The Mystery of the Two Churches:The Church that Jesus Built and the Church that Satan BuiltSmashwordsKindleAmazon |
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Prophetic revelation of Satan’s ingenious plan to defile the BRIDE OF CHRIST by creating a COUNTERFEIT BRIDE operating with great power of deception as it was in Eden to deceive, if possible, the very elect. He is in full glare, and yet unrecognized.
EXCERPTSWoman is the prophetic representation of the Church (Eph 5:27), and the Church is the prophetic representation of The Bride of Christ (Rev 21:9).
_______________________ The woman is the seal of the plan of God - and also of the devil, as reflected in the Garden, hence, the battle for her soul. She is the key to man’s success, the perfection of the earth and the completion of man’s call and assignment. Without a woman, man cannot fulfill purpose on earth. _______________________ She is the fulfillment of purposes, a game-changer in the eternal scheme and a mighty tool in the hands of the heavenly powers. She is the summation and consummation of everything sublime, but when corrupted, she is the direct opposite, a personification of evil. She may truly be a “weaker vessel” and delicate in the physical but she is mighty in the spiritual realm. This explains why Satan has never and would never leave a woman alone. _______________________ The woman is the completion of the man. She is the key to his destiny. God specially created her and endowed her with what is lacking in man and which he needs to be able succeed. That is the essence and the reason of her creation. |
INTRODUCTIONFor we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Eph 6:12
THE PASSAGE ABOVE describes the primordial and on-going battle between the kingdom of God and that of Satan. Although in effect, Satan is a created being and cannot fight with God as it were (Rom 9:20-21), but as in all situations, God is being glorified in the wonders of His own works, “according to His good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself,” “that in all things he might have the pre-eminence,” and that He “may be all in all” (Col 1:18, 1Cor 15:28).
In this struggle, however, victory is already determined before the world began, and so for those in the Kingdom of God, the fight is from victory and not for victory. Every great king and ruler desire to have a prince to perpetuate his glory and kingdom. Same with God: He desires that His Son would rule and perpetuate the reign, glory, and majesty of His kingdom on earth just as He does in heaven. So, He created Adam and put him in the Garden of Eden to carry out this assignment. |
Excerpts from the Book Contd.
Many a woman have lost their position today to the same whims, caprices, and great deception of the devil. His secret weapon against women is still the deceit of what she can do, and particularly, that she is equal to man and she can do (better) what a man can do. This (evil) doctrine has crept into many Christian gatherings and celebrated right from the pulpit.
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If a woman can do what a man can do then she is not necessary. She was created to do what a man cannot do and those things are many. That’s why God said in the book of Genesis that, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” (Gen 2:18)
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The doctrine of women liberation and equality with men is the greatest evil, deceit, and wickedness that ever happened to womanhood with the root from Eden. It’s not a promotion, but a demotion to woman and a downgrade of her moral, social, and spiritual worth, but sadly, she does not know it. Eve believed Satan’s lies, and many still do and are busy trying to align with the commercial orchestration and promotion of the dastardly doctrine by the world, under the hidden sponsorship of Satan.
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Eve did not arrive (in the Garden) until Adam was “killed” (God caused him to have a ‘deep sleep’ - Gen 2:21). The Church also would not be birthed until Christ was “killed” (Christ’s ‘deep sleep,’ - crucified and buried in the tomb).
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Being the copy-cat that Satan is, always mimicking and counterfeiting everything of God, and running ahead with his alternative to creating a fire-work in order to circumvent the original and deceive, Satan is busy and committed to ‘building his Church’ with all the possible attraction. No mortal is immuned from his deception except by the Spirit of God. He is everywhere and his ministers are eloquent, brilliant, powerful, and anointed,
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One of the greatest successes of his (Satan’s) ministry is the lack of suspicion and religious acceptance. He has deceived and still deceiving the whole world, and if it were possible, will deceive “the very elect.”
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…Different denominations strive to build mega this and mega that: churches, institutions, cathedrals, empires, or something of that magnitude to show growth, religious commitment, and activities. It is purportedly for the “glory of God and mankind” but a show of what man can do for God, which is religion, and God “hates” religion. He did not give us religion, He gave us Christ. The idea is always noble and good but not all that is good is of God. He told children of Israel to dwell in tents. He told the disciples to “carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way” (Luk 10:4).
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Christianity is a call to a life of simplicity; to leave the world (the glory) and all that is in or of the world (the system -1Joh 2:15) and simply follow a Person, Jesus (Mat 4:7-8, 9:29, 19:21, Mar 10:24-28). This does not suggest a life of poverty or penury, but a life of self-denial that is not controlled by these things and not focused on them but on Christ. Ultimately, “all these things shall be added” by Christ as needed, but we must not seek after or live for them (Mat 6:32-33).
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Today, many are in ministry for the gains, show, and the accolades. Many are self-sent or man-sent and carry more than a purse, scrip and shoes to fulfill their ambition of success in ministry. They are materialistic, many to a point of insanity, (or how do one explain someone with a huge congregation that people cannot approach and have many exotic cars parked in garages, purportedly for evangelism and “rural mission” in many bad roads in parts of Africa). Paul said,
(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) (Php 3:18)
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Many (Christian leaders) live in stupendous wealth gotten from deceit and promise of miracles, healing or a better life for the congregants who keep giving out of lack so they can have, and so enrich the leader who has an insatiable appetite for inanities. He builds empires and edifices inaccessible to these people and burdens himself with titles and respects only meant and next to God.
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People call their wonderful structures and edifices “the Church,” and their institutions and empires evidences of the power and presence of God. That was what Abraham wanted to do with Ishmael until God stopped and silenced him, and asked him to send both the child and the mother away (Gen 21:12-14). We must do away with such edifices and ministry that have become our religious pride fueled by the income generating system and mechanism brought into the New Testament Church in order to remain in business and to build personal empire rather than the Kingdom of God (Mal 3:8-12). We must learn from Paul.
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We are New Testament people, no more tribes of Levis or Judah, Jews or Gentiles, bond or free, but brethren; brothers and sisters, priests and kings (1Pet 2:9, Rev 5:10). “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” (1Cor 12:13) Consequently, we can all come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy in times of needs (Heb 4:6).
