~ Worship, Jesus�?way ~

Today is Sunday, December 12, 2004. It seems Jesus just keeps dealing with me concerning the false way of worship in our day. I have many messages on my mind and in my studies which I wish to write. But He just keeps driving me to try and reach someone with this very needful truth.

The church system of our day, and for the past hundreds of years, has totally misled the people of God. They have taken you into false worship and in believing you are alright with God when nothing could be further from the truth.

In Deut. 12 God told us to only worship Him in the way which He COMMANDS us to do. He said do not add one thing or take away one word of His. So, with this in mind, let’s examine just what Jesus told us on this subject of worship.

We are told by every preacher today that we absolutely must go to a certain place to worship. We are told that we cannot live for God two weeks OUTSIDE a local church. We are told that we have to go somewhere. We are told this is our duty. We are told it is our duty to be at our own certain local assembly every time they have a get-together. Now what I am asking is where did they acquire this command? Where did God or Jesus command this of us? God said his fear is taught after the precepts of man. Now I am telling you this is one of those precepts of man trying to put fear in you if you do not attend ‘their�?every get-together. Even if you go to some other church they say you are wrong. You have a DUTY to be at your own church. Well I heard Jesus and the Apostles say the true Church of God is just ONE. So where did this division come from?

What did Jesus have to say about this need for going to a certain place to worship?

John 4:19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. 4:20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. 4:21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

This woman at the well had also been told this false stuff that we must be at a certain place to worship acceptably. As soon as she realized that Jesus was a prophet, she asked him about this question. Our fathers say we must worship in a certain mountain [or church]. You Jews say we must worship at Jerusalem. Which? Jesus answered, the hour is now that the true worshippers will neither worship in this mountain or at Jerusalem. For the Father, God, is a spirit and he seeks worshippers to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Now this shows that God and Jesus want only worship which is in spirit and in truth. It has not one thing to do with any certain place or time. Worshipping in spirit and in truth is done anywhere at any time. If one teaches and receives false doctrine, then they are not worshipping in truth. Unless they receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and worship in this spirit, they are not in true worship.

Notice this discourse between this woman and Jesus was outside at a well, in a city of Samaria. It was the true worship. This woman went into her town and testified of all Jesus had said to her. Then this town came to Jesus and worshipped and found salvation, out in the open. It was the true worship. Did Jesus then tell any of them of the need to go to a certain place and time to worship? No, he certainly did not.

People today have the mistaken notion that we must be inside a certain building, at a certain time, and a certain man must stand behind a certain pulpit and scream at the folks for them to be in worship. The people must sit and face this man and he must stand and run and jump. Where is the pattern for this mode of worship? Someone show that to me in the Book.

Mt 13:1 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. 13:2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 13:3 And he spake many things unto them in parables.

Here we have an example of the method Jesus used to teach the people. He SAT in a boat and the great multitude of people STOOD on the shore. He SPAKE and taught them many things. This is worship. The one doing the teaching here is sitting and the others are standing. He certainly was not up running around to do this teaching, now was he?

Lu 4:16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

Lu 4:20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 4:21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. 4:22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?

Here is another example of Jesus sitting down to teach the people. He stood and read the Word, then he sat down and taught them gracious words.

Mt 5:1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: 5:2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

Now here we see Jesus again sitting down to teach the people. Where was he this time? Up in a mountain, out in the open.

Lu 5:12 And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. Lu 5:13 And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.

This healing was done out in the open.

Lu 5:16 And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.

Now here we have Jesus going out into a wilderness to pray. Praying is a way of worship, is it not? So Jesus was praying to God and worshipping out in a wilderness.

Mark 2:1 And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house. 2:2 And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them. 2:3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. 2:4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. 2:5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.

Now this says that Jesus was in someone’s house preaching and healing and forgiving sins. We find many more instances of Jesus teaching and healing and worshipping in homes, out in the open and places such as this, than he did in their synagogues. He did go there but his main teaching was done elsewhere.

Mark 6:32 And they departed into a desert place by ship privately. 6:33 And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him. 6:34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.

Here again we see Jesus teaching the people out in a desert place.

That is enough Scripture on this part of the message. It is established that Jesus taught to worship out in the open, to teach and heal out in homes and the city and anywhere we find people with a need. It is NOT confined to any palace, called a church.

The great Apostle Paul was converted to Christ out in the open. Jesus came to him as he was riding on a horse, on his way to kill Christians. Did the Apostles follow suit in this way of teaching and healing? Sure. Even Peter’s shadow as he walked down the streets healed the sick. Paul preached and taught the people while in prison. Peter went into Cornelius�?home and preached and converted a lot of people there in their house. Did he tell them to attend some local assembly? I have never read this in the Word.

Ac 16:13 And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.

This is Paul who went out by a river where some women met together to pray. He sat down and taught these women. These women were meeting regularly to worship and pray out by a river. How beautiful. You might say well the churches had not been established at this time. Well then take the Scripture and show me the pattern of the sort of church where we must be at a certain place and a certain time. Where is it? You think God did not know? No, this is not the answer. Those places were the church. It was anywhere any of them met and worshipped. If two were together in a house or river or town, this was church. These false palace churches is a copy of the worldly theaters. It is not God’s way.

