Destruction In Today's Churches - description html
Who is antichrist?
* In 1800, the Russians thought Napoleon was the antichrist.
* In 1940's, many thought Hitler was the antichrist.
* In 1960, some in Protestant church groups thought antichrist to be John F. Kennedy.
*****
Amazingly the apostles John and Paul tell us in the Bible who antichrist is and even tell us where to expect to see antichrist!
John tells us there are "many" antichrists, not just one antichrist. And John said antichrists were already there trying to operate in the church in his day.
I John 2:18-19 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
The apostle Paul tells us antichrist will come through the church and Paul tell us exactly how antichrist manages to get control.
II Thessalonians 2:1-4 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
*****
Paul even tells us that Jesus cannot return unless the apostasy first happens in the churches.
II Thessalonians 2:3-4 NASB Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.
*****
When we know these things we no longer have to be dismayed over the things we see done in churches. We certainly do not like seeing abominations in our church groups, but we understand by the Bible that these things had to happen before Jesus could return.
In this book, you will see specific examples of the operation of antichrist today in ministries as well as in individual churches and in the individuals in the congregations.
This book provides a base of information from the Bible and real life. I don't think anyone should find it depressing but rather illuminating. It cannot be stopped because it was something that had to happen in the end times according to Bible, and Jesus even told us this would come.
Matthew 24:3-5 And as HE sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto HIM privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of THY coming, and of the end of the world?
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
For many shall come in MY name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
***
This cannot be stopped. They will not correct themselves in the ministries or churches.
So what do we do?
That is what this book is about.
Joan Boney
* Destruction in Today's Churches: Description
Who is antichrist?
* In 1800, the Russians thought Napoleon was the antichrist.
* In 1940's, many thought Hitler was the antichrist.
* In 1960, some in Protestant church groups thought antichrist to be John F. Kennedy.
*****
Amazingly the apostles John and Paul tell us in the Bible who antichrist is and even tell us where to expect to see antichrist!
John tells us there are "many" antichrists, not just one antichrist. And John said antichrists were already there trying to operate in the church in his day.
I John 2:18-19 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
The apostle Paul tells us antichrist will come through the church and Paul tell us exactly how antichrist manages to get control.
II Thessalonians 2:1-4 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
*****
Paul even tells us that Jesus cannot return unless the apostasy first happens in the churches.
II Thessalonians 2:3-4 NASB Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.
*****
When we know these things we no longer have to be dismayed over the things we see done in churches. We certainly do not like seeing abominations in our church groups, but we understand by the Bible that these things had to happen before Jesus could return.
In this book, you will see specific examples of the operation of antichrist today in ministries as well as in individual churches and in the individuals in the congregations.
This book provides a base of information from the Bible and real life. I don't think anyone should find it depressing but rather illuminating. It cannot be stopped because it was something that had to happen in the end times according to Bible, and Jesus even told us this would come.
Matthew 24:3-5 And as HE sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto HIM privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of THY coming, and of the end of the world?
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
For many shall come in MY name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
***
This cannot be stopped. They will not correct themselves in the ministries or churches.
So what do we do?
That is what this book is about.
Joan Boney
* Chapter 1: Antichrist Comes Into The Churches Before The Return of Jesus
The apostle Paul explains the following.
II Thessalonians 2:1-4 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto HIM, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
I John 2:18-19 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
Two-thousand years have passed since the apostle John told the church these antichrists were already here and they were in their church groups. By this, they could know it was the last days.
And Paul said it would get much worse and it would continue to grow worse and worse before Jesus returned.
After his lifetime, Paul said these antichrist would come into the church and take over and speak perversions.
Acts 20:29-30 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
So
all manner of churches were set up by perverse men who set up
antichrist doctrines which were opposite from the doctrines of Christ
and through the decades it got worse and worse and all manner of sins
became approved inside the church groups and antichrist reigned in those
church groups.
II Timothy 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
Therefore today we have the Holy Bible … and we have all manner of diverse church groups and many doctrines opposite to Bible in those groups and many things added to the Bible for the church groups and we see many divisions in the church groups: Baptists, Catholics, Church of Christ, Pentecostal, and many varieties of non-denominational churches.
Each group has grown farther away from the Bible as they have modified scripture to approve people and to draw larger numbers of people into their church groups.
This is what Jesus said would happen.
Matthew 24:3-5 And as HE sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto HIM privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of THY coming, and of the end of the world?
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in MY name, saying, I (Jesus) am Christ; and shall deceive many.
II Peter 2:19-20 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
The main reason we need to identify antichrist church groups and antichrist individuals is this: We cannot follow God in peace with them. If we try to be with them, we will lose peace and joy and will live in trouble inside the church groups, and in trouble and anguish with the antichrist church individuals!
Paul says this:
II Timothy 3:1;5 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come ... Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
7 (They are:) Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
II Thessalonians 2:1-4 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto HIM, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
*****
* In 1800, the Russian people thought the antichrist was Napoleon.
* In 1940, many would have thought Hitler to be the antichrist.
* In 1940, many would have thought Hitler to be the antichrist.
