MOUNTAIN

                                                    MOUNTAIN

    You may not realize it, but you were born to climb a mountain. You are

God's creation, and He wants you to use the talents He has given you.

Because a Christian is living in a world that is physical rather than spiritual, it requires you to correct your thought process to fulfill your

potential. Keep in mind that while God controls the universe, the Devil

is temporarily reigning over the world. As you read in the Book of Job,

this head demon is still walking the earth and accusing us when he reports in to the Lord. The Devil will continue to influence your life until

you are with the Lord to stay. Remember, things won't change until Christ returns. If they did change, it wouldn't be necessary for Him to  come back. People clamor for peace, but Christ tells us in Matthew that His first coming was to bring salvation and separation. Christ said, "Think  not that I am come to send peace on earth. I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household." (Matt. 10:34-36)

    Christ is explaining that His first appearance is to give us God's Way to eternal life and to qualify for the rapture. The Jewish people had the original Ten Commandments, but enacted a copious amount of social

laws that kept leading them astray. After approximately four generations,

the people were so far from God's word that God had to punish them as

a nation. He sent them into captivity. God gave mankind another chance,

showing great patience and mercy and brought us Jesus Christ. He  added another Commandment that would cure the continuous stampede to destruction and punishment. It is "love thy neighbor." (Matt. 22:39)  Christ gave us the Way to eternity in His teaching. A saved person is expected to follow His teaching---not some of it, all of it. His teaching is to separate the true believers from the fakes. As we are warned in the Epistles, false leaders and teachers will abound more and more as we approach the rapture and end times. God wants us all to be saved, but He is sifting us to discard those not qualifying as genuine believers andwho will be left behind.

    Salvation is not a future vacation. If you study scripture, you will see that God intended that people would work. He gives each of us certain

gifts so we can perform the work He expects us to accomplish. When  we receive salvation, we are at the bottom of a mountain. That mountain is God's Faith Mountain. He has given us the mountain climbing  equipment we need. We just have to learn how to use it and begin our climb. The equipment is the word of God. The foundation is explained in the four gospels. When we have become familiar with this information, we can understand why and how the Old Testament and Epistles will enhance our work. We need to know Matthew, Mark, Luke and John before we try to fit in the enhancement. You will see that Christ taught us exactly the rules of God. When Christ refers to Old Testament verses of the Prophets, it is to show He is reaffirming the original word of God. Christ did not give us the Epistles, but He did give us a stunning example of how He can tap someone for a special job.

    On the road to Damascus (Acts, chapter 9), Christ tapped Paul for the task of bringing Gentiles into salvation and fellowship. God created all

people in His image, and He loves us all (John 3:16), "For God so loved the

world, that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in  Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." There are no exceptions

to the word of God. That means anyone who refuses to respect and treat

with dignity other races and religions is a big time sinner. Furthermore, if that person communicates such hatred, he/she is guilty of yet another major command---false witness. Every race and every faith (religion) has its share of people who shout their faith while breaking some of God's Ten

Commandments. Worse yet, they are breaking the ONLY COMMANDMENT

that Jesus Christ added to the original---LOVE THY NEIGHBOR. Of course

you can't love someone who's trying to kill you. HOWEVER, use the brains

God gave you to actually think about ALL your neighbors

    If you are a white person, do you love all other white people? Or maybe

there are a couple you don't really want to include in your "love group?"

I'm addressing this subject directly to white people, because they are

flocking to follow emotionally charged bigots. Unfortunately, these bigots

have a "carrot" to ensnare would be believers. This carrot is a maxi-pack

of fear, greed, envy and emotion. It is being delivered by monumental

liars who are leading lazy Christian church leaders and members off the

path to eternity. Christian leaders are being taken advantage of by these

apostate leaders and politicians. Follow them, and all your hopes and

desires will be fulfilled---so they say.

    This is Satan's attempt to prevent you from climbing God's Mountain.

Satan is telling you you don't need God's equipment to climb that 

mountain. He knows the easy way. You don't need to understand the

words of Christ. Hey---you read the bible and attend church. You even

are doing good works. You told Christ you accepted His contract. You

haven't bothered to read the contract, have you? You know, the difficult

requirement to love your neighbor? You do know that not everybody 

who receives food stamps or medical assistance does not refuse to 

work? You do know the little people who work at fast food places or

as janitors and maids do pay taxes? You do know these people on the

low end of economics don't hide their money outside the United States?

You do know these wealthy people only use our nation to become rich

without really contributing to the welfare of all the people? You do know

what Christ DIRECTS us to do concerning taxes? 

