Is it Real- or False?

COUNTERFEITS(Some copied content)

Is it REAL?Or is it COUNTERFEIT?An important question when it comes to money.whic

It’s IMPORTANT, to DISCERN THE TRUE from THE FALSE.

Today I want to address the subject of what I believe to be a serious LATTER DAY concern. COUNTERFEITS.

I believe we are living in a time of GREAT RELIGIOUS DECEPTION.

I want to WARN YOU, in love, TO BE VIGILANT, as our Lord forewarned us to.

The church has LOST ITS STRENGTH because of A WEAKENING PROCESS, and a WHITE-ANTING PROCESS that is happening across the church of God, worldwide.

The Spirit says to His church, in Revelation 3:2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die...

We must BE WATCHFUL and SEARCH OUT THE TRUTH, and STRENGTHEN the church.

We must be one of the churches that are a part of GOD’S FAITHFUL CHURCH on the planet.

The Book of Revelation warns of one of THE TELLING SIGNS of THE END OF THE AGE – as a WOMAN called MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT.

Revelation 17:1-6 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me,

Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: (2) With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

(3) So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness:

and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

(4) And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

(5) And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

(6) And I saw the woman drunken WITH THE BLOOD OF THE SAINTS, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

Verse 1 says this woman, this whore, is THE GREAT WHORE. In other words, she is POWERFUL.

Revelation, in chapter 19, compares God’s people, Israel, alike to a bride. The woman of Revelation 17 represents THE DEVIL’S

SUBSTITUTE PEOPLE – his COUNTERFEIT CHURCH.

Verse 1 says that she sits on many waters. Verse 15 explains that this means she has sway OVER MANY NATIONS. This church has a dominion WORLDWIDE, in its reach.

Verse 4, it says she is ADORNED ATTRACTIVELY. She is WEALTHY. She is arrayed in purple and scarlet and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls and holding a golden cup.

On closer examination, we see this golden cup is filled up with abominations, impurities, and immoralities.

In Verse 9 we see another clue, as to WHERE the woman comes from. She is located at a place of seven mountains.

Revelation 17:9 …The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

The city of ROME is such a place, a city with seven mountains.

The GREAT WHORE is wealthy. So is the Roman Catholic church. The sad fact is that much of its wealth was acquired through the confiscation of the property of the pitiful victims of the Inquisitions.

I believe that we are witnessing a rapidly approaching WORLD ORDER with A FUSION

of GOVERNMENTAL and RELIGIOUS authority. And all roads lead to ROME.

False religion today reaches broadly across the world’s rulers and influential people.

It is a fact that Popes down through history have long claimed dominion over the world and its peoples.

This ONE WORLD RELIGIOUS SYSTEM of Revelation 17, (THE WOMAN) is carried by a ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT (THE BEAST).

They both have the object of WORLD DOMINATION.

Men of God down through the ages have long recognised the Great Mother Harlot as Rome, and the Romish church.

She is seen here in all her true colours; SCARLET and PURPLE. The COLOURS of THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CLERGY.

In Verse 5, we notice that she is called THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS. We can discern that her harlot 'daughters' are other organised

churches, who are allied and joined together with THE MOTHER CHURCH OF ROME, in AN UNHOLY UNION.

I believe that we see clear evidence of this unholy union at work today.

THE WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES, at its founding in 1948, adopted as its slogan: ‘ONE CHURCH FOR ONE WORLD.’

Listed amongst its members are many churches worldwide, including various Australian churches, such as:

Anglican Church of Australia Churches of Christ in Australia Greek Orthodox Church Lutheran Church of Australia Religious Society of Friends Roman Catholic Church Salvation Army Uniting Church in Australia

Associate members include: Baptist Union of Australia Presbyterian Church of Australia

Some will perhaps question, why does this, our church, identify as INDEPENDENT Baptist? Some mistakenly think it is because we are a break away splinter group from some other such body.

No this church fellowship of ours is independent from the ecumenical organisation and hierarchy of any such bodies or ecumenical Baptist churches. We are independent as historically God’s people

gathered down through history, not in some hierarchical manmade institution, but in locally constituted, self-governing Biblical churches, with our allegiance not to some Councils of men, or Popes, but to the Word of God as the foundation of our faith and practice.

In other words we do not join arms with liberal churches of whatever persuasion, including the Baptist Union of Australia.

