February 2019
God Reveals Himself
The plan of God to restore mankind back to righteousness is presented through preaching the good news of the gospel. Jesus Christ both brought this message and was the embodiment of the good news from the Father. His instruction to his disciples was to disseminate the gospel message throughout the world to bring all people back into unity in God. Jesus is still teaching His disciples to follow and preach the gospel today; however, some preachers distort His message for their own purposes. The bible boldly declares there is “One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Eph 4:5-6). Everything outside of that truth is a lie spun by the devil, the father of lies.
In the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, Moses revealed to the church in the wilderness their God: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deu. 6:4-5). God revealed Himself to Abraham and foretold that Abraham would guide his descendants in the fear of God (Gen. 18:19). God loved and established David as king over His people because David reverenced God with love and worship with all his might (2 Sam. 6:14). Zechariah prophesied: “And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one” (Zec. 14:9). Old Testament prophets knew of this one-God truth and Jesus’ ministry confirmed it: “And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment” (Mar 12:29-30). Apostle Paul declared the truth of God to the Jews and Gentiles: “But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him” (1Co 8:6). Paul taught a message of church unity upon seeing the division in the Corinthian church:
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. 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 saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? 1Co 1:10-13
Throughout the bible, God declared and revealed Himself through prophets, teachers and nature to those who would hear. Jesus entrusted His message to disciples that would declare it to the world. His trusted inner circle of followers and disciples received the message and started the first Christian church with this central truth. Even though the same message is written in the scriptures for all to read, it has somehow been distorted and a new message has been written that people are trying to follow. Not only is God rising up ministers to declare His true message, but some ministers are rising up their own ministers to teach their distorted message.
Union through the Message
Our Christian faith is based on the truth of one God and we are baptized into the body of Christ. That truth, that faith and that baptism leads us all into the one body of Christ that makes us the family of God. Everything outside of it is of the world and rooted in the devil’s lie, but Christ is still the door which all people are brought into the unity as the body of believers.
The church, as it is known in America and some other nations, have done an extraordinary job of confusing the people. Many who would serve God are being delivered a distorted message about the Christian faith. Leaders, who could not be trusted like Abraham or David, have discipled a group of believers with a false gospel that have brought confusion to the church. The bible teaches that the devil is the author of confusion and not God (I Cor. 14:33). The voice of some teachers have invalidated the voice of bible scripture and therein lies the problem.
My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace. Jer 50:6
Paul taught:
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! (Rom 10:13-15)
God has sent His preachers with the true message; and Satan, as an imitator of God, has sent his false messengers to contaminate the true message of God. The mistake of some seekers of God is their failure to compare the written word of God to the message of their preachers to see if it is truth.
And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Act 17:10-11
God has warned the believer of false teachers and commanded them to study the word for themselves. There is amazing access to the scripture everywhere in America through libraries, bookstores, braille texts, radio, tracts, CD’s, computers, television and through church and outreach ministries. Anyone crying out to God can expect a response from God so there is no excuse for ignorance of God in America. With all the truth that God has given us through prophets, Jesus, preachers, the bible, and the Holy Spirit; the church and the gospel message have still been led astray by false teachings. It is disheartening to watch some of the things taught by preachers, from snake handling to the “name and claim it” message. We never saw Abraham, David, Peter or Paul teach some of the things that are being emphasized in churches today. Paul was not trying to test God’s power when he was bitten by a snake. He was going about the business of his ministry when a viper tried to abort the mission. Neither did Abraham, David, Peter or Paul serve God to heap on themselves material things like the televangelists do today. The early disciples were empowered with God’s ability because of their obedient service to God and their obedience brought the blessings of God into their lives without defrauding the people. Though Abraham was abundantly blessed, we never saw him pursuing the things. He refused the spoils of war offered him by Melchizedek, the priest of God. Elijah’s servant Gehazi was cursed with leprosy because of greed in seeking reward for ministry work. The most profound teacher of scripture, Apostle Paul taught more about aligning our lives with the will of God than on exercising faith for things. Jesus actually taught that we should seek God and take no thought about the things of life:
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Mat 6:25, 32, 33
Paul emphasized the Deuteronomy Chapter 28 teaching about obedience reaping good things and disobedience reaping evil. He also taught about a people “Who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator…” (Rom. 1:25). Man’s religion consists of his idea of serving God but it does not mean it is God’s way. James taught in the New Testament that “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world (Jas. 1:27). James emphasized love and service to God while loving his neighbor as evidence of pure religion. The racial hatred, division and community corruption we see in our world today is evidence of a false religion, false worship and false god. Pure religion will result in love of God and man, where peace and harmony exists in the community and the needs of people are met.
Many of our churches are teaching a “Me” gospel where one seeks to satisfy self with all he desires while preachers illustrate a model of greed that is never satisfied regardless of the multiple houses, cars or planes acquired. A church focused on things causes disunity because greed repeals while giving draws and promotes love and unity. Churches are failing to deal with the moral issues of our community while busy reaping material things for self-glory. The self-sacrificing service and Christian surrender of Acts Chapter Two is visibly missing.
