The Church International

When I first came to understand redemptive truth & started reading the Bible with my spiritual eyes wide open, I found that most things the Catholic Church taught did not line up with the Bible. The supernatural things that had been occurring in my life did. God is a God of order and His Divine order works.

It’s been in my heart for years to reach out to family and friends with a teaching concerning salvation and the things of God; 30 years to be more precise. The very first thing Andrew did after he found Jesus and started following him was to go tell his brother Simon Peter.

John 1:41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah (which is translated, the Christ).”

Sure, I have reached out in various degrees over the years mostly on an individual basis, but not really like I have wanted to. This is not a matter of who’s right or who’s wrong but more so a matter of eternal life with Christ Jesus. I re-listened to a message from Howard Pittman recently; Mr. Pittman had an out-of-body experience when his physical body died in August 1979 after an internal artery ruptured. His spirit actually left his physical body for a 10/15 minute period. His testimony in available online; just search Howard Pittman.

During his 10/15 minute experience, he was shown 2000 people who had actually died during that time period. Sadly, of those 2000 people, only 50 made it to heaven. If you do the math assuming approximately 30% of this worlds population confess to be “Christians,” only 8.5% of those who say they are Christians actually made it to eternal salvation during that particular 10/15 minute period. A very sad sobering reality. I personally believe that percentage is still very low today. I know I would have busted hell wide open if I had died back in 1979.

No, I do not preach a hell, fire & brimstone message; but hell is too hot, heaven is too real and life is too short not to share what I know to be true about salvation! As a minister of the gospel, witnessing to the lost in love & raising up disciples is what I do; we’re always available for anyone, especially our family & friends. We also know the Bible says to work out your own salvation with fear & trembling! This is a day & this is an hour to do just that!

The order of God regarding salvation, water baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit is as follows:

1. First Salvation. Salvation is when your human spirit comes alive with the life of God; you get born again. You believe in your heart (or spirit) in the death, burial & resurrection of Jesus Christ and confess with your mouth the same. Then and only then does the Spirit of the Living God come to reside in our dead spirits & makes our spirits alive. That is what the Lord Jesus called “being born again.”

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Ephesians 2:1 & 8-9 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins… For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Romans 10:9-10 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

2. Second Repent. You repent that you are or were a sinner. Repentance and the act of salvation normally occur at the same time. You realize you are a sinner in need of a Savior; you realize Jesus is that Savior, then you confess Him as Lord and Savior and believe in your heart in His death, burial and resurrection.

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 18:3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

3. Third Water Baptism. Water Baptism is the immersion in water of a saved person. You are declaring to the world that you are now a born again Christian. Water baptism at any age is not salvation. Water baptism is a public declaration that you are now a Christian and committed to living a life honoring the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord. You don’t get baptized into a religion or church; rather you get baptized to signify you are now a part of the Body of Christ!

4. Receive the Holy Spirit. You are now a candidate to receive the Helper or the Holy Spirit. It’s by faith that you receive Him and the evidence is your power in witnessing. Everyone in the Bible that received the Holy Spirit spoke in tongues. And everyone in the New Testament received the Holy Spirit.

This order regarding salvation/repentance, water baptism then receiving the Holy Spirit is demonstrated all throughout the Bible. It is always first salvation (repentance, believing in the death burial and resurrection of Jesus), water baptism and then you can receive the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 3:19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord

Acts 8:12-17 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done. Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Acts 8:35-38 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.

Acts 16:31-33 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.

Acts 19:1-6 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

Acts 26:20 but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.

When I looked at the Sacraments and many other things taught by Catholicism, I realized that most did not line up with the Bible. Over the 100’s of years since the church was first formed in bible days, the Catholic Church added and/or changed teachings that were not biblical.

Infant Water Baptism

Baptism at any age is not salvation; you do not get born again when you are baptized. I realize being christened as an infant is treasured by most Catholics, but infant baptism accomplishes nothing spiritually. Unfortunately the Catholic Church and several other denominations put water baptism first and believe that infant baptism washes you from original sin. An infant can not confess or believe anything.

