There’s this cliche (popular saying) in the organized church that “the church is a hospital”, but I’ve been thinking about this cliche lately. I wonder if it’s true. Is it Biblical? God symbolizes His ppl in many ways in Scripture, such as a flock of sheep, a Body, a Temple, a House, a Bride, a Vineyard, & an army. But did He ever symbolize us as a hospital??

People in the organized church say that “the church is a hospital” because it’s a place where the sick can come & be healed. Well…sorry to say, but I don’t see sick ppl coming into the organized church & being healed of sin. I see sick ppl TAKING OVER the pews & the pulpit, & spreading their sickness everywhere. I see sheep trying to get well, only to be led BACK INTO their sickness by sick shepherds & sick goats. I see ppl getting sicker than they were when they came. Is the church a hospital?? If so…I would have to liken the organized church to a hospital that practices conventional medicine, & here is why…

The ‘conventional’ medicine industry is controlled by the ruling elites. Therefore, it is the predominant (most popular) medical industry. Many ppl assume that conventional medicine is the best option because it’s popular…but it’s only popular because it has a powerful propaganda machine behind it that is fueled by the richest families in the world. Their goal is to use human beings as cash cows, encourage sickness, KEEP ppl sick, & reduce the population (especially unwanted groups such as minorities, poor whites, the mentally ill, the elderly, & the disabled) thru sickness & poisonous ‘treatments’ that create additional health problems.

Most hospitals practice ‘conventional’ medicine. Not because it’s the most effective, but because many years ago, the Rockefellers punked Western medical schools & hospitals from teaching & practicing natural medicine. The Rockefellers threatened to take away their license, fine them, shut them down, & imprison them if need be. So medical schools & hospitals quickly succumbed to the Rockefellers, who controlled the ‘conventional’ medicine industry at that time, & did not want any sort of competition.

Once again, the goal of the ‘conventional’ medicine industry is to use human beings as cash cows, encourage sickness, KEEP ppl sick, & reduce the population thru sickness & poisonous ‘treatments’ that create additional health problems or flat-out kill ppl. There are a # of ways that this is accomplished…

They do not treat the ROOT CAUSE of sickness, they only treat the symptoms. They claim that they do not know the root cause of sickness, in order to justify why they haven’t discovered or created a cure yet. This conditions the sick not to expect a cure…but to be a repeat patient. They keep coming back to the hospital for pills, surgery, chemotherapy, & radiology to treat their symptoms. For this reason, hospitals are not full of ppl who are healed. They are full of repeat patients that are not being healed. Their symptoms temporarily disappear then return, just like a weed temporarily disappears when its branches are trimmed…but eventually grows back because it wasn’t pulled up by its roots. Even many of the nurses & doctors are sick, but ppl trust them with their lives because they have been indoctrinated at “medical schools” to practice ‘conventional’ medicine. Their patients provide a residual income for the ‘conventional’ medicine industry.

This reminds me of the organized church. The root cause of sin (a sinful heart) is not being treated. People are only dealing with the symptoms. This is why there are so many books, tapes, & dvd’s on the 7-laws of this & the 5 steps to that. People want a quick fix that can trim the branches of their sins, but it’s only behavior modification. Behavior modification sounds & looks nice OUTWARDLY…but it’s only for a season. Since the sinful heart is not being dealt with by the Holy Spirit, ppl eventually return to their vomit. This reveals that they only had a FORM of godliness, but denied the power that could make them godly on the inside.

Just like ppl in hospitals say that they’re “waiting on a cure”, ppl in the organized church say “I’m waiting on God to deliver me from that” or “God hasn’t delivered me from that yet”, but the problem isn’t that God hasn’t arrived to deliver folks from sin yet. IF God is in you, then He is ever-present to deliver. The problem is a lack of repentance & a lack of perseverance/endurance. How dare we return to our vomit & then blame it on God by saying that He hasn’t delivered us from that yet. Freedom from sin is always available IF we abide in Christ’s Word…but do we want to??

The Word says that by Jesus’ stripes we are healed from our sins, but many ppl only misuse that verse to name & claim physical healing. They don’t apply it to being healed from sin (which is the proper context of it). The organized church is not full of ppl who are healed. It’s full of ppl who are groveling in their vomit & making up excuses why they commit adultery against God. Instead of abiding in God’s Word to be set free from sin, they misuse His Word as a sin-crutch…to coddle themselves in their sins & make themselves feel comfortable living in darkness. Are ppl profiting from misusing the Scriptures in that manner?? 2 Tim 3:16 says that the Scriptures are “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,” *reads it again* NOPE, I don’t see anything in this verse that says the Scriptures are profitable to coddle us in our sins.

There are SO many cliches in the organized church that condition ppl NOT to expect a cure for their sin. They are programmed to DIS-believe God’s promise to heal us & set us free from sin. They say “we’re all just sinners, no one’s perfect, we’ve all fallen short of God’s glory, God knows my heart, you can’t judge me, God looks past my faults & sees my need, etc.” All of these cliches that ppl use to condition themselves to REMAIN in sin & live below God’s New Covenant standard make me want to scream. I am tired of hearing them. I am tired of the “woe is me. I’ll never be set free from sin, so I might as well get comfortable in my vomit” mentality. I am tired of the “I’m glad that God’s grace covers my sins, because I’ll never overcome them” mindset. Is that what being a Christian is about? Being saved from hell, but not saved from sin??? Being forgiven, but not being delivered?? Being translated into the Kingdom of God, but not being transformed by the renewing of our mind?? Did Jesus call us out of the world, to add us to a so-called “hospital” that doesn’t heal folks?? I think I’m going to create some cliches about deliverance from sin & living holy! Will they catch on like wildfire?? Probably not…

People ignore the parts of the Bible that talk about deliverance from sin, then they cling to the parts of the Bible where God promised material prosperity to His Old Covenant ppl, even though that promise was NOT made to the New Covenant saints. Is that what being a Christian has been reduced to?? Getting rich, but not getting well??

