The Work And Authority of Elders Two

Kenneth Sublett, Piney.com, Hohenwald, Tennessee

Work and Authority of Elders: Covenant of Membership: Sowing Discord Musically at Madison Church of Christ, Nashville. Comments by request.

See the Work and Authority of Elders Part One.

From The Plumbline:

Are Elders Hand Picked By The Holy Spirit?

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A current devilish trend affecting numerous congregations is the unscriptural divided assembly. Paul gives a direct command in Hebrews 10:25 that Christians are not to forsake the assembly of the church. The divided assembly is the devil's playground for liberals who have"...no fear of God before their eyes" (Rom. 3:18); i.e., no respect for Biblical authority. Those participating in a divided assembly are following Satan rather than God. John tells us they are the "children of the devil" (I John 3:10) and "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (I John 2:4). They laugh and play while they restructure the Lord's church with their unscriptural innovations,"...every man did that which was right in his own eyes" (Judges 17:6), without fear of punishment. However, Paul warns, "the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience" (Col. 3:6).

"The liberals, in an effort to justify divided assemblies, have expanded Hebrews 10:25 without Biblical authority (Rev. 22:18,19). Disregarding linguistic principles they have seized Jehoiakim's penknife (Jer. 36:23) and performed radical surgery on the Greek word episunagogan (translated "assembling together"), slicing it into two parts. Therefore, with "assembling" severed from "together," each now can be achieved in divided assemblies which effectively voids the "assembling together" of all the saints as commanded by Paul. It should not be a surprise that Humanism, rather than the Bible, is being taught in the divided assembly. Humanistic philosophies that reject Biblical authority are injected through Values Clarification; i.e., conclusions are reached subjectively based upon feelings and Discovery Learning where those in the group are to be nonjudgmental and one's opinion is as good as another. Additionally, by utilizing demographics, a technique borrowed from the business community to identify and target specific individuals, the members of the congregation are identified and placed into a specific group. Each group is limited to 12-15 individuals by age, address, education, marital status, families with/without children, physical impairment, etc.

This article speaks of the Holly Rollers at Madison. It ceases to be extreme when you read one view of what the OneTrue Worship should be all about. We have also adressed the urge to Lift Holy hands as a legalistic act of worship and Hand Clapping as a show of contempt for the loser: Jesus.

After sowing discord among the brethren and offending hundrs of these little ones, here is a proposed second table to adopt a Saddleback-like Covenant of Membership. This has legal provision to stop those who have been "discorded" to speak about it: accept it or we will find you a new church home. Here is the second table:

This is too heavy to address in detail but it has no earmarks of an elder who has been "set over" others because he has A holy spirit. Those who "obey" follow his spiritual instructions because he fulfils the "covenant" by "teaching only that which has been taught" and whose faith and "outcome of life" is worthy of imitation.

We will look briefly at MARK Chapter 12: Lifting Love out of that which condemns Musical Worship

We Lifted Love,
We Lifted Love,
When nothing else could count,
We Lift-ed Love.

THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT

Mark 12

.

.

 

Testing Elders.

Member to Member

Group to Group

Conflict(s)

 

Mediation

Negotiation

Win-Win

Matthew 18

 

Higher Authority

Elders

 

Litigation

Arbitration

 

Power Play

(By Those Who reject the Higher Authority)

 

 

Peter said that the money belongs to the earner. Therefore, no elder has any higher authority beyond that defined by Scripture. Property is jointly-held property. Depriving the owners of its control is usurping authority and stealing.

Murder, sorcery, fornication, theaf grouped in Re. 9:21. Music has always been one method of sorcery. Theft is taking people's money under false pretenses and then taking control. Theft is "stealing the church houses of widows." The familiar spirit of the witch of Endor was a musical device like the brass sounding gong of 1 Cor. 13.

Murder

Lording

Accusing those under their teaching (ruling) role of murder by guilt by association. Projecting theatrical character as the model of Christian character: assassinating the character of Christ.

Character Assassination

Speaking
perverse
things Ac 20:30

Identifying those who will not accept erroneous teachers as equivalent to murderers.

