UNDER WATCHFUL DURESS

Rev. 2:1a,2-6:"Unto the messenger of the assembly in Ephesus write: I know your works, and your toil and endurance, and that you cannot bear bad men, and you have tried them who were affirming themselves apostles and they were not, and have found them false; and you have endurance and have borne for the sake of My Name, and have not grown weary. Nevertheless I have against you that your first love you have left. Remember therefore whence you have fallen and repent and do your first works; otherwise I come unto you and will remove your lamp out of it's place, except you repent. But this you have, that you hate the works of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate".

In a previous post called "Lust; white and clean" I commented on some things relating to the above scripture, particularly having to do with "loss of faith=loss of love=bitterness". I will expand on this subject as it applies to the present day Assembly in it's "engaging the culture of death" surrounding it.

The symptoms of Ephesus are manifested in the Assembly of the present day. In the above scripture, from the first mention of "works" to the word "weary", speaks of an Assembly engaged in "watchfulness". The Ephesian Assembly of this day is under "watchful duress"because of it's own faith, outlook or worldview. It has allowed the negativity of this death culture to become it's main focus and this being true, they are becoming like what they focus on.. By this I do not mean they are participating in the sins of the culture, but rather allowing the culture's world view, which is opposite faith-fear-to become the Assembly's also.
The Assembly has taken on an obsessive-hence stressful-preoccupation with evil; ie, with that which is going on in the world, and "engaging" with it in debate-trying to "transform the culture". THIS IS NOT GODS WAY. GOD IS CALLING INDIVIDUALS OUT OF THE CULTURE BECAUSE THE CULTURE-THE SYSTEM (beast/babylon)- IS UNDER THE CURSE, and judgment has already been passed on it.

The Assembly today, because of this preoccupation, has "left off living the life"(it's first love is living Christ's life before men),and SOME EVEN RIDICULE AND ARGUE WITH BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHO ARE TRYING TO LIVE THE LIFE by returning to the simplicity of Christ that our earlier brothers and sisters lived.

The primary form of "speaking" that God intends His people do is by LIVING A LIFE WHICH SHOWS HIM, not by words out of the mouth. Individuals are "won" by SEEING LIFE LIVED, because THE WORD IS LIVINGLY EXPRESSED. This is why so many "professing" christians are merely "surface" believers, because someone has "preached" words to them and many of those "preaching the words" don't have a life to back the words up.

The Assembly of today needs to forget about the damned culture-yes I meant to write that; it's the correct word-,IT NEEDS TO IGNORE IT, because the adversary behind it just looooooves attention; to him it's worship. The athiests and others involved in the culture are blind, reprobate, fools. (Math:15:13-14; Rom.1:18-22,28; Ps. 14:1; 53:1) Only God can open blind eyes, transform reprobate minds and turn fools into wise, and LIVES LIVED BEFORE THESE IS HIS WAY, not debating, arguing, "engaging", answering their foolish, stupid queries (which really are meant to stir up more debate and make them angrier then they already are). GOD SAYS LET THEM ALONE!!!! For it's own health, the Assembly needs to listen to it's prophets which God has placed among it for it's correction. This is where the REAL evil that God is concerned about, comes in - NICOLAITANISM. Essentially this is: the only one allowed to speak when the assembly gathers is the "preacher/pastor/evangelist/teacher/missionary", etc., from the "pulpit".

The Assembly needs to rid itself of this demonic idea of a "paid full time minister". THERE IS NO SUCH THING IN GOD'S PURPOSES. This is one of the symptoms of the so called "clergy/laity" claptrap. The idea of a specially educated class of individuals who "suck the teat" of the "pew peons", is foreign to the scripture these people supposedly believe. THEY ALL NEED TO GET A JOB AND LIVE LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE AND PAY FOR THEIR OWN FOOD AND HOUSING. (does the scripture "he that will not work shall not eat" ring a bell?).

Nicolaitanism has thoroughly infected the mother of harlots and her daughters, the denominations. The daughters ridicule the mother and the mother knows they are her children, because their denominational system has her character traits, so she laughs up her drooping robe's sleeve when they rail at her for her "maryolatry/priesthood/father" stuff.
The denominational system shows that it is "returning to it's mother" by it's organizational methods; it's belief that "the gifts aren't for today"- thereby shutting the mouths of those not "theologically trained" in one of it's thousands of schools, which is 99.9% of the people; it's version of "priest/laity" divide; ie, a separate caste of "full time ministers"; a financial system based on the false teaching of the "tithe", in order to maintain the "full timers" with a life they have become accustomed to; millions of dollars of property and special buildings- the forerunners of which were the idol worshipping temples of antiquity; all financed on the backs of the people.

God says His True ones hate this system- their hating it is HIM HATING IT, and this He approves of. His true ones are coming out of it in this day. He doesn't say the Assembly is to "make war" against the system, BUT TO LEAVE IT IN THEIR HEARTS AND THEN TAKE THEIR BODIES AND WALLETS ALONG.

Once you have left it in your heart, then "vote with your feet",-refuse to sit in their pews facing one way. DON'T BE LIKE LOT'S WIFE AND DON'T TAKE ANY OF THEIR GUILT TRIPS!!!-"Don't you know the word says not to forsake the assembling together?" B.S. That's not the assembling God is talking about- otherwise why then would He "contradict" Himself by saying,"COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE THAT YOU RECEIVE NOT OF HER PLAGUES ...." Rev.18:4-5.

If the surface ones feel comfortable in that system , let em have it. You don't have to argue with them-they won't understand anyway. Don't allow human attachments (Lot's wife again) to hinder your walking the narrow way. If even half the people presently in the system left it, it would collapse from lack of funds.
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The Nicolaitan system shuts off the "self correcting" system God has given the Assembly; a spiritual mirror image of the physical body's self correcting nature. A top down hierarchy is not - DOES NOT ALLOW FOR ANY CORRECTION - therefore,is passed by-its "lamp is removed". The physical body doesn't have to "wait for orders from above" to ward off infection. Likewise A FULL PARTICIPATORY ASSEMBLY, for God has given it "gifts" to "heal itself".