Getting Honest, Coming Clean
BREAKING: THIS here is all that matters saints…… Jesus is coming and wants to be glorified in forgiving all sin and changing lives….
“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” 1 Timothy 1:15
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10
Kingdom news is the only Good News and everything else is going to hell. Are you behind the KING and His work He sent us to do – so that He can forgive all sin and change lives?
This dear brother has been having us lift him in prayer for a while now. Thank God and that you answered that call to lift our brother in prayer. We all know that only God Himself can break us and separate us to Himself, away from the sin that otherwise has a death grip on our lives. Here’s what our dear brother sent this morning:
“Praise report…The Holy Spirit broke me down…and for the 1st time in 42 years I’ve left nothing on the back burner, I’ve left nothing in reserve … it’s not Jesus and…it’s not Jesus but…. No, it’s just Jesus … that cross of my salvation. I’m free indeed!
Thank you brother! I’m truly being made free for the first time… I’ve wasted years holding on to temporary sin…. but no more! The Holy Spirit has been flowing, even today at work! Thanks again brother…. pray for my strength and endurance. I preached it yesterday and people gave up drugs and all sin afterwards (they came to real repentance). Jesus has been so good to me! I can never thank Him enough for His life…” Chris
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” Luke 4:18-19
Jacob Got Honest and Grounded
Like each of us, Jacob’s heart was full of deceit until he was brought to brokenness, honesty with the LORD… and “renounced the hidden things of dishonesty” and was therefore “preserved” in his relationship with the LORD (2 Corinthians 4:2; Genesis 32:32:30). This breaking must happen and as He did with Jacob, God has a season chosen, slated, to break each of us! In this season of breaking, Jacob sought God and didn’t choose to fall away and made shipwreck. Read Genesis 32.
“And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” Genesis 32:30
Victory seems to begin at the point we announce our own utter poverty outside of Christ! See John 15:5; Romans 7:18, 24.
“When you examine yourselves be prepared for what God shows you. It is sometimes hard to see our own ugliness! But if You are diligently seeking the Lord and praying John 3:30 you will be grateful.” Karen Cochran
If we will simply get honest with God and do things His way and no other, His blessing will be upon our lives and His benefits will begin to flow into our lives (Psalms 68:19; 103:2).
“Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.” Psalm 68:19
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:” Psalm 103:2
“What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?” Psalms 116:12
Getting honest is the beginning of your relationship with God and must remain throughout. Get honest. Remain honest.
ALL excuse makers go to hell. Only those who get honest in repentance will be with Jesus (Proverbs 28:13; Luke 8:15).
Those who are truly right with God are honest with Him. They “declare” and don’t try to hide their sins.
“For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.” Psalms 38:18
NOTHING good and everything BAD is going to happen till there’s honesty (Proverbs 28:13).
First and foremost, we must with all honesty apply and preach the truth to ourselves, and obey it – MERCILESSLY! Read Job 19:28; Matthew 7:1-5; Mark 9:43-49; Galatians 6:1-2; Psalms 32:5; 38:18. Preaching GOD’s truth is walking in His love and love should always accompany the preaching of His truth. Truth is only hate speech to those who hate truth – they are convicted by the truth but refuse to repent (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12; John 3:19-21). You cannot walk in God’s love while not communicating God’s truth (Proverbs 27:5-6; Romans 3:4; Galatians 4:16).
“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” 1 John 1:5
Walking in the light…. includes at its foundation, the admission of and repentance from all evil, all darkness in us (1 John 1:7-10). Otherwise, we do not have fellowship with He who is “is light” because “in him is no darkness at all.” Let us hear the Word of the LORD….
“That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. 5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” 1 John 1:3-10
Jesus says that repenting is a non-negotiable essential to knowing Him. Unfortunately, so many today have been misled by the easy believism gospel and assured that because they said a prayer, they are saved and going to Heaven. Yet Jesus never said saying a prayer will save you from sin and hell, and will prevent you from perishing, but rather repenting.
“I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” Luke 13:3
Now, if in your praying to God, seeking Him for salvation, mercy, you prayed and repented truly in that praying, He saved you. And the proof of your life being now in Christ is that you are completely changed from the inside out. You are a new creature in Christ, old things are past away, all things are now of God in your life as you are walking with Him, confessing all sin as needed (2 Corinthians 5:17-18; Matthew 3:7-10; 1 John 1:9, etc.).
