“Worshiping the Father in Spirit and Truth”

Is this Worshiping the Father "In Truth & Spirit"?

This post is directed towards those believers who are still under the apostate misconception (delusion) that singing “church” music and shouting hallelujah is the only way to truly worship the Father. In the following scripture, Jesus makes it very clear that true believers and seekers of His Truth and Life will not worship God in any set building on any set day and time. According to our Lord and Savior, if we (believers) truly desire to worship our Father, then we must worship Him in Spirit and Truth:

The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw.” 16 He said to her, “Go, call your husband and come here.” 17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.” 19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 “Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 “BUT AN HOUR IS COMING, AND NOW IS, WHEN the TRUE WORSHIPERS WILL WORSHIP THE FATHER IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 “GOD IS SPIRIT, AND THOSE WHO WORSHIP HIM MUST WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH.” 25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” (John 4)

Below is a portion of an interesting article which exposes, in my Spiritual sense, the manipulative effect of what the nominal “church” refers to as “worshiping God”, and what the true nature of worship should be: worshiping the Father “in Spirit and Truth!”

Has not the church suffered the worldly temptation of permitting the worship of the Almighty and Eternal God to be reduced to mere fleshly indulgence? It seems to this observer (and forgive me for generalizing to advance my point) that the focus on worship today is primarily on its institutional expression, or corporate worship, rather than the intimate and personal expression of adoration as the Holy Spirit reveals all the Lord is and represents.

We discover in this Scripture a distinction being made by the Master between “true worshipers” and false, between worship that is sought by the Heavenly Father and that which is not. So it follows then, that not all forms or manifestations of worship, even that directed in name to Him, is pleasing and acceptable to Him. Not all of those who say they know the true God of creation and the Bible are in fact known by Him. (emphasis mine)

Here is scriptural backing for this statement:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ (Matthew 7)

The article continues,

This devil-wrought delusion whereby individuals are led to believe they are worshiping and serving the True God when in fact they are worshiping and drinking from the cup of demons is a dangerous one indeed. We must be completely sure that such Scriptures are not referring to us. Are we?

What then, is true worship? Is it only what has come to be known as the worship service that precedes the sermon or teaching session? Is it the highly charged entertainment portion every Sunday morning or Friday night; the part that seems so much more enthralling to the soul and senses; the singing down of God from His heavenly throne; the praising the roof off? Important questions indeed, brethren, for have we not ultimately been called and saved to worship, serve and adore our Lord and God? Is worship not the natural response of a creature who has been so mercifully spared from eternal judgment and brought near to the very heart of the Creator? (emphasis mine)

The worship of the Father should be as natural to us as breathing. We shouldn’t need an expensive building, with a choir and band, to get us all fired-up to worship the Father: we shouldn’t need “praise and worship ministries” and “Christian music artists” to worship our Father in heaven! If we truly are aware of Who the Father is, who we are in Christ, and what He has done for us through His Son, then we should be worshiping Him in Spirit and Truth all day long!

The writer goes on to say,

True worship can never be rooted in group ritual or isolated from the truth of almighty God as revealed in His Word. It can never find its inspiration beyond the individual spirits of those who have dedicated their lives to seeking and following the God of the Bible. If one does not enter into worship with a worshipful heart, then all the loud praises and singing and music in the world will not draw one nearer to the presence of God.

Sadly, much of what is called worship in the church today seems contrived and external; a slick combination of Broadway-style production and old-fashioned big-tent mood manipulation. Just as Hollywood has fine-tuned the art of rendering audiences to emotional reaction at will, so the modern church has discovered the assorted tricks and techniques for reproducing such results in the pews. But is it worship, my brother? Does it rise to the level of worshipful expression seen in the Psalms and Prophets for example? Does it represent a sincere prostration of the individual heart before a Being of extraordinary and inestimable power and glory? Is it a personal and powerful expression of homage and reverence directed at the true God, the only God, the very Father, Son and Holy Spirit found in the pages of the Bible – as He is and can only be? And finally, has such an expression, however wrought, been informed and shaped by the Spirit and Word of God, and not the soulish energies or machinations of men? (emphasis mine)

Here, in my estimation, is the crux of the matter: “Holiness”! To be holy is to be set apart for the Lord’s purpose:

Beware, dear reader, for holiness can never come in a bottle or a manual, but only from the Holy One Himself. And it returns to Him, and glorifies Him, as others see His holiness reflected in all that you say and do and represent. It flows from the very life of the Holy One, transforming your life in very practical ways, and it leads you to your knees and to that quiet contemplation of all that He is and represents. When the Bible refers to the “beauty of holiness” it knows of what it speaks, for indeed holiness is beautiful, more beautiful than anything in this sin-blemished world. (emphasis mine)

via Livingwalk – W.E. Smith.

We can sing and shout hallelujah all day long, but if we’re not seeking to make ourselves a living sacrifice to the Lord, and thus allow Him to reign in our mortal bodies, then no song, hymn, psalm or physical gyration will suffice to become worship in the eyes of our Father in heaven! As my brother in Christ states so well, it is our HOLINESS which will allow us to worship the Father in Spirit and Truth. It is the giving up of ourselves, and all that we would possess in this decaying world, that sets us apart for the Lord’s perfect will and purpose being brought to fruition in, and through, our lives:

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. (Matthew 16)

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, WHICH IS YOUR SPIRITUAL SERVICE OF WORSHIP.

And DO NOT BE CONFORMED to this world, but BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12: 2)

Is this truly worship of the Father or just bad entertainment?

Do we want to worship our Father in Spirit and Truth? Then let us lose our lives in this world and offer our bodies as living sacrifices, which is our Spiritual service of WORSHIP! And then, let us not be conformed to this world system of Satan, but let us, instead, become TRANSFORMED by the renewing of our minds, so that we may shine as His Light in the darkness of this perverse world and generation:

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5)

This is how we truly worship the Father! All the rest of “religious” man’s “worship”, as my brother so precisely states, is nothing more than a Satanic inspired side show, a manipulative carnival set up by demons to keep believers trapped in the Spiritual deadness of apostate Christendom!

I would encourage everyone to read this entire article at the link given! Please, let us all remember this, if our earthly life is still tied up in the cares of this evil world system, then, no matter what “religious” activity we take part in, we will never be capable of worshiping the Father in Spirit and Truth.

The True Church of Christ Does Not Exist To “Make The World A Better Place”! Part III

The Pagan Indoctrination of Catholicism on All of Christendom!

This is the final post of a three part series entitled The True Church of Christ Does Not Exist To “Make The World A Better Place”!.

In these posts, I have attempted to share some of what the Lord has revealed to me during the past ten years, when it comes to the Spiritual deadness and error of Christendom. Over the past year, in particular, the Lord has blessed me and my brothers with the writings of several 19th century men of God: one of which was G.H. Pember. The Lord has used Mr. Pember to firm up His revelation given me almost a decade ago: a revelation which showed the apostate nature of what is referred to as “church”.

It may appear to some that I have a grudge or vendetta against Catholics, as well as other “church going” folks, but this is not the case. I do, however, take issue with the Vatican and the other leaders of apostate Christendom, since they have sold themselves out to the evil one’s world system, just as scripture foretold they would! My issues are with the wolves-in-sheep’s-clothing who have, with or without awareness, lead many of their flock down a road to judgment and loss-of-reward in the coming age:

“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 “So then, you will know them by their fruits. (Matthew 7)

I want my brothers and sisters in Christ, worldwide, who know, love and truly seek the Lord to come out from the Spiritual deadness and scriptural falsehood of the nominal “church”; so on that soon coming day they will hear, “Well done good and faithful servant, enter into my joy,” as opposed to suffering this outcome:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven (the “first-fruits” rapture in the millennium: the 1000 year reign of Christ), but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ (Matthew 7)

{Note: Spiritual salvation is secured by faith alone, but reigning with Christ during the millennium is a reward to be earned: sanctification. (See Salvation of the Soul: Arlen L. Chitwood)}

The Lord, through the Apostle John, gave us a warning of how His Church would become tainted, and eventually fall, in the first three chapters of the Revelation. The Lord’s messages to His seven Churches, as G.H. Pember and others make clear, was to give us an historical and Spiritual breakdown of the Church age, this dispensation of Grace age. We must understand and be alert, for this age is coming, quickly, to an end!