    Of course, if you aren't answering my questions favorably, you can

correct me by citing scriptures and understanding enough about the

scripture you cited to illustrate your contention. If you convince yourself

you have the knowledge to use the mountain climbing tools God has 

given you, the climb can begin. You may be surprised as you begin the

climb, that you now can see other people climbing mountains that

resemble yours. These mountains each have a white cloud at the top

that resembles a halo. Some of the mountains aren't as high as others.

You think, "that's not fair! God is supposed to be fair and trustful!" Then,

there comes a flash of lightning that further illuminates these other

climbers. You see that some of the climbers of smaller mountains have

handicaps. There is a woman with one arm, a man with one leg, another

man obviously blind, a woman with an obvious disease that handicaps

her effort. The mountains these people are climbing aren't as tall, but

to their eyes, they are at least as tall as yours.

     You're just beginning, and here's someone who's laughing at you.

He shouts out, "You mean you're actually going to climb that mountain

with those flimsy tools? You're a fool. Those tools won't get you anything

but trouble and failure." You reply, "God gave me all I need." You are on

your way. Now there's someone else at the base of the mountain. He 

shouts out to you, "You're totally exposed as you climb! I'm going to

knock some sense into you with these rocks!" He commences throwing

rocks at you. You tell him, "I'm protected by the shed blood of Jesus

Christ, and your rocks can't hurt me." After a few more rocks whiz by you,

the person takes God's name in vain and leaves in defeat. Getting this

far in your climb required more physical effort than spiritual. The tools

were adequate, but it certainly was good you had studied scripture.

    When you look back, you see the two challengers were no longer the

full size figures. They now appeared to be small, insignificant dots. The

physical part of the climb was getting more difficult, and as you pause

to get second wind, there's another person at the base of the mountain.

He is dressed in a fine suit, as you can see in the open part of his robe.

There is a large cross attached to the robe. He shouts out to you, "Better

come back down before you hurt yourself. I can find you an easier way 

to climb the mountain. You reply, "I have the tools God gave me. His way

is the only way." The robed person encourages you to reconsider, 

saying, "There are some changes and additions to those rules. They

were too difficult, so we had to alter them." You reply, "My directions

are complete without any new tools or replacing the originals." The

person rips the cross off his robe and throws it to the ground, digging

in his heel to bury it.

    You keep climbing, and it seems you are still so far from the top. Then,

there is a loud voice like thunder calling out to you. You look back, and

there is another person at the bottom of the mountain. This one is very

tall and impressive. He doesn't need a loud speaker. His business suit

sparkles, and the sparkles almost appear to be dollar symbols. He is

carrying a very large book. It is so large, you can read the title on the

cover from your elevated location. The title is The Good Life. He doesn't

have to shout. The other climbers can surely hear him as well as you.

He offers an invitation. "You're obviously a special person who deserves

to be successful and enjoy the wonders of the world. I have a book with

me you need to see. If you follow the steps in the directions, you will be

able to attain the good life. You can have your picture added to the book.

He opened the book, and you could see pictures of people you could

recognize. There were actors and artists, singers, rock stars, mega

church pastors, presidents and sports stars. Each was shown in an

opulent setting. There were mansions, swimming pools, jazzy cars,

impressive estates, and the wonders and joys of life.

     You were momentarily dazzled by the pictures in the book before you

realized there was nothing reflecting the people you had come to know

through your walk with Jesus. The Apostle Paul wasn't there, nor were

any of the other apostles. There were pastors of mega churches, but the

people who were champions of Christianity weren't represented. There

were pictures of Presidents, but Lincoln wasn't among them. You need to

get back to your climb, but you ask him, "I didn't see a picture of our

President Lincoln. Why wasn't he there?" The man answered, "Well, the

committee is still considering him. You know, he made a major mistake."

You just have to know why, so you ask, "Did he deny the power of the

Holy Ghost?" The man frowns and says, "It was worse than that. He

destroyed the class definitions of the people in the "land of the free."

You see a problem here, so you challenge him. "Christian scripture

tells us in Matt. 12:31, "All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be

forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall

not be forgiven unto men." The man is flustered for just a second, but

then explains that scripture has been corrected since that mistake so

the Chosen and Christians are again privileged over other races and

faiths. You ask about the warning in Matt. 28 which has the warning

about adding and subtracting to scripture. The man laughs, and says

you are an idiot to believe things shouldn't be modernized. You resume

climbing, and hear him shout,"You are giving up a beautiful life of comfort 

and joy for a miserable life of failure and misery.

    You are making progress, but there's still a long way to go, and the

climb is more difficult. You hear that booming voice again, and when 

you look down, you see that loud man with other men. The loud man

doesn't look as big now. "This is your last chance to get your name

in my book of The Good Life," he shouts. "All these men will testify to

the accuracy of this book. The good life awaits you." You notice there

are no women to testify, so you ask, "Where are the women who are

enjoying your good life?" He mutters briefly, but recovers to explain,

"They have their responsibilities that are included in the revised set

of rules we talked about. They are not to be in leadership positions

or have authority over matters where men or women are concerned."

