Declaration of Independence

     Through the course of time, men in social, economic, political, and religious spheres fought and yet are fighting for the ascendant position to advance power, control, and dominance. The struggle is fraught with corruption, greed, and dishonesty that erodes away the principles and precepts on which they built the foundations of these systems. In the end, the structure becomes nothing more than a hypocritical institution that seeks to maintain its position and power and thus becomes something other than the intentions of the founding. For example, a politician may seek office with the best of intentions. He may hold a desire to represent the people of his jurisdiction, pursue their best interests, and attempt to advance the will of the people who elected him. However, over time in political circles, the opportunity to build wealth through the influence of lobbyists and donors, the allure of prestige and political advancement, and the taste for power, control, and authority will often result in corruption that renders such a one a hypocrite.  Initially, he advocated principles amenable to the will of the people, but eventually performed differently in practice. Instead of advocating for the people, the politician will seek to maintain position and influence and seek what is suitable for himself rather than serve those whom he represents and pursue their best interests. In the end, this system of government becomes based on something other than its founding principles, and the need for something new, liberating, and independent becomes necessary. While the need for such revolutionary action became apparent in 1776 in America’s political realm, there is a need for such revolutionary action in 2022. While there is merit to the argument for another political revolution, this declaration deals with matters much more important than politics - it is to deal with matters of the soul. Among the people of God, there is a great need for revolutionary action that must shake the Church of God to the core.  

     Although many are tiring of hearing about the Babylonian wreckage that is the Church of God, many are cynical and filled with unbelief concerning the end time message and God’s intention in this last age, and many will relegate this message and revelation to the mere ideas of flesh and blood, opinion, and conjecture, God is demanding a clear declaration of the message of the hour. Sadly, just as Israel rejected the message of the hour in the days of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, many will reject the message of the hour today. It is the aim of the writer to gain the approval of Christ and stand clear of the blood of all men than to seek the approval and praise of men who contend for the status quo, religion, and the False Church of God. As a result, it is time to set forth a clear and direct declaration, regardless of the consequences. The hour is perilous, deception is gripping souls, and God’s wrath is hovering over us. 

     The Church of God began beautifully on the Day of Pentecost. Indisputably, God blessed the early church with great manifestations of his power through conversions, healings, the casting out of devils, and other mighty miracles. However, over time, there were men from among the saints who ushered in damnable heresies and cared not for the flock. While God still had a people, the tides of apostasy extinguished the fire and glory of the church at its inception. Eventually, the "church" became infiltrated with greed, corruption, and hypocrisy, The truths of God’s word were cast aside and men were exalted, obeyed, and worshipped. As men descended deeper into apostasy, the darkness only increased until the light of the gospel was no longer prevalent. Thankfully, God found men who were faithful to his word and who stood for the truths it contained, and God gradually restored light back to the church. In this time of restoration, many movements initially stood for truth and secured the blessing of God. However, while many began in the Spirit, they too eventually became tainted by the governance of ideas not founded on God’s Word and conceived in the minds of men. Men still could not worship God in spirit and in truth, but they were subject to the ideas, rules, and marks of men that relegated the saints to worship within the confines of sectarian bodies. However, in the late 1800s, God found a ministry that had the “everlasting gospel” and would proclaim a message that would set the saints of God loose from the bondage of sectarianism and allow all the redeemed to worship God in the Spirit. God blessed that move and countless souls found the longing of their souls satisfied as they came leaping and shouting home to Mount Zion. However, as with the movements of yesteryear, the Church of God Reformation, which was pure and righteous at its inception, became the essence of what they once stood firmly against. Since then, various groups have attempted to remain as the pure alternative to the compromised Church of God Movement. Yet, they have all failed. They each possess their own mark and closely resemble the Protestant bodies of the Dark and Cloudy Day rather than the pure body of Christ. However noble and well-intentioned these various groups were at their beginning, they are nothing more than a sect void of the presence and glory of God. In essence, this is the age of Church of God-ism - the “Church of God” is a false church and is Babylon.  

     Declaring the Church of God as Protestant is not controversial to most people. In fact, many acknowledge that the acclaimed Church of God resembles sectarianism closely. However, most refuse to acknowledge that their own fellowship or group is such. Unfortunately, many are blind to the reality that they, too, are supporting a sect. This age of Church of God Sectarianism is just as wicked as the beast of Catholicism and its image. It is the job of the ministry to cry out against the Church of God Sectarianism and spare not. Not only is it necessary for the ministry to so do, but if a minister refuses to do so, he is not clear with God and will not stand guiltless in the judgment.  

     What must the ministry preach in this last age? The ministry must speak to the conditions of our time. We have ignored the gargantuan elephant in the room for far too long. The acclaimed Church of God is a sect that is living under the dictates of men and not by the Word of God and the Spirit of God. Each group has its mark and in order to find acceptance among them, you must bear the mark. One group demands that you recognize the apostles and requires you to come under their authority. Another, demands that you lose the neck-tie and agree to no music in the sanctuary. There is a group that makes divorce and remarriage and divine healing their mark. Some will require a lack of facial hair to serve as the test of fellowship. Others have made the interpretation of a symbol in Revelation 12 their issue. Prevalent issues comprise matters related to sanctification, marriage, divine healing, Revelation, dress, and so on. We have multiple groups with one or two identifying characteristics and yet all claim that they are in essence God’s remnant. Yet, each of these fellowships and groups gets about the same results. They all say that souls are getting saved (here and there), bodies are receiving healing (here and there), and God is moving among them. As a result, the confusion in the land is great and the innocent saints of God suffer the awful consequences of division at the hands of ministers who will not allow the Holy Spirit of God and the Word of God the control, authority, and governance in the church.  

