Thursday, July 3, 2025
The Children Have Been Robbed
When we are in a gathering led by the Holy Spirit, there are at times wonderful moments of silence; not every moment is filled with noise.
Zechariah 2:13
"13 “Be silent, all mankind, before the Lord; for He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling.”
Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God,"
Psalm 62:1 "For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him,"
Many people boast of how busy their lives are, as though it means they are having an exciting and fulfilling life. This could not be farther from the truth. Excitement is fleeting, and a fulfilled life is one in which there is time to ponder the things of life without clatter and babble.
Remember the Tower of Babel when God confused their language and they could no longer communicate with one another. Not only that, what they heard was meaningless because they couldn't understand what others were saying.
So much noise today is meaningless and worse, deceptive. It brings a false sense of meaning but adds nothing to the lives of those addicted to it.
When I was a child, one of my favorite things was to take a book to the hill and sit in the shade surrounded by cows. The beauty of God's creation, the animals, and the book that could be read without noise was a blessing to me.
Our modern children are missing so much, not being able to sit alone in silence. The distraction of continual phones, TVs, and iPads has robbed them of peaceful times.
Serenity is gone, deafening noise is continual, and distracting to the things that really matter in life. People have more information and less wisdom than ever before. There is no fear of God, no understanding and the treasures remain hidden.
Proverbs 2:3-5: "Indeed, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God."
Zechariah 2:13
"13 “Be silent, all mankind, before the Lord; for He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling.”
Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God,"
Psalm 62:1 "For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him,"
Many people boast of how busy their lives are, as though it means they are having an exciting and fulfilling life. This could not be farther from the truth. Excitement is fleeting, and a fulfilled life is one in which there is time to ponder the things of life without clatter and babble.
Remember the Tower of Babel when God confused their language and they could no longer communicate with one another. Not only that, what they heard was meaningless because they couldn't understand what others were saying.
So much noise today is meaningless and worse, deceptive. It brings a false sense of meaning but adds nothing to the lives of those addicted to it.
When I was a child, one of my favorite things was to take a book to the hill and sit in the shade surrounded by cows. The beauty of God's creation, the animals, and the book that could be read without noise was a blessing to me.
Our modern children are missing so much, not being able to sit alone in silence. The distraction of continual phones, TVs, and iPads has robbed them of peaceful times.
Serenity is gone, deafening noise is continual, and distracting to the things that really matter in life. People have more information and less wisdom than ever before. There is no fear of God, no understanding and the treasures remain hidden.
Proverbs 2:3-5: "Indeed, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God."
Faith or Emotionalism?
An emotional high is not evidence of faith! The devil knows how to manipulate emotions that distract from Christ.
Faith Does Not Come by an Emotional High
Romans 10:17 "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." Faith does not come by an emotional high!
The Foolishness of Modern Christianity
Amos 5:23 "Take away from me the noise of your songs;
to the melody of your harps I will not listen."
Matthew 6:6-8 "…6 But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.…"
Notice the pagans use mantras and vain repetition in their worship of false gods. We are not to do as the pagans do.
Matthew 6:7
7 “And when you are praying, do not use thoughtless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words."
Songs are a form of prayer, repeating the same words over and over again, while creating a state of euphoria that is fleshly and not pleasing to God. This focuses on the flesh and the feelings, not on Christ.
The goal of the modern church service is to keep the people
manipulated and entertained so they will come back.
When is the last time you saw the following expression happen in a church gathering?
James 5:16 "Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail."
The element of worshipful repentance and surrender to Christ is absent from gatherings where the music is the central theme.
The result of this focus on entertainment is elevated levels of pride, a sort of showing off to those around you, and attempts to fit in rather than focusing on Christ.
These displays of entertainment focus on mantras without depth and are absent of the the Word of God.
Nowhere in scripture are we told that a "leader" is to determine what we pray or sing. In God's gathering, each person, as led by the Holy Spirit, in spontaneity calls for a song or prayer, and others join in.
We are a culture that wants everything to be planned and manipulated by men so that it all turns out the way we wish to see it; it has nothing to do with the leading of the Holy Spirit.
The services in our day are man-made and man-centered. The people in the pews focus on and obey the leader up front, never once hearing from the Holy Spirit because of the noise of those who expect obedience to them.
It is astounding to me that so many Christians have a wrong view of the gathering of believers. God intended all members to participate in sharing the Word, prayer, and song. No one sits facing forward, unresponsive to what others are saying.
