₦airaland Forum

A few points to consider.

BIBLICAL BACKING

There is no example of big churches in the NT while it is obvious that house churches were the norm in the early church.

      And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying (Acts 12:12).

      …how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly [but not in church buildings, obviously] and from house to house…(Acts 20:20)

      Greet Prisca and Aquila….Also greet the church that is in their house (Rom. 16:3-5; see also Romans 16:14-15 for mention of two other probable house churches in Rome).

      The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house (1 Cor. 16:19).

      Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house (Col. 4:15).

      And to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house… (Philemon 1:2).

Recorded NT extends over 200 years so it was not infancy that kept the size of churches small. In effect, if building big churches is a sign of success or maturity, that means the Apostles never succeeded or matured. Also, Jesus left no such example or instruction. He made disciples without special buildings, and He told His disciples to make disciples. They would have not seen any need for special buildings. It is just that simple. When Jesus told His disciples to go into all the world and make disciples, His disciples did not think to themselves, “What Jesus wants us to do is to build buildings and give sermons to people there once a week.”

Additionally, building special buildings may even have been considered a direct violation of Christ’s commandment to not lay up treasures on the earth, wasting money on something that was entirely unnecessary, and robbing God’s kingdom of resources that could be used for transformational ministry in the lives of individuals and the society.

BIBLICAL STEWARDSHIP

Small (House) churches promote godly use of members’ resources, which is an important aspect of discipleship. No money is wasted on church buildings, owning, renting, repairing, expanding, remodeling, heating or cooling them. Consequently, what would have been wasted on buildings can be used to feed and clothe the poor, spread the gospel, and make disciples, just like it did in the book of Acts. What if the billions spent on church buildings had been used for spreading the gospel and serving the poor? It is almost unimaginable the benefits to society.

Moreover, house churches that consist of no more than twenty people could actually be overseen by “tent-making” (that is, “non-paid”) elders/pastors/overseers, a real possibility when there are a number of mature believers in a house church. Such churches would require virtually no money at all to operate. Anyway, with following the house church model, money that would be used on buildings is freed to support pastors, and so "professional" pastors should not think house churches threatens their job security. Rather, it could mean that many other men and women could realize the desire God has placed in their hearts to serve Him in vocational ministry. Does anyone wonder why there are no “youth pastors” or “children pastors” mentioned in the New Testament? Such ministries didn’t exist for the first 1900 years of Christianity. Why are they suddenly essential now?

END OF FRAGMENTED FAMILIES

Another advantage that house churches have is this: they excel at disciplining children and teens. One of the great falsehoods perpetrated by large churches today is that they provide wonderful ministries to children and youth. Yet they hide the fact that the large majority of the children who experience years of fun attending their exciting children and youth ministries never return to church again upon “leaving the nest.” Sincere "youth" pastors will acknowledge this.

The success of youth groups is today measured by attendance numbers. Youth pastors find themselves doing whatever it takes to pack them in, and that often means compromising genuine spirituality. It is a sad youth pastor who hears reports that parents are murmuring to the senior pastor that their kids are complaining about his boring or condemning messages. In effect, his sermons/practices are meant to serve Senior Pastor, large numbers and membership numbers, not God.

HAPPIER PASTORS

The expectations that most pastors encounter naturally create incredible stresses that sometimes even ruin their relationships within their own families. Pastors are discouraged for many reasons. They must be at the same time - politicians, judges, employers, psychologists, activity directors, building contractors, marriage counselors, public speakers, managers, mind readers and administrators. They often find themselves in fierce competition with other pastors to gain a larger slice of the body of Christ. They have little time for personal spiritual disciplines. Many eventually feel trapped in their vocation. Their congregations become their customers and their employers who can make life very difficult.

By comparison, the house church pastor has it easy. First, if he leads an exemplary life of a true disciple and teaches uncompromising obedience to Jesus’ commandments, few goats will have an interest in being part of his group. In fact, just meeting in houses is probably enough to keep many goats away. So he’ll mostly have sheep to pastor.

Second, he can love and disciple all his sheep on a personal basis, because he only has twelve to twenty adults to oversee. He can enjoy real closeness with them, as he is like the father of a family. He can give them the time they deserve. In the close-knit family of a house church, the members naturally help keep the pastor accountable, as he is their close friend, not an actor on a stage. They help his personal life too, as he cannot preach lies (they see his true life)

The house church pastor can spend time developing leaders of future house churches, so when the time comes to multiply, leaders are ready. He doesn’t have to watch his most promising future leaders take their gifts from the church to a Bible school in another place or break away to form ministries at cost to his congregation.

He may well have time to develop other ministry outside his local congregation. Perhaps he could minister in prisons, personal care homes or be involved in one-on-one evangelism to refugees or businesspeople. Depending on his experience, he could conceivably devote some of his time to planting other house churches, or mentoring younger house church pastors who have been raised up under his ministry.