False shepherds in the organized church have a lot of explaining to do, because they are not being healed either. They spread their sickness across the congregation by committing adultery, watching porno, financially soliciting the poor, lording it over the sheep, stealing, teaching doctrines of demons & false traditions, binding heavy requirements on men’s shoulders, making disciples that are twice the sons of hell as themselves, & doing everything else that Jesus forbid in Matthew 23. Peter wrote about these false shepherds in 2 Peter 2: ” 17 These people are as useless as dried-up springs or as mist blown away by the wind. They are doomed to blackest darkness. 18 They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, THEY LURE BACK INTO SIN THOSE WHO HAVE BARELY ESCAPED FROM A LIFESTYLE OF DECEPTION. 19 They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. 20 And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. 21 It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. 22 They prove the truth of this proverb: “A dog returns to its vomit.” And another says, “A washed pig returns to the mud.” Godly elders are supposed to train up the saints in righteousness…not lead them back to their vomit. It’s almost like ppl are being saved out of the world by Jesus, only for some false shepherd to lead them right back into the world.

These false shepherds are exact opposite of God’s standard for elders in Titus 1:6-9, yet ppl trust them with their soul. How can they teach anyone how to live holy, when they themselves are unholy? How can someone who is unclean teach others how to be clean??? Romans 2:21-24 – “Well then, if you teach others, why don’t you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal? You say it is wrong to commit adultery, but do you commit adultery? You condemn idolatry, but do you use items stolen from pagan temples? You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it. No wonder the Scriptures say, “The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you.” & in another place it says “Many will follow their evil teaching & shameful immorality. And BECAUSE OF THESE TEACHERS, THE WAY OF TRUTH WILL BE SLANDERED.” (2 Pet 2:2)

Jesus said that He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Those who are well do not need a doctor, but those who are sick. But no one who comes to Christ for healing/salvation from sin STAYS sick. The Gospels show that when ppl sought Jesus for healing, they were made every whit WHOLE, they were HEALED. The ppl that Peter shared the Gospel with in Acts 2 didn’t stay the same, they experienced a CONVERSION/CHANGE of heart. Their fellowship was truly unleavened (pure & healthy). This is the way that the Body of Christ should be. So how do we deal with those who are sick? We share the Gospel with them, we lovingly rebuke them, and correct them…but if they are unrepentant they do not belong in fellowship with the saints. “Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old “yeast” by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us. So let us celebrate the festival, not with the old bread of wickedness and evil, but with the new bread of sincerity and truth.
When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people. It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.” (1 Cor 5:6-13)

Apparently, Paul didn’t view the Body of Christ as a hospital full of sick ppl. He viewed us as a fresh batch of dough made without yeast (unleavened bread). The Body of Christ should be an assembly of saints who are living in the experience of healing from sin…not dwelling in sickness. The nature of sin is that it spreads…it is unwise to let strangers in the sanctuary, or tolerate ppl who call themselves Believers that are living in sin. Their sins will spread like a plague among those who have just escaped from the pollutions of the world. They will lay stumbling blocks before those who are striving to walk upright in the Spirit. Jesus said “But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.” (Matthew 18:6)

I truly believe that the organized church operates much like modern-day hospitals that practice ‘conventional’ medicine. They talk about deliverance, freedom, & healing, but they’re not really interested in ppl being set free from sin, because that’s not in their best interest. If ppl begin abiding in Christ’s Word, they will become HIS disciples, & then they will KNOW THE TRUTH, & the Truth WILL SET THEM FREE. The organized church wants ppl to be disciples of their organizations & false shepherds. They want ppl to abide in their word & false traditions. The organized church want ppl to stay bound in sin, so that they will continue seeking “a word from the Lord” thru the false shepherds who themselves are bound in sin. The more repeat patients the organized church has, the more ppl there are in the pews, putting their money in the collection plate to fund salaries & more buildings to house MORE repeat patients. & the vicious cycle continues…

The Pharisees operated the same way in the Gospels. They burdened ppl who were already in sin, by laying false traditions and man-made teachings on their shoulders. This kept the ppl bound in sin, so they had to keep coming to the Jewish Temple to buy expensive animal sacrifices which were offered up for their sins & ceremonial cleansing. These expensive sacrifices NEVER made them CLEAN/HEALED. It only put money in the pockets of those who sold the animal sacrifices, & the Pharisees who ran the Temple. Jesus messed up the Pharisee’s cash flow & corrupt religious system, because He taught the TRUE WORD of GOD with authority from the Father & told ppl to FOLLOW HIM. As ppl began following Christ, they were set free, & the Pharisees began to lose control of the ppl.

Today, I see the Bride of Christ waking up & beginning to follow her True Shepherd–Jesus Christ. She is leaving the false shepherds who tried to make merchandise of Her & burden her with man-made rules, & she is rejoicing in her blood-bought freedom & the healing hand of the Master’s touch. I believe that this passage is prophetic of the Church in this hour: “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity! & He laid His hands on her, & immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.” (Luke 13:12-13). God is loosing us from our infirmities & making our crooked places straight. We are leaving the way that seems right to man, and following the way of Christ. Since the false shepherds did not have a heart to strengthen the weak, heal the sick, bind up the broken, bring back what was driven away, nor seek what was lost…God Himself is delivering His flock from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day. He is breaking the bands of Babylon’s yoke from the necks of His sheep and delivering them from the hand of those who enslaved them. Modern-day John the Baptists see the Bride of Christ awakening & preparing to receive her Bridegroom, & rejoice: “He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:29-30) But the modern-day Pharisees are angry, embittered, & threatened: “The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!” (John 12:19)

The Pharisee’s livelihood depended on sick, repeat patients…& so does the organized church. I don’t think this will change because of what I see in Revelations 17-18. Nor am I interested in trying to reform a Babylonian Harlot that is hell-bent on sleeping with every Tom, Dick, & Harry, & silencing anyone who speaks against her abominations. In Revelations 18, God said to come out of Babylon…He didn’t say to reform her. If you’re in a Babylonian ‘church’ where ppl are sick & folks aren’t being healed from sin, get out of there & follow Jesus. Fellowship with like-minded Christians who are being healed & set free from sin. You will know them by their good fruit (love). Beware of folks who say that “the church is a hospital” but they’re not getting well or being made whole. Paul warned us about these impostors in 2 Timothy 3:1-9.

-In Christ

Evelyn

1. cliche: God helps those who help themselves.

The Bible:

“not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration & renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:5-7)

“Lord, because I am poor & helpless, please remember me. You are my helper & savior. My God, do not wait.” (Psalm 40:17)

“Give us help from trouble, For the help of man is useless.” (Psalm 60:11)

“for He makes His sun rise on the evil & on the good, & sends rain on the just & on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45b)

“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: FREELY YOU HAVE RECEIVED, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8)

“Being justified FREELY BY HIS GRACE through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:” (Romans 3:24)

2. cliche: Don’t be so heavenly-minded that you’re no earthly good.

