So then per God's Word, who would be the false-nation builders of false churches? He tells us in His Word.
You're starting to sound like one of those preachers, doing the philosophizing of men with that church builder idea. Is that something you learned last Sunday from your preacher coming up with that slogan? God's Word has no need to be sloganized, but that seems to be the popular thing many preachers today do, some even taking advantage of God's Word with building a slogan thick enough to write a book about, and make money off it!
Of course by my meaning of understanding them, it means their spiritual and physical application per God's Word. I already said that God's symbols, metaphors, allegories, and parables are ALWAYS about something literal. I think you don't know when to properly use the word 'spiritual'.
The matter of Old Testament prophecies that have been fulfilled per The New Testament is a whole... different... subject... altogether. It has nothing... to do with recognizing a symbol first given in the Old Testament that is repeated in The New Testament, like that locust example I gave from the Book of Joel which appears again in Revelation 9. I see many making errors in understanding that locust symbol in Rev.9 simply because they have never studied the Book of Joel. And even with some hard-heads, once you reveal it to them, they still... will deny there's a link between the two Scriptures!
Is that something you learned last Sunday from your preacher coming up with that slogan?
You have done this kind of insulting before, and no doubt I deserve it by accusing you of repeating learned mantra, but now that we are actually engaging one another with substance, let's move on and respect one another's integrity: We agree neither of us just repeat what we learn from elsewhere, but arrive at our own conclusions by our own reading of Scripture. It doesn't mean we haven't learned from others, but we do not just scarf up catchy slogans, without first proving them with Scripture. I have never heard these things I offer from any person anywhere: not in pulpits nor in writing. I have searched and found none.
that church builder idea.
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church...
The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner...Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
In the old covenant the builders of the temple and city were good and faithful believers. In the new covenant, the only builders spoken of, other than the One Builder of His own church, Jesus, are all condemned as disallowing the Head of the corner, and by disobedience not allowing Jesus to be Head of His body.
The apostle Paul never said he 'built' a single church, but as an apostle he helped lay the foundation of the doctrine of Christ, upon which Jesus would build His church: by the rock of faith in Him as Christ, built upon the apostles' doctrine, and if any bring not that doctrine of Christ to our doorstep or into the pulpit, we are to reject.
That foundation is now laid, and if any would
build thereon, then let him take heed that he do so in obedience to the foundation of Scripture given us by the apostles. The disobedience of so-called 'builders' is twofold: they preach other things than Scripture for Scripture, thus deceiving the sheep with a false faith called that of Jesus, and they merchandize the sheep by turning the ministry of Christ into a successfully profit making business.
In the covetous efforts of turning the Father's business into the people business, and further manipulate Scripture to succeed in doing so, they make themselves Assyrian heads and taskmasters over the believers, calling it the 'program of God' for building and growing churches: they turn winning souls to christ into a local church recruitment drive called 'soulwinning'.
The only program of God in Scripture is to make manifest Jesus Christ and His faith among the hearers: preach the faith of Jesus according to the Scriptures only.
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you... But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.
Programma: evidently set forth.
Church building beasts become far more about numbers than names, and the only name that really matters in their great congregations are their own. Paul spoke of names among the churches. Beastly builders report numbers to one another.
Antichrists are builders of Christian churches preaching for doctrine of Christ their own righteous rules, while pushing programs of recruitment in the name of Jesus, with which they first build a congregation of zealous believers, with whom they then make great 'soulwinning warriors' to grow their churches. Finally they raise up builders from among their members under the authority and banner of the organizational rule: a grossly great organizational tree, greater than all bushes, grown with hands of men from a small mustard seed of desire for success in ministry.
They are as full of zeal to proselytize other Christians into their own truly righteous nation of churches, even as the Jews of old did with synagogue-building in their zeal for Moses, and they are willing to destroy the names of any that get in their way, and are more than willing to curse the names of them that refuse to join.
We are not talking about your average honest believer, who believes themselves called to ministry with a desire to 'start' a church. However, many of such do become corrupted in time by their ignorance of the ministerial rule to only preach Jesus according to the Scriptures, as well as the damning desire to not just 'start' a church, but to build one into something grand and big and great, that becomes more of a congregation built around themselves, than a church built upon the foundation of the apostles, who's Head truly is Jesus Christ.
Neither is this an indictment on 'megachurches', which in my mind are safer for the average believer, than the zealous 'starter' of a church, looking and seeking and spying out believers to 'help' do so. They become
possessive of any souls that remain in their assemblies. They can call it love and care as a nurse that cherishes the sheep, but then there comes a line between nursing the sheep for their own health of soul and body and pushing them for one's own success.
And 'end times' or 'last days' prophets warning of how really, really close we are, usually start preaching that warning out of a growing angst about 'doing something for God' before it's too late. And what would that 'service to God' be? Strengthening the sheep in their faith? Sort of. But the real goal is pushing the sheep in one last and final church recruitment drive for more souls to 'get saved'. The effect on them that are zealous to do so, is to then neglect their own family, household, and career. Afterall, Pastor really believes the end is near...
If such an antichrist ever does get hold of gvt power to kill, then that one would do so, even as Saul of Tarsus did.