He feels no pressure to be a Sunday-morning performer. He never needs to prepare a three-point sermon on a Saturday night, wondering how he can possibly satisfy so many people who are at so many different levels of spiritual growth. He can delight in watching the Holy Spirit use everyone at the gatherings and encourage them to use their gifts. He can be absent from meetings and everything works well even without him.

He has no building to distract him and no employees to manage.

He has no reason to compete with other pastors for clients.

There is no “church board” that exists to make his life miserable or through which political infighting becomes common. There are also no groups.

In short, he can be what he is called to be by God, and not what is imposed on him by cultural Christianity. He is not the lead actor, the president of a company, or the center of the hub. He is a disciple maker, and equips the saints.

HAPPIER (less pretentious) CONGREGATION

All true believers long for genuine relationships with other believers, because God’s love has been shed abroad in their hearts. It is what the Bible refers to as fellowship, genuine sharing of one’s life with other brothers and sisters. House churches create an environment where believers can do what believers are supposed to do, which is found in the many New Testament “one another” passages. In the house church setting, believers can exhort, encourage, edify, comfort, teach, serve and pray for one another.They know themselves.  They can provoke each other to love and good works, confess their sins to each other, bear each others burdens, and admonish one another. They can weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. Such things don’t occur very often during the Sunday morning meetings of institutional churches where believers sit and watch. As one house church member told me, “When someone is sick within our body, I don’t take a meal to a stranger’s house because I signed up for the ‘meal ministry.’ I naturally take a meal to someone I know and love.”

True believers enjoy interaction and involvement with each other. Passively sitting and listening to irrelevant or redundant sermons year after year insults their intelligence and spirituality. Rather, they prefer having an opportunity to share the personal insights they gain concerning God and His Word, and house churches provide that opportunity. Following a biblical model rather than a cultural one, each person ”has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation” (1 Cor. 14:26). In house churches, no one is lost in the crowd or excluded by a church clique.

True believers desire to be used by God in service. In a house church, there is opportunity for everyone to be used to bless others, and responsibilities are shared among all, so that no one experiences the burnout that is common among committed members of institutional churches. At the minimum, everyone can bring food to share for the common meal, what Scripture seems to refer to as the “love feast” (Jude 1:12). For many house churches, that meal follows the example of the original Lord’s Supper, which was part of an actual Passover meal. The Lord’s Supper is not “God’s holy snack.” The idea of eating a small wafer and drinking a little juice among strangers during a few seconds of a church service is utterly foreign to the Bible and to biblical house churches. The sacramental meaning of Communion is enhanced manifold during a shared meal among disciples who know & love each other.

In a house church, worship is simple, sincere and participatory, not a performance. True believers love to worship God in spirit and truth rather than dance and sing whist back-biting.

DOCTRINAL BALANCE AND TOLERATION

In the casual and open forums of small church gatherings, all teaching can be scrutinized by anyone who can read. Brothers and sisters who know and love each other are inclined to respectfully consider viewpoints that differ from theirs, and even if the group doesn’t reach a consensus, love, not doctrine, still binds them together. Any teaching by any person in the group, including elders/pastors/overseers, is subject to loving examination by anyone else, because the Real Teacher indwells every member (see 1 John 2:27). The built-in checks and balances of a biblical model help prevent it from becoming doctrinally derailed.

This is quite a contrast from the norm in modern institutional churches, where church doctrine is established from the start and not to be challenged. Consequently, bad doctrines endure indefinitely, and doctrine becomes the litmus test of acceptance. For this same reason, one point in a single sermon can result in the immediate exodus of dissenters, who all jump ship to temporarily find some “like-minded believers.” They know there is no sense in even talking to the pastor about their doctrinal disagreement. Even if he was persuaded to change his viewpoint, he would have to keep it hidden from many in the church as well as from those of higher rank within his denomination. Doctrinal differences within institutional churches produce pastors who are some of the most skilled politicians in the world, orators who speak in vague generalities and avoid anything that could result in controversy, leading everyone to think he is in their camp.

GIFTS

Each believer is able to use their Gift(s) without pressure from crowds.

^^

I recall Christ's Words about teachers who made converts twice the children of evil that they themselves are. Here, bait as thrown before Christ is again being thrown

Our friend above will listen to me ONLY if I become a Pharisee boasting of what I do for the poor? Ridicule & rubbish! Don't we have enough of loud mouthed people here detailing how great and mighty and godly they are? Yet the Bible says not to let one hand know what they other is doing. Basically then, I'm to disobey God to please Oga snow above? But let me throw a poser -

Rochas Okorocha once sought presidency of Nigeria. Subsequently, he has built first class schools all over the federation. But his schools do NOT charge a dime. Criteria for entry is intellect/hardwork AND poverty - in effect, if you can afford it, you won't get it so the schools are for the poor and he pays for ALL - teaching, uniforms, meals, transportation.

But he is a very wealthy man. Extremely wealthy. Is the church-worshiping dude above then saying this gentleman who spends over a hundred million monthly empowering children of the poor, is not to be listened to simply because he rides an air-conditioned car?