The Bible:

“& do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good & acceptable & perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

“For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the MIND OF CHRIST.” (1 Corinthians 2:16)

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” (Philippians 2:5)

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue & if there is anything praiseworthy—think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)

“Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, & IN HIS LAW HE MEDITATES DAY & NIGHT.” (Psalm 1:1-2)

“Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.” (1 Timothy 4:15)

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Colossians 3:1-2)

“& to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, & with all the strength, & to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” (Mark 12:33)

3. cliche: God don’t bless no mess!

The Bible:

“For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:7-8)

“When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out & saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” & when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. & Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” & their eyes were opened.” (Matthew 9:27-30a)

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, EVEN WHEN WE WERE DEAD IN TRESPASSES, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), & raised us up together, & made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, & that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:4-9)

“This is a faithful saying & worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.” (1 Timothy 1:15-16)

“When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. & behold, a leper came & worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand & touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” (Matthew 8:1-3)

4. cliche: No one’s perfect!

The Bible:

“This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.” (Genesis 6:9)

“God is my strength & power, & He makes my way perfect.” (2 Samuel 22:33)

“But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa’s heart was perfect with the LORD all his days.” (1 King 15:14)

“Then the people rejoiced, for they had offered willingly, because with a perfect heart they had offered willingly to the LORD; & King David also rejoiced greatly.” (1 Chronicles 29:9)

“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; & that man was perfect & upright, & one that feared God, & eschewed evil.” (Job 1:1)

“The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.” (Luke 6:40)

“For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, & able also to bridle the whole body.” (James 3:2)

“Therefore let us, as many as are perfec, have this mind; & if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.” (Philippians 3:15)

5. cliche: Don’t judge!

The Bible:

“& this I pray, that your love may abound yet more & more in knowledge & in all judgment;” (Philippians 1:9)

“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, & that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind & in the same judgment.” (1 Corinthians 1:10)

“Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” (John 7:24)

“Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.” (1 Corinthians 14:29)

“I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say.” (1 Corinthians 10:15)

“Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? & if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren?” (1 Corinthians 6:2-5)

“It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.” (1 Corinthians 5:12)

In my Christian experience (& perhaps yours as well), it seems as if the theology of many professing Christians (especially in America) has been reduced to cliches (popular slogans). While some of these cliches are true, many of them are false…& as many of us know, false beliefs leads to ungodly behavior, because what we believe affects how we behave.

There’s a saying that if you repeat something long enough, eventually people will think it’s true…& this statement couldn’t ring truer among professing Christians today. Many unbiblical cliches have been drilled into the minds of professing Christians for so long, that they actually think they’re true. It’s time for us to stop parroting unbiblical mantras as if they’re the Word of God, & actually seek God for wisdom & study the Scriptures to grow in grace & knowledge of Christ.

In this age of religious deception, there’s a great need for us to roll up our sleeves & dialogue from Scripture to resolve critical spiritual matters, but unfortunately many of us simply toss out cliches then “run off” to avoid investing time, energy, & deep-serious thought to reason from God’s Word. This indicates a lack of knowledge of God, Biblical illiteracy, laziness, indifference, & an unwillingness to reprove, rebuke, & exhort with all long-suffering. Do we see Mormons, Watchtower followers, Muslims, or Scientologists engaging people with cliches? Nope. They’re well-versed & confident. They know what they believe, why they believe it, how to explain their beliefs, & make disciples of their false religion. Meanwhile many professing Christians are trying to glide through life playing church, & glossing over spiritual matters with cliches.

In Scripture, do we see the prophets, Jesus, or the apostles parroting cliches at Believers & unbelievers like robots? Absolutely not. They knew & understood God & the Scriptures, & they were well-equipped to share the truth with both Believers & unbelievers. As Christians, we should operate in the same excellence.

There are better ways to share our faith with outsiders & engage spiritual matters in the Church than using cliches. I wonder if people even think before they utter some of these cliches. For example, there is a cliche that says “God helps those who help themselves.” Well, is this true? Nope. Jesus helps those who canNOT help themselves, namely the spiritually sick, blind, deaf, & dead: “You have been saved by GRACE through faith; & that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” (Ephesians 2:8).  God gives grace to the humble, but He resists the proud. Why? Because the proud think they can help themselves, while the humble realize they can do nothing without God: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)

Some cliches are true, but they’re used so often that the truths expressed within them become meaningless, common, & insignificant. It’s almost as if people parrot these cliches without considering the spiritual meaning behind them, or how to apply them in their spiritual walk. For example, many professing Christians say to “seek God’s face, not His hands.” Amen, we should love & follow Jesus for who He is, & not what He can give us.  In the Gospels, we see that many people followed Jesus for the bread, fish & miracles, instead of who He was…& how many of us fall into this category today? Many. but how easily this same crowd parrots “seek God’s face & not His hands!”…do they even meditate on what this means & examine themselves to see if they obey it? Or are they just trying to be seen saying the right cliche at the right time? *shrugs*

Some of us use cliches as a cop-out, to APPEAR holy while not having to lift a finger & sacrifice for God’s people. For example, many Christians today are struggling financially, physically, emotionally, & spiritually. But instead of investing time, energy, & resources to help them, some of us say “I’ll pray for you” & run off. This “I’ll pray for you” cliche allows us APPEAR holy & loving…while keeping God’s people at a distance & continuing in our own life without making any sort of sacrifice. As brother James wrote “Faith without works is dead”…vain, empty religion: “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes & daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm & well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2:15-17) Prayer is powerful, but Jesus didn’t tell people “I’ll pray for you” then walk away. He clothed the naked, fed the hungry, comforted the weary, & visited the sick. “Pure & undefiled religion before God & the Father is this: to visit orphans & widows in their trouble, & to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” (James 1:27)

At any rate, please don’t think that I’m taking some dogmatic position that all cliches are evil, or that we should never use cliches, because that isn’t my point. In some situations, Biblical cliches are very useful to get a point across quickly. I’m merely stating that the post-modern plague of bumper sticker theology represents a deeper issue among professing Christians….that some of us would rather build our spiritual lives on a shaky foundation of cute cliches, instead of building our House on the full Scriptural counsel of God…because well, it takes time to learn from Christ & search the Scriptures to seek after the pure milk & meat of the Word, that we might grow thereby & have a Word to minister in due season.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15)

“& this I pray, that your love may abound still more & more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere & without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory & praise of God.” (Philippians 1:9-11)

One of the most misused Scriptures in the Bible is “Touch not mine anointed, & do my prophets no harm (1 Chronicles 16:22 & Psalm 105:15).

