Jesus Christ is my God!
Issued 25.11.2006
Is your church your idol?
Many worship their church as an idol. Therefore the judgment of God comes upon the church. But you, man of God, are you ready to meet this trial?
Christians relying on lies
If you believe in the gospel of God, you live according to it. If you live according to the gospel, you are allowed to have the faith in Jesus Christ. If you rely on a lie you don't live according to the gospel and your crimes against the gospel make you finally a backslider.
Many live in a lie, when they consider their Christian community the Church of God though it is not the Church of God. So do not trust in the words of lie when it is repeated to you: "This is the Church of God, the Church of God, the Church of God!" But if you really turn away from your own ways and follow Jesus, you are allowed to be in Him. However many don't rely on the gospel, but on the words of the lie, which are worthless to them.
How is it? Why do many believe that their Christian association is the Church of God? It is because they prefer to believe to be protected from the judgment of their sins by belonging to the right group rather than to believe to be safe from the judgment by walking on the Jesus-Way.
They steal, kill, commit adultery and swear oaths and worship their fatherland. Then they come before God in the name of Jesus and say: 'We shall be saved.' - just to continue doing all these detestable things. How can they allow their heart to be a den of robbers, although they confess to be the house of God?
If you believe in the gospel of God, you live according to it. If you live according to the gospel, you are allowed to have the faith in Jesus Christ. If you rely on a lie you don't live according to the gospel and your crimes against the gospel make you finally a backslider.
Many live in a lie, when they consider their Christian community the Church of God though it is not the Church of God. So do not trust in the words of lie when it is repeated to you: "This is the Church of God, the Church of God, the Church of God!" But if you really turn away from your own ways and follow Jesus, you are allowed to be in Him. However many don't rely on the gospel, but on the words of the lie, which are worthless to them.
How is it? Why do many believe that their Christian association is the Church of God? It is because they prefer to believe to be protected from the judgment of their sins by belonging to the right group rather than to believe to be safe from the judgment by walking on the Jesus-Way.
They steal, kill, commit adultery and swear oaths and worship their fatherland. Then they come before God in the name of Jesus and say: 'We shall be saved.' - just to continue doing all these detestable things. How can they allow their heart to be a den of robbers, although they confess to be the house of God?
The Church exists by the power of the Gospel
You can notice that there are a lot of Christians who emphasize more their church than God or Jesus. All the time they repeat, how important the church is, because they rely on the lie. If they relied on the truth, they would emphasize Jesus and the importance of knowing Him.
When the association of an assembling congregation is considered an idol, its meeting room becomes a den of robbers and its members become hypocrites who practise detestable things behind their facade. God shelters you from pretending, if you are pure from idols.
Where is the Church of God? God doesn't live in a building any more. He lives in His believers. The Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem was the figure of the body of Jesus Christ. Now, when Jesus sits on the Throne in heaven, His own are His body on the earth. The bodies of Jesus' own are the temples of God. Thus the Church of God is neither a building, nor an association nor an institution but a group of people.
What do you think is the Church of God? Do you believe that you can join the Church of God by becoming a member of the association of a Christian church? In reality it is so that if Jesus doesn't live in you, you live outside the Church of God.
You can notice that there are a lot of Christians who emphasize more their church than God or Jesus. All the time they repeat, how important the church is, because they rely on the lie. If they relied on the truth, they would emphasize Jesus and the importance of knowing Him.
When the association of an assembling congregation is considered an idol, its meeting room becomes a den of robbers and its members become hypocrites who practise detestable things behind their facade. God shelters you from pretending, if you are pure from idols.
Where is the Church of God? God doesn't live in a building any more. He lives in His believers. The Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem was the figure of the body of Jesus Christ. Now, when Jesus sits on the Throne in heaven, His own are His body on the earth. The bodies of Jesus' own are the temples of God. Thus the Church of God is neither a building, nor an association nor an institution but a group of people.
What do you think is the Church of God? Do you believe that you can join the Church of God by becoming a member of the association of a Christian church? In reality it is so that if Jesus doesn't live in you, you live outside the Church of God.
The local Church
Because the believers are the Church, all the local Jesus' own form the local Church. This church acts where the believers are. What the believers do at home, at work and in their leisure time are the activities of the local Church.
They can be assembled in many places and associations, but they are still one body in Christ. Although you say to one who doesn't belong to your association, "because you don't belong to our church, you don't belong to the body of Christ", he would not for that reason cease to be part of the body, if he has the faith in Jesus.
