Gen. 3:8-10 π Ex. 20:18-21; 2nd π Dt. 5:23-27; 2nd π Jdgs. 17:1-13 π 1 Sam. 2:12-17 π 1 Sam. 2:22-29 π Isa. 66:1-2 π Jer. 30:12-15 π Jer. 32:29 π Jer. 33:1 π Jer. 33:3 π Jer. 33:6 π Jer. 33:9 π Jer. 33:12 π Jer. 33:13 π Jer. 33:14 π Jer. 33:15 π Jer. 33:16 π Jer. 33:22 π Ezek. 44:11 π Ezek. 44:12 π Ezek. 44:13 π Ezek. 44:14 π Ezek. 44:15-16 π Mt. 13:41-43 π Mk. 4:39 π Mk. 4:41 π Lk. 5:8 π Jn. 16:2 π Acts 4:5-13 π Acts 7:48-51 π Acts 17:24-25 π Acts 20:17 π Acts 20:29-30; 2nd π Rom. 16:5 π Rom. 16:17 π Eph. 4:3 π Eph. 4:11-12 π Eph. 4:11-16 π Eph. 4:13 π 2 Ths. 2:9-12 π 1 Tim. 3:1-7 π 2 Tim. 4:3-4 π Tit. 1:6-9 π Heb. 5:8 π Heb. 8:10-11 π Heb. 10:19-20 π Heb. 12:14 π 1 Pet. 2:5; 2nd; 3rd π 1 Pet. 2:9 π 1 Jn. 2:27 π Rev. 1:5-6 π Rev. 1:6 π Rev. 18:4

There are few things so fascinating to me as to read someone's writings and see how the glimmerings of the revelations God has given that writer are intertwined with the "church" paradigm. If you are unfamiliar with the idea of the "church" paradigm, bear with me and, by the end of this writing, it will have been exposed if not fully explained. But it is characteristic of every "church" that there is a peculiar intertwining of true obedience to Christ and the "church" paradigm - and it is characteristic of human nature to not be able to understand how the two can be so intertwined. Logic would dictate to us that one must be only of one or the other. But God, in His mercy to fallen human nature, does not wait until we humans have a perfect grasp on what obedience to Christ fully means to begin working with us to conform us into Christ's nature. He does not wait until our souls are perfected to begin administering His grace to us.

The author I have in mind at this particular moment is David Wilkerson. Wilkerson's history is indeed colorful and inspiring. His work with New York City hoodlums in the 1950s, his work in founding Teen Challenge, his many books and his latest work with Times Square Church speak loudly of his strong commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. And there are indeed very few faults to find with this man's work.

At this time, Wilkerson publishes a regular newsletter in which he writes about what the Lord has put on his heart. To do justice to him, let us read one of his newsletters in full.

If there is one complaint I hear consistently from Christians all over the world, it's this: "I can't find a good church anywhere! I need a place where my family can be ministered to - where we can hear a true word from heaven, and where my children can grow up knowing true righteousness. But I just can't find that kind of a church!"

Over the past five years, this single complaint has poured in like a torrent from thousands of readers on our mailing list. Many write, "Everywhere I go, churches are full of hype, foolishness, flag-waving - all kinds of distractions from the gospel. All the preaching I hear is shallow, and the worship is dead. I always leave feeling so empty."

Others complain, "Our pastor is constantly trying out new things in our church - new methods of evangelism, new music, new 'revival' movements of all kinds. Now our church is splitting over his continual search for new gimmicks!"

Of course, there are exceptions to these sad stories. Some readers write, "I thank God for our pastor. He spends time on his knees - and every time he preaches, he brings down fire from heaven. The Lord is blessing our church mightily!"

Tragically, however, few ministers today have the anointing of God's Spirit. They may be able to tell a good story or inject humor into their sermons. But they have no fresh word from heaven, because they don't spend time alone with the Lord. The result is a widespread famine of a true word from God in the land.

If you're having trouble finding a good church, I've got both good news and bad news for you. First, the bad news: You'll never find the right church - the righteous, God-blessed church - until you start looking for it in the right place.

Now, here's the good news: God clearly shows us in his word where to find this holy, blessed church. In fact, I hope to show you in this message specifically where you can go to find it!

Jeremiah Found This Church "...While He Was Yet in the Court of the Prison..." ( Jeremiah 33:1; top ) While the godly prophet Jeremiah sat in prison, Jerusalem lay in ruin. The city represented the center of worship for the Old Testament church. At one time it was a hallowed place - filled with the glory of God, and served by holy prophets and sanctified priests.

But now Jerusalem was full of sickness and death, peopled by false prophets and the spiritually dead. Had you been one of the holy remnant holding out at that time, you wouldn't have been able to find a single righteous house of worship or even a godly shepherd. Everything once holy and blessed had been brought to devastation.

As Jeremiah looked upon this awful scene, his heart was crushed. God had told him in the previous chapter that Jerusalem was so wicked, He now "hid His face" from it all. He warned, "I can no longer stand to look at what My church has become. All of the people's idolatry and foolishness - all of their new 'rooftop' movements - are angering Me. So, everything that's of flesh and not of Me, I'm going to burn down!" (see Jeremiah 32:29; top )

Jeremiah himself became so focused on the ruin around him, he lost sight of God's covenant promises to his people. He could have continued in despair, wasting his days brooding and sinking further into hopelessness. He might have thought, "It's no use - God has hidden His face from us. There is no true house of worship left!"

But suddenly, the Lord spoke to the prophet, saying, "Get on your knees, Jeremiah! Set your heart to pray to Me. You believe there's nothing left of My church. But I'm going to show you the mighty things I have planned for My people!" (see 33:3; top )

If Christians today want to find the right church, this is the place to begin - with prayer! No one is ever going to find God's true church by jumping on a bus, train or plane and racing around the world in search of it. We simply can't get to His church by any modern conveyance. The only reliable map is our secret closet of prayer!

God Revealed to Jeremiah His Glorious Covenant Promise Regarding a Perpetual Holy Priesthood! God had already warned the back-slidden church in Israel: "...Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous...thou hast no healing medicines...because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee" ( Jeremiah 30:12-15; top ) He was saying, in other words, "My people are in such ruin and death, their condition is incurable!"

Today, the church of Jesus Christ is in just such an awful condition. I've come to this conclusion after viewing videotapes of certain "revivals" and conferences sent to me from righteous believers all over the country. They write, "Brother Dave, you won't believe the blasphemy you'll see on this tape."

I've usually thought to myself, "Surely it can't be that bad." But when I watch the tapes, the scenes are worse than anything the people described. The services are led by false prophets and moneychangers who spout forth madness and blasphemous mockery. Consider the following scenes from various meetings:

One prosperity teacher told the audience it's a waste to give money to the poor. Instead, he said, "Give your money to the blessed. That way you'll be blessed in return!"



A man wearing a dog collar crawled around on all fours, barking like a dog, while the choir sang, "Where He Leads Me I Will Follow." The leaders called this demonstration a Spirit-led act of submission!



