Churches are to shine with the Light of Christ, but today’s churches cause many to stumble.

Malachi 2:1-9

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

• Ministers of today’s churches do not take the word of God to heart.
• Covenant of God is one of life, peace, truth, justice, and equity.
• Ministers are to be the messenger of the Lord, but today they cause many to stumble.

Ministers of today’s churches do not take the word of God to heart. “And now, O priests, this commandment is for you. If you will not hear, and if you will not take it to heart, to give glory to My name,” Says the Lord of hosts, “I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have cursed them already, because you do not take it to heart. Behold, I will rebuke your descendants and spread refuse on your faces, the refuse of your solemn feasts; And one will take you away with it. ” Malachi 2:1-3

This verse clearly says that its words are intended for the ministers of the churches. Those of today’s churches are not truly hearing the word of God because they are not embracing it within their heart or giving glory to the Lord’s name. The Gospel of Christ can only be heard when the Holy Spirit lives within one’s heart, soul, and mind, and it is through the Holy Spirit that God’s name is exalted. Belief in Jesus Christ is the sole path to receiving the Holy Spirit, as He is the one who forgives sin to bring us into unity with the Spirit of God. “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” Acts 19:2 “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16

Today’s ministers aim to bless their congregations with soothing words and flattery, aligning with standards of humanism. They emphasize human dignity, esteem, and respect over the Holy Spirit. Humanism the fig leaf worn by those serving the atheistic power that gives people their thoughts, feelings, speech, and actions. While humanism respects humans, it does not honor God, Jesus Christ, or the Holy Spirit. It concentrates on universal human needs and believe that humanity’s and the planet’s salvation lie in human reasoning, rather than in the spirit and soul. “For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.” Romans 16:18

Today’s ministers’ blessings are considered cursed. They are deemed so because they focus on blessing individuals based on their physical needs, dignity, and esteem, neglecting the ministry to the spirit and soul, which stifles the presence of the Holy Spirit. “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4 Without the preaching of Christ’s Gospel, the ministry of the Holy Spirit is missing, and God’s glory is not celebrated. The souls of individuals are tarnished, overlooked, and ruined because the ministers of contemporary churches fail to emphasize the importance of exalting God’s name through Jesus Christ in the presence of the Holy Spirit. “If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” 1 Corinthians 3:17

The phrase, “…spread refuse on your faces, the refuse of your solemn feasts…” refers to the waste/manure from the animal sacrifices used during the feasts of the Israelites. The Lord said He would spread that manure on the faces of the priests. The ministers of the churches of today are supposed to be pointing their congregation to Jesus Christ as the sacrifice, or Lamb of God, who God sent to atone for our sin. Instead, the sacrifice Jesus made on the Altar of the Cross is not taken to heart and the face, or public image, of the ministers are not even recognizable as ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The refuse or waste of abandoning the message of the Cross is spread all over the public face of today’s ministers.

God is done with the churches, and as said in Malachi 1:10 it would be better for the doors of the churches to be closed. “I wish someone would lock the doors of my temple, so you would stop wasting time building fires on my altar. I am not pleased with you priests, and I refuse to accept any more of your offerings.  In fact, due to the corruption of the churches of today, the Seven Seals are opened, leading to the events of the Seven Trumpets in Revelation 8, 9, 11 and the Seven Plagues in Revelation 16. This is described in Revelation 4.

Covenant of God is one of life, peace, truth, justice, and equity. “Then you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, that My covenant with Levi may continue,” says the Lord of hosts. “My covenant was with him, one of life and peace, and I gave them to him that he might fear Me; So he feared Me and was reverent before My name. The law of truth was in his mouth, and injustice was not found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and equity, and turned many away from iniquity.” Malachi 2:4-6

The Levites, originating from the Tribe of Levi, served as the priests for the Israelites. The Levitical Priesthood was exclusive to the Tribe of Levi, with no priests selected from the other eleven tribes of Israel. Moses and his older brother Aaron were both descendants of Levi. Levi considered faithfulness to God to be more important than his own flesh-and-blood family, as quoted in the next paragraph. Additionally, the covenant established by God with Levi is written in that passage, making the Levites of the Tribe of Levi the sole official priests for the Israelites.

