The Good Shepherd

 

Things your Church cannot do:

1. Give you the holy spirit

2. Give you good health

3. Give you salvation

4. Give you eternal life

Things your Church can do:

1. Teach you false doctrines

2. Pass the collection plate

Things Jesus Can Give You For Free

1. Give you His unconditional love

2. Give you Truth

3. Give you knowledge

4. Give you wisdom

5. Give you peace of mind

6. Give you the fruit of the spirit

7. Give you the holy spirit

8. Give you a guardian angel

9. Give you salvation

10. Give you eternal life

This is only the short list, as it is written: "And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written." Amen. ~ John 21:25

Millions of Christians worldwide read the same Bible, worship the same God, and believe in the same Savior - yet will not fellowship with another church group. The difference between a Church member and a Disciple of Christ is: a Church member follows the doctrines of their denomination, a Disciple follows Jesus Christ. ~ 1 John 2:3-6 

Jesus said, "I am the Good Shepherd, my Sheep hear my voice and follow me." The hireling shepherds tell their sheep not to fellowship with other sheep. They say, "We are the good purebred sheep, those other sheep are spotted and bad, have nothing to do with them."

This is nothing new. From the beginning of the ministry of Jesus Christ, men have led sheep away from the Good Shepherd's flock. 1 Corinthians 1:12: Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.”

Acts 7:38 tells us the ekklesia, assembly or church was founded in the wilderness centuries before Pentecost. The Church has always been the people who follow Christ, not organizations. Pentecost in the New Testament was the giving of the holy spirit, not the founding of a new religion, or the Church of Christ, or the Catholic Church, or any other organization. As it is written: The general assembly of God and church of the first-born are registered in heaven (not a corporation registered on earth)  ~ Hebrews 12:23.

It is good to meet with other Believers, but don't get the idea that your Church has a franchise on God or a monopoly on the truth.

Jesus/Yahshua is the only person qualified to give you the unvarnished truth. Listen to Him. To organized religion it seems right to incorporate a Church name, have an earthly headquarters, put up a building, hire a preacher, and go into business, but what seems right may not be right. ~ Proverbs 14:12

These "one and only churches" remind me of Elijah who said to God, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; and I alone am left who serves you. God answered (paraphrased), "Elijah, don't kid yourself, I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to organized religion (protestantism) and every mouth that has not kissed the big toe of St. Peter's statue or the Pope's feet" (paganism). KJV reads sightly different but the gist is the same. ~ 1 Kings 19:14-18

Churchianity says if you are not a member of our "one and only true church," you have no hope of salvation. Jesus says in Mark 9:38-41..."if they are not against us, they are on our side." Was Cornelius a member of any church? Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation (or denomination) whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him." ~ Acts 10:34-35

And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one Shepherd. ~John 10:16. This will come to pass when Jesus returns and sets us all straight. Meantime, we are instructed to love one another. Love does not mean we agree 100% on every doctrine, it means we do not condemn someone just because they are not a member of "our church."

Today, under the New Covenant, God has reserved many millions of zealous people all over the world to be citizens of His Kingdom. Does your Pastor teach the Gospel of the Kingdom?

Christian Martyr

 

 

You Think You Have it Rough? Try being a Christian in 1527

Michael Sattler (c. 1490 – May 20, 1527) was a prominent German monk who became an influential, first-generation leader of the Anabaptist movement during the Radical Reformation. He is most famous for his leadership in drafting the Schleitheim Confession, which provided core doctrinal stability to early Anabaptist churches, and for his brutal execution as a Christian martyr. 

Early Life and Conversion

• Monastic Background: Born in Staufen, Germany, he joined the Benedictine order and eventually became the prior (second-in-command) of St. Peter's Monastery. 
• Scriptural Study: He learned Greek and Hebrew, which allowed him to study the biblical epistles of Paul directly. This research led him to reject Catholic teachings on monasticism and salvation. 
• Radical Shift: He left the monastery around 1525 during the German Peasants' War, married a former Beguine nun named Margaretha, and joined the emerging Anabaptists. 

