JANUARY 22, 2008

In the next couple of articles, GOD has placed in my spirit to discuss stumbling blocks that appear in the believers faith walk. Please understand that this article is by no means meant to be a stumbling block in any way. It is with love & hope to be a light unto your path to prevent stumbling in your walk with the LORD. This is not written about any particular church, group, family, individual, denomination or association. Also note that we as believers could be a stumbling block to others as well as be stumbling ourselves. Know that I am not condemning anyone?s walk or choice of churches & denomination.

JESUS stated in Matthew 7:13-14 ?Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate & broad is the way , that leadeth to destruction & many there be which go thereat; because strait is the gate & narrow is the way which leadeth unto life & few there be that find it.? The Greek word ?strait? (stenos) means narrow for obstacles standing close about. The Greek word ?narrow? (thlibo) means to crowd, afflict, suffer tribulation. JESUS tells us that there will be stumbling blocks/obstacles in our walk toward our salvation, & some could cause suffering tribulations. During Jesus? ministry, HE met with many stumbling blocks, most of them were from the religious people, HE came unto HIS own & HIS own received HIM not. But yet HE stood on GOD?s word & continued on the strait path to glory. HE gave us these examples to equip us to be prepared for them so that we may endure, but also that we may not be a stumbling block to others. GOD said in Isaiah 57:14, ? And shall say, cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumbling block out of the way of my people.? Romans 14:13 says, ? Let us not therefore judge one another any more, but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or occasion to fall in his brother?s way.?

GOD speaks often about stumbling blocks placed before HIS children & wrath to those who place them. This is a serious subject with our LORD.

In this article, I would like to share how we place a stumbling block before the lost & saved thru denomination. To begin with, denomination was not created by GOD, but something man started. Denominations started because man could not agree on what GOD?s word said, so they decided to split & go separate ways. That should be a warning light in itself. According to research, there are over 1500 ?Christian? denominations in the US alone. Each one differing in some way about GOD?s word. They vary from different ways of baptism, salvation, Holy Spirit, gifts of the Spirit and much more. If one speaks in tongues, then they are of satan, one doesn?t believe in the filling of the Holy Spirit, one says once saved always saved, the other says salvation can be lost. I understand that GOD speaks to every person according to their maturity, but HE doesn?t say HIS word says it one way to this denomination & another way to the other denomination. There is no confusion in GOD?s word. I know personally of a seminary that has three professors teaching about rapture, one teaches pre-trib., one teaches mid-trib. & the other teaches post-trib. & all these of the same denomination. Talking about a stumbling block!! I met a missionary from a main line denomination that believed hell was not real. There are many that fly the same banner denomination & each have different church doctrine. In my travels, usually the first question that I am asked is, ?What?s your denomination?? There are main line denominations having non-denominations investigated because they refuse to be apart of their organization. Some say that because they do not belong to a certain group, they are not of GOD, regardless if they are leading thousands to the LORD on a regular basis. Denominations do not like to unite with one another, but they sure do enjoy condemning each other.

The point, where does denomination fit into the Kingdom of GOD, or does it belong there at all? It appears to be a stumbling block causing divison & the body of CHRIST is about unity. GOD says that we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people that should proclaim the excellencies of HIM who has called us out of the darkness into HIS marvelous light !!! Regardless of the church building name or denomination, any lost or saved person should walk into any service & hear the same Gospel taught every time. JESUS, all the prophets & all the apostles preached the ?same? Gospel, every time & in every service & in every building. Denomination can be division & division is the opposite of what JESUS is about. Young believers don?t know which denomination is correct because of all the ?differences? each one teach. The old die hards ridicule them saying that their denomination is the only one going to HEAVEN. People are pushed away from church because of all the confusion, hate & anger of denomination. Stumbling blocks, they keep people from seeing the light & keep people from drawing into GOD. Should we not belong to a denominational church? You check with your Heavenly FATHER on that, HE will let you know what church building HE wants you in, it is not the building HE is after, but the spiritual building that is going on inside of you, and from that sharing HIS un-conditional love with all that have ears to hear. We must not be fixed on man made callings such as denomination, but the calling that GOD has on your life. If denomination is causing you to stumble or you are causing some one else to stumble, I truly ask you to find some alone time with the Holy Spirit & let HIM guide you thru this. Study GOD?s word & let HIM give you the truth you need. Man can & will lie, but GOD can not lie & will not lie at any time or for any reason. I had rather be equipped in a church building with no name, than be stumbling around in the dark because of a man made name. Satan is doing all he came to destroy GOD?s children & we do not need to be helping with something so trivial as a denomination. This is like straining at a gnat while swallowing a camel. Persecution alone will be all we need to struggle thru in this life, we don?t need to add un-necessary ones. JESUS died for the sins of all the world, not any certain group. JESUS is not divided into little groups that don?t get along, Neither will HIS bride be.

Seek ye first the Kingdom of GOD & HIS righteousness. REMEMBER, GOD LOVES YOU & JESUS IS LORD.

Click to go to "Stumbling Blocks" Part Two