Religious leaders cherry-pluck this Scripture out of context & misuse it to avoid being held accountable to the Word of God, & they wield it to threaten ppl with God’s wrath if they dare question their errors & address their sinful conduct. To make matters worse, they’ve programmed this misuse of Scripture into the minds of their followers, & they use it like a shield to defend the errors & sinful conduct of their leader.

1 Chronicles 16:22 & Psalm 105:15 are part of a thanksgiving song that king David wrote. The song is about how God protected Israel from physical harm (being murdered) as they traveled from nation to nation, kingdom to kingdom. The Hebrew word “naga” translated as “touch” in this passage means to do PHYSICAL harm against someone. This passage has everything to do with protection from murder & absolutely nothing to do with addressing the errors & sinful conduct of religious leaders. To compare addressing the errors & sinful conduct of a religious leader to MURDERING them requires a RIDICULOUS stretch of the imagination. If (for some insane reason) a religious leader believes they are an anointed king of Israel & one of their enemies is attempting to murder them, then perhaps they can respond “TOUCH NOT GOD’S ANOINTED!” But since these religious leaders aren’t anointed kings of Israel…they need to stop misusing this Scripture & wielding it like a light saber against anyone who holds them accountable to the Word of God.

The only Being who is infallible is GOD. Everyone else is subject to error, & therefore must have their fruit tested by the Holy Spirit & the Word of God. Even if an angel appears to you, their words & actions must be tested by the Holy Spirit & the Word of God. No one is above the Word of God. God isn’t a respecter of persons. 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 says to “test all things, hold onto the good & avoid every kind of evil.” 1 John 4:1 says “do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Ezekiel 44:23 calls us to discern between the holy & the unholy, the clean & the unclean. Malachi 3:18 calls us to discern between the righteous & the wicked, between one who serves God & one who does not serve Him. 1 John 3:4-15 calls us to discern between children of God & children of the devil. Matthew 7:15-20; 24:4-5, 11, & 24 calls us to discern false prophets & false christs. Acts 20:26-28, Jude, 2 Peter 2, 2 Timothy 3:1-9, 1 Timothy 4:1-3, 2 Corinthians 11, & Galatians 1:6-9 calls us to be on guard against false teachers, false apostles, & false gospels. Someone who is truly anointed & led by the Spirit will encourage you to use discernment. They won’t discourage you from using discernment & get irritated, angry, & defensive when you question their teachings & conduct. Beware of preachers who speak down on discernment & demonize anyone who addresses error & sinful conduct.

Paul called the Jews at Berea “noble” for testing his teachings against Scripture to see if what he said was true (Acts 17:11). He didn’t tell them “TOUCH NOT GOD’S ANOINTED!!!!” In Revelations 2:2 Christ commended Believers in Ephesus for testing those who said they were apostles & were not, & found them to be liars. It’s a sign of spiritual maturity to be able to discern between good & evil (Hebrews 5:14) & hold ppl accountable to Scripture. Ephesians 5:11 says “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”

The term “Christ” means “The Anointed One.” …Jesus Christ is The Anointed One. He has the Holy Spirit without measure, & the Father has anointed Him with the oil of gladness more than His brethren (Hebrews 1:9). How did Christ demonstrate His anointing? How did ppl know that He was The Anointed One? Did He walk around saying “TOUCH NOT GOD’S ANOINTED!!!”?? No. Christ said “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, & recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” Christ demonstrated His anointing by serving others in love & humility, to heal them & set them free.

Christ didn’t boast in His anointing & call down fire from Heaven on anyone who questioned Him…not even on His enemies. But instead, He let them question Him, kick Him out of synagogues, spit on Him, slap Him in the face, scourge Him, taunt Him, & crucify Him. Where is this attitude of humility among preachers today who believe they are untouchable?? Even when they preach RANK heresy & live wickedly, they don’t want anyone to question them. They believe that questioning them is equivalent to questioning God Himself. But apparently, not even God the Son responded to ppl like that.

All Believers have been anointed by God (1 John 2:27), & we are known by our godly character & sound doctrine (Galatians 5:22-23, Titus 1:7-9, Titus 2:7-8). If someone who claims to be anointed by God & teaching His Word is living in sin & teaching doctrines of demons, then we are not obligated to listen to them & there is no reason to fear addressing their errors & sinful conduct.

Christians are to hold one another accountable for one another’s behavior (1 Jn. 3:17; Gal. 6:2; Tit. 1:9; 1 Tim. 1:3,4; 4:16; II Tim. 4:2; Matt. 18:15-16). Failure to do so dishonors God, & it’s hateful towards those who are being deceived. Leviticus 19:17 says “Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt.”

Elders have a greater responsibility & therefore a greater accountability to God & the Body of Christ. To whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48). James 3:1 says “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.” Misrepresenting Christ & leading ppl astray by teaching error & living wickedly are no small matter. Elders should be appreciative when a concerned Believer brings an error to their attention, because they are being given the opportunity to repent.

This false notion that we should lower the standard for elders who teach error & live wickedly violates the Word of God, dishonors God, causes great harm to professing Christians, & gives the world ammunition to speak evil of the faith. I have never heard an unbeliever complain about Christians using discernment, but I have heard them complain often about irresponsible, wicked preachers & undiscerning followers who cover up behind them. This was foretold in Scripture: “But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies & even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves. Many will follow their evil teaching & shameful immorality. & because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered.” (2 Peter 2:1-2)

If we want to make a modern-day application to the “Touch not Mine anointed” Scripture then this Scripture cannot be applied to Christians who use discernment & question the errors & sinful conduct of religious leaders. If anything…it should be applied to the religious leaders who control, abuse, manipulate, & exploit God’s flock. It is THEY who are touching God’s anointed. It is THEY who are touching the apple of God’s eye. When they preach false doctrines about tithing & “sowing a seed” to rob the ppl of God, they are in fact robbing God. When they exalt themselves over the ppl of God to the chief position, they are in fact usurping the chief position of Jesus Christ over the congregation. The saints are HOLY precious sheep of God, & when a religious leader treats them like a common thing, they are in fact profaning the Son of God. Whatever we do unto the least of the brethren, we are doing unto Jesus Himself (see Matthew 25:31-46). I’m afraid that on the Day of Judgment these “untouchable” preachers who slap God’s ppl in the face will hear the words “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matthew 7:23b) God is AGAINST the false shepherds who touch His anointed! (Ezekiel 34) I advise that they stop twisting 1 Chronicles 16:22/Psalm 105:15 to their own destruction & REPENT!