There’s no mystery that we’ve all sinned against God and there’s also no mystery, it’s crystal clear that God “Commandeth all men every where to repent” and to “Be ye holy, for I am holy” (Acts 17:30; 1 Peter 1:15-16).
Those who refuse to sever all sin from their lives will be cast irrevocably into hell. That’s what Jesus taught. Will you believe and obey Him or call the Son of God a liar? Read Mark 9:43-49 in the King James Bible (the corrupted new fake “bibles” deleted this passage).
Jesus guaranteed that only the honest will bear fruit and be with Him eternally. Here’s the 4th of the 4 soils, the only good soil and outcome. See Luke 8:11-15:
“But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.” Luke 8:15
The true man of God fears God and therefore fears no man. He will speak the truth no matter what the cost.
“When you want to help people, you tell them the truth. When you want to help yourself, you tell them what they want to hear.” Thomas Sowell
The Honesty Policy of the Patriarchs and Apostles
David’s Acknowledgement and Confession
“I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.” Psalm 32:5
Paul’s Determination
“For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:2
David’s Declaration – His Life Policy
“For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.” Psalms 38:18
“Honesty, it’s such a lonely word….” Remember that song?
Make friends with honesty because honesty is essential to God’s forgiveness.
Sister Karen Cochran testifies:
“A few years ago I was complaining about someone else and I was told you don’t have a problem you are the problem! Wow. How true that was. I took that and it still applies today. When I am judging others or am angry, I am the problem not them. I can’t take them to the cross of Christ. I can only take my wretched self to the cross. In this passage David saw how wicked his heart was full of lust and murder. He wanted God to give him a new heart as he said Psalm 51:10 ‘Create in me a clean heart, oh God; and renew a right spirit within me.’ He prayed ‘renew a right spirit within ME’! No one else but David was the one who had sinned and needed to come before God and be restored.”
Shiloh Brattmiller writes:
Do it God’s Way or Perish
There’s no question that we’ve all sinned against our Maker and yet, regrettably, only a few will truly repent, get honest, come clean, and be cleared of the penalty and punishment of sin. God requires honesty from us in order to appropriate His mercy, the forgiveness of our sins.
“Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; 17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. 18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 19 IF ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: 20 But IF (denotes choice) ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword (judged): for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” Isaiah 1:16-20
When a man preaches the Word, the lascivious will balk and attack because they refuse to repent and receive the love of the truth – and will therefore be deceived and sent “strong delusion” and will be “damned” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). So, is simply stating the truth, God’s Word, legalistic or biblical? Biblical!
The Fruit of the Holy Spirit will always be consistent with these 3 things: GRT = Goodness, Righteousness, Truth
- “goodness”
- “righteousness”
- “truth”
WHEN we are judging fruit – FIRST our own – these are 3 things to know that will always be consistent with the Holy Ghost working a life.
Ultimate “goodness” intended even when it’s a rebuke (Psalms 141: 5; Proverbs 27:5-6).
“Righteousness” – it will be biblically right, accurate.
“Truth” – it will aways, with no exception, be according to the truth of God which is the Word of God (John 17:17).
We are all born in sin and become skilled at entrenching ourselves in that darkness (Romans 7). God’s Word specifically addresses this.
“Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off? 24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.” Jeremiah 23:23-24
Those who are truly saved today, were brought to the point of giving up, of surrendering. They were fed up with the reaping of sin, the shame and guilt, etc., and drawn to the light and love of the Savior. They fell into the LORD, they fell at His holy feet in repentance, sweet surrender, as He beckoned them to come to Him (Matthew 11:28-30).
Some seem very skilled at making excuse for their own sin. They fortify themselves in their own place of darkness. They will misuse verses like Romans 3:23 while ignoring the context. Romans 3:23 in no way gives us an excuse to live in sin. Rather, it reveals that we’ve all sinned and therefore ALL must repent or perish (Luke 13:3, 5). “Be ye holy; for I am holy….” (1 Peter 1:15-16).
