Is there a connection between church membership and money?
“Her princes (leaders) in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.” Ezekiel 22:27
There is no evidence in the New Testament of what we see today perpetrated as “church membership.” Church membership is merely a tool in the arsenal of modern pastors to capture the souls and the money of those ensnared by it.
“Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.” 2 Corinthians 1:24
In the above verse, we see how Jesus’ apostle Paul expressly states that His calling from God is to help the joy, to bless the saints of Christ and never to control or manipulate them – as we see being done through the wolves who operate the church system today.
Church membership today is nothing more than a device of wolves to corral and exploit the people! There’s no biblical justification for it.
Corralling people using weekly “services” in a physical building doesn’t make any man a true prophet unto the LORD. The only thing this ascertains is that such a man is a real estate manager who is conducting a business.
Those with an agenda prove they are not “crucified with Christ” and will only use you! Beware. This is 99% of those in ministry today! Run.
Men who are truly serving the LORD do not seek to control or exploit GOD’s people (2 Corinthians 1:24).
Jesus Christ didn’t come and die for you so that you could be somebody’s good church member. Jesus saved you to be His disciple, His ambassador – to follow Him! (2 Corinthians 5:17-20)
Yes God ordained that there be elders in His body to feed and equip His the members of the one church and yet, not as is many times positioned and performed in the modern church world (1 Peter 5:1-6).
CHECK THE FRUIT: What have the local churches with their church membership corralling ever produced other than a bunch of church goers who are part of a church club? Where are the voices for Jesus is the market places? Look at the fruit of today’s modern churches. It is not reconcilable with the authentic New Testament disciples we see on the pages of the New Testament canon. Acts 1:8; 4:29-31, and 8:4 anyone?
Church membership is a tool to run a scam on the people – to number them as Satan led David to do (1 Chronicles 21). The LORD judged David for doing this and is judging the wolves today who coercively promulgate their church membership scam. God’s people belong to HIM and no other (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 7:23, etc.). They’ve discovered that “membership” into something causes people to believe they belong and therefore they are more willing to pay due$.
THINK: Let’s follow the money for a moment. In many cases, seminaries are connected to church denominations, right? Okay, so this incentivizes those seminaries to teach “church membership” to the future pastors because that sets the flow of money in motion. When the pastors teach, coerce, and obtain church membership, the money follows. Members feel obligated to give and support what they join, signed up for, and are participating in. There are now part of the club. Real simple business plan.
“Listening to your podcast about church membership. Really good message and I have left my church membership as I think it’s not biblical. The reason I went to this was because I was lonely and it was all for the wrong reasons. I find churches today are like a social club and lack of teaching. Thank you Todd and God bless you.” Penny
Can anyone find church membership in God’s Word among the earliest followers of Jesus? No. If someone is concerned about you becoming a member of their church, that’s a red flag. WHY can’t they just love you as a member of the one blood bought body of Christ? Church membership as it’s done by the 501(C)(3) government churches is against Holy Scripture. Run.
These church membership beguilers know that if they get the member$, the money follows! It’s a busine$$ to them!
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP SCAM BUSTED! Regrettably, millions have signed up to serve and fund a “church”, a false ministry which has as its initiation rite, the scam of “church membership” – something never taught nor enacted by Christ and His apostles. Once you agree to it, an evil spirit follows. This is the deeds and the doctrine of the Nicolaitans which Jesus says He hated! (Revelation 2:6, 15) Nico-Lains; Nico means to conquer and laitans means the people. Nicolaitans means – conquer the people. Beware. Anyone who wishes to debate me on this topic public, come forward. email Todd at: info@safeguardyoursoul.com
Church membership is for nobody’s good except those peddling it. Church membership is designed to make you loyal to their church club, not Christ.
THINK: Let’s follow the money for a moment. In many cases, seminaries are connected to church denominations, right? Okay, so this incentivizes those seminaries to teach “church membership” to the future pastors because that sets the flow of money in motion. When the pastors teach, coerce, and obtain church membership, the money follows. Real simple business plan.
“They want you to become members so you will be obligated to give to tithe to pay the pastor’s mortgage.” Darrel Moore
Many of today’s pastors are con men, marketers, salesmen. Seminaries today are heavy on marketing classes. These greed-driven nicolatain wolves use flattery to set the trap, to spread a net under the feet of their prey in order to snare them. They flatter their prey in order to get them to sign up for their church club where they are expected to participate by giving to fund the club.
“A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet.” Proverbs 29:5
If you’ve seen what I’ve repeatedly witnessed, you have observed in some instances, that after the honeymoon period, after they’ve gotten you to sign up for their club, to become a member, the flattery subsides, unless they are dealing with the rich of this world.
The church system, including church membership, has produced horrible fruit, counterfeits, backsliders. Where are the soul winners? No where to be found in the modern church. Satan has succeeded through our rebellion. Fellowship and seeking God is limited to their so-called “church attendance.” Instead of being the church (people of God), they replace it with “going to church” or “service.” It becomes what people trust in. Their “worship” is simply going to church. This is completely un-scriptural. Jesus says “This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” (Matthew 7:6) Modern Church Exposed
Church membership produces church members with no good fruit. Being truly born again and humbly abiding obedient in Christ produces the good fruit that clearly proves one is in truly Christ (John 15).
“Church” attendance was never ordained by God to displace, to replace the personal study of His Word and the natural, daily, organic fellowship of individual saints. Church membership endears the people, the prey, to the organization and it’s leaders and members and not to the LORD Himself. This has displaced the individual priesthood and fellowship God ordained for each and every individual believer. Lots of people replace personally diligently seeking the LORD with going to “church.” They either merely dabble with or don’t even personally study God’s Word for themselves and yet are members in good standing at these local entertainment centers many call “church.” The pastors have sold them on this lifestyle by promoting and emphasizing church membership and not discipleship.
“Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.” 1 Peter 5:3
If the members of Christ’s body are “GOD’s heritage”, what can be added? What did Jesus leave undone? Why do some insist upon getting them to sign up for something else, some club? Is this not a clear example of lording it over “God’s heritage”? Perhaps much evil can be traced back to this trap, this cursed root, practice.
You are bought by the blood of Jesus and the property of God, not man! Get off the roll call of church membership now! Sever the yoke of bondage! By doing this you are denouncing trust in the flesh, in mere men, and declaring that you are Christ’s! You belong to He who bought You with His blood on the cross!
“Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.” 1 Corinthians 7:23
“No more membership of man’s fellowship club.
God is the Savior of all men, especially
those who believe.
God has ushered in by holy blood fellowship
in the Spirit and there is only one way to enter.
John 14:6” David Taylor, pastor
Do God’s People Need to Join a “Church” in Order to “Love One Another”?
“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” John 13:35
Have these words of our LORD and Savior been hi-jacked? Recently I read the subtitle of a pro-church membership pastor’s book which read: “How the world knows who represents Jesus.” These words seem designed to convince people that they must join his or a local church organization to walk in God’s love toward His people. Nonsense.
It’s interesting that some of the proponents of formal church membership to their local “church” are now teaching that the world knows God’s people by their connection to what they call “church”, local church membership. Being knowing of Christ, purchased by His precious blood and therefore in His one church isn’t enough so they say. Loving one another doesn’t seem to apply to those who aren’t signed up on their church roll call.
