ALMIGHTY GOD REFUSES ACCESS.
BY MICKEY C. McCONNELL.
 
Table Of Contents.
 
1.	Access Denied		 1.
2.	What Is Unity?	16.
3.	Doctrinal Contradiction	 45.
4.	Church Desegregation	 97.
5.	Conclusion	105.
 
 
Copyright, February 2009.
All Rights Reserved.
proph0@hotmailxom.

Author.Mickey C. McConnell,
  

ALMIGHTY GOD REFUSES ACCESS.
 
Prologue.

The subject of this book is without a doubt very controversial. I know that it will most likely be greatly criticized. Our Savior Yahshua Jesus, is the most controversial person ever to have walked the face of the earth, but this never deterred Him from pursuing and completing the mission given to Him by the Heavenly Father. Controversy should not be avoided at every cost, for if it is an important controversy, then the truth of the matter should be explored in depth. It is the truth that makes us free, and it is "less than the truth" that reduces persons to chains.

There is a group of individuals, who have been labeled by the Holy Spirit as saints. This word saints in the New Testament in every single case is taken from the Greek word "hagios". Its meaning is sacred, holy, pure, blameless, consecrated. In the Book of Matthew chapter 5 and verse 8 we find, "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God". It does not mean that these people have never sinned, and it does not mean that these people never stumble or fall. It does mean that these people have put their trust in Yahshua Jesus for eternal life, and that their hearts desire and intent is to be pleasing to Almighty God. They have a pure heart. Every person that fits this description is a saint. This book is especially written for the saints. The Holy Bible is not vague, when it says, that we, the Body of Christ, are one. I go to great lengths in this volume to demonstrate through the Holy Scriptures, that the saints are directed to live out this oneness here and now. Biblically this is not optional.

I ask you this question. If the Holy Bible teaches us to live out this oneness here and now, are we willing to adjust our thinking in order to satisfy our Creator's desires? Almighty God has inspired me to proclaim this divine truth, "The saints are one, and we are to put this oneness into practice in the here and now". The oneness spoken of in the Holy Bible is not just for when we get to heaven.

Let me say one more thing. This book is not about compromising the Word for the sake of unity. I am sure some will try to say it is, but they are wrong. The Holy Bible teaches, that we have a duty to not compromise the Word, and the Holy Bible also teaches that we have a duty to live out the oneness of the body of Christ in the here and now. This is doable. If you do not read the entire book, then you will likely miss some essential part; without which, it will appear that I do not know what I am talking about, so please read the whole thing prayerfully before you try to pass judgment on it. I pray that the Almighty will open the eyes of our understanding to this wonderfully powerful truth, and that we, the body of Christ, will bind together in the kind of Godly unity, that will shake the gates of hell. 


CHAPTER ONE.

ACCESS DENIED.

Cir. 2218 B.C. And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech, And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Come, let us make brick, and bum them thoroughly, And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. And they said, Come, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.. And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do„ Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. You can read this in the eleventh chapter of the Book of Genesis. This story is known to us as "The Tower of Babel", and it is one of the most fascinating passages found in the Holy Bible. I believe, that it is a very important one, and key to more than one mystery. The people spoken of, are mere mortals: sons and daughters of Adam and Eve. The text clearly states "the people is one". The word used here means united. They were completely in agreement. They were saying the same thing, and they were doing the same thing. These were not people, who were trying to please Almighty God; and yet, their wholehearted agreement with one another resulted in great power and ability. I suggest that you stop right here and spend some time considering what we have just discovered.

The power, of agreement is not limited to Christian people. It is a law written into the universe by the Great Creator. Great and mighty things are possible, when people come into agreement, regardless of who these, people are. In our "Tower of Babel" story, the Almighty makes a profound statement, concerning: what they are attempting to do, and these are His words: "Behold, the people is one, and they all have one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do".

Did you catch that?! He clearly implies that these people are going to be able to do, what would otherwise be impossible. Did the Almighty mean that they could actually build a tower all the way to heaven? He used the words "nothing will be restrained". Nothing! It is obvious from this story, that these people would be able to accomplish something great, that was completely against His will. Almighty God refused access. He did not permit them to enter this realm of possibility, and put an end to their venture by confounding their language, Can you imagine how planet-changing the Tower of Babel peoples efforts were apparently going to be? I think it is completely fascinating the length to which Almighty God went to terminate their efforts. Their efforts were such a threat to all the Almighty intended, that He once again transcended time and space to intervene. He disrupted their communications beyond repair. It is very difficult to work together as one, without the ability to communicate. Because they were not able to continue the work, they were dispersed abroad.

What would have happened, had not the Almighty interfered? No one knows for sure, but you can be sure of this: the world would have gone in a much different direction. Would they have somehow transcended the natural world and entered into the spirit world? Possibly yes, because their goal was to build a tower that reached to heaven. We have now built pyramids and skyscrapers that reach far into the sky, so the Almighty was plainly not concerned about them building a very high tower. We have built space ships, with which we have orbited the earth, and landed on the moon. We have sent our probes deep into space- past planets, and this indicates, that the Creator was not worried about them going into space. The Almighty has allowed mankind to split the atom, making nuclear energy. He has allowed marvelous medical breakthroughs that have virtually eradicated numerous diseases. We have the ability to travel to anywhere on the globe in a matter of hours. We' enjoy amazing telecommunications that allow us to talk to someone half way around the world, or do banking from inside our homes. With the making. of computers, we have billions of pieces of knowledge information available at our fingertips, and this available to individuals in their home via the internets. The Almighty does not seem, too concerned with what we accomplish in the physical realm, but it seems obvious, that these people were about to go beyond the natural, and tread into the spirit realm in: such a way, that would somehow disrupt Almighty God's design. I think very possibly their efforts would have accomplished an alliance with fallen angels. These wicked creatures certainly are opposed to all that is right and good, and nothing would have pleased them more, than to disrupt the Almighty's plans.

We can see clearly here, that unity amongst humans is a great power. This power was made by the Great Creator, for all things were created by Him and for Him. The- power of unity is so great, that if it is misused as at the Tower of Babel, the Almighty moves swiftly and decisively before it gets out of hand. Can you imagine the potential? It is mind-boggling. I cannot overstate this power, and you will likely miss the whole thrust of this book, if you miss this point. The power of individuals is consolidated by unity and multiplied exponentially. A person that goes it alone can certainly have singleness of mind and thus accomplish quite alot; however, unity can multiply productivity greatly. This is a simple yet profound concept, that has virtually been ignored.

In Genesis chapter 11, and verse 4, we find this phrase, "let us make us a name". This appears to be a part of the problem. Here is fallen man searching for a way to lift himself up. Instead of turning to the Almighty, they were looking to themselves. This word name also includes the idea of "memorial of individuality", the idea of honor, the idea of authority, the idea of fame. This was their mind set, and they go on to use the phrase "lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth". This was in rebellion to the Almighty's directive in Genesis chapter 9, and verse one, replenish or fill the earth.

There is another aspect here that could bear scrutiny. The Holy Bible teaches us, that Satan rebelled against Almighty God. There was war in heaven between Michael the archangel, and Satan. Michael prevailed, because Almighty God commissioned him to expel Satan from heaven. Satan, and one third of the angels, being co-conspirators with him, were defeated and removed from heaven permanently. He was cast out of heaven, and down to the earth. Satan goes to and fro, and up and down in the earth, as a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. He only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. 'Having started his mutiny in heaven against the Most High, he continued this rebellion in the Garden of Eden, and we see more of his rebellions efforts in the people at the Tower of Babel. But there was a time much earlier, when Satan was greater, and he played a different role in the affairs of the universe.

Satan was known as Lucifer before the fall; which means, "The morning star", and comes with the idea of brightness. In the Book of Isaiah, and chapter twelve, he is referred to as, "Son of the morning". He was once a glorious being. In the Book, of Ezekiel, chapter twenty-eight, get- a load of this. "You sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. You have been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was. thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beiyl, the onyx and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of your tabrets and of your pipes was prepared in you in the day that you were created. You are the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set you so: you were upon the holy mountain of God; you have walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, till iniquity was found in you". It is sort of hard to imagine the extent of glory, that the Almighty created into Lucifer, but He made him to play an important role in His creation, Because of the musical instruments made into his very body, it is supposed that Lucifer was the choir director in heaven, and this is very likely true.

Lucifer was called "The anointed cherub that covereth". If you remember: The Ark of the Covenant, made by Moses to Almighty God's specifications, had two cherubims made of gold, and these faced each other, whose wings stretched out over the mercy seat, which was situated on top of the Ark, and covered. This is a startling concept, and we don't know exactly what role Satan played in all of this, but he was referred to as the anointed Cherub that covereth. The Holy Bible does not reveal to us just how much time passed, between the time of his banishmenf from heaven to earth, and the events in the Garden of Eden and at the Tower of Babel, but you can be sure, that Satan schemed and hoped for a turn of events for a long time.

You see, during the "Tower of Babel" event, Satan was not just sitting idly along the sidelines. He goes up and down, and to and fro in the earth, looking for a chance to cause trouble. Satan and his fallen angels are an evil lot, that hate The Most High, and they continually seek to make His plans fail. They seem to desire and need a human body through which to express themselves, because they no longer experience the same kind of freedom they once knew, as a result of their rebellion against Almighty God. It seems certain that these fallen beings instigated the events that took place at the Tower of Babel. They once lived and roamed about in the third heaven where Almighty God resides. They could also move about and enjoy the second heaven or outer space as it were. It could be that they wanted to conspire with the people of the' Tower of Babel, in order to regain some of the glory they once knew. We. know, based upon certain passages in scripture, that Satan has much power; and it would seem, that he hoped to combine his own power, with the "power of agreement" of the people of the Tower of Babel, to do a whole new thing. It was quite a scheme, that was devised against Almighty God, The Creator, who knows all things, would, not allow them to succeed. He came down to see what they were doing, and then made them to have different languages, which in turned caused mass confusion. They could not maintain their, unity, as a result of all the chaos. Almighty God refused them access into the benefits of this unified venture.

It is important that you understand here, that the builders of the Tower of Babel were going to accomplish something fantastic, something beyond belief, and the Creator moved decisively to put an end to their determined plans. Don't think for one single minute, that Satan has forgotten the lesson he learned at the Tower of Babel. Satan knows that he was thwarted by the Almighty at the point of unity.

Satan is intelligent enough to realize, that the Almighty broke up their ability to stay in agreement Satan is intelligent enough to know, that his plans must have had huge potential, seeing that the Almighty opposed them on such a large scale. From this perspective it seems obvious, that Satan knowing how powerful unity must be, decided to make sure that the Almighty's people would be embroiled in division, fighting, and controversy. Because Satan is very intelligent, he realizes, that if the Almighty's people get into unity, then his plans and schemes will most certainly be doomed.

Stop and think! Satan attacks the Church and the Kingdom of Almighty God to cause divisions, He. delights in conflict of doctrine, strife over religious matters, and prefers competition over cooperation, He knows that if Christians get into agreement, then nothing will be restrained from them. What's even worse in Satan's view, is the Almighty will not come against genuine Christian unity, for it is what the Creator desires. You can be sure of this very thing, that Satan will do everything in his power to convince Christian leaders and their followers that denominations are needed, Satan deceives us into believing, that our group or organization alone is the true guardian of real Holy Bible truth, and we need to place a hedge around what we have, to preserve it from the contamination of other less enlightened Christians, Satan plays on the human nature of Christians, both individually and in groups, to convince us, that we alone are the true instruments of Almighty God to bring salvation. Satan uses this pride to stir up false righteous indignation against those, who disagree with us, We gain a wrong sense, that we are the only ones diligently protecting Almighty God's work, while the others stubbornly refuse to understand or acknowledge how right we are. Please do not get hung up on the words that I have chosen here, for there is a principle here that can be comprehended for the lovers of truth. It is the truth that makes us free, and anything less than comprehensive truth has the ability and tendency to reduce us to chains and enslavement.

If the Almighty has entrusted truth to our group, to the exclusion of other groups, then why does He .turn right' around and use other groups to build His kingdom as well? The answer is obvious. He entrusts His work to them as well! Satan has done quite a job on us; We have allowed Satan to neutralize a huge amount of our power. The military tactic of "divide and conquer" is at work here. Satan has not succeeded in conquering us, because the gates of hell will not prevail against Christ's Church; however, he has succeeded in dividing us into a much weakened condition; Unity is no replacement for the Holy Spirit, but it does create an environment, in which the Holy Spirit delights to work, and we must move against unnecessary division.

Let us ask a couple of very important questions at this point. Are there divisions in Christ's church? Of course the answer is yes. Are divisions necessary in the church? This is a very important question, and one that should be considered in light of what the Holy Bible has to say. If the answer is yes, then what factors make it biblically mandatory for a division to take place, and does the Holy Bible require ongoing efforts for reconciliation? If the answer is no, then why is the church splintered the way it is? I plead with you, to approach this subject with an open mind. Please do not take the word of your pastor or denomination over the Holy Bible in this matter. The Word of Almighty God supersedes my opinion and your opinion. The Word of Almighty God supercedes the positions of all denominations. Each and every one of us, who profess Christ, must defer to the authority of the Word of the Most High. It is scandalous, to do otherwise. As Christ said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away". I am going to present simple evidence from the Almighty's Word; showing that, it is His heart's desire, that His Church would be one even now. Once a person has such knowledge, a new way of thinking should prevail with that person, and a distaste for unnecessary, division should rule their thinking, actions, and habits. Once this concept is adequately demonstrated, we brothers and sisters in Christ should follow the Holy Scriptures in minimizing, and even eliminating, the destructive havoc and tendencies that denominations have wrought against the Church. I am a person, who believes very much in the biblical concept of balance; therefore, you should not find any wrongful compromise for the sake of unity in this book. I am not Here teaching compromise at any cost Let me repeat, I am not teaching compromise. This is not about violating all that we hold as dear It is wrong to compromise the gospel of Christ, The concept of unity among brethren does not require any of this type of compromise.

Imagine that the Church world wide is under intense persecution for a very long time. Imagine it being the worst sort of persecution, including martyrdom. This is the type of environment, where you will find the concept of denomination much diminished, and the concept of unity of significantly greater importance in Christ's Church. Once again, I plead with you to read all of this with an open heart concerning Almighty God and His kingdom As a fellow believer, you too want to please the Great Creator more, than you want to please any man, or organization. Please, let us learn to align ourselves with Christ and His kingdom, and let us learn to decrease the influence in our lives, of anything that would, cause unnecessary division amongst us brethren. You quite possibly already agree with some of the things in this book, and you will probably struggle with other things I have written in here. Please read the whole book before passing judgment upon it. How can a person make an objective critique of something they only have partial knowledge of? Thank you, and may Almighty God bless you, as you align yourself more correctly with Him and His people. Now let us continue the thoughts we were considering.

The day of Pentecost is quite intriguing, for it seems to undo some of the consequences of the Tower of Babel Acts 2:1, "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place". Once again we find people getting into agreement, but this time these one hundred and twenty souls are in agreement in a way, that is pleasing to the Almighty. They have spent ten days together, diligently asking the Almighty to send the Comforter, and they are all gathered in one place. On the tenth day, there came a sound like a rushing mighty wind, or a driving violent wind; and it filled the whole house. This sound was from heaven. Imagine how powerful this event was, for these words are descriptive of great power. Have you ever had a wind blowing around you or your home with such violence, that it seemed everything could blow away any minute? This was a very powerful event that left quite an impression on the 120, who were assembled there. What apparently was separated tongues of fire, appeared in the room and sat upon each person. The Holy Spirit filled each and every one of them, and they began to speak with different languages. What is really interesting here is that there were at least sixteen different language groups of people present in Jerusalem on that day, and they all understood what the 120 were saying.

As the 120 continued speaking the wonderful works of Almighty God, in languages they had never learned, they began to leave the upper room where they had been gathered, and continued in this fashion before the thousands in Jerusalem. As the news spread quickly concerning the strange phenomena, the multitude of people came together, and were in somewhat of an uproar being perplexed. They did not understand what was happening, but they did understand the words the 120 were speaking; and this in spite of the fact, that the multitude was made up of people from many nations, having different languages. The multitude was astonished, looking on in wonder and admiration. No one had ever witnessed such an event, neither had they heard of anything like it. They realized that the 120 were all of the same language; and yet, they were communicating perfectly to at least sixteen different language groups. Apparently all the people, from, at least 16 different nations, were also experiencing a miraculous hearing with their ears that transcended the language barrier.

Think about it At the Tower of Babel, the people were of one accord, on a. mission that displeased Almighty God, and as a result had their languages confounded. On the day of Pentecost, the people were of one accord, on a mission that pleased the Almighty, and the language barrier was broken, as if it did not even exist. It was as if the sixteen or so languages suddenly became one language. In a city, with such international diversity, this event was profoundly unique. The people in Jerusalem knew they were experiencing a very strange and unusual phenomena. Whereas, the event at the Tower of Babel forced them to disperse; the event on the day of Pentecost brought them together. The result that day was three thousand converts to Christ, and apparently the converts were from sixteen different nationalities. Can you imagine? What an astounding accomplishment this was, in what had only days before been a very hostile environment. Do you see what unity among brethren can accomplish? There are no limits, where Godly unity Prevails. I want you to carefully consider this concept. Please take your time.

In the second book of Chronicles, chapter five, Solomon finished building the temple. He assembled the elders of Israel and the heads of the tribes to Jerusalem, to bring the Ark of the Covenant from the city of David, which is Zion. The priests and Levites brought up the ark, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, and placed it in the inner sanctuary of the temple. King Solomon and all the congregation sacrificed tens of thousands of sheep and oxen. Then starting in verse eleven, "And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place; (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course: also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being atrrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood' at the east end of the altar, arid with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets, it came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice, with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endures for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God".

Notice the priests had consecrated themselves. The Levite singers and musicians were also assembled there dressed in white linen, and had their musical instruments with them. There were also 120 priests there sounding trumpets. When the trumpeters and singers became as one, praising and thanking Almighty God, the Almighty filled the temple with His presence. The glory of Almighty God was so great that the priests could not stand to minister. How very beautiful and awesome this scene is. Do you understand that the Almighty appeared in great power and glory as they became one? Division is a very key ingredient hindering the work of the kingdom. I cannot over emphasize the importance of this factor, The corruption of division so taints things, that Almighty God in His holiness and purity holds back His great power from this devil devised scheme. It is devilish, sensual, and	filled with pride. Remember, pride goes before destruction, and not before a great display of power from the Almighty. If we desire to see His great power we must humble ourselves instead, Acquiring singleness of mind with our brethren throws the doors wide open to receive great and mighty things from on high. Coming into agreement creates a sweet sweet environment, in which the Holy Spirit delights to work. Making and maintaining denominational division has the tendency of quenching the Holy Spirit. Let him that hath an ear to hear, listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying. The Almighty loves unity among His people. He expects us to have a pure heart and to be as one. The Almighty will not refuse access into this powerful realm. When we are one the way we are supposed to be: quite to the contrary He will pave a glorious entrance into that which He has for those who love Him.
 

 
CHAPTER TWO.

WHAT IS UNITY?