Reasonable people compare like with like i.e. How do you compare a business minded successful individual with a family to a church? Businessman works for himself but lives fairly frugally spending a lot on the poor. Church is "supposed" to work for God but pastor lives like the Caesars and advertises the little they throw to the dogs (poor). This is more so reprehensible when you realise pastor is spending money "held" in trust whist businessman spends his own sweat.

But for the unreasoning, whatever pastor says is right while God & truth can go jump

^^

It is alright , Pastor! Such language actually shows the mindset of its users. Interestingly, some of the same team have regaled us with tales of their okada using prowess so we know not to bother with boasts.

The poster actually also displays a disproportionate amount of pride imagining that he was alluded to in my post above. Truth remains that I (we) am not speaking to these children of darkness feigning as light but to those who seek truth and whom light matters to

The indisputable point remains that people went to the Temple to worship a-priori but now WE are the Temple of God. Whosoever would follow Christ should thus build the Temple (people) and not churches. Bring your gold into the Temple! Bring joy/peace/satisfaction into the Temple. Then you have served God. But the Temple is the believer beside you, not concrete and paint.

How can I watch the saints (Temples of God) be wretched/needy/poor and decide that my own priority is a building that can later be sold for profit? And then I paint it yearly whist the real Temples are suffering.

Why do I require executive chairs? Or air-conditioned spaces? Especially when the Temples of God in our midst and all about are suffering?

If you need a large space because of your large congregation, a simple large building ought suffice anyone. Reasonable plastic chairs will suffice. All the extras are a sign of pride/self-glorifying, a waste of resources and a travesty of judgment. They indicate misplaced priorities.

Truth has this funny way of always showing up no matter how long hidden.

Lets await the vultures to come scream testimonies of how many people they herded into heaven today in an attempt to scatter this thread hoping to hide truth

^^ True - which is why Chris Oyakilome believes Lazarus and the Rich man were real "individual" people & does not know the story was a parable.

A really big baby OR a deceiver! Take your pick!

"But to the multitude, all He said was in Parables and they understood not" PROVES your idol is a member of the multitude who never understood Christ's teachings

Is Christ good enough for you? or you need er[b]ROR[/b] to "feel good"?

nuclearboy IS Bonboi to EVERYONE WHO TELLS THE TRUTH. In effect, nuclearboy is bonboi to the "TRUTH" and happy to admit it.

Wherever Jesus was, automatically was "church" and God was worshiped there
Wherever Peter was, automatically was "church" and God was worshiped there
Wherever Paul was, automatically was "church" and God was worshiped there

None of them ever built a church let alone a palace. THEY carried God's Church inside themselves.

Jesus, Peter and Paul are good enough for me. Are they good enough for you, reader?

", do not answer a fool according to his folly, "

", peace with the world is enmity with God, "

frosbel:
My friends, what we call church is not church.  It is not what Jesus is building, it is what man is building as an image to the beast.  Does the concept of a roaring lion tearing the prey remind you of something Peter said?  Of course it does, that is the Devil walking around to devour the brethren, the professing body of believer.  Please wake up my brothers.  There are some good churches, the remnant as we will see below,  but they are very rare.  Do not let yourself be torn apart by lies and have the approval of men be the driving force in your walk.   

We were promised it would be a very lonely walk and that very many will try to serve God but really be seeking after their own interests  — selfish ambition.  Consider what Paul wrote to the Philippians.   

[size=13pt]The fact is the true gospel does not attract the world.   Man has tried to change the gospel to make it more attractive to men and this is false Christianity.[/size]   Fellowshipping is a good thing but it must take a back seat to be separate and Holy before God.  That is His commandment and we in our stubborn stiff-necked rebellious heart have changed the ordinances of God to better suit ourselves and accomodate our “modern society”.  Woe unto us  — the destruction of these palaces and assembly houses built by men does not slumber. 

2 Cor 6:14-16 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. 

People can pervert what I am saying here and I am not saying not to bring people to knowledge of the Lord.  But we must tell them the truth, the whole gospel and not plant seeds of a tare in their hearts because they will not mature unto righteousness, instead they will be deceived and have a false security and peace and will not be able to stand before the Son of Man. Plus we are not to be hanging out with people practicing lawlessness.  As I will show you below, we must be separated otherwise we will be defiled ourselves and will become a tare ourselves. 

Only A Remnant, VERY FEW Will Be Saved
These are some of the saddest Scriptures of truth.  Yet God was clear from beginning to end, that very few that proclaim His name will be saved.  Satan is running most churches and the flood of lies coming out of his mouth and the mouth of the spirits he has placed inside the church and its people has deceived almost everyone.  But God is awakening His Holy remnant and my small part of serving God is to tell people this truth and pray that God will give them the spiritual ears to hear it and see it.   To understand these prophetic books one must understand how God created and uses the powers of darkness to carry out His purposes and plan of salvation. 

Matthew 7:14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it

It is not about the numbers.  It is about quality, a walk of holiness.  That is the gospel.

 The remnant is not going to be sitting still inside some large church or congregation in the end.  They will come out and be separate just as the LORD commanded. 