In the above verse, did Jesus say anything the the blood-bought members of His body about signing up to be a member of a local church? Did you read that in John 13:35 or anywhere in the New Testament? No. It’s not there.
In the teaching, the theology of these enterprising wolves, somehow being purchased by the very blood of Jesus is not enough if one doesn’t join a local “church.” They take what Jesus plainly taught a step further by adding to what He taught. Where is church membership as the false church promotes found in John 13:35 or any part of the Scriptures? Nowhere. They say that church membership is required in order to show the world how much love Christians have “one to another.” (John 13:34-35) This is clearly an example of adding to the Word of God (Revelation 22:18-19). Dangerous. Erroneous. Since when was Jesus’ cross not enough to save then unite His people who are full of His love for Him and each other? I’d ask them to use Scripture to demonstrate that Christ’s cross wasn’t enough and how being a part, a formal member of their “church” club is somehow even important, much less necessary. This is trickery being used by greedy, self-serving wolves who are making merchandise of God’s people for their own self-serving purposes (2 Peter 2:1-3). Are these pastors not using the name of the LORD in vain by using His holy name, His holy Word in vain, to coercively manipulate people to believe they have to join their local church?
Fellowship with the people of God is commanded and a necessity for every born again saint. Yet, such doesn’t require being a roll call member of a local church club. There’s no end to the number of ways many pastors manipulate the minds of the people, convincing them that going to their church club is a necessity and that fellowship is defined as being a part of that group. Utter nonsense.
The salesmen we call “pastors” today have to sell you on the notion that you need them. But the Bible informs us that we need 1. Jesus, and, 2. His true body, not those who are practicing the witchcraft of making you a member of their “church” instead of honoring the truth that when God saved you, through the blood of Jesus, He already made you a member of His one true body/church (Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 2, 4). 11 times the New Testament uses the term “one body.” And, the apostle Paul severely rebuked the Corinthians for sectarianism – “For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. 13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Corinthians 1:11-13)
FLASH POINT: You were purchased at the highest price – the very precious blood of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19). You are first and foremost the servant of the Most High, who paid the highest price to purchase you to Himself. You are accountable to Your Maker, Your Redeemer, not mere men who deceitfully pose as His elders and yet act outside of His stated will, His Word. Church membership into a local body, becoming a member, is not of God, period. There is not one instance of Jesus or His apostles practicing church membership into a local church group as is done today.
PLEASE SHARE THIS POST: Church membership in a local gathering is a huge sacred cow that must be exposed for the tyrannical device that it is. It’s Satan whom Jesus says has come “to steal, to kill, and to destroy.” (John 10:10)
Church membership is nothing more or less than a device to control, manipulate, and exploit people.
Modern church leaders claim to be the LORD’s elders and yet they’re doing something Christ and His apostles, the original New Testament elders, never once did – church membership tyranny.
Modern wolves often use Hebrews 13:7, 17 to convince their prey to submit to them. Yet, a close reading of those verses, when you see the conditions, disqualifies most would-be elders as frauds. Why? Because they’re not truly leading you in the Word nor honestly overseeing your soul. If they were, they wouldn’t be practicing church membership to exploit you.
Modern church leaders sell people on how they have to have their membership into the church club in order to give them (the people) the benefits of THEIR leadership, to train them, to oversee them, to teach them. But did Jesus or His apostles practice “church membership”? No. What further price needs to be paid on top of the already shed precious blood of Jesus for God’s people to be His church and to function as His church? Are you beginning to smell a rat? There’s more….
SEEMS to me that God wants His people, first and foremost, to operate as individual disciples of HIS …. read this closely saints….
“For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant. 23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. 24 Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.” 1 Corinthians 7:22-24
WHY can’t they just let you be your own person? WHY do they feel the need to bring you under their leadership? Did the LORD address this in His Word? He sure did. Take a close look at this verse and capture it for your knowledge, safety, and liberty in Christ:
“While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.” 2 Peter 2:19
It’s through the lie that they teach you that you need to become a member of their church that they bring you into bondage. This is how they operate. The lie is the bait to get you to take it, to join, and then the hook is set. They throw the net to catch your feet as they set the hook in you to bring you into their boat.
Memorize this, meditate on this nugget of divine truth. The LORD told on His enemies by showing how they operate: “of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.” 2 Peter 2:19
How are people “overcome”, that is, how are they brought under the rulership of other mere men? How are they brought into servitude to other men? Via church membership, initiation and indoctrination into a system that is not the kingdom and doesn’t come with the blessing of Jesus Christ, the only “Head” of the true church.
Greek for “Overcome” in 2 Peter 2:19:
to make worse, that is, vanquish (literally or figuratively); by implication to rate lower: – be inferior, overcome.
QUESTION: Why do cattle ranchers capture, corral, and brand their cattle?
ANSWER: To exercise control over them. To make money off of them. Right? Yes.
QUESTION: Are you cattle, an animal or are you created in the very image of God? Why then do you allow yourself to be under the bondage of sinful men instead of directly submitted to the only “Head” of the true church?
Wolf Lies Leads to Wasted Lives
Also, have you ever stood back and wondered by the modern church system is not producing true disciples? What is the issue? There’s lots of church-membership, church attendance transpiring. So why so little kingdom fruit is being produced?
Case in point:
How many people do you know who are good church members and also astute biblical students who can earnestly defend and contend for the faith?
Do we really think that what we see, the wasted lives whose life is sucked out via the modern local church experience, is what God intended for His New Testament saints? What God had in mind when He sent His only begotten Son, looks much different than what the apostate modern church world is producing – which is basically perpetual church goers.
ARE you seeking to get people to your “church” or to JESUS?
What is the fruit of your life? Are you merely a church member who attends a so-called church “service” weekly? Are you truly a disciple who is bearing the fruit consistent with true repentance and kingdom living?
Churchianity vs Biblical Christianity-a real walk with Jesus. Which do you have?
Have you read the books of Acts lately? THAT’s God’s will for His New Testament church. It would do us well to studiously read and pour prayerfully over this great book of Acts. Among other things, the book of Acts is a historical record of the earliest followers of Christ after Pentecost which marks the beginning of the New Testament church.
Hint: The only reason someone would want you to sign up as their church member is because they have an agenda. Plain and simple.
Paul said he didn’t exercise dominion over the faith of others. So, why do nearly all local churches today seek to do so by conquering their prey via the right of passage, through church membership into their system? Let’s read again the words of Christ’s apostle Paul who insisted that individual saints be left autonomous:
“Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.” 2 Corinthians 1:24
It’s through church membership that the people are brought into the system so the wolves can exercise “dominion” over Christ’s sheep. Then it by the system that they exercise dominion over the people. The system is the oppression. This is why the earliest saints operated autonomously – outside of the system. They system we see in the New Testament Scripture were the worse enemies of our LORD and we know that because they received the hardest rebukes from Him (Matthew 23).
