Many of my brethren and contacts in messenger, Facebook and whatsap have visited our page, namely, www.endtimecog.org. A great majority have noticed the voice of Christ in the messages there-in. Since our major emphasis is on the Church of God to come out of the present Babylon and go back to Christ, many of our readers are asking me what I think is wrong with these divided Church of God’s groups, and yet, the messages they give is that same voice of Christ.
It is with this concern and in answer to their question that God has impressed it on me to write this message. Brethren, and dear beloved of God in Christ, let’s go through it as a people listening to Christ, and not to a mere group-leader who is looking for followers, for this is not the aim of the message please.
When God called Abraham from the Ur of the Chaldeans, He commanded him to separate himself from all his kindred and to leave his place of comfort, the place he had known as home since birth until then-Gen.12:1-2. During this time, the worship of the true creator God was lost, and each race of mankind had introduced a pagan god of its kind. So, God commanded Abraham, and told him; from today hence forth, you will not worship pagan gods. I, your creator will be your God-Gen.17:7. Abraham accepted all that God commanded him. What did this mean? He realised that the customs of paganism are false, and that, the only knowledge about life is what the creator God is teaching him-Jerem.10:3; Job.12:10.
For this reason, Abraham abandoned all that he thought of as knowledge, and turned fully to God, according to His commandments-Rom.4:20-21; Gen.26:5. He therefore became the only true God worshipper on the earth, for, at that time, God had not declared his laws( true worship) to any other nation, neither did they know them-Psalm.147:19-20. Now brethren, let’s not think carnally and misrepresent God as one who deals partially with people-Eph.6:9. God chose Abraham in his days to be a preacher of His true life to humankind of those days, in the same way He has chosen his church to be, in this present time.
This is what He meant when He told Abraham; and through you shall all families of the earth be blessed (blessed are the law obeyers-Psalm.1:2-3)- Gen.12:3; Gal.3:8.Yes, it is through Abraham that the knowledge and worship of the true creator God has spread to all the earth-Gal.3:16. Is the Church then, not perpetrating what God begun through Abraham, to make all men know what God has in store for them-Eph.3:9-10? Since this is the case then, what is it that we should be doing to do the works of Abraham, and so, prove to be his children-Gal.3:7? Form groups and label them the Church?
Recite the laws of God, such that they become like a song to everyone, and be talking them whenever we come together in fellowships? God forbid. It is written; Abraham obeyed God, and was approved by Him( not men)-Gen.26:5; Rom.4:22.So, God desires that men live His word( life) by which, He is developing His righteous character in them, with the aim of making them gods. By so doing, one becomes a preacher of righteousness to his/her generation- 2 pet.2:5.
THE DISCOVERY
Do we know why Christ would approve of the Pharisees’ teachings and at the same time refuse to fellowship with them- Mat.23:2-3? Do we know why Christ taught the same laws of Moses which the Pharisees taught- John.5:46, and yet the hearers would make a difference between His teachings and those of the Pharisees-John.7:15; Mat.22:33? It is the same difference there was between Abraham and His later descendants, that of flattering God with their lips- Psalm.78:36-37, and this is what is wrong with the present Church of God’s groups. Abraham, the prophets, and Christ, lived the word, while the Pharisees and the Israelites talked the word. It will take the spirit of God for one to discern the hidden evil here.
So, let those who sincerely wish to discover it follow prayerfully please. For Abraham to obey God fully, he had to forsake what he knew about himself as taught by Satan, that, he is a god-Gen.3:4-5, and abide by what he discovered about himself as revealed by his creator, that, he is only dust and ashes-Gen.18:27. This change, of a necessity, demands a change of the life one lives, which also changes one’s goal. Dust is something everybody tries to keep off from. Any time one discovers it on either his/her body or clothes, they clean it up. This is what Abraham discovered about himself, and is the nature of the persons we are in these physical bodies.