Isaiah 5:8-10 Woe to those who add house to house and join field to field, until there is no more room, so that you have to live alone in the midst of the land! 9In my ears the LORD of hosts has sworn, “Surely,many houses shall become desolate, Even great and fine ones, without occupants.  10“For ten acres of vineyard will yield only one bath of wine, And a homer of seed will yield but an ephah of grain.” 

This passage from Isaiah is powerful if God gives you the understanding.  Please go read your Bibles in context the chapters from which these verses are plucked.   Understand that references to the words cities, land, sanctuaries, Judah, Jerusulem are types for “church” or God’s people.  There is severe famine in the land, meaning there is no WORD, instead the sheep are being fed cotton candy.  There is no rain, meaning there is no Holy Spirit and the land is parched and consumed by the works of the flesh. 

Know that this message of a FEW BEING SAVED is pervasive and consistent in the Scriptures.  But also note that the reference point of FEW is not the world, it is the self professsing church.  God did not call it the GREAT FALLING AWAY without a very good reason.  I hope you are on the right side of truth on this matter. 

Come Out and Be Separate NOW
People that worship their religion will hate me for saying this.  That is because the truth of God’s word is sharper than a sword and it comes against all falsehoods.   God will judge us on the last day and He said His words would be the measure by which we will be held to account.  Many a man and a woman are boasting and are trying to do God’s work in their flesh, but it is really Satan’s work.  When churches focus on nickles (money), noses (butts in the pews) and numbers (how many they saved today), you can be sure it is not a movement of GOD.  It is driven by the powers of darkness and is appealing to the deceitfulness of man’s heart and the gain they get from helping God out in their flesh. 

]Instead of teaching the truth about God and our need to die to self and be transformed by God’s power into a new man, they tell us to sign up, join their organization, say a prayer and you are welcomed into God’s family.  This is an abomination. 

Paul warned us about the wolves in sheep’s clothing, the religious sounding, godly looking as it relates to our senses, yet they would be working for our enemy. 

2 Cor 11:12-15 But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. 13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. 

I have many posts on false teachings and false teachers and how to spot them. But the sad thing is the people immersed into this religious system of the end, which is the image of the Beast are very hardened in their hearts, their church has become  their idol and they get their significance in life from their supposed service to God.  Sure God uses this service for the greater good and praise God for that, yet very many are bowing down to the devil and do not know it.  This is indeed a difficult truth to grasp and only God can show it to you.  I beleive He will if you examine yourself and your motives and let Him show you the truth in the Scriptures.  It is there for the taking but you must want to know the truth and not cling to a lie. 

Revelation 18:4-8 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. 5 For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. 6 Render to her just as she rendered to you,] and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. 7 In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ 8 Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her. 

[size=14pt]The Babylon church thinks she needs nothing. She boasts in herself, her numbers, the money she brings in, the number of people sticking their hand up and becoming “saved”.  She is proud of all the good things she is doing for God, yet she is blind and is really serving Satan.  Saying she is no widow, means she is deceived into thinking she is married to Jesus, but she is a widow full of lost people who follow another Jesus and another gospel.  If you do not come out of this church, you will be destroyed[/size].  The end is near as me and many others are now being awakened so we can in turn awaken others. 

The Apostle Paul quoted from Isaiah 54, echoing the words of the Prophet that the true people of God would be hugely outnumbered by the fakes.  The woman of the husband (Sarah) was barren and she was going to bear a lot less children than the desolate woman Hagar who bore an illegitimate son Ishmael.  When 80% of the country says they are Christians, something does not add up.

Galatians 4:27 For it is written,
         ”REJOICE, BARREN WOMAN WHO DOES NOT BEAR;
         BREAK FORTH AND SHOUT, YOU WHO ARE NOT IN LABOR;
         FOR MORE NUMEROUS ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE DESOLATE
         THAN OF THE ONE WHO HAS A HUSBAND.”

My heartfelt desire and I am sure anyone on this website’s desire is for all to be saved.  But that is just not going happen so says the LORD.   

Hebrews 3:3-4 For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. 4For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. 

God is worshiped in Spirit and in Truth, not in numbers or gatherings.

Salvation is for the Holy. The road to life is narrow, it is not about the numbers. The purpose of this post is to expose the fallacy of counting and attempts by men to build large “churches”.

It seems the whole purpose of church is about getting more people to come to church and to build bigger churches and buildings, but that is not what God says we are to do. The spirit behind men wanting to build memberships and count numbers of congregants, souls supposedly saved and money coming into the ministry, is not of God, it is Satan. It has at its roots pride and selfish ambition which are the roots of the devil’s vine, not God’s. Consider the story about David and the CENSUS and what God did in His anger.

1 Chronicles 21:1-2, Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel. 2So David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, “Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan, and bring me word that I may know their number.” 3Joab said, “May the LORD add to His people a hundred times as many as they are! But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? Why does my lord seek this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt to Israel?”

