This post will be developed around two Scriptures: Psalms 146:3 and Jeremiah 10:23.
Today, the people of this world are being impressed upon, imposed upon, compelled and seduced by human government and it’s seductresses – religion – place their trust and faith in men. Even the religious systems of the world are really a putting of trust and faith in men. For example, a religious system can call itself Christianity or Islam. These are just titles. Are these titles suppose to imply that their membership place trust and faith in God? Absolutely not!
For instance, in the religious system of Christianity with it’s more than 41000 contending denominations, they profess with their mouths that they believe in God and Christ. But when one really looks deeper into them, it is a reverence for men, the organizations, and the men who lead those organizations is who they place their trust and faith in. Many of them even elevate the founders of those organizations to deity-like status.
The religious system called by men, Christianity, has a clever racket going on: It seduces entire governments and its membership that it is godly, chaste and true while truthfully acknowledging that Jesus is the Christ. But, it serves up deception. (Matthew 24:4-5)
Close examination of this anomaly (Christianity) shows that it is an impostor. It is an Antichrist; in opposition to Christ’s teachings. An even closer examination of it shows that it brings people under the control of bulk religious organization and the leadership within them rather than to the feet of Christ. The aggressive push and pulling them is to get people to trust men and their created religious organizations. They cleverly do this by using the bait of proclaiming to be of God and Christ. They dupe the people into believing that what they are receiving are Christ’s teachings. The fruit in men that Christianity has created is fruit that looks good on the outside but rotten on the inside. It is superficial and ritual. Christ’s teachings never get deep into the heart and marrow. Yet, Jesus, quoting the Prophet Isaiah (where God is speaking) spoke of them at Matthew 15:7-9:
These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.
This is so true! Sadly, the masses within Christianity refuse to accept what God has uttered here and applied this to everyone except themselves. What stands up at present and what has much or the world in captivity, is a system of religion called by men, Christianity, that is a system of human teachers, ritual, and rules. For those of you who are Jehovah’s Witnesses and International Bible Students, you are no different. ALL of what is called Christendom or Christianity is an impostor.
Preference and reverence for humans and human organization has false representations (false images) in literature, art, and film portraying Adam, Eve, Angels, Jesus, The Prophets, The Apostles, etc in the likeness of persons of European descent. So what men have done is made visible that which they have never seen (Adam and Eve, Noah, Moses, The Prophets, The Apostles, etc) and they have made visible the things that they cannot see (God and Angels). This is how the religious systems pull God down to its level rather than approaching God as He truly is: Invisible. (Col 1:15, 1 John 4:12, John 6:46 and John 1:18)
This one act of mankind shows unfaithfulness. The mindset is not tuned to put trust and faith in that which cannot be seen, so mankind sets before itself things they can see and they put trust and faith in those things. These things can be religious organizations, crosses, rosary beads, The Bible, The Koran, popular human religious figures such as the so-called TV evangelizers, Popes, Charles Taze Russell, etc.
People put their trust and faith in these things and the utterances that issue forth from them. No faith is required in these things because they can be seen. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as:
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
So based on Hebrews 11:1, it is not possible to put faith in things seen. Even Christ himself is no longer flesh and blood but in the form, he was in in the beginning with his Father: Invisible.
I know that I will receive emails and responses from very agitated persons claiming to follow Christ and have faith in him. Yet, underlining these responses are a preference and maintenance for particular religious organizations teaching; not what Christ taught. It is almost as if many of them are saying, “The heck with what Christ taught, listen to what we have to say.” Right there, is the asking of putting trust in men.
I simply cannot and will not submit to the will of bulk religious systems and their organizations and withdraw from speaking the truth. The things I say and write they DO NOT WANT TO HEAR and do not want others to hear it either. It agitates them greatly. I will until I close my eyes in death, champion the truth of my Master, Jesus [the] Christ. And, I will do my utmost to direct persons to come out of all religious systems and organizations to come and sit at the feet of The Christ – the person – and be taught and led by him.
Jesus did not authorize the creation of or commission any religious system or organization to be a stand in for him. His call was that we become his disciples and to make others disciples by teaching them what he taught us. The act of teaching others what Jesus taught is not our teachings, but his teachings. No religious organization or system and no human can be the mouthpiece of God or Christ. Christ is the ONLY Word of God.