I cannot find any reference to this type of ‘church�?in the Word of God. If you know of it, please show me those verses.

Ac 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

These Christians broke bread [the Word] from house to house. They were also going to the temple every day to reach those who resorted there. Every day. What a difference we have today! The Lord added to the church every day. Now I just wonder ‘which local assembly�?got the benefit of these new converts? Who told them to go to any certain local church? Whose church benefited from these numbers of people being converted?

Rom 16:3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: 16:4 Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 16:5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house.

These people had a church in their house. 1Cor 16:19 The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

Here is another reference to the church in their house.

Then we have the wonderful occasion of Phillip converting the eunuch out in his chariot and preaching to him riding with him in the chariot. No mention here of telling him of the need to join some local church. And of course Paul converted the jailor there at midnight and baptized the entire family. They were teaching and worshipping in jail and in this man’s house. No need here for any local palace.

Ac 12:5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

Ac 12:12 And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.

Now this ‘church�?was praying in the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark. This is where the church was gathered together praying without ceasing for Peter. No need for any local theater palace church here.

So in the face of all this Scriptural evidence that the true Apostolic Church did as Jesus and taught and worshipped in homes, out by rivers, and anywhere there was any opportunity, how and where did this modern day DUTY of HAVING to attend some bundle, or local assembly come from? I say it came from hirelings wanting to push their own agenda and build up a following so fame and money comes to them from their fearful prisoners. When they ‘bind�?you to them this way, it is one of those ‘bundles�? It does not just have to be an organization, the local church is a bundle.

The early church followed the teaching and example of Jesus. Paul was told to go into a home on a street called Straight. There he was preached to and converted. He was not told to go to some local assembly palace. You say they did not exist then. But if God did his great work this way then, what makes you think he cannot do it that same way now? What makes you think he wants it some other way other than the example of this true Church in Acts?

I truly get sick of hearing preachers calling their wooden or stone palace the house of God. Where is even one Scripture proving this to be a true statement? I know of none. The Word of God teaches that our bodies are the TEMPLE of the Spirit of God. I see no where in the word where some man-made building is God’s house. The apostles taught that God does not dwell in temples made with hands. So why do these hirelings today stress so much that we absolutely MUST go to those man-made palaces?

Now you might question my calling them palaces. So let me prove this is what the Word of God calls them. Also you who teach we must go to these palaces, show me one Scripture where God places his approval on this type of set-up. And if he does, if some Scripture teaches that, then how do so many teach right the opposite? Is God confused? Is He mixed up? Is He double-minded? Surely you do not believe that, do you?

I have touched on this is several other messages, but God is showing me to cover this matter in every possible way. He wants this truth to be made so clear, you are all without excuse. You will have no excuse to continue to call your little palaces God’s house or a place mandatory for worship.

Ps 78:69 And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever.

Now the reason for this verse is to prove that God refers to the sanctuary as palaces.

Ho 8:14 For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples; and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.

Isn’t it something that forgetting God here goes along with their building temples? But God said he is going to devour these palaces.

Am 6:8 The Lord GOD hath sworn by himself, saith the LORD the God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces: therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein.

Here God declares that he hates these palaces and their excellency. He is going to deliver it all up.

Am 5:11 Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them.

This is a picture of the present day churches. They take from the poor to build these houses of hewn stone and call this the house of God. Yet the Word declares that the very people they were robbing were the house of God.

Now if someone can show me Scripture for the kind of ‘church�?which is held up so much in our day as the one and only means of serving and worshipping God, then I will concede. But until then, I will continue to teach the truth God has shown me in His Word. All I can say is, Come out of her my people that you partake not of her sins that you receive not of her plagues which are soon to come upon her. Who? Church.

Now I wrote a message a good while ago on worship God’s way. In that message I dealt solely with this thing of the evil holidays. So, since I am doing this message on going exactly by the commanded method of worship, I will bring some of that message into this one. I am telling any who ever read this, if you wish to be true to God and come out of this polluted world system, you had better see this truth and come out of these evil holidays and quit calling it worship to God. You are adding that to His word. Where did He give such a command? If He did not command you to do it, you had better stay away from it. You are adding to His word.

This is in answer to those who think the holidays are NOT displeasing to God; for those who think it does not ‘matter�?to God HOW we worship.

Deuteronomy 12: It would do you well to study this whole chapter. In this chapter God tells the Israelites how to worship him acceptable, after they have entered the Promised Land.

v1-These are the statutes and judgments, which ye shall observe to do in the land, which the LORD God of thy fathers giveth thee to possess it, all the days that ye live upon the earth.

V2-Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations, which ye shall possess, served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every GREEN TREE.

Read Jer. 10, where he tells about the heathen bringing in the green tree they had cut down and decorating it. He forbids his people to do this way of the heathen. So then why is almost every church today so heavily involved in this evil green tree worship?

