The Lord has been showing me that we are so lacking in our foundational teachings in the church today starting with the very first, water Baptism. We baptize people when they are never truly repentant and have no concept of what they need to repent of. Water baptism is for the remission of sins, or to wash away our past sins and baptism in the Holy Spirit is to empower us not to sin in the future. If a person is not repentant or has no clue as to what they are to repent of and they get water baptized, all they got was wet. Their sins were not washed away if they continue in their sin and have no desire to stop sinning because they think the act of water baptism took care of it and they do not have to do a thing except believe and recite a prayer. The Holy Spirit is a HOLY SPIRIT and will not live in a person who does not want to live a Holy life or thinks that he doesn’t have to because he said the salvation prayer and is eternally secure. Why teach someone to swim when they will never get out of the boat and have no desire to. We lead people in a salvation prayer and tell them they are eternally secure because they said the prayer without any concept of what they are doing or the cost. Let’s search the scriptures because in them YOU THINK YOU HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.
Mathew 3:1-12 Speaking of John the Baptist: Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (or available). Verse 6 says that they were baptized in the Jordon CONFESSING THEIR SINS. I have never seen a water baptism where people were vocalizing their sin before being baptized have you? It was a requirement. That and showing fruit that you were truly repentant or John wouldn’t baptize you. We do in today’s churches. Verse 7: But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees (religious leaders) come to his baptism to be baptized he said unto them “O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee the wrath to come. Verse 8: Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance. Basically, he was saying, I don’t think you are truly repentant because I don’t see the fruit of it. Show me something that would indicate that you are truly repentant. Verse 9: And think not to say within yourselves, we have Abraham to our father (or I have said the little prayer of salvation) to prove that I am a child of God. Verse 10: The axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. These were people that swore they were children of God, yet Jesus called them children of the devil. They were deceived just as people are in our churches today and the Lord is seeking to save these people who think they are God’s children and they really aren’t. Mark 1:5 talks about those being baptized of John confessing their sins before being baptized.
The gospel of Luke chapter 3 is even more descriptive. John came preaching water baptism for the remission of sins to prepare the people to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit or the kingdom that was available or at hand. Verse 3: 7 states that a multitude of people came to be baptized of John and he said, “You generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee the wrath to come. Bring forth fruit meet for repentance of prove to me that you are truly repentant before I baptize you.” At this point in our churches we would declare John legalistic, a name caller, judging someone salvations, etc. As a result of John telling folks to show proof that they were repentant, verse 3:10 states the people asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?” They were saying, what do we need to do to show you we are repentant? What do we have to repent of? John replied, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none, and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. To the publicans who asked what they needed to do to show they were repentant, John stated, “Exact no more than that which is appointed you.” Then the soldiers likewise demanded of him saying, “And what shall we do?” John replied, “Do no violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.” Do we see anyone in our churches today DEMANDING what they need to repent of let alone confessing their sins before being water baptized. I never have and that has got to change. We just convince people that all they have to do is believe and confess with their mouth and they are saved. The word believe means “obey” anyway but people don’t have a clue in our churches today as to what true salvation is and it requires laying down your life, picking up your cross and following Jesus in order to be truly saved. We pronounce these people as saved and eternally secure as they continue in their sin, loving pleasure more than God and being controlled by their flesh because they have never been truly empowered to not sin because true repentance was never explained to them as was the cost.
When Jesus encountered the rich, young ruler who thought he was someone he wasn’t, Jesus told him to sell all he had and give to the poor and follow Him. What Jesus was showing this rich, young ruler was that money was his idol and he placed it before God and if he truly wanted to inherit eternal life, he would have to repent and give up his idol before he could inherit eternal life. Our church today would have led him in a little pray and pronounced him saved and eternally secure. Jesus and John the Baptist never would. Why do we do this? It isn’t even scriptural to pray a little prayer to be saved, especially when you don’t meet any of the requirements in order to receive eternal life. This is basic salvation 101 and we don’t even have that right in the church and this is the first thing the Lord is going to restore. If we can be so deceived about the first foundational truth and requirement of the church and true salvation, what about the rest of the foundational teachings of the church? If we don’t get this right, how can the rest be built upon it? It will crumble and that is why you see people fall away, remain in sin, not spirit filled and you don’t see the gifts of the spirit in operations. You don’t see an “Acts Church” because we don’t preach an “Acts” gospel or the gospel of the Kingdom of God as Jesus commanded us to, which is submission to the King.