David told Joab to go count unholy people into the numbers and Joab questioned the logic and sanity of this action. David was driven by the Prince of Pride (Satan) to build his reputation, numbers and the esteem of all the people. The same thing is going on now. Building church this way is FLESH [/b]and brings judgment as David’s actions clearly show. Later once David realized his sin, David repented. God however was so angry that He still brought judgment although He showed mercy. Hear these words of the Lord.

So the LORD sent a pestilence on Israel; 70,000 men of Israel fell. 15And God sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it; but as he was about to destroy it, the LORD saw and was sorry over the calamity, and said to the destroying angel, “It is enough; now relax your hand.”

I hope this posts gets you to see what is happening in the Babylon churches. All the wrappings of religion and Jesus does not make anything right with God, He looks to the heart and what truly is behind our deeds. [b]My Bible says God will destroy these man-made church palaces and meeting places in the end; along with all that partook of their evil. This destruction is a spiritual destruction and will be accomplished by God’s army.


Who Builds The Church?
It is God alone that saves. It is all Him all the time, in every single case, no exceptions. God builds the church not men. While are encouraged to assembly, we are warned sternly not to mix with the unholy, if we are children of God.

John 1:12-13 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God

Jesus said He would build His church.

Matthew 16:15-18 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock [size=14pt]I[/size] will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

Zecheriah 6:12 Then say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the LORD.

The church belongs to Jesus and He is in fact the one that builds it. Man does not build it. In a crafty scheme of Satan, man has been tricked into fleshly works to build a church for God. This is folly. God saves people not men. It is all Him all the time.

James 3:15 tells us that selfish ambition is driven by demonic wisdom even when it has wrappings of religion. Satan has crept into the churches and into the minds and hearts of men. If Satan deceived Peter right there while speaking with Jesus don’t think the devil can’t come upon you. It is difficult to carnally grasp this truth but the Word of God does not lie. Out of carnal thoughts men have been overtaken by the enemy to do God’s work but the work is really not for God, it is demonic with all the religious wrappings. Satan uses the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life to tempt and entice men into pursuing selfish ambition and gain — ALL IN THE NAME OF JESUS. This gain can be money, but also can be boasting, esteem, reputation and the approval of men. This is a snare of Satan and the system of false religion that has completely taken over Christianity in the end times. This was all foretold to us by the Prophets.

In order to build big churches for God, men must water down the gospel, cut out the parts about fear, judgment, deception, the powers of darkness, how we fight evil, overcome sin, enduring fiery trials, face persecution and purge SIN out of the church. Indeed pastors and minister that cling to the lie and appeal of numbers must tickle flesh and tell people what their itching ears want to hear. They are not building God’s church when they do this, they are doing violence to the WORD, killing people spiritually, shedding blood as the Prophets call it and allowing the powers of darkness to come inside the gates and surround God’s people. This in turns brings about abominations (defilement) of desolation in the hearts of people, which is God’s temple. These false shepherds teach a form of godliness but totally deny the power of God to rebirth us and transform us into a new creation that is dead to the flesh and consequently sin. While most of these pastors and “church builders” are unwittingly deceived, the fact is they are deceived and are following another spirit and do not know God. As the Apostle John said, “Do not be deceived my little children”.

We are not told to go build a church. Jesus told us go to preach the gospel, the whole gospel, telling them to OBEY ALL He has commanded. If we taught that, the fear of God, the judgment of God, true repentance and the need for endurance to the end would be taught. This points people to a true walk of holiness and then God could come in and supernaturally work His grace amongst the babes and build HIS CHURCH. But instead we leaven the lump with lies and spiritual poison that points them to a FALSE JESUS and puts them on a very broad road, walking with the majority of church goers to destruction. Heed the warning of the LORD about who enters the Kingdom!

Matthew 7:21-23 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

The one true God, Jesus, is building His Church and not any man. People are going to be astonished and startled when the truth of the apostasy and fallen away church is revealed. But if they do not see this truth soon, it will be too late. This is the abomination that causes desolation. The Scriptures tell us that[b] the deceived people of God, the ones professing to be Christians but actually following another Jesus — will be amazed, stunned, astonished on the Day of the Lord[/b].

Isaiah 13:8,9 Every man’s heart will melt,
8 And they will be afraid.
Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them;
They will be in pain as a woman in childbirth;
They will be amazed at one another;
And He will destroy its sinners from it.


Jeremiah 4:9 “ And it shall come to pass in that day,” says the LORD,
“ That the heart of the king shall perish,
And the heart of the princes;
The priests shall be astonished,
And the prophets shall wonder.”
10 Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD!
Surely You have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem,


I urge you to read the Prophetic Books. They speak to the END and the judgment of God that will come to the false church and the people who followed other gods and practiced doctrines of demons.

God’s People Will Be Separate
I will show you a variety of Scriptures about the persistent call to be separated from those that practice lawlessness, pagan religion and do not know God. Inviting unrepentant sinners into a church building and filling up meeting places with Holy people and unrighteous people is exactly the opposite of what God tells us to do. God is very serious about this command and we have a stunning example in the Book of Acts from the early church.

Acts 5:1-5 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. 3Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.” 5When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened.