* In the 1960's, some church groups thought John F. Kennedy was the antichrist.
* In 1975, when I was born again, the church I attended thought the antichrist was Henry Kissinger.
It is amazing that men for decades have speculated on "who" is the antichrist, when the Bible tells us the truth.
* In 1975, when I was born again, the church I attended thought the antichrist was Henry Kissinger.
It is amazing that men for decades have speculated on "who" is the antichrist, when the Bible tells us the truth.
*****
The Bible tells us that this "antichrist" is not one man but antichrist is many men ... and antichrist would come through the churches, and in fact it had already begun in the days of the apostle John, in the early church, and this was considered to be "the last times".
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
Two-thousand years have passed since the apostle John told the church these antichrists were already here and they were in their church groups. By this, they could know it was the last days.
And Paul said it would get much worse and it would continue to grow worse and worse before Jesus returned.
After his lifetime, Paul said these antichrist would come into the church and take over and speak perversions.
Acts 20:29-30 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
II Timothy 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
Therefore today we have the Holy Bible … and we have all manner of diverse church groups and many doctrines opposite to Bible in those groups and many things added to the Bible for the church groups and we see many divisions in the church groups: Baptists, Catholics, Church of Christ, Pentecostal, and many varieties of non-denominational churches.
Each group has grown farther away from the Bible as they have modified scripture to approve people and to draw larger numbers of people into their church groups.
This is what Jesus said would happen.
*****
Jesus told His disciples that in the last days, many would come saying that HE, Jesus, was the Christ, and because they said this, many would be deceived by them.
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in MY name, saying, I (Jesus) am Christ; and shall deceive many.
They would come saying "Jesus is Lord" and thereby they would deceive many.
Preachers would come saying, "Jesus is Lord" and preachers saying this would deceive many.
Individuals would come to us saying, "Jesus is Lord." And because they said, "Jesus is Lord", we would accept them among us for a season, and they would deceive us with their "fair" speech.
For
if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the
knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled
therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the
beginning.
*****
Some of these men (and women) come to us as "ministers" of Jesus Christ, while others come to us as individuals in the churches.
They are all marked by one thing:
When confronted with specific scriptures, they deny the scriptures and go in their own preferences.
Thus "anti-christ", opposite to Christ, The Word.
We speak scripture, they look at us blankly, saying nothing. They are not excited to hear the Word. They are dead to the Word, though often they, themselves, quote the Word, but they will not live the Word when it conflicts with their own desires.
There is always something a little off about them.
They greatly boast and glory in themselves, in their own cleverness. And they are usually very arrogant.
You can recognize them if you have the Holy Spirit and you know the Bible and if you are willing to do so.
The main reason we need to identify antichrist church groups and antichrist individuals is this: We cannot follow God in peace with them. If we try to be with them, we will lose peace and joy and will live in trouble inside the church groups, and in trouble and anguish with the antichrist church individuals!
Paul says this:
II Timothy 3:1;5 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come ... Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
7 (They are:) Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
A few of them are identified in the next chapters.
*****
* Chapter 2: Advertising Agencies Promote Ministers To Greatness
On January 10, 1980, I was asleep in the night and was awakened by a very loud trumpet-like voice blowing three words into my ear: "Hartford, Seattle, KWJS"
I jumped out of bed and wrote the letters KWJS on a notepad beside my bed.
When I looked to see what KWJS was, I found it to be a radio station that broadcasts religious-type exhortations for the church.
I said to God, "Are You telling me to go on radio? I wouldn't know how to do that."
A very gentle voice from within me spoke these words, "Call the radio station manager."
I believed that to be the Holy Spirit speaking in answer to my prayer concerning what to do about radio.
As a result of this, within a few days I was broadcasting exhortations for the church on radio station KWJS.
*****
Within a year I was on radio from coast-to-coast, from New York City to Seattle, thus "Hartford, Seattle, KWJS as was spoken to me that night by what I believe to be an angel of the Lord.
*****
One day at church my pastor, Robert Tilton, said to me, "Joan, you need to contact Michael Ellison Advertising Agency. They can do you a lot of good."
This is the first time I heard of advertising agents promoting ministers but I was soon to learn most of those big-time TV-radio ministers had an ad agent behind them.
*****
At that time, Michael Ellison represented Kenneth Copeland, Marilyn Hickey, Robert Tilton, and they had represented Jimmy Swaggert shortly before this.
So I contacted Michael Ellison Advertising Agency and became one of their clients.
I learned that the big-time ministers frequently have advertising agencies promoting them.
Billy Graham's agency came to visit with me during that time to try to persuade me to sign with them. But they wanted me to do something that I was unable to do because God had told me to do just the opposite. So I turned them down.
I did sign with Michael Ellison Advertising Agency. They sent their representative to Dallas to talk with me. (These were extremely subtle people, well dressed, sharp, persuasive.)
One of my best friends who helped me with various things in ministry sat down with us as we met in my apartment in Dallas.
The ad agent assigned to me said, "I want to make a suggestion. On all of your printed materials put 'Send me your prayer request.'"