Jesus didn’t lie to the rich, young ruler. He told him straight up what he needed to do to prove he was repentant, because he truly thought he had kept all the requirements of the law since his youth and loved the Lord above all else and others as himself. When Jesus told him he had to get rid of his idol and give it to those he claimed to love as himself, it shed light on the real condition of his heart. He didn’t love the Lord above money and what it provides. Let me ask all of us something? Is there something in your life that comes before God? You spend more time in this activity then you do with the Lord. Video games, social media, money, a relationship, work, porn, pleasure or whatever. If the Lord asked you to give up something in order to even inherit eternal life, what is the thing you struggle to give up? Is it worth going to hell for or suffering the wrath of God? The good news is that when the rich young ruler went away sad, the disciples were beside themselves and said, ”Who then can be saved?” Jesus replied that with God, all things are possible, but it starts with telling the person the truth. In order to understand this, you have to realize that this rich, young ruler was a religious leader of the highest rank. It said that Jesus loved him and when you love someone, you tell them the truth. Such and such will keep you from inheriting eternal life. Give it up. The writings of Josephus, a historian, names who this rich, young ruler was. He was Nicodemus. I always thought of Nicodemus as an old man. He came to Jesus a second time asking what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. It said he came to Jesus at night because he was afraid of the Jews or other leaders and what they thought. What had changed for him to come to Jesus expecting a different answer? Jesus now told him what he needed to do and that was to be born again of water (water baptism for the remission of past sins he had repented of) and be baptized of the Holy Spirit. By now, he had sold all he had, was a closet disciple and was expecting a different answer. He was pressing in, seeking the Kingdom of God and asking the right questions. Would he have done this if Jesus hadn’t loved him enough to tell him the truth the first time. He didn’t seem to be put off the first time his heart was revealed to him when Jesus told him to sell all he had and give to the poor, even though the bible says he went away sad. At least he knows he wasn’t who he thought he was and he knew what he had to do to get what he wanted. John 3 talks about this where Nicodemus came to Jesus in the night secretly. Jesus told him, “Art thou a master of Israel and knowest not these things?” The Lord would say to us in the five fold ministry, “Art thou a master, teacher, pastor, prophet, apostle and know not these things?” These are basic to salvation and we don’t have the basics right. We are a church that is ever learning but have never come to the knowledge of the truth.
The church doesn’t even have the foundations of salvation right and if we don’t have the basics down, how saved are we? Here are the Foundational teachings in the church or bible: Hebrews 6:1
1. Repentance from works (dead works) that obtain favor or blessings from God that the blood of Jesus purchased for you. This stems from unbelief in the finished work of the cross and the person believes that their works, confession, money or whatever obtain God’s favor or blessings. Not that good works are not performed. They just are not done to obtain what Jesus purchased which means that if you don’t know what Jesus purchased with His blood, you can be easily deceived into works to obtain blessings. Now, that said, if you have faith without works, the bible says that is not the kind of faith that saves you. Saving faith produces good works out of love for Christ and love for others. You can love others without loving Christ but you cannot love Christ without loving others and being empathetic to their needs and be moved by them. Goats will not have these works. Sheep do and that is fruit to know them by.
2. Faith toward God is the second foundational teaching for the church. Without faith it is impossible to please God. The debt for your sins was paid for by the blood of Jesus and as a result, we are to be like Him, which is dead to sin and alive unto righteousness. Grace is not the license to sin, but the power of God given to you not to sin and that is how the law was fulfilled. It was not done away with as those who love to practice the sloppy agape hyper grace preach. They will call you legalistic if you call people to repentance and call sin what God calls it, which is the definition of repentance. Turning from sin is the fruit of agreeing with God that sin is what He calls it.