“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?… the wages of sin is death…” Romans 6:1-2, 23
It’s like they are saying “Well, we’ve all sinned so it’s okay. It’s okay to continue to sin because God knows and said we’ve all sinned.” Not!
What does God’s Word say?
“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1
Those who remain in darkness instead of repenting and being made free, brought out of it by God who is light, do so because they love darkness rather than light, making excuses, refusing to come into the light and be cleansed, delivered.
“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” John 3:19-21
There is no excuse for sin. When we are caught by God in our sin, we either repent or rebel, we either confess it or cover it.
“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13
We cannot get free until we get honest.
The truth makes no one free until they repent and obey it (John 8:31-32).
There are 2 types of professing Christians – 1 is Heaven bound, and 2 is Hell bound:
- Those who face the LORD honestly in true repentance with their own utter depravity and sin, fasting and prayer, the cross (“crucified with Christ”), fighting the good fight of faith in a grounded, daily walk with Jesus, and then there are…
- Those who choose to be dishonest and deceitful of heart, unrepentant, and so migrate to false teachers and false teachings to justify their sin, to attempt to hide from them, dismissing all personal responsibility before God, and make a false god out of, in the image of their own wicked hearts. This is the whole construct and system of Calvinism and eternal security/OSAS and the hiding place for moral cowards who refuse to present themselves honestly before the LORD.
Jesus requires that we simply come to Him in an “honest and good heart” (Luke 8:15). He beckons us to cry to Him with head hung low in sincere humility and repentance “God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13).
MANY are being ushered right in to hell, all the while believing they are “eternally secure,” a phrase that never appears in Scripture. Why? Because they refuse to repent and study God’s Word honestly for themselves (2 Timothy 2:15).
Those who espouse Calvinism’s grace perverting, sin-justifying falsehoods do such because they refuse to hold themselves accountable to truly, honestly, worshipfully obeying God (2 Timothy 4:3; Jude 4).
Being knowledgeable about God is separate from being honest with God, which is an act of the heart and will. Only “honest” souls will be in Heaven. Pride prevents honesty. When a man won’t humble himself, he will cover his sins, he will refuse to openly acknowledge them before God (Ps 32:5; 38:18; Proverbs 28:13; Luke 8:15; 1 John 1:9, etc.).
“And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.” Acts 24:16
“Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2 but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” 2 Cor 4:1-2;
“The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” Ps 34:18
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” Ps 51:17
Being possessed with honesty and integrity before God and man, requires breaking, being brought to brokenness.
“The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.” Proverbs 20:7
Do we recall the prodigal son’s return to his father?
“And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.” Luke 15:21
When the LORD allows us to be broken, like the prodigal son, when we return home we will declare our unworthiness…. which was always the case, but we just don’t realize it till He breaks us.
Of this scenario from Jesus’ teachings in Luke 15, one disciple writes:
“He breaks us by letting us go as he did with the prodigal. Our denial of Him is His denial of us. The prodigal’s decision to abandon his selfish way and go home was his repentance. He still did not understand his father’s character though. He thought he would be punished by being made a bond servant, never again having status as a son.
But the son had already been punished by his own sinful selfish decisions to the point of being at the bottom and miserable. When he got home his father would not even give him time to get out his whole confession. Father ran out to him before the son had said one word, hugged his neck ordered the party to begin. This is our Father in Heaven.
The forgiveness was there before the son said one word: the Father saw him coming from a great way off AND BEGAN TO RUN OUT TO HUG HIS NECK IN COMPASSION: Company of passion.”
ARE YOU willing to conclude what God says the truth is – even when it goes against what YOU want? 2 Tim 4:2-4 Honesty. Equity. Justice.
Maturity in ones manhood begins to be manifested when one is honest about all things, regardless of his own personal desires and affinities. Jesus speaks of “an honest and good heart” (Luke 8:15). All deceit must be denounced as we cry out to God to clean our hearts (Psalms 51; Matthew 5:8).
Articles
The Truth about Tradition and Church Membership [podcast]
Is Church Membership Biblical?
Godly and Ungodly Tradition and True and False Church Membership
YOU KNOW you are in a fake church when they have “membership classes” to get you to join yet spend little or no time preaching the Word on the necessity of repentance, forsaking your life in this world, denying self, taking up the cross, and following Jesus daily! Run!