    You've heard enough of this, so you continue the climb. He 

continues to shout, and now you hear his choice of words is downright

nasty. He certainly has no connection with the living God. Obviously,

this man, like the others, is a religious snake oil salesman and his holy

water is 100 proof whiskey. You have on gloves, but your hands hurt.

You have knee pads and climbing spikes, but your legs are weary and

your feet hurt. You can quit now, and no one but you and God will know

physical pain overrode spiritual growth. That's crazy, you think. Christ

was persecuted, abandoned and died on the cross. I'm a baby to even

think about physical comfort. If I expect to live in a mansion in Heaven,

I have to endure the work it takes to earn it. Christ said in John 14:2,

 "In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I

would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." If I keep climbing,

my body will physically improve, I tell myself, because God says I will

never get a challenge He won't give me the strength to overcome. As

I keep overcoming, my spiritual growth will become more powerful.

    If I work hard enough in my study of scripture and follow the example

of men and women like Paul, John, Esther and others, I will climb this

mountain and discover the ultimate faith in God. I have unfortunately

watched fellow beginner believers abandon their contract with Jesus,

throw off the armor of battle and be defeated, or actually join forces

with the enemy. They did get an up-front bonus from their new boss, but

they always discover later it was fool's gold. Too late; you can't change

horses in mid stream. This stream is Holy Water, the water of everlasting

life. That halo up there looks brighter all the time. (to be continued)

Rev. Walbear

    

JUST THE FACTS, MISTER

                                                            JUST THE FACTS, MISTER

When most people hear a story, they form an almost immediate  opinion, based on their knowledge of the subject (if any), their previous opinion (if any), and their understanding of the subject. This is true in religion and politics, and these subjects are usually entwined. There are two sides to everything--right and wrong. The answer must be based on facts and truth. Sadly, there is little of either today. People watch or listen almost exclusively to media

and personnel who base their information on biased information rather than facts. If you don't watch or listen to both sides, you are in serious error. God knows what you watch and who you listen to. You are accountable. If you have wrong information, you are guilty of false testimony.

When a religious denomination issues a set of rules and procedures not based on Christian scripture, it is apostate. Christian rules are found only in the gospels. If you believe the Epistles are part of the gospel, you need to study much more. If you follow the rules from the Old Testament, you are a Jew, and don't receive salvation through Christ's blood. Maybe you can receive salvation through the Jewish practice of blood sacrifice. On the other hand, Christ tells us in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; NO MAN COMETH UNTO THE FATHER, BUT BY ME." That clearly states there is only one WAY to be a Christian. That is by following John 12:36-40. Christ directs us to follow the Ten Commandments plus His addition: love thy neighbor.

The worst forgivable sin is not murder; it is false witness. That includes most gossip and rumors, which are also identified as expressing your opinion not based on facts. By the way, in case you didn't know, denying the Holy Spirit is the only sin that is not forgivable. You can't argue religion at all. Your statements must be provable by scripture. Either Christ taught the subject or He didn't. You can't put words in His mouth. You can't slant His declaration to suit your opinion. If your denomination adds or subtracts anything at all from scripture, it is APOSTATE. Revelation 22:18-19, warns us about adding and subtracting. You see from this honest assessment of the Christian church in America, the church people are leading the tide of falling away from Christ. They are attempting to "improve" the son of God, and earth's only perfect man.

Denominational church people won't want to hear this message, but people didn't want to hear John the Baptist's message, either. Missing the boat on Christ's teaching has eternal consequences. The lack of research and the impulse to go along with the opinions of people who do selective or no research can have a double impact on the lazy "Christian." Not only will eternity be impacted, but your life on earth will also suffer if you follow politicians who preach they are Christians or have "faith." At least they aren't lying if they don't claim Christian faith.There are all kinds of faith, and most people have faith in money and position.

How do you know which preacher or politician is telling the truth and being honest? The answer is simple, but it requires you to do a little work. It's called research. A Christian should conduct research about the subject of religion to understand the differences, and to

discover good and helpful facts. Most religions have some type of prophets, and they usually do have words of wisdom. You will find none with the power of the Holy Spirit. You will find supernatural power exists in some of these beliefs. You learn from scripture that Satan's people also have supernatural powers--see Revelation. None, however, have the power of the Holy Spirit. Scripture has several examples where God's power overcame Satan's priests. The rods used by Egyptian priests became snakes, but were swallowed by the rod of Moses. See Exodus, chapter seven. More evidence of the power of the Holy Spirit is found in 1 Kings, chapter 18, and read about Elijah.

