The article Why I Should Seek to Find God’s True Church explains the incredibly great advantages and blessings available inside God’s True Church now and throughout eternity: Take a look and see if these things aren’t so…
There are blessings and gifts that our Loving Creator desires to pour out abundantly upon all mankind, but cannot because outside of Christ and without a vital connection with Him men are unable to appreciate, and utilize these great gifts in harmony with God’s own selfless character. Men would become puffed up, proud, self sufficient, would think themselves to possess exceptional abilities above their fellowman, and would lose sight of the fact that God lowered Himself in position, but not purpose or dignity to come along side man lifting him up from his fallen condition.
Apart from God all man can do is selfishness. It is divine grace alone which is constantly working upon all humanity (believers and unbelievers) that stimulates the impulse of right thinking, and doing. Self centered behavior is man’s natural state, yet God planned for no follower of His to ever live a natural human life. No, it was always God’s plan to unite humanity with divinity and thus empower mankind by the new birth making him a new creation that could live above the elements of natural man.
It is for no lack of love and desire on God’s part that mankind doesn’t recognize the fullness of God, or the gifts of the Spirit. When God’s people are thoroughly converted from the world to Christ, are prepared to be anything or nothing for God, humbling themselves by fulfilling their obligatory role in submission to all His divine requirements, and engaged in service for the salvation of mankind from the motive of love alone: then the demonstration of the power of God will return to earth. That day is soon to come, much sooner than many think.
If you would like to know that your life is in perfect harmony with God, and that you have done all to prepare for that day, then this message is for you… For to become a member of God’s True Church experiencing the privilege of fellowship with Christ (recognizing His Personal Presence in your Life now and for eternity) then this blessed experience discussed above must become a reality in your life.
Hebrews chapter 3 and 4 are two of the most interesting chapters in the bible, and combined with a few other proof text reveal who God’s True Church was in the past, is in the present, and will be in the future. And you will be able to see it, exactly as God’s word unravels a puzzle to the mind of man, for you can not find the true church by going to the phone book, laying your finger on the first church it comes to, and then visiting all the churches in the book from there. No, you will waste a lot of time, and energy, and probably be lost in confusion. God’s way of revealing truth is found in Christ: “The Word of God”. The bible is His own word full of power, and authority, given to us as a precious gift to exercise faith in. All our answers will be found here in the bible.
So, let us immediately go to the text in Hebrews chapter 3:12 “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.” Would it be surprising for you to find that there was a lot of evil unbelief in the children of Israel as God lead them out of Egyptian bondage, and sought to re-educate them to His ways and make them His True Church on Earth?
Most were never able to learn God’s way, the evil heart of unbelief grew into hardness of heart which many refused to even attempt to exercise trust in God. I’m sure when Paul wrote the next verse, “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” he might have well been thinking of the experience when the children of Israel began to murmur, and complain against God, and because of their unwarranted complaint against Christ who had been leading them His protective hedge was removed. It was then that the deadly serpents began penetrating the camp, and biting the people.
The Hebrews in their affliction could not save themselves from the effect of the fiery serpents, any more than men today can live the Christian life without God’s divine power and presence. As God required, those whom He was seeking to make up His church to act in faith, and reveal a repentant heart by responding to the plan he made for their recovery from the biting serpents, so today we must also act our part in the plan of salvation.
They like us we’re required to look in order to live. The act of looking showed their faith in the Son of God, whom the serpent lifted up on the pole by Moses represented. The lifting up of the brazen serpent was to teach Israel a lesson. They had presented their offerings to God, and felt that in thus doing they had made ample atonement for their sins. They did not, by faith, rely upon the merits of the Redeemer to come, of which their offerings were only the type. The serpent, made of brass to resemble the fiery serpent, was to be placed in the midst of the camp, lifted upon a pole. This was to show to Israel that their offerings, of themselves, had no more saving virtue or power than the serpent of brass, (just as today the works of any man, or church while having no merit to earn salvation) but do posses a very important role in development of the character traits of Christ, and having a moral fitness able to receive the gift of eternal life.