-In Christ

ExitChurchianity

Since the beginning of time, God has desired a personal relationship with His ppl.

In the Garden of Eden, Adam & Eve were in relationship with God UNTIL Adam sinned against God, breaking fellowship & causing separation. Genesis 3:8-10 says “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and THEY HID FROM THE LORD GOD among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” Adam & Eve heard the Lord walking in the garden & had the opportunity to go to Him for mercy & repentance. But Adam’s sin led him to be afraid of God because he was naked (unclothed by God’s righteousness)…so he & his wife HID behind trees in the garden from the presence of the Lord.

Fast-forward….

In the book of Exodus, God sent Moses & Aaron into Egypt to deliver the Israelites from enslavement to Pharaoh, that they might obey His voice, keep covenant with Him, & be a kingdom of priests & a holy nation. (Exodus 19:1-6). In Exodus 19-20, the Israelites consecrated themselves, washed their clothes & prepared to hear from God. God descended upon a mountain & spoke to Moses & the Israelites, but “When the people saw the thunder & lightning & heard the trumpet & saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance & said to Moses, “SPEAK TO US YOURSELF & we will listen. But DO NOT HAVE GOD SPEAK TO US or we will die.” (Exodus 20:18-19)

The Israelites’ clothing was clean, but their hearts were not clean…as indicated by their response to God’s voice. Just as Adam & Eve hid behind the trees from God’s voice…the Israelites hid behind Moses to avoid hearing from God for themselves because they were afraid. They didn’t want to hear from God for themselves…they preferred hearing from a man (Moses). They told Moses “speak to us & we’ll listen! But don’t have God speak to us!” They wanted to have a man represent them before the Lord, hear from God for them & give them with a word from God. This wasn’t God’s perfect will for them…but He gave them what they wanted, & from this point on (with a few exceptions) God didn’t speak directly to His ppl anymore…He spoke to them thru prophets & priests, who stood between Him & the ppl.

Fast-forward…

In 1 Samuel 8, the prophet Samuel led the Israelites, along with his sons who were judges. But Samuel’s sons were wicked. They loved money, took bribes, & perverted justice. So the elders of Israel came to Samuel & said “You are old, & your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.” (Verse 5). This displeased Samuel. so he prayed to the LORD. “& the LORD told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but THEY HAVE REJECTED ME AS THEIR KING. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, FORSAKING ME & SERVING FALSE gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly & LET THEM KNOW WHAT THE KING WHO WILL REIGN OVER THEM WILL DO.” (Verses 6-9)

God is the King of kings, yet His ppl didn’t want Him to be their King. They (once again) wanted A MAN to rule over them as their king & go before them in battle (like “all the other nations”). Their request was terrible & greatly displeasing to the Lord…yet the Lord gave them what they asked for & had Samuel warn them of the consequence. Samuel said, “11 This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons & make them serve with his chariots and horses, & they will run in front of his chariots. 12 Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands & commanders of fifties, & others to plow his ground & reap his harvest, & still others to make weapons of war & equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.”

This human king would not allow their children the freedom to serve the King of kings, but instead he would cause their children to serve his agenda & prosper himself. Let’s continue…

“14 He will take the best of your fields & vineyards & olive groves & give them to his attendants.” During the Old Covenant, the best of the crops should’ve been offered up to God…but this human king would cause the ppl to give the best of their crops to himself, then he would give it to his officials.

“15 He will take TEN PERCENT of your grain & of your vintage & give it to his officials & attendants.” The term “tithe” means “the tenth” or 10%. During the Old Covenant, a portion of the tithe (which was NEVER money, even though they had money) was to be given to the poor, widows, & strangers. But instead, this human king would take 10% of their produce & use it to pay the salary of his officials. Does this sound familiar to anyone?? It does to me (i.e., the false teaching that Christians must give 10% of their income to a building every week or “be cursed with a curse!!”) Moving on…

“16 Your menservants & maidservants & the best of your cattle & donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He will take TEN PERCENT of your flocks, & you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, & the LORD will not answer you in that day.” This human king would take, take, take from the ppl & use their increase to further his own will (which of course he will always say is “GOD’S will”). The ppl will become his servants, instead of servants of God. “18 & you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, & the LORD will not hear you in that day. 19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us & to go out before us and fight our battles.” 21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. 22 The LORD answered, “Listen to them & give them a king. Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Everyone go back to his town.”

Fast-forward…

As king Solomon said…”there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9b) Just as the children of Israel traveled in circles in the wilderness, it appears that professing Christians are traveling in circles as well. Many professing Christians stand far-off from God while they rely on a “pastor, priest, or bishop” to represent them before God, hear from God for them, & bring them a word from Heaven. Jesus said “my sheep hear My Voice & follow Me.” But many who claim to know Jesus today would rather hear from a man, than hear from Jesus. & the result of this is that they become slaves to the religious agendas of king Saul’s who are not men after God’s own heart. Many professing Christians are spiritual infants who have been feeding on watery milk & stale bread, & “doing church” for years & years. At some point, as Christians we have to GROW UP & minister the spiritual gift that God has given us. Elders are supposed to equip Christians for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12), not sit over us as little popes & feed us sermonettes for the rest of our life while our spiritual gift collects dust. Jesus trusted the Holy Spirit so much that He taught His Disciples for 3 years & returned to the Father. The Disciples later received the Holy Spirit to remind them of Christ’s Word, show them things to come, & empower them for the work of ministry. The apostles didn’t plant churches, set themselves over the assembly as a  “spiritual covering” “spiritual father” or “senior pastor” & bottlefeed Believers milk for the rest of their lives. Following in the footsteps of Jesus, the apostles went forth & preached the Gospel, & as Jesus built His Church they edified & equipped the saints for a season & moved on, trusting the Holy Spirit to continue leading them into all truth.