It is what God reveals to every one whom He calls and chooses. Hear what all of them have to say, each in their own wording. Jeremiah-the ways of a man are not in himself; not in anyone who tries to direct his steps-Jerem.10:23; 16:19. Isaiah and Job- man is grass, and his life, just a fading flower-Isa.40:6-7; Job.14:2-3. David and James- we arejust a mere dust, and a passing mist-Psalm.103:14; James.4:14. But they also have discovered that they weren’t meant for that worthless condition; that, this physical life is a stage towards something better. They know themselves as incomplete beings who are still being created-Jerem.18:2-6; Isa.64:8; Eph.2:10; I Cor.15:46,49, 52; Phil.3:21 ( see details in our message, “ Man’s creation process”).
So, everyone whose mind is open to understand this, also shifts his/her focus from the now life, and begins to pursue the purposed one for which God created us. Seeing that God is the only creator, and the only giver of life, then, everyone who discovers this turns fully to Him, in pursuance of being made complete; for they know Him to be the only one who can do it.
CHRIST GATHERS, NOT MAN
After hearing God’s teachings concerning our lives, and understanding that we are mere dust, what fills our hearts and minds is, the hatred of what we are ( the self), for we realize that this physical self is nothing-gal. 6:3. Those who gained this knowledge before us have this testimony to give. David says; Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and my mother conceived me in sin-Psalm.51:5. Isaiah giving a similar testimony says; all our righteous deeds are like polluted garments-Isa.64:6. And to prove that the nature wasn’t only with the olden days people, Paul repeats the same, saying; I know that nothing good dwells in my flesh,…..a wretched body of sin and death-Rom.7:18, 24. Yes, all those who have turned to God have hated self, and bent all their efforts, to crucifying it-gal.5:24.
It is the person, or persons who have arrived at this decision, and have committed themselves into doing it, who form the true Church of God. Their concern has nothing to do with the now-physical life, neither are they aware of it except for, to learn how to get to their goal. Going back to those who ran the course before us, we confirm it, for they say, I am dead to the world, and the world is dead to me ( this is paul)- Gal.6:14. Abraham, though very rich, lived a very dissatisfied life, looking for a homeland, a city whose builder is God( the promised permanent body)- Heb.11:13-15. Enoch, a seventh-generation-person-from-Adam, looked forward to Christ’s- ushering in of God’s kingdom on earth- Jude.1:14. What are we saying here brethren?
The true church of God that Christ begun has no semblance whatsoever in any way with the present groups, which are claiming its descentry. It is a people whose concern is to be made complete, and become like God. What they are learning from Christ has totally nothing to do with the now-world, for, we preach and practise the ways of the world to come-Heb.2:5. This kind of life is not possible in anyone who still holds to any of the Satan’s lies about him/herself, that, one is a god, and so, has anything in him/her worthy reckoning with-Gen.3:4-6. Man accepted this lie when he was totally physical, and therefore, assuming to be independent when he actually can’t afford it, he had no choice but to introduce idolatry, things to lean on.
Satan knows our nature, and is also aware that, except God creates us to completion, no one else can. So, he knew how, when we follow his deception, we will destroy ourselves, and die-Gen.2:17. The Church of God is a person or persons, who have discovered this deception, and have completely dissociated themselves with any man-kind-of invention. They say: If God is the only creator, then He is the only one who can teach us what we are, what life we should live, and where it will lead us to. This is why those who were before us are heard saying, the only way, one can guard his life, is by doing according to God’s word-Psalm.119:9-10( our message, “ The spiritual protection”, has details). God has not anywhere, in His word directed that people gather themselves into groups in order to be His church. Christ as His messenger never anywhere begun a group, nor build a house calling it a Church.
God has called every person as an individual, and for the sole purpose of, developing them further-Jerem.33:31-33, to make them like Himself-Gal.4:19. Even though we are preaching this message to all men, every one hears, and decides on it individually, and turns to God,not to us, the messengers-Acts.14:15.Once somebody turns to God, the work of the messenger ends there. John testifies to this when he says, He( Christ) must increase while I decrease-John.3:30. Why? Because his work is to direct people to His master, not to himself. So, once they get to the master, then he is through. All he remains to do is join them in abiding in the master-John.15:4. Or’, you who teach, do you not learn also-Rom.2:21?What are we saying here? God is not dealing with anyone of us in a more superior way than others, for, He is not a respecter of persons-Rom.10:12; Acts.10:34; 11:18.