Behold how good and how pleasant it is, for brethren to dwell together in unity. It is like the precious ointment on the head that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garment; as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life forevermore. Psalms 133. The picture painted here is breathtaking to the extreme. Do you understand how precious was the ointment on Aaron's head that ran down his beard, and on down to the skirts of his garments? Aaron was anointed to be the high priest. The high priest went, into the holiest of holies once a year, to offer a sacrifice for the sins of the people. If he did this incorrectly, he would die, and if he did not offer this sacrifice for sins, the sins of the people would not be atoned for. The anointing on Aaron was an extremely critical mandatory. The above passage compares unity to this precious anointing that Aaron received. You see how very precious and pleasing it is to God Almighty? I don't think we realize just how awesome it really is, to get along so well with our brothers and sisters, that the impossible becomes possible.
 
There are several things that all Christians should and must be in agreement about Let me list several of these, #1 Humans are born with a sinful nature, and we have all sinned, and we are all worthy of eternal damnation, and are unfit to go to heaven #2 Yahshua Jesus is the Messiah, the spotless Lamb of God. #3 Christ the Messiah was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, and sinless #4 Christ the Messiah died on the cross for your sins and mine #5 Almighty God the Father raised Christ from the dead on the third day. #6 Christ will return for His bride the church, at the appointed time of the Heavenly Father. #7 The Holy Bible, is completely trustworthy, for it is inspired by the Holy Spirit Himself #8 Blatant sin, is intolerable and the church must, never tolerate it among their own Some of these, sins are as follows: worshiping and serving false gods, idol worship, murder, rape, homosexuality, blasphemy, adultery, theft covetousness, misusing the Almighty's name, abortion in general, bearing false witness, dishonoring parents. The Holy Bible clearly teaches us, that we are in the world, but we are not of this world. To be a friend of worldliness is to be the enemy of Almighty God. I am not saying that these are the only basic tenets of the faith, but I am saying, that the foundational truths of Christianity must never be compromised. The unity I am talking about in this book consists" of pure hearted sincere believers of Christ joining together around these foundational Holy Bible truths. There can and should be solidarity amongst the brethren concerning these things. There is really only two churches. There is Christ's church the redeemed, and there is the apostate church which is nothing more than hypocrites; therefore, there is really only one true church, and all who are a part of it are one in Christ. The fruits of the Spirit are manifested in believers, which are as follows: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, and the more mature these believers become, the more prevalent, these fruits are for their lives. The deepest heart's desire of these believers is to be pleasing to Almighty God. Forgiveness is a mandatory among these believers and an important facet of all they stand for. Deviating from these core values is dangerous, and is a red flag waving for those who profess Christ.

Let me restate what I just said, for it is extremely important. #1 Whoever does not believe we have a sinful nature, and that we have all sinned, does not believe we need a savior, and therefore minimizes the importance of the plan of salvation that Christ the Messiah carried out for us at the cross. #2 Whoever does not believe that Yahshua Jesus is the Messiah and that He was born into the world as a man, is not of God (first John chapter 4, verses 2-3). It is impossible for a Christian to be in unity with such a person, for as it says in the same passage, a person who does not believe this is of the spirit of anti-Christ. #3 Whoever does not believe that Christ was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, evidently does not believe that Christ was sinless, and to speak such a thing is blasphemy. If Christ was not sinless, then He cannot possibly save me from my sins, and this is at the heart of the gospel. Christ who knew no sin, became sin in our place, that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ. #4 Whoever does not believe that Christ died on the cross for our sins, evidently does not believe, that the plan of salvation has been accomplished by the Messiah. If this is not true, then the preaching of the gospel is foolishness. #5 Whoever does not believe, that Christ rose from the dead does not have faith in Almighty God, for in Romans chapter 10, and verse 9 it says this is a requirement for salvation, #6 Whoever does not believe that Christ will return for His bride the church, apparently does not believe that God offers us eternal life through Christ the Messiah. #7 Whoever does, not believe in what the Holy Bible says, apparently does not believe that Almighty God delivered His word to us, and that it can be trusted #8 Whoever approves of blatant sin, or takes an attitude of "it is ok for people to do whatever they want as long as it does not harm me" does not accept the fact, that Almighty God is a holy righteous God and He hates sin. It is virtually impossible for a Christian to have unity with anyone who does not accept these eight things as foundational truths, for without these eight things, there, is no value in the existence of the church, or for that matter Christianity in general. If these things are not true, then Christianity is an exercise in futility. I am not saying that I have listed every single foundational truth, for I may have forgotten to list one of them, but I am saying that without these eight you blatantly contradict the most important teachings in the Holy Bible. Without them, you might as well tear down every Christian house of worship, and you might as well burn every Holy Bible, for you certainly no longer have a church. I had to write this down, because there will be those that say, that denominations are a good thing, an4 that unity among Christians cannot be achieved, because you will have to compromise foundational truths in order to achieve this unity. I did not want anyone to believe, that I am for one minute suggesting compromise of the basic tenets of the faith is ok in order to have unity. Having made these very necessary statements, let us move on into what this book is about.

Christians are tripped up so often by their fleshly desires, envying, and jealousies that they simply will not work together; furthermore, they often work against each other. My spirit is deeply grieved with the massive number of Christians, who walk after their fallen nature. Many of these people are leaders in the Church. All of us have to guard over being petty and babyish, but it is very sad, when leaders in one denomination, will not dare allow a godly person from another denomination, to minister to their flock. We each live in this body of flesh, and we are all prone to walking in the flesh. We have to decide on a regular basis, whether we are going to walk in the spirit, or walk in the flesh. Did you hear that phrase "on a regular basis"? Even a preacher can preach powerfully in the spirit one Sunday, and preach in the flesh at other times, I have witnessed this phenomena. It is especially acute, when preachers start maligning other denominations. Do we not realize that these are our brothers and sisters for whom Christ also died? Do we not realize, that Almighty God is no respecter of persons, and that He has entrusted the preaching of the gospel to them as well? Why in the world did Almighty God entrust the preaching of the gospel to Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, Nazarenes, etc? This is a trick question, for Almighty God has not entrusted the preaching of the. gospel to denominational, organizations, but He has, entrusted the preaching of the gospel to numerous preachers, who have been .ordained by Him to do so. These same preachers have been pressured into choosing, which denominational organization they are going to be a part of. The Almighty is accomplishing His mission in spite of the limitations denominations are placing on His chosen ones. Would to Almighty God that His ministers would shake off these sectarian chains and freely explode forth in vastly greater power. Do you understand this point? Read over this again and again until you understand the point being made. It isn't Almighty God who is making a mess of things here, but we by our traditions are making a mess of the "body of Christ".

I encourage you to read this passage in Mark chapter 7, starting at the first verse, "Then came together unto Him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem, And when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashed hands, they found fault For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat, except they wash their hands with the fist-hard-scrubbing, holding the tradition of the elders. And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the traditions of the elders, but eat bread with un-washen hands? He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things you do. And He said unto them, Full well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition." Notice in verse 7 the phrase, "teaching for doctrines the commandments of men". This is an extremely important concept. Any Christian, or any Christian Church, that exceeds what the Holy Bible says, is in error. We are not bound by Almighty God, to adhere to the commandments of men in the Church. You and I are bound to keep the commandments of Almighty God. Notice the phrase in verse 9: "full well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition". Denominations are guilty guilty guilty of this very thing. They teach for doctrines, the traditions of men. Many of these traditions, of men are easily exposed by the scriptures; and yet, these denominational people insist, that their people must adhere to these things. Notice in verse 8 the phrase, "for. laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men". Denominational people often put more emphasis on their tradition, than they do on what is Almighty God's commandment on the same subject. If you read on down through verse 13, you will find, that these religious zealots, had virtually bypassed the fifth commandment to honor father, and mother and felt completely, justified in doing so because of their tradition, They were laying aside the commandment of Almighty" God, to keep a tradition of men, Christ called this practice exactly, what it is in verse 9: "rejecting the commandment of God".

What you need to know here also; is that, a tradition is something that is handed down from generation to generation. In time it is treated as something that is mandatory from Almighty God, No one remembers how it got that way, but you had better think twice before you dare mess with it, for it is treated as holy. A tradition of men is not holy! It is only a tradition of men, no more and no less. If grandpa practiced a certain tradition, then may Almighty God have mercy on you, if you do not continue in the same. (This last sentence is a sarcasm) Do you get the picture here? It does not matter if the tradition is half-biblical, or not biblical at all, it has come to be treated as a sacred thing, that had better not be tampered with. Christ is making it crystal clear, that many traditions make the commandments of Almighty God "of none effect". Such traditions are sinful, or the Almighty would not have talked about them this sternly. I invite you to carefully read over the passage again and again, until you sense the passion and urgency, with which Christ was talking about traditions of men. If a man from Almighty God comes along and points out the error of such, a tradition, he will virtually be committing ministerial suicide, for those who hold to such a tradition will attack him viciously, and I mean viciously. Many denominational doctrines, that define, a denomination, are half-truth doctrine traditions of men, that make the commandments of Almighty God "of none effect". The fact, that they are half-truths, makes them unspeakably troublesome, for they have come to be deeply seated traditions. When some truth is mixed with a tradition, it is virtually impossible to correct the error. Religious zealots will see to it that you are castigated and branded as a trouble-making cancer that must be cut out. When this happens, a prophet from the Almighty is treated as the devil himself. Good people will stone him, thinking they are doing Almighty God a service. Not all traditions are bad, but the ones that war against the Almighty and His kingdom must be forsaken. They create division and destroy unity.

Let me introduce you to what I just referred to as half-truth doctrines. These are doctrines that are partly based upon the scriptures, but mixed with something else, that is in no way a requirement of the Almighty. Because truth is mixed with it, these doctrines sound right, and seem defendable. On the face, they appear to be Biblical; however, this is not pure truth, but a watered down version of the truth; or worse yet, a perversion of the truth. Because it is the truth that makes us free, anything less than the truth has the tendency of reducing the adherent to chains. People in. denominations unwittingly enslave people with half-truths, thinking they are doing Almighty God a service. We are not to compromise the truth. We are not to embellish the truth. We are not to twist the truth. We are not to confuse the truth. To neglect part of the truth in doctrine is to invite trouble strife and disunity. Have you ever felt like there are Calvinistic scriptures, or Wesleyan scriptures, or Catholic scriptures, or verses that really belong to another sect? This is a profound misunderstanding. There are only Holy Bible scriptures, and they are all inspired by the Holy Spirit. We are forbidden to pick and choose. All scripture is given by inspiration of Almighty God, and not just the part we prefer. The scriptures do not contradict each other, but they complement one another. The word "complement" means to complete or make perfect. Relevant scripture is not to be feared or shied away from. It is these passages that complete or make perfect the doctrine you are concerned with. This is helpful, for it keeps a person from error. To view all the scriptures as a whole is both wise and safe, To neglect some verses, leads to incomplete doctrine. The passages that each denomination wants to avoid, are the very passages that complement and complete their doctrines, bringing balance to what is otherwise out of balance. Instead of incorporating these complementary passages into their doctrines, denominations brassily go about explaining them away, as if we really do not need them. We treat some precepts as important and others, as unimportant; as if, the Almighty should have consulted us, before He inspired the ones we consider unimportant. In essence, these are "made of none effect" by sectarian doctrines: These things ought not to be. Do you see how utterly ridiculous it is to diminish any part of the Holy Bible? How can unity come, with phenomena such as this? It is quite presumptuous to tamper with wisdom that is established by the one, who is wiser than we are.

 I have more to say about the subject of half-truths, but I will save it for later in the book. It is an integral part of the cause of division among brethren; and therefore, needs to be given a good bit of attention, but I want to get back to the subject of "what is unity?" Let us now go to 1 Corinthians chapter 12, and starting in verse 18. "But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye. cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of you, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. No, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more weak, are necessary: and those members of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our less elegant parts have more abundant comeliness. For our noble parts have no need: but God hath combined the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked:, that there should be no division in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another And if one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it" Every individual m Almighty God's kingdom is important, and the body as a whole, cannot/obtain its maximum 'potential without any one person, even though that individual might only have the gift of helps, and no more. This is the Word of Almighty God. Dare we resist or ignore it? That is why it is: silly to ignore what any part has to offer; and yet, individual churches; as well as denominations, do this often. These divided groups zealously prevent people, not officially a part of their group, from having influence on anyone that is in their group. In other words, true sincere followers of Christ outside their group are considered a dangerous threat.

How is it that the body of Christ walks after the carnal nature so often? How is it that pastors and leaders preach about spiritual things, yet rule according to the carnal nature? I don't know how many times I have heard someone use the phrase "the politics of the church". What a weird saying. The church is not a political entity, neither is it a business. Why does the Holy Spirit refer to the church as "the Body of Christ"? It seems that Almighty God wants us to know that the church is more of a living breathing organism, than it is an organization. It is supposed to be led by the Spirit, instead of driven by tradition and business savvy. Many pastors apparently view themselves as CEO's or chairmen of the board, and it is little wonder seeing that most denominations are 501 C3 corporations. A corporation is something that is under control of the federal government. The federal government puts certain restrictions on corporations; such as, you cannot preach against voting for a particular political candidate, who supports certain sinful behavior. But I must repeat, the church Christ established is not a corporation or a business. It is spiritual in nature. Christ is the great head of the church, and He is absolutely not the chairman of the board. The church is to be led of the Spirit, and not by the votes of business men, who sit on the board. Spiritual things are spiritually discerned. The secular is not capable of leading and guiding the spiritual. The church is built on the revelation, that Yahshua Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Son of Almighty God. He is our warrior commander. He is given the Holy Spirit without measure. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and His ways are higher than our ways. If the church follows Him, it will be filled with dynamic power from on high. If His precepts are kept and sought after, we will turn the world upside down, or in all reality, right side up. The church is so divided, how will it conquer? Did you hear that? The church is so divided, how will it conquer? We must get back to the unity Christ prayed for, if we are going to go forth conquering the enemy, and building. Christ's kingdom. Handling church affairs in various seeular/camal ways, cannot and will not produce, the results Christ intended.

Consider this passage in Matthew chapter 18, starting in verse 15: "Moreover if your brother shall trespass against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him; alone: if he shall hear you, you have gained your brother. But if he, will not hear you, then take with you one or two more, that in the mouth of two or. Three witnesses every word may be established And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto you as an heathen man and a publican." This passage is not a suggestion. When there is trouble between brethren, we are obligated to seek reconciliation. Christ commands it. The first step mentioned in this three step process is to be limited to the offender and the one offended. It is not right to go around spreading rumors about how bad someone is, when not one single effort has been made to reconcile with that brother or sister. If that step is not successful, then we are to bring one or two witnesses with us for the express purpose, of establishing a witness of what is being said between the offender and the offended. This tends to keep everyone honest By the way this witness or these witnesses are to be objective and unbiased. We are not to look for an advantage over the one who has offended us, but we are to seek the truth and reconciliation. If this is done wisely, it tends to bring about reconciliation, because now other brothers and sisters are being brought into the picture, and this brings a positive peer pressure to bear upon the situation. If step two does not work, then we are to take that person before the church. This is a very critical situation, and a reasonable Christian will' do the right thing here. If they do not, then they are to be treated as though they are a sinner, because that is probably what they are; seeing that, they stubbornly refuse to reconcile with their brother or sister in Christ. Notice, that if our brother offends us, we are obligated to go to them, with this three-step passage in mind, to try and mend the relationship. We are not given the option here of just running to another church, thus avoiding our obligation of bringing reconciliation and restoring unity. Do you see how easy it is for brethren to divide instead of unify?

If you continue on in verse 18, here is what you will find: "Surely I say unto you, whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven". This three step principle is so important, that when it is carried out properly on the earth, Almighty God considers the matter established in heaven also. I would not want to be rebellions in this situation, for the Almighty obviously is watching closely, what is taking place.

In Matthew chapter 18, and starting in verse 19, we find these words, "Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven, for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them". You see, there is huge power in unity. The Almighty knows what Christians are capable of, when they get along with each other and work together, for He is the author of the "power of unity". Notice it says inverse 2 that the Almighty. is present, where, two or three are gathered together in His name. The right kind of unity: taps directly into the unlimited resources of Almighty God, because it brings the Most High right onto the scene. From this vantage point we can see one of the reasons, that the Almighty likes good solid friendships. As few as two people coming into agreement, can shake the gates of hell. We should take the Almighty at His word. Imagine the power of a husband and wife being, in agreement in their requests to Almighty God. Unity means oneness.

Reading on into verse 21 we find, "Then came Peter unto him and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times: Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto you, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven." At what point can we decide he is unforgivable, and, that we are more holy than he is? Apparently never! If you read the rest of the chapter, you will find, that we all have been forgiven a debt that we could never possibly pay back; and because of this, we are obligated to always forgive those, who have sinned against us. It is obvious in view of this passage, that the Almighty considers the debts that other people owe us vastly smaller, than the debt we owe him. He has every right to expect us to forgive in this manner, seeing that, He has already gone far beyond in forgiving our sins.

Interestingly enough, not only are we obligated to confront the ones who are truly offended by us, but we are to reconcile with whomever we ourselves might offend. Take a look at Matthew chapter 5, and starting in verse 23: "Therefore if you bring your gift to the alter, and there remember that your brother has aught against you; leave your gift before the alter, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift". To come and make offering to the Almighty, while we have unresolved conflicts with our brother, is not acceptable with Almighty God. He wants us to do our best to bring healing to our relationships. We Must make these serious efforts to be one in Christ with our fellow believers. The Almighty insists that we strive for unity. If there are people in your life, that have been offended by you, or if you have offended them, have you obeyed these principles in the Holy Bible in a good faith effort to restore relationships and unity? The Almighty makes it clear, that if we do not forgive, then He will not forgive us. Division is scary, when you consider that we will not be forgiven if we ourselves do not forgive There can never be unity among brethren, until we learn to think in these way. So Satan uses strife among believers to divide them and the church. Many times Satan succeeds in instigating conflict using the scriptures.

On the other hand, Satan also knows the power available to Christians, who love each other, and work together, This is one reason why he works so hard to cause dissension and disunity. Why are we falling prey so easily to our enemy? Satan loves it, when we get into conflict Where there is discord, the work is hindered. Consider Matthew chapter 12, starting in verse 25. "And. Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is .brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? Can you see how division destroys strength? The word divided means disunite. I have split much wood in my life. Growing up at home, we burned wood to heat our home. Some wood split fairly easily with an axe. Other wood had knots, and such, and required using a sledge hammer and a wedge This wood was so tough, that it took lots of effort to start a wedge into the wood, and then pounding the wedge with the sledge hammer. It took lots of strength and energy to divide this wood. A few pieces were so tough, that my dad sawed it in two with a chainsaw. If you divided these pieces into smaller pieces, you could reduce them to ashes in the heater Wouldn't it be wonderful, if our relationships were as tough as the sticks my dad had to saw in two with a chainsaw? The stronger the relationship., the more difficult it is to disunite. Weak relationships are easily separated If we do not on purpose develop very strong relationships with the brethren, then Satan has much less to worry about, for the "power of unity" will not be a threat to him.