3. Doctrines of Baptisms is the next foundational teaching given in Hebrews 6:1 Notice that baptisms are plural and there are several different kinds of baptisms. The first Baptism is done by the Holy Spirit who baptizes us into the body of Christ through repentance or confessing our sins, agreeing with God about them and desiring to turn from them toward God. Notice reciting a prayer is not involved and rarely does the church even talk about repentance today. This is what Jesus spoke of when He told Nicodemus that he needed to be born of the Spirit.
Second baptism is water baptism which signifies us being dead to sin or buried under the water and alive unto righteousness which symbolizes the ressurection of believers because of our being dead to sin. Water baptism is done for the remission of past sins and it is done by any disciple of Christ. It doesn’t have to be by a pastor, priest or whatever and it shoud be DONE RIGHT AFTER being baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit. It is so important that even Jesus did it in obedience to the Father, so are we exempt? It wasn’t a head sprinkling either. This is what Jesus was referring to when He told Nicodemus that he needed to be born of water. Spirit and water baptism are necessary to be saved. If you site the thief on the cross as an example of one who didn’t receive water baptism, that was still under the old covenant, not the new. There may be some death bed exceptions. Baptism means full emersion. Upon Jesus being water baptized, He was baptized in the Holy Spirit as the dove descended upon Him. Then the HOLY SPIRIT led Jesus into the desert to be tested and tempted by the devil before He started His full time ministry. No miracles were ever performed before this event.
Leads me to the third baptism which is baptism in the Holy Spirit and this is the enduement of power that Jesus promised in order to empower us not to sin and be led and controlled by the Holy Spirit which is what makes us Sons of God. This is what happened at Pentecost where the Holy Spirit was sent and they spoke in tongues. This is how Jesus fulfilled the law. The law is for sinners, not those being led and controlled by the Holy Spirit. The gifts of the spirit operate in those that have received the baptism in the Holy Spirit and this is where the supernatural gifts operate. Now that said, not everything supernatural is of God and the devil counterfeits what the Holy Spirit does and it tries to make it look exactly like the original thing. You don’t make a counterfeit $100 bill orange. It has to look as much like the real deal to pass it off to the undiscerning and I see a lot of the supernatural operating in the church that is not coming from the Holy Spirit. If you don’t see Jesus or the disciples doing it, you shouldn’t be either. We are to be led and controlled by the Holy Spirit. We don’t lead and control the spirit realm. I don’t care what super flesh patting, ear tickling mega preacher brought it in the church, don’t do it. The anti Christ spirit sits in the temple or church proclaiming to be god or “little gods” in the congregation. More on that in another teaching. The bibles says that there will be churches that have a form of godliness but deny this baptism or the power thereof. The bible also says that we are to turn away from those who teach that. These are those who teach you are baptized in the Holy Spirit when you are baptized in the body of Christ. They are different baptisms and these people have to find some way to explain away their inability to hear from God, operate in the gifts of the Holy Spirit and be led by Him. They will be teaching the once saved always saved, future sins are covered under the blood stuff which leads to willful sin in the church. Under the new covenant, willful sin is judged by the Father for those who know Christ and continue to practice sin thinking it is covered under the blood of Christ. The word judged in Hebrews 10:26-31 means crisis or the time when it is determined when one will be “cut off”. There is a process that the Father goes through before cutting you off. First comes the conviction of th Holy Spirit. If you ignore His conviction and your conscience becomes seared, He sends you a person. If you deny it after repeated attempts on the part of the people God sends to you, you are blashieming the Holy Spirit and that sin is never forgiven you, either in this world or the next. The word blaspheme means “to throw it back into the face of”. You do that through flat out deny it, justifying it, rationalizing it, minimizing it, explaining it away etc. No one teaches that in church where we want to have our ears tickled and flesh patted so we can keep money in the offering plate. The church today only wants to hear pleasant things about blessings. Don’t talk about sin, judgment and repentance or anything that makes us uncomfortable. Read Hebrews 10:26-31 Jesus is the one who baptizes us with the Holy Spirit, usually after the first two baptisms.
