Offences And Forgiveness

       Does Jesus Christ forgive the offences and sins of church leaders,  if there has been no  confession  of guilt and repentance?  The answer is an absolute no! Then does Christ forgive church members who cover over and condone offences and sins of ministers, by their continued fellowship and financial support, and their lack  of confrontation  and standing against such sins and offences?  Again, the answer is no! Christ is taking into  account and record all offences, sins, and all of the looking over and covering up  of such sins and trespasses against Him and His brethren, where there has been no repentance!

     Offences are sins that create and bring on oppression against the brethren, and can cause them to stumble, and can even cause Christ's children to fall in their desire to work out their salvation, to receive eternal life. Offences are sins that involve lies, false teachings,  false accusations, injustices, or evil judgments, committed through words and actions by ministers against brethren, which causes them to be mislead, to be deceived, to be disfellowshipped, to stumble in their worship of God, and obeying His Word and law.  

       Offences are any violation of God's moral law, His Ten Commandments, that attacks and assaults Christ's sheep and causes them to stumble, and even fall in their calling to become a child of God. Offences have come against the sheep of the Churches of God under the cover of church leadership, confessing they are God's appointed ministers, appointed to rule over the confessed to be true Church of God. This leadership was and still is shepherded by a proud shepherd, and his foolish instruments,  or hirelings, who confess they are  of a special class, a higher church order, that have been called to do God's special work, because they have especially been chosen by Christ to be "God's special, anointed ministers."   

      In reality, they and their work has been of Satan and his work, and can be proved to be so by any thinking member, because they have created division, hatred, strife, confusion and turmoil among its members, which is all of Satan. They,  with their special work, have  committed offences of oppression, that opposes and puts burdens on church members, which comes only from Satan and his transformed ministers of light, because it stifles, suppresses, keeps down, or holds back every member's spiritual growth, and  even kills him spiritually, causing some in their new, spiritual life to be aborted in their calling. This church leadership has put a new, corrupted meaning on Christ's command of taking in the stranger, a new person in the faith, Mat. 25:35, "I was a stranger and you took me in---". They take him in, and then possess him with their ways of the flesh, motivated by Satan's spirit. Christ says you can know them by their fruit, Mat.7:15-16, and their fruit proves them to be not the Church of God  and body that Christ is building, but the church, or synagogue of Satan.

      This Church of God leadership and its "confessed to  be special work,"  has caused offences of oppression to be committed against Christ's sheep  through their church government, and  their commandments of men, that tyrannically governs the members in their new, spiritual lives (as strangers in the faith) through intimidation, fear tactics, evil threats, and unjust discipline. The new people (strangers) are led into becoming members of  the Church of God because of some truth, but mixed with error, taught as being from His Scripture. They have come out from a world  and governments that are filled with oppression, and are led, or drawn, into the church of God organization of men, which, instead of relieving them of offences and oppression they have experienced in the world, the church leadership  and its church government brings even greater oppression upon them, with greater offences.

      The church leadership, in addition to its tyrannical church government, oppresses the brethren by a fear tactic of keeping them under a financial burden by monopolizing their hard worked for money, through an oppressive tithing system, as being God's command, truth mixed with much error, along with their shepherd's continual, heart wrenching, gunlap, emergency cries to send more, and more, and more of the poor brethren's hard worked for money, that is called for and expected to be given, even above the 3 tithes  and offerings that those ministers command. Once again they have put a new corrupted meaning on the word tithe, by teaching the tithe to mean 30% instead God's taught meaning of 10%. Nowhere in Christ's Word does God command 3 tithes,  or even 2 tithes, and all of the severe financial oppression that the church leadership has been and is still guilty of, by their commands of 3 tithes. By and through this tithing system, ministers of the Churches of God, are extorting by a spiritual coercion and command, money that is not theirs, from the lowly and meek brethren of Jesus Christ.

