Reprint of last year's "Easter or Resurrection Day"?

Sunday, April 8, 2007
Easter or Resurrection Day?

The most important act that Jesus was to do, that proved and proves He was the Messiah was to be dead, as Jonah was in the belly of the whale, 3 days and 3 nights and then to be raised from the dead after this time period. Matthew 12:39-40

Now how could we ever arrive that Jesus was crucified on "Good Friday and raised on Sunday morning for this would be only 2 nights and one day. The significance of Jesus doing exactly as He said cannot be washed away by the traditions of men, for without him doing exactly as He said, He would not be the Messiah, He stated this was the only proof sign He would give Israel that He was who He said He was. All attempts to explain away, His statement are false. Good Friday and Sunday as 'the day of Resurrection' are the inventions and traditions of men,.

This time period, of 3 days and 3 nights was to be factual and historical.

How did we ever get to where we are today?

Jesus knows exactly how long a day and a night is. In John 11:9-10 He said, is there not 12 hours in a day -but if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth. In Genesis 1:4,
Jesus declares, he divided the light from the darkness, and He called the light day and the darkness he called night. and the evening (darkness) and the morning (light) were the first day..., and the evening and the morning were the second day...and the evening and the morning were the third day" The Word of God conclusivley proves the time needed to fulfill the 3rd day. It should be conclusive to all, that it was impossible for Christ to have been crucified on Friday and raised Sunday.

It is merely traditions of men that created this time period of Friday to Sunday, which if it were true would disapprove Christ as the Messiah.

The time period Jesus gave was as important as the fact that He was to be raised from the dead, less He not be the Messiah, and the sign not be true to Israel.

In Mark 8:31, Jesus, "began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things ...and be killed, and AFTER 3 days rise again". And in Mark 9:31; "they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day". And in Matthew 27:63 "After 3 days I will rise again". And in John 2:19-21; "destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up". This day ended at sunset according to Bible reckoning - Lev. 23:32. Jesus cried out soon after the "ninth hour" or 3 o'clock in the afternoon on the preparation day - Matt. 27:46-50, Mark 15:34-37, Luke 23:44-46. Jesus was laid in the tomb just before this same day ended - just before sunset - Matt. 27:57-60. And John 19:42 adds, "There laid they Jesus Therefore because of the Jew's preparation day". The Jewish custom was all dead bodies had to be buried before the beginning of a new day, and, according to the Bible He was - just barely before sunset as the scriptures prove. This leads to an intriguing conclusion. Three full nights and three full days after that preparation day sunset, brings us to sunset. Which means the resurrection occurred at sunset not sunrise! If Jesus rose at any other time of day He could not have been 3 days and 3 nights in the grave and He would have failed to prove by the sign He gave, His Messiahship. The "preparation day" for the Sabbath is defined by John 19:14,31: "...for that Sabbath day was a high day...It was the preparation of the Passover". Any Jew can tell you what a "high day" is. There are seven each year - all called Sabbaths, and each year they fall on different days of the week. (Leviticus 16:31, 23:24, 26-32 and 39 refers to all these annual holy days as Sabbaths.) Matthew 26:2; "Ye know that after 2 days is the feast of the Passover and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified". All Bible texts say Jesus was crucified on the Passover. The Bible in Num.28:16-17, defines the Passover; "And in the 14th day of the first month [called Abib] is the Passover of Yahweh. And in the fifteenth day of the month is the Feast". The Hebrew calendar shows that in A.D. 31, the year Jesus was crucified, the 14th of ABIB which was the Passover, which is always the preparation day for the annual high day Sabbath, was on Wednesday, and the High Sabbath was on Thursday.

There were 2 Sabbaths that week - the annual high Sabbath, and the weekly Sabbath which was the day of the resurrection. (Saturday using standard weekly Roman traditions.)

Jesus rose from the dead as He said He would in John 2:19, 3 days and 3 nights later, at or near sunset on the 2nd Sabbath of that week - to bring light into darkness. It was Saturday night, not Sunday morning.

I Corinthians 15:3-4; "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that the Messiah died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures".

If we look at a calendar for that year, it is quite easy to figure out that the preparation day; the crucifixion day was on Wednesday, and that 3 days and 3 nights after that, was near sunset on Saturday. It is also significant that as Daniel's prophecy in 9:24-27 says, Jesus was to be cut off "in the midst of the week". This prophecy uses the day for a year symbolism so that the "70 weeks" became a literal 7 years, with the Messiah being "cut off in the midst", (after only 3 1/2 years of teaching) and also in the middle day of a literal week.

There is one more final proof in the Bible.

In Mark 16:1, Mary Magdalene and her companions did not buy their spices to anoint Jesus until after the Sabbath was past. They could not prepare them until after this, yet after preparing the spices they rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment (Luke 23:56). These scriptures seem to contradict themselves unless you accept the possible explanation: After the annual high Sabbath, which was Thursday, the women purchased and prepared the spices on Friday, and then they rested on Saturday - the weekly Sabbath.

This fact would make it Jesus was crucified on a Wednesday (14th of ABIB, A.D. 31) and was resurrected on a Saturday (17TH of ABIB, A.D. 31), placed in the tomb near sunset, and rose out of the tomb near sunset on Saturday.

"Good Friday" and Easter Sunday, then must be pagan myths; traditions of men, adopted by the early Roman Christian church and accepted as "okay" by almost all Christians today.

Centuries old documents exist that evidence the Wednesday crucifixion and Saturday resurrection. A document entitled the "Didascalia Apostolorum", dating from around the year 200 A.D., mentions the last Passover Supper of Jesus and His disciples was on a Tuesday evening. It should be noted that the timing mentioned in the document also corresponds with the Biblical method of reckoning the week as starting with Sunday as the first day with the days beginning at sunset. The document states: "For when we had eaten the Passover on the third day of the week at even [Tuesday evening], we went forth to the Mount of Olives; and in the night they seized our Lord Yah'shua. And the next day, which was the fourth [day] of the week [Wednesday], He remained in the house [arrest] of Caiaphas the high priest".

From this one would conclude that He clearly was crucified that following Passover day of Wednesday.

The Hebrews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away." John 19:31. This verse establishes that the day following (or beginning the sunset of) our Messiah's crucifixion was a "high day." That in turn established that it was Nisan fifteenth, the great Passover Sabbath, the day that God had designated as "the first day of unleavened bread." The Passover Sabbath was the greatest Hebrew Sabbath of the year. It was not only a day of rest and worship like Saturday, the seventh-day Sabbath; but, unlike that day, this Thursday Passover Sabbath was a "high day." The fifteenth of Nisan fell on a different day each year, and that particular year it fell on Thursday as the Scriptural "time-points" clearly affirm.

I am not writing this to say that we must celebrate the Holy Days that are given, the many festivals, etc. exactly as they are. I am not a Sabbatarian, nor am I Judaic. I am not writing any of these things to call those that do what they do as far as the day they recognize makes them pagans. It doesn't, but it can surely be seen as honoring paganistic ideas of days and times.

What I do is write these things that truth may be the foundation of all our understanding of the Word and as a believer in the death and resurrection for us to realize these things as truth.

I believe it is very important for Christians to understand what they believe and why they believe it and what truth of God's word is versus the traditions of men. It is of most importance that we see how easily it is for men, the first church-state union Constantine's reign, later the ruler Theosidus and the developing Catholic church changed truth to encompass paganism into the church and how men have changed most of what is true to a lie.

We have typically stated the day of resurrection as Sunday because of verses like Mark 16:2-4

Simply because Mary Magdelene and Mary didn't discover that the tomb was empty until that Sunday morning, that He must have risen that morning, but the scripture doesnt say Sunday he arose, it just says that they found the tomb empty on this day.

Which also makes sense, as travel was limited on Saturday the normal Sabbath. Thus this is why they didn't find the tomb empty on Saturday, because they would not have walked to the tomb on a Saturday Sabbath. They were at rest, while Jesus was rising from the dead. This showing as well to the Jewish Sabbatarians with all their ridiculous rules and regulations of the Talmud, "that the Sabbath was created by Yahweh for men and not men for the Sabbath", this in my opinion is another reason I accept Saturday evening. For he didn't remain at rest, he was alive, risen from the grave as He promised come the ending of the Sabbath day, Saturday, the beginning of the evening before Sunday. He arose but it wasn't until the next morning that the tomb was empty.

So, taking the time periods as laid out by scripture, he must have had to stay in the grave 3 days, 3 nights just as He said he would as a sign, the only sign he would give to the Jews that proved he was Messiah and to us our Saviour.

So Saturday evening really had to be the time of His resurrection. Sunday, was the day it was discovered he had risen as promised.

It's not a significant importance what day "we choose to recognize" he was raised in that our salvation might depend on the day we honor, as much as we recognize how much the Catholic church changed things to fit the Roman calendar and Roman times and Roman days of importance. Constantine and Theosidus made significant changes to things eternal, the traditions of the Apostles laid on the foundation of Christ, to the traditions of men, just as the Jews did with creating the Talmud and all it's traditions above the Torah.

Men constantly work at trying to distort the Gospel. I have known men that couldnt accept the story of Christ crucifixion and resurrrection just because the recognized days traditionally do not fit the story or his promise of 3 days and 3 nights. So though it may not mean our salvation if we accept the traditions of men account over the truth, but it could mean the salvation of someone else, because of the inaccuracy of time these traditions have created.

It is significant that we recognize just what RESURRECTION DAY is versus EASTER.

So let me lay down the facts about how the EASTER thing came about.

Now let us look at the true origins of the day and time we call Easter.