The initiation is the obtaining of membership. Then, under that deceiving spirit, people are fearful to go against the system, the church rules and regulations and the leaders. So, they’ve surrendered their rights if you will. They’ve surrendered to the system and dropped their God-given ability and responsibility of reasoning. Remember how the Berean believers took Paul to task as they weighed all he spoke against the final authority of the Scriptures? (Acts 17:10-11) Now, when the captor is under the system, he’s now a yes man, a man who won’t go against the grain and like every good cult, when someone questions the system, they have to be disciplined and excommunicated if necessary.
Further evidence of the cultic nature of this scenario where leaders indoctrinate and put a spell on the people, is that even good men who are biblical are prone to fall into this heresy, to be led into it, and say nothing as they simply go with the flow (Exodus 23:2). This is proof of an evil spirit at work, just as it happened to the Galatians who were “bewitched.” (Galatians 3:1)
“O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?” Galatians 3:1
Modern wolves who perpetrate the practice “church membership”, which is never seen in Holy Scripture, do so because they want you to check your discernment, your God-given reasoning faculties at the door. Why? They want to control you and they don’t want to be questioned or exposed.
Now, WHY do we think they call their meetings a “service”? The Bible never calls the gatherings, the assemblies of God’s people a “service.” WHO are the people really SERVING? Under whose servitude have they submitted? See 2 Peter 2:19.
Did the Early Church Practice Church Membership as it’s Practiced Today?
Nearly anything can be extrapolated using Scripture out of context and yet, the test is whether or not Jesus and His apostles and the early church practiced such. And, they didn’t practice it. Church membership, as we see it in the modern church world, began with the roman catholic church and is not biblical. Also, it causes sectarianism which Jesus rebuked (Luke 9:49-50). Church membership is all about corralling and controlling the sheep of Christ’s pasture.
Let’s not deceive ourselves – most churches, church organizations are a business and operate according to a busine$$ model:
Membership = Money
Connection = Coin
“Once all the apostles were killed off, this system, including church membership, was set up, denying the headship of Christ.” David Taylor (pastor)
Obtaining new members, church membership, new members classes are a part of the church busine$$ $ystem to corral, control, and con the members and most diabolically, to intercept their reasoning, their resources, and their rightful place with Christ, the only “Head” of His body (Colossians 1:18; 2:18-19).
“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.” 2 Peter 2:1-3
Most modern local churches are busine$$e$ for the profit of men, not God.
The church membership push is the push perpetrated by greed-driven beguilers to corral, to unduly leverage, to wield ungodly control over God’s people and their resources – time and money. Beware. Run.
Here’s a pitch I ran across on a church website:
“Being a member is your way of saying, ‘I’m all in with the _______ Church Family.’ Membership at _______ Church is a commitment to our family, and a commitment from our family to you.”
Note that the basis, the measure of being “all in” is being sold as joining that local church. And so it’s all about that church family and not the whole body of Christ. It’s about that so-called church “family” instead of “the whole family in heaven and earth is named.” (Ephesians 3:15)
The assembling of God’s people is to be for fellowshipping with God and His people (Acts 2:42). Since the early church, a whole system of antichrist interceptions has been perpetrated by a priesthood of wolves. Anti means in place of. Notice the origins of this system of pushing Christ out. ……. Colossians 3:1-4. Putting ANYTHING in place of Christ is antichrist.
Church membership = control. They want control of you so they can control your resources, your money. Satan has a much larger plan – to control your mind, to quench the work of the Holy Spirit of God in your life.
History of Church Membership: The history of church membership in Protestant and Evangelical churches begins with the Catholic Church, which implements its discipline over all the baptized (christened, water sprinkled), through a tradition-based sacramental system, governing the lives of their captors from cradle to grave. Essentially, in this way the Roman cult corrals and coerces the insistence of membership upon every initiated, water-sprinkled/christened catholic child. Without that cult-initiation rite, that membership to the Roman religion, that person is considered outside of salvation, outside of the “one true church.” Through church membership in the Catholic church, the completely un-biblical sacramental system is enforced. The Catholic sacramental system is the creation, the strategy of devils, designed to strengthen the piety of the Catholic faithful throughout their lives, guiding them safely into the bowels of eternal damnation. Jesus died and rose again that He alone might have preeminence over His true worldwide body. Church membership to a local church or church organization is perpetrated by cross-less wolves and is a direct affront to the Headship of the one, nail-scarred Savior (Colossians 1:18; 2:18-19, etc.).
Church membership, as Satan would have it, produces the fruit of wasted lives who bid Godspeed to the wolves Christ and His apostles often warned us about (2 John 7-11). So many “Christians” today are not kingdom disciples who are bearing fruit daily for the glory of God. They’ve pigeonhole themselves into a local so-called church and spend all our resources and energy on a self-perpetuating religious club. Some call it churchianity as opposed to biblical Christianity.
Church membership inevitably leads to idolatry, where the allegiance is to the local church which becomes an idol. The church organization begins to take precedence, preeminence.
When someone signs up to be a member of the “church” club, inevitably, they begin to trust the club, to rely on their leaders and the organization, and their attendance at its “services.” Their trust in God, their reliance, their desperate crying out to Him, their dependency upon the LORD wanes.
“My walk got even stronger with Christ when I stopped submitting to local churches, because I looked for HIM to give me the answers instead of going to a man.” Veronica
The gathering of the saints of Christ to worship Him together is never to be monetized – used for the self-serving purposes of wolves. This is exactly what we see in the modern church business, just as it was when Jesus cleared the temple (Matthew 21; John 2).
Everything becomes about the church activities, curriculum, people, and leaders, instead of Christ (Colossians 2:18-19; 3:1-4, etc.). The curriculum of weekly church services, a program, a system, causes people to trust in that and not in Christ, daily, moment by moment. Individual accountability and participation in an abiding oneness with Christ is the biblical mandate (Luke 21:34-36; John 15, etc.). Inevitably, church membership and participation in that groups activities becomes the thing people become enthralled in and not Christ. The spontaneity is lost.
“And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” Acts 2:42-47
Only the LORD Himself can add to His blood-bought church in the earth. Notice “THE LORD ADDED TO THE CHURCH daily such as should be saved” in contrast to false leaders building their own nickels, noses, and numbers via church membership, etc. (Acts 2:47) Mere men who seek to “church the unchurched” are self-willed rebels operating under their own self-serving greedy agenda, using the name of the LORD in vain to build their own empires – void of essential biblical truths such as the virgin birth and divinity of Jesus Christ, hell, judgment to come, the imperative of repentance, holiness, etc. Only Christ, the Head of His body, can add to HIS church which He promised He would “build.” … “I will build MY church.” (Matthew 16:18) While enterprising antichrist’s build their own “churches”, Christ is building His one remnant body, organically!
Read Colossians chapters 1 and 2 closely. Ask God to open the eyes of your understanding as you begin.
