Category: All About Self

For the time will come when they will not suffer wholesome doctrine: but having their ears itching, shall after their own lusts get them an heap of teachers, 4 And shall turn their ears from the truth, and shall be given unto 1 fables. 2 Timothy 4:3-4

The most erroneous and deceptive teaching concerning followers of Christ is the fraudulent, man-made doctrine that believers are to attend this “thing” we call “church.” Men in “church leadership” have falsely taught believers we are to belong to two “churches” – the one birthed and orchestrated out of the hands of man, and in addition – God’s one and only true Church (the Ecclesia). We can assure you there is absolutely no spiritual basis for this man-made system and its traditions. None whatsoever. The reason why you fail to see this is quite simple – You do not want to see it.

Even more shocking, we give more credence and attribute far more power to our man-made “churches,” than to the only Church Jesus ever created. We idolize man’s “church” over God’s Ecclesia. There is only one true Church, and it is the Body of Christ. Any other “church” in existence is a product of man. This man-made “church system” is an idolatrous, worldly contrivance, birthed out of the motives and desires of men and women. It appeals to our carnal desires – the things we call “spirit” but in reality are the things of the flesh. Again, (as we mentioned previously) we should not be using the word “church” – we are God’s Ecclesia – “the called out ones”. Please note for the sake of clarity, and due to its popularity with mainstream culture, however; we have chosen to use the word “church” in most of our writings here.

Most believers have been taught by men that what we call “church”, is what Jesus Christ is all about. The yardstick to measure their relationship with Christ is based on their participation in “church” – not their actual relationship with Jesus. They equate one with the other – which is idolatry. We have made the choice to exalt and accept man’s teachings over the truth in God’s Word. “Church” is something our flesh can see, and we have been erroneously taught it is the one thing which supposedly represents Jesus. It is something we can do, see, and be a part off. Or as one writer of antiquity stated regarding pagans, “we are prone to estimate religion by what meets the eyes.” In other words, we are prone to estimate our relationship with Jesus by what meets our eyes – what our flesh sees, and our participation in certain religious acts.

The very freedom we claim Jesus has provided through His death on the cross is something we ourselves reject. God’s Word tells us Jesus abolished the law, but we still continue to operate under it. Our rejection is a betrayal of the very gift of freedom He provided us by His death. The world sees this – but we can’t (more actually like we won’t), and that is because the vast majority of believers are still walking in bondage. It has been Satan’s plan all along to discredit and neutralize the followers of Christ by having us wrapped up in legalism and the traditions of man. Our witness to the world is pretty much encased inside this thing we call “church,” and the behaviors and activities we are expected to fulfill. The only thing the world sees is our religious habits and our counterfeit fruit.

Most “churchgoers” only have a religious relationship with God. Their real relationship is with their religion, its’ legalistic doctrine, and their “churches.” Going to “church” makes us feel righteous. “Church leaders” provide a false assurance of salvation by making us feel we are okay as long as we attend and support their “churches.” They are skilled at making believers feel guilty when there is absolutely no biblical foundation for such feelings. This guilt is not from God or the Holy Spirit; it is empowered by the demonic forces of hell. These leaders have convinced believers that it is their duty to attend “church”, and it is simply not true. Satan has done everything in his power to reinvent the Body of Christ. Sadly, he has been successful.

“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in destructive, untrue teachings, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their destructive ways; by reason of whom the way of truth will be defamed.” 2 Peter 2:1-2

One of the main reasons many go to “church” is simply because that’s what we have been taught to do. God never instructed this – Jesus created one Church, and it is solely the Body of Christ. He has made this very clear throughout the Bible. Paul wrote regarding how detrimental divisions among the Body of Christ are, which is one of the primary byproducts of the institutional “church.” At the risk of sounding arrogant, people do not like to think – most prefer someone else to do the thinking for them. For over 1,700 years starting with the inception of the “Roman Catholic Church,” many believers have embraced these man-made doctrines, while discounting what’s actually in God’s Word. We must not just accept things which have come down to us through the centuries as being true, simply because others follow and believe what men have told them.

The hold of man is powerful – as we said before, the Jewish leadership convinced the Jews in their community to crucify our Lord Jesus Christ. “But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus” (Matthew 27:20). As you know, they were successful. Carnal minded men and women have cajoled many in the Body of Christ into believing the “institutional church system” is synonymous with Christ. Anything that supposedly shares in equal standing with Jesus other than Christ Himself, the Father, or the Holy Spirit is IDOLATRY.