Membership means money to them!
They have a busine$$ plan.
“Prove (test) all things; hold fast (keep and do) that which is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21
Of the 13 times we find the word “tradition(s)” in Scripture, only twice is it used positively. The other 11 times it is used negatively because men put their foolish traditions above Christ.
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.).
The vast majority of so-called pastors today are more interested in getting you to join their church club, to become a member of their church, than they are about truly feeding the flock of God with the whole counsel of Scripture, equipping you for ministry, and winning souls to Jesus (John 21:15-17; Acts 20:20-32; Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 Peter 5:1-6, etc.). Prove it wrong.
Church membership today is nothing more than a device of wolves to corral and exploit the people! There’s no biblical justification for it.
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.).
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.
APPLE CARTS FLYING: THE TRADITION AND DECEPTION OF CHURCH MEMBERSHIP: BEWARE!
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. Make no mistake: They are corralling you in order to control you. Think about it: WHY can’t they just love you as a member of the one blood bought body of Christ? (Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4) Church membership as it’s done by the 501(C)(3) government churches is against Holy Scripture and is a device of evil men, wolves. Run.
Beware of the agenda saints. Church membership is a corralling of God’s people for the self-serving purposes of hirelings.
“Church membership” as it’s carried out in the modern church world, quenches the Holy Spirit in my opinion. It ruins the organic, spontaneous, pure fellowship true believers enjoy due to being in Christ. Church membership seems to be a learned device to coral believers in order to exploit them. Think about it: Seminarian pastors are taught this scheme to build their church busine$$.
Denominations or church organizations reinforce this to secure people and funds. It’s a business model. No such thing as church membership in the Bible except that membership Christ alone procured by His own blood. ALL of His saints’ names are written in Heaven (Luke 10:20). Jesus says that this is what we rejoice in!
“Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:20
We are Christ’s kingdom disciples. We belong to HIM.
“Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.” 1 Corinthians 7:23
Local level “church membership” diverts the heart affections of those corralled by hireling wolves! Beware.
Only Abiding in the Truth Protects
“Every word of God is pure: he is a shield (protection) unto them that put their trust in him. 6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” Proverbs 30:5-6
Is church membership not adding to God’s Word?
God gave us His written Word so that we can be safeguarded from being misled. As we will see in a moment, the traditions of men have and will continue to lead many astray and into eternal damnation. Tradition is passed along from one religious, truth-despising generation to the next. Concerning rightly dividing the truth of God’s Word and how twisting Scripture transpires as a tradition and applies to interpretation of God’s Word, Charles Koller writes:
“There are pitfalls of interpretation into which devout believers may fall, resulting in distortions of the truth. A preacher may borrow an interpretation from a devout Bible scholar, who had previously borrowed it from another equally devout but perhaps misguided Bible scholar. And so the inventions of devout men may unwittingly be passed around as ‘the Word of God.’ Let the Bible speak for itself! What does it actually say? And what does it mean?” Charles W. Koller, How to Preach without Notes, p.65
“Tradition(s)” as it Appears in Scripture:
Matthew 15:2 Why do thy disciples transgress the TRADITION of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
Matthew 15:3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your TRADITION?
Matthew 15:6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your TRADITION.
Mark 7:3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the TRADITION of the elders.
Mark 7:5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the TRADITION of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?
Mark 7:8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the TRADITION of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
Mark 7:9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own TRADITION.
Mark 7:13 Making the word of God of none effect through your TRADITION, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
Galatians 1:14 And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the TRADITIONS of my fathers.
Colossians 2:8 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.