HERE’S 100% PROOF THAT THE 501(C)(3) SO-CALLED “CHURCH” YOU GO TO IS NOT OF GOD – BUT RATHER IS COMMANDEERED BY A WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING (2 Peter 2:1-3). The 501(C)(3) scam is a deal with the devil that silenced the self-serving greedy devils many call “pastors” today in America (Isaiah 56:8-12; Philippians 3:18-19). “And why does the church want to make you a member? I guarantee that there is a $nickel attached to these 501c’s from the state. And, just remember that Planned Parenthood is a 501c, as well as the church of Satan, should we be in confederacy […]
G.O.D. = Game Over Devil [podcast]
Ousting the Enemy! WHO’s READY FOR SOME VICTORY? Your issue is with the God you have sinned against, and not me, a mere messenger of His. Blaming everyone except the sinner who caused your separation from your Maker will only dig yourself deeper in misery. The sin you are living in has given full control of your life to Satan who has come “to steal, to kill, and to destroy.” (John 10:10) The following information will equip you to know what the LORD requires of you to be back into His graces, in a vital union with the Savior. Sin […]
"Thou Fool, this Night Thy Soul shall be Required of Thee" [podcast]
Recorded at a home Bible fellowship Getting ready to die and go to hell is not success – no matter how “successful” you foolishly think you’ve become by what you’ve obtained in this brief life. “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Mark 8:36-37 “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee” “And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance […]
Spiritual Formation—A Dangerous Substitute for the Life of Christ [podcast]
Sometimes we think of spiritual formation as formation by the Holy Spirit. Once again. That’s essential. . . . But now I have to say something that may be challenging for you to think about: Spiritual formation is not all by the Holy Spirit. . . . We have to recognize that spiritual formation in us is something that is also done to us by those around us, by ourselves, and by activities which we voluntarily undertake . . .There has to be method.1—Dallas Willard
Aside from the fact that Spiritual Formation incorporates mystical practices into its infrastructure (remove the contemplative aspect and you don’t have “Spiritual Formation” anymore), Spiritual Formation is a works-based substitute for biblical Christianity. Let us explain.
When one becomes born again (“that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9-10), having given his or her life and heart over to Christ as Savior, Jesus Christ says He will come in and live in that surrendered heart:
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. (Revelation 3:20)
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: (Colossians 1:27)
If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (Romans 8:11; emphasis added)
When God, through Jesus Christ, is living in us, He begins to do a transforming work in our hearts (2 Corinthians 3:18). Not only does He change us, He also communes with us. In other words, we have fellowship with Him, and He promises never to leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
This life of God in the believer’s heart is not something we need to conjure up through meditative practices. But if a person does not have this relationship with the Lord, he may seek out ways to feel close to God. This is where Spiritual Formation comes into play. Rather than a surrendered life to Christ (through repentance and faith), the seeking person begins practicing the spiritual disciplines (e.g., prayer, fasting, good works, etc.) with the promise that if he practices these disciplines, he will become more Christ-like.
But merely doing these acts fails to make one feel close to God—something is still missing. And thus, he begins practicing the discipline of silence (or solitude), and now in these altered states of silence, he finally feels connected to God. He now feels complete. What he does not understand is that he has substituted the indwelling of Christ in his heart for a works-based methodology that endangers his spiritual life. Dangerous because these mystical experiences he now engages in appear to be good because they make him feel close to God, but in reality he is being drawn into demonic realms no different than what happens to someone who is practicing transcendental meditation or eastern meditation. Even mystics themselves acknowledge that the contemplative realm is no different than the realm reached by occultists. To understand this more fully, please read Ray Yungen’s book A Time of Departing.
Bottom line, it is not possible to be truly Christ-like without having Christ inside of us because it is His righteousness that is able to change our hearts—we cannot do it without Him. It is His righteousness we need:
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe. (Romans 3:22)
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. (Philippians 3:9)
It is interesting to note that virtually every contemplative teacher has a common theme—they feel dry and empty and want to go “deeper” with God or “become more intimate” with God. But if we have Christ living in us, how can we go any deeper than that? How can we become more intimate than that? And if going deeper and becoming intimate were so important, why is it that none of the disciples or Jesus Himself ever told us to do this? As Larry DeBruyn states:
Why are Christians seeking a divine presence that Jesus promised would abundantly flow in them? . . . Why do they need another voice, another visitation, or another vision? Why are some people unthankfully desirous of “something more” than what God has already given to us? Why is it that some Christians, in the depth of their souls, are not seemingly at rest?2
Is There a “Good” Spiritual Formation?
One of the most common arguments we hear defending Spiritual Formation is that there is a “good” Spiritual Formation done without contemplative prayer. To that we say, we have never yet seen a Spiritual Formation program in a school or a church that doesn’t in some way point people to the contemplative mystics. It might be indirectly, but in every case, if you follow the trail, it will lead you right into the arms of Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, and other contemplative teachers.
Think about this common scenario: A Christian college decides to begin a Spiritual Formation course. The instructor has heard some negative things about Richard Foster, Henri Nouwen, and Brennan Manning, and he figures he will teach the class “good Spiritual Formation” and leave those teachers completely out. But he’s going to need a textbook. He turns to a respected institution, Dallas Theological Seminary, and finds a book written by Paul Pettit, Professor in Pastoral and Education Ministries. The book is titled Foundations of Spiritual Formation. The instructor who has found this book to use in his own class may never mention Richard Foster or Dallas Willard, but the textbook he is using does. Within the pages of Pettit’s book is Richard Foster, Philip Yancey, N.T. Wright, Dallas Willard, Thomas Aquinas, Lectio Divina, Ayn Rand, Parker Palmer, Eugene Peterson, J.P. Moreland, Klaus Issler, Bruce Demarerst, Jim Burns, Kenneth Boa and Brother Lawrence’s “practicing God’s presence.” You may not have heard of all these names, but they are all associated with the mystical contemplative prayer movement and the emerging church.
Another example of this is Donald Whitney’s book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. Whitney is former Associate Professor at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and currently at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. While his book does not promote contemplative mysticism, he says that Richard Foster has “done much good”3 in the area of Christian spirituality (which we believe is blatantly untrue).
Our point is that even if there is a sincere attempt to teach Spiritual Formation and stay away from the mystical side, we contend that it cannot be successfully accomplished because it will always lead back to the ones who have brought it to the church in the first place.
Spiritual formation is sweeping throughout Christianity today. It’s no wonder when the majority of Christian leaders have either endorsed the movement or given it a silent pass. For instance, in Chuck Swindoll’s book So You Want to Be Like Christ: 8 Essential Disciplines to Get You There, Swindoll favorably quotes Richard Foster and Dallas Willard. Swindoll calls Celebration of Discipline a “meaningful work”4 and Willard’s book The Spirit of the Disciplines “excellent work.”5 In chapter three, ”Silence and Solitude,” Swindoll talks about “digging for secrets . . . that will deepen our intimacy with God.”6 Quoting the contemplative poster-verse Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God,” Swindoll says the verse is a call to the “discipline of silence.”7 As other contemplative proponents have done, he has taken this verse very much out of context.
Roger Oakland sums it up:
The Spiritual Formation movement . . . teaches people that this is how they can become more intimate with God and truly hear His voice. Even Christian leaders with longstanding reputations of teaching God’s word seem to be succumbing. . . .
We are reconciled to God only through his “death” (the atonement for sin), and we are presented “holy and unblameable and unreproveable” when we belong to Him through rebirth. It has nothing to do with works, rituals, or mystical experiences. It is Christ’s life in the converted believer that transforms him.8
“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” Romans 5:10
What Christians need is not a method or program or ritual or practice that will supposedly connect them to God. What we need is to be “in Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:30) and Christ in us. And He has promised His Spirit “will guide [us] into all truth” (John 16:13).