Notice something? People heard and saw miracles by the power of the Living God, but refused to believe it. This repeats itself over and over until God has to do something drastic. Christ performed miracle after miracle, and people still didn't believe. Prophets and disciples performed miracles, and people didn't believe. Understand this, those of you with starry eyes: God's power through the Holy Spirit actually performs the miracle. Miracles can happen today, and don't believe any preacher who disagrees. He needs more study. He needs to know that no human can cause miracles. He also needs to know about the Holy Spirit, which he probably has never received. Miracles are created by faith as strong as a mustard seed. See Matt. 13:31-32. We make little use of our faith because we don't study much after receiving salvation. If you don't study diligently to gain entry to heaven, what will you be able to do to serve God there? Do you think it's an eternal vacation?

Works are not salvation. Lots of good people of other faiths or no faith do good works. Stop patting yourself on the back. If you don't know and practice the words of Christ, you're a good person who is unsaved. You may have trouble believing this, but the same applies to your political walk. America abounds in fake Christians, and the biggest fakes have the loudest voices, mimicking the church. Satan is having a merry time with a huge bunch of anti-Christ campaigners filling the airways and news media with repeated lies and character assassination. Even with several sources of information, it's difficult to find truth. If you rely on one media source, you will likely be unable to understand truth. This unwillingness to examine material for truth crosses racial, economic and educational lines.

I'm going to cite an example based on current events. If you read just one side of our political spectrum, you will frequently announce your support that is unresearched by YOU. An individual frequently quoted in national media authored an article of national import

highly critical of public officials. The next day, his claims and  comments were exposed as false and lies. This is not the first time  this has happened. Research uncovered the truth the following day, and it was widely published. But the liar and supporters still will not accept the truth. This is caused by a spiritual condition called  "reprobate," and is slangily referred to in scripture as a "hardened heart." Pharaoh was thus described in Exodus. When you refuse to check the facts, you place yourself in jeopardy of falling away PERMANENTLY. Worse yet, you bear responsibility for misleading others. If you've read this, you have been warned. This applies both to the church and politics.

One of Satan's favorite ploys is the lynch mob mentality. This is very quick and easy. All Satan needs is a subject that is emotional. Add a leader with a very loud, vile mouth, and a few followers, and you can organize an energized group. This movement is sprung upon people in a rapid manner, giving them little time to consider what they are doing. Once the ball is rolling, it becomes very difficult to stop. Satan has used one of his disciples to snare people, including well-meaning, but lazy "Christians." Satan's followers never have peace, and are never permitted to rest. That results in frequent victory for Satan's workers because Christians tend to "relax" from the word of God way too often and too much.

If you are a JOINER of these quick emotional movements, your  salvation may be suspect. Did you investigate the movement? Did you carefully consider the source (person) of the "claim?" Did you listen to one biased side because it seemed to be comfortable and agreed with your incomplete summary of the issue? Did you pray about your decision? Would you be willing to explain your decision to Jesus Christ? How did Christ teach His followers to treat other people of different races or "faiths?" Did He ever preach hate? Did He ever preach gender superiority? To sum up this entire mess you may find yourself in, do you REALLY know what Christ taught, and what it takes to be a Christian?

If you are following any preacher or politician who tells you to hate anyone, that person is a dangerous apostate. God hates sin, but He loves mankind. He made us in His image. It's in scripture. He gave us His Son to give us the opportunity to correct our mad rush to a future in Hell. Are you all stirred up about emotional issues? Perhaps you're worried about the rapture and events in Revelation. You need to know the vital information you don't realize is missing in that Book. There are many prominent people talking about what is missing. If you diligently study scripture and use common sense, the Holy Spirit will lead you to the answer.

Salvation through Jesus Christ is an eternal contract. We know He is true and faithful. He died for us. How much proof do you require? He performed miracles to help people. Did He do anything to harm people? Good works do not save you. They are evidence of a good heart that may be present in non Christians. Real Christians have good works as evidence of their faith. If your works include bigotry, greed, envy, false witness, or division, you should understand you have violated your contract with Christ. If you don't repent, your mansion will not be in a preferred neighborhood.

Rev. Walbear

YESTERDAY

                                               YESTERDAY 

    Everyone, including Christians, wants to know what's in store for them in the future. Most people who identify themselves as Christians search the bible's Book of Revelation. The major misunderstanding of both this Book and the bible is overlooking the obvious. Attention centers on the hope to figure out when the rapture will occur, and when committed Christians will escape tribulation. There is little thought given to the huge number of people in the world who are not Christians or Jews. There is also misunderstanding the entire, but simple commitment to Christ.