People raced around the auditorium while the worship team sang a tune called "Run for the Money." Apparently, the faster you ran, the more you'd be blessed financially.

As I watched these things, my spirit cried out, "Oh, Lord - this is blasphemy! The shepherds and sheep are totally blind! How could You ever bring healing to such blatant profaning of Your work? The wound to Your church seems incurable!"

Of course, the Lord does "turn His face" from all such foolishness and mockery. Yet He never hides Himself from those who shut themselves in prayer with Him. And He told the prayerful Jeremiah, "Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth" ( Jeremiah 33:6; top )

These were amazing words! God was telling the prophet, "Believe it or not, Jeremiah, I am going to heal My people. In fact, I'm going to lead them into abundant peace and truth! I'm about to bring a great cleansing, with new mercies. And My church will once again be a place of joy and true praises, where all bondages are broken!"

The Lord then gave this glorious covenant promise: "Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Again in this place, which is desolate without man and without beast, and in all the cities thereof, shall be an habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down" ( Jeremiah 33:12; top ) He was saying, "I'm going to establish a multitude of godly priests in cities everywhere. And they'll serve Me in truth, causing My sheep to lie down in rest!"

In every city and town, whether in the mountains or valleys, the north or south, there would be a "sheepcote" - a pen for the flock - with a shepherd to watch over it. And "...the flocks [shall] pass again under the hands of him that telleth them, saith the Lord." (verse 13; top ) This verse speaks of intimate, personal concern for every sheep. God was saying, "These godly priests will care for My people individually!"

The Lord then summed up His blessing of restoration, saying, "Behold, the days come...that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah." (verse 14; top ) This "good thing" sounded almost too good to be true. Not only would God cleanse His church and restore His people - but He would provide them with godly shepherds!

Only the Lord Himself could perform such an amazing work. No evangelist, teacher or new movement could accomplish it. It would happen only by covenant promise!

I Believe God Was Speaking These Promises to Jeremiah About Our Day! "In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land." ( Jeremiah 33:15; top ) What are the "days" God is talking about here? He's speaking of the time when the vision would be fulfilled. And what is the "righteous branch" He mentions? It is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ!

Beloved, God has fulfilled this vision, through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. He has established His church, and its name is neither Baptist, nor Pentecostal, nor any other name but simply "The Lord...our righteousness." (verse 16; top )

Yet here is the most wonderful news of all. God said this church "...shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise and an honor before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it [make for them]." (verse 9; top )

The literal meaning of this last phrase is, "They shall quiver and be startled, full of the awe and fear of God." God was saying, "I'm going to do something so amazing, so clearly full of My abundant peace and truth, people will tremble with fear!"

Yet, what would cause this fear and trembling? Would it be a harsh message of judgment? The preaching of the law? An expression of God's wrath? No! All fear and trembling would come through a revelation of God's goodness! It would come from an expression of His unmerited blessing, providing His people with an abundance of peace and rest.

Did God's Promise of Healing, Forgiveness and Holy Shepherds Make God's People Careless? When the Lord promised to be His people's righteousness through faith, did the Israelites suddenly begin to walk carelessly, lowering His standard of holiness? No, not at all. Rather, His promise of peace and rest would cause them to tremble in fear!

We see a picture of this holy trembling in Mark 4. When a storm threatened the disciples' very lives, Jesus rebuked the wind and sea, saying, "...Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm." ( Mark 4:39; top ) How did the disciples react to this? Scripture says, "They feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?" (Verse 41; top )

Why did these men "fear exceedingly"? It wasn't because of some harsh rebuke from their master. No - it was because He settled the storm, bringing about peace and calm. In short, they trembled at the goodness Christ showed His faithless, undeserving followers!

So, how will God cause fear and trembling in His last-days church? Will it come through a thunderous message of condemnation, or some new form of legalism? No, never! God's people are going to tremble at the glorious revelation of His New Covenant promises!

We'll tremble when we realize His Spirit lives and works in us, undeserving as we are, to prepare us as Christ's bride. We'll cry, "What? The Lord is at work in me, with all my problems, failures and quirks? He's causing me to do His will - making me holy, blameless, His shining light to the world?" We'll be humbled with a holy fear!

Isn't this what you are looking for in the church?

What About All the Godly Shepherds and Flocks Who Will Populate Every City? You may be wondering, "Are you saying God will purge the church of all false prosperity doctrines and phony hireling shepherds?" No, I'm not saying that at all. In fact, according to an Old Testament prophecy, there will always be lazy, compromising Eli ministry in the church. It's called the Abiathar ministry, named after the priest who forsook David - and it's a ministry totally of the flesh!

You may also wonder, "Where are all these godly shepherds the Lord promised us? Where are they pastoring? Are you saying we can find their righteous churches in any city, town or village?

"I don't see how God could ever find enough holy, separated ministers to 'make them a habitation' in every place. There aren't enough Bible schools and seminaries in the world to even begin to fulfill this incredible prophecy. I know the Lord is raising up a host of godly young ministers. But surely they're few and far between. So, where is this numerous priesthood?"

We find the answer to this question in the rest of the story from Jeremiah. God told the prophet, "As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David My servant, and the Levites that minister unto Me." ( Jeremiah 33:22; top ) He was saying, "I give you this covenant promise. I'm going to increase the holy priesthood who'll shepherd My multiplying flocks!"

How will God do this? We find the answer in the book of Revelation: "Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father..." ( Revelation 1:5-6; top ) God has made us all priests! Everyone who has been washed in the blood of Jesus is a member of His royal priesthood.

The apostle Peter echoes this in 1 Peter 2:5 : "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." ( 1 Peter 2:5; top ). God has called us to be priests who minister to Him!

You see, the Lord's concept of "church" is much different from ours. We think of church as being a ministry to people. It's a place where all of God's people's spiritual, physical and emotional needs are met. Of course, that is all part of what makes up a church. But the true church, according to Scripture, begins with ministry to Jesus Christ. His concept of church is anyplace there is ministry to the Lord!

We see this distinction illustrated in Ezekiel 44. In the following passage, the Lord describes man-centered ministry:

"They shall be ministers in My sanctuary, having charge at the gates of the house, and ministering to the house: they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister unto them... I will make them keepers of the charge of the house, and for all the service thereof, and for all that shall be done therein." ( Ezekiel 44:11 , 14; top )

According to this passage, the priests were doing everything a pastor should do. They were preaching, counseling, ministering to the people's needs. In fact, to unspiritual eyes, their ministry probably looked as if it made up a good, solid church.

But in reality, these ministers were giving the people what their flesh wanted: "They ministered unto them before their idols, and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity; therefore have I lifted up Mine hand against them, saith the Lord God, and they shall bear their iniquity." (verse 12; top )

These false shepherds had no word from God. In fact, God said He was their enemy! "They shall not come near unto Me, nor to come near to any of My holy things, in the most holy place: but they shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed." (verse 13; top )

Simply put, God is telling us, "My people desire false shepherds! They don't want to sit under a searing gospel message and have their sins exposed. So, I'm going to give them the kind of shepherds they want. I'll appoint pastors who'll minister to their idolatrous desires and lusts!"