      God does command a tithe? Read our article on tithing, "Does God Command Tithing." In addition to this false teaching about  the tithing system, no where in Christ's Word did  He command His followers  of the New  Covenant to have a central, ministerial, headquarters office, to receive the brethren's tithes and offerings. Are the ministers really studying and  proving all of these things, to correct this oppression, offences, and sins? No, because they are the recipients of such money monopoly and extortion, and have been living a work free life, off the brethren for many years, and the lowly brethren will not study God's Word to prove how they have been used and abused to support a ministry not appointed of God.

      In Ezek 34: 3-4, God makes the truth plain - "You (ministers) eat the fat (living off the sheep), and you clothe yourselves with wool (the finest and best of living off of the sheep while they struggle  with that heavy, church commanded, giving burden, to live their life), you kill them that are fed (you destroy and cast out them that come to be fed spiritually,  and when they confront your corrupted leadership): you feed not the flock, (sermons are the same old boring, lacking substance of meat and even milk, of the Spirit  of life and salvation.)  

     Verse 4 - "The diseased have you not strengthened, neither have you healed that which was sick, (members are sick and dying because they are not fed information how they can be healthy, restored, healed, and  how to prevent illnesses), neither have you bound up that which was broken, (members suffering from curses of their sins are not shown how to be lifted up and be freed of their sins), neither have you brought again that which was driven away, neither have you sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have you ruled them, (ministers of the Churches of God have not repented of their evil disfellowshipping, of driving brethren away from the fellowship, nor have they sought them, to bring them back and apologize to them for the leadership of evil actions and cruel governing. Instead, they threaten any other member with disfellowship that even  would so much as call the ones that have been cast out. The brethren are fearful of confronting the minister, who took on himself his unauthorized action and authority, Mat. 18:15-17. This  is all the force and cruelty of a corrupted, dictatorial, hierarchical, church government of men, not God!

      This  church-instituted, tithing system has been,  and is today, an offence  of  oppression and stumbling against the brethren, and comes as the result of   false ministers' greed and coveteousness, and that God's Word says, they can never get enough from the brethren,  Isa. 56:11, -- "greedy dogs that can never have enough and shepherds that cannot understand."  These offences are sins carried out through a power hungry, church hierarchy, that is without understanding. Has there ever been any real repentance and change church wide, from committing such offences and evil work? NO, NONE WHATSOEVER that has been made public, and especially from the leadership of all the larger Churches of God! This is all the work of Satan, and against the will of the Father and Jesus Christ. Christ says in His coming Judgment,  that He will be a swift witness against all such church leadership, as offenders. Please read and understand Mal. 3:5, along with Pro.22:16, Ps.103:6. Where there is repentance there is forgiveness and mercy. These offences have not been forgiven, because there has been no repentance or change!

       How serious is Christ's judgment for such offenses, committed against brethren, the lowly, meek ones, that Christ has called and chosen? These sins and their penalty, are all extremely serious, but everyone needs to read it from Jesus Christ's own Words, and what He says, in Luke 17: 2, "It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones." Christ continues in V. 3, "Take heed to yourselves: If your brother trespass against you, rebuke him (confront him): and if he repents, forgive him." V. 4, And if he trespass against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turns again to you saying, I repent:  you shalt forgive him."

      These verses plainly teach what is Christ's judgment for offences, and these verses also teach His mercy, that forgiveness should always be available from church members for trespasses,  or offences, committed against them. However, these verses teach also a principle that is left out in most teaching, and that is; that repentance is necessary to receive forgiveness, and that the repentance should always be a "from the heart repentance," not a "lip service repentance." In the Churches of God it is extremely rare, if any repentance  from the ministry is ever made for offences against a brother and all brethren, and yet  many members, because of false teachings, are expected to forgive those offences, to look over all such offences, without any repentance from the offending minister, or an offending member. This false belief is looked upon and accepted as covering over for the minister, keeping the minister exalted on his evil throne (which is not love), and by this covering up of his sin, or offence, keeps the brethren in a false peace, creating a false unity, a sinful body, through their faulty understanding, and is one of the reasons why there is so much division.

