A Prophetic Presence

Rubel Shelly: Is the mission of our little fellowship is to sit in judgment on other denominations? Is anybody arrogant enough to think that this congregation of pitiful sinners ought to be the measure for other local churches? Oh, please!

Late start-rough review Kenneth Sublett, Hohenwald, Tennessee

From: 'If You Love God, Burn the Church!' (John 2:13-25)

But, on the other hand, isn't Dr. Shelly promoting an ecumenical spirit to BECOME ALL THINGS TO ALL PEOPLE? Since Scripture repudiates INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC from beginning to the end in Revelation 18 isn't promoting MUSICAL WORSHIP teams and instruments an attempt to become like the world in order to ATTRACT the world?

Rubel Shelly and Randy Harris quote a writer (who they understand could not really throw away the old computer) to say--

"To get out of the (computer) traps, we need to revive the time-honored Aztec custom of

cyclical destruction and renewal.

But we'd need a much smaller Sun Calendar because our 'end-of-the-world' cycles should run five years, max." (Rubel Shelley - Randy Harris, Second Incarnation, p. 243)

See more of Randy Harris in trying to make the church of Christ a child of TRADITON rather than the Bible in DISCOVERING OUR ROOTS. We will show you how SCHOLARS read scholarly works but undoubtedly have never read men such as Martin Luther. Luther repudiates all of the false claims about Luther used to promote denominational roots.

But, the Aztecs also had an every 52 week Jubilee. Their calender had 360 days and 5 1/4 dayes of intense dread that without their help the social order and even the sky would collapse. This was quite similar to that held in Babylon as a new years festival. We have examined the Aztec Jubilee here. The catholic church used similar techniques to make a huge number of converts. However, the seekers brought their own religious practices with them.

The only way to be a prophet unless you are inspired is to imitat Jesus:

I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Jn.17:14

They kill prophets, you know. So don't expect to give up following the priests and take up with the prophets unless you are willing to be thrown into a cistern by those using the Guilt Clause:

Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt. Jer 38:4

So they took Jeremiah and put him into the cistern of Malkijah, the king's son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern; it had no water in it, only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud. Jer 38:6

The insurmountable obstacle keeping priests from ever being a prophet under the Law.

As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. John 12:47

There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word (Logos) which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. John 12:48

There are two arenas for human work:

> If any man speak,

let him speak as the oracles of God;

Paul insisted that elders or others "teach that which has been taught and rebuke those who oppose it." They have no other duty. Jesus defined as SONSHIP by saying that He spoke only that which He heard from the Father within. That meant that His words were Spirit and Life (John 6:63). Philosophical preachig repudiates the PATTERN of Jesus and the direct commands of Paul. However, if you have a human talent you are free to ENSLAVE yourself to aid people.

> if any man minister,

let him do it as of the ability which God giveth:

 

that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ,

to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:11

As a Prophetic Presence:

As the "Son" not even Jesus Christ would take on the role of the "Father." Therefore, He only spoke what He heard from the Father.

And the Lord said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. Deut 18:17

I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. Deut 18:18

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. Deut 18:19

But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name,

which I have not commanded him to speak,

or that shall speak in the name of other gods,

even that prophet shall die. Deut 18:20

We will see that Jesus identifies the Devil as a liar because he speaks on his own. Therefore, if we speak there is no "speaking" or "singing" role for anyone in the church which does not speak the Words of God. The way to be a prophesier in Corinth would be to say Amen or "This is the Word of the Lord." If it is my words then it is not an oracle, I am not a prophet and I am taking on God's role for myself:

Oracle is: Logion (g3051) log'-ee-on; neut. of 3052; an utterance of God: - oracle.

This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: Ac.7:38

Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. Ro. 3:2

For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. Heb.5:12

God does not need and will not tolerate human composers of "praise hymns" with the claim of superiority to Lord Jesus Christ. He gave no human the "supernatural gift" of being a musician, dancer or theatrical preacher in order to "facilitate" His Word. He spits you out.

As a Minister

You cannot fail to miss the point that public speaking, charismatic delivery, song writing, singing talent or the talent of playing instruments as a Divine gift. Therefore, there is no role for either in the assembly.

