In the continued series I am doing that refutes ruling bishop Mark Bullen of Living Faith Christian Fellowship in Brookfield, Mo. ( see them tested at the link below ) we now come to point #4:
Do You Need a Bishop or Body To Teach You?
Mr Bullen is set on convincing his people in the pews that they CANNOT function, learn or grow in Christ out side of his lone bishop rule over them and their Sunday ritual system ( much like a Ind Baptist system ) He boasts he built that body and it seems he fears he could loose it so he twists scripture, uses fear & programming to his gain as a lone ruling bishop.
What is true per God's Word?
I would be in error if I did not teach that it is INDEED God's design for true saints to gather, love, encourage, teach and hold each other accountable as the scriptures show the early saints did. And godly elders ( not one Bishop ever ) is the way per God once you have them trained up. In fact, Ephesians 4 tells us it is the real purpose of the NT body, training up the saints for ministry.
But having said that, Mark CANNOT biblically teach others that you can't grow in the Word without a Bishop / body of others around you.
There a several reasons this is so:
1) There were NO biblical leaders in the first formed bodies until men matured and grew into those roles. (Some scholars say it was a decade later when Paul appointed multiple elders / not one Bishop over these bodies.) Did the men there grow before that? Of course they did!
For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee.
Titus 1
2) We see in scripture men where trained up and grew outside of the perfect NT body life. The Apostle Paul went into Arabia alone for 3 years and was trained there by who? The Spirit.
Galatians 1
3) The Word tells us it is the Holy Spirit that does the real training within us not men.
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
1 John 2:27
4) Many people come to Christ and are cut off from ANY other believers but through the Word and the Holy Spirit they are trained up in God. This would be those in prison and those in non Christian nations like Islam not near a single true believer.
Jesus said this on leaning the truth of God:
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 14:26
5) Lastly, those who live in America with apostate ungodly bodies and lording over leaders all around them are commanded to NOT unite with others sin / bad doctrine per Romans 16:17. So it is clear per John 14:15 they MUST strive on in the Word and truth to obey and not use the "I have no Bishop or body" excuse before God. They have the Spirit and Jesus says........ it is enough!
Paul says this in Colossians 2:10
And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.
While leaders like Mark Bullen try to convince men they MUST sit in his pews, Paul says if you have Christ you are complete and it is enough!
I am going with Apostle Paul, thank you.
6) Jesus asked would there be any true faith when he returns Luke 18:8 and Paul promises a great falling away in the last days in 2 Timothy 3 and 2 Timothy 4 not a revival. This means many of us should be prepared to go it alone as FEW will find the narrow road, NOT many. See Matthew 7
More examples:
If we look back at the Old Testament which is a model for us in many things, we see men like Noah who stood strong for God and he stood alone. How about the Prophets who were led of God and often proclaimed truth to a wicked people with NO supporting group around them. One of my favorites is John the Baptist. A strong man of God led by the truth of God and NOT a system of others around him that we can see in any tangible way.
The point is this:
I fear ruling bishop Mark Bullen would have persecuted and discouraged Noah, the Prophets, John the Baptist and Apostle Paul and for what you ask? For NOT having a ruling bishop over them or a godly body with them so they could learn. That is twisted scripture teaching folks and it cannot stand without being refuted in the Word lest others are deceived!
If you have a godly group of elders ( not a lone bishop ) biblically overseeing a group of holy saints striving in the fullness of all of God's truth, who, that is born of God, would NOT want to be united to them? (Show me that body as we want to come and support them!!! ) You need to be faithful to God and that body and learn grow and contribute there as the Word commands. While it is true that is prescribed example we see in the epistles, only a man set on lording over as a Bishop and scripture twisting could ignore the same scriptures that teach us to WARN, REJECT and LEAVE any man or body that goes off into sin, false doctrines or leaves the traditions Paul handed down, see 2 Thessalonians 2:15
See this article on separation:
http://spiritandtruthdiscernment.blogspot.com/2014/01/separation-is-biblical.html
If you find yourself in the place where God's truth and Word is your lone driving force and bodies or their corrupt leaders around you are all in sin and will not repent, you have NO choice but to leave them and continue striving in obedience to God on your own.