       Does God forgive the offences and sins  of anyone unless there is repentance of a changed heart? No, He most absolutely does not, and neither does He expect any brother  of the faith to do so, if the Father and Jesus Christ are living in him. If one does forgive that person without his repentance, he  is adding to his wickedness  that is being committed by him, and this will not  produce love. It must be understood that repentance must always be first to God, and then to the offended member. It does not seem brethren have learned what John the Baptist, Paul and the other apostles have said about repentance, and that is; that all repentance must have works befitting of a changed heart, and behavior, or it is a vain exercise, of a vain religion, by vain men, Acts 26:20, Luke 3:8, James 2:9-11, 16.  Have ministers and members forgotten there is a judgment for offences and sins? Their fruit  bears witness, and the answer to that question.  

       Then does God look over and forgive  the  offences of ministers, their presumptuous sins, and even their sins of ignorance, if there is no repentance? He absolutely does not, even though many ministers and brethren live their lives as if He does. They are self-deceived and living as they have need of nothing! God is not a respecter of persons with any members, whether he be a professed, and man-appointed apostle, evangelist, pastor, or a lowly member.  Study and think about what Christ says in Luke 12:47 - "And that servant (minister or member), which knew his Lord's will (that God demands repentance for offences) and prepared not himself, (did not repent of  his sins of offence), neither did according to his will (did not recognize Christ's word and command in his conduct), shall be beaten with many stripes, (much punishment).

     In verse 48 Christ says -- " But he that knew not (was ignorant and did not study God's Word to know) and did commit things (by committing offences, or sins, by their supporting those ministers  in their offences) worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes (less punishment)---." God is firm, the same yesterday, today, and forever, with all of His people, and is not a respecter persons, as He is accepted by some to be, as in the case with a minister. He says the wages of sin is death, and He does mean what He says,  and that includes all of our offences, whether they are offences of stumbling blocks, that have been put in the way of brethren to cause them to stumble at keeping God's commandments, or cause them to be led into any temptation to break them, or any sin that is committed against God, and any brother.

     The Church of God leadership has committed, and caused to be committed grievous offences and sins against the brethren! How? First example; The church leadership, which includes most all of the ministry, has supported and taught a man-made commandment, that commands an oppressive tithing system, in addition to many kinds of special, emergency offerings, along with a tithe of  the tithe, which God plainly says was the command for the minister, but was taught to be for the member. This additional burden was put on the brethren (as if their commanded 3  tithes was not enough), along with a building fund of the past, for building buildings,  plus offices for the higher up ministry. This  extra building fund was asked to be (can you believe it) an additional pledge offering, to build an elegant auditorium, to serve the ministers and their families, to meet in on the Sabbath, and to impress the world,  which now has been sold, and  the monies pocketed for the ministers' retirement and expenses. What a rip off  against the brethren! What a waste of  the offerings of brethren, given from hard earned money from them, causing their families to go without needs. It is like putting money down a rat hole, and the rats chewed up the money, and made their bed out of it!

     This has all been against the brethren and their meager, and many cases very low incomes, that kept them digging deeper and deeper and deeper into their low incomes, that was much, much, lower than the salaries of these false ministers, whose very high salaries were gotten through uncommanded tithes. This tithing system, and the continual called for urgent offerings  and the creation of the ministry itself, was built on this taking from the brethren  from a false doctrine, and it was  not from God and inspiration of His Spirit. It was built on their favorite, much preached Scripture, taken out of its context, and quoted often in their messages "it is more blessed to give than to receive."

      These monies were commanded to be sent to these ministers of Satan's transformed light, at their headquarters, to be distributed to all his ministers. If any member should ever use God's tithe in their own  life to do God's work and did not send in their tithes and offerings to  their man setup headquarters, those brethren, (if you can believe this) were accused of stealing from God!!!! In reality, it was the hierarchical ministers who were stealing from the brethren through a false tithing system, and then accusing the poor brethren of stealing from them. What arrogance and self-deception by a wicked church leadership who have been for years confiscating money from the beaten down brethren, all in the name of Christianity.

