"There is No New Thing Under the Sun"

In 33 AD the Savior of ALL who believe in Him, the man Jesus Christ was killed and crucified for envy, greed, and power. Those that ran the affairs of the Temple, the religious Pharisee and others were losing their grasp on the masses. Years after the death of Jesus Christ, Peter and the disciples are preaching in Acts...they are endued with power to manifest the Spirit to Israel through physical signs and wonders...they begin preaching solely to reconcile Israel back to God, (Acts 2-11) and through Paul and his revelations (Acts 9), they end Acts preaching of the gospel of the grace of God for all who will believe.

Old Testament Judaism and Paganism soon began enticing many believers back into bondage and ceremonial Jewish law. Paul wrote late up until 68 AD, almost 30 years after the Lord had resurrected, about men creeping in, corrupting the gospel, and subverting houses. Harsh persecution of the disciples and Apostles were in full swing, and so was their boldness and testifying of him.

It didn’t take long as the religious men, those who envied the positions, power, and preeminence wanted authority and power back from the teaching and preaching of Paul and the Christians. They had killed Christ, now they were after any one associated with his name. Paul preached almost exclusively of Christ and his gospel and gave the decrees and doctrines for which every church should be operated today. The entire word of God for us is prophetic, including Paul's epistles. He warned very much of men putting other men under yokes of bondage. He marveled at how soon men went back to Temple, law, and sacrifices.

The early Christian body relied on Genesis through Malachi in manuscripts, scrolls, and writings. They did not have a complete word of God, and yet many of them died for what they had that showed them of Christ. Jesus Christ prophesied to them face to face of the days they would face. It was their course.

It began to switch mid Acts, after Israel consistent rejection to preaching of their risen Messiah, and in him, the Christ, there was a fellowship of people who belong to one body, under one blood and forgiven by the blood of Christ. By way of summation, the Gentile is granted inheritance as partakers of the heavenly calling. The Lord dealt with Peter on this issue (Acts 10). The disciples of the Lord are called Christians first in Antioch (Acts 11). People are established in the FAITH (Acts 16). They also establish that it is by faith, and not of works (Acts 15-17). And that it is only through Jesus Christ, and the gospel of the grace. Paul taught the body to be defensive and jealous of the gospel and his doctrine which was certified of Jesus Christ (Gal 1).

This attitude is still extremely vital for the Christian in the 21 Century. The defense and confirmation of the gospel should be important to all who profess belief in it, especially knowing where we are in the times. If our gospel be HID it is hid to them that are lost. If it is being perverted, it cannot be seen in understanding and knowledge. If we add works to it, such as physical works of repentance, or moralism, we cripple it.

So as I began to see this subtil twisting of the word of God among those who claim to defend it, I took a long, mind-bending dip into the madness of men, jangling and babbling for position, some for his righteousness, most for their own. Their appears to have always been this strain of men that privately interpret the word of God for money, ministry, glory, recognition, pride.

Some Fundamentalist heroes sometimes taught with a lack of revelation, by that I mean they did not have a completed word of God until 1611. Since then, we have a more sure word of prophecy. You begin to see from there men, forefathers of the faith if you will, rise up holding true to God's words, and several others perverting it. Much doctrine from the early ages is incorrect for that reason alone. Men had the heart and thirst for God, but not the completed word. With each age, we see the degeneration of things, but we also see the enlightenment that the Lord give to select men for the overall edification of HIS body, all of which disagreed in many important doctrinal topics.

This is precisely the reason we should be jealous over the gospel and the word of God today. It seem our own are now perverting the simplicity that is in Christ. I began to see all through history how the gospel of our Lord and things pertaining to God have ALWAYS been corrupted by men, and defended by men. There is no new thing under the sun. There were many good intended men, and many more evil intended men. Some men spoke for God for war, genocide, money, position, power, persecution, preeminence, envy, greed, and strife. Some men where wholey contrary to much doctrines we believe as Bible believers, and it was frightening to me to know that so many Bible believers, churches, statements of faith, and Christians today hold to certain men from ages past in their faith and tradition.

As I began to really dig into some men and groups, I saw much of what I already knew but I learned several things I did not know. I saw men that I thought I aligned with in doctrine and ideal and upon reexamination, I found it out to be nothing more then following traditions of men, then upon learning more decided that I was way of course. This happen several times in during these times of studying history and men. The flip side is true as well. Several men that I was told believed this and that, in reality, did not. I was naive in my trust of man. I should have known better. We all should no better.

I learned, much of what the Fundamental mind gets today concerning Christianity in that it is to be done as tradition, inclination, heritage, preference, and even for lucre and pride sake. And it is all justified behind man's wisdom. Everyone of these positions that they hold, they can defend with the same Bible we believe. They are master tradesman in biblical jargon, lingo, and appearance. Actual counterfeits. They are preachers, but they do not represent Christ, the Christianity that Paul left to us as an example.