Here, once again, is some of Mr. Pember’s historical/Spiritual insight into the current Dispensation of God’s Grace (the Church age), and how the Church of the Christ, some eighteen hundred years ago, had fallen into pagan worship and ritualism, culminating in the formation of the Catholic “church” (worldwide “church”):

“In 381 A.D., the second general council met at Constantinople [Capital of the Eastern Roman Empire], and, by its decrees, the Pontifex Maximus was recognized as Head of the Universal or Catholic Church, while the Bishop of Constantinople was to rank as second to him [second to the pope]. The amalgamation thus became an accomplished fact, and, before the year 400 A.D., “the tonsured priests of Isis, sworn to celibacy,” were being received as the ministers of Christ. Just as in Israel the prophets of Baal and Astarte replaced those of Jehovah, so the false Church, the new Jezebel, introduced the hierophants of the very same deities, under changed names, among the followers of the Lord Jesus. Then many doctrines of Paganism began to be openly preached, with a little change in the nomenclature, and were declared to be Christian-baptismal regeneration, justification by works, image and saint worship, prayers for the dead, and many others. The mystic Tau was everywhere prominent as the sign of the cross; the wafer of Mithras was substituted for the broken bread; the Bishop retained the crooked staff of the Roman augur, but called it a crozier; and wore on his head the fish-head mitre of the priests of Oannes or Dagon. Everything was Pagan except the bare names. The vast conspiracy to convert Christianity itself into Heathenism had succeeded, so far as the bulk of professing Christians were concerned. (emphasis mine)

Pember goes on to explain how this new “Christian” world-religion would turn celibacy and virginity into pagan ritualism. Even Mary, the earthly mother of Jesus, would be remade in the image of a pagan goddess:

As time went on, the teachings of the mystic Jezebel continued to be unfolded. In 341, Athanasius and his companions fled for refuge to Rome, and, soon after they had settled there, introduced the Monastic orders [asceticism], which had been already established in the deserts of the Thebaid. Subsequently, they were instituted in Gaul by Martin of Tours, and in Africa by Augustine.

Damasus and Jerome [Popes] had encouraged the movement in every possible way, and especially by teaching that celibacy and virginity were the highest of Christian virtues. And Pope Siricius-384-398 A.D.-who succeeded Damasus, supplemented their work by issuing a Decretal in which he insisted on the celibacy of all the Catholic clergy.

Pope Celestine I.-422-432 A.D.-gave a great impetus to Mariolatry by aiding the persecutors of Nestorius, the Archbishop of Constantinople, who had preached eloquently against the blasphemous title, Mother of God, which was then given to the mother of Jesus. The intention of this title is obvious; for had Mary been the mother of the Lord’s Godhead, she herself must of necessity have been a goddess, and they would have been justified in their worship of her. But, on the other hand, the plan of salvation would have failed; for the Lord would have had no human nature, and, therefore, could not have saved the human race. (emphasis mine)

(The Great Prophecies of the Centuries concerning the Church Volume 4: [pages 556, 57] G.H. Pember)

I believe that the Lord, through G.H. Pember (and many others: see my God’s Wisdom page), has given us more than enough historical/Spiritual background to be able to come to a decision on this matter. All we have to do is take the information given and investigate for ourselves: pay heed to the leading of our Spirit (First and foremost), read the Word of God, read Pember’s works (and other’s), attend a mass (or any other denominational service), and then observe the (Gnostic and Roman) pagan influence which now permeates all of Christendom (every denomination and non-denomination). As we go about this Spiritual process, this Spiritual awakening, we might also want to keep in mind the words and warnings of the Apostle Paul, in his descriptions of believers and “church” officials at the end of this age:

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. 6 For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 3)

{Note: G.H. Pember died over one hundred years ago, so, of course, we are further into the Lord’s Revelation than he. Also, Pember, in his 4th volume, makes very clear that these seven Church periods overlap to some extent: the Philadelphia and Laodicea periods can and do have certain aspects in common. But the seventh period (Laodicea) stands alone, in that the Lord is definitely seeking out the individual, as opposed to the corporate “church”, in this final epistle; and, therefore, His warning is to those who will live very close to His second advent!}

The following epistles (Revelation 3:) speak of the final two Church periods (out of seven) we are currently living in: the Philadelphia Church, and the Laodicea Church. Pember describes the Philadelphia Church period as one where the true believer and seeker of Christ’s Truth and Life would begin to stand against the apostate lies of the nominal “church” system. And those of the final period, the Laodicea Church, would, by necessity, have to withdraw from the apostasy and Spiritual deadness which will run rampant in Christendom at the end of this age.

Here is what our Lord and Savior HAS (not, HAD) to say to the Church at Philadelphia:

"Behold, I have put before you an OPEN DOOR which no one can shut..."

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:
8 ‘I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you AN OPEN DOOR which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. 9 ‘Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. 10 ‘Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11 ‘I am coming quickly; HOLD FAST WHAT YOU HAVE, so that no one will take your crown. 12 ‘He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. 13 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ (Revelation 3)

And here is what the Lord HAS (not, HAD) to say to the last Church (Laodicea), the nominal “church”, we can see on every street corner in town:

"Behold, I Stand at the Door and Knock..."

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:
15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 ‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth (vomit). 17 ‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, 18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19 ‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. 20 ‘BEHOLD, I STAND AT THE DOOR AND KNOCK; IF ANYONE HEARS MY VOICE AND OPENS THE DOOR, I WILL COME INTO HIM AND DINE WITH HIM, AND HE WITH ME. 21 ‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” (Revelation 3)

Here, then, is what I sense the Lord saying (in my Spirit) to all believers in these last two epistles to the Churches:

“HE WHO HAS AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAYS TO THE CHURCHES:” let he or she, who takes the time to commune with and hear his or her Spirit’s leading, discern that there is (right now) an “OPEN DOOR WHICH NO ONE CAN SHUT” but the Lord. And this OPEN DOOR to the Lord’s forgiveness (grace) and Life is slowly beginning to swing shut. This, I believe, is the warning of the epistle to the Philadelphia Church period!

As for the warning to the seventh, and last, Church period (our current Church period), there is this, “HE WHO HAS AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAYS TO THE CHURCHES:” let he or she, who takes the time to commune with and hear his or her Spirit from God, discern that the Lord stands at the door which is about to shut, completely, and knocks. And he or she who hears the Lord knocking, and answers, will sup with the Lord in these last days: this person will be known as an Overcomer and will sit down with the Lord on His throne in the coming age! This is the warning, and promise, to those of us who believe and seek the Lord, individually, in this last period!

"The Road to Emmaus" (Luke 24)

Note that the OPEN DOOR is no longer mentioned in the seventh epistle: we must now knock if we want to sup with our Lord and Savior. The epistle to the Church at Philadelphia was to all members of the Church, apostate or not, but, in the epistle to the Church at Laodicea, the Lord reaches out solely to the individual: BEHOLD, I STAND AT THE DOOR AND KNOCK; IF ANYONE HEARS MY VOICE AND OPENS THE DOOR, I WILL COME INTO HIM AND DINE WITH HIM, AND HE WITH ME. The Lord is calling us, as individuals, out from the corporate apostasy and Spiritual deadness of the nominal “church”, but He leaves this decision totally up to us! So will we seek to hear and discern His Spirit and answer the door when the Lord knocks? Or will we remain blind and deaf, while sitting in the pew of some “religious” venue (“church”), when He calls to us? It is our decision! It is our responsibility, and there will be no second guessing!