A minister is:

Diakoneo (g1247) dee-ak-on-eh'-o; from 1249; to be an attendant, i.e. wait upon (menially or as a host, friend or [fig.] teacher); techn. to act as a Chr. deacon: - (ad-) minister (unto), serve, use the office of a deacon.

Some people have the gift of delivering the Word without cutting and pasting it to make it into some magical incantation. They have the ability to tell the story as it has been delivered. Because Scripture is not subject to "private interpretation" or further expounding, it takes a huge amount of talent to keep self and society out of the story.

Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Mt.20:28

Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Col.1:25

Jesus as the Image and Word of God does not "improvize" any more than our words improvise over our own Mind. To allow this to happen constitutes "speaking in tongues" and is a sign of spiritual confusion.

Therefore, Christ did not come as IMPROVISING SPEAKER but honored the word of the Father as the Oracle of God.

Christ did come as minister to deliver that word and to suffer and die as a prophet.

When we improvise we cease to be Christ-like, are guilty of the devil's sin of lying, and fail to be a minister.

I think that Jesus became ENRAGED when the Superstitious Musical Worship Team tried to perform their ritual with and for the dead. He cast them out "more or less violently" using a word which means "like ejecting dung." I think that He was truly hurt when Psalm 41's prediction that Judas would attempt to "triumph over" him with the mocking music of the Levitical Warrior Musicians came true.

Jesus declared that the Word is free and "worship" is free of the Burden Laders and their laded burdens. Rather than a pagan worship center Jesus promised to "Build my synagogue" which was even in the wilderness A School of the Bible. It has no staff infection and it has no LADED BURDENS of "programs" as the curse of the PYRAMID God inflicted on Israel when they FIRED God and demanded a human king so that they could worship like the nations. The school has a "singing" part to "glorify God with one voice" by "speaking that which is written." However, it is ANTI-Christian and Anti-synagogue to inflict or afflict the congregation with performance music:

Funny thing about those who ridicule "the boring first service." They believe that they can look at a person who may be the only person truly worshiping God "in spirit" or in mind and accusing them of being bored or morose, like John the Baptist, because he didn't participate in the social meals with eating and drinking.

The problem with a brand new patternism from downtown Babylon is that it seeks to find people interested in externals such as performance preaching, musical or theatrical performance and someone to tell them that they are just fine. The result will be a fellowship built of carnal minds:

Adolf Hitler: Finally, in view of the superficial character of men, there is the great danger that they will see the essential task of a movement in this purely outward formulation of a program. Then the will and the power to fight for an idea recede, and the activity which should turn outward will wear itself out in inner programmatic squabbles.

"Based on the concept of an organic pattern in the life course of civilization, a morphology of history: the idea that every culture has its period of youth, its period of culmination, its years then of beginning to totter with age and of striving to hold itself together by means of rational planning, projects, and organization, only finally to terminate in decrepitude, petrification... and no more life. Moreover, in this view of Spengler's, we were at present on the point of passing from what he called the period of Culture to Civilization, which is to say, from our periods of youthful, spontaneous, and wonderful creativity to those of

uncertainty and anxiety, contrived programs, and the beginning of the end." (Campbell, Joseph, Myths to Live By, p. 84)

But, you cannot look at a person and be so cock sure that you know whether they are or are not worshiping.

What is the collective period but some external activity. You certainly have no time for the human "spirit" to listen to or talk to God as Spirit. And Sistern Singers and musical instruments may remove the bordom but you cannot worship while watching and listening to someone else perform.

When Judas as the agent of Satan conspired with the clergy to TRIUMPH OVER Jesus He got dead. He implicated them in attacking John the Baptist as the anti-type of Elijah.

Ahab brought Jezebel to Samaria and built a "temple of Baal," with an image of Asherah, the mother goddess (1 Kings 16:32-33). The Baal was Baal-Melkart who was the official god of Tyre.