I was shocked!
I didn't want to do that, and I told the agent immediately I did not want to do that.
I could see on the face of my friend that she was surprised I did not want to do that, for it is common practice for ministers to do this.
But I think it is wrong to solicit prayer requests from Christians. I think it is a gimmick used by ministers to get a following and also to get money from those people.
I believe the person should pray directly to God through Jesus. I do not believe the church member needs to be thinking that I have more power with God than he does. For the truth of the matter concerning prayer is told to us in the following scripture.
I John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have in HIM, that, if we ask any thing according to HIS will, HE heareth us:
And if we know that HE hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of HIM.
*****
So I told the advertising agent that I would not do this.
The ad agent said to me, "Well, Joan, you are missing a good bet. For when they send a prayer request, they frequently put money in the envelope along with the prayer request."
Truly it was a fund-raising gimmick which ministers were encouraged to use, and most do use.
I refused to do this.
*****
Through the next month, the advertising agent made several "recommendations" which turned out to be commandments from the agency.
* The first order was, "We do not want you to send any printed material to anyone until we have viewed the material and edited the material."
Of course I can't do that. I can't have anyone editing what I believe to be from God. If I did that, I couldn't do the work of God.
Galatians 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
The ad agent went on to explain that they could fill Soldiers and Sailors auditorium in Pittsburgh for my meetings. All I had to do was not offend anyone.
Jesus said:
Luke 6:26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
Luke 6:22-23 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.
Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
*****
* Another thing the ad agent "recommended" is that I re-name the ministry and call it "Joan Boney Ministry" instead of Jesus Ministries.
I told the agent I couldn't do that.
Because when we were naming the ministry and I prayed over the name that this ministry was to be called, before registering it with the State of Texas and the United States government, I heard this: "The name that is above all names."
Philippians 2:5-9 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, HE humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted HIM, and given HIM a name which is above every name:
*****
I just kept hearing over and over, "The name that is above all names."
And I said to God, "Are you telling me to call this ministry Jesus Ministries?"
I was convinced that was to be the name of this ministry. When I registered it, I was shocked because no one else had requested that name in the state of Texas. I know very well why they don't request "that name", because Jesus is an offense to people and that name would offend people.
(It would be much more accepted to name a ministry something like, "Word of Life," but that name was already taken by another ministry in Texas where we were registering the ministry.)
Today, on internet you will find multiple ministries that are called Jesus Ministries. When we started the blog we had to call the blog Jesus Ministries Exhortations because other ministries called Jesus Ministries were publishing a blog and we couldn't have the same name, so that is perfectly alright.
The advertising agency didn't like it at all because I wouldn't change the name of the ministry to "Joan Boney Ministries", promoting my own name.
*****
I was only with the ad agency for about 3 months, when one day I received a letter from the agency whereby they told me that "unfortunately" they were forced to eliminate some of their clients and I was one they were going to have to eliminate, that they would no longer represent me.
It was truly devastating to me at the time.
I knew this was the road to the big-time on radio and television for ministries. I had seen other big-time ministries become large because of the ad agency.
I felt I had failed.
Then God gave me a scripture to show me the truth.
I had not failed, but I had passed a test.
Matthew 4:8-10 Again, the devil taketh Him (Jesus) up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
And saith unto Him, All these things will I give Thee, if Thou wilt fall down and worship me.
(worship: obey that person as if he is a god)
Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and HIM only shalt thou serve.
*****
God saved me from personal greatness and glory of men by showing me a few things that I just couldn't do, such as say "Send me your prayer request."
If you are interested you can look on our home page on the right-hand side where it says "Information Sheet" and you will see that in that document I discourage people from sending prayer requests to me, and I try to encourage them to pray themselves and have faith that God will answer their prayers provided they are praying according to the will of God.
There were some very difficult years where I communicated with the radio audience by written materials, these were the days before email, and I was in Clovis, New Mexico, USA, where my mother lived and she was growing old and I was there in case she needed something.
It was definitely not the glamour I had out on the road traveling from city to city having meetings for radio audiences, and I missed it personally. It was a kind of suffering for me.
We lost a great many followers during that time. We gained no additional followers at all. We got smaller and smaller, while other ministers got bigger and bigger with more and more followers and more and more money.
So it was not a glamorous period of time for me during that decade or so.
*****
In March, 2012, God gave me a dream. In that dream a woman was singing to a group of people. I said, "She has a nice little voice. It is a little voice, but it is a nice little voice."
When I awoke from that dream and thought about it, I knew God was showing me to start a blog.
By that time we had internet. So I contacted Pam Padgett, who had been a computer programmer at FedEx and knew computers, and I asked her if she could setup a blog.
She said she didn't know anything about blogs but she thought she could.
Pam very shortly, within a day or two, had setup a blog for us.
I was delighted with what she had done and we started publishing immediately.
We were so naive that we had no idea that this blog goes all around the world.
The very first day we had two responses from Germany and we were so excited.
Then we woke up and realized this publication we were writing goes all over the world on the internet.