Eucharist – First Communion

Communion is something that born again believers do to commemorate the death, burial & resurrection of Jesus. As born again believers, we are part of the body of Christ & proclaim this until He comes again. The communion elements do not actually change into the Lords body & blood. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 is a good explanation of communion. By taking communion, you put yourselves in remembrance of the atoning death of Jesus.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

Penance

Confession of sins is something every born again believer does directly to God. Once you’re born again, you go to God directly. A priest can not forgive your sins by you going & doing penance.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Confirmation

You do not receive the Holy Spirit when you’re confirmed by the Bishop. After salvation and dedicating ones life to Christ Jesus through baptism, you are now a candidate to receive the Holy Spirit. Reference the order of salvation, water baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit mentioned above.

Anointing of the Sick

You do not need “Last Rites” to prepare yourself for eternity. At the point of salvation, you can not confess all your sins; they’re too many to remember. After salvation, you daily confess your sins; hopefully you’ve started to renew your mind by reading the Bible with the Holy Spirit’s help so that you sin less and less as you grow in your Christian walk with Jesus.

Anointing those that are sick with oil at any age for their healing is biblical.

Mark 6:13 And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

Who Are Saints?

One of the most fascinating things I discovered was that the Bible calls all born again believers saints of God. Praise God for all the people who have died before us and have done a great work for the Lord; but canonization by the Catholic Church does not elevate ones “sainthood.”

Mary

Mary was blessed & highly favored but she is just like the rest of mankind; a person that needed a Savior. Mary did not ascend into heaven as a sinless person. The Bible says all have sinned & fallen short of the glory of God – Romans 3:23.

Who Do We Pray To?

Jesus Himself said to pray to the Father who is in heaven in the Lord’s prayer that most of the world knows.

Matthew 6:6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Matthew 6:9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

We are supposed to pray directly to the Father in heaven in the name of Jesus for every thing we need or desire. John’s gospel explains it best: John 14:13-14; John 15:16; and John 16:23-27. Ephesians 5:20-21 says the same thing about being thankful for everything that God has done for us. The Bible does not say to pray to Mary or any other dead saints. Dead saints can not do anything for you.

John 14:13-14 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

John 15:16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

John 16:23-27 And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. “These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.

Ephesians 5:20-21 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.

Purgatory

There’s no purgatory or temporary resting place that you go to when you die. You can not pray lost loved ones out of purgatory or out of any place else. Once you die, then it’s the judgment.

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

When you die, your body is left here on earth, but your spirit, who you really are and your soul are going to one of two places; heaven or hell. The grave is not where you are.

Offices in the Church

There’s not a Pope or Cardinals in the bible. The bishop and the pastor are the same person in bible. There are apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelist and pastors

1 Corinthians 12:28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.

Ephesians 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

CONCLUSION

I personally did not leave the Catholic Church; I did get born again and decided the best thing for me was to grow in the things of God elsewhere. I could not stay in a place that mostly believed and taught things that were counter to the Bible. No, I don’t believe the Pope or anyone else has the authority to change the Bible. God says Himself that He changes not.

Malachi 3:6 “For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.

If you look at church history, the early church followed the Bible; the first apostles including Peter, Paul, Luke and James wrote the New Testament. They began to form the church. It wasn’t until later in church history that the Catholic Church began to take form.

The church went into what is commonly called the Dark Ages from around 400-1500. It was during this period that many new Catholic Church doctrines were adopted; many I described above that did not line up with what the bible taught.

The Protestant Reformation of the church began in the 1500’s; many non-Catholic denominations were formed. In 1906, the Azuza Street revival ushered the Holy Spirit back into the church in a greater degree, similar to what was experienced in the early church. And now I believe the Lord Jesus wants to put His church back in order like it originally was in the Book of Acts. That’s what I have been called to help do; it’s the core of our ministry.

Salvation is a very personal thing; the Bible says to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling – Philippians 2:12. Religion can not save you; it’s only Jesus. Sure, you can be a born again and sit in a church that does not accurately teach the Bible; but unfortunately you can also sit in a church your entire life, not be born again and be condemned to hell for all eternity. Going to church does not make you a Christian anymore than sleeping in your garage makes you a car. Hell is too hot; heaven is too real; and life is too short for me not to share the truth of the gospel.

I would encourage you to read the bible for yourself; see what it says about the things of God and draw your own conclusions. As for me, I am going to serve the Living God.