The time for the “church” is Over...the Wayfarer 5/29/14

The time for the “church” is Over
5/29/14

“I Know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

That which has been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.

(Ecclesiastes 3:14 &15)

No doubt the title today will cause an equal amount of consternation and disturbance as it did as it was first preached from the pulpit.

The statement is as true as it can possibly be in a time that sees the “church” containing all of the teachings of the “isms”, “ologies”, and “osophies” I have previously mentioned. To this I would add that it also contains far too many “tions” that have divided and made it in effective and utterly abominable in its stated purpose to worship in Spirit and in TRUTH.

To clarify, particularly after having been questioned about the terms I used in another sermon those things that have invaded and in far too many cases superseded the Gospel that is the foundation and purpose of THE CHURCH, what is meant, is, that the teachings of mankind and his sciences and pseudo sciences have invaded the church and replaced the scriptures given by God.

The time for the “church” is over!

The time for sociology, psychology, geology, anthropology, meteorology and even demonology, and all of the other “ologies” taught in the classrooms and on the campuses of the great places of “learning” that have been brought into the “church” supplanting and deviating from those scriptures, allowing lip service only to be given to the absolute TRUTH of the word of God, IS OVER!

The time for Christian’s acceptance of liberalism, socialism, communism, and all the “isms” so accepted throughout society to include atheism and Satanism to be only a function of that society and the right to be practiced among them in contravention to the things they claim to have believed is OVER!

The time for philosophy, philanthropy honored only for the sake of men, and all of the other “osophies” that prevail within the walls of those social gatherings at buildings being used by those purporting to be “Christian” and the teachings they bring to “the church” IS OVER!

The time for the additions and subtractions accepted within those walls is OVER!

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the AMEN, the FAITHFUL AND TRUE WITNESS, THE BEGINNING OF THE CREATION OF GOD;

I KNOW thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would that thou wert cold or hot.

So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched and poor, and blind and naked:

 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear: and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve that thou mayest see.

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore and repent.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

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.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”

(Revelation 3:13-22)

The time for the “church” is OVER!

The various “tions” have attempted to supplant and divide what was created by GOD and what was and is meant to be by CHRIST JESUS.

Those “tions” include the various denominations proclaiming that they alone are the ones to inherit eternal life, and that it is through their teachings alone that eternal life may be given.

It includes the institutions that they themselves have created, to include their respective universities and seminaries that teach the semblance of the scriptures, but deny its very power by denigrating and subjugating the teachings of those scriptures to their interpretations that fill their pews and offering plates while denying the TRUTH of those scriptures, strongly suggesting that nothing contrary to what is within them is unacceptable so long as those pews and offering plates are filled.

The Gospel, as given by Christ, takes a back seat to the platitudes and false promises expected from their pulpits that fills those pews and offering plates, the proceeds of which are used to propagate even more of the same with no regard to some “tys” that should replace the “isms”,  “ologies”, “osophies”, and, “tions” being taught by them.

When I sit in meetings of these “churches”, and hear prayer requests for the hungry, hear prayer requests for the persecuted, hear prayer requests for the homeless, hear prayer requests for “the lost”, and see no ACTION taken to be the tools needed to fulfill those very requests, I say again, the time for the “church”  is OVER!  

THE CHURCH as was instituted by believers does not meet to profess the righteousness of those meeting there, to admire the “wealth” accumulated by the members of their unique social organization, to complain to God about the state of the world, and the way it seeks to prevent the perpetuity of that wealth, nor does it ask GOD to work without the tools that were created solely for the use in that work.

In a recent renovation project, I found myself constantly misplacing various tools and components needed to complete that project, a hammer laid down, a box of screws not taken where needed as needed instead of the few that were, a drill or saw constantly being misplaced as they were required to put pieces into place.

I had all the tools, had all the components, and despite my forgetfulness, finally completed the project.

Had I not had those tools to use, I could not have ever done so, and would not have begun that project without those tools.