In many areas of doctrine and history, we have been duped by Christian men for their own apparent agenda’s. But the most important lesson I learned however is that no one denomination has anything perfect. As a good friend in Christ once said, All groups or denominations pick a few things out of scripture that are important to them, then over emphasize those to the exclusion of many other scriptures. If us Independents could ever allow another denomination to give us some edification, they could probably offer help in many areas we lack, and vice versa.

Look, I am not for getting together and holding hands and promise keeping. It's just a fact. The body of Christ has always been made up of several different cultures, nationalities, and denominations. Though truth can be manifested through the preached word, the word of God most assuredly is able to save men's souls without our help. Clarence Larkin even points to this fact in some of his charts, that the body of Christ consists of believers from different denominations. There are people in other denominations that can be born again. It's believers, not Baptist or Catholic.

And even more, the body of Christ is NOT associated with the godly line of the Baptist, or Conservative Christianity. The famed Baptist default history book is the "Trail of Blood". It is good in that it is somewhat informative and good in referencing, but it is full of half truths, facts left out, and one position is shown in such obvious bias to the wresting of the scriptures and actual perversion of church history. Baptist read this book, and they are led to believe that our beliefs were consistent with Church history and sects of men all the way up through AnaBaptist, Waldensians, Lollards, and then to the primitive Baptist and Landmarkists among modern day Baptist.

This is false, and a misrepresentation of actual beliefs in many of these men and women who suffered cruel deaths for various reasons. Some of these groups carried Catholic statements of faith, so...what does the Fundamentalist do with this fact? They leave it out! And thats how it's always been done. Usually it is not anything necessarily evil. Nothing striking or remarkable, just a few facts left out here, a few out of contexts quotes of men, a serious wresting of the scriptures to match the word of God with Baptist hierarchy, and viola, heresy is accepted as standard tradition because it seems to work, and unorthodoxy takes the place of sound doctrine, and none are the wiser. It's carried on from generation to generation.

The body of Christ is the body. Every denomination has wicked and vile men that spue their own agendas and dogmas for personal interest gain and glory. It is not the Catholics against the Baptist in matters of right and wrong. There is a spirit that leads men into error, and then there is a spirit that leads men into truth.

Cut and dry. The body of Christ is the body, the believers. Names and titles, in 2010, mean absolutely NOTHING, much like the Nations now. They are just a drop in the bucket. Christians are acting as if they are in other dispensations and have other purposes, and gospel messages, which they do not. We should know our place! We are not ignorant of these things. Many Bible believing Christians have turned aside from sound doctrine to stand with traditionally flawed men desirous of vain glory, and notoriety often attempting to do and preach things meant for other people and other times. And those men are notable and of reputation. This is the problem. They are seen of men...

I don’t know any other way to explain what I have witnessed to be our current condition as Bible Believers, than just like that. Much of our doctrine sounds and looks right at first glance. Much of our preaching sounds and seems right in the moment. But where many of us lack, myself included, is in our conduct, and behavior not being representative of Jesus Christ as ambassadors, and Paul's epistles, which are for the body of Christ

Yes, even the Baptist church is capable of having a form of godliness. Even some of our loving Pastors can be ravening wolves who set themselves up in preeminent positions of authority. Our powerful Evangelists can be professional hirelings and con-men. Some of our preacher boys can be intolerant, raving lunatics on the street corners. Our Missionaries can be charlatans and defrauders of the brethren. Our most trusted teachers can have occasions of the flesh and be false teachers. We act as if we are exempt from the description of our own age we live in! (Revelations 3:14-22)

We will not see certain things clearly until we stop reading the Bible as Baptist, and start reading it as a new creature in Christ. Some men have a way at distorting simplified truth to illicit funds, service, or allegiance. Baptist by comparison are as religious as any other religion out there.

Many hold Baptist flavored doctrine solely because they believe, through study, and reading of the New Testament, the distinctives in much of their doctrine is the closest in association with much of the New Testaments' sound doctrine for Christians. In my opinion, no other denomination, if you claim any, is closer to sound doctrine. Being a Baptist will not make you testify of Jesus Christ. Being a Christian should. We do not witness because we are bold bible preaching Baptist. We witness because we are in Christ. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch in Acts 11. Paul was there. Paul had already received his revelations from the Lord. Paul had previously meet with them for a year. There was no Jew or Gentile anymore. It was Christians!

When men overtly lean towards denominational titles first, they may unwillingly be lumped into every thing associated with that denomination. You may find your self dealing with all the baggage that goes with whatever title you hold. You may find yourself not able to answer what you see in your church and the practices therein with what you see in the word of God. You may find yourself constantly doing damage control with the visitors that you invite to your church. It is alarming when you began to question the rudimentary principles of your faith because you are seeing the word of God distorted in the very churches you thought it would never happen!