The time for Reform in the Church has come. For too long our churches have strayed from the Scriptures into “manmade religion.” (Colossians 2:23 ESV). Even the Reformation of 1517 did not purge the scourge of extra-biblical traditions that drown the True Church. Our Lord Jesus Christ spoke in earnest against the traditions of men that circumvent Scripture, “He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:
“‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.’
You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”
And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)— then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.” (Mark 7:6-13). In the same way pastors today tell people to tithe what they would have used to help parents or their children to get the elusive “prosperity gospel” God promises to those who give, even though such teaching cannot be supported by Scripture, Malachi 3 is actually about priests tithing grain for Israel’s survival and God rebuking them, and Paul says, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion (under peer pressure), for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7), and “For if the readiness to give is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.” (2 Corinthains 8:12). These Scriptures confirm those services where ‘prophets’ and ‘pastors’ pressure people to give and to give more than they have to get God’s favor is wrong! Worse Jesus says tithing is obsolete, “The Temple Tax. After they had arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, “Does your Teacher pay the two drachmas?”
“Yes,” he answered.
When Peter entered the house, Jesus preempted him. “What do you think, Simon?” He asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect customs and taxes: from their own sons, or from others?”
“From others,” Peter answered.
“Then the sons are exempt,” Jesus declared. “But so that we may not offend them, go to the sea, cast a hook, and take the first fish you catch. When you open its mouth, you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for My tax and yours.,” (Matthew 17:24-27), especially now that all Christians are priests, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light,” (1 Peter 2:9) and “Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born out of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth; to him who did love us, and did bathe us from our sins in his blood, and did make us kings and priests to his God and Father, to him [is] the glory and the power to the ages of the ages! Amen.” (Revelation 1:5-6, Jubilee 2000 Bible).
The Reform must happen. Our churches are little better than the Roman one in regards to tradition, we replaced Pope Gregory VII, Saint Augustine of Hippo, and Thomas Aquinas with Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Zwingli; men as flawed as the others! We need to get back to the teachings of Jesus Christ and His Apostles in the New Testament. Everyone cries Sola Scriptura, Scripture Alone, but in truth they have some founder they trust and use his writings as canons and apocryphal that they esteem as much as Scripture! This must stop! Luther contradicted himself most of his life, Calvin wrote a false gospel of frozen chosen negating the Great Commission (see Galatians 1:4-9, 2 Corinthians 11:2-15, John 6:40, Philippians 3:9), and modern Evangelical leaders teach the Old Testament as equal to New Testament when Scripture says, “But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises,” (Hebrews 8:6), and “In speaking of a new covenant, Jesus makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away” (Hebrews 8:13).
Our devotion needs to be to Christ and his teaching which was the teachings of the apostles, “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer” (Acts 2:42 NLT). I do not care who you’re church founders were if it was Popes, Moravian leaders, Reformers like Luther, or modern evangelists, the real founder is Jesus Christ! We must align with Christ’s words and those of his apostles. If a leader or founder contradicts The Founder our Lord and His Apostles, then discard that leader’s writings and traditions and hold fast to Jesus’ teaching, “Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32), and, “Anyone who runs ahead without remaining in the teaching of Christ does not have God. Whoever remains in His teaching has both the Father and the Son.” (2 John 1:9). There you have it! Remain in Christ’s teaching or stray like Catholics and even Reformed have and so fall further and further away from God. I urge you stick to the teachings in the New Testament, the words of Christ and his apostles. Amen.
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