{All of this, of course, is not to say that two, or more, individuals, who have come out from among them, cannot come together, corporately! But this new way of coming together (fellowship) must be done, this time, under the leadership of the Spirit of God, so we do not recreate what we have just managed to escape!}

Needless to say, then, the true Church of Christ, unlike the false one of man, does not exist to “make the world a better place” or “save the world for Christ.” The true Church of Christ is to be His living Body which is being prepared, one individual at a time, to be His Bride; when He returns in great power and glory. So be it, Lord! Come again, quickly!

In closing, my sincere attempt in writing these three posts, as well as all others, is to bring the Spiritual awareness, which has most graciously been given me by the Lord, to anyone who feels trapped in their religiosity. I was, once, like many of you: a Spiritually dead person sitting in a Spiritually dead pew of Christendom; where I had never once, during fifteen years of attendance, witnessed the power and movement of our Father’s indwelling Spirit. Nor had I ever truly experienced the grace, love and Life of our Lord and Christ: the elders loved to preach about the Lord’s love, grace and Life, week in, and week out, but they hadn’t a clue as how to show that love and grace, nor could they exhibit, in themselves, His Life in abundance!

“For I am Under Compulsion… Woe is Me if I Do Not Preach the Gospel”

The Apostle Paul: "For if I preach the gospel, ...I am UNDER COMPULSION; for WOE IS ME if I do not preach the gospel"

The Apostle Paul, as well as the other Apostles, did not preach Christ crucified in order to become famous, or make a living. In fact, the Apostle states that he gave up, and suffered, much, in a worldly sense, to preach the Word of God:

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, FOR WHOM I HAVE SUFFERED THE LOSS OF ALL THINGS, AND COUNT THEM BUT RUBBISH SO THAT I MAY GAIN CHRIST, 9 AND MAY BE FOUND IN HIM, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may KNOW HIM and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His SUFFERINGS, being CONFORMED TO HIS DEATH; 11 in order THAT I MAY ATTAIN to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3)

It would seem, then, that the material things (perishables) of this world meant little, or even nothing, to the Apostle. Paul’s sole purpose was to bring the Way, Truth, and Life of Christ, to those who hadn’t heard, and without desiring the accolades of men, nor the material comforts which were afforded him in the Word of God. The following scripture reveals the heart of Paul, when it comes to preaching Christ crucified:

1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? 2 If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

3 My defense to those who examine me is this: 4 Do we not have a right to eat and drink? 5 Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? 6 Or do only Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from working? 7 Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat the fruit of it? Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock?

8 I am not speaking these things according to human judgment, am I? Or does not the Law also say these things? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses, “YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING.” God is not concerned about oxen, is He? 10 Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops. 11 If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? 12 If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ. 13 Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar? 14 So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.

15 But I have used none of these things. And I am not writing these things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than have any man make my boast an empty one. 16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel. 17 For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me. 18 What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. (1 Corinthians 9)

Unlike most graduates of seminaries and bible colleges today, the Apostle Paul was not making a “career choice” by preaching the Gospel of our Lord’s grace to men! The Apostle said he was “under compulsion” to preach the Gospel of our Lord and Savior; he even went as far as to say “woe is me if I do not preach the Gospel.” Paul claimed that his “reward” was to “offer the Gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of his [my] right in the Gospel.”

How much different is this from what we see at the pulpits of Christendom today, where men and women choose to attend seminaries and bible colleges to secure a profession: a mere “religious” means to a meaningful career, and worldly-security, end? Where is Paul’s compulsion to, and sense of woe is me if I do not, preach the Gospel in many, or most, of these “religious” college grads?

The clergy/laity system, which spawned what we see on the pulpits of Christendom today, began, in earnest, in the Church of Ephesus, where the Nicolaitans had infiltrated the true believers, and filled them with one of Satan’s most harmful lies: “church” officials were to rule over the common Church member, and these officials were to receive the same respect and honor as the Lord (the birth of the clergy: “men of God”). Jesus speaks of these Nicolaitans:

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:
2 ‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; 3 and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. 4 ‘But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 ‘Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent. 6 ‘Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the NICOLAITANS, which I ALSO HATE. 7 ‘HE WHO HAS AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’ (Revelation 2)

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Do we have an ear to hear the Spirit? Do we take the time to investigate, and try to hear, what the Spirit is saying to us about the Nicolaitans, or any other matter of Scripture or Life? Thank the Lord that some men have investigated, and heard the Spirit, over the centuries! One such man was G.H. Pember, and this is his sense, scripturally, and historically, of what the Spirit is saying about the deeds of the Nicolaitans:

“…the Nicolaitans were evidently a [religious] sect or party of the day whose advocates were striving to propagate their views among the Ephesian believers, but had met with a temporary check…

Literally, the word [Nicolaitan] means “Subjugators of the laity,” or “people…”

Its introduction here seems to intimate, that the Apostolic arrangements for the government of the Churches were beginning to be abused; that some were already striving to act as lords over the charge [people] alloted to them, endeavoring to establish a [human] hierarchy, a clerical caste, which should be distinguished from, and superior to, the great body of believers. No authority for such a scheme could be found in the New Testament, and those who were guided by the Word and Spirit of God must have foreseen how disastrous its results would be. For, if successfully carried out, it would turn away the eyes of the Church from her great High Priest, and fix them upon human leaders; it would quickly arouse party spirit [factions], cause schisms, and tend to secularize that which should be purely Spiritual: and it would thus soften, and, finally, obliterate, the line of demarcation between the Church and the world, and induce the former to use the tactics, and to desire the aid, of the latter.

Paul anticipated Nicolaitanism in his farewell address to the Ephesian Elders, when he said,

“I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.” (Acts 20: 29-30) (emphasis mine)

(The Great Prophecies of the Centuries concerning the Church Volume 4: [pages 510, 11] G.H. Pember)

This “obliteration of the line of demarcation,” by the Roman Church, would become, in many ways, similar to the line of demarcation which had been crossed by the nation of Israel’s religious leaders in Jesus’ day.

"Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites..."

The pharisees and scribes knew who Jesus was, but they openly rejected their Lord, and Christ, because He didn’t fit the definition of what they were looking for: a powerful, rich worldly ruler who would allow them to rule the world. The “religious” leaders of Israel, in Jesus’ day, loved being in power: they loved being honored by men, and profiting from that honor. The pharisees and scribes had also made an unholy alliance with the pagan Roman government, and they were profiting from that sordid relationship also. So, in order to keep this “religious”/political status quo, the pharisees and scribes had to keep the people (the common Hebrew) ignorant of scripture, and, thus, ignorant of the Lord and His Truth! In truth, and reality, the pharisees and scribes had the Christ crucified simply to maintain their hypocritical, and apostate, “religious” status, and way of making a living! All of this is not to say that the common Hebrew was much better: the Hebrew people were also looking for a worldly deliverer, and thus they had little interest in a true personal relationship with their Christ!

Here is what the Lord Jesus had to say about these apostate, corrupted, and hateful, pharisees and scribes:

Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; 3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. 4 “They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. 5 “But THEY DO ALL THEIR DEEDS TO BE NOTICED BY MEN; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. 6 “THEY LOVE THE PLACE OF HONOR at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7 and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men. 8 “BUT DO NOT BE CALLED RABBI; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 “DO NOT CALL ANYONE ON EARTH YOUR FATHER; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 “DO NOT BE CALLED LEADERS; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. 11 “But the greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

13 “BUT WOE TO YOU, scribes and Pharisees (clergy: priests, reverends, cardinals, popes, pastors), HYPOCRITES, because YOU SHUT OFF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN FROM PEOPLE; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.