Origin of Easter - A Christian Commemoration
The origin of Easter, a holiday associated with the observance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, is actually based on an ancient pagan celebration. Christians recognize this day as commemorating the culminating event of their faith, but like so many other "Christian" holidays, Easter has become commercialized and mixed with non-christian traditions like the Easter Bunny, Easter parades and hunting for Easter eggs.

How did this happen?

Origin of Easter - Its Pagan Roots
The origin of Easter dates back to ancient times, not long after the global Flood recorded in Genesis 6-9 of the Bible. Nimrod, a grandson of Noah, had turned from following his grandfather's God and had become a tyrannical ruler. According to the biblical record, as king, Nimrod created Babel, Ninevah, Asshur, Calla and other cities, all known for lifestyles that promoted unspeakable evil and perversion. When Nimrod died, his wife, Queen Semiramis, deified him as the Sun-god, or Life Giver. Later he would become known as Baal, and those who followed the religion Semiramis created in his name would be called Baal worshippers. They became associated with idolatry, demon worship, human sacrifice and other practices regarded as evil.

The origin of Easter involves the birth of Semiramis' illegitimate son, Tammuz. Somehow, Semiramis convinced the people that Tammuz was actually Nimrod reborn. Since people had been looking for the promised savior since the beginning of mankind (see Genesis 3:15), they were persuaded by Semiramis to believe that Tammuz was that savior, even that he had been supernaturally conceived. Before long, in addition to worshipping Tammuz (or Nimrod reborn), the people also worshipped Semiramis herself as the goddess of fertility. In other cultures, she has been called Ishtar, Ashtur and yes, Easter.

The origin of Easter goes back to the springtime ritual instituted by Semiramis following the death of Tammuz, who, according to tradition, was killed by a wild boar. Legend has it that through the power of his mother's tears, Tammuz was "resurrected" in the form of the new vegetation that appeared on the earth.

According to the Bible, it was in the city of Babel that the people created a tower in order to defy God. Up until that time, all the people on the earth spoke one language. The building of the tower led God, as recorded in Genesis 11:7, to confuse their tongues to keep them from being further unified in their false beliefs. As the people moved into other lands, many of them took their pagan practices with them.

Contemporary traditions such as the Easter Bunny and the Easter egg can also be traced back to the practices established by Semiramis. Because of their prolific nature, rabbits have long been associated with fertility and its goddess, Ishtar. Ancient Babylonians believed in a fable about an egg that fell into the Euphrates River from heaven and from which Queen Astarte (another name for Ishtar or Semiramis) was "hatched."

Origin of Easter - Resurrection Day for Christians
For Christians, the origin of Easter is simply the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ about 2,000 years ago. According to the Gospel accounts, Jesus Christ, the true Messiah promised in the Old Testament, was crucified and resurrected at the time of the Jewish Passover. Since that awesome event took place, those who believe Christ is their Messiah have honored that day and often celebrated it with the traditional Passover. As the Gospel of Christ spread throughout non-jewish nations, among people who did not have a history of celebrating the Passover, the pagan rites of Easter gradually became assimilated into what the Christian church called "Resurrection Day." Compromising the commandments of God with the comfort of the world is as old as the nation of Israel itself.

So we see that the named day Easter is pagan in nature, and has all the roots of paganism, and ancient pagan worship. Thus, I too do not recognize the term Easter for the Day of Resurrection nor do I recognize the traditions associated with it. We are called to be separate from the world, in it but not of it. Thus it is important for us to understand the significance of the celebration and what it's true origins are. The word of God tells us to abstain from even the appearance of evil. To know the difference. To know truth from error. Surely Easter is evil and the Day of Resurrection is good.

The two must be separated for the Ekklesia so that truth will stand out like a light to a fallen world.

Jesus didn't die and raised again so the commercial marketers of the Babylonian system worldwide could obtain wealth off the purchases of Christians for Easter Eggs, and Bunny Rabbits and all that pagan garbage. It has lessened the significance of the resurrected King of Kings and Lord of Lords. So, for me, I abstain, you decide what to do with it.

Actually, American history teaches us that Easter was dismissed as a pagan holiday by the nation's founding Puritans and did not begin to be widely observed until just after the Civil War.

Now that you know the "rest of the story" and after reading the above which would you prefer?

Easter or Resurrrection Day?

Dr. J.

Our Sinful Desire For Leaders

"Thou hast tasted of prosperity and adversity; thou knowest what it is to be banished thy native country, to be overruled as well as to rule, and set upon the throne; and being oppressed thou hast reason to know now hateful the oppressor is both to God and man: If after all these warnings and advertisements, thou dost not turn unto the Lord with all thy heart, but forget him who remembered thee in thy distress, and give up thyself to follow lust and vanity, surely great will be thy condemnation. Against which snare, as well as the temptation of those who may or do feed thee, and prompt thee to evil, the most excellent and prevalent remedy will be, to apply thyself to that light of Christ which shineth in thy conscience and which neither can, nor will flatter thee, nor suffer thee to be at ease in thy sins."

-Barclay's Address to Charles II

How oft our leaders today have not known because of their wealth and their prosperity born into families of wealth and prosperity, given the highest of educations that only the rich can obtain, provided their food and their goods, by silver spoons while sitting in silver mansions, driving golden cars, with unknown quantities of cash, how oft they have not known poverty and oppression, and the pain of suffering need. How can they be anything more than oppressors and dictators, for compassion is not learned through ease but learned through the acquisition of suffering the pains and sorrows shared by others as well. To not know these things, to never have suffered with the least, but to only have lived as the elite, how can we expect much more than the mere pennies they throw our way, while robbing us of our sweat daily we bear in labor under their oppressive rulership. Common sense tells us a man selected to rule who has not known these things, cannot truly rule at all in fairness or justly. Yet, we seem desirous as humans for reasons unknown on selecting those to rule that are more apt to oppress than those who have known oppression – Dr. Joseph Wayne Black

The first quote can be found in Thomas Paine's famous writing "Common Sense".

In this writing of Thomas Paine, he is not only arguing against the monarchy of England or it's King but making an argument why America must succeed from British rule. If you have not read this famous historical book of 1776, I would invite you to.

My argument I wish to present here, is that for whatever reason men and women, have a desire to always have a human powering over them, rather than being just a child of the Father and only subject to God and His kingdom. The jews of the Old Testament made this same error in sin, and even today from the time of the Apostles deaths, man who once served no one but Christ begin to give what once was their allegiance to Christ their high priest, began to seek again men among themselves. They sought men to be their priest, their ruler, their special man, speaking the oracles of God, laying out the rules to life, etc. The letter from Ignatius to the Magnesians, makes this very clear. Ignatius someone who apparently served in some capacity of eldership either in the already formulation of an institution of Christianity other than the Ekklesia that the Apostles laid down that was built on the foundation of Christ began to set forth the error that would for all time even unto the present, distract those who would know Christ and him alone as their King. These men of the early rise of the clergy/lay system decided to put humans in the position that of a shepard, priest or pastor which belongs to Christ alone. Popery was born out of the words of Ignatius, and popery it has been since. The odd thing is that man so often desires to have human leaders, who are but human themselves. The temple and the priesthood of old was replaced by Christ the high priest, and His creation of the Ekklesia, His called out one's which is the only Temple God will dwell in both individually and corporately. For we are the His Temple, Christ being the true temple of God, and we are joined with Him, if we are His.
Christ did not die on a cross, and suffer shame to build a new religion, with priest and Temples. Judaism already had that, all the pagan religions have that, why in God's name would men seek other men to power over them rather than God himself to be their Father, Christ their King, and High Priest and the Holy Spirit their Pastor?

It is the sinfulness of men, that seeks this, for as long as a human can be some sort of representative of God, then God is made into the image of men, rather than the truth which is Man is to be the image of God. Men always choose to worship the creation rather then the Creator. The book of Romans and the first chapter makes this very clear.

Thus when Christ died the Temple veil was torn into, for now the sinless priest had entered the Holy of Holies, once and for all, for all sinners. No longer would there be a need for a priest to enter, and make sacrifice for sin, no more. This is spelled out very clearly in the book of Hebrews. This explains the lack of need of anymore earthly priest to represent God's spokesman, God's leader or God's man.
For only one man is worthy of leadership, only one person who ever walked this earth, His name is Yeshua- Jesus- Lord of Lords, and King of Kings! It is here we see that Jesus not only is the better rest, replacing Sabbatarianism, where Jesus is the better King, replacing earthly Kings, where Jesus is the better priest, replacing all earthly priest, where Jesus is the better sacrifice, replacing all earthly sacrifices, where Jesus is the only Pastor, Priest that men will ever need.
Where God the Father appoints his children a place with the King, that all who cry upon His name, and have placed their faith and trust in Him have been declared as kings and priest unto Him, as His Holy Spirit the very Spirit of the risen Saviour and King has come to dwell within men, that is all men that have recieved Him as their only priest and king. Anything other than this, is "paganism".
Anything other than Christ as King, who knows your temptations, your pain, your agony, your struggle against sin, He who overcame sin, who knew no sin, is the one that has come to reside in the believer. It is the Holy Spirit who is to lead you into all truth. Anything other than the Holy Spirit as your teacher is not only anti-biblical but anti-Christ.
Thus John writes,in chapter two verse 27:
"And as for you, the anointing which you recieved from Him abides in you, and you have NO NEED for ANYONE to teach YOU: but as His anointing teaches you about ALL THINGS,and is TRUE and is not a LIE, and just as it has been taught you, you ABIDE IN HIM!"