     This was, and is still being done today, in the name of God, and Jesus Christ and their "work." This is an excellent example of what it really means of taking God's name in vain.  All these called for tithes and offerings, and special offerings, such as the building fund, were given from the lowly, put down, and kept down sheep, and was believed and taught to  be for God's Work, and God's House (their auditorium). And  the brethren were constantly told this very loudly, cruelly, doggedly, by their head, foolish, idol shepherd, through words creating fear and intimidation, issued by him and his hirelings, which kept the sheep dumbed down, fearful, and in ignorance of what really was God's Word and commands on tithing, and what was really God's Work.  

     The funding for this elegant auditorium, was built from letters and pleas from the head shepherd, and asked to be special pledges from the brethren, that was to be above the 3 tithes, that was required of them. This auditorium was called by this foolish shepherd, the House of God, but which god was it? Without question, it was the house of the god of this world, Satan. In some instances, the brethren were begged, and asked to go borrow money, to support their created emergency that kept coming up, that was once again    to be given above their 3 tithes, to be sent in to their headquarters, in order to keep the lifestyle of the ministers up, in doing their work of teaching false doctrines, called "the work of God." The biggest part of the money sent in, went for the  living expenses of ministers, that put their rich lifestyle  well above the "barely getting by"  living of the brethren, and the rest of the money sent in, went to preach "their perverted government gospel." This was a grievous offence  and sin of the highest order, committed by these highly, exalted ministers, and the serving of their god, (Satan). This same tithing system is still in use today in most of the Churches of God. It is man's commandments, put upon all the brethren to obey! Brethren, you need to wake up and prove all things!!!

     This grievous, burdensome, oppressive, tithing and offering system of the Churches of God, is a terrible offence, committed against the brethren, that is not of God! Has there been an open acknowledgement, confession, and repentance on the part of the ministry, of such sins and offences? Why not? Is it because  they dare not look in the Scripture to see if they can find and prove where it is that God demands more than one commanded tithe, one commanded 10% plus offerings? If they cannot find a clearly named 2nd and 3rd tithe,  or the word, another tithe, then they would have to stop extracting  any tithes from the brethren, if they were honest with themselves and God, because the only commanded tithe, a 10% was first to be used by brethren to go before God at His commanded feast, because the father of each family was called to be the priest of his own family, and to do God's work  in their own life, and with what tithe was left, to continue to do God's work  in their own community.

     Any brethren today that is truly led by God's Spirit is more of a minister (servant) than many of these man-appointed false ministers, led by their own spirit and the spirit of Satan, who break God's law, and will not repent of their offences. Why support them? What have they accomplished? If the brethren could wake up and only understand this, then the ministry would have to get out of their houses and go to work, to obey and fulfill the commandment, "six days you shall labor and do all your work----," Ex. 20:9!

          Second example: The church leadership has committed offences against brethren by creating a church government, a top-down, oppressive authority, which still exists today, dominates and conquers the lives of the brethren, and rules over their salvation. This is a church government that rules with force and cruelty, and robs the brethren of their salvation,  true freedom, and peace in Christ, and  are ministers, who replace God, or Christ, as the Savior and leadership in the brethren's lives. This hierarchical, church government, governs by the effect of ruling and driving out the power, inspiration, influence, and growing effect of God's Spirit, in the lives of the brethren desiring Jesus Christ to live in them. This church government takes the place of God's Spirit in the sense of being the power administrator in the lives of church members, rather than the leading and guiding of God's great power and Spirit, I John 2:27!

         This Church of God, taught, government, gospel, and its fruit, parallels  and equals some of the same produced fruit of all the governments of Satan's kingdoms of this world. Those governments of Satan are repressive, offensive, oppressive, rebellious, divisive, discouraging, conquering, confusing, deceptive, destructive, wicked, and brings its people into captivity, prison, and eventual death, spiritually and physically! Jesus Christ came to this earth in the flesh,  to give His blood and Life for justification, and to give and make available  to man His Spirit, as the good news - Gospel, of how man can be lifted up from this type of Government system, and not to be thrust into a greater depth of  it spiritually, by Satan's church system, which incorporates the same oppressive system in the Churches of God.

