Voice of the Kingfisher speaks out …from a different perspective
by Elinor Montgomery
Is it possible to call oneself a Christian and still be the true church of Jesus Christ? First of all, one has to look to the Bible to find any confirmation that this was the intention of Jesus for His church, and then one has to examine the roots and present-day condition of Christianity.
There is no place in the New Testament where Jesus indicated that His church either was, or ever should be, called Christian. The word ‘church’ was satisfactory enough for Him to identify that body of people against whom the gates of hell would not prevail. Of course, it is very evident that the gates of hell are prevailing daily against the world, religious system of many denominations called Christianity.
The true church is one in purpose – that of teaching the truth of the gospel to the entire world. It is found on the solid rock foundation of Who Jesus is as the Son of the living God – a Man Whom death cannot claim. He is the truth of the Word made flesh. He had no religion in Him, for religion is of the devil and includes rituals, lies about God and man’s role as the created, while ignoring the call of God for obedience to His Word.
Christianity functions on a religious foundation that has its roots in the Romanism of the final empire of the Babylonian system.
To direct anyone to partake in a world religious system is a pure abomination. It is like putting the chains of slavery upon man – the very chains, which Jesus came to break. Satan first applied them to man when he captured Adam and Eve by the lures that led them into the first religious system – a twist of the truth into a lie that appealed to the pride of man and the importance of who he was as a living being.
The term ‘Christian’ was a mocking word, which first came out of Antioch, given by the Greeks, who were under Roman rule; it was used for the purpose of mocking the followers of Jesus. The non-believers applied it but the true apostolic church never used it. Peter warned in 1 Peter 4:14-17 that the church would be reproached for the name of Christ, but it is blessed at the same time for the Spirit of glory and of God resting upon it. Those who mocked with the name Christian, for their part blaspheme, but for the church, itself, Peter warned that Christ was not to be mocked but rather glorified. Peter would have never endorsed such mockery.
Regardless of what they call you as the church, your job is to glorify the name of God. The Law requires that the church should not be murderers, thieves, evil doers or busybodies in other people’s matters. The difference between the giver of the mocking word and the receiver of it is as the difference between a perceived image and the actual image. The name-callers, who did so with the name of Christian, could only see the true church in its demonstration of the truth of Who Jesus was by their actions, which were different from those of the rest of the known world.
It was Rome, which extended the mocking term to begin a Roman, pagan-rooted system of religion in the third century A.D., which, in no way, was the apostolic church Jesus founded. Satan stole the name of church and used it to expand the influence of a failing Roman Empire by creating a new religious/state bond. There was no religious/state bond in the true church; it was for all nations.
The apostles themselves became known as the Way, because they were followers of the Man Who declared Himself to be the way. Jesus had reestablished the way back to the kingdom through His apostolic church. It was the same way that began with Garden closure on the east side to prevent man from having access to the tree of life in his sinful state and live.
The religious-centered man, doomed to die, was driven eastward from the Garden, whereas west of the closure was the way the cherubim would protect until re-entry time. The cherubim, who guarded the east entrance of the Garden, took up their peaceful seats on the ark of the covenant but their flaming swords still kept the entrance secure.
It was not until Jesus came into the world that the way was opened back to life, kingdom and relationship with God. He is the Way, and those who follow in His footsteps belong to the Way. They are His church and are known by no other name. Like Him, they testify only to the truth in the spirit of prophecy (see Revelation 19:10).
On the other hand, Rome and its pagan religions are part of the Babylonian system, a satanic world-empire-building system, the ultimate goal of which is the Revived Roman Empire (the fourth and fifth divided, final empire of the system). This will be the end of the Babylonian system of religious/state control, when it has achieved its goal of creating a One World Order. At this point in time, the fullness of the gentiles shall be complete. It means that Israel must again be numbered among the nations before the judgment falls on all nations of the world including those God had called apart to be His own people, but failed to do so.
Now, if the gates of hell cannot prevail against the church, then it must also be time for the true church to be raptured from this world. They are the 144,000 witnesses to the truth of the gospels who most certainly will have no part in the religion of Christianity and its Romanism of the Babylonian System. The church is the true spiritual Israel, the house of God, chosen to be His own. Revelation warns us about this time in history and points to the final and true exodus of the true Jew from the world system.
“Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues (Revelation 18:4).”
What this statement is saying is that if you are still clinging to the name of Christian, you are standing on a very dangerous foundation indeed, which is not and never was the true church. It is a mere religious system of the devil.
Christianity speaks about Jesus but does not lead to prophetic understanding of the Bible. It turns Him and the cross into idols for the wall, makes Him the focus of stained-glass windows and does not necessarily encourage rebirth in the Spirit or recognition of the Bible as being the inerrant truth. Jesus Himself does not accommodate such heresy.
It becomes a very easy thing to be a complacent Christian who, in fact, can take the name of the Lord in vain, while feeling no pain. The way is paved for Christians to endorse other religions if they have come to reject the truth of Who Jesus really is. It is quite likely, as a Christian, one can be proud of his social programs and view salvation as being equated with one’s own goodness. These things are not just possibilities among Christians, but rather have become common-place.
To the contrary, the true church appears confrontational to the religious and makes them feel uncomfortable. It will be challenging and disturbing for them, for it will accept none of their nonsense. It will stand only on truth, rejecting all forms of religion as being the evil plan of Satan to destroy mankind. This is the one thing the religious man does not want to hear, for it most definitely will upset his worldly applecart.
Hence, the Bible closes on the call of the Spirit and the bride (the true church) to “Come!” but there is a clear message that only those who have spiritual hearing and a thirst for the water from above will heed the call. Many of those who cannot hear will go down as ‘Christians’ deceived to the end.