Men have abused Hebrews 10:25 intentionally, and have erroneously taught it as if it’s in reference to attending “church.” This verse is referring ONLY to fellowship with other believers – and absolutely nothing else. It cost William Tyndale his life when he spoke out about this deliberate, false translation of God’s Word. This verse has nothing to with going to “church”, attending a “church”, or joining a “church.” When this verse was written, there were no “church buildings” or services in existence. When you use this verse in this manner, you are promoting a false gospel.

You will not find a single verse where Jesus commanded us to, “Go to church,” “build “churches,” “join a church,” or “attend church.” Instead, Jesus said there is one Church, and it is The Body of Christ. As soon as you declare Jesus as your Savior, you are a fully participating member of the one and only Church He created. But men have distorted God’s Word for their own gain, and have convinced believers they are disobeying God if they do not attend this “thing” we call “church”. It is a LIE from Satan. I repeat – It is a lie. We will eventually write about how any “church” government is a departure from Scripture.

The primary reason why people go to “church” is they receive a false sense of security with their relationship with Jesus. The idea that the “churchgoing” believer is safe, is conveyed and implicitly implied by “church leaders” They have been taught by men that this is something they must do. Many people even believe others are not truly saved if they do not participate in the man-made “church system.”

Equally important, going to “church” makes believers feel spiritual and good about themselves. We have a strong desire for others to perceive us as spiritual as well. If you were to be honest with yourself, you would admit that this is true. Our relationship with Jesus is secondary to the institution. We get a great sense of spiritual pride out of doing what men tell us to do, and we falsely assume being obedient to “church leaders” is the same as being obedient to Jesus Christ. It is a lie from Satan.

We love worshiping God in the plain view of others, and we play the part very well. It is Idolatry – the pride we take in ourselves and basking in our own spiritual image. “Church leaders” know exactly how to foster such feelings, and convince believers they are not only right, but they have all the answers. If you have subjected yourself to the dominion of someone other than Jesus Christ, you have allowed him or her to usurp Christ lordship in your life. Satan appears as an angel light; he is too devious, too clever to be overt in the way he operates.

We are just as insincere and as phony as the Pharisees if we believe what we do on the outside make us spiritual. We love seeking the accolades of men, and in the “church” environment, everyone is given permission to put on their spiritual mask and act accordingly. It’s alright because everyone else is on their best behavior. What we call “church” is designed for those who walk in the flesh, by those walking in the flesh. Am I saying as an absolute there is no love to be found there? No, I’m not saying this at all. There is love in such environments, as love can exist anywhere – even in secular environments. What I’m saying, however; is when love is based on what you do, outer appearances, and obeying the legalistic commands of men, it begs the question – is that truly love? And more importantly, do you think Jesus sees this as love? The answer is no.

Jesus tells us instead, that when we obey God, we will be thrown out of the synagogues and the temples of men. “They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever kills you will think that he is doing God service (John 16:2). “ “Church buildings”, specific religious acts, and the culture that goes along with fitting in with the religious crowd has been idolized by millions of believers. Those who stop participating in this worldly, man-made system out of obedience to Jesus will have a heavy price to pay. Always remember – Jesus and His followers were despised by the spiritual leaders and their followers as well. It is a much easier walk to be a part of this counterfeit, deceptive system and be accepted among men, but in the end you will pay the price. God tells us we are not to be a part of systems based on the legalistic conditions of man, and unequivocally told us He has truly freed us. “Stand firm therefore and do not again be entangled with a yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1).”

Christ and the apostles NEVER established a designated place to preach to others. They did not have any particular or specific place to worship over and over again. At times Paul and other believers would go into the synagogues to speak about Jesus to the Jews, but it was not to take part in the Jewish religion or the Sabbath. The temple no longer held the spiritual significance to them as in the past. A side note here: some early believers had such a religious mindset, they continued to embrace the Jewish Sabbath,despite the fact they believed in Jesus. We will discuss this more in a future article. God, however, tells us we are His Church 24 hours, 7 days a week. Again, the minute you declare Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are a fully participating member of the Body of Christ. You have done all Jesus and God’s Word has told you to do.

God wants us to have fellowship with other believers, but it has absolutely nothing to do with a man-made organization or a “church”. Nor does it have anything to do with a place or a given time. Jesus could not have said it any clearer: For where two or three are gathered together in my Name, there am I in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20). It is our flesh that requires a building, an organization, a leader other than Jesus – we need to see it. God wants you to take Him for His Word, and obey His simple teachings – not men’s. He only cares that we be part of His one and only true Church, the Body of Christ – His Ecclesia.