I Ask You - What Are You Looking for in a Church? Maybe you're looking for a church that will disciple your children on Sunday mornings. Or, perhaps you're looking for true fellowship. Maybe you're hungry for good praise and worship. Or you're trying to meet some other deep need in your life.

If any of these concerns apply to you, I have a very hard question for you: To meet these needs, would you put yourself and your family under care of an Abiathar priesthood - a ministry God has rejected? Would you subject yourself to the preaching of a shepherd "appointed" by God to minister to people's idolatry?

Let me give you this word about God's true church: The Bible says you have been appointed a royal priest unto the Lord! That's right - you are to be a shepherd, a minister, a priest. And the true church is to originate in your home!

The Bible says every believer has been called to a godly Zadok priesthood:

"But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near to Me to minister unto Me, and they shall stand before Me to offer unto Me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord God; they shall enter into My sanctuary, and they shall come near to My table, to minister unto Me, and they shall keep My charge." ( Ezekiel 44:15-16; top )

You don't have to go to Bible school to be part of God's royal priesthood. You don't have to have an ordination paper hanging on your wall. Everyone who's been washed in the blood of Jesus has been raised up as a priest unto the Lord!

I grew up in a family that observed what used to be called "family altar." My father believed that the verse in Hebrews commanding Christians not to forsake corporate assembly was meant for families as well. Therefore, we were not to miss the family altar.

Every day, when the time came for family altar in our home, my siblings and I might have been out playing with our friends. But when our parents called out, "Prayer time!", everyone in the neighborhood knew the Wilkersons were going to the altar.

My father happily took on the role of priest and shepherd in our home. But what about you? Have you searched your heart about being a priest to your family? You claim you can't find a good church - one that stirs and provokes you, one that ministers to your children. But have you done the priestly work of mediating for your loved ones before the Lord?

We've already seen in Scripture that God's true church is wherever believers minister to the Lord. And that ought to be happening in your home. The apostle Paul tells us of Priscilla and Aquila, "...the church...is in their house." ( Romans 16:5; top )

Yet, many Christians come home to a blaring TV. They shop till they drop. And they give little, if any, time to minister to Christ. They never pray. They never shut themselves into their secret closet to seek the Lord or intercede for their spouses and children. Yet they complain that they can't find a church!

It doesn't matter if there is no husband or father in your home to act as priest. You may be a single mother, or a single man or woman. Yet no matter who you are, God says you're a royal priest - and you're called to minister to Him!

Perhaps you're able to say, "But I've already found the right church. I meet the Lord there every week. I hear godly preaching, and I enter into wonderful worship. I'm satisfied with my church."

I rejoice with you over that. But if you see church as being just your local fellowship, then you still haven't found the true church. The God-blessed, righteous church is where you live - at home, on the job, on your way to work. It's anywhere you seek Him, worship Him, minister to Him!

If you aren't ministering to the Lord in your home, then you've become an Abiathar priest. You're focused only on your own personal needs. And you won't find the right church until you go to your secret prayer chamber. You find it by giving Jesus quality time - by serving His desire for communion with you!

When your home becomes a church, all your deepest needs will be met - not by human means, but supernaturally by your Father in heaven. And your children's needs will be met as well - all because the Holy Spirit communes with you in the closet of prayer!

Then you can go to any church, no matter how dead it may seem. Why? You do it so that you can connect with other Zadok seekers there! He has hungry servants everywhere - and He will supernaturally bring you to those who share your hunger to minister to the Lord.

Recently I was privileged to minister to pastors in several eastern European countries. During the years of communist rule, their churches were forbidden to meet. So, often small groups of believers would walk some ten miles into the woods just to have fellowship together. There were no official pastors or elders in these groups. They knew that they all were priests unto the Lord.

I also heard stories of imprisoned believers whose only fellowship was with the Lord, sometimes for years at a stretch. One Christian man spent twenty-five years without contact with another believer. But his every waking hour was spent in church, because he ministered to Jesus' desire for communion with Him.

Beloved, the priesthood that Jeremiah prophesied is everywhere. It's made up of multitudes of God-hungry people who believe the Father's covenant promises to them. Those promises have settled them in abundant peace and truth. And they respond by being faithful to minister to the Lord themselves - beginning in their own homes!

Let us consider the few misconceptions that are strewn throughout this otherwise wonderful message which calls us to walk in the priesthood of every believer. Let us look at several quotes and examine them in a more fuller light than Wilkerson does.

If there is one complaint I hear consistently from Christians all over the world, it's this: "I can't find a good church anywhere! I need a place where my family can be ministered to - where we can hear a true word from heaven, and where my children can grow up knowing true righteousness. But I just can't find that kind of a church!"

One will never find "the right church" because "church" is a lie. Most people are quick to recognize the truth of the statement "No church is perfect." But what they refuse to recognize is that the imperfections of the "church" is a systematic attack on the ability of the people of Christ to become spiritually mature. Were the imperfections a mere scattering of human foibles and idiosyncrisies, excusing the imperfections of the "church" would be acceptable. But when the pattern of cleverly designed diversions away from the true faith becomes evident, it is quite apparent that the imperfections of the "church" are nothing less than the schemes of the spirit of antichrist. That they have become time-honored traditions of men only speaks of the gullibility of human nature. One will only find the right church - the real word is ekklesia in Greek, the called out people of Christ - when one learns to be a true follower and devoted disciple of Christ.

This complaint also contains another common misconception - a misconception which Wilkerson deals with rather well throughout his essay - that someone needs to go to a "church" to have their family ministered to, where the children can grow up knowing true righteousness. Ministry to the family and demonstrating true righteousness is primarily the husband and father's responsibility - not the "pastor's" or Sunday school teachers' responsibility.

But look at what else is said - "where we can hear a true word from heaven." This is one of Wilkerson's downfalls. He does not speak directly to this issue. Whatever remains of the "church" paradigm in Wilkerson's thinking does not allow him to see anything wrong with seeking out a man to hear a true word from heaven. Since every man is to be a royal priest ( 1 Pet. 2:5; top ), it is the responsibility of every believer to hear a true word from heaven every day, every hour, every moment of his or her life. The only need for teachers is to teach others how to teach - to edify and equip the saints with the ability to articulate their faith that is within them. ( Eph. 4:11-12; top ) There is no need for any human teacher to teach the believers to abide in Christ - not only is it impossible to truly teach this concept, it is the Holy Spirit who will teach this to the believer. ( 1 Jn. 2:27; top ) There is no need to teach a believer the ways of God for God has already written them in the heart of the believer and none shall teach his neighbor to know the Lord! ( Heb. 8:10-11; top ) It is indeed a symptom of the growing apostasy that nearly everyone seeks out a teacher to reveal and expound what God is saying. (see 2 Tim. 4:3-4; top )

The insertion of a man between the believer and God is not just an "innocent" error - it is the common response of a human soul attempting to assert his independence from God. Adam ran and hid from God ( Gen. 3:8-10; top ); the Israelites insisted that Moses go up and represent them even though God wanted all of Israel to come up and meet with Him ( Ex. 20:18-21 ; Dt. 5:23-27 ); and Peter demanded that the Lord Jesus depart from him because he was a wicked man. ( Lk. 5:8; top ) In each of these instances, the soul of man tried to get away from God - but God in His mercy and faithfulness kept making a way for man to draw near to God. But man, in his stubborn and persistent wickedness, refuses to draw near to God. It is our precious privilege that we can draw near to God through the sacred sacrifice of Christ Jesus - and it is the gravest of insults to God when we spurn the way He has made available to us by insisting that someone else stand before God in our place and obtain for us the message we want to hear. This is not just harmless error - it is the worst of abominations.