Paul knew and John knew that the clergy/lay system would come about, they warned that there were wolves among the sheep just waiting until they were gone, that would jump on the sheep, and seek to draw them from Christ, to once again, a religious system made up of men, "acting as God, standing in the temple of God".
Men have been doing this since the death of the Apostles, developing and creating an organization that once was organic and not an institution. Out of it was born POPERY, and no matter what PROTESTANTS say, they have chosen to be in that very system, by their honor to a human called the Pastor. The Pastor simply replaced the priest and the church hierarchy and it's denominational Presidents, and so forth simply replaced the Pope and his cardinals. Men has still fallen to the sin of desiring men to rule over them, fallen sinful men to stand in the place of God, speaking as if he was God, and ruling as if he was a god. Men sinned in Christianity as quickly as ancient Israel did in their desire for a King rather than God as their King. I close this with Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" quote of this ancient story from the Old Testament. A nice summation of even Israel's desire to have a man to rule over them just like the pagan's had, and God's response to it all. Here it is:

Government by kings was first introduced into the world by the Heathens, from whom the children of Israel copied the custom. It was the most prosperous invention the Devil ever set on foot for the promotion of idolatry. The Heathens paid divine honors to their deceased kings, and the christian world hath improved on the plan by doing the same to their living ones. How impious is the title of sacred majesty applied to a worm, who in the midst of his splendor is crumbling into dust.
As the exalting one man so greatly above the rest cannot be justified on the equal rights of nature, so neither can it be defended on the authority of scripture; for the will of the Almighty, as declared by Gideon and the prophet Samuel, expressly disapproves of government by kings. All anti-monarchial parts of scripture have been very smoothly glossed over in monarchial governments, but they undoubtedly merit the attention of countries, which have their governments yet to form. 'Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's' is the scriptural doctrine of courts, yet it is no support of monarchial government, for the jews at that time were without a king, and in a state of vassalage to the Romans.
Near three thousand years passed away from the Mosaic account of the creation, till the Jews under a national delusion requested a king. Till then their form of government (except in extraordinary cases, where the Almighty interposed) was a kind of republic administered by a judge and the elders of the tribes. Kings they had none, and it was held sinful to acknowledge any being under that title but the Lords of Hosts. And when a man seriously reflects on the idolatrous homage which is paid to the persons of Kings, he need not wonder, that the Almighty, ever jealous of his honor, should disapprove of a form of government which so impiously invades the prerogative of heaven. Monarchy is ranked in scripture as one of the sins of the jews, for which a curse in reserve is denounced against them. The history of that transaction is worth attending to.The children of Israel being oppressed by the Midianites, Gideon marched against them with a small army, and victory, thro' the divine interposition, decided in his favor. The Jews elate with success, and attributing it to the generalship of Gideon, proposed making him a king, saying, Rule thou over us, thou and thy son and thy son's son. Here was temptation
in its fullest extent; not a kingdom only, but an hereditary one, but Gideon in the piety of his soul replied, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you, THE LORD SHALL
RULE OVER YOU. Words need not be more explicit; Gideon doth not decline the honor
but denieth their right to give it; neither doth be compliment them with invented
declarations of his thanks, but in the positive stile of a prophet charges them with
disaffection to their proper sovereign, the King of Heaven.
About one hundred and thirty years after this, they fell again into the same error. The hankering which the jews had for the idolatrous customs of the Heathens, is something exceedingly unaccountable; but so it was, that laying hold of the misconduct of Samuel's two sons, who were entrusted with some secular concerns, they came in an abrupt and clamorous manner to Samuel, saying, Behold thou art old and thy sons walk not in thy ways, now make us a king to judge us like all the other nations. And here we cannot but observe that their motives were bad, viz. that they might be like unto other nations, i. e. the Heathens, whereas their true glory laid in being as much unlike them as possible. But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, give us a king to judge us; and Samuel prayed unto the Lord, and the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee, for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, THAT I SHOULD NOT REIGN OVER THEM. According to all the works which have done since the day; wherewith they brought them up out of Egypt, even unto this day; wherewith they have forsaken me and served other Gods; so do they also unto thee. Now therefore hearken unto their voice, howbeit, protest solemnly unto them and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them, i. e. not of any particular king, but the general manner of the kings of the earth, whom Israel was so eagerly copying after. And notwithstanding the great distance of time and difference of manners, the character is still in fashion, And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people, that asked of him a king. And he said, This shall be the manner of the king that shall reign over you; he will take your sons and appoint them for himself for his chariots, and to be his horsemen, and some shall run before his chariots (this description agrees with the present mode of impressing men) and he will appoint him captains over thousands and captains over fifties, and will set them to ear his ground and to read his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots; and he will take your daughters to be confectioneries and to be cooks and to be bakers (this describes the expense and luxury as well as the
oppression of kings) and he will take your fields and your olive yards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants; and he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give them to his officers and to his servants (by which we see that bribery,corruption, and favoritism are the standing vices of kings) and he will take the tenth of your men servants, and your maid servants, and your goodliest young men and your asses, and put them to his work; and he will take the tenth of your sheep, and ye shall be his servants, and ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen, AND THE LORD WILL NOT HEAR YOU IN THAT DAY. This accounts for the continuation of monarchy; neither do the characters of the few good kings which have lived since, either sanctify the title, or blot out the sinfulness of the origin; the high encomium given of David takes no notice of him officially as a king, but only as a man after God's own heart.
Nevertheless the People refused to obey the voice of Samuel, and they said. Nay, but we will have a king over us, that we may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us, and go out before us and fight our battles. Samuel continued to reason with them, but to no purpose; he set before them their ingratitude, but all would not avail; and seeing them fully bent on their folly, he cried out, I will call unto the Lord, and he shall sent thunder and rain (which then was a punishment, being the time of wheat harvest) that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great which ye have done in the sight of the Lord, IN ASKING YOU A KING. So Samuel called unto the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the Lord thy God that we die not,for WE HAVE ADDED UNTO OUR SINS THIS EVIL, TO ASK A KING. These portions of scripture are direct and positive. They admit of no equivocal construction. That the Almighty hath here entered his protest against monarchial government is true, or the scripture is false. And a man hath good reason to believe that there is as much of kingcraft,as priest-craft in withholding the scripture from the public in Popish countries. For monarchy in every instance is the Popery of government.
-End of quote

Could it be that we have so been fleshly men in our desires to have a mere man rule over us, not only in the body of Christ, that we now as Americans so wished to have a King rule over us, verses a Constitution by the people, and for the people, that now the sins of America are being seen in the punishment we have to bear now. Is America about to face the judgement of God, as it has forsaken the very Constitution formed to protect us from one man tyrants. Is the "institutional church" finally facing it's judgement, as they are condemned by government, and ruled by government because they were so foolish to desire to be nothing more than another organization run by men, for the sake of untrighteous mammon, and there desire to be ruled by the State by incorportation? I beleive so.
Even Herod died a quick untimely death for he too decided not to honor God and honor only himself. Wake up American's and wake up Christians. God will have no one other than His Son Jesus as King. For far too long we disregarded the words of Jesus, when He said, you can not love God and Mammon.
America has far too long enjoyed it's riches, worshipped them, and even formulated their "churches" around them. JUDGEMENT BEGINS WITH THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD!
We are about to face judgement. We have chosen men over God, pastors instead of Christ, buildings instead of the temple of God- your body which is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, and Presidents as kings, rather than Christ, and a land here on earth as our kingdom rather than the Kingdom of God which is not of this world.
Judgement is at hand!
The burps in the economyheading us to the worst depression this country has ever known, the destruction of civil liberties, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the prosecution of mega church preachers and their rich kingdoms falling into judgement under the State they chose to be their god, are all just pains of childbirth just before the child is born. It is the storm that is soon to come in this country that will rattle the mind set of America, and will shake it's very core. The time is short to give honor unto honor is due- God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
Let God's Kingdom be the only kingdom that you bow your knee to. For far too long you have thought of America as God's chosen nation- it is not, and will never be, but it can be a nation whereby it's people, change, have a paradigm shift of thinking and are no longer conformed to this world. It is time to humble ourselves, before the King of Kings. Bow your knee to Him who is king, for in the end, it will not be the kingdom of America that will stand nor will it be the kingdom of Israel, it will be God's kingdom, His true Ekklesia (His called out one's) who will reign with Christ for all eternity. Forget your bank acounts, they won't matter tommorrow, throw away your dollars they will be mere paper soon, forget your 401 K plans they will be worthless in the coming days, but your heart, for God will be all that matters. Make sure that is where your heart is, Let us repent of our sinful desire for leaders, as kings, both in the church and in government and seek only Christ and Him alone! Do we honestly believe in this time of election any MAN or WOMAN can provide for us for that which Christ can only provide and that is true justice, tempered with compassion and a kingdom that is truly a kingdom where all men are equal and their king seeks not to power over them but to lift them up to reside with Him and not for a short term but for all eternity? To God be the glory and honor forever! Amen

Dr. J.

The Psychologizing of the Faith

The Psychologizing of the Faith

Self-exaltation and the idea that one could become a god, the lie Satan told Adam and Eve brought about the first appearance of sin in the universe (see Isaiah 14:12-14). Eventually, Jesus would identify man's fundamental obstacle in knowing Him as this same self-centered perspective on life (see Mark 8:34). The most radical consequences of "the Exaltation of Self" can be seen in the "Psychologizing of the Faith" taking place within the “church” world today.

Our American culture, like much of the rest of the world, has become deeply and extensively psychological. This psychologizing has entered into the “churches”, the foundational truths of "the faith once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude v. 3) is being redefined.
This tragic process, as well as the many “traditions of men” is replacing the Christ-centered perspective of the Word of God with a new man-centered approach to life.