“WOE TO YOU, scribes and Pharisees, HYPOCRITES, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

“WOE TO YOU, BLIND GUIDES… (Matthew 23)

"Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites... Woe to you, Blind Guides"

{Hmm, let’s see, a hypocritical, and apostate, “religious”/political way of making a living (career), and a people (pew-sitters) who are also, as their “religious leaders”, looking for a worldly deliverer, and without any personal responsibility or major commitment on their part? Does this sound familiar to anyone? Doesn’t this sound exactly like the “clergy/laity” system of Christendom?}

So in much the same way as the scribes and pharisees had come to power in Israel, after the Babylonian exile, the birth of Catholicism in pagan Rome, after the persecution of Christians, for almost two hundred years, had led to an ungodly “religious” hierarchy (sacerdotalism) in the nominal “church”. Only this time the “religious” hierarchy, unlike that of Jesus’ day, would be almost entirely based on pagan ritualism and worship: extravagant buildings (Basilicas), marble alters, incantations (repeated prayers), prayer beads, priests in pagan vestments, pagan wafers, pagan deities, worshiped as “saints”, statues, crucifixes, etc, etc.

So the next time you call a man with a white collar “father”, kiss the ring of your local “bishop”, or put money in the till (tithe) to pay for the “right” reverend’s new house and Mercedes, you might want to remember the Apostle Paul’s example of a man driven to preach the Word of God. And you might also want to remember that you’re actively taking part in an idolatrous, pagan ritual which Paul warns of, and your Lord and Savior “hates” (Nicolaitanism)!

The True Church of Christ Does Not Exist To “Make The World A Better Place”! Part II

This is a follow up post (2 of 3) to The True Church of Christ Does Not Exist To “Make The World A Better Place”!, so you might want to read the initial post first.

As the Lord had withdrawn from the Hebrew nation, when the pharisees and scribes blasphemed the Holy Spirit…

Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw. 23 All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.”

25 And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 “If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? 27 “If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason they will be your judges. 28 “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 “Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.

“He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.
31 “Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. 32 “Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. (Matthew 12)

…so the Lord had also withdrawn from the nominal “church”, Christendom, when she (the harlot), some nineteen-hundred years ago, began to reject the Way, Truth, and Life, of her Lord and Savior and turned aside, instead, to pagan-inspired worship and ritualism (gnosticism). This apostate transformation would be completed, then, when the nominal “church” turned fully away from her Lord and, instead, turned to Rome (Constantine): the nominal “church” had thus become a Godless, state-run world-power which served Satan, and his world system:

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters… (Revelation 17: 1)

After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,

“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; 2 BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER.” 3 And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! HER SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER.” 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” (Revelation 19)

"Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites..." (Matthew 23)

The pharisees and scribes, in their desire to keep their political/religious power, had blasphemed against the Spirit of Jehovah: the Hebrew leaders had accused Jehovah’s Spirit of producing evil through His Son’s miraculous works. So, from this point forward, until his crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus only spoke in parables his disciples could discern. In essence, the Hebrew leaders had caused Jehovah to turn away from His chosen nation, because of their rejection of His Christ. Therefore, His Son, from that time forward, would turn to serve, and save, the gentile nations, and raise up His Body (His True Church), His Bride:

This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet:

18 “BEHOLD, MY SERVANT (Jesus) WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN;
MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL is WELL-PLEASED;
I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM,
AND HE SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES.
19 “HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT;
NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS.
20 “A BATTERED REED HE WILL NOT BREAK OFF,
AND A SMOLDERING WICK HE WILL NOT PUT OUT,
UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY.
21 “AND IN HIS NAME (Jesus) THE GENTILES WILL HOPE.” (Matthew 12)

And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them (Hebrews) it has not been granted. 12 “For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13 “Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 “In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,

‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND;
YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE;
15 FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL,
WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR,
AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES,
OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES,
HEAR WITH THEIR EARS,
AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN,
AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’

16 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 “For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. (Matthew 13)

Almost the same thing would happen with the Church of the Christ. Constantine the Great, Emperor of Rome, would take Christianity and morph it into a state-operated, pagan-based “religion” (Catholicism): although the corruption of the Christ’s (true) Church had begun almost two centuries earlier, while most of the Apostles were still living. G.H. Pember gives us some historic insight into how this corruption of our Lord’s Way, Truth, and Life came about:

“…Constantine the Great, became Emperor of the countries [Roman territory] to the west of the Alps. The [Christian] persecutions were still raging intermittently in other parts of the empire; but Constantine did not sanction the cruel treatment of the Christians. For his own countries, Britain and Gaul, were full of professed members of their faith, and his legions were recruited from them. Moreover, for reasons which have been stated elsewhere, he seems to have conceived the idea of establishing Christianity as the religion of the Empire; but was anxious, at the same time, to do so without causing offence either to pagans or Christians…

…How should he [Constantine] persuade the [Roman] pagans to join a community [Christian] which they had been accustomed to despise and maltreat, which was, for the most part, made up of obscure persons, plebeians, and slaves, whose places of worship were mean, indeed, if compared with the grand temples of the pagans, whose ministers displayed no gorgeous vestments like to those worn by the pagan priests, and whose services were usually dull and uninteresting.

This difficulty he proposed to surmount by bribes of state-offices and large sums of money to the upper classes [patricians]; and by suitable gifts to others. And, as a specimen of his mode of action, Gibbon tells us, that, in one year, no less than twelve thousand men, together with a proportionate number of women and children, were baptized into the Christian Church at Rome, to each of whom a white robe and twenty pieces of gold had been promised by the Emperor. Such a patronage, of course, caused multitudes of insincere persons to flock into the Church: the real believers were swamped, and the Bishops and Presbyters [elders] elected by nominal Christians.

But while Constantine thus essayed to make the Christian Community respectable in the eyes of the world, and to swell the number of its adherents, he also endeavoured to impart to its Churches and services an external magnificence and splendid scenic effects, which should, not merely rival, but even surpass, the pagan temples and their ceremonies. He gave to the Christian bishops, for conversion into churches, several imposing buildings called Basilicas, which had been used for Royal Courts of Justice, and at the same time was lavish in his gifts of money for the elaborate decoration of the new places of worship, and for the provision of superb vestments for the clergy. And soon the Christian Bishop, exalted on his lofty throne in the apse of the Basilica, clad in costly vestments, surrounded on a lower level by his presbyters, and with a marble alter, adorned with gold and gems, on a still lower level in front of him, had no reason to fear comparison with the Flamen Dialis, or with any other of the great Pagan priests in Rome… (emphasis mine)

These weren’t the only pagan changes made to the Church of our Lord and Savior. No, not at all! Satan didn’t stop with the destruction of just the external, he also went after the most important feature of Christianity, the internal, the Word of God, as Pember goes on to descibe:

Of course, the preaching, also, was changed at this time, as well as the buildings, the robes, and the congregations: it became a mere display of oratory and flowery language; for manifestly one could not utter narrow or severe sentiments before a fashionable and aristocratic audience, which, with very few exceptions, were not really Christian at all. Moreover, there was the duty of praising the Emperor, the giver of the beautiful things which appealed to them on every side. And so, the Church became, practically, a place of entertainment, and people went to it as to the theatre, and signified their approval of the preacher by a clapping of hands.

(The Great Prophecies of the Centuries concerning the Church Volume 4: [pages 537-39] G.H. Pember)

Pember goes on to show how Constantine, then, introduced the pagan festivals into his new state-operated “religion”, pagan festivals that would become the “Christian” holidays we still celebrate today: Christmas and Easter, just to name a few. Pember also dispels the false historic notion that Constantine was a “born again” believer. Pember sites that the Emperor wasn’t baptized, nor did he make a profession of his faith in Christ, until some twenty years after his supposed revelation in the sky; just before his death. Constantine was no more a Christian than Adolph Hitler: both of these men merely used Christianity to further their own worldly political desires.

Thus we can begin to see how this false “church”, built on Roman paganism, could promote such a scripturally-incorrect notion as its mission is to “save the world for Christ!”

I will finish this in Part III.

