UNITY!

(First published in newsletter # 12 in 1995)

Today, the people who called themselves by His Name are about to face the greatest crisis they have ever had to face. This may seem hard to believe in this age when we no longer must worship in hiding and fear of persecution, but it is a fact.

For it is now that the plan has been set into action for all churches to unite on common points of doctrine. All the suffering and persecution of God’s people who fought to maintain the purity of God’s doctrine through the ages is about to come to nought. Day after day the tv features various and sundry “leaders” speaking of how this “unity” will accomplish God’s work, when in fact, it will indeed finish a “work”, but it won’t be God’s.

Pagan practices and doctrines that swiftly crept into the Christian faith soon after Christ’s time still dominate “Apostate Christianity” even though the purity of the faith was restored to some degree in many churches over the last few centuries. It was in this country, the United States of America, that the true purity of the faith was given the chance to grow and thrive. It was this country that would be uppermost in sending missionaries to the world to complete the spreading of the gospel. But now, just as the work is about to be finished, the churches that once fought so hard to remain free of the influence of “Apostate Christianity” are about to join with it.

The reasoning of those who are fighting for this unity is that there is “strength” in numbers. Are not we all “God’s children?” Can we not strengthen our position in the world by unifying? Let’s think a moment about these questions. Do we honestly believe that just because someone claims to be a “true believer” that they ARE when they teach and believe doctrines that are contrary to the Word of God? Read carefully the warnings:

MAT 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?… 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

1JO 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

We should all be aware that God does NOT force Himself on any man. But Satan, on the other hand, will stop at nothing to accomplish his purposes. What will happen when all of “Christianity” is unified? Will the “good” rub off on the “bad”? OR are we in danger of being deceived by these “false” teachers, and what happens if we are?

ISA 9:16 For THE LEADERS OF THIS PEOPLE CAUSE THEM TO ERR; and THEY THAT ARE LED OF THEM ARE DESTROYED.

JER 5:30 A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; 31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

Being led astray by false teachers is NOT excusable by God, for He has continually warned us. Paul knew it would come:

ACT 20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

The greatest danger we face is NOT from the unbeliever, but those who claim to be believers and teach false doctrine:

ROM 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and AVOID THEM.18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

ISA 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak NOT according to this word, it is because there is NO light in them.

But is it really so dangerous for all the churches to work together? My friend, there is NO greater danger. It is easy to recognize those who make no claim to believe; but there is one who knows the Bible far better than any human alive, and it is those who are led of him (Satan) that can appear to be the most “godly” ON THE SURFACE while introducing their lies cleverly intermingled with the Word of God:

2CO 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

COL 2:4 And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words… 6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:… 8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

MAT 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men

To follow any “man”- teacher, preacher, father, mother, etc.- is wrong. We follow only one, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We do NOT unite with those we know to have corrupt beliefs, even though we may share some common beliefs.

PSA 4:3 But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.

Before He died, Christ carefully explained the transition from the “old covenant” to the “new covenant”- any and all changes were explained and foretold by Him. He delivered the doctrine to man Himself, and then the time came when He ascended to Heaven, to the right side of His Father. From that moment on, there would be NO changes made in the faith that He had personally delivered. Yet, very, VERY soon there began to creep into the body of believers heresies and false teachings.

The attempt to popularize Christianity led to the transference of pagan traditions to the practices of the church. This continued until the true faith was almost unrecognizable. Those of the true faith were once again forced to hide; they suffered the greatest persecution NOT at the hands of pagans but at the hands of those who had perverted the faith.

Eternal Life- A Free Gift

Many are of the belief that since the gift of eternal life is free, that we have to do nothing to obtain it but ask. It would not be a “covenant” if this were the case- a “covenant” is an agreement between 2 parties with stipulations which both sides must meet. Eternal life is a free gift because we can do absolutely nothing to earn it. But we must cooperate with God in our own salvation, and this requires that we study His Word and KNOW what is His truth and what is the “doctrine of men”. We CANNOT compromise after the great sacrifice that has been made on our behalf.

The plan has been set into action to undo the work of those who fought so fiercely for the preservation and restoration of the true faith. The plan is what some have referred to as a “one world religion”, but it is actually a plan for all the “churches” to unite under “common points of doctrine”, for the purpose of “spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ”.

But this “unity”, which WILL in some form come to pass, will ultimately NOT revolve around “common points of doctrine”, but instead it will involve COMPROMISE. To the masses of believers who have remained in ignorance of the true Biblical teachings and taught instead the theories of men, they will think this new found unity of the “church” is of God. They will see it as the answer to the spiritual “death” that has come upon the world. But like a serpent slowly slithering in the grass, undetectable to the eye, the true character of this “unified church” will begin to unfold. The little compromises made by all of the churches in the beginning will soon be met with bigger and more radical ones. But the ball will already be rolling and none will be able to back out. Then suddenly, the “serpent” strikes- liberty of conscience will be no more. Religious laws will be issued which, although seemingly “good and moral”, will NOT be exactly as God Spoke them from Mt. Sinai, and then wrote with His Own Finger.

Those who accept this “unified apostate church’s” version of God’s law and comply with it receive the “mark of the beast” “in their forehead”- which is symbolic of their rejection of God’s Law. Those who willingly comply with it although recognizing that it is opposed to God’s Law, receive this “mark” “in their hand”, which symbolizes their “knowing” disobedience to God’s Law in order to avoid persecution. But those who comply with God’s Law and reject this altered “version” do NOT receive this “mark”, which simply means they are considered by civil authorities to be lawbreakers. This has happened in the past to those who refused to compromise their faith and it WILL happen again.

They cannot buy or sell. The reason they cannot buy or sell is because everything they own is confiscated. Without money, you cannot buy. When you own nothing, you have nothing to sell. God’s people are those who “cannot buy nor sell”. But the rest of the world looks at this group as they looked at Christ and jeered,”If you’re the Son of God, SAVE yourself! Come down off of that cross!”

This is an event of world-wide extent which will encompass the countries of the globe before it is over. Right now, the governments of the world are in league to regulate peace efforts, and environmental and trading practices. But behind the scenes, the foundation is already laid for the presenting of a set of “universal spiritual laws”. And it is now that the last call is going out:

REV 18:2 …Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.4…. come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

The Tables of Stone with the 10 Commandments

We believe that when the time comes that the “spiritual laws” are being debated and about to become the “law of the land”, the Tables of Stone written by God’s Own Finger will come out and be a witness to the true Law that He spoke from His Own lips at Mt. Sinai:

PSA 89:34 My covenant will I not break, NOR ALTER THE THING THAT IS GONE OUT OF MY LIPS.

And just as Cain’s offering was rejected by God because it was not what He required, so too will those be rejected who choose to honor a law that is OPPOSED to what God requires. Then, the fury of Cain towards Abel when his sacrifice was rejected will again be manifest in the fury of those who reject God’s Laws towards those who accept it.

Does this sound too incredible to be true? You don’t have to believe me- just watch and wait.