The church and our long history with false prophets of the clergy/lay system Randall K. Maxwell 1. Preeminence or the clergy/lay system has always been a threat to the church (Acts. 20; 28-30 2 John 8-11; Eph. 4:11-18). 2. Men through the ages have struggled against the clergy lay -- 1- Reformation (1700s) - Anabaptists. Their great battle was over baptism and separation of church and state (evil religion and evil politics – or the clergy/lay system) Crusades were waged against them by Catholics and Protestant – perhaps hundreds of thousands were drown “since they liked water so much!” Most of their history is lost. 2- Restoration (1800s US) …. That we are in the Kingdom of Heaven serving as high priest was taught by Alexander Campbell and many others etc. (Eph. 1:20:2:6; Rev. 20:4) –opposition to the Catholic teaching that they were the kingdom for over a thousand years (Catholics rejected the thousand year reign because of preeminence – still some of them decided that Rev. 20:4 could not be both literal and symbolic because they had been around over a thousand years. Men of that day were discouraged with a clergy system that thought they decided the fate of others. 3- As a young man in the church I remember fondly and frequently hearing men lead us in prayer concerning how we approached the throne of grace – a denial that we worship God ONLY in buildings made with hands – and an admission that we are spiritual beings that worship God in the Kingdom of Heaven, that the instruments that we play in heaven (our hearts) are symbolically represented by harps in heaven, and that the knees we bow are symbolically represented by angels bowing down before God with their feet covered (cf. Matt. 18:10; Rev. 4:8) when we worship God. 4- Heb_4:16 Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace in heaven, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help us in time of need. 5- So preachers preached that angels were spirits of men – often prophets (cf. Heb. 1; 13:2, 7, 17). 6- We have always denied that the office of elders is a position of authority or men to be obeyed, and that rather it is a work (Rom. 12:4) to be greatly honored (authority of elders, preachers, and public teachers was diminished after the church matured Eph. 4:11-18) 7- We have always denied that men are to be obeyed without question except for dead men – angels/prophets of the Old Testament and the New (Heb. 1, 13:2, 7, 17). I honor my grandfather (Buford Chandler) for showing me how that we are to trust no man, but to try the spirits (1 John 4:1)! 8- We did not gather for worship to heap praises on any men, or to thank elders for allowing us to worship God, have a preacher, building, etc. (Col. 2:18) - Prayers for the saints was not given with emphasis on elders or any others, and most men of my day are uncomfortable and ashamed at much of the praises of men that goes on in many buildings of worship! 9- Preachers in the Lord’s church were not about PHD’s or writing books, but gave attention to reading the word of God – the whole bible. 3. False Prophecies of the clergy/lay system 1- Invention of Catholic angels, Catholic Arch angels and a devil angel. 2- Clergy cannot admit that men have spirits or angels because they would be condemned or judged by their “lesser.” (Col. 2:18; I Cor. 6:3; 2 John 8-11; I John 4:1; James 3:1, etc. all). 3- Clergy demands they be obeyed as they feed to modern man the word of God, thus they are the bosses, when in fact it is dead prophets that feed us God’s word, and whom we are to obey (Heb. 13:7). 4- Denial that all men are created equal. Psa 8:4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him? Psa 8:5 For thou hast made him but little lower than God, And crownest him with glory and honor. 5- Denial that Satan was simply an angel (spirit without a body). Satan’s body was put in a pit/grave in about 73 A.D. and his spirit is in Hades (Rev. 20:1-3). Satan was/is a great supernatural man who knew the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life utilized by God to tempt Christ, among other things, since Christ knows no evil and was incapable of tempting Himself. 6- Avoidance of scripture. Of course to protect their power preeminent men must avoid much of the scripture. Because of their influence much of the world cannot reason concerning the bible, because the world does not know the whole counsel of God. https://youtube/watch?v=PueLUY2yf50
Posted on: Fri, 21 Nov 2014 06:44:38 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015