Christ taught the church to be at the forefront and gave warnings of danger and strategies of the enemy. Here is an Old Testament example of a warning pertinent in today’s society: “Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter” (Ecc. 10:20). That wisdom given to the children of God gave forewarning of days like these where one’s words are carried by electronic devices from the bedchamber to the public arena to be used by an enemy. Imagine if some of our exposed leaders had heeded that biblical warning! When the church is caught up in pursuing money, it puts itself in a place of temptation where the enemy lies in wait. This temptation by Satan for money was one of the first lessons Jesus revealed to us in scripture. When the church craves money just like the world then the world loses its moral teacher. With little or no moral guidance, money temptations have led some of our leaders astray from within and without the borders.
The Church’s Responsibility to Unite
At the core of the problems facing America as a nation is a church failing to do its job. It was given one job and that was to imitate Christ and make disciples. If you think, “Impossible!” then consider these questions. To whom did Jesus:
- Make heir of His power and authority on earth? (Luk 9:1)
- Give power to declare the message of salvation and loosen captives? (Mar 16:15-16, 18)
- Assign power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy? (Luk 10:19)
- Declare that nothing would be impossible to them that believe? (Mat 17:20)
Jesus did not come to Jerusalem to blame the sick people for being sick. He came amazed at finding no doctors to heal them. If the doctor has no knowledge to operate, he has no business being called a surgeon or going into the operating room. When Jesus came to Jerusalem there were plenty of surgeons with no power to heal and he called them out for their inability. God described the religious leaders as: “…dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber” (Isa 56:10). Jesus called Jerusalem’s religious leaders: hypocrites, vipers and serpents. Marveling over the lack of watchmen or ministers to help the people, Jesus began to heal, deliver and set free those in bondage.
Among my early writings online was an article inquiring of pastors: “How Much Are You Like the Lord?” That is the assignment of Christ’s ministers: to be like Him. People looking for Christ should find His ministers doing the healing and delivering that Christ demonstrated. The healed will then return home witnessing that God still heals and glorifying Jesus, that he is still alive! Where is that witness to bring glory to God and why are people asking if God is dead? Jesus called out the Charlatans that deceived the people for filthy lucre who left them broken, hurt and disappointed. He came to heal the people but he rebuked the leaders who did not know Him or His Father. God had already prophesied this through Jeremiah: “Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD” (Jer 23:2). God is requiring a change from the head down because leaders should lead the people in the right way. That is why God is exposing American false leaders at all levels that have defrauded His people and led them astray. He is challenging us to look higher than men to Christ. True leaders are those that know God; they have His power, authority and knowledge to represent Him to the people. King David was a blessing to the people of his kingdom because of his love for God. Believers should be able to recognize the difference between true and false leaders: a King Saul compared to King David. Jesus taught us about a separating of the sheep from the goats. Neither God nor Jesus ever commanded that people had to believe and follow all leaders. They taught the difference so believers would not be deceived. Peter taught: “We ought better to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Jesus taught:
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. Joh 10:27-28
And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. Joh 10:4-5
True Christian ministry starts with one who has known the Father and His Son through an encounter or intimacy like that experienced by Abraham, Moses, David or Paul and one who goes on to disciple family and the world for the love of God. “And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” Rom 10:15).
Christians have one Lord who is Christ; one faith which is the finished work of Christ on the cross and they are united in the one body of Christ. Christ’s kingdom and church in the earth prevents the rule of the evil one in the earth. Satan cannot possibly head a true Christian body and certainly cannot come near without sounding bells and whistles; Christ will always rise up His trumpets and trumpeters. Satan can, however, rise to the head of a false church without any alarms going off because it is his. Organizations or groups where evil rises to rule as head are void of Christ, even if they once recognized Christ. True believers will not follow a false lord but will flee from him as Christ taught. Those religious people who pursue money are actually pursuing a false god, not Christ. Christ commanded His disciples to follow Him, not things. Jesus Christ is Lord over the Christian church, but Satan lords over many false religions. The devil has led people astray in church, organizations and government where he lords and is preparing to one day manifest himself as their leader. Where some people may believe they are too entrenched in certain unions to deny the devil that has them bound, freedom starts by denouncing Satan and professing Jesus Christ as Lord. Jesus taught the sinner that he must be born again (Joh. 3:7) and He came into the world to save those that were hopelessly lost and enslaved to the devil. They can be “born again” into the family of God when they receive Christ as Lord. Through faith they become baptized into a new family: the body of Christ.
The true gospel has the power to put us on the path to becoming one with the body of Christ. It is the responsibility of Christ‘s ministers to help believers come into full maturity ready to carry out their own Christian witness. What we have seen too often is Christ giving liberty and then some “churches” bringing people back into bondage to their church rules and guilt. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. Church rules do not have the ability to unite the body across lines of physical division, but Christ’s power can. Strong church leaders can lead people into a unity with Christ or to a false god through ignorance and people must know who is lord over their religious fellowship. Christ has come to set all men free and give us the Holy Spirit who brings union with the body of Christ as one people and one family. It starts with confession of sin and receiving Christ’s salvation. Liberty and maturity in Christ leads us into a united body of believers across gender, race, cultural and physical lines. This is the unity America was destined to display for the nations. Christ’s prayer to the Father before His crucifixion was that believers would become one as He and the Father are one. We become one through recognizing and walking in: One Lord, one faith, one baptism that unites believers in the one body of Christ.
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (Joh 13:35)
Truth and Life Ministries of Christ with Apostle Joyce Reba Payne 