It is perfect for me because it costs us no money at all to publish it. We had very few offerings by that time. And nobody edits the writings so I am free to write whatever I believe God gives me by HIS Spirit. This is a critical point.
When I was on radio everything went so well at first because the messages God gave me were messages dealing with the subjects of: taking thoughts captive, following God by His Spirit, dealing with destructive thoughts and such. (Large numbers of church people wanted to hear these messages.)
After a few months, I heard the following words over and over:
"The time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God ... The time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God ... The time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God."
After hearing that, God began showing me sins in the various big-time ministries. I tried to get messages to those ministers but I was stopped by the people who scan their mail.
So, I decided to get on my radio broadcast, naming the ministers by name, and citing the sins being done by the minister.
I did that from coast-to-coast with each of the situations God had shown me.
Hate mail from their followers poured into my office.
One day I was in Seattle having a meeting. Standing outside the door to the convention center was the manager of the Seattle radio station. He had always been very friendly to me, but not this time. He was very grim looking and he said, "Joan, you know those judgment messages you have been speaking. If you keep speaking those messages, I don't know what is going to happen to you. We may have to put you off the air. You have many 'good' messages. Just speak those messages."
What George didn't understand is that I have to speak the message which I believe to be from God. That is the "good" message. I can't just speak messages that people approve and messages they like to hear, for then it would not be good messages if I spoke it because they wanted to hear it.
Galatians 1:10 Paul says: For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
The Holy Spirit rose up in me and responded to George as follows. "George, if I don't speak the message that I believe to be from God, then I don't have a message and I may as well be off the air."
*****
They did put me off the air in half of the radio stations I had at the time. But half of them left me on the air. I continued to broadcast for the next 2 years on radio, but I could tell it was over. The season had ended for me on radio. So, in 1984, I terminated the radio broadcasts.
We had certainly less than 100 people communicating with me by that time. We had had thousands at one time. So with the people who still communicated with me I continued to send exhortations to them weekly by US mail before internet days in the late 1990's.
Toward the end of the 1990 decade, I did learn a little about a computer.
In 1997, I bought a computer and learned how to write emails. I was so insecure in writing emails that I would say to one of the people I wrote to, "Tell me if you got this" ... because I couldn't imagine that this could go through the air safely to another person. She was very patient and always responded, "Yes, I did receive the message." So my faith in using this medium increased.
By the year 2000, I had insisted, to our very small church group, that everyone use computers and I switched over to emails.
Some of the people in our church group were older than I, and I'm sure it was hard for them to make this change, but they did it.
So we switched to computers and I stopped sending messages by US mail and sent them by email which was so much easier and faster.
Then by the year 2012, God showed me to start the blog, which I did. Jesus Ministries Exhortations.
By 2015, Pam Padgett and I wrote a book which we published on amazon.com which showed how to use a Kindle tablet. The book is titled A Graphically Illustrated Kindle Fire HD 8 Guide: For Non-Computer Generations.
When we were writing that book, Pam was still getting it into the format to publish it on Amazon, and I was a little bored because we had finished the book. So I was saying to God, "I'm just a little bored." That is when the idea came that if I could publish a secular book, maybe I could published a ministry book.
So I started writing Taking Thoughts Captive which we published directly with Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing. It cost us nothing to publish the book, there was no editing of the content, and we had an opportunity to circulate the book worldwide through their free book program. (This allows us to give that publication for free 5 times during each 90-day cycle.)
This fit me perfectly. So we started publishing ministry books on Amazon and we published many ministry books. We were able to keep the price of the e-Books down to 99 cents.
We found also that we could publish paperback books. Knowing that many people do not read an internet book, they want to read paperbacks, we began publishing paperback books, again at no cost to us. We could take reduced royalty of 35% and let them have the rest of the royalty, and they would print the paperback book with no charge to us. Amazon sets the minimum price, but I think they are reasonable for the number of pages in the paper book.
We have been with Amazon since that time. It has worked very well for us. Not only do our books circulate all over the world, but we are not edited. I am free to print that which I believe God wants printed. That is a critical point in being a minister of God.
*****
* Chapter 3: The Poison Gas Dream
In 1979, God gave me the following terrifying dream:
Destruction was everywhere.
A meeting was going on.
A man was speaking to a room filled with people. I went in and began to listen.
A second man rushed in and said: "Stop ... Wait ... Can't you see ... It's too late ... It's already begun."
The first man resumed speaking.
(No one in the room tried to see what had "already begun.")
But I looked out the window to see what had "already begun."
There was a tall pole with a yellow civil defense speaker at top of the pole. A gas was coming out of the speaker! I knew it was poisonous and would kill the people. It was coming directly toward us!
The shocking thing was the speaker that was set there for the purpose of warning us was being used as the instrument which dispersed the gas that was poison and would kill us!
I looked at the man seated next to me. He had a big grin on his face and was looking directly at the man who was speaking to the group. But then I saw this man was a corpse, though he looked alive. He was already dead!
I looked about the room at the other people and realized they were all dead.
