01.03. Blessed or Cursed?

Blessed or Cursed? by Clint Branham clint@AwakenedChurch.com http://AwakenedChurch.com

How many of modern evangelical church-goers are just going thru the motions of church and worship, feeling that something is missing or a general apathy toward worship and church? Far too many.

I will attempt to show that this apathy and emptiness is a result of the practices of the modern church are in direct contradiction with scripture, and as a result; the Church is reaping a Curse.

Stephen was stoned to death because of False accusations of blaspheming the Temple and the Law.

Acts 6:8-14 KJV And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council, And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us.

C.H. Spurgeon called by many - one of the greatest Preachers of the 19^th century, preached extensively about the role of the Law in the Church:

“Now, what has our Lord to do with the law? He has everything to do with it, for he is its end for the noblest object, namely, for righteousness. He is the "end of the law." What does this mean? I think it signifies three things: first, that Christ is the purpose and object of the law; secondly, that he is the fulfillment of it; and thirdly, that he is the termination of it.” Do Spurgeon’s statements align with Scripture? The Bible is clear that Stephen was stoned because of False accusations:

Acts 6:13-14 KJV And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us. The False witnesses said these things; Stephen never spoke against the Law, customs of Moses or that Jesus did away with the Law.

Paul was also falsely accused while in Corinth:

Acts 18:12-13 KJV And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat, Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law.

Paul was again falsely accused at the Temple:

Acts 21:27-28 KJV And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him, Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.

What the Bible recorded as the false accusations of Stephen and Paul; Spurgeon and all modern evangelical preachers have taken these false accusations and twisted them to be accepted as truth - and the basis for hundreds of denominations. The Bible is very clear about such teachings:

2 Peter 3:15-17 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him has written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable twist, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. You therefore, beloved, seeing you know these things beforehand, beware lest you also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. This is a warning to all believers, not to follow such teachings, or teachers. These same types of teachers are spoken of in Matthew:

Matthew 7:22-23 KJV Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Iniquity is an unfamiliar term to most of us. Vine’s Dictionary of New Testament terms defines iniquity as: “lit., "lawlessness" (a, negative, nomos, "law"), is used in a way which indicates the meaning as being lawlessness or wickedness.”

1 John 3:4 KJV Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. When the modern church accepted what Spurgeon preached: “that he (Christ) is the termination of it (the Law)” the Church has adopted the doctrine of iniquity – lawlessness.

What is the logical conclusion to this lawlessness doctrine?

Here is the logical progression of this type thought:

1.    Christ terminated the Law.

2.    We are under grace, only.

3.    We aren’t under the Law.

4.    Without the Law there is no Sin.

5.    Without Sin all things are permissible.

6.All things are forgiven – we are under Grace. This is borne out in the culture of the modern church:

·    General disdain for families with over 3 children (the birthrate in the church is the same as the general population)

·Segregation of families (nursery, children’s church, youth ministries, college ministries, young adults, senior adults) ·Children and youth who do not respect their parents.

·    Youth ministries that supersede parental authority and go against scripture.

·Teens and youth leaving the Church (over 85% of “church youth” who are college freshmen stop attending church) ·Teenage promiscuity ·Out of wedlock pregnancies ·Couples choosing not to marry.

·    Marriages that end in divorce. (the modern church’s divorce rate is Higher than Atheists)

·Church leaders with public moral failures… (Jimmy Swaggard, Jim Baaker, Ted Haggard, plus hundreds, if not thousands of others that are not public) ·Tolerance of homosexuality ·Embracing homosexuality ·Homosexual Marriage ·Homosexual Clergy from the Lutheran, Methodist, Episcopalian and other denominations ·Catholic Priests accused of molesting thousands of boys.

If lawlessness is left un-checked it leads to Anarchy. – WordNet by Princeton University defines anarchy as: “lawlessness (a state of lawlessness and disorder (usually resulting from a failure of government))”.

John 17:17 KJV Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Jesus is praying to the Father, and prays for US to be sanctified thru the Father’s truth – His Word. At the time His Word was what we call “The Old Testament” the “New Testament” was years away from being penned.

If “His Word is truth” how could Jesus do away with any part of it? If we do away with the truth what are we accepting? Untruth, Lies. Does The Father or Jesus ever accept Untruth? No. Could they accept lies? No.

Proverbs 28:4 KJV They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.

Proverbs 28:9 KJV He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.

What else does Scripture have to say about ignoring the Law?

Deuteronomy 27:26 KJV Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Deuteronomy 28:15 KJV But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:

Deuteronomy 28:41-46 KJV Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity. All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume. The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low. He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail. Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee: And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever.

John 7:49 KJV But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed. By adopting a “grace only” doctrine, the church has forsaken the warnings throughout scripture and is reaping the curse.

Isaiah 5:20-24 KJV  Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!  Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!  Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:  Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!  Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Woe unto the Modern Evangelical Church!

Deuteronomy 11:26-28 KJV Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.