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Posted: 05/14/2010 at 6:22pm
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Doth Not Even Nature Itself Teach You (1 Corinthians 11:14)
Part 2, City of Confusion
May 13, 2010
By Ron, David, and Michael Schwartz
Visible Light
A prism is capable of breaking light up into different colors like a rainbow. It does this by bending light, which then splits into different wavelengths and produces every possible color. Visible light, the kind of light that is all around us, can only exist when all of the myriads of colors are unified as one. This is God’s design for His people: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity (Psalms 133:1)!”
When light is divided, it loses its ability to present color accurately. It no longer reflects the “truth,” so to speak. Every object that a color of light shines on becomes a shade of that particular color. A red light will turn everything different shades of red. A blue light will turn everything different shades of blue. The true color of an object is not accurately reflected. Christian denominations, in the same way, have “shaded” God’s Word (“truth”): each according to its own doctrinal distinction.
Just as light is no longer true light when it is separated into different shades of color, Christianity, as soon as it is separated into different denominations, ceases to be true Christianity. It is impossible for Christians of different denominations to work together because they do not see God, His Word, or the world “in the same light.” Denominations and churches are not just “subsets” of Christianity; they are completely different religions.
Anyone who believes that we can salvage the denominational architecture of modern western Christianity is wrong. Once light has been divided into separate colors, it is next to impossible to fuse it back together into visible light. In the same sense, modern Christianity, split and aligned into denominations, cannot simply join together again and become true Christianity. True Christianity starts and ends with Christ.
The City of Confusion
Revelation 18 gives a vivid depiction of contemporary western Christianity. “She is fallen! Mighty Babylon is fallen! She has become a resort and dwelling place for demons… Mighty Babylon is fallen! She has become a resort and dwelling place for demons… (Revelation 18:2).”
The word Babylon means “confusion”—it is city of chaos, anarchy and lawlessness. Ancient Babylon was responsible for the utter destruction and ruin of Israel as a nation (something from which it never recovered) and the captivity of its government.
Contemporary western Christianity is a city of confusion—countless neo-Christian sects, each claiming to be the true model of Christianity and espousing that the others are wrong. All these different sects of Christianity are like an aggregation of different fluids that won’t mix when they are stirred together—a hideous brew of elixirs and potions. They are the result of bending “true” light until it breaks apart into a myriad of various colors.
Christianity has become pagan worship of many gods who have the same name. Each church/denomination defines requirements of service to its god differently—doctrines and theology that are often contradictory and diametrically opposed to that of other denominations/churches. Either they all serve a god who suffers from multiple personality disorder, or they all serve different gods. They cannot all be worshipping the same god.
2 Corinthians 11:3
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
Western Christianity churns out masses of Christian leaders every year who complicate the simple words of love and devotion of Christ the Savior. Theoretically, the decision to follow Christ should be simple: choose Christ and abandon the world. Practically, one doesn’t choose Christ, but a particular flavor of Christianity—a church. Theoretically, the decision of what one believes should be as simple as embracing the scripture and following the leading of the Holy Spirit. In practice, one doesn’t embrace the scripture, but a particular pre-established theological belief and doctrine. The decision to follow Christ may begin with Christ, but it ends in religion.
Ephesians 4:3-6
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Western Christianity has abandoned the mission to evangelize the world. Their new mission is to evangelize the Christian community by robbing members from other churches. Christian churches should have a common enemy, Satan, and be purposed to liberate the lost from the imprisonment of Satan. As it stands today, western churches have no common enemy except each other. It’s not warfare in which they are engaged, but competition with other neighborhood churches for the neo-Christians that fill their pews.
Christians are supposed to be known by their bonds of love and self-sacrifice for one another, but instead they each contend amongst each other for the most attendants or most appealing doctrine. Jesus said, “this is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other” (John 13:34-35). Today, there is no love between neighborhood churches, each of which would be only too happy to see the other fail.
If western Christianity does not fit the description and characteristics of what the scripture defines as the Church, then what is it? We challenge you to prove by the scripture that western Christianity is even Christianity at all. It more closely resembles paganism.
Conclusion
The only hope for Christianity is for an enemy of overwhelming power to lay siege to these fiefdoms of men and bring them down. If there is yet hope for the body of Christ, it will not come from a Rapture, but from an enemy which will close the door of every church and force God’s people to unify.
As we see it, Tribulation is not a punishment for the world but a “shaking” of the Church. Why would God Rapture a Church consumed by self indulgence and filled with people who cannot stand each other? Hebrews 12:26-27 tells us, “Then [at Mount Sinai] His voice shook the earth, but now He has given a promise: Yet once more I will shake and make tremble not only the earth but also the heavens. Now this expression, yet once more, indicates the final removal and transformation of all [that can be] shaken--that is, of that which has been created--in order that what cannot be shaken may remain and continue.”
If there is to be a Tribulation than it can be for no other reason than to “shake” the Church loose from its worldly ties, to rid it of the worship of men and worldly kingdoms they have established in virtually every church, and to reassemble it from the lifeless assortment of body parts of which it presently exists. There is no other reason why God would wait until Christianity has reached the apogee of corruption, sin, and spiritual adultery to rapture it to Him. The scripture tells us that Christ will “present [the Church] to himself as a radiant church of glorious splendor, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and faultless (Ephesians 5:27).” This is NOT in any way a description of the current state of the Church.
(Note: There are those that maintain that a “real” Church exists within contemporary churches. That we will not dispute. However, the real reason behind these groups making this claim is because they believe that their non-denomination denomination is the “real” church and will be Raptured away.)
In addition, even those who consider themselves dedicated Christian can hardly be considered “without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and faultless.” If Christ is coming soon, then Christians of western nations will be left behind.
Far more likely is that a worldwide shaking will occur to purge the people of God from sin. The scripture says that the Church will “radiant… of glorious splendor.” These words describe the Church as shining brightly as the Sun. This is impossible today because each church shines with its particular color of light. Consequently something incredible must first happen. Something that is impossible with man will occur in God’s people: the current light of God’s people, diffused into endless individual colors, will begin to blend back together into a light of “radiant… of glorious splendor.” Already, this shaking is occurring in many parts of the world, and God’s people there are beginning to blend back together. As this happens, the spotted and tarnished robe of Christ’s bride becomes brilliant white.
Revelation 18:11-15 predicts how Christian leaders will weep and cry from their loss at the end and burning of Babylon the Great: “The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more— cargoes of gold, silver… and souls of men. They will say, ‘All your riches and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.’ The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn.” Christian leaders will likely blame Satan for their troubles instead of seeing judgment from God.
The great days of contemporary western Christianity are soon to end. Where will you find yourself when it collapses? Will you heed the voice of God which beckons, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven (Revelation 18:4-5)?” Or will you be part of its demise?
Cast away your rose colored glasses and begin to see yourself from the perspective of God. Our model of Christianity is a bastardization of the Church that Christ founded. Repentance must come from God’s people.
God bless you, dear friends!
Ron, David, and Michael Schwartz
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Topic: Doth Not Even Nature Itself Teach You
