ARIZONA UNITY CHURCH

The Pastor's Pen

 

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall recieve the gift of the Holy Ghost.

-Acts 2:38     

     Praise the Lord saints; grace and peace be unto you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Jesus came to save his people from their sins.  And he did this through building a church with a five-fold ministry to teach people about him and his word.  This church was built upon the foundation, or doctrine, of the apostles and New Testament prophets.  (Ephesians 2:19-20; Acts 2:42)  No other foundation, or doctrine, will be accepted.  (I Corinthians 3:11)  It is to the one and only church (Apostolic) that I am adressing. 

     The pastor's primary job is to feed the people with knowledge and understanding.  (Jeremiah 3:15)  But many have turned away from the truth and begun to teach false doctrine and fables, beacuse the people have backslid in their minds and don't want to hear about God.

     Paul told Timothy in I Timothy 4:1 (KJV), "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, For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables, II Timothy 4:3-4, and "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."  

(II Timothy 3:1-5)  This means that we are in the last of the last days, when people say they want to be saved, but don't want to be told how to live their lives.

     I am writing to you because I am gravely concerned about the body of Christ, the church.  Preachers that were raised up in the unaldulterated, uncompromised truth are now turning to full Gospel or some other false doctrine.  They won't teach holiness anymore.  They have lowered their standards so much that it seems as many women are wearing pants as are the men.  Pastors are no longer teaching against women cutting their hair.  Men are wearing short or saggy pants to church.  God's house should be respected.  As pastors, we should "stand fast, and hold the tradition which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle," (II Thessalonians 2 :15). 

     God still wants his people to "put a difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean." (Leviticus 10:10)  Saints must make a clear difference between themselves and the world.  Whether people like it or not, God has a dress code and it must be obeyed.  The church looks like a bar or night club on Sunday because of all the ungodly dress of the people.  Some of the brothers come in with oversized sports jerseys, or trousers with their hair in braids, rings on every finger, and their arms, necks, legs, and sometimes faces are covered in tatoos. (Leviticus 19:28)  Some have shaved their heads to be like the men of the world.  Even the pastors come to the pulpit dressed like they are lounging around the house.  Instead of suits they now wear faded jeans with their shirt-tail hanging out, and sneakers.  Jude the brother of Jesus told us "beloved building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost," Jude 1:20.  This means that we should offer God our best in worship.  And blue jeans and sneakers are not our best by any means.  Yes men once wore overalls to church, but that was their best at that time.  They even wore a white shirt and tie if they had one.  But they did not own, nor could afford suits at at that time!

     Paul told Timothy, "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works," I Timothy 2:9-10.  Though he was addressing women, the same applies to men. All are to dress in a manner as becoming to saints.  Saints' clothing should reflect their godliness.  The apostle John said, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.  If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world," I John 2:15-16.  Therefore saints are not to follow after the latest styles or fashions of the world.  No matter what new style comes out in the world, we must continue to wear our clothing descently.  Our attire should be such as to make us look nice without attracting undue attention to us.  Everything we do as people of God should glorify Him and not us, Matthew 5:16.  Though many give him the glory for their nice build and good looks they should not adorn themselves in tight clothing that causes people to stare at them. 

     Our music and dance must be easily recognized from that of the world.  Some are saying the "the music doesn't matter as long as the message is there," but that is a lie fresh out of the devil's mouth.  Paul told the Corinthian church "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?"  (II Corinthians 6:14)  To mix a gospel message with wordly music is adulterating (adding something that doesn't belong) the message.  God said to "put a difference between clean and unclean and holy and unholy," (Leviticus 10:10)  Once the world hears the ungodly music they will be led to believe that they can come into the church and continue their ungodly lifestyles.  If they hear the same music being played in the church that they hear in the streets they will be convinced that all the dancing and partying that accompanies the music is there too!  If you don't  believe music has an effect on people's spirit, then listen to this,

     "But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.  And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.  And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.  Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.  Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep.  And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.  And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer.  And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight.  And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him,"  I Samuel 16:14-23.  

     David's music caused the evil spirit to leave Saul beacuse he had a Godly spirit, but wordly music will cause demons to rage because it was written by ungodly men.  Paul also told the church at Ephesus, "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.  (Ephesians 5:19)  Once wordly music has been added to a gospel song it becomes wordly and diluted.  It no longer has the power to drive out evil spirits no matter what the message is!  Both the message and the music must be Godly.  Rap, bebop, hip-hop, Gospel Jazz or any such garbage is not Godly and should not be allowed in the worship services.  These songs are demonic in nature and vex the spirit of God.  These kinds of music and songs should vex the spirit of any real saint.  The prophet Elisha the prophet said, "But now bring me a minstrel.  And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him."  (II Kings 3:15) 

     He used music to usher in the spirit of the Lord.  It stands to reason that the wrong kind of music can drive out the spirit of God and usher in demonic spirits.  These are the spirits that make people want to pop their fingers, break dance, and yes, even PRAISE DANCE in the church.  No I'm not saying that praising God in a dance is a sin, but I am saying that these that these damnable dances done by "praise teams" are a sin!  They dress like hoodlums move like gangsters and many times rap to express themselves.  You want to know what's wrong with rap?  Just listen to what Paul told Timothy, "O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, I Timothy 6:20, But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness."  (II Timothy 2:16)  Could anyone have described rap, hip-hop, bebop any better?  We are told to avoid and shun these ungodly songs and music in the church!  I agree with the apostle Paul when he said, "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." (II Corinthians 7:1)  It is time for the true saints of God to stand up and be counted.  Let your lights (holy lives) shine into the world to guide lost souls to Christ.  Only the pure unadulterated truth will save mankind!