Over the past five years, this single complaint has poured in like a torrent from thousands of readers on our mailing list. Many write, "Everywhere I go, churches are full of hype, foolishness, flag-waving - all kinds of distractions from the gospel. All the preaching I hear is shallow, and the worship is dead. I always leave feeling so empty."

Of course the "church" is like this! It is contaminated with deceptions from the top down. There must be a gimmick to draw the crowds who fund all this nonsense. There must be shallow preaching because if there were real words from God, the people would have to leave either because they were offended or because they began to spiritually mature enough to see that the "church" is not the way of obedience to Christ. And the worship must be dead because the only way to truly worship God is to be in His presence. God's Spirit has left most "churches" long ago and there is no fresh revelation to draw forth true worship from a reverently obedient heart.

Others complain, "Our pastor is constantly trying out new things in our church - new methods of evangelism, new music, new 'revival' movements of all kinds. Now our church is splitting over his continual search for new gimmicks!"

Of course the "church" is being split by nearly everything. Whereas the body of Christ relies on the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace ( Eph. 4:3; top ), the "church" relies on the unity of following a local guru or the unity of adhering to denominational doctrines and creeds. These unities founded upon some man's teachings are the most easy to dissolve and it is our reliance upon these man-made unities that has produced the divided "church" which has literally thousands of sects and divisions. The unity of God is a spiritual unity - not one based on doctrines and dogmas or some man's personal charisma.

Tragically, however, few ministers today have the anointing of God's Spirit. They may be able to tell a good story or inject humor into their sermons. But they have no fresh word from heaven, because they don't spend time alone with the Lord. The result is a widespread famine of a true word from God in the land.

Here Wilkerson is extremely accurate in labeling the problem - but his solution falls far short of bringing a true remedy and even his analysis falls short of finding the real root of the problem. Why do so few ministers have the anointing of God? Because they are in a false position. They are in positions of leadership in a system which was devised by the spirit of antichrist. So long as they knowingly persist in these positions, there can never be a fresh word from heaven - nor would they welcome one because it would cause them to lose their position of prestige, financial security and/or power over so many people's lives.

There is no famine of true words from God for those who are constantly quiet and still before Him. It is interesting to note that the word of the Lord was rare in the days of Eli, Hophni and Phineas. Hophni and Phineas were the priests who took unlawful portions of the sacrifice for themselves so that the Israelites grew to hate bringing any sacrifice to the Lord. And Eli was their doting father who would never bring any correction to them. (see 1 Sam. 2:12-17 , 22-29; top ) But Samuel, from a very early age, received many words from the Lord. Because his heart was turned to the Lord, Samuel suffered no shortage of the word of the Lord and neither do those who are determined to know and follow after God.

If Christians today want to find the right church, this is the place to begin - with prayer! No one is ever going to find God's true church by jumping on a bus, train or plane and racing around the world in search of it. We simply can't get to His church by any modern conveyance. The only reliable map is our secret closet of prayer!

There is some truth in this - if by prayer we understand that it is a two-way communication with God. If our prayer life is all one-way, that is, "God give me..., God do for me..." and we take no time to listen to what God is saying to us, then prayer is not going to be of any use in helping us find - or be - the right church.

Contained within this paragraph, though, is the ultimate deceptiveness of the word "church." In English, the word "church" refers to "the house of God" or "the house of a god." Thus it becomes a place one can go to. But in Greek, the word was "ekklesia" and it refers to "the people who were called out of the world to attend to the affairs of Christ." What a difference this makes. Thus it becomes an extremely moronic thing to say that we are "going to church." How can one go to what one is? That is, my name being Neil, how can I go to Neil? It is just a sign of our deep ignorance that we so frequently use this nonsensical phrase of "going to church."

In the New Testament, Stephen rebukes the Sanhedrin, the ruling council of the Jews, by saying, "However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says: 'Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. What house will you build for Me? says the Lord, Or what is the place of My rest? Has My hand not made all these things?' You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you." ( Acts 7:48-51 ; Isa. 66:1-2; top ) When we, even in our subconscious thoughts, return to the false notion that "the house of God" is some building on some street, we have left truth behind and are moving into areas of deception. The people of Christ are His house, His temple, His dwelling place. There can be no substitution on this point without rendering harm to all who would truly follow after Christ.

This was a lesson Paul learned well. He preached to the Athenians: "God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things." ( Acts 17:24-25; top ) This was a key fact in the initial presentation of the original gospel - but it is something that is skewed or completely overlooked and ignored in modern churchianity.

Wilkerson says, "The only reliable map is our secret closet of prayer!" This simply is not true. The only reliable map is the Scriptures as rightly divided by the Spirit of truth. Yes, it is true that even the Scriptures are worse than worthless (they are lethally dangerous!) without a true prayerful relationship with God - but there is a New Testament pattern of assembly that is contained within the pages of Scripture. It is this pattern that is spurned and neglected so that the "church" paradigm can be practiced and perpetuated. But to advise someone to pursue only prayer as a means to guidance as to how to conduct the corporate life of Christ is simply setting someone up to be deceived. Only the Scriptures, rightly divided by the Spirit of Truth, will keep anyone on the path of Truth and Righteousness.

You may be wondering, "Are you saying God will purge the church of all false prosperity doctrines and phony hireling shepherds?" No, I'm not saying that at all. In fact, according to an Old Testament prophecy, there will always be lazy, compromising Eli ministry in the church. It's called the Abiathar ministry, named after the priest who forsook David - and it's a ministry totally of the flesh!

No, God will not purge the "church" of all false doctrines and hirelings. Rather, He is giving the "church" over to them and calling the real body of Christ, His true ekklesia, to come out of the world system of the "church" and be holy and pure before Him. There will come a day, however, when the "church" will be purged of all false doctrines and hirelings. It will be the day "The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" ( Mt. 13:41-43; top ) But until that day comes, the "church" will be the vehicle for the apostasy while the body of Christ withdraws from the "church" to practice holiness and purity before God, as Wilkerson says it, to minister to the Lord!