       Jesus Christ came as He prophesied in Isa. 61:1-2, and in Luke 4:18, to carry out to its fulfillment, His prophecy that says, He came "to proclaim the Gospel to the poor" (the good news about salvation to the meek and humble), "to heal the brokenheartened," (those that are downtrodden, and overwhelmed by oppression, and offences of the governments of men and their own sins), "to preach deliverance to the captives," (people that can be forgiven, justified, and released from a prison, who are held captive to their own sins and offences of others), "and recovering  of sight to the blind," (opening the eyes of the deceived, the misled, the oppressed, and the confused, to their own sins and the sins of others, who try to control, obsess, and conquer them), "to set at liberty them that are bruised," ( to teach and explain clearly how people can be freed from the curses of their sins and offences from others), "to preach the acceptable year of the Lord," ( to preach the time and year of Christ's life,  that He made available the forgiveness of sins, justification and salvation to a few now, and the time  and year of His return, when all mankind will be freed from  the offences and oppression of Satan, and his governments of men, and the mystery of the Gospel, and life is made clear to all).

      This is the true work of Jesus Christ, and was to be carried out by His called and chosen, church body. Is this what has been really taught, with the full understanding and direction that Christ makes plain in His Word? Doesn't the fruit of all the offences, sins and truth that is mixed with much error, that is called the "work of God," prove without question, that this  professed Church of God and its work,  has been another government and work of Satan, that has been orchestrated by an organization  of men, falsely calling itself  The True Church of  God? Has there been any acknowledgement, confession, and open repentance of these sins and offences on the part of the professed ministry?  Will God forgive these offences without repentance? Is the judgment for sin, (as Christ says He will judge sin and offences in Rom. 6:23),  still in effect? He says,  "the wages of sins is death."

       Third example:  The church leadership  with its offensive, power base of a false, tithing system, by which it builds and keeps its ministry, had to have a power and authority of governing, through a ruling dictatorship, that kept its members in unity and total control. And because most members either did not have God's Spirit, or had not grown  to be led in the power of Its influence, the church hierarchy with its "In the Truth Sacred Cow" system, (an article that you can write for) instituted certain false doctrines, heresies and opinions of men, supporting their perverted Gospel, as being a coming government gospel - heresy; about God's Grace being unmerited favor - heresy; Being Born Again  of the spirit at the resurrection - heresy; sin is broken into  the physical and spiritual, with the physical having no eternal life penalty - heresy; and many other truth and error mixtures.  

     The Church of God set up these false teachings as the  belief system of the church, supported by its literature operation, radio and TV broadcasts, and all falsely proclaiming, to be restoring the faith given to the early New Testament Church. All of the church members were held in fear of not going to Scriptures to prove if these teachings were truth, or heresy, or even  if they were truth mixed with error, which the Word says is still error and heresy! If any  member  did prove and found any of the Church of God teachings to be in error, or a  heresy, and to be a false doctrine, those members were disfellowshipped, marked, shunned, especially, if they continued to pursue and teach the truth of the Scripture. This was again and still is,  more offences committed against the brethren, that has not been repented of, and put right before the brethren. If there is no change, there has been no forgiveness!

       Fourth Example: This fourth example of offences against the brethren, was how the church made its 30% bragged about, growth each year for a number of years, and as it was said, came as result of their God (which was Satan) being with them, and as proof they were God's Instruments and His church. This was the work of men, not God, and many churches of all of the religions of the world make similar kinds of growth in money and numbers. The Scripture clearly says in I Tim. 6:5 -- Perverse disputtings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain (church growth) is godliness: from such withdraw yourself."

