Continuing with the subject of church rejection of God’s commands, doctrines and celebrations, I will briefly mention a few more in order to hopefully convince doubters that the Institutional Church is not a part of the Body of Christ–God’s tiny, despised but faithful church.

Other commands from God that the church rejects concern:

Denominations: In 1 Corinthians 1:10 the Apostle Paul said, “Let there be NO DIVISIONS (denominations) among you.” He goes on to perfectly describe the cults that today call themselves “the church” which exist because someone’s version of the Bible was better than God’s pure Word. Every denomination is the result of a false prophet needing a following.

The “rapture”: The church claims that there will be a SECRET snatching away of believers (provided you belong to “the” church) prior to or in the midst of the Great Tribulation. However, God tells us in Matthew 24:27 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16 that when Christ next comes to earth LIGHTNING will flash from east to west, and “… the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a SHOUT, with the VOICE of the archangel and with the TRUMP(ET) of God ….” Secret rapture? Not if we can take God at His Word, which the church refuses to do.

Christ’s Friday death and Sunday resurrection: According to chronologists and Bible scholars Jesus died on Wednesday just before sundown (the beginning of Thursday) and arose just before sundown on Saturday as Sunday approached. Biblical days began and ended at sundown. The Friday death and Sunday resurrection of a “savior” refer to the death and resurrection of a heathen god named Tammuz who was supposedly in the tomb one day (Saturday) and two nights (Friday night and Saturday night). Christ was in the tomb Wednesday night, Thursday, Thursday night, Friday, Friday night and Saturday–3 days and 3 nights exactly as He said 13 times in the 4 gospels. By observing the Friday death and Sunday resurrection of their savior, church people claim Tammuz as their messiah. Incidentally, Tammuz was supposedly born on Dec. 25th and returns each year at that time to leave presents under a tree that has been decorated with gold and silver and placed in the home. Sound familiar?

Salvation solely by faith: “Faith without works is dead” (Jam. 2:20). “Can faith (alone) save you?” (Jam. 2:14). The second chapter of the Book of James destroys the “faith only” theme.

The death of the Law: Jesus: “I did not come to destroy the Law, but to fulfill (live) it.” The Ten Commandment Law defines both sin and righteousness. “To transgress the Law is sin; for sin is the transgression of the Law” (1 Jn. 3:4). If breaking the Law is sin, then obeying it is righteousness. In Isaiah 59:2 God tells us that sin (transgressing/breaking the Law) separates us from Him. Jesus told a rich man that in order to be saved he must obey the Ten Commandment Law. He said the same thing to a lawyer.

In Romans 1:18-22 Paul said that to suppress the Truth (God’s Word-Jn. 17:17) is the act of fools and the ungodly. In verse 28 he said that such fools do not retain God in their hearts.

I will close this posting with a reminder of what Jesus said in Luke 10:16–To reject His Word is to despise not only His Word, but Himself and His Father also. L.J.