What is also missed in this paragraph is that there can be no "lazy, compromising Eli ministry" where there is no lazy, compromising people to support them. The man who stands behind the pulpit and tells people what they want to hear is the one who rakes in the best income. Only when the people stand up and forsake the Babylonian, worldly, "church" system of antichrist will they find what it means to be the bride and body of Christ where there is no need for "ministers" and "pastors" as they themselves are already doing the work of the ministry and caring one for another!

You may also wonder, "Where are all these godly shepherds the Lord promised us? Where are they pastoring? Are you saying we can find their righteous churches in any city, town or village?

Here is another instance of the subtle "church" paradigm influencing Wilkerson's remarks. How many churches are there? How many churches should there be in each city, town or village? The answer, which those who truly follow after Christ already know in their spirits, is one. There is only one universal ekklesia, only one called out people of Christ. And, according to the New Testament pattern of assembling, there is only one ekklesia in each city, town, village or locale. That there are so many "churches" in every city, town, village and locale is only another symptom of our deep spiritual and Scriptural ignorance.

The godly shepherds the people of Christ primarily need are elders or overseers - not "pastors" and teachers. There is a long list of qualifications for elders and overseers (see 1 Tim. 3:1-7 ; Tit. 1:6-9; top ) There are no such qualifications given for pastors and teachers. It is the lack of intimate contact with the genuine elders in our communities that perpetuates the crippling handicaps that are upon the body of Christ today.

Why is there this lack of intimate contact with the genuine elders of our communities? There are several reasons.

1) We do not recognize the five giftings which God gives to bring His people to maturity. ( Eph. 4:11-16; top ) This is especially true of the apostle and prophet - these giftings are rarely received and are most often viewed as heretical or unScriptural positions. And most often the "pastor" is so received that the true pastors (shepherds) go unrecognized for what they are in the Body.

2) We do not recognize the importance of the genuine apostle in recognizing and appointing elders for each community. If the apostle is not recognized by the people (even though he truly has been sent by God to that area), then the elders he appoints will not be recognized either.

3) Because the genuine apostles and elders will recognize the error and apostasy of the "church," they are vigorously slandered and opposed by "church" leaders. Anyone who would listen to and follow these apostles and elders will be ostracized from the popular "churches" and will face the same slanderous treatment.

4) Until a believer is truly being led by the Spirit of God, he or she is not likely to come into contact with a genuine elder. Genuine elders do not list their fellowship in the Yellow Pages but rely on the work of the Spirit of God to bring to them those who need their love, care and discipline.

5) Most people who claim to be a believer in Christ have no real desire to experience the death of their self-life. They are quite content to remain in a "church" where their laziness and complacency is received and encouraged - so long as they are not "too wicked" and they continue to support the ministry of the "pastor."

Let he who has ears to hear, hear.

"I don't see how God could ever find enough holy, separated ministers to 'make them a habitation' in every place. There aren't enough Bible schools and seminaries in the world to even begin to fulfill this incredible prophecy. I know the Lord is raising up a host of godly young ministers. But surely they're few and far between. So, where is this numerous priesthood?"

Here is the ultimate fallacy of the "church" paradigm - that Bible schools and seminaries are required to raise up men of God (which Wilkerson also clearly declares as false toward the end of his newsletter). This requiring intellectual education was precisely the arrogance of the Pharisees. They demanded of the apostles, "By what power or by what name have you done this?" When their reply contained such extensive quotes from the Old Testament combined with direct boldness to accuse the leaders of rejecting the very cornerstone of all that the Old Testament taught, they could only conclude "that they had been with Jesus." ( Acts 4:5-13; top ) The schooling of men will never replace simply sitting at Jesus' feet and hearing what the Spirit is saying to the people of Christ. And wherever schooling is received at the expense of Spirit-led instruction, there you will find error, apostasy, greed and every evil and divisive thing.

The priesthood of every believer requires that every believer intimately know his or her God and that they walk in obedience only to Him. This means that every believer will need to suffer - even the Son of God learned obedience through the things He suffered. ( Heb. 5:8; top ) This means that every believer will have to reject every man who stands between them and God and press on boldly into the Holy of Holies for themselves. This means that every believer will have to forsake every deceitful practice and tradition of man so that the living and active Word of God may have its full effect in his or her heart. There is no way that we can draw near to God by proxy and there is no way to worship Him in spirit and truth while we practice lies and deceptions.

Maybe you're looking for a church that will disciple your children on Sunday mornings. Or, perhaps you're looking for true fellowship. Maybe you're hungry for good praise and worship. Or you're trying to meet some other deep need in your life.

If any of these concerns apply to you, I have a very hard question for you: To meet these needs, would you put yourself and your family under care of an Abiathar priesthood - a ministry God has rejected? Would you subject yourself to the preaching of a shepherd "appointed" by God to minister to people's idolatry?

Here is a great set of questions. But these questions, all asking "Why would you submit to a human or demonic system to bring godliness to your life and family?", are seriously undermined when he goes on to say:

When your home becomes a church, all your deepest needs will be met - not by human means, but supernaturally by your Father in heaven. And your children's needs will be met as well - all because the Holy Spirit communes with you in the closet of prayer!

Then you can go to any church, no matter how dead it may seem. Why? You do it so that you can connect with other Zadok seekers there! He has hungry servants everywhere - and He will supernaturally bring you to those who share your hunger to minister to the Lord.

Why in God's name would you ever search for the living in the place of the dead? If you have found the life of the Spirit by becoming what Christ intends you to become in your family life, is He not capable of directing your steps so that you can come into contact with others who have done the same, all in the context of real life situations? Why must you submit to the authority, agenda and calendar of a Babylonian, worldly "church" system just to find other genuine followers of Christ? No! No! A thousand times no! God says, "Come out of her, My people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues." ( Rev. 18:4; top )

The "church" is a spiritual prostitute, a substitute that usurps the place and role of the bride of Christ. We cannot join ourselves to a prostitute and expect to be received by Christ. To attempt to do so is abomination of the worst sort.

But let us move on to consider an earlier writing of David Wilkerson that reveals still more of the intertwining effect of the "church" paradigm on his thinking.

Some time ago a minister called our office, very disturbed. He said he preaches holiness and the crucified life in his church, and he did seem to have a true shepherd's heart. Then he said that some of his church members had attended some kind of special seminar - and they had come home ready to leave his congregation.

They told him, "God has brought us into a new revelation that has changed our lives. We heard things we've never heard before. We thought we were saved before, but now we know we weren't. Everything we believed about the end times was wrong. We have seen new truth."

"Pastor, you and your church are in error. Your people aren't even saved! You think you preach holiness, but we've discovered what true holiness is. We've found something new!"

Today, that same group of people does not even attend church anymore, because they can't find anyone to take them "deeper." Instead, they feed off some teaching tapes.