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Many have risen in history in similar spirit but stopped by God: Hitler and Napoleon are handy examples. But many Christian leaders today are still in the same spirit under a different umbrella of religion. They are building movements, empires, institutions where one man is the head, and gather people together purportedly to lead them before God like Nimrod did. This leadership style is never the idea of God and that was what led to Babel, and today, it is still Babylon and a rebellion against God.
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The ideal Church leadership ordained by Christ and practised by the early Church is the plurality of eldership, who all hold fast to the one head, who is Christ Himself (Act 14:23, 15:2,4,22,23, 16:4, 20:17, 1Tim 5:17, Tit 1:5, Jas 5:14, 1Pet 5:1, Col 2:19).
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Remember that leadership is servanthood, it is to serve the people. (Mar 10:42-44)
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God does not want “leaders” to exert lordship or authority over his people. This is “gentile” practice. They are to lead and not rule (Mar 9:35)
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But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. (Mat 23:8-11)
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Titles bring class, hierarchy and division, and that is what brought the clergy-laity practice today in the church which was a pagan style and system of leadership and it is exclusively for control.
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The one-man leadership style cannot but always results into control, even if it is done with humility and sincerity. It is the deeds and doctrine of Nicolaitans, which Jesus said He “hates” (Rev 2: 6,15), because it is the spirit of religion.
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Religious people “love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi…” (Mat 23:7). Even Jesus called his disciples “friends” and “brethren” (Mat 28:10, Joh 15:15, Rom 8:29), the term used throughout the New Testament Church. Unfortunately, this is one of the practices and styles that the denominations inherited from Babylon (Catholicism). It was left undealt with even by the Reformers of the sixteenth century. It is similar to the great sin of the Old Testament Israel that no king could overcome: …Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom. (2Kin 3:3)
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The one-man leadership is also the golden calf of the Reformation that is still sacred today. Without this, there cannot be empires built by denominational heads and overseers, and there cannot be the “great city,” which is headed by the overall head to counterfeit the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, the City of God.
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The city is expressed by the gathering of the “called-out ones” in assembly or fellowship (ekklesia). This is the true bride, that Jesus died for and purchased with His precious blood and He’s coming back to take to His Father. It is the Church of the living God.
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This glorious city also has “able ministers of the New Testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” (2Cor 3:6) They are sent by the Lord Jesus with no purse, nor scrip, nor shoes. They have not corrupted or used the gift of God deceitfully, to advance personal causes or build a name, city, institution or empire after themselves. They are irrevocably committed to the love and the cause of their Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. They are those who say boldly: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 8:35-39)
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As regards materialism and commercializing the gifts and calling of God in building empires … “we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead.” (2Cor 1:9)
They are people who have lost their lives for the gospel and count all things but loss and dung for Christ’s sake.
… They are brothers among brethren, not thin gods among members. The members of the body of Christ are many, yet one body, the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, the “Holy City,” the functioning, replica, and manifestation of the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of God. The “mount Sion, …the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem…” (Heb 12:22).
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THESE TWO WOMEN (churches) have parallel ministries. The ministry of the counterfeit woman (organized church system) is to make all her children (denominations) harlots so that they can represent her and spread her harlotry all over the world. Through deception, they are to deceive the whole earth, fornicate with the world and make “the whole world” drunk from the cup of her abomination so that the whole earth would go after her (and not the true bride) in a religious orgy under the guise of “serving God.”
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Christianity is a common religion in many nations of the world, but it is that of the strange woman. She has represented Christianity with materialism, power, and control. She brags: “I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing…” (Rev 3:17). She is so rich that she has a whole city to herself here on earth to mimick the city of the true bride, the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:2).
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Her other ministry (the counterfeit bride) is to destroy the virgin bride and her offspring: And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the SAINTS, and with the blood of the MARTYRS of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. (Rev 17:6)
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… She persecuted and killed many apostles, disciples, and saints through the dark ages. She clamped down on true Christians till she successfully annihilated meeting in homes, houses, and simple gatherings which is the true model of the true Church (assembly) as practiced by the early Church.
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The remnant Church is still unknown, unsung, and unattractive because it is the true Church and shares the characteristic of the truth: the truth is always bitter, hated, and unwanted. Paul said, “we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day” (1Cor 4:13). She is still being persecuted by the Universal Church because she has remained chaste, pure, without spot or blemish. She will not compromise or participate in the mere fanfare, social, and commercial Christianity the counterfeit church is enmeshed in, which she is using to deceive and to make the whole earth follow her. Her deception is “wine”- something sweet: music, accommodative gospel, fables, sweet talk and sugar-coated messages, miracles, signs and wonders, empire building, non-spiritual matter, money, power, fame, prosperity, festivals, etc “…she made ALL NATIONS drink of the wine …” (Rev 14:8).
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Even though many denominations today do not have a formal or direct dealing or affiliation with the Church of Rome or England again and are independent, they are still the offspring of the great Babylon, the offshoot of Catholicism and her seed (of harlotry) is in them. They still romance many of her practices in meetings, prayers, ministry, clergy, etc. Doing away with them would destroy the foundation such doctrines are built which have existed for several hundred years. That is why it is difficult for denominations to have true fellowship because the foundation of true fellowship (as brethren in the early church’s style) was destroyed to give way to the clergy-laity (priest-people) style which is the pattern of the Baal worship and a pyramidal system of leadership, which makes one person the head or the ruler of the whole bunch and others carrying the one man.
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The counterfeit church today is no longer known by her ancient name of “Babylon” or religious names of “Catholic” (universal) church but by many modern, choice, and beautiful names. They are still the greatest opposition to the true Church in practice as she continues to lure her away with ingenious attractions, soulical appeal, materialism, viral presence, and “…great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before” (Mat 24:34-25). They have “a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” (2Tim 3:5)
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Many saints are victims right now. They are trapped and stranded with the counterfeit woman and her harlot offspring (the organized church system). The world is held spellbound and deceived by the miracles, wonders, fame, power, and wealth of the offspring of the woman being perpetuated using the name of Jesus. The world is captivated by the fanfare, organization, socio-religious activities in the organized church system compared to the simplicity of true Christianity.