As I sat back in my chair and listened to the man speaking I began to feel sleepy and I knew as I sat there among them this gas from the speaker was killing me too.
God was showing me the anarchy that was already going on in our church groups.
(That second man who rushed into the room and said, "Stop. Wait. Can't you see. It's too late. It's already begun." was saying: The anarchy in the churches has already begun.)
I was witnessing that which Paul told us in II Thessalonians 2 concerning the end times.
2:3-4 NASB Let no one in any way deceive you, for it (the day of the Lord) will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.
A second man rushed in and said: "Stop ... Wait ... Can't you see ... It's too late ... It's already begun."
The first man resumed speaking.
(No one in the room tried to see what had "already begun.")
But I looked out the window to see what had "already begun."
There was a tall pole with a yellow civil defense speaker at top of the pole. A gas was coming out of the speaker! I knew it was poisonous and would kill the people. It was coming directly toward us!
The shocking thing was the speaker that was set there for the purpose of warning us was being used as the instrument which dispersed the gas that was poison and would kill us!
I looked at the man seated next to me. He had a big grin on his face and was looking directly at the man who was speaking to the group. But then I saw this man was a corpse, though he looked alive. He was already dead!
I looked about the room at the other people and realized they were all dead.
As I sat back in my chair and listened to the man speaking I began to feel sleepy and I knew as I sat there among them this gas from the speaker was killing me too.
God was showing me the anarchy that was already going on in our church groups.
(That second man who rushed into the room and said, "Stop. Wait. Can't you see. It's too late. It's already begun." was saying: The anarchy in the churches has already begun.)
I was witnessing that which Paul told us in II Thessalonians 2 concerning the end times.
2:3-4 NASB Let no one in any way deceive you, for it (the day of the Lord) will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.
*****
Amazingly, at first, when I had this dream in 1979, I didn't know what this dream meant.
Then on a Wednesday night in 1982, I was at the church I attended at that time, Word of Faith, Robert Tilton, pastor … in Farmer's Branch, Texas.
I looked at the man who was sitting next to me and was very shocked to see he was the dead man in my dream, in the 1979 dream concerning the poison gas!
I looked at the other people in the congregation and felt they, too, were the dead people in the meeting room in the 1979 dream.
I got up immediately and went into the ladies room where I began praying, saying to God.
"I think YOU are telling me to leave this church. I'm going to get into my car and drive away. But if YOU want me to return, I will turn around and come back."
God did not want me to come back to that church group. God began opening my eyes to see errors in many doctrines that were being taught at that church.
Some of those errors were:
* They were teaching a doctrine which said: "All good is from God. All bad is from the devil."
Bible says: Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.
* Another problem with this doctrine, is it assumes we are capable of recognizing that which is good and that which is evil. Many times we want something and pursue it thinking it will be "good" for us when it is actually "bad" for us and it could even destroy us if we managed to get it or do it.
Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Humans desire to be as gods, knowing good and evil.
And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. (Eve added "shall not touch it" for God didn't say that.)
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
* Another problem, the doctrine of the faith movement basically leaves God out of the picture, as the followers are to hunt a scripture which would seem to allow them to be justified in getting that which they want and to "claim" that scripture in prayer daily, justifying that which the individual wants on this earth.
The will of God for your life is not considered. You are to act "as God" instead of calling on God as little children.
This is exactly what Paul said antichrist would do.
Yet prayer itself is founded on "the will of God." The apostle John tells us the following.
*****
Another bad fruit, that I saw in me that was produced by the teaching in this movement, is I felt ashamed because I drove an old car, for by their teaching I should be "prospering." And my car showed anything but prosperity! It had a vinyl top. I had no garage at my apartment so the car had to sit out in the hot Texas sun. The vinyl began breaking and pieces of vinyl stood up on the top of the car. The car ran great. But I was embarrassed to be seen in this car.
Marilyn Hickey came to Dallas at that time to hold a meeting. I went to pick her up at the airport. But I was so ashamed of my car, I asked the man I was dating if he would take me in his new car to pick up Marilyn.
***
I found the doctrines from the faith movement to produce exactly opposite to the fruits of the Spirit which we should have had from church teachings.
I Timothy 6:3-12 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
***
Galatians 5:19-25 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (walk in love, joy, peace)
God removed me from the faith movement by giving me the poison gas dream and by showing me what this dream meant.
The "speakers" are set in the churches for the purpose of warning the people of dangers. Instead those speakers are being used to produce a poison which will eventually kill the people who listen to them. People die, falling asleep, to the real truth from God.
There are many dead people sitting there in church groups of all denominations today.
When you speak truth from God, these dead people cannot hear the truth for they are dead.
They have been poisoned to death by their own doctrines which have been spoken at their own churches, often for many generations.
But on their faces they have "big smiles" of assurance that they are totally right and safe, though they are actually corpses, dead to things of God.
When I speak scriptures to them, they are paralyzed, frozen in space, and they just stare at me.
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
***
Galatians 5:19-25 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (walk in love, joy, peace)
*****
God removed me from the faith movement by giving me the poison gas dream and by showing me what this dream meant.