These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by man. Matthew15:8-9

 

“The Lord walked in humility and obscurity, …unadorned in dress. Otherwise, He would not have said, ‘Behold! Those who are clad in soft raiment are in kings’ houses.” In short, He was lowly in countenance and appearance, just as Isaiah had also prophesied… He shrank back from being made a king, for He was conscious of His own kingdom. Therefore, He in the fullest manner gave us the example of turning completely from all the pride, dignity, and garments of power.” – Tertullian (200 A.D.)

Participating in the idolatrous institutions of man yields fruit of little value or substance for the Kingdom of God. One such example of such deceptive and hollow fruit, is the concept that believers are to dress up when they gather in their “churches.” To believe that dressing up for “church” shows respect and reverence of God, is not only an insult to Him, but is a pagan tradition derived from the sinful contrivances of man. It is an ungodly concept birthed straight out of Satan’s playbook, yet many Christians think it demonstrates respect for God. To believe that our God is so shallow and vain, that He would even value the things of man, is not only deception, but it is idolatry. It is the idolatry of clothing and the things valued by this world. “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight (Luke 16:15).

You cannot utilize some thing (clothing, jewelry, perfume, etc.) that man esteems, and make the mistake in believing that God is honored by it. Let’s be completely truthful here, we want others to see us dress up, and we feel proud of ourselves for it. It makes us feel spiritual, and it is something our flesh can easily engage in. “Church leaders” encourage this. They know by believers dressing up, they will not only feel more righteous about themselves, but it is also part of the mystery “church” leadership wish to convey behind attending “church.” It helps indemnify the mystique surrounding the “church” itself, the pastor, and its culture. It is just one more work of the law, that helps attendees feel engaged and more spiritual about the whole “church” process.

For those who believe in dressing up for man’s idolatrous institution, I’m going to get a little rough here to some, but let’s be brutally honest. You like how dressing up for “church” make you feel about yourself. It makes you feel more spiritual, and you want others to see you as such. You want people to see you dressed up and you desire them to acknowledge you. You even enjoy when others outside the “church” environment see you dress up. You convince yourself that you are dressing up for God, and want other people to know that Sunday is a special day. Not only is Sunday NOT a special day set aside by God as the world believes (which we address in another article later), but let’s look at the heart of the matter. Very little of this has anything to do with God. It has to do with your own self-aggrandizement and your desire for others to think of you as a spiritual person.

What does God’s Word say about dressing up? Did He ever instruct Jesus, the apostles, or anyone else to dress up in the New Testament? Did Christ ever say that believers are to dress up in worldly garments, special clothes or jewelry, before picking up their cross to follow Him? No, but man tells us to do so, and we oblige them by picking up our wallets and tossing our Bibles out the window for their interpretation. 1 Samuel 16:7 – (God speaking) “People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts.” Sadly, most are so spiritually dull that they actually believe God is impressed with their idolatrous garments. Most believers simply accept religious practices without any question, and choose to follow men over God’s Word. Virtually all ancient religious practices before the birth of Jesus, required participants to dress up in some fashion before entering designated places of worship.

Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty that depends on fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God (1 Peter 3:3-4).

In our society and culture, as in most, we admire a “well-dressed man or woman.” But to God it is meaningless. God gets no glory by you and your fellow “churchgoers” dressing up, which only signifies to the world that He is not only a “superficial god,” but it conveys that we are still under the law. Attending “church” is a work of a law. Dressing up for church is a work of the law. They are contrivances birthed out the motives and ambitions of man. The only thing the world sees is our doctrine, our traditions, and believers who are knee deep in bondage to the devices and rules of man. God gets no glory from it – it indicates to the world that our God is like all the other gods in religions of the world.

As all “church” tradition can be traced back to the first church in today’s vernacular, the Catholic Church – so does the origin of dress. Well, that is dressing up as far as believers go. Long before Christ walked the earth, pagans were dressing up for their gods thousands upon thousands of years ago. Dressing up for the gods was birthed completely out of paganism. When Constantine Emperor of Rome, decreed believers attend this system he orchestrated and called “church”, no one ever knew which “church” he would show up in. So as a result, churchgoers started dressing up, not for God, but to show their respect to the Emperor in case he showed up. Hence, the idolatrous tradition for dressing up for this worldly monstrosity we call “church” was born.