"The Canaanite Baalism which had been practiced since Israel came into the land now had an official sponsor at the highest levels of power. Jezebel was not content to worship in her private temple but imported hundreds of prophets and put them on the public payroll just as God had warned. She went further to kill the prophets and tear down the altars for the worship of God. She was typical of the foreign wives who brought ecstatic worship into the nation of Israel and Judah. Of her it is said--

"But Jezebel was not content with maintaining a private shrine where she herself might practice her own religion; she appears to have organized the worship of Melqart on a fairly large scale and maintained a large staff of cultic officials, who enjoyed positions of influence at court. The worship of Melqart was essentially Canaanite in character, and its introduction into Israel led to a great revival of Canaanite worship of Baal and Asherah." (Bruce, F. F., Israel, p. 44).

These are Asherah poles. The old woodcut shows the Jews bowing to the S.U.N. in the east while the women musically lamented for Tammuz in the temple.

All prophets were troublemakers. That was why God sent them. Therefore, Elijah rejected the Baal ecstasy and was confronted by Ahab who called him "you troubler of Israel." Elijah replied rejecting the Guilt Clause:

"I have not made trouble for Israel," Elijah replied.

"But you and your father's family have.

You have abandoned the Lord's commands and

have followed the Baals. 1 Ki 18:18

God turned Israel over to worship the starry host and it comes as no surprise that what we see as powerful proof text for performance "worship" is the worship of the nature god.

Astrology is one of the primary methods of obtaining a message from the dead.

"Manesseh also cultivated star and planetary worship (II Kings 21:3, 5) and the cult of Moloch, an Ammonite deity, whose worship was closely connected with astral divination (Amos 5:25, 26 Acts 7:41-43) and whose ritual was characterized by parents sacrificing their children by compelling them to pass through or into a furnace of fire." (Unger, Merrill, Archaeology and the Old Testament, Zondervan, P. 279)

Enoch and and other writers identify the STARS or wandering stars (sun, moon, planets) as real men who followed Satan as their lord and tried to defeat God's word with music and the worship of persons:

"We know that Canaanite prophets were organized in guilds centered on the larger sanctuaries, as, for example, 'the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the Asherah four hundred,' with whom Elijah had memorable dealings on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18). Similarly, Israelite cultic prophets were to be found in and around the sanctuaries, roving about in rowdy troops, working themselves up into frenzies by dancing and music,

and uttering semi-coherent oracles (praise tunes)

which the credulous accepted as divinely inspired." (Heaton, E. W., Everyday Life in the Old Testament, p. 221, Scribners)

"The priest stands on the threshold (of the temple) and awakens the god calling to him in the Egyptian language." This is how Arnobius mocks the ritual of Isis:

'Why these revels you sing each morning to awaken him, accompanying your songs on the flute? Do the gods go to sleep, then, that they need to be awakened?'

At Delphi the Thyads went to waken the young Dionysus, just as at Rhodes Bacchus woke gently from his sleep to the sound of the hydraulic organ." (de Vaux, p. 246).

"We even have a mention at a later date of a similar custom in connection with the cult in Jerusalem, where certain Levites, called me'oreim, 'arousers,' sang (every morning?) this verse from Ps 44:23: "Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever." The Talmud tells us that John Hyrcanus suppressed the practice because it recalled too readily a pagan custom." (de Vaux, p. 247).

Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. Psalm 57:8

Shachar (h7337) shakh'-ar; from 7835; dawn (lit., fig. or adv.): - day (spring), early, light, morning, whence riseth.

Shachar was the father of Lucifer.

"A similar practice is attested in connection with the cult of Herakles-Melkart. According to Menander, as he is quoted by Josephus, the king Hiram, who was a contemporary of Solomon, rebuilt the temples of Tyre and, 'he was the first to celebrate the awakening of Heracles in the month of Peritius. It is very likely that an inscription from Amman contains a reference to an 'arouser' of Herakles... In an inscription from Cyprus... there are references to important personages who bear the title Mqm'lm which we can translate as 'arouser of god."

