Church and Christianity
To virtually all the world the words "Church" and "Christianity" are synonymous with the people that profess to believe in and follow Christ. Amazingly, the word "church" does not occur in the Greek of the New Testament but is a mistranslation.
At the end of this age, in the book of Revelation, we find God calling to His people to come out of a place he calls Babylon and the Great Whore to avoid the plagues she will receive for her sins. Where is this place that God's people find themselves that is a "habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit" (Rev. 18:2).
The apostle Paul told us that "such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works." (2Cor 11:13-15). Where are these false, deceitful ministers who claim to be sent by Christ? Where is Satan's influence to be found posing to be a source of light to those seeking God?
They can only be in places that claim to be of Christ! Christian denominations! As you read these articles prepare to be surprised and shocked. Satan deceives the whole world. He is hiding in a place that seems to be above suspicion but Paul also wrote that the one who "as God sitteth in the temple of God" will "be revealed in his time" (1Thess 2:4,6). As we draw nearer to the events that will herald the return of Christ the truth about the antichrist spirit and where it is hiding will be revealed.
New Birth Teaching Series
"You must be born again"
Three hours of audio teaching (transcript available) from Pastor John Clark, Sr. on the subject of the "New Birth".
When is a person born again and how do you know? The Bible contains clear revelation from God about when a person is born again. Learn what had to occur before the new birth was available to man. Listen as Pastor John covers these topics and more:This is perhaps the most important issue for a person to understand.
Have you been born again?
Why I Am Not a Christian
by John David Clark, Sr.
I rejected Christianity in 1993 when, after a long time trying, Jesus finally got it through to me that Christianity is a religion that never was of him. I already knew that the truth he taught and his purpose for living on earth was not to be found anywhere in any denominational group, but I did not know until May, 1993 that it was the entire Christian religious system that was the problem. What a relief it was to stop trying to find a place inside that religion where I could live and talk and worship God the way I knew God wanted it to be!
To obey God and come out of Christianity was a little frightening at first, but I knew it was the will of God for his people to do so. I had never heard of anyone serving the Lord Jesus outside of Christianity, and thought I was the only one on earth that was walking on that narrow path.
Later, I learned that a number of people in various places had abandoned that religion years before I did, and that they did so because they heard the same thing I heard from Jesus, but in the main even they are drifting. The ones I have contacted are confused; they don't know where to go, or what to think, really. Especially at first. They know that Christianity is not holy, and not of God at all, and that they want no part of it, but they have been programmed by Christianity to believe certain things, and are having an awful time getting past its teachings.
That's my job, my "calling", if you will. I am a teacher, and my task is very difficult. In fact, it is impossible without God's help. Jesus (please, do not think of the Jesus of Christianity when I say his name!) has taught me how to help those people who want to know, to love, and to serve God, but do not want to serve Christianity. The biggest obstacle to the knowledge of God on earth is the Christian religion. It distresses me constantly that the name of Jesus is associated by the children of God with the religion of Christianity. It shouldn't be; for our Lord Jesus has nothing to do with it, but that is the fact of life with which I must deal.
God's people (Spirit-baptized people) are now scattered among the hundreds of sects which make up Christianity. Not one of those sects is of God; yet, the saints are there. And they are there because they have been deceived by Satan's most successful lie in human history, a deceit which has confused virtually us all at one time or another: to wit, to belong to Christ means that we belong to Christianity. Amid the mass confusion of doctrines and ceremonies which Christianity encompasses, God's children are trying in vain to find their place. My friend, belonging to Christ Jesus has absolutely nothing to do with belonging to Christianity. God is now pulling back the veil which has for so long covered our eyes, and He is setting us free from Satan's definition of life in Christ.
Jesus showed me that He didn't come to start "Christianity" at all. He came to set men free from sin, sickness, and death. The vibrant faith depicted in the book of Acts is not a record of the beginning of Christianity. Christianity is that religion which came later and perverted the spiritual life which is depicted in the book of Acts. The revealed truths found in the New Testament books can be found only in widely scattered bits within Christianity, and those bits of truth which can be found are always--yes, always--mixed with heresies; the result being, as Satan knew it would be, discouragement for those who are searching for the knowledge of God's way. The bewildering array of doctrines and traditions within Christianity has had the effect of frustrating and discouraging a search for the truth. Using Christianity as his principal tool, Satan has done a masterful job of quenching the saints' thirst for the knowledge of God's one truth by making it appear unattainable in this life!