Later Ananias’s wife comes and lies to Peter as well and she is struck dead. The main message here is not about lying to our brothers — of course we must not lie – this lesson is about the call and commandment of God for His Holy people to be separated from the unholy. God killed these false Christians in the early stages of the church to be an eternal reminder of how we are to conduct ourselves. The fear of the LORD is indeed the beginning of wisdom and God accomplished His purposes by killing the liars as great fear seized the entire church that heard of these events.

When men try to build God’s church themselves via the works of the flesh, they are no different than the original Babylonians who tried to build their own tower in heaven. That is what is going on today in the end time Great Babylon Church. We have all these different denominations, with their own man made rules, doing works of the flesh to build their own towers into heaven. In case you forgot what happened to the original Babylonians …

Genesis 11:8-9 So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel; because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

Jesus said that whomsoever does not gather with HIM, scatters. Hum something to think about!
The World versus the Church

The parable of the wheat and the tares is an end times parable told by Jesus. In this parable, the enemy sows bad seed coming behind God who sowed the good seed. The fields is NOT THE CHURCH, it is the WORLD. There is not supposed to be any bad seeds or tares inside God’s church. But that is what the allure and deception of large numbers has done for deceived minds and hearts of false shepherds. Bring them all in says the flesh. Let’s build something grand and God will come down and cooperate with us. They boast in their numbers, but sadly by not separating, they destroy the word of God and the promise of salvation for those that end up following a false gospel and worshiping another Jesus.

"And I shall say unto them, get away from me. I never knew you, workers of iniquity".

Keep on counting. God is watching and will separate tares from wheat.

Another God-serving and highly informative article.

And yes, such won't be popular because the average person has itching ears and will accept only a feel-good false gospel. Easier to "pay" than obey though what is truly amusing (yet tragic) is that they only become more wretched and hardened as disappointments pile up in their lives. They are taught that the few people who made it big did so only because they obeyed "pastor" and so they forsake God and follow the man they see on the altar.

Classic example of Moses going up the mount and Israel wanting a "god" they could see.

Tragic where we have come to "in the name of God"

Sad that this will fly over most heads. But it stands as a testimony that truth was spoken for all who read it.

^^

His female version showed her Bible scholarship too on the rhapsody of reality thread misquoting the lesser is blessed by the giver and link that to Abraham and Melchizedek. Talk about an oxymoron! Well, someone pointed out she was basically saying Abraham was the greater since he "gave". Of course, she took no correction just as gringory above will not .

Sad, to see the extent of knowledge of the Word among these pretenders to Christianity

So much noise. Proof positive that this is a cult. The multitude screaming, frenzied, wailing - braying for blood. The roman mob being entertained by murder, violence and rabble-rousing. A collection of rabid biblical illiterates headed by a thief.

All by yourselves, you showed you had naught to say to the truth. So you decided to scatter all.

ALL readers are invited to read post 241 and decide for themselves whether the story of lazarus and the rich man is a true story as oyakilome says or is a parable understood only by Christians as the Bible says. Add the above decision to make noise without saying anything and the question is - if they are trying to hide truth here, what else have they hidden or do not know and why?

The Bible says "False prophets shall arise". They will draw men away from God. They will almost fool even God's own Elect. They come from inside the church and have a form of Godliness which allows them attract and convince many.

God calls His Own who are ready to enter through the narrow gate.

newmi:
You know every time l think the about people like my nuclearbonboi, Kunleoshob, enigma, and rest on their comrades l feel a deep Sense of concern because these men are oblivious of what they seem to be up against, think this message that pastor Chris preaches is not something we just simply accepted don't think that we as silly and nuts as you think we should be, some of us have been born again and Christians even before some of your fathers ever thought of going to church and we have proved this message in our personal lives and like the apostle John wrote "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and hands have handled, of the Word of life" (John 1:1)

These are truths that we have proved and we still prove on a daily basis so stop expending your time wrongly get wise read your bible.

Just like the pharisees knew Christ's father and were Joseph's teacher. Which ids why at 60, you worship a younger man because he gives you money andd employs your father as gate-man

pls don't slow down. truth can't be hidden so you'll expose yourselves as what you truly are soon. Enjoying this farce

p a t h e t i c !

^^True talk.

What I actually meant was that he is now being much more careful. The boasts of the past are now in the past and I wager he will rebut this sentence with a "boast". But it will be watered down since he knows he will be used to wipe the floor.

I agree that warnings can come but usually to the "person inside". These people are outside and they wouldn't know a warning or guidance if it broke 6 teeth with a shovel. So at their level, the sermon made sense. And of course, the multitude never could handle truth - its always too hard

Still no answer? Still hiding to escape facing reality - that oyaks  and the central executive committee are no different from fraudsters actively swindling people?

"God gave them over to strong delusion, that they should believe a lie Oyaks"

No answer? No "teaching" us babes? Just hiding so you escape facing reality?

BTW, I like your new style. You carefully choose topics now and avoid "money", "prosperity" or topics that "need" to be interpreted. Are you afraid your "gods" shallowness is so easily exposed and so want to keep issues to clear cut matters?