“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:” 1 Corinthians 1:30
In Colossians 1:9, the apostle Paul tells the saints that he was praying for them that they “might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” He was praying that they would have discernment (“spiritual understanding”). He said that God, the Father, has made us “partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light” (vs 12) and had “delivered us from the power of darkness [i.e., power of deception]” (vs. 13). But what was the key to having this wisdom and spiritual understanding and being delivered from the power of darkness? Paul tells us in that same chapter. He calls it “the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints” (vs. 26). What is that mystery? Verse 27 says: “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (emphasis added).
For those wanting to get involved with the Spiritual Formation movement (i.e., contemplative, spiritual direction), consider the “direction” you will actually be going.
And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel. (Colossians 1:21-23)
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power. (Colossians 2: 8-10)
This article is an extract from the Lighthouse Trails booklet, Is Your Church Doing Spiritual Formation? (Important Reasons Why They Shouldn’t). To order this booklet, click here.
Endnotes:
1. Dallas Willard, “Spiritual Formation: What it is, and How it is Done” (https://dwillard.org/resources/articles/spiritual-formation-what-it-is-and-how-it-is-done).
2. Larry DeBruyn, “God’s Present of His Presence” (https://www.guardinghisflock.org/gods-present-of-his-presence/ ).
3. Donald Whitney, “Doctrine and Devotion: A Reunion Devoutly to be Desired” (http://web.archive.org/web/20080828052145/http://biblicalspirituality.org/devotion.html).
4. Chuck Swindoll, So You Want to Be Like Christ: 8 Essential Disciplines to Get You There (Nashville, TN:W Publishing Group, a div. of Thomas Nelson, 2005), p. 15.
5. Ibid., p. 13.
6. Ibid., p. 55.
7. Ibid.
8. Roger Oakland, Faith Undone (Eureka, MT: Lighthouse Trails Publishing, 2007), pp. 91-92.
This has been an extract from our booklet Is Your Church Doing Spiritual Formation? (Important Reasons Why It Shouldn’t). To order this booklet, click here.
The Dangers of Spiritual Formation and Spiritual Disciplines
The Dangers of Spiritual Formation and Spiritual Disciplines A Critique of Dallas Willard and The Spirit of the Disciplines by Bob DeWaayPractices called “spiritual disciplines” that are deemed necessary for “spiritual formation” have entered evangelicalism. Recent encounters with this teaching narrated to me by friends caused me to investigate these practices. The first experience involved my friend and co-worker Ryan Habbena who went back to seminary to finish his masters degree. Here is his experience in his own words: I recently took a seminary course on the book of Luke. It was a summer intensive and was one of only […]
SHOCKING List of Spiritual Formation Ministries
More Catholic Witchcraft Infiltrating the Apostate Seminaries, Ministries, and Churches “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron.” 1 Timothy 4:1-2 WHAT is spiritual formation / contemplative prayer or centering prayer? Spiritual formation/contemplative prayer/spirituality is just another self-centered, Christ-denying, self-righteous, works-based, occultic, pagan lie from hell! Seminaries teach it and now many churches today are practicing new age witchcraft called contemplative prayer, or centering Prayer which is part of spiritual formation. […]
“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:” Ephesians 1:4
Holiness comes by the Savior in self denial (death and burial – the cross), not by self will or effort. Surrender is the cross – “NOT my will but thine be done” (Lk. 22:42) and “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46). We surrender to Christ by saying “Not my will but thine be done” dear Lord, by Your grace and the deliberate act of my own will I submit to the cross, the crucified life – where You alone reign supreme in this vessel (Luke 22:42; Galatians 2:20, etc.). I love You LORD Jesus! You must increase but I must decrease! (John 3:30)
Holiness, not happiness, is the divine command, the chief purpose and end of Christ’s salvation.
Of holiness, one disciple writes:
“Holiness speaks more to nature than it does conduct. Good conduct is the spontaneous byproduct of the new nature of the new creation man thru the cross and death to the old nature. We are new creatures in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17-18). To preach holiness as conduct without the new nature thru the cross understanding is legalism. Holiness is actually derived from ‘wholeness’ meaning the thorough transformation of the whole tripartite man (1 Thess 5:23). So many of these ‘holiness’ preachers are preaching nothing but conduct under law. Law arouses sinful passions and causes sin to increase and was given in order to provoke transgressions (Rom 7:5; 5:20; Gal 3:21). They are enemies of the cross!”
Holiness comes by way of the cross, not by way of the flesh. Just as sin was conquered by the cross of Christ, so sin in the life of the saint is conquered by the daily cross – the crucified life (Luke 9:23-24; Romans 6; Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:3, etc.). It’s time to stop trying harder and to simply die deeper.
NOTICE: When a believer or group of believers backslides, they no longer separate from the transgressors who are unrepentant:
Fornication Defiles
“It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have (Gr. possessed and wouldn’t repent) his father’s wife. 2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:1-2
The Glorious Church Jesus is Returning for [video]
WHAT church/people is Jesus returning for? “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:25-27 “a glorious church” “not having spot (no sin)“ No “wrinkle” “or any such thing” “but that it should be holy and without blemish” WHAT’s the use of talking about end times […]
Can a True Believer Overcome All Sin? [podcast]
Yes. In the church world, there’s an abundance of talk about sin and it comes with the notion, the inflection, the false assumption that somehow, born again believers are relegated to sinning, as if there’s no other choice. Is that true? Is this the biblical perspective? What I want us to do is make sure we are looking at the whole of Scripture and be blessed to gain a godly confidence that our Savior provided a perfect salvation that includes more than just the initial washing away of our sins. This “great grace” that He provided in His “so […]
The Truth about Holiness [podcast]
“Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” Exodus 15:11 As we just read, divine “holiness” is “glorious.” Holiness is not what most of us think it is. Holiness in the divine economy is something of great “beauty” and utterly refreshing (Psalms 96:9). It seems that holiness is not merely a divine attribute but rather the divine nature of the Almighty. Are we ready to allow our LORD, who alone is “Holy, holy, holy,” to define what holiness truly is and how He brings it […]
WHEN Jesus declared “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you” (John 15:16), …. was Jesus speaking here of men who “earned” and paid big money for a degree, a piece of paper from a “higher learning” institution of mere men? No. Read John 15:1-16 and you will see that Jesus alone can choose, call, prepare, and ordain a man to be fruitful in His work. The LORD’s work is to choose, to call, prepare, ordain, purge, and to send for the divine purpose of “fruit …. more fruit… and much fruit” to be born in the lives of those men He is using.
Biblical Case against Seminary: Save Your Money and time – Go to the Savior, Not Seminary!
It should be noted that in God’s Word, where the specific qualifications for elders are given, not one of those descriptions includes having a degree from a higher learning institution. See 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.
Seminaries originated with the catholic church—which is where the protestants got it. Sad but true. The curse of seminaries continues today. Beware saints. Seminaries are wolf factories. Think about it, the business model, it’s the denominations who have the seminaries. This is to train their prey to uniformly spread heresies and to build church businesses to collect money whereby those denominations are paid fees and a percentage of every dollar collected. Dallas Theological Seminaries forces enrollees from the beginning to sign a contract that avows them to not teach the biblical doctrine of enduring to the end. The eternal security heresy they peddle ensures much busine$$ success.
