Booklet # 5: The New Testament Church

Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet

After Jesus was crucified and resurrected, the New Covenant came into effect and the New Testament Church was established by God.

The New Covenant was so different from the Old.  Now all who belonged to God were given the Holy Spirit to dwell in them so they were joined to God and joined to Jesus by the Spirit.  We now go directly to God.  We no longer go to God through a prophet as they did in Old Testament.

Heb. 1 ... God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Heb. 8 ... God says ... For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:   11And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 12For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. 13In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. 

Heb. 10 ... By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 14For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. 15Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, 16This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.  18Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

The Old Covenant has been replaced by the New Covenant with better promises.  This is where we live today ... in the New Covenant Church.



Part 1:  God's gifts to the New Testament Church

Today all who belong to God are given the Holy Spirit WHO dwells in the believer and joins us to God and to Jesus Christ.  We are joined by HIS Spirit.  And we are joined to each other by HIS Spirit Who dwells in us.  Therefore we are one with God, with Jesus, with each other by the Holy Spirit Who dwells in us.

Jesus explained to His disciples that it was "expedient" for them that HE go away.  For if HE went away God would send the Holy Spirit (the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth) to live in them.

Jn. 14:26 ... But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 

Jn. 16:13 ... Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Here we see 4 things the Holy Spirit would do for the believer.

- HE would teach us all things
- HE would remind us of all that Jesus has said
- HE would guide us into all truth
- HE would show us things to come

Each believer is sealed with the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit dwells in each believer.  And the giving of the Holy Spirit is an "earnest" for our redemption.


Eph. 1 ... Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:  4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; 8Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 9Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 10That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:  11In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 12That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.  13In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. 

We, who have been given the Spirit of God, are the church.



Part 2:  Jesus gives ministers to help the NT Church

Eph. 4 ... When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.  9(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)  11And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:   14That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:  16From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. 

Paul was not the last apostle.  Paul was the first of the New Testament apostles.  Paul was not like the other apostles who walked with Jesus when Jesus lived on the earth in the flesh.  Paul never saw Jesus as they did.  Paul was set in the body of Christ as an apostle after the crucifixion and after the resurrection.  Paul is an example of the apostle who was given to help the New Testament Church after Jesus arose.

To teach me what apostles do as a specific office God took me to Acts 15 ... The apostles came together to decide what they should require of the Gentiles in the church now that God had allowed Gentiles into the church. 

Acts 15 ... 1And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. 2When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. 3And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. 4And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them. 5But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.  
 
6And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. 

7And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. 8And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; 9And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 10Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. 12Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. 

13And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: 14Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, 16After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: 17That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. 18Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. 19Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: 20But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.

I could see from this example that one thing God used apostles for in NT church was to "rule" on areas where questions arose in the church.

I deal with doctrine and misuse of scripture.  

Many times God has had me speak and compare scripture with scripture to give "ruling" on issues in the church.

To see such:  please read ... Divorce/remarriage ... What the Bible says

Also read: Example of work of a NT apostle


Paul warned the church as follows:  Acts 20 ... 28Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 29For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 31Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

At the end time, before Jesus returns, Paul said there would be a falling away ... II Thess. 2 ... This falling away is not necessarily people leaving church but rather the falling away is churches leaving doctrine and setting up new doctrine, twisting scripture along the way to justify their new doctrine.

One of the most damaging twisting of doctrine in the churches today is the following word from Jesus ...

Mt. 5:32 ... Jesus said ... But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. 

What Jesus is saying here is:
  
  - If a man divorces a faithful wife and that faithful wife remarries, her husband who divorced her will be the cause of her adultery which she would commit when she remarried after the divorce.
  - The divorced woman would commit adultery upon remarriage
  - The man who marries this divorced woman will commit adultery

Many churches twist these scripture into a doctrine which says it is OK for divorced woman to remarry if her husband was committing fornication.

Paul sets this straight in I Cor. 7 when he says ... 10And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: 11But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife. 

Please read:  Divorce/remarriage:  What the Bible teaches


This is the type of work God uses apostles for in NT church.  To work through doctrine, rightly dividing the word of God in the doctrine and setting forth doctrine that is true to the faith and the scriptures, comparing scripture with scripture, by the Holy Spirit

There are many things that have become doctrine by the flesh of man which were not authored by the Spirit of God for the church. (Just as Paul said would happen in Acts 20:28-31)   

NT apostles have an authority given by God to search through doctrines, comparing spiritual things with spiritual by the Holy Spirit and therefore setting truth in the church, removing false doctrines which are taught by fleshly men.