That moral fitness begins with Christ justifying us. Christ has justified (legally pronounced perfect, and without sin) all who come to Him, but it doesn’t end at justification, man must go further through the process of sanctification if he is to continually receive the free gift of justification which keeps him in a saving relationship with Christ. If man is to enjoy the privileges of the power, and presence of Christ then he must exercise faith in that power to cleanse the life from sin or he will make his profession a disgrace as he misrepresents the power, purity, and holy attributes of Jesus. Christ is full of grace and power, and no life connected with Him continues in sin.
The Hebrew concept of salvation is far different from the contemporary concepts of today’s Christianity. They had a very detailed, exact, language, it is really one of the purest of all languages on earth, it is not an ambiguous language. The word “save” in Hebrew actually means Jehovah saves, so when the angel Gabriel told Joseph that Mary was going to have a son that would “save his people from their sins” and that would be the reason that “thou shalt call his name Jesus” Mat 1.:21. It was a command. Thou shalt… because He will save, but from what? From sin of course, but today’s Christianity wants to be saved from the results of sin, and the penalty of sin or hell fire. Jesus (Jehovah Saves) came to save man from the acts of sin which would develop in man a character unfit to enter into the pure courts of eternity.
All the angels of heaven and the unfallen worlds are watching this conflict and want to know that if man is given eternal life will they create another rebellion, and mar the beauty of heaven by sinning. It is our duty to reveal the power of God on earth and that we have developed a character safe to save. If we love Jesus we will believe the command of God’s sent Angel to mankind, “thou shalt call his name Jesus for He shall save his people from their sins”. If you are a part of God’s people (His True Church) then you will exercise strong faith in the power of Christ to re-create you into His own image and save you from sin. The belief that salvation is being saved from the result of continual transgression, sinning and asking forgiveness, sinning and asking forgiveness with no desire to be set free from sin, and that God will serve with that attitude is a false doctrine which originates not from the bible but from the adversary of it.
Israel had been preserved by a miracle of God’s mercy during every day of their travels in the wilderness. The mighty Angel who went before them was the Son of God. He evened their path, so that their feet did not swell. It was the Majesty of Heaven who subdued and restrained the strong and dangerous beasts of the forest, as well as the poisonous serpents that infested the wilderness. The children of Israel did not realize the thousand dangers they were preserved from in their travels, because they were kept from them. They had hard hearts of unbelief, and were unreconciled to be guided and controlled by God. They imagined evils. They dwelt upon the dangers which threatened them, although they experienced them not. The Lord permitted the serpents to distress them, that they might realize how much they might have suffered if God had not mercifully encompassed them, and preserved them from affliction and death. The Lord had just given them a wonderful victory over their enemies, in answer to prayer.