Their pastor told me something I've been hearing from churches all over the nation. He said, "What is going on? There are so many new, strange doctrines, so many teachers with new 'revelation.' And they all seem to have a number of Scriptures to back them up. No one is discerning what is of God and what is of Satan, what is foolishness and what is righteousness. Our people are getting confused."

He was so right! New doctrines, new revelations and new gospels are springing up almost daily. And it's going to get much worse. The Bible clearly warns that in the last days strange doctrines will come forth - introducing another Jesus, another Spirit, another gospel!

The Apostle Paul called together the elders of the church at Ephesus, and his final words to these beloved saints were: "I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." ( Acts 20:29-30; top )

Let us slow down again and take these statements one at a time and look at the distortions the "church" paradigm introduces.

Some time ago a minister called our office, very disturbed. He said he preaches holiness and the crucified life in his church, and he did seem to have a true shepherd's heart. Then he said that some of his church members had attended some kind of special seminar - and they had come home ready to leave his congregation.

So far, so good. The "pastor" of a local "church" preaches holiness and the crucified life. But if he stands between the people and God, he is out of place. One of the most neglected truths is that the minister is still and only a sheep who stands on the same level as all the other sheep. Often a "pastor" is exalted, perhaps even without his consent or awareness, into a position that is higher than that of the ordinary sheep. Whenever someone has to reach up to be equal to a "pastor," it is evidence of a clergy/laity system - whether the participants will admit to it or not.

And many "pastors," especially of smaller "churches," indeed have a genuine shepherd's heart for the people who attend. It is only regrettable that these shepherds are so ingrained with the "church" traditions that they cannot see the harm those traditions do to the sheep. Indeed, it is the "church" deceptions that are the greatest source of frustration to those who indeed possess a genuine shepherd's heart. The true shepherd loves and cares for the sheep and, like a good parent, longs for them to walk in spiritual health and maturity. But because the shepherd is locked into the position of "pastor" of a "church," the sheep never seem to get healthy and they never seem to mature. What a source of frustration this is!

But once the shepherd is freed of the "church" paradigm, he is then released to truly care for the sheep in the way he was meant to do. He is also free to encourage the sheep to be exposed to the other four ministries that God gives so that they can grow to true maturity in Christ. What a load of grief is removed from the man's heart when he is freed from the deceptions of antichrist and enabled to embrace the liberties and power of Christ!

They told him, "God has brought us into a new revelation that has changed our lives. We heard things we've never heard before. We thought we were saved before, but now we know we weren't. Everything we believed about the end times was wrong. We have seen new truth."

Here there is the question of accurate reporting. Is this exactly what these people told this "pastor"? Or is this what the "pastor" heard? As it is written, if this is exactly what the people said, perhaps they were being drawn away from truth and into even worse error. But with some simple insertions of a very few words, it is easy to see how the "church" paradigm caused the "pastor" to mis-hear what was being said.

Suppose these people were exposed to a genuine apostle who presented them with a larger picture of God's kingdom than what the "pastor" had been teaching in his "church." Suppose they simply enjoyed home fellowship at a genuine elder's home. These will then come back to their old "pastor" and say:

"God has brought us into a new and fuller revelation of His kingdom that has changed the whole of our lives. When we went to hear this apostle or fellowshiped at this elder's house, we heard things we'd never heard from you. We thought we were truly saved before, but now we know we didn't understand the fullness of what that means. Our spirits were saved but our souls were not - and your 'ministry' was not helping us work out the salvation of our souls. Everything we believed about the end times was wrong - there won't be this grand 'rapture' that you teach about; we will be required to suffer and endure the wrath of the man of lawlessness. We have seen new truth - though it's really an old truth that's being restored to the body of Christ."

This is a very plausible rendering of what might have been said if these people who were fleeing the "church" had been exposed to a genuine apostle or elder - and it's a very plausible interpretation of what a "pastor," imprisoned in the "church" paradigm, would report to another "pastor" also still in the "church" system.

"Pastor, you and your church are in error. Your people aren't even saved! You think you preach holiness, but we've discovered what true holiness is. We've found something new!"

The question of accurate reporting continues as one "pastor" confides in another. But let us suppose again that these people were exposed to a genuine apostle or elder and what they really said to this "pastor" was:

"Pastor, you and your 'church' are in error - from the existence and architecture of your 'church' building to your 'pastoral' priestly authority structure. Many of your people, though they faithfully attend the "church services," aren't even really saved! You think you preach holiness, but holiness is being 'separate unto God,' uncontaminated by any worldly system. Your 'church" is simply another world system - how can that possibly be separate from the world and separate unto God? We've found true life in the body of Christ - it's all so new and exciting compared to the death we experienced in your 'church.'"

Can we not see how if such a thing were said to a "pastor" who is snared in the "church" paradigm, it would be reported just as Wilkerson records? This is all the more likely if the people were not able to articulate their new revelations as well as I have written them down here - something which is also very likely to be the case. Very few people articulate well the revelations they have just received from the Lord.

Today, that same group of people does not even attend church anymore, because they can't find anyone to take them "deeper." Instead, they feed off some teaching tapes.

Is this such a bad thing? When the people of Christ are exposed to true revelation, they will abandon the "church." And while they don't rely on any man to take them deeper into God - they are too busy doing that for themselves (as Wilkerson himself calls upon all believers to do in the newsletter above) - they do not find anything resembling depth in the "pastor's" sermons. And the real reason for the teaching tapes? Only because someone is actually articulating the same revelations that God has already given the people listening to the tapes.

But there is even a deeper assumption hidden in this statement. The hidden assumption is that the "church" method actually and adequately feeds the people who attend the "services." The "pastor" is to provide 52, 104 or 156 (depending on how "faithful" the attendee is) fresh "revelations" a year for his congregation. There is no time to assimilate and appropriate these revelations into real life as by next Sunday or even by this Wednesday night, the congregation will be expecting to hear a fresh "revelation." It may be more true that the people listening to the tapes are actually taking the time to make real whatever revelations are on those tapes. They may only need a handful of revelations each year because that's all they can swallow, digest and put into practice. But with this handful of revelations that are actually being incorporated into their lives, these people are light years ahead of those who have great amounts of knowledge but no obedience to God nor any real relationship with Him because these misguided "church" folks are only wanting to hear the next fresh revelation.

Their pastor told me something I've been hearing from churches all over the nation. He said, "What is going on? There are so many new, strange doctrines, so many teachers with new 'revelation.' And they all seem to have a number of Scriptures to back them up. No one is discerning what is of God and what is of Satan, what is foolishness and what is righteousness. Our people are getting confused."

Why are the people so unable to discern and so confused? Because they have been exposed to so many "church" lies! They have been exposed so much to the spirit of antichrist that they are unable to discern what is truly of the Spirit of Christ. For a "pastor" to complain that his people are ill-equipped to discern truth and error ought to be a red flag about his own "ministry." Paul wrote that the fivefold ministry would have the effect that we would "no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness by which they lie in wait to deceive" ( Eph. 4:13; top ) It is precisely because these "pastoral" despots have maintained a stranglehold on the information that comes to their congregations that the people have no ability to recognize which spirit is at work in their midst.