"The Hithpa'el of nb', in the ancient texts, refers to ecstasy and delirium rather than to the emission of a 'prophecy,' 1 Sam. 10:5; 18:10; 19:20f). (de Vaux, p. 243)

And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot. Isaiah 23:15

"Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered. Isaiah 23:16

Karen Armstrong says so perfectly:

"Unlike the pagan deities, Yahweh was not in any of the forces of nature but in a realm apart. He is experienced in the scarcely perceptible timbre of a tiny breeze in the paradox of a voiced silence." (Armstrong, p. 27)

What John wrote was that:

This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested (made himself manifest) forth his glory (dignity or good reputation); and his disciples believed on him. John 2:11

Scholars have noted that to accuse Jesus of making intoxicating wine for an about to become pregnant bride is a deliberate assault upon the character of God.

However, if Jesus as the Lamb has a Rod of Iron this may have been the first sign that God will pour out His wrath in the form of intoxicating wine. Rarely did people who were in the party spirit with wine, women and music listen to Jesus.

If Jesus manufactured real wine it was a supernatural SIGN of His judgment against those who would have been engaged in music which is singing and dancing, drinking and not able to comprehend that God had manifest Himself to them.

The temple or rather courtyard event of Jesus was another sign of His wrath against commercial "seeker" forms of religion. He tore down the temple once again and testified eloquently to the use of music in animal sacrifices as a million Jews perished but not one believer.

Amos calls the musical performers "the cows of Bashan."

If we just hadn't missed that Mount Sinai was musical idolatry as a sign to God that the unfaithful, idolatrous Israelites in Egypt could "take the vow" and then rise up to repeat the worship of the golden calf!

The Covenant demanded but permitted external sacrifices but it was fundamentally an "oral covenant of Grace." When Israel repudiated God with Idolatrous external worship God "turned them over to worship the starry host."

Animal sacrifices reached their peak with a pyramidaly priesthood under the Temple which was quite identical to the temple of the nations to whom God again turned them over.

The common people never "worshiped with congregational singing and instrumental accompaniment under the Monarchy. They "synagogued" from the very beginning where faithful priests taught in their communities.

The Jewish "people's congregation" never had a praise service in the synagogue which often met in the outer courts where the money changers set up their shops.

Therefore, there was no "spiritual form" ever in connection with the Temple. On the other hand, the Pharisees ran the Synagogue. They were "post modern" in that they changed the rules just to keep from obeying God's "direct commands."

Jesus left no forms for "external worship." When we meet in assembly or synagogue we meet to learn the Word of Christ (Spirit) and honor Him. There are no forms in the sense of "liturgy" which must be performed either by clergy or laity.

A ritual means that something magical happens as a result of the performance. For instance, singing praise songs are even as we write being sold as letting us help God do His Work. Eating the Lord's Supper is a simple memorial of the DEATH of Christ but there is no magic attached except for those who call it Holy Communion or The Eucharist. Singing during communion is believed to AID the worshiper in concentrating on the body of Christ. Of course (snicker) everyone knows that it isn''t Christ's body being viewed.

God doesn't just show up for "plenary session." Jesus promised that He would be with us any time we are engaged in seeking Him through His Word. Paul told Timothy how to worship by "giving attendance to the public reading of the Word to doctrine and to prayer." If we get exhilarated or enraptured (raped) then we are engaged in body worship and not in spirit worship. When we truly sense the presence of God we spiritually fall on our face and say: "Speak Lord, we are silently listening."

No, lets not get off their backs. They had moved themselves beyond redemption and Jesus refused to speak to the multitudes except in parables. They "took away the key to knowledge" because they refused to read or chant (sing) it so that others could memorize and understand revealed Scripture. Their cardinal sin was "sermonizing" the Scripture.

Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. John 8:41

Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. John 8:42

Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. John 8:43

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.

When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. John 8:44

Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. Jn 7:16

If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. Jn 7:17

Catch the logic? If Jesus did not speak what He heard from the Father, he would be just like the devil: a liar!