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The Jesus of the organized church system is the Jesus of material success, fame, power, money, etc. He is not the Jesus that was crucified in Golgotha. He is not the Jesus that is busy to have a pure virgin in righteousness as a bride to present to the Father in other to fulfill His Father’s will. The organized church system has deregulated the mission of Jesus to mere breakthrough, miracles, good life, and so on. The Spirit in the organized church system is the spirit of the world, not the Spirit of Christ. The gospel being preached is the gospel of materials.
The true Church is experienced: In God (Joh 17:3, 1The 1:9), Through Jesus (Phi 3:8-10, Gal 2:20, Col 2:6-8, Eph 1:17, 3:19), By the Holy Spirit (Joh 14:26, Joh 16:13).
However, the counterfeit Church is experienced through: Christian religion, Denominations (1Cor 1:10-13, Joh 17:22), Works and religious activities (Luk 10:38-42, Gal 1:6-9, 1Cor 13:1-3, Col 2:20-23).
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The two experiences described above look very similar in practice but parallel in principles and applications. They define the two churches: one built by Jesus - spiritual (Mat 16:18, 1Pet 2:5, Eph 5:27), the true Church, energized by the Spirit of Christ, and the other is built by men ─carnal (Col 2:8, Rev 3:15-17), the counterfeit church, energized by the spirit of the anti-Christ.
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The experience of God in the true Church is by the Spirit and in the Spirit because the Church is a “spiritual house” (1Pet 2:5). The Holy Spirit makes us to experience Him in our [new] “inner-man” (Joh 4:10, 2Cor 4:16, Eph 4:23, Col 3:10). He also brings us to a knowing, a revelation of God and our sonship in Him. This is not derived through intellect or any other good but humanly devised knowledge of knowing God, particularly, theology but through the witness within (Rom 8:16).
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Our services and worship also are a spontaneous response to the discovery of God, His works, power, and majesty impressed in our hearts by His Spirit, and which flows out in songs, praise, or other forms of expression to glorify Him. It is only what comes from God into our hearts that can flow back to Him in acceptable worship (Act 17:28, Phi 2:13). We are the primary sacrifice He desires, not any of our offerings (Rom 12:1). This is often a place and time of brokenness and sobriety which the solemn presence of God always brings (1Kg 19:11-12). This is a direct negation of the other experience which energizes the flesh and brings it to an orgy, soulical excitement or religious exuberance, and with cultural or traditional embellishment resulting in loud and gibberish motions which are of the flesh.
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The true Church is the gathering of those who are saved, otherwise, it is just a religious meeting place. “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls” (Act 2:41). “And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women” (Act 5:14).
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Christ graced some brothers within the gathering with leadership calling and ability to function (not as a title holders) in the “five-fold” ministry (Eph 4:11). They are to provide edification as they receive from Jesus who is the owner of His Church (1Cor 7:23). They are a channel to speak the truth in love that all “may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love” (Eph 4:15-16).
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Church growth is not measured by these indices. It is neither a network of branches nor financial muscle for physical structures. Growth is not when we organize crowd-related programs in the name of evangelism. All these have the tendency to bring on the leaders the burden of performance, pleasing the people, and meeting their needs. Services are also likely to be flavored with activities and programs that appeal to the people and give a sense of fulfillment so as to keep them coming. While religious fulfillment is guaranteed, it will be ultimately challenging to experience personal relationship and the presence of Christ in such a place. (1Cor 2:4,13, 11:12)
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Growth occurs in the gathering only when the Lord adds to His Church by Himself those that are saved (Act 2:47), not those we invite to our programs or special services.
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Our responsibility as believers in fulfilling “The Great Commission” (Mar 16:15) is to GO OUT to where the sinners are and “disciple” (not merely convert) them. This means challenging them to face God with a message of true repentance to God and salvation in Christ (Act 2:38, 3:19, 8:22, 17:30, 26:20). All begins in God. If God does not “draw” a soul, he or she cannot come to Christ. Jesus said, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.” (Joh 6:44)
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We can make people recite the “sinners’ prayer” and repent of their sins of lying, cheating, adultery, murder, etc, but that is hardly the repentance to salvation, it’s at the best confession of sins, only meant for those who are saved and are already in Christ. The unsaved need repentance to God, which is to turn from death unto life; from left to right; from the lake of fire to heaven; from the camp of Satan to that of God, and not just to repent from the sins of cheating, and so on. This is the first step in the born again experience, and the message is sadly lacking in many pulpits today; it has been replaced with just “coming to Christ,” and that God loves them so much and He’s desperate to have them. God truly loves sinners and He has made provision for a sinner to come back to Him and that is the way of repentance. “The times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent.” (Act 17:30)
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It is challenging for anyone who has not experienced an initial encounter with God (Godly sorrow) through repentance to come to Christ. This is why many end up in religion, even Christian religion and not Christ. Our message to the lost is to repent of the original sin of alienation from God, lifestyle of sin and religion, and turn 180 degrees to God and He will save them by leading them to His Son (the Savior) who will bring them to Him.
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We cannot bypass God in the presentation of the Gospel of salvation to people. We cannot simply ask them to believe and come to Christ without the initial repentance to God. To believe and come to Christ is right but it is after godly sorrow when they realize the need for a savior. This is why a lot of people profess Christ but are still ungodly in character.
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There is a lot of Christianity around the world but less godliness. There are many so-called believers and even leaders but with questionable character let alone righteousness. “By their fruits you will know them.” How can we speak and demonstrate so much of Christ and our lives is not Christ-like. Whatever does not begin in God cannot return to Him. Our coming back to God must be initiated by Him, and He has done that by giving Christ. Jesus always says He can do nothing of Himself but what He sees the Father do (Joh 5:19).