“A Deluding Influence” XIII

{I have decided, from time to time, to post certain items that I sense (through my Spirit, hopefully) speak to many of the issues I write on. These will be short snippets (NOT ALWAYS), and I’ve decided to call them, “A Deluding Influence” (2 Thessalonians 2: 11)}

In the following Pew Forum article is yet another example of the strong delusion being sent, by God, to those apostate (fallen away) believers who end up denying His Son, the Christ.

February 19, 2010

Spirit Quest

by Charles M. Blow

The New York Times

I recently met a young woman who was just back from a monthlong Costa Rican vacation. She said that she had gone in part to connect with her spiritual self, to shed the moral strictures of her youth and to find her place of peace as an adult. In her mind at least, it had been a successful trip. She was a new woman, spiritually awakened.

She told me that she had gone from religious to nonbeliever, and then to spiritual. Putting aside the fact that most young people probably couldn’t afford to take a monthlong vacation in a foreign country, and the fact that her spiritual awakening was admittedly spiked with copious amounts of Costa Rican rum, her story struck me as increasingly normative rather than anomalous. Many young adults seem to be moving away from organized religion while simultaneously trying desperately to connect with their spirituality. (emphasis added)

via Religion News: Spirit Quest.

Jesus rebuked the scribes and pharisees, saying,

“Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. 44 “Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45 “Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; AND THE LAST STATE OF THAT MAN BECOMES WORSE THAN THE FIRST. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation (age-ending generation, including us).” (Matthew 12)

This young woman has simply gone from the Spiritual deadness of her “religion” (the nominal “church”), the false representation of our Lord and Savior, to the pitiful state of the unregenerate:

…For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, THE LAST STATE HAS BECOME WORSE FOR THEM THAN THE FIRST (the seven demons). 21 For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. 22 It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.” (2 Peter 2)

For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. 28 Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.” And again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” 31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10)

She claims to have escaped the “moral strictures of her youth,” and found, instead, true “spiritual peace”. Unfortunately, however, this Spiritually devoid, and scripturally ignorant, person, has simply jumped from the spiritual frying pan right into the flames of the evil one. She has removed herself from the deadness of Satan’s “religious” substitute for the Lord, but instead of seeking the Lord’s Way, Truth, and Life, singularly, she has simply turned to the enemy of our Lord and believed his (Satan’s) lies. Therefore, the one demon (a “religious” unclean spirit), she had expelled from her life, has now come back with a vengeance, and brought seven of its friends to place this woman in a worse Spiritual state than before her supposed “spiritual enlightenment”!

I am not sitting in judgment of this poor woman, nor would it be possible for me to do so, since I am only a man, and I have, also, experienced almost exactly what she is experiencing now! Many years ago, when I was a very young man, I walked away from Catholicism, and, at the same time, I also walked away from God. Truly, I had shed the demon who had held me in bondage to its apostate “religious” lies, but I had, then, invited seven more demons, worse than the first, to invade me by walking away from God, and denying His Son. This walking away from, and denial of, the Lord, for the next sixteen years, would lead me down a dark, and evil, road, which would, in the end, allow me to harm people I loved, and almost destroy my life; in this world, and for all of eternity.

I thank the Lord that His irrevocable call was on my life! And, after those horrible years ended, and I was laid-low, broken and battered, the Lord graciously brought me back to His Truth and Life: the Truth and Life of the Christ that I had never heard from the pastors, ministers, and priests, of Christendom.

I pray the Lord’s irrevocable call is on this woman’s life, as it was on mine, especially if, like me, she was unaware of the Lord’s truth at the time she walked away.

Let my poor Spiritual example, and this woman’s, be a warning to all of you: when we escape the clutches of the apostate, nominal “church”, or whatever other evil is keeping us from the Truth, Life and Love of God, we must, then, cling tightly to the Lord so as not to allow the evil one any room to deceive us! Believe me, our Lord’s sanctification (salvation of the soul) can be very extended, and painful, when we have allowed the evil one to work in, and through, our lives for so many years! So for any of you who are not only contemplating walking away from the nominal “church”, but also the Lord, I hope you will take what I have said, here, to your heart and mind, and cling to the Lord, until He brings you back to His will, and purpose, for your life!

Peter: The “Stone”! Christ: The “Rock”! The Pope: Apostate Man!

Catholics have been coerced into believing, for almost fifteen hundred years, now, that the pope, through some form of scripturally-incorrect ancient-mysticism, is the living and breathing incarnation of the Apostle Peter. This, of course, is merely an apostate fallacy, a horrible manipulation of the following scripture (and several more):

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16)

To uncover how this scripture has been totally corrupted by Christendom, we must, first, have some understanding of the original languages used. Early on in His earthly ministry, Jesus had told Simon (Peter),

“You are Simon the son of John; you SHALL BE (in the future) called Cephas” (which is translated Peter). (John 1: 42)

The name “Cephas” is the Aramaic word for “stone”, or “small rock”. A stone or rock small enough to be thrown, or even as large as a boulder, but movable.

The name “Peter” is drawn from the Greek word “petros”, which also has the same meaning as cephas.

But the word “rock”, which Jesus says He will build His Church on, is from the Greek word “petra”, which means a rock formation, or a slab of rock that cannot be moved. In other words, a rock sufficient for use as the foundation of a building or house:

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, 20 having been built on THE FOUNDATION of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being THE CORNER STONE (ROCK), 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. (Ephesians 2)

And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For this is contained in Scripture:
“BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE (ROCK), A PRECIOUS CORNER stone,
AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”
7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,
“THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,
THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone,”
8 and,
“A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE”;
for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed. (1 Peter 2)

Peter was given the revelation of Who Jesus truly was by God the Father, and he was also the first to speak this great Truth; which would ultimately lead to his being the first Apostle to share the Gospel, on, and after, the day of Pentecost. But the ROCK that Jesus said He would build His (TRUE) Church on was, in reality, Himself, as the Word of God shows so clearly! Believers, then, are the stones (cephas, petros), like Peter, and the other Apostles, who are built upon the Foundation which is the Christ (the Cornerstone). And thus we, the stones built on the Chief Cornerstone (petra: Rock foundation), become the Lord’s (true) Church, His Body, His Bride!

Besides, if Jesus had been suggesting that Peter was the ROCK, then why didn’t the Lord state, instead, “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock, [Peter], I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it, [and there will always be a Peter on earth to rule in my place, until I come again]“? It was the revelation given to Peter, by the Father, that was the ROCK, not Peter himself!

Vatican City: What does this "city" have in common with the Christ?

The Lord Jesus never stated, or even suggested, that any of His twelve disciples would ever rule over a worldly-organized “religious” institution. What the Lord did say to His disciples, in terms of their earthly commission, was this:

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth (not Peter). 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28)

and this,

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26 “It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20)

As we can clearly see from these two scriptures, the disciples’ commission was to serve others, not rule over them. And this is our commission also!

Therefore, there is no scriptural backing for the papal election being anything other than a man-made, and assigned, pagan-oriented “church office”: the pope (hierophant), in reality, is nothing more than a pseudo-religious politician leading his pseudo-religious political machine! The only view that the “holy see” has is the extravagant, and ungodly, wealth, and power, surrounding him in the Vatican!

Catholicism has replaced our Lord and Savior with pagan ritualism, including the worship of Mary (the earthly, and fallen, flesh and blood mother of Jesus, not a goddess), and a pagan hierarchy: the Vatican, the clergy, and dioceses, etc. Since Catholicism was the first state created, and operated, “church” (a worldwide “church”), every denomination since its inception has followed, in some form, the same ungodly pattern of “worship” and teaching: sanctuaries, alters, communion wafers, pagan doctrines, and hierarchy (clergy), which all amount to some form of idolatry.

If anyone will take the time to investigate, they will come to realize that the “offices” of pope, bishop, cardinal, and even priest, come from either Roman governmental, or pagan, tradition; as does every other aspect of Catholicism.