One of the areas of “church” life which is being clearly impacted by this psychologizing trend is the “ministry of counseling”.
The word of God declares the Lord Jesus Christ to be our "Wonderful Counselor" (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus is such a Wonderful Counselor that in Him "are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3). The Lord wants to get His wonderful counsel to us through His LIVING word via the Written Word. "Your testimonies also are my delight and my counselors" (Psalm 119:24). If the church is ever to be any real example of what the true Ekklesia is of Jesus Christ it will be teaching and “practicing” the Word of God -- not secularized humanistic psychology.
Instead of ministering the Word of God personally to hurting and needy people, many “churches” refer them to Christian therapists or to Christian counseling clinics. Those truly called out “ The Ekklesia” will need no source of help for others outside of He who is in them- the resurrected Christ.
The deadly danger in this approach by the “churches” is that these so called “professional Christian counselors” have typically been trained in the same humanistic theories that worldly therapists use. They simply have come up with a way, much like the churches to mix, Christianity with Paganism.

Consequently, troubled believers are being taught by godless men like Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung and Abraham Maslow, instead of by godly Apostles like Paul and Peter and John through the Word of God.
Many Pastors and “churches” have found themselves in this situation because the “church” being joined to the State by incorporation as an institution, find themselves a part to lawsuits when a “Pastor’s” counseling has resulted in tragic events of the people they have talked to often committing suicide or committing violent crimes after receiving counseling from a “professional PASTOR”, whereas if the “Ekklesia” made up of all of God’s chosen one’s would and should be coming alongside troubled believers and discipling them and leading others to Christ instead of the “profession” of religion to handle all the problems that one will encounter in this world, these "laymen" could not face any such charges for no one has ever been sued as a friend for providing advice in a non-professional status.
I find it intriguing that this same lawsuit harassment has not followed the industry of psychology as it does the “church”.
I have a dear friend who would still probably more than likely have his wife and child still, but for the deception of psychology and their pharmaceutical (Gr. PHARMA= SORCERY) cures, he has now lost both.

It is all about where we place our trust, is where we will reap the consequences.
As the Word of God says, "if you sow to the flesh, you will reap the flesh, but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap the Spirit". For far too long now the “church” has been about men, rather than God. It has been about improving the self. One half of the Gospel is presented, and then it becomes contradictory telling you, now you are on your own to live the Christian life. As if self can ever improve self just because of forgiveness, for Satan will do his very best to point out so many sins in your life, to make you never realize that forgiveness, for he will keep you from the power of God over sin, which is Christ in you- not a better you!
Satan will drive a sin consciousness into the believer, rather than a Christ consciousness, that frees you. He will do this using the very “professionals” that led you to the idea of forgiveness at the cross, but never showed you the indentification in that, that Christ died, we died, that Christ lives, we live and it’s all ABOUT HIM! I say again, now this isn’t true of all “leadership” for there are those who are coming to realize they are "no leaders at all", that Christ is the answer, and they are on their knees seeking what God wants, searching the scriptures for not only the life He intended for His people to have but the expression of that life in practice and in worship and for when they are drawn together as believers in fellowship, for Christ to be the Head, the High Priest, so that it will be all about Him, and not the exaltation of self, or the powering over others.

There are scriptural truths that are far more vital than the “ministry of counseling” that are being redefined by psychological and legal influences in the churches. The problem of sin is one of those. "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned" (Romans 5:12).

Man's basic problem is sin, which is self-serving rebellion against God.

God's remedy is grace. "For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:17). This is what we should be proclaiming as Christians. This grace to be known must often be offered first with “nouethetical” counseling (bringing the Word of God to bear on an individual as the law (the Commandments of God) to tutor the individual to see their need of Christ). This is how one evangelizes, by first telling of the absolute inability of an individual outside of Jesus Christ within them to change them, and getting them to admit that they as "ALL MEN have fallen short of the glory of God", that they are not alone in this, and that they will always live a destructive life, of sinful habits, or sinful actions, without the life of Christ within them. That living the Christian life is about Christ in them, through them and as them.
Christ must be portrayed as the only solution above all of man’s solutions whether legal, psychological or religious.
This solution is one of GRACE! Therefore even in telling it, we cannot lay claim (good or bad results) to what the person does with it. For it is God that calls an individual, and the person to which the Holy Spirit must reveal the Word to, and then their response is to be one of acceptance or rejection. Only God knows the heart and that individual. So we must envelope them with the Word of Truth- Jesus Christ.
Jesus made it clear that no one “comes to the Father, unless He draws him”.

Instead of declaring sin as the problem, man's need is now described as dysfunctionalism or co-dependency or victimization. We speak of sicknesses and disorders, instead of sin and it’s consequences.
Further, man's hope is often held forth as discovering the appropriate recovery group, instead of learning about God's life-giving and life-transforming grace through the indwelling life of Jesus Christ.
Now this is not to say, just because we give them the truth, there will be an immediate change brought forth. This is the call of personal discipleship-true “pastoring” to come alongside individuals, taking personal responsibility to show them the Word of God and Truth, only the Holy Spirit is the teacher, we can never teach anyone ANYTHING, we can only show them something, it takes the divine revelation by the Holy Spirit, to reach a man’s heart to bring him, or her to a dissatisfaction of self, self attempts to morality, works righteousness and more that are all sin. “For whatever is not of FAITH is sin”!
We can share our testimony, we can share verses of scripture that helped us to see “Christ in you, the hope of glory”, and then it is as the Word of God, says, “so shall MY WORD be, that it shall go forth, and do that for which I sent it to do and not return to me void”.
God’s Word never fails, for He is the LIVING WORD, the resurrected Jesus, who will make His abode, in Him who God has revealed Himself to, and they now have the choice to respond in repentance and toward faith, if their hearts are so prepared by God to do so. For it is He that brings revelation of His living Word- Jesus Christ.
The problem is we offer psychology, the most popular methods of counseling as interpreted by the modern “church” and it’s advocates and teachers.
One of the few, so called “Christian Psychologist” that I do respect "somewhat" is Dr. J. Adams, who has for sometime provided “nouthetic” counseling very successfully I might add, instead of a bunch of psychological mumbo jumbo. He has written several books which in general have absolutely been rejected by the community of “scientist” and even the “church”.
It is these books of Dr. J. Adams and one other called the “Tree of Healing” that I gave to a dear friend of mine who is a Psychological Counselor, that helped her to see the necessary transition from humanism to Christian thinking to reach people, where they need help the most, that in the area of sin and Self-exaltation. What she has done with it, only she knows, though she remains in a secular job counseling where the rules can’t be broken, where one may not mention God first, and it must be the patient that does before you can even have dialogue in that area. She does when the opportunity arises, try to get in the testimony of Jesus Christ to the patient without violating the godless humanistic rules set up by the men who rule in it.


In Matthew 28:19, Jesus gave His followers their all-encompassing instructions for the rest of their lives on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations." Christ living through us, as us, and through us will result in many others coming across our path in life, to which Christ within us will reach out to and give us the words needed and the scriptures needed to come alongside others to “pastor” them. Of course, one must know the Word of God, both in scripture and His life within for this process of making disciples of others. A disciple is one who is taught under the authority of someone else. We are not to make people disciples under us, but to bring them to the place by sharing our life, His love and God’s expression of Himself through us, so that their very lives will soon become under Christ as well. As they see God in you!
This fundamental calling doesn’t belong to the select few, it is ALL OF OUR CALLING TO STUDY AND SHEW OURSELVES APPROVED SO THAT WE CAN PROCLAIM, “The Good News” of Jesus Christ. It is for all who are in that heavenly congregation known as the "EKKLESIA of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The path of discipleship was explained by Jesus in Luke 9:23. "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." Discipleship is not following Jesus (religion), or doing what Jesus would do (self attempts to a better self), but it is the coming to the knowing that “His life” is now yours. That you have died to the old life (this is the only “denying of self” as a Christian is taught in scripture) and that he or she is now a “new Creation in Him” in living this they will be taking up the cross, the same cross He carried, "Not my will but thine be done". The very KINGDOM OF GOD- HIS KINGSHIP!
He simply wants to be our life for us. He isn’t going to make something better of the “old man”. This is an illustration of what He does, He is like a better program written for a computer, but of course in this case the BEST PROGRAM EVER WRITTEN. In this illustration- the YOU software, He will override that old useless program written by Satan, He will delete it, with the best of encrypted erasing programs, so it will never show up again, and then replace it ALL with the biggest and best and only to ever be written program of HIMSELF – The name of this new software that runs YOU is called “ Christ in you, the hope of glory”. It not only changes the software but it begins to build a WHOLE NEW COMPUTER- YOU become HIM expressed in your behaviour and life. Sometimes it takes years for God to give you instructions on how this new software program works because others have been telling you different and wrong on how it runs.
You keep trying to press the same old keys to make the old program work, you keep thinking maybe a few updates is all it needs, so you come up with ways you think to make the old program work better, but for some reason, you just can't figure out why, it just doesn't work and seems to only get worse and worse, more crashes, more failures.
Well it won't work- SEE it's been erased, God has replaced the WHOLE THING with something new- Jesus Christ in you, the hope of glory!
To do so, we must realize that “we” have- (that old self) has been crucified with Christ- (this is the denial of self) and that the life we now live is in the faith that Christ is our life- and yet is becoming our new life in us, as us, and through us.
The terms of discipleship are NO to self and the idea of a “Better You” and the recognizing of our need by faith to come alongside death at the cross along with Jesus at the cross to this so called better self or in truth the worse self. Coming to the knoweldge of the truth in Christ will eliminate any hope YOU can have as one popular preacher proclaims and his best seller book title reads -“BECOME A BETTER YOU”!.
You will NEVER BE A “better you”, you have to recognize that, to which most religious people do not recognize that. They still are trying to make an old program work that is a huge FAILURE. God had to something for all Men and Women in the world that Microsoft and nobody else can do or has the ability to do. He had to trash that old program and write a new one. He did just that!
True repentance is when you come to realize- Our righteousness is as filthy rags before the "Holy One"-God!
That all attempts in the flesh to be good, are simply methods of SELF EXALTATION. That one will swing from good to bad and bad to good on a swinging pendulum of a branch of the tree called “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” all of their physical life. This will be life (which in fact is no life at all) as they know it until they gain the reality of Christ as their REAL life, and that they can say along with Paul, “I am crucified with Christ, yet I live, but not I, but Christ that lives within me”!This should be our central instruction to new believers in the “Ekklesia” and must be to those God places in our path as Christians as we go through this life. Christ when He lives within us, as us and through us, will express himself as He did while here on earth, He will bring healing words and healing touches to those who are hurting and who are willing to cry out, Have mercy on me, Son of David!
One, must often come to the end of the rope of self, before this happens. The sad thing is there are few who come alongside these individuals as a friend and as one who will lead them to Him who can become their life and give them victory in all the areas they have ever struggled in to improve, the only hope for the world- Jesus Christ! The problem with the organized church is that they see this as the "Pastor’s" job, or the calling of the “ministry of counseling” or men and their governments see it as prison, or rehabilitation programs, and psychology sees it as group therapy, drugs, counseling, or other NONSENSE solutions of men. All solutions springing forth from the fleshly ideas of man, that somehow, he can make man to be godlike and have godliness, by simply writing a new update for the old software.
What a tragic misinterpretation of God, and His people, as to who they are in Christ, and who He is within them. Perhaps thousands have died, or suffered needlessly because of our desire to lead them to “church” instead of the living reality, the resurrected Jesus Christ. What we offered was the dry well of religion, when Christ wanted to offer them living water to which they will never thirst again.