He was so right! New doctrines, new revelations and new gospels are springing up almost daily. And it's going to get much worse. The Bible clearly warns that in the last days strange doctrines will come forth - introducing another Jesus, another Spirit, another gospel!

The Apostle Paul called together the elders of the church at Ephesus, and his final words to these beloved saints were: "I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." ( Acts 20:29-30; top )

It is very true that there are many false doctrines and teachings being preached regularly - and many of them come from mainstream "church" pulpits! So it is indeed imperative that we discern what is true and what is false. But it is also true that as God refreshes the body's revelation of what He expects from it, that many revelations will be called "new" when they are truly thousands of years old and are part and parcel of the body of Christ's heritage, the faith given once for all.

And it is an extreme example of promoting a double standard when anyone from the "church" quotes this passage from Acts. Who draws more men after themselves than a "church" "pastor"? In fact this is a prophecy from Paul about the coming clergy:

But let us turn away from David Wilkerson for a moment and consider what another leader in the body of Christ had to say about the condition of the body of Christ.

First, let me ask what you have left behind when you leave the denominations? If you do not know what you have left behind, you will become another denomination. According to my personal understanding, when we leave the denominations, we leave two things behind: 1) We leave the divisive sects, such as the different denominations under the different names, and 2) the main thing we leave behind is the pastoral system. What is the pastoral system? It brings the intermediary priestly class of Judaism to Christianity. Both Catholicism and Protestantism have done this.

In the so-called Christian countries, Catholics have brought in the Judaistic teachings. In Judaism, there was the priestly class. The priests acted as an intermediary class. If a Jew wanted to see God, he had to pass through the hand of the priests; there was no way for him to go directly to God. The book of Judges records a certain man of Mount Ephraim by the name of Micah who made an ephod and invited a Levite to be the priest in his house. ( Jdgs. 17:1-13; top ) This is a clear example. What is Judaism? It is being kept away from worshiping God in a direct way. Between God and man, there was the need of priests to serve as an intermediary class. The Israelites had to go through the priests before they could see God. The same is true with Catholicism. God is on one side, and man is on the other side. There is no direct fellowship between them, and the priests serve as a medium in the middle. In the catholic church, every time there is any preaching, the priests are responsible for it, and every time there is prayer offered, the priests are the ones to do the work. In this way, men are brought back to the situation of the Old Testament.

Protestantism is divided into state churches and private churches. The Anglican Church in England serves as an example of the state churches. In the Anglican Church, there are the clergy and the laity. The bishops, archbishops, and deacons are all called priests, just as they are in Catholicism. This has likewise brought in Judaism. God is on the top, and the people, who are called the laity, are on the bottom. In the middle are the clergy, who call themselves priests. The laity can come to God only through this class of people, who monopolize all the spiritual matters.

Among private churches in Protestantism (such as the Episcopal and Methodist), there is also the intermediary class. God is on top, and the members are on the bottom. In between the two there are pastors. The pastors are the intermediary class, who replace the believers and monopolize all the spiritual matters that belong to the members. For example, administering the Holy Communion, baptism, and preaching are all done by pastors. They do everything for the members and become intermediaries between God and man. From Judaism until today, including all the denominations in Protestantism, God has always been on top and man has been down on the bottom, with an intermediary class in between. Although the names may have changed, nothing has changed in substance.

Is this what we see in the New Testament? Peter said that we are a royal priesthood. ( 1 Pet. 2:9 ) In Revelation, John also said that every Christian is a priest. ( Rev. 1:6; top ) Therefore, there is no need for any man to be a medium between us and God. In other words, we are all "pastors" and "priests." Hebrews 10 says that by the blood of Jesus, we have a new and living way to come boldly to the Holy of Holies. ( Heb. 10:19-20; top ) There is no need of an intermediary like the ones in Judaism, Catholicism, or Protestantism to help us draw near to God. Today we are not like the high priests in the Old Testament, who could go into the Holy of Holies only once a year. Daily, through the blood of the Lord, we can come to God. Every one of us is a priest, and every one can communicate with God boldly all the time. What then is Christianity? What is the new covenant? It is to annul the intermediary class. Every believer can now be directly responsible to God. Never consider the workers among us to be a kind of intermediary class like the ones in the private churches. There is no such thing. Every one of us can go to God. The workers do not occupy any position in the church; God is directly related to the church. Therefore, leaving the denominations is leaving two things behind: 1) the divisions, and 2) the pastoral system. (The Assembly Life, pp.32- 34)

Isn't it interesting that the revelations Nee received over 60 years ago still speak volumes to those who are intent upon pursuing a corporate expression of Christ? But let us examine a little more closely some of the things Nee says.

If you do not know what you have left behind, you will become another denomination.

The "non-denominational" denominations are one of the clearest examples of this. Chuck Smith, as but one example, as head of the Calvary Chapel denomination, is reported to be opposed to denominations. But that doesn't stop the Calvary Chapel "non-denomination" from having its own denominational "distinctives." Chuck Smith broke away from the Foursquare denomination, made some superficial changes and started his own denomination. How sad.

According to my personal understanding, when we leave the denominations, we leave two things behind:

1) We leave the divisive sects, such as the different denominations under the different names, and

2) the main thing we leave behind is the pastoral system.

If we leave the denominations only to come under another system of doctrinal divisiveness or to come under the sway of yet another man, we have not left the denominational baggage behind. We have merely brought it with us and given it yet another new name.

What is the pastoral system? It brings the intermediary priestly class of Judaism to Christianity.

This hardly seems to need any clarification. If any man is between us and God, we have a priest. And there is no room for another priest when God has already established that everyone should be a priest. Any system which installs or perpetuates a priesthood over the people is a system that is opposed to God.

Among private churches in Protestantism (such as the Episcopal and Methodist), there is also the intermediary class. God is on top, and the members are on the bottom. In between the two there are pastors. The pastors are the intermediary class, who replace the believers and monopolize all the spiritual matters that belong to the members. For example, administering the Holy Communion, baptism, and preaching are all done by pastors. They do everything for the members and become intermediaries between God and man. From Judaism until today, including all the denominations in Protestantism, God has always been on top and man has been down on the bottom, with an intermediary class in between. Although the names may have changed, nothing has changed in substance.

This top-down, trickle-down theory of "church" leadership is the key element of nearly all denominations - even the "non-denominational" denominations. Some look back to Moses' theocratic government over Israel as the pattern for their "church" despotism. But the truth is that all this is nothing but a deception. The pattern of lording it over the people, of standing between the people and God, is taken from pagan practices of empire and religion. Anyone placing himself on a plane even slightly higher than the people and standing in the place of being God's spokesman to the people is only deceiving himself and the people who follow him.