Why is there so much sermonizing and versifying that which the Holy Spirit can say so eloquently without a Phd? Why are the dressed up, wired up, amplified, IMAGE OF WHAT GOD WANTS US TO LOOK LIKE (Willow Creek and Saddleback's message). Jesus doesn't allow you to wedge in your motive "but we are all sincere." There is only one possible answer:

He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. Jn.7:18

Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me? Jn 7:19

Dr. Shelly and John York see this as a "pattern for Christian worship and community." But Jesus knew that when they "rose up to play" it was in musical idolatry. God turned them over to worship the starry host because they were beyond redemption. They didn't speak the words of Moses because as artists they WERE SEEKING THEIR OWN GLORY.

Oh, Please! His church and Jubilee did take in hand the highly-organized effort to restructure all churches of Christ into its own image. This writer well remembers the year when Jubilee would introduce a New Style Worship. Of course, this would convert church from synagogue to theater for performance preaching and music. This was to affirm and make everyone feel good about themselves. In fact, however, this was the most judgmental and divisive effort in this writer's 70 years. We can still see the backdrop of Asherah poles with the hand-waving male singers and preachers. We could hear the gongs and clangs of instrumental music in the background. And we could watch the enforced practice of "raising holy hands" and "laying on of hands" as if the church needed to be a wineskin worship which meant an exhilarating experience.

"Whatever form its social ramifications may have taken, the Jubilee was, and remained, a religious affair, for the atonement of sin (see Lev. XXV, 9)."

This along with the ZOE movement encouraged "students" to return home and change peacable churches into "venue" for "the idolatry of talent." Those with less Biblical background easily moved into instrumental music as they used very devious methods to slowly exchange the old style worshipers and infiltrated Christian church members. One of the change methods is to keep hammering away at the idea of rejecting instrumental music is proof of your rustic ignorance and judgmental spirit. Goebels said:

'if you repeat a lie often enough, the public will believe it'.

We noted in another review that Jesus did die for A Cappella singing. How is that? He did it by abrogating animal sacrifices which was the only legitimate (legalistic) role for instrumental noise.

Christ died to take the doctors of the Law who "took away the key to knowledge" off the backs of the people used like pack animals. Their burden was "spiritual anxiety created by religious ritual." Jesus died to give us REST. That means to "come aside beside still waters and I will explain how a black hole eats a galaxy for lunch." Jesus only sent out men who would preach the Word as they had received it just as He spoke the Father's words to prove that He was not a glory hound.

First, it is a serious blunder to define churches of Christ as just another denomination. A denomination by all definitions is one which has a creed, organization, headquarters, money collecting power, creed-writing and changing power, and command and control of all churches under it.

The fact that the church of Christ "denominates" itself with the one "name" which has universal Biblical and historical witness does not make it a denomination.

No. Our mission is not to sit in judgment. Our mission is to GO and preach the gospel and let God sort out how one should respond to it without developing a "spirituality through sermonizing" or "moving into God's presence" with the musical team being the mediators. Perhaps we now need a "Ministry of Humility and How I achieved it."

When Jesus came it was to burn up the chaff of those who "get pregnant on straw and give birth to stubble." This was the baptism of fire:

Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy. Isaiah 54:16

No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn (refute). This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord. Isaiah 54:17

HO, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Isaiah 55:1

Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Isaiah 55:2

Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Isaiah 55:3

The Amos and Isaiah musical worship theme is that the people hungered and thirsted for the Water of the Word.

The established congregation has no "dominant clergy" but according to Paul:

For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; Titus 1:7

But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; Titus 1:8

He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. Titus 1:9

We know that the TWIN TOWERS of the anti-church of Christ antism are our views on instrumental music and our views on the role of baptism. Therefore, the internet and Sunday sermonizing always hits those who don't believe in instruments for clear Biblical reasons over the head to keep them silent. This is harsh judgmentalism.

"Freedom of religion" does not mean freedom from teaching and criticism. Why, even Dr. Shelly in this sermon does a pretty harsh judgmental treatement of those who still hold up the twin towers.

Most of us do not have this horrendeous COSMIC view that we have to fellowship everyone or we are "brother killers." We have to fall on our faces and confess that we fractured the church over music to take away the guilt of the sectarians who added music after over 1800 years of church history against it.

We have to "worship with them" and eat donuts to say how sorry we are that they stole our buildings (the houses of widows) and forced us to meet in city hall while they confiscated the expensive property.

