholy scheme of claiming what was not theirs to claim.   Understanding the Bible prophecies will help us understand what has been and still is going on in the Middle East and the world.  It will also prepare us for the return of The Christ.

"After the Children of Israel have returned to their homeland from whence scattered, the man of perdition (Antichrist) will rise to power, and he will broker a peace agreement. This peace agreement lasts three and one-half years. The Jews will rebuild the Temple of the Lord, and Temple worship will resume. The spawn of Satan (Antichrist) will enter the Temple of God and declare that he is God. The peace pact will fail.  In that day, the nations of the world shall rise against the Holy City and her allies.  In that moment of despair when the world have lost its hope, Christ shall return with his Holy angels (the Church, The Saints).   and fight against the infidels.  The basis of this judgment is "how they treated the brethren (Jews)." (Matthew 25:31-46 Joel 3:2).  

The Dimming of the Lights

The Evolution of the Church

"And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying," (Matthew 5:2). 

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16 ).

Jesus began a thoughtful dissertation seeking to enlighten the multitude on the blessings they can expect in the Kingdom of God.   In chapter five of Matthew, there is a sense that Jesus is concern about the suffering of the multitude.   He began his teaching session with eight proverb-like proclamations, without narrative, "cryptic, precise, and full of meaning.   These eight proverbs, these axioms are called Beatitudes.  The Beatitudes are eight blessings recounted in the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew. Each one includes a topic that forms a major biblical theme.  There was nothing in this discourse or the ones that followed to indicate that Jesus made his follower a promise of earthly treasures.  How he or she should live to obtain heavenly treasures was the core of his many messages.

In the second part of Matthew 5, Jesus referenced his followers as a light bearer and a light bearer has an obligation to the world.    There was nothing complicated about Jesus messages, and there is nothing complex about his messages today unless viewed from the perspective of a modernistic and apostate society.  When given a light, our options are clear; we can be a help to other travelers or we can use the light for our benefit only.   If we use our light to help others, then we are using our light to glorify the Father, which is in Heaven.    

 Jesus proceeded to show multitude that the benefit of being enlightened was to help others see the light.  When men burn a candle, they do not conceal the light but place it where it may be of use. Therein, with Christianity, it is not a concealable gift, but it is to shed light on the wickedness of the world.  The encouragement offered was, let your light shine and not hide it under a bushel.  The symbology of a bushel symbolizes anything, which might conceal the light.  Jesus wants others to see our holy life, our honest conversation, and our faithful instructions.    In all business, at home and abroad, in prosperity and adversity, we are to let our light shine brightly.   The purpose of letting our light shine and seen by others should not an act of self-promotion; it is the glorification of our heavenly Father through the life we live, this is a requirement of salvation.

In the message Jesus is speaking to the individual, the church would not come into existence until the day of Pentecost.  After the formation of the church, the church became a collection of light bearers combined as one body in Christ.   The light of many Christians within the organized church have dimmed and become hard to distinguish even in a dark world.   A strange paradox has arisen.  The distinguishing signs of light that are not comprehended by the darkness have begun to fade as the attribute of this divine light and darkness are seems to be blending.   In Jesus famed letter to the church of the Laodiceans, he describes this malady as being lukewarm.    A detestable condition, he threatens to spit out.

The Pharisees were concern about how others perceived them. Therefore, they went to great length to impress the multitude.  They mastered the art of speaking, praying and dressing.  Every facet of their public and religious life centered on the concept of how to impress.  True Christians should act to glorify God and care little what men may think of their action.  Honoring God is more profitable than receiving honors from others.

John was marooned on the Isle of Patmos because of his message, because of his light.   The intent of his captures was to extinguish his light, yet alone on the Isle, his light was able to shine brightly.   Jesus began his letters speaking to the church but ended his message with a profound statement to the individual light bearer.   There is a time when the light of Christ can shine more brightly separated from the confusion and of the organize church. 

What does it mean to glorify God?  Does this mean coming to church and participating in the program?  Does this mean follow after those who are about self-promotion? Jesus said to let our light shine that men might see your good work and glorify your Father.  If we are using our lifestyle to attract other, we are not glorifying our Father.   The proclamation of, "look how God is blessing me" is not about honoring God, it is an act of self-promotion.  There is nothing about the public life of Jesus, his apostle or even Paul that was attractive to the multitudes.  The light that they carried offered blessing and hope in a world to come. 

Praise, honor to God or be led to worship him is how we glorify God. When other see in your life the excellence of religion, the power, and purity of the gospel; if they are won over to Christ we should give praise and glory to God for his mercy to a lost world.   

