Before you read this study understand that we do not teach, we share and then ask all who read the following take it to God and verify it with Him. We believe a lot of the world is misled by the church of the world and religion vs the one true church. And to know the truth can only come from knowing, not just knowing of God, John 14:26, I John 2:27, Rev 3:19-22.
Many are called but few are chosen because many are misled by false teachers Matthew 7:13-15 so we help all who wants to know the truth how to find and know the truth of and by God and not of and by man.



Religion


Pastor J. R. Wilhite, author   Close Window

In most cases religion has become a bad word. You can be religious to God, or your favorite TV show, music, and so on. Being religious to a TV program is when you will not miss the 8PM showing of that TV show no matter what. To be religious to a religion means to be there every time they open the doors. Both have the equal amount of power to help you grow in God or even be saved; that is 0, none.

It is not being religious that counts, but our relationship with God that counts. If we are religious to our relationship with God then we have found the one and only religion that counts.

You may have had a group come to your door talking about Jesus, the Jehovah witness or Mormons, but both are more religious to their religions of the Jehovah witness and Mormons than they are to God. Oh yes, this does not exclude others as well. It is that these two get out more than all the other denominations put together.

We need to understand Jesus came here to re-unite us with God the Father. He did not die for us to join a religion.

What about church?

Matthew 16:15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
Matthew 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Remember in our study on Christ, “Christ” is a Greek word, which in English means "The Anointed One" (Luke 4:18, Is 10:27)

Matthew 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed [it] unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

Jesus told Peter here that he did not understand or come to know the Christ (The Anointed One) by mental knowledge, or being there with Jesus. It was revealed (a revelation) to him by God; so Peter had a revelation in his spirit.

Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Here is where Jesus named Simon “Peter” and in Greek the word is “Petros”;

Strong's Number: 4074-GSN
Transliterated: Petros
Pronounced: pet'-ros
a primary word; a (piece of) rock (larger than
3037 GSN); as a name, Petrus, an apostle:
KJV--Peter, rock. Compare 2786 GSN.

As you notice it is a piece of the rock. Not the rock. Jesus is the cornerstone, but the rock is revelation knowledge from God via the spirit of who Jesus is as the Christ and Son of God.

Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Now the Greek word for rock here is petra;

Strong's Number: 4073-GSN
Transliterated: petra
Pronounced: pet'-ra
feminine of the same as 4074 GSN; a (mass of)
rock (literally or figuratively): KJV--rock.

Which as you can see is the rock. So what is the rock (petra) Jesus is referring to? It is not Peter, because Peter is a piece of the rock. Jesus said, "upon this rock". Well, He was just talking about the revelation Peter had. So the church is built upon the revealed (revelation) knowledge from God of Jesus as the Christ and true Son of God. “Jesus” translated is “salvation”. So if you are of Jesus you have salvation, and when you are of Christ you are of the Spirit of God, in, on, and through you. The Son of God refers to our inheritance in God's kingdom.

So we are the church as far as the revealed knowledge goes, but we are not the church. The church is when we are connected to God through the Spirit, and operating in the revealed knowledge of Christ.
If you have any problems with this, read the following verses:

John 14:26 But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

1 John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.


Strong's Ref. # 2356
Romanized threskeia
Pronounced thrace-ki'-ah
from a derivative of GSN2357; ceremonial observance:
KJV--religion, worshipping.
Acts 5
5.
|4267| before knowing
|3165| me
|0509| from the first,
|1437| if
|2309| they will
|3140| to testify,
|3754| that
|2596| according to
|3588| the
|0196| most exact
|0139| sect
|2251| of our
|2356| religion
|2198| I lived
|5330| a Pharisee.
Strong's Ref. # 139
Romanized hairesis
Pronounced hah'-ee-res-is
from GSN0138; properly, a choice, i.e. (specially) a party or (abstractly) disunion:
KJV--heresy [which is the Greek word itself], sect.

Acts 5
5. Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.


As the Pharisee had sects so do religions today. Jesus did not come and die for a building or a belief built on interpretation instead of understanding.
You have divisions as we do today based on man’s interpreting the Bible instead of understanding it. This happens when man, without God’s Spirit guiding, tries to understand His word.

1 Corinthians 1
11. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
12. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
13. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?


Don’t get me wrong; I am not saying that all of the different denominations are lost, but a lot are. There are those in each who are there to guide and help, but since they did not go through man’s way, they are not accepted. Look at Paul, Jesus chose him as the 12th apostle, and what happened to the one the 11 chose?

It is time we unite under one, the Spirit of God, led by God, and God only. Cast out the spirit of religion, and of law, legalism, and replace it with the Spirit of love.

For God so loved, not so judged, or condemned, but loved, and in John 3:17 we are told that Jesus did not come to condemn or judge, but to save.

My prayer for you is:

3 John 1

2. Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth

Remember to show faith when you pray, then praise and give thanks.

God Bless You as you hear His words and follow His leading.




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