Does This Description Fit Your Life?
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 2 Timothy 3:1-7
The previous passage reveals just how self-serving the last generation of those who claim to be of God really are. Such is the opposite of the true Christian life.
Just what does it mean to be a truly Heaven-bound follower of Jesus?
“So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:33
The life of the Christian is about giving – giving our lives to Christ – dying to self so He can live and reign instead of us.
Beloved, Jesus is Calling You to Come and to Dine with Him …. but it must be His way, not yours and not the false way of the modern, apostate church which is calling you to worship at the altar of self-love (Psalms 119:104, 128). They are giving you a false message because they want you to life them, to buy their books, to patronize their church business.
The daily cross is essential if one is to follow Jesus Christ. There are no shortcuts.
Listen to the following words and see if this your attitude toward the Almighty:
“Thanks for what you’re giving me LORD but fooey on You and Your work and workers! I just received You Jesus in order to get myself out of hell but I don’t want to be bothered and inconvenienced with really having to obey You in this life. This is MY life. I’ll spend and squander MY money anyway I I I I I wish because III earned it. Never mind You hindering me from being my own god….”
Sound familiar? Sound like the Garden of Eden? “Ye shall be as (your own little) gods …”(Genesis 3) Were not Adam and Eve tempted to be their own little gods who did their own autonomous bidding? Yes and that’s the absolute antitheses of the Christ-glorifying life isn’t it?
Let me stop to say that this message is from God’s Word which has much to say about stewardship and why? Because the way we steward our dollars and earthly possessions is a direct reflection of the true priorities of our hearts. This message is about the Lordship of Christ in our personal lives. Christ calls us to lay down our lives and to truly follow Him in this wicked world. He never told us to go to church or to be a good church member or even a good person. No, fellowship with His body and the fruit of the Spirit are exclusively produced in the lives of those who simply obey His command to deny ourselves, take up our cross and to truly obey and follow Him (Luke 9:23-24; John 14, 15, 21; 15:1-16, etc.).
ARE you a giver OR are you a self-serving, self-preserving devil who spends all your money on the god of self? Don’t like my pointed question? Just move on – it’s that simple. No hard feelings at all. I’m not going to stop telling the truth because you got offended at the truth (Romans 3:4; Galatians 4:16). If you don’t like the truth it’s because you are against He who is “the truth” and whose“word is truth.” (John 14:6; 17:17) It’s only “if” we continue in His truth after being saved that we are His“disciples indeed.” (John 8:31-32) If this message offends you perhaps it only proves the point – that you are spending your life and your money on the one you truly worship – self. Repent or move on. Repent? Yes, and decide that God is going to get the first portion of your time and everything HE HE HE brings into your hands. Write out the very first check to Him (His work) – before you get paid. – “All things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.” (1 Chronicles 29:14)
Think about this: True Gospel laborers work with deep conviction and passion and don’t get paid predictably or even at all most of the times. Why? Because so many who claim to love Jesus refuse to obey Jesus with the resources Jesus brings into their lives because they have mortgaged themselves to the hilt and are spending their monies on the god of self (idolatry). The work of Christ is put last, because the LORD and His work are not important to most who claim to know Him who gave all and who gives them all that they have. To fuel His workers is to fuel His Word in the earth – going into the hearts of the men Christ died to save and to edify and equip to do His work (Ephesians 4).
If you are ready to be transparent before the LORD, keep reading……. This is what the LORD flooded my thoughts with this morning. Many of those whom He has saved have departed from Him and don’t even realize it. They are living to embellish self, feeding the lusts of their sinful fleshly desires instead of crucifying them (Romans 6). They claim to be saved and attend “church” or even read their Bible and pray, and yet are caught up in “the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.” (Mark 4:19)
ARE you honoring or are you dishonoring the LORD? Do you truly honor Him with the monies He alone is allowing you to bring in and for which you shall give account before His throne?