If one believer of an area commits a sin, every believer of the area suffers. If one believer of the area gets grace from God to follow Jesus well, every believer of the area shares the joy. The influence of the local Church is not the influence of a human organization, but its influence is based on the events in the invisible world, and on what Jesus does in us.
Because the believers are the Church, all the local Jesus' own form the local Church. This church acts where the believers are. What the believers do at home, at work and in their leisure time are the activities of the local Church.
They can be assembled in many places and associations, but they are still one body in Christ. Although you say to one who doesn't belong to your association, "because you don't belong to our church, you don't belong to the body of Christ", he would not for that reason cease to be part of the body, if he has the faith in Jesus.
If one believer of an area commits a sin, every believer of the area suffers. If one believer of the area gets grace from God to follow Jesus well, every believer of the area shares the joy. The influence of the local Church is not the influence of a human organization, but its influence is based on the events in the invisible world, and on what Jesus does in us.
How to join the Church?
They say that they join the Church through their baptism. Did Jesus come to live in us through the baptism? How could water make us the temples of God? He comes to live in us, when we listen to the Gospel in faith. When we open our heart to Him because of the sacrifice of Golgotha, He comes to live in us. If you live without Jesus, you live without the Church.
You are one hundred percent saved only through what you experienced by hearing in faith. All the other things through which you try to gain the certainty of the salvation are crimes against the Gospel.
Receiving the baptism is walking in firmness of faith and not seeking for it. Therefore whoever wants to be baptised must belong to the Church of God, in other words he must have the fellowship with Jesus. The baptism, which claims to join one to the Church of God, is under a curse, because the Gospel of God is replaced by it.
They say that they join the Church through their baptism. Did Jesus come to live in us through the baptism? How could water make us the temples of God? He comes to live in us, when we listen to the Gospel in faith. When we open our heart to Him because of the sacrifice of Golgotha, He comes to live in us. If you live without Jesus, you live without the Church.
You are one hundred percent saved only through what you experienced by hearing in faith. All the other things through which you try to gain the certainty of the salvation are crimes against the Gospel.
Receiving the baptism is walking in firmness of faith and not seeking for it. Therefore whoever wants to be baptised must belong to the Church of God, in other words he must have the fellowship with Jesus. The baptism, which claims to join one to the Church of God, is under a curse, because the Gospel of God is replaced by it.
Associations serving the Church of God
An association that serves the Church of God is not the Church of God. Such an association doesn't even mark the limits of an assembling congregation, because it is composed of those who are assembled.
The membership of a Christian association has nothing to do with your membership of the Church of God. If you consider your association the Church of God, you commit a crime against the Gospel of God. This crime causes refusing to baptize a person who has come to the faith, if he doesn't promise to join their church, as they call their association.
You blind men! How can you regard the membership of an association as the membership of the body of Jesus? This crime against the Gospel causes God to destroy these associations. Endure this destruction as discipline of God, who loves you. You must live without "your church", so that you would wake up to appreciate the Church that is in Christ Jesus.
When Jesus came into our heart through faith, God accepted us. Who are then those authoritative men, who won't accept us, if we don't bow before their church? You, who have a mercy from God, do not scare them, and don't go under their hands to receive a blessing.
Also they won't accept you to share the Communion, if they have not been allowed to baptize you into their church. Don't care about it, for their Communion is not established by Jesus. He who lives by the power of the faith of the Gospel is worthy of participating in the wedding dinner of the Lamb of God in heaven. How could he not be worthy of participating in its symbolic figure on the earth! How can they be so blind teachers?
An association that serves the Church of God is not the Church of God. Such an association doesn't even mark the limits of an assembling congregation, because it is composed of those who are assembled.
The membership of a Christian association has nothing to do with your membership of the Church of God. If you consider your association the Church of God, you commit a crime against the Gospel of God. This crime causes refusing to baptize a person who has come to the faith, if he doesn't promise to join their church, as they call their association.
You blind men! How can you regard the membership of an association as the membership of the body of Jesus? This crime against the Gospel causes God to destroy these associations. Endure this destruction as discipline of God, who loves you. You must live without "your church", so that you would wake up to appreciate the Church that is in Christ Jesus.
When Jesus came into our heart through faith, God accepted us. Who are then those authoritative men, who won't accept us, if we don't bow before their church? You, who have a mercy from God, do not scare them, and don't go under their hands to receive a blessing.