God told the Israelites they must destroy all the idols, the places of worship, and the NAMES of the idol gods of the heathen people. I tell you in the name of the Lord, it is still the same today. Only those of us who obey this will be given the power and authority to take over the world and rule it in righteousness. We will be the ones He gives the power to tear down and destroy the idols of today. Only if you have removed them from your own life, will God give you the power and authority to tear them down out of the world. And, He is going to give us the power and command to do this.

That is why I am bringing you these messages on this mess of idols in the world today.

Now, back to the part pertaining to you coming to worship God acceptably:

Deut. 12:28-Observe and hear all these words which I COMMAND thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the LORD thy God.

V29-When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land;

V30-Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? Even so will I do likewise?

V31-Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he HATETH, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.

v32-What thing soever I COMMAND you, observe to do it: thou shalt NOT ADD thereto, nor DIMINISH from it.

Now, this is pretty plain. God said to worship Him the way He commands. We are not to ADD even one word; we are not to take away even one word.

If you would do a little studying, you would find that the ancient heathens had the December 25th birthday celebration to their sun gods. There are many, many books in libraries you can get and read. One of them is called, “Four thousand years of Christmas�? It is not written to teach doctrine like this message; it was only a study of this practice going back at least 4,000 years into the past.

If you do this, you had better be sure it is a command from God; else, you are guilty of adding to His Words. If you do this, He will add the PLAGUES of the Book to you. You had better find some verse of Scripture which tells you to do this. If it is not there, you are following the heathens in their way of worship; which becomes DEVIL Worship.

Read, “Easter around the world�? you will find this evil holiday also came from pagan worship of devils. There are still horrible things still done in the name of this pagan day.

Now, those ancient peoples burned their children in fire to their gods. You are doing the same thing, spiritually to your children. When you teach your children these pagan worship ways, you are destroying their souls eternally in the fire of Hell.

If God told them not to look at how the heathens worshipped their gods, and say we will do the same thing to God, He said all those things are abominations to Him; and He warned them NOT to do so, surely you must know that He is not going to accept that kind of worship today.

I am not judging anyone. I do not have to. The Word of God will judge you in that day. But, then it will be too late for you to repent and make things right with God. I am trying to help any true Christian, who is en-snared by this false way of devil worship, trying to offer this devil worship to God, to get free from this condemnation.

But, if you do not desire to serve God His way, and you stubbornly, as the ancient Israelites, insist on doing things YOUR OWN WAY, then you will lose your souls and bring the wrath of God upon yourself and the nation.

I hope at least one soul will see and accept the truth of this and be set free. God will never accept your copying the heathen’s way of worship.

You are warping the Word of God to suit your own desires to go along with the worldly things. I suppose this same kind of reasoning is how the ancient Israelites justified sacrificing their children to Baal, and all the other false gods of their day. You know, the prophets said he would take away the names of THEIR idols; so this means they are only re-named in our day. Santa, is actually old Baal. Read the book called, Four thousand years of Christmas, it will tell you this, too. and prove it.

So you are saying our children will benefit from worshiping old Baal. Well, where did the Word of God tell us such evil? This is EVIL to teach children to just do what is FUN, just go along with all the evil in the world if it is FUN.

Do you mean to tell me you think if you are PURE, adultery is pure? THAT drunkenness is pure? that murder is pure? that telling lies is pure? that going around nude is pure? etc. I tell you the truth, keeping idols holidays KEEPS YOU FROM BEING PURE. Hate me or anything else you desire, I tell you the truth; something most others will not do. Most people today just want back patting, justifying anything you wish to do. It will not get you to heaven.

Then why did Paul say BE NOT CONFORMED TO THE WORLD? Why did Luke say WHATSOEVER IS HIGHLY ESTEEMED BY MAN IS AN ABOMINATION TO GOD?

Is it Christian to teach children to conform- to be weak- to just go along with whatever the WORLD desires to do? I tell you in the name of the LORD, this is lies, weakness, and teaches children weakness, does not give them a strong foundation in Christ, or teach them to deny ungodliness and live righteously and soberly in this PRESENT WORLD.

This is why weak minded, worldly minded people HATE my teaching; for it is filled with truth from the Word which CROSSES THE FLESH AND ALL ITS EVIL DOINGS.

Would you say it is alright to bow and worship Baal? That is what doing the holidays are.

I am telling you all that the present day method of ‘church�?is actually a prison house, where the members are enslaved and used for the benefit of the pastor and any evangelist that pastor sees fit to bring in and let you feed him and fatten his pocket-book. The members are kept from being able to reveal any truth God may have given to them. God means for each Christian to contribute and help feed all the members. He said we have care for each and every member of the body. The pastors today are setting themselves up as god to rule over the congregation. They will not allow anyone God sends in to them with real truth to come in and speak to the people. They are afraid that if you learn some real truth, they will lose your attendance and money to his little program. It is all vanity and pride of man. It is not to the glory of God. God is not in control. They have a set time to meet together and a set time to close the doings. You all know this is true. If God were in control, it would not go by the same time each week. How bout the ‘eunuchs�?who may be riding by? Who will minister to them?

How about the crowd out in the mountains? Who will minister to them? See what I mean? God is not leading in this local assembly junk. It is nothing but division from the body of Christ.

By: Jo Smith