Don,

I have found it quit interesting that you have painted yourself into your own corner. I am glad that you are not divisive or critical of your fellow brothers in Christ, and stayed true to just sharing the truth of the Word of God. Please listen to your own words because you sound just like the people that you are criticizing:

TOO MUCH DIVISION

One doesn't have to observe the church world long before it becomes apparent that the many denominations (the word means divisions) with their differing dogmas and creeds are at odds with one another and that they are very careful to maintain their distance and their suspicions of one another.

Sadly, all of this is to the confusion and bewilderment of a world that the Bible says is lost and dying in their sin. All of this must be to the dismay of God Who has commanded we believers to love one another so that the world might see our unity and believe. And what are they to believe? They are to believe the Gospel's account that God sent His Only Begotten Son Who was born of a virgin and Who accomplished the death, burial, and resurrection that was written of Him.

I find it interesting that you yourself say that you are not part of the Church that causes confusion but just loves and brings unity. You could have fooled me. Secondly, who is more suspicious of who? It sounds like you have carefully maintained your distance as you said they have. And I am glad the "WE BELIEVERS" (your words in the third sentence and I would suspect that you include yourself in that category because you appear to be a believer) Have demonstrated true love for your weaker brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ. I am also so glad that you don't want to divide but bring together everyone under the same independent, separated, divided, and pious banner that you have taken up. That is refreshing, isn't it! It is a NO BRAINER, to say the least, that there has been division in the Church over the centuries as well as today but that doesn't mean that we have the right to indiscriminately attack the Church. (those who have put the faith and trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ, Born again Believers who make up many of the denominations that you are criticizing) I suspect that you are too far gone in your own self righteousness and will only react to this instead of taking it to heart. I understand that you have been hurt some where along your Christian walk and Jesus will be gracious and merciful to your for your attack on His body. ( even though His church sometimes acts carnal )

In His Grace,

Don Wrote:

From the tenure of your WRAP I can assume that you have not read what we have to say on our site and that you are convinced that the dogma your particular denomination pushes is the right one.

I notice that you use the word church with a capital "C." I, too, capitalize Church; but only to stress the difference between the organized church with its many divisions and the Body of Christ, the true Church which I capitalize in my writings. Of the organized church, our Lord prophesied as is recorded in Matthew's Gospel.

Mt. 13:24-30
Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them:
but gather the wheat into my barn...

43 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the
prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

At this point in time, the disciples were beginning to perceive that their beloved Israel was in jeopardy, and now it was beginning to appear that the new Church that they were to have a part in building was also in jeopardy: hence, they wanted to know more about these "tares."

Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked [one];
The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Jesus' words have come to pass. The devil has had approximately 20 centuries to plant his tares, and he has been a busy little devil. It has been our call and purpose to bring to light and to MARK THEM who function as tares in the midst of the church. If you will take the time to read our book MARK THEM, you will see that we have only words of encouragement for the believer in Christ Jesus--and a concern lest the tares and those who function in their stead trip up the babes-in-Christ in their beginning steps and steal the things that are theirs in Christ. Also, if you go through our site, you will note that we not only see the symptoms but that we address the problems they lay at the heart of a floundering, powerless church--and that we present what we believe to be the cure: i.e., the Word of God, not the words of some man behind a pulpit or some charismatic media minister, but the Word of God as is interpreted by the Holy Spirit to the heart of each Believer who will take the time to obey God and study the Word to show himself /herself approved to God.

The problem in the Grace Age church is not new nor unique. Jesus bumped into it in His ministry to the first church (called-out ones), the nation Israel.

The cure for the New Testament church is as simple as it was for the nation Israel: go to the WORD of God so that He can set it FREE: Free from the bondage to/of man, free from the dead traditions of man, free from the lies of the devil, etc. The nation of Israel rejected the cure, preferring instead the traditions and teachings of man. However, as we read the Scriptures, the end-time Church will awake from its slumber and trim its lamps (See Matthew 25): i.e., study the Word. We feel that our ministry is a part of the "wake-up call" to the Church within the church to do just that.

You will also notice in our site that we are aware of the dilemma of today's believers: i.e., with so many different churches and so much confusion, what church should one attend? Again, the answer is in the WORD, for if we will study the Word seeking to be approved of God and not man, God will give us of His Spirit as per His promises, and He will guide us into all things of the Lord, including which church we should attend--and He will do so reminding us that we are to put our confidence in Him, and not in man. The words of Jesus to the disciples who were being prepared to found the New Testament Church are as timely today as they were then.

John 16:12-15
I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew [it] unto you.
All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew [it] unto you

Thanks for taking the time to WRAP with us.

Maranatha,

B’Ann Wrote:

Please note that we used the phrase "the church world," not the word "Christian". We have found precious Christians in all denominations whether it is Catholic or Protestant. I have found Christians in the many occupations of the U. S., at home and abroad, that give of themselves, quietly and unobtrusively, every single day. They never ask for attention or recognition because giving is their nature. It is a natural fruit. Are we to judge? No, but neither are we to be gullible. By their fruit we shall know them. Let us now look at this "fruit" that Jesus talked about in depth.

John 4:36
And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
________________
Luke 6:38; 44-46
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same
measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
...
For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

Gal. 5:14-26
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, [even] in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
[This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
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.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Eph 5:1-11
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for
a sweetsmelling savour.
But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
For ye were sometimes darkness, but now [are ye] light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
(For the fruit of the Spirit [is] in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove [them].

We once had a beloved old pastor that asked how we could know something was of God or from a con artist? In this particular case, he was very leery of faith healers. I, myself, believed that faith healing had to be genuine because it is commanded in the Great Commission. I replied, "All things from God are a gift and should be passed on as a gift to a person in need. On the other hand," I continued, "If they are not of Christ, they will attach a monetary charge in some way or other." I have witnessed healing, true healings, and most of the time it came from someone I did not know, intimately, who passed through my life, and on to the next assignment of God. Never was an offering, or selling of indulgences, a part of this perfect plan of God.

This is another study all in itself. I will let you study this out if you please. The Scriptures say :

Php. 3:17-20
Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, [that they are] the enemies of the cross of Christ:
Whose end [is] destruction, whose God [is their] belly, and [whose] glory [is] in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

Yes. there is a world of difference between a "Christian" and a "church member." Not necessarily are they the same! If people would just study out the above Scripture, they would have to see the church world in a new light and the wiles of liberalism would start to drop from their thinking.

DON WROTE:

The information that you are looking for is one of the main reasons for our site. Simply back to our home page and click on the CLOCK OF AGES button and the link to our study of the BOOK OF REVELATION.

Thanks for WRAPPING with us.

Don

DON WROTE:

The woman is the nation Israel and her child is the Christ child Jesus who became the Savior of the world.

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