    The title of this message suggests history repeats itself, and we have only to look at the first four chapters of Revelation to see that Satan has used several methods to derail the established church. What worked

hundreds of years ago still works. If you are a church member, reviewing

these four chapters will give you an opportunity to evaluate your church,

and to see areas that need correction. You can do the same evaluation of your commitment if you study alone or in a small study group. It may be helpful to reaffirm just a few clear verses of scripture before you proceed to study the first four Revelation chapters.

    The first directive we need to follow is found in the last chapter of the

Book of Revelation, Rev.22:28 and 29. We are warned not to add anything

to this book, and not to take anything away. If your denomination has an

added set of directions or rules of religious or social conduct not taught

by Jesus Christ, it is not Christian. Members should use the name of the

person who added or subtracted scripture. Denominational differences

and social rules have been tearing Christianity apart since the early

churches were planted by the disciples. Some of these early Christian

leaders organized fledgling groups very well. The problems began when

leaders tried to make the new group (denomination) superior to the other

groups. They took advantage of members' lack of knowledge of scripture

and unwillingness to question information. Americans have an attitude of

desiring to be "number one" in sports and everything else. It is actually

impossible to discuss scripture with many people if they are of a differing

denomination. They usually say they have all the TRUTH, and their

denominational manual has all the directions. This is the most vital

mistake a person can make. It violates those two verses at the end of

Revelation. Note, there are penalties for these violations. Do you believe

all of God's Word, or just the convenient parts?

    For those who still support the "changes" added to or taken away from Christ's teaching, I have another question: what about John 14:6? "Jesus saith unto him, I am THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE: no man cometh unto the Father, but by ME." How can anyone who claims to be a Christian (especially a leader) violate this clear scripture? The answer is simple. The person is an apostate tool of Satan, who probably does not realize his/her sin. Would be Christians often use a single verse of scripture as a direct instruction, when it needs to be followed by another scripture in another chapter or book to be fully understood. This is why we need to remember that study of all scripture is profitable.

    Now we're finally getting to our future, according to Revelation. There

is no use to try and determine ANY date, because we're told that no one,

not even Christ, knows the time or date. I've always wondered why some

church leaders spend weeks and months trying to find the answer that

clearly doesn't exist. It's a situation where a person must think he/she

is more intelligent than the Son of God. We can understand Christ's

judgment of the seven churches in the first four chapters of Revelation

if we review His instructions in the four gospels. These books give us all

our instructions. It is difficult enough to try and follow these without

adding any personal agendas from would-be christian leaders. We match

the shortcomings of these early church examples with His teaching.  This gives us the historical (yesterday) comparison of Christianity and our current churches. You see, today's Christianity has many of the same problems and weaknesses. You can evaluate yourself as well.

    Christ's first examination of churches begins at Ephesus in chapter

two. He commended the church for separating the false teachers from the church, and for its patience in performing good works. The problem was the people had placed works and related church activities over love of God, violating the great commandment. This should always be the first love. Do you or does your church look forward to activities rather than the worship? How much time is spent on scripture and its explanation compared to refreshments, fund raising, sports, the arts, and other interests not studying or teaching the Word?

    The church at Smyrna suffered tribulation, and the people lived in poverty. They were persecuted and imprisoned because the Jewish

leadership of the area actually didn't follow their religion. Christ told

church members to stay strong in the face of death to receive eternal

life. This is the ultimate test of faith. Would you, or your church members

confess Christ if threatened by death? We go next to Pergamos, where

Christ said the church people were following the doctrine of Balaam, a

false god and idol. The people were eating food from idol sacrifice, and

were guilty of immorality. Christ described this church to be located at

Satan's seat. Both Christians and Jews were being misled.

    The church of Thyatira may be remembered because of a woman's name: Jezebel. She was a false prophetess who seduced men and led the people to eat food sacrifices to idols. We are not talking about any specific meat sacrificed, but about all food sacrificed to idols. This is

not to be confused with the Jewish law/custom not to eat pork and certain other foods. Christians were directed to understand that all

of God's creations were common (clean). That includes all races of people and all food (except obvious poisons). This church was  recognized for its charity, service (works), and faith. The problem was false teaching. Pastors are too willing to teach to the desires of the people, whether it be strict or loose. Church leaders control the purse, and pastors must live.

    Christ has little good to say about the church at Sardis. He calls it a church that lives and is dead. Their works were not sufficient, and they were not spending time in study. They were warned to be watchful and repent, because He would come as a thief in the night. Christ has mostly good things to say about the church in Philadelphia. They, alone, were pleasing to Him.  This church kept His word, the one thing that enables a committed Christian to be a true believer. They had a "little strength," which meant they actually had faith, and the power of the Holy Spirit. For those of true faith, the door of heaven (eternity) remains open. I had a mentor some 35 years ago who thought the era following the roaring Twenties (wild life style and lawlessness), fall of the stock  market (greed), and the Great Depression (loss of jobs and plight of the lower class), represented the church at Philadelphia. I experienced the last half of that era, and there was a re-awaking. The movement was real, but it also spawned the birth of mega churches on television and the ability to raise lots of cash. Financial accounting became king, and set the tone of religion. 

