ZacharyB

Blessings to you KP in Florida … I’ve read several books on early church history, but it should be quite obvious that the RCC and EOC strayed from the NT church’s way of doing things, and have not looked back. I recommend that true believers pray about leaving their churches … if they are not preaching against sin, and if they are not preaching about co-operating with the precious Holy Spirit while going through the sanctificationprocess unto holiness. In Romans 6;16-23, Paul warns the troops to quit sinning and to present themselves as slaves to obedience and slaves of righteousness unto holiness! (Please note: this passage is understood by almost no one.) Sorry, I don't see how to change to black.

Matt 7:21-23 It is clear that Jesus rejected these people because they did NOT do the will of Father God.

The disastrous doctrines of men began big-time after the original apostles died. Many who were NOT called by God wormed their way into church leadership. Gradually they put an end to God’s original method of using signs and wonders. Gone was His original plan of confirming the Truth of His gospel with miracles. Gone was the miraculous healing of the people of all of their many maladies. If God’s method of evangelizing the world (with signs and wonders) had been continued, the whole world would have been evangelized hundreds of years ago! You understand that God does not usually enter where He is not welcome, right? If man insists on utilizing his free-will harmfully, God doesn’t usually intervene. The pompous traditions of the church deceived the masses into submission. Man “ruled the roost”, and the Holy Spirit was banned from places of worship. More and more man-made anti-Scriptural doctrines came forth out of the church. More and more power and tithes for the church. And the beat goes on today … Not only is the church asleep (patiently waiting for the rapture), but its’ focus is on bringing in tithes for paying off mortgages and the paying of salaries. This is the time of the preaching of false doctrines, that’s for sure! • “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4) The real true gospel of salvation goes along these lines … Those who truly “believe” with a saving faith … actually love Father God and Jesus enough to co-operate with (i.e. obey) THEIR stated desires! Keeping Jesus’ commandments is critical … • “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15) • “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love Him … If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him … He who does not love Me does not keep My words” (John 14:21-24) Abiding in Jesus is critical … • “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” (John 15:6) • “… abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love … You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” (John 15:9-14) From John 14 and 15 above, I ask you … Will you go to heaven, if you do not love Jesus? Will you go to heaven, if you do not keep Jesus’ commandments? Will you go to heaven, if you are not loved by both Father God and Jesus? Will you go to heaven, if you do not abide in Jesus by keeping His commandments? Will you go to heaven, if you are not one of Jesus’ friends who obeys His commands? All “believers” think they are one of His sheep … • “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish …” (John 10:27-28) • “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3) From John 10 and 17 above, I ask you … Do you have eternal life, if you do not hear Jesus’ voice? Do you have eternal life, if Jesus does not know you? Do you have eternal life, if you do not follow Jesus (i.e. keep His commandments)? Do you have eternal life, if you do not know both Father God and Jesus Christ? Those who actually “follow” Jesus are dedicated to keep (obey) His commandments. • “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him’, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps (obeys) His word, truly the love of (for?) God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.” (1 John 2:3-5) ß THE test for who is “in Christ” If your church preaches in this fashion today, then you are truly and uniquely blessed. But if it does not, then it is not preaching the Truth … you should pray about leaving it. IMO, the best route is to start a home group with other serious dedicated believers!