For further information on this scriptural issue, as well as many others, I recommend the following texts: The Great Prophecies of the Centuries Concerning the Church, Volume 4: G.H. Pember. And also, The Church The Churches and The Mysteries, Volume 3 (Chapters 48 on): G.H. Pember.

The True Church of Christ Does Not Exist To “Make The World A Better Place”!

Scripture warns, from the prophecies of old, to the new testament epistles, that this earth, and those who choose to love and serve it, will, someday, pass away; and then all things will be made new:

“I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth,
Blood, fire and columns of smoke.
31 “The sun will be turned into darkness
And the moon into blood
Before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. (Joel 2)

Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, WHO ARE PASSING AWAY; 7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2)

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 THE WORLD IS PASSING AWAY, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2)

5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I AM MAKING ALL THINGS NEW.” (Revelation 21: 5)

When asked what their Godly purpose is, today’s “church-going Christians” (young and old) almost always state something like, “I want to leave the world a better place, for Christ, than I found it!” or, “I want to save the world for Christ!” When asking a similar question about a postmodern purpose, to the unregenerate or pagan, there is almost a verbatim response: “I want to make the world a better place for my children and their children.” The unregenerate and pagan, however, have the legitimate excuse of not being capable of discerning the Word of God, since the Word must be Spiritually discerned. On the other hand, the “church-going Christian” is totally without excuse for his, or her, worldly Spiritual ignorance; except, perhaps, their claiming, and rightly so, that the apostate nominal “church” has misled them!

Let me start with this typical, nominal “church” response, “I want to save the world for Christ!” Where is it stated in the Word of God that we are here to save the world or its peoples? The Christ’s crucifixion, and resurrection, almost two-thousand years ago, has already saved the world, its peoples, and, ultimately, the rest of His creation! This Spiritual/scriptural ignorance, and resulting confusion, is the bad fruit of Christendom’s doctrinal, and dogmatic, fallacies! The sons of God are not here to save people, the world, or anything else, we are here to fulfill our purpose in the Body of Christ, the Lord’s Bride:

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, TO THE BUILDING UP OF THE BODY OF CHRIST; 13 until we all attain to THE UNITY OF THE FAITH, and of THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SON OF GOD, TO A MATURE MAN, TO THE MEASURE OF THE STATURE WHICH BELONGS TO THE FULLNESS OF CHRIST. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom THE WHOLE BODY, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes THE GROWTH OF THE BODY for the building up of itself in love. (Ephesians 4)

Where can we find the BUILDING UP OF THE BODY, THE UNITY OF THE FAITH, and THE GROWTH OF THE WHOLE BODY, in “denominational Christianity” (Christendom)? Is this “religious” sectarianism ever truly to become THE FULLNESS OF THE STATURE OF CHRIST: His Body, His Bride? Where is the unity in the Spirit, the Oneness of Christ, in “denominational Christianity”?

Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 BEING DILIGENT TO PRESERVE THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT IN THE BOND OF PEACE. 4 There is ONE BODY and ONE SPIRIT, just as also you were called in ONE HOPE of your calling; 5 ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISM, 6 ONE GOD AND FATHER OF ALL who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4)

The Lord told His disciples to make disciples of all nations (share His Truth and Life), baptize them, and teach them all that He commanded:

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28: 19-20)

The Apostles, then, were faithful to carry out the Lord’s orders, and their faithfulness anchored the Truth and Life of Christ in this fallen world. The Apostles were also Spiritually empowered to work this great initial task: healing people, raising people from the dead, casting out demons.

And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. (Acts 4)

The initial (true) Church the Apostles established was that which the Lord had desired: assemblies (gatherings) of like minded believers who had given their lives up to the Lord and, thus, had all things in common:

They were CONTINUALLY devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed WERE TOGETHER AND HAD ALL THINGS IN COMMON (unity); 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing WITH ONE MIND in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 PRAISING GOD AND HAVING FAVOR WITH ALL PEOPLE. And THE LORD WAS ADDING TO THEIR NUMBER DAY BY DAY THOSE WHO WERE BEING SAVED. (Acts 2)

And the congregation (ecclesia: gathering) of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them…

For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales 35 and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need. (Acts 4)

{Note: It was the Lord adding to their numbers, not their “religious”, man-made schemes to “save people for the Lord”: it still is the Father Who draws all those foreknown and predestined to His Son! Also note that the Lord was doing this great work because these believers were seeking His Way, Truth and Life, not some man-made doctrine filled with error and ritualism!}

This model of believers being gathered together in Christ was the ROCK that Jesus said He would build His Church on: the realization of Who the Christ is, who we are, what our purpose is (individually and corporately), and how we come to experience His WAY, His Truth, and His LIFE:

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not REVEAL this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon THIS ROCK (this revelation from the Father) I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. (Matthew 16)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. (John 14: 6)

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10: 10)

The ROCK, therefore, is not Peter (nor any pope or mere man), the ROCK is the revelation, to all who are the called, of Who the Christ is, and this revelation can come only from God the Father! The ROCK (Greek: Petra) is the Lord Himself! But the Lord knew, in His omniscient mind, that the true Church would become corrupted, just as the Hebrews had corrupted their faith and services to the Lord; to the point that they promoted and helped carry out His crucifixion!

{We may find ourselves in a similar position as the Hebrews, at the end of this age, if we’re not diligent to know and discern the Lord’s Truth about His second advent! Just as the religious leaders of Israel (pharisees, scribes) kept the common Hebrew ignorant of the truth of God, so the nominal “church”, today, keeps the “church-going Christian” ignorant of the Lord’s Truth!}

Thus we find, today, that the true Church, the Body of Christ, is scattered throughout the earth, and, because of the on-going apostasy in the nominal “church”, I believe that its function, in the Christ, has been changed to some extent. Yes, when the Lord places someone before us (believers) who is unregenerate, we are, then, to share the Gospel of God’s Grace with them, but only if we sense the Spirit’s leading. And yes, when we see people in need, other believers, or the unregenerate, we are, then, to place their needs before our own and serve them. But I believe, firmly, that the true Church’s primary purpose, today, is to be prepared, and adorned, as the Bride of the soon coming Christ:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, MADE READY AS A BRIDE ADORNED FOR HER HUSBAND. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; THE FIRST THINGS HAVE PASSED AWAY.” (Revelation 21)

I believe our mission, now, as the chosen out of the called, is to prepare those who are already saved, Spiritually, but are still in the grasps of the apostate nominal “church”, for the end of this age! The time is fast approaching for the second advent of Christ, and Daniel’s seventieth week (read the Book of Daniel): the Gospel of the Kingdom of the Heavens (not the Gospel of Grace: salvation, but the Kingdom of the Heavens) must be preached to all the world, just before our Lord returns (after the three and one-half years of the great tribulation), and then the end will come:

And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 5 “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. 6 “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

9 “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10 “At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11 “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12 “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. 13 “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. 14 “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come…

“But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. 31 “And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. (Matthew 24)

I know this sounds radical, and I’m not suggesting a set day or time for our Lord’s return, but I do sense, as do many others, that our mission, as the chosen of our Lord, has been altered! Only time will tell, however!

I will continue this is Part II.

A “Spiritual Revival” Here, A “Men’s Conference” There: To What End?

"Religious Conferences", "Revivals": A Spiritual Waste of Time and Energy!

A “men’s conference” here, and a “Spiritual revival” there, here a “camp-meeting”, there a “movement of the Spirit happening”, everywhere a “new, and improved, way” to supposedly awaken the sleeping, apostate “church”. And yet, everything always seems to remain the same: the same Spiritual deadness (the lack of the Lord’s Power and Abundant Life), the same mediocre and milk laden sermons (tickling their ears), the same asleep-in-the-pew congregations, the same seeking after the world and its ungodly goals, while claiming to be “Christians”:

I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; BUT WANTING TO HAVE THEIR EARS TICKLED, THEY WILL ACCUMULATE FOR THEMSELVES TEACHERS (ministers, priests, popes, bishops) IN ACCORDANCE TO THEIR OWN DESIRES, 4 AND WILL TURN AWAY THEIR EARS FROM THE TRUTH AND WILL TURN ASIDE TO MYTHS. (2 Timothy 4)

The following Pew Forum article is an example of this tickle-the-ear “religious” way of practicing God.

