Satan had a very firm grip on the church of old until Christ came and moved him out of his seat. Satan used the scriptures to confuse and divide the people who were under the law of Moses. Here a little, there a little, bit by bit Satan caused some to interpret the scriptures one way and some another. They were so confused about what the word of God said that they did not know the Son of God when he came. All the law and the prophets pointed to the Holy One, Jesus Christ, yet they put him to death because what he taught did not agree with their interpretation of the word.
Christ came and fought against the beast. Using the same scriptures as the church held, Christ put to silence the interpretations of man. The high minded, the stiff necked, the self-righteous, and the hypocrites could not gain one word against him. The beast was uncovered. He was wounded. The sword, the Word of God, in the hands of Jesus Christ severely wounded that old dragon. He was so humiliated and angered that he immediately took council to kill Jesus. The leaders of the church that based their belief on the Bible took council together to kill Jesus. The church mind you! They could not yield to the greater teaching of Christ. He used the same law and the prophets and showed them that they all pointed to his coming. The church of old said, “away with him and put him to death.”
We know that Jesus established a new church. He destroyed all false teaching and brought the sincere people together in one doctrine. But as the years passed by, little by little, the beast changed a meaning here and there and covered up the truth. He began to insert and to teach his interpretation again. His wound was healing. “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.” (Revelation 13:11-12)
The beast today has two horns like a lamb, appearing to be the resurrected Christ. But he speaks as a dragon because he speaks one thing to one church group and something else to another, twisting and confusing the Bible so that we hear today, “you have your interpretation and I have mine.” This delights Satan because once again he has gained a stronghold against the truth. There are not many different truths, there is but one.
The many different churches today appear to be meek and obedient to the word; their leaders and members appear most reverent to others. They appear as a lamb, but they speak as a dragon because many different doctrines have been inserted, all claiming to be the voice of the Son of God. Mankind has placed Satan back on his throne; he is their king; they do his will. When the many different church groups hear the truth they say, “away with it, I will not forsake my interpretation of the word.” They stiffen their neck and harden their heart and refuse to consider it.
Instead, some of them say they will be raptured out of tribulation; others say they must go through that time to be tried. Some say you must keep Sunday as a Sabbath day; others say you must keep Saturday. Some say you must speak in tongues; others say it is of the devil. Some say you must tithe ten percent; others say you must give according to your heart. Some say once in grace always in grace; others say you can fall from grace. Some have music in their church; others say it is wrong. Some let women preach; others say it should not be. Some say you should wash one another’s feet; others say it was only a custom in the old days. Some believe you must be buried in water baptism; some believe it is alright to be sprinkled, and yet others do not believe it is necessary at all. Some believe you can do just about anything you want; others abstain from many things. The Protestants do not think Catholics have a chance; the Catholics think theirs is the only true church; the Jewish do not believe either one is right. It goes on and on. But this beast with two horns like a lamb claims to receive all of this different doctrine for each of the different church groups from your Bible. One complete contradiction on top of another, he spews forth evil from his mouth.
“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” (Revelation 16:13-14)
The dragon opposes God, the beast opposes Christ, and the false prophet opposes the word. These three are one. There is a feeling of great spiritual satisfaction that comes from the worship of false religion. Some get caught up in their particular interpretation of the word, and Satan, through the voice of their preacher, convinces them that this must be right because, “I feel it in my soul.” But remember, all the different groups all have a spirit to go with their church. They feel comfortable with their church, they “feel it in their soul,” and these things are what convince them to continue in their false doctrine. Those of the church who put Christ to death “felt it in their soul” that he was a devil.
We do not have permission from the word of God to have many groups divided against one another, all teaching their own interpretation of the Bible, and all calling themselves by different names. “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Ephesians 4:4-6)
“Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3) If one goes in one direction and the other goes in a different direction, can they walk together? No! They must agree on the direction.
“Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Corinthians 1:13)
“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1 Corinthians 1:10)
All the different churches claim to get their teaching from Christ our Lord, but they all teach different doctrine, one pulling this way and one pulling that way. This is not being perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement. “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matthew 7:14)
Again I say, if we cannot join together and worship God in this life, how do you expect to join together in the eternal realm of Christ? If you cannot agree on the word here, which version of which group will you be judged by? How foolish! We know that the words of Jesus Christ said the same thing, one time, to all mankind, forevermore.