Prevalent within the religious community and embedded within the hierarchy of the church is the existence of a type of sin, this sin is one of the leading causes of the dimming of the lights.   This anomaly, this condition of humanity was a great concern to Jesus; he spoke of it to his disciple.  It is that sin when we open our mouth and speak things that offend the least of the saints.   The clergy has declared itself exempt from this sin, but there are no exceptions noted in the scripture.   Jesus said, "And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me; it is better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck, and cast into the sea.  (Mark 9:42)  Others have exempted themselves from this ordinance of Jesus also when in the church the right to speak your mind can easily trump the feeling of others.    Jesus issued his final condemnation of the loss of love to the representative church of Ephesus.   "Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love" (Revelation 2:4).  Here he threatens the church with the removal of the candlestick if they did not repent.

The testimony of souls driven from the place of refuse by unsavory Saints is hard for some to reconcile.   Many who claim to speak with the authority of God are guilty of committing murder with the tongue.   Repentance is slow in coming because it is hard for the self-proclaimed righteous to admit that they have done wrong.  Members of the clergy and the laity are often guilty of atrocious acts, from sibling rivalry to acts of jealousy, often these acts are played out against the backdrop of the church.  The church suffers when members of the religious community become embroiled in wrong doings directed at members of the assembly.  A pastor will publicly dislike his brother, yet he can preach a sermon about the love of Jesus.  A member can make condescending remarks such as, "don't nobody want to come out here and hear you teach Sunday School",  yet that person can stand before the assembly and testify of what God is doing for them.   The pastor who follows the rules of the Nicolaitans and teaches the doctrine of Balaam is suffering the condemnation of Jesus.  Jesus is saying, "Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth."

If we were to, follow the precepts of the scripture the light given to the church would burn brightly.   The failure of the light bearers in Jesus' letters to the church, (Revelation 1:-3:).   It is evident by his rebuke that the lights were dimming in the early history of the church.   What was it that caused Jesus to send letters of condemnation to his blood purchased church?   What was it that caused Jesus to portray himself as standing at the door of the church purchased with his blood, knocking?  How did Jesus end up being locked out of his church?  How could that be?   The Son of God is left standing at the door in a beggarly manner, asking if any man hears my voice and open the door.  

The attempt to justify sin is a significant deterrent to a brightly shining light within the household of faith.  The desire to be like those of our counterpart often cause the saints to become caught up in the temptation of man.   When we succumb to the temptations of the flesh, rather than casting them aside, we seek to justify.   In the eyes of man, once a sin is explained it is no longer a sin.  Justification comes in many disguises.   The omniscience of God, the divine attributes of the divine is often used to justify wrongdoing.  God knew I was going to sin, couple that with, "God love me", and we have the recipe for a life of crime.  

The justification of sin, defense based upon the divine and eternal attributes of God is hard to refute for the novice.  God loves his children, and he doesn't want anything bad to happen to them become the placeholder for a dimmed light.   Like the soot that builds up in the old oil lamp chimney, it must be removed daily.  The acceptance of the soot as a by-product of a burning fire is conducive to the dimming of the light.   It is hard to distinguish the port of refuge once the light is dimmed or has gone out.   Jesus message to his followers was to let your light shine brightly.

Many messengers are delivering messages that since God is a forgiving God, sin is acceptable as long as we seek him for forgiveness.   The state of mind projected from many pulpits present salvation as a work in progress, therefore, until we reach that blessed state of perfection, sin is acceptable.   The scripture base for this deception is "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1^st. John 1:8).  This erroneous interpretation achieved through surgical removing the verse from the context and supporting scriptures and presented it as a complete thought is in error.   If we accept the above argument as true, then we have a  problem of reconciliation the rest of the book of 1^st John.      "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God" (1^st John 3:9).  To further discredit the deception, salvation was purchased by Christ on the Cross. 

The dimming of the lights of Christianity, the acceptance of non-Christian standards along with the twisting of the scripture has caused many to fall by the wayside.  The exposure of the secret life of many who claim to be faithful messengers of God has resulted in the faith of many onlookers to suffer.  To defend against the blatant abuse of the Word of God, "don't look at the person, look to Christ" has become a part of the Christian indoctrination.  Not seeing the person is an impossible feat, especially since the scripture urges us to live so that other might see Christ within our life.    Is use of that phrase an attempt to justify sin?  

Under the dispensation of the Law, God demanded judgment.  When the decision was swift, people learned to fear God.   Thus, when serving God,  "...fear God and keep his commandments"  was the conclusion of the matter (Ecclesiastes 12: 13).  As our knowledge of the good and evil began to increase, the fear of God was tempered by the love of God and the knowledge of Good began to decrease.  Daniel prophesied this change in man's knowledge before the end of time,  (Daniel 12:4).    After the abatement of instant judgment, under the dispensation of grace, Humanity began the daunting task of recreating God.  The transformation of God, known for his bouts of anger and silence, was necessary to give credence to the increase in the number false teachers entering the religious arena.   