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The Church is the ‘family house:’ a place where Christ nurtures, builds, trains, and prepares His bride for His return. There cannot be proper discipleship outside the Church setting because that is the only place all nourishments and functionings are provisioned. It is the symbol of Christ’s authority on earth, which believers must be under and demonstrate through expression in a local gathering. This is the place of Christ-centered discipleship involving not only one “discipler” but all ministry giftings and graces functioning together to edify. It is just like in a family setting where we have parents and siblings all contributing to the growth of each other, yet recognizing everyone’s unique place and grace, particularly the “parents” as “disciplers.” (1Cor 4:15) This is where and how we can have all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and we will be complete in Him (Col 2:9). That is the function of the Church.
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A local gathering is when and where two or three believers gather to express the life in and of Christ, and Jesus (not prayer, music, doctrine, message, etc) is the object, subject, and attraction of the gathering (Mat 18:20). The early Church met in houses providing a pattern for us (1Cor 1:11, 1Cor 16:19). Such gathering is a place where we can be ourselves without the formality of being religious. We can freely express ourselves in fellowship, ask questions, contribute and really know ourselves. We will know those who are weak and those who have graces in certain ministries and we can all be edified. This is when there can be an abiding in Him, growing from in to out, and then we can abound in Him, bearing fruits (Joh 15).
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SATAN IS A serial deceiver… he deceived the first bride (Eve) and she died a spiritual death (Gen 3:4). He is not relenting with the second bride, the Church. He hates her because He knows she has the key to his end.
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Look around, you will see the glory, riches, and wealth of the Laodecian [counterfeit] Church and her “ministers.” She has everything. She has bowed to Satan in secret and demonstrating the glory in the public.
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The glory and power that looks so close to the original so much that the “very elect” can be deceived. The miracles, signs, and wonders are the generosity of Satan in order to have followership, mega-congregation, mighty cathedrals, empires, institutions, positions, and even cities. This is real and all around us today, the church that Satan built and blessed. He has his own ministers who transform as “angel of lights.” They control the world. He told Jesus: “all these things I will give to you.” If he would risk giving it to Jesus, he would lavish it on his own to achieve his aim.
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Remember, the counterfeit bride is called, “the great whore that sitteth upon many waters;” she has the people and controls the populace. She makes them drunk with her “wine” (sweet doctrines, music, and other appeals). It should not be difficult to see a semblance of this around.
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Christ is busy preparing His bride [the remnants] that will not bow to this gigantic organized religious system of a beautiful but counterfeit bride who is in control of the destiny of billions of sincere people who desire to worship God but end up worshipping the mystery woman, the abominations of the earth.
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Although Adam fell to the adversary in the Garden of Eden, but Jesus overcame him in the Garden of Gethsemane. He has given us power and authority to do the same (Luk 10:17-19, Mar 16:17-18, 1Cor 15:8).
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Satan failed with the first Church (God redeemed her), he failed with the early Church (God preserved her), he will also fail with the remnant Church (God will rescue her). Let the remnant be comforted with this truth also (Heb 13:10).
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The remnant Church is the prophetic representation of the Philadelphia Church, the rapturable and rapture-ready Church (Rev 3:8-13). She is undenominated, uncontaminated and has not defiled herself with the king’s delicacies. She is not built, led, headed or founded by man... To be a part is to be born (again) of water and of spirit (spiritual birth). When these gather in twos or threes or more, and wherever that may be to express Christ only (not their needs or idea of worship) in spirit and in truth, Jesus is there as the Head. That is the expression of the true Church (Mat 18:20, Joh 4:21-24). Brethren without class, caste, hierarchy or clergy-laity divide (Gal 3:28, Col 3:11), but simply recognizing different graces among themselves for proper functioning and edification of the whole body “…till we all come in the unity of the faith…” (Eph 4:12).
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Let us rejoice in the “blessed hope” that Jesus will preserve His bride from the strange woman, the counterfeit church with all her allure, grandeur, and persecution (Tit 2:13, 2The 2:16, Eph 5:6, Rev 3:10). He will also keep us from the “Wicked One” and the “evil Day” unto His glorious appearing (1Joh 2:14, 5:18). Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
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If a woman can do what a man can do then she is not necessary. She was created to do what a man cannot do and those things are many. That’s why God said in the book of Genesis that, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” (Gen 2:18)
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The doctrine of women liberation and equality with men is the greatest evil, deceit, and wickedness that ever happened to womanhood with the root from Eden. It’s not a promotion, but a demotion to woman and a downgrade of her moral, social, and spiritual worth, but sadly, she does not know it. Eve believed Satan’s lies, and many still do and are busy trying to align with the commercial orchestration and promotion of the dastardly doctrine by the world, under the hidden sponsorship of Satan.
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Eve did not arrive (in the Garden) until Adam was “killed” (God caused him to have a ‘deep sleep’ - Gen 2:21). The Church also would not be birthed until Christ was “killed” (Christ’s ‘deep sleep,’ - crucified and buried in the tomb).
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Being the copy-cat that Satan is, always mimicking and counterfeiting everything of God, and running ahead with his alternative to creating a fire-work in order to circumvent the original and deceive, Satan is busy and committed to ‘building his Church’ with all the possible attraction. No mortal is immuned from his deception except by the Spirit of God. He is everywhere and his ministers are eloquent, brilliant, powerful, and anointed,
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One of the greatest successes of his (Satan’s) ministry is the lack of suspicion and religious acceptance. He has deceived and still deceiving the whole world, and if it were possible, will deceive “the very elect.”
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…Different denominations strive to build mega this and mega that: churches, institutions, cathedrals, empires, or something of that magnitude to show growth, religious commitment, and activities. It is purportedly for the “glory of God and mankind” but a show of what man can do for God, which is religion, and God “hates” religion. He did not give us religion, He gave us Christ. The idea is always noble and good but not all that is good is of God. He told children of Israel to dwell in tents. He told the disciples to “carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way” (Luk 10:4).
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Christianity is a call to a life of simplicity; to leave the world (the glory) and all that is in or of the world (the system -1Joh 2:15) and simply follow a Person, Jesus (Mat 4:7-8, 9:29, 19:21, Mar 10:24-28). This does not suggest a life of poverty or penury, but a life of self-denial that is not controlled by these things and not focused on them but on Christ. Ultimately, “all these things shall be added” by Christ as needed, but we must not seek after or live for them (Mat 6:32-33).
