From day one of the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth He was busy training those who would pick up the mantel of ministry, apply what He taught them in word and example, take what they had been taught to the world and train those who would come after them until His return at the end of the age. Contrary to almost universal opinion, His original ministry and methodology were never supposed to change. And they did not change. Change, however, did take place.

Following the deaths of the original apostles, change occurred in every aspect of the church’s beliefs and activities so that, by 150 A.D. God’s early messengers would not have recognized the church they had given their lives to build. The changes have only increased over time. Paganized beyond recognition, all that remains of the original Church of God is the Name being used to maintain credibility in the world–Jesus Christ. Over the following 1900 years or so following the deaths of the apostles, “the church” continued to drift away from the teachings of the One she claimed to be following. Read Simon of Samaria. Key word–Simon. The so-called “Protestant Movement” did nothing to alter the direction and seriousness of the church’s apostasy. Read about the church’s slide into what she is today in the series concerning the seven church eras. Key word–Eras. Note especially the final (Laodicean) era which depicts the fallen condition of the modern church. As Jesus makes clear, man, not Himself, is the agent of change.

But through all of the changes man has made, God has always had a remnant–a few true believers who have clung to Him and His singular message and method while the church masses were dividing themselves into hundreds of various cults with different names, beliefs and customs. Today, each cult has its own god, its own head (savior) and its own plan of salvation. However, God’s tiny remnant continues to believe and obey His Word, albeit in the shadows of professing Christendom. But that is about to change as part one of this series brought to light. This posting will reveal what the original virgin Church of God was like in the beginning and how she was transformed into the religious whore she has become.

Following the supposed “Christianization” of the Roman Empire, significant changes began to take place in the form of church heathenization. Though totally pagan (except for the title of “Christian,”) the changes in Christ’s message and method came through those who claimed to have been called by Him to deliver a totally different message from the one He and His apostles preached and ministered. The change from a powerful God-centered message and method to a powerless man-centered message and method was the result of man’s loss of faith in and total rejection of the Holy Bible which was replaced by church doctrine. Church doctrine is man’s version of God’s Truth–His Word (Jn. 17:17) This explains why neither His message nor His power exist within mainline Christianity today. What we find is a counterfeit version of the original church. Jesus warned about this in Matthew 24:4,5.

In what are called “Pentecostal” Churches, much is preached about God’s power. The message is invariably accompanied by much physical movement and verbal proclamations by the congregations. However, that is usually as far as it goes. The sick remain sick; the demonized retain their evil spirits, etc. Basically, it is all talk and no walk. There is an age-old saying that summarizes the modern-day church relative to God’s power: “After all is said and done, much more is said than done.”

Having spent many years in that system I can bear witness to the truth of that statement. Whatever miraculous acts of power are exhibited within that system, few, if any, are due to the people’s faith in or obedience to God’s Word. It is due to God’s kindness and His desire that the recipients of His grace study His Word and learn more about Him. Read Does God Answer the Prayers of Sinners? Key word–Sinners.

Though Christ’s message and method have been kept in the spiritual shadows by professing Christendom, that is about to change. Soon, God is going to blast away the false church’s darkness and put His power on display before the world. But for the present let us return to days of old when His glory was evident and on display for the sake of saint and sinner alike. Let us return to the days when God was in charge of the church. Historians tell us that the way to know the future is to study the past. By noting the changes that have taken place in the past, we can get a glimpse of what is coming. God’s warning prophecies also tell us what to expect in the future.

Warning: the Institutional Church will fight against God’s displays of power because His glorious light will expose her darkness. The world, specifically the church world, will see how Satan has deceived her into rejecting God’s Way (Rev. 12:9). Laws will be passed in an attempt to shut down God’s men as they reveal to the world the true nature of the Biblical God. Some such legislation is already in existence in the form of “Hate Crime” laws. “Hate” can be defined as anything that offends someone. Being shown the difference between God’s Truth and the church’s “truths” offends church people. What will it be like when miracles accompany His Truth for all the world to witness. Read The Great Darkness. Key word–Darkness.

Beginning with verse 18 of chapter four in Matthew’s Gospel we find Jesus of Nazareth calling certain men to follow Him. Over the following five chapters we find Him teaching them the message and method of His ministry (vss 18-25). Note in 7:28,29 that Jesus demonstrated that He had total authority to use God’s Holy Spirit power when ministering to the spiritual and physical needs of the people. Keep in mind that His disciples were given that same authority. As we will see, He set the example and expected the disciples to follow it. Nothing has changed. The Lord has been preparing me for what He is about to do through me, and hopefully others, in the near future. If you have not read the series having the key word–Gun, I recommend that you do so.

In Matthew 10 beginning with verse one we find the Lord, having taught and shown His disciple what to do and how to do it, He sent them out to preach the same Gospel and to perform the same miracles (vs 1,5-8). Over time He revealed to them that He expected them to do everything He did, and more. Read 14:15-21. Note that He expected the disciples to multiply food. Later (14:23-31) He expected them to walk on water. Note that Peter did so, then, upon arriving where Jesus was, lost his faith and went under, ONLY TO HAVE JESUS CHASTIZE HIM, SAYING THAT HE HAD LITTLE FAITH, THOUGH HE HAD WALKED ON WATER! This shows us how much the Lord expects of His messengers. In another instance He scolded the disciples for not calming the storm Satan had sent to kill them (Mat. 8:24-26).

The message is clear: GOD COMMANDS HIS MESSENGERS TO PERFORM MIRACLES OF ALL KINDS AS HE DID. IN JOHN 14:12 HE TELLS US THAT TRUE, OBEDIENT, FAITH-FILLED MEN WILL DO EVERYTHING HE DID AS A MAN. HE ADDED THAT SUCH MEN WOULD DO EVEN GREATER THINGS THAN HE DID. WHAT GOD WILL DO IN THE FUTURE WILL MAKE THE BOOK OF ACTS PALE BY COMPARISON. AND THE WORLD, ESPECIALLY THE CHURCH WORLD, WILL HATE THOSE WHOM HE USES TO DISPLAY HIS POWER. L.J.