The Christ is not dead, therefore, no so-called Christian religious systems or organizations are needed. Only a faithless generation would see the need for them and it shows a mentality that Christ is dead or unable to teach us. Yet, Jesus makes this statement at Matthew 28:20:
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
He is with us! So why are people more attached to religious organization rather to this person?
A religious organization I was associated with for more than 25 years was the Watch Tower and Bible and Tract Society. I want to state here that I do not engage is speaking abusively against any member of any religious organization and it brings me no pleasure when others do it. The act of disagreeing is not speaking abusively of them. Yet, many within those organizations love to play the card that I speak abusively of them simply because I disagree, question, investigate and challenge them. If I was in agreement with them, they would consider me their friend. My loyalty is not to them, but to God through the teachings of Christ and many of them do not realize that I am not with them. I am 100% convinced that they all are in opposition to Christ’s teachings (while they think they are not) and I am compelled to expose their error and not keeping in lock-step with those teachings. This is what they do not like. They want persons to submit to them and what they teach and say. It is Christ I MUST listen to, not any religious system or organization. (Luke 9:35)
I personally know that “The Watch Tower Organization” is everything to Jehovah’s Witnesses; it was to me, too! Why? Because all Jehovah’s Witnesses are taught to believe that the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society is “God’s Visible Earthly Organization.” This is an expression not found in Scripture. Yet, it is a call to put trust and faith in something visible. Cleverly, this visible entity gives itself a name: God’s Visible Earthly Organization.
As I stated earlier using Hebrews 11:1, faith can only be exercised in that which cannot be seen. In fact, Jesus says that God – who is invisible – MUST BE worshiped in this manner: As someone invisible. He states this at John 4:23-24:
Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.
Is a Spirit seen or unseen? Col 1:15 clearly states that God is invisible. So a spirit is invisible. Therefore, God is to be worshiped as someone who cannot be seen. It takes faith!
Yet, the evil push in the world today is to bring mankind under the control and fear of things seen.
In June of 1991 when I took my baptismal vow as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, I actually vowed to serve an organization, not God. Yet, I thought by getting baptized, it was serving God. Then, I did not know what I was doing. I was just going along with the flow and doing as I was told I had to do.
Yet, when I later looked at the wording of the baptismal vow I took, I realized that it really had me putting trust and faith in a visible organization of men who claimed for itself that it was God’s Spirit-Directed Organization. Notice the vow taken from the June 1, 1985, Watchtower magazine, page 30:
On the basis of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, have you repented of your sins and dedicated yourself to Jehovah to do his will?
The second is:
Do you understand that your dedication and baptism identify you as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in association with God’s spirit-directed organization?
I direct your attention to what I underlined. Notice that one’s baptism is not to God, The Son and Holy Spirit as Christ directed at Matthew 28:19, but to an organization! Additionally, one is not identified as a disciple of Christ, but as a Jehovah’s Witness – a title crafted by men.
This is truly incredible as it shows that opposition to Christ I referred to. Not only has the Watch Tower organization engaged in this practice but all of the religious system, called by men, Christianity engaged in it. They have all created their own unique names and each has their own set of rules and requirements which are in opposition to Christ
This article will meet with opposition as well because it speaks the truth. Religious organization wants to keep its membership intact and not loose them. If lying to that membership will keep them in attendance, it has been willing to do this.
Revelation 18:2-4 makes the following prophetic statement:
Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’ has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal. For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.
This prophetic utterance is more far reaching than many think. It tells us that there will be a time when Christ’s teachings were adhered to and respected. Yet, something would happen. It would become a dwelling place of demons and a haunt for every impure spirit (teaching). It should be noted too that this religious system claims itself from God because God is telling His people to get out of it. Not to be overlooked is the extent of its influence in the world as all of the nations drank what it Teaches. Like intoxicating wine, it will have fooled and misled the entire world. This happening on a small scale at present and it will happen on a much larger scale after Christs 1000 year reign over the earth ends in the future. (Rev 20:7)
We are cautioned – no, warned – to be ever so watchful! Look around you and realize what has been occurring right under your eyes: Many have been taken captive by entities claiming they speak for God and Christ and teach Christ. One should ask themselves:
- Why am I being asked to become a member of religious organizations? Salvation is not with men.
- Why am I being asked to accept titles (Jehovah’s Witness, Seventh Day Adventist, Mormon, Catholic, Lutheran, Born Again Christian, etc) Jesus did not command or speak of. He just asked that I be his disciple.