In whatever position one holds, in whatever work one does, God is using each person’s circumstance to equally impart His knowledge and develop his character in that person. Life is about activities. Whether the leader or the being lead; whether the rich or poor, whether the strong or weak, in each one’s activities, the acquisition of God’s knowledge, and its application for character-development is the aim. It doesn’t depend on what one is, physically, but rather, on what knowledge one applies in his/her living. And because we( the church) are a people who have known our reason for being here, then the knowledge by which, each one of us does things is that same God’s word? Where then is the difference among us? God has, equally bestowed in each member, an equally important duty, and by the same spirit- 1 Pet.4:8-11, and so that in all, the praise and glory goes to him, not to the member-2 Cor.4:7.
Let everyone of us look into oneself. Is there any part of your body that is aware of itself as an individual? We simply think about, “my body”. We each individually at baptism, were grafted into Christ-Rom.6:3, and each became a body part of Christ- the Church. Who grafted you in there so that he/she can assume authority over you? Is it not Christ by His holy spirit? Is He then not the one to look to and depend on-Heb.12:2;1 pet.2:21? No one can gather God’s people into a group, except Christ and Him alone, and this He does by dealing with each one individually. Once He grafts each individual into himself, then they meet in him to form a physical group, fulfilling the scripture, where the carcass is, there, the vultures are gathered-Mat. 24:28. Once they meet and become a group, do they forget and abandon the one who gathered them there? Does this individual-dealing with God end there? God forbid.
The gathering continues to be the right one only when each individual holds fast to that personal fellowship with the father and the son, for by so doing, the oneness with one another is maintained in Christ-1 John.1:3,7, as one body-parts. Its only when a member is seeing Christ in another member, that, he/she can imitate that member, not otherwise-1 Cor.11:1, for the only purpose they have for being a group is Christ-1 Cor.2:2, and that only. It is when everybody is thus placed, that Christ (not any man)-allocates duties to individuals according to His gracious will- 1 Pet.4:8; Eph.4:11. Don’t miss this very important point please.
This choice is strictly done, from those who have individually resolved to fear God(those, totally changed from Satan’s deception about themselves to God’s truth about themselves)- Exod.18:21; Acts.6:3; a people who feel to be losers when they see those they serve turning to them, instead of turning to the God who sent them-Acts.14:15; Rev.19:10; Dan.2:27-28. Yes, the Church of God is a people who have God in all, for all, and above all- Eph.4:6; 1 Cor.8:6; a people who are each, very busy submitting to God that they may be made complete, and have their fleshly shame (dust) removed- 2 Cor.5:4.
THE SECRET OF THE SHEEP’S-SKIN-COVERED-WOLVES
Brethren, with all the above said, we can now answer our question of, what is wrong with these divided groups bearing the name of God’s church. Remember, we somewhere pointed out the difference between Christ and the Pharisees; between Abraham and His later-descendants, Israelites, though they speak the same thing- God’s law. Why are we today, seeing a people in the name of Church leaders and church members, who are bound together by human regulations, and group-names instead of God’s word, the only true guardian of human souls- 1 Pet.2:25?Yes, why are we hearing the one law(life) of God being taught by all the groups, and at the same time, see the same groups, each secluded in their established cage? I have friends, ministers and lay members alike, who openly admit that we teach the truth, and it is what they hold to.