“About Levi he said: “Let [the Lord’s Perfections and His Lights] be with Your holy one [Levi], You tested him at Massah; you contended with him at the waters of Meribah, who says of his father and mother, ‘I have no regard for them.’ He did not recognize his brothers or acknowledge his own children, but he watched over Your word and guarded Your covenant. The [Levites] shall teach Jacob Your judgments, and Israel Your law. They shall put incense before You, and a whole burnt sacrifice on Your altar. Bless his substance, Lord, and accept the work of his hands; Strike the loins of those who rise against him, and of those who hate him, that they rise not again.” Deuteronomy 33:8-11

Levi’s faithfulness to God stands as an example for today’s church ministers. Primarily, Levi prioritized honoring God and His authority through Jesus Christ far above any human or earthly authority. He would have spoken against humanism, the fig leaf worn by the atheistic entity giving people their feelings, thoughts, words, and actions. Levi was an example of guarding the word of God over his ties to father, mother, siblings, and children. As our Lord Jesus Christ said, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Matthew 12:48-50

The covenant made with Levi is the covenant made with all of the ministers of the churches of today. That covenant is summed up in this verse, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 This is the covenant that needs to be taken to heart by all ministers and preached and taught within every Church.

The covenant made with every minister is one of life, and our Lord Jesus Christ is that Life, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” John 11:25 The covenant is one of peace, not the earthly peace of this world but the peace of the Spirit through Jesus Christ, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.” John 14:27

Levi gave honor and reverence to God instead of exalting the honor of human beings and human authority above God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Truth was in the mouth of Levi, not just speaking meaningless words to flatter people’s dignity, esteem, and respect. The ministers of today’s churches care more about human needs than they do about Salvation of the soul by the forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ, “For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. Romans 16:18. Like Levi’s faithfulness to God, today’s minister must preach and teach that, “…the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

Injustice was not found on the tongue of Levi, and the ministers of today’s churches must realize that the atheistic entity that gives people what to say, feel, think, and do is not the justice that comes through Jesus Christ. This entity is very unjust because everything it does is to turn the spirit and soul to sand by inciting disbelief in the living God, scoffing at being born again by the forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ, and oppressing the presence of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. On the sand and hardness of the spirit, this atheistic entity enlivens the image of the beast to speak and live through people. Today’s culture is groomed to the mark of the beast by what they are given to say and do.

Levi walked with God in peace and equity and turned away from iniquity. The ministers of today’s churches must walk in the Spirit of peace, walk in the equity that the Holy Spirit brings to one another, and must turn away from the atheistic entity that has power over physiology to give what to say, feel, think, and do. “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” Psalms 24:3-5

The covenant that God made with Levi continues through our Lord Jesus Christ, but not through the Levities, not through the Tribe of Levi, and not through the ministers of today’s churches. And not through Aaron, a Levite, and first priest under his younger brother, Moses. Our Lord Jesus Christ replaced the earthly and imperfect Levitical priesthood of the written law. Jesus was from the Tribe of Judah and brought the Priesthood of the Spirit within our soul and written on our heart. “Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron?  For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.” Hebrews 7:11, 14

“For if [Jesus] were on earth, He would not be a priest…” Hebrews 8:4

Ministers are to be the messenger of the Lord, but today they cause many to stumble. “For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and people should seek the law from his mouth; For he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. But you have departed from the way; You have caused many to stumble at the law. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,” says the Lord of hosts. “Therefore I also have made you contemptible and base before all the people, because you have not kept My ways but have shown partiality in the law.” Malachi 2:7-9

The ministers of the churches are supposed to be considered the messenger of the Lord, and the message is the testimony of Jesus Christ, “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” 1 John 5:11 The lips of a minister should be filled with the knowledge of the Gospel of Christ within the presence of the Holy Spirit. People should be able to come to ministers to learn about Jesus Christ, the forgiveness of sin, the infilling of the Holy Spirit, the resurrection of life, and of the Living God as the creator of all life.

Unfortunately, the ministers of today’s churches have abandoned the Gospel of Jesus Christ and have departed from the message of the Cross, the resurrection of life, and have silenced the need for the forgiveness of sin and the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Click here for a post on the “Great Falling Away” from 2 Thessalonians. The ministers of today have caused many to stumble at the word of God by teaching the doctrines of human beings instead of teaching Jesus Christ, as Jesus says, “And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” Matthew 15:9 This is why today’s culture welcomes the atheistic entity that gives them what to feel, think, say, and do as the image of the beast is enlivened to speak and live through them. They are groomed to the mark of the beast by what they are given to say and do. “If we receive the witness of [human beings], the witness of God is greater…” 1 John 5:9

By abandoning the message of the Cross, the ministers of today have corrupted the word of God, the entire Bible, and oppress the voice of the Holy Spirit. “Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.” 1 John 2:22-23

The churches of today have shown their partiality for the broad way of the community culture even though Jesus Christ has taught us, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11