Pure Religion?

Think of how much money could be used for "pure religion" (James 1:27) if every "church" met in an open pasture instead of these lavish buildings. We are to meet for the encouragement and the equipping of the saints and the worship of God, not for entertainment or for all the benefits of a social club. The great commission was not intended for use IN the existing body of Christ but outside of it. This is precisely why Jesus said, "GO". Contentment in the Lord is one thing, but complacency is a totally different story. This is precisely why I do not listen to all those "It's all about you" televangelist money grubbers. "And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." (Mat 10:38-39)

This is a three hour film but is very vital for today's Christian.  Please, take the time to watch this film.  You won't look at their doctrine the same again.

Word of Faith Teachers: Origins & Errors of Their Teaching

How Spiritual Cancer Permeates a Church Body

How Spiritual Cancer Permeates a Church Body

1. Leadership Fails :  Genes are to the body what leaders are to the church body.  This is where things go awry.  Genes contain the instructions to make proteins, molecular laborers that serve as building blocks of cells, control chemical reactions, or transport materials to and from cells. The proteins produced in a human cell determine the function of each cell, and ultimately, the function of the entire body.  Such is the function of the pastorate and elders of a church body.  Instructions to individual church members are not given as to their function in the body.  It is when the leadership’s function is altered out of proper focus which causes mutation.  The leaders do not do their jobs as they are the DNA of the church body.  This, in spiritual terms, can stem from improper motive, lust, envy, selfish ambitions, pacifism, etc.  “For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. - (Tit 1:7-9)
2. Degeneration Occurs :  For lack of proper godly biblical instruction, mutations or degenerations inside the heart of the member begin to occur.  They are left to themselves.  In the human body, usually three to seven different mutations occurring in a single cell and building up over time into a convergence causes a cell to become cancerous.  It is the same in a spiritual sense.  Rebuke or confirmation must occur before this limitation is met or the risk of spiritual cancer within the church body is 100%.  It only takes one cancerous cell to kill the entire organism within a span of 5 years.  “For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.” – (Tit 1:10-11) “Earth is polluted by its very own people, who have broken its laws, Disrupted its order, violated the sacred and eternal covenant. Therefore a curse, like a cancer, ravages the earth. Its people pay the price of their sacrilege. They dwindle away, dying out one by one. (Isa 24:5-6)(MSG)
3. Safety Systems Fail :  Each individual not only performs its own function, but, also, influences those around it via communication both physically and spiritually.  The primary methods being actions or deeds and words.  Normal reproduction in any given body is of and instituted by God Almighty.  However, when an individual is communicating things contrived in and of itself, the individuals around the individual receive bogus communication as well.  Physically, a cell may instruct other cells in its neighborhood to divide, for example, by releasing a growth-promoting signal, or growth factor.  When the growth factor message reaches the cell nucleus, it activates genes called proto-oncogenes. These genes produce proteins that stimulate the cell to divide. In cancerous cells, mutations in proto-oncogenes cause these genes to malfunction. When a proto-oncogene mutates, it becomes an oncogene—a gene that instructs the cell to grow and divide repeatedly without stimulation from neighboring cells. Some oncogenes overproduce growth factors, causing the cell to divide too often. Other oncogenes stimulate the cell to reproduce even when no growth factor is present.  Division is repeatedly warned against in the bible to the New Testament church.  Things haven’t changed one bit.  If anything more mutations have taken place for lack of proper godly instruction and stern rebuke.  “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”  (1Co 1:10)    “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” (1Co 3:3)  “Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear. I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.” (1Ti 5:20-21) And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not. (1Ti 5:13)
4. Individual Suppression Attempts Fail :  Through corrective communication from individuals, some cancers can be inhibited.  However, if these have also suffered mutation, this corrective communication is also suppressed.  “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee 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 thee as an heathen man and a publican.” (Mat 18:15-17)  “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” (1Pe 4:17)
5. Natural Replaces Spiritual Through Uncontrollable Division:  Abnormality becomes normal.  No suppressors are heeded and the evil even spreads to those who once attempted to stop it.  The voice of natural man takes precedence over the voice of the Holy Spirit.  The evil corrupts those around it.  Even at this stage, the damage is repairable.  It is reversible but it needs to be quickly addressed and quickly removed.  Unchecked and remaining intact, they multiply at a greatly increased rate feeding upon the weak surrounding them in the process.  Normal cells adhere to each other and to a fibrous meshwork called an extracellular matrix. This matrix exists throughout all tissues and provides the structural support on which cells grow and form organs and other complex tissues. While a normal cell will often die if it cannot adhere to an extracellular matrix, cancer cells survive without this matrix. For Christians, love is what holds us together and is the perfect bond.  Evil most definitely exists outside of this unifying structure.  A tumor is a mass of cells not dependent upon an extracellular matrix. These cells can grow on top of each other, creating a mass of abnormal cells. Often a tumor develops its own network of tiny blood vessels to supply itself with nutrient-rich blood, a process called angiogenesis. A tumor or sect becomes autonomous from its surroundings and only depends upon itself.  Hence, declaring itself outside of God Himself.  “Do not be deceived; evil companionships corrupt good habits.” (1Co 15:33)  “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1Co 2:14)
6. Moves Rapidly Throughout The Entire Body With a Wake of Destruction:  Upon hardening by multiple mutations, which in the Christian’s case is one’s heart, individuals infect other portions of the same body.  Gossip is notorious for this and is most definitely a cancerous agent of the spirit.  A harshly verbose malady in which lies or rumors are taken for truth.  If two different church bodies are in close proximity to each other and the one has spiritual cancer, the other will likely be infected in not guarded against when symptoms arise.  “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Rom 12:21)  “Who is wise and knowing among you? Let him show his works by his good conduct with meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and strife in your hearts, do not glory and lie against the truth. This is not the wisdom coming down from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife are, there is confusion and every foul deed.” (Jas 3:13-16)
7. Death :  Eventually, the body and the vital portions of it are overran.  The abnormality overcomes the normality and the inner unseen battle is lost.  Death occurs when the cancerous cells which are destructive take the place of the cells that actually are performing their constructive duties and tasks.  The wounds are still left open and bleeding because they cannot be healed.  They run deep into the innermost recesses of the spirit which is the case most often in slander and backbiting.  The spirit no longer operates within a godly loving realm but in a selfish and introverted one attempting to sustain itself as a god.  An inner devouring takes place when the evil is allowed to run its course without warrant.  “For all the Law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you are not consumed by one another. I say, then, Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.” (Gal 5:14-16)

Changes

Hello everyone!  I have decided to start blogging again and have changed the name to coincide with the facebook group of the same name.  Feel free to browse either.  God bless you.