The good, the bad

& the ungodly

-6-

choosing the lord’s side in the current christian civil war

In concluding this series of articles, I have to pick up where I left off in our last meeting; the matter of truth. On this knife edge is balanced our integrity. If you or I violate the truth that binds us to The Gospel & its Christ, we abandon a holy standard. Let me speak for myself for a moment. I know that my conscience will not allow me to seek a unity with anyone or an affiliation to anything that blasphemes YHWH, The Holy Spirit or Our Lord & Saviour, Jesus Christ. I can only hold to a biblical doctrine; a true Christology; a clear orthopraxy. I cannot pretend that the obvious, glaring differences between myself & others, do not exist or matter. They do. I say this concerning primary fundamental matters. I don’t actually care about carpets, accoutrements or curtains. But I do care about salvation by grace alone, through faith alone. I do care about believer’s baptism. I do care about the inspiration of The Scriptures. I do care about The Incarnation. I do care about The Trinity. I do care about eternal punishment. I do care about God’s purposes for Israel, without whom we Gentiles would have no access to The New Covenant. To those who suggest that these elements can be swept aside, as if they were secondary, in favour of the appearance of a united front, I would say this; how dare you attempt to arbitrarily dismantle the work of Christ at the cross with such casual abandon? It is an insult! Hebrews says, ‘He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.’ (Hebrews 10:28-31). My conscience will not allow me to do this. I thumb my nose at hollow ecumenical efforts in the same way that they spit in the face of Christ, His Apostles & those who earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. In the words of that great theologian, Luke Skywalker, to his nemesis Darth Vader; I’ll never join you! Pah! ‘But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities.’ (Jeremiah 10:8).

You would be forgiven for thinking that God was a sad but benevolent father, looking down on The Church at large & asking why His children aren’t getting along. Such is the subtle & insidious nature of ecumenicalism. It is nothing more than the assumed fatherhood of God & brotherhood of man. Unfortunately, we cannot simply put our differences aside & pretend that they don’t matter. They do!

I have been asked whether or not I believe that The Lord wants His Church to come together. Emphatically yes. As long as it is His Church. Denominational lines do not concern me. Doctrinal lines do. Whatever we believe will lead directly to what we practise. It is not enough to pay a nominal lip service to the faith. We must be born again (John 3:3-7, 1^st Peter 1:23).

Any church, movement, group or denomination that is Christian in name only, is not a candidate for biblical unity.

Any church, movement, group or denomination that promotes demonstrably false Doctrine, is not a candidate for biblical unity.

Any church, movement, group or denomination that possesses an aberrant Christology, is not a candidate for biblical unity.

Any church, movement, group or denomination that openly rejects The Scriptures, is not a candidate for biblical unity.

This narrows the field significantly. Not because I say so, but rather, because this was the teaching of The Lord Jesus Christ & the Apostles. Despite this, there are still those who will twist The Scriptures, to their own destruction. Let’s look at some of their favourites.

¹² For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. ¹³ For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. ¹⁴ For the body is not one member, but many. ¹⁵ If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? ¹⁶ And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? ¹⁸ But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. ¹⁹ And if they were all one member, where were the body? ²⁰ But now are they many members, yet but one body. ²¹ And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. ²² Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: ²³ And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. ²⁴ For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: ²⁵ That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.  ²⁶ And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. ²⁷ Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. (1^st Corinthians 12:12-27).

‘You see..’, they say, ‘..we are one body, therefore it doesn’t matter which part of The Church you belong to; we are simply different members of the body of Christ & didn’t Paul say “For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.” (Ephesians 5:29-30)?’. I strongly disagree on the grounds that it is wholly unbiblical. You & I are members of the body of Christ if we are born again. Paul is speaking to believers, not unbelievers. Paul is admonishing those who have believed the true Gospel, not a false one. Paul is teaching the Doctrine of Christ, which he & the other Apostles received from The Lord Himself, not the doctrines of demons. Despite this, there are still those who will twist The Scriptures, to their own destruction. Let’s look at another one of their favourites.

¹ I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, ² With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; ³ Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; ⁵ One Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. (Ephesians 4:1-7).

‘You see..’ they say ‘..God wants unity, not division. Paul uses the word “one” several times in order to emphasize that point. Therefore, all churches must come together’. Oh please; will you go & read Ephesians chapters 2 & 3!! 

Paul says, ‘For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to youward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.’ (Ephesians 3:1-7). Paul is highlighting the fact that we are to make every effort to maintain a unity that only God can established through The Gospel, uniting believing Jews & believing Gentiles in Christ.