When we participate, we have to think, ponder, and come to the gathering prepared with Bible truth to be able to engage with others as we edify one another, pointing all to Christ. Those who practice this form of gathering read and study their Bibles regularly at home before they enter the gathering. When we are filled with the Spirit of God and know His Word we will always have something from Him to share.
I remember many years ago my mother telling me she attended a particular church because she liked the music. I never once heard the name of Jesus Christ roll from her tongue. This was and is the state of modern Christianity.
I once heard a "pastor" tell his congregation that he was raised that "going to church" was the decent thing to do, nothing about Christ, everything about being a responsible citizen in society. I grieved when I heard it, but he didn't even know what he said was not Christ-centered but society-centered.
I have been asked "which church I attend", never "have you been changed by Christ into a new creation?" or something equivalent to "are you born-again?"
I have asked people if they were born again, and their answer came back, which church they were a member of, and they didn't even know what I was talking about, or worse, acted embarrassed at the term "born-again" because it seemed radical to them.
Is it any wonder why our country has been declining in everything in recent years? I don't mean finances or safety, I mean morally and spiritually. Our generation does not know what respect looks like, even though they were more respectful than their children have been; they still tolerate the disrespect from their children as though it is normal communication.
I am in my 70s now and can look back at the superficial cultural Christianity that I was raised in, but thought it was Christianity when I was too young to know better.
My admonition to all believers is to ask God to show them from His Word what God's Christianity looks like, with the willingness to discard everything they were taught that was wrong and begin again afresh learning the Way of Christ.
to the melody of your harps I will not listen."
Matthew 6:6-8 "…6 But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.…"
Ecclesiastes 5:2
"Do not be quick to speak, and do not be hasty in your heart to utter a word before God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth. So let your words be few."
"Do not be quick to speak, and do not be hasty in your heart to utter a word before God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth. So let your words be few."
Notice the pagans use mantras and vain repetition in their worship of false gods. We are not to do as the pagans do.
Matthew 6:7
7 “And when you are praying, do not use thoughtless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words."
Songs are a form of prayer, repeating the same words over and over again, while creating a state of euphoria that is fleshly and not pleasing to God. This focuses on the flesh and the feelings, not on Christ.
The goal of the modern church service is to keep the people
manipulated and entertained so they will come back.
When is the last time you saw the following expression happen in a church gathering?
James 5:16 "Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail."
The element of worshipful repentance and surrender to Christ is absent from gatherings where the music is the central theme.
The result of this focus on entertainment is elevated levels of pride, a sort of showing off to those around you, and attempts to fit in rather than focusing on Christ.
These displays of entertainment focus on mantras without depth and are absent of the the Word of God.
Nowhere in scripture are we told that a "leader" is to determine what we pray or sing. In God's gathering, each person, as led by the Holy Spirit, in spontaneity calls for a song or prayer, and others join in.
We are a culture that wants everything to be planned and manipulated by men so that it all turns out the way we wish to see it; it has nothing to do with the leading of the Holy Spirit.
The services in our day are man-made and man-centered. The people in the pews focus on and obey the leader up front, never once hearing from the Holy Spirit because of the noise of those who expect obedience to them.
It is astounding to me that so many Christians have a wrong view of the gathering of believers. God intended all members to participate in sharing the Word, prayer, and song. No one sits facing forward, unresponsive to what others are saying.
When we participate, we have to think, ponder, and come to the gathering prepared with Bible truth to be able to engage with others as we edify one another, pointing all to Christ. Those who practice this form of gathering read and study their Bibles regularly at home before they enter the gathering. When we are filled with the Spirit of God and know His Word we will always have something from Him to share.
I remember many years ago my mother telling me she attended a particular church because she liked the music. I never once heard the name of Jesus Christ roll from her tongue. This was and is the state of modern Christianity.
I once heard a "pastor" tell his congregation that he was raised that "going to church" was the decent thing to do, nothing about Christ, everything about being a responsible citizen in society. I grieved when I heard it, but he didn't even know what he said was not Christ-centered but society-centered.
I have been asked "which church I attend", never "have you been changed by Christ into a new creation?" or something equivalent to "are you born-again?"
I have asked people if they were born again, and their answer came back, which church they were a member of, and they didn't even know what I was talking about, or worse, acted embarrassed at the term "born-again" because it seemed radical to them.
Is it any wonder why our country has been declining in everything in recent years? I don't mean finances or safety, I mean morally and spiritually. Our generation does not know what respect looks like, even though they were more respectful than their children have been; they still tolerate the disrespect from their children as though it is normal communication.