Also they won't accept you to share the Communion, if they have not been allowed to baptize you into their church. Don't care about it, for their Communion is not established by Jesus. He who lives by the power of the faith of the Gospel is worthy of participating in the wedding dinner of the Lamb of God in heaven. How could he not be worthy of participating in its symbolic figure on the earth! How can they be so blind teachers?
Preachers blinded by lust for power
Pride makes blind teachers. Lust for power makes one behave like a lord and master and drives to rising up to the mountain of the human authoritativeness. Woe to them when God says: "What are you O mighty mountain before Jesus? You will become level ground." God Himself will build His house and the lords who resist His works will meet their judgment.
Woe to them! They are strong and fat as the bulls of Bashan. Their powerfulness doesn't allow them to agree ploughing to be bound to the yoke of Jesus. However they want to plough for God. The Old Testament speaks about Bashan as the place where God is served by relying on lies. Jesus experienced on the cross how the bulls of Bashan encircled Him. "Many bulls have surrounded me; strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me. They gape at me with their mouths, like a raging and roaring lion." Ps.22:12-13
Dan, a son of Israel is a pattern of Judas and Judas is a pattern of the Antichrist. Thus already Moses predicted that the Antichrist will appear among the nation of God: "And of Dan he said: 'Dan is a lion's whelp; he shall leap from Bashan'. De.33:22
The Christian leaders who are lording over their churches are bulls who have the mouth of a lion. Today they besiege Jesus. They are the bulls of Bashan, who open their big mouths against Jesus as lions. Very soon the Antichrist will dart out from their group.
Jesus has given some persons the gift to be leaders of the assembling congregations. Often the holder of that ministry becomes proud of his ministry and thinks too much about himself. Pride forms his doctrine of the Church. First he is not able to make a difference between the local Church and the assembling congregation, because his pride wants to see all the local believers assembled in his congregation. Finally he is not able make a difference between his association and the assembling congregation, because the success of the association brings more glory to him.
Impudently he calls his assembling congregation the local church and thus he came to exclude other believers than those who are assembled in his meetings from the Church. However he may confess with his mouth that he considers also those outsiders to be saved, but then he is only speaking like a politician. In fact he appreciates only his own, because his heart is "frozen" by his pride. The lie he practises prevents him from loving all the Jesus' own.
A proud spiritual leader tries to strengthen his power by inciting the members to worship the church as an idol. Many preachers are golden calves, who are involved with the religious spiritual force that the Bible calls the bull of Bashan.
When the Christians haven't got the mind of Jesus, they want the church to have a strong human leader like a king. It seems that in most of the Christian communities the big preachers have been made kings and thus they have taken the place of Jesus. This is a terrible crime. Israel did the similar transgression in Gilgal when they made Saul king and so God's kingship was displaced by a human one. See how great a desolation this transgression produced! God said about it: "All their wickedness is in Gilgal, for there I hated them." Ho.9:15
Because of this crime God destroyed His Temple in Jerusalem and took away the king from Israel. The same will happen to the Church. "So in my anger I gave you a king, and in my wrath I took him away." Ho.13:11
Pride makes blind teachers. Lust for power makes one behave like a lord and master and drives to rising up to the mountain of the human authoritativeness. Woe to them when God says: "What are you O mighty mountain before Jesus? You will become level ground." God Himself will build His house and the lords who resist His works will meet their judgment.
Woe to them! They are strong and fat as the bulls of Bashan. Their powerfulness doesn't allow them to agree ploughing to be bound to the yoke of Jesus. However they want to plough for God. The Old Testament speaks about Bashan as the place where God is served by relying on lies. Jesus experienced on the cross how the bulls of Bashan encircled Him. "Many bulls have surrounded me; strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me. They gape at me with their mouths, like a raging and roaring lion." Ps.22:12-13
Dan, a son of Israel is a pattern of Judas and Judas is a pattern of the Antichrist. Thus already Moses predicted that the Antichrist will appear among the nation of God: "And of Dan he said: 'Dan is a lion's whelp; he shall leap from Bashan'. De.33:22
The Christian leaders who are lording over their churches are bulls who have the mouth of a lion. Today they besiege Jesus. They are the bulls of Bashan, who open their big mouths against Jesus as lions. Very soon the Antichrist will dart out from their group.
Jesus has given some persons the gift to be leaders of the assembling congregations. Often the holder of that ministry becomes proud of his ministry and thinks too much about himself. Pride forms his doctrine of the Church. First he is not able to make a difference between the local Church and the assembling congregation, because his pride wants to see all the local believers assembled in his congregation. Finally he is not able make a difference between his association and the assembling congregation, because the success of the association brings more glory to him.