Scuse me! I don't have a God-like burden for those who deliberately did and do as we speak sow discord among brethren just so they can pay off their new buildings and grounds and hire (yea, in the 1860s) an organist for $5,000.oo a year.

Those of us who have not graduated from Post Modern University (PMU) stil believe in the first ammendment and the demand to teach and refute those who use force to try to pervert the church from "synagogue" to pagan worship center as a showcase for theatrical performance. The musicians (always the harem of the king) pretended to worship the gods but since the king (even David) was the god's agent then the team worshiped the king. Even David worshiped David for being loved by God because of his unspotted righteousness!

Humility is something I should have so that I will not "oppose" God's designated change agent, selected and trained by the sovereign grace of God.

No, that is called cowardice and the "musicians" of Israel's army had the sole purpose of pulling the strings of the army and of instilling panic in the enemy so that they turned coward and ran. However:

"If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every part of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at the moment attacking, then I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Him. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady on all battlefields besides is merely flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point." Martin Luther

Funny, Jesus never said anything about collection plates. Jesus paid the temple tax and said that "the sons are free." He commanded that our hand give alms into the hand of the poor and disparaged those who made a show or "act" out of giving. The collection plates in the treasury (not in the temple) were called "trumpets" perhaps looking much like spittons and made a ringing noise celebrating the giver with a plaque or stained glass window or a write up.

How outrageous to suggest that widows and most EMPLOYED workers barely get by. Their task, to keep them from being infidels, is to provide for their own. GOD'S WILL gets done by the hands of the PARENTS and not by a hired STAFF INFECTION. But whatever is NOT put into the unlawful collection plate "The rest is ours for our selfish purposes." We have reviewed Dr. Shelly's TITHING stuff. Tithing, like the sacrificial "music" repudiates the finished work of Jesus Christ which drags both sacrifices and tithes to support them and "music" or noise to aid the poor priests endure the HORRORS.

The old MODERN Bible repudiates Tithing, the Collection Plates and the horrors of being held guildty of SELFISH PURPOSES for sending the money THEY worked to earn. The preacher without a GO button does not have the claim of a penny or the power to ride on the backs of widows and honest working people:

BUT a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, Acts 5:1

And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles feet. Acts 5:2

But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Acts 5:3

Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. Acts 5:4

Maybe Peter is repudiated as one of those divided epistle writers. However, in Acts he speaks of Jesus Christ by saying that YOU OWE NOTHING.

We OWE help to the poor. We owe the institution nothing. We participate because we have ownership. Howver, when we determine that the banner of participation is a pirate's flage we do not OWE anything.

The Jews tithed on rented tribal lands which were already cleared, stocked, planted and perhaps had a house on it. They tithed only the food produced on the free land as we would pay rent. No one ever tithed money although certain civil taxes were imposed.

So I thought it necessary to urge the brethren to go on to you before me, and arrange in advance for this gift you have promised, so that it may be ready not as an exaction but as a willing gift. 2 Cor 9:5

Making free will giving into a requirement to escape SELFISHNESS makes the church into a legalistic institution and a thief:

So I have asked these other brothers to arrive ahead of me to see that the gift you promised is on hand and waiting. I want it to be a real gift and not look as if it were being given under pressure. 2 Cor 9:5

Plenoecia (g4124) pleh-on-ex-ee'-ah; from 4123; avarice, i.e. (by impl.) fraudulency, extortion: - covetous (-ness) practices, greediness.

Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: Mk.7:22

BUT there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2Pe. 2:1

And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 2Pe. 2:2

And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 2 Pe.2:3

As Jesus identified the Jewish clergy as sons of Satan and a brood of vipers, Peter and Jude will identify these men as "wandering stars" or offspring of the fallen angels worshiped musically as Lucifer (ZOE) or the Logos of the Greeks.

Enoch says that God will come with ten thousand of His Host to PASS JUDGMENT. These are the ones who belittle the Word of God and substitue their own. In the Book of Jubilees and other parallel accounts these are the "musical worship teams" organized by Satan to take the people's mind off the Living Word. You can tell the difference: is he a get by, sacrificial preacher of the Word or is he a rich figurehead paid as an idol to attract the money givers?