I am in my 70s now and can look back at the superficial cultural Christianity that I was raised in, but thought it was Christianity when I was too young to know better.
My admonition to all believers is to ask God to show them from His Word what God's Christianity looks like, with the willingness to discard everything they were taught that was wrong and begin again afresh learning the Way of Christ.
What Does it Mean to be Perfect
Jesus Christ told us to "be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect." What does it mean?
Matthew 5:48 "Therefore, you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
If you tell your child to walk to grandma's house so the child walks out the door to obey that command. Is the child obeying that command by just walking out the door to obey or is the child only obeying once they arrive at grandma's house? (My husband's analogy)
I think the child is obeying in the pursuit of walking toward Grandma's. That when God told us to "be perfect", as we read it in context with the rest of the Bible, we are to pursue His perfection, but we will never arrive in this life until God changes our bodies.
As long as we are trapped in these bodies of death, we will battle temptation continually to keep from sinning. We repent when we fail, and we start again. As we mature in the Lord, our sins are confessed to Him before they become actions. Sin begins in the mind, even if there are no actions.
Many people make the mistake of thinking they have not sinned because there have been no action has been taken, but the sin is in their heart; they hide it to be acceptable to the culture.
1 John 1:9 9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Written to Christians
Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?…"
When we become saved, we don't automatically become perfect; we strive through confession and trusting Christ to change us as we move through life. This process of learning and changing as believers is called sanctification ( a continual cleansing) until the day we leave this life.
In this life because of our imperfection, we are given an advocate with the Father, which is Jesus Christ. His Holy Spirit moves into us to help us confess, teaching us throughout this life.
Psalm 94:12
"Blessed is the man You discipline, O LORD, and teach from Your law,"
1 John 2:1-2 "1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father— Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world."
Ephesians 1:13-14
"13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise, 14 who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory."
Praise God that He does not leave us orphans without instruction or direction. He is the Perfect Father Who always loves us and wants the best for us. Not our idea of best, but His!!!
Matthew 5:48 "Therefore, you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
If you tell your child to walk to grandma's house so the child walks out the door to obey that command. Is the child obeying that command by just walking out the door to obey or is the child only obeying once they arrive at grandma's house? (My husband's analogy)
I think the child is obeying in the pursuit of walking toward Grandma's. That when God told us to "be perfect", as we read it in context with the rest of the Bible, we are to pursue His perfection, but we will never arrive in this life until God changes our bodies.
As long as we are trapped in these bodies of death, we will battle temptation continually to keep from sinning. We repent when we fail, and we start again. As we mature in the Lord, our sins are confessed to Him before they become actions. Sin begins in the mind, even if there are no actions.
Many people make the mistake of thinking they have not sinned because there have been no action has been taken, but the sin is in their heart; they hide it to be acceptable to the culture.
1 John 1:9 9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Written to Christians
Hebrews 12:5-7 "…5 And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.” 7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?…"
When we become saved, we don't automatically become perfect; we strive through confession and trusting Christ to change us as we move through life. This process of learning and changing as believers is called sanctification ( a continual cleansing) until the day we leave this life.
In this life because of our imperfection, we are given an advocate with the Father, which is Jesus Christ. His Holy Spirit moves into us to help us confess, teaching us throughout this life.
Psalm 94:12
"Blessed is the man You discipline, O LORD, and teach from Your law,"
1 John 2:1-2 "1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father— Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world."
Ephesians 1:13-14
"13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise, 14 who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory."
Praise God that He does not leave us orphans without instruction or direction. He is the Perfect Father Who always loves us and wants the best for us. Not our idea of best, but His!!!
Wednesday, July 2, 2025
All Believers are Commanded to Speak the Truth of the Gospel
The more you want to know the heart of God, the more you search His word and depend on the Holy Spirit to guide you, the more you will experience opposition from "religious" people.
The Pharisees were those who wanted to have power over people. They were not interested in being led by God, only that they were seen as special and superior to others.
Matthew 23:4-6 "…4 They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. 6 They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues,…"
Luke 20:46-47
“Beware of the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, and they love the greetings in the marketplaces, the chief seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets. / They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation.”
If you think we don't have Pharisee types in our day, think again. The very way church gatherings are conducted today, with hierlings who are viewed as the authority over the gatherings, is Pharisaical.
We have many Pharisee types today who cannot "feel" religious unless they have a following who are elevating them above others.