Paul says keep the unity. He doesn’t say create it. Paul uses the word one several times in order to highlight the fact that there aren’t two or three or four bodies. There is one. Are you listening, you ecu-men? This applies to born again believers, Not every Tom, Dick & Harriet.

¹³ But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; ¹⁵ Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; ¹⁶ And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: ¹⁷ And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. ¹⁸ For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. ¹⁹ Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; ²⁰ And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; ²¹ In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: ²² In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit (Ephesians 2:13-22). 

Despite this, there are still those who will twist The Scriptures, to their own destruction. Let’s look at another one of their favourites.

¹⁴ I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. ¹⁵ As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd (John 10:14-16).

The Lord was not speaking about denominations here. He references those sheep who are His & those sheep who need to come in. This is Ezekiel 34. Ecumenicalism proports the falsehood that this is Jesus bringing The Church together. ‘We’re all His sheep’, it is said. That is a lie; some of those who promote this movement are goats.

⁵ Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. ⁶ Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. ⁷ Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, ⁸ And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed (1^st Peter 2:5-8). 

¹⁴ And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. ¹⁵ And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful (Colossians 3:14-15). 

⁵ So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another (Romans 12:5).

⁶ That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 15:6).

²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).

¹³ Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: ¹⁴ That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; ¹⁵ But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: ¹⁶ From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love (Ephesians 4:13-17). 

I encourage all those who truly believe, to resist ecumenicalism as a doctrine of demons. Take a stand against it. If we look again at what The Lord Jesus Christ said & know what He meant, we will recoil from any endeavour to partner with immoral, idolatrous, blasphemous heretics who have their own agenda. Today we are told that we should all come together as one in Christ. Tomorrow we will be told that we should all come together & buy the world a Coke. The true Church will remain distinct, doctrinally pure & faithful in its practise. God bless.

 

 

 

 copyright © by david Samuel Parkins mmxxvi all rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is presented & without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser

 

 

 

The good, the bad

& the ungodly

-5-

 choosing the lord’s side in the current christian civil war

 

Since our last meeting, I gather that I’ve been coming in rather hot, or so I’ve been told. I will not apologise. I am not afraid, nor am I ashamed of anything that I have said & just so y’know, I’m about to say more. To quote the words of that great theologian Pontius Pilate; ‘..what I have written, I have written.’. There are some who would twist the words of The Lord Jesus & His Apostles, to give The Church at large the impression that all bets are off, all barriers are down & all boundaries have been removed in order to facilitate the greatest move of God since…. Well, you’ve heard it all before. The unity that is being prophesied, preached & promoted today has to be biblical, not philosophical or ideological. Again, When The Lord prayed His prayer, as we have it in John 17, there weren’t the denominations that we have now or any of its derivative cults. At the time of Christ there were Jewish sects with differing beliefs & practices, while they still claimed to be the children of Abraham. There were the Scribes; the Pharisees; the Sadducees; the Zealots; the Sicarii; the Herodians; the Essenes & of course, the Samaritans. What we are hearing today is tantamount to the following. Pharisees maintaining their tradition & legalism. Scribes keeping to their intellectual snobbery & subjective interpretation of The Law. Sadducees upholding their powerless, nominal lip service & denial of the supernatural. Herodians continuing to wallow in their worldliness & flirtations with politics. Zealots pursuing their blind fundamentalism with heart & soul. Sicarii ever poised to strike out with murderous intentions. Samaritans drowning in half truths. All the while declaring their supposed validity over & against others. Does any of this sound vaguely familiar? Look at our situation today. It has not improved. This is to say nothing of the enormous financial resources, land & chattels at the disposal those oh so devout pretenders, at the heads of their state placating organisations, which are nothing more than massive property portfolios & minister’s pension funds. Anyway, I digress. It would have been impossible for those groups to come together, unless…no, but…well ok, unless they laid their principles down, put their doctrines aside & threw their conviction away. Then, they could be driven by a set of core values & guiding principles ..like love. Cue birdsong, kittens & butterflies. Excuse me, while I dab the sceptical tears from the corners of my cynical eyes.

Look at The Lord’s interactions with those sects. He constantly argued these rebels into a cocked hat. His emphasis was their need to believe in Him & He who sent Him. They openly hated Christ, while they claimed a love of God.

They tested Him, just as they had tested YHWH in the wilderness. They murmured against Him, just as they had against Moshe Rabbeinu. They sought to kill him, just as they had murdered the prophets. They profaned His Name, just as they had in their historical rebellions. They rejected His doctrine, just as they had rejected true meaning of Torah.