Unity results in co-operation among brothers and sisters in Christ. Unify tends toward singleness of mind and purpose. Unity focuses on the real goal, and does not get stuck on small petty differences. Biblical unity does not mean compromising the truth, but it does result in a deep love for the truth, and a willingness to have an open mind to adjusting one's doctrines to fit all the truth, and not just certain parts. Biblical unity positions the church for great power. Biblical unify shakes the gates of hell. Biblical unity produces sincere love in the Body of Christ. There is a sweetness and specialness about Biblical unity. The blessing of Almighty God Himself abides among brethren in unity. Do you see why Satan fears unity so much? The next passage exhorts us to press forward to achieve unity at those most critical points that divide us.

"I beseech you brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and there be no divisions among you, but you be perfectly joined together, in one mind, and one judgment." First Corinthians 1:10. This Word, inspired by the Holy Spirit gives clear concise instructions concerning unity among brethre. #1 It exhorts us all to say the same thing. Stop and think about that! If we all spoke the same thing, there would be no need for denominations at all. Is it possible for the Body of Christ as a whole, to all speak the same thing? You just read it for yourself. We are exhorted to all speak the same thing. Denominations exist, because professing Christians are not willing to speak the same thing. Do we as Christians actually believe that the word of God Almighty is not in unity with itself? I heard a fellow believer make mention of the concept, that there was enough evidence in scripture, to support two opposing denominational doctrines. This is a scary saying. We are supposed to walk worthy of the calling, where with we are called, with all lowliness and gentleness with long suffering putting up with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit: in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as we are; called, in one hope of our: calling. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and inrough all, and in us all Ephesians 4:1-6. Did you notice all the times "one" is used? Almighty God "did not" inspire contradictory messages in the Holy Bible. It is man who came up with doctrines that contradict. It is obvious that God Almighty wants Christians to reason together, in a civilized manner, until they work out accurate doctrine. Second Timothy 2:15 says, "Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth". The Holy Spirit informs us to study and rightly divide the word of truth. The words "rightly divide" mean, to make a straight cut, or dissect correctly. This has to be worked at Sometimes the Word has double meanings, but it does not present contradictory meanings. There is no room in God Almighty's kingdom for contradictory doctrine, and this is why it is important that we all say the same thing. For example, think about this. Suppose two different denominations are taking turns preaching in a particular jail. What if both denominations are preaching their pet contradictory doctrines to these prisoners? It is almost certain, that the church in this instance will confuse the inmates, instead of helping them in a way that is beneficial. This is one of countless possibilities that Satan exploits, and denominations, i.e. divisions,, are making this possible. Almighty God is not the author of confusion, but divisions play a hefty role in confusion. This #1 point of all speaking the same thing requires humility, wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. We know, that if we all are speaking the same thing, we are approaching the key to great spiritual power.

#2 We notice in First Corinthians 1:10, that there are to be no divisions among us. The definition of denominationalism is: the tendency to divide into denominations or sects. Denominations are divisions. First Corinthians 1:10 exhorts us not to divide this way. We are to speak the same thing, and not divide. This is so simple, and yet profound, and even startling. The very thing we have come to accept as necessary, is displeasing to God Almighty, Of course human beings tend to divide into groups, but we are bom again. We are a new creation in Christ It is not right for us to continue in the worldly ways, because old things have passed away, and all things have become new. The world will know we are Christ's disciples, if we have love, one for another. Divisions manifest a relationship that is less loving than it ought to be. The world looks on at our schisms and is not impressed. An. acquaintance, of mine, who is an avowed atheist made a comment similar to this: "What is going on with professing Christians drawing battle lines of division against one another?" You know? He has a good point. Why should he want to become a Christian when Christians do not love each other as they should? The stated goal in First Corinthians 1:10 is, that there be no divisions among us Is there any Christian who would presume to have more wisdom than the Holy Spirit that inspired this. passage? No divisions among you means no divisions among you. The basic tenets of the faith are within reach' of our understanding, and these are not to be compromised; however, we must not permit less important things (notice I did not say unimportant things) to divide us into these denominational divisions. We must not walk in the flesh as the heathen do. We must not fight and quarrel as sinners do. We must not pack up our toys and go home like the unbelieving world, when we do not get our way. There are to be no divisions among us, for we are one in Christ. We are not supposed to be like the secular world.

#3 What about the phrase in First Corinthians 1:10, that says: "but be you perfectly joined together"? This phrase comes with the idea of repair and restoration. We who were once sinners and lost, whose relationships were not one in Christ, are to be repaired or restored, if you will How beautiful and pleasant this thought truly is. We being many are one, in Christ, and through Christ As the scriptures say, we are all members of one body. Look at the word perfectly. It does not simply say, that we are to be joined together, but it says: perfectly joined together. There is no misunderstanding, what kind of unity Almighty God desires. Will perfect unity be achieved through denominations? No! They are probably the number one hindrance to unity in the Body of Christ.

Read further on in First Corinthians chapter one, verse eleven. "For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you says, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? or were you baptized in the name of Paul?" Notice the question phrase: "Is Christ divided?" Ask yourself the same question. Is Christ divided? Of course Christ is not divided. Is the church divided? Yes! Back in the Corinthian church, they were divided into their exclusive groups. One group thought that they were "in the know", because they took their ques from Paul, Think about that They apparently were not going to listen to Cephas (i.e. Peter) or Apollos. But the Cephas group felt the same way, They took their instructions from Peter* The Apollos group too was a respecter of persons. They held Apollos in higher esteem than the others. It appears that there was one more group that basically had it right, for their declaration was: "I am of Christ", The fact remained though, they were quarreling with each other about this.

This, same thing goes on today. The Methodists almost worship John Wesley. The Baptists take. their instructions from; John Calvin. The "Church; of God people" esteem A.J. Totmlinson. The Lutherans look to Martin Luther The list goes on and on. The church is without reservation, divided! You can see in this passage how Almighty God feels about this. In verse thirteen Paul asks "was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?" Do you see what the Holy Spirit is saying here? Christ is the one who was crucified for our sins, and we are baptized in the name of Christ, and not in the name of Paul, Peter, Apollos, or any other human.

If you read on down to verse thirty one, notice it says, "He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord". Over and over and over and over, I have witnessed professing Christians glorying in their denomination. This word glorieth means to boast or rejoice. We are not to boast or glory in men, but in Christ If it were possible to put it more simply or more plainly than this, then I would do so. Please take note of what the Spirit is teaching us here. These denominational and human icons are far inferior to Christ, and we are to trust in Him, not them. These people spoken of in First Corinthians, chapter one, were not of the same mind, or the same judgment. They were speaking inconsistent things. They had divisions, and were not perfectly joined together. Nothing has changed in this respect The Body of Christ, the church, is splintered into numerous divisions. What is it about mankind that is so predisposed to separating into groups, and why is the Body of Christ so like the worldly crowd in this sense? From this perspective, it is little wonder that Christ said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. First Corinthians chapter twelve, verse twenty-five states, "there should be no schism in the body". Schism has to do with splitting and division. I tell you authoritatively, and on the authority of the Word of Almighty God, that we are to cease and desist from dividing the church. We are not to compromise the crucial tenets of the faith, but we are to become one. I, Mickey McConnell, did not inspire these words, but the Holy Spirit did inspire them, as stated in the passages we have been considering. May His kingdom come, and His will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven.

Do you esteem any denomination over any other? Please have ears to hear. Almighty God does not want you to play favorites with any group of Christians. Your preferred denomination must not in any way cause you to play favorites. You and I as Christians must place all our brothers and sisters in Christ on a level playing field. We are not to esteem one group of Christians as better than others. Listen! It displeases Almighty God. Proverbs 6:16,19 informs us, that it is disgusting to the Almighty to sow discord among brethren. Consider Ephesians chapter four, and verse eleven, "And he gave some apostles; and some prophets; and some evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect. man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ". There are three stated purposes, for which Almighty God gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers and it will be this way until we all come in the unity of the faith and knowledge of Christ. We have, a very long way to go to attain this unity of the church today; and personally, I don't think we will, arrive at this destination, without great suffering and persecution. During oppressive times, people have a tendency to forget smaller matters. When things get extremely hard Christians will leam to lean on each other, and appreciate each other, it is during times, when we can worship openly, and we have prosperity, so that we can drive long distances to church, that we can be selfish and choosy, about where we go. We can take the attitude of, "Well fine, if they don't do at this church the way I want them to, I will just find me a different church". It is the express duty of these five types of ministers, to teach the brethren to love each other: all the brethren, and all the time. The passage states clearly, that Christ is not going to return, until we all come into unity. Think about it. Will there be any need for apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers in heaven? I think not. You can even hear some of these five-fold ministers make the brash statement, "If you don't like how we do it here, you need to find somewhere else to go". Can you imagine that? Some of the very ministers, who are supposed to bring in unity, are at the core of the problem. Now I know, that there are some people, who are straight-out troublemakers, and they must be dealt with decisively, in order to protect the flock; however, there are some true brothers-in-Christ, who simply are functioning in their five-fold-ministry office, trying to do the job Almighty God gave them, and they should be listened to. Why do you think the Almighty placed prophets among us? Each denomination seems to have their scholars and prophet-like people, who approach the Holy Bible strictly from the framework of their denominational indoctrination. It is virtually impossible to alter denominations pet doctrines, even though they are wrong. Each denomination generally seeks after the counsel of their scholars, and prophets as it were. This is actually a scary thought, because the Almighty uses prophets to bring attention to error. When our God sends a prophet on a mission, He does not necessarily check to see, if he is from the proper denomination. The Creator's thoughts are higher than ow thoughts, and His ways are higher than our ways. If a called preacher/prophet seeks to purify and make a denomination's doctrine more accurate, and they are not members of that denomination, they will be maligned, branded as troublemakers, and cast out. The people, who are running these Godly men off, think they are doing Almighty God a service. Many mistakenly believe that truth is exclusively entrusted to their' organization.

I just recently talked to a preacher friend of mine about unity across denominational lines, and he basically, said that oneness of the body of Christ would not take place until heaven. How very sad! The man did not understand the heart of Almighty God in this matter. I am here to tell you, that God Almighty desires that you and I be one now. We cannot overestimate the importance of this passage of scripture in Ephesians, chapter four. Our God is almost shouting to us that He wants unity. Just think how many apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers Almighty God has called. This should impress upon us the emphasis He has placed on unity. This five-fold ministry will continue until we all come into the unity of the faith.

In the Book of John,, chapter seventeen, and verse twenty, "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they, all may be one; as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you have sent me". How is the world going to believe that the Father sent Christ, but by our love one for another? If you read this passage carefully, one of the things Christ is saying, is that the world will by our unity know, that Almighty God sent Christ. Do you understand that denominations are hindering the work of the kingdom, because the world sees a problem with our message, on account of disunity in the church? We can't get along with ourselves, and how are we going to reconcile the world to Christ? We may smile at each other, when we are out in the restaurant after Church, but we do not submit our petty differences under Christ's blood, that we may be one. Notice in the passage the phrase, "Neither pray I for these alone". Christ was not only praying for his disciples, that walked with Him during His ministry, but also for all of us that would come later. He prayed that we all would be one.

Consider these words. "Wherefore remember, that you being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Un-circumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: but now in Christ Jesus you who were sometimes far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances, for to make in himself of two, one new. man, so making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby." This passage is found in Ephesians, chapter 2, verses 11-16. At one time, we gentiles were on the outside looking in. The Holy Spirit refers to us here as aliens and strangers, without hope and without Almighty God. What a grimly painted picture of our position in the world at that time. It took the death of Christ on the cross, to break down the separation barrier between us. Think about that! We have been so blessed, by what Christ has done for us, and we have come to take for granted our standing in the Kingdom of Heaven. We used to be the serfs, the second class citizens, the nobodies, the trash if you will. Christ's blood put us on an equal footing with them of Israel. We have been forgiven a huge debt and have been ransomed with an awful price, even the blood of Christ, and yet we rebuild barriers between ourselves and our brethren, known as denominations. Christ slew the enmity (hostility) between us and them of Israel, and we have segregated once again, bringing hostility back among the Almighty's people. WHAT A SHAME! Did you catch the Holy Bible's mention of the word hostility, or enmity as it is stated in the King James Version? This is a very strong word, and it accurately gets to the heart of the matter this book is all about. We try to act like we love all our brothers and sisters in Christ; and yet, we do not wish to combine our assemblies. Christian denominations are a manifestation of walking in the carnal nature. We in the church are without excuse. Almighty God has revealed to me His displeasure with these denominational divisions. I, for one, am not going along with this thing anymore. What about you? We do not have to compromise the gospel or anything else important, to achieve Church unity among those who love the Almighty from a sincere and pure heart. I want the Almighty to grant me and us access into this huge dormant potential. Almighty God does not refuse access to His glorious power, where there is Godly unity.

 
 
CHAPTER THREE.

DOCTRINAL CONTRADICTION.

Can sound doctrine ever conflict with any part of the scriptures? What if it conflicted with only one or two scriptures? Would that be acceptable? Of course the answer is no. Titus, 1:9, Titus 2:1,1 Timothy 1:10, and, II Timothy 4:3 all speak about the importance of having sound doctrine. Sound, in the phrase "sound doctrine", means uncorrupt, true, whole. Think about it We run our Christian lives based upon doctrine. Having accurate doctrine is critical, because we condone or condemn various behaviors, based upon the doctrines we establish. If our doctrine is corrupt, we are going to be doing things that displease the Great Creator, or not be doing things, that we really ought to be doing. A doctrine is less than sound, if it conflicts with even one passage in the Holy Bible. Sound doctrine is doctrine that is always consistent with all of scripture. Always! There must be no conflict with any individual passages, because the Holy Bible does not have contradictions.

There are several principles that must be considered, when establishing sound doctrine. 1. We know and acknowledge that the Word is inspired by the Holy Spirit. 2. The Word is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness 3. The Word does not contradict itself 4 any doctrine of men that conflicts with even one relevant passage in the Holy Bible, must be revised to satisfy that relevant passage; or else, it must be discarded, for it is a half-truth doctrine 5 the WORD is truth 6. the scriptures must be taken as a whole 7 the context in which a passage is found must be considered in interpreting scripture.

I am not saying that these are all the principles, but they are certainly important, and I would like to focus on #4. It is not wise to exalt certain passages over other passages, because the scriptures complement one another. If you had a house built out of cards, removing one card could make the whole thing collapse. Scriptures are interdependent on each other, and to exclude some while including others, would most likely result in what I call half-truth doctrines. When doctrine is formed, it is extremely important to take into account every single relevant passage that pertains to said doctrine.

Do you remember a few years ago, when the space shuttle blew up only moments after lift-off? The investigation that followed concluded that o-rings in the Solid Rocket Booster, manufactured by Morton Thiokol failed. When it comes to space travel, it is extremely important that every variable is considered in a critical manner. An engineer at Morton Thaikol had warned NASA not to launch, if there were too low temperatures, but congress had pressured NASA to stay on schedule. Management at Morton Thaikol was pressured to override their engineers and ok the launch. The resulting explosion and death of the astronauts are proof-positive, that, every single critical part of the shuttle must be operating correctly to avoid disaster. When a relevant passage in the Holy Bible is neglected in forming doctrine, the result in many cases has been confusion and in fighting in the church. Do you realize how destructive is strife in the church? Do you realize how grave, a matter it is to allow division m the church? and I mean the Church at large; as well as, individual churches. Do you. realize how carefully the Almighty instructs us, about what to do if there is conflict in the church? Denominations tend to hold tenaciously to their doctrines in spite of additional light on the subject, but it is the truth that makes us free.

Satan confuses, by making-up half-truths and selling these half-truths to believers. He' does not tell a complete lie, for that would not be so difficult to catch. Satan mixes enough truth with his lie to make it believable. When Satan tempted Christ to leap from the pinnacle of the temple, he quoted Psalms, chapter 91, verses 11 and 12: "For he shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. They shall bear you up in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone". Satan was tempting Christ to show off in front of everyone in a dramatic fashion; to demonstrate, that He deserved to be listened to. Satan wanted Him to act in the flesh, instead of in the Spirit. Christ replied, "You shall not tempt the Lord your God". Christ was not fooled by Satan's misuse of the scriptures. Christ recognized the part of Satan's half-truth that was a lie, even though it was mixed with Holy Bible truth, and we should know the scriptures well enough, so that we cannot be easily fooled.

As I stated earlier, first Timothy 1:10, second Timothy 4:3, Titus 1:9, and Titus 2:1 all have the phrase "sound doctrine". It is not difficult to come up with a doctrine, but it can be very difficult to establish sound doctrine. There are many principles in scripture, and there are thousands of passages. A person must be very careful, that whatever doctrine is established aligns 100% with all of the Holy Bible. If it aligns with most of the scriptures, then it is not sound doctrine, because "most" is not sufficient. Sound doctrine does not conflict with the Holy Bible, even in part; or else, it is not sound doctrine. Many denominations have pet doctrines that conflict with other denominations. Often these conflicting doctrines are based upon part of the Holy Bible, but are confusing and contradictory, when exposed to the light of other Bible passages! This can never be acceptable, because we must govern our lives with sound doctrine, and not doctrine that passes only partial muster. I will start with an example I faced as a teenager, in the denomination I grew up in.

When I was about 12 months old, my parents attended a church service in the "Church of the Nazarene" denomination, and were both born again on that Sunday morning. My parents took me to Church regularly from that point in my life. We did attend some Baptist and Methodist Churches, Most of my childhood years, my parents took our family to the Church of the Nazarene. The Church of the Nazarene, like most denominations, indoctrinated their people, into their particular brand of Christianity. I cannot speak for everyone in the Nazarene Church, but I can speak from my own experience, which is quite extensive. The Church of the Nazarene taught a lot about "sanctification", but rarely spoke about being filled with the Holy Spirit. The practice of "speaking in tongues" was completely forbidden, and spoken against as unwanted, or even demonic, in nature. I grew up believing this.

When I was age 16, I met a girl, who attended the "Church of God" denomination, I liked her quite a lot, and visited more than once with a friend of mine, who, usually, attended, the "Church of the Nazarene" with me. At the Church of God, we; experienced the phenomena of "speaking: in tongues". I was troubled by it, because I had:been taught differently, I went home and studied what the Holy Bible had to say about the matter for myself. As I studied in first Corinthians 14, I realized that there is a legitimate "gift of tongues", That was very unsettling to me, and different, I also found in verse 13, that a person who spoke with an unknown tongue must pray that Almighty God would, provide an interpretation. In verse 28, the Holy Bible commands, that if there is no interpreter, to keep silence. Well then! As a teenager, I learned on my own, the Church of God that I visited had violated the scriptures, not by speaking in an unknown tongue, but by not providing an interpretation. I felt somewhat vindicated by the teachings of the Nazarene denomination, but I learned that my denomination did not like to talk about the phenomena of "speaking in tongues", even though it is addressed openly in the scriptures. Kind of weird, but oh well.