There is numerous instance within the Holy Scripture where God's anger was a consuming fire.  There are also numerous instances where God was silent.   For at least four hundred years the Children of Israel were enslaved, the cried out to God for deliverance, and God was silent.   In his own time, God spoke to Moses and prepared a path of liberation.  Crying out to God for an audience, Job endured his sufferance in the face of a silent God.   In a time of his choosing, God appeared to Job and chastised him for his insolence.   God then directed his anger towards Job's friends for misrepresenting his will.

After numerous attempts to guide the Children of Israel into the path of righteousness, God issued a bill of divorcement to his (bride) chosen people.  Because of their sinfulness they were scattered among the nations, then God became silent.  After four hundred years of silence, God prepared a path of deliverance by sending his only begotten Son.   Throughout the New Testament the only time God spoke was to validate that Christ was his beloved Son, and he was well pleased.   Rather than clamoring for the teaching of Moses and other Prophets, the disciples were told to hear what Jesus had to say.  "And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him" (Luke 9:35 ).

During Jesus short ministry, there were many questions asked of him by his disciples, the answer to their many questions were not forthcoming.   Jesus said, "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you"( John 14:26 ). "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth" (John 16:12-13).   It is evident that Jesus is speaking of sending the Holy Spirit after his departure.  It is also clear that we should listen to and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us into the way of truth. 

Durning the dispensation of the Law, God dealt with his chosen people through his prophets and appointed leaders.  Durning, the transition between the dispensation of the Law and the dispensation of Grace God, sent his Son, and the message was to hear him.  After the Son (Jesus) complete his mission he informed the disciples that after he leaves, he was going to send the Comforter.

 Like the Children of Israel at the base of the Holy Mount, we have grown weary of hearing the Holy Spirit speak; we want to listen to the voice of God.  This new and recreated God is fulfilling all of our wants, he is speaking every day.   Hearing God speak is the ultimate citation to validate our walk with Christ.   Along the Christian journey, God is speaking to pastors and members alike, often these messages given are in conflicting with each other, and they are conflicting with the Holy Scripture.   

In Exodus God said, " 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" (Exodus 20:7).   Judgment was speedy during this dispensation, and the fear of God often controlled men actions.   With the progression of ages and dispensations, the delay of judgment was exploited by the devil, soon the wrath of God depicted in the book of Revelation became no more than an afterthought.  Like the children of Israel, we have created our golden calf, and we are dancing and enjoying the fruit of our labor.   Remember the words of Aaron, "...these are thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt." (Exodus 32:4)

The love of money has become the golden calf created within the church.  God seems to be more concern about the amount of money given in the offering than the members presenting their body a living sacrifice.   Prophets, preachers, and teachers are engaging in solicitations over the airwaves and through the mail promising the blessing of God, the only thing you are required to do is sow a seed to their ministry.    The antic of many Aaron type leaders has caused the light within the Holy sanctuaries to become dim, and the stored wrath of God is building up. 

No longer is the church a haven for troubled souls searching for spiritual support as they await the return of Christ.  Those who have highjacked our Christian faith are using it to amass earthly treasures.  The dimming of the light within the church has become a reality.

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The Selling Of The Christ (Final)

Ages and dispensations are no longer a factor in Bible study. We take the Old and New Testament, (figurative speaking) we dump both into the pot, then we add The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit and mix it all together.  Next we add a vestige of the Law and the Blood of Jesus.   Since the Law, (which required the blood of animals) and the Blood of Jesus does not mix, to congeal the mix we add a bit of paganism with a touch of Voodooism.  According to the teaching of Peter, what emerges is a polluted mess that is neither sustainable thru the Word of God nor common sense.   On one extreme we have people dancing with snakes and on the other extreme, we have the magical sideshows.  Somewhere in between, we have those who are clamoring for special worship days and claiming the blessing of Abraham.  We have trivialized the God of our salvation and he is presented to the world as an ineffective landlord.

(3.) That the wrath of God would certainly be poured out upon them. The design of this scripture is to illustrate and defend these points.

We know that according to the Word of God these false teachers will certainly be punished. A large part of the chapter is taken up in proving this point and especially in showing from the examples of others who had erred in a similar manner, that they will not escape destruction. In doing this, the apostle refers to the following facts and illustrations:

(1.) The case of the angels that sinned, and that were cast down to hell.  (2^nd Peter 2:4) If God brought such dreadful punishment on those who were once before his throne, wicked men can have no hope of escape.

(2.) The case of the wicked at the time of Noah, who were cut off by the flood. (2^nd Peter 2:5)

(3.) The case of Sodom and Gomorrah. (2^nd Peter 2:6)

(4.) The character of the persons referred to was such that they could have no hope of escape.