Many Christians travel from assembly to assembly, revival to revival, preacher to preacher, conference to conference. They purchase books on the 5-steps to this & the 8 laws of that. They have not, lack, & want because the LORD is not their Shepherd (the term “pastor” means shepherd by the way)…a man is their shepherd/pastor. They’re trying to be spiritually satisfied & fulfilled by receiving a word from Heaven thru men (many of whom are not sent by God in the first place). If only they would realize that in the New Covenant, there is no need to seek God thru a man. There is no need to wait on a man to climb “Mount Horeb” to “get a word from the Lord” & bring it back down to you. “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days HE HAS SPOKEN TO US BY HIS SON, whom he appointed heir of all things, & through whom he made the universe.” (Hebrews 1:1-2). Yes, God can & does speak to us thru other Believers, but if you are one of God’s sheep, you should be hearing His voice for yourself & you should want to hear His voice for yourself. Christ’s redemptive work on The Cross has made it possible for you to boldly approach the throne of grace to find mercy in the time of need.  Are you waiting for a man to “go beyond the veil” for you? Jesus has already done that! Stop looking to men as your personal prophet, mediator, priest, pastor/shepherd, spiritual covering, & holy father…& go directly to God!

Ah…but it’’s safer & more convenient to let a leader be the “spiritual expert.” It’s easier to rely on leaders to study the Bible for us & tell us what God says…we don’t have the time for all that, right? It’s quicker to just listen to a sermon, instead of spending time seeking the will & heart of the Lord in prayer. If we listen to Jesus, He might say something we don’t want to hear. He might ask us to give up something we don’t want to sacrifice. We appreciate the fact that Jesus called us out of the world, but we just don’t feel like listening to Him & following Him down the narrow path, because that might take us out of our “comfort zone” into new territory…& well…that would require FAITH.

The recent election of Barack Obama demonstrated to me just how many professing Christians are still looking for a man to be their king & rule over them. They are still placing hope in men who place NO hope in Christ. They are still expecting sinful leaders who are enemies of God & have no peace with God to bring peace to a world that is full of war. The Bible makes it clear that things will get worse & worse until THE King of kings & Prince of Peace returns to bring righteous change…yet many professing Christians deny the Word of God by thinking Obama will bring some type of righteous change, when he himself is unrighteous & unchanged by God within. America’s back was turned staunchly against Jesus this past election, as they cried out to the government “GIVE US A KING!” So God gave them what they asked for. YES, Obama was appointed by God…but for blessing or judgment?? Judgment indeed: “For he is God’s servant to do you good. BUT IF YOU DO EVIL, BE AFRAID, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, AN AGENT OF WRATH TO BRING PUNISHMENT ON HIM WHO PRACTICES EVIL.” (Romans 13:4). God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, that shall he reap. & when the American ppl cry out as a result of the terrible choice they made…God will not hear them. They made their bed, & they’re going to have to sleep in it.

In this abomination-exalting, man-centered, depraved, apostate age…I strongly encourage Christians everywhere to look to God alone as your Shepherd/Pastor, King, Spiritual Covering, & Holy Father. Pray, study your Bible, & get to know God for yourself, instead of trying to get to know Him thru the tinted spectacles of a human leader. Stop looking to man…they will not bring spiritual or political reform. Have we not learned from king Saul? King Herod? Constantine? Hitler? The atrocities of Roman Catholic leadership & so on??

THE Antichrist will appear soon & I’m afraid that many ppl who call themselves “Christians” are setting themselves up to take the mark of the beast. If they think The Antichrist is going to send soldiers to their house, dragging them off in the middle of the night forcing them to take a stamp on their forehead & right hand they have another thing coming. Revelations 13:16 says “& he CAUSETH all, both small & great, rich & poor, free & bond, to RECEIVE a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:” People think The Antichrist is going to FORCE ppl to receive the mark, but the Word says that he will “CAUSE” ppl to RECEIVE the mark. To “CAUSE” someone to RECEIVE something & to FORCE something UPON someone are 2 different things. For example, false prophets don’t FORCE their delusions UPON professing Christians. They don’t force professing Christians to listen to their lies & give them money. It is through their form of godliness, Scripture-twisting, & flattering words that they deceive professing Christians who lack knowledge & discernment, & are loaded down with sins & led away by various lusts. False prophets CAUSE professing Christians to RECEIVE their delusions. In the same manner, The Antichrist will cause ppl to receive the mark. This is simply a matter of sowing & reaping. If ppl do not receive a love of the truth that they might be saved, but instead love unrighteous deceptions, they will reap strong delusion: “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, & lying wonders,  & with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. & for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12)

If professing Christians weren’t discerning enough to see thru Obama’s form of godliness & they gleefully drank from his wine of fornication…how will they see thru the Antichrist’s lamb-like appearance & discern that he is speaking like a dragon? He will be even more deceptive & alluring than Obama. When The Antichrist appears he will promise economic prosperity & peace to a money-loving world that is looking for a false messiah. Will professing Christians (once again) put money (the economy) before the Word of God? & if so…is God their King after all? Or those who promise to prosper them financially? (corrupt politicians & preachers)??

-In Christ

ExitChurchianity

As many of you know, I post videos on youtube, & every now & then someone will leave a comment with false assumptions about “church-leavers.” The funny thing is, I doubt that any of them have taken the time out to ask us exactly why we left institutional churches…yet they’re so confident in their baseless opinions about why we did so. I myself find their comments to be unbiblical, ungodly, careless, accusatory & insulting.

Here are a few of the false assumptions that I’ve heard about “church-leavers”:

1)”Church-leavers are not commited to God.”

Weekly attendance at an institutional church isn’t necessarily a sign of commitment to God. Nor is leaving an institutional church necessarily a sign of a lack of commitment to God.

Many “church-leavers” are committed Christians who used to be in “leadership positions” at institutional churches. Such individuals have invested a significant amount of time, energy, & money in theological study, ministerial training, & service at institutional churches. So to assume that all “church-leavers” are “uncommitted” “lazy” ppl who don’t want to serve God is false.

May I frankly state the obvious? Many institutional churches are not committed to our Father’s will, but are committed to their own will…& those of us who ARE serious about doing our Father’s will, will not remain at institutions that are hell-bent on doing man’s/satan’s will.

