EXPOSED: America’s Counterfeit Churches, Part 2

by Jonathan Israel, www.ConnectionMagazine.org

The following 4 points contrast The Lord’s Biblical order for His congregations and church assemblies against America’s culturally influenced counterfeit church order, and reveal how far Americanized Christianity has strayed from the foundation of the prophets, apostles and Messiah himself. The counterfeit church has also undeniably been influenced by the Roman Catholic religion and unwittingly holds to the NicoLAITANS doctrine of the “Clergy/Laity” system or organization, where only an elite group or primary individual governs and regularly “ministers” to the submissive non-ministers of the church. This Nicolaitans doctrine is a doctrine Yahshua/Jesus hates, (Revelation 2:15).


Americanized Christianity is a compromised, lukewarm invention of man that stifles the Spiritual power, growth, development and liberty of the body of believers. These counterfeit churches are filled with doctrines of demons and carnal-minded invaders, void of the Holy Spirit, who have usurped its authority.


Have you ever wondered at the lack of influence or authority of American Christianity? What if you were a member of the counterfeit church and didn’t know it? At the end of this article, you will understand the difference between the ONE TRUE CHURCH and the counterfeit churches of posers who have usurped Abba’s authority.


1) Scripture identifies new Covenant believers as those led by the law of liberty, law of faith, the law of the Spirit, and confirms they are free to give as the Holy Spirit leads.


Counterfeit churches have an unholy fixation with money and extorting money by erroneously teaching Moses’ ‘third year’ law of tithing as a weekly demand or lawful requirement, and evidence of a life submitted to the Lord.


2 Corinthians 9:7 …let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. Philemon 1:14 (Let)...your good deed…NOT be by compulsion… Even if new Covenant believers were under the old Covenant law of Moses, tithing was only required by law every THIRD YEAR! Deuteronomy 26:12, “…tithing all the tithes of your increase the THIRD YEAR, which is the YEAR of TITHING…” Amos 4:4-6, “Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every THREE YEARS...brag about your freewill offerings— boast about them...for this is what you love to do,… yet you have NOT returned to me," declares the LORD...


2) Scripture identifies true congregational order and clarifies there is only ONE CHURCH, ONE head of the Church, and ONE titled and called teacher/rabbi/pastor, and we as His followers are to come together as BRETHREN, fellow laborers and co-workers, who are ALL permitted to minister one to another in the assembly or congregation.


Cultural Christianity perpetuates the Nicolatian doctrine Yahshua hates, the FRAUD of a Clergy/Lay system, where a man is labeled as the head and called/addressed “teacher” or “pastor”. Often, these preeminent individuals are taught to believe they are the ‘CEO’ of the church rather than the servant of all as Scripture commands all 8 gifts of service to operate, (1 Corinthians 12:28). In some churches, a small select group of congregational members are also considered spiritual enough to minister to the non-ministers or laity of the church. The appointed leader “head” (not Christ) and few select individuals exercise spiritual authority and dominance over the “laity” or “lay” people.


Proper Congregational Order - Ephesians 5:23, … “Christ is the HEAD of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.” Matthew 23:8, Yahshua said, “But you are NOT to be called teacher (Rabbi/Pastor/Preacher/Priest/Father), for you have ONE Teacher and you are ALL BROTHERS.” 1 Corinthians 14:27-30, What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, EACH OF YOU has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. EVERYTHING must be done so that the church may be built up. If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—SHOULD speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God. Two or three prophets SHOULD speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting
down, the first speaker should STOP. For YOU CAN ALL PROPHECY in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged.


3) Scriptures reveal Yahsua’s desire for believers to congregate as a house of prayer and to be wholly pleasing and honorable to the Lord.


Cultural Christianity gathers with the goal to assemble as many people as possible, to be financially prosperous, to be acceptable to the world and to please the people (flesh). Examples include Chrislam, hyper-grace, seeker-friendly, culturally accommodating, prosperity driven, non-discriminant all-inclusive churches.


Ephesians 5:10, "...find out what pleases the Lord." Colossians 1:10, "...live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him..." Matthew 21:13, Yahshua/Jesus said, “My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.” Galatians 1:10, For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. 1Thessalonians 2:4 , “… we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, NOT as pleasing men, but GOD who tests our hearts.” John 5:44, Yahshua/Jesus asked, “How can ye believe, which receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that comes from God only?”


4) Scripture reveals The Lord’s order for the congregation and exclusively requires and confirms that only MALES are Biblically qualified to SERVE the congregation in the servant leadership roles of Elders, Deacons and Bishops.


Cultural Christians ignore Biblical traditions and Scriptural requirements and declare Bible Scripture to be outdated and often appoint women to these offices. They blindly accept unqualified congregational leaders married to more than one woman and/or whose family members are uncontrollable or who live unchecked lives of lawlessness.


1Timothy 3:12, Titus 1:5-7, Elders, Deacons and Bishops “...must “be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.” 1 Corinthians 14:34-38, Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. Or did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? If anyone thinks they are a prophet or otherwise gifted by the Spirit, let them acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the LORD’S COMMAND. But if anyone ignores this, they will themselves be ignored. 1Timothy 2:12, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.” 2Thessalonians 2:5, “Therefore, brethren,
stand fast, and hold the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.” 1Corinthians 11:2, Hold to “the traditions just as I passed them on to you.”


People, we should already know Abba’s DIRECTION for in-house ministry -v- outhouse ministry as Bible Scripture instructs.


1 Corinthians 5:12-13, What business is it of mine to JUDGE those OUTSIDE the church? Are YOU not to judge those INSIDE? God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”


1 Corinthians 5:9-13, I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing to you that you must NOT associate with anyone who CLAIMS TO BE A BROTHER OR A SISTER but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.


Ezekiel 22:26, Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean…


Malachi 2, You have wearied the Lord with YOUR WORDS. “How have we wearied him?” you ask. By saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, and he is pleased with them”.


False prophets and carnally minded watchmen do not distinguish between their words and the Lord’s word, and they do not distinguish between the flesh and the Holy Spirit. And many false teachers and false preachers have now invaded America’s Christianity, usurped authority and turned the congregation into an OUTHOUSE.


Furthermore, as Jude 1:4 has exposed, they have turned “the grace of our God into lasciviousness”.


John 4:21&23, Yahshua/Jesus said, “…the hour comes, when you shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him.”


Prophecy in the news revealing the truth, prepared by editor@ConnectionMagazine.org to help explain the end times, last days revelation and prophecy in the news that is beginning to happen all across the United States of America and around the world. Those who accept Yahshua as Lord and Savior, confessing and forsaking their sins, will be forgiven. Rom. 10, & 1 John 1