By Evangelist Steven Masone
After many years with no father to teach me the right ways of this narrow path that leads to salvation, and God's Kingdom, the greatest battle I have fought was not against the Gates Of Hell from without, trying to prevail against The Church Of Jesus Christ, but against the tares, wolves in sheep's clothing, and the Jezebel/Ahab spirits embedded in the ministry of his Church as prophesy foretold of. The Anti-Christ and his Bride, the Apostate Church....within the true Church that does teach Biblical salvation is embedded with the aforementioned spirit.
God baptized me with the Holy Ghost and fire at eight years old even though I was not intellectually aware of what that experience meant. I was raised in the Church of Christ who preached Acts 2:38 for baptism's sake, but they did not have the revelation of New Birth as the lord Jesus taught. Ironically, on my Mother's side of my family, I come from a long line of preachers including Thomas and Alexander Campbell who started the Stone-Campbell Movement. The name comes from the primary founders of this branch of Christianity. In Kentucky, Barton Warren Stone (1772-1844) was a Presbyterian minister who, along with others, called for a return to simple New Testament Christianity. In fact, Stone believed that followers of Christ should go by no other name than “Christian.” In Pennsylvania and what is now West Virginia, father and son Thomas Campbell (1763-1854) and Alexander Campbell (1788-1866) championed the idea of “one Church of Christ upon earth.” They, too, believed that followers of Christ should not be identified by sectarian names and asked that only “Disciples” be used.
They also reject the Presbyterian form of church government (not theology or doctrine, but having levels of presbytery ruling over the local church.) which is actually more biblical. The Church of Jerusalem, which James the brother of Jesus was the overseer of, did not claim any authority over any of the New Testament churches. Even the Apostle Paul did not demand headship over the churches he established by requiring tithes, offerings, fealty, or setting up a Presbyterian model of hierarchy.
Church council is Elders of Five fold Ministry, who must qualify
per scripture. Officers are the Deacons. who are not Five=Fold ministry,
but administrators who take "the waiting of tables" responsibilities.
The Congregational model is the biblical one we clearly see in the early church until the wolves began the takeover, which ended with the Apostate Roman Catholic Church...State engineered pagan counterfeit Mystery Babylon. However, for "filthy lucre's sake" and prideful ambition, the post-modern churches teaching proper salvific doctrine have poisoned the Body of Christ with the "Leaven of the Pharisees."
So the Presbyterian form which even Apostolic Pentecostal groups utilize was foreign to me. I saw right away that there was a danger for autocratic abuse, which is also known as what the Nicolaitanes were guilty of beside their Balaam doctrines. "Nicolaitan" (Greek: Νικολαϊτῶν; Νικολαΐτης) is the name ostensibly given to followers of the heretic Nicolas (Greek: Νικόλαος). The name itself means "victorious over the people" or "victory of the people", from the Greek root meaning “conqueror” or “destroyer.”But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.
16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.From my earliest experiences in my home church, and I having been in the military, and had more than several leadership positions in Organizations with policies and procedures outlined for redress and governing to ensure justice for individuals as well as the integrity of the company, I studied the Bible to understand why we were not following scripture in Church government.
Not wanting to "rock the boat"...I finished my Bible School studies, and began pursuing my calling focusing on my personal ministry. While still inBible School, I ministered in a California Youth Authority Prison, that five or six men from my church had been doing for about a year. Basically, they had to visit the units and recruit the young inmates for bible studies. of course all the usual denominational churches were competing for their bible studies as well.
No one from our church had yet won any souls who obeyed Acts 2:38. I was able to get about ten young men into my group which my Associate Pastor and mentor attended with me as we had become good friends as well. He was just there to observe as this was practicum for me. As I said I was baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire at eight, and I was an on fire new convert after re-baptized by the Holy Ghost and gone down in water baptism in the Name of Jesus accomplishing my New Birth being born again in water and Spirit!
I began to operate in the gifts of the Spirit, and on my third meeting a boldness came over me and the anointing fell on my group and 4 were baptized in The Holy Ghost! The next week we had morein the group and 5 were added to the 4. Soon we were up to a revival with seventeen, and others catching the fire just from the testimonies of those in my group when we weren't even there! So, I began to start getting the ball rolling on being able to baptize them in water as soon as possible. However, a PK whose teachings were title baptizing, told his dad we were teaching against the titles, and he complained to the head Chaplain, and I was barred from the unit as the chaplain was in doctrinal error as most are.