They demonised the source of His miraculous power. They doubted His deity. They rejected His Messiahship. They denied He was their king. They refused to come to Him so that He could give them life. Nothing has changed brethren. Nothing. Has. Changed. Is The Church at large any better? Remember the words of The Lord Jesus:

³⁷ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! ³⁸ Behold, your house is left unto you desolate (Matthew 23:37-38). 

Just out of ecumenical interest, who will go first? Which group is willing to dismantle their operation, cash in their chips & say, ‘..brethren, because division is diabolical but diversity is divine, we’re going to scrap our history, admit we are wrong & cross our denomination off the list in an effort to keep the unity of The Spirit in the bond of peace..’. No one is going to do that because everybody wants to be the head honcho ..& what about all that money sloshing around in the bank?

Like liquid in its weakness, they follow the path of least resistance. They downplay doctrine. They ignore essentials. They discount error.

If that is not the case in fact, then riddle me this, you ecu-men: why do leaders who promote this, only do half a job? They talk about unity, but do not take their followers through The Scriptures to prove their point? Why not? Because they can’t! Do not forget Who the Head of The Church is & what He taught. The Lord Jesus Christ is a divisive figure & was so from His birth, right through to his death.

³⁴ And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; ³⁵ (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed (Luke 2:34-35).

¹⁹ When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him (Matthew 27:19).

⁴³ So there was a division among the people because of him (John 7:43).

¹⁹ There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings (John 10:19).

³⁴ Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. ³⁶ And a man's foes shall be they of his own household (Matthew 10:34-36).

⁵¹ Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: ⁵² For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. ⁵³ The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law (Luke 12:51-53). 

Well, what happened to peace on earth & good will to all men? (Luke 2:13-14). Wasn’t that the announcement made by the angels to the shepherds? Isn’t this also one of the ecumenicists favourite places to go? Let’s ignore the above passages or at least attempt to spiritualise them, because they’re a little close to the bone. I’m afraid we can’t do that. If we did, we’d also have to tear out Micah 7.

⁵ Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. ⁶ For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house.  ⁷ Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. ⁸ Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me. (Micah 7:5-8).

This is not language that promotes holding hands, linking arms & embracing others of an aberrant doctrine, theology or Christology. This is the divisive language that demands to know who is on The Lord’s side (Exodus 32:26). Of course, the ecumenical agenda side steps this in its curious dance around the real issues. The Lord Jesus never, ever promoted anything other than  belief in Him & in He Who sent Him. Those are they who are on His side. That is the standard. Those who point these things out again & again & again & yet again, will be the ones vilified as discordant & unloving trouble-makers.

¹⁷ Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them (Romans 16:17). Did you get that?

³ For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? (1^st Corinthians 3:3). Did you get that?

¹¹ Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you (2^nd Corinthians 13:11). Did you get that?

Notice, Paul refers to the recipients as brethren. These are believers in Christ who have accepted Him & His Gospel. He is not speaking to unconverted members or unbelieving clergy. If you are not born again, you don’t qualify. You don’t. The above verses are often quoted to me, by the smug. They’re great verses, in their contexts. Someone even cited part of a speech delivered by Ravi Zacharias to somehow prove their point.

‘I'm very aware that there are differences in our belief systems and some of them are pretty deep. But you know we find the common ground on which to meet and talk because conviction that is not undergirded by love makes the possessor of that conviction obnoxious and the dogma possessed becomes repulsive and so whatever our differences may be, it is wonderful that in a world torn by strife and so on that we can come together, especially on a subject so vast that at the end of it we are bound to walk away and say we know almost nothing of this because we are dealing with the loftiest of all personages our very own Lord Jesus Christ whom we follow and before whom sone day every knee shall bow.’. Wow.

At face value, if he were speaking to folk who have the same core doctrinal beliefs & Christology, I wouldn’t have as much of a problem. But he wasn’t. There isn’t enough vinegarette in the world to dress that word salad. Mr. Zacharias was addressing the Latter Day Saints, at their Mormon tabernacle. This is where ecumenicalism leads.

I remind my detractors of the fact that the word smug is an anagram of mugs, because only mugs would ignore the doctrine of Christ, sideline the teaching of the Apostles & readily fall for ecumenical lies.

Don’t forget that context is king, but we can get into that another time. Before we delve into 2^nd Corinthians, let’s have a look at Paul says in 1^st Corinthians. ‘Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you (1^st Corinthians 11:17-19).

If division is so diabolical, why does it reveal those who are approved or genuine? Paul accepts the inevitability of factions. They’re going to occur. But they shouldn’t happen for the petty reasons that some cling to & blame The Lord for. Separate because of doctrinal deviation & hold that line. Split because of unrepentant, continual sin & hold that line. While these righteous divisions remain; hold that line. Hold. That. Line.