Labeling

Failing to teach Word as it has been taught

Fortressing within the "inner circle" and refusing to listen to the hungry sheep. The shepherd is outside the circle keeping wolves out.

Strikes

Failing to rebuke those who offend

All "musical" terms in the Bible speak of Satanic violence, the violence of warfare or the violence of the clergy Lording it over the flock

Violence

 

Demanding a "king" so we can worship like the nations 1 Sam 8

Taking member's money devoted to the church as a teaching institution and diverting it to "staff" and theatrical performance. Steals from the poor to give to the rich.

Withholding Money

 

Failed to labor in the Word and Doctrine 1Ti 5:17

When elders clearly identify themselves as hostile to a given congregation and begins to Lord it over the flock over which he has set himself, and teaching false doctrine. Those who are spiritual have as much teaching authority in the local congregation as an unqualified man who arrogantly sees power as a result of "ordination" by buddies.

Petitions

 

Failed to heal the sick Ja 5:14

 

quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder all go together (2 Cor. 12:20). The "super apostles" or self-proclaimed leaders in Corinth created all of the problems in Corinth.

Gossip

Failed to feed the flock 1 Pet 5:2

Forcing masculine members of the body to being subjected to theatrical performance. Among many, music creates "rage."

Badgering

.

Teaching that a Spirit God can be worshiped with "music" is the most ancient lie. It was told by Satan to youth like Jubal. The lie was that you can engage in mixed-sex choirs, wine and instrumental music without being beyond redemption.

Lying

Jesus identified the Devil as a Liar because "he spoke on his own."

Proposing a psychologically violent "Covenant" to weed out future "testing of the spirits"

Threatening

Musical "worship" is a dire threat to the masculine, Spirit led members..

Boasting to media of "mega-church" status. Associating with Jubilee to deliberately court publicity and conflict as "prayerful brinkmanship."

Going to Media

.

Failing to allow faithful members to teach. Setting up an "insiders" system for those in the know about the "future plans." Importing outside teachers

Shunning

.

Why elders Sow Discord and Still feel compelled to Claim Supernatural Authority for their Office:

"Many unchurched people are intimidated by a more formal atmosphere." I believe it is the case that at Madison many "churched" people are intimidated by the simple teaching of God's Word. These kind of people will always try to change the church into another denomination. Let such people tell us how the many denominations came into existence. Let such folks tell us if denominationalism is wrong.

Those very considerate and thoughtful Madison brethren want to make it "easier" for the non-churched to feel comfortable. Do you suppose the people at Madison ever heard of "Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin?" Old Jeroboam concocted a plan which would be easier for the people to follow. They could feel comfortable at Dan or Bethel. Most any dim-wit will choose that which is easy and comfortable. This is how sprinkling and mechanical music became so very popular. How long has it been since the Madison people heard a scriptural plea for a return to the Old Paths?

"The sermons will not be as long as what we are used to." Sometimes sound and faithful teaching can make people uncomfortable but of course no such preaching will be heard in that good-feeling church. The very thing which pleases God and which he has designed by which to save people, is to be shortened. I have serious doubts that it would not matter at all if the sermon was completely eliminated so as to give more time to Holy Laughter, jumping, dancing, hugging and loving the opposite sex.

One person opines, "There is no question that God is working among our church family." It so happens that I question such a foolish statement. Any sectarian member in the Madison area will make such a fanciful claim. Each one of the sects want to tell that God is working among them. This is but another point of Holy-Rollerism among the Madison folks. It isn't right to attribute the work of the devil to God.

The final point which needs some comment is the brazen assertion that, "He recognized our suppressed capacity to love." This poor woman has been attending and being a part of something called, "worship" where her capacity to love was suppressed." Pity all those poor depraved, suppressed, people who will not join the lovers in the third service! Click to see the "reaching a climax with God from the Vineyard" parallel.

