The Church of this World...
Pastor Jerry Wilhite,
author
The church of this world has let us all down and is misleading us. When I say church of this world I mean the physical church that mankind created, not Jesus. Before you finish reading this study you will be shocked and enlightened to the truth of the one and only true church.
Let me start with the fact that Satan has had a huge jump on us in his knowledge, attacks, and how to deceive and mislead us. What is sad is that Satan does not have to do much himself. He finds one here and one there to do his work for him.
The True Church
Matthew 16
15. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16. And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
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.
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.
In the Latin Vulgate and all other translations the word in verse 18 "Peter" in Greek is "Petros". Petros means "a piece of the rock". Yes if a person is named Petros, the translation is Peter, but read verse 16 and even before how Simon was already called Peter. So why would Jesus mean Peter instead of a piece of the rock in verse 18? Also the word "rock" is "petra", or "bedrock". That means he is referring to the mass of rock of which Simon is a piece.
Now read the verse with a piece of the rock instead of Peter.
18. And I say also unto thee, That thou art a piece of the rock, and upon this bedrock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Why was it changed to Peter? The pope is supposed to be directly linked to Peter via the laying on of hands from one person to the next, or figuratively "wearing the shoes of the fisherman, Peter". As such the pope is the head man of God that is everyone's spiritual father. The Catholic Church needed a way to justify this and what better than making Peter the church.
The truth is you and I are the church, the individual, not a building, or denomination, or non-denomination. The person that has had a revelation from God regarding who Jesus is as the Son of God and the Christ is part of the church.
Look at what Jesus said when Peter said, "You are the Christ?"
"Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." Not of flesh and blood but of the Father, of course that is God, and God is a Spirit. The only way to have this revelation is to be of the Spirit and hearing from God.
Worship
John 4
23. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
The only way to worship God is in spirit and in truth. Worshipping God in spirit and truth is not "goose bumps", a "burning in the breast", or any other physical feeling. It is having knowledge of who He is, hearing directly from Him, and actually listening to Him.
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.
The only way to God is through Jesus, and the only way to know Jesus is to be of the Spirit.
John 14
6. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Falsehoods
Because people accept others as who ever they say they are and that they know more than others, they get set up to fail.
Matthew 17
20. And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
21. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
Verse 21 above should stick out like a sore thumb to all that have read the New Testament. Jesus never said what verse 21 states. In the literal it goes from verse 20 to 22.
Why it should stick out is because it states that we have to do something for the power of God to work. There is nothing we can do to make it work except let it.
1 Corinthians 1
24. But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
Many use verse 21 to justify why they were not able to cast out a demon and it gave crediance to the exorcism as performed by the Catholics and then later others.
But in I Cor 1:24 it states if we are of Christ we are of the power and wisdom of God. Can you imagine any demon being able to stand up to the power of God, I can not.
Mark 5
2. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
3. Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:
4. Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.
5. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
6. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,
7. And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.
8. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.
9. And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.
10. And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.
11. Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding.
12. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.
13. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.
14. And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done.
15. And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
How is it that Jesus could command a legion of demons out of a man by His word alone, not praying and fasting? Why should those of Christ with the power of God have to pray and fast to do it?
Some religions teach that if you are not baptized with water you are not saved, but that is not what John the Baptist said.
Matthew 3
11. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
Search the word and find how many of the apostles were baptized in water. You may be shocked.
Prayer has been taught to be corporate, something to be done aloud in front of many people.
Matthew 6
5. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
These are but just a few of the many false hoods taught and misleading many.
Many rose with Jesus
Matthew 27
Many miss this verse altogether and as such miss one of our promises and proof of it. Many, not all, raised with Jesus. Now what do you think Jesus did for 3 days in the grave? We know that there was a gulf between Hell and paradise (Abraham's bosom). We learn that from the (true) story Jesus told about the rich man and Lazarus who both died.
This was Passover and almost everyone that was a Jew was in Jerusalem. Most of them were there 3 days earlier and yelling, "Crucify Him!" Now 3 days later they see their loved ones who had passed away walking the streets basically saying, "The One whom you crucified is Lord."
Peter Denied Knowing Jesus
Matthew 10
32. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
33. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
Matthew 26
69. Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.
70. But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.
71. And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.
72. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.
73. And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.
74. Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.
75. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.
Peter denied knowing Jesus and the third time even cursed Him. So what does scripture say about this?
Matthew 10
32. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
33. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
How did Peter stay an apostle after denying knowing and even cursing Him?
John 21
15. So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
16. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
17. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
I have included all these different sets of verses in this order for a reason. It shows that Jesus gave Peter a way to repent. Jesus had not yet ascended to the Father and until He did Peter had an out and Jesus offered it to him. Since Peter denied Jesus 3times, Jesus offered Peter 3 opportunities to repent and profess his love. The point is Jesus will always give of us a way out; today it is called repenting. We are to ask forgiveness and try our best to never do it again.
Strong's Ref. # 25
Romanized agapao
Pronounced ag-ap-ah'-o
perhaps from agan (much) [or compare HSN5689]; to love (in a social or moral sense):
KJV--(be-)love(-ed). Compare GSN5368.
The above agapao is the love in verses 15, and 16 that Jesus used. In 17 it was actually "like" not love and here is its meaning.
Strong's Ref. # 5368
Romanized phileo
Pronounced fil-eh'-o
from GSN5384; to be a friend to (fond of [an individual or an object]), i.e. have affection for (denoting personal attachment, as a matter of sentiment or feeling; while GSN0025 is wider, embracing especially the judgment and the deliberate assent of the will as a matter of principle, duty and propriety: the two thus stand related very much as GSN2309 and GSN1014, or as GSN2372 and GSN3563 respectively; the former being chiefly of the heart and the latter of the head); specifically, to kiss (as a Mark of tenderness):
KJV--kiss, love.
In Greek verse 15, Feed is to pastor, lamb is "lamb like" or "Christ like".
In Greek verse 16, Shepherd is to tend (supervise); sheep is "sheepfold" or "flock".
In Matthew 26:75 when Peter swears about not knowing Jesus, he was taking an oath.
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?
In verse 12 above in place of Paul or Apollos enter the name of the church you attend. Think about this when someone starts a rumor. By the time it gets back to them it is much worse and hardly even close to the truth or what was even said originally. How much more is the church divided today after almost 2000 years of Satan’s messing with it than it was in the above verses.
We are not trying to start a new religion, denomination, etc, we are trying to teach all that will listen how to hear from God and be guided by Him and be the true church.