There is the baptism of fire and the baptism of suffering for some as well. These include tribulations, persecutions and martredom and other forms of suffering for the promoting of the gospel and the kingdom of God or for the cleansing of the church and preparing a bride without spot or wrinkle. After all, the gates of hell will not prevail against her. Our gold will be tried in fire and we will have to obtain white linen clothes in our lukewarm, laodecian church of today. Please read Revelation where those who are lukewarm, blind to their state, naked, wretched and poor in spiritual things are advised to buy of Jesus gold tried in fire, eye salve to open their blind eyes because we don’t get it and see their spiritual state the way the Lord does, and they are naked. As you read through Revelations, notice those who Jesus is handing out white linen clothes to. They died of hunger, martyredom, persecution and poverty. That sure smacks in the face of the prosperity, bless me gospel. They didn’ take the chip so they couldn’t purchase food and supplies and beheadings took place. Only 5 of the 10 virgins were raptured and they were the wise virgins who had enough oil and didn’t run out. All the virgins were asleep. All woke up and knew Jesus was to soon return. Only 5 didn’t grieve the Holy Spirit thus running out of oil and these were the wise virgins who received the love of the truth that they might be saved. The rest, even though betrothed to Jesus, lost the annointing and ran out. I do a whole teaching in the book “My Glorious Church Wthout Spot or Wrinkle” on the son of perdition which will be revealed right before Jesus returns. Since the once saved always saved doctrine pervades the modern day church, the son of perdition may be sitting next to you in church. Judas was called the son of perdition and he betrayed Jesus for money. Esau sold his birthright for food when he was hungry. We are entering a time when brother will betray brother for food and the things money can buy when the economy crashes and we have to take a chip to eat and buy. For some, their bellies will be more important and that is why you see in Revelations where some died of hunger and Jesus was feeding them and wiping away their tears. Yes, I believe there will be an anti Christ and Judas wasn’t it, but he was called a “son of perdition” and if anyone sells out Jesus for money, you can attach that to their name as well and this is what the bible talks about in regards to the “son of perdition” being revealed since we don’t believe we can lose our salvation because we recited a prayer. It is being revealed in this once saved always saved lukewarm church that practices iniquity (you know it was wrong and you did it anyway) that you can be a “son of perdition” and the revelation comes in identifying it. The sons of perdition will be revealed before Jesus returns. Judas was a miracle working disciple who held the money pouch, just like our modern day church that has more than anyother church age ever. Here is another thought that I just got from reading another article that the Lord tied into what I read the night before. It describes the different churches ages in a short version of the history of Christianity, and it goes like this: Christianity started in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution; it moved to Europe and became a culture; it came to America and became an enterprise or business. If your body is a business or enterprise, isn’t it now a prostitute or harlot. Is the church today, the harlot or prostitute in the book of Revelation that was clothed in purple, representing royalty and scarlet, representing the blood. I couldn’t help but notice the similarities and this harlot didn’t have its own land but it sat on the waters that Revelations said means many people, kindreds and nations that have been poisoned by the prosperity, bless me gospel that has become a business. Interesting and these people will persecute those that the Lord uses to speak the truth. The Lord is really showing me a lot in Revelation lately, even the kings that hide themselves in caves or under the ground as the stars or asteroids fall from the sky. Could this be the tunnels? How many times in Revelations are stars falling from the sky mentioned. The Lord is giving me so much I can’t even mention it all as world events come about. Read Revelations 6.
4. Next is the foundational doctrine of laying on of hands. This is done to impart blessings, healing, impartation of the Holy Spirit and His gifts as well as annointings.
5. Resurrection of the dead is the next foundational doctrine. The dead in Christ, or true Christian will be raised first unto eternal fellowship with Christ. Those who are not Christians will be raised and judged by God and sent away unto eternal damnation.