2 Thessalonians 2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the TRADITIONS which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
2 Thessalonians 3:6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the TRADITION which he received of us.
1 Peter 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by TRADITION from your fathers;
Did you notice that in 2 Thessalonians 2:15, Christ’s apostle Paul says we are to “hold the traditions WHICH YE HAVE BEEN TAUGHT, whether by word, or our epistle.” The roman catholic cult deceitfully seeks to justify the use of its myriad of Bible-contradicting traditions using this verse. Yet read the words of this verse and carefully note that Paul taught these “traditions” and so they came from God who sanctioned the apostle to pen Holy Scripture (2 Peter 1:19-21). “Traditions” that glorify God are found in God’s Word, not in the writings of some religion of mere sinful men that diametrically contradicts what we read in Holy Scripture. Also, these “traditions” that we received from Paul are tangibly recorded in an “epistle.” The saints at the city of Thessalonica were receiving this divinely-inspired, written letter or “epistle.” This later became part of Holy Writ for all New Testament Scriptures and one of the books of the New Testament canon. What New Testament disciples “have been taught” is now canonized in the 27 books of the New Testament canon of Holy Scripture and is final authority for the faith and practice of all narrow way believers (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21, etc.).
Testing and Discerning what is True Tradition and What is False
All who cling to their religion and/or religious tradition in lieu of Christ and His Word, are as sure for hell as if they were already there (Mark 7:6-9).
We are warned in Colossians 2:8 to “Beware” of false “tradition” which leads us away from the pure worship of “Christ.”
“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.” Colossians 2:8
Many times people in local “churches” are seen or heard saying “That’s just how we do things around here!” Well, if what you do around you stupid “ministry” is not according to God’s Word, it’s time to repent and change it. Now!
Testing the Concept and Practice of Modern Church Membership
No such thing as church membership in the early church. Totally false.
Church membership is a tool of controlling leaders to corral souls for their own self-serving purposes! Beware! (Jeremiah 23; Ezekiel 34; Matthew 23) They discount your place in Christ by telling you that membership is important in the church business they are building to their own glory.
JESUS came to make captives free. SATAN’s agents seek to put you in bondage! (Luke 4:18; John 10:10; Galatians 5:1)
—- MOST “good church members” are lost due to following a pastor and program instead of truly following Christ on HIS terms. See Mark 8:34-38 and Luke 9:23-24 and you will see why Jesus says only a “few” will be in Heaven Matt. 7:13-14. Your pastor is not your judge, God is and so you better please Him according to what He told you in His Word or you will be cast into the lake of fire as a disobedient, idolatrous rebel (Matthew 7:21; Titus 1:16; 1 John 2:4; Revelation 21:8, 27; 22:14-15, etc.).
Church membership as we know it today, is a tradition of mere sinful and self-serving men “whose god is their belly.” (Philippians 3:18-19)
“(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.).” Philippians 3:18-19
There is nothing found in Scripture that directly teaches people that they should “join a church.” So, did the Almighty, all-knowing God somehow forget to tell us something we needed to know, OR, has someone added something foreign to the practice of the Christian faith?
The Bible student must conclude that “joining a church” as we know it in this apostate age, is not by divine decree but is rather a tradition of sinful men and therefore a “false way” that we should “hate.” (Psalms 119:104, 128) So, church membership in an earthly organization is not a tradition any disciple of Christ should hold and should stay clear of such in order not to dilute his allegiance to the one and only “Head” of His true body, Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:18; 2:18-19; Ephesians 5:23). This is after the workings of sinful men to secure the allegiance and loyalty of men’s hearts, intercepting the affections of their hearts from the “Head.” Was it not rebellious Absalom who “stole the hearts of the men of Israel”? (2 Samuel 15:6) Is this not the subversive, insidious “spirit of antichrist” at work today to rob God of the glory due to Christ’s holy name alone?
Did Jesus or any disciple in the New Testament Scriptures ever instruct anyone to “join a church” or become a good church member as we know these thing to be today in westernized “Christianity”?
Such a question poses a threat to some pastors who are far too possessive, un-submitted, and un-abandoned to Christ. Though not truly submitted to the LORD, which would mean they trusted Him in all things, many of these same leaders seek for coerce others to submit to them, to join their church, to support them, etc.
Posing such a question as this one on church membership, is an example of testing all things against the counsel of Scripture like good Bereans (Acts 17:11). Testing what is being accepted in a local gathering of saints can shake up a leader who is not truly broken before the LORD. Testing all things helps us rightly divide the word of truth and begin to examine what is truth and what is tradition in the things we do as His body and as individual saints. We must live and oversee only as our LORD has revealed in the divine wisdom of His Word and as He enables and leads – which will always be in accordance with His Word (Psalms 11:105; 2 Timothy 3:15-17, etc.).