Impudently he calls his assembling congregation the local church and thus he came to exclude other believers than those who are assembled in his meetings from the Church. However he may confess with his mouth that he considers also those outsiders to be saved, but then he is only speaking like a politician. In fact he appreciates only his own, because his heart is "frozen" by his pride. The lie he practises prevents him from loving all the Jesus' own.
A proud spiritual leader tries to strengthen his power by inciting the members to worship the church as an idol. Many preachers are golden calves, who are involved with the religious spiritual force that the Bible calls the bull of Bashan.
When the Christians haven't got the mind of Jesus, they want the church to have a strong human leader like a king. It seems that in most of the Christian communities the big preachers have been made kings and thus they have taken the place of Jesus. This is a terrible crime. Israel did the similar transgression in Gilgal when they made Saul king and so God's kingship was displaced by a human one. See how great a desolation this transgression produced! God said about it: "All their wickedness is in Gilgal, for there I hated them." Ho.9:15
Because of this crime God destroyed His Temple in Jerusalem and took away the king from Israel. The same will happen to the Church. "So in my anger I gave you a king, and in my wrath I took him away." Ho.13:11
The assembled congregation
An assembled congregation must agree with each other of how they build on the common foundation of Christ. Those who build in very different ways are needed not build together, but they can build in different places and still love each other and give the right hand of fellowship. They all belong to the same Church of Jesus, although they act apart from each other.
Sectarianism means closing your heart from other believers, not gathering together in different places. So let us look down on nobody or condemn nobody. God Himself will judge His people and pay reward to His servants.
Where would there be believers gathered with whom I could build together? Firstly I want that we come together in the name of Jesus. Of course it doesn't only mean mentioning His name, but assembling round Him. Secondly I require that the leaders of the activities don't practise crimes against the Gospel.
An assembled congregation must agree with each other of how they build on the common foundation of Christ. Those who build in very different ways are needed not build together, but they can build in different places and still love each other and give the right hand of fellowship. They all belong to the same Church of Jesus, although they act apart from each other.
Sectarianism means closing your heart from other believers, not gathering together in different places. So let us look down on nobody or condemn nobody. God Himself will judge His people and pay reward to His servants.
Where would there be believers gathered with whom I could build together? Firstly I want that we come together in the name of Jesus. Of course it doesn't only mean mentioning His name, but assembling round Him. Secondly I require that the leaders of the activities don't practise crimes against the Gospel.
I hate deceiving actions
How could I anymore join Christian activities where Jesus has been replaced with the church or where He has been put into the shadow of the church? If they don't agree that I am a member of God's Church without belonging to their association, I don't want to build together with them.
It is dangerous to live in an association which has been considered the Church of God. Besides it is fruitless. Where idols are served there is always also fellowship with evil spirits. I do not want to be a participant with demons. Just religious spiritual forces are those about whom it is written that they can " to deceive, if possible, even the elect." Mr.13:22
You can live in the centre of the congregational activities and even so you can be without a fellowship with other believers. You can visit a meeting of the church even every day without getting any spiritual benefit. It is really shocking how the church idol is able to separate the true believers from each other, although they participate in the same meetings! Participating congregational meetings really must not be end in itself.
How could I anymore join Christian activities where Jesus has been replaced with the church or where He has been put into the shadow of the church? If they don't agree that I am a member of God's Church without belonging to their association, I don't want to build together with them.
It is dangerous to live in an association which has been considered the Church of God. Besides it is fruitless. Where idols are served there is always also fellowship with evil spirits. I do not want to be a participant with demons. Just religious spiritual forces are those about whom it is written that they can " to deceive, if possible, even the elect." Mr.13:22
You can live in the centre of the congregational activities and even so you can be without a fellowship with other believers. You can visit a meeting of the church even every day without getting any spiritual benefit. It is really shocking how the church idol is able to separate the true believers from each other, although they participate in the same meetings! Participating congregational meetings really must not be end in itself.
Heart's or church's altar
The Most Holy Place of the Church of God is above where Jesus Christ is now. It is not in the front part of a church building behind the altar rail. Where ever you are there is the invisible altar rail, where you can meet God. Jesus is the curtain between the Most Holy Place and you. The heaven is opened to you in Him and not in a church.