It’s also worth noting that the  pulpit/pew division in many institutional churches encourage Christians to be inactive spectators while the leadership runs the “service.” Praise God for the assemblies that build up the faith & character of Christians, but many institutional churches bottle feed Christians who should be on meat by now. This keeps Christians in the spiritual infant stage for 5, 9, 15 years depending on “pastor” to climb Mount Horeb to get a word from the Lord for them. So how on earth can it be said that “church-leavers” are uncommitted to God, when many institutional churches are full of uncommitted spiritual infants? Shall we (church-leavers) abandon active fellowship in small circles, to join the inactive bottle-fed masses in the pew? No thanks…I refuse to have my fellowship life minimized to a Sunday-social club or a religious spectator sport.

2) “Church-leavers are backsliders.”

Having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ keeps us grounded in the faith…not sitting in a pew week after week. Vibrant personal relationships with Jesus Christ create healthy assemblies. & on the other hand, Believers who neglect their relationship with Jesus Christ create unhealthy assemblies. As ppl fall away or backslide from Christ in their personal life, the assembly (corporate life) becomes backslidden. Anyone who thinks that there aren’t backsliders in the pew or the pulpit simply aren’t being observant, honest, or using discernment.

Some “church-leavers” may backslide, but from what I’ve seen many more backsliders continue “playing church” to maintain a form of godliness. Today, it’s quite common to find that an assembly is full of backsliders & unsaved degenerates who claim to be Christians. With so many children of the devil being transported to the pews (& the pulpit), is it any wonder why some children of God are leaving the institutional church?

At any rate…not all “church-leavers” are backsliders. Many of us left institutional churches because THEY backslid into apostasy.

3) “Church-leavers are looking for a perfect church.”

I can’t speak for anyone else…but during my “church-hopping” days I wasn’t looking for a “perfect church.” I was looking for an assembly that was serious about glorifying Jesus Christ, but I left because I saw the same serious problems manifesting over & over again: 1) heresy & false traditions that go against the Word of God 2) rejection of clear Biblical doctrine 3) Exaltation of leadership 4) demotion of Jesus Christ & the written Word 5) Inactivity of the congregation & lack of fellowship/love among congregants outside of “service.” 6) spiritually-dead/stagnant (lack of genuine church growth) 7) either legalism or toleration of serious sin among congregants [lack of accountability]. toleration of disqualified-illegitimate ppl ministering as elders.

4) “Church-leavers are hurting.”

While some “church-leavers” might have left an institutional church because of spiritual abuse, harm & hurt…not all “church-leavers” left an institutional church because they were “hurting.” The reasons why ppl leave the institutional church vary from individual to individual, just as the reasons why ppl attend institutional churches vary from individual to individual.

Speaking for myself…I’m not hurting…but I am mourning & grieving over the Christ-dishonoring institutional churches that are backsliding into apostasy & robbing Christians of their freedom in Jesus Christ.

5) “Church-leavers don’t want to submit to authority.”

I can’t speak for anyone else, but the “church-leavers” I fellowship with are very serious about submitting to the authority of Jesus Christ, the written Word, & the Holy Spirit as He speaks thru Believers. But we are not interested in submitting to conceited-confused religious leaders who wish to exercise authority over ppl. In Matthew 20:20-28, Jesus Christ spoke against Believers exercising authority over one another, as worldly rulers do. But unfortunately, false authority pervades the institutional church…& the pulpit/pew division along with its titles, offices, position, status, rank, & hierarchy seems to encourage even the most well-intentioned Believers to “lord it over” the flock, because it props them up on pedestals as “lords” over the flock. Is it any wonder why so many fall?

There are many examples in Scripture & Church history, that demonstrate the truth that submitting to the authority of Christ & the written Word automatically pits you against illegitimate leaders who want you to submit to their false authority. In the Old Testament, we see Moses vs the Egyptian pharaoh, Elijah vs Jezebel, & Shadrach/Meshach/& Abednego vs Nebuchadnezzar. In the New Testament, we see John the Baptist vs Herodias, Jesus vs the religious establishment, & the apostles vs the religious establishment (& the state in some cases). The most notable example I can give outside of Scripture is Martin Luther vs the Roman Catholic institution.

The interesting thing in all of these examples is, the enemies of God believed that the ppl of God “didn’t want to submit authority.” But in reality, the ppl of God were simply submitted to the authority of God & the written Word…& submission to the authority of God & the written Word will often put us in conflict with those who defy the authority of God & the written Word. The issue isn’t that we refuse to submit to true spiritual authority. The issue is that we refuse to submit to those who misuse the Bible to beat unsuspecting souls into submission to their false authority.

I could post many more false assumptions about “church-leavers” but I’ll end here for now. What are your thoughts? & what false assumptions have you heard about “church-leavers”?

***warning this post is long***

Colossians 1:17-18 says “& he is before all things, & by him all things consist. & he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence”

The term “preeminence” means “to be superior in excellence, quality, rank, & honor; to be above or before others; to be distinguished, peerless, supreme.”

The Greek word “prōteuō” translated as “preeminence” in Colossians 1:18 means “to be first, hold the first place.”

All born again Believers have received a revelation of the preeminence or supremacy of Jesus Christ. Indeed, the initial response of many Christians to the saving grace of Jesus Christ was to fall on our face at His feet & learn from Him. In conversation with other Christians, we couldn’t help but to exalt the Lord, praise His name, testify of His goodness, & discuss the Scriptures in light of who He is, what He has done & was yet doing in our lives. But then something horrible happened…..

We were tempted away from the feet of Jesus Christ by the sparkling fruit of an individual or religious group who claimed to have “the real truth.” This “real truth” deceived us into thinking that we were wiser, more knowledgeable & righteous than other Christians. & little by little, this “real truth” became preeminent, first, supreme & before all things in our life.

As I look around today, I see many precious Christians who are distracted with so-called “real truths” be it the 7th day Sabbath law, speaking in tongues, casting out demons, the gift of healing, the gift of prophecy, the 5 points of Calvinism, King James Only, “Gods correct Hebrew Name”, & the list goes on. Nothing is wrong with many of these things in their proper context, but there is something gravely wrong with putting them “before all things”…because the position of supremacy belongs to Christ Jesus alone.