Years passed. I came across a pamphlet, put out by the "Christian and Missionary Alliance" denomination. Apparently the Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination had been faced with the "speaking in tongues" controversy, and had studied diligently in the Holy Bible, in order to establish their denominational position on the matter. In the pamphlet, they pointed out in 1 Corinthians 14:39 that Almighty God commands, that we are not to forbid "speaking in tongues". Now that was truly a revelation to me. My denomination, 'the Church of the Nazarene, expressly forbade "speaking in tongues", and here in the first book of Corinthians, in chapter 14, and verse 39, the Holy Bible expressly stated: "and forbid not to speak with tongues". I was amazed. The denomination I had grown up in, and loved dearly, was openly in violation of the Holy Bible on this particular point. Obviously the Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination had studied the controversy, and had adopted a more biblical position. At the top of the Church of the Nazarene hierarchy as it were, there are several men known as general superintendents. I wrote a letter to each of these gentlemen, showing what the Holy Bible has to say about allowing the use of the "gift of tongues", and sharing with them the new position of the Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination. These men courteously and individually responded to my letter; however as far as I know, the church never altered its doctrine to fit what the Holy Bible has to say. How very sad!

These events affected me. I am a lover of truth. I am called and driven to proclaim divine truth. It grieves my spirit when professing Christians are not objective. It grieves my spirit, when professing Christians are more loyal to their denomination, than they are to Christ and His Word. We, as Christians, are not called to be in, or to promote any denomination, but we are called to be a part of, and to promote the Kingdom of Almighty God.

Before I give you another example, let me make a point here. Read Acts chapter 10, and starting with, verse 34, "Then Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that fears Him, and works righteousness, is accepted with Him". If you read the whole passage you will find, that Almighty God had sent Peter, to speak for Him to these men. The Almighty had given Peter a vision, and an angel from the Most High was also involved. Almighty God made sure, that Peter knew what he was supposed to say to these men, and that he would successfully find them, and give them His message. Notice what is said there in verse 34, "God is no respecter of persons". In verse 28 we find, that Jews were forbidden to hang out with gentiles. Almighty God went to great lengths to teach Peter not to be a respecter of persons, and then sends him to a group of gentiles with the good news. Notice in Acts chapter 11, and starting with verse one, there were people of the circumcision, who disputed with Peter about having gone into a house of uncircumcised men. Peter thoroughly explained the chain of events from Almighty God that had convinced him to go to this gentile house, and preach to them. In verse 18 we learn; that at this point, they became silent and glorified Almighty God. They realized that it was Almighty God's plan to also bring salvation to the gentiles. They could have resisted while insisting, that their religion of Judaism forbade such behavior, but they would have been resisting the Holy Spirit to do so. You know what? We need to be very careful concerning what we resist, because it might be from Almighty God. The scriptures are very clear: we are to test the spirits to see if they are of Almighty God.

Now stop and think about that! We actually have an example here, of people with new knowledge that is clearly from Almighty God, giving way to what Almighty God wants to accomplish. Oh that church denominations would give way to Almighty God! Oh that every opportunity would be seized upon, to unify the church without compromising the black and white tenets of the faith. Back in Acts 10:34, Peter spoke of his revelation, that whoever is an Almighty God fearing person and works righteousness is accepted with Him. This is a profound principle that we have discovered here. Obviously, anyone who is God fearing will seek to please Almighty God. If they receive more light, they will adjust their doctrine, and their lives, to bring them into alignment with Almighty God. It says that whoever fears Almighty God and works righteousness, is accepted with Him. I really like that It does not matter what nation they are from. It. does not matter what color their skin is. It does not matter if they are a man or a woman. It does not matter if they are a boy or girl. It does not matter what political party they belong to. It does not matter which denomination they are a part of. Whoever fears Almighty God and works righteousness, is accepted with Him! The Almighty is no respecter of persons. He is impartial. His love reaches equally to every one of us. Another passage in essence says this, "Almighty God honors those, who honor Him". It is clear, that He does not respect anyone based upon their denomination. So why are we in competition this way? We are supposed to be in the same ball park, co-operating with our brothers and sisters for the sake of the kingdom. It makes no sense at all. The Almighty is not impressed in the least by denominations. He has one church, and it is known as " The body of Christ", or "The Bride of Christ.

There is another extremely important precept that I want to present here. Matthew chapter 5, and verse 8 says, "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God" This is a good measuring stick for testing when people are walking in the flesh or walking in the Spirit. A person, who refuses to listen to sincere and legitimate questions, is probably walking in the flesh. A person, who gets angry when discussing doctrine, has wandered into operating in the flesh. A person, who becomes impatient, is probably walking in the flesh. A person, who refuses to consider the idea that their denominational doctrine might need some adjustment, is walking in the flesh. A person, who presumptuously pushes petty denominational doctrine on others, is most likely walking in the flesh. I hope you are getting the idea here. When you see phenomena such as this, it does not mean that the persons engaged in such are not Christian, but you can know, that they are not walking in the Spirit "lie pure in heart" are striving to be pleasing to Almighty God. Walking in the flesh manifests portions of our character that have not been subjected to Christ. This is our carnal nature gaining the ascendancy at times, and we are to bring that renegade portion of ourselves under the lordship of Christ. When you see the carnal nature in action, you see something that is not "pure in heart". A person with a pure heart, that loses self-control will feel badly about it, and will see the need for humble apology.

It is fascinating, yet sad, to watch holy people carnally resisting each other at the point of doctrine. We are to come and reason together "in the Spirit". There is such a thing as "godly debate". It is different from arguing and fighting. It is two or more people that desire to get to the truth. They will employ the "fruit of the Spirit" in carrying out their discussion. It is ok if the discussion becomes heated, for there is nothing wrong with passion in and of itself. It is unbridled passion that is carnal, and not pure from the heart. Godly men are open minded to the truth. Notice I did not say that they are open to anything and everything. That would be someone, who can be carried away by every wind of doctrine. The godly person is open-minded to truth. A wise godly person, should be aware, that they can grow in the truth. Christ was given the Spirit without measure, but we are given a measure of faith; therefore, we individually are lacking, and need to accept our inter-dependence on each other, because we each have different gifts, strengths, and weaknesses.

In My life, I have' for the most part attended four major denominations; and they are Church of the Nazarene, Baptist, Methodist, and Church of God. I am going to use these denominations to help you understand a principle, that Almighty God has shown me, and is still teaching me about. I have already touched on this principle earlier, but we are going into depth here to help the brethren learn to view doctrine objectively. If you "walk in the flesh", then you will only accept what a single denomination has to say, but the objective and wise person learns to accept the teachings of the Holy Bible, in spite of what any person or denomination has to say about it.

Each denomination has their own peculiar teachings, and these distinct differences are emphasized to the extent, that these different groups prefer to worship and hold church separately. The Nazarenes talk a lot about sanctification, but they tend to shy away from teaching about being filled with the Holy Spirit, because they are against speaking in tongues, and what they call emotionalism. The Church of the Nazarene teaches that you can lose your salvation and they emphasize holiness. The Church of God talks a lot about being baptized in the Holy Ghost (filled with the Holy Spirit). The Church of God is really big into intense praise and worship. The Church of' God teaches that speaking in tongues is "the initial evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit. The Church of God encourages speaking : in tongues in their Churches, but do not emphasize interjection of tongues. Baptist Churches generally teach that you cannot lose your salvation. Baptist Churches pretty much frown on Pentecostal type phenomena. I am going to spend some time talking about these peculiarities in order to make my point about doctrinal contradiction. I would ask you to carefully read this section objectively. I invite you to ask for Almighty God to help you understand what I am saying. You will probably gain some very profound insight into how Almighty God views these things, if you will come to understand that, all scripture is given by inspiration of Almighty God. Notice I said "all" scripture. If you will come to understand, that there are no Bible passages to avoid, it will grow you more in Christ If you will come to understand, that all scriptures complement one another, and they do not encourage conflicting beliefs, you will be well on your way to being a part of the Kingdom of Almighty God, the way that He intended for us to be.

#1 DOCTRINAL ERROR EXAMPLE;
ETERNAL SECURITY CONTROVERSY
If you will pay close attention to this first set of examples I give you, then you will very likely be able to rightly divide for yourself, and will not need any denomination to confuse you in their favor. You can proudly stand as a "Kingdom of God" or "Kingdom of Heaven" person, instead of a denominational person, this is the way we are suppose to be. We are to be submitted to Almighty God, and not to |the traditions of men. Please take your time here, and come to comprehend the value of all of scripture, that Almighty God has given to us by His Spirit. Please learn to neither settle for half-truth doctrines, nor be controlled by them. They are far less than Almighty God's best.

A. One of the largest controversies of the church, that I have been around during my lifetime, is the dispute over, whether a Christian can lose their salvation, or not. This is really a confusing question from the very beginning, and sort of an oxymoron. The word saved basically means delivered. If a person is delivered, then they are delivered. Can a person be both delivered, and at the same time not delivered? Furthermore, from what is the person delivered? Yahshua Jesus came to save His people from their sins. Are we saying a person is saved from their sins, or are we saying they are eternally saved from hell and the lake of fire? I would rephrase the question to something like this: "Can a person who has truly been born-again fail to make it to heaven? I think you could ask this question as well and get to the heart of the controversy: "Can a professing Christian have a pure heart and also practice sin"? Generally speaking, Baptists, Presbyterians, etc. believe, that once a person trusts Christ for salvation, that person will never walk away from the things of Christ; and therefore, believers have eternal security here, on earth, regardless of whether they once again practice sin, or not. I will refer to this first group as. #1 The old time Methodists, Church of God people, Nazarenes, etc. believe, that a person, who has trusted Christ for salvation, must live a godly life after being born again; or else, that person is in danger of hellfire. I will refer to this group as #2. Group #1 is saying that once you start, with Christ the deal is forever settled, and group #2 is saying that you can start out with Christ, and by being careless or even blatantly sinful, lose out on eternal life. This we know for sure. These two doctrines contradict one the other; therefore, they are either both somewhat wrong, or one of them is wrong, but they cannot both be right. I submit to you, that they both neglect certain parts of the Holy Bible. Neither one of these doctrines can stand all alone, because they are what I call half-truth doctrines. Remember earlier on, we discussed this? A half-truth can be much more deceptive, than an outright lie, because an outright lie is too obvious. Only part of the truth, mixed with what is not acceptable, cannot possibly be sound doctrine.

Let us ponder two separate Holy Bible passages. #1 Matthew chapter 7, and starting in verse 22 read: " Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then I will profess unto them, never knew you: depart from me you that work iniquity" #2 Revelation chapter 3, starting in verse 1: "And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; thesis things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that you have a name that you live and are dead.

Be watchful, and strengthen the things that remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found your works perfect before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore you shall not watch, I will come on you as a thief, and you shall not know what hour I will come upon you. You have a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the sarne shall be clothed in white raiment: and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches".

In passage #1 we find, that the heavenly Father would say, "I never knew you", and He would say this to people, who professed Christ They were people who actually called Him Lord, They had apparently done many good things. The fact that He said "I never knew you" would seem to indicate that they had never belonged to Him, at least on the face of the matter. It would seem to indicate, that these people had never been born again in the first place. Many assume that this is proof positive, that a person who has put their faith in Christ could not possibly ever be eternally punished. On the other hand, in passage #2 we find, that Christ is giving church people a stem warning, that the works, of many of the folks there are not the same as they once were, and if they do not repent, then He will blot their name out of the book of life. Many declare that this is proof, that a person can lose their salvation. Question, do these two passages contradict each other? The Baptist type people generally hold to the first passage, and the Nazarene Church people and Church of God people generally hold to the second passage. Interestingly enough, Baptist people tend to not want to have anything to do with the '"blot out his name out of the book of life" phrase, and Nazarene and Church of God people tend to not want to be faced with the "I never knew you" phrase. Do you see the dilemma here? Does the Holy Bible contradict itself? The answer is, of course not! These two passages complement each other. Neither passage can stand alone. They are both, parts of a larger truth.

Second Timothy chapter 3, and verse 16 declares: "All scripture is given by inspiration or God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness". There are no Baptist verses. There are no Nazarene verses. There are no Church of God verses. There are no Catholic verses, etc., etc., etc. There is only the Word of Almighty God. All these verses are given to us by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and all of them are profitable for doctrine and much more. Because the Holy Bible clearly teaches us, that all scripture is profitable for doctrine, we cannot neglect any related passages in forming our doctrines, because doing so leaves us with half-truths, and half-truths can be even more vicious, than outright lies. Having said this, let us get back to the point I was making. We know for a fact, that some people will have their names blotted out of the book of life, and we also know for a fact, that Almighty God will say to some professing Christians, "Depart from me, you workers of iniquity, I never knew you. We know these are both true, because we just read them. You might say, "Well there is no way they can both be true". If that is the case, then the Holy Bible cannot be trusted, and we know that it can be trusted; therefore, it is a matter of rightly dividing. B. Rather than nail down the meaning just yet, I want to present you another pair of scriptures on the same subject. #1 "For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast". Ephesians chapter 2, starting in verse 8. #2 Read. Luke chapter 6, starting in verse 43, "For a good tree brings not forth corrupt fruit; neither does a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit For every tree is known by his own fruit For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks". #1 makes it perfectly clear, that no amount of good works can save a person, and #2 makes it perfectly clear, that a godly man will produce good works, and an evil man will produce ungodly works. Is there any contradiction here? No! Both of these passages are inspired by the Holy Spirit and are absolutely true. C. Look at this pair. #1 Romans 8:29-30, "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified". #2 Revelation 22:17, "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that hears say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." There are those who suggest, that the #1 passage that speaks of predestination teaches, that Almighty chooses and rejects persons for His kingdom completely on His own. #2 passage implies, that it is humans who decide. Are these two passages contradictory? Of course not! They are both completely and 100% true. Separate denominations have arisen, because the people of Almighty God did not carefully enough study the text, and come to a reasonable consensus concerning, how they complement each other. Both groups try to find proselytes to add to their group, and then indoctrinate them into their particular sectarian belief, making them twice the child of division that they themselves are. Denominational conflict manifests stubbornness on a large scale among various believers. My dear brothers and sisters: this sort of stubbornness is carnal and sensual. It is far from, walking in the Spirit. I beg you to take your time here and comprehend the danger we are exposing others to. We must find a way to agree with fellow believers, while not compromising the truth. This is a possible task, for those who are willing to do the work. It takes much patience and determination. It means speaking the truth in love. You can be sure we will face much opposition. Too many of us who profess Christ are walking in the flesh on this particular issue.

D. Let us consider another pair of passages. #1 Romans chapter 8, starting in verse 38, "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 depths nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord #2 Hebrews chapter 3, starting in verse 12, "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the loving God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end". #1 teaches us that nothing can separate us from Almighty God's love, and many folk-suggest that as a result we could never miss heaven because of this. #2 teaches us there is great spiritual danger and that we must actively be on our guards and" even implies that we just might not make it to heaven. Are these two ; passages contradictory? No! They are both inspired by the Holy Spirit. If we hold to the one, do we have to walk away from the other? This better not be the case; for then, we would have a contradiction in the scriptures. These two passages complement each other, and' must both be applied to any particular doctrine, in order to avoid having a half-trath doctrine.

The groups, that focus primarily on the #1 passages, form a lopsided doctrine, that they claim, secures a person for all eternity, even though their race on earth is not yet completely run. This tends to make the believer careless and lazy, because he believes that our loving-heavenly Fattier would never eternally punish one of His own, even if they practice sin. The groups, that focus primarily on the #2 passages, form a doctrine that is lopsided in the sense, that they must constantly be concerned about any slip-ups much less sin, because they might die in their sleep and go to hell, having forgotten to confess some sin, that they might have committed. This leaves the believer living a life of constant unwarranted terror. #1 doctrine is brought into question by all the #2 passages, and #2 doctrine is brought into question by all the #1 passages.

So what is a person to do? Must they resign themselves to choosing one or the other? These denominations are generally unwilling to fix the imbalance to their half-truth doctrines and insist that people choose the denomination they prefer. They do not like persons from the opposite group hanging around their people talking about the opposite passages that they shun. This is a very strange phenomenon. We have already talked about Almighty God's teachings in the Holy Bible that exhort us to all speak the same thing. How can we ignore these entreaties: from the Creator Himself? We do not have to choose between these two doctrines. Neither one of them are complete, because they both fail to take into account numerous passages in the Holy Bible. There is one option left, that addresses every important angle. Both of these doctrines have significant truth, even though they are not completely true. The #1 passages are in the Holy Bible, and the #2 passages are also in the Holy Bible; therefore, they must be complementary in nature. The objective, scholar must adjust doctrine to accommodate all of scripture. Sound doctrine cannot ignore any facet, and must not clash with any portion of it. The doctrine derived strictly from the #1 type passages clashes with many scriptures, and doctrine derived strictly from #2 type passages also clash with many scriptures. There is proper balance that can be found, if both these groups of passages are melded together into one comprehensive doctrine. Alone, these separate groups of passages confuse, and lead to generations of needless strife. Together, balance is achieved, and delightful sound doctrine is found. Half-truth doctrines frustrate the counsel of Almighty God as a whole, and must not be tolerated. This method is not compromise! This method repairs the compromise that half-truth doctrines have brought to the body of Christ.

Let us incorporate both groups of passages into one sound doctrine. Be objective. Be open, to sound doctrine. Be open to the Holy Bible concept, that all scripture is Holy Spirit inspired, and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. All of scripture is good for this! The #2 passage in Revelation chapter 22, and verse 17, makes us know, that everyone has a will, and if they choose to, they can drink freely of the water of life. The #1 passage in Ephesians chapter 2, verse 8, makes it clear, that we are not saved by any works that we might do, but we are saved by grace through faith. As it says in Luke chapter 6, and verse 43, that same regenerate person mentioned in Ephesians 2:8 will bring forth good fruit, because that person is a new creature. The old is gone, and the new has come. The #1 passage in Romans chapter 8, and verse 38 teaches us, that there is nothing that can take me away from Almighty God. This means I am safe in His hands, The #2 passage in Revelation chapter 3, and in verse 5, warns and encourages us to be overcomers; so that, we will not have our names blotted out of the "Book of Life". The #1 passage in Romans chapter 8, and verse 29, informs us, Almighty God knew ahead of time the ones who would overcome, and He predestinated these same people to become like Christ The #1 passage in Matthew chapter 7, and verse 22, shows us clearly, that there are many people, who apparently have done lots of great spiritual things* and yet He never foreknew them to be overcomers. The #2 passage in Hebrews chapter 3 and verse 12, warns us not to let an evil heart of unbelief creep into our lives. Because. of this warning, we know there is grave danger that a person must guard against.

One group of passages comforts us with the knowledge that we do not have to live in terror of missing, heaven. The other group warns us to be very careful, because of potential eternal calamity for the careless believer; If you apply both groups of passages to a single doctrine, you have a confident and productive believer. There are too many denominational people out there, who are carrying passages to the extreme; and thereby, are missing the mark with their interpretation. The #1 group tends to make us comfortable, lazy, and unproductive, and the #2 group tends to fill our lives with unjustified terror; so that, there is little peace and joy in following Christ The #1 group tends to leave us thinking, that we have already attained and no longer have to press towards the mark, while the #2 group leads us to believe, we can work our way to heaven. Both groups stumble and miss the mark, because each is only emphasizing part of the truth. When you combine the two together, you have an accurate and balanced picture of the way things really are.