I put it to you that the ecumenical movement and many churches and para church interdenominational movements of today are acting in accord with the Great Whore of Revelation 17. Most are increasingly liberal and astray from the Bible.

ECUMENICAL means "TO ESTABLISH WORLD-WIDE". It is THE SAME GLOBAL AGENDA of THE GREAT WHORE of Revelation 17.

As a church we determine not to participate in THE ECUMENICAL MOVEMENT. To join with them is to ally ourselves with DOCTRINES OF DEVILS. It is a COUNTERFEIT UNITY.

There is a local ecumenical council that joins in joint projects, along with various doubtful religious bodies, including the Seventh Day Adventist church, for example.

Seventh Day Adventism is a dangerous and deceptive FALSE RELIGION, a cult. It was founded by a deceived woman who thought herself a prophet, and it reveres her extra-biblical writings as scripture.

The Seventh Day Adventists teach a works based system of salvation; they are saved not by grace through faith but by works and they keep their salvation by works. One of the core tenets of their faith is to accept the writings of Ellen White, the FALSE PROPHETESS, as – I quote – ‘a continuing and authoritative source of truth’.

Ellen White stated, and I quote: ‘it is impossible for even one soul to be saved without good works’.

My Bible says different. Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Some will question, why don’t you join with the local ecumenical group and its outreaches, such as the Upside Down Circus, as one example locally? The answer is, we will not join forces with false doctrine.

There is a growing trend these days to water down the gospel.

The Word of God foretells a time of FALLING AWAY – an ‘apostasia’.

APOSTASIA is a ‘defection from the truth; a forsaking. ‘APO’ means ‘AWAY FROM’ and ‘STASIA’ , means ‘FOUNDATION’.

Apostasy means, ‘AWAY FROM FOUNDATION’.

We have A SURE FOUNDATION, GOD'S UNCHANGING TRUTH.

God’s Word is SURE and TRUE.

Our Lord urges us, in Colossians 2:8 BEWARE lest any man SPOIL you through PHILOSOPHY and VAIN DECEIT, after THE TRADITION OF MEN, after the rudiments of the world, and NOT AFTER CHRIST.

The modern church is being SUBVERTED and PAGANISED.

Many churches are taking on the THINKING, PRACTICES, and MINDSET of AN UNBELIEVING WORLD. This is extending its reach in all kinds of areas.

BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY is becoming A HATE CRIME.

BIBLICAL SEPARATION is scorned and derided, including by many people who claim to be Christians.

There is a total LACK OF DISCERNMENT, including in levels of LEADERSHIP.

A youth pastor said this:"I am a strong Christian and love the Lord with all my heart. The problem is I really enjoy reading the [Harry Potter] books and nothing about them conflicts with my spirit..."

This is just the tip of the iceberg.

A DANGEROUS SPIRIT is at work.A DEADLY POISON contaminates the minds of many.

There is AN ALL OUT ONSLAUGHT to: REDEFINE Christianity REDEFINE Jesus REDEFINE Truth

People have lost a grip on GOD’S ABSOLUTE TRUTH and have placed their trust in the

ILLEGITIMATE AUTHORITY of MEN’S FICKLE FEELINGS and FADS.

And, for many, they would rather have a UNIFORMITY based on COMPROMISE. It’s way more acceptable TO THE MEGA CHURCH MASSES than BIBLICAL UNITY based on the cross, and on SOUND DOCTRINE.

Our world has embraced a cross-less Christianity that wants COMFORT and EASE and regards THE PRAISE OF MEN above giving GLORY TO THE LAMB.

BIBLICAL TRUTH and EVANGELISM is equated with HATE and INTOLERANCE.

It is an UNHOLY MESS.

How are we to interpret these signs in the light of BIBLE PROPHECY and the strong warnings of God’s Word?

It is clear that ERROR must be WITHSTOOD.

As preachers we will often not make many friends when we do this.

As Paul said, Galatians 4:16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

Paul urged the Ephesians,

Ephesians 5:11 And HAVE NO FELLOWSHIP with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather REPROVE THEM.

Some translations of the Bible do not give the full picture here, and simply say EXPOSE the works of darkness. God’s sure Word says to reprove them. Speak against them. This is what we must do.

There is A WAR ON BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY.

And we must REPROVE error.