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Today, many are in ministry for the gains, show, and the accolades. Many are self-sent or man-sent and carry more than a purse, scrip and shoes to fulfill their ambition of success in ministry. They are materialistic, many to a point of insanity, (or how do one explain someone with a huge congregation that people cannot approach and have many exotic cars parked in garages, purportedly for evangelism and “rural mission” in many bad roads in parts of Africa). Paul said,
(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) (Php 3:18)
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Many (Christian leaders) live in stupendous wealth gotten from deceit and promise of miracles, healing or a better life for the congregants who keep giving out of lack so they can have, and so enrich the leader who has an insatiable appetite for inanities. He builds empires and edifices inaccessible to these people and burdens himself with titles and respects only meant and next to God.
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People call their wonderful structures and edifices “the Church,” and their institutions and empires evidences of the power and presence of God. That was what Abraham wanted to do with Ishmael until God stopped and silenced him, and asked him to send both the child and the mother away (Gen 21:12-14). We must do away with such edifices and ministry that have become our religious pride fueled by the income generating system and mechanism brought into the New Testament Church in order to remain in business and to build personal empire rather than the Kingdom of God (Mal 3:8-12). We must learn from Paul.
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We are New Testament people, no more tribes of Levis or Judah, Jews or Gentiles, bond or free, but brethren; brothers and sisters, priests and kings (1Pet 2:9, Rev 5:10). “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” (1Cor 12:13) Consequently, we can all come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy in times of needs (Heb 4:6).
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Many have risen in history in similar spirit but stopped by God: Hitler and Napoleon are handy examples. But many Christian leaders today are still in the same spirit under a different umbrella of religion. They are building movements, empires, institutions where one man is the head, and gather people together purportedly to lead them before God like Nimrod did. This leadership style is never the idea of God and that was what led to Babel, and today, it is still Babylon and a rebellion against God.
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The ideal Church leadership ordained by Christ and practised by the early Church is the plurality of eldership, who all hold fast to the one head, who is Christ Himself (Act 14:23, 15:2,4,22,23, 16:4, 20:17, 1Tim 5:17, Tit 1:5, Jas 5:14, 1Pet 5:1, Col 2:19).
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Remember that leadership is servanthood, it is to serve the people. (Mar 10:42-44)
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God does not want “leaders” to exert lordship or authority over his people. This is “gentile” practice. They are to lead and not rule (Mar 9:35)
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But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. (Mat 23:8-11)
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Titles bring class, hierarchy and division, and that is what brought the clergy-laity practice today in the church which was a pagan style and system of leadership and it is exclusively for control.
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The one-man leadership style cannot but always results into control, even if it is done with humility and sincerity. It is the deeds and doctrine of Nicolaitans, which Jesus said He “hates” (Rev 2: 6,15), because it is the spirit of religion.
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Religious people “love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi…” (Mat 23:7). Even Jesus called his disciples “friends” and “brethren” (Mat 28:10, Joh 15:15, Rom 8:29), the term used throughout the New Testament Church. Unfortunately, this is one of the practices and styles that the denominations inherited from Babylon (Catholicism). It was left undealt with even by the Reformers of the sixteenth century. It is similar to the great sin of the Old Testament Israel that no king could overcome: …Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom. (2Kin 3:3)
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The one-man leadership is also the golden calf of the Reformation that is still sacred today. Without this, there cannot be empires built by denominational heads and overseers, and there cannot be the “great city,” which is headed by the overall head to counterfeit the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, the City of God.
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The city is expressed by the gathering of the “called-out ones” in assembly or fellowship (ekklesia). This is the true bride, that Jesus died for and purchased with His precious blood and He’s coming back to take to His Father. It is the Church of the living God.
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This glorious city also has “able ministers of the New Testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” (2Cor 3:6) They are sent by the Lord Jesus with no purse, nor scrip, nor shoes. They have not corrupted or used the gift of God deceitfully, to advance personal causes or build a name, city, institution or empire after themselves. They are irrevocably committed to the love and the cause of their Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. They are those who say boldly: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 8:35-39)
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As regards materialism and commercializing the gifts and calling of God in building empires … “we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead.” (2Cor 1:9)
They are people who have lost their lives for the gospel and count all things but loss and dung for Christ’s sake.
… They are brothers among brethren, not thin gods among members. The members of the body of Christ are many, yet one body, the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, the “Holy City,” the functioning, replica, and manifestation of the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of God. The “mount Sion, …the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem…” (Heb 12:22).
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THESE TWO WOMEN (churches) have parallel ministries. The ministry of the counterfeit woman (organized church system) is to make all her children (denominations) harlots so that they can represent her and spread her harlotry all over the world. Through deception, they are to deceive the whole earth, fornicate with the world and make “the whole world” drunk from the cup of her abomination so that the whole earth would go after her (and not the true bride) in a religious orgy under the guise of “serving God.”
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Christianity is a common religion in many nations of the world, but it is that of the strange woman. She has represented Christianity with materialism, power, and control. She brags: “I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing…” (Rev 3:17). She is so rich that she has a whole city to herself here on earth to mimick the city of the true bride, the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:2).
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Her other ministry (the counterfeit bride) is to destroy the virgin bride and her offspring: And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the SAINTS, and with the blood of the MARTYRS of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. (Rev 17:6)
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… She persecuted and killed many apostles, disciples, and saints through the dark ages. She clamped down on true Christians till she successfully annihilated meeting in homes, houses, and simple gatherings which is the true model of the true Church (assembly) as practiced by the early Church.
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The remnant Church is still unknown, unsung, and unattractive because it is the true Church and shares the characteristic of the truth: the truth is always bitter, hated, and unwanted. Paul said, “we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day” (1Cor 4:13). She is still being persecuted by the Universal Church because she has remained chaste, pure, without spot or blemish. She will not compromise or participate in the mere fanfare, social, and commercial Christianity the counterfeit church is enmeshed in, which she is using to deceive and to make the whole earth follow her. Her deception is “wine”- something sweet: music, accommodative gospel, fables, sweet talk and sugar-coated messages, miracles, signs and wonders, empire building, non-spiritual matter, money, power, fame, prosperity, festivals, etc “…she made ALL NATIONS drink of the wine …” (Rev 14:8).