First John chapter 4, and verse 18: "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love". The word fear here means alarm or terror. The word love has to do with completeness. The word torment means punishment or penal infliction. The person who fears in this sense, is a person who is alarmed or feeling a sense of terror. Perfect love, or love in its completeness, gets rid of these feelings of alarm and terror. When this is accomplished, torment disappears. Torment inflicts punishment on a person. The people in group #2 tend to inflict punishment upon their self without just cause, leaving themselves open to constant feelings of alarm or terror. It is difficult to be made complete in love on account of this distorted doctrine. I was raised in the #2 group, and I know what I am talking about. #1 group is just as badly wrong, but in a different way. If a person has already arrived at their destination, there is very little incentive to press forward for the prize of the high calling in Christ. What a wonderful thing it is, when these two groups of passages are melded together into one doctrine that comforts me, and at the same time causes me to press on in Christ. The pure in heart shall see Almighty God, Those with a pure heart seek to please the Great Creator. This concept that I have been sharing with you, is a revelation from the Almighty. It is mind boggling, that so many millions of believers have fallen into this trap. It is unspeakably grievous, that denominations are fueling this unnecessary segregation of Christ's church. Almighty God is calling His believers to love each other, and evidence it through unity without compromise. This is a possible task, and one of the keys of accomplishing this task, is through completing half-truth doctrines. Whoever has an ear to hear, let them hear what the Spirit is saying to believers. He does not prefer one group of believers over another. He loves every single one of us, and insists, that every single one of us bring forth fruit, that will remain.

#2 DOCTRINAL ERROR EXAMPLE?

GIFT OF TONGUES CONTROVERSY
I grew up in the "Church of the Nazarene" denomination. As far as denominations go, it is a good denomination, but it too has its own peculiar doctrines. I am repeating a few lines that I wrote earlier, but please indulge me for a moment in order to start making this point. I, like most denominational people, promoted the doctrines of what used to be my denomination known as the "Church of the Nazarene". One pet doctrine of the Nazarene Church was that "tongues" were not for the church of today. They went so far as to suggest, that tongues were of the devil. I was young and naive. It is interesting how a person tends to take their organization's word for everything, and I defended these teachings. Millions of children that grow up in these denominations generally accept the denominational position in which they were brought up. This is human nature. Unfortunately, we learned the bad part as well as the good. The saying "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" fits pretty well here. Once a person has been indoctrinated in this way, it can be rather difficult to bring these denominational teaching^ into line with the Holy Bible. At least I knew where to turn even at this young age. I got out my Holy Bible and commenced studying the matter for myself. In studying I discovered, that the scriptures do teach about speaking in tongues, in first Corinthians chapter 14. Verse 13 makes it perfectly clear, that speaking in tongues in the church setting must be accompanied by an interpretation, or as verse 28 states "keep silence", and speak to himself and to God.

When I realized there must be an interpretation, I felt somewhat vindicated concerning my own denomination, for the people in these Pentecostal denominations did not seem to require an interpretation. Like I said, I was young and naive. Years' passed, and in my twenties I found this phrase in first Corinthians chapter 14, and verse 39, "forbid not to speak with tongues". This was totally a revelation to me. I had read over it before, but this time it really caught my attention. I had been taught that speaking in tongues was not a good thing; and yet, there it was in my own Holy Bible, "forbid not to speak with tongues". This Holy Bible verse proved the "Church of the Nazarene" doctrine wrong all by its self. I realized that the Nazarene Church was in error at this point It is true that the gift of tongues is misused a lot in Pentecostal circles; however, that in no way justifies the Nazarene Church position of "no tongues".

I wrote individual, hand-written letters to each of the genera superintendents of the "Church of the Nazarene" denomination, sharing with them my finding and urging them to make a doctrinal change. They each one wrote me back a courteous letter but to my knowledge, nothing came of it. How very sad! I even told the district superintendent, who was over the state of Georgia, that I knew a certain member who had the gift of tongues. I did not share their name with him but I asked him what they should do. He replied that they should get out of the Nazarene Church. Incredible! Can you believe the audacity? Can we ignore a clear directive in the Holy Bible? Can we take the initiative to change the wisdom of Almighty God? Is it ok to allow our traditions to rule the day, in spite of the Almighty's commands? The command, "forbid not to speak with tongues" means this: forbid not to speak with tongues. You can't make it any clearer than that. The wise person, along with the wise organization, will change their doctrine to satisfy the Word of Almighty God. Anything less than this is purely carnal in nature, and unworthy of man's consideration.

The Holy Bible says this in second Peter chapter 1, and verses 19-21, "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; where unto you do well that you take heed as unto a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost", You see, the phrase "forbid not to speak with tongues" did not come of the will of man, but it was inspired by the Holy Spirit Himself, We dare not add to, or take away from the Word of Almighty: God, We do so at our own peril.

Some people say that the gift of tongues and the gift of prophecy passed away, and they cite first Corinthians chapter 13, verses 8-10 which says, "Love never fails: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away, for we know in part and we prophesy in part, But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away". They say things; such as, the Holy Bible had not been completed, and when it was completed, the phrase "when that which is perfect is come" was fulfilled.

 
They equate the phrase "that which is perfect", with the completing of the New Testament Why then do they not also say that when the New Testament was completed, knowledge was done away with, for knowledge too is mentioned in the very same passage in verse 8? These same people continue, to traffic in knowledge, while dismissing the gift of tongues and the gift of prophesy. This is totally unacceptable. It is stretching the scriptures to accommodate a preferred doctrine. The truth is, the gift, of tongues and the gift of prophesy still exist, and Almighty God laid down rules for the proper use of these gifts, and warns against the misuse of them, The stubborn refusal to allow the things, that Almighty God says we are to allows is carnal in name. We must continue to mature, no longer. Conclusion: The gift of tongues is valid. If someone speaks in an unknown, tongue in the church, it must be permitted by those in charge and there must be an interpretation. This is what the Almighty commands. The church leaders do not have authority from Almighty God to stop it In fact, these, leaders are commanded to let it take place, whether they like it, or not. When an unknown tongue is followed by interpretation, it edifies the body of Christ, as stated in first Corinthians chapter 14, verse 5. It is the doing of Almighty God. On the other hand, any person who takes it upon/themselves to speak in an unknown tongue without the moving of the Holy Spirit is out of order. You will know that they are out of order, when there is no interpretation forthcoming. In such cases, this person must not be allowed to disturb the services, for Almighty God is not of disorder, tumult, commotion, instability, and confusion. These rales, laid down in first Corinthians chapter 14, are clear and easy to follow. There is no need whatsoever to divide into denominations over the gift of tongues, and the interpretation of tongues, because the rules in the Holy Bible concerning this are not optional.
 
#3 DOCTRINAL ERROR EXAMPLE?

INITIAL EVIDENCE CONTROVERSY.

This next example is somewhat of a continuation of the last one. There is a troubling controversy, between certain denominations, concerning being filled with the Holy Spirit. Christ told His disciples in the book of John chapter 14, starting in verse 16, "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither knows him; but you know him; for he dwells with you, and shall be in you". Christ revealed to His disciples that even though the Holy Spirit was with them, there was more to be had. They would actually have the Holy Spirit living in them. Ephesians chapter 5, and verse 18 states: "Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit". This passage is not just a suggestion, but it is a directive that all believers should follow, We should seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit, Acts chapter 19, and starting in verse one we find, "And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have youreceived the Holy Ghost since you believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost", This passage demonstrates that a believer is not necessarily filled with the Holy Spirit at the moment of being born again. For these people it was quite a while later.

In Luke chapter 11? and verse 13,,"If you then being evil, know horn to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?": This passage lets us know that we must ask for the Holy Spirit, and if we do ask for the Holy Spirit, the Almighty is pleased to give Him to us. In Acts chapter one, and verse 8, the Holy Bible says, "But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth". We see that the believer is empowered, when they are filled with the Holy Spirit. Then in Acts chapter 2, starting in verse one, "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance". This is the actual record of what happened on the day of Pentecost Having read these passages, we can see, that being filled with the Holy Spirit is a very important and critical matter. Christ went to considerable lengths teaching His disciples this important truth. The record in the book of Acts gives us a good bit of information concerning this. Later in Corinthians, the Almighty gives us more information, that helps to accurately guide our understanding on this subject.

I have spent time in numerous denominations, and know a lot about these matters. Pentecostal groups have so much to offer the body of Christ. They are not afraid to use the spiritual gifts that Almighty God has given to believers. The worship in Pentecostal groups tends to encourage believers to let their worship flow freely and spontaneously to the Great Creator, who is most certainly worthy of all praise. These are huge assets to the body of Christ, and Pentecostal denominations could probably lead other denominations to great spiritual heights, if they did not violate the Holy Scriptures in misusing these wonderful things. Unfortunately, they, like most other denominations, are out of balance in certain aspects of their ministry. Why is it so difficult to find a denomination that handles the Word with balance? We can easily find opposite extremes, but balanced doctrine is a rarity.

Take a look with me at an example of what I am talking about. The "Church of God" forcefully asserts that there is "initial evidence" that accompanies being filled with the Holy Spirit. This alleged initials evidence, they say, is "speaking in tongues". I am sure there are other Pentecostal denominations that hold to this same position, but there are also many denominations, that do not hold to this position. Question: Does it really matter? Well, yes, it does matter; because, as we have just seen, the • Christian/believer receives needed power into their lives, when they are filled with the Holy Spirit. But there are many Christian/believers, who never receive the gift of tongues. Does this mean, they have never been filled with the Spirit? This is at the heart of the controversy. If the "Church of God is right, then there are many Christians, who are falling short of Almighty God's directive, to be filled with the Spirit, who are very sad and frustrated by their inability to please the Almighty. If the "Church of God" is wrong, then there are many people who can be relieved, that even though they have not received the gift of tongues, they still may be filled with the Holy Spirit.

But what does the Word say? As we discovered in the preceding Doctrinal Error Example, there is a valid "gift of tongues". As far as I know (and I have studied this subject quite extensively), no where do the scriptures clearly address the question. Does everyone, who is filled with the Holy Spirit, manifest an initial evidence of speaking in tongues?

The "Church of God" presumes that there is collateral evidence that implies there is a definite "initial evidence", of speaking in tongues. Again, let's examine what the scriptures say.

Before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, there were some people who were filled with the Holy Spirit In Luke chapter 1, and verse 15, we find that John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb. The phrase here, "filled with the Holy Ghost" is identical to the one in Acts chapter 2, and verse 4, and with identical meaning. In Luke chapter one, and verse 41 we find, "And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, lie babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spoke but with a loud voice, and said, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of your salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord". Once again we have an exact duplicate in the phrase "filled with the Holy Ghost": same words, same meanings. Go study the Greek. Did you notice what tangible evidence was exhibited by Elisabeth? The answer is a resounding yes. She prophesied. This is the same initial evidence spoken of in Acts chapter 19, and verse 6. The moment she was filled with the Holy Ghost, she did not speak in tongues.
 
Now read Luke chapter one, verses 67-69, "And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people, And has raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: that we should be saved from our enemies, and. from the hand of all that hate us; to perform the mercy to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; the oath which he swore to our
father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. And you child shall be called the prophet of the Highest: for you shall go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways; to give knowledge of salvation to his people by, the remission of  their sins, through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high has visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace", Once again we see the phrase "filled with the Holy Ghost", and once again it is identical to the post-Pentecostal passages. The initial evidence here is the same as the one in Acts chapter 19, and verse 6. I want you to notice clearly, that as soon as Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, he did not speak in tongues, but he did prophesy. We could also mention Mary the mother of Christ, in the passage, in Luke chapter one, and verse 46, and Simeon In Luke chapter 2, and verse 25, and even lesser formidable passages in the Old Testament I can almost hear the objection. "But these were prior to Pentecost and the infilling spoken of by Christ". The problem with this argument is this: we are talking about the one-and-only Holy Spirit, in the earth, in humans. Apparently the only real difference between now and then, is that the Holy Spirit was not available to every believer back then, but only to certain ones chosen by Almighty God, and now His infilling is available to all believers. Anyone can look for themselves and see, that the result was the same, only there is not a single mention of tongues. I am not saying by this, that tongues are not valid. Tongues are a valid gift, as we have already discovered earlier on. I am saying, and the scriptures are confirming, that tongues are not the one and only initial evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Now let us examine the five passages available to us in Acts.

As best as I can tell, the Holy Bible gives us 5 examples of people being filled with the Holy Spirit in Acts. There is that great passage in Acts chapter 2 concerning the Day of Pentecost. We also have mention in Acts chapters 4, 8, 10, and 19. In Acts chapter 2 they spoke with the tongues of many nations. It was quite an awesome event. In Acts chapter 4, verse 31 the only manifestation mentioned was that they spoke the Word of Almighty God with boldness. In Acts chapter 8, verses 15-17 we find people being filled with the Holy Spirit, with absolutely no mention of what the manifestation was. In Acts chapter 10, verses 1-48 we find, that being filled with the Holy Spirit was accompanied with two initial evidences, the first being tongues, and the second being magnifying Almighty God. In Acts chapter 19, verses 2-6 we find, that when they were filled with the Holy Spirit, two initial evidences accompanied them, the first, being tongues, and the second prophesying. Two out of five passages make no mention of tongues, though the Word speaks clearly of them. being filled with the Holy Spirit. Because the two, passages, that make no mention of tongues, are present in me scriptures, we cannot possibly honestly conclude, that everyone who is filled, with the Spirit will have the initial evidence of Speaking |n tongues. It is not objective to say so, It is stretching and forcing the scriptures to support our doctrine. Someone might say, "They may have spoken in tongues at these two times as well, without having made mention of the fact". That is truly a possibility. It is also possible, that many other things took place; however, it Is not right to make a doctrine out of what might have been. Some folks seem to believe, that the initial evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit will be just like it was at Pentecost. If this were true, then there would always be the sound as of a rushing mighty wind; furthermore, there would be cloven tongues like as of fire sitting on the persons being filled with the Holy Spirit. This rarely happens, if ever. Whoever would insist, that there has to be an initial evidence of tongues, must also insist on the sound as of a rushing mighty wind along with the cloven tongues like as of fire sitting on the ones being filled, but you pretty much never hear of such a thing. We are not free to pick and choose things like these to suit ourselves. I submit to you, that the Holy Spirit is completely free to fill anyone anyway He chooses, regardless of how He did it at Pentecost, or any other time, and there is no evidence in the scriptures to the contrary. In fact the Holy Bible says in the gospel of John chapter 3 and verse 8 these words, "The wind blows where it is so inclined, and you hear the sound thereof, but cannot tell from where it comes and where it goes: so is everyone that is born of the Spirit". This passage demonstrates' the unpredictability of the Holy Spirit You cannot be certain how the Holy Spirit will choose to handle a matter, and it is quite presumptuous to believe, that we have the Holy Spirit all figured out. I have learned by experience, that Almighty God seems to delight in doing things in an unexpected way. If you say it will be a certain way, most likely the Holy Spirit will choose to do it differently just to show once again, that Almighty God alone is sovereign.

We cannot possibly conclude that the initial evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues, with two out of five passages contradicting that theory, and it is only a theory without proof. If we use percentages on these passages, we would assume that with three out of five passages making mention of tongues, we would have a manifestation of tongues, when being filled with the Holy Spirit about 60% of the time. It would only be an assumption though. If we went one step further, we could say, that it is possible in Acts chapter 10, and in Acts chapter 19, that some of the, people were manifesting the Holy Spirit only with prophesying, some of them only with magnifying Almighty God, and some only with tongues. It would not violate the scriptures in the least to believe this. So we would need to drop our percentage back to 50% or even less. Then taking into account the two or more passages concerning Elisabeth and Zacharias, we would be down to around 33%. The point is unavoidable. We cannot assert that "the" evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues.

Remember the principle given earlier? Any doctrine of men, that fails to take into account even one single relevant passage of scripture is at the best incomplete, and at the worst is heresy. The doctrine that teaches, that the initial evidence of being baptized in the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues, has unquestionably neglected several relevant passages. So this doctrine is either incomplete or is heresy. The leaders of such a denomination must adjust their doctrine on this matter to satisfy these relevant passages, that call into question the accuracy of said doctrine, or else provide conclusive evidence with other scriptures, but we have already provided sufficient evidence to show, the doctrine is in error. Remember! The Holy Bible does not contradict itself, and we have clearly demonstrated that speaking in tongues does not always take place, when a person is filled with the Holy Spirit, There are several passages of people being filled with the Holy Spirit, and no mention of tongues whatsoever.

There is another very important passage that we must consider here. In first Corinthians chapter 12, and verse 28 we find these words: "And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. " Are all apostles? Are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet I show you a more excelent way". It does not get any clearer than this. The point obviously being made is that the Almighty gives each person however He chooses, and everyone does not get the same gifts, including the gift of tongues. Some receive, this gift and some do not.

Interestingly enough, both of these groups of denominations go to the extreme. One group goes way too far with a right and good thing, and the other group seeing the abuse throws the baby out with the bath water. One group demands tongues with no controls, and the other forbids tongues at all times. One group acts like they have the Holy Spirit, because they speak with tongues, and carelessly imply, that the believers who do not speak with tongues, have never been filled with the Holy Spirit. The other group feels like they are being looked down upon as somehow inferior, because they do not have the gift of tongues. It is little wonder, why we segregate the way we do. The United States government has done a better job with desegregation than has the church How very shameful!. These things ought not to be! We are needlessly driving wedges between our brothers and sisters in Christ, and breaking the law of love, in order to preserve the proud traditions of men. We have, established evidence to the fact, that some. who have been filled with the Holy Spirit do speak with tongues, and some who have been, filled with the Holy Spirit do not speak with tongues. It is completely up to the Holy Spirit. We do not have the liberty from Almighty God to tear any portion of scripture out of our Bibles. We must employ all the scriptures in establishing sound doctrine, and anything less will result in half-truth doctrines that are traditions of men, and that unmercifully divides Christ's church. I for one, am done with these divisions, and it is high time that we the church rise-up and throw off these chains of bondage. We do not have to compromise anything in order to do this. It is simply a matter of brothers and sisters who are filled with the love of Christ, to in a long suffering manner take the time to search the scriptures together objectively and humbly for the truth. When a brother or sister finds new light in the scriptures on a subject, we must carefully examine our doctrines, making sure that they do not conflict with, the new light. If they do conflict, then we must adjust accordingly.

 
#4 DOCTRINAL ERROR EXAMPLE ?

CATHOLIC CHURCH CONTROVERSY.
This book is not about attacking church. It is about exhorting the church to rise up to its potential and throw off the chains of division, I greatly love the church, and I want to see it work together to crush the gates of hell. I too am a part of the body of Christ. There is only one church of Almighty God. This group of believers is one, and we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. We do not have to agree on every single thing. There are gray areas of the scriptures that allow considerable autonomy for the believer, as long as we do not cause ourselves or our brother to stumble. Having spid this, there are black and white areas of scripture, that the sincere Christian must agree on. They are substantially clear in the scriptures. So far, I have only pointed out certain contentions between Protestant believers that divide them into denominations. I have shown how an objective approach to the Holy Scriptures could, and should, result in much unity, even to the extent of bringing about desegregation of denominations. I have made it clear, that we must never compromise the truth, but we should diligently work together to arrive at the standing of no divisions, speaking the same things, and being perfectly joined together, as it says in first Corinthians chapter one.