Listen, my brother. The truth, God's one truth in Christ Jesus can be found . . . by you . . . today! One of my greatest challenges has been to re-ignite that spark of hope in the hearts of God's precious children (those who have received the holy Ghost baptism). We can be made one, if we will only stop listening to Christian leaders and listen to the Spirit of Christ instead! Do you not hear the cry of the Spirit right now? "Come out of her, my people!"
We err when we think of Christianity as something that once was good and pure, but then went astray. Christianity has never been of God. It has never been good or pure. The religion of Christianity is itself that corrupt thing which infiltrated the ancient congregation and perverted its faith, just as the apostles forewarned the saints (Acts 20:17- 35). Some actually saw it taking place before they died (Gal.1:6-7; 2Tim.1:15; 1Jn.2:18-19). My dear brothers and sisters, give it up! Lay that heavy burden down! There is no such thing as restoring Christianity to its original purity. It was of Satan from the moment it appeared.
Historically, the first expression of Christianity was the result of mixing of the faith of Jesus with politics. Roman Emperors, having come to believe the basics of the gospel story, attempted to promote the faith of Christ by human reason and military might instead of by the power and revelation of the holy Ghost. The results were tragic. The simple truth of the gospel was cast aside for a more fashionable, and less charismatic, faith. Those who refused to accept this Roman version of the gospel were severely punished, if not murdered outright, their records banned or destroyed.
If you have been born, or baptized, into the body of Christ by the holy Ghost, God is your Father (because the body of Christ is of Him) and Jesus is your Master (because he is the head of the body). If you are in Christianity, Satan is your father (because Christianity is of him) and the Pope is your master (because he is the head of Christianity). For this reason, the Spirit is earnestly calling to the children of God, "come out of her My people!"
Christianity is an unholy mixture, where carnal men rule over God's saints. It is an ungodly place of incomparable confusion and false claims. That is why I am NOT a Christian.
You have noticed that in our time there is much skepticism about the power of God and the return of Jesus. But then, how in heaven's name can anyone not be skeptical about the gospel of Jesus, if he associates the name of Jesus with the religion of Christianity? In the light of Christianity’s history and doctrines, the wonder is not that there are skeptics, but that there are people who want to be Christians! The gospel teaches us that helping people is a worthwhile thing to do, and I have learned that the goal of the gospel of Jesus is not to make people right, but to make them good, like the Creator. When "rightness" becomes the goal, people get hurt, as Christianity’s sordid history proves. But when goodness (godliness) is the goal, people are benefited.
Allow me to make this final observation about searching for truth, before I close. Let me just encourage you to resist the temptation to fall in love with the mere pursuit of truth; rather, let the possession of truth be your sincere desire. Every Christian everywhere, indeed even the world, will hold you in very high esteem as long as all you do is pursue what is holy. Everyone admires the man who merely seeks the ways of God. But the world (including Christianity) will turn away from you in disgust if you ever find God's way and love it. All religions of earth are basically nothing but showy PURSUITS of righteousness, with no EXPERIENCE of submission to the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. That, too, is why I am not a Christian, but a servant of Christ Jesus. I want not only to seek righteousness but to find it, not only to ask for the right way but to receive guidance into it, not only to praise God but to have Him praise me (cp. Rom. 2:29), not only to worship God, but to worship Him acceptably.
There is an honor that comes from only God, and I believe that we are dishonoring God so long as we do not receive it. But we cannot receive it so long as we are making an effort to maintain the approval of others around us. Jesus told some of the people of his day that they could never receive the honor that comes from God only, so long as they were seeking each other's approval. My dear brother, by whose measure are you now judging yourself, and being judged? By whose understanding of the will of God do you now live and worship your Creator who purchased you with his blood?
I know that this testimony leaves much unsaid, but please search it out. And may God bless you as you do so.
Your servant of Jesus,
John David Clark, Sr.