They were corrupt, sensual, presumptuous, and self-willed, and were even worse than the rebel angels had been, men that seemed to be made to be taken and destroyed. (2^nd Peter 2:10-12)

They were spotted and blemishes, sensual and adulterers, emulating the example of Balaam, who was rebuked by even a dumb ass for his iniquity.  (2^nd Peter 2:13-16)

They allured others to commit sins under the specious promise of liberty while they were themselves the slaves of debased appetites and gross and sensual (sexual) passions. (2^nd Peter 2:17-19) 

From the entire description in this chapter, it is clear that the persons referred to, though once professors of religion, had become eminently abandoned and corrupt.  Peter strongly indicated that a sexual perversion had invaded the church; his concern was that this perversion would continue to grow.  Once this sexual perversion manifested itself the focus of these infected messengers would change from fulfilling the ordinance of God to fulfilling their earthly ambition. It may not be easy to identify them with any particular denomination or class, but they existed then and they exist now. A few of the sects in the early Christian church bore a strong resemblance to this description, and there have been those in every age who have strongly resembled these persons. This chapter, therefore, possesses great value as containing important warnings against the arts of false teachers, and the danger of being seduced by them from the truth. 

The wrath of God presently is being stored up and reserved.   (Revelation 15:7)  And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever.  The watered down hijacked messages of modern Christianity does not reflect the wrath of God.  To speak of the wrath of God would be considered “hate speech”, and would not be conducive to a growing congregation.  Seven Golden vials full of the wrath of God are indicative of stored up wrath that is being withheld by the Grace that is made available through the Blood of Jesus.  Fire and brimstone message does not project the 'feel good' atmosphere that is prevalent in many churches, therefore,  it is more appropriate to speak of what God is doing for you or what he is going to do for you.   These are sellable points that are leading the church astray. 

Those who indoctrinate errors rarely do it openly. If they would at once boldly" deny the Lord that bought them," it would be easy to identify them, and the mass of professed Christians would be in no danger of embracing the errors. But when principles are laid down which lead to doubts on remote points are suggested which may involve the errors; or when a long train of reasoning is pursued which may secretly support the errors; there is much more probable that the mind will be corrupted and turn away from the truth.

In essence, there are numerous scams being played out over the internet.  The gantlet ranges from those with impressive titles and government positions, invoking the name of the father and promising huge sums of money.  There are those who promise an intercession with God in exchange for a small sum of money. These scams will not go away because of the profitability of such. There always seems to be a group of people who will believe whatever is dangling in front of them, if it will bring peace to their inner longing.  The doctrine of prosperity that teaches Christians are wealthy and sinners are poor fails miserably in the light of the Word of God and common sense. Yet, there is no limit to the number of struggling Christians who will defend these damnable heresies.

Damnable heresies "Heresies of destruction;" that is, heresies that will be followed by destruction. The Greek word which is rendered damnable is the same which in the close of the verse is rendered destruction. Heresy is a departure from the truth. In the early history of Christianity, the church established the basic teachings of the faith. Those basics can be found in the Apostles' Creed and Nicene Creed. Over the centuries, however, theologians and religious figures have proposed doctrines that contradict established Christian beliefs. To keep those beliefs pure, the church once singled out people who taught or believed in ideas that were considered a threat to Christianity. 

Persecution became widespread as popes authorized inquisitions. Those investigations often resulted in torture and execution of innocent victims. This was not a workable solution to the problem. Jesus addressed the problem as such.  (Matthew 13:30) Let both grow together until the harvest: and at the time of harvest, I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.  John encapsulated the new concept as such, (1^st 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.   Often those who were in charge of the purges or persecutions were guilty of damnable heresies. 

The thing which false teachers attempt is divisions, alienations, or parties, in the church and these would be based on the erroneous doctrines which they would promulgate through the twisting, misapplying and misinterpretation of the scripture. What would be the particular doctrine, in this case, is immediately specified, that they "would deny the Lord that bought them." The idea then is that these false teachers would form sects or parties in the church, of a destructive or ruinous nature, founded on a denial of the Lord that bought them. They would draw attention to themselves by making false promises in the name of God, for the purpose of obtaining wealth and power. Such a formation of leaders would be ruinous to holiness, to good morals, and to the soul. 

The authors of these sects, holding the views which they did, and influenced by the motives which they would be, and practicing the morals which they would practice, as growing out their principles, would bring upon themselves swiftly and certain destruction. It is not possible now to determine to what particular class the apostle had the reference here, but it is generally supposed that it was in some form of the Gnostic belief. There were many early sects of so-called heretics to whom what he here says would be applicable.