1. Now I am going to discuss certain doctrines in the Catholic Church. Priests in the Catholic Church are referred to as "Father". Matthew chapter 23 and verse 9 says: "And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven". This is an accepted practice in the Catholic Church that openly violates the Holy Scriptures. If you want to delve deeper into this issue, then look more in the first part of chapter 23. Christ is referring to the scribes and Pharisees. Christ is teaching His disciples and the multitude, that the scribes and Pharisees do everything to be seen of men. They altered the things they wore for appearance sake, they loved to have the most prominent rooms at feasts and in the plates of worship, they loved greetings in the Markets, and they loved to be called by official titles of honor such as Rabbi, which means, "my master". Christ then tells them not to be called father, for one is your Father, which is in heaven. The reason He gives for not calling anyone master, is that only Christ is Master, and the rest are brethren Did you get that? Everyone except Christ are simply brethren. The spiritual leaders are to be servant-like, and not to look for the praises of men. this seems to speak to the title of "reverend" as well, which Protestants love to use. The word reverend means: worthy to be revered or entitled to reverence. There is only one worthy of reverence and that is Almighty God. Obviously Christ disapproves of such titles. The Lord's Prayer ends in this way: "For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever amen." Only Almighty God is worthy of such titles, and the rest of us are mere mortals, including pastors, priests, deacons, bishops, and even the pope.

2. There is one God, and one [mediator] between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, first book of Timothy, chapter two, and verse five. The Catholic Church practices going to a priest for confession. When Catholics do something wrong, apparently they seek forgiveness through the priest; however, there is only one mediator between Almighty God and mankind, as we just learned. The priest cannot take the place of Christ in mediation, because the scriptures are clear. There is only one mediator between Almighty God and men, Going to a preacher or priest can be helpful, and for that matter a godly sister or brother in Christ. These people can give, good counsel, exhortation, and direction. They can pray with us. But there is only one, who is the mediator, and He is Yahshua Jesus. Not even Mary, the mother of Yahshua Jesus, can take the place of Christ as mediator, for there is only one mediator between Almighty God and men.

Let us consider another matter concerning priests. Please read this passage in Matthew chapter 19 and starting in verse 3: "The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered and said unto them, have you not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, for this cause shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife: and they two shall be one flesh. Wherefore they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. They say unto him, why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away. He said unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, commits adultery: and whoso marries her that is put away commits adultery. His disciples say unto him, if the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to many. But he said unto them, "all men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given; For there are some unmarried men, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs that were made; eunuchs of men: and there be unmarried men which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it let him receive it." We see from this passage, that some men were made by the Creator more capable of resisting sex urges than others. For those men I say more power to them in; remaining unmarried to minister; however, the Almighty is not commanding priests to remain unmarried.

In Matthew chapter 8 and verse 14 we find, "And when Jesus was come into Peter's house he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever". It is obvious "that if Almighty God wanted only celibate priests and ministers, He would not have chosen Peter for the role that He chose him for.

 
In the first book of Timothy chapter 3, and starting in verse 2 read, "A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach, not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of gain; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; one that rales well his own house, having his children in subjection with all honesty. For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God? Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil." You see clearly here, that it is acceptable for a bishop to have a wife.

In the second book of Chronicles in chapter 22 and verse 11 we find, "But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons that were slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest, (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah, that she slew him not". Here is another example of a priest having a wife, and in the Old Testament.

Now go to the book of Luke chapter one verse 5 and read these words, "There was in the days of Herod, king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abijah: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth". Think about that. John Baptist was born to the daughter of a priest, said daughter being married to a priest herself Almighty God Himself chose these two to give birth to the forerunner of Christ the Messiah. This is further collateral evidence, that Almighty God does not expect priests to remain unmarried. The choice is up to them. It is obvious that most priests have a sex drive.

Read in the first book of Corinthians chapter 7 and starting in verse 6 "But I speak this by permission and not of commandment. For I would that all men were even as I myself But every man has his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that I say therefore unto the unmarried and widows, it is good for them to abide even as. But if they cannot exercise self-restraint in chastity, let them many: for it is better to many than to be inflamed with lust". The Apostle Paul is writing this by permission. It is not a commandment, from Almighty God. Paul thinks it best for a person to remain single, that they may be, better able, to minister unto Almighty God, but he goes on to say that the Almighty has made men in various ways. Some, are born with extra self-control and some are not. The ones who are not made with sufficient, self-control in the area of human sexuality should marry in order to have a moral outlet for their sex drive. Read the whole passage for yourself. The Catholic Church should not require their priests to remain celibate. It is very easy in scriptures: to see that, these men are like you and me. Many of them desire to have sexual relations. If you have noticed the news in recent years, you will know that many priests have engaged in sex even though they are unmarried. Is it any wonder? The poor guys have a sex drive from Almighty God, but their church dogma forbids them to marry. The Catholic Church has therefore set them up to sin. The remedy is obvious: Remove the restraint from marriage that now is in place.

4. Mary, the mother of Yahshua Jesus, was highly favored. She truly was, and is, very blessed to be the one to have given birth to Christ. Out of all the Jewish girls, she was chosen. Having said this, Mary was born in sin, as we all are. She had need of a savior, as all humans do.

Mary is not the wife of Almighty God. In the Lord's Prayer, we are taught to pray, "Our Father which art in heaven". Christ's disciple had asked Him to teach them how to pray, and this is in the book of Luke chapter 11, and verse one. Christ did not say anything about His mother Mary, when it came to prayer. Christ taught them to go straight to our heavenly Father. Furthermore in John chapter 15, and verse 16, along with John Chapter 16, and verse 23, we find Christ teaching that it was proper and fitting for them to make request of the Father in the name of Yahshua Jesus. He taught them, that they could expect to receive, if they asked in this way. He made no mention of His mother Mary concerning this. In fact, it is improper to attempt to approach unto Almighty God through Mary or any other human being. People who call themselves Catholics, need not fear to come, to Almighty God directly, without making any reference to Mary the mother of Jesus, Christ Himself gave them, and us, different instructions.

The Holy Scriptures say, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God". This is in the book of Romans chapter 3, and verse 23. The word all means every person. Mary, the mother of Yahshua Jesus falls into this same category with all other humans. In Mark chapter 6, and verse 3, the Holy" Scriptures make mention of James, Joses, Juda, and Simon being Yahshua Jesus' brothers, and also of sisters. This means, that Mary the mother of Yahshua. Jesus, had sexual relations with her husband Joseph on numerous occasions, producing many offspring She was not a virgin when she birthed James, Joses, Juda, Simon, and the sisters.
This of course was after Christ was born, for Mary was indeed a virgin at the birth of Christ, Isaiah chapter 7, and verse 14, prophesied this: "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall callhis name Immanuel". The fulfillment of this passage is referenced in t he book of Matthew chapter one, and verses 22 and 23. My point in all of this is that Mary the mother of Yahshua Jesus was completely human. She was not a god and is not a god. She is not equal with our heavenly Father, nor is she equal with Yahshua Jesus. This in no way diminishes the fact, that Mary was highly favored and very blessed. She was very blessed to be chosen to birth Jesus Christ the Messiah (Yahshua ha Meshiak) into the world. We are to recognize her as blessed, but not to pray to her, or try and pray through her.

4. Let us now discuss idols, crucifixes, and such like. In the Book of Exodus chapter 20, and starting in verse 4 read: "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD Ay God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments". Idols, crucifixes, and such like, are what is being spoken of in this chapter of Exodus. It is not ok to make these things for any such reason, for in so doing, a person literally breaks the second commandment. It is not ok to pray to or worship statues of Christ or anyone else. It is not ok to pray to or worship crucifixes with an image of Christ. Idol and image worship and/or prayer to an image or idol is the type thing that the heathen engaged in. Almighty God is the true and living God. The second commandment is clear and easily understood.

5. What is a patron saint? The word patron comes with the idea of guardian; and thus, a patron saint is a guardian saint. What does the WORD of Almighty God have to say about such a thing.

In Psalms chapter 34 and verse 7 we find: "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him and delivereth them", thus we see, that angels guard those that reverence and awe Almighty God. In Psalms chapter 121 see this: "I will lift up my eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not suffer your foot to be moved: he that keepeth you will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper: the LORD is
your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve you from all evil: he shall. preserve your soul. The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore." Three times in this chapter the word keeper is used, and three times in this chapter preserve is used. The Hebrew word is shawmar, and it means to hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to. Clearly this passage is letting us know, that Almighty God sees to the safety of His own.

In Matthew chapter 18 and verse 10 find: "Take heed that you despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my father which is in heaven." It is obvious, that these are guardian angels, that take their case directly to the Heavenly Father concerning the well-being of the children they are assigned to minister to. The phrase "take heed" is a strong warning to whomever would despise a child, and the word despise means to think against. Whomever would entertain evil thoughts toward a child is playing the part of a fool indeed. I wound not want to bring the wrath of Almighty God down on myself by mistreating one.

In Psalms chapter 91 and starting in verse 10 we find these words: "There shall no evil befall you, neither shall any plague come nigh your dwellings For he shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. They shall bear you up in. their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone." Almighty God is giving his angels commandment to keep his chosen ones. Again this word keep is the same word we looked at in Psalms 121. It means to hedge about, guard, protect, or attend to. Angels are our guardians to attend to us in all our ways. If you remember the temptations of Christ in the wilderness, then you remember Satan's temptation of Christ to cast Himself off the pinnacle of the temple. Satan quoted this passage of scripture in Psalms chapter 91 saying: "If you be the Son of God, cast yourself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning you: and in their hands they shall bear you up, lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone".

Now read Hebrews chapter one and starting in verse 13: "to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" Did you hear that? Angels are sent forth from the great Creator to minister to His chosen ones. Now I like that a lot.

We can clearly see that our guardians, or patrons if you will, are angels. Support if you can the idea of patron saints through the Holy Bible. You have your work cut out for you, because apparently there is no evidence to support such an assertion, but there is plenty of evidence to support the fact, that we do have guardian angels. Do you understand the point I have been making for a very long time here? We must not take the word of organizations, or for that matter the word of individuals either, without examining their claims against the background of the WORD of Almighty God.

#5 Doctrinal Error Example:

Blatant Sin.
Early on in the book I listed, several; blatant sins, but I want to focus on two of these, that are very controversial in our society today, homosexuality and abortion. I want to deal with homosexuality first. There are many who have crept into the church that condone homosexuality. There are many who say that homosexuals are born that way. What does the Word of Almighty God have to say about it?

Let us start with the passage in Romans chapter one, starting in verse 22, "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, (23)and changed the glory of the un-corruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts and creeping things. (24)Wherefore God also gave them up to. uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: (25)who changed the truth of god into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the. Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen, (26) For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: (27) and likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is shameful, and receiving in themselves that penalty of their error which was the consequence, (28) And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not appropriate; (29) being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, bad character, secret slanderers, (30) backbiters, haters of God, despiteful proud boasters, inventors of evil, things, disobedient to parents, (31) without understandings covenant breakers, without natural affection, traceless, unmerciful (32) Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but approve of them that do them".

Notice what was said in verses 26 and 27, Men having sex with men, and women having sex with women, which is against nature. It uses the words vile affections or disgraceful affections. Are we to compromise what the Holy Bible teaches here? Of course not! We are to hold to and teach these things as they are related to us. To do otherwise is scandalous. The church must not compromise the idea, that Almighty God hates sin. He never gives a wink and a nod excusing evil He is a God of justice, but He grants mercy to those who have a change of heart.

The second blatant sin I want to talk about is abortion. Even if you could somehow say, that there are some exceptions, such as rape, incest, or self-defense for the life of the mother, abortion in generally speaking is the taking of human life. It is also the premeditated taking of a human life. Notice this passage in Exodus chapter 21, and starting in verse 22: "If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall surely be punished, according as., the woman's husband, will lay upon him; he shall pay as the judges determine. And if any mischief follow, then you shall give lifer for life, eye for eye tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for, wound, stripe for stripe. Of course this passage is in the Old Testament, and there are parts that some might take issue with in this modern day; however, whatever you believe about those matters, it does not change this simple fact, that the Almighty views this woman's fruit of the womb as a life.

There are many that consider this fruit of the womb as simply a fetus, and that this somehow justifies getting rid of it, if the pregnant mother so chooses. The United States government considers it lawful to abort the fruit of the womb, but Almighty God considers it the taking of a life. Notice in. Exodus chapter 21, and verse 23, the fruit of the womb that has departed is viewed as a life, and should the violently induced birth of the unborn child result, in the death of the infant, then the two men fighting, that hurt the mother and her unborn baby in this fashion are responsible of a capital crime punishable by death. This brings us to an understanding of how Almighty God views the fruit of the womb as an unborn human. He views the death of this unborn infant as a violation of the sixth commandment, you shall do no murder".

The church must not participate in the evil of abortion, that our secular government condones as lawful. There are professing Christians, who condone the practice of abortion, and they do so at the eternal peril of their own soul. There is no amount of manipulating, the scriptures, that can justify the general practice of abortion.

Notice, this passage in Ezekiel chapter 9, and starting in verse one, "He cried also in my ears with a loud voice, saying. Cause them that that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand. And behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lies toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood by the brazen alter. And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the Cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side. And the LORD said unto him , go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. And to the others he said in my hearing, Go you after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have you pity. Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men, which were before the house. And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go you forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city. And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord God! will you destroy all the residue of Israel in your pouring out of your fury upon Jerusalem? Then he said unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say The LORD has forsaken the earth, and the LORD does not see. And as for me also, my eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head. And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as you have commanded me".

Whatever you may wish to say about various parts of this passage, it is abundantly plain, that Almighty God hates sin. The people of Israel and Judah had blatantly committed abomination. The land was full of blood (approximately 50 million aborted infants in the United States plus conventional murder). The city was full of perverseness (homosexuality in the United States), It is clear from this passage, that once sin has gone unchecked for a long time, eventually the Almighty's patience wears thin. I am thankful that His mercy is so longsuffering. There is a point where a nation crosses the line, and there no longer remains a remedy. This passage is an example of that The Almighty in this particular case only had mercy on the men who sighed and cried for all the abominations done there. Question. Do you sigh and cry for the abominations done in the land, or is your conscience seared to the point, that you have become desensitized to the things that Almighty God is disgusted with? Do the things that disgust Almighty God no longer disgust you? This is an extremely important question. I do not know at what point the United States will cross the line to having no remedy, but we are playing with fire.

The point I am making here, is that some churches have come to the place of compromising with sin and sinners. We have increasingly become afraid of preaching against wickedness. Many teach a doctrine of tolerance to the point of tolerating sin. We need to be wise enough to rightly divide the word of truth, so that we do not go away from the timeless changeless standards laid down by Almighty God in the Holy Bible. If and when you attend a church that compromises with blatant sin, you must have the courage to take them to task over this in the spirit of love. A God fearing man or woman hates sin. Of course we must love the sinner, but we must hate their sin, and never change on this position, for this is pleasing to the Great Creator.

In First John chapter 4 and verse one read this: "Beloved believe not every spirit, but try the spirits if they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the earth." This word spirit can also mean spiritual or spiritually. We are not to trust every spiritual thing. We are. to try every spirit or spiritual thing. The word try means, test, discern, or examine. We are to examine doctrines and every spiritual thing to see if it is of Almighty. God. This is a possible task, because we have, the Holy Bible and we have the Holy Spirit. Christ said that, when the Holy Spirit was come, that He would guide us into all truth. We must pray, we must diligently seek, we must allow the Holy Spirit to guide us.
	
Christ speaking to the scribes and Pharisees said in John chapter 8 and verse 34: "You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a. murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is not truth in him. When he speaks a. lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." Satan is a deceiver. He does not have the authority to do anything he wishes to do to people. He goes about using lies and deception. He is the master of deception and he is really good at it. This is why the Almighty warns us to test spiritual things. I guarantee you that you will be fooled if you do not test spiritual things. Many things look true, because they are mixed with truth. When Satan tempted Christ to leap from the pinnacle of the temple, he quoted Psalms 91 as we mentioned only a moment ago. It truly was a temptation Satan was apparently tempting Christ to show off in front of the people to demonstrate who He was, and Satan mixed enough truth with the temptation to make it seem viable, Satan also showed Christ all the kingdoms of the world and said he would give them to Christ if Christ would only bow down to him. It was a tough temptation, because as Satan said in Luke chapter 4 and verse 6: "All this power will I give you, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. This word delivered means to surrender. Apparently Adam surrendered control of the earth to Satan by giving in to Satan's deception in the garden of Eden. Satan in second Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 4 is referred to as "the god of this world". That is with a little "g", but it is clear that Satan has gained control, of the world. Do you see how tempting it was to Christ to gain back control of the earth simply by bowing to Satan? Christ refused Satan, but it nevertheless was a strong temptation. Satan mixes some truth with what he says, and thereby presents to us a strong delusion that seems true. If you do not test or examine spiritual things, you will fall prey to unsound doctrine.

I am sure that there have been some fine well-meaning people, who have developed doctrine with all the knowledge they had on a certain subject. Because they did not know the rest of scripture that pertained to the subject matter, they wound up having only part of the truth. Unfortunately when these doctrines are enshrined into a denominational organization, it is virtually impossible to ever correct them. Satan has succeeded in dividing the church into sects, and he has shrewdly used the arrangement of formal manmade organizations, such as associations and 501(c)3 not for profit corporations, to galvanize these divisions; He further solidifies these, divides by entangling each with a little unsound doctrine, mixed with enough truth to keep them fighting with.each other. Do you see the grave consequences of such a deception? Satan by division has hindered us from becoming the glorious church of power that Almighty God desires. We His people need to rub our eyes with His eye-salve, so that the eyes four understanding may be opened, and so that we, can rise up and conquer for the sake of Christ and His kingdom. The more we lay aside our petty differences, the more we qualify ourselves to have access to His great power. The Almighty wants to grant His people access through Godly unity.

 
 
CHAPTER FOUR.

CHURCH DESEGREGATION.

Remember back in the 1960s, when there was much talk about racial desegregation? This was a hot topic for a long time. Our own federal government has come a long way since then. The civil rights movement of black Americans rightfully brought about much needed change. Affirmative action was established to help African Americans gain a better footing in our society as well We have now elected a man from this minority to the Presidency of the United States of America. Interestingly enough, I am not sure Christ's church has kept pace with the U.S. government in this matter. There are still numerous churches, that are basically black churches, and there are numerous churches that are basically white. Thankfully you can find exceptions. There are some churches that have both blacks and whites attending together. I do believe for the most part though, that these are churches that are mostly black with a few whites, or mostly white with a few blacks attending. You generally do not see a mix that is the same as in the secular world, and this is what I am talking about.