     The Church of God leadership used the 30% growth teaching, along with its false justice system of disfellowshipping, as deception to help keep  the members together through a false unity, through fear, not love, and believing the same false doctrines through a truth-error mixture, governed through a rule of force, and mental and spiritual cruelty. Again this is a terrible offence against the brethren that drove the church members to believe the same things, through a disciplinary  and judgment system of fear and intimidation tactics. The church leadership established and supported an unjust discipline system of disfellowshipping, or threat of disfellowship, ostracizing and shaming of members in the church that was not based on the law of God, nor the teaching of Jesus Christ, (Mat. 18), but instead, was based on their own church oppressive, government system, and its own policies, and commandments of men. The church hierarchy did the disfellowshipping instead of the brethren, which was all contrary to the example given by Christ's teaching of Mat. 18!

      Through these strong-arm  fear and intimidation tactics, many sheep were either disfellowshipped, or threatened to be disfellowshipped, or completely driven out of the fellowship, or church services. Many bodies of the sheep have been strewn, scattered, and divided throughout the pastures of the world, all because of  these terrible, church leadership offences, brought against them. Woe, Woe, and Woe be unto such leadership, that has not repented of such atrocities, sins and offences, and have not asked God and those that they personally have offended to forgive them of such sins, committed against them. These are some of the offences and sins committed against the church - the called and chosen of Jesus Christ, and are all offenses and sins that have not been corrected, rectified, and a full and complete repentance made by the ministry. These offenses and sins are all on going, and will be punished by Jesus Christ! There has been no big change or churchwide acknowledgement and confession of such offences, and thereby,  no change, nor forgiveness, that comes only through a confession and a true Godly repentance!

     Are church members personally to look over all of these church-wide leadership offences, and all such sins, and to forgive where there has been no repentance? No, absolutely not, if one does, that member is accepting offences and sins against brethren,  and rejecting Christ's teaching about judgment for offences and forgiveness! It is showing love to any leader or member, whereas, his sin or offence is brought to their attention and made known to him, in order that he can change and be accepted for God's Kingdom. Otherwise, they will not be accepted into God's Kingdom without serious punishment from Jesus Christ, in order for them to see their offences and sins.

     Why hasn't there been repentance on the  part  of the ministers of such offences? It has been because of the  leadership of the church and their,  accepted,  belief system, that the ministers are always right, even though they sin against and offend the brethren!  They look upon these eternal, life costing, sins as "minor mistakes." Does any minister believe he will be accepted into God's Kingdom, who has committed any such  offence against a brother, and has not gone to God and to that brother, asking for forgiveness, in order to be restored to God's grace, if he ever had His grace in the first place?

    Once again for emphasis, what does Jesus Christ say about such actions of offence? Christ said in Mat. 18:6, "whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were drowned in the sea." This is a heavy, serious warning to every minister and member in their leadership, and overseer of church brethren! Where has there been any fruit of repentance, where the church ministry  has taken these warnings seriously?

    Christ again warns all of His true disciples, to not be offended by permitting these offences to cause them to stumble from following Christ, and living by His commandments. Read it in John 16:1-2, "These things have I spoken unto you that you should not be offended" (made to stumble). Verse 2, "They (the ministry) shall put you out of the synagogues (church fellowship): yes, the time will come that whosoever kills you (hate you so much to cause your death because of Christ living in you) will think they are doing God's service. " Jesus Christ said they hated Him without a cause, John 15: 20-25, Isa. 55: 4, and every true Christian can expect the same treatment because of Christ living in that person.

    The hierarchical ministry of the Churches of God have put members out, disfellowshipped members for ungodly reasons and causes, for those members  not accepting their offences as  from God, and believe they are, and have been doing God's service. This is all much more than mere mistakes, that some like to refer to them as being! These offences are sins  that could cause brethren to stumble in following Christ, and these ministers will be held accountable for their sins unless they have deeply repented of these offences, and have made a reconciliation with God and those that they have offended, and cause them to stumble. God prophesied this would come to pass when He wrote, in Isa. 66:5 - " Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for My Name's sake, said, "let the Lord be glorified!" (they say let the Lord be pleased, we are doing His service and His work), but He, (God) shall appear to you, (the cast out brother's joy) and they, those wicked ministers shall be ashamed, (those evil ministers and   those brethren that have condoned these evil works with their presence and offering will be exposed)!