Structural Legacy: The Schleitheim Confession

By 1526, the infant Anabaptist movement was splintering due to persecution and wildly varying theological ideas. In February 1527, Sattler presided over a secret conference of Swiss Brethren in Schleitheim. He guided them to ratify the Schleitheim Confession, which defined the definitive pillars of "free church" theology: 

• Believer's Baptism: Rejection of infant baptism in favor of adult baptism.
• The Ban: A system of fraternal accountability and excommunication.
• Strict Pacifism: Complete nonresistance, avoiding the sword, and refusing military involvement.
• Separation from the World: A refusal to take civic oaths or participate in secular government. 

Trial and Brutal Martyrdom 

Sattler's radical stance on the separation of church and state drew fierce pushback from both Roman Catholic and mainstream Protestant authorities. In May 1527, Austrian Catholic authorities arrested him and his followers in Horb, Germany. 

At his public trial in Rottenburg am Neckar, Sattler acted as the defense spokesman. Refusing a lawyer, he deftly used Scripture to answer charges regarding his rejection of the Catholic mass, infant baptism, and civic oaths. 

He was convicted of heresy and treason. On May 20 (or 21), 1527, he was subjected to a horrific execution: 

• His tongue was cut out.
• His flesh was ripped with red-hot iron tongs seven times.
• He was burned alive at the stake.
• Just days later, his wife Margaretha refused to recant and was executed by drowning in the Neckar River. 

Sattler's steadfast composure during torture deeply moved onlookers and solidified his legacy as a foundational figure for modern peaceful Anabaptist traditions like the Mennonites, Amish, and Hutterite.

This is how organized religion handled descent in those days. Now, Churchianity disfellowships/excommunicates  you and destroys your reputation. They forbid members from any contact with you. 

Isaiah 59 Describes Organized Religion

 

You Are Cordially Invited to share your Christian experience with Renew Your Strength Bible Study Group... https://mlf1070.blogspot.com/2021/01/renew.html

 

Blood on the Mercy Seat

 

 

Guest Contributor, Yael

 

Such clarity and TRUTH. A MUST Read....yes, long, but worthwhile.

From Sinai to the Jordan 

Modern people love mercy. Until blood shows up. Then suddenly everyone gets uncomfortable and starts trying to turn Leviticus into “symbolic spiritual metaphors” because the modern religious imagination prefers therapy language to sacrifice language.

But Scripture refuses to let humanity escape one terrifying truth… Sin costs blood.

Not because YHWH is cruel, but because the natural consequence of rebellion is death. And nowhere is that reality more intense than the Day of Atonement.

Leviticus 16 is not random ritual. It is one of the holiest, most frightening moments in all of Torah. One day. One man. One entrance beyond the veil. One nation waiting outside while the High Priest approaches the divine presence carrying blood.

The entire chapter feels dangerous. Because it is. YHWH literally begins the instructions by referencing Nadab and Abihu - the sons of Aaron who died offering unauthorized fire before Him (Leviticus 16:1). That is the warning hanging over the chapter. You do not approach holy presence casually and survive. Modern culture treats YHWH like an emotionally supportive life coach. Leviticus presents Him as blazing holiness dwelling behind a veil. That changes the atmosphere immediately.

Aaron cannot simply stroll into the Holy of Holies whenever he feels spiritually inspired. YHWH explicitly says: “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil… so that he may not die” (Leviticus 16:2). Not “IF he may not die.” THAT he may not die. The danger is assumed. And inside the Holy of Holies sits the ark. The covenant. The cherubim. The glory. And over the ark is the mercy seat.

This is one of the most misunderstood images in Scripture.

People hear “mercy seat” and imagine something soft and sentimental, like a plush couch at Grandma’s house with soft throw pillows and weighted blankets. No. The mercy seat sits above the Law. Above the testimony.

Above the covenant humanity keeps violating. And blood is sprinkled there. Why? Because mercy does not ignore justice. It covers it. That distinction matters violently.

Modern spirituality often imagines mercy as YHWH lowering His standards and pretending sin is not serious. But, biblical mercy is far more costly. Blood stands between holy judgment and guilty people. That is the mercy seat. And the imagery is terrifyingly beautiful. Inside the ark sit covenant tablets as testimony against rebellion and witness of divine holiness. Above it is blood, mercy and covering.

Mercy does not abolish holiness. Mercy makes survival possible in the presence of holiness. The tablets inside the Ark are often called "the Law," but Torah actually calls them the Testimony. Think about that. The witness. The evidence. The covenant document itself.