Paul warns that A FALSE SPIRIT and A FALSE JESUS will come.

2 Corinthians 11:2-4For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy, for I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

For if he that cometh preacheth ANOTHER JESUS, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive ANOTHER SPIRIT, which ye have not received, or

ANOTHER GOSPEL, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

Let me quote a church statement to you:

This church states this – and I would have top wholeheartedly agree – this church "disapproves of minister or churches participating in any of the modern ecumenical organizations on a local, national, or international level in such a manner as to promote the Ecumenical Movement, because: We believe that basis of doctrinal fellowship of said movement to be so broad that it includes people who reject the inspiration of Scripture, the deity of Christ, the universality of sin, the substitutionary atonement, and other cardinal teachings which we understand to be essential to biblical Christianity."

What church states this?

It is a statement of the General Council of the Assemblies of God (in the US).

That was where the Assemblies of God once stood.

My, how they have lost their way! Their ministers no longer take this stand.

They sit around the table with all kinds of churches and ministries, together with all manner of religious leaders, who are masquerading as ministers of Christ.

Unbiblical doctrines abound.

And Hillsong plays for the Pope at World Youth Day. And everyone just claps and sings along.

Revelation 17 tells us of BABYLON – it speaks of all the false religions that claim to be Christian.

BABYLON has crept into the church, and much of its ritual and thinking.

And it is hidden – in plain sight.

Tozer said this: ‘The seventeenth chapter of Revelation tells about that great mystery the Babylonian, the great mother of harlots, the abomination of the earth.

‘This harlot has CHILDREN. She not only is a harlot but she is THE MOTHER OF OTHER HARLOTS, and these harlots are nothing else than APOSTATE CHURCHES claiming the name of the Lord but NOT LIVING THE TRUTH OF THE LORD.’

THE GREAT WHORE, BABYLON, speaks of APOSTASY, which it refers to as ADULTERY and FORNICATION It speaks of SPIRITUAL UNFAITHFULNESS.

BABYLON relates to BABEL which means CONFUSION. This is what we see today. Mayhem and confusion. Pandemonium.

Many people these days speak in glowing terms of the late Mother Teresa. Sure enough she did many wonderful works. Yet, in 1989 Mother Teresa stated in an interview with TIME magazine, ‘I love all religions’.

On October 7, 1975 Mother Teresa worshiped Buddha.

In 1997 she prayed to the Hindu Mahatma Gandhi at his tomb in New Delhi.

I hate to burst your balloons today but the so called Mother Teresa cannot be a genuine Christian based on her statements and actions about salvation when we contrast that with what the Word of God says about how we can be saved.

We cannot fellowship with those who revere so called HOLY BONES and HOLY WATER and who WORSHIP MARY as the Mother of God.

The Bible warns us clearly about AFFILIATING WITH BABYLON.

Revelation 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

We are witnessing A WHOLESALE DEPARTURE from THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE FAITH.

The former so-called Pope, John Paul II met and prayed with religious leaders from around the world (including Muslims, Hindus and animist priests) in Assisi, Italy.

When he met with these sadly deceived people he assured them, “We are all PRAYING TO THE SAME GOD.”

Indeed, they are.“BABYLON IS A CODE WORD for ROME.” So said the Catholic apologist, Karl Keating.

The Bible uses the word whore or harlot to represent apostate or False Christendom.

Throughout parts of the Old Testament God condemned Israel for SPIRITUAL HARLOTRY. In other words UNFAITHFULNESS to the true and living God. Our God is a JEALOUS GOD. He will not have you two-timing Him. You must decide who you will follow.

There is AN UNHOLY ALLIANCE going on today. We are witnessing AN INFILTRATION

of error in various guises. It looks good, just like the great whore did, with all her accompaniments and flashy jewelry.

Brothers and sister, there is A TROJAN HORSE weaseling its way into the very temple of the Lord. And Christians, by and large, are rocking along with the crowds who are welcoming all of this. Woefully ignorant of what it all means.

The primary flaw in the aims and ambitions of THE ECUMENICAL-INTERFAITH MOVEMENT is its deliberate DENIAL of THE AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE in all matters of faith and practice.

It all starts with THE REJECTION OF THE BIBLE as THE AUTHORITATIVE WORD OF GOD.

