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A place to help people to find understanding why church tradition and experience is often quite different from the simplicity of the New Testament. Is the phrase "go to church" ever stated in scripture? What about Titles and building-centered assembly? What is a 501c3 church? These are examples of practices needing examination and we hope will provoke thought and prayer among those the Lord is stirring and calling to a deeper consecration, and we want to encourage you to "hear ye HIM".
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Who is US speaking way back in the beginning of
creation?
Genesis 1:26 Then God said, Let US make man in OUR image
Without relying on programmed tradition and creeds, the question of WHO is "US" speaking way back in the beginning of creation?
Before jumping into to what the enigmatic phrase "𝙇𝙚𝙩 𝙪𝙨" means, let us agree it is so ambiguous and vague that we should not read into it what it does not say.
Some say “us” is God and angels.
Some say it is God and Jesus back there.
Some say it is a trinity speaking.
Some say it was Jesus.
Some just say "God".
Can we be honest? No matter which you believe, it is prone to confusion.
That is because you will encounter other scriptures that do not fit inside of that little box of church tradition.
But the little “us” word gets whittled down as the very next verse says:
Gen.
1:27 So God created man in 𝐇𝐢𝐬
<singular> own image , in the image of God 𝑯𝑬 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅
<singular> 𝒉𝒊𝒎 <i.e. Adam>; male and female 𝑯𝑬
𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅
(GOD-singular) 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 (plural/ i.e. Adam and Eve)."
Gen. 1:27 So God created man in 𝐇𝐢𝐬
<singular> own image ,
in the image of God 𝑯𝑬 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅
<singular> 𝒉𝒊𝒎 <i.e. Adam>;
male and female 𝑯𝑬 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 (GOD-singular)
𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎
(plural/ i.e. Adam and Eve)."
Genesis 2:7 completes the identification:
7 And 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙊𝙍𝘿
𝙂𝙤𝙙
formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath
of life, and man became a living soul.
The creation singularity of Genesis 1:27 is witnessed by passages such as Isa
44:24,
So says the Lord, your Redeemer, and the One who formed you from the womb,
“I, YeHoVaH (the LORD), am the maker of all,
Stretching out the heavens 𝒃𝒚 𝑴𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇
𝑨𝒏𝒅
𝒔𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈
𝒐𝒖𝒕
𝒕𝒉𝒆
𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒉
𝒂𝒍𝒍
𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒆…
again
Isaiah 45:12 I have made the earth and created man upon
it; I, even My hands, have stretched out the
heavens
and again,
Mal. 2:10 Have we not all one father? has not ONE God created us?
These "𝙄" "𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚"
"𝙃𝙚" references cannot
contradict John 1, and John 1:1-3 does not put a second God-person into the creation.
Jn 1:1-3:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
(note: “things” is not in the actual text, and all saints are redeemed and re-created through Christ).
So there is error in projecting personhood into John 1 projecting the “Word”
into meaning the person of Christ.
Consider God's WORD (that which HE spoke and said)
was with GOD, and the WORD conceived and begot the MAN, and that God spoke
words to create in Genesis, we have no contradiction or conflict.
𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬
𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞d
𝐢𝐭
𝐰𝐚𝐬
𝐇𝐢𝐬
𝐆𝐨𝐝,
𝐭𝐡𝐞
𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫
𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭
𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞
"𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦" -referring to
Genesis 1:27.
Matthew 19:4 And he said to them, Have ye not read,
that HE 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝
𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚
𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢
𝙖𝙩
𝙩𝙝𝙚
𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜
made 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢
𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙚
𝙖𝙣𝙙
𝙛𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙚".
The simple truth is not the interpretation that "us" = a trinity of three God-persons.
The simple truth is Yahweh ("The LORD GOD" Gen 2:7) is speaking prophetically of the man Jesus Christ who would bring people into the righteous image of CHRIST by faith, as it is written "ALL were made by <through> Him".
Christ, the Messiah, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, "the last Adam" -1Cor 15:45.
Gen. 2:27 NOG (Names of God version) says:
Then Yahweh Elohim formed the man from the dust of the earth and blew the breath of life into his nostrils. The man (Adam) became a living being.
Romans 8:29 LET US EXPLAINED IN ONE VERSE !!
For whom He <God> did foreknow,
(~back before Genesis!~)
HE <GOD> also did predestinate to be conformed to the
image of HIS SON, that he <Christ> might be the firstborn among many brethren.
The trinitarian attempt to reinterpret Gen. 1:26 "Let us",
as with the oneness and their convoluted explanations, are flat wrong.
ONE is the Creator. "HE" is:
Applied pronouns:
ONE, Holy One, HE, Alone, By Myself, "I", "ME" "ONLY
TRUE GOD".