Jealously raised it's ugly head with the other men from my church. who complained I was going to get all of us kicked out if my appeal to get back in was approved. The question was begged, "why did this new convert have immediate revival and the others had zero for an entire year?" Well God had anointed me at eight years old, and was training me for my ministry in his timing and plan for my life. All of the sudden, I was elevated by my mentor and most of those in the congregation joining two of the young ministers being groomed to get 'daughter works or pastor openings' from congregations our Pastor was asked to oversee.
I was 33 by this time, and had already been involved in politics as a lobbyist getting laws introduced by organizations I represented, and did not want to play church politics! Between the cliques, and the ambitious and jealous backbiting that began in my own church, and seeing no Biblical redress available to me, I soon launched out into the deep as an independent preacher. I found an interim pastor position and called my pastor to get his blessing...but it was given reluctantly
Most in the church believed I left in rebellion, but I did get permission, even if it was "covering my arms with goat hair" to get my blessing. Soon, I was led back to my birthplace in Stockton , California, where I started my first Church as an Independent, while keeping the elders I trusted as my headship and advisors. My mentor had left my home church, and was attending and assisting at one of the largest churces in the Apostolic movement in Stockton.
He told me he had spoke to their pastor about me and thought I should meet him and consider taking licence to affiliate my work with his. I did so, and agreed to also be part-time staff for him. I taught 'Gift of the Spirit' classes occasionally at the Bible College they operated, but most who were interested came to my church to see them in action. God sent me to the Highways and Byways to find backsliders, and the halt and lame and poor in spirit to build my church up. We began a homeless feeding night every Friday evening (Sabbath Service) and soon powerful revival broke out! Blind eyes opened, devils cast out in full manifestation, and I began baptizing an average of 25-35 a week in the name of Jesus Christ, many, many filled with the Holy Ghost. Don't you know the knives of the Jealous came out slashing! Unfortunately, because of the large staff at the Church and Bible College teaching positions available, over fifty licensed preachers attend just to wait in line to get a paying job. Or at least be invited to sit on the platform to be seen of men. Very few were active in outreach or proved their ministry through soul winning. Many counted on nepotism and "networking the scourge of multi-level businesses that hit the movement with a furious get-rich-quick scheming spirit of greed that actually was also embedded in most ministry fundraising activities. I began to regret licensing with the Organization that was worse at the International level in nepotism and non-biblical church government. When you have an organization instead of the organism called the Body of Christ, you have Mystery Babylon affecting and infecting her leaven, leavening the whole lump! With nepotism, you have created ambitious wives as well as their husbands plotting and scheming just like Ahab and Jezebel when Ahab coveted Naboth's Vineyard...(a Type of Christ's Church the enemy wants) 1 Kings 21:1-16 states that Naboth owned a vineyard, in proximity to King Ahab's palace in the city of Jezreel. Because of this, Ahab desired to acquire the vineyard so that he could own it for his own because it was so beautiful. Since he inherited the land from his ancestors, Naboth refused to sell it to Ahab. Jezebel then had false witnesses lie and accuse Naboth of blasphemy.She not only wrought great evil, but she influenced Ahab to do evil. See how she acted when she heard of Naboth’s refusal. She replied with a stinging taunt (verse 7); she resorted to forgery (verse 8); her action was filled with hypocrisy (verse 9); she pressed others into perjury (verse 10); and she perpetrated the horrible act of murder (verse 13). Thus, she did away with Naboth, the righteous, God-fearing man; she gained the vineyard for Ahab, and he took possession of it. Is Jezebel in possession of the Lord's Church in this last hour? In many doctrines taken from Calvinist and protestant Trinitarian theology....yes! Also in the Nicolaitane heresy of the post-modern church structure where a lead pastor is not in submission to the other five-fold ministry that should be in any healthy New Testament Church! The Church is a Theocracy to be organized by the Word of God in Holy writ, not an authoritarian dictatorship ran by the Ahab-Jezebel Tandem we see choking the garden Jesus Christ shed is blood for to make is disciples free indeed! So Man of God....
Be the Watchman on the Wall Sounding The Trumpet of Truth leading God's people to follow the Holy Ghost and not Organized religion held captive by hirelings who are not the "called according to His Purpose!" "And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh."
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