Instead of urging people to this "scriptural denial of self", many “churches” are calling Christians to esteem self. Self-esteem counseling and self-esteem preaching abound in the church world. This self-exalting message is not some "harmless contemporary version" of the message of the Bible. It is a serious error that prevents Christians from progressing as born again believers, since it is a call in the opposite direction of discipleship or coming under the authority of Christ as their life. Discipleship calls us to Christ and away from self. Self-esteem calls us to self, which obstructs our progress after Christ. Thus religion in it’s attempt to swing to the good side of the pendulum on the branch of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, has resulted in the failure of many “New Creations” in Christ, from ever growing beyond some religious ritualistic life which is done through and by the flesh, rather than a turning away from self, and self righteous works, to the living Jesus Christ. I have found, that there are two results to this false teaching that “you can be a better you”, you will either become so blinded by Satan that you can’t see your nose in front of your face to your reinterpreting the Word of God to justify the sin in your life or you will finally become so exasperated with your “self” attempts to live the Christian life, that you will finally return to where you began in FAITH. The mistake made is what Paul corrects using these words in the book of Galatians to those in Christ even back then where the religionist were coming in and disturbing the very faith they had, he said- "AS YOU Received CHRIST SO YE THEREFORE WALK IN HIM"!
If you didn’t receive Christ in faith, then you probably won’t walk in Him by faith either. If you believe it was something YOU did, to be saved, church membership, baptism, good works, tithing or any other work rather than through the death and resurrection of Christ, then you will probably always think it is about YOU for the life of Christ as a Christian. You are headed for a very frustrated life!
WE WOULD NEVER EVEN BELIEVE OR HAVE FAITH, IF IT NOT FOR THE WORK OF WHAT CHRIST DID IN GOING TO THE CROSS, NOR WILL IT EVER BE WHAT HE WANTS TO DO RIGHT NOW IN OUR LIVES BY THAT CONTINUED WORK OF HIS, IF WE EVER THINK WE CAN LIVE THE ‘CHRISTIAN LIFE”.
The fact is ONLY HE CAN LIVE WHAT HE IS!

The Sufficiency is of Christ and IS Christ!

As we walk in the Lord as His "called out one’s" (ekklesia), we will find ourselves sharing with others and learning to live by His sufficiency. Christ's sufficiency is “The Essential Foundation” stone of the Christian faith. Believers will find in Jesus all that they need for a complete, full, abundant walk with the Lord. Colossians 2:9-10 speaks of such truth. "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him." Everything that the Godhead has to offer man for living here on earth is resident in the Lord Jesus Christ. Every believer in Jesus is now in Christ, where all the fullness dwells. Therefore, in Christ, we all have completeness of life available to us. Actually, Christ is our true life. "When Christ who is our life appears . . ." (Colossians 3:4a). As we learn to depend upon the sufficiency of Christ, looking to Him for spiritual life each day, He can then increasingly becomes to us our "all in all" (Colossians 3:11). This is what God's people will be trusting in, as well as proclaiming to others.

Instead, too many so called teachers, preachers and leaders are depending upon and pointing others toward “self-help books” and “self-actualization theories”. Churches are often more interested in self-improvement courses and self-development techniques than in the unlimited spiritual resources found in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Another essential foundational truth that we must be proclaiming and living is the work of the Holy Spirit. "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth . . . He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you" (John 16:13-14). The Holy Spirit is the one who discloses to us real understanding of the truths of the word of God. As that process is unfolding, the Spirit reveals to us the realities of the Lord Jesus, showing us our life in Christ and how to draw upon that by faith resulting in daily Christian growth and service. Furthermore, as the Holy Spirit reveals to us the glories of Christ in the Word and as He expresses Himself through us, He also transforms this new creation , the new spiritual you, which is your spirit joined with His Spirit to be expressed more and more into the very likeness of Christ. "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18). For biblical insight, as well as for spiritual growth, it is critical that God's people would be proclaiming this message about the work of the Spirit.


Instead of putting their hope in these great ministries of the Spirit of Christ within us, many “church leaders” are inferring that the challenges of modern life are too complicated for such an old fashioned approach to ministry. Those who should be calling others to confidence in the ability of God's Spirit to use God's word in the transforming of lives are often pointing us toward theories and speculations formulated by the intellect of man. The proper exercising of the human intellect is in looking to the Spirit of the Lord to unfold for us "the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16). That process increasingly enables us to think as God thinks on all the issues of life. For all wisdom and knowledge is in HIM!
Getting to know God our Father and Jesus Christ the Son is the ultimate goal that the EKKLESIA will be calling God's people toward and is the work of the Holy Spirit in us. "But indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord" (Philippians 3:8). A growing acquaintanceship with the Lord Jesus Christ as our life, is the surpassing value of life. It is what eternal life is all about. "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3). This prime objective is what the Lord's people are to be living for and showing to all.

Instead, as the faith is being psychologized, the “church” frequently sounds just like the world in calling people to know themselves. Many are led by their churches down the path of personal introspection through the growing interest in temperament analysis profiles and self-evaluation inventories. Such tools may seem helpful. However, all that we need to know about ourselves has already been laid out for us in the scriptures. God will reveal such personal insight to us as we concentrate upon a growing relationship in Christ the Lord and King. Our next and last issue to examine is closely related to this same matter.

Jesus said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment" (Matthew 22:37-38). The most important directive from God to man is that we are to learn to love Him with all of our being. This is to be a fundamental emphasis in the message of any group or individual proclaiming to be Christ’s.
It is a central, strategic tenet of "the faith, once for all delivered to the saints."

Instead of urging God's people to be learning to love the Lord fully and wholeheartedly, believers are frequently exhorted to learn to love themselves properly. This erroneous teaching comes from a twisting of the second commandment to "love your neighbor as yourself." This distorted exposition assumes that we don't already love ourselves. Actually, Jesus was telling us to give the loving attention to others that we all give habitually to ourselves. "For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it" (Ephesians 5:29). Nonetheless, many contemporary leaders in the church world urge Christians to attempt to develop love for themselves. By engaging in such anti-scriptural and anti-Christ teaching, they are sadly helping to fulfill a biblical warning, given in a prophetic instruction from the Apostle Paul. "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves" (2 Timothy 3:1-2). The primary characteristic of rebellious humanity in the last days will be open, flaunted, unashamed self-love. Far from calling us to self-love, the scriptures warn us about such an ungodly perspective.

Conclusion

Multitudes “in the church” and many Christians are becoming as focused on self as the world has become. This is one of the tragic consequences of "the psychologizing of the faith." The Lord has given us many warnings and exhortations in the Word of God which can protect us against being a part of this self-exalting deception now impacting the “churches”.

"Beware lest anyone cheat you (or, take you captive) through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ" (Colossians 2:8). Psychological theories are one of the predominant philosophies in the world today. We must be alert that no one (whether humanistic agnostics or beloved and respected church leaders) - - that no one lead us astray by such theories.
On the other hand, we are to be those who are in Christ to respond to the living Word and the Bible who calls us to Him.
"Guard what was committed to your trust (that is, the word of God and your simple reliance upon Christ in ALL THINGS), avoiding the profane and vain babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge-- by professing it, some have strayed concerning the faith . . . Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you (that is, the word of God), keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us." (1 Timothy 6:20-21; 2 Timothy 1:13-14).

The institution of the church is once again not only failing, but failing what it really is to be – The “Ekklesia” – the CALLED OUT ONE’S OF GOD!

“We” if, we are in Him, and He is in us, regardless if we meet corporately or not, are “CALLED OUT” OF THIS WORLD INTO HIS GLORIOUS KINGDOM!
When this is expressed in the Truth of His Life within us, as us, and through us, the psychologizing of His PEOPLE will become of little significance, for WE WILL KNOW THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH WILL SET US FREE!
I know, I was a former drug addict, and alcoholic as a young man, it was Christ the truth of who He is and who I am that SET ME FREE, that HE is my life, and there will never be a better OLD ME- the man of the FLESH, but that there is someone who is BETTER THAN ALL- His name is JESUS!
CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY!!!
He still delivers me, from that old self, of bad and good, and will continue to do so, as I walk in Faith of Him until He comes and we shall all appear with Him and be like Him! For our lives are hidden in Christ with God now. Isn’t it wonderful to know the GREAT COUNSELOR- JESUS??

