Jesus, the second man/adam (1 Cor. 15:47) has come to earth, lived the perfect life as the example for those who would follow Him to His Father’s Kingdom, died and ascended to the Father, thereby paving the way for believers to inherit that kingdom. Before His ascent Jesus appointed 12 apostles to go throughout the known world preaching and teaching the Kingdom of God message which He called His gospel. Fifty days after His death on Passover He established His New Covenant Church on the Day of Pentecost.

Immediately upon the establishment of the New Covenant Church, Satan began making inroads into it using ministers who preached a false gospel based on the Babylonian religion of the people of Samaria. These heathen people had been brought in to replace Israel’s 10 northern tribes that had been scattered throughout the world following their defeat at the hands of the Assyrians. These scattered Israelites would become known as “the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel.” See White Fields and Replacement Theology. Over time, as pagans joined the church and their beliefs and practices became part of the church’s religious fabric, there would develop that which has come to be known as “church doctrine”–a hodge-podge of heathenistic beliefs and practices that now form the foundation of the modern church system (Catholicism/Protestantism). See the Introduction to this website. Exactly how heathenism came to dominate the church will be covered in detail in future postings.

The apostles’ fought tirelessly to keep Satan out of the church, but in the end they could not change the hearts of church people. In spite of their efforts, the majority of religious men, as did their ancestors in Eden, chose the way of the devil over the Way of their Maker. As earlier stated, the apostles warned the churches repeatedly about what was coming after their demise. Over time the original apostles were martyred for ministering the gospel to both Israelites and Gentiles throughout the Roman Empire.

Even before Paul’s death, the apostasy he and others had been warning the church about began to come to pass. An example of his forceful warnings can be seen in his words to the churches of Galatia: “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him Who called you … to a different gospel, which is not another (gospel), but there be some … who want to pervert the gospel of Christ” (Gal. 1:6-9). In Acts 20:29-31 he warned the ministers of the church at Ephesus: “For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you (from outside the church), not sparing the flock. Also, from among yourselves (the church) men will rise up, speaking perverse things (in order) to draw away disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.” Paul, who had spent many years resisting Satan’s takeover of the church, knew that once he was out of the way his attacks would eventually wear down the saints, most of whom would succumb to his onslaught. This website, along with both church and secular history prove how right he was.

In 2 Peter 2:1-3 the apostle warned the church: “But there were also false prophets among the people (in Old Testament times), even as there are false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord Who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom (false prophets) the way of Truth will be evil spoken of … they will exploit you with deceptive words ….” What the apostles prophesied has indeed come to pass as the devil’s false prophets continue to deceive others with destructive heresies, denying God’s lordship over them and causing His Truth to be disparaged and rejected. Those of us who speak and write that Truth bear witness to the accuracy of Peter’s prophecy. Of all the words heard and read by the Counterfeit Church, none are hated and rejected like God’s Words.

The religious theme the apostles warned the church about is the same theme Satan convinced Adam and Eve to embrace–that God had lied to them about death being the end result of sin. Satan convinced them that, contrary to the Lord’s Words, they could sin and get away with it, that their sins would not bring about their deaths because they were “saved.” Instead, they could defy Him and “You shall not surely die.” Satan’s lie about the Lord’s lack of honesty has not only survived throughout church history, but has become one of the pillars supporting her. Because she is both “saved” and subservient to sin due to Adam’s weakness, she is guaranteed a mansion in paradise. And Satan smiles while assuring professing Christendom that the lying Jesus–the second Adam/man–failed to fulfill His commission in that a liar could not possibly be man’s savior.

Having believed Satan’s lie, it became incumbent upon the church to produce a third Adam who would succeed where the first two had failed. They found their man by looking inward. Behold, the one they were looking for had been there all along. He had been identified in the Garden of Eden. The Third Adam was none other than man himself. Indeed, “There is nothing new under the sun.” Man, as the Counterfeit Church proudly announces to the world, is the leader of the church. Satan’s smile broadens as he pulls those leaders’ strings. To be continued. L.J.