Now, local preachers are seeking what the television evangelists have. They want the money, the fame, access to the stars, the television, the movies, the parties and elite celebrations. They want access to radio and television shows. They want mega churches and super conferences. They want secular and sacred mixtures to draw the masses with shaped and water down the message. They want a television or radio audience without even drawing their own communities to their churches. They have been seduced, but the bitter end is coming early for many of them.  They are falling like flies. They are getting caught with their pants down literally! They are being set up to fail and the Devil is laughing while he preserves his "queen" and keeps her spirit safe in the body of a cunning leader. While his family is tormented by internet rumors, while his spiritual children are tormented by divorce and immoral exposures, and while his church congregation is plagued with homosexual and lesbian spirits, he continues to lift himself up and use every avenue possible for a financial exchange.

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The Seven Church Ages of Revelation

The Selling Of The Christ Part #6

False teachers have risen up and many are trying to strike fear in the Children of God thru threats of annihilation by God if they open their mouth against them.   (1^st John 4:1)  Beloved, believes not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.  When the Devil approached Eve in the garden professing to know the word of God, he made promises by twisting the scripture.   When that old Satan approached Jesus on the mountain, he was quoting the scripture, twisting it and professing to understand the Word of God.  He offered Jesus all of the richness of the world, Jesus condemns him.  Yet, when they come to us in the name of God promising prosperity in a sin-cursed and dying world, we are quick to follow.   Jesus said for you not to lay up your treasures upon earth.  (Matthew 6:19)  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal.   There must be a part of this simple scripture that many don’t understand as we demand that Jesus grant us the natural blessings of Abraham. The church that was paid for by Jesus Christ, that should exist within our Heart should not hesitate to cry out, “Devil you are a liar.”   

There would be such false teachers the apostle expressly states in that verse, and elsewhere in the chapter, he noted for his readers some of their characteristics or some of the doctrines which they would hold.  They would deny the Lord that bought them.   A proper understanding of this statement is, they would deny God his rightful place.   How do we deny God, his rightful place in our lives? 

There are many damnable peculiar doctrines that deny God, his rightful place.   In the simplest form, we are taught that God is busy every day directing the affairs of men.  It is based on the thesis that God is in control and taken to the 'N’’ degree', he is controlling every aspect of human endeavor.  Therefore, when the young child dies a horrific death at the hands of a drunk driver, we say it was the will of God.  It is hard for many to believe this concept when we look at the condition of the family, community, nation and world.  Paul referred to other powers at work and these powers were different from the power of God.  (Ephesians 2:2)…the prince of the powers of the air, of the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience;  It must be understood that God allows things to happen, things that man brings upon himself.  Another scenario was played out in the Book of Job, God allowed the Devil to test Job, his friends blamed Job’s affliction on God and God was angered and punished them.   Why?  They denied God, his rightful place.

Denying God is more than saying, “I do not believe in God,” the Children of Israel denied God at the base of the Holy Mountain all the while they were dancing, shouting and praising ‘God’ for delivering them.  The story unfolds in Exodus 32:1-10 when we misdirect our praise and honor we are denying God his rightful place.  Many worship services are designed around the concept of heaping praise and honor upon the creation rather than the creator. 

Paul said, even denying the Lord that bought them. This must mean that they held doctrines which were, in fact, a denial of the Lord, or the tendency of such things which would be a denial of the Lord. We cannot suppose that, while they professed to be Christians, they would openly and avowedly deny the Lord.  To "deny the Lord" is to withhold from him, in our belief and profession, anything which is essential to a proper conception of him.

To make false promises in the name of God is to deny the power of God.  To trivialize the name of God is to deny the supremacy of God.  To reference God's power to make you look impressive is the same as denying the very existence of God.  Many public speakers once again have begun to play the ‘somebody card’ on television and on the social media to impress and gain followers.   Statements are made such as, “During any given month, somebody will be blessed with a huge sum of money, somebody will be blessed a new car.”  Is this a true representation of God at work?  Even a drunk could pull off this act.  If all of the promises made in the name of God were true, the world would be scrambling to find a seat in a neighborhood church. 

What are we to believe?  Are we to believe that the numerous doctrines and split denominations are all apart of God's plan?  What about the changing values of Christianity that are designed to make Christianity more relevant in a modern society?   Why are Christians so eager to embrace every new wind and doctrine? These are questions that should be seriously considered when engaging in serious Bible studies.  The answer to these questions will aid us in understanding our purpose and what we are seeking in the study of God’s Word.