Why the "Church is Not United as One

I propose to you, some simple reasoning with you for a goal and a purpose.

18 Come now, and let us "reason together", saith Jehovah:though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 1


How? Simply by reasoning with God, of course as it is through reason that a man's heart becomes changed by the living Word of God.

So here is my proposition to those that believe the physical seen church "is the Ekklesia".
What I want to make clear right off, is I am not saying that the church doesn't have any of the Ekklesia in it. It is clear that there are both leaders and people who are clearly saved and really are members, and I am not saying that there aren't people there who really aren't His, for I came out of it as well, but it will become obviously clear that the "church" is not the Ekklesia of God, for it is not seen (physically recognizable) today nor in the past, but it's revealing is in the character and lives only of those that are His, and will be revealed to all mankind, the wicked and the lost, when Christ comes. So we must avoid, non-biblical thinking and anti-scriptural doctrines and teachings, and man's traditions, to be true to God as His children. This is the purpose to which I write, is to bring people to the realization of how religious they are often, as opposed to them really knowing Christ. We are to rightly divide the Word of God, and to abstain from those things which are evil and hold to that which is good. I choose to think in terms of what I am saying as good, to reveal the good, and shake out the bad, so we recognize evil.


If the "church" (the summation of all the "seen" Christendom, it's organizations, structured institutionalism, ritual, sacrament, conformity to business corporations, offices, titles, etc. and other things of this world) is really God's "called out one's" for which the word Ekklesia in the Greek was later translated to the word "church" by the hierarch, the kings, popes and it's priestly caste, of the earliest translations into English or other language from it's original form and letter in the Konia Greek, it must look like the Ekklesia of God then as defined by the Bible and it's scripture in the New Testament that God has so set His Word down in for the people to behold, that Ekklesia (church) that Paul argues for in the very First chapter of Conrinthians. Let us look at this.

10 And I call upon you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that the same thing ye may all say, and there may not be divisions among you, and ye may be perfected in the same mind, and in the same judgment, 11 for it was signified to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe, that contentions are among you; 12 and I say this, that each one of you saith, ‘I, indeed, am of Paul’ — ‘and I of Apollos,’ — ‘and I of Cephas,’ — ‘and I of Christ.’ 13 Hath the Christ been divided?

This is the question the church must face. Has the Christ been divided?

Now let's look at the rest of what Paul says here in Corinthians in the 3rd chapter-

or yet ye are "fleshly", for where there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not fleshly, and in the manner of men do walk? 4 for when one may say, ‘I, indeed, am of Paul;’ and another, ‘I — of Apollos;’ are ye not fleshly?

Now, this is the state of the "church" today, there are hundreds if not thousands of divisions today in what people say is the body of Christ- the church- the visible one. Now Paul clearly says, ARE YOU NOT FLESHLY? Meaning Carnal, living and acting according to the flesh versus living acording to the Spirit.

What does Paul say about this in Romans the eighth Chapter-

For those who are according to the flesh, the things of the flesh do mind; and those according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit; 6 for the mind of the flesh is death, and the mind of the Spirit — life and peace; 7 because the mind of the flesh is enmity to God, for to the law of God it doth not subject itself, 8 for neither is it able; and those who are in the flesh are not able to please God. 9 And ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God doth dwell in you; and if any one hath not the Spirit of Christ — this one is not His; 10 and if Christ is in you, the body, indeed, is dead because of sin, and the Spirit is life because of righteousness, 11 and if the Spirit of Him who did raise up Jesus out of the dead doth dwell in you, He who did raise up the Christ out of the dead shall quicken also your dying bodies, through His Spirit dwelling in you.
12 So, then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh; 13 for if according to the flesh ye do live, ye are about to die; and if, by the Spirit, the deeds of the body ye put to death, ye shall live; 14 for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, "these are the sons of God"; 15 for ye did not receive a spirit of bondage again for fear, but ye did receive a spirit of adoption in which we cry, ‘Abba — Father.’

So, it is very clear to see, that if the visible church is the Ekklesia- then it is hopelessly in sin, for it is divided, in strife with one another, envious of one another, and is of the flesh. So now let's take this reasoning together further.

If the church is suppose to have unity, then which one is right? Which church holds the only truth so that everyone can come back together again in unity?

Has not Paul made it perfectly clear here, any thing other than unity as brethern is of the flesh and those that live according to the flesh it is death!
So, again, I ask- if the visible church is Jesus's "Ekklesia"- "the called out one's- ( the very Greek translation of this word) then it should be as Paul corrected the Corinthians, it shouldn't be one of this person and his theology, another and of his doctrine and on and on it goes. There should be no division at all among TRUE believers. None- or else it belongs to the flesh and is cursed to eternity!

Well, if unity is the command Paul sets forth here for the "visible church", then you would have to return to the original - man's church- Catholicism- for while it was without division as the world church in power of all of Christemdom before the Pro-testants came along, there was unity in this "so called body of Christ". IT was the grand union of both Church and State, it's ruler, it's Pope, was the voice for God to the people- At least that is their claim. They held onto the idea of an Apostolic authority as they do today, they were first they claim, and in fact they were the first of man's concept of "church" formed out of the ideas of the Old Covenant, pagan religion, Christian ideals, one man leaders, and on and on, it became a child born out of wedlock to the very great Whore she is!

Now, as a Protestant, you say God forbid, I would never become a Catholic, but if you want to be -"scriptural" and your belief is that the "ekklesia" is the "church" ( the one defined by man and their religious beliefs)- the visible one, then you have no choice but to return to Catholicism as the one church that was united in history, as to doctrine, and all men known throughout that called themselves Christian's before the Reformation ( if that's what you prefer to call it). For 1600 years this was the church- the only known church to thousands if not trillions of peoples who called themselves Christian.

Thus until you do unite- you are in the flesh! Now here is the crux of the reasoning for you to see- this is the why, the World Council of Churches was started, so that somehow men could find a common ground and somehow unite a divided "Church". This is man's once more fleshly attempt to fix a problem because there is a problem if there is no unity of those that call themselves Christian. Thus many if not most denominations are being drawn into membership, coming up with more ways to eliminate certain doctrinal beliefs to formulate some that will unite them in the hope of all Christendom- a once again unity of "christians".

Now you have two choices, to obey scripture- you must either reject Protestantism and return to Catholicism or become a member of the World Wide Council of Churches in order to be scriptural and form unity! Paul makes it very clear, Jesus made it clear that we were to be One of heart and mind, no divisions among you, etc.

Then what is the "answer in obedience to Scripture.

Now, here is my point. It is clear to anyone with a right mind, that neither one of these choices will many Protestants make, or for that matter Catholics, if it means they have to give up some of their doctrinal beliefs. Thus the WWCC is the best choice for all denominations to become "sripturally unified in their opinion", but here is my point I want to bring you to this-

What if the visible church is not the Ekklesia of God? What if the Ekklesia is the invisible church, only?
What if, I am right in what the Lord has taken some 40 years to show me? I had to have a paradigm shift of thinking, and that is just what God's Word does, it transforms us, no longer leaving us in conformity to this world. We will think like Christ not like men.

You see, if the TRUE "church" of Christ is the "Ekklesia", then it has no need to be part of any of this fleshly mess of man. All of the "religion" of "christemdom" is wrong, and only those who know Christ in truth and have His Spirit, do not remain or will eventually not remain in this huge Babylonian empire known as the "churches". These people who will eventually leave the church are truly His "called out one's". I am only laying here the hypotheses for you to see my point.

These are those like myself who have no association with man's religion- the church- and yet are living and walking in the Spirit of God, in love with one another in Christ, that are truly His, and they have no building, no creed, no doctrine of men, no argument over trivial things, but their banner is the banner of Love- Christ above all things, and He alone is their authority, their Priest and their Shepard, then they have Unity for their Unity is in Christ, not man's defined doctrines and conformity to myths, and rudiments of men, and religious efforts .
The Ekklesia will be led to fellowship with those of like mind and heart and only "God puts together those that are His", because Jesus is the foundation upon which this -"church" is built on. Built on Him and Him alone for it is "His Ekklesia". Not a place to go, not a denomination or non-denomination, but the very temple which He has chose to live in- His "called out one's"- the EKKLESIA- the very Greek word which the Holy Spirit gave to the writers of the New Testament to describe His people, not the English word or Scott orgin word "Kirke" used called "church"- also a deriviative upon which we get "circe" and "circus"!
Men performing with wild animals and as clowns for the entertainment of other men.
Doesn't that describe the religions of men?

These that have "come out of her", the Great Harlot, have no sacraments or religious formalism, or practices or rudiments of men. They worship God in Spirit and in Truth. They reject all of "christendom's" religious garb, hierarchy, authoritarianism, and formality, for Christ and Him alone.
These are those who are washed in the blood of the Lamb, and seek no other voice but of that of their Shepard- Jesus Christ. They meet others like them, from time to time, that they too are of the Ekklesia, but they aren't in the business of going out and starting a new "kirke", for they are the "Ekklesia" of God, They need no meeting place, no large edifices to call themselves "a" church". For they are "the called out one's" of God, they need none of the hands of men's religion, they need only Christ and one another. They need no large temples built to proclaim they belong to the Lord, for they are that Temple. They need no formalized ritual to worship God for they have
"presented their bodies (all that makes them a man, this includes the mind, heart and spirit of a man), a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is our spiritual service of worship" Romans 12:1, They are not conformed to this world but have had ther minds transformed by the renewing of the mind, that they may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
They live in Him and He in them- for Christ is their life- it is Jesus indwelling them, that makes them "called out one's of God the Father. It is His righteousness that is produced of the Christ, it is His fruit, for only He is righteous and it is He that they know they must abide in. Not some man's building or organiztion, or heirarchcy to have Christ within them, lived out through them.