Will someone please explain just exactly how one's love can be suppressed in a worship service where all things are done decently and in order (I Cor. 14:40)? I have been preaching for well over fifty years that when we assemble together to worship God, we are to direct our worship to God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). I just haven't learned that we meet together to hug, pat, love, caress, rub, massage, squeeze, and paw over those of the opposite sex. One woman called me by phone and complained about her husband who was attending a Holiness church and was involved in hugging the women too much. She wanted me to tell her how to solve the problem. It's too late, but I suppose now I could tell her to send him to some of our loving churches where they will not suppress one's love. Wayne Coats

The PROOF TEXT for radically eradicating everything but LOVE has a before proof text as fulfillment of Isaiah 5. God built Israel as HIS VINEYARD and sent the Spirit of Christ to inform the prophets to warn against the kings. The kings made "synagoging" into RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS. The consumed the wine of the nation on THEMSELVES and violated God's direct commandment that they be A BLESSING TO THE NATIONS.

These religious festivals also defined by Amos 5 and 6 ignored the WORD OF GOD (the Logos or Dabar) by the use of music including instrumental music.

As a result, the ELDERS deliberately starved the LAMBS for the Word and they wandered away from the Shepherd's fold or were DRIVEN OUT by self-feeding Shepherds to be consumed by the "wolves." In the end, the Vineyard of God was destroyed because God Himself BROKE DOWN THE WALLS between the protected sheep to let the wild beasts in. These wild beasts were symbolic of Satan who introduced mixed-sex choirs to defeat the Word of God.


God sent the Prophets to warn against the priests and Levites (the "musicians") who "fiddled as the nation burned." They killed the prophets and finally God Incarnate came to eradicate the FALSE SHEPHERDS who attempted to destroy Jesus and TRIUMPH OVER HIM with music to keep others from LISTENING TO HIM.

AND he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. Mark 12:1

And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. Mark 12: 2

And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty. Mark 12: 3

Click to see God's vineyard, thorns and musical worship festivals. The New Wineskin Religion with music was always Israel telling God: "We will not listen to your words." In Ezekiel 33 God compares "singing with a beautiful voice and playing well on an instrument" to the song of the prostitute in Amos 5, 6 as the work of Lucifer (from halal). When people came to God for the entertainment value it said what the Jews thought when John might be "soft" and Jesus might sing and dance the Dionysus shuffle to disqualify Him as the Masculine God prophesied.

NOW will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: Isa 5:1

And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. Isa 5: 2

And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. Isa 5: 3

What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? Isa 5: 4

Poison berries: the vines of Sodom.

DSS
But Thou, O God,
dost despise all Satan's designs;
it is Thy purpose that they shall be done
and the design of Thy heart
that shall be established for ever.
As for them, they dissemble,
they plan devilish schemes.
They seek Thee with a double heart
and are not confirmed in Thy truth.
A root bearing poisoned and bitter fruit
is in their designs;
they walk in stubbornness of heart
and see Thee among idols,
then they set before them
the stumbling-block of their sin.

Jesus put the shepherds in charge of the sheep, the ignorant in charge of the teachers, the vineyard as God's House in charge of the under vinedressers. If the husbandman lets the wild animals in to destroy the harvest then he will be considered part of the end-time chaff.

And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled. Mark 12: 4

And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some. Mark 12: 5

Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son. Mark 12: 6

But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir, come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours. Mark 12: 7

And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. Mark 12: 8

The Willow Creek, Jubilee or Saddleback Community pattern is to "cast out Jesus" and His Word and replace it with theatrical performance (musical worship teams) to bring on a sexual-like attack to make everyone go away "smiling!" Yeah! Dr. Rubel Shelly says that time and personal agendas has "filtered out" the Bible except seven factual statements about Jesus. However, Jesus identified Himself with the Words of the Father: cast out the Bible in song and sermon then we cast out the Owner of the Vineyard:

What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others. Mark 12: 9

And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner: Mark 12: 10

This was the Lords doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes? Mark 12: 11

LOVE forced Jesus to rebuke all of the priests and all of the elders of Judaism:

And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way. Mark 12: 12

DSS

For Thou, O God, hast sheltered me

from the children of men
And hast hidden Thy Law within me
against the time when Thou shoudst
reveal Thy salvation to me. (Isaiah 11:1-3)

Woe unto them that join house to house (church house to church house), that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth Isa 5:8

In mine ears said the Lord of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant. Isa 5: 9

Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah. Isa 5: 10

Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine (exhilarated wineskin worship) inflame them Isa 5: 11

And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands. Isa 5: 12

DSS

All who have eaten my bread

have lifted their heel against me (cf John 13:18)
And all those joined to my Council
have mocked me with wicked lips. (Children piping and chiding.)