(2.) That they would introduce destructive errors in the scripture, leading many astray through peculiar doctrines; 

These peculiar doctrines are numerous in today's society and they are all built upon a twisted interpretation of the scripture. These destructive errors many times are nothing more than making numerous false promises in the name of God based on a lack of knowledge of the Word of God.  To attempt to teach the Word of God without a true knowledge of the Word of God is a direct violation of God's laws and is a form of denying the true power of God.  Many are led astray by promises that God is moving in a particular way that embraces the 'feel good' aspect of human nature.  It’s easy to be blinded by the twisted promised, thereby failing to see the direction that we are being led in.  

Money has become the key to salvation as professed by those who seek to get rich at the expense of the people of God.  The doctrine that many teach and preach is that if you give money, God will open the windows of Heaven and pour out a blessing that you will not have room to receive.   This is a misreading and misapplying of the scripture that if it were true, I will say it again at the risk of being redundant, Christians would be rich and sinners would be poor.  The money game is a play on Malachi 3:10.  The tithes were never intended to be used to fatten the purse of the priest or the local pastor and bishop.  The above scripture is probably one of the most misquoted scripture in the bible. Unfortunately, it is being quoted out of dispensation and context and is used as a weapon of mass intimidation, manipulation, extortion, oppression, cajolery and outright lies and deceit used by some church leaders to collect ten percent of the gross income of their church members who have been hoodwinked and indoctrinated into believing that they are doing God’s will.   From circumcision to the Sabbath, why does every custom of the Mosaic Law get a pass, except the one that says bring me ten percent of your money?  A literal translation of the Old Testament caused a church congregation to stand on the bank of a river praying for God to part the waters.  

To understand what tithes really mean one would have to understand the social reasons and cultural / religious setting within which it was situated.  The concept of tithes was properly explained in the laws of the tithe which can be found in the books of Leviticus 27: 30 – 34, Numbers 18: 25 – 31 and Deuteronomy 14: 22 – 29. Upon reading these passages, one would understand what tithes really mean, but, unfortunately, most prefer to neglect these passages that tell us the true meaning of tithes and emphasize on Malachi 3: 8 - 10 which was directed to the Levites priests.  The priests were guilty of robbing the temple by failing to remit to the temple, its share of the tithes they collected.  They were, as many of the leaders are today, guilty of robbing the church.

Peter’s concern was they would introduce destructive errors into the Gospel.  The money game has invested itself in church worship services.  Worshippers are encouraged to throw money on the altar (stage) as the blessing of God is invoked upon them.  

To be continued

The Selling Of The Christ, Part #5

The Word of God once symbolized a light in a world of darkness, whose purpose was to illuminate the path to a blood purchased salvation.   The focus of that light has now changed, as humanity embarks upon a glorious journey where sin and salvation are no longer a consequence.  The Word of God is now used to light the path to wealth, fame and glory.   Teachers of the Word of God have devised a plan whereby all of us can become wealthy and enjoy the blessings of our Father as we travel into the sunset days of our way of life.  The scripture speaks of a madness that will engulf the household of faith.  All of the biblical writers that processed the knowledge of God foresaw a time when men would not endure sound doctrine, and they sought to warn the followers of these detractors.

Peter began his dissertation by stating,  (2^nd Peter 2:1-6)  But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of which the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.  And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example, unto those that after should live ungodly.

Now let’s read the last words of Jesus to the church here on earth.  (Revelation 3:20-22)   Behold, I stand at the door and knock,: if any man hears my voice and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with me. He that overcometh; I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.

This is not a message to a group, this is a message to the individual, he used words like, "if any man", or "He that overcometh."  This is Jesus last message to the churches and the use of words like, “him”, “he”, and “man” seems to indicate that he was not speaking to a group but addressing the church as an individual, whose existence was spiritual.

We will now explore the possibility that Jesus and Peter were concerned about those who had come in “among the” church and with great words they began merchandising the people of God.  (2^nd Peter 2:3)  And in covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose sentence now from of old lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not. 

 The word covetousness is indicative of wanting what other processes.   In our modern society, it usually translates into money.  Feigned words, these are words that are insecure, artificial, man-made words that are designed to suit a particular purpose.  These types of words are able to cause the unstable soul to falter and follow after the teaching of men.  False teachers often follow the pattern of their master, and they come with great promises, feigned words; artful and hypocritical pretenses.  The Devil came to Jesus with great promises, all Jesus had to do was obey and God would dispatch his angels to protect him.  Make a merchandise of you.  Judas made merchandise of his Master, betraying and sacrificing him to promote his own ends. So it is said these men should sacrifice the cause of Christ and the true church for their own selfish purposes of gaining praise, honor and wealth. 

There exists the possibility that through the use of feigned words, anything, regardless of how unworthy, vain, even unpretentious acts can be sold to an adoring public.  All that is required is a marketing plan, a marketing team with an appealing marketing concept.  Consider this, tennis shoes and blue jeans once the garment of the poor and working class, used a high-level marketing concept to become the preferred dress of the rich and famous.  What was it that caused the market value of a pair of cheaply produced tennis shoes to dramatically increase in value?  I challenge you to think seriously about it.  Better yet, consider the enterprising man who sold rocks (pet rocks) to an adoring public.

