“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!” Galatians 1:8-9
With what the scripture just said, it is amazing that several religions started from the claim that some guy saw an angel who told him that he was to write a new book and build a new church, etc. And lo and behold, these religions have grown to huge numbers, and they all begin in violation of the scripture listed above. The Bible is God’s word, and it is efficient to save the soul of man, so we need no new Bible, nor do we need a new church other then the one listed in the Bible. Just because a person is always talking about the Lord, that is no evidence the Lord is pleased with that person (Matthew 15:7-8). The reason being, many people speak a great deal about God, but they aren’t doing what He commanded (Luke 6:46).
They don’t live their lives in the manner God wants and they aren’t even in the right church (Isaiah 59:1-3; Mark 7:7-13; Matthew 15:9-14; 2 John 9-11; Matt. 7:21-27). A person who carries a Bible and quotes the Bible and lives like a dog, is not a child of God. That person is a fake. A person who goes around saying “blessed,” “God is good,” “praise the Lord,” etc, etc, etc. Then teach and practice doctrine that isn’t found in the Bible, is a false teacher (2 Peter 2:1-3; Matt. 7:15-20). Protect yourself against such people by learning what the Bible teaches yourself. You can understand the word of God if you apply yourself to learn it (John 8:31-32). Once you know what it teaches you can expose fakes just like the people did in the old days (Revelation 2:2; Acts 17:11; 1 John 4:1-3). This is a quote which came from the monologue of former Tonight Show host, Jay Leno, which he told as a joke. However, it makes a great point.
“With hurricanes, tornados, and fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up this country up from one end to another and also with the threat of swine flu along with possible terrorist attacks. Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?” (end of joke) Thank you Mr Leno. It is never, ever, a good time to show God the door. Instead, tell God to pull up a chair sit down and stay a long, long, time (Psalm 33:12). Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. Church is where we learn to please God and not ourselves. Church is where we learn about the beliefs of God and not our beliefs. Church is where we go to serve God by doing what He wants and not what we want. Church is where we should hear the preacher give book, chapter, and verse for all that he teaches.
At church, no preacher or church leader should be teaching the opinions of himself or anyone else. Church is the place were we come to worship the Creator and not the minister, choir, church building, etc. Some churches put up signs saying, “A church for your beliefs.” or, “We believe in tolerance.” I question what those beliefs are and I question what a church may tolerate. And I wonder if God is pleased with what those churches are doing (Revelation 2:18-20). Everything a church does must be according to the scriptures or that church will be wrong (2 John 8-9; Matthew 15:13-14; John 4:24; 1 Timothy 4:16; 1 Tim. 6:3; 2 Tim. 1:13; Galatians 1:8-9; John 8:31-32; 1 Tim. 4:13). Don’t waste your time, money or support with a church that is wrong (Matt. 7:21-27). |