Whenever someone makes rules and rituals God never commanded, often, even using scripture out of context to prove their point, we are watching ungodly people who care about dominating and ruling over others without concern for knowing God.
When someone is judged as less spiritual because they do not practice the rituals of the gathering, there is a false faith based on appearances and pretense.
The world is full of these types today, whose biggest concern is their elevated status; they care little if their preaching is accurate according to the Word of God. And, worse, they require the praise and adulation of the congregation. We know this because of the pulpit elevated above the congregation and the pews all facing the preferred preacher. The early church had no such hirelings, pulpits, or pews facing the speaker. This model of gathering was added later by those who perverted the nature of the gathering to be able to have power over the people.
God made it clear that leaders in the gathering were no more special than anyone else, it was their calling not a title or a position. Leaders who love Christ will lead by example and teaching not by "authority over."
Some godly men today use those pulpits and pews because it is what always has been for most people. To come against it would disrupt the faith of some, so they leave it alone and go with whatever the culture is doing. This is not wrong to use these things to avoid controversy. Sometimes we have to accept things that are not the best but are not sin.
God made it clear that a believer may eat meat from the market place that was offered to idols because it means nothing to them. However, if they knew another believer had a weak conscience, they were not to eat it in front of the other believer or offer it to them. 1 Corinthians 8
I see the pulpit and the pews this way too, if someone does not know the better way and is accustomed to the pews and the pulpit it is better not to make an issue of it. Sadly, though, most gatherings where there is a special building, pews, and a pulpit, there is also much false doctrine based on human wisdom.
Much of what is done in the modern church was adopted from the Catholic model of a hierarchy, where the authority was the priest, not the Holy Spirit.
Some people, a small number, are leaving the organized church system to remain in the home with other believers because of all the other things within those buildings that are not Biblical and even devastating to the people who attend.
I am astounded when I meet people who pressure others to go to those buildings to meet when there is no biblical mandate to do it. The command is not to forsake the gathering; this has nothing to do with meeting in designated buildings, which are viewed as the "meeting place of God." When the veil was torn from top to bottom in the temple and Christ rose from the dead, the gathering of believers was not a place, but a state of being able to meet anywhere at any time on any day. There was no longer a temple shaped like a building. The Temple was now the body of every believer.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.…"
The idea that we must meet in a large building made by men for the purpose of worship is not Biblical. We can meet in a building like this, but it has become the "rule" for everyone, even placing pressure on people who don't attend those places as though they are not obeying God in "not forsaking the gathering." The people have believed for a long time that the gathering had to be in those places with a paid-pastor.
God said that there would come a time when we would worship in "Spirit and in Truth"; that time has come. We gather to edify one another in Christ so that we will all go out from that gathering, living our lives for Christ, speaking the truth to our neighbors and anyone else the Holy Spirit leads us.
Many are meeting online these days due to a lack of Biblical teaching in the modern buildings. Every time we meet with believers on the internet we are fulfilling the mandate not to forsake the gathering. This principle is telling us to connect with one another as much as we can to be able to encourage and support Spiritually and emotionally our brothers and sisters in the Lord wherever they are in the world and whatever God has called them to do.
Those who have a very narrow view of "how we should meet" based on what they have been accustomed to all their lives are missing out on so much. The way it has always been done the past few hundred years has managed to silence the congregations when they should all be participating. It has left the brothers and sisters lacking in fellowship. Every born-again believer needs an outlet for their faith, a way to connect with others through Jesus Christ while expressing themselves as led by the Holy Spirit.
And YES, the Holy Spirit moves in everyone who is born-again. We ought never to silence someone who is on fire for Christ.
Romans 14:4-6 "…4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person regards a certain day above the others, while someone else considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes a special day does so to the Lord; he who eats does so to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God."
Satan loves that the people in the pews remain silent while one man tells them what to believe. The people look to that man for their direction and wisdom not to the Holy Spirit. This was devised by the devil to quench the Holy Spirit in those sitting in the pews.
Colossians 2:16-17
"Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath. / These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ."
1 Timothy 4:12 "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity."
1 Peter 5:3 "Not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock."
Only the Holy Spirit has authority over every believer who is indwelt by Him.
1 Corinthians 11:1 "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ."
Do not ignore the last part of this verse, "as I am of Christ." Paul was not telling us to follow Him no matter what he said or did. He was telling us to follow him when he followed Christ. In other words, we are to follow Christ, not a man.