There is no need of an intermediary like the ones in Judaism, Catholicism, or Protestantism to help us draw near to God. Today we are not like the high priests in the Old Testament, who could go into the Holy of Holies only once a year. Daily, through the blood of the Lord, we can come to God. Every one of us is a priest, and every one can communicate with God boldly all the time. What then is Christianity? What is the new covenant? It is to annul the intermediary class. Every believer can now be directly responsible to God. Never consider the workers among us to be a kind of intermediary class like the ones in the private churches. There is no such thing. Every one of us can go to God. The workers do not occupy any position in the church; God is directly related to the church.

Not only can we go directly to God, it is our responsibility to go directly to God. We can use the picture of the Israelites, who sent Moses up the mountain to meet with God in their place ( Ex. 20:18-21 ; Dt. 5:23-27; top ), as a picture of modern churchianity's installing of "pastors" and professional staffing as intermediaries between the people and God. Though there is not some mystical "mountain of God" that we are to climb, attaining special insights and plateaus as we climb, it is nonetheless a valid analogy of our need to approach the holiness of God for ourselves. Without holiness, no one will see the Lord. ( Heb. 12:14; top ) Without a life of holiness and separation to God - and not to some "church" organization or denomination - all we are practicing is deception and apostasy.

Therefore, leaving the denominations is leaving two things behind:

1) the divisions, and

2) the pastoral system.

Let he who has ears to hear, hear. If you have left a divisive denominational system behind but kept the pastoral system of one or a few men lording it over others, you have only succeeded in bringing the divisive denominational system along with you. If you have abandoned the pastoral system but still rely on lists of creeds and doctrines to determine who may and may not remain in your fellowship, you have again only succeeded in bringing the divisive denominational system along with you. To truly leave the denominations behind requires a complete change in our understanding of what assembly in Christ is all about. We need a revelation from God about what the Body of Christ really is or we will only drag along some human rendition of religion into our attempt to worship God in spirit and truth.

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Part V: Why Have We Left?

From The Assembly Life

Watchman Nee, Shanghai, China February 19-26, 1934

There are three reasons that a man leaves a denomination:

1) He is disappointed in the denominations. For example, he may expect to become a pastor. However, when his wish is not fulfilled, he disagrees and leaves.

2) He does not have freedom in the denominations. He feels that he is limited and controlled by men, and he thinks that by leaving the denominations, he can be a free evangelist. He will not have to take a salary and be controlled by men, and he can act according to his own wish. Actually, before God there is no such thing as a free evangelist. Today, we only have the Body life. We are restricted by the church and do not have any freedom of our own.

3) He sees the divisiveness in the denominations and that divisions are of the flesh. At the same time, he may see the Body of Christ and realize that everything he does has to be limited by the brothers and that he should learn to be a member in the Body. (Yet many people do not see the Body. They have merely left a big denomination and become a small denomination in themselves. They have not seen that they should be restricted among the brothers and sisters.)

Of the three kinds of people mentioned above, only the third kind is right in God's eyes. God's goal is to have the Body life and to take away all independent movement. God has His authority in the church, and He desires to manifest His authority in the church. Therefore, every member should learn to submit to God's authority and be restricted by the other members. Therefore, on the negative side, every brother should see how wrong denominationalism is, but on the positive side, he should see that there are no independent activities in the Body life. (The Assembly Life, pgs. 18-19)

It cannot be said strongly enough that to leave the denominations behind is not enough. We must turn from the abominational system and embrace the fullness of what the Body of Christ really is: the outward expression of the direct wishes and purposes of the Head, Christ Jesus. Anything less is mere deception and apostasy.

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Some Conclusions

From "Another Jesus, Another Spirit, Another Gospel"

David Wilkerson October 7, 1991

As we close this, let us consider why David Wilkerson is coming as close to the truth as he is. He writes:

1) A hatred for sin that allows no excuses or alibis.

2) A conviction for all spiritual laziness and compromise.

3) An inner knowledge that God does not wink at our sins.

4) A conviction that we will reap what we sow.

5) A righteous, holy fear of God.

6) A confidence that He will deliver us from every sin we hate and resist.

Whenever anyone focuses on these timeless deep truths of the gospel, there will be a more complete presentation of the truth of Jesus Christ. And this is precisely what we see in Wilkerson. But, once the truth about "church" is presented to him, will he reject it because "church" is the way he's always done things? Will he resist the Spirit of Truth and cling to manmade traditions? He would not be the first "pastor" to do so.

The need to forsake "all spiritual laziness and compromise" is one of the deep needs of this time. Paul wrote, "The coming [of the lawless one, the antichrist] is through the activity and working of Satan and will be attended by great power and with all sorts of miracles and signs and delusive marvels - [all of them] lying wonders - and by unlimited seduction to evil and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing (going to perdition) because they did not welcome the Truth but refused to love it that they might be saved. Therefore God sends upon them a misleading influence, a working of error and a strong delusion to make them believe what is false. In order that all may be judged and condemned who did not believe in [who refused to adhere to, trust in, and rely on] the Truth, but [instead] took pleasure in unrighteousness." ( 2 Ths. 2:9-12 Amp. - emphasis added; top)

Those who take pleasure in unrighteousness - no matter what unrighteousness that might be cultural/social status, religious deceptions, and/or selfish or sinful living, all characterized by refusing to believe and practice the Truth of Christ Jesus - all these will come under the influence of a misleading, deceptive spirit that will be sent by God and that influence will cause them to believe what is untrue and false. They will embrace the "church" lies and perpetuate the system of antichrist. They will become worse in their deception and they will even reach the point where they will think killing the true followers of God is a service to God. ( Jn. 16:2; top ) Don't be fooled by those who seek a name and a following for themselves. If a man says that a "church" is his, he's right. It is not the Body of Christ. It is a divisive sect that is to be avoided and shunned. ( Rom. 16:17; top )

The Body life is a corporate existence wherein obedience to the Head and submission to His authority is not optional. His authority is vested in the men His Holy Spirit anoints and raises up as apostles and elders - it is not vested in titles conferred by men. The only role that men have in this process is to confirm what God has done - and the only ones able to confirm this are those men who are truly walking in the Spirit of God themselves. Those men who are steeped in the traditions of men are most often disqualified from making sound spiritual judgments. Consider the Pharisees who had years of training in the traditions of their fathers and in the Scriptures - yet these are the very ones who instigated the crucifixion of the Lord of glory.

The time of the apostasy is upon us - and it is indeed a great apostasy. It is to be found in every street corner where a "church" building is found. It is found any where a "pastor" lords it over his flock. It is found wherever gross impurities are received into the assembly. It is found wherever a monument to some man has been built up at the expense of the widows, orphans and leasts of the kingdom of God. It is found wherever the commands of the Head are ignored and disobeyed.

There will be a great harvest soon - and the tares will be removed from the wheat. Those who look like godly men will be exposed for the frauds that they really are - and they will be taken away to a fire and burned. Only those men who are truly godly - no matter what their gifting and calling may be - will remain. And they will shine like suns of righteousness in the midst of a dark and perverse generation. Let he who has ears to hear, hear.

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