    Some religious leaders saw the power of mass communication and fund raising, and entered the political arena. It has become US against Them. Not only have they divided the church by denominations, they have divided it by political beliefs, other faiths, genders and race.  Every one of these subjects is EXACTLY OPPOSITE of THE teaching of Jesus Christ. Don't believe me, read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The movement by the church in America is to replace our Constitution with a religious (Christian) constitution. This has been attempted before, and always resulted in failure. Read on and you'll see WHY.

    Christ taught that all humans have a free will choice. Islam was

founded offering free will choice, but leaders soon altered "their bible",

and they now have a religion split into moderate and radical elements.

If you listen to the desires of today's "Christian" leaders, you see they

want to enact laws very similar to those of the radical Muslims. How 

can someone who claims to be a Christian support any candidate that

endorses murder, the destruction of other races and greed? Is this the

way to bring about Christ's return?

    You bet it is! God will not put up with this blasphemy much longer. And this terrible teaching will bring about a world where real followers of THE WAY will not be able to live. So... the rapture will occur. The timing depends on God's mercy and patience. He wants all humans to have the opportunity to have eternal life. You can also bet there will be no hate mongers in Heaven. Christ doesn't know when true believers of His "The Way" will be called from earth, and neither do we. The direction of the church at present gives me a hint there may be a short time left to sign up honest believers for that heavenly trip.

Rev. Walbear

  

PHONY RECEIPT

                                                PHONY RECEIPT

    When most of us buy something and pay bills, we usually receive a

receipt listing the purchase, price, and anything else pertinent to the

transaction. That's normal business. Is there a time when it is not

appropriate to receive such a receipt? The answer is a resounding YES! Unfortunately many Christians haven't bothered to study scripture. In usual buying, selling, and alms, we are dealing with material substances. This includes rent, mortgages, car payments, food, etc. But, scripture deals with receipts, the use of money, and the differences in acknowledgements for payments and offerings.

    We'll get to those scriptures, but first some thoughts about the

separation of the Christian church when the original Catholic system was split by the Protestant movement. The issue---at no surprise--- was money. The Catholic church experienced the same difficulty faced by all spiritual organizations. People don't want to spend money for something they can't see. If they aren't willing to pay for something they can't see, the church doesn't survive. Even though people observe or hear of a spiritual miracle, they usually have doubt. There is always the comment, "Let's see it again." Of course there are usually a number of flimflam artists trying to take advantage of people. When the Catholic church attempted to solve the money problem, leaders adopted a very carnal proposal: indulgence. What did this mean, and did it work?

    The answer is yes, it worked, but only until Martin Luther came along

and posted his objection on the church door. Indulgence offered the

Christians of that day the opportunity to have sins forgiven through

confession and repentance. That is still true today. Luther's objection was the added benefit that payment of money permitted the sin to be repeated over and over. As long as you could afford it, you could enjoy the sin, be forgiven, and then go back for more. Spiritually, that was bad, but financially it enabled the church to operate and actually grow. Luther's bold move created a firestorm, and eventually his condemnation of "pay to sin" resulted in the Protestant movement as well as the practice of the church designating the amount of the tithe (10%) of a family's income as well as indulgence payments.

    We still haven't talked about receipts, but we will after this further

information about how Satan manages to misdirect Christians about many things, including money. The Catholic church hasn't changed that much, but the Protestant church is so splintered you often can't recognize the relationship among the thousands (yes 1,000s) of denominations. When we began our non denominational ministry, a pastor opined we now have non denomination denominations. He was absolutely correct. There is a difference between a valid non denominational and a pretender. The pretender has a certain amount of set rules, much like a traditional denomination based on the guidelines of a denomination planter such as Luther or Wesley.

    Now to the business of receipts. The problem of church or religious

finance never leaves us because Satan knows it is vital. The first thing he does is mislead us, as Christians, to get law and grace mixed up. If you don't know the difference between the Law given Moses and repeated by Christ, and grace brought to us by Christ, you will not understand the principle of giving. You must also know the difference between a native Jew and a religious Jew. A person can be a Jew by birth and not choose to be a Jew by faith (religion). A Christian has to understand that Christ brought us grace to replace the blood sacrifice of the Old Testament. He also brought freedom from the complex social laws of the Jewish culture. This is the first step leading to the understanding of receipts.