One example:  There is a church group in USA which forbids the use of instrumental music in the gathering of the church.  They base this doctrine on the following scripture:  Eph. 5:19 ... Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; They say only unaccompanied singing can take place in the church service ... no instrumental music.  They use above scripture to set this doctrine. But if this were the case, they would not utter any sound from their mouth because it says speaking to yourselves and make melody "in your heart".  Their doctrine is false and was set up by men who saw things by their own minds and not by the Spirit of God.  It is not against scripture for churches to have instrumental music in the service if they so desire.

Another example:  Churches all over the USA pass around crackers and grape juice teaching their followers that this is the Lord's supper.  There is no power in crackers and grape juice.  So what is the Lord's supper?  The Lord's supper is the word of God from the Spirit of God.  As we partake of the scriptures properly, applying instruction to our own lives by the Spirit, we see great power.  But if we take a scripture and "eat" it incorrectly by our own eyes and not by the Spirit, we do harm to ourselves and to others.   Please read:  "What is the Lord's Supper?"

Another example: Today many ministers call themselves "Reverend".  But there is no example in the Bible of a man calling himself "Reverend".  The basis for the acts of the church today must be grounded in the scriptures.  In the Bible, for the NT church, we see Jesus giving "apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to the NT church.  (Eph. 4)  These are the ministers who are given to the NT church by Jesus the head of the NT church.  It is proper to identify yourself as apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher ... but not as "Reverend".    Please read:  Reverend?  No place in Bible man called this

Apostles will deal with matters such as this in the NT church.  

======= 

 After Jesus arose, HE gave to the church ... apostles, prophets evangelists pastors and teachers. (Eph. 4)

Apostles exist today and so do prophets, though many church groups try to eliminate these offices.

Prophets in the NT church carry the word of God by the will of God.  Often prophets are used by God to bring correction to individuals in the church.  Sometimes prophets are used by God to warn the church.

In the Bible, Agabus is an example of the NT prophet in the church.

Acts 11 ... And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. 28And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. 29Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea: 30Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. 

Acts 21 ... And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. 11And when he was come unto us,  he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. 12And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. 14And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.     

To show me the work of a NT prophet, God took me to  

Hosea 12:13 ... And by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved.   

Prophets are used to help churches and people in churches see various traps.  And to help them to get free from traps.  Sometimes God will give a prophet a single word concerning a problem and when that word is done, the problem begins to unravel and the church is set free.

While today all who belong to God have the Spirit of God in them to lead them and guide them, prophets are still used by God today to help the church just as Agabus was used as an example of a prophet working in the church after the crucifixion and resurrection.  And even as great a man of God as the apostle Paul, still Agabus was used by God to show Paul what would happen to him. (Acts 20)


Part 3:  What we are to do when we come together as the church 

I Cor. 14 ... How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. 27If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.  28But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God. 29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. 30If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. 31For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. 32And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. 33For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.  34Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. 35And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. 36What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? 37If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. 38But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant. 39Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues. 40Let all things be done decently and in order.


The first point for the gathering of the church, is:  when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation

The Holy Spirit was to be free to speak in the church as God wills.  Instead, in most churches today, speaking is restricted to a few approved men.  This was not the plan of God.  Any person in the meeting having a word from the Spirit of God was to be free to give that word.  Certainly that word would be judged, especially by the prophets in the church group.  Nevertheless that word could come forth.  In an attempt to control that which was spoken, church groups set themselves up by their own thinking so only a few on the platform were free to speak.  

I have often visited church groups where the pastor spoke things that were incorrect and no one corrected him.  After the service, in each case, I spoke with the pastor when there was error.  But the other people seemed to sit there as dead people.

One shocking example occurred in a church I visited in Clovis, NM (USA).  It was a Wednesday night gathering and about 200 people were in the congregation.  The pastor began speaking. He said, "In John 8 ... when the woman who was taken in adultery was brought to Jesus, she was naked from the waist up."  I was shocked.  I grabbed my Bible and reread this scripture.