He is THE God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
John 17: 3 And THIS is life eternal, that they should know YOU (not "us"),
THE ONLY TRUE GOD.... and Jesus Messiah whom YOU have sent.
Answering a pastor’s question "Where does it say not to tithe?!"
He thought he had me, but lo and behold, God anticipated the straw man argument.
Let’s look at a passage used to teach tithing from the
New Testament.
He quoted from the passage "indeed men here receive tithes". And then he shouted "Show me where they are taken out!"
The answer was right there in the very passage he used.
It is in Hebrews 7, and the verse says:
Heb. 7:18 For
there is a disannulling of a foregoing commandment because of its
weakness and un-profitableness.
WHAT WAS
THE "FOREGOING COMMANDMENT” only a
few verses before?
7:5 And they
indeed of the sons of Levi that receive the priest's office have commandment to take tithes of the people
according to the law
That was where tithes were zeroed out. And he never responded.
I went on to ask how many verses can prove that any of Christ's apostles ever commanded monetary tithes from income, wages, or sales? Again, ZERO!
This is why every pastor should repent of this
false doctrine and teach people giving by the Holy Spirit and not a law. ESPECIALLY to the needs of others.
Here is another truth: we are not to add, twist, or diminish from what the apostles wrote, as they delivered the New Covenant.
A Covenant is a legal document, a contract, and
contains the wishes and directives of the Testator. –That is His Will.
And regarding those monetary tithes, they are not
established in either Testament as God's commandment, and they are not included
in any form in Christ's Testament. If anyone here has a will, you know it gives
your directives to those that will inherit your promises. It will stand in
court if challenged as it has your expressed terms and conditions for your
heirs because you are writing what you want done for your loved ones.
Heb. 9:15... And for this cause he is the
mediator of the new testament ..
As Testator, Christ never directed the apostles who
wrote His Testament to take any form of tithes from anyone and never gave
command for his apostles and ministers to take them.
Monetary tithes are therefore *illegal* when imposed
on New Testament saints. The New Testament has NO WITNESSES for them. If
tithing on income, sales, or wages was apostolic doctrine, has anyone
considered none of the apostles commanded, taught, or testified of 10% tithes
even once?
In Acts people worked, gave, sold property, and
ministered. Where did the disciples in Acts tithe or get them from others?
Pastors are NOT Levite priests and pastors do not have
any command to take a dime of tithes from anyone. When God wanted the Levites
to get the tithes from the land, it was written for them to get them. But
ministers do not have any scripture authority to take any form of tithes from
anyone.
Does this resonate? Titus 1:11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert
whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's
sake.
Here is the percentage Jesus required, see if 10% was
His standard:
Luke 14: 33 So therefore whosoever he be of you that does not renounce (i.e.
disavows) *** all*** that he has, he cannot be my disciple. ..
There it is my brethren, disavowing ownership of 100%
is the measure Jesus gave, and if we do not do THAT, (and it includes our mind
and religion) we cannot be HIS disciple...
Let’s seek to be His disciple and no longer a follower of men, creeds, and
"Doctrinal Statements of Faith".
The choice is yours. Renounce "all" and
become HIS disciple and you won't be looking to man for teaching, you will
become a steward of the Lord's goods when you give "ALL".
Jesus is returning to his temple and chasing
out the money changers.
The changing of an Old Covenant agricultural law and a one time event from
Abram’s life into New Testament doctrine is tantamount to "transubstantiation", the RCC
doctrine that teaches the cracker and wine are changed into the literal body
and blood of Christ in the Catholic Mass.
Changing the
lawful tithe into a money tithe from income and calling it an act of worship is
extortion when the tithe is subject to:
“a disannulling of a
foregoing commandment because of its weakness and un-profitableness. “
Overlooked by aspiring ministers, was the example that Paul worked making tents as he ministered until he was older and imprisoned.
Some may be surprised to realize what he taught ministers to work and labor likewise.
God's word show us how the apostle Paul worked in Corinth, Ephesus, and Thessalonica and he told the Ephesian overseers “it is more blessed to give than receive” in regard to ministry.
Let's look at his teaching.
....................
Acts 18: 2 (Corinth
Greece. And Paul found a certain Jew named Aquila, a man of Pontus by race,
lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla, ..and he came to them 3 and
because he (PAUL) was **of the same trade**, he stayed with them, **and they
worked**, for by their trade they were tentmakers.
..................
Acts 20: 29 Paul to the Ephesian pastors:
I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not
sparing the flock;
30 and from among your own selves men
will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples <to
follow> after them.
31 Therefore be on the alert, remembering
that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each
one with tears. 32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace,
which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those
who are sanctified.
33 I have coveted no one’s silver or gold
or clothes.
