Following the establishment of the New Testament Church on the Day of Pentecost 31 A.D., it was accepted that her rules of engagement with the Godhead were the words spoken by Jesus Christ Himself, along with those written by His Holy prophets and apostles. The Apostle Peter voiced the Lord’s attitude toward those men and their writings by writing that “Holy men of old spoke (and wrote) as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21). In Ephesians 2:20 the Apostle Paul noted that the New Testament Church was founded on the teachings of the prophets and apostles–AND NO ONE ELSE. God’s recorded and preserved Words must not be edited. They are not to be interpreted (2 Pet. 1:20,21). Nothing is to be added to them or removed from their God-spoken Words (Mat. 5:18/ Lk. 16:16,17), which Jesus called “the Kingdom message” and “the Law.”

The Bible interprets itself for those who seek out His “fine print” which must be obeyed in order for His promises (“headlines”) to be received by those who call themselves by His name. Read the “headlines” and “fine print” series using the key word–Headlines. By rejecting the Lord’s “fine print,” which includes much of the Holy Scriptures, church people take to themselves the authority to formulate their own caveats (conditions) for receiving God’s promises. Over time one caveat was selected and embraced unanimously. The consensus was that only one thing needed to be done in order to receive what God has promised, including salvation–“ONLY BELIEVE.” This explains why, within professing Christendom, the vast majority of God’s promises go unfulfilled. When He does answer a prayer, it is due solely to His grace. The church’s attitude toward God is: “Don’t tell us what to do, just do what you said you would do. And do not send Your spokesmen to remind us of what You said in the Bible.” As I was told after voicing God’s Truth which a church pillar had never heard, “I know all I need to know.”

This attitude has a long history, almost as long as the church has existed. While the original apostles were alive they managed to keep the churches somewhat on the straight and narrow path. But early on God’s messengers noted a subtle drifting away from “the faith that was once delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3). Notice that Jude’s admonition concerned THE faith, not whatever faith confirms one’s belief system. Notice also that THE faith was delivered only ONCE. All other “faiths” are Satan’s counterfeit religious belief systems, As Jude noted in verse 4, certain ungodly men had crept into the church and had turned God’s grace into a license to sin. In so doing they were denying the Lordship of God and Christ over their lives. As it turns out, the people themselves had taken over all lordship duties relative to determining church doctrine. As I stated in the previous posting, I recently heard a world-famous pastor say that in order to get to heaven, one must obey CHURCH DOCTRINE–not God’s Holy Bible, but rather man’s various opinions relative to the Bible called ALTERNATIVE CHURCH TRUTHS.

The Apostle Paul wrote extensively about the problem of alternative church “truths” to the churches scattered throughout the region of Galatia as well as the church located in the city of Corinth which was a very important city at that time in that it served as a major commercial hub for that part of the world. He wrote to the Galatians that he was shocked at how quickly they had abandoned the Truths that had been taught them by the apostles and had then embraced a perverted version of the Lord’s Gospel.

Evidently, a similar spirit had invaded the Corinthian Church for He wrote in his second letter to them: “I fear lest the serpent that beguiled Eve through his subtility has corrupted your minds by diverting you from the simplicity that Christ presented. I fear that if someone comes to you preaching another Jesus Whom we apostles have not preached, or presents to you a spirit that you have not known, or preaches another gospel which you have not heard, you will embrace him.”

The apostles were dealing with the same evil power that Adam and Eve dealt with in the Garden of Eden and that people like me are dealing with today. It is obvious that Adam, whom God had placed in control of the garden, had not been diligent in guarding its borders for he had allowed into it the fallen angle named Lucifer, who was otherwise known as Satan. This is the angel who had convinced 1/3 of God’s angels to go against Him in an attempt to gain rulership over the entire universe. He did not convince the God’s first church (Adam and Eve) to believe him by being up front about his intentions. Instead, he resorted to subtility and deceit. Instead of openly denying the Lordship of the Old Testament God (the Word Who would later come to earth as Jesus of Nazareth), he acknowledged His Godship, but then wooed our ancestors from Him by offering an alternative way to deal with their Creator, Whom he accused Him of either being wrong or lying. Satan’s method was to cause them to doubt that God’s way was the ONLY right way. Satan’s way deviated from God’s plainly spoken way and added a sweet come-on–IT WOULD PLACE ADAM AND EVE IN CHARGE OF DETERMINGING RIGHT AND WRONG. THEIR ANCESTORS HAVE BEEN FALLING FOR THAT RUSE EVER SINCE. Having the power of choice, Adam, Eve and 99.99% if their descendants chose the way offered by the father of lies.

In the series titled “It Is Finished” (key word–Finished), I point out that Jesus indeed finished the job He was sent to do. However, from day one religious man has created “other” ways which they have found to be superior to God’s ONE AND ONLY WAY (OBEDIENCE TO HIS LAW). Jesus warned about this in Matthew 7:13,14 and 22:14. Many have been called to follow His narrow, legalistic, “My way or the highway” way presented in the Holy Scriptures. Few, Jesus said, have answered His call.

I have been sorely chastised, ridiculed and rejected for daring to bring up God’s printed Word when questions concerning spiritual truth rise to the surface. Only one member of my extended family agrees with God’s Word. When there is conflict between God’s Word and church doctrine, God loses. So far, the church has always won those battles. The unspoken, yet loudly proclaimed advise coming from “the church” is for God to just sit down and shut up. Unless, that is, a problem arises. When that inevitably happens, He is the first to be called upon. It seems that the Creator of all things is very selective when it comes to His area of expertise–saving mankind’s souls and bailing them out of trouble. Mankind does not know what trouble is–yet. What we are experiencing is what Jesus calls “the BEGINNING of sorrows.” this world will soon become a living hell that will make her current problems seem like child’s play. Understand this: ONLY GOD’S VERY ELECT SAINTS WILL BE ABLE TO STAND AND OVERCOME WHAT IS COMING I BELIEVE WITHIN TWO TO EIGHT YEARS. L.J.

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