Those stone tablets testified to what YHWH had spoken and what Israel had agreed to. In a sense, they stood as witnesses for the covenant and witnesses against covenant breaking. The testimony remained. The evidence remained. The standard remained. And directly above that testimony sat the mercy seat. Not removing the witness. Not destroying the evidence. Covering it. That is an astonishing picture.

Modern religion often imagines mercy as YHWH throwing away the covenant and pretending the violation never happened. But the mercy seat tells a different story. The covenant still exists. The testimony still exists. The witness still exists. The standard has not changed. Mercy is not found by eliminating the testimony. Mercy is found above it. Covered by blood.

The Hebrew word translated "mercy seat" is kapporet. It comes from the same root as Yom Kippur. Atonement. Covering. Suddenly the imagery becomes overwhelming. The testimony below. The covering above. Blood upon the covering. And the presence of YHWH appearing above the blood.

The entire Gospel of the Kingdom is sitting there in gold and acacia wood. Humanity stands condemned by the testimony beneath. Yet YHWH chooses to meet His people above the covering. Above the blood. Above the place where mercy and justice meet. And notice what is not above the Ark. There is no throne of denial. No throne of lowered standards. No throne of "sin isn't really that serious." There is a mercy seat. Which means the testimony remains true. The violation remains real.

Holiness remains unchanged.

Yet mercy still triumphs. Not because justice disappeared. Because justice was satisfied. That will preach hard! Especially because modern Christianity often accidentally presents grace as divine indifference. As though YHWH shrugged at sin and decided standards were too stressful. No. Grace is expensive! Leviticus screams that.

And then comes the scapegoat.

One goat slain. One goat sent into the wilderness bearing the sins of the people (Leviticus 16:7-10, 20-22). Two goats. One atonement. The imagery here is enormous. Blood deals with guilt. The wilderness goat carries away uncleanness and exile imagery. Sin produces separation. Always. And honestly, the wilderness imagery matters deeply because Israel itself keeps flirting with becoming spiritually wilderness-like through rebellion.

The scapegoat carries impurity away from the camp because YHWH is teaching Israel something terrifying… sin contaminates sacred space. Modern people treat sin like a private lifestyle preference. Scripture treats sin like corruption spreading through holy space. That is why cleansing exists. That is why atonement exists. That is why blood exists. 

And then the High Priest enters beyond the veil. Alone. Not casually. Not confidently in himself. Not swaggering into the Presence like a spiritual influencer with a stage microphone and skinny jeans. With fear. With blood. With incense clouding the mercy seat “so that he does not die” (Leviticus 16:13). The incense creates a covering cloud over the presence itself, like the cloud over Sinai.

Again… Boundaries. Protection. Mercy.

Everything in the Tabernacle teaches the same lesson, that nearness to YHWH is astonishing… and dangerous. That tension runs through the whole Bible. People today often talk about “running into YHWH’s presence” with almost no category for holiness. Meanwhile in Scripture priests tremble, mountains shake, glory fills rooms, people fall on their faces, blood is required and access is restricted. Yet, the fear (not the afraid kind of fear - reverence, awe, and respect) of YHWH has nearly vanished from modern Churchianity!

But you cannot read Leviticus honestly and keep treating holiness casually. And, that is exactly why Messiah changes everything so dramatically. Because Hebrews grabs all this Tabernacle imagery and detonates it Christologically. Yeshua is the High Priest, the sacrifice, the mediator, the blood, the atonement and the one entering beyond the veil. Hebrews 9 says Messiah entered “once for all into the holy places… by means of His own blood” (Hebrews 9:12).

Do we understand how staggering that is? The earthly priest entered repeatedly. Messiah enters once. Animal blood covered temporarily. Messiah’s blood accomplishes fully. The earthly sanctuary was a shadow. Messiah enters the greater heavenly reality itself. And then the veil tears. Oh, the beautiful veil! The massive woven barrier embroidered with cherubim - guardians of sacred space - tears from top to bottom at Messiah’s death (Matthew 27:51). Not from bottom upward. From top downward. YHWH tears it. The barrier opens. Access changes. The garden begins reopening.

And suddenly Leviticus 16 starts blazing with prophetic meaning.