But, they openly tell me how they can’t teach it, in their groups because they don’t want to offend the church leader. Though they accept what we teach to be the truth, they can’t allow me to teach it in their congregations. What is it that they protect by so doing? The truth is, after beginning in the spirit when we first believed, we have now gone back to the flesh, after turning to Leodiceanism-Gal.3:3; Rev.3:17-last part. For surely, if the goal is to be made gods, and the only one who is doing so is God, who is writing his knowledge (laws) in our minds, so that by practicing it, He may develop His righteous character in us- Jerem.31:33-34; Psalm.119:9-11, why are we getting careful with ministers, groups and fellow members, instead of, with God and His word?
Why are we seeking for protection from where it can’t be got; submitting to human regulations-Col.2:20-21? It is simple brethren. Human beings are created to depend on God for further creation. Any time they shift their dependence from Him, they must turn to something else to lean on. As we saw somewhere in our message, this is how idolatry came into being. It is what is happening in these groups, named Churches, and is what is wrong with them. These groups are nothing other than the Babel- Gen.11:9.
They are as a result of, turning from Christ in whom, His true church is built- Eph.2:21-22; Eph.4:16; Col.1:19, and because they must hang on something, then they agree among themselves and say; lets unite into a strong group, and introduce regulations to protect our unity-Gen.11:4. What does this amount to? Going back to that lie about oneself. And because in it, we are gods, then, we must uphold our dignity by which, we also stop pursuing completion by God. Though we speak the entire law, like the Pharisees, we don’t apply it as our way of living- Luke.6:46; and so, what we are now engaged into is a vain worship-Mark.7:7-8. Brethren, the wrong thing with the present world is to reject God’s life( law), and to establish its own, which actually makes it ignorant concerning life-Jerem.8:9; Eph.4:18.
This is how Babylon came into being. It is exactly what these Church groups are doing, for though we carry the word of God with our mouths, we live our imaginations in its stead- Psalm.78:34-37; Mark.7:7. By each group imagining according to its fleshly heart, we have build nothing other than the semblance of the worldly kingdoms, and so, with each strongly believing in his/her group, we are worshiping the image of the beast. With the word of God in our mouths ( sheep’s skin), and the traditions and customs of men in our hearts( wolves), are we not really the prophesied false prophets- Mat.7:15? We have a cloud of witnesses, those who ran the course sincerely in the past. Where do we see Paul visiting a group, and they reject him because he is not a member?
Weren’t the Church members very keen, listening to the teachings, being obedient to not despise teachings but rather, proving all things by the word-1 thes.5:20? Do we see anywhere, where an apostle will visit and talk about his/her group? Was, and up to now, is the Church’s concern, not the word of God? This is the wrong thing with the present groups. Brethren, as long as each one of us is not pursuing to be made a god, we will get busy with the now-life, and the oneness and love of God’s church will never happen in us. It’s upon everyone who has ears, to hear, and turn from the lie of Eden about oneself, to the truth of God, about oneself as taught by Christ.
This groups are self-initiated, and their regulations are self-defensive. The Church of God has nothing to do with groups or leaders, but each individual has everything to do with God and the development of His life in them as taught and displayed by Christ.When can one cease to be a true God’s- church member? After He is thrown out of a group and pronounced marked, by a minister? Will Christ take such a minister’s advice and reject a member? Who and what determines the cessation of one as a God’s church member? Listen and understand please, and come out of ignorance if you are among the given-to-understand. The only time one can cease to be a member is, when one disobeys the commandments of God( not a minister or Church regulations)- Mat.19:17; John.14:23; 15:10.
Christ is the church in which we were put. Forsaking to live by His laws is the only thing that can plug you out from Him, which is what it takes to cease from being a God’s church member? These groups are idols, camps of men which came up when they threw Christ out of their hearts, like the Israelites did to Moses; after which, we each say to one’s group( idol)- this is the Christ who called us out of the world-Exod.32:8; in whom we were baptized-Rom.6:3. Who among us is understanding this voice? Let him/her go forth to Christ out of these camps, bearing abuse for him. For here, we have no lasting city, but we seek the city which is coming-Heb.13:13-14.As many as will do that, will also be gathered into the one fold, with one shepherd, Christ, our high priest-John.10:16 ( Our message, “Be watchful”, has details on how to do it).