Only those who INTRODUCED musical instruments after 2,000 years of it being repudiated by all older scholarship are the SECTARIANS and delibert sowers of discord. The new Antiism does a good job of comparing REJECTING INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC to whether we "pinch" or "snap" the bread. This is no remotely the truth. The scholars are not permitted to know that music has no other source than Satan who uses it to bleed off worship from God.

McGarvey understood that even to object to the forced instruments in your own congregation stirs up the attack agents willing to SHIFT THE BLAME: The guy who shoots you in the heart loudly blames you for squiriting blood on his shirt.

In doing this I am aware that I shall subject myself to the sneers of

some who have learned to speak with contempt of all persons, however sincere and well informed, who claim to have conscientious objections to the practice in question.

that I shall be regarded by some who are indifferent on the subject as needlessly agitating a question the discussion of which they consider harmful; and that others who lament with me the steady progress which this innovation is making among the disciples will think that I am wasting time in battling against the Inevitable.

That a vast amount of evil has been occasioned by the introduction of instrumental music into Christian worship is undeniable.

Beginning with the first instance of it among us which I can remember that which caused a schism in the church in St. Louis in the year 1869 (Our Note:1851 Midway KY by a liberal over the physical objections of the elder),

its progress has been attended by strife, alienation, and division,

with all their attendant evils, in hundreds of congregations.

Before this it had bred similar evils among Methodist societies and Baptist and Presbyterian churches; for all these bodies in their early days knowing that the practice originated in the Roman Catholic Church, regarded it as a Romish corruption and refused to tolerate it until it was forced upon them by the spirit of innovation which characterized the present century.

The Catholic Encyclopedia still says because there was no authority:

We must not forget that most of these adjuncts to worship, like music, lights, perfumes, ablutions, floral decorations, canopies, fans, screens, bells, vestments, etc.

were not identified with any idolatrous cult in particular; they were common to almost all cults.

How can it be a mark of minimal honesty to blame Christians who have always repudiated the use of non-Scriptural songs and Instrumental music with SECTARIANISM for refusing to BEGIN to do that which they HAVE NEVER DONE? Doesn't ALL definitions blame as SECTARIANS those who introduce a divisive practice without a DIRECT COMMAND from God with sowing discord and being heretics? But the good doctor of the Law:

we would never have fragmented the body of Christ over head coverings, musical instruments,

That is true and we wonder why Rubel Shelly and academic wrecking crew are intent on fragmenting the rest of the body not already under music? There is a very strange problem with so many that they SHIFT THE BLAME. We claim with no reason for being contradicted that they claim of DOCTOR OF THE LAW means in the words of Jesus Christ that "they take away the key to knowledge" and are therefore self deluded into believing their false claim

Their spiritual descendants still blame anyone who would repudiate INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC with trying to destroy the "brotherhood." But the GUILT CLAUSE is well documented and used by Satan's agents to attack any opposition so that HIS will including MUSIC is carried out.

Jesus repudiated music and musicians but that is another story.

WE who fragmented the body of Christ were WE who violated the theological truth and non-Catholic practice for 1800 years. WE, competing with civil-war-made-rich northern city churches have to have the tallest spire (phallic symbol) and we have to have the best CHOIR and we have to have the best organist.

Dr. Shelly has a grand way of lumping instrumental music with things which are not issues for most people.

But, say the Biblical literate, you know that this is not scriptural and you know that you will sow discord and you will offend these little ones and you will steal the church house of widows and you will force Bible believers to leave. And THEY said: "But we can replace YOU with more wealthy members SEEKING to be entertained." So, Get Real or Get Out.

Those who had their "widow's houses" stolen are identified by Rubel Shelly as those who fractured the church over instruments!

But, YOU should repent, confess and fellowship US and add instruments to ATONE for what WE did to YOU.

My engineering-science education just cannot penetrate this the most ancient guilt clause. But, Jesus could.

Now, if you remember how Jesus was made dead by those who made him mad, here is the punch l