1 Peter 5:2 "Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;"
Shepherds are to protect the flock through teaching, example and encouragement to continue obeying the Word. It is the Holy Spirit Who guides each believer in specific ways. The Shepherds are to support believers as they fulfil their personal callings from Christ, not dictate to them what their callings will be.
2 Timothy 4:3
"3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;"
Mark 12:38-40
"In His teaching, Jesus also said, “Watch out for the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, to receive greetings in the marketplaces, / and to have the chief seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. / They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show, make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation.”
These are those who make rules using Scripture out of context, who can speak openly about God, and who can not. Ofte,n they raise up those who are educated by men above those who have been educated by the Holy Spirit. Depending on a seminary degree from a man-accredited institution, they demean and exclude those who walk in obedience to Christ but have no formal credentials from those institutions favored by the establishment.
My heart grieves every time I meet a woman who has been trained by a husband to never speak the things of the Lord to anyone because of their gender. It sounds like an exaggeration that anyone like this exists but they do, I have met them.
These men have convinced their wives that it is a sin to speak of things of the Lord because it is the job of the men to do this. They have been taught through control and intimidation that they are not called to speak of the Lord.
The Samaritan woman at the well was the first woman evangelist. When she had met Jesus and become born again she rushed to town to share her experience and the news of His identity to others. She did not lead a gathering but she spoke to others about who Christ was and what He did for her. John 4
Mary Magdaline was another woman who was the first at the open tomb of Christ who shared the news of His resurrection. John 20
Pricilla and Aquilla worked together as a husband and wife team to share the gospel to others.
A person is not a women's libber or rebellious one because she believes the Bible about the calling of women to speak the truth of the Bible to others. Some leaders have trained their congregations that women are never allowed to speak the gospel to people they meet outside the gathering. They are to remain silent all the time in all cases when it comes to the gospel or Scriptural principles.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions.
Every born again believer is commanded to speak the truth to anyone as led by the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 4:25
"25 Therefore, ridding yourselves of falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, because we are parts of one another."
The Pharisees were those who wanted to have power over people. They were not interested in being led by God, only that they were seen as special and superior to others.
Matthew 23:4-6 "…4 They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. 6 They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues,…"
Luke 20:46-47
“Beware of the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, and they love the greetings in the marketplaces, the chief seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets. / They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation.”
If you think we don't have Pharisee types in our day, think again. The very way church gatherings are conducted today, with hierlings who are viewed as the authority over the gatherings, is Pharisaical.
We have many Pharisee types today who cannot "feel" religious unless they have a following who are elevating them above others.
Whenever someone makes rules and rituals God never commanded, often, even using scripture out of context to prove their point, we are watching ungodly people who care about dominating and ruling over others without concern for knowing God.
When someone is judged as less spiritual because they do not practice the rituals of the gathering, there is a false faith based on appearances and pretense.
The world is full of these types today, whose biggest concern is their elevated status; they care little if their preaching is accurate according to the Word of God. And, worse, they require the praise and adulation of the congregation. We know this because of the pulpit elevated above the congregation and the pews all facing the preferred preacher. The early church had no such hirelings, pulpits, or pews facing the speaker. This model of gathering was added later by those who perverted the nature of the gathering to be able to have power over the people.
God made it clear that leaders in the gathering were no more special than anyone else, it was their calling not a title or a position. Leaders who love Christ will lead by example and teaching not by "authority over."
Some godly men today use those pulpits and pews because it is what always has been for most people. To come against it would disrupt the faith of some, so they leave it alone and go with whatever the culture is doing. This is not wrong to use these things to avoid controversy. Sometimes we have to accept things that are not the best but are not sin.
God made it clear that a believer may eat meat from the market place that was offered to idols because it means nothing to them. However, if they knew another believer had a weak conscience, they were not to eat it in front of the other believer or offer it to them. 1 Corinthians 8
I see the pulpit and the pews this way too, if someone does not know the better way and is accustomed to the pews and the pulpit it is better not to make an issue of it. Sadly, though, most gatherings where there is a special building, pews, and a pulpit, there is also much false doctrine based on human wisdom.
Much of what is done in the modern church was adopted from the Catholic model of a hierarchy, where the authority was the priest, not the Holy Spirit.
Some people, a small number, are leaving the organized church system to remain in the home with other believers because of all the other things within those buildings that are not Biblical and even devastating to the people who attend.
