Hebrews 10:23-25 (the GO TO CHURCH verse) transliterated here, as seen through the eyes of the modern church-goer. (FGV) False Gospel Version: Let us hold fast the church attendance of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised us a church building is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works by inviting people to church once a week. (what you do all of the other days is up to you) And do not neglect meeting together to pay your tithes, sing 3 fast songs and 3 slow songs while crying a little, with raised hands while your head is angled upwards ever so slightly... which seamlessly leads into the pastors sermon...DO NOT NEGLECT THIS...as is the habit of some. So, therefore brethren, encourage one another to do this without fail, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. THIS is the mark of a true disciple: that he goes to church, does everything instructed while he is there and invites others to do the same. HEBREWS 10:23-25 AS FOUND IN THE ESV: Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and ALL THE MORE as you see the Day drawing near. ACTS 2:46-47 And DAILY, attending the temple together and breaking bread (a 1st century idiom for fellowship as Hebrews 10:25 commanded) in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number DAILY those who were being saved. How often did the early church meet together? DAILY. How many times did the real version of Hebrews 10:23-25 insinuate, command and teach our modernized version of go to church...? ZERO times. The church isnt that building down the street...the church is YOU and I. You cant go to something you are...therefore if youre a genuine disciple, you cant turn your Christianity on and off based on your geographical location on Sunday and Wednesdays. Did the early church only practice Christianity on specific days? No, you say? Then what makes us think we can get away with it? TODAYS CHURCH: Just something you do...NOT something you are. Todays degraded Christianity is nothing more than a kind of Sunday religion -- It is likened unto the Sunday clothes & outer beautification that is put on once a week, and then laid aside. As the clothes come off, so does their Christ. As the makeup and hair gel spins down the drain; so goes their Christ. Christianity: A mere geographical change on a Sunday. Christianity: A Sunday costume. Christianity: Doing and saying things on Sunday you never say or do any other time. This modern church is filled to capacity with Christians. But the Lord never told us to go into all of the world and make Christians. He said to go and make disciples. Being a Christian puts all of the responsibility on God (or your pastor) and requires nothing but our passiveness and apathy. Being a Disciple relies on God from our standpoint of weakness, to rely on His strength at all times. And with this strength, having no excuse for passivity, all responsibility is put on the Disciple to bear his cross, use his talents wisely, store up oil, edify other believers, preach the Gospel, heal the sick, feed the hungry, poor, orphan and widow etc. It seems the only disciples these days are the ones being paid for it: The Pastor (well isnt that ironic). Its not good enough to think we can pay a professional disciple (someone who isnt found in scripture) to do all of the things required of ALL of us, so we can remain in our lethargic, apathetic stupor of worldliness. Were only fooling ourselves if we think were fooling God. Do we honestly think our tithe check is an equivalent to discipleship and God is equating our reward as being equal with the pastors? Since when did throwing money in a bucket (so another can do what YOU should be doing) become radical discipleship? As if our tithe is a spiritual dialysis machine that is filtering out all of our toxicity, sanctifying us and storing up treasure in heaven to be dallied out for our reward at the Judgment Seat? It seems because we pay the professional disciple we feel as if were no longer obligated to be a Disciple...just a Church-going Christian. That were no longer under obligation to take up our cross and follow Him; Thats what we pay him for... This conglomeration called a tithe, the pastor, and church attendance, has become the stress ball for the modern Christian. Its the pacifier that tells them they dont have to bear their own cross...because they pay money instead. Worse yet, its the pillow that cushions their conscience into thinking they ARE taking up their cross by paying a tithe or going to a building on Sunday to hear and see the hired hand, perform what their money has bought them. The only outer change or proof, most in the modern church have, to give evidence to the inner salvation they profess to possess; is the Sunday costume they wear when they geographically move their body from point A to point B... to sit in a chair. Even the family pet could do this. So what makes us think were so radical when were doing something even a Golden Retriever could do? We modern Christians take the road of least resistance. Its easier to pay off our conscience by attending a meeting and signing a check, than it is to take up our cross and be discipled to