The "speakers" are set in the churches for the purpose of warning the people of dangers. Instead those speakers are being used to produce a poison which will eventually kill the people who listen to them. People die, falling asleep, to the real truth from God.
There are many dead people sitting there in church groups of all denominations today.
When you speak truth from God, these dead people cannot hear the truth for they are dead.
They have been poisoned to death by their own doctrines which have been spoken at their own churches, often for many generations.
But on their faces they have "big smiles" of assurance that they are totally right and safe, though they are actually corpses, dead to things of God.
When I speak scriptures to them, they are paralyzed, frozen in space, and they just stare at me.
*****
* Chapter 4: God Reveals Himself and Jesus To US
Acts 2:47 ... And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
*****
God puts HIS truth into the hearts of those persons who are to be the church.
The church is built on that word revealed by God to the individual.
Here is an example of this:
Matthew 16:13-18 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
God had revealed something to Peter, and for this reason Jesus says Peter was "blessed".
The church is built upon that word revealed by God to the individual. And the gates of hell will never prevail against that word that is revealed by God.
Over and over as we continue to live on this earth, we encounter issues and God reveals "His Word" to us and by that word we know what we are to do.
We are thus led by the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit.
Those of us who have this happen to us are the church.
It is by the will of God ... and God causes it to happen.
We are created in the image of Christ, The Word, each time God gives us the word on an issue and when we choose to follow that word.
If we develop a pattern of rejecting "that" word given to us by God by HIS Spirit, and we choose to go another way by our own fleshly preferences, the time could come when we would be turned over by God to a "reprobate" mind, then we would no longer have God's judgments on the issues at hand.
Romans 1:28-32 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Paul tells us to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith.
II Corinthians 13:5-6 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.
There are many opportunities in this life time to turn from the way of God and to follow our own fleshly desires and the way of other people.
*****
After I was born again in 1975, my best friend told me I had to go to church.
So I went to church with her and her husband.
At the time I began going there, the preacher was teaching a series on the subject of "tongues". This is the first time I had heard of this.
He was teaching that tongues were of the devil.
One day, I was reading the Bible and came upon the following instruction given by the apostle Paul for the church.
I Corinthians 14:26; 39 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
Paul said, "Forbid not to speak with tongues." I Corinthians 14:39
At the church I was attending they not only "forbade" speaking in tongues … they were teaching that tongues were of the devil.
I had to make a choice between going in the way of that church group and that preacher, or going in the way of the Bible. I could not do both.
I chose the Bible and left that church group.
Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus says: Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Few will choose the Word of God over their church group for all their friends and often their families are in that church group.
But the way of life is not in the church group.
The way of life is in the Bible, in the Word of God.
*****
In the early church, in the days of Paul and John, antichrist was always trying to change the doctrines of the church.
Control was kept by the apostles who would not allow this to happen in the churches while they were there.
But the time was coming when the apostles would not be there to deal with antichrist. And Paul foresaw this and warned the church.
Acts 20:29-30 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
Paul also knew some very serious things were ahead for the churches, and Paul said:
II Timothy 3:1-8 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
14-17 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
Two-thousand-years passed and things got worse and worse in the churches with men setting up all manner of doctrine opposite to scripture, thus "antichrist" in the church groups.
Church groups which once taught against divorce and remarriage "fell away" from these doctrines of the Bible and set up other doctrines to please their congregations and to attract more people to themselves.
And we who care about scripture were constantly confronted from church group to church group with perversions which taught opposite to scripture.
Some of us went to the pastors and elders to show them the truth of the Bible, but they wouldn't listen and they showed no shame over that which they were teaching in the churches.
In such cases, we could not stay there among those church groups. We just had to leave them.
Basically, in leaving these groups, we did what Paul said to do in II Timothy 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
We must always choose the Bible over the church group.
These deviations from scriptures in the church group are antichrists taking over in the church group.
The "restraint" holding antichrist back were those scriptures which they removed. As soon as the scriptures were explained away or removed, antichrist took over that church group, setting up his own way of thinking over that group. And church people moved from one church to another until they found a way that suited themselves, not considering the whole body of scriptures.
So today we see the end time antichrists in the church groups.
Paul says Jesus could not return until this apostasy happened in the church groups.
II Thessalonians 2:3-4 NASB Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.
In the next chapters, I will show you some of the apostasy in specific church groups and among various ministers.
These examples should not depress us, we just have illumination in seeing these things that had to happen in the churches before Jesus returns, and we see these are indeed happening according to the Bible.
But of course we do not stay in these groups nor do we continue with preachers who twist the word of God and exalt themselves and will not be corrected for this is antichrist in the church.
II Thessalonians 2:3-4 KJV Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
*****
* Chapter 5: When God Enlightens Us To Understand Parts of the Bible
Even as a young child, God was working with me, putting HIS truths into my heart on various subjects.
One morning, I awoke and heard my mother speaking with my aunt.
My mother was telling my aunt about my dad's first wife.
I was devastated to hear this for I knew it was wrong to divorce and remarry!
How did I know this? We didn't attend any church. I'd never heard these scriptures.