    But certain ministers and church brethren have said and do say, "but we have had no part in   such unscriptural  and ungodly disfellowhipping, or such offenses of members, that were cast out of the body and church fellowship." Brethren realize and understand  this: All ministers and brethren who stand idly by, and who do not raise any questions or investigate into such ungodly acts by a dictator minister, will share in the punishment for such serious sins. It is the responsibility of every minister and member of a fellowship, or even a closely connected church fellowship, to stand against such sins and offences in the Body of Christ, or you too will be punished!

     The apostle Paul, before he was converted, was guilty of such ungodly acts of casting brethren out of church synagogues, or church house fellowships, and even contributing to the death of some. Paul, at his conversion, bitterly repented of such horrible and ungodly acts, and because of his committing such acts and supporting such acts of wickness, confessed himself as being the greatest, or chief of all sinners. Study I Tim. 1:15, alone with Acts 8:3, Phil. 3:6, Acts 22:4-5. Paul said he "who was before (conversion) a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious (a  church abuser and offender) but I obtained mercy (he repented and was forgiven) because I did it ignorantly, in unbelief."  

      What does this say today to all Church of God ministers and members, who confess to be in the faith, but are scattering the church through their persecution, offences, creating oppressions, with their unscriptural disfellowshipping, and dividing of the church? It spells punishment, and there will be punishment of many stripes for those that know about these offences  against brethren, and have done nothing in any way of repentance, by confession and correcting such offences! And those that did not know, but who are still a part of supporting that ministry and  their church government system, are in part sharing in the responsibility of such committed offenses,  and unless there is change on their part, will be beaten with few stripes, Luke 12: 47-48.

     This brief history of the Churches of God concerning the offences of their leadership and their lack of repentance to receive forgiveness,  is sounding an urgent need for them to heed Christ's strong warning  of judgment that He trumpets in Mat. 18:6. Christ's warning of judgment against offences is loud and clear --- "Whosoever (church minister or member) shall offend one of these little ones (His sheep)  which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." Jesus is saying in this verse, if any member of the body of Christ, whether he is apostle, evangelist, pastor, elder, or church member,   whoever it is that is offending the body of Christ, that Christ's judgment for that wicked person will be severe and even death, if there is no repentance with real change in your heart, and mind and behavior.

      Christ continues with more understanding to church members concerning correction, regarding offences committed against His spiritual body in the next verses, 8 and 9 of Mat. 18. Christ in these verses uses the analogy of the physical body to make His spiritual point about offences clear. However, unless one is of the spirit, one will not understand it.   In these verses Christ says,  if a member of your body offends you such as your hand, or foot, or even your eye,  "cut them off and cast them from you; it would be better for you to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having 2 hands or 2 feet, or your eyes than   to be cast into everlasting fire."

     Christ here  in these verses is not meaning for anyone to read, believe and carry out this in the physical or literal sense, but it is to be understood and carried out in the spiritual sense, with the spiritual body. It is the heart and mind of an offending member or minister that is the sin problem, and Christ was using this physical analogy in the setting of the spiritual body of Jesus Christ, that if ministers, or members of the body are offending the body, that those persons should be cut off , disfellowshipped, cast aside from the fellowship,  (unless there is repentance) in order to keep the whole body from being cast into everlasting fire. Christ is clearly saying it is better that certain offending ministers, or offending members be cast into gehenna fire than the whole body be cast there, because of sins and offences being kept within the whole body.

      Are you part of the body of Christ that sees no problems, no offences, and no sins, you are then spiritually blind, or if you do, are you doing anything in any way of helping to correct those church offences and sins against the body? You had better take this message seriously and soberly, repent and change what you can, to be forgiven by Christ, or you might be in for a great fall because of all the offences and sins of the Churches of God, that are permitted to go on and on, and that you are looking over and supporting  such offences that are causing many brethren to stumble, in their being turned to righteousness, and working out their own salvation.