34 You yourselves know that these hands (PAUL'S HANDS)
ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me.
35 In everything I showed you that **by working** in this manner you
(bishops) must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He
Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” ***
..............
2Corinthians 6:5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults,** in labors**, in sleepless nights, in fastings;
2Corinthians 11:27 in labor and travail, in sleepless nights often
..............
1thess. 2: 9
For ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail:
==> working night and day, that we might not burden any of you,
<==
we preached to you the gospel of God.
...................
2thess 3: 7
For yourselves know how ye ought to **imitate us**: for we behaved not
ourselves disorderly among you;
8 ==> neither did we eat bread for nothing at any man's hand
==> but in labor and travail, working night and day,
==> that we might not burden any of you:
9 not because we have not the right,
==> but to make ourselves an example to you,
that ye (ALL the men) should imitate us.
10 For even when we were with you,
==> this we commanded you,
==> If any will not work, neither let him eat.
...............
There you have it. Paul worked and instructed the bishops and men to work and
be diligent..
He said to "imitate us" in this very thing.... And when you compare him to the glory-hounds and pulpit princes pulling for tithes and offerings... Well, you decide who to support...
How was Jesus raised from the dead?
compiled by rory moore
John 2:18 The Jews then said to Him, “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
20 The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body.
This will clear up the misconception whether Jesus as God raised his dead body from the grave, or Jesus as a man was raised by God the Father.
Is Jesus GOD and raised Himself from the dead?
It does sound like he did from his words in John 2.
But like other topics, a closer look at God's Word reveals the truth.
We find more in John 10:17 For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. 18 No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.” (NASB95)
Let's compare it in the Complete Jewish Bible:
No one takes it away from me; on the contrary, I lay it down of my own free will. I have the power to lay it down, and I have the power to take it up again. This is what my Father commanded me to do.”
In the Names of God version:
No one takes my life from me. I give my life of my own free will. I have the authority to give my life, and I have the authority to take my life back again. This is what my Father ordered me to do.”
No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.” from the NLT.
How did Jesus raise himself according to this passage? As in all He did, it was in obedience to a command and at the direction of The Father.
Now to solidify this truth, we have the following list of scriptures that all say the same thing in giving God the Father the glory for raising Jesus Christ, and knowing He did so by giving that command to Jesus to speak prophetically over his death and resurrection. As it is written:
John 12:49 For I did not speak on My own
initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to
what to say and what to speak.
Now that we know how it came about for Christ to say he would raise himself from the dead, I will leave you with 20 verses stating GOD raised Christ from the dead:
Acts 2:32 This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses.
Acts 3:15 and
killed the Prince of life; whom God raised from the dead; whereof we
are witnesses.
Acts 4:10 be
it known to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus
Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even
in him does this man stand here before you whole.
Acts 13:30 But
God raised him from the dead:
Acts 13:34
And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to
corruption, he has spoken on this wise, I will give you the holy and sure
blessings of David.
Acts 17:31
inasmuch as he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in
righteousness ***by the man whom HE has ordained***; whereof HE has given
assurance to all men, in that HE has raised him <Christ> from the dead.
Romans 4:24 for our sake also, who believe on Him that raised Jesus our
Lord from the dead,
Romans 6:4
We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death: that like as Christ
was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also
might walk in newness of life.
Romans 6:9
knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dies no more; death no more has
dominion over him.
Romans 7:4
Wherefore, my brethren, ye also were made dead to the law through the body of
Christ; that ye should be joined to another, even to him who was raised from the
dead, that we might bring forth fruit to God.
Romans 8:11
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead lives in
you, HE that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your
mortal bodies through his Spirit that lives in you.
Romans 8:34
who is he that condemns? It is Christ Jesus that died, yea
rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who
also makes intercession for us.
Romans 10:9
because if you shall confess with the mouth Jesus as Lord, and shall believe in thy heart
that God raised him from the dead, thou shall be saved:
1
Corinthians 15:12 Now if Christ is preached that he has been raised
from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of
the dead?
1
Corinthians 15:15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we
witnessed of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so
be that the dead are not raised.
Galatians 1:1 Paul, an apostle (not from men, neither through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead),
Ephesians
1:20 which he wrought in Christ, when HE raised him from the dead,
and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places,
Colossians
2:12 having been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with
him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
1
Thessalonians 1:10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom HE raised from the dead,
even Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come.
1 Peter 1:21
who through him are believers in God, that raised him from the dead,
and gave him glory; so that your faith and hope might be in God.
Tithing UNMASKED
In one of our many tithe discussions when the money tithe
proponents are confronted with truth after truth why they are in error, the
last stand some attempt to use is the reasoning "where did the apostles
say 'do not tithe' ".
The Truth.