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Even though many denominations today do not have a formal or direct dealing or affiliation with the Church of Rome or England again and are independent, they are still the offspring of the great Babylon, the offshoot of Catholicism and her seed (of harlotry) is in them. They still romance many of her practices in meetings, prayers, ministry, clergy, etc. Doing away with them would destroy the foundation such doctrines are built which have existed for several hundred years. That is why it is difficult for denominations to have true fellowship because the foundation of true fellowship (as brethren in the early church’s style) was destroyed to give way to the clergy-laity (priest-people) style which is the pattern of the Baal worship and a pyramidal system of leadership, which makes one person the head or the ruler of the whole bunch and others carrying the one man.
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The counterfeit church today is no longer known by her ancient name of “Babylon” or religious names of “Catholic” (universal) church but by many modern, choice, and beautiful names. They are still the greatest opposition to the true Church in practice as she continues to lure her away with ingenious attractions, soulical appeal, materialism, viral presence, and “…great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before” (Mat 24:34-25). They have “a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” (2Tim 3:5)
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Many saints are victims right now. They are trapped and stranded with the counterfeit woman and her harlot offspring (the organized church system). The world is held spellbound and deceived by the miracles, wonders, fame, power, and wealth of the offspring of the woman being perpetuated using the name of Jesus. The world is captivated by the fanfare, organization, socio-religious activities in the organized church system compared to the simplicity of true Christianity.
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The Jesus of the organized church system is the Jesus of material success, fame, power, money, etc. He is not the Jesus that was crucified in Golgotha. He is not the Jesus that is busy to have a pure virgin in righteousness as a bride to present to the Father in other to fulfill His Father’s will. The organized church system has deregulated the mission of Jesus to mere breakthrough, miracles, good life, and so on. The Spirit in the organized church system is the spirit of the world, not the Spirit of Christ. The gospel being preached is the gospel of materials.
The true Church is experienced: In God (Joh 17:3, 1The 1:9), Through Jesus (Phi 3:8-10, Gal 2:20, Col 2:6-8, Eph 1:17, 3:19), By the Holy Spirit (Joh 14:26, Joh 16:13).
However, the counterfeit Church is experienced through: Christian religion, Denominations (1Cor 1:10-13, Joh 17:22), Works and religious activities (Luk 10:38-42, Gal 1:6-9, 1Cor 13:1-3, Col 2:20-23).
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The two experiences described above look very similar in practice but parallel in principles and applications. They define the two churches: one built by Jesus - spiritual (Mat 16:18, 1Pet 2:5, Eph 5:27), the true Church, energized by the Spirit of Christ, and the other is built by men ─carnal (Col 2:8, Rev 3:15-17), the counterfeit church, energized by the spirit of the anti-Christ.
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The experience of God in the true Church is by the Spirit and in the Spirit because the Church is a “spiritual house” (1Pet 2:5). The Holy Spirit makes us to experience Him in our [new] “inner-man” (Joh 4:10, 2Cor 4:16, Eph 4:23, Col 3:10). He also brings us to a knowing, a revelation of God and our sonship in Him. This is not derived through intellect or any other good but humanly devised knowledge of knowing God, particularly, theology but through the witness within (Rom 8:16).
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Our services and worship also are a spontaneous response to the discovery of God, His works, power, and majesty impressed in our hearts by His Spirit, and which flows out in songs, praise, or other forms of expression to glorify Him. It is only what comes from God into our hearts that can flow back to Him in acceptable worship (Act 17:28, Phi 2:13). We are the primary sacrifice He desires, not any of our offerings (Rom 12:1). This is often a place and time of brokenness and sobriety which the solemn presence of God always brings (1Kg 19:11-12). This is a direct negation of the other experience which energizes the flesh and brings it to an orgy, soulical excitement or religious exuberance, and with cultural or traditional embellishment resulting in loud and gibberish motions which are of the flesh.
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The true Church is the gathering of those who are saved, otherwise, it is just a religious meeting place. “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls” (Act 2:41). “And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women” (Act 5:14).
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Christ graced some brothers within the gathering with leadership calling and ability to function (not as a title holders) in the “five-fold” ministry (Eph 4:11). They are to provide edification as they receive from Jesus who is the owner of His Church (1Cor 7:23). They are a channel to speak the truth in love that all “may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love” (Eph 4:15-16).
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Church growth is not measured by these indices. It is neither a network of branches nor financial muscle for physical structures. Growth is not when we organize crowd-related programs in the name of evangelism. All these have the tendency to bring on the leaders the burden of performance, pleasing the people, and meeting their needs. Services are also likely to be flavored with activities and programs that appeal to the people and give a sense of fulfillment so as to keep them coming. While religious fulfillment is guaranteed, it will be ultimately challenging to experience personal relationship and the presence of Christ in such a place. (1Cor 2:4,13, 11:12)
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Growth occurs in the gathering only when the Lord adds to His Church by Himself those that are saved (Act 2:47), not those we invite to our programs or special services.
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Our responsibility as believers in fulfilling “The Great Commission” (Mar 16:15) is to GO OUT to where the sinners are and “disciple” (not merely convert) them. This means challenging them to face God with a message of true repentance to God and salvation in Christ (Act 2:38, 3:19, 8:22, 17:30, 26:20). All begins in God. If God does not “draw” a soul, he or she cannot come to Christ. Jesus said, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.” (Joh 6:44)
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We can make people recite the “sinners’ prayer” and repent of their sins of lying, cheating, adultery, murder, etc, but that is hardly the repentance to salvation, it’s at the best confession of sins, only meant for those who are saved and are already in Christ. The unsaved need repentance to God, which is to turn from death unto life; from left to right; from the lake of fire to heaven; from the camp of Satan to that of God, and not just to repent from the sins of cheating, and so on. This is the first step in the born again experience, and the message is sadly lacking in many pulpits today; it has been replaced with just “coming to Christ,” and that God loves them so much and He’s desperate to have them. God truly loves sinners and He has made provision for a sinner to come back to Him and that is the way of repentance. “The times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent.” (Act 17:30)
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It is challenging for anyone who has not experienced an initial encounter with God (Godly sorrow) through repentance to come to Christ. This is why many end up in religion, even Christian religion and not Christ. Our message to the lost is to repent of the original sin of alienation from God, lifestyle of sin and religion, and turn 180 degrees to God and He will save them by leading them to His Son (the Savior) who will bring them to Him.
