The church of the 21^st century?

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (2 Timothy 4:3,4)

"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth will be a revolutionary act." -- George Orwell

The church (When we use the word church with a lower case c we mean institutional/denominational churches--false christanity) of the 21st century, and the vision of that church of the future makes me sad. Why would I say that? Because anyone with a modicum of spiritual insight, and a great love of the Church (When we use the Church with a capital C we mean the real Church, the believers, the called out ones) will see this. I love the Church—the body of Christ. I wish it no harm or failure which is impossible anyway. However, the truth is God has always called, kept, and directed His people. Without a doubt the remnant is and always will be alive and active.

There is a decline in upholding the truth. Truth, accuracy, and first century scriptural traditions have been replaced with error, faultiness, and traditions of men. Ecumenicalism and mixing toward the one world religion is soon coming upon us. So where is the Church? Right where its always been kept in the grip of Christ. The "church" you see today in the landscape—denominations are filled with commercialism and sold out to the world. Avoid them!

People are allowed into the churches, unsaved, with the thought by the ministers that some "genuine confession will be had at their hands." The old close your eyes, bow your head, and repeat after me lie. church services are now becoming church circuses. With regards to the first century Church and the so-called church today they don't mix. They're two different things.

God is not limited to a physical temple, sanctuary, church, or denomination. We are His abode because we are His people. Jesus said, "go" not sit. God is not confined to a set of regulations. We come to God in Spirit and in Truth. "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him." (John 4:23)

Take for example worship. Worship is to be a direct expression from the heart of a believer to the very feet of God. True worship can only be from the heart and not manufactured. "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him." (John 4:23) People are bound by their tradition in worshipping God.

True worship cannot be hyped up, conjured up, pumped up, organized, or "led into." People cannot be manipulated or engineered to give true worship. They will not rely on vibes, warm fuzzies, feelings or emotions to turn their heart toward heaven. There's no such thing as "worship" leaders under the New Covenant.

"But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple." (Psalm 5:7)

"Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." (Psalm 29:2)

Worship is not to be what I can get out of it i.e. I feel good, I was moved, or I was really into it. Those things can happen but it's not the "hard drive" of worship. Worship is expressing to God everything you have with in you for who He is and what He has done for you! It's not about you. It's about Him. Only those that have been truly touched by Him, identified with Him, and interacted with Him can know true worship.

Many fellowships substitute true worship for rote, indifferent, disrespectful parody worship. This is due in part because of the faulty, insincere, numbers driven salvation exercise they claim is saving people. Worship is getting into a place where we enter into the throne room of God here on earth, and is to be reverential and respectful.

Have you ever seen someone in fellowship during worship time chewing gum, wearing a hat, or drinking coffee? I have. Talk about a come as you are relaxed atmosphere! In an effort not to offend anyone fellowships are allowing God to be offended. Songs are sung with no meaning or sincerity. Worship has morphed into the rest of the "service" instead of something critical. We better start worshipping like we will in heaven, least once we go there, we find the worship of heaven very strange. The Church of God are people, both Jew and Gentile together, called out of the world and false religion where as one new man they can worship God in spirit.

"And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory." (Isaiah 6:3)

Truly it's a manifold problem. Those that do not really know God, and don't know about true worship, are leading those that don't really know God or true worship in this ascued kind of worship. What can you do? First, make sure you are born again. Second, make sure you know about worship. Third, we're here to help and are working on gathering those people God is preparing to bring back true worship see www.kingshouse.org

The second example is Scriptural teaching. Modern Bible perversions are being promoted more than ever. And mention the word righteousness and they'll accuse you of being some holier-than-thou deceived person. Ever heard these phrases? "The move of God," "Get a touch from the Lord," "Feel the Spirit's touch," "Soak up the Spirit," "Breathe in Jesus," "Holy laughter," "Holy shaking," "Holy drunkenness," "God wanting to bark or howl," "Uncontrollable frolicking," "Just let go and open yourself up," "Open your mouth and let the Lord take over," "God is out of control," "Catch the fire," "You need to throw out your theology and go with the flow," "God is doing a work," "He's the reason for the season," "happy birthday Jesus,"" He's the real thing," "The real deal," "We serve a contemporary Jesus," "The best is yet to come," "The hour of power," "Peace signs," "the dove," "the olive leaf," "the rainbow," "WWJD," "hang loose sign" Jesus on bumper stickers, pictures, and t-shirts in which is not Jesus at all. These are very effective New Age symbols, slogans, and banners. And other stupid phrases. What are you thinking?

The excuse is that modern day people need to be told teaching in simpleton stories and language or they will not understand. Their kept in the dark on many truths because they are not taught right. Test your fellowship. Listen to what is taught write the subject down, then research that subject from the Scriptures thoroughly to see if what was taught is true then you will know. It's amazing how much error people take in without any study to see if it's even true. The fellowship of believers is for, "…the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:11,12). It's not entertainment, to find a date, to be pleasing to your flesh, or any other thing.