Christ. The Lord didnt say take up your tithe check and Sunday costume to church so you can watch the pastor bear the cross your money has paid for...all so you dont have to.. Luke 9:23- But the way most modern believers act, in their idolatry and overemphasis of the Sunday meeting, youd think He did. Going to church (a term not found in the entirety of the Bible) will never take the place of personal obedience...ever. And it certainly wont distract God from what you refuse to do. The way a lot of people act, its as if they are doing God a great favor by going to a building and sitting in a chair for two hours, as they stare at the back of someones head. So, they feel this gives them license (consciously or subconsciously) to do as thou wilt for the remainder of the week. The Catholics call this indulgences. Which is just a fancy word for license to sin. The Satanists call this do as thou wilt attitude Witchcraft and Satanism. And God calls this LAWLESSNESS which has the price tag of disinheritance from the Kingdom. Matthew 7:21-23. If we are using our church attendance as a means to overcompensate for blatant disobedience and sin or pretending like the mere act of going to church once a week is using our talents wisely and hereby we refuse to do anything more; our Christianity is then, nothing more than smoke bombs and theatrics to bait, stroke, trick, hoodwink and soothe our conscience into believing God is okay with the sham we have turned the power of the Gospel and true, Biblical discipleship into. No, Im not against pastors, fellowshipping with other saints (there is a difference between Hebrews 10:25 fellowship and church attendance though) or the principle behind tithing (giving). But if we honestly think these things are maintaining a blood bought salvation and replacing radical cross bearing devotion; are we not guilty of idolatry? Are we, like the Israelite s who called the golden calf Jehovah who delivered us from Egypt any different when we say behold, our tithe check, Sunday costume, Sunday building and hired professional disciple, who replaces our devotion and discipleship? Its all the same: Attributing God to our disobedience and idolatry. And making our disobedience appear to be holy because weve tagged a few religious sounding phrases to it. If it quacks like an idolatrous duck, walks like an idolatrous duck, it must be an..._____________________. We can call our disobedience and idolatry by any sanctified or holy phraseology we want; but its still disobedience and idolatry. We may fool and deceive ourselves. But God is not fooled. Only fools can fool themselves into thinking that their disobedient foolishness isnt a form of deadened godliness. The modern church has a form of godliness for sure. But this form can never save a soul, let alone make a disciple...its powerless. Powerless because they deny themselves of its power. Yes, most are quite content with a sham and a counterfeit. Christ and radical discipleship to Him, isnt activated by and with certain clothes, makeup or perfect hair; at a specific location on a specific day. Nor is He deactivated and put in a closet, or washed down a drain until next week. If this is your Christ; He doesnt exist. You have a mere counterfeit and idol. But unfortunately, this is exactly how most modern Christians treat Him. Christ has been reduced to going to church when we ARE the Church. The early Christians met DAILY in their homes...not once a week to sit in a chair. Most modern church-goers would NEVER want the affliction of having (let alone wanting to) to fellowship seven days a week: Heck, were too busy for that today. Besides, Id miss American IDOL, The Voice or my football game if I met daily with other believers. Yup, the average American Christian IS satisfied OPENLY with American IDOL. At least their honest about choosing an open idol over true, first century stylized Christianity... Inner transformation has been reduced and counterfeited by outer beautification (which is nothing more than the morticians brush to conceal the inner deadness). This go to church mentality is nothing more than an optical illusion. This kind of Christianity NEEDS to be put in a closet and washed down the drain...for good. Because its paralyzing and making mockery of the genuineness of Christ and the True power of the Gospel. Its a powerless Christianity without a cross. And its going to be a crownless Christianity at the Judgment Seat. Matthew 28:19-20- Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23- Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:27 Whoever does not pay their tithes, go to church for an hour or so, once a week, and invite others to do so; will have no part in the Kingdom of God. If this were not so, I would have told you. Be of good cheer; if you go to church; its all good. -Matthew 30:7- Whooops...(this just in) This verse doesnt exist. Pay attention and search the scriptures for yourself! Accept NO imitations... We must not merely go to church as a weekly event. We must BE THE CHURCH as a daily reality.
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 22:01:14 +0000
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