“Seminaries originated in the 16th century, primarily as a Roman Catholic response to the Reformation to better train priests, with the first established by St. Charles Borromeo in 1563. The term derives from the Latin seminarium (“seed plot” or “plant nursery”), symbolizing the cultivation of spiritual growth and faith.”
Any man who submits his life to a seminary has openly declared that he wants mere sinful men to train him to do God’s work instead of submitting his life to the LORD Himself—as did all the patriarchs, prophets and apostles—not one of them who was seminary trained (as we know such today). Yes the apostle Paul was formally trained BEFORE he was saved and then denounced all of it—all of his formal training after being saved and in preparation to serve the LORD. Read Philippians 3.
Let me get this straight…. You saved me LORD BUT I’m going to trust sinful men to train me at the seminary (Jeremiah 17:5).
God doesn’t send anyone to seminary. He never once sent any of the patriarchs, prophets, or apostles to seminary. “I am the LORD, I change not” (Malachi 3:6).
Many are led to believe the following lie: “I need to go to seminary if I want to be a preacher, pastor, or in the ministry.” Yes if you want to be just another false prophet, go to seminary. They are wolf factories.
The moment the LORD saves us, we are in His school of the Holy Spirit and Word.
Satan’s centralization of learning, indoctrination: when the source is poisoned, all that flows from that cursed source is poisoned—from the seminaries to the local churches.
YOU HAVE GOD’S WORD, A BIBLE, READ IT FOR YOURSELF.
The question of whether or not we should trust professional clergymen, seminarians and their supposed superior knowledge and understanding.
In Matthew 11:25 , God says that He reveals His truth, truths to even the babes in Christ.
Notice how that “from a child” Timothy knew the “holy scriptures” and the wisdom they give us. Timothy studied and knew and could understand God’s Word as a little “child.” No degreed seminarian needed.
“And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:15-17
“Seminaries and Bible colleges absolutely do make men boastful and proud over a fake degree. Jesus calls His people to be servants and nothing more. I also think of Paul when he separated the true disciples from the synagogue because the Jews were in contradiction of the gospel. So he separated them and taught them in the Apostles doctrine (Acts 2:42). He trained them in the whole of the scriptures. And this resulted in the widespread dispersing of the gospel (Acts 19:9-10).” Karen Cochran
Upon saving you, Jesus put His Holy Spirit in you and inducted you into His school of the Holy Ghost and Word (Psalms 119:105). No one needs “Bible college” or “seminary” to read and obey God’s Word (King James Bible). Jesus told no man to “go to Bible college/seminary.” Seminarian and Bible college graduates pridefully boast of their degrees and positions, lording it over others….as if they are superior. Isn’t this where the clergy/laity rankings were furthered? Does this not go diametrically against the teaching of our LORD? Yes it does. See Matthew 20:24-28 and 23:8-12.
Think about it: Seminary trains men to lord it over others, while the preparation for ministry the LORD enacts teaches His elders to go forth as He did —to serve and not to be served (Matthew 20:24-28 and 23:8-12). The whole premise of seminaries is based on a lie—the lie of usurping authority that God never ordained you to have. This further underscores that the author of seminaries is Satan himself. See Isaiah 14:12-15.
“Excellent teaching. Thank you. I think of 2 Timothy 2:21 which tells us how we are made vessels fit for the Master’s use. In that passage nor any other, we don’t see the word seminary. Vessels of honor are purged in the fire of affliction. And sanctified internally by the blood of Christ to bring forth fruit for His glory. This is how we are prepared by the Spirit of God to be used by the Master! No seminary school can do that. It is entirely the work of the Spirit through our ‘obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ’ (1 Peter: 1:2).” Karen Cochran
Seminaries, seminarians are Satan’s way of controlling the people via their clergy. No group is more famous for this than the Roman religion.
“While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.” 2 Peter 2:19
Of the seminarian devils who litter the landscape of the American pulpits, Karen Cochran writes:
“And these apostate churches will only hire these wolves in sheep’s clothing Jesus warned us to beware of (Matthew 7:15). Therefore they don’t get men like the Apostles who gave their whole lives to preaching, warning, and teaching Jesus Christ! See Colossians 1:28. Then they died for the sake of Christ. The seminarian wolves of our day only preach about self, the self-life! They could care less about giving all for the sake of Christ!”
Only the cross, the crucified life, can keep us from sin (Romans 6:7; 1 Corinthians 9:27; 10:12). No amount of knowledge, even the truth, can keep us from sin. The truth of the cross Jesus commanded must be applied, obeyed—or you will not walk nor be with Him (Luke 9:23-24; John 8:31-32). The crucified life is something one will rarely if ever hear in seminaries or out of the mouth of seminarians.
Saints, we must follow Jesus. That’s why we have a Bible that He provided (Luke 4:4). We must cease with our idolatrous fascination with certain schools and men who seem to have a deep understanding of things. The idolatry of mere men will not keep us from living in sin.
Are you personally crucified with Christ?
If not, you ARE living in sin.
“He that is dead(crucified with Christ)is freed from sin.” Romans 6:7
Read Romans 6 each morning and obey God. | The Cross Life
One can have the whole Bible memorized and understand it all, and still die and go to hell. You must walk with Christ—live a crucified life of prayer—or you will perish irrevocably in the flames of eternal damnation. Judas walked with Jesus, he saw the miracles and heard His teachings first hand and died and busted hell wide open. The Truth about Judas
Professionalism is poison. There were no professional pastors in the early church. The seminary system is the factory that creates such business men, frauds (2 Peter 2:1-3).
The modern church world is driven by Satan’s seminarians: WHAT has it produced?
Are you a living, breathing epistle, a disciple of Jesus, or just another modern pharisee, a seminarian-deceived fraud who hides in a building while collecting a salary and misleading people to hell?
NO such thing as an “official” seminarian credentialed pastor or preacher in the early church! Beware. Satan’s seminary system exposed.
Notice how the unchanging LORD worked in Paul after He saved him:
“But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, 16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: 17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia (the desert), and returned again unto Damascus. 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.” Galatians 1:15-18
Jesus is the Savior and Sanctifier—the only One who can prepare and ordain a man to ministry (John 15:16). Only three years later did Paul consult with men—AFTER God had spoken directly to him. The apostles were saved and taught of God, not mere sinful men.
“Despite God’s word commanding men not to boast in their wisdom, and despite being told that ‘not many wise according to the flesh’ are called, today’s evangelical landscape is replete with scribes and pharisees whose default question is, ‘By what authority do you do these things?’ They put their stock in how many credit hours they have obtained at such and such a seminary. Seminary credentials never qualified a man for God’s service, nor does a lack of “formal training” nullify what God approves. Indeed, God has chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27). When God calls anyone to a particular task, it matters not if others approve.” Servus Christi
YOU going trust a sinful seminarian or the only Savior? Hell awaits.
Many today, upon sensing a calling, go to men to be prepared, to seminary. Consequently, they are deceived and then go forth to deceive others (2 Timothy 3:7).