     It is necessary to clarify a few points relating to the matters mentioned above. Certainly, there is a truth regarding cleansing, marriage and divorce, divine healing, and so on. The intent is not that we should set aside those matters in order to have unity. However, the problem lies in exalting a doctrine, even if it is true, as the basis of fellowship instead of the possession of God’s spirit as the basis first. The scripture instructs us to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit until we all come to the unity of the faith. This implies that the unity of the faith is not possible without the unity of the Spirit. Sadly, many have agreed on a doctrinal point or on a particular standard and came together on those premises while overlooking a host of other glaring issues. For example, if one agrees with me on marriage and divorce, I can overlook their bad spirit or other spiritual shortcomings because we agree on this doctrine. My doctrinal position may be correct, but I may accept something that God is not accepting. Consequently, agreement on doctrine does not attain unity, but keeping the unity of the Spirit will attain it, and the Spirit will guide into all truth. For years, the attempts at unity are laughable and futile in retrospect. Many are attempting to get to the unity of the faith, and they have never possessed the unity of the Spirit. If we are going to experience genuine unity, then we must keep the Spirit of God in our hearts. We must try the spirit before we can try the doctrine. First, those with the Spirit of God are holy and there is no unity without holiness. It is time to give the control back to the Word and the Spirit.  

     The Church of God stands at a pivotal hour at the present moment. I was not around for the battles of 1972, 1985, and so on. I will not fight the civil wars of the past and I will not pick sides concerning ministers from decades ago. We are not called to defend or attack Wilson, Barber, Bogart, Hampton, Spanogle, and so on. Sadly, these men often mean a lot to some in a positive way and to others in a very negative way. However, this is what I know: Saints’ children have gone to the world and many have no desire to come back. Saints’ children, backsliders, and even saints are hurting today because of the injustices, hypocrisy, and politics of the so-called Church of God. The retention rate is absolutely abysmal. While I know God will always have a people, it is also clear that if what we have known as the “Church of God” continues taking the same insane actions she has taken for the last hundred years, then she will go into oblivion. It is tragic, and it is serious. God’s desire is to blow these systems of men  - yes, the acclaimed Church of God included - to atoms and to gather the saints of God back to the one fold. He desires to bring the saints of God back to where the Lamb is standing, which is on Mt. Zion (Revelation 14:1) It is time for the saints of God to renounce their allegiance to men and their systems and yield their loyalty and allegiance to the word of God and the Holy Spirit. May the saints of God shout their freedom everywhere! What I know absolutely is that we must get back to the blessed old Bible.  

     The church of God, the one that came down from heaven (Revelation 21), is free from man-rule. She is divinely built and divinely ruled. The message is not “fear your pastor” - but the message is “Fear God” (Revelation 14:7). You do not owe any loyalty to a man or to a group, but your only loyalty is to God and his Word. You do not have to get saved at their altar, you do not have to stay in their group, and you do not have to follow them because they are not following Christ. Stand free from the fear tactics and their little rules that only serve to keep control and authority that do not belong to them. Let them use their scriptures like “Obey them that have the rule over you,” and “give them double honor” while providing examples such as Korah. They are wolves in sheep's clothing and they do not care for your soul. They are watching for their own gain, authority, and control, but they are not watching for your soul. They are not laboring in the Word, but they are laboring for their group/sect. Therefore, you must not obey them and must not give them honor. You have every right to hold the ministry accountable to the Word of God. You are allowed to ask them questions and they are obligated to answer according to the Word of God. You are not rebellious, you do not have a bad spirit, and you are not disrespectful because you have questions. God’s people are free from politics, lies, and corruption. There is freedom from these systems and God is calling his people out of them! 

You are in Babylon and need to come out... 

  •  If you are constantly hearing about how you need to respect the ministry. 
  • If you cannot hold your ministry accountable to the Word of God. 
  • If your ministry is only emphasizing a particular doctrine or standard as a test for fellowship
  • If your ministry will divide over anything less than sin. 
  •  If your ministry will not try to restore such a one who has fallen to sin.  
  • If your ministry predicts people will get healed, that economies will crash by a certain year, and other fanciful notions that never occur.  
  • If your ministry tells you one thing in private and then something totally contrary later. 
  • If your ministry does not tell the truth.  
  • If your ministry will not deal with sin and wrong.  
  • If your ministry will allow people to preach with known sin in their life, with no anointing on their messages, and question marks all over their testimony. 
  • If your ministry advocates praying in the name of an apostle.  
  • If it is acceptable to go to your ministry when there is an ought instead of going to your brother. 
  • If your group is constantly reminiscing about the ministries of dead pastors. 
  • If you have to ask your pastor where you’re allowed to go, who you are allowed to talk to, and he is allowed to search through your house and monitor your personal information.  
  • If the authority where you attend and with whom you associate does not rest with the Word of God and the Spirit of God.

     God desires his saints to find joy, peace, and love in the Holy Ghost. God desires his people to dwell together in a blessed unity. Sadly, this will never occur under the present conditions. It is time to forsake these systems and take a stand for the truths of God’s Word. The Church of God is a Protestant system and the saints of God must declare their total independence from them. I am free to worship with every saint of God wherever they are located. I am free to go wherever the Holy Spirit leads. I owe no allegiance to men, to a group, to a geographical location, to a particular mark, but by the grace of God, I will bear in my body the mark of Christ. May the saints of God find victory over the beast, his image, his mark, and the number of his name and play their harp on the sea of glass mingled with fire (Revelation 15:2). It is time for another Reformation, it is time for another “come out” message, and it is time for God’s church to stand separate and distinct from all the Protestant bodies including the False Church of God! May freedom ring again throughout the world as God is calling his bride together as we look for the day of Christ’s return. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. 

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