CHRISTIANS BEWARE

This world is full of Christians who know a lot about Messiah Yeshua but do nothing to fulfill His commandments. True Christians remain a minority, and there are many misunderstandings about what makes a person a Christian, which need to be clarified. 

1. HEREDITARY CHRISTIANS

Being born into a Christian family does not mean you have a free ticket to heaven. You may grow up thinking your church has the whole truth while others may have partial truths. Though it does not ensure your salvation, you have a big advantage in that you have known the Holy Scriptures from your childhood (2 Tim. 3:15). But to obtain salvation, you must repent of your sins, get baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, that should result in your transformation, your family’s transformation, and through them transformation of others (John 1:12-13; Acts 2:37-39).

2. BAPTISM BY IMMERSION

“And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ” (Rom. 8:9). Going through the ritual of water baptism of repentance in your church means that you are only convicted but not necessarily transformed or a new creation (2Cor. 5:17). In the Scriptures, water baptism and Holy Spirit baptism are inseparable. Peter said, “Be baptized in the name of Yeshua and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38,39}. Paul baptized 12 disciples in Ephesus who had been baptized only in John’s baptism of repentance. He laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:1-6). Philip baptized Samaritans with water only so Peter and John had to go and baptize them with the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:12; 14-17). Indicators of Holy Spirit baptism are – transformation of the self, the family and others, empowerment to heal and cast out demons, boldness to preach where Christ is not named (Acts. 4:29; Rom. 15:19,20). He is also baptized by fire which is the baptism of the Word so that he can withstand fiery trials (Mark 16:15-20; Matt. 3:11; Jer. 23:29; 1Pet. 4:12).

3. SUNDAY SERVICES

Going to church faithfully every week does not make you a Christian. Going to a mechanic shop does not make you a mechanic. Sunday church is a man-made tradition that is not found in the Scriptures. He would like you to finish the task that He came to do, “Seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). He is looking for those who will worship Him in truth and in spirit, by seeking and saving the lost, neither here nor there” but everywhere, all the times (Isa. 29:13; John 4:23-24).

4. GOOD WORKS

Eliminating hunger, thirst, nakedness, poverty and other humanitarian mercy ministries are important part of the holistic ministry of the church only if done in the name of Yeshua. Good works take care of the physical needs without addressing their spiritual needs. Giving a cup of cold water to a thirsty person is just social work but given in the name Yeshua adds spiritual value to it (Mark 9:41; Heb. 13:16). Your good deeds are only social work, unless they are also turning beneficiaries into followers of Christ (Eph 2:8-9; Isa. 64:6; Tit. 3:5).

5. BY FAITH ALONE

Faith alone will not save you, for saving faith must be matched by your works. “Faith without works is dead. Even the demons believe and tremble.” You have been created by God for abounding in the work of the Lord. Yeshua is coming soon, and He will reward you according to your works (Jam. 2:17; 19-24; Eph. 2:10; 1 Cor. 15:58; Rev. 22:12). It is not how much faith you have in God, but how much faith God has in you. He will assign you tasks according to the amount of faith He has in you. If He has not given you any task other than to go to church on Sunday, then you are not in His focus.

6. PAYING TITHES

Giving money and tithes to a church or charity will not buy you a ticket to heaven. In the OT, tithes were food. A tither and his family, along with widows, orphans, strangers (Gentiles) and the Levites, ate the tithe in the presence of the Lord. In the NT we break bread from house to house, sharing our tithes and the whole wisdom of God with the lost (Acts 2:46; 20:27; Deut. 14:22-30).

7. CHURCH TRADITIONS

Rituals, ceremonies, liturgies and celebration of the sacraments will not take you to heaven. Even yelling “Hallelujah!” will not help, for the Lord looks and weighs the thoughts of your heart. God has decided to turn our voices of mirth and gladness into lamentation, because we have set up idols in our hearts (1 Sam. 16:7; Jer. 17:910; 5:14; Ezek. 14:1-8).

8. LOUD WORSHIP

Listening to emotional-devotional music on an expensive sound system is not worship. Offering our bodies as sacrifice for seeking and saving the lost is our reasonable service (letreia, worship). God does not care for the sacrifices of our lips unless we go outside of the camp to proclaim Him to the lost (Amos 5:21-24; Jer.7:4-11; Heb. 13:13-15).

9. SPEAKING IN TONGUES 

Like Paul, you can speak in tongues privately as much as you like but not in the Ekklesia unless there are interpreters, otherwise the newcomers will think you are mad (1Co 14: 15,18,19,23). Speaking in tongues is not the only gift that is the sign of receiving the Holy Spirit. In fact, it is the last and the least important gift mentioned in this list of eight gifts of the Holy Spirit. The most important being ‘love’ mentioned in chap 13th. “Now you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a member of it. And God hath set some in the Ekklesia, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?  Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? And now I will show you a way (love) that is beyond comparison” (1Cor. 12:27-31). All these gifts make us one Body of Christ designed to reproduce itself and fill the earth. 

10. EFFECTIVE FASTING

Even fasting for selfish reasons will not help unless you are also breaking the chains of oppression, bringing healing in your wings and thereby glorifying God (Isa. 58:4-12).

11. ACCEPTABLE PRAYERS

When Yeshua prayed, He did not ask God for anything. Rather, He davened (communed) with the Father. In the OT, Jews offered sacrifices at an altar, then stretched forth their hands and prayed. In the NT, the Lord has ordained that we offer repentant souls as living sacrifice, then our prayers will reach the golden altar in heaven. God has given to us explicit commands to pray specifically for nations, rulers and cities, and for laborers to enter the harvest (Exo. 29:42; Psalm 2:8; 1 Tim. 2:1-4; Jer. 29:7; Rev. 8:3-4; Luke 10:2).

12. CELESTIAL DANCE

After producing miniscule fruit in 2000 years, we are realizing that the institutional church has failed to deliver. Even so, there remains a strong resistance to change. Church history is full of people who tried to change church traditions, and found their soul promptly end up under the Golden altar in heaven with names written in the Book of Martyrs (Rev. 6:9). The Lord says, “Speak to them all that I command you. Do not be afraid of kings and rulers… they shall not prevail.” He has commanded us to junk all the worthless, unscriptural, traditional baggage, and to replant the original model (Jer. 1:9-10, 17-19). Indeed, there is no other breaking news that skyrockets to heaven faster than the rescue of a lost sheep, sending divine angels into celestial dance and skylarking in heaven (Luke 15:10).

Copyright © 2023 Dr.Victor Choudhrie

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