Jesus says “follow me” and if one is going to know and follow Him, that person must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Him “daily.” (Matthew 16:24-25; Luke 9:23-24).
Church membership as we know it today in the modern church system, is clearly a tradition of mere men and not a part of true, New Testament Christianity. At this point, many will say: “But brother, the Bible says we are to fellowship!” Yes, true, but remember that church membership is completely unneeded for true Christian fellowship as defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 2:42-47; Colossians 3:16-17, etc.). Yes, the Bible teaches us that Jesus’ true disciples are to fellowship with one another and modern church membership is completely unneeded for such unless you factor in the hirelings who perpetrate such for their own personal purposes. In fact, self-serving ambition is the root of most traditions. The whole church-building centered modern church system is designed to benefit and profit the business-owner or franchisee (the pastor), not the LORD and His people. Christ’s true saints are not lukewarm weekly church members but rather, on fire disciples are fellowship daily and “exhort one another DAILY” and so much the more as His return draws nigh (Acts 2:42-47; Hebrew 3:13; 10:24-25).
You see, if a pastor can get you to sign his roster, he knows he has your allegiance and therefore you money.
Most people claiming to be Christians have this tradition in their minds that they need to find and join a church. Yet, it’s a nearly impossible task to find a body of true believers who are walking in the New Testament definition and revelation of what God calls fellowship where Christ is supreme. 99% of local churches are entertainment centers that offer little or no elements nor the spirit of the early church believers.
The test of true Christian fellowship is whether or not there are the following elements as found in the book of Acts (partial list):
- continuing steadfastly in the apostle’s doctrine (written Word)
- breaking bread together
- fellowship
- prayer
- sharing one to another whatever each member of the body of Christ needs – having all things common
- ceasing not to teach and to preach Jesus Christ (Acts 5:42)
You see, when you find – if you ever find – a pastor who tells the people to give among yourselves, having “all things common,” you have found something very rare. Regrettably, the modern church is a business and that CEO pastor who refuses to truly pastor the people, needs to pay a mortgage and many other unnecessary expenses they are wasting. So, in his mind, following Christ has nothing to do with it – making the mortgage and building his church business is what matters to him.
Perhaps we should cease searching for a church and simply be Christ’s church.
The LORD Himself, nor any of His apostles ever hinted of or instructed anyone to “go join a church” or to “become a good church member” and yet this is the order of the day in the apostate modern church world which is piloted or hi-jacked by self-serving hirelings who are farming their communities to build their own local church franchise, competing against other CEO type entrepreneurs. Now grant it, being an entrepreneur is not a sin if done uprightly in the business world and yet, the Church of Jesus Christ is no place to employ entrepreneurial tactics. Christ’s church is not a business. Yet this is the way much of the modern church world is set up. Ecclesiastes 1:9 tells us that “There is no new thing under the sun” and so we know we can peer into history and see the same things happening as we see transpiring today.
“And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.” Matthew 21:13
God’s house or dwelling place in individuals and in groups is to be dedicated to the worship of Him alone and yet, many today are intercepting the worship due only to the LORD and exploiting His people for their own self-serving purposes (Isaiah 56:10-12; Jeremiah 23; Ezekiel 34; Philippians 3:18-19; 2 Peter 2:1-3, etc.).
Setting forth such an idea that subverts the modern tradition of church memberships may be scary to some. To make the case that true New Testament fellowship is what is important and not joining a church, makes some pastors nervous because they are entrenched in following tradition instead of Christ. Perhaps they are threatened by this because they have not fully released themselves and therefore the people to the LORD, acknowledging Him alone as their Maker, God, Redeemer, and “Head.” (Colossians 2:18-19) Today would be the best day to denounce these idolatrous sins and begin to “lean not to thine own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5-7)
Please don’t read rebellion against God into this – but do read rebellion against man and satan into it please. You can put my name on that! It’s time to sift through and test every notion, philosophy, and practice of today against what we observe in Holy Scripture to be truth and according to the mind of Christ. See Acts 17:11 and Jeremiah 1:10. The erroneous traditions and contradictions to holy truth must FIRST be removed and torn down before a proper foundation can begin to be built. Study and memorize and put into action the divine principle and order of Jeremiah 1:10.