The early church – Acts: On fire, full of the Holy Spirit had no trained seminarians.
Today’s apostate, lukewarm church world: Run into the ground by vatican corrupted, hireling seminarians.
The fruit of the modern churches are Clear proof that Satan is at the root of the seminarians who’ve driven them into apostasy!
“Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.” Jeremiah 48:10
Joel Nelson writes:
“It’s time to get rid of the corrupted clutter of the money-changing seminarian clergy wolves and get back to true, undiluted, uncorrupted, pure worship and fellowship (Acts 2:42-47). Ask yourself: WHAT has the seminary-driven church building based system ever produced to glorify Christ? Do those who attend look like the on-fire-for-Jesus, Holy Ghost filled believers you read about in the books of Acts? Hardly.”
Protestant evangelical seminarians are a fraternal order of vatican-trained soul thieves. They control what is and what is not said to the people. They purposely withhold the truth.
Most modern pastors are in darkness and that’s witnessed by the simple fact that they use and promote Satan’s false “bibles.”
Seminarian “pastors” do not follow Christ but rather they follow what men and devils taught them in seminary.
God is Calling all Seminarian and Bible College Students, Graduates to Repent
Attention seminarian or Bible College student, graduate: Not only does seminary not prepare you to be used of God, it gives you many things to unlearn and costs you much more than just a lot of wasted money. The ONE who saved you (if you are in fact saved) is the only ONE who can sanctify and prepare you to serve HIM. Seminary is at its root, apostasy, a departing from God to mere sinful men. If you claim to be born again and yet run to men to prepare you, there should be great concern (Galatians 1:16-17). PLAIN PROOF: Today’s apostate modern so-called “churches” become as they are – ichabod – by way of the jesuit-trained seminarian hirelings who drove them headlong into that apostasy. Seminiarian Apostasy Busted and Exposed!
Seminarian led churches are designed to create counterfeits. This was Satan’s objective and it’s worked! Run for your life!
Going to seminary is a deliberate work of the flesh—to trust mere sinful men instead of the One you claim saved you. Going to seminary means you are saying “LORD, you saved me but I need mere man to prepare me to serve You because LORD You are not able to do such!” Repentance needed!
“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. 6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. 7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:5-10
“Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?” Isaiah 2:22
“DON’T you dare share the truth about the cross! If you do, God’s people will wreak havoc on my kingdom! I’ve put my preachers in place for decades now so that this explosive message could be hidden! Now don’t you dare spoil my plan!” ~SATAN
SIMPLE QUESTION: Did Jesus ever once call anyone to a “higher learning institution”? No. So, to go the way of the flesh is to depart from God’s way and thereby give oneself over to the deception of Satan himself. Jeremiah 17:4-7 … anyone with an ounce of discernment can see that the visible modern church is apostate and it can only be due to the seminarian icebergs in those pulpits that there is lukewarmness at best in the pew. Such was never the divine intention for the truth church Jesus died to save and sanctify.
JESUS never once taught His disciples how to PREACH yet He did teach them to PRAY. Today, seminaries teach their students to PREACH but not to PRAY. Should we wonder why modern building-based churches are apostate?
Paul denounced his higher learning in order to know and serve Christ truly …. and his education makes today’s lame seminary training look like a kindergarten picnic…. Philippians 3.
“Jesus sent Paul into the seminary in the desert.” Stan Podlacha
ANY local church that requires a seminary degree to be a pastor there, is apostate. Ichabod! LOOK for yourself at the fruit of modern building-based “Christianity” commandeered by seminarians…. apostate, heretical, lukewarm, hell bound! … the fruit of seminaries! You can’t pay money to be prepared by God—you must “pay” by truly repenting, laying down your life, and following Christ in a daily cross walk! you have a Bible! Study it! Memorize Scripture! Obey God!
Genuinely born again truth-seeking disciples will repent today and denounce the sham of “higher learning”—trading it in for a real walk with Christ, full of His Word and Holy Ghost. That’s His only way of using men (John 15).
Professional clergy is a diabolical scheme. seminarians were Satan’s plan from the beginning to replace, to destroy God-ordained organic Bible study by Christians (Acts 2:42; Colossians 3:16, etc.). The LORD is calling us to repent and return to Acts 2:42 and Colossians 3:16 New Testament living!
SEMINARY is a shortcut and a time waster. Jesus sends men to the cross and to Pentecost—otherwise they are not prepared or sent by Christ, the only Ordainer (John 15:16). They are self-sent.
ANY local church assembly or organization that requires a certificate or degree is carnal, worldly minded and absolutely apostate. The Word says to “know them which labour among you” (1 Thessalonians 5:12), and when you know a man, you know if he is capable to teach God’s pure Word!
NEVER allow some corruptED seminary dupe override the WORD itself and common sense God gave you!
Satan’s Seminaries are a Sham! YOU show me a church “pastored” by one of Satan’s seminarians and I will show you a cold, dead, apostate sham!
History reveals that seminaries and seminarians are a curse. Those churches which require a seminary degree from their pastors are Ichabod, backslidden, lukewarm, and kindling for the fires of hell. Example: It is a historical fact that the methodist church, which was previously on fire via John Wesley only backslid when it began requiring a seminary degree for their pastors. The seminary agenda is not God’s. The enemy has hi-jacked those institutions long ago. Among other errant things, seminarians learn:
“Den of thieves” Marketing—making merchandise of the people (Matthew 21:15-17; 2 Peter 2:1-3)
False doctrines such as “eternal security” and Calvinism (Jude 3-4, etc.).
Traditions of mere sinful men (Matthew 7:13; Colossians 2:8)
Entertainment: How to be “relevant”—Seminarian pastors have traded in the cross to be cool and by doing so are sending themselves and those they mislead to eternal damnation.
Ecumenism which is the amalgamating of true Christians with the antichrist cult of Rome/Catholic church.
Seminaries today manufacture and train cross-less counterfeits to “make merchandise of” that which calls itself the house of God. They are taught and sent out to make their franchise churches into a a “den of thieves.” (Matthew 21:12-17; 2 Peter 2:1-3)
Your education, gifting, seminary degree, title, and church building mean nothing in Christ’s kingdom until laid down and in true repentance you admit your own utter poverty and great, desperate need for the presence mercy, grace, and anointing of God. Repent and denounce it all as Paul did. Read Philippians 3 and obey the LORD by following the apostle Paul’s example. To prepare men, the un-changing Savior sent men to the cross and to Pentecost (baptism with the Holy Spirit). To obtain a seminary degree, a man must sell Christ out for the trinkets of this fleeting world and in doing so, such a counterfeit fraud has sold his eternal soul to the devil and will be used of Satan to mislead and damn the souls of many. Men only get degrees to get a church job and make money. Authentic disciples of Christ allow the Savior who found and saved them to sanctify, teach, and equip them by His Word and Holy Spirit (Acts 4:13, etc.). There is no such thing or example in the New Testament Scriptures of a man of God going to a higher learning institution to learn to serve God. Jesus never sent anyone to a seminary – but rather to the cross and Pentecost (baptism with the Holy Ghost). Seminary is clearly seen in Jeremiah 17:5-7. Grace and Truth Bible School Online
Salvador Cruz writes: “I don’t call anyone my pastor except Jesus Christ….. He’s my one and only Pastor, humans are my brothers and sisters.”