Twelve hundred men sat silently inside New Hope Community Church on Saturday morning watching Kevin Costner plunge from a helicopter into a churning sea. Playing a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, Costner fought powerful waves and a desperate, frightened man to save two lives in the clip from “The Guardian.”

Earlier Mike Silva, a Christian evangelist based in Portland, had reminded participants in the Northwest Men’s Conference of the rescue swimmers’ motto: “So others may live.”

When the clip ended, the lights came back on. The room was still quiet.

“There are people everywhere drowning,” Silva said softly. “They are so exhausted they can’t keep up the fight. The only thing that ever kept me afloat in turbulent times was the Bible.”

Men from 200 churches, from Orange County, Calif., and Sedro-Woolley, Wash., from Roseburg to Pittsburgh, spent the next four hours listening to speakers describe, from a man’s point of view, “a Christ-centered life.” The fifth annual conference opened Friday night.

“A hundred and one men dedicated their lives to Christ last night,” the emcee said. “And 345 last night rededicated theirs.” Saturday’s challenge, repeated over and over, was to reach out and share the Gospel message with other men.

mensconference.2.jan31.2010.JPGMotoya Nakamura/The OregonianParticipants were given “Timothy coins,” inspired by the New Testament letters in which the apostle Paul encourages Timothy’s faith. The idea was to find another man, introduce him to Jesus and pass the coin along. “Step one is to go to the cross,” Silva said. “Once we’ve been there, step two is to rescue someone else.” (emphasis added)

via Hundreds of Christian men gather in Portland to reconnect, reach out | – Oregonlive.com.

The bible, in the beginning, is the primary source for coming to know the Lord:

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. (Romans 10: 17)

But we must not stop with the word of God and merely read it; for that is to treat the word of God as if it were the tree of knowledge of good and evil (the word of God was given, by the Lord, to lead us to Him and His Life). We must not end up like the religious leaders (pharisees, priests, scribes) of Jesus’ day: Jesus rebuked them, saying,

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; 40 and YOU ARE UNWILLING TO COME TO ME SO THAT YOU MAY HAVE LIFE. (John 5)

The word of God, then, IS NOT some psychological, or new age, self-help book (nor is our Lord and Savior a “magic genie”): the word is not some mystical, “new-age” book full of “valuable tips and mores” to help us “live better lives”, and be “happy” and fulfilled “citizens of the world”. The word of God is, or should be, if we truly are the Lord’s Church, His Body, His Bride, the source that reveals His Way, His Truth, and His LIFE for us. But we can only experience the word’s impact if we have truly, and fully, dedicated our lives to the Lord (death to SELF)! Thus we must seek first, through the Spirit’s leading, to see the Lord, to KNOW Him, and to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to Him, so He may work His will and purpose in and through us:

But whatever things were gain to me (in this world), those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but RUBBISH so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, BEING CONFORMED TO HIS DEATH; 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3)

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to PRESENT YOUR BODIES A LIVING AND HOLY SACRIFICE, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12)

These examples of Paul’s Love for Christ, and his desire to experience all of the Christ’s Life in, and around, him, is what the Lord desires from all of those He purchased on the cross:

All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. 14 Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! 16 Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH.” 17 But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 18 Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that YOUR BODY IS THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO IS IN YOU, whom you have from God, and that YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN? 20 For YOU HAVE BEEN BOUGHT WITH A PRICE: therefore GLORIFY GOD IN YOUR BODY. (1 Corinthians 6)

So “revivals of the Spirit”, “men’s conferences”, and “rededicating our lives to the Lord”, are useless, unless we have come to the Spiritual position, and discernment, of the Apostle Paul: “I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but RUBBISH…”

Here is what the word of God has to say about those who must, continually, “REDEDICATE themselves to Christ”:

For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again ENTANGLED IN THEM and are OVERCOME, the last state has become WORSE for them than the FIRST. 21 For it would be BETTER for them NOT to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. 22 It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.” (2 Peter 2)

A "Promise Keeper's Conference": The "Religious Warm & Fuzzy", but for how long?

Are these same “345 rededicated men”, and those who, out of the newbies, will add to their number, over the next few years, going to keep on living in the world, and for the world, as they have before? Will these “rededicated” men go about seeking and knowing the Lord, or will they, after another few years, simply come back to this type of warm and fuzzy “religious” experience and, once again, “rededicate themselves to the Lord”? Sadly, the latter outcome would be my guess!

I have seen these “revivals”, “conferences”, and “movement of the Spirit”, fiascoes, throughout the years, and I have even taken part in a few. So I can tell you, from experience, and, therefore, without hesitation, that they are worthless; simply because they are the product of “religious” man’s agenda-driven ideas about God, His word and will (man’s warped conception of our Lord and Savior), as opposed to the leading of the Spirit in him!

This post may be offensive to some, but that was not my intent! It seems to me that decades upon decades of politically-correct, milk-laden (“seeker-sensitive”) “revivals”, “conferences”, and “sermons”, have produced little but Spiritual apathy, Spiritual confusion, and apostasy. Is it loving and serving, then, in this time of mediocre and, for the most part, self-serving, Godless religiosity, to allow our lost, and immature, brothers and sisters in Christ to continue down the same old apostate road; and without ever, at the risk of offending, trying to reach them with the Lord’s Way, Truth, and Life?

So if you are offended by this post, you might want to consider why you’re offended. As I’ve stated before, if you believe I’m wrong, Spiritually, and thus scripturally, then please leave a comment

“A Thorn in the Flesh, A Messenger of Satan…”

This is the follow-up post to Suffering, Enduring & Overcoming: “…Some Strange Thing Happening…”. So you might want to read that post first, if you so choose.

The Apostle Paul speaks of his life-altering revelations from the Lord: the first of which was on the road to Damascus (Acts 22: 1-21), and the second when Paul was caught up to the third heaven.

Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ (Paul himself) who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows— 4 was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak. 5 On behalf of such a man I will boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to MY WEAKNESSES. 6 For if I do wish to boast I will not be foolish, for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me.

7 Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, A MESSENGER (angel) OF SATAN to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! 8 Concerning this I implored the Lord THREE TIMES that it might leave me. 9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for POWER IS PERFECTED IN WEAKNESS.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12)

Most theologians, and “churches”, teach that the “thorn in the flesh” was some form of illness which effected either Paul’s eyesight, or caused him to have seizures (epilepsy). But in reading a book by G.H. Pember, I have come to believe that most theologians, and “churches”, are mistaken, since they seem to ignore the last part of this verse: …a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from exulting myself. Here is what Pember has to say about Paul’s thorn in the flesh:

…We shall then see that the thorn in the flesh was no mere disease or infirmity, but precisely what it is said to have been, that is, an angel of Satan sent to buffet the Apostle. This ever active foe would be perpetually assailing him with the many hindrances and annoyances, which are so well known to the true servant of Christ; would often be whispering in his ear incongruent, evil, and even foul thoughts, certain, should he fail to cast them off before they became his own, to check the inflow of spiritual power from the Holy Ghost; would sometimes draw over him a feeling of nervous lassitude, a weakness and feebleness of body and mind, just at the critical moment when it was necessary that he should be strong; would bring about disconcerting incidents, craftily devised to shake his faith, or to irritate his temper; and, in short, would baffle and thwart him at every turn, taking the fullest advantage of any circumstance that could be used for his discomfort and discouragement. Henceforth, then, this dread spirit would be ever hovering near the Apostle, who would be able to do the work for which he had been sent forth, only by dint of ceaseless prayer and a humble walk before his God–a life of peril and danger, of creeping ever, as it were, along the brink of a precipice, which must have powerfully counteracted any tendency to undue elation.