They have overtaken me in a narrow pass (gap) without escape

And there is no rest for me in my trial.
They sound my censure upon a harp
and their murmuring and storming upon a zither." Ps.41:11

With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries." Re.17:2

And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. Re.18:14

And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. Re.18:14

When the Jews attacked Jesus it was a musical triumph over ceremony: making music and "making a joyful noise before the Lord." This was the warrior's battle cry as the tried to defeat Beliar.

Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst. Isa 5: 13

Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it Isa 5: 14

Of the king of Babylon which represented Egypt, Sodom and Jerusalem:

Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the maggots cover thee. Isa 14:11

See how the Assyrians (Babylonians or Egypt or Israel) would be defeated and sacrificed in the red hot arms of "molech" at the kings's music grove at Topheth.

Caesar gets his due taxes but Christ paid the temple tax for His "sons" and Paul repudiated the idea of a "command to give." God doesn't need money and the dominant leaders will squander it. Therefore, we give to God by sending out evangelists and helping the helpless: there is no dole for the able bodied who will not "go, preach, baptize, teach."

And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words. Mark 12: 13

And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man;

for thou regardest not the person of men,

but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? Mark 12: 14

DSS

They come to inquire of Thee

from the mouth of lying prophets deceived by error (Eze 13)
Who speak with strange lips to Thy people,
and an alien tongue,
That they may cunningly turn
all their work to folly.

Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it. Mark 12: 15

And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesars. Mark 12: 16

And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesars, and to God the things that are Gods. And they marvelled at him. Mark 12: 17

For all of the musical people at the temple who, by definition, rejected Jesus by continuing the animal burning music (noise), Jesus would remove the money changers 'trumpets' and direct the mony from my hand to the hand of the poor. This does not eleminate collective giving for any good chause but it can never be a tithe or tax.

The people were concerned with whose wife would belong to whom but Jesus denied that they had the POWER OF GOD because they KNOW NOT THE SCRIPTURES:

And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God? Mark 12: 24

For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven. Mark 12: 25

Consistent with all SELF-SELECTED LEADERS these people knew nothing about the Scripture and cared nothing for it:

And as touching the dead, that they rise; have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? Mark 12: 26

He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err. Mark 12: 27

And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? Mark 12: 28

As with all of the "new style worship" most worship teams worship the names of three gods: Father, Jesus and Spirit. However, Spirit is not a name but the nature of God: His mental attitude.

Therefore, those who pray for the separated out Holy Spirit to "guide them into new Doctrine and Essential Practices" they are polytheistic and know not god and therefore have no power from God:

And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: Mark 12: 29

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. Mark 12: 30

And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. Mark 12: 31

What we erroneously call "music" had any use only in Jerusalem, in the temple and in connection with the BURNING part of animal sacrifices. Therefore, one cannot love the Lord with all of thy UNDERSTANDING and use this as authority for music without denying that Jesus Christ died to abrogate all sacrificial systems.

And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: Mark 12: 32

And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. Mark 12: 33

DSS

Anguish seizes me

like the pangs of a woman in travail, (John 16:21)
and my heart is troubled within me.
I am clothed in blackness
and my tongue cleaves to the roof of my mouth. (Vermes, 165f)
 
My strength has gone from my body
and my heart runs out like water;
my flesh is dissolved like wax
and the strength of my loins is turned to fear.
 
My arm is torn from its socket
and I can lift my hand no more;
My foot is held by fetters
and my knees slide like water;

The king, David, and THE COMMANDERS OF THE ARMY set the instrumental and singing Levites over the burning of animal sacrifices. There was no other rational use. Therefore, when we SET THE MUSICAL WORSHIP TEAM OVER THE FLOCK we are restoring an essential part of animal sacrifices and therefore repudiate Jesus as Full Deity.

> The Levitical "musicians" or producers of a great crashing sound played their part during the burning phase of animal sacrifices.

