Church of God, New World Ministries

Are You Worshipping Jesus Christ In Vain?

As an older person, I suppose I’m more prone to read the “Obituaries” in my daily newspaper. I do notice that many of my former friends, associates and students are listed in that category of Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”

In most instances, there is also listed the name of their church affiliation and because we live in a certain locale of the United States, known as the Bible Belt, this is deemed very important to have a reference to their particular religious convictions.

In this area of Tennessee, about 60% of those listed were reported to have been members or attendees of some specific named church (usually Protestant, but a few Catholic believers). Of those who “professed” belief or confidence in their church’s tenets or doctrines, most would be statements like, “went to be with the Lord”, “called home”, “a devout Christian”, “passed away” (over 60%), “joined their family in Heaven”. (A few “died” - no mention of where they went.)

Why this disparity, differences, perhaps confusion, in "so called Christian" beliefs and doctrines? If we, of the "Christian" faith and "DOCTRINES" are WORSHIPPING THE REAL JESUS CHRIST, why aren’t we UNIFIED IN OUR BELIEFS?

CHRIST SAID SOME WORSHIP HIM, BUT IT’S ALL IN VAIN!
ASK YOURSELF, COULD YOU BE AMONG THAT CATEGORY?

Mark 7:5 “Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders? 6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 Howbeit IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING FOR DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN. 8 For laying aside THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD, YE HOLD THE TRADITION OF MEN, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 9 And He said unto them, FULL WELL YE REJECT THE COMMANDMENT OF GOD, that ye may keep YOUR OWN TRADITION.”

ARE YOU TRYING TO WORSHIP CHRIST, USING YOUR OWN TRADITIONS?
DON’T BE TOO SURE!

You might want to check up on the origins of YOUR CHURCH’S DOCTRINES. In fact, we advise and recommend that you investigate the doctrines of the CHURCH OF GOD, NEW WORLD MINISTRIES. Our address is: P.O. Box 5536 Sevierville, TN 37864; our phone number is (865) 774- 8485, or you can contact us at our web site of the same name (www.cognwm.org). There is no follow-up to your call or inquiring about our beliefs. And all our materials are free!

Mr. George Trent has written a series of the “MINI - CORRESPONDENCE COURSE” of the Bible, plus Lessons, explaining, “TRADITIONAL CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES”. We have nothing to sell and nothing to hide. I believe you will find these Bible “HELPS” plain and simple and that you will be most grateful after you receive them.

Now, we’ll get into some of the NOMINAL “CHRISTIAN” BELIEFS AND DOCTRINES:

From the “obituary” reports found in my newspaper, we see that one of the prevailing beliefs is that when you die, if you’ve been “good” you go immediately to your reward in Heaven.

So, is Heaven the reward of the “saved”? I hate to shock and anger those who sincerely, but ignorantly, believe this FALACY. But, it originates from an evil influence on human minds from the “father of lies”, Satan the devil! John 8:29 “And He that sent me is with me: The Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please Him. 30 And as He spake these words, many believed on Him. 31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, IF YOU CONTINUE IN MY WORD (not just believe), then are you my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 37 I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. 41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. 42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning; and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

Revelation 12:7 “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found in heaven anymore. 9 And that great dragon was cast out, called the Devil, and Satan, WHICH DECEIVETH THE WHOLE WORLD: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels (now demons) were cast out with him.”

Now let’s go back to the Old Testament to get a more complete account of this terrible event that occurred, probably billions of years ago. (The “king of Babylon” is used as a type of Satan: Ver.4 of Isaiah 14:12 “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN; (This is the origin of “going to heaven”.) I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds (as Christ did, when returning to His Father in heaven: Acts 1: 9-11); I will be like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” (Rev. 20:1-3) Ezekiel 28:12 through 16 is a corroborating Scripture about this clever deceptive being.

SATAN HAS DONE A THOROUGH JOB IN HIS DECEPTION!

So then, it’s very obvious that I could never explain nor expose EVERY wrong or false doctrine that people believe are in the Bible. Even if I develop a second or third sermon series on these questions, I would be woefully lacking in time and space to cover them.

Now, let’s return to our subject on, “Are You Worshipping Jesus Christ - IN VAIN?” WHO has “gone to heaven” thus far? John 3:13 &ldqo;And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.”

Even king David, declared to be “a man after Mine own heart,” (Acts 13:22) is not there! Acts 2:29 “Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.” Verse 34 “For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.”

HOW and WHEN DOES THIS OCCUR?

Jeremiah 30:7 “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. 8 For it shall come to pass in that day (referring to the Day of the Lord – concluding with the return of Jesus Christ), saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him: 9 But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up (resurrect) unto them.”

The “faithful” of Hebrews 11 have not obtained salvation yet: Verse 13 “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth 39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.”

This is the same time setting of the return of Jesus Christ who will rescue His people Israel from their enslavement in concentration camps. (Not just the Jews, but the modern House of Israel, being the Americans, British and other English speaking people of the earth)

So King David will be resurrected back to life, just as all other people who have died who have been judged to have part in that first and better resurrection. This is explained in other Scriptures: I Corinthians 15:13 “But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 16 For if the dead rise not, then is Christ not raised 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also WHICH ARE FALLEN ASLEEP IN CHRIST are perished. 20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and became the firstfruits of them THAT SLEPT. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s AT HIS COMING.” (NOT WHEN YOU DIE! Also notice that True Christians are ASLEEP IN CHRIST, not wafting around alive up in heaven, nor walking on streets of gold, maybe playing a harp or some other false doctrinal idea!

The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 9:5 “For the living know that they shall die: but THE DEAD KNOW NOT ANYTHING, (They are unconscious, asleep, unknowing), neither have they anymore a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten (their memory and thoughts are no more).” Ver.10 “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with your might; for there IS NO WORK, NOR DEVICE, NOR KNOWLEDGE NOR WISDOM IN THE GRAVE, WHITHER THOU GOEST

Continuing on in the deception of “Going to heaven,” versus the Truth of the resurrections: I Thessalonians 4:13 “But I would not have you to be ignorant, concerning them which are ASLEEP, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which SLEEP in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are ASLEEP. 16 For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the TRUMP of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

Aftr meeting the Lord in the air, where do we go from here? Zechariah 14:1 “Behold the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. 4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof ---.5 --- : and the LORD my God shall come, and ALL THE SAINTS WITH THEE. 9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name only.” ( Many of these Truths will be explained FULLY in God’s Holy Day Seasons)

Finally, I want to show you the REAL REWARD to be given to the TRUE WORSHIPERS of GOD: THOSE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN WORSHIPPING HIS SON IN VAIN! Revelation 5:9 “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals therof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and WE SHALL REIGN ON THE EARTH.” (NOT GO TO HEAVEN!) Chapter 20:4 “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, ---; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”

If you would like to know more about how many are worshipping God in vain enroll today in our Bible Study series, “Traditional Christian Doctrines.” Some of the topics covered are:

  1. The Fall of Man
  2. Immortal Soul
  3. Heaven?
  4. Hell?
  5. The Trinity?
  6. The Gospel
  7. The Kingdom of God
  8. Born Again
  9. Sunday Worship
  10. Christmas Observance
  11. Easter Observance
  12. The Rapture
  13. Predestination
  14. The ’Tongues’ Question
  15. Law and Grace

Enroll today in these FREE Bible studies so you may begin to worship God “In Spirit and in Truth”, as it tells us in John 3:24.

 
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