Pathetic, farcical, self-deluding, obnoxious, dangerous, call it what you may, that is the current picture of Christian denominationalism and leadership of our day. Anyone with half an eye can see there is something radically wrong with that kind of reasoning. It is tantamount to saying the Almighty is working through only one farm on earth and that farm is my farm! The Bible plainly tells us sectarianism is carnal. The word ‘carnal’ means of the flesh, prompted by human reasoning, something that is not of the Holy Spirit. It adds: to be carnally minded is death. That is why so many denominations are bankrupt and falling apart.
| Romans 8: |
6: For to be carnally minded is death; but to be
spiritually minded is life and peace.
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| 1 Corinthians 3: |
3: For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying,
and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 4: For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? |
In scripture the church is likened to Jehovah’s wife! It follows if the Almighty frowns on polygamy He must Himself only have one wife - one church. To be sure the church will have many members, who meet in many congregations: but together they comprise one church, one body, not the hundreds of sects, cults and denominations we see on the religious stage these days. This single entity, Yahweh's church, has existed since the foundation of the world. Depending on circumstance its members may assemble in their thousands or in their twos and threes. Also it matters not whether that place of assembly is a magnificent Temple, a village synagogue, a chapel, a private home or a cave in the wilderness: the church is there.
The word ‘church’ comes from the Greek word
‘ecclesia’ which means ‘called out ones. ’ In
other words Yahweh's church is not a building of bricks and mortar. Instead it
consists of ‘true believers’ who have been called out of human
society to ‘trust and obey’ His commandments. These true believers
may, of course, live and work in human society, most of us have no other option,
but ‘we are called out, morally speaking, to live lives of faith and
obedience.’ Or, as the Master put it in (John 17: 16)
| Acts 7: |
38: This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with
the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received
the lively oracles to give unto us:
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| Romans 16: | 5: Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ. |
| Ephesians 5: |
23: For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the
head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
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| Colossians 1: |
15: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every
creature: 16: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18: And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence.
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| Matthew 16: |
16: And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the
Son of the living God. 17: And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18: And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. |
| Acts 17: |
24: God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord
of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
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| 1 Corinthians 3: |
16: Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit
of God dwelleth in you?
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| 1 Corinthians 3: | 17: If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. |
Designations such as the church of God, the church of Scotland, the church of England, the church of Ireland etc. are, strictly speaking not names, but descriptions. “The Queen's house,” for example is not the name of the building in which the queen lives. This term simply describes the building in which the queen lives: it's her house. The correct name of the building is Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle. These are names not descriptions.
It is the same with the name of the church. The body of believers in various places are mostly called by the name of that place: i.e. the church of Ephesus, the church of Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philidelphia, Laodicea, Babylon etc.; or the church in thy house. These descriptions simply tell us, which body of believers were being referred to. They are not names. What, then, is the church's name? We do not know. we are unable to find in scripture a proper noun which tells me the church's name. What we do know is the church is described in various ways. such as:
| 1 Peter 5: |
13: The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you,
saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.
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| Revelation 1: |
11: Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What
thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in
Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and
unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and
unto Laodicea.
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| Philemon 1: |
2: And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellow-soldier, and
to the church in thy house:
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| Colossians 4: | 15: Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house. |
This mind-jolting fact must be recognized if you wish to be saved from eternal death! Another astonishing fact is, only the Savior can enter your name in that Book. It belongs to him; and only he can blot out a name once it is has been entered. The Lamb’s Book of Life has been in existence since the foundation of the world. It will be seen for the first time by our eyes on the great Day of Judgment. These are unassailable facts.
| Philemon 4: |
3: And I intreat thee also, true yoke-fellow, help those women which
laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellow-labourers,
whose names are in the book of life.
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| Revelation 3: |
5: He that overcometh, the same 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.
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| Revelation 13: |
8: And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written
in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
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| Revelation 17: |
8: The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of
the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder,
whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world,
when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
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| Revelation 20: |
12: And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books
were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead
were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their
works.
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| Revelation 20: |
15: And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was
cast into the lake of fire.
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| Revelation 21: |
27: And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth,
neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written
in the Lamb's book of life.