> Loving God and man is more important than burning animal sacrifices.

> Therefore, LOVE would never impose the "animal burning music" on those freed by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question. Mark 12: 34

And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the son of David? Mark 12: 35

For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. Mark 12: 36

David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly. Mark 12: 37

Therefore, those who believe that they can seduce the Holy Spirit believe that they can seduce Lord Jesus Christ Who is the Spirit or Mind of God, believe, like the Jews, that perhaps Jesus can be seduced into the Dionysus dance and song or that John might wear the "soft" clothing of the king's male concubine: a catamite.

Jesus took away the keys of the Jewish clergy because they "took away the key to knowledge." The key given to Peter and the apostles was to go, teach, baptize, teach.

And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes (book writers), which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the market places, Mark 12: 38

And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts: Mark 12: 39

Which devour widows houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation. Mark 12: 40

And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. Mark 12: 41

Therefore, Jesus would utterly condemn those who use COMMAND AUTHORITY to reimpose the temple tax or to force widows to tithe or confiscate her house by getting her to "pledge" it and take it away from her heirs just to build a new temple of doom.

DSS
However, in hymn 11, Jesus triumphs in the Spirit
They enter my heart and reach into my bones to...
and to meditate in sorrowful meditation.
I will groan with the zither of lamentation
in all grief-stricken mourning and bitter complaint
until iniquity and wickedness are consumed
and the disease-bringing scourge is no more.
 
Then will I play on the zither of deliverance and the harp of joy,
on the tabors of prayer and the pipe of praise without end
 
The Community Rule (1QS) reads in part:
 
And at the beginning of their weeks for the season of Jubilee.
All my life the engraved Precept shall be on my tongue
as the fruit of praise and the portion of my lips.

I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him. Is.57:19

Take words with you and return to the LORD. Say to him: "Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips. Hosea 14:2

For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth men should seek instruction--because he is the messenger of the LORD Almighty. Mal.2:7

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name. Heb.13:15

 
I will sing with knowledge and
all my music shall be for the glory of God.
(My) lyre (and) my harp shall sound for His holy order
and I will tune the pipe of my lips to His right measure.

You cannot get just love out of this without having Jesus slap you in the face five or six times.

Here is what cult-minded people think when you tell them that I am picked by God:

ELDERS

Brethren, once more, we implore you to be intellectually honest - We agree that the dissention among the elders of this congregation has done the most harm to the "unity of the spirit", but it was those

elders that spoke independently and outside their "inner circle" that caused that harm

and they alone will have to answer for it.

But once the elders all agreed to work together as a unit and not talk outside the eldership except as united,

we as members have no right to go forward with any action.

Unity as a body is created by Christ through His word: He is the only mediator (the musical team is not), He is the only Head (the elders are not) and He is the only Teacher. Elders or under shepherds teach ONLY when they teach that which has been taught. They have no inner circle to define the "doctrines" and "essential practices" of an insitution which by law is community property. Eldes get to be custodians only if they submit themselves for election as the "board of directors." In a spiritual sense they "rule" extends no further than the instructions which are given to all:

For whom did Jesus pray to be united? Let his words answer. "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me" (John 17:17-21). Jesus prayed for the sanctified believers to be united. Who are these? The truth sanctifies (John 17:17). For one to be sanctified by truth, he must obey that truth (Rom. 6:17-18). To sanctify is to set aside or apart. In Romans 6 Paul shows exactly how and when this happens. In Romans 6:18 Paul wrote, "Being then made free from sin...." Then is an adverb of time which indicates without question when the Romans had been set aside. It is when they had "...obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you" (Rom. 6:17). Romans 6:3-7 clarifies this a bit more. In obedience to truth (God's word, not human doctrine) one is sanctified and justified by God. These people are added by God to the church or kingdom and these are the people our Lord prays for in John 17, not the religious world in general. Charles Pledge

Contrary to those who make up their own doctrine and essential practices, Jesus did not command the elders to "take the houses of widows" by getting them to donate it to them in their will. Rather, the leaders were "devouring the widows houses" meaning livlihood by taking her mite. And yet, she was the only true giver:

And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. Mark 12: 42

And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: Mark 12: 43

For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living. Mark 12: 44

Jesus didn't command widows to give their last penny: He ridiculed the self-righteous who get 'written up' for their contribution--but they give for the rich and rarely for the poor.