    Under the Old Testament, Jews were required to offer a blood  sacrifice to be absolved of sin. This sacrifice should always be the finest example of the species you were offering. That meant the best ram, buck, ox or dove. That was the sin offering. The offering was hurtful in two ways. You had to kill a living creature that  represented the best breeding animal you had and took away the quality of your flock or herd. That meant it was expensive---a real financial loss. This was a stark reminder not to sin. This leads us to our first visit of receipts.

    That loss through sacrifice was the receipt. As a Christian, you have a receipt every time you sin and properly ask forgiveness. It is written in blood---Christ's blood. It covered all sins, both past and  present. When you celebrate communion or mass, you receive your receipt. Your acceptance of His offer of eternal life covers all. There is no paper signed by a human. No pastor, treasurer, or priest can replace Christ's blood, EXCEPT your drink of wine and taste of bread representing Christ's sacrifice for you and your pass to heaven. All the earthly church can do in the way of a receipt is to lead you through that observance. When you do this, your receipt is noted in heaven.

    I know church leaders will hate this message because getting  people to support the church poses the same problem that existed when Christianity was born. Humans have attempted to bolster giving in many ways, and today's ministries are mostly aboard the apostate train. Although communion and mass are observed, Christians don't realize the difference between the sin offering and money (material) offering. This offering is where a Christian earns heavenly rewards. You don't receive these rewards on earth, and, if you did, you couldn't take them with you. There are no scriptures so far in this message because salvation should be known and it's your job to tell others. The initiation into Christianity is simple and easy, and costs nothing material. It's just your word to accept and follow Christ's teaching to receive eternal life. When you do this, you must follow His direction. He gives us exactly the definition of responsibility and receipts. It's all in the four gospels.

    Forgiveness of sin is taken care of by Christ. Care of the physical and

spiritual church is now the Christians' responsibility. Christian leaders do not set proper priorities because the need to fulfill human material needs is foremost in their mind. We need a home, and Christ told us in  Luke 9:58, "And Jesus said unto him, 'foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head.'"

This is the cost of discipleship. A preacher or teacher of God's word--- a person who devotes his/her life to this mission---should be the first, the primary, material benefactor of material offerings. This person is far more important than any building or memorial. Christianity began in small gatherings in homes and outside. Anywhere two or more believers gather is a church, because Christ said so in Matt. 18:20, "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am  I in the midst of them." The beautiful buildings are nice and impressive, but Paul and Silas held "church" locked in stocks in the inner part of a prison. Read Acts 16:22-26, and you will see that God freed Paul and Silas by opening the prison cells and stocks when the faith of these two men was apparent. Something bad was turned into something good when the jailer and his household received salvation. Also note verse 40, where Lydia is again mentioned. She was the leader of the small Christian community there, which was mostly women. Buildings are not a priority, especially prisons.

    There is nothing sinful about useful buildings, but the primary need of any congregation or church body is a teacher of scripture. This is usually the job of the pastor. There are other responsibilities of a pastor, but teaching the word is the prime reason for a church service. This is the person who bears the responsibility to God for the people. Humans, since the founding of the Jewish and Christian faiths, have always suffered from misunderstanding and unwillingness to support teachers and pastors materially. Many people consider that pastors don't really work for their pay. They consider their offering a gift. Many pastors, in turn, realize the people don't want to study the four gospels. They don't want to sit through more than 15 or 20 minutes of a sermon. Topics frequently are heavy on being a good person or a bunch of "don'ts" that everyone should already know. Worse yet, is when the pastor panders to the congregation's loudmouths on social issues never spoken by Christ.

    Christ took care of the sin offering. It is the Christian's responsibility to take care of the disciples--the teachers of the word. We live on earth, and we have material needs. Christians think about serving God and making material offerings. Their duty is to support the work of the  disciple (pastor or teacher) as Christ directed in John 21:15-22. The directions were simple: feed the lambs and sheep (adults), and "Follow Me." Teaching scripture is the main responsibility. Faith believers often fail to support teaching. Israel brought captivity upon itself by failing to support the priests. When Jerusalem was restored under Nehemiah, fakers channeled church money into their own use while Nehemiah was away. Like Christ, he had to cleanse the temple. Paul worked as a tent maker. Many true pastors and teachers must work outside the church to make a decent living.

    A lifelong friend of mine was a pastor who worked as a school teacher

as well as a pastor. His church's Board decided his outside income was

sufficient that he should accept a 50% pay cut.The church didn't have to

provide him housing: he owned his home and paid taxes on it. These fake

faith leaders wanted to short change God's disciple. Most Christians don't understand that the pastors and teachers actually anointed by God frequently must have an outside job to provide a reasonable living. This is especially true if the person has a family. If the person has no congregation or denominational support, it must be a work of faith and

love. Otherwise, the person would have to live on welfare. It takes  genuine faith to minister in this way. Most Christians think a person who

works this way must have some other source of income. Who, in their right mind, would choose to live on faith? Which brings us to phony

receipts.