The primary objectives of life have been reset, feeling good about what we are, what we have or what we do, has become our primary objective as the value of life is diminished.  In essence, when we pay more than two hundred dollars for a four dollar pair of tennis shoes the value of the shoes does not increase, we are paying for the right to feel good about our self or our accomplishments.  The desire of feeling good is one of the most powerful and sellable aphrodisiacs known to mankind.  It is even sellable in the church.

'Feel good' can be defined as that which is intended to make one happy or satisfied, causing or characterized by a feeling of self-satisfaction: feel-good factor, achieving a high state of euphoria, often defined in the church as the ‘Spirit of God’.  The operative words, here is the, ‘feel good factor.’ The feel good factor is present in every aspect of human endeavors.  Why do we go to work?  Because going to work allows us to accomplish things that make us feel good.  Why do we go to concerts and football games, somewhere within our line of reasoning, it is something that will make us feel good?   Now apply that to church worship services and Gospel music.

The evolution of gospel music sat the stage for the evolution of worship service.  Gospel or sacred music once existed within the shadows of the sanctuary and enjoyed a special place that was considered to be Holy next to the Word of God.  The singers of spiritual songs were not something that was done for worldly acclimation or money, it was something that was done in the service of God. Therefore, those who sung in church as a part of their church worship services did not do it to become rich and famous.  Rich and famous have now become the blessings of God bestowed upon those serve their creator through songs.  Sacred music as the name implies was not intended to be entertaining, it was intended to reverence God and give him proper praise.   When we injected the entertainment 'feel good' factor into gospel music and worship services, the question that we need to ask ourselves is, are we guilty of denying God his proper reverence? 

Instead of "psalms, hymns and spiritual songs" to build up and edify the believer, the congregation is beset with a relentless and sensuous beat (which weighs on one's nerves and pounds in one's head until you feel you will break open) and syncopation (which evokes the most basic sensuous or sexual response from our bodies) which is purposely aimed at the physical and sensual instead of the spirit and the spiritual.  When music is aimed at the baser part of our nature, i.e. the promiscuous, then the spiritual has a difficult time surviving. 

In today’s contemporary society gospel music has crossed over or morphed into the entertainment venue.  The sacred solitude that gospel music once provided has been replaced by a hand clapping, foot stomping feels good sellable type of music that rewards the performer and entertain the listener.  The once Holy dance has evolved into a hip swing promiscuous act that emphasizes the sensual rather than the spiritual.   Churches have begun to embrace dance teams as an intricate part of their worship service. Many pastors and church members are beginning to understand the drawing power of music played by either secular or sanctified groups, augmented by a dance team.

A worship service that was once designed to serve God is now designed to make you feel good.  Feeling good is an emotional attribute that can be manipulated, it can be merchandised, and it can be marketed in the same fashion as a pair of tennis shoes made out of cheap plastic.  Somewhere between the opening song and the closing chords of contemporary worship services you will also be asked to pay for feeling good.  Let’s examine Peter’s message to the church.

2^nd Peter 2:1-6, the general subject of this chapter is clearly stated in the first verse, and it embraces these points:

(1.) That there would be many false teachers among Christians in modern times, as there were false teachers in ancient times;

The Selling Of The Christ Part #4

The focus here embraces the ideology of the Apostle Peter concerning false teachers who would arise among the Christians.  The same as today, there were false teachers in ancient times.  These false teachers would be skilled with words and they would devise ways to make merchandise of the church.  Peter’s major concern was, these false teachers would introduce destructive error into the Gospel and lead many astray.  In the days of the Apostles, these false teachers were called out and exposed.  In today's permissive society our only recourse is to pray for them and leave it to God while they go about polluting the mind of the saints. 

Jesus often addressed the issue in conversations with his disciples. (Luke 21:8) And he said Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.  In Matthew, it seems as if Jesus was reflecting upon his soon to be established church when he stated, (Matthew 18:20)  For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.  Two or three gathered together in worship just does not meet the criteria of today's churches and mega churches. 

One cannot help but marvel at the transitions taking place in Christendom as it

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struggles to adapt to the changing demands of society.  Things that once were characterized as unholy or impure now requires a second look through tinted glasses.  A religion that once flourished within the confrontational nature of Holy Scripture akin to John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness screaming, "Oh ye generation of vipers...” have now morphed into a viable business model seeking to attract customers.  This once confrontational religion has now dumb down its rhetoric in the name of peace and political correctness; it has agreed to respect the rights of all religions, a thing that the God of David never ordained. The fire and brimstone have been retired and the sunshine and favors have become the modern day message. 