But I knew, even from an elementary school age.
I believe it is the following happening:
Hebrews 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
*****
From early childhood, when we would visit my aunt in another city, I would go to church with her, at Church of Christ.
I recalled very seriously considering that which they called communion or "The Lord's Supper."
They must have told me I could not partake of this when they passed the tray of crackers and then the tray of individual small "cups" of grape juice. But I very carefully watched my aunt as she took these. She was very somber.
I wondered very much at one thing. They taught you must "examine yourself" before you partook of the cracker and grape juice.
How do you do this? I wondered.
(I was probably about 7 or 8 years old as I thought about these things.)
When I was approximately 15-years-old, I went forward at Church of Christ and was baptized.
Now I could partake of the bit of cracker and the grape juice.
But I still wondered how I was to "examine myself" before doing this.
After I was truly born again, when I was approximately 37-years-old, God began teaching me the truth about "The Lord's Supper."
Paul says:
I Corinthians 11:28 But let a man examine himself (by the Word of God), and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. (examining himself by the Bible)
Eating and drinking the word of God is the Lord's supper.
We examine ourselves by the Word of God as we hear the Word of God or as we read the Bible, applying that Word in an appropriate way, making changes to our lives as needed.
(The Lord's Supper has absolutely nothing to do with the partaking of crackers and grape juice. These are just fleshly ways set up by fleshly religious men and copied by other fleshly religious men for their church gatherings.)
The partaking of the Word of God is The Lord's Supper.
*****
Knowing this, how could I go to one of these churches and eat that bite of cracker and drink that grape juice?
I can't.
So this eliminates almost every church group that meets today.
Of course I would tell them what God has shown me about "The Lord's Supper", if I was there and if there was opportunity. But if I do go to a church group, it is never for any reason other than to meet with the group as the church, with a pure heart. I would never go expecting to see wrong doing in the church.
Two or three years before I left Texas, a man told me of a church group he thought I would enjoy.
I certainly had hope of this, so I called to speak with the pastor.
I got a recorded message telling the following:
* Time of services:
8 a.m. Bible Study
9 a.m. The Lord's Supper
10 a.m. Worship
(I just hung up the phone.)
*****
* Chapter 6: Hunting a Church to Attend
In my search for a church group that I could attend, I went to a small non-denominal church of about 200 people on a Wednesday night.
The pastor was teaching from John 8, where the woman was taken in adultery.
The pastor said, "And when she was brought before Jesus, she was naked from the waist up."
I was shocked and horrified!
I looked about the room. There were several men with very lustful smiles on their faces as they imagined this 1/2 naked woman that was supposedly brought before Jesus.
(The pastor was fostering lust into his congregation.)
I didn't see anyone pick up a Bible to see if that which pastor spoke was true.
I did grab my Bible and reread this scripture:
John 8:1-11 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning HE came again into the temple, and all the people came unto Him; and HE sat down, and taught them.
And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto Him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto Him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
This they said, tempting Him, that they might have to accuse Him.
But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground, as though HE heard them not.
So when they continued asking Him, HE lifted up Himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
And again HE stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
When Jesus had lifted up Himself, and saw none but the woman, HE said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
She said, No man, Lord.
And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
*****
The next morning, I called pastor. I told him I had been in his church service the previous night. I asked him where in the Bible it was that told of the 1/2 naked woman being brought before Jesus.
Pastor said, "I can't recall where that is in the Bible."
I said to pastor, "Would you please look it up and have your secretary call and tell me because it is very important for me to know this."
With that pastor became very angry and responded, "All right … It's not in the Bible … Where do you go to church?"
*****
I was acquainted with one of the elders in that church group. I saw him sitting there that night when pastor spoke this. I called that elder.
I told the elder that which pastor has said about this.
A few weeks later, I saw this elder at another church meeting. He told me he asked the pastor why he said that and the pastor said he didn't know, it just came upon him. (there was no shame nor sorrow)
Then the elder said this pastor had insisted that a homosexual be hired to be their choir director.
Because of that, the elder said he left that church group. But the elder did not leave that group because the pastor had perverted John 8 that night. Actually the elder was one of the men smiling with a lustful look the night pastor told this story.
*****
The following Sunday morning, I went to another non-denominational church service.
The pastor was teaching from Genesis concerning the story of Sarah and Hagar. (Genesis 16)
Pastor said Sarah and Hagar were 1/2 sisters.
I was very shocked! I had never read that before nor heard anyone say that before. I searched for it in Bible but could not find it.
So the next day, Monday, I called and spoke with pastor.
I asked him where that is in Bible.
Amazingly pastor said the same words I had heard from that other pastor!
Pastor said, "I can't remember where that is in the Bible."
I said, "This is very important to me so would you please look it up and have your secretary call me and tell me where this is in the Bible?"
Pastor became very angry and said, "All right … It's not in the Bible."
(I didn't know what was going on. Here were two churches where exactly the same thing happened. And neither time did I see anyone in the congregation react to that which pastor was speaking to see if it was true! The people in the congregations just sat there like they were dead people. See "Poison Gas Dream," Chapter 3)
Many years later, I realized what I had been seeing in these pastors and in these church groups was antichrist in the churches.