- Suppose I did not join or withdraw membership with religious organization, why does religious organization teach that I am either condemned or will lose out on eternal life? Who gave them the authority to decide such a thing?
- Is it wrong for me to attach myself (make myself a member) of Christ’s body and not to religious organization that claims to be that body?
- If there are over 41,000 contending so-called Christian denominations, then there are 41,000 bodies. Which one is the true body? Or, are none of them bodies in the first place?
- Why is there an aggressive pushing and pulling to get persons to join religious organizations? Should not my joining be to the person of Christ who is alive?
- Who is behind this pushing and pulling of individuals to herd them into so-called Christian religious organizations and indeed any religious system?
Dear reader, please notice that each one believes his/her religion or religious belief is the right and true one. Thus, when they speak, they speak for the maintenance of that particular religious organizational belief. Our heads should not be on that level. Our mentality should be with the maintenance of Christ’s teachings apart from any religious organization and what they say or claim. Our listening is not to be to any of them, but to Christ only – our Head and Teacher – as The Most High God directed at Luke 9:35.
Ask yourself, “Why does religious organization want you within them?” I will tell you why: To control you and prevent you from sitting before the living one and be taught by him: The Christ.
They all have claimed that they teach Christ. This might very well be true. They might teach Christ but do they teach his teachings? There is a big difference. Jesus said many would come truthfully teaching that he is the Christ but would mislead many. This misleading of many could only occur if they did not teach what Christ taught. Their hook and lure have been to tell persons a truthful thing: Jesus is the Christ. Any proclamation by any so-called Christian religious organization that Jesus is the Christ alone gives the perception that it is of God and Christ. People believe it and thus blindly enter into them. Once hooked and drawn in by a truthful proclamation, the misleading begins. The errors and lies begin. This describes all of the system of religion called by men Christianity, and Christ describes it at Matthew 24:4-5:
Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.
What To Do?
Humbly approach The Most High God in prayer through the only way possible, His Son Christ Jesus. Ask Him for His Wisdom, Knowledge, and Understanding. Ask Him what does He want YOU to do? Persist in prayer to Him through His Son. EXPECT an answer THROUGH THE SAME CHANNEL as you asked the Father in heaven. His giving to you will not come via a religious organization or a book called The Bible as these would be other ways. There is only one way we can approach the Father and only one way we receive from Him: His Son.
Do not fall for the clever trick the religious system called by men, Christianity, uses. It may tell you to seek answers from The Bible. No! No! No!
The Most High God did not stand up a book as His channel between Himself and us. He made His Son that channel and only way. Jesus thus says at John 14:6:
I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Additionally, one must come to understand that it is not religious systems or men or books (The Bible) where salvation lies. It is a person. Sadly, many claiming to follow Christ know more about and have more respect for their particular religious organization’s rules, regulations, requirements, restrictions and rituals than they do Christ’s teachings. Jesus says at Acts 4:12:
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.
The Bible is a name man gave a book. The many so called Christian religious organizations in existence today: Men named them. Yet, none of them did God send. None of them did God name or authorize. He sent His only begotten Son and it is his name that was given to mankind. Has mankind listened? No! (Luke 9:35)
Listening to religious organization and men claiming to be of God and Christ is not the same as listening to Christ. It is listening to religious organizations claiming to be of God and Christ. That is not what God commanded us to do.
The Prophet Jeremiah knew that we humans have not had it encoded into us to lead and directed each other. We have only one director and leader:
Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.
The Psalmist, King David, at Psalms 146:3 knew that we are not to put our trust in human beings:
Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.
It will take monumental resolve and courage to question and put to the test the utterances out of religious organizations and from men. You will not be well-liked for your stance. But you will find a peace and liberation not experienced before. You will be blessed with the wisdom, understanding, and knowledge of God just by virtue of setting yourself before His Son and being taught by His Son.
You show before God and all of the angelic hosts that you have faith in Him and in His Son – neither whom can be seen – so as to have God feed you the truth through His ONLY authorized channel: Our Head, Master, Teacher, and Savior – Christ Jesus.
The world – especially what is called by men Christianity – will shun you. You will really feel that you are not part of the world. Yet, take consolation that God and His Christ are with you because you have drawn closer to God by cutting out all of those middle-men – religious organization – and are being taught by the greatest Teacher that ever lived.