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We cannot bypass God in the presentation of the Gospel of salvation to people. We cannot simply ask them to believe and come to Christ without the initial repentance to God. To believe and come to Christ is right but it is after godly sorrow when they realize the need for a savior. This is why a lot of people profess Christ but are still ungodly in character.
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There is a lot of Christianity around the world but less godliness. There are many so-called believers and even leaders but with questionable character let alone righteousness. “By their fruits you will know them.” How can we speak and demonstrate so much of Christ and our lives is not Christ-like. Whatever does not begin in God cannot return to Him. Our coming back to God must be initiated by Him, and He has done that by giving Christ. Jesus always says He can do nothing of Himself but what He sees the Father do (Joh 5:19).
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The Church is the ‘family house:’ a place where Christ nurtures, builds, trains, and prepares His bride for His return. There cannot be proper discipleship outside the Church setting because that is the only place all nourishments and functionings are provisioned. It is the symbol of Christ’s authority on earth, which believers must be under and demonstrate through expression in a local gathering. This is the place of Christ-centered discipleship involving not only one “discipler” but all ministry giftings and graces functioning together to edify. It is just like in a family setting where we have parents and siblings all contributing to the growth of each other, yet recognizing everyone’s unique place and grace, particularly the “parents” as “disciplers.” (1Cor 4:15) This is where and how we can have all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and we will be complete in Him (Col 2:9). That is the function of the Church.
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A local gathering is when and where two or three believers gather to express the life in and of Christ, and Jesus (not prayer, music, doctrine, message, etc) is the object, subject, and attraction of the gathering (Mat 18:20). The early Church met in houses providing a pattern for us (1Cor 1:11, 1Cor 16:19). Such gathering is a place where we can be ourselves without the formality of being religious. We can freely express ourselves in fellowship, ask questions, contribute and really know ourselves. We will know those who are weak and those who have graces in certain ministries and we can all be edified. This is when there can be an abiding in Him, growing from in to out, and then we can abound in Him, bearing fruits (Joh 15).
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SATAN IS A serial deceiver… he deceived the first bride (Eve) and she died a spiritual death (Gen 3:4). He is not relenting with the second bride, the Church. He hates her because He knows she has the key to his end.
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Look around, you will see the glory, riches, and wealth of the Laodecian [counterfeit] Church and her “ministers.” She has everything. She has bowed to Satan in secret and demonstrating the glory in the public.
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The glory and power that looks so close to the original so much that the “very elect” can be deceived. The miracles, signs, and wonders are the generosity of Satan in order to have followership, mega-congregation, mighty cathedrals, empires, institutions, positions, and even cities. This is real and all around us today, the church that Satan built and blessed. He has his own ministers who transform as “angel of lights.” They control the world. He told Jesus: “all these things I will give to you.” If he would risk giving it to Jesus, he would lavish it on his own to achieve his aim.
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Remember, the counterfeit bride is called, “the great whore that sitteth upon many waters;” she has the people and controls the populace. She makes them drunk with her “wine” (sweet doctrines, music, and other appeals). It should not be difficult to see a semblance of this around.
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Christ is busy preparing His bride [the remnants] that will not bow to this gigantic organized religious system of a beautiful but counterfeit bride who is in control of the destiny of billions of sincere people who desire to worship God but end up worshipping the mystery woman, the abominations of the earth.
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Although Adam fell to the adversary in the Garden of Eden, but Jesus overcame him in the Garden of Gethsemane. He has given us power and authority to do the same (Luk 10:17-19, Mar 16:17-18, 1Cor 15:8).
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Satan failed with the first Church (God redeemed her), he failed with the early Church (God preserved her), he will also fail with the remnant Church (God will rescue her). Let the remnant be comforted with this truth also (Heb 13:10).
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The remnant Church is the prophetic representation of the Philadelphia Church, the rapturable and rapture-ready Church (Rev 3:8-13). She is undenominated, uncontaminated and has not defiled herself with the king’s delicacies. She is not built, led, headed or founded by man... To be a part is to be born (again) of water and of spirit (spiritual birth). When these gather in twos or threes or more, and wherever that may be to express Christ only (not their needs or idea of worship) in spirit and in truth, Jesus is there as the Head. That is the expression of the true Church (Mat 18:20, Joh 4:21-24). Brethren without class, caste, hierarchy or clergy-laity divide (Gal 3:28, Col 3:11), but simply recognizing different graces among themselves for proper functioning and edification of the whole body “…till we all come in the unity of the faith…” (Eph 4:12).
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Let us rejoice in the “blessed hope” that Jesus will preserve His bride from the strange woman, the counterfeit church with all her allure, grandeur, and persecution (Tit 2:13, 2The 2:16, Eph 5:6, Rev 3:10). He will also keep us from the “Wicked One” and the “evil Day” unto His glorious appearing (1Joh 2:14, 5:18). Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
INTRODUCTION CONTINUED
But before this, Satan had been sent out of heaven to the earth along with a third of the angels after he led the rebellion against God with his five “I wills” (Isa 14:12-14, Luk 10:18). Since then, he colonized the earth and appropriated it as his own. He became the “prince of this world” (Joh 12:31, 14:30), “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph 2:2) -Beelzebub, “the Lord of the flies” (Luk 11:15-19)- the god of the atmospheric heavens, “the chief of the devils” and the “Lord of the devils” (Mar 3:22). He ruled and patrolled the earth “to and fro” (Job 2:2) with his angels until suddenly, Adam showed up in the Garden.