II Thessalonians 2:3-4 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
And the people who went along with false teachings in the church were also "antichrist" by showing their lack of concern, lack of attention to Bible, and lack of caring for scripture.
*****
In the 1990's, I even went to a small Baptist church group hunting a church I could attend.
My dad's 1/2 brother's wife attended that church so when she saw me come into the building she came and greeted me and sat beside me.
At the beginning of the service, the pastor turned the meeting over to a teenaged boy. They had just returned from a retreat and this young man was giving the church a report. He began showing a film of the retreat. In the film, girls were running around with their hair in rollers while boys were flipping the girls on their rears with rolled up towels. There was much screaming and giggling.
As we watched, Aline said: "I could do without this!"
There was no edification of any kind for the church and nothing at all about God.
I Corinthians 14:26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
edify: to build and strengthen in the faith in God and in information concerning God
***
After this young man finished his presentation, the pastor began his sermon.
At one point he quoted the following scripture:
Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
Jesus spoke to the disciples about their unbelief, and then Jesus said:
21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
But the pastor quoted verse 21 as follows: "This kind goeth not out but by prayer."
I very quietly said, "and fasting". (No one but Aline could hear me say this.)
A second time the pastor quoted verse 21: "This kind goeth not out but by prayer."
Aline and I both said, "And fasting."
Amazingly that pastor quoted this verse a third time: "This kind goeth not out but by prayer."
Aline and I both said, "And fasting."
***
I even returned to that church group that evening and I found it to be worse than the morning service.
After the service was over, I told pastor I needed to make an appointment to meet with him.
He said he had time "right now" if I wanted to go with him to his office.
I said I did. So we went to his office.
I told pastor I had been at his morning service. I then told pastor that when we come together as the church all things are to be "edifying". I told him that teenager report did not edify the church.
Pastor said, "Well I liked it."
Then I told pastor how he had quoted Matthew 17:21 and had left out part of that verse.
Pastor became very angry and said: "I've been doing this 23 years and I know what I am doing."
I responded: "I think I've said all that I need to say to you." (I left never to return again to that group.)
*****
On a Sunday morning, I visited a small Church of Christ group.
Pastor was teaching 8 people in a Sunday school class.
I sat down with this group.
Pastor was teaching from Hebrews 11, about Noah.
Verse 7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
Pastor asked: "Did Noah really condemn the world?"
I replied: "Yes he did. For by his obedience to God, Noah condemned the world since he obeyed God and the world did not obey God."
No one spoke anything after that.
No one wanted to speak to me either.
I didn't stay for the 11 a.m. service. I just left.
One other thing happened at some point:
I called the pastor by the name, "Pastor."
I called the pastor by the name, "Pastor."
He told me he is not called "pastor".
I replied, "Then what are you called?"
He said, "Minister."
(I have no idea why this was so ... but I seemed to recall from past experiences long ago at Church of Christ that they spoke against churches who called their ministers by the name of "pastor".)
Jesus called such "pastors".
Ephesians 4:11-12 And HE (Jesus) gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
*****
I visited a small Assembly of God church group.
I was surprised to see hanging on the wall that photo which is often identified as symbolic of Jesus. It is the one with the long haired man in the long robe.
I went to pastor and told him that is a form of graven image and should be removed from the wall of their church building.
I don't recall him responding in any way.
During the service, pastor just read a very long list of various scriptures. He made no comment about any of the verses.
I think pastor was afraid of me.
I didn't feel I could return to this church group.
(There are 47 references to "graven images" in Bible. Here is one of those.)
Leviticus 26:1 Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the Lord your God.
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I went to a second Assembly of God church group.
I was so shocked when I heard pastor say: "We should all pray for brother Swaggart."
(Jimmy Swaggart, TV preacher who had just been caught in adultery with a prostitute.)
Knowing what the apostle Paul said to do when a brother in Christ is a fornicator, I very quietly said, "He should be put out of the church!"
I Corinthians 5:11;13 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat ... Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
I Corinthians 5:11;13 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat ... Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
A woman sitting in front of me turned and glared at me.
I got up and left that church group, never to return again.
*****
After all these attempts, God stopped me when I thought of trying again to find a church to attend.
God would remind me of the way these churches represent the Lord's supper as being taking bits of cracker and grape juice while I know the Lord's supper is partaking of the Word of God in an appropriate way.
God would remind me of the way these churches represent the Lord's supper as being taking bits of cracker and grape juice while I know the Lord's supper is partaking of the Word of God in an appropriate way.
I never went to a church to try to find error. I didn't expect error in the church. So if I knew error would be there I just stayed away.
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So what do I do concerning going to church?
Jesus said:
Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Paul said:
II Timothy 2:22 ... follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
So I look for that … those with a pure heart … and I gather with such persons.
We are not trying to do things to one another. We just share that which we believe we have been shown by God and we delight in hearing that which God has shown one another.
We are the church. And we do what we can as the church.
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