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gree to which they take their control differs). Like Jones, they manipulate God's people to serve them as subservients, sent by the Lord to help shine and prepare their personal glory crowns. To them, God's people are nothing more than an expedient commodity sent by the Lord to fuel their great religious work. As spiritual despots they see the work of God as being greater than the people of God -- never realizing that the work of God is itself the people of God; those whom God sends their way prove useful only in as much as they help accomplish their personal goals and then they are promptly disposed of -- especially if their involvement becomes either too personal or intrusive. Usually this occurs when one challenges their distorted submission doctrines with true Biblical exegesis -- for instance:
"Be subject one to another" (1 Peter 5 v. 5) "The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets." (1 Cor. 14 v. 32) "But be not ye called Rabbi (teacher) for one is your master even Christ and ye are all brethren. (Mat 23 v. 8) "Admonish one another." (Rom. 15 v. 14)
Today's spiritual demagogues have made the ministry itself an idol and the physical buildings were they fellowship sacred shrines. To them, the outward accouterments of Christianity are more important than God's true temple which is the Holy Spirit in His people. What they really desire is a robotic congregation and a god like the golden calf -- who will lead them at their behest, whenever and wherever they choose. (see Exodus 32 where Aaron as High Priest presages the idolatry that many later ministries would succumb to).
Many of today's churches substitute gimmicks, musical entertainment, comedians and all manner of good ideas to help fill both their rosters and their coffers, till from the outside we often appear as little more than shysters running carnival sideshows. The one thing missing from today's church, however, is the truth, and that truth is that sin is rampant in the camp; though subtly hidden behind robes of ecclesiastical righteousness, the sins of today's churches and leadership are far more deadly than those found in the world, for spiritual pride, egotism and self-righteousness, are always the hardest to see and unseat.
So let us not be so busy working to fulfill the great commission (in the power of our flesh) that we like Martha miss the "better part" -- which is waiting like Mary at the Lord's feet till He gives us His clear and divine direction.
No, we don't need laughing prophets in these last hours -- what we do need however is the warning of God's true prophets -- calling both priest and sinner to repent! repent! and repent again!
Tragically, today most of the Church has been lulled to sleep by blindly accepting the false teaching of the universal Pre-Tribulational Rapture theory, which mistakenly equates this Rapture as being guaranteed in our initial salvation experience.
Certainly, very few of us will be deemed worthy by God to be co-rulers with Christ during the Millennium, and Christ's letters to the seven churches present a profound affront to this theory. For example, where will Christ spit the Laodicean Church? Certainly not into heaven!! Still, Christ acknowledges the Laodicean Church as His own.
Philadelphia alone is promised a door of escape before the Tribulation because of her love and keeping of Christ's patience. Of the six remaining churches, only Smyrna is approved; the other five Ephesus, Pergamus, Sardis, Thyatira and Laodicea are corpo
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