To say the garments we wear show reverence towards God is to perceive Him in our own fleshly terms. That even goes for women who sport tightly wounded hair buns, dresses, long skirts, plain tops, etc., to achieve a certain “look” of spiritual chastity. God looks at the heart, and although some believers will say that very same thing, they believe God still feels honored by the things of the world. Clothing is a thing of the world. It is something esteemed by people, and it is idolatry when any form of spirituality is attributed to it. You might as well walk into a “church” with goat’s blood smeared on your body, incense, or a ram’s horn. The minute you deem inanimate objects as reverential, honorable, respectful, holy, you have committed IDOLATRY. And the minute you attribute spirituality to clothing – including your own, you have opened the door to deception and have invited Satan and his demonic principalities in. The demonic crowd grows, as it always does whenever a work of the flesh and our sin nature is involved. Satan is delighted.

“If anyone thinks that vestments, jewels, and other things that are considered precious [by men] are valued by God, he is altogether ignorant of what God is.” – Lactantius (304-313 A.D.)

Is your walk about Jesus Christ – or is about you? Is it about your relationships with other believers in the “church system” and how you are perceived, or it solely based on your relationship with Jesus? Or is your walk based on the non-scriptural, false fears that men have taught you, such as “Go to “church” on Sunday. It’s very likely that your relationship with Jesus is based on this thing called “church” – and not the other way around.

Judge these words and search the scriptures – then do some honest soul searching. Remember – God knows what is in our hearts; we can deceive ourselves, but we are not capable of deceiving Him. Believers in the “institutional church system” only have a religious relationship with Jesus – not a spiritual one. They think they have a spiritual relationship, but what they call “Spirit” is actually works of the “flesh.” These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by man. Matthew 15:8-9. By “flesh”, we mean man’s carnal nature – or his sin nature. It is our failed state that came after the fall of Adam and Eve.

Side Note*: We will use the term “man” when referring to all of mankind. Women are included in this, and we do not mean to be disparaging or sexist towards women. It is much easier and more succinct in our writings to simply use the term “man.”

We are imploring you to search the truth in God’s Word. Forget about what men and women have taught you, and their self-serving interpretations. Do as the Bereans, and examine everything; including what we are saying to ascertain whether it is in accordance to Scripture. These were also more noble men than they which were at Thessalonica, which received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Acts 17:11 Pray that God will impart the Holy Spirit to guide you, and give you the courage to abandon the fear of going somewhere where you rather not go.

By this, we mean the fear of:

• Discovering that you have been deceived by the teachings of men.
• Relinquishing the “church” culture and organizations that you cherish and esteem.
• Being subjected to what others think.
• Thinking of yourself more highly than you ought, by judging your spiritual health by the requirements, activities, and things demanded by “church leadership.”

Ask yourself, who are you trying to protect? Again, God’s Word says; He who is spiritual examines all things. Pray that God will open your eyes to see what He wants you to see. Pray for Him to give you the strength see past the traditions and rules of men over the truth in His Word. Pray for the Holy Spirit to touch your heart, so that you may hear His voice. Pray for Him to give you the strength in overwhelming opposition to stand up for Him and speak the truth. Pray for the courage to let go of those things that provide you comfort, but have no biblical basis. Pray for God’s help to walk in the Spirit, and not in the things you see, sense, feel, or fear.

We are in a war against unseen spiritual forces, and we are losing that war. There are always principalities around us, and their primary goal is to destroy mankind and our faith in Jesus. This thing we call “church” is jammed packed with principalities because its foundation is based on deception. When you attend this “thing” you call “church”, the floodgates open, and these principalities are released. I’m sure we just lost a lot of you here, but it is the truth. When Satan deceives, he never goes for the obvious – he goes for what is the most deceptive. He goes for what seems so right, but in actuality is deception that is contrary to what God truly desires for us.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the assaults of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, and against the worldly governors, the princes of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness, which are in the high places. Ephesians: 6:10-12

Not only the eternal destiny of all believers is at stake – there are unbelievers we should be winning over for Jesus. The only thing we have done is pushed them away. Don’t blame the world – we are to blame. We have put men, his doctrines, and his institutions over Christ first. All of these things have usurped Jesus lordship over our lives. We try to tell the world they can find freedom in Jesus, while they plainly see we ourselves do not even accept the freedom He provided on the cross. Ironically, they see what we are unable to see. You need to start asking yourself, “Why?”

This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: ” ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ Matthew 12:13-15