It’s shameful the way that some of us have exalted these so-called “real truths” to Christ’s position, & made them into a litmus test for true spirituality. “You’re not truly saved unless you worship God on the 7th day” (I’m truly saved because of what Jesus did for me on The Cross). “REAL Christians read the King James Version Bible only” (Real Christians have a relationship with the LIVING Word of God, Jesus Christ). “Christians with REAL power can cast out demons” (Jesus said “…rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven” -Luke 10:20) “You’re not saved unless you speak in tongues” (I’m saved by grace thru faith in Jesus Christ, not tongues) “Christians don’t know G-d’s true Hebrew name” (Christ manifested His Father’s name to ALL born again Believers John 17:6. How so??? He is the Word, Glory, Grace & Truth of The Father in bodily form John 1:14. He is the image of the invisible Father (Col 1:15) “For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell” (Col 1:19) Religious teachers of the law say that Christians don’t know God’s true name, but Jesus said that He has manifested His Father’s name to us…& I trust Christ’s Word over human opinion all day everyday. HE is The Truth, The Faithful Witness, & BEFORE all things (including the sacred name movement).

Christ said “I am the way, the truth, & the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by ME.” (John 14:6) Jesus Christ IS The Salvation of God…not any religion, denomination, system, method, spiritual gift, bible version, law, day of the week, or alleged “correct Hebrew name.” All of the aforementioned are THINGS, & God never has & never will save men thru “THINGS”…He saves men thru a PERSON, namely Jesus Christ & He ALONE is before ALL THINGS.

You can tell a lot about a person or a group by what has the preeminence in their life, be it a pastor, prophet, apostle, ministry, law, gift, talent, bible version, or pet doctrine. But one of the identifying factors of a Christian should be that Christ has the preeminence in our life. Yes, there are many wonderful things in our life, but Christ is “before all THINGS.”

I’m amazed at the number of religious groups who claim to be “God’s true church” yet they bare little similarity to the Body of Christ in Acts 2. They claim to preach “the doctrine of the apostles” when in fact they just preach THINGS. Paul wrote “Whom [Christ] we preach, warning every man, & teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus” (Colossians 1:28) “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” (1st Corinthians 2:2) The Apostles preached CHRIST before all things. Nothing is wrong with things. My point is that things have their proper place…after Jesus Christ. “  “all things were created by him, & FOR him:” (Colossians 1:16b)

Things do not possess Life…Christ is The Life. One of the stumbling blocks of the Jews in John 5:39-40 is they searched the Scriptures (a thing) to obtain Life, but they wouldn’t come to Christ that they might have Life. The letter of the law had the preeminence in their life, instead of the Lord of the law. On a previous occasion, the Jews put the 7th day Sabbath law before the Lord of the Sabbath, once again showing that the Lord was not preeminent in their life. Like many precious souls today, the Jews denied the power…their “godliness” was only a form that came from putting religious THINGS before God Almighty.

Let us not fall prey to the subtle sin of putting seemingly “holy” things before Christ. I believe that this sin is very dangerous because it portrays a form of godliness, but in your heart you’re committing sins of idolatry, self-righteousness, conceit, & legalism. I’ve seen saints carry on in this error for years & years because it involves self-deception…convincing yourself that you’re doing “the will of God” & following “the real truth” when in fact, you’ve put something before Christ Jesus in violation of the first commandment“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3)

I encourage the saints to remember when you first met Jesus, when you were floored by His grace, when nothing else really mattered more than Him, when you were content sitting at His feet & learning from Him…remember how Christ was before all things when you first received Him, & “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:” (Colossians 2:6)

During my “church-goer” days, I would sing a song called “Let us go into the House of the Lord.” Although it has a wonderful melody…the more I learn about Jesus Christ & the New Covenant…the LESS sense that song makes! Now don’t get me wrong…I’m not dissing those who sing it, but the lyrics reflect the Old Covenant instead of the New Covenant. What do I mean?

Well…during the Old Covenant, worship revolved around the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, where the Israelites offered up sacrifices & so on. It is in this context that king David wrote “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.” (Psalm 122:1) David was singing about going into a literal man-made building (the Jewish Temple) which WAS the House of the Lord during the Old Covenant.

During the Old Covenant, the glory of God would fall upon the Jewish Temple & fill the place with His presence, signifying that this was the House of the Lord. But as many of us know…the Jewish Temple soon became a Den of thieves. The priests offered corrupt sacrifices & money-changers made financial profit off the poor thru buying & selling.

In Matthew 24, while the disciples observed the beauty of the Jewish temple & its buildings, Christ prophesied that one day these buildings would be destroyed. Why? Christ…the Eternal High Priest had come, to offer up Himself as the Perfect sacrifice for sin…so the Jewish Temple with its corrupt priests & rituals would no longer be needed.

After Christ’s resurrection, in the book of Acts…at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit fell upon BELIEVERS, officiating Christ’s followers as the House of God. & around 70 A.D. God used the Romans to destroy the Jewish Temple, because a BETTER Temple (the Body of Christ) had come!

This means that in the New Covenant WE (the Body of Christ) are the House of the Lord…not the man-made buildings with the pews & the pulpit! They are simply buildings where ppl meet…& these ppl may or may not be a part of the Lord’s House.

1st Peter 3:5 says that we are “lively stones, being built up as a SPIRITUAL HOUSE, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” In the Old Covenant, the Israelites offered up sacrifices thru sinful priests at the Jewish Temple…but in the New Covenant WE ARE living sacrifices offered up thru the Eternal High Priest Jesus Christ! (Romans 12:1) This is our reasonable service.

Professing Christians who speak of “going to church for worship” remind me of the Samaritan woman in John 4 who told Christ “Our fathers worshiped ON THIS MOUNTAIN, but you Jews claim that THE PLACE WHERE WE MUST WORSHIP is IN JERUSALEM.”

I believe that Christ’s response to the Samaritan woman applies to many Christians today. He said “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father NEITHER ON THIS MOUNTAIN NOR IN JERUSALEM…Yet a time is coming & has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit & truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, & his worshipers must worship in spirit & in truth.” (John 4:20-21, 23-24)

Believing that you can “go into” the House of the Lord is an
Old Covenant mindset. If you are a Christian…you were born again INTO the House of the Lord when you received the Holy Spirit. Being a Christian is about a lifestyle of worship…not a PLACE of worship.

I’d like to hear your thoughts….

-In Christ

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