God did not prevent the Israelites from dying in their sins. Through all time those who believe that Jesus can save them individually and personally from sin are God’s called out ones, His true church. The majority of the church today do not believe that God can save them personally from continuing in sin. But these come out of the world and separate themselves from every wrong thought, and action. By faith we must reach out to God and exercise belief that He will cleanse us, and empower us to “go and sin no more.” Jn 8:11
For God to take possession of the heart by His Spirit empowering man to experience the new birth man and be transformed into a new creature man must surrender his will to God at the foot of the cross: Look at this process below…
When the soul surrenders itself to Christ, a new power takes possession of the new heart. A change is wrought which man can never accomplish for himself. It is a supernatural work, bringing a supernatural element into human nature. The soul that is yielded to Christ becomes His own fortress, which He holds in a revolted world, and He intends that no authority shall be known in it but His own. A soul thus kept in possession by the heavenly agencies is impregnable to the assaults of Satan. But unless we do yield ourselves to the control of Christ, we shall be dominated by the wicked one. We must inevitably be under the control of the one or the other of the two great powers that are contending for the supremacy of the world. It is not necessary for us deliberately to choose the service of the kingdom of darkness in order to come under its dominion. We have only to neglect to ally ourselves with the kingdom of light. If we do not co-operate with the heavenly agencies, Satan will take possession of the heart, and will make it his abiding place. The only defense against evil is the indwelling of Christ in the heart through faith in His righteousness. Unless we become vitally connected with God, we can never resist the unhallowed effects of self-love, self-indulgence, and temptation to sin. We may leave off many bad habits, for the time we may part company with Satan; but without a vital connection with God, through the surrender of ourselves to Him moment by moment, we shall be overcome. Without a personal acquaintance with Christ, and a continual communion, we are at the mercy of the enemy, and shall do his bidding in the end. DA 324
The gospel is to be presented, not as a lifeless theory, but as a living force to change the life. (But how can that happen if today’s preachers don’t believe that) God desires that the receivers of His grace shall be witnesses to its power. Those whose course has been most offensive to Him He freely accepts; when they repent, He imparts to them His divine Spirit, places them in the highest positions of trust, and sends them forth into the camp of the disloyal to proclaim His boundless mercy. He would have His servants bear testimony to the fact that through His grace men may possess Christlikeness of character, and may rejoice in the assurance of His great love. He would have us bear testimony to the fact that He cannot be satisfied until the human race are reclaimed and reinstated in their holy privileges as His sons and daughters. DA 826.2
Here we see that many in God’s True Church are made up of those who lives have been offensive to God, very sinful, but now as they have repented Christ has given them His Spirit, they have received power, and victory over sin, and are placed in positions of responsibility in His True Church. Those positions are not to be given based on educational advantages, or worldly influence, but from the position of submission to Christ and the new birth. How is that position to be proved by the church? By the fruits of the Spirit, “ye shall know them by their fruits.” Mat 7:16 ” But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. Gal. 5:22-24
The True Church Member will not be missing any of these fruits. All will be seen in his life. It will be made known he is a member of God’s family by his fruit. Christian Character development: the mind, thoughts feelings of Christ is the proof of true religion. “Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” said Paul, but if we don’t allow God to give us the mind of Christ by exercising faith in His desire to do this for us and if we believe that we must go on sinning and confessing, sinning and confessing with no hope of overcoming sin then what can God do? He presents the promises to us, and we must reveal confidence in His word by acting out our faith. ”
“Through all ages and in every nation those who believe that Jesus can save them and will save them personally from sin are the elect and chosen of God. RH 8-1-93″ These alone make up God’s true church. What can Jesus do for those who choose not to believe and exercise faith in Christ. (They will die in their sins) And the True Church has a recorded book, and in it is recorded the name of every individual that has ever exercised genuine faith in Christ to receive victory over sin, and by persevering faith maintained that relationship. Men might try to reach out and touch this book, or alter it’s records but is is beyond their grasp. Here’s the promise, “Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” Every thing God has can, and will be yours but you must overcome. Overcoming means, “get the victory”, shouldn’t we know, and experience this victory in our lives.
Look at the book:
Rev_21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it (Heaven) any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Rev_5:2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
Rev_5:3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
Rev_5:4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
Rev_5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
Rev_5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Php_4:3 And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.
Rev_3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Rev_13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Rev_17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
Rev_20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev_20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Rev_21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Rev_22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Do you see it, no church on earth, as a denomination, or group has an advantage over any person, all who will may come and take freely of the water of life, no group or people on earth, no self imposed authority dressed in christian garb can touch that book that holds the name of the True Christian. Christ alone is the only one who was found able to not only touch the book but even look at it. John wept because no one was able to open the book of life. But Christ alone was found able, not your pastor, not your priest, Christ alone, and no one can take the “gift of life from you” the source is Jesus Christ.
