I rejected Christianity in 1993 when, after a long time trying, Jesus
finally got it through to me that Christianity is a religion that never was
of him. I already knew that the truth he taught and his purpose for living
on earth was not to be found anywhere in any denominational group, but I did
not know until May, 1993 that it was the entire Christian religious system
that was the problem. What a relief it was to stop trying to find a place
inside that religion where I could live and talk and worship God the way I
knew God wanted it to be!
To obey God and come out of Christianity was a little frightening at first,
but I knew it was the will of God for his people to do so. I had never heard
of anyone serving the Lord Jesus outside of Christianity, and thought I was
the only one on earth that was walking on that narrow path.
Later, I learned that a number of people in various places had abandoned
that religion years before I did, and that they did so because they heard the same
thing I heard from Jesus, but in the main even they are drifting. The ones I
have contacted are confused; they don't know where to go, or what to think,
really. Especially at first. They know that Christianity is not holy, and
not of God at all, and that they want no part of it, but they have been
programmed by Christianity to believe certain things, and are having an awful
time getting past its teachings.
That's my job, my "calling", if you will. I am a teacher, and my task
is very difficult. In fact, it is impossible without God's help. Jesus
(please, do not think of the Jesus of Christianity when I say his name!) has
taught me how to help those people who want to know, to love, and to serve
God, but do not want to serve Christianity. The biggest obstacle to the
knowledge of God on earth is the Christian religion. It distresses me
constantly that the name of Jesus is associated by the children of God with
the religion of Christianity. It shouldn't be; for our Lord Jesus has
nothing to do with it, but that is the fact of life with which I must deal.
God's people (Spirit-baptized people) are now scattered among the hundreds
of sects which make up Christianity. Not one of those sects is of God; yet, the
saints are there. And they are there because they have been deceived by
Satan's most successful lie in human history, a deceit which has confused
virtually us all at one time or another: to wit, to belong to Christ means
that we belong to Christianity. Amid the mass confusion of doctrines and
ceremonies which Christianity encompasses, God's children are trying in vain
to find their place. My friend, belonging to Christ Jesus has absolutely
nothing to do with belonging to Christianity. God is now pulling back the
veil which has for so long covered our eyes, and He is setting us free from
Satan's definition of life in Christ.
Jesus showed me that He didn't come to start "Christianity" at all. He
came to set men free from sin, sickness, and death. The vibrant faith depicted in
the book of Acts is not a record of the beginning of Christianity.
Christianity is that religion which came later and perverted the spiritual
life which is depicted in the book of Acts. The revealed truths found in the
New Testament books can be found only in widely scattered bits within
Christianity, and those bits of truth which can be found are always--yes,
always--mixed with heresies; the result being, as Satan knew it would be,
discouragement for those who are searching for the knowledge of
God's way. The bewildering array of doctrines and traditions within
Christianity has had the effect of frustrating and discouraging a search for the truth.
Using Christianity as his principal tool, Satan has done a masterful job of quenching the
saints' thirst for the knowledge of God's one truth by making it appear
unattainable in this life!
Listen, my brother. The truth, God's one truth in Christ Jesus can be found
. . . by you . . . today! One of my greatest challenges has been to re-ignite
that spark of hope in the hearts of God's precious children (those who have
received the holy Ghost baptism). We can be made one, if we will only stop
listening to Christian leaders and listen to the Spirit of Christ instead! Do
you not hear the cry of the Spirit right now? "Come out of her, my people!"
We err when we think of Christianity as something that once was good and
pure, but then went astray. Christianity has never been of God. It has never
been good or pure. The religion of Christianity is itself that corrupt thing which
infiltrated the ancient church and perverted its faith, just as the apostles forewarned the
church (Acts 20:17- 35). Some actually saw it taking place before they died
(Gal.1:6-7; 2Tim.1:15; 1Jn.2:18-19). My dear brothers and sisters, give it up!
Lay that heavy burden down! There is no such thing as restoring Christianity
to its original purity. It was of Satan from the moment it appeared.
Historically, the first expression of Christianity was the result of mixing
of the faith of Jesus with politics. Roman Emperors, having come to believe the
basics of the gospel story, attempted to promote the faith of Christ by human reason
and military might instead of by the power and revelation of the holy Ghost.
The results were tragic. The simple truth of the gospel was cast aside for a
more fashionable, and less charismatic, faith. Those who refused to accept this
Roman version of the gospel were severely punished, if not murdered outright,
their records banned or destroyed.
If you have been born, or baptized, into the church of God by the holy
Ghost, God is your Father (because the church is of Him) and Jesus is your
Master (because he is the head of the church). If you are in Christianity, Satan
is your father (because Christianity is of him) and the Pope is your master
(because he is the head of Christianity). For this reason, the Spirit is
earnestly calling to the children of God, "come out of her My people!"
Christianity is an unholy mixture, where carnal men rule over God's
saints. It is an ungodly place of incomparable confusion and false claims. That
is why I am NOT a Christian.
You have noticed that in our time there is much skepticism about the power
of God and the return of Jesus. But then, how in heaven's name can anyone not be skeptical
about the gospel of Jesus, if he associates the name of Jesus with the religion of Christianity? In the light of Christianity's history and doctrines, the wonder is not that there are
skeptics, but that there are people who want to be Christians! The gospel
teaches us that helping people is a worthwhile thing to do, and I have
learned that the goal of the gospel of Jesus is not to make people right, but
to make them good, like the Creator. When "rightness" becomes the goal,
people get hurt, as Christianity's sordid history proves. But when goodness
(godliness) is the goal, people are benefitted.
Allow me to make this final observation about searching for truth, before
I close. Let me just encourage you to resist the temptation to fall in love
with the mere pursuit of truth; rather, let the possession of truth be your
sincere desire. Every Christian everywhere, indeed even the world, will hold
you in very high esteem as long as all you do is pursue what is holy. Everyone admires the man who merely seeks the ways of God. But the world (including Christianity) will turn away from
you in disgust if you ever find God's way and love it. All religions of earth
are basically nothing but showy PURSUITS of righteousness, with no EXPERIENCE
of submission to the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. That, too, is why I
am not a Christian, but a servant of Christ Jesus. I want not only to seek
righteousness but to find it, not only to ask for the right way but to receive
guidance into it, not only to praise God but to have Him praise me (cp. Rom.
2:29), not only to worship God, but to worship Him acceptably.
There is an honor that comes from only God, and I believe that we are
dishonoring God so long as we do not receive it. But we cannot receive it so
long as we are making an effort to maintain the approval of others around us.
Jesus told some of the people of his day that they could never receive the honor
that comes from God only, so long as they were seeking each other's approval. My
dear brother, by whose measure are you now judging yourself, and being judged?
By whose understanding of the will of God do you now live and worship your
Creator who purchased you with his blood?
I know that this testimony leaves much unsaid, but please search it
out. And may God bless you as you do so.
Your non-Christian servant of Jesus
John David Clark, Sr.
Questions? E-mail them to: GSAVELLI@aol.com
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