Fear is truly a weapon

Joagbaje:

Leave inanities. You came here for a purpose - face it!

Even if I talk about it, at least we all know it is you and yours that does it. Oyakilome is the only well-known pastor known in Nigeria to have a personal immorality issue even if we don't talk about it often

Shame is not allowing you answer the matter? Why not call upon the "big boys" to help you out? Vale should do better or what do you think?

^^ Yeah, the man whose picture you introduced is pathetic to you. Just like Jesus too was pathetic in the eyes of many. Kunle truly knew your name

^^ Those words come from a member of Christ's body and are the judgment Paul spoke of us having. It will be executed

@Enigma:

Interestingly, I use the NIV and have held on to it for almost 2 years but for the exact reason Aletheia stated above. I used the KJV for 2 decades and NIV was initially a shock. Time has mellowed my feeling about it which is why I wrote above that the idea for some translators was to make it easier to read (NIV is I believe, one such example). Sadly, Simon Peter also thought he was supporting Christ when he didn't wish his crucifixion. We all know how Jesus saw that "support". For that reason, I stand by Aletheia and even if it was inadvertent, NIV becomes such as would make Christ say "Get behind me, satan". It is a bad and misleading translation.


On Jo, its obvious. Look at the rat coming here and making things worse for himself turning it into a personality issue. My first feelings about him on NL were simply of boastful but harmless posts but pride soon showed and we know that pride is to be found only in those "babes" God hasn't dealt with or with strangers to God. Seeing as God deals jealously with His Own mature people, it started to look more and more like this (he) wasn't a possession of God. Subsequent events practically confirm this as fact.

I have such people in my own family. Lazy people who dream big but work little and cannot handle the seed-time and harvest principle (time lag). They want all things now and the ministry seems to offer an opportunity. Learn to lie, learn to scare people (Touch not my anointed etc), put yourself up there and presto - you have a following. God keeps holding out His Hands patiently and they come to believe He is toothless and requires only for them to say the cursory "forgive me Father" (He already showed that above) for all to be canceled. Time puts them in a trap of their own making and the fear of coming out to face the unknown soon supersedes the fear of God. At such time, they have actively come into "me rather than God" and so they are rebelling, know it or not.

I had hoped Jo would tire, calm down and quietly slow down and out. That would have shown a sincere spirit and it was worth it allowing him quietly back out. But he wants to test his doctrinal foundation. So be it. I assume it will pan out as he has said above. Cowards, rats, thieves and liars find excuse - just like the Pharisees with Christ, they ALWAYS turn their backs.

But he's somewhere right now, furiously looking for material to rebut "the Parable" concept. He will likely not come back but if he does, watch out for some childish stuff that will only make it look like he struggled plus of course, the 419 "idiots" Battalion will be at his back cheering him even as within him, his own heart sinks knowing he is in the wrong. But still, he hardens his heart due to pride. This year will expose them totally. I ask this of the Almighty and know you do too.

Why not show us where you see the Fruit of Christ and/or His Apostles as rampant greed, vanity, thuggery, fraud, prostitution etc. Fruit speaks louder than claims. An Apple tree is known by the fruit and not its look. So when you say you and Christ are one, what we will look for is the same type of fruit He exhibited.

- As I have shown above, Christ seemed to have a problem ONLY with the religious leaders of His day (Just like me)
- As I have stated above, Christ seemed to have NO aversion to calling a "fool" a "fool". He in-fact used worse language (Just like me)
- As anyone picking the Bible will see, Christ said "ONLY God is good". (Just like me). You, Agbaje, say Oyakilome is good. Or is he not?
- As anyone can see, Christ saidd His Kingdom was not of this WORLD. Because it was not His Domain (in the flesh), His Angels were quiet even at His torture. But you insist this world is yours and want the best of it. Are you following the Christ who denied this world
- As anyone can see, there is NO SINGLE record of any of Christ or His Apostles claiming wealth or health or long-life. Christ was poor HERE. Paul suffered HERE. Stephen was killed young. Indeed, it became a sign of Christians - they were persecuted. But you insist the best must be yours.
- As anyone can see, the poor were the thrust of Christ when He spoke of help (Just like me). You take from the poor to give the Rich.

ANY human, say a Muslim, coming into one of your congregations is likely to find what?

1. The prostitutes who he'd walked past the earlier night STILL in the clothes they wore to "work".
2. The person who 419ed him. Go read the comandclem thread and see how good an ambassador of CE your guyman friend "fyneguy" is.
3. Bizarre dressing - pastors wearing jeri-curls when the Bible asks even women to be modest and women dressed to "kill", as the "sluts" they are.
4. Thugs who will keep quiet if Jesus is abused but beat him to unconciousness if Chris is so much as questioned
5. An "Atmosphere for Collections" where there will be 30 offerings.

Fruit - tells more than claims. What you accuse me of is reflected in Christ. But I see nothing of Him in your delusions.

Your words are interesting. They again have an example in the Bible - Christ's discussions with the Religious Leaders.