In Temple of God there was a curtain that divided it into two parts, the Most Holy part and the Holy part. The religious spirits imitate the deeds of God. Therefore they want that in the Christian churches there is the altar rail that divides it into two parts. In the front part of the room there are performers and in the other part there is the audience, just like in a theatre. This performer-audience arrangement doesn't come from God. A religious spirit wants to appear in the curtain of pretence close to the altar rail.
A pulpit is not the throne of grace, and a speaker's stand is not the place before which you should come to sacrifice praises to God. Where ever you are, there you can turn to Jesus. He is always near you in the Holy Spirit and only He is the throne of grace and there is no altar of God's grace anywhere else.
The Most Holy Place of the Church of God is above where Jesus Christ is now. It is not in the front part of a church building behind the altar rail. Where ever you are there is the invisible altar rail, where you can meet God. Jesus is the curtain between the Most Holy Place and you. The heaven is opened to you in Him and not in a church.
In Temple of God there was a curtain that divided it into two parts, the Most Holy part and the Holy part. The religious spirits imitate the deeds of God. Therefore they want that in the Christian churches there is the altar rail that divides it into two parts. In the front part of the room there are performers and in the other part there is the audience, just like in a theatre. This performer-audience arrangement doesn't come from God. A religious spirit wants to appear in the curtain of pretence close to the altar rail.
A pulpit is not the throne of grace, and a speaker's stand is not the place before which you should come to sacrifice praises to God. Where ever you are, there you can turn to Jesus. He is always near you in the Holy Spirit and only He is the throne of grace and there is no altar of God's grace anywhere else.
Arrangements in the meeting room
Of course the arrangements of the meeting room don't change hearts, but the attitudes of hearts form the arrangements. So how does God want us to come together? Jesus says, "where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them". Mt.18:20
If Jesus is allowed to be in centre, it must also have an effect on the outward form of the meeting. Then there are no performer-audience arrangements. Whatever the arrangements of the meeting are they must support genuineness and put obstacles to performances.
Remove altars and destroy performance stages! Take them away before His jealousy will burn them. Suppress performing choirs and take away theatre performances from the congregation. Sing a song to God, when your heart sings and be quiet before Him, when you are empty. Don't fill your emptiness with devoted performances, so that you would not become deaf and blind to God's revelations.
The genuine meeting of a congregation is not an occasion where performances are given, but it is coming together to share with each other what we have got from God. Also an audience can be present at the meeting, which means the persons who have not the faith of Jesus, but the meeting must not be changed for their sake into performances.
Of course the arrangements of the meeting room don't change hearts, but the attitudes of hearts form the arrangements. So how does God want us to come together? Jesus says, "where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them". Mt.18:20
If Jesus is allowed to be in centre, it must also have an effect on the outward form of the meeting. Then there are no performer-audience arrangements. Whatever the arrangements of the meeting are they must support genuineness and put obstacles to performances.
Remove altars and destroy performance stages! Take them away before His jealousy will burn them. Suppress performing choirs and take away theatre performances from the congregation. Sing a song to God, when your heart sings and be quiet before Him, when you are empty. Don't fill your emptiness with devoted performances, so that you would not become deaf and blind to God's revelations.
The genuine meeting of a congregation is not an occasion where performances are given, but it is coming together to share with each other what we have got from God. Also an audience can be present at the meeting, which means the persons who have not the faith of Jesus, but the meeting must not be changed for their sake into performances.
Don't forsake the assembling congregation
Many, who run Christian meetings, say these words of the Bible to those who leave their meetings: "not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some." Heb.10:25 They certainly don't say this to you, because they worry about the salvation of your soul, but because they would be so blessed to see you in the range of their influence.
How warmly glowing invites the atmosphere of many churches! However mostly the glow is not created by the presence of God, but it comes from the love for an idol. In the sweet lap of the church-idol we so easily fall asleep in eternal impenitence. So let's leave our assembling congregation if it is this kind of a place. Forsake that gang for the sake of Jesus so that you would not forsake Jesus for the sake of it.
The believers who are avoiding the fellowship of the other believers need the encouragement of this Bible text. If our relationship to Jesus gets cold, we are not happy in the company of His own. If our relationship to Jesus is good, we are not happy in places where idols are worshipped.
As believers we need the company of each other. Mutual assembling is important, but it must never surpass our communication with Jesus. Also Paul was three years without congregational meetings in the desert of Arabia and listened only to Jesus.
Many, who run Christian meetings, say these words of the Bible to those who leave their meetings: "not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some." Heb.10:25 They certainly don't say this to you, because they worry about the salvation of your soul, but because they would be so blessed to see you in the range of their influence.
