The Apostle Peter tells us in Second Peter 1:20,21 that, relative to the message of the Holy Bible, “Holy men of old spoke (and wrote) as they were moved (spoken to) by the Holy Spirit.” Peter makes clear the fact that NO STATEMENT OF SCRIPTURE IS OF ANY HUMAN ORIGIN AND THAT EVERY WORD WAS SPOKEN (AND RECORDED) AS HOLY MEN OF OLD WERE MOVED BY (THE VOICE OF) GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT. The son of God confirmed the apostle’s statement with several His own while on this earth in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. One such statement is found in John 17:17 where He says to His Heavenly Father: “YOUR WORD IS TRUTH.” Note that He did not say that God’s Word CONTAINED the Truth, but that GOD’S WORD IS THE ONE AND ONLY SPIRITUAL TRUTH RELATIVE TO HIS INSTRUCTIONS TO MANKIND WHICH, IF BELIEVED AND OBEYED, RESULT IN PERSONAL RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLINESS THAT ARE NECESSARY IN ORDER TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE IN HIS EARTHLY PARADISE. Read about this paradise (kingdom) using the key word–Kingdom. Read Romans 5:21 and 6:22 relative to God’s command for holiness and righteousness. Note that the END RESULT of living a righteous/holy life after being justified IS ETERNAL LIFE. JUSTIFICATION is having one’s PAST sins forgiven by the grace of God. From that time until the end of life the justified one must live in righteousness and holiness until Christ’s return in order to be saved/born again. For an explanation of the justification-salvation situation read “It Is Finished” using Finished as the key word.

This teaching is designed to remind serious Bible students that, contrary to universally-embraced church doctrine, the promise of entering into and living eternally in God’s presence does not automatically occur when a salvation-seeker asks Jesus to come into his heart as his Savior, completes a prescribed ritual (which comes with a built-in “repeat after me” prayer) and is baptized. Use the key word Baptism to learn what true Scriptural baptism actually involves. In the “Finished” teaching one will learn that the meaning of Christ’s statement is NOT what church people have been told for almost 2000 years. Most of what they have been told about forgiveness and salvation is a LIE which does indeed come from a god, but not the Biblical God. The source of all church lies is the “god of this world”–Satan (2 Cor. 4:4)–whom Jesus tells us has deceived the world’s masses (Rev. 12:9). The devil’s greatest deception involved gaining control over professing Christendom.

Only a few people who have lived on earth since the time of Christ have heard His Truth, and only a few of those have believed and obeyed it. Satan began his deception attack early on in the life of the New Covenant Church. Recall that the apostles had to do battle with false Christians from the beginning. A prime example is found in the Apostle Paul’s letter to the churches of Galatia (1:6-9). According to Jesus, that situation will not change (Mat. 7:13,14). As we are witnessing today, the church’s spiritual disease is growing worse by the day. Religious deception is at an all-time high. This is what the Apostle John was referring to when he warned that before Christ returns there would come a great “falling away” from Christ and His message. We are watching the beginning of the end-time rush away from the Lord in what is being called the “Revival Movement.” Read about the movement using the key word–Revival. An explanation is in order.

Satan cannot prevent mankind from being religious. He cannot stop man from recognizing that a higher power exists and from paying homage to that power in one way or another. However, he can, and normally does, sidetrack religious people from God’s way by convincing them to embrace his (Satan’s) way. Satan has provided mankind with hundreds of different religions in order to provide what each religion seeker wants, including those within the church system. They are called denominations. Jesus warned Truth seekers about this in Matthew 7:13,14. Those entering the church (sheepfold) through the devil’s wide (come as you are) gate (door) and walking his broad (stay as you are path) believe that they are following, believing, obeying, serving, and worshiping the Biblical God and His Son.