I do not want to approach this subject as merely a black/white issue. There is also a very large Mexican population of people living in our country, and of course this country is generally a melting pot of all sorts of people. Because of this, I am talking about racial segregation in general in the church. What does the Holy Bible say about this subject? Well, the answer is generally the same as is written in the previous chapters. All who are born again are brothers and sisters in Christ, and we are all one. In Galatians chapter 3, and verse 28 read, "There is neither Jew nor Greek there is neither bond nor firee there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus", and also read in Romans chapter 2, verse 11, "For there is no respect of persons with God". "Respect of persons" means favoritism. The Almighty does not prefer one person above another. He loves us all the same. He sent 'Christ His Son to die for every one of us. Christ shed His precious blood on the cross, in order to redeem each "and every individual. What a wonderful and comforting' thought. Notice' in the verse in Galatians chapter 3, the Holy Spirit reveals to us, that the Almighty does not prefer Jews over Greeks. He is not more partial to a free man, than He is to a slave/servant The Almighty does not love men more than: He loves women. He loves every one of us the same. He is the great Creator, and He made us every one. In the first book of Corinthians chapter 12, and verse 13 we find, "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". The word "air means every one. Are you getting the picture here?

Almighty God sees the same value in every one of us, So then, why are Christians so racially divided? I have found that this problem is not reserved for blacks only or for whites only. There seems to be racial problems on both sides of this thing. These things ought not to be, for all believers are made to drink into one Spirit as we just read in the first book of Corinthians chapter 2, and verse 3, During the 2008 presidential election, it was veiy interesting, but sad, to watch the disunity among professing Christians. It is interesting how politicians are able to divide the Christian community along political lines. This is clear evidence, that the church is not acting as one, and especially when major issues of sin, such as abortion and homosexuality, were in large part tossed aside even by many professing Christians, in favor of other things The church is definitely in a turmoil of division.

I would like to take this one step further. Why is it, that some churches are overwhelmingly affluent, and other churches are overwhelmingly much poorer? Does the Almighty prefer the wealthy over the poor, or the poor over the wealthy? Of course not! We just read several passages, that conclusively establish the fact, that Almighty God is not partial, and He does not engage in favoritism. Read in the book of James chapter 2, starting in verse one, "My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment, and you have respect to him that wears the goodly clothing, and say unto him, you sit here in a good place; and say to the poor, you stand there, or sit here under my footstool: are you not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? Hearken my beloved brethren. ' Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love Him? But you have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do they not blaspheme that worthy name by which you are called? If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture you shall love your neighbor as yourself''. But if you have respect to persons, you commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. The wealthy are more positioned to oppress, then are the poor, and Almighty God makes it clear, that He does not appreciate the wealthy oppressing the poor. Having said this, we cannot respect poor people over the rich either. Almighty God loves all men equally. There are many poor people, that despise the wealthy. All of this favoritism is from the carnal nature of fallen man. Christians have been made a new creation. The old is gone and the new has come; therefore, we are obligated to love all of our brothers and sisters the way Christ does. There is nothing wrong with being rich or poor, as long as we love and serve our Savior out of a pure heart. The pure hearted believer will strive to be more like Christ, and thus that believer will be pleasing to Christ.

In the first book of Corinthians chapter 8, and verse one, we find the phrase "Knowledge makes proud, but love builds up" There are those who have gained much knowledge. Having lots of knowledge tends to make people proud These people tend to look down their noses at those who are less knowledgeable. Lots of times people with a college degree and a white-collar job are given preferential treatment over those, who are less educated and have a blue-collar job. Many of these inequities are completely ridiculous, because the Almighty makes each of us differently and with different gifts. Some are created with mose of a love for knowledge than others. It is ridiculous to be proud in these ways, when it is Almighty God who grants gifts to each of us differently as it pleases Him. Some are more inclined to gain knowledge than others, because of the way Almighty God wired them. Others have an exceptional gift of creating wealth more than others, because this is the way Almighty God wired them. Some people are black, because the Almighty made them that way, and some people are white, because the Almighty made them that way. Some people couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, and others can sing beautifully, because the Almighty made them that way. Some people learn to play musical instruments easily, and others pretty much do not have the ability to play them, because this is the doing of Almighty God. If Almighty God is the reason, then how can we individuals think we are so great in our gifts and abilities, when we had absolutely nothing to do with giving ourselves these abilities? You see the folly in this? In spite of this, many are very proud and condescending concerning their God given abilities, and this is a manifestation of the fallen nature and immaturity.

Affluent churches should help support more needy churches. Are they not our brethren? The more needy churches, if helped in this way, must handle whatever assistance received responsibly. The idea of "checks and balances" is a Holy Bible concept. We must be accountable to each other. Notice the words of first Peter chapter 5, and verse, 5. Likewise, you younger submit yourselves to the, elder. Yes, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble". While, there are various levels of authority that must be respected, the Holy Spirit is letting us know, that as brothers and sisters in Christ, we are all responsible for being kind and considerate to each other. Notice the text said "all of you". No Christian has the right or privilege to mistreat any of the brethren. No Christian is of greater value than any other Christian. This is the way it is in the Kingdom of Almighty God. The Almighty's kingdom is vastly, different than the secular world. We are forbidden to behave in the Kingdom of Almighty God the way people behave in the secular world. I have to tell you though, that I see secular behavior in the church every where I go. We need to be aware, that we will give an accont on the judgment day concerning how we treat our brothers and sisters in Christ, and we need to be much more sober and thoughtful concerning this concept.

All nations, tribes, ethnic groups, etc. are precious in the sight of our great and glorious God, and we dishonor Him, when we have partiality. There is no excuse for any of these types of divisions. The Kingdom of Almighty God is all about a team mentality. I want to address one more thing in this chapter. It may be that this should be presented in a different chapter, but I am going to go ahead and address it here. Leadership in the Kingdom of Almighty God plays a liuge role in sectarian mentality. You take a leader that is otherwise brilliant, but sectarian, and he will shoot down the work of the kingdom in ways, that he does not even realize. Some people have the gift of leadership, and people just naturally follow them. It is an amazing phenomena. Sadly, many spiritual leaders are not very spiritual. Many of them are out to make a name for themselves. There is nothing Wrong with having nice buildings, but when there is greater emphasis on buildings, than there is on souls and discipleship, then there is no way you can have the proper kind of unity, because there is an improper priority of goals. There will likely be some, who have the proper goal of souls and discipleship, but they will have to continually do battle with the leader, who wants to build monuments.

Some of these leaders are afraid of using other talented leaders in their work, because of fear and jealousy. Leaders like this do not have enough humility, strength, and fortitude to maximize the church's potential. These leaders may seem to accomplish a lot, but failing to utilize all parts of the body at their disposal will result in smaller success than is possible. They will greatly limit what could have been, and as the scriptures inform us, to whom much is given, much is required. The wise, humble, strong leader will take advantage of other talented leaders around them. The work will soar above the heights of the clouds under this kind of leadership. These leaders are not concerned with who gets the credit, for they are truly kingdom men. These leaders are not worried about the accolades of men, but they are interested in a heavenly reward. They are laying up treasure in the heavens, where moth and rust do not corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal. They understand, that pride and a lifted up heart displeases Almighty God, and certainly will not defeat the enemy of our souls.

I think some religious leaders see many people, who simply want to take over their work. Many of these leaders do not seem to know what to do, when they run into strong leaders that truly want to help them in the work. I think they do not understand, that strong leaders will challenge them, but in a good way. They will cause them to stretch far beyond what they could possibly do otherwise. They are not yes men, but they are team players, and they are kingdom men. The wise leader will make use of these great strong men, The wise leader will not be intimidated by men, who are just as strong as they are. The wise leader does not mind sharing the glory with these very strong assistants. The wise leader will be extremely cautious to be on guard against wolfish leaders, who wish to devour the flock, while not throwing away the strong leaders, that truly want the work to go forward.

Denominations are largely perpetuated by leaders. If leaders would lead towards the kind of unity I have written about in this book, then the people would follow them in doing just that. The people would gladly take part in making the body of Christ one, for this is the heart of our Commander-in-Chief. All of our hearts would bear witness with such an effort, because it is the heart of the Great Creator. Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. I am wearied of sectarian seminaries turning out spiritual leaders, that keep the divisions going in the body of Christ. These leaders are supposed to be doing, as we talked about in Ephesians chapter 4, ministry that will bring about unity in Christ's body. You apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, listen to this divine truth: It is the heart of Almighty God, that His church become one, and it is His hearts desire, that His ministers bring us all into the unity of the faith. Do not proudly dismiss your duty, and go right on promoting and rejoicing in sectarianism. You too will be judged, and you must rightly guide your people in this. Could it be that divisive Christian leadership is the key reason we cannot access the potential of the Almighty's power that is available to us? I am certain of this. Leadership causes us to soar above the clouds, or bogs us down in the mire; therefore, it does play a very important role in divisiveness. Almighty God refuses access, where people proudly resist His oneness of the "body of Christ.

 
 
CHAPTER FIVE.

CONCLUSION.

I have spent a good bit of time laying down guidelines for unity in the Body of Christ. This should never be accomplished by compromising the Word of Almighty God. Having said this, it is totally unacceptable to divide Christ's church in the way that denominations in general have done so. We must not violate the law of love! Christ did organize His church, but He did not make it into an organization. Organizations are rigid and plastic in nature. They will not budge. They incrementally slide into mediocrity. They cling to the letter of the law, or in better words; they have ironclad rigid rules to protect the organization, as if this entity is beyond reproach. Because of this rigidity and resistance to any outside force, that would dare call anything into question, the organization to a large degree has taken the place of the Holy Spirit. The individuals of each organization tend to esteem the organizational positions on matters more highly than they esteem the Word of Almighty God. The word of the original founders of these organizations have over time come to be viewed as prophetic by the adherents thereof. Loyalty to the organization is required or you will most likely be excommunicated for not backing it wholeheartedly. To raise questions concerning the integrity of the organization is virtually seen as proof-positive, that the questioner is a heretic and presumably wrong regardless of "due process". Any "due process" is probably little more than an official formality that cements what is already presumed. There probably will be no sincere inquiry, aided by the Holy Spirit, to determine if the person questioning the judgment of the organization is from Almighty God. More than likely the mere audacity of such an individual to bring the organization into question will be viewed as someone opposing Almighty God, because the people in the organization generally have concluded in finality, that the organization is established by the Almighty, and its doctrine is beyond reproach, as if it is synonymous with the Holy Bible. Do you see how the Almighty Is crowded out of spiritual organizations over time? Do you now comprehend that organizations, though started with good intentions, are easily manipulated by Satan to rigidly resist interference of any kind good or bad? Because organizations are incrementally degraded, those in the organization hardly notice any difference at all, and they somehow feel justified in what they believe to be righteous zeal in casting out the questioners, and even thinking they are doing Almighty God a service.

Any group that has insulated themselves from the correction of a prophet-type individual from outside their organization, is playing with fire. The Holy Spirit uses prophet-type people to point out error. The Almighty specifically gave them this job, because He wants a pure spotless church. The Holy Bible says we are to test the spirits to see if they be of Almighty God. When a person prophesies concerning a matter in the churchy, we are to test what is being said against the backdrop of the Holy Bible. The person just might be a troublemaker or even devilish. On the other hand, it may be Almighty God Himself who sent that person to that church with instructions from Him. We must never presume that because the person has called into question what is going on, that they are trying to tear down. Leadership that is not up to this task of testing the spirits should not be in leadership roles. Leadership should not grow tired of carefully searching out these matters for Almighty God's truths. The straggle of good against evil, or of flesh against spirit will not go away until the end, and we might as well get used to it, and set ourselves against evil continually. This is known as the good fight of faith. It is true that we should not be carried about by every wind of doctrine, for the Holy Bible warns of this, neither should we be so rigidly stubborn in believing we are absolutely right, when we may not be right at all on a given matter. I have seen one or more leaders that have been questioned so much in what they are doing, that they have become paranoid and generally view all questioners as wrong. They have carelessly come to only trust their own judgment it seems. Can the head say to the hand "I have no need of you"? Ephesians chapter 4 and starting in verse 11 find these words, "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:' till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ".

Denominational organizations are run as businesses. Their ministers, who have been called by Almighty God, are trained in seminaries to be CEO's. They seek to enlarge their membership by competing with other denominations. They want these proselytes to take an oath of loyalty to their divisive doctrines, that set them apart from other denomination. Being called by Almighty God to minister is not adequate for these groups. These denominations want their ministers to Be; indoctrinated by their own teachers, tested, and then; licensed only if they are now loyal to this denomination. Question. Is a born again believer' a part of the body of Christ? Of course the answer is yes. Will joining an organization make them more a part of the body of Christ? The answer is a resounding no! They will not be more a part of the body of Christ if they join a denomination or church organization. It is easy to answer these because of the authority of the Holy Bible: Then why, pray tell, do denominations require more of the believer, than Almighty God requires? Is this not a form of Phariseeism? The answer is obviously yes, for the Pharisees were guilty of adding rules upon rules.

They required more of the Almighty's people, than the Almighty required.

Question. If a man is called into the ministry by the Creator, will he be more called, if he is licensed by a certain denomination? The answer is obviously no, if we receive the authority of the Holy Bible. That man's calling is from Almighty God, and is beneficial for the whole body, and not just' the denomination that licenses him, when he comes into agreement with their half-truth doctrines, that set them apart from other denominations. Of course churches should be careful not to let just anyone, who claims to be a preacher, to minister to their flock; however having said this, if Pharisees only allow Pharisees to preach to them, then they will doubtless always remain Pharisees. : If Saducees only allow Saducees to preach to them, then they will doubtless always remain Saducees, who believe there is no resurtection. If Baptists only allow Baptists to preach to them, then they will never gain proper balance to their half-truth doctrines and will continue to promote that which tends to make Christians comfortable in their sin. If Nazarenes only allow Nazarenes to preach to them, then they will always forbid to speak in tongues contrary to the Holy Bible. If "Church of God" denominational churches only allow Church of God preachers to preach to them, then they will always frustrate Christ's church with their half-truth doctrine, that declares there will always be an initial evidence of tongues accompanying the infilling of the Holy Spirit. If Methodists only allow Methodists to preach to them, then they will always be limited to their half-truth doctrines etc etc, etc. If Catholics only allow Catholics to preach to them, then they will always suffer from the doctrinal errors they embrace. Denominations not only divide Christ's church, but they, perpetuate division. Denominations stand firmly in the way of Christ's oneness with their arms crossed and their legs straddling the path to unity.

The first book of Corinthians chapter 12 and starting in verse 21 says, "the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you: nor again the head unto the feet, I have, no need of you. No much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble are necessary: and those, members of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these, we bestow, more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more, abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having, given more abundant honor to that part which lacked: that there should be no schism in the body". The word schism means split, gap, or division. It is little wonder that there is error in most denominations, seeing they have completely shut out other parts of the body of Christ from ministering to them. They think within themselves "I have no need of you", concerning other denominations, when the Holy Spirit has made it clear in the above passage, that we are all inter-dependent. Did you just comprehend what was said? Think about it. Each denomination is set up to be self-sufficient and exclusive, but the Holy Spirit says in the above passage that the body needs all of its parts. I will press this point even further. The Almighty has directed me to write this book to help bring unity to the church, and to point out error that is hurting the work of His kingdom. Where would the church be without people such as myself, who have been given an extra heavy duty dose of love for the truth, for the purpose of helping keep the church on track? Where would I and others like me be without the different gifts of others being used for the benefit of the Almighty's kingdom, that I do not have, that helps me to be balanced as well? I need them and they need me. I need you and you need me. To believe otherwise is to believe contrary to the teachings of the Holy Bible.

Many groups of people will tell you in no uncertain terms, that the Word of Almighty God is what they preach, and that it is where they get all their truth. Why then, pray tell, does each group tend' to purposefully ignore certain passages of scriptures, while emphasizing others? The answer is obvious. The passages they purposefully ignore so often are problematic to the doctrines their organizations are teaching. If they face up to these other passages, then they will be forced to admit, that something isn't quite right with what they are teaching. They don't know what to do about it. Some of these people may be very sincere and godly people. Unfortunately the organizations, of which they are a part, are so fleshly stubborn, that many Christians are afraid to confront them. We must speak the truth in love. Do you see both key ingredients, truth coupled with love? You don't beat people up, but you do remain firm and resilient. You get to the truth without apology, and you communicate to them your caring concern.

 The Body of Christ is splintered and in disarray. Disunity is the norm and unity is the exception. Again I am referring to denominational division. Remember the story of the Tower of Babel? Rebellious humans were in such agreement, that Almighty God had to disrupt their unity, in order to thwart the imminent success they were about to achieve. What if all that are born again were in unity? What could we accomplish for the Kingdom of Almighty God? Remember the story concerning the day of Pentecost? There were 120 people who were in such agreement, that the church exploded onto the scene with 3000 converts on the first day in one city.

Truth loving unity produces power, trust, love, joy, and comraday among the brethren. Disunity is accompanied, by distrust, suspicion, infighting, negative competition, etc. Sound doctrine should be an easy fit into the scriptures. If you have to stretch or force a doctrine to fit into the scriptures, then it just may not be sound doctrine. The scriptures must not be forced to comply with doctrine. A good question to ask ourselves concerning preferred denominational, doctrines is this: "If we were to stop putting so much, emphasis on this doctrine, would souls be lost from the kingdom of Almighty God?" Be honest with your answer. What about this question? Does this doctrine take into account all passages in scripture, or does it conflict with some passages? Again be honest with your answer. In the book of Philippians chapter one and verse 27 we find, "Only let your conversation be as it becomes the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see yon, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel". Is Christ divided?

I want to get to some practical solutions, but let me first warn you of what you will quite possibly run up against. Many ministers will resist the exhortation of our duty to move toward oneness, because it threatens the independence of denominations. Not all ministers will resist, because there are many out there, who are humble enough and wise enough to ponder truth, even though it may not be truth that sounds familiar to them. Do not be surprised if your pastor or minister discourages you from working for unity across denoimnational lines. Do not be surprised if this book is maligned by someone you have greatly respected in the past. Many leaders feel comfortable with the sectarian jungle in which we live. Do not let these people pressure you wrongly on this. I have adequately demonstrated in this book Almighty God's desire for unity in the body of Christ. It is the will and heart of Almighty God that His church is one, even as Almighty God the Father, Almighty God the Son, and Almighty God the Holy Spirit are one.

#1 Who is a part of Almighty God's kingdom? The first book of John chapter 4 and verse 2 informs us, "Hereby know you the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of anti-Christ, whereof you have heard, that it should come; and even now already is it in the worlds Did you hear that? A spirit that confesses that Yahshua Jesus has come in the flesh is of God That is very clear. By the way, this word spirit includes human beings. #2 In First John chapter 4 and verse 6 we find this, "We are of God: He that knows God hears us; he, that is not of God hears not us. Hereby know we the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error". Notice, the exhortation here. If you want to know who is on the side of truth, notice the people who hear the apostles; and prophets with the intention of acting upon; what they have said. #3 In First John chapter 4 and. verse, 8 read, "He that loves not knows not God; for God is love". Love in this sense means affection or benevolence in a social or moral sense. Whoever is not like this does not know Almighty God. It also says in verse 20, that whoever says they love Almighty God and hates their brother is a liar. #4 First John chapter 4 and verse 15, "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him, and he in God." A true Christian confesses that Yahshua Jesus is the Son of God. #5 In First John chapter 5 and verse one read, "Whosoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loves him that begat loves him also that is begotten of him". This one is quite interesting. Whoever believes that Yahshiia Jesus is the Christ/Messiah is born of Almighty God. You really cannot say you love the Almighty, if you do not love His Messiah Yahshiia Jesus. #6 Read this in First John chapter 5 and verse 4, "For whatsoever is born of god overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith". A real Christian believes in rising above evil. They resist evil They repent, if they fall into evil.