If you think what I haven't written above is hogwash, then come up with a solution to division that doesnt include returning to the Mother of Harlotry- the Catholic Church- the one formed by the "early church fathers" and Constantine, or you have to find ways to join to be in unity with the rest of all "christendom" by throwing more of scripture out the door and become a member of another huge Harlot's daughter, the World Council of Churches for the sake of obedience to Pauls call for unity among the brethern.

There are no other solutions but the one, I propose to you, and that is all of men's religion called "the church" is of the flesh and therefore it cannot be of the Spirit and therefore it cannot be what Jesus said He would build HIS rock on "the Ekklesia", not on men's idea of what that is.

Many man have done just that, because of their deception in understanding what the Ekklesia of God is. It is not a religion, it is not a building, it is not a certain set of devised rules, creeds, or doctrines, or following this man's teaching over another. The true Ekklesia are those that God has "called out", set apart for Himself and he is their only Shepard and authority, and they need no men to tell them anything, for they have the Scriptures and the Spirit- and these agree!

Many a Protestant pastor in the last several years, just because of their insistence that the "church" has to be something they can see, rather than unseen, have arrived at the very same logic except for seeing that the "whole system" is false, they quit as Pastors and became Catholic Priest, yet while many others are becoming members of the World Wide Council of Churches. These are the only two options for the "Fleshly" mind to find what they hope is to bring "unity" to what appears to be God's people in division and strife, and yet they hang onto their false concepts of who really are Christians. If they but see, that the entire system is false and Satans great delusion and deception, they would "come out of her". They would seek Christ above all things else, and be set free from this delusion of men. Man's churches. There are others that think some other-wordly manifestations - like tongues, and miracles, etc, will bind them as One. That's already proven false. All if not many of these did, was go out and form another church, and many with even a newer version of what is not still the Gospel or the Ekklesia. Many of these have gone so far off base, they ended up like Jim Jones group did. They followed another voice other then that of that of our True Shepard- Jesus Christ.

Let's go one step further for the LEADERS out there, from whence does your authority come to be called a LEADER, you will say, I was ordained, I say by whom?
You will say my church, or my denomination or whatever, other than say it is Christ who is ordained and we are ALL His children.
You will no doubtely have to trace your ordination to an organization of men. From whence did they get the authority to ordain? All those in the New Testament if you think ordination was a thing of an office that were appointed by the Apostles, recieved recognition by them and them alone. Can your church if it is "officially" from the lineage of the "organized church" men believe they see in the book of Acts and in scripture, trace it's authority back to the first "officials" the Apostles. I doubt it, the Catholics have lied about this one since it's inception. Yet, you claim the right of ordination over those who are not. On what basis of authority?

Now, if you think that is what ordination is - authority in lineage or due to an organized group of men or women, you have but one choice and that is to return to the Church of Rome, as your authority for ordination, because otherwise your ordination is no good, for Protestants rebelled against that established church, so they therefore have no right to proclaim manly ordination unless they can find some tie back to the Apostles. They can't because they rejected the very church that claims there is a direct link back. They even have sat down and written down this stuff with real men's name's etc, in attempt to take it back to Peter. When has a Protestant church done so, from whence do they get the authority to ordain if it was suppose to be some "ceremony" of men doing this to others, and it was to be step by step, Apostle to the "officials" they selected and then on and on ad nauseum to You!

You can't show a lineage, but many Protestants quit their ministry in a Protestant church to become Catholic priest for this reason alone as well, they wanted to make sure there was some earthly authority for their ordination so they returned to "the early fathers" church- the Catholics who in their foolishness just like Protestant ordination,claiming it is an office to be bestowed upon a man from other man, the Catholics can tie all their Popes to who they call the original Pope- the Apostle Peter.
See, how foolish even the idea of ordination is? Man cannot ordain men! Organizations created by men, cannot ordain men. No one can ordain but He who is ordained, and He has ordained only one thing, and that is the proclamation of the Gospel by all men who are saved to those that aren't.

Only God ordains and He has, one man- Jesus Christ and Him alone, but he has called all of us out- to be ministers of reconciliation, ambassadors for Christ, and kings and priest unto Him. A priesthood of believers, where there is no deliniation between one believer over another. Man has foolishly tried to create the early Church a visible one and missed the mark by a million miles.
It is God that calls ALL MEN unto himself. The early examples of the Ekklesia, were for that time as far as some sort of leadership, as it was necessary for the Apostles only those who had seen the resurrected Christ to bring their testimony to the people, and give guidance to them through what Christ had taught them in person while on earth. These have since been laid down in their writings, "the Apostolic teachings" - the New Testament, There is no longer any need more for "a" man to interpret these to you. The Holy Spirit is each persons guide and leader into all truth for the entire Ekklesia's.
Even the function as Pastor was only then to bring people to maturity into the fullness of Christ, but once that happened, they weren't needed anymore. It is a gifting of the Holy Spirit, a function one operates in, to come alongside an individual, a new beleiver, and be a servant to them, not their leader.
But the goal is learly laid out for what purpose- Let us read and ask afterward why two of these if they were offices are not now still truly in place in the church sripturally, there are those who say they are Apostles but they are not. But right now, we need to see why God gave these giftings to the early Ekklesia.
The answer is found in Ephesians 4:10-16

a1 And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ: 13 till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a full grown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14 that we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; 15 but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, even Christ; 16 from whom all the body fitly framed and knit together through that which every joint supplieth, according to the working in due measure of each several part, maketh the increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love.

Now, let me ask you, if the purpose of these were actual offices, I would say the Church has failed miserably, once again proving my point surely these organzations cannot be the "ekklesia" - a and neither are the functions as intended then intended to be "offices of title" or authority today.
for look at the reason he gave "some", ( I think that word "some" is important)-
he gave "some" for the perfecting of the saints,-
American "christians" are sure not an evidence of that- we claim 80& to be Christian, yet we have more murder, more hatred, more theft, more fornicating, adultery, drug addicts and alcoholics and, people in prison outside of China, and more abortion and killing going on then most nations in the world, yet we are the most "churched" nation in the world! We don't just have "some" Apostles, Teachers, Pastors, Evangelist- we have a whole BUNCH OF THEM!
What happened to all those people these so called hierarchy titled positions were suppose to be perfecting?
Is what we have in today's churches perfected believers?

How about this- "unto the building up the body of Christ",- which body is it? If all the various "churches" out there claim to be "his body", we have to ask which one are we suppose to be building up- just that one little divided fraction of followers we have, and to make them even more divided with other Christians by teaching them the traditions of men, the rudiments of men, over and against someone else who has different ideas in these areas of religious practice and doctrines of men? Are you a Calvinist, or an Armenian, do you believe in this or that, constant bickering over the law, not living in grace under the lordship of Christ.

Notice now, there is a "letter of termination" included in this giftng of "some", it is right there but is read over by the religionist, it says "UNTIL or "till" the completion of something, something is expected to come out of all these gifitings, what is it?
it says " till we all attain unto the unity of the faith", well Pastors, Popes, Apostles, Bishops, whoever you are- you missed it on that one- where's the Unity of the Faith you were suppose to be doing? The church is divided up into a million different opinions and doctrines! We have a smorgasbord of choices now, even more these days then ever before, if all these were offices and all these men in these divided bodies were doing there jobs, there would be a Unity of the Faith seen in One BIG LARGE CONGREGATION OF People, hmm. maybe it's the Catholic church and everybody else is wrong!
Not! Read on.

Apparently this is why all these so called offices, do little to make it happen, because according to this passge, they will be out of a "job" if it does happen.

Next what is your purpose if you are one of these gifted people- let's see your function should discontinue also when they "have the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a full grown man", "unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ"!- Wow, now Pastor's Apostles, Bishops, whatever, we really missed it on that one, didn't we?

If it was an office, a position of titlement as most "churches" beleive, with these things as the job description, and the company mission- ALL OF YOU WOULD BE FIRED! Let's admit it, "you failed miserably".
If you were on the show The Assistant or that show with Donald Trump, he would be saying - "your fired".

I have been fired for less when I was a Pastor. Here is a good reason according to the Word of God -to terminate you. The Job Description, given by God himself, if that's what this is. But it isn't- my point again.
I don't mean to disourage you or disparage you, it is not even my intention to offend you, my purpose is to get you to see the truth of what is the TRUE BODY OF CHRIST- The "Ekklesia" is not man's religions, denominations or ideals so whatever, it is not man's way and his organizations, institutions and programs.
The Ekklesia is unseen as an organization with earthly leaders, it is seen by it's servitude, and laying down it's life for one another. It is not the building up of new empires and personal kingdoms or personal ministries for ourselves or our little group of followers, it is about lifting up the name of Christ above all things in this world. It is the people of God, called out of all this world unto Him by justification of faith in Christ, sactification by Christ through faith, and alas glorifications by His soon coming presence!