Conclusion: The elders have no authority given by God unless they can be "pointed out" or "ordained" as men who are already laboring to the point of exhaustion in preaching and teaching.

The elder has a wider role than the local congregation: he has the responsibility to scour the countryside in his area looking for lost sheep. Then he brings them into a sheepfold, cares for them and can do very little but FEED and Water them with the water of Christ's Word.

No eldership owns the loyalty and money of any person: there is a mutual contract which says "I own God by giving to the poor and I don't owe God by building Him another Temple." When I give you money it is conditional: you carry out the role of chief teacher and evangelist in your area. You teach only the Word as it has been delivered to you once and for all times.

When you offend these little ones by taking away the Water of the Word and replace their diet with musical or theatrical pseudo-worship which comes out of paganism and not out of God's word then you as the EYE of the church have offended. If you will not correct yourself by repenting and confessing your sin then THE BODY which selected you to be the EYE for them must be plucked out by the roots. Why? It is better for a church to have just one shepherd who will feed the sheep and look out for and cast out the wolves than to have two eyes which lust after sister and brother singers and tell any hungry sheep: we will hire a mediator to explain to you why you are not dying of hunger and thirst for the Word but you are being "worshiped for" and you had better like it. If you cannot live on the dregs at the bottom of the barrel then WE will find you another BODY to attach you to when we have CUT YOU OFF AT THE LEGS.

You cannot form a mega-church which "becomes all things to all people" without cutting off the flow of the Word because teachers of the Word are never popular: they are despised and rejected by men, even by keepers of God's vineyard who love to murder prophets.

The work and authority of elders is limited to teaching "that which has been taught" and by rebuking those who do not teach what has been once for all delivered.

When elders use their authority such that their flock see them as lords and celestial beings and who will follow them as they eleminate the teaching of the Word and replace it with the "erotic and murderous" authority of feminine or effeminate erotic praise songs the elders is a wolf in sheep's clothings.

Mount Sinai, Rising Up to Play or Sport in Musical Idolatry

The Israelite Elders fired God and demanded a king like the nations so that they could worship like the nations. No elder has any authority to lead you into pagan worship of the "team" and their own body.

Those who claim supernatural power and lead you back to Mount Sinai as a pattern for Christian worship and community are condemned by Peter by reminding us of the "sporting" which was musical worship. These men are reserved for judgment.

But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; 2 Peter 2:12

And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; 2 Peter 2:13

Having eyes full of adultery (exercising the authentia of sister singers or strange brother singers), and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; (to pay off the building) cursed children: 2 Peter 2:14

"Sporting" is the rising up to play at Mount Sinai in musical idolatry. They sang, danced, waved their hands, stripped naked, played instruments and literally engaged in sex and sexual perversion. This has always been the meaning of "musical worship."

Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 2 Peter 2:15

But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with mans voice forbad the madness of the prophet. 2 Peter 2:16

These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; (navigating the winds of change) to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. 2 Peter 2:17

For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 2 Peter 2:18

While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 2 Peter 2:19

For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 2 Peter 2:20

For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 2 Peter 2:21

But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. 2 Peter 2:22

Paul in Hebrews identifies returning to the sacrificial burning ceremony (the only musical) as committing the unforgivable sin. No elder has the right to restore fatal Israelite practices or pagan practices.

Click to read the first part of the Covenant of Membership and the Claim of Supernatural appointment.

Dan Dozier identifies how this worship PERFORMS at Woodmont Hills Family of God. Apparently those navigating the winds of change claim to be "selected and trained by the sovereign grace of God." The natural result is that they are worshiped as "celestial beings" but the audience cannot hear the message in the midst of the Charismata of Personality.

And see how Jack Reese is facilitator at a "christian" college.

Some of the ways to identify a cultic movement may be found here.

See Dancing on the Rim by Lynn Anderson

Kenneth Sublett: specific comments welcomed.

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