Jn. 8 ... Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. 2And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. 3And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 5Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. 7So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.    

After the service, I talked with pastor about this teaching.  I asked him where in Bible it says the woman was naked from waist up.  Pastor replied, "Well ... I can't think of where it is just now."  I said to pastor, "Would you please look it up and have your secretary call me and tell me where it is.  It is very important to me."  Pastor replied angrily with loud voice ... "Well all right.  It's not in the Bible ... Where do you go to church (trying to accuse me.)"

At another service, at another church group, pastor was teaching from Genesis and he said Sarah and Hagar were half-sisters.  Again I was shocked.  When I asked pastor where that was in Bible, he became angry and finally said it was not in Bible.  He tried to strike out against me.

In neither case did pastor repent of adding to the Word of God this way.

I have seen this type of thing many times as I have visited church groups.  I never look for wrong doing but when it was there, I spoke to the person who taught incorrect things to the church group.  I have never yet seen anyone who did this repent.  I believe this is antichrist in the church.

Paul warned us of such in the last days.  Paul said ... This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,  4Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.  II Tim. 3

I believe Paul is speaking here of what would happen in the last days in the church.  For Paul says it will have "a form of godliness" but denying the power thereof.  

And Paul said for us to turn away from them.  I just leave that group or person where there is no repentance. 

Another thing Paul said we would see in the last days in the church:  

II Thess 2 ... antichrist in the church ...

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first (They would fall away from the scriptures and set up another doctrine to please themselves and to exalt themselves.), and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.  7For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.   

He was going to act as God as he sat "in the temple of God, showing himself to be God. (I've seen many pastors do this as they add to word of God, take away from scripture, and reject all godly correction on the matter, thus making himself into a god.) Antichrist is a spirit that operates in many people.  This, I see when pastors and others make up things that are not in the Bible and set up doctrines of men which are not true and not by the Bible and not by the Spirit of God.  Notice that not only will they end up being destroyed but all who refuse the truth and continue in unrighteousness will be "damned". 

An amazing thing in the examples I have given:  in both church groups there were hundreds of people listening to these pastors, yet so far as I know I was the only person who went to the pastors with truth.  The congregations seemed to be dead people, though they stared at preacher and had smiles on their faces and seemed attentive to that being spoken.

Several years ago, God gave me a dream which was very shocking.  I believe this dream shows such things as this that go on in many churches today.  In the dream ... a meeting was going on.  There was one vacant chair on the aisle.  I went into the room and sat down and began listening to the man who was speaking to the group.  Then another man came in and rushed up to the platform and said ... "Wait ... stop ... can't you see?  It's too late.  It's already begun."  (The first man resumed speaking)  I looked out the window to see what was happening.  I was shocked!  There was a tall, yellow civil defense type speaker on top of a tall pole.  It was supposed to warn the people.  But out of our own speaker was coming a gas that would poison us and kill us.  I looked at the man sitting next to me.  This man was sitting upright and seemed to be paying attention to the speaker.  His eyes were open and he had a smile on his face but this man was a corpse, he was dead.  I looked around the room at the other people and they were all dead, though they looked alive.  And as I sat there among them, I began to fall asleep and I knew that I was being gassed to death also as I sat among them and it would kill me if I remained there.

This is what happens in the churches today when the preachers preach a type of "I'm okay, you're okay",  gospel without warning the congregation. Or when pastors take scripture and twist scripture thereby eliminating the rules for the church.  The people fall asleep, die.  

This is what I saw when I visited the churches in those two examples.  As far as I know, I was the only person awake enough to recognize the error being spoken by the pastors and to take these errors to the pastors.  The rest of the people just sat there with approving faces of "love" and worship toward the pastors.
In such cases, these people are worshiping the pastor rather than God for when the pastors twist the word of God and people accept such, those people have left worshiping God and are worshiping their pastor.

The speakers who should be warning the church are often killing the church.

=======     

For several years, I sat in church group where preacher taught that all good is from God and all bad is from devil, and he taught we, as believers, have power over the devil.

The problem was everyone assumed that we could tell the difference between good and evil.  This is a problem Eve faced ...   Gen. 3 ... Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?  2And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

God showed me the truth with the following example:  We would have called an earthquake bad for it destroys property and often kills humans.  Therefore we would say earthquakes are from the devil.  But the following scripture concerns an earthquake and this earthquake was from God.  Mt. 27 ... Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 54Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

By this, God showed me that we, humans, don't always know the difference between good and evil.