This deception is not a new phenomenon. It began in the Garden of Eden with what I call God’s first church–“The Church of Eden.” Notice that Satan did not tell Adam and Eve that they must leave God and follow him (Satan). He merely noted that God was WRONG, and that it was okay to disobey His commands when He is wrong. He noted that they could defy His orders and still live eternally (“You shall NOT surely die”) in the paradise that was the Garden of Eden. The Serpent could not force them to defy God and follow him. Rather, he had to win them away from God and to himself through deception. He did and has continue to do so to this day. I was a part of that deception for half of my life.

Satan’s success is a matter of history, including most of church history. The most obvious example of his success is witnessed every Sunday in the church world and every Friday in the Muslim world when billions of religious people pay homage to their respective gods. Other religions have their particular gods whom they honor at various times and in a various ways. In the eyes of the one and only true God, all other religions and their gods are abominations. This includes the group I call the Catholic/Protestant Religious System–a two-headed, multi-bodied, multi-godded, multi-saviored abomination that Christ will destroy, along with the rest of the heathen world, upon His return to earth to establish the Kingdom of God where He and His Very Elect saints will live eternally.

This ministry was designed by the Lord to make known to church people what is required in order for a believer to enter God’s kingdom upon the return of Jesus Christ. The statement that I have highlighted time and again relative to God’s promises is this: IF JESUS CHRIST IS NOT ONE’S LORD, MASTER, KING , OWNER IN THIS LIFE, HE WILL NOT BE ONE’S SAVIOR UPON HIS RETURN. The story of Adam and Eve reveals that, in this life, when we disobey God we die spiritually. If we are not justified, converted and spend the rest of our earthly lives walking in obedience to His Law, we will die physically following Judgment Day.

Without total obedience to His Law, specifically the Ten Commandments (including #4), His promises concerning this life and the future will not be awarded. Jesus, when speaking about Judgment Day, addressed people in His day as well as those who have lived on earth since that time. In Matthew 7:21-23 He delivered shocking news for those who had claimed to be Christians and had called Him their Lord during this life while refusing to obey His Ten Commandment Law. When facing Him at their time of judgment, church people will expect to be welcomed by Him.

However, only those who had obeyed His Law following justification will be allowed into the kingdom. Many will remind Him that they had celebrated the Lord’s Supper and had taken communion in His presence, had attended church regularly, had worn crosses, had read the Bible, prayed, etc. Some will have been preachers, evangelists, missionaries and teachers who will have taught or preached in His name and in His name had done many wonderful works. However, He will say to those pillars of the church: “I NEVER KNEW YOU; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICED INIQUITY.”

In Matthew 15:6-9 Jesus addressed those of His day and every day since, telling them and us that, by disobeying His Ten Commandment Law (vss 3-5) we make the commandments of God of no effect. He calls such people hypocrites and describes them as the Prophet Isaiah described those of his day who refused to obey the Law. These people honored Jesus with their lips, but their hearts did not match their mouths. Because of this they, and those in the church today, WORSHIPED HIM IN VAIN BY OBEYING THE TRADITIONS OF MEN AND NOT THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD. Observance of the Sunday Sabbath, Christmas and Easter are prime examples of obeying the traditions of the church fathers which were borrowed from heathen religions. For more information on this subject, read Simon Of Samaria, key word–Simon.

To those in the Institutional Church who know the Truth and obey it, the Lord, through the Apostle Paul, commands them to separate themselves from counterfeit Christians and to remain separate. He points out in Second Corinthians 6:14-7:1 that there can be no communion between true believers and false believers, between the righteous and the lawless, between light and darkness. There can be no relationship between Christ and Satan, no agreement between God’s Truth and Satan’s Lies and no connection between the temple of God (His saints) and the temple of the devil (Satan’s people). God’s true saints must “cleanse themselves of all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,” then, through obedience to the Gospel, “perfect holiness in the fear of God.”

As Jesus warned, the vast majority of those within the “Christian community” are counterfeit believers whom He described in Matthew 15:6-9. He said that such people would make up the majority of church members. For a more in-depth look at the church’s varied make-up, read about those in God’s church, whom He calls “My people who are called by My name.” Use the key word–Called. L.J.