Since Satan thought the earth belonged to him, he saw Adam’s presence in the Garden as an intrusion and invasion of his privacy and personal property. He took it as an assault to rob him of what is legally his, and a ploy to dethrone him of his reign on earth, which to him was the only place he could be. Little did he realize that “the earth belongs to the Lord and the fullness thereof” (Psa 24:1), just like the “heavens and the heaven of heavens” belong to Him (Deut 10:14, 1Kin 8:27). This was one pill too many for Satan to swallow, he determined not to relinquish his reign on the earth to God’s Son, or accept another defeat; he would rather dislodge Him so that he could firm up his grip on his ownership over the earth. But God already equipped His Son with all that is needed to defeat him, so that as He defeated Satan in heaven, His Son also would defeat him on earth.
Suddenly, Satan struck. He unleashed a cunningly devised and carefully masterminded assault against Adam through Eve, the bride of Adam, knowing her all-important role in achieving God’s mandate. With this, he “successfully” truncated the rule and reign of Adam and “stole” the earth from him. From then on, he usurped the place and position of the Son of God and ruled the earth.
However, his victory was cut short four thousand years later when the second Adam (Christ) showed up on the scene with yet another bride with whom He would take over the earth; to rule and reign in it as His Father had ordained before the foundation of the world. This time, the Son, along with the bride would finally bruise Satan’s head and send him to where he rightly belongs, the lake of fire (Rev 201:10).
This battle intensifies as the end of the age closes in. Satan knows that he has only a short time, and so he is engaged in an escalated battle of his soul and the soul of the earth. He is fighting tooth and nail and leaving no stone unturned to resist God’s rule and authority on earth through His Son and His bride. He wants to retain what he thinks belongs to him at all cost. He is employing the same strategy and instrument he used before, i.e. the woman, the bride of the first (and second) Adam, “the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ” (Col 2:2, 4:3, Eph 3:4).
At the end, Christ will reign and “deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet… And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.” (1Cor 15:28)
Since God will judge the world and all things by Christ and His bride (Act 17: 31, Rom 2:16), Christ’s victory and reign will not be complete without His bride by His side (1Cor 6:2). This is why Christ went to the Cross to die for her and will come back for her so that they can both reign together in victory (Eph 5:25, Joh 14:1-3). The Church (the bride) is God’s barometer for Christ’s victory, hence, Christ must build His Church.
For Satan to effectively counter and contend with Christ’s victory, he must also have a bride, because she is the yardstick by which God measures victory (as it was in the Garden, so it is even now). So, as Jesus is committed to building His bride (the Church), Satan also is committed to building his own bride, too.
This book is written as a wake-up call to the sleeping bride, particularly, believers stranded in the organized church system. The reality of this epic struggle between [the second] Adam and Satan, and their common ‘instrument,’ the woman (the bride), is a call to battle, and we are a part of the warfare. The Bible calls these two brides “mysteries,” and these are the two churches: one built by Jesus (through His called-out ones) and the other built by Satan, (through His ministers who transform as angels of light). You belong to one!
Since Satan thought the earth belonged to him, he saw Adam’s presence in the Garden as an intrusion and invasion of his privacy and personal property. He took it as an assault to rob him of what is legally his, and a ploy to dethrone him of his reign on earth, which to him was the only place he could be. Little did he realize that “the earth belongs to the Lord and the fullness thereof” (Psa 24:1), just like the “heavens and the heaven of heavens” belong to Him (Deut 10:14, 1Kin 8:27). This was one pill too many for Satan to swallow, he determined not to relinquish his reign on the earth to God’s Son, or accept another defeat; he would rather dislodge Him so that he could firm up his grip on his ownership over the earth. But God already equipped His Son with all that is needed to defeat him, so that as He defeated Satan in heaven, His Son also would defeat him on earth.
Suddenly, Satan struck. He unleashed a cunningly devised and carefully masterminded assault against Adam through Eve, the bride of Adam, knowing her all-important role in achieving God’s mandate. With this, he “successfully” truncated the rule and reign of Adam and “stole” the earth from him. From then on, he usurped the place and position of the Son of God and ruled the earth.
However, his victory was cut short four thousand years later when the second Adam (Christ) showed up on the scene with yet another bride with whom He would take over the earth; to rule and reign in it as His Father had ordained before the foundation of the world. This time, the Son, along with the bride would finally bruise Satan’s head and send him to where he rightly belongs, the lake of fire (Rev 201:10).
This battle intensifies as the end of the age closes in. Satan knows that he has only a short time, and so he is engaged in an escalated battle of his soul and the soul of the earth. He is fighting tooth and nail and leaving no stone unturned to resist God’s rule and authority on earth through His Son and His bride. He wants to retain what he thinks belongs to him at all cost. He is employing the same strategy and instrument he used before, i.e. the woman, the bride of the first (and second) Adam, “the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ” (Col 2:2, 4:3, Eph 3:4).
At the end, Christ will reign and “deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet… And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.” (1Cor 15:28)
Since God will judge the world and all things by Christ and His bride (Act 17: 31, Rom 2:16), Christ’s victory and reign will not be complete without His bride by His side (1Cor 6:2). This is why Christ went to the Cross to die for her and will come back for her so that they can both reign together in victory (Eph 5:25, Joh 14:1-3). The Church (the bride) is God’s barometer for Christ’s victory, hence, Christ must build His Church.
For Satan to effectively counter and contend with Christ’s victory, he must also have a bride, because she is the yardstick by which God measures victory (as it was in the Garden, so it is even now). So, as Jesus is committed to building His bride (the Church), Satan also is committed to building his own bride, too.
This book is written as a wake-up call to the sleeping bride, particularly, believers stranded in the organized church system. The reality of this epic struggle between [the second] Adam and Satan, and their common ‘instrument,’ the woman (the bride), is a call to battle, and we are a part of the warfare. The Bible calls these two brides “mysteries,” and these are the two churches: one built by Jesus (through His called-out ones) and the other built by Satan, (through His ministers who transform as angels of light). You belong to one!