How warmly glowing invites the atmosphere of many churches! However mostly the glow is not created by the presence of God, but it comes from the love for an idol. In the sweet lap of the church-idol we so easily fall asleep in eternal impenitence. So let's leave our assembling congregation if it is this kind of a place. Forsake that gang for the sake of Jesus so that you would not forsake Jesus for the sake of it.
The believers who are avoiding the fellowship of the other believers need the encouragement of this Bible text. If our relationship to Jesus gets cold, we are not happy in the company of His own. If our relationship to Jesus is good, we are not happy in places where idols are worshipped.
As believers we need the company of each other. Mutual assembling is important, but it must never surpass our communication with Jesus. Also Paul was three years without congregational meetings in the desert of Arabia and listened only to Jesus.
Forsake the assembling congregation
If you repent your unfaithfulness and confess to Jesus that you have been the idolater of a church-idol, He will forgive you. If you have once been a participant with a religious spirit, maybe you don't get rid of it very easily.
Your diligent participation in the meetings, where you were exposed to the spirit of the idol, has left a deep mark on your soul, because it continued for years or even for decades. The lack of a massive protectiveness of the bull of Bashan makes you feel an orphan, but it is for your own good. Your feeling of insecurity makes you come near to Jesus and you are allowed to be yoked together with Him. Thus you will find the real rest for your soul.
For some persons it's better to totally stop attending meetings for a while, so that they could be healed up from their injury created by their unfaithfulness. During that time seek only the nearness of Jesus and keep in contact only with individual believers. In time when the days of your purification are over, God will send you back to the meetings.
If you repent your unfaithfulness and confess to Jesus that you have been the idolater of a church-idol, He will forgive you. If you have once been a participant with a religious spirit, maybe you don't get rid of it very easily.
Your diligent participation in the meetings, where you were exposed to the spirit of the idol, has left a deep mark on your soul, because it continued for years or even for decades. The lack of a massive protectiveness of the bull of Bashan makes you feel an orphan, but it is for your own good. Your feeling of insecurity makes you come near to Jesus and you are allowed to be yoked together with Him. Thus you will find the real rest for your soul.
For some persons it's better to totally stop attending meetings for a while, so that they could be healed up from their injury created by their unfaithfulness. During that time seek only the nearness of Jesus and keep in contact only with individual believers. In time when the days of your purification are over, God will send you back to the meetings.
Outside together with Jesus
My soul is trembling before God. He gave His only Son, but we have not returned His love worthily. He knew beforehand about the unfaithfulness of His people when saying, "when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth." Lu.18:8 Instead of only being horrified at this let's grieve about it together with Jesus.
Are you able to recognize the situation, where Jesus is outside the meetings of your congregation and is knocking there trying to come in? However in this way Jesus says to the congregation of Laodicea: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him." Re.3:20
Why was it also then so that many didn't care about the knocking of Jesus? Because they thought that Jesus was already inside. Therefore they thought that the knocker cannot be Jesus.
I want to be where Jesus is. Because He is knocking outside the meeting of many congregations without a permission to come in, therefore also I don't attend those meetings.
I was decades inside them and tried to tell there that Jesus is knocking outside, but in vain. Finally Jesus guided me out and said to me: "Go away, for there is no pure place for you here."
Now I want to be outside and prove to those who are inside that Jesus is outside. When I deserted the polluted meetings, my relationship with Jesus was improved. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who leads also you into the pure pastures.
My soul is trembling before God. He gave His only Son, but we have not returned His love worthily. He knew beforehand about the unfaithfulness of His people when saying, "when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth." Lu.18:8 Instead of only being horrified at this let's grieve about it together with Jesus.
Are you able to recognize the situation, where Jesus is outside the meetings of your congregation and is knocking there trying to come in? However in this way Jesus says to the congregation of Laodicea: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him." Re.3:20
Why was it also then so that many didn't care about the knocking of Jesus? Because they thought that Jesus was already inside. Therefore they thought that the knocker cannot be Jesus.
I want to be where Jesus is. Because He is knocking outside the meeting of many congregations without a permission to come in, therefore also I don't attend those meetings.
I was decades inside them and tried to tell there that Jesus is knocking outside, but in vain. Finally Jesus guided me out and said to me: "Go away, for there is no pure place for you here."
Now I want to be outside and prove to those who are inside that Jesus is outside. When I deserted the polluted meetings, my relationship with Jesus was improved. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who leads also you into the pure pastures.
The Bible version used in references is NIV