The mega church pastors are falling over themselves to be ‘CULTURALLY RELEVANT’ and adopt ‘THE NEW PARADIGM’ of ‘TOLERANCE’ and ‘LOVE’. And as the world grows ever more accepting of sin and perversion, so does the church.

Compromise is sweeping the church in EPIDEMIC PROPORTIONS. The MANTRA is that Christians are to PUT ASIDE THEIR DIFFERENCES and fall in with CONFORMITY and with A COUNTERFEIT UNITY. This is NOT THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT, though. But it is a UNITING with A SPIRIT OF ERROR.

It seems like everything that we count dear and true in terms of BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES is being SACRIFICED ON THE ALTAR OF PRAGMATISM.

Esau SOLD HIS BIRTHRIGHT to Jacob. He got hungry and traded the bowl of stew for his inheritance. So too, we have sold our Biblical birthright for a mess of pottage. (Genesis 25:34). We have fallen for something attractive in exchange for something far more valuable. God’s truth has been traded and trashed in many quarters.

We are witnessing a Sell-Out today.

It seems like churches are built these days, not on BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES, but on WINNING THE APPROVAL OF MEN. Preachers resist preaching the truth for the fear of committing the cardinal contemporary sin of possibly offending anyone, especially today’s SENSITIVE NEW AGE CHRISTIANS.

Meanwhile DISCERNMENT is sadly lacking.

The QUESTION IS…

Is it real?Or is it COUNTERFEIT?

It is CRITICAL that we RECOGNISE and REPROVE THE COUNTERFEIT CHURCH.

Here are some MARKS OF A COUNTERFEIT CHURCH, based on a summary by Keith Piper:

1) COUNTERFEIT GOSPEL – salvation by works.

2 Corinthians 11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth 2 Tiomothy , whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

Galatians 1:6-9 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: (7) Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. (8) But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. (9) As

we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

2) COUNTERFEIT JESUS CHRIST – Mormon Jesus, JW Jesus, RC Jesus is not the Bible Jesus.

2 Corinthians 11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

3) COUNTERFEIT BAPTISM – Sprinkling of babies or adults. Acts 8:37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered

and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

4) COUNTERFEIT PREACHERS – Non Soul Winners 2 Timothy 4:5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

2 Timothy 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

Bible Correctors Jeremiah 36:23 And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth.

Revelation 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

5) COUNTERFEIT DOCTRINES – of devils. 1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed

to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.

6) COUNTERFEIT FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT – tongues, Toronto ‘blessing’, animal noises. (II Cor. 11:4).

7) COUNTERFEIT BIBLES – Modern Versions which omit about 2% of the NT. (Revelation 22:18,19).

8) COUNTERFEIT TITLES – Father, Pope, Reverend. (Revelation 17:3).Psalms 111:9 He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.

We could add, COUNTERFEIT CONVERSIONS.

GOD'S COMMAND is clear, in regard to this apostasy.

We must REPROVE that which is COUNTERFEIT.

We must not get comfy with compromise and counterfeits but rather come out of it…

Come out of Babylon.

Revelation 18:4 …Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

The walls of separation between the church and the world have been torn down.

Nowadays there is much talk of BUILDING BRIDGES, rather than BUILDING WALLS.

In Nehemiah’s day THE broken down WALLS had to be REBUILT.

The WALLS speak of SEPARATION, both FROM THE WORLD and its EVIL, and TO THE LORD.

The GATES speak of FELLOWSHIP. We open and welcome to the joys of fellowship within the walls to all who have divine title to enter, and bar out all others.

Nehemiah appointed PORTERS, or GATE KEEPERS. He wanted to PROTECT God’s people, by appointing WATCHMEN, to TAKE CARE, as to who wanted to enter the city and to KEEP WATCH.

We dare not COMPROMISE our FAITH.

We must do our part to UPHOLD THE PURITY and TRUTH of THE CHURCH.

We must REBUILD THE WALLS, one brick at a time.

In Revelation 18 we read how GOD’S ULTIMATE JUDGMENT will be POURED OUT ON BABYLON.

We must not grow comfortable with the deceit of Babylon and those who would conform the church and pervert its mission, ultimately to an interfaith mixture, as it increasingly abandons the Word of God.

We must REPROVE the false teachers, the imposters who lead people astray from Biblical doctrine.

We must TEST all spirits. We must REJECT the COUNTERFEITS.

Jude 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you

that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.