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| Revelation 22: | 19: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. |
| 1 Corinthians 12: |
27: Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 28: 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. 29: Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? 30: Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? |
Multiplied millions of believers have absolutely no idea what function they are supposed to fulfill in Yahweh's church. False teachers and human pride has resulted in spiritual chaos in many congregations; as believers vainly try to do tasks for which they are not equipped. They are hands trying to be tongues, ears trying to be eyes and feet trying to do the work of hands. This confusion is a sign of ignorance or pride or both. The Bible tells us Yahweh appoints to each believer a given position and duty. He also equips that person with the ability to carry out that duty.
| 1 Corinthians 12: |
10: To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another
discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the
interpretation of tongues: 11: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. 12: For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13: 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. 14: For the body is not one member, but many. 15: If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 16: And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 17: If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 18: But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 19: And if they were all one member, where were the body? 20: But now are they many members, yet but one body. 21: And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 22: Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: 23: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. 24: For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: 25: That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 26: And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. 27: Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 28: 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. 29: Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? 30: Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? 31: But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way. |
| Mark 13: |
33: Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. 34: For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. 35: Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning: 36: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. 37: And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
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| John 17: | 4: I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. |
The Rebellion of Korah
The rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram as recorded in Numbers chapter
16 is an awesome warning about leaders in Israel who were wiped out by the Almighty
for trying to assume a position of authority to which they had not been called and for
which they were totally unqualified. Read that chapter - all of it and be warned.
True Elders, Ministers, & Pastors
The rebellion of Korah, however, should not be used as a gag to stifle the message
of the genuine servant of God. Why, the Master himself, not to mention the long list of
prophets, apostles and reformers of old, were all rejected by the mainstream church
hierarchy as being unfit to understand and proclaim truth. Had these genuine
messengers of God waited for the church's official sanction before proclaiming the truth,
the Gospel work would not have gotten very far. Thank God they pressed ahead knowing
within themselves they were called of God. The true servant of God will have the
following credentials:
| 1 Corinthians 14: |
34: Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto
them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. 35: And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. 36: What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? 37: If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. 38: But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant. 39: Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. 40: Let all things be done decently and in order. |
Many believers will challenge this stand. It was challenged in Paul’s day. The Apostle anticipated a rejection of this truth view when he said:
| Verse: | 36: What? Came the Word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? |
He then goes on to reason, believers who profess to have the Spirit of God should recognize and acknowledge what he is writing, is in fact, the law of God.
| verse 37: | If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. |
Paul's conclusion is, believers who ignore this commandment of God, will themselves be ignored. One can hardly imagine a more fearsome outcome than to be disregarded or not recognized by the Almighty God.
| verse 38: | But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant. |
When writing to Timothy we find the Apostle saying virtually the same thing.
| 1 Timothy 2: |
11: Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 12: But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. 13: For Adam was first formed, then Eve. |
All this does not mean women are inferior to men and they have no place in the work of Yahweh. The holy scriptures provide several examples of women prophets Deborah, (Judges 4-5;) Miriam the sister of Moses and the four daughters of Philip the evangelist. (Acts 21: 8-9) These women obviously used the gift of prophecy to benefit the church; and their messages were listened to by all who cared to hear the Word of God spoken through them. But they did not preach or teach in the official Sabbath assemblies. That is the point Paul is making in (1 Corinthians 14: 34-35).
In that passage he plainly points out women are not allowed to teach or preach in the church. It is against God’s law! Bear in mind Corinth was a city of Greece where democracy was born. Even there, the Greeks had to be taught divine levels of authority, of which our misguided society is so ignorant. By divine command men have been given more authority than women in spiritual matters like teaching and preaching. They will also be held more responsible for the errors in the churches.
This does not mean men are more intelligent than women. We all know that is not the case. Nor does it mean men have better characters. We all know neither sex has a monopoly on intelligence or holiness. What it does mean, however, is Yahweh has authorized men to teach and preach His Word. He has not given this authority to women, however qualified they may consider themselves to be. We repeat, it is a matter of divine authority not personal preference or choice. Bear in mind, in this matter, we are dealing with Yahweh’s commandments, not the fickle fashions of a deceived and wayward generation.
What then may dedicated women do in the church? There are many things dedicated women may do in Yahweh's work; for it is an absolutely fact that women are every bit as intelligent, talented and spiritually strong as men. In certain areas they are probably more able than the men folk: but this is no battle of the sexes. We will now list areas where A ‘Voice’ In The Wilderness - women are active in Yahweh’s work.
| Revelation 3: |
21: To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne,
even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 22: He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. |
