Is Your Church Your Idol? [podcast]

Safeguard Your Soul with Todd Tomasella

EVER stop to ponder how we’ve commercialized, monetized, and grossly complicated what God ordained to be a time of rejoicing and blessing? Fellowship! Read Acts 2:42 and Colossians 3:16. Study the biblical model. Real fellowship with other saints is so simple, biblically. The bureaucracy of wolves has completely ruined such simplicity and that’s why so many no longer patronize their church busine$$e$ (2 Peter 2:1-3).

More on Fellowship Here

Are you ashamed of Jesus? Are you confessing your “church” or Christ? Are you inviting people to your “church” or to Christ?

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3

God is Jealous! (Exodus 34:14) He will not be second to anyone but MUST be your “FIRST love” – first priority in all things (Revelation 2:4-5).

IF you are not willing and obedient to forsake all, to give up every single idol, you cannot and will not be saved but rather damned in the lake of fire irrevocably (Luke 14:33; 17:33; Revelation 21:8, etc.).

PEOPLE prove they are blind and being misled when they testify anything other than CHRIST crucified! Yet many church attenders swear that they are in the truth. Delusional. They are quick to boastfully tell you they “go to church” and yet the name of Jesus never leaves their lips – because apparently He’s not in their hearts (Matthew 12:34).

“Church” today has become a staged event with a cast, crew and light show to entertain the members and seekers.

ANY thing you won’t give up for Christ – including religion – is a soul damning idol.

Are you doing the “church” thing or is your heart and life all about JESUS?

WHO is to have the preeminence? Church? The pastor? The organization? NO! Repent!

Colossians 1:18 says:

“And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”

WHO, WHAT holds the ultimate “preeminence” in your heart? Colossians 1:18

IF you are not hearing that the ALMIGHTY commands you to lay down your life, you have placed yourself under a false prophet ministry and God is not going to bless you but rather going to turn you over to “strong delusion” so that you believe the cross-less lie and ultimately perish, all the while believing you were saved (Matt 7;21; 2 Thess 2:9-12; Titus 1:16; 1 John 2:4).

Is your “church” or is JESUS your “first love”? (Revelation 2:4-5)

The vast majority of “churches” that meet in “church buildings” are simply and merely conducting “church services” where they entertain their prey. They are not equipping the saints for the work of the ministry and therefore discerned as being counterfeit (Ephesians 4:11-13). If they were, there would be salty disciples in their midst who go forth to minister Christ’s kingdom blessings where ever they went. Not even a trace of this transpiring in the apostate modern church world. Run. Run. Run.

“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting (equipping, maturing) of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:” Ephesians 4:11-12

Jenn W. writes: “That’s exactly why I left the church I grew up in. It turned into a social club almost like a cult that was more focused on people and the ‘church’ but none of it was centered around Jesus Christ at all. They all beg me to come back, but every time I pray asking God, ‘Do you want me to go back there, Lord?’ I always hear Him flat out tell me ‘NO!’ God is not the author of confusion, He gives us confirmation and full rest and peace in our spirit about decisions. Whenever I even think of going back there I feel anxiety and panic because I know God doesn’t want me there. We can’t people-please just because they want us to do something or tell us to ‘not forsake the assembly.’ They will use all types of guilt trips to make you try to conform down to their lukewarm level and fit in. I refuse to do that. The church is extremely carnal, and everyone is concerned with money and building mega-churches. They say when you’re too holy or sanctified that you are ‘legalistic,’ and they hate when you are set apart.”

Holy Ghost anointed preaching will ALWAYS lead you to fresh repentance.

Brett Gibney writes: “Many small churches are more like businesses with employees to maintain. The member becomes a customer and the church entertains them for donations and offerings. The pastor is the boss and manager operating within a strict budget. Big business in today’s Christian movement. Jesus Christ has never been to the place they call ‘church.’ He would flip their book, DVD and CD tables over! When money and theatrics are involved, God isn’t! Nowhere in the Bible is the pastor called to run the church. They appoint themselves. The only difference between a calling and a occupation is a salary.”