If you notice, the apostle John under the anointing of the Holy Spirit lays down these guidelines for recognizing brothers and sisters in Christ. These guidelines also allow a person to determine which people are not of Almighty God. If a person in another denomination fits these points of description, then you know for sure they are in the same family as you are. They are not to be shunned, wrongly criticized, poked fun of, etc. You and I are one with this person and we are not to be sectarian against them. We are not to divide denominationally from any of these, that fit this description. Does not "one" mean one? We are one in Christ Think about it Does our Savior Yahshua Jesus appreciate us dividing from our true brothers and sisters in Christ? The Almighty will put us together in heaven. The people that traffic in division of persons that fit the above description are walking in the flesh/fallen nature. They are not walking in the Spirit. Whoever fits #1-6 above is good enough to hang around with, fellowship with, worship with, be seen in public with. These are the people with which we are one. There is another interesting point to be made here. In second Thessalonians chapter 2, and verse 3 we find, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition". The phrase "falling away" means: defection from the truth, apostasy, or forsake. These are strong terms. Apostasy means: a total desertion of, or departure from, one's principles, party, cause, etc. In Daniel chapter 8, and verse 23, we find, "And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full". The phrase "transgressors are come to the foil" means: apostasy complete. What an interesting statement, and made in the Old Testament of all things. In the book of Matthew, chapter 24, and verse 24, "For There shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." There will be miraculous things done, that will seduce many people into believing, that the one doing them is the promised Messiah. These and other passages give us ample warning concerning the strong delusion of our enemy Satan. Remember the parable about the tares and the wheat in Matthew chapter 13, and verses 24-30? An enemy sowed tares among the wheat. When the servants asked if they should pull up the tares, the master said no, because in pulling up the tares they would uproot the wheat also. The Master told his servants to let them grow together until harvest, and then the wheat and tares would be properly separated: the wheat into the storehouse, and the tares to the fire. Hebrews chapter 3, and verse 12 warns us, "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God". All these passages instruct us concerning a sinister and perplexing phenomena. There are those in the church, and among the flock, that look very much like the other sheep, but they are compromised. They are apostatized. They are deserters, defectors, traitors. Many of them condone sin. Have you noticed the segment of the church, that is now defending homosexuality? This is treachery. Have you noticed the fairly large segment in' the church, that approve of people putting • away their husbands and wives for many many reasons, when there are only a very few acceptable reasons for divorce and remarriage? Have you noticed how many in the church condone abortion on demand? Have you noticed how many churches are so into tolerance, that they no longer preach against sin? I have gone to great lengths here to establish the idea of oneness in the body of Christ, without compromise. Some churches have divided into more churches, because part of the group refused to compromise the scriptures, and it certainly is Biblical to separate ourselves from evil; however, this in no way relieves any of us from the duty we have to be one with all our true brothers and sisters in the body of Christ. If we divided every time there was a disagreement over the scriptures, then it would be impossible to be one as Christ declares His church to be. So what do we do? We wise up to what is apostasy, and what is not. Some disagreements concerning the scriptures are tolerable, and have nothing to do with compromising the basic tenets of the faith. In these cases we are to swallow our pride, and agree, to disagree amiably. In cases such as these, there is no need for some to run off and start, another church.

Notice these words in Ezekiel chapter 9, and starting in verse 4, "And the LORD said unto, him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh, and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. And to the: others, he said in my hearing, You go after him through the city, and smite: let not your eyes spare, and neither have, you pity: slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near, any man upon whom is the mark; and, begin at my sanctuary." This passage makes crystal clear Almighty God's position on compromising His truths. This passage clearly teaches us, that it is top priority to hate that which is abominable. Notice I said "top priority", for the ones who did not hate the sins of abomination were completely wiped out, and the others who sighed and cried because of the sins of abomination were spared. The wise objective person must not grow weary of the fight against that which is abominable. Sure, there are many worthy pursuits that need our attention; however, being continually grieved by the sins of abomination "must" be number one priority. This passage shows that Almighty God was completely disgusted with the people who did not hate the sins of abomination. We must not allow ourselves to be pushed into giving up our resistance to, what the world has decided is no longer relevant. Let us continue the passage in Ezekiel chapter 9, and verse 6, "Then they began at the old aged men which were before the house. And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go you forth. And they went forth and slew in the city. And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord GOD! will you destroy all the residue of Israel in your pouring out of your fury upon Jerusalem? Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, the LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD does not see. And as for me also, my eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head. And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as you have commanded me." Once again let me say, the Almighty is making extremely clear how He feels about the willful evil of the people. There is no mistaking what is being said in the passage. We do not need an interpretation on the matter. Almighty God has always hated these things, and He always will!

Having said all of this, it is also clear, that Almighty God declares His church to be one. He wants His people without division and without spiritual compromise.

Now, as I said a moment ago, let us get to some practical solutions. I challenge you to immediately search out someone new, that belongs to a different denomination than your own, and befriend them. Forge a deep intimate spiritual relationship with that person. I think it is wise to pursue this as man with man and woman with woman in order not to set ourselves up to fall into the trap of fornication. Learn to love them as a brother or sister in Christ. This will help to start tearing down denominational barriers. Be very slow to anger. Do not focus on. denominational differences, but focus on the oneness that exists between brothers and sisters in Christ. Learn to carefully work out Holy Bible issues with the knowledge that all seemingly conflicting passages are complementary in nature. They are not contradictory. Each individual passage is inter-dependent on all the other passages to gain an accurate view of the truth. We must love all the Word and not part of it. I challenge you to do your part in being a true and caring friend to your newfound friend. Be willing to defend them to the brothers and sisters within your own denomination. This will tend to break down denominational division. Be willing to visit their church and encourage them to visit yours. Leave no stone unturned in realizing the unity of oneness in Christ with them that Christ says we already possess with theem. Think about it. To hold to denominational sectarianism is to resist the work of Almighty God! Spend a lot of time thinking on that last sentence.

I challenge you to not support denominational policies of division, and this means the policies that divides Christ's beloved church. I do not apologize for this statement. That which wars against the unity we have in Christ, must not be aided and abetted. Can we aid and abet the principles that war against Christ and His kingdom without hurting Christ's Kingdom? No! Such a practice is ' intolerable. Denominational practices war against the oneness of Christ and His kingdom. I have demonstrated this in this very book. You are not to get angry or mean about it In a loving way, just simply refuse to support any denominational device that divides. Please take note of what is said in this passage in the book of Mark chapter 8 and starting in verse 38, "And John answered him saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in your name, and he followed not us: and we forbade him, because he followed not us. But Jesus said, forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak of me. For he that is not against us is on our part". Did you get that? We are not to forbid our brothers and sisters from other denominations to do ministry. If they are not against us, then they are on our part. How much clearer can we get than that? Encourage your church to start tearing down these denominational barriers. Don't be mean-spirited about any of these things, or you have become part of the problem yourself. Do it completely in the integrity of your own heart. Do it with kindness and thoughtfulness. Have the mind of reconciliation and restoration, and not the mind of, "ah ha I got cha" or of creating strife and division yourself. You can't seek unity among the brethren through carelessly creating division. How good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! If your church and denomination blatantly refuse and resist any such things then you have witnessed with your own eyes and ears, the distrust, and viciousness of sectarianism/denominationalism. You have just witnessed a manifestation of the spirit of disunity, division schism, heresy. This is the way that the secular world operates. They fight, they strive, they divide, they look down their noses. They think of themselves more highly than they ought to think. They are puffed up. Is it ok for the church to continue to operate in a secular worldly fashion? That is what much of the church has done for decades upon decades. The spirit of division is alive and well in the church in the form of denomination. Will you begin to be part of the solution? Our Savior, tore down the middle wall of separation that gave preference to the Jews and left us out in the cold. Will you work with Christ to tear down these walls of division between godly brothers and sisters in Christ? It seems so strange that a question like this even needs to be asked, but it is time for this question to be proclaimed far and wide in the church.	Before you proceed with the things I have suggested, you better brace yourself to be attacked severely. Can you imagine being attacked for encouraging your church to be one with true brothers and sisters in Christ for whom He died? Such a phenomenon manifests the very heart and soul of sectarianism. Sectarianism can be very vicious my dear brothers and sisters, The Almighty has clearly shown me the evils of sectarianism in His church, and I can tell you this, I am through with denominations. I am a part of the kingdom of Almighty God. I openly speak against denominations, I have no intention whatsoever of being vicious about it, but an impassioned cry for restoration/reconciliation, and without apology, is a must. The truth must be spoken in love, but it must be spoken. It is the truth that makes us free. Sectarian chains will continue to restrain denominations from fulfilling Christ's mission until those chains are broken. How will they ever be broken without a preacher? I proclaim this divine truth. "It is not Almighty God's will that his church be divided"; furthermore, we need to repent of this very carnal practice.

There is strength in numbers as we pointed out in the story about the "Tower of Babel". It is wise for whoever is open to the Holy Bible teaching of the "Oneness of the Body of Christ" to search out other brothers and sisters who have the same mind. Do not do this for the purpose of starting another denomination, for that would undermine the very thing we hope to accomplish. You can do it in whatever denomination you are in, You can do it at whatever church you are in. As I said, there is strength in numbers. Because Satan goes to church and because there are numerous in most churches who are not strong mature Christians, you can be sure that Satan will make a move to disrupt your endeavors. Some of these people will think they are doing Almighty God a service by resisting you. It has always been this way. It was true in the time of Christ, when scribes and Pharisees and even other religious leaders resisted the Messiah Himself Like Christ taught His disciples, if they did these kinds of things to Him, you can be sure they will do the same kinds of things to you. It is an honor to suffer for the cause of Christ though. You just make sure that your attitude and heart are right by doing these things, out of a heart of love and kindness and restoration. Be kind but firm and determined. There should be considerable prayer involved with this endeavor. My prayer is, that Almighty would make all His church one. My prayer is, that denominational sectarian people would, have the eyes, of their understanding opened. My prayer is, that Christians would no longer be blinded to the desire of Almighty God, that all His people would be one.

As your numbers grow, your influence will grow as well. As this happens, be very careful that you do not try to take over. That is not the goal here. The secular world operates that way, but we are of Christ. We are to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Completely co-operate with the leadership in your church, except when the leadership is doing the sectarian thing, that we have been speaking of When they get on their sectarian soapbox, kindly do not lend your support to anything sectarian. Again I say, do it with love and in kindness, while not going along with it. Also work closely with this same kind of person or group from other churches. If the other churches do not have such a person or group, then do as was said earlier. On purpose make a friend from another denomination' or church. Help them to rally like-minded folks in their church as well. This all must be done with a mind of reconciliation. Notice I did not say with a mind of compromising Almighty God's Word, We can do this without compromising the truth of the WORD. Our God is a God of reconciliation and not the God of division among His people. Prayer, kindness, wisdom, fortitude, and love are all actions and virtues that must be in the mix of what we are trying to accomplish here, and it will not be successful without this type of spirit. How is the world going to know that we are Christ's disciples, if we through denominations do not have love for one another? Take note of the people who resist your kindly efforts to unify the brethren. There is a reason why they are this way. Some are this way; because over the decades, denominations have come to be seen as acceptable, and these people simply do not like changing the status quo. Others love sectarianism and love their denomination more than they love the body of Christ. This of course is walking in the flesh and not in the Spirit. Others simply are not true brothers or sisters in Christ. They violate the law of love and enjoy it I remind you that all your efforts must be done as carefully as possible. Do you really love Christ's church enough to patiently and with long-suffering pursue unity in His church?

Sadly, leaders in churches are often the biggest part of the problem here. I have carefully used the WORD to establish this truth: Almighty God desires oneness among His devoted sons and daughters. Will you allow church leaders to dissuade you from doing the Creator's will in this? Please carefully and deliberately take time and, objectively think about what I just asked. Are we followers of Christ or are we followers of men? Are we willing to substitute the traditions of men for the will of the Great Creator? This is a very serious, spiritual question. Are we willing to substitute a form of godliness for obedience? Once we have come to the knowledge of the truth, we will give an. account for it on the judgment day. What is more important than the law of love? Notice in the book of Acts chapter 5 and starting in verse 27, "And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, saying, did we not straightly command you, that you should not teach in this name? and, behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood, upon us. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, we ought to obey God rather than men".

 
Understand from this passage, that it is never ok to obey men out of fear of what they might say or do, more than we, awe and respect Almighty God. We will not give an account to men on the judgment day for our deeds, but we will give an account to the Great Creator. If and when one of your church leaders forbid you to promote unity among Christ's devoted, let it be like water off a duck's back. As I said before, do everything in your power not to cause strife, but continue to go about seeking restoration among Christ's true followers. If one of these ministers gets up and preaches a hard sermon about why their denomination is so godly and must be preserved, let it be like water off a duck's back, for it is a message in contradiction of what is said in the first book of Corinthians chapter one verses 10-13 and Ephesians chapter 4 verses 11-13, and many other passages I have shown you earlier in this book. Christ's ministers are under authority as we all are. We are to always test the spirit to see if it be of Almighty God. Even a godly minister can get in the flesh, and you must discern for yourself, when a minister within your hearing is going beyond the confines of the Holy Bible. I have seen this happen personally and I know what I am talking about. It does not necessarily mean that minister is not of Almighty God. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, and we are all supposed to be growing and maturing in Christ, and most of us need to apologize for words or actions from time to time, including ministers. In the second book of Timothy chapter 3 and verse 16 read, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness". Did you get that? The scriptures are profitable for reproof It is reasonable and right to reprove sectarianism. It is righteous to promote unity, and in a holy way to resist denomination, but as another passage says, we are to speak the truth in love. In the first book of Timothy chapter 5 and verse one it says, "Rebuke not an elder, but entreat him as a father". The word rebuke means to chastise or upbraid or reprove, and the word entreat means to call near, invite, give exhortation. Do you see the difference? A minister of the church is not to be railed upon. This is mistreating someone that, Almighty God has placed in a position of authority in His church. When we need to entreat an elder, we must do it in kindness. It is ok to be very firm with him, but it must be done in kindness. If he is a mature and wise leader, he will listen to a kind, entreaty. If he is not a mature shepherd, he will very likely rebuke you and act like you have no business questioning his judgment. He will quite possibly treat you rudely and warn others to keep an eye on you or even stay away from you, and such a minister will bear his own judgment on this matter from Almighty God. Trust me, when I say, the Almighty does not appreciate His shepherds needlessly smiting His sheep with the cane. You just make sure that you keep the mind and spirit of Christ in all your endeavors to bring about unity in Christ's church. I have entreated a minister before, and not unkindly, only to have him treat me rudely, dismissing what I had to say, as if the Almighty could not, or would not, have me talk to him about the subject. So just know that this does happen, I did not let it prevent me from doing what the Almighty has called me to do. It is high time that we enjoin our adversary the devil to reverse his division of the body of Christ. Some pastor/shepherds are so protective of their flock, that their sheep have become like little robots, that do his bidding, and are very afraid to dare question, what he says or does. You don't need to be correcting your pastor at every turn in the road for that is unacceptable; however, neither are you to allow anyone to speak words and policies of division concerning your beloved sincere brethren in other denominations, without being called out for it. We are one in Christ I tell you! So please, let us heal the wounds of division and repair the breaches that have allowed our adversary in.

How in the world are we going to repair the breach in the wall that divides races? It is human nature to group up with others of like kind. What I mean is, that blacks tend to hang with blacks, whites tend to hang with whites, Hispanics tend to hang with Hispanics, wealthy tend to hang with wealthy, poor tend to hang with poor, and this list could go on and on. But did you know that human nature in many ways is carnal? The church must not operate as does the world, or of what benefit is the church? It is high time, that divides along racial lines cease and desist within the "body of Christ".

Let me repeat what I said earlier. Christ said that the world would know that we are His disciples if we have love one for another. The body of Christ is the most powerful human influence in all the earth. If we do not salt the earth, the earth will have no flavor, and that is just the fact of the matter. Look in lands where there is great persecution. The mighty church moves forward and even flourishes under these conditions. It is at its best when the gates of hell try to tarn back believers through persecution and martyrdom. Under these kinds of conditions, brothers and. sisters in Christ rely heavily on each other, and on Almighty God, Denominational differences melt into unimportance when we are faced with these circumstances. Could it be that persecution of the church is a very good thing? Could it be that the Almighty delights in severe, circumstances, because it makes His church pure and white? Would, the church in the United States benefit from, intense persecution, and tribulation coming to, our shores? These are fascinating questions and points of consideration. I believe that ultimately it will probably take intense persecution of the whole church, before sectarianism is wiped off of the windshield of the church, and when it happens, we will see clearly through" our persecution cleaned glass, Christ is coming back for a glorious church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. Sectarianism is a nasty dirty spot on the church and the church will be cleansed of it before Christ returns,

Notice in the book of Daniel chapter 11 and verse 35, "And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end". Very difficult times cleanse or sanctify. We can draw this implication: humans are matured and cleansed through intense adversity. It is this intense adversity that forces us to either lean on Christ or rebel. This leaning on Christ is what we call trust or faith. We realize that without Him we cannot possibly complete the task, and make it through. Christ was willing to go to the cross for us; therefore, He has every right to put us through the difficult process of cleansing and making us white and ready for our eternal home. Revelation chapter 21 and verse 27 has these words "And there shall in no wise enter into, it anything that defiles, neither whatsoever works abomination, or makes a lie: but they that are written in the Lamb's book of life". This is a reference to the New Jerusalem if you read the rest of the passage. It is prepared for a pure spotless unwrinkled bride; namely, Christ's bride the church. He is preparing us to be ready to marry Him, the King of the Universe. Let us put on pure white raiment, His righteousness, and be thoroughly clean. "We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren. He that loves not his brother abides in death (first book of John chapter 3 and verse 14)".

The early church was one and in unity, and they were powerful to the extreme. Can this phenomenon be regained? YES, but we must be willing to relinquish our stubborn denominational pride. We must realize that we are only a small part of the much larger church of Yahshua Jesus, all of which He loves dearly and equally. We, the chosen of Almighty God, must work as a team and not as presumptuous exclusive parts. We must be lovers of truth; that is, lovers of all His truth. I am not saying it is a sin to attend a denominational church, but I am saying, that we must not embrace denominationalism.

We must become, one again through the help of the Holy Spirit. We must stand together openly and unashamed. Who is that professing Christian, who would dare drive a wedge of any sort between us either directly or indirectly? Take note of such a person, and beware. Almighty God will grant us access to His unspeakable power when we have Godly unity. Could it be, that Yahshua Jesus will not come back for His bride, the church until we become one? A fascinating question don't you think?