What happen?  Why are the changes?  As each emerging generation became more and more entrenched in the knowledge of good and evil, the ‘pie in the sky, bye and bye’, began to lose its luster.  The ancient appeal of God was tested by knowledgeable men and found wanting.  The organized church realizing that its core membership base was eroding realized the necessity of branding itself, and the creation of a sellable product in the process.  This product would combine two of the most powerful elements that define the human condition, motivation, and manipulation.  This concept or new religion would be sellable to the masses, without regards to their structured or indoctrinated belief.  The desire to be prosperous and to be in good health can be found at all levels of humanity, without regard to ethnic or cultural backgrounds. 

 (3^rd John 1:2) Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.  This scripture provided the biblical foundation for transforming the Gospel of the Kingdom into a Gospel of prosperity and motivation.  Manipulation paved the road to financial success to those who embraced and exported this new gospel.

To understand the proper context of the above verse requires reading the entire chapter.  This brief epistle is written to a Christian whose name was Gaius.  As a form of greeting, a wish is implied, not a command or even a promise.  The word used here commonly means in the New Testament to pray, but it is also employed to express a strong and earnest desire for anything.  This is probably all that is implied here. The sense is, "In every respect, I wish that it may go as well with you as it does your soul.  A simple greeting to a Christian friend who is sick. 

The Gospel of Prosperity promises an earthly reward while the Gospel of the Kingdom promises a spiritual reward.  The mixing of the two promises the best of both worlds.  As an earthly person, we are more easily influenced by earthly things, rather than spiritual things.   This new form of Christianity offers blessings and favors to those who embrace it ideology.  Salvation becomes sellable, and access to God is determined by the size of your offering. 

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The marketing manipulation that is used to promote this new form of Christianity is the same method marketers use to get potential consumers to become acting consumers.  It is called the AIDA Model. This model consists of four stages: Awareness, Interest, Desire, and Action.  Students in marketing, learn about this concept and are graded on their ability to bring about the desired action.  The application of this model to promote a new and expandable form of Christianity is the same model used to promote a new brand of box cereal.  Follow me for a moment.

The application of this model does not require a college degree; it merely requires a gift of ‘gab’, the ability to sell others on your idea and a desire to manipulate others.  Manipulation seems to be such an ominous word, yet there are a good side and a bad side of manipulation.  There is harmless manipulation such as being led to believe that a Honda is superior to a Chevrolet vehicle. An example of a type of dangerous manipulation was to convince the public that smoking was ok.  Money is usually a common factor of all types of manipulations, in the organized church, in the community, and in business. Yet, the true church was never intended to be established on the same level or base as an everyday business.

The manipulation of desire is caused by knowing what is wanted or needed and offering it.  What do you want becomes the prime question.  In the vernacular of the charlatan priest, “whatever you want, God has got it”, and there is not one righteous soul that would respond negatively to this suggestion.   If you want money, God will give you money.  Here again The Reverend Ike, my model for the fleecing of the sheep mailed out thousands of letters in the early sixties that said, “ SOMEBODY, reading this letter will receive a financial blessing from God, all you have to do is plant a seed of faith.  The call for action was accepted by many, especially those of certain ethnic and cultural backgrounds who were financially intimidated.  Once they became aware of this newly created ATM God, logic took a holiday as they lined up, clamoring for the blessings.   A touch of common sense or the knowledge of God could have rendered that type of promotion baseless and profane. 

The drawing card to any successful religious assembly is, come over here and get your blessing, or come over here and be healed.  They prey on two of the most vulnerable aspects of human nature.  Healings and blessings  soon become synonymous with a packed house.  Problems began to manifest themselves when God refused to be manipulated. “If he did it once, he will do it again”, became the cry of the self-indoctrinated motivational speaker without the validity of scriptural support.  Standing on the creek bank waiting for God to separate the water soon became a lesson in futility.  The redefinition of the works of God became commonplace, in that the starting of a flooded car has now been described as a miracle.  The scripture is taken out of its context and the righteous are being indoctrinated into believing that if you speak it will be so.  If this were true, what a beautiful world we would have.  A sick person in the hospital is often decreed heal, yet often that person passes on from life into death.

A cloak of fear is used to intimidate those whose eyes are being open to the false doctrines that are prevailing.  It is taboo to speak a word against those who claim the anointing of God.  Yet, how many people have left the altar wondering why they didn't get the blessing that was promised to them?  There was a man who gave his last dollar and went out waiting for the blessing that was promised, was left wondering if he and his family had been forsaken by God.  But, these are things you can't talk about.  If you fail to get what you asked for, the problem is not in God, it is in us.  Through fear, a new indoctrination of Christianity appears to be holding.