We are going back to Acts 2:42-47.

Church is what you are, not somewhere you go!

PLEASE show us where anyone in the New Testament Scriptures went around looking for an elder, a pastor, a church? YES, fellowship is essential and so is submitting to our elders in Christ and yet, perhaps today, far too much emphasis is placed on these things (Hebrews 10:24-25; 13:7, 17, etc.). None of this matters if the individual disciple is not engaged in seeking the face of the LORD personally.

You don’t need a preacher because you have a Bible. Read it. You don’t need a preacher to tell you what the Bible says! Read it for yourself, learning yourself. Today is your day to take more personal responsibility to seek God for yourself! Jesus taught personal responsibility and the essential nature of it when He said “Take heed to yourselves” (Luke 21:34-36) …… Jesus is Coming.

Many who initially believed will ultimately and eternally be damned for their idolatry ….

“Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: 43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” John 12:42-43

“And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand: 15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.” Mark 7:14-15

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. 25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. 26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.” Matthew 23:23-26

MESSAGE RECEIVED:

“It is Godly to have a church building to meet in. Jesus does not speak against it. If there is one, just one church that preaches the Gospel, and there is, then this comment is leading people astray. Go visit, til you find the right church…don’t be lazy and loose your soul…Amen! But that is a half truth to deter people if there is one church preaching the Gospel. You are trying to be God!”

REPLY:

I don’t agree with it being godly necessarily….. A physical building is not a necessity and is usually a great hindrance and worse. Jesus didn’t specifically speak against a physical building but He DID speak against the wolves operating in those buildings. Jesus also didn’t practice it (erecting physical buildings) because He is divine and knows all things and how men make themselves kings and rich off of the people usually as they use that central meeting place for self-serving purposes….. and no, a physical building is not a sin in and of itself. It can’t be, yet what is going on in those apostate “churches” is usually not the New Testament biblical model but rather for the self-serving purposes of those Paul says are “enemies of the cross of Christ.” (Philippians 3:18-19). Any Berean, discerning Bible student sees that. You don’t seem to be Bible intensive and perhaps that’s because the wolves who are misleading you want to keep you ignorant so they can continue to use you (Hosea 4:6; Acts 17:10-11). When Jesus spoke of building His church (called-out ones), He was not speaking of something physical like a “church” building but rather the revelation truth of Himself in the hearts of His people (Matthew 16:17-19). You are not yet a discerning person but rather gullible and this is foolish….. Question: Did Jesus and His apostles ever collect 1 penny to building physical “church” building? yes or no please. Most organizations, the vast majority functioning in buildings are misleading people and not preaching the original Gospel (Jude 3) You are deceived. The real Church – people of God- don’t need to go find a church because they are the church. Where does the Bible say to go find a church, to visit till you find one? And where does God’s Word say that you will lose your soul if you don’t find a church building to go to???? Nowhere. There it is: You are being led to believe that attending the church building is salvation and not Christ – WHOM you have not once mentioned so you are an idolater. So you have to wait till sun morning to preach the Gospel? Wow. There it is again – false church – where most pastors don’t want you doing the work of the ministry daily but rather to patronize their church business. You are telling on yourself. You are a product of a ministry based in a building that is misleading you. Not all are but it seems you are being misled by what you are saying which is a dead give away of what you’re being taught (Matthew 12:34; 5:16, 20). You didn’t mention Jesus Christ one time so obviously Heaven’s nail-scarred risen soon coming KING is not your first love nor being taught in your building based church (Colossians 2:18-19). This proves the point.

I don’t know what I am saying while I give you Scripture? Flash Point: Reading God’s Word and living by it is not “trying to be God.”

MESSAGE RECEIVED:

“I’ve had people tell me that, even attending and supporting a church for over a year, that the church they were attending would not help them in a time of crisis because they were not members of that church.” Mark Cowan

REPLY:

YES, have seen this same respect of persons many times brother! Sad!!! Matt 25 We shall all give full account to the One who said:

“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.” Matthew 25:40, 45

The Cross | The Return of Christ | Lukewarm is Hell Bound

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