Of course, if we do this as true believers, it will be us & not they who will be accused of being sectarian. So what. We defend our position from The Scriptures, with clear consciences. Never, never, never, ever violate your conscience in order to accommodate falsehood brethren, because at some point, you will have to take up the sword of The Word against it & there will be casualties.

 

 

 

 

copyright © by david Samuel Parkins mmxxvi all rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is presented & without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser

 

 

The good, the bad

& the ungodly

-4-

 choosing the lord’s side in the current christian civil war

What I say here in this context, relates primarily to our relationship with The Lord & not our connection to a particular denomination. That is secondary. We can do without one, but we cannot do without the other. In our last meeting we began looking at the mechanics of ecumenicism in the light of John 17. I see no need to go to any particular length or depth examining the claims of ecumenicists, because when the foundation is rotten, anything built upon it is doomed to collapse…& yet they build. I am not saying that The Lord Jesus didn’t know exactly what was going to happen where His Church was concerned. He did. But the prayer He prayed shortly before His crucifixion was not an elongated come-by-yah. His High Priestly intercession was for the absolute oneness of His disciples, as a reflection of the complete unity of The Godhead, the proclamation of His Messiahship to the nation of Israel first & for those who would come to believe in Him, on His terms. That is the sanctifying element of the truth of God’s Word, concerning Christ. True, biblical unity must be based around the truth of Who The Lord Jesus Christ is. Not tradition. Not history. Not convention. It must have an orthodox Christology at its centre. Christ alone. Somehow or other, The Church at large has forgotten this, at best. At worst, it has been completely ignored. The Church needs to make a choice & make it quickly, because while men sleep, the enemy sows tares among the wheat (Matthew 13:25).

The softly worded proposals of modern ecumenicalism are enough to get church leaders to sit around the same table. But to what end & for what purpose? There’s only so much stewed tea & cheap biscuits folk can comfortably consume. The nothingers simply peer in through the windows, awaiting the results, but knowing deep down that evil communications corrupt good manners (1^st Corinthians 15:33). Don’t be deceived.

¹⁹ Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint (Proverbs 25:19).

So, they’re trying to tell us that Baptists & Methodists & Anglicans & Lutherans & Presbyterians & Roman Catholics & Pentecostals & Charismatics & all of the other numerous Non Doms, et cetera, want to maintain their traditional, historical & conventional distinctiveness, but at the same time claim that they are not divided. This is a very badly disguised hypocrisy. Well, the simplistic answer I’ve been given is this; we’re all christians, therefore we ought to show the love Jesus said would mark His disciples in John 13 & be one as He prayed in John 17. That’s what they’re trying to tell us, while they sing their theme tune; ‘..division is diabolical but diversity is divine..’. Give me a break. That is complete & utter unbiblical hogwash.

What about the fundamental doctrinal differences? What about the predominant heretical disparities? What about the blatantly pagan influences? Just Who & what are they seeking to be unified around?

Given the kerfuffle of recent times, one might be forgiven for thinking that The Lord has been working feverishly with heavenly sandpaper, in order to even out differences between denominations, under the pretext  of peace & reconciliation. He has not. His position has been clear for over two millennia. He is The Lord. He changeth not. If we go back to the Apostolic root that we spring from & receive our instruction from there, we avoid the tensions that have boiled over within The Church at large. It stinks, like burning milk. If, as it has been suggested, The Lord is going to sort our doctrines out upstairs, just what, pray tell, is the point of Him giving them to us in The Canon of Scripture down here? Pah!

What we are in fact being asked to do is this; thumb our noses at the teaching of The Lord Jesus Christ; ignore the doctrine of His apostles; spit in the faces of those reformers who laid their lives down in earnest contention for the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3). No, I am not being overly dramatic. I say these things in the framework of a defence of The Gospel from adversaries within The Church at large. Yes; from within The Church.

Wake up brethren. If we think that this Christian life will be flowers, popcorn, puppies, hot chocolate & rainbow smiles, we will be gravely disappointed. There is a very real fight on. If you don’t believe me, just look at how exercised the ecumenical become when you accidentally step on their toes, deliberately.

Of course, there are classic responses to objections & I have heard them for over 40 years. Let’s look at some of my personal favourites.

³⁶ And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them, ³⁷ Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me. ³⁸ And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. ³⁹ But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. ⁴⁰ For he that is not against us is on our part (Mark 9:36-40). 