Here is the last place where tithing is mentioned in the Bible:
Heb. 7: 5 And they indeed of the sons of Levi that receive the
priest's office have commandment to take tithes of the people according to the
law, that is, of their brethren.
7:8 And here men that die receive tithes; but there one, of whom
it is witnessed that he lives.
...................
1. The Hebrews context refers to the lawful Old Testament tithes which
were not from wages or income, they were agricultural.
2. The Levite priests had a written "commandment" to
take tithes from God's people in the Old Covenant.
Now the answer to the "where does it say not to tithe?
question.
3. vs.18 there is a **disannulling** >>> of the foregoing
commandment <<< because of its weakness and unprofitableness
.................
What was the stated "'foregoing commandment"?
Ans.
It is "the sons of Levi that receive the priest's office
have commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of
their brethren."
So the money tithe doctrine is shown to be false, phony and
wrong even when a "straw man" argument is used.
"disanulling": a continuing action of canceling.
disannulled:
DISANNULLED, . Annulled; vacated; made void.
DISANNULLING, Making void; depriving of authority or binding
force.
DISANNULMENT, The act of making void; as the disannulment of a
law or decree.
THE FACTS ARE IN ACTS!
🔑
KJ21 “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also who shall believe in Me through their word, ASV Neither for these only do I pray, but for them also that believe on me through their word.
But they DID write these in 1Cor 4:6 ….. Now these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes; that in us ye might learn not to go beyond the things which are written.
Psalm 62:5
My soul,
wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.
Let’s make a distinction regarding those that moved away, or walked away. You left
behind the church, whether it was a traditional denomination or the local
independent one on the corner of your city. You/ we were part of a Christian
fellowship or group. And one day you decided not to go back.
First let me
address those that left in anger, offence, or conflict with either the clergy
or others there. The offence and grudges must be dealt with and 100% forgiveness
given. We are to love even if we leave, and even if people say hurtful things.
Jesus said to forgive or we are not forgiven, period. Even “church abuse” and
that is very common.
Having that
reminder, now let’s give both experience and wisdom to those the Lord has
called out and/or forced out by using other people and circumstances. There are
things we know from our own 24 years as church
loyalists.
-We know
what we said and labeled those that left for various reasons and we know what
the pastors and leaders said privately.
The labels included “Lone Ranger Christians”, “troubled”, “discord-sowers”, “trouble
makers”, not “loyal”, even “traitors”.
Usually those labels were tossed about without care or knowledge why The
Leavers left.
-And once
labeled, do not expect a show of care or concern in the form of calls or visits
to find out why you left. It is part of
the journey.
At that
point, sadly, many quit God altogether. I write this in hope to rekindle your
faith in the Lord and His love for you. Jesus suffered the same, in fact, his
own hometown church tried to kill him early in his ministry! –Luke 4:16-29
Please read. Serious stuff.
Expect a
feeling of withdrawal from friends you hoped you would keep and cared about.
You may find you were not as cared about as you thought you were.
Expect the
minister(s) to go silent and cold, no matter your level of involvement, what
your record of giving was, or the countless hours you gave to the fellowship.
Expect
confusion as you desire fellowship, corporate worship and prayer, but your own
efforts to re-locate them end in frustration.
Expect your
faith in a Church, faith in men, and faith in an institution to be broken, -really
broken.
Expect your
faith in the physical things of Christianity to be sifted.
Hebrews 13:13
Therefore let us go forth to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach.
Expect the
Lord to begin speaking to you as the voices of religious people and tradition
is quieted. He will speak to you in a still small voice heard in your mind and
He may speak to you through dreams.
Expect Him
to confirm the reality of why you left and His unique calling to you to come
out from them.
Expect to
realize you carry a ton of church baggage and error that is going to take the
Lord time to cleanse from your spirit and mind. Jesus called it “leaven”.
Expect the
Lord to love you and reveal more of Himself to you, be willing to repent of
that which he shows you about both the church and yourself.
Expect to
have many new questions about EVERYTHING.
Expect to
learn about patience from Him. He is not on your time schedule.
Expect to
enjoy a new found joy in being set free from the bondages that religious
Christianity have imposed upon the gospel of grace.
Expect to be
thankful to be free of church politics, church expectations and conformity, position-seeking,
attention seeking, and mans approval as you learn to seek God’s approval and
knowing Jesus better as you learn the former religious habits were only a false
substitute for Christ.
Psalm 62:5 My
soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.
Paul wrote
from a place of isolation, cut off from his countrymen, cut off from the
countless people he had ministered to, cut off from the fellowship of friends
and even family.. yet he had done the Will of God.
Philippians
1:20
according to
my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but
that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my
body, whether it be by life, or by death.
Finally, know
that God told me to write this and He is the
inspiration for all I have written here.