The mercy seat was always pointing forward. The blood was always pointing forward. The priesthood was always pointing forward. The Day of Atonement was always pointing forward. Toward the moment when the true High Priest would enter through His own sacrifice and open the way permanently. And yet holiness does not disappear. That is crucial! Modern Chrurtianity sometimes speaks as though grace abolished holiness entirely and replaced it with divine chill vibes.

No. Hebrews still says: “Our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29). Same God. Same holiness. Same glory. What changes is access through Messiah. Not the nature of YHWH. And honestly, this is where many modern distortions collapse. So many people want intimacy without reverence. Access without repentance. Mercy without transformation.

But the mercy seat itself teaches otherwise. Blood stands between humanity and judgment. That means sin is serious. Very serious. And yet mercy triumphs there. Not by abolishing justice. By satisfying it. And again, one of the most beautiful details is this: The mercy seat sits ABOVE the Law. Not instead of it. Above it. Mercy covers what the Law condemns.

That line alone could explode modern theological arguments into orbit, because Scripture never presents mercy and holiness as enemies. They meet together. At the mercy seat. In blood. And this entire terrifying, beautiful system sits right in the middle of the wilderness while Israel repeatedly rebels. Complaining. Idolatry. Lust. Fear. Unbelief. The camp keeps failing. But the blood keeps speaking.

And all of it points toward the greater reality still coming: the true Priest the true sacrifice the true entrance beyond the veil the true restoration of communion because the ultimate goal was never merely surviving judgment. It was restored dwelling. A holy God living among a redeemed people without consuming them. That is what the mercy seat was always whispering through bloodstained gold in the middle of the wilderness. The Law remains. The blood is applied. The presence descended. Maybe the battle between law and grace was never in the Ark at all. Maybe they were meeting together above it the whole time. The witness is still there. The testimony is still there. The standard is still there. And the blood is still speaking. Because of the Blood of the Lamb we are now able to approach God through His Son, our High Priest, Our Savior. Not as strangers, but as children of the Most High.

The question is: When the testimony bears witness against you will you be found keeping His Commandments and seeking first the Kingdom of God?

You are cordially invited to join Renew Your Strength Bible Study Group

 

 

The purpose of this post is to get people to think about what they believe and why they believe it, not debate who's right or wrong. To learn the revealed truth of God we must know and understand the true meaning of the words God inspired to be written. Use Strong's Concordance to check the original word before it was translated. Do your own research, make up your own mind, rely on the Holy Spirit to guide you. God always gives us a choice. We can choose to believe the Truth of the Bible, or we can choose the lies of the Adversary.

 

Seven Churches

 

 

Without naming a specific Church organization or Pastor, there are 7 Satanic Churches Pretending to Be Christian. Satanic does not refer to literal registered Satanic organizations, it refers to Satan's counterfeit churches. 

The use of "satanic" metaphorically describes 7 specific spiritual deceptions or types of false churches. 2 Corinthians 11:14, states that "Satan disguises himself as an angel of light" to caution believers against corrupt practices. 

The seven types of "counterfeit" churches highlighted in these teachings include:

1. The Prosperity Gospel Church (The Church of Greed)

• The Deception: Teaches that faith, positive speech, and financial donations will always result in physical wealth and perfect health.
• The Core Issue: It reduces God to a transactional vending machine and replaces genuine repentance with material greed.

2. The Hyper-Grace Church (The Church of Lawlessness)

• The Deception: Misuses the concept of God's grace to imply that believers can sin continuously without accountability or need for repentance.
• The Core Issue: It strips away biblical holiness, teaching what theologians call "cheap grace" that ignores moral transformation. 

3. The Legalistic Church (The Church of Bondage)

• The Deception: Enforces strict, man-made rules, rituals, and performance-based standards as requirements for salvation.
• The Core Issue: It replaces the finished work of Jesus Christ with human effort, using guilt and fear to control its members. 

4. The Secularized/Compromising Church (The Church of the World)

• The Deception: Waters down scripture and adapts its moral teachings to perfectly align with popular culture and societal trends.
• The Core Issue: It values cultural acceptance over biblical truth, prioritizing entertainment and social validation above the Gospel. 

5. The Cult of Personality Church (The Church of Man)

• The Deception: Centers entirely around a charismatic, untouchable leader whose words are treated with the same or higher authority than the Bible.
• The Core Issue: It fosters idolatry of a human leader and leaves the congregation highly vulnerable to spiritual abuse and manipulation. 