⁴⁶ Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest. ⁴⁷ And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him, ⁴⁸ And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great. ⁴⁹ And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. ⁵⁰ And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us. (Luke 9:46-49).

I’ll be honest. In my opinion only a raving ignoramus, a stinking liberal or the biblically illiterate would take these words of The Lord & twist them to justify the actions of The Church at large in its ecumenical agenda. Read the context. Read. The. Context.

Jesus begins by taking a child, considered the least in society, as an example. He goes on to state that receiving one who believes in Him is receiving The One Who sent Him. Orthodoxy always precedes Orthopraxy. This is the being one as Christ & The Father are one in Divine alignment. Our doctrine has to be straight! John then makes the point that ecumenicists twist & latch onto; ‘..we saw a bloke casting out devils in your name & we stopped him, because he wasn’t a member of our church, didn’t believe the exact same traditions as us or use the King James Version exclusively..’.

Jesus then famously says, ‘..Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part.’ (Mark 9:39-40).

There ‘..you see..’, they cry, ‘..if The Lord Jesus wasn’t bothered about someone else in another group acting in His name & if He didn’t even mention doctrine; what’s your problem?’. Well I have to confess, one of the biggest problems I have is the fact that I can read. In both Mark 9 & Luke 9, John states that the one casting out devils didn’t follow them. Whereas Christ’s emphasis was on whether they believed in Him & He Who sent Him. Ecumenicists, read your Bibles, if in fact you are believers at all! To the soft-handed-limp-wristed-lily-livered-pansy-waisted dirty liberals, with little or no stomach to fight for what constitutes real biblical unity, the Apostle Paul says the following.

¹⁰ Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. ¹¹ For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. ¹² Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. ¹³ Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? (1^st Corinthians 1:10-13). 

Paul takes his lead from his Rabbi, Yeshua. Those of us who are truly born again, blood washed believers in Jesus Christ must eliminate any pettiness among us because This was the exhortation of Christ to His disciples. Who is the greatest? A child, whose doctrine is straight & whose Christology is on point. Again, The Lord prayed, ‘That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.’ (John 17:21). A true oneness that reflects the watertight unity of The Godhead. Paul reiterates Christ’s sentiment to Corinth; speak the same thing; have no division among you; be perfectly joined together; have the same mind; have the same judgement!

For those of you who aren’t yet offended to the core, there is more. We cannot talk about Mark 9 & Luke 9, without also going to Matthew 7. Jesus says, ‘Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (Matthew 7:22-23). 

So, riddle me this ecumenicists; if John 17, Mark 9 & Luke 9 mean what you say they mean, where does the gem from the lips of The Lord Jesus in Matthew 7 belong? The one the disciples forbade was casting out devils in Christ’s Name, but Jesus instructs them to leave him alone. Where will this one be in that day? Is The Lord saying that prophecy, exorcism & wonderful works in His Name are equal to iniquity? No, He’s not saying that. He’s saying this; He is the ultimate judge into Whose hands God has committed all judgement & He will not countenance lawlessness. In Matthew 7, The Lord quotes David; ‘Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.’ (Psalms 6:8) & ‘Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God.’ (Psalms 119:115).

If you ever have the time or the inclination, go through The Scriptures & look at the phrase workers of iniquity. It’s quite a thing.

Those who cite Mark 9 & Luke 9 to support their insidious mischief, overlook an important & essential detail; the one casting out devils was doing the same thing as the disciples. That was not their point of contention. Their noses were out of joint because he did not follow them. However, it is clear from the context of Jesus’ object lesson using the child, that belief in Him is first & foremost. Therefore, ‘..there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.’.

Orthodoxy & Orthopraxy go together. Paul says, ‘But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.’ (Romans 8:9) & ‘But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus.’ (Ephesians 4:20-21). If so be. If it is indeed the case.

We can only hold the hands of, link arms with & embrace as brethren those who have received Christ & He Who sent Him.

I don’t care if you go to church. The question is, are you a true believer? Is your doctrine straight? Is your Christology on point? Again, I say these things in the framework of a defence of The Gospel from adversaries within The Church at large. It doesn’t seem to matter what you believe or what you do; just get on board because Jesus prayed we would all be one. No thanks. The aim of wider ecumenicism is the systemic removal & the systematic replacement of fundamental doctrine, in favour of shared core values.

The purpose of true biblical unity is the bold declaration of The Gospel, its advancement in the world & its defence against its enemies, whether they be foreign or domestic. This is to be accomplished in The Lord’s way & on His terms. He is The Lord. He is The Head of The Church. I dare anyone to offer Him the ecumenical theme tune; ‘..division is diabolical but diversity is divine..’.

 

 

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