God has given His Word, all men have the choice to study it and seek God, if they reject that, they will find it easy to settle for man's religion, for all they have to do, is go to church, and listen to not the pure Word of God, but men's ten million interpretations to it. and thus they remain spiritually ignorant and lazy and babies- because they choose to be, and the Pastors choose to keep them that way, Let anyone try to give them MEAT- and out you will go on your 'tuff' to the street.
Don't ever attempt to steal a mother's suckling children. She will be a like a Cat that has had someone tamper with her kittens while they are on her breast, she will rise up and attack you with all claws open. I know, I have been attacked more than once for preaching or teaching God's Word over man's traditions in their "churches", long before I ever left, the man's church to remain a full time member of the true Ekklesia. God's invisible "called out one's.
The organization prefers dumbed down followers, "believers", for there very sustenance of life as an organization depends on it. How else will the money come in? How else can they maintain control and a following less they be dependent on the "corporation of religion".
Thus the Catholic church kept the Bible in Latin for years to the masses that knew no Latin, and thus the Protestants kept with the keeping of an interpreter of the oracles of God, a teacher, the priest, pastor, bishop, or whatever churches decide to call the person who is the interpreter of the Word of God in the building. It is really his job to keep the people from calling on God to give them divine truth by the Holy Spirit, it is his job to keep them dependent on the organization for what this "Word of God" means. Thus Luther and Calvin could not let go, and pursued the AnaBaptist with hatred as much or worse then the Pope hated them. They were slaughtered by the millions until they too had to give in to man's traditions and ways to survive.

I ask you, today, shall we toss the words of Paul and Jesus to the wind, and say, like the Jews said, oh that doesnt really mean that, we are suppose to be in unity if we are Christians. That's typically the way men always nullifies the commandments of God with the traditions of the men, in assigning their own private interpretation to the Word of God, where the meaning is clear, or other scriptures on the same matter make it clear. It is clear from Jesus own prayer, he prayed that we might be one, not just in Spirit with Him, but with one another. How then can man's many denominations, and sects, and others come together and be unified, but if not that the "ekklesia" is the true "church of God", and all the rest is the deception of Satan to lead man and woman away from the love of Christ who said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father by any other way, Carholic, Protestant, Sect or Cult, will not bring you to the Father, only Christ can and will. It is Christ alone and those that are truly His, who are the EKKLESIA- and it is invisible, as an organization, yet it is visible by the life and character of those who His life and character resides. The indwelling resurrected life of Christ, that gives us life and make us "His Church" if you prefer that word, I don't because it just isn't scriptural.

Are there "called out one's" attending these "churches of man". Of course, they are, and many are as deceived as I was for years and many are just beginning to walk in Christ, and are seeking God's truth for their walk with Jesus, and the sad thing, is many will get nothing but religion disquised as Christ, and they will be drawn away from their one true love for the sake of man's traditions. There will be a few, who will be courageous enough to read the Word of God for themselves and learn truth from the Holy Spirit, and will hear the call of their Father in heaven, say "come out of her", or come up hence to me.
Many of these will suffer tragic persecution and hatred by the leaders of these "churches". They will be called every possible name by many of them, heretic, liar, cult, you name it. Yet, I will not disparage who you are in Christ, if you are a Pastor, that is fine, if you are an Apostle, that is fine, do you want to attend church, be a part of an organization, that is fine, too,... but at least you will know, why I, as led by the Lord, have withdrawn from man's religion and chosen Christ instead. If I have errored, then Christ my redeemer will reveal this to me as well.
not
I know what I know not because, some man taught me these things, they have all been the result of some 49 years of my life as a Christian, "failing, and falling, living in sin, repenting and learning, and walking again, but it was my Savour, my Lord who brought me in, and gave me the power over this life of sin! I know not man's desires or man's practices, anymore, for it is the Lord of heaven that I choose to serve. I am not trying to start a new church, nor be anyone's leader, Pastor or else. I seek Christ and him alone and His people that are there, and to bring the truth to as many people that God puts in my path. That truth is Jesus saves! Religion kills, steals and destroys that for which He paid dearly for us- His blood. No man other than Christ has sacrificed their life for me. No man in any religion can be to me, what Christ is!
How could I perfect what Christ has perfected and is perfecting " his called out one's" in Him, how could I lead, when I need my leader, my teacher, my Pastor, my Lord, and my King- Jesus Christ.
I am no leader, I am but nothing, He is everything. I am not even a teacher. I am not a Pastor, or a Pope or Bishop or even a Doctor of Divinity. I sign my stuff that way (Dr. J), because the only way I can get religionist to read my stuff is I have to be recongnized by them as "some authority" but I am not, I am just a child of God, trying to preach truth to a world that is lost in sin and religions of all kinds. Do I actually hold all these things, yes, I do have an honorary Doctrine of Divinity, yes, I am an ordained minister, yes, I have all those things that seem so important to man's religion, but they mean nothing to me or to Christ.

I seek only Him, and to tell the world of the Kingdom of God, and He who is it's king, to tell the old, old story, of Jesus and His love, and how he died for us, and shed his blood that we might have forgiveness of sins, and how He was raised from the dead, and gives His Holy Spirit to those that ask, who repent and are baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, how they recieve new life in Him, Eternal life, and how we that beleive, shall be resurrected some day likened to Him when He returns, and we shall rule and reign with Him forever into eternity. We will no longer look to the Sun and the Moon as our light, but God shall be our light forever.
I hold these doctrines to be true- Jesus is Lord- over my life, is He Lord of yours too? If he is, then good to meet you brother. Now, if you want to divide over the "straining of a gnat", then we probably aren't brothers or at least one of us, isn't.
If you want to argue the Law or over words, then that is fine, but that always comes to your own destruction and the destruction of others. If you want to talk scripture and truth. We can do that without offense always, it is for our encouragement of one another, to build in Christ, to bring one another to the full stature of Christ, this is my goal, I press on to the prize. No, I am yet not perfect in all things, nor have I arrived yet, but all the same it is my goal to allow Jesus Christ to be King in every nook and cranny of this life that is not mine. To Him be all the glory and praise.

The reason most Pastors are afraid of me, is they fear that I would come in "their church" to seek to draw "their" people (whatever all that means, for it's suppose to be "Christ's" church, remember) and want to draw them away to follow me, and my doctrines, etc. They especially fear losing "their people".
I never preach but the truth, the Word of God, in other words, I proclaim straight out of scripture, no opinions, just read it and leave it to the Holy Spirit to put the message to it. Don't proclaim a definition or a sermon point, speak straight out of the reading of the Word of God, so the people might hear! Guide discussion along, without being a dictator and keep things on the original scriptures that were read, away from chasing rabbits on a million rabbit trails, but then come back to some of those rabbits, because sometimes they will lead you to the lettuce, the real meal deal.
You would be surprised.
If it takes an entire book of the Bible, it takes an entire book, but then the floor is open for Dialegomai, discussion to what has been read, and then others may bring bread to the table on the passage that is read what they personally thinks it means, or they may read another scripture aloud.

Let God do the teaching, Just read the Word, as the prophets of old did. Matter of fact, did you know, that in the Synagogues that was the practice, to allow anyone to read allow, and do exactly what I am saying here, and it was the practice of the believers in Christ to do the same thing, as you must remember, their experience had been in Judaism before they met Christ. They did not have to have a title of "Rabbi" to speak. Thus this is why Jesus could even teach at the very young age of 12, in the Temple, Peter a fisherman, Paul a Pharisee, and many others could go into the Temple to try to reach the Jews for Christ.
It is they had the right to speak as well as any high priest in their garments and position and title. They could proclaim the Word of the Lord. It could then be discussed, or challenged among the attendees. The high priest had the final word- "Christ is our High Priest, the Word of God and the Spirit of God are our final word on things, don't you agree?
You will be surprised should you ever allow others to open up and talk, how much error is already in the congregations of "churches" in what many of those who are preached to Sunday after Sunday, really believe as to what is being said, and what they beleive it means to be a "Christian", but you will never know if one person constantly has to act as some guardian ( as it the Holy Spirit can't take care of error). Guardians -don't let the Holy Spirit have His way to open things up among the people to speak. Nor for Him to correct, as often as we may be in error.
There is lots of error in the minds of those in the congregation, that can never be corrected unless it is known, and scripture laid to bear of that error.
LOTS OF IT!
See I do not object to Christians meeting and learning together, what I object to is the anti-biblical means and ways that men have chosen out of tradition over the Biblical teaching on these matters. The practices and traditions of men, have quenched the Holy Spirit among His people.

There are some wonderful people in the Lord just getting hold of all this, they will try do something only God can open the door for and fail, there are as many "house churches" that fail as building churches, because someone always comes along and wants to be the "head dog" the authority or they want to establish some sort of manly authority or go out and start another church.
It can't be- only Christ can be, if anything is of Him and then it will open up tremendous opportunity for beleivers to come together and be of like mind and heart and purpose. In a building, in a house in a park, it doesnt matter, but if it is not led by the Holy Spirit, it will never succeed in that goal of unity that we are called to in Christ. Man can't do it, I can't do it, only Christ can for it is His Ekklesia- called out one's!

It is religion that comes to steal kill and destroy relationship and Biblical learning, and walking in Christ.

There are none of us, who have not errored in many things and in many words, Error is often just misunderstanding by others to your viewpoint, that often cannot be put into words. I love all of God's children, whether in the "churches" or out of them, it is my passion to see all of us come to the fullness and stature of Christ, and Him alone. I don't want anyone to be like me, or believe like me. I want all men to come to Christ in repentance and belief in Him alone. I would never try to steal or create a ministry for me, because none of it's about me! It's all about Him anyway.
I share with you because I trust you are my friends. love one's and brothers and sisters in Christ, and that whatever I say, you will hold to heart, but not in judgement, for these are things that are important in my life, truths that God may not have shown you, but we all must "work out our salvation in fear and trembling", for our God is an awesome God, and He is holy and I as you only desire to know that holiness daily in my life. I look forward to that day when the true Ekklesia will be known by all, and the Kingdom of God, is a reality to be seen, when He comes we shall see Him as He is, and we shall be like Him, what a glorious day that will be. Even so, come Lord Jesus come.

May God bless you, eternally with His Son Jesus Christ,

Brother Joe.