6. Eternal judgment is the final foundational doctrine in the bible. Once dead, there is no going back for a do over. Some people do not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved but believe a lie and in the church today there are many doctrines of demons and seducing spirits in the church, deceiving and being deceived, but God is faithful bring truth to have their eyes opened and many will reject it because they are deceived. The word “deceived” means you don’t think you are wrong. You believe you are right. That is why the meek (teachable) inherit the earth. They are at least teachable and will seek things out and research them and not be complacent and stick their head in the sand. Did you know that a witch cannot curse a Christian submitted to the Lord and who is teachable, but they can curse the lukewarm.
After the crucifixion of Jesus we have the progression in Nicodemus’ spiritual journey. John 19:38 states that Joseph of Arimathea, who was Nicodemus’ best friend, and being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus. This Joseph was a closet disciple of Christ’s like Nicodemus USED TO BE. Why do I say that Nicodemus used to be? Because John19:39 states that Nicodemus WHICH AT THE FIRST, came to Jesus at night. Nicodemus used to be a closet seeker of Jesus and now he was openly a follower. Joseph was rich, Nicodemus used to be rich but had sold all he had to follow Jesus. What the Lord showed me was that Nicodemus had to convince his rich, but closet friend who was called a disciple of Christ to go and ask for the body of Christ to bury Him. Joseph was very rich and would have had servants. He didn’t send a servant to do it. He went himself. Probably because he was still a closet disciple and afraid to openly express his discipleship to Jesus. The Lord also showed me that these were not old men because when Joseph went to get the body, he had to lift it. There is a reason they call it dead weight. Not something an old man can do. Nicodemus went to get the myrrh and aloes, which John 19:39 says it was about a hundred pound weight. These were not old men. These were young men who could lift these weights. When I came to this part, the Lord showed me that when this was written, He made sure this 100 lb. weight was mentioned for this very reason because He would disclose it when the time required it. That blew me away. No longer were Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea old men in my mind. How would Nicodemus, this rich, young ruler, or one of highest rank have come to this point if Jesus hadn’t told him the truth and confronted the condition of his heart and what came before God. The Lord also showed me that Nicodemus no longer had a tomb, because he had sold it and that is why he had to go to his best friend who was a closet disciple to lay Jesus in Joseph’s tomb. Nicodemus would have if he had a tomb to lay Jesus in. Not only that, but it was a tomb only a rich man could afford in a beautiful garden. We miss so much when we read the bible that only the Lord can open up and reveal to us.
Nicodemus had this spiritual progression only when his true heart condition was exposed for what it was so that he could inherit eternal life. Jesus loved him enough to tell him the truth. When he showed fruit that proved he was repentant, he came to Jesus a second time asking what he needed to do to inherit eternal life and this indicated that he had done as Jesus instructed, which was to get rid of any idol he placed above God in order to come and follow Him. He now expected a different answer because he showed fruit that proved he was repentant as he had heard John preach. This would not have happened if he had not been told he had an idol and he needed to get rid of it to inherit eternal life.
We have got to stop leading people in a little salvation prayer which is never found in the bible and pronounce them saved and eternally secure if they have never showed fruit that proves they are repentant and we have never exposed the real condition of their heart because they believe they are something they are not. You can never preach forgiveness of sin without exposing and confronting the sin because the bible states our own hearts will deceive us. Forgiveness is not extended until repentance and confession have taken place and it is not an act of love to have people believe they are saved and eternally secure when they have never truly repented in order to receive the forgiveness and empowerment to not sin in the future. The word grace means, “I will supply or empower you with that which is needed”. It doesn’t mean that your sin is swept under the carpet so God doesn’t see it like we have been taught. We do not receive this empowerment or grace until we have first repented and confessed because the Holy Spirit is a HOLY SPIRIT AND WILL NOT INHABIT SOMONE THAT DOESN’T WANT TO BE HOLY. Jesus is coming for a Glorious Church, without spot or wrinkle and He is restoring things to His church before He returns. I pray we allow Him to wash us in the water of the word. He weeps over those who are lost in our pews. I don’t want to be held accountable to those ending up in the lake of fire because of a stronghold or false belief I hold on to because of pride. Lord forgive us!