“Honour the LORD (HOW?) with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: 10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” Proverbs 3:9-10
Before we go any further, let me say that the Word of God will offend self-serving, self-worshiping devils who, upon hearing the naked truth straight from God’s Word, refuse to repent. These are mere actors – imposters/hypocrites! But it’s time to put our money where our mouth is or stop pretending.
“My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” 1 John 3:18
“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” James 1:22
A hypocrite is an imposter, a counterfeit, a person whose actions don’t align with their mere profession. Have you played this part?
“He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Mark 7:6-7
Are We Ready to Get Real?
When our lives are truly given over to the LORD, everything we own becomes His in our hearts and minds and we are therefore givers – Not free-loaders or takers but givers. Love gives, lust gets.
“They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” Titus 1:16
Self-love was prophesied to be overwhelmingly prevalent in the final days among those who have a mere form of godliness but deny the authentic rule and reign of Christ in their daily lives – the daily cross where we lay it all down (die) so Christ alone can reign (2 Timothy 3:1-6).
Please hit SHARE and let’s see the real and the genuine, authentic disciples separated from those who serve the god of self and mammon while feigning (faking) to be serving Christ who said “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye (focus) be single (singly set on Christ), thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if thine eye (focus) be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. YE CANNOT SERVE GOD AND MAMMON.” (Matthew 6:19-24)
Are we so very deluded that we vainly believe that we can ignore the LORD and His work and not give account and suffer the consequences later? Are you so deceived that you believe the way you are stewarding your money that God gives you doesn’t point to the true priorities of your heart and reveal who you truly are? Jesus says differently. The rich man in Luke 16 refused to render practical, financial help to Lazarus, a poor man in his earthly life. There roles were eternally flipped upon dying (Luke 16:19-31). Think about it.
IS IT A SIN TO GIVE TO THE RICH?
Yes, giving to the rich is a sin. It’s pure waste.
Proverbs 18:9 says: “He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.”
According to the above Bible verse, apparently laziness and wasting resources are equally sinful.
22:16 says: “He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.”
This verse above reveals that exploiting the poor for self-serving gain and giving to someone who is already “rich” are vile sins in the eyes of the Almighty. Think about how so many flock to give more money to the millions upon millions possessed by the wolves of our day – Joyce Meyer, Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, the Emergent church devils, etc.
“And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.” 1 Corinthians 7:31
We are to use and to enjoy the things of this world without abusing or misusing them and reveling in them while not putting God first in our finances (Deuteronomy 8:18; Proverbs 3:9-10). The whiner replies: “Well doesn’t God want us to have nice things?” Define nice. Jesus defined it as necessities (Matthew 6:19-34). The rebel continues with “Well, is it a sin to have nice things?” Yes, if those things are your idols and if you are wasting all your money on the worship of self. That would mean you are an idolater and not fit to enter the kingdom of Heaven (Ephesians 5:5-7; Revelation 21:8). Many who call themselves Christ’s followers today have no resemblance of being like Christ was on earth – a minimalist. In fact Jesus lacked a vehicle, a place to sleep, and tax money. So many who claimed to be saved have little or no biblical stewardship wisdom or discipline and many of these run from any infringement of their “liberty” to be their own little lawless god who is free to spend and to waste and to squander every penny that comes into their hands. But Judgment Day is on the way.
Your personal stewardship is being watched by the LORD Himself (Mark12:41-44). … This is a very enlightening and insightful truth – What Did Jesus Sit and Watch?
Getting Around to It?
Never mind the excuse that you’re going to one day “get around” to it – “getting around to” obeying and honoring and worshiping God with the finances He gives you. WHAT IF God, next week, ceases the flow of money in your life and says “I may get ‘around to’ supplying more for you.” How would that make you feel? It’s time to pull the trigger – to do the truth before it’s too late.
The principles of God’s judgment upon us are made clear in Jesus words recorded in Matthew 25:
“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” Matthew 25:40-46
Does our refusal to be generous point to our lost state and eternal destination?
“Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.“ Matthew 25:46
What we do points to who we really are. Those who claim to be serving the One who gave all and yet do not give their lives to Him and give little or nothing to His work are only deceiving themselves because God cannot be mocked or deceived (Galatians 6:7-8). Your giving of your life or lack thereof sure does point to who you are and where you are going to spend eternity. This is exactly what we just read in Matthew 25 and also as Jesus Christ taught in the literal story of the once “certain (actual) rich man” (on earth) who has been incarcerated in hell for at least 2,000 years and will never escape. Will you follow him? Will you obediently choose to love the LORD above yourself and to therefore give up in worship to the LORD a portion of the money He gives you in order to continue to keep Him first and to clearly demonstrate that you worship Him and not self or money? (Matthew 6:24) Is Jesus truly your “first love” or are you a phony? If you are authentic and not fake, show Him you love Him by obeying Him.
Think about it: You didn’t hesitate to get into debt for the temporal trinkets of this fleeting sinful world, right? You had the wherewithal and the desire to spend and to get into debt for those fleeting trinkets and yet, you have been “going to get around to” obeying God with your finances for years, right? Why? Could it be because the LORD is a second class citizen in your self-serving life? Is that the root here? Is self-idolatry the root sin here?
“There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. 25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. 26 He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it.” Proverbs 11:24-26
If you are authentically saved, stand up and be counted by obeying the One you say you serve. Show it. Do it! Talk really is cheap (1 John 3:18). Be a doer or face the truth that you are a counterfeit.
“And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” 2 Corinthians 5:15
Word of faith message? No, this is a biblical message – a simple call to put our money where our mouths are and to cease being imposters, counterfeits. If you wish to be coddled in your sin – to be told you are okay in your sin – there are many who will accommodate your rebellion.
“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.” 2 Timothy 4:1-4
The fact that you never get a pointed message like this at your church clearly reveals that you are being seduced and deceived – You are being coddled in your sins and disobedience, never called to truly repent, to lay down your life and to obey God – and to thereby experience true, resurrection and an abiding, life-giving relationship with Jesus Christ (John 15:1-16). But how’s that going to end up at the Judgment? The Son of God solemnly warns:
“Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:20-23
A man who is a prophet is first a servant by the mercy of God and does not have to say it and should not be dwelling on a title but the serving function of the gift of God in him. Prophet is not a title and anyone touting it as a title is automatically to be considered false. Read what Jesus taught: Matt 20:24-28; 23:8-12. If God has placed a certain gifting in a man it’s only for the LORD’s glory and for the man it’s to be tools to humbly serve – Read 1 Peter 4:10-11.
So even though you’re not obeying God, you are refusing to repent and literally do His stated will, you are lukewarm, you are at ease in Zion, you vainly believe that you are still going to God’s holy Heaven while the fruit of your life reveals you are living in rebellion to Him?
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21
Our obedience or disobedience to the LORD’s commands truly reveals who we truly worship and are truly serving – God or self.
“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” 1 John 2:3-6
If you are not currently abiding in and therefore obeying Christ, of which your finances, your stewardship is a litmus test, it’s because you have backslid – you are not ready to meet Him who is “Holy, holy, holy.” (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8) Jesus Christ is lovingly calling you to “Come unto Me” and to lay down your life at His blessed feet in unreserved surrender.
Prayer: Holy Father, I admit that after You gave Your life for me, You gave all to redeem me and found and saved me, I have squandered some of the resources You alone brought into my hands. I have not honored You by obeying Your clear, repeated commands for me to be a generous giver and to give You the first portion of the income You are bringing into my hands. Please forgive my sin LORD. LORD Jesus, I am now crucified with You. I am no longer my own but Yours. I lay my life at Your feet. I here this moment surrender all to You my LORD. Into Your hands I submit my spirit, my soul, my body, my things, my income, my possessions, and my will. From this moment forward, I am all Yours. In Jesus holy name, amen.
Treasure Truths | America Dream Delusion | Waste Watch | Consider Your Ways
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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