GOD does not misplace his tools. God knows where each one is, what each is to be used for, and rejects any that is unusable in the completion of His work.

Hot or cold, both are useful, meaningful, and acceptable, lukewarm only increases the need to find what is hot or cold to complete the job of warming or cooling a body, and is incapable of doing the job intended.

When I see my brethren beaten for promoting the Gospel, that simple message preached by Christ of redemption through repentance, when I hear and see news of them being beheaded and shot, imprisoned for their FAITH, then hear only platitudes given, I again state the time for the “church is OVER!!

If I stand idly by mouthing those platitudes, professing my own righteousness, and the sinfulness of others alone, I have not accepted those “tys” I mentioned.

Reality!

Christianity is beset worldwide by those seeking to destroy the very concepts on which it was founded.

There are hungry and homeless and poverty stricken among us that need help, not just prayers.

There is evil among us in the form of greed, corruption and apathy among those capable of doing what was intended by them.

Responsibility!

Christians are responsible for what they say or do, or fail to say or do. Lip service and the denigration of others are unacceptable when the commandment was given to love one another by the savior professed by them.

Christians are responsible to BE THE CHURCH, not a “church”, nor a mere social club for those wishing to show righteousness by abandoning the intent for the Bride to BE perfect when He returns.

Christians are responsible for the requirement to endure through the persecutions and deviations that would deny them the faith required to truly have accepted the premise and promise of redemption through repentance preached by Jesus.

Unity!

Unity is required among those members of THE CHURCH respecting the gifts given each of them that differs as was preached by Paul, and accepting the fact that those gifts, while differing, are a part of the whole that is required in the makeup of the body of Christ which calls itself THE CHURCH.

That unity must extend to accepting that when one member of that body is beaten, beheaded, shot, persecuted, it is an affront and attack on the whole body, not just a separate piece of that body, without which that body can survive.

That unity must comprehend that each part of that body has a specific use, that provides for the very survival of that body, and that each part must perform a useful function for that body, or be amputated because of its uselessness.

Each part must comprehend that by itself, it is useless, and cannot survive without the other integrated parts created by GOD for that specific purpose.

The “church” is indeed rich, and increased with the wealth of this world, and totally ignorant of how wretched and miserable it is.

It is poor in the things that are the richest, blind to the need to have those very blessings given only by the Holy Ghost that was promised by Christ for their benefit.

The “church” stands naked before God, not even recognizing its own nakedness and the need for shame for having become naked.

The counsel being offered by Christ is being ignored by “the church”.

Repentance is forgotten or purposely is removed from the vocabulary of those comprising “the church”.

Redemption is being ignored by those who should be preaching its availability, because they too have removed that first requirement of repentance from their own vocabulary, relegating it only to the past instead of recognizing the ongoing necessity of that repentance, and self-examination as to the effectiveness they profess.

Any tool with a stripped gear can still make the sounds of being effective, but until that gear is replaced that tool is useless and a hindrance to completion of the job initially intended.

The sounds may be pleasant, and create attention for that tool by others hearing it, but it accomplishes nothing.

The time for the “church” is OVER!   

The time has come for THE CHURCH to stand in unity, take responsibility and to be what was intended form its inception.

The reachable are still reachable for those willing to actually reach. The teachable are still teachable, through ACTION that follows the platitudes spoken in its place.

 “Is you is, or is you aint?”

The time for THE CHURCH is now, as never before, the time for “the church” is OVER!”

I close in prayer that YOU IS!

I remain still, and yet, the same simple sinner, saved by grace through faith in God whose work is forever, and cannot and will not be altered, faith in the efficacy of the promise made by his Son that redemption is assured through the repentance given, a part of that body that was created by Him, that must and will stand and be counted when the call to THE CHURCH is issued.

I remain also the soldier that well knows the need of action, and is prepared to give that action as needed until it is no longer required.

“Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

Even so come quickly Lord Jesus!

2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Amen and Amen
the Wayfarer