Thus a comprehension of this instructive incident throws much light upon the hindering and damaging influence which Satan is able to exercise against true believers…

(The Great Prophecies of the Centuries Concerning the Church: pages 175-76)

Lucifer: The Fallen "Morning Star" (Isaiah 14: 12)

The nominal “church” seems to stay away from anything dealing with Satan, the Devil. The nominal “church” appears to be fearful of being accused of “political-incorrectness”, especially when it comes to acknowledging the presence, and evil power, of Satan and his minions; even though the Word of God makes clear that the father of lies exists and seeks to devour those who belong to the Christ:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle IS NOT against flesh and blood, BUT AGAINST the RULERS, against the POWERS, against the WORLD FORCES OF THIS DARKNESS, against THE SPIRITUAL FORCES OF WICKEDNESS IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES. (Ephesians 6)

8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5)

So it isn’t surprising that the clergy would ignore, or stay away from, the “messenger of Satan” portion of this scripture: after all, the “church” can’t afford to alienate the apostate “Christian” who supports her.

I believe that Pember’s description of Paul’s thorn, the messenger, is probably much closer to the truth than these other, more accepted, theological explanations. Whatever this thorn was, it had to be beyond the normal suffering that comes from some form of illness; since Paul suffered many things that most human beings will never experience:

But in whatever respect anyone else is bold—I speak in foolishness—I am just as bold myself. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. 24 Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. 26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; 27 I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern? (2 Corinthians 11)

It seems to me, with all of this constant turmoil, danger, and pain, in the Apostle’s life, that bad eyesight, or even an occasional seizure (as bad as that might have been), would not have been enough to make Paul plead (implore) with the Lord, three times, that IT might leave him.

Paul states,

Concerning this I implored the Lord THREE TIMES that IT (the THORN, the MESSENGER OF SATAN) might leave me…

Why would we assume that Paul has implored the Lord to remove an illness, when no illness is described (poor eyesight and epilepsy are conjecture) or even mentioned? Wouldn’t the Apostle have, in the case of sickness, implored the Lord to HEAL his illness, if “IT” truly was an illness plaguing him, as opposed to requesting “IT” might leave him? In other words, it seems that Paul is referring to an evil entity that is attacking him, an evil entity much like the one Pember describes!

{Yes, I know that because Paul used the term “thorn” to describe this particular misery, that “IT” refers to the “thorn”. But that still doesn’t explain the second part of the verse: “a messenger of Satan”, or “an Angel of Satan”. A messenger, or angel, in the word of God, is always a spiritual entity!}

Also, Paul ends the verse with this statement:

Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

Paul says, then, that he is well content with Weaknesses, Insults, Distresses, Persecutions, Difficulties: these afflictions seem to be pointing at more than just suffering from a single form of disease. It seems to me that these afflictions are describing what the THORN, the MESSENGER, was delivering, almost constantly, to the Apostle.

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you..." (John 14: 27)

In conclusion: if we are truly seeking the Lord and His Way, His Truth, and His Life, and we find ourselves wondering about the fiery ordeal that surrounds us, as if some strange thing were happening, then we might want to remember the Apostle’s thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, and what our response should be to this fiery ordeal: enduring, praying, resting, and maintaining our Faith in the Lord. The Lord promises us that we will have tribulation in this life, but He also promises He will be with us throughout all of our trials and tribulations:

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (John 16: 33)

“Though He slay me,
I will hope in Him. (Job 13: 15)

So whether we believe Paul’s thorn was an angel of Satan assigned to him or merely a disease, we should, at the least, discern that suffering and enduring will be a portion of our walk with the Lord. Suffering and enduring are an essential portion of our sojourn in this life, because our WEAKNESSES (our brokenness, our contrite heart) can help keep us from the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life: an idolatrous love for this world system of Satan, which will ultimately drive the Spirit away from us (grieving the Spirit). In our utter WEAKNESS (dependence on Him), then, the Lord can work His perfect will and purpose in, and through, our lives: His Power is Perfected In Our WEAKNESS, not our fleshly strength!

Suffering, Enduring & Overcoming: “…Some Strange Thing Happening…”

The Apostle Peter exhorts us,

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; 13 but TO THE DEGREE THAT YOU SHARE THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. (1 Peter 4)

James, the earthly brother of our Lord, encourages us to,

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter VARIOUS TRIALS, 3 knowing that THE TESTING OF YOUR FAITH produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1)

The Apostle Paul states,

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also exult in our TRIBULATIONS, knowing that TRIBULATION brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5)

and

The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, IF INDEED WE SUFFER WITH HIM so that we may also be glorified with Him.

18 For I consider that THE SUFFERINGS OF THIS PRESENT TIME are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8: )

and

It is a trustworthy statement:
For IF WE DIED WITH HIM, we will also live with Him;
12 IF WE ENDURE, we will also reign with Him;
If we deny Him, He also will deny us;
13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. (2 Timothy 2)

Jesus also warns,

“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, BECAUSE OF THIS THE WORLD HATES YOU. 20 “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. (John 15)

and

“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS. (Matthew 16)

and

“Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” 6 Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. 7 “HE WHO OVERCOMES will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. 8 “But for THE COWARDLY AND UNBELIEVING and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21)

Few on the pulpits of Christendom will even go near these verses, since they don’t want to chase off the folks, sitting in the pews, who are there primarily for their once-a-week, warm and fuzzy experience: the “having their ears tickled” sermon and pat-on-the-back handshake. A few less cautious clergymen, who do choose to mention these scriptures, will, almost always, end up claiming that the suffering and enduring only apply to those “backsliding” believers (“returnees to Egypt”) who continue to sin; and, of course, the unregenerate (unbeliever).

A child of God who has returned to his own vomit, and thus trodden underfoot the Son of God, will most likely not have to endure much suffering any further, since he, or she, is once again serving the god of this age, Satan: the evil one will simply arrange things so the world seems even more appealing to the apostate, now, than when he, or she, was devoid of the Christ before salvation:

For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. 22 It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.” (2 Peter 2)

For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. 28 Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has TRAMPLED UNDERFOOT THE SON OF GOD, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10)

How clergymen make a case for these scriptures applying, in any way, shape or form, to the unregenerate is far beyond me, since these particular verses are referring to those who have been foreknown, and predestined, to believe and seek the Lord. Besides that, if we take a real close look around us, we will see that many of the unregenerate are living “high-off-the-hog” in this evil world system. This, of course, is not to say the unregenerate will not suffer in this world:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ 44 “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5)

Arranging for success in this worldly realm, however, is one of the main techniques Satan uses to keep people in bondage to his lies! The fact of the Spiritual matter is, whether the panderers of “prosperity ministries”, and liberal “Christians”, like it or not, those who were foreknown, predestined, and called, must endure suffering in order to be glorified (sanctification)!

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE. 29 For those whom He FOREKNEW, He also PREDESTINED to BECOME CONFORMED to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among MANY BRETHREN; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also JUSTIFIED; and these whom He justified, He also GLORIFIED. (Romans 8: 28-30)

How do we, as true believers, BECOME CONFORMED to the image of our Lord and Savior? By BELIEVING Him, SEEKING Him First, OBEYING Him, RESTING in Him, and by seeking to become SANCTIFIED (salvation of the soul) through our SUFFERING and ENDURING with Him; here and now! And through the Power of the Christ we can, then, endure long enough (until the end) to overcome all that the evil one has placed before us to destroy our faith in, and love for, our Lord. Christ is our example for this way of Life, this suffering and enduring, as are His disciples and Apostles, in particular, the Apostle Paul!

I will complete this in the follow-up post, “A Thorn in the Flesh, A Messenger of Satan…”