    Everyone---even welfare recipients---pays some kind of taxes. When  you pay taxes, you receive a receipt as proof that you obeyed man's carnal law. When you buy a house or car, you receive a deed or proof of ownership for the money you spent. There is always a need for that piece of paper for humans. When you graduate or receive some award, there is evidence of your success in something material. This is 

respected and admired by mankind. It may even include a financial award such as a scholarship or bonus. When you donate to the church or a qualified charity, you receive a receipt showing your money is not subject to man's taxes to operate ANY of man's earthly needs.

    The first problem with this system is that your tax exempt receipt is

worthless in heaven. Your generosity or greed is noted in God's account

books. Christ told us in Matt. 6:20. "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal." Verse 21 sums it up: "For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also." Your tax exempt receipt only counts on carnal earth. Your donation was a blessing from God, and He owns everything. When you take credit for the donation, you steal the

glory of God. The same is true for the church. Christ was born in Bethlehem because Joseph and Mary had to go there to pay their taxes. Matt. 17:24-27 tells us that Jesus and Peter paid tribute money (taxes). Christ told Peter in verse 27, "Not withstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the  fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened its mouth, thou shall find a piece of money; that take, and give unto them for me and thee."

    Now we need to examine what Christ said about tribute money (taxes). This may be puzzling to you because it does take considerable thought. Matt. 22:17-21 explains the need for taxes from everyone, including churches. "And He saith unto them, Whose is this image (on the money) and superscription? They say unto Him, Caesar's. Then saith He unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's." Your taxes pay for Caesar's things (government things such as roads, bridges, material items such as health care, military protection, support for widows and orphans, disabled people and many other human needs. When you don't pay taxes, you are shifting your share of these costs to other citizens. You and church members use all these benefits, so you should pay your share. If you give money to the church rather than Caesar, you are legally evading paying your share. Worse yet, you are using God as an excuse to direct your money away from all citizens' needs. You have man's receipt, but only man's paper for man's legal proof.

    Go back to Matt. 6:21. Your receipt from the church or ministry  reveals that you are taking the credit (glory) from God by claiming the donation under your name. All blessings and gifts come from God. If you collect receipts for religious donations for your private use, that is acceptable to God. When you make your generosity public, you are stealing God's glory. You are also shifting your civic duty and responsibility to others. It's a double sin. The excuse of sharing material things, including money, was one of the first directives from God through the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. God did not tell us to support socialism. He told us to be responsible for others, not to give up all our possessions. You need to compare His message through more than scattered verses. Read these passages:

    Acts: 2:44-45 are one of the most misunderstood and wrongly taught set of passages in scripture. There are two reasons for this interpretation. It is a provider for church financial support, and it feeds on greed and lack of compassion. Verse 44 explains, "And all that believed were together, and had all things in common;" The problem is misunderstanding "all things." The next verse (45) explains what the all things were. "And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man  had need." This is what we do today when we have pot luck meals after services, or distribute clothing, or share rides, or provide a place to stay temporarily for someone in need. The key is the phrase"as every man had need." This was not welfare because these early Christians were already working for Christ. Some had come quite a distance from their home. Nobody had to sell or contribute all their possessions. You need to know the difference between welfare and socialism.

    There are two kinds of welfare in the United States. Some people will work if they physically are able; in fact they want to work. Others are lazy and seek reasons to get welfare. The problem is that it is very costly to handle these latter people. They usually must have constant supervision and be in primary jobs. This requires hiring a supervisor, and this generally proves too expensive for both private business and the government. Rewarding laziness is cheaper than setting up some supervisory system. Another major reason that Acts 2:44-45 has been used to discredit Christian sharing is in Luke 18:18-25.

    "And a certain ruler asked Him, saying, Good Master, what shall I  do to inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him,why callest thou Me  Good? None is good, save One, that is, God. Thou knowest the  Commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor thy father and thy mother. And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. Now when Jesus heard these things, He said unto him, Yet lacked thou one thing, sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, FOLLOW ME. And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful; for he was very rich." You need to understand the next two verses to know why Jesus told him to sell all his possessions.

    Luke 18:24-25, "And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the Kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God." If you are puzzled by Christ's explanation, there are two factors: the rich man worshiped wealth (money), and you can't worship two things, Matt. 6:24. "No man can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to the one , and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." The other factor is simple: if you have FAITH, you know God ALWAYS keeps His promise to provide for you. If necessary, He will cause a miracle. How many receipts on earth will get you anything in heaven? Is it really prudent to place your trust in money or God? We have the choice.

Rev. Walbear