I am astounded when I meet people who pressure others to go to those buildings to meet when there is no biblical mandate to do it. The command is not to forsake the gathering; this has nothing to do with meeting in designated buildings, which are viewed as the "meeting place of God." When the veil was torn from top to bottom in the temple and Christ rose from the dead, the gathering of believers was not a place, but a state of being able to meet anywhere at any time on any day. There was no longer a temple shaped like a building. The Temple was now the body of every believer.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.…"
The idea that we must meet in a large building made by men for the purpose of worship is not Biblical. We can meet in a building like this, but it has become the "rule" for everyone, even placing pressure on people who don't attend those places as though they are not obeying God in "not forsaking the gathering." The people have believed for a long time that the gathering had to be in those places with a paid-pastor.
God said that there would come a time when we would worship in "Spirit and in Truth"; that time has come. We gather to edify one another in Christ so that we will all go out from that gathering, living our lives for Christ, speaking the truth to our neighbors and anyone else the Holy Spirit leads us.
Many are meeting online these days due to a lack of Biblical teaching in the modern buildings. Every time we meet with believers on the internet we are fulfilling the mandate not to forsake the gathering. This principle is telling us to connect with one another as much as we can to be able to encourage and support Spiritually and emotionally our brothers and sisters in the Lord wherever they are in the world and whatever God has called them to do.
Those who have a very narrow view of "how we should meet" based on what they have been accustomed to all their lives are missing out on so much. The way it has always been done the past few hundred years has managed to silence the congregations when they should all be participating. It has left the brothers and sisters lacking in fellowship. Every born-again believer needs an outlet for their faith, a way to connect with others through Jesus Christ while expressing themselves as led by the Holy Spirit.
And YES, the Holy Spirit moves in everyone who is born-again. We ought never to silence someone who is on fire for Christ.
Romans 14:4-6 "…4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person regards a certain day above the others, while someone else considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes a special day does so to the Lord; he who eats does so to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God."
Satan loves that the people in the pews remain silent while one man tells them what to believe. The people look to that man for their direction and wisdom not to the Holy Spirit. This was devised by the devil to quench the Holy Spirit in those sitting in the pews.
Colossians 2:16-17
"Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath. / These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ."
1 Timothy 4:12 "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity."
1 Peter 5:3 "Not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock."
Only the Holy Spirit has authority over every believer who is indwelt by Him.
1 Corinthians 11:1 "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ."
Do not ignore the last part of this verse, "as I am of Christ." Paul was not telling us to follow Him no matter what he said or did. He was telling us to follow him when he followed Christ. In other words, we are to follow Christ, not a man.
1 Peter 5:2 "Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;"
Shepherds are to protect the flock through teaching, example and encouragement to continue obeying the Word. It is the Holy Spirit Who guides each believer in specific ways. The Shepherds are to support believers as they fulfil their personal callings from Christ, not dictate to them what their callings will be.
2 Timothy 4:3
"3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;"
Mark 12:38-40
"In His teaching, Jesus also said, “Watch out for the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, to receive greetings in the marketplaces, / and to have the chief seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. / They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show, make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation.”
These are those who make rules using Scripture out of context, who can speak openly about God, and who can not. Ofte,n they raise up those who are educated by men above those who have been educated by the Holy Spirit. Depending on a seminary degree from a man-accredited institution, they demean and exclude those who walk in obedience to Christ but have no formal credentials from those institutions favored by the establishment.
My heart grieves every time I meet a woman who has been trained by a husband to never speak the things of the Lord to anyone because of their gender. It sounds like an exaggeration that anyone like this exists but they do, I have met them.
These men have convinced their wives that it is a sin to speak of things of the Lord because it is the job of the men to do this. They have been taught through control and intimidation that they are not called to speak of the Lord.
The Samaritan woman at the well was the first woman evangelist. When she had met Jesus and become born again she rushed to town to share her experience and the news of His identity to others. She did not lead a gathering but she spoke to others about who Christ was and what He did for her. John 4
Mary Magdaline was another woman who was the first at the open tomb of Christ who shared the news of His resurrection. John 20
Pricilla and Aquilla worked together as a husband and wife team to share the gospel to others.
A person is not a women's libber or rebellious one because she believes the Bible about the calling of women to speak the truth of the Bible to others. Some leaders have trained their congregations that women are never allowed to speak the gospel to people they meet outside the gathering. They are to remain silent all the time in all cases when it comes to the gospel or Scriptural principles.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions.
Every born again believer is commanded to speak the truth to anyone as led by the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 4:25
"25 Therefore, ridding yourselves of falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, because we are parts of one another."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)