6. The Lukewarm Church (The Church of Complacency)

• The Deception: Focuses on outward appearances and keeping people comfortable without ever challenging them to grow spiritually.
• The Core Issue: Mirroring the warning to the ancient church of Laodicea in Revelation, it lacks spiritual passion and genuine devotion.

7. The Performance and Entertainment Church (The Church of Emotion)

• The Deception: Relies heavily on high-energy emotional manipulation, dramatic stage productions, and sensory hype to simulate a spiritual awakening.
• The Core Issue: It substitutes fleeting emotional highs for deep, substantive spiritual fruit and biblical literacy

Compare the Satanic Churches of Today to the Seven Churches in Revelation 

1. Ephesus (The Loveless Church)

• Location: A major commercial seaport and home to the Temple of Artemis.
• Meaning: Praised for its hard work, perseverance, and rejection of false teachings. However, it is warned for having forsaken its initial, passionate love for Christ and others. 

2. Smyrna (The Persecuted Church)

• Location: A wealthy, bustling port city fiercely loyal to Rome.
• Meaning: Praised for its spiritual wealth despite facing extreme poverty, suffering, and intense Roman persecution. It is the only church alongside Philadelphia to receive no rebuke, and is promised the crown of life. 

3. Pergamum (The Compromising Church)

• Location: The Roman provincial capital and a hub of pagan idol worship.
• Meaning: Praised for remaining faithful to Christ in a hostile environment, but rebuked for tolerating false teachers and compromising with worldly, sinful cultural practices. 

4. Thyatira (The Corrupt Church)

• Location: A prominent trade and manufacturing city known for purple dye.
• Meaning: Praised for its growing faith, love, and service. However, it is strongly condemned for tolerating a false prophetess who led members into immorality and idolatry. 

5. Sardis (The Dead Church)

• Location: The ancient capital of the Lydian kingdom, situated defensively atop a steep plateau.
• Meaning: Reprimanded for having a reputation of being spiritually alive but actually being spiritually "dead." It is called to "wake up" and strengthen what little faith remains. 

6. Philadelphia (The Faithful Church)

• Location: A prosperous city known as the "Gateway to the East".
• Meaning: Praised for patiently enduring trials and keeping God’s word despite having little strength. Like Smyrna, it received no rebuke and is promised an open door of opportunity and protection. 

7. Laodicea (The Lukewarm Church)

• Location: An affluent, wealthy banking and medical hub.
• Meaning: The only church to receive no commendation. It is rebuked for being "lukewarm"—neither hot nor cold. Because of its self-reliance and spiritual apathy, it is warned to earnestly repent.

What is going on at your Church? Are you hearing the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, or another gospel?

The Love of Money

 

 

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Politicians, Prosperity Preachers, and Poverty Pimps are always claiming "if we just had enough money, we could solve all the world's problems. The Bible says, "The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil." ~ 1 Timothy 6:10

 

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." ~ Matthew 6:19-20

 

What would happen if suddenly every person in the world was given one million USD?

Giving one million USD to every person in the world would require a total of 8.2 quadrillion dollars ($8,200,000,000,000,000), an amount that vastly exceeds all the actual money and wealth on Earth.

The Reality of the Math

• World Population: The global population is roughly 8.2 billion people.
• Global Wealth: Total global wealth sits at around $450 trillion.
• The Shortfall: You would need about 18 times more money than currently exists in the entire world.

What Would Happen If We Printed It?

If a government tried to print this much money to distribute it, the plan would instantly backfire due to economic laws explained by agencies like the Federal Reserve:

• Instant Hyperinflation: Money only has value because goods and services are limited. If everyone becomes a millionaire overnight, the supply of food, electronics, and houses stays the same, but demand explodes.
• Worthless Currency: A loaf of bread would suddenly cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Your million dollars would quickly buy the exact same amount of groceries as your normal paycheck does today.
• Economic Collapse: Workers would likely stop going to work because they feel rich. This would cause factories, farms, and grocery stores to shut down, leading to severe shortages of basic necessities.

Now you see why it is absolutely necessary to work for an income and learn how to properly use money. The Bible also says, "If a man (or woman) will not work, neither shall they eat." ~  2 Thessalonians 3:10

Let's Consider the Ant