What Salvador Cruz states is Bible: That is exactly what Jesus taught beloved!
“But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. 9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. 10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. 11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” Matthew 23:8-12
One disciples writes:
“I have found over the past number of years, as I have ‘answered a call’ from a church to be a pastor or teacher or whatever, I have mostly found that they are looking for the ‘whatever.’ Most of the churches that require a man-given degree are not looking for shepherds to feed the flock of God, but administrators to run the church after their likeness and their own carnal image. Their image by the way is usually the thing they care about most—numbers, programs, and ‘Do we look good?’ etc. No cross. Apostate. Ichabod. I have stayed at none of these churches because, other than running through the list in Timothy or Titus, most churches require no spiritual qualifications such as: Are you born again by the Spirit of God? Have you been baptized in obedience to God’s Word.? Have you made full proof of your ministry? Are you an ambassador for Christ? Do you see the need to equip the saints for ministry? If a church is not satisfied with the words of Jesus, Paul, John the Baptist, Amos, David, Isaiah and Nehemiah, they won’t want the likes of me.”
Read closely the words of Jesus recorded in John 15:16. HE ALONE can ordain you and so we do despite to the Son of God when we seek sinful man’s sham of an “ordination.”
A follower of Jesus writes:
“If God has called you to The Ministry, then God will provide the open door for that ministry. Ministry as it was first given to the Levites in the Old Testament was First a ministry UNTO THE LORD. Our modern age has forgotten that. Not all ministry toward man is pulpit in a church style. All believers have been called to ministry but most are not willing to obey that calling, instead desiring more, they seek the positional style of ministry.”
In the stated qualifications for an elder in the body of Christ, there is no mention of obtaining a degree from the world that claims to be of Christ via a “Christian” seminary (1 Timothy 3). I didn’t even hint that knowing the Word of God isn’t important YET WHO EVER SAID YOU NEED SEMINARY FOR SUCH? Only a lazy fraud feels the need to pay a seminary tens of thousands of dollars to be indoctrinated by devils. BIBLICAL CASE AGAINST SEMINARY: SAVE YOUR MONEY AND TIME—GO TO THE SAVIOR, NOT SEMINARY! Jesus learned the Word without the human and demonic pollution of seminary (John 7:14-16).
SO, you claim JESUS saved you but then denied the Son of God the place of sanctifying you? So, you signed up to pay big money to get mere sinful men in a seminary to teach, prepare, and equip you? Time to repent and return to Christ before it’s too late.
Seminarian sissies use sissy Bibles. The last thing they use is the real Bible —The King James Bible. Counterfeits use catholic corrupted and controlled counterfeit “bibles.”
Scott Boyd writes:
“It was the history surrounding the evil antichrist Catholic Church and how the majority of all the other churches follow many of their antichrist teachings (those of paganism and sun worship customs) instead of following what is clearly taught in the Bible, that sent me down the road of searching for truth. While doing so I completed hundreds of different Bible studies from every denomination I could find and with that said, I found that nearly all of them taught only bits and pieces of watered down Scripture and doctrine, and instead, there were many of the antichrist examples of the Catholic Church in their teachings. Very few actually taught the truth about Scripture. Unless someone does deep research, they will never know the truth because the teachers of false doctrine and deception mix the lies with truth, so it sounds pretty good at first, but they leave out the main substance of the Truth of God’s Word. I have seen this over and over through many studies. It Definitely takes a thorough study of the Bible in order to be able to detect all the false doctrine and deception that is involved in nearly all of the churches.”
Nancy Cote writes:
“Spoken like a true Shepherd being taught to love God’s Word and fear God and NOT man! God, my prayer is that you would bring TRUE repentance and salvation to these cemetery motivational speakers. God is shaking and exposing what is not of His Spirit. WOF, NAR, Seeker Sensitive/Emergent, Southern Baptist etc. I pray that we can get just one true repented heart out of each bunch to call out sin in the camp for what it is.”
MESSAGE RECEIVED:
“Some seminaries who indoctrinate with their presupotionalist theology are really bad, but some folks just go to learn about everything that has been taught. Education rather then indoctrination. You don’t need seminary to be anointed but if your gonna teach dogmatic about what Scripture means you should learn a bit about how to get context and such.”
REPLY:
Hi Kevin. God bless you. Inevitably there is definitely going to be indoctrination. There’s actually no reason to waste so much time and money on going to seminary when all the books (NT/OT surveys, etc) can be bought anywhere Christian books are sold. Commentaries are readily available. Simply diligently studying the King James Bible daily is all one needs along with studying with brothers and sister in small groups. This is the stated, divined-revealed design for Christ’s New Testament church and so everything else is counterfeit (Acts 2:42; Colossians 3:16).
MESSAGE RECEIVED:
“It is important to have a degree in theology from a university or Bible college which is recognized that shows you are a man of study… so many fall away and don’t finish their studies including pastors and their wives… It’s the same as saying we hire apprentices only on a construction site until the building crashes.”
REPLY:
No, that is not according to the New Testament but rather mere human reasoning. Among believers we are to “know them which labour among you” (1 Thessalonians 5:12). We have no hint much less instruction to go to a higher learning institute of men. In fact God hates centralizing learning which is what we saw at the tower of Babel in Genesis, right? God scattered. Satan loves centralization because then he can control what is taught such as we see in the demonic public school system. Also, you assume a man can’t study Scripture individually and with the body of Christ in his immediate location. THAT’S exactly what New Testament believers are instructed to do and that the earliest believers did (Acts 2:42; Colossians 3:17).
MESSAGE RECEIVED:
“Seminaries exist because of what Jesus Christ and his disciples did! They are for the training of leadership for the church!”
RESPONSE:
Seminaries today are not teaching the original Gospel and are in fact bringing in occult teachings such as contemplative prayer which is part of spiritual formation…. which is transcendental meditation … lighthousetrailsresearch.com … We have a Bible and the Holy Ghost….. no need for the training of mere sinful men to do God’s Word.
Satanic Seminarian System What could possibly sound more innocent than a man wanting to serve God going to seminary, right? BEWARE OF THE SEMINARIANS WHO ARE THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES OF OUR DAY! Satan loves to use that which sounds noble and spiritual and yet is not biblical. There are no seminaries in the New Testament! And it’s not biblical for a good reason. God’s Divine wisdom. To protect His body. Let’s stay with the Word saints! SOME of the most pitiful deceivers I’ve ever conversed with have had a so-called “higher education.” In reality, there’s no such thing as […]
Beware of the Vatican Trained Seminarians!
Repenting of the Rebellion of Seminary! HERE’S WHY you don’t hear modern “pastors” (wolves) expose the works-based false religion of catholicism. Don’t expect that seminarian fraud to preach repentance because he’s vatican/jesuit-trained and uses a vatican “bible” that has removed tens of thousands of words from God’s Word – including the essential divine command to REPENT! RUNNNNN!!!!! Some argue that the local churches today are to be patronized and attended. Is that true? What does religious Babylon that God calls us to come out of represent? (Revelation 17-18) What many don’t understand is that Rome, the jesuits specifically, infiltrated the protestant […]