Christ and His redemptive work on that cross is despised by church membership. How? Well, church membership dishonors that Christ bled to make us members of HIS one body or church. Read Ephesians 2; 4; 1 Corinthians 12.
It’s only where Jesus Christ is upheld as the supreme KING, God, Counselor, Truth, Way, and Life that divine virtue flows from Heaven into His people! See Colossians 2:18-19.
Until we first put to the test the very reasons for which we assemble/meet and embrace the priorities set forth in Scripture, our assemblies will be limited at best.
Blindly following or going along with tradition instead of what is taught in God’s Word, always leads to dismal results as we have the pharisees for an example.
We should ask “What is the biblical precedence for ….” and “What saith the Scriptures?”
This doesn’t mean we won’t find things that are biblical, but how can we possibly have a clear heart about things until we do?
“Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.” 2 Samuel 15:6
Traditions of Mere Men are Meant to be Broken – Rooted Out
A reading of the Gospels reveals to us that Jesus often upset the religious bafoons of His day by breaking their foolish, man-centered, Christ-denying traditions. Their foolish traditions trumped divine truth.
“For laying aside the commandment (Word) of God, ye hold the TRADITION of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.” Mark 7:8
Do you know what Jeremiah 1:10 says? This verse gives us extremely valuable and necessary insight into the order and workings of the LORD.
“See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.” Jeremiah 1:10
What is the LORD’s order of working in our hearts?
- “to root out”
- “to pull down”
- “to destroy”
- “to throw down”
- “to build”
- “to plant”
First we should diligently examine why we do what we do. All teachings and practices must be acid tested against Holy Writ (Acts 17:11; 1 John 4:1). Questions to explore:
- “What did the early church do” is a very good starting question.
- And, “What do we see the apostles and Christ doing”?
- “What does the Bible teach?”
Your Prayer: Holy Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, I come to You in the name of Jesus, asking that You would please begin to purge out any notion or philosophy or belief in this life You gave that is not of You – that is not according to the whole counsel of Your written Word. Please make me Your authentic disciple. Root out all from my life that does not glorify You and fill this vessel with the fruits of Your righteousness to bring glory to You and to serve others as unto You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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The One Essential to Victory [podcast]
Victory is at hand!! This message is at the heart of the original Gospel message Christ and that His apostles gave. Yet, this is seldom if ever heard today. Victory awaits you!!!!! God desires to give it to you!!!! You be careful though saint. Be not deceived. Get this truth in your heart and life and God will raise you upward to the victory that brings Him glory and where you belong. Paul said that there are many “enemies of the cross of Christ.” (Phil. 3:18-19) Discover who they are and what is divinely required for you to be blessed with victory in this life and in eternity with Christ!
The Victory is in Jesus [podcast]
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Bowels of Mercies [podcast]
“Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. 15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: 16 To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 2:14-17
“Now the end (supreme goal) of the commandment (Word of God, Gospel) is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:” 1 Timothy 1:5
Recently a dear brother in Christ who got to reading on the ministry site, sent me an email claiming that I was perhaps being too harsh in some of the expose’s on the site. After I responded, this dear man sent back an apology, asking forgiveness for his own unwarranted harshness towards me.
Whew! Saints this is exactly how we should humbly work out things in the body of Christ, whose love never fails!
Here was the response sent to him:
“Blessings in Christ dear brother and thank you for the iron sharpening iron (Proverbs 27:17). Please let me know how can be a blessing to you (Ps 133:1; Eph 4:3).”
“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.” Colossians 3:12-14
WHEN we aren’t concerned about how we are affecting others, it’s because we don’t care for them and are full of self (Colossians 4:6).
“Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” Colossians 4:6
“Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:” 1 Peter 1:22
“Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.” 2 Corinthians 6:12
“For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:8
“If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,” Philippians 2:1
“For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.” Philemon 1:7
“Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels:” Philemon 1:12
“Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord.” Philemon 1:20
“But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” 1 John 3:17
Saints, may our LORD help us to HELP other disciples who are in the same fight as we are in and help them in the LORD’s process of sanctification. Galatians 6:1-2; 2 Timothy 2:24-26
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