Another problem, weather events, such as hail storms are very destructive.  Roofs of houses are destroyed.  Crops are destroyed.  Animals and even humans can be killed by hail.

Yet hail is from God... as is thunder, lightening, rain, snow, sleet, wind, tornadoes, 

Also when God chooses to send a judgment, that is of God.  It can seem evil to us.  The children of God at Jerusalem, the nation of Judah, sinned greatly against God many times though God, in His mercy, sent them prophets to warn them against their sins and to tell them to turn from those sins.  They would not hear but continued in sin.

God sent the king of Babylon to destroy Jerusalem and to kill and take captive the people of Judah and to carry those persons who remained into captivity in Babylon.  God put a sentence of 70 years captivity on the people of Judah.

Ezra 5:12 But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, HE gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.

And the Babylonians destroyed the wall around Jerusalem ... they burned the temple ... they burned the houses of many of the noble people of Jerusalem.

It was all ordained by God and set in motion by God.  God even chose the king of Babylon to do this destruction against Jerusalem and against the people of the tribe of Judah.

In the church I attended in the early 80's, a faith movement church, they would have said this destruction was from the devil.  They said we were to "take authority" over the devil and forbid the devil from touching our property.  

During that time, a tornado struck one of the southern cities of USA.  I wondered why those great men of faith in the faith movement didn't take authority over the tornado and stop it from striking.

They didn't because they couldn't.  The doctrine was false.

Psalm 148:8 Fire, and hail; snow, and vapours; stormy wind fulfilling his word:

Psalm 147:18 He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow.

And God says ...

Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.



Part 4:  Are women permitted to speak in the church?

Back to the instruction for the church presented by the apostle Paul in I Cor. 14.  Paul said ... Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. 35And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.

I asked God about this and was led as follows ... "Look at what these woman were doing."  

When I reread this scripture, I saw these woman were disrupting the church gathering by asking questions, thus Paul said ...  And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home:

Certainly it would be out of order for women to speak and interrupt the Spirit of God in the church by taking over and asking questions during the gathering of the church.  This would not be permitted and should not be permitted.

Once I attended a meeting at a non-denominational church.  Pastor was speaking and a woman in the congregation jumped up from her seat and began waving her hands in the air and running around the meeting room shouting, "Praise God ... praise God."  

The people and pastor were very excited thinking this to be the Holy Spirit in this woman.

I was horrified!

The Holy Spirit would not interrupt the church gathering this way.  The spirit of the prophets is subject to the prophets.  I Cor. 14

And Paul says:  I Cor. 14 ...40 Let all things be done decently and in order.

This woman was out of order in the church ... 

==========

Concerning God teaching me about women in the church ...

The Spirit of God took me to the example of the four daughters of Philip the evangelist.  

Acts 21 ... And the next day we that were of Paul’s company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him. 9And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.

The Spirit of God said to me:  "These four daughters prophesied.  Prophecy is for the church.  They would have to speak in the church to bring prophesy to the church."

By this I was persuaded to do the work of God to which I am called.

Also in the church I remembered    Gal. 3 ... For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 



Part 5:  Love for the truth of the scriptures    

Jesus loved the scriptures so much that HE was willing to go to the cross and die an horrible death.

Mt. 26 ...  Jesus said ... Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? 54But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? 

We must love the scriptures and the truth so much that we are willing to suffer separation when needed.  We cannot go along with error in the church.  Usually we will have to leave that group where there is no repentance and error is upheld.

The scriptures must be "rightly divided" by the Spirit of God. 

And Paul said in the gathering of the church to let all things be done decently and in order and all things are to be done unto edifying (building up the church in the Spirit of God and the ways of God in truth).  I Cor. 14



Part 6:  What is the church?

Jesus said ... Mt 18:20 ... For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. 

When two or three who have the Spirit of God gather together, Jesus is there and this is the gathering of the church.  The church is not a building made with human hands.

I Cor. 6 ... What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, 

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

The church could meet in a park, or in a home (that is where the early church met), or in a building called a church building.  The meeting place is not the church.  The people who have the Spirit of God are the church.