Forget "church" counsels, ecumenical meetings, church hierarchy, church boards, deacon boards, etc. yuck! Not at all Biblical. Better look out a false prophet is coming remember Jesus' words, "if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive." Also, notice peoples attitude towards Israel and the Jews? They act as if the Israelis can do nothing wrong and are elevated to some level of "special holiness." Which today you can't point to the geographical land of Israel and say there are God's people—there is the Hebrew Jews all the tribes? No way! How can you be in agreement with a group that hates, denies, and despises Jesus? And people love to say the Jews killed Jesus. Wrong! Read your Bible. Jesus laid it down by Himself.

"Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." (John 10:17,18)

God's people today are called out of the world to simplicity in Him. Not to loyalty to a pastor, denomination, building, or creed. God has His own remnant who will stick to doing things His way, and stand for Him and for Him only. And it will be the Lord glorified in the end.

"Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace." (Romans 11:5)

God our Father makes much allowance for spiritual babes of the faith. This is called growing in grace. He knows that once we begin our pilgrimage in Him we are going to make mistakes probably plenty. We have to learn to stand on our own two feet, make your own decisions, and become responsible. Eat the meat and not suck on milk. Religion means finding God through externalization. Relying on our own effort, or righteousness, to make it. That's what churches do today.

Jesus has paid the complete price at the cross. The impossible has become possible in Him. He has granted us His righteousness even though we never deserved it and if we would only embrace His free gift. Because it's only when we receive Christ's finished work on the cross the Lord no longer sees our sinful state, but the righteousness of His Son. Jesus' payment on the cross cannot be added to, or watered down, with no need to ever be repeated again. Once and for all. Today the church is about short cuts, by-passing the cross, providing substitutes for God's plan of salvation through Good works, self-effort, anything but the blood of Jesus!

Must we separate? Yes!

However, authentic Christianity, the bonafide biblical kind, cannot come to the world's religious corner. Never! We are set apart by God to be a people different and separated from the world, remaining undefiled by the heathen and their ways. Today, as the Lord set's apart His Bride, to be espoused to one Bridegroom, how much of the faith has been prostituted and corrupted by a mixture?

Now we serve God Almighty Himself not the mere shadow. And are not subject to observing days, and months, and times, and years according to Galatians 4:10, which pertain to bondage and coming under the law again. Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, Palm Sunday, Mothers Day, Valentines Day, St. Patrick's Day (all Roman Catholic by the way) simply imported paganistic practices. We can't serve two masters. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)

However, what does count is whether we are serving the Lord in truth. According to scripture, the only way to do this is by being in obedience to His word. "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46)  The sotish children of this present church have a problem. They've neglected their Lord for another lord "And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth." (Judges 2:13)

What can you do? Pray and ask God for His help by His spirit to learn the Scriptures. Don't be fooled by modern translations of the Bible. Pray for the remnant and those trapped in the denominations to come out.

The third example is witnessing. Today, people go to fellowship and are spoken to like children. Then are made to feel guilty and told if "they want to receive Christ" to close their eyes, bow their heads and "while all eyes are closed and heads are bowed slip up your hand." This is so far removed from Biblical truth its not funny. They have made it easy salvationism. Today, the way witnessing is done is to bribe or make someone feel guilty into the kingdom—instead of repentance. Everything is done so as not to offend or embarrass someone.

"Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 10:32)

Those that are believers are to plant seeds and water, but it's God that gets the increase. So what can you do? Learn the truth about real witnessing. Pass out tracts and talk to people about Christ then let God do his work.

God knows the burden I carry for the Church. How can you not see this? How is it we're so blind? Are we in the time prophesied in Timothy? "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first…." (2 Thessalonians 2:3)

The church is asleep. Those that try to roust them from bed are chastised and almost declared heretical! As the Scriptures say, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" (Isaiah 5:20) and again, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children." (Hosea 4:6)

We have come to the place in the history of the church that should be rightly called "the dark ages of the 21^st Century." When in history has the church become so childish? We have sacrificed facts for fiction, faith for fantasy, and holiness for hedonism.

Galatians 1:6,7 has come to pass, "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ." As well as, "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?" (Galatians 3:1)

It has become evident that all of the things we're warned about in the Holy Scriptures concerning these matters are revealed. God forbid. Will this generation be known for its false doctrine feigned worship, greed for money, and artificial salvation?

There are those that say the Church should be progressive, but if progressive means exchanging truth and right practice for progression then we must cry HALT! Truth is not even recognized anymore because the lines are blurred. Fellowships and pastors are praised for their invitations and false doctrine than for traditions and truth.

There is nothing new it's just packaged differently. "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 1:9) Thank God our salvation does not rest on the belief or not of the rapture, or our particular view of the tribulation. It only indicates the validity of the person.

Amen?

Questions? E-mail us