They quickly realised He always wiped them out AND He too was quick to use words like "Generation of Vipers". Interestingly and just like me, He used these words only on the supposed "leaders" who ought to know but who perverted justice (just like you). For details/specifics of words He used, go to my posts on lazarus and the rich man - you will learn a lot there.

Anyway, they too decided to keep away from Him but they watched Him eagerly waiting for a slip. Ask yourself in the recesses of your mind if you too, do not watch me.

I know your type - the Bible is always true and it exposes you. You cannot bear the truth because it removes the power you have over men. Why not ask for a one on one debate with rules rather than this vapid "you're rude" rubbish? You say you ask God forgiveness? I don't FOR what I've said to you - how many times can you show me that Christ asked forgiveness for calling people "fools"? You know why He didn't? Because it was true. He applied scripture to discern and it was therefore scripturally true that they were "fools".

Answer the matter and stop trying to look righteous. Straining at a gnat yet swallowing a camel.

Hypocrite!

^^^ You don't cut "CRAB" dude - you eat Crabs. Substitute (right spelling) p for b in the word and you have it right.

Anyway, you came here to show us that Lazarus and the Rich man were humans who lived and walked the earth. You said the story by Jesus was NOT a parable but a real incidence.

Here's your chance - Prove it.

Joagbaje:
There were two different lazaruses, they are not thesame. But nuella was right , the two stories of the lazaruses are not parables, but real incidences. If it were a parable Jesus would have said " . . And the kingdom of heaven is like. . . Or likened to. . .

I am saying Godliness with Contentment is great gain. That is what the Bible says. But then, the Bible was never good enough for you was it? Or do you agree with it? On Mabell's posts above, it appears truth cannot be hidden even in jest. My reply to her shows you how it is for me. She raises me above ANY of you. But she does something even more interesting and you all follow.

She has presented an innocent man's picture, something that is private to a HUMAN life, edited it and presented it in jest. Who is she making fun of? Is it me or the poor, innocent man who doesn't know he has become "a rebuke" used by a "god" to amuse herself and her fellow claimants. If I offended her, what was his offense?

Tell me- WHAT was the poor man's offense?

His offense and only problem is that he is poor and unable to defend himself. Yet see the man looking happier than you'll likely ever be. And this shows how you people see the poor - to be trodden upon and abased and made an amusement of. But they represent Christ.

My picture of mabell was to REBUKE her state of mind, ergo it was allegorical. Her retort was to REBUKE God's Work, ergo it was physical and iddiot-pastor-Jo was the first not to consider. A true Chris Embassy representation by all of you.

Examples, examples, EXAMPLES. Where are the examples?

These shallow minded perverters of the Gospel ask us to follow a false example set by Abram (note the name) to pay tithes. Of course they neglect to mention he never paid a tithe from his own personal business/monies and that what he GAVE it on, he did not even consider to belong to himself.

Yet here they refuse to put the same rule to practice with the now true example set by Christ, His Apostle and EVERY single instance of Christian we see in the New Testament. Why can't they show us the "material prosperity" claims of the apostles and where/how it ever worked in their lives?

What was the "inheritance embraced and used to serve God" by Paul? or Peter? Rather than comparing spiritual to spiritual, you mix physical with spiritual, cotton with silk.

No wonder God forbade His people from mixing clothes (covering) - he knew people would hide under a devilish mishmash. Of course that is another "perverted" matter.

We are all waiting.

Please start with "when did the Apostles become born again" - as you insisted and I recall, the story of lazarus and the rich man was a real life incidence. Come and defend your Bible knowledge and show us how we are babes.

The "watering down" of the Bible remains a deliberate exercise. Many see it as "old" literature and their motive(s) in re-translating were mainly to make it easier to read in modern english and also in content. Many of the words Aletheia has used are "HARD" words and just as the jews could not bear them, targeted audiences today too can not. Many suppose to help God and thus change His Word. But these unknowingly follow the counsel of satan just as Peter thought he was in support of Christ by not wishing him death not knowing the counsel of God.

Also, there are our businessmen pastors who would have the Bible support their avarice and so perform surgery on it.

What really remains my problem truly is how Donnie abandoned his thread. And Agbaje started backing out carefully once he saw things were heating up here. I cannot imagine the level of pride that will make me hold onto a lie. I am assured in my Spirit that Agbaje has visited this thread, read and decided like satan, to leave us for a season. He's back but more cautious and doesn't make blanket statements as in the past - satan trying not to show his hand too much so walls don't fall in on him again. I still think Jo was misled & now is shaken at truth confronting too rapidly one after the other but pride makes it difficult to accept truth.

For the first time ever, it confronts me that one may not exclude the possibility that the Oyaks of this world may actually utilize demonic powers on these people. It is the only explanation that still makes sense to me with the level of delusion being displayed and now I remember the contents of posts from Enigma & Aletheia when someone said Yaks was a cultist. At that time, I dissented but now wonder if I didn't give the man too much latitude supposing him decent.

Does anyone remember what thread that was and what the link to it is? I'd like to go through it again please.