Hosea 4:1Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because [there is] no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
2By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood touchethblood.
3Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field,and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.
What we see above is a cause and effect relationship. Verse 3 is the effect of the cause in verse 1. There is no truth, no mercy and no knowledge of God in the land. How do we know this is fact and not just brother D's opinion?
In our lifetimes have we ever seen things like this every day in the news?
Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field,and with the fowls of heaven
dead birds
dead birds
dead birds
dead birds
dead birds
Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field,and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.
dead fish
dead fish
dead fish
dead fish
dead fish
There are churches on every corner but where is the truth? There are religious people by the millions but where is the mercy? There are Christians voting to 'make a difference' every political season but where is the knowledge of God in the land?
Light drives out darkness every time, without fail, period. If all these people and all these churches were full of light how could darkness be so thick? Would the tribulation which will be hell on earth be coming if most people around us were righteous and knew the Lord (really knew Him)?
Gen 18:26The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
27Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?”
“If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.”
29Once again he spoke to him, “What if only forty are found there?”
He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.”
30Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?”
He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
31Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?”
He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.”
32Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?”
He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.”
33When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.
We know that Sodom was destroyed and we know the Lord promised not to destroy it if even ten righteous men could be found in the entire city. What does that tell you about that city and what does it tell us about the United States for example? Is America any better than Sodom as it stands today? Has America committed all the same sins? Surely it has, so what will America's reward be? Can ten righteous men be found in (pick one) the average city? Judging by what is happening to the birds and the fish, and this has been going on daily for years, I would say probably not.
So what, just another beat down brother D? No, if the average person is the problem, they are also the solution. Playing church for generations isn't getting it done. Being religious like those the Lord condemned in His day isn't getting it done. Being the church and not playing church might be a good start. The church is not a man made organization or institution which are dead and lifeless things. The church is the organic living body of Christ which is Christ Jesus in each and every one of us. When two or more of us are assembled then the church is assembled, when we are apart we are still the church each and every one of us. We cannot "go to church" if we are the church. The statement "go to church" assumes in its very syntax that we are not the church which is a grievous error.
Pastors dot every pulpit of every church dotting the corners of the landscape, but what does the Bible say about pastors? I am not asking for men's opinions or making square blocks fit into round holes, what specifically does the bible say a pastor is and does? The only mention of the word pastor in the new testament that goes anywhere near these questions is one verse in the book of Ephesians, thats it. Paul never mentioned meeting or greeting a pastor once throughout his entire journey through Asia in the book of acts, coincidence? Paul never mentioned a singe 'pastor?' That's right, not one. So where do these men who call themselves pastors get their Biblical authority to be and to act?
Men have given themselves titles and positions, they have created lifeless organizations and institutions and called it all the church. The true church of Jesus Christ is not an institution and it is full of life and light that drives out darkness every time without fail.
The birds and the fish are dieing all around us. That is called judgement. And where does judgement begin?
1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
If the common man is the problem and the solution then the problem and solution starts with the house of God. From the ground up, the christian jargon, to the institutions, buildings, organizations, hierarchy (nicolaitan) etc it is all corrupt. Nico=conquer, laitan=laity=you the people. The Lord says He HATES the nicolaitan system but people seem to love it and what has it brough them? Corruption and darkness, sin and death.
| But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate |
Where in the Bible can you find any brother being called a "lay person?" What the heck is a lay person in the church? Its not in your Bible but the system setup elevating the pastor and priest over the "lay person" is what mankind accepts today without question.
Just because men have been living in error for generations does not make their systems right. Just because the majority accepts something does not make it right. The majority will be proven wrong, the proof is right in our faces:
Matt 7:13“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
The many, the majority enter through the broad gate that leads to destruction. That is not my opinion, that is the Word of God. The few, a handful find the small gate that leads to life. So when people follow the masses to lifeless organizations to do what the majority accept they march down the broad road. The wisdom of this world is not the wisdom of our God. He does not think like men do
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isa 55:8-9)
The problem and the solution are in our hands. The true church has the power to shut the heavens up, to move mountains and part the seas so what will we do? Will we continue to accept the ways of the nicolaitans that the Lord told us He hates twice (Rev 2:6, 2:15) when speaking to the churches? Will we continue to follow spiritual hired hands who have appointed themselves with titles and positions (pastor) that have no foundation in scripture? I see the word elders all over the place in the New Testament and I see the word pastor once, think about it.
1 Cor 12:28And God has set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helpers, administrators, various kinds of tongues.
^^^^No mention whatsoever of "pastor." These self appointed conquerors of the "laity" have 1,001 opinions of what a pastor is but what does the Bible specifically without interpretation or guessing say a pastor is? It doesn't.....The solution starts there.
1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
grace and peace
