PLAN EVERYTHING THAT ARE TRUE, HONORABLE, CLEAN, PURE, LOVELY AND WORTHY OF PRAISE
Sakkie Parsons
Translated from the Afrikaans Version: Beplan alles wat waar, eerbaar, skoon, suiwer, lieflik en lofwaardig is.
Translator: Lynda Botha
Someone write to me:
"We would like to know; how do you know which church is the right church for you?"
Before attempting to answer this question, I want to make the following statement as I see it in my heart:
I am asked from time to time why there is such a large variety of Christian denominations. Personally, I think it is because human’s, so to speak, has been created with diverse personalities.
Unfortunately, Satan has long been exploiting the human’s diversity.
Therefore, today you get the one denomination taking something out of the Word of God: "Because it's not applicable to us today" and then another denomination taking something else from the Word of God: "because it's not applicable to us today. "
Then there are the denominations that proclaims something in their preaching of the Gospel, which you cannot find in the Word of God and therefore preaches a gospel but not the true Gospel.
Then there is, let’s call them for the moment "kind of churches", because they themselves want to be known as a church that proclaims something evil under the name of Christ, which are for certain not the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.
If I speak of "diversity", I do not mean the kind of diversity that – and how sad is it not – that helped satan to sneak into Christianity. Let me demonstrate what I mean by the following example:
My wife loves to worship in a congregation where the services are lively.
I, on the other hand, would rather prefer a service where things are calm, but in both cases, the true Gospel of Jesus Christ are proclaimed.
The way I understand this is, that our Lord, by the right kind of diversity, catered for all His children.
As I mentioned, there are also some, which I will call "so-called Christian religions", which I personally do not see as part of the Christian faith.
So, what I would say you need to look out for when searching for a congregation where you can serve our Lord?
Firstly:
Does this congregation proclaim that you can only inherit eternal life if you accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour?
JOH 14:6 “Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.”
ACTS 4:12 “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
If something else is proclaimed that conflicts with this, you must immediately depart from these people.
It is truly life-threatening, eternally life-threatening, to have something to do with their kind of gospel:
GAL 1:6-9
6 “I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, Who called you to Himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News…”
7 “but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.”
8 “Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from Heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you.”
9 “I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed.”
Then the testimony of the congregation must also include that the Bible as a whole, is the infallible Word of God:
2 TIM 3:16 “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”
2 TIM 3:17 “God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work.”
Here as well, I would be able to see if they proclaim the Gospel of Jesus, and if they just proclaim a gospel:
If the church is only exclusively accessible for a particular culture or population, they do not proclaim the true Gospel of Jesus Christ – even if they mention His Name multiple times in their services.
He himself says, among other things, of people who want to serve Him like this:
MAT 7:21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, “Lord! Lord!” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in Heaven will enter.”
There are denominations of whom our Lord says:
MAT 7:22 “On judgement day many will say to Me, “Lord! Lord! We prophesied in Your Name and cast out demons in Your Name and performed many miracles in Your Name.”
MAT 7:23 “But I will reply, “I never knew you. Get away from Me, you who break God’s laws.”
The congregation where you want to worship must remember what we were commanded to do when preaching the Gospel. They must proclaim and live their lives according to this:
MAT 28:19 “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
When I look at my fellow brothers and sisters from all nations, which I or someone else, have led to our Lord, I look at them with Christian love and with this glorious knowledge:
COL 3:11 “In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and He lives in all of us.”
Another thing that will tell you if the congregation where you want to worship, preaches a gospel but not the true Gospel, is when they proclaim that when you are a child of our Lord that things will always go well.
The greatest perpetrators in this regard with this kind of gospel are the "prosperity preachers”. Listen what Jesus said:
JOH 16:33 “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."
Listen what Paul, my great hero and the man to whom our Lord entrusted the greatest part of the New Testament said:
2 COR 4:6-9
6 “For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.”
7 “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great powers are from God, not from ourselves.”
8 “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.”
9 “We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.”
You see –
We do not have this sort of temporary happiness and peace of this world. What we have cannot be bought with any money or with the enjoyments of this world.
Let me put it this way and use myself as an example, because it is the best example I know:
I do not have much money or lots of possessions, but I have happiness and peace in my heart and in my life.
What peace and happiness do I speak off?
JOH 14:26 “But when the Father sends the Advocate as My Representative – that is, the Holy Spirit – He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”
JOH 14:27 “I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So, don’t be troubled or afraid.”
If I had to mention all the kind of gospels that are proclaimed, which you should flee from, it will be a never-ending list.
So, while looking for a church to worship the Lord, remember to pray continuously for the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
When you have decided upon a congregation, find out as much as possible about their teachings so that you can see if you can or are allowed to associate with them, before joining that congregation,
Talk to someone you know, who carries the fruit that fits in with a person who has repented.
I now substantiate my opinion with one last example of a church which you also should have absolutely nothing to do with:
If the church you visit contains anything in their preaching that involves people in the afterlife/spirit world, flee away from them.
LEV 19:31 “Do not defile yourselves by turning to mediums or to those who consult the spirits of the dead. I am the Lord you God.”
LEV 20:6 “I will also turn against those who commit spiritual prostitution by putting their trust in mediums or in those who consult the spirits of the dead. I will cut them off from the community.”
LEV 20:7 “So set yourselves apart to be holy, for I am the Lord your God.”
To conclude my friend:
Wherever you feel comfortable to worship our Lord with other believers, serve our Lord as He wants us to worship Him:
JOH 4:23 “But the time is coming – indeed it’s here now – when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship Him that way."
If you want to worship our Lord like this but you are unsure of where to start, I think it’s good to follow the following criteria, and with this I conclude this letter:
Read the Word of God a lot.
Pray, in other words, talk a lot with our Lord.
Get involved in the congregation where you worship and make the following stay in your lives become a reality:
PHI 4:8 “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
Greetings,
Sakkie