He alone is able, and He is alone able to write your name in the role of the True Church recorded in Heaven’s record book. The record book on earth has no merit, no value, it is worthless. The blood of Christ is the merit; it is the value, and only those who exercise strong faith in it’s saving power experience salvation. See the verse, “Rev_12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. ” These are the three ways of overcoming.
1. The blood of the Lamb
2. Your Testimony, a genuine experience where you by faith have reached out and touched Christ, and can share that testimony to encourage others to gain the victory
3. Love not your own life, don’t put your own will to live and do your own thing above God. Submit to God and die to your own plans and purposes. Surrender all your desires to Christ.
If man alters one word regarding how mankind is saved, if he changes one word about the book of life, look at his terrible fate below!
Rev 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Rev 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Rev 22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Rev 22:21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Do you see it, God has provided this water of life freely for all who are thirsty for eternal life and no man on earth can touch or restrict the flow of the waters of salvation that proceed from the Throne of Christ. And if they add or detract in anyway from it God will destroy them.
Do you see why these verses are couched in contextual perfection and the link between the call of the Spirit and the bride, and the warning not to add or delete from it…. it is because the call is given freely by God’s True Church, the water is free, paid by the blood of Christ, bought by the life of God, and no one can reach out his hand and extend it to the salvational waters which flow from the throne without contaminating the call and the understanding of salvation. They are pure and holy, man can only make the call to come… Christ alone provides pure salvation… Christ alone can touch the book of Life… for man to claim who is saved, and who can be cast out of God’s church and who makes up God’s church is blasphemy. For man to alter, misrepresent the plan of salvation, change God’s Holy definitions of “being saved”, sin, victory, justification, and sanctification will result in receiving the plagues, and names being taken out of the book of life.
God is a jealous God. Deu_6:15 (For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth. He loves sinners. He loves Christ. He loves the gospel. He will never allow man to touch the waters he loves without receiving a terrible terrible punishment.
Let all who think they can change one iota of God’s word to suit their modern day thinking, their contemporary mode of stylish christian apparel “Fear God” as the wise man said,
Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Ecc 12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
That’s the conclusion, that means that’s it! We will be judged, especially if we are involved in a false gospel, a modern cheap prosperity gospel, a fake water of life that is “denying the power of God” and is only a surface religion without any real experience in Christ which allows the sinner to feel comfortable in sin while being destroyed by that false belief system.
Did you know God pronounced a blessing on his Last Day’s Church in the book of Revelation, they are easy to see, and find: “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Rev. 22:14 Here are a people (God’s Church) doing keep His commandments, all of them. But, sad to say also in the last day’s there is another church, a worldly church that doesn’t have the power to keep God’s commandments, nor do they believe it is possible to do so.
Friends are we living in the last days, then God has already warned us that this is how it would be in this false worldy church:
2Ti 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2Ti 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2Ti 3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
2Ti 3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
God’s advice is to turn away from such teachers, such people, and return to the True Fountain of Eternal Life… There is no life outside the truth…
No matter how big it is… how popular it is … there is no life outside the narrow way…
Joh_14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Mat 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Mat 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
the truth might be a narrow way, but it is the only way leading to eternal life…
How narrow do you think that way is… it is as narrow as the width of a man’s shoulders carrying a cross, and bleeding along the way… if you get past that way you’re thinking is too broad… you’ve adopted another religion, another leader, another shepherd or pastor other than Christ.
“how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Jn 14:5-6
No way, no way you can really come to God, the Father and experience salvation, but by Christ, and His words, His doctrines, His true definitions of salvation, and His beliefs, exeperincing His mind, if you put your pastors words above Christ, and your pastor has ideas about salvation different from the bible, Jesus, and the mind of Christ then you have erected an Idol, and are bowing down to it.
1Jn 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
Lesson two gets really interesting please continue when you have a moment
Proceed to Lesson 2 Seeking God’s True Church
May the Lord Bless you & Keep you, And Cause His Face to Shine Upon You…
Pastor Ken Tonage