1 Peter 1:15 says be holy... that means set apart for God.
Perhaps He will give you others or He may not for a season. I can tell you that the times we struggled on our own, looking to God alone, it was THE most rewarding and growth filled time we every had our walk with Christ. For Mark to tell me , no Jim or anyone else, "you never had a chance on your own" is arrogant, unbiblical and sinful of Him. I fear it shows how small his god is and I want better for him, I really do.
Remember Mark Bullen admits, he was once wandering around ON HIS OWN with no biblical body or a bishop over him ( he left them all but he still learned )
Oh how did he EVER survive????
I trust you get me point as I make a obvious point....
To be clear:
If you have a body and biblical leaders, enjoy them please.
If you have to stand up to them and expose some sin and ask them to repent, do it and if they won't; how could you ever unite there? ( the LFCF body needs to call Mark out for his various sins but wait, they can't as he is the Chairman of the Board, his own pathetic quote! )
If you don't have a body, enjoy your walk in Christ alone as you are still COMPLETE still in Him and the Word and Spirit will guide and grow you up!
Warning: if you go looking and compromising/moving just to have others near you in this age of false bodies and sinful leaders, you will go backwards not up and on in Christ.
I end this article with this scripture form my Lord and Savior:
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Matthew 4:4
Point #5 is up next so stay tuned...........
See Mark Bullen tested here with his many unbiblical ways documented:
https://bewareoffalse-unbiblicalteachers.blogspot.com/2017/07/living-faith-christian-fellowship.html
See our biblical resources below and let us know how we can help you in the faith.
God be praised
www.dontperish.com
******************************************************************
Do You Need a Bishop or Body To Teach You?
Mr Bullen is set on convincing his people in the pews that they CANNOT function, learn or grow in Christ out side of his lone bishop rule over them and their Sunday ritual system ( much like a Ind Baptist system ) He boasts he built that body and it seems he fears he could loose it so he twists scripture, uses fear & programming to his gain as a lone ruling bishop.
What is true per God's Word?
I would be in error if I did not teach that it is INDEED God's design for true saints to gather, love, encourage, teach and hold each other accountable as the scriptures show the early saints did. And godly elders ( not one Bishop ever ) is the way per God once you have them trained up. In fact, Ephesians 4 tells us it is the real purpose of the NT body, training up the saints for ministry.
But having said that, Mark CANNOT biblically teach others that you can't grow in the Word without a Bishop / body of others around you.
There a several reasons this is so:
1) There were NO biblical leaders in the first formed bodies until men matured and grew into those roles. (Some scholars say it was a decade later when Paul appointed multiple elders / not one Bishop over these bodies.) Did the men there grow before that? Of course they did!
For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee.
Titus 1
2) We see in scripture men where trained up and grew outside of the perfect NT body life. The Apostle Paul went into Arabia alone for 3 years and was trained there by who? The Spirit.
But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
13 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:
14 And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.
15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,
16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.
18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.
Galatians 1
3) The Word tells us it is the Holy Spirit that does the real training within us not men.
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
1 John 2:27
4) Many people come to Christ and are cut off from ANY other believers but through the Word and the Holy Spirit they are trained up in God. This would be those in prison and those in non Christian nations like Islam not near a single true believer.
Jesus said this on leaning the truth of God:
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 14:26
5) Lastly, those who live in America with apostate ungodly bodies and lording over leaders all around them are commanded to NOT unite with others sin / bad doctrine per Romans 16:17. So it is clear per John 14:15 they MUST strive on in the Word and truth to obey and not use the "I have no Bishop or body" excuse before God. They have the Spirit and Jesus says........ it is enough!
Paul says this in Colossians 2:10
And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.
While leaders like Mark Bullen try to convince men they MUST sit in his pews, Paul says if you have Christ you are complete and it is enough!
I am going with Apostle Paul, thank you.
6) Jesus asked would there be any true faith when he returns Luke 18:8 and Paul promises a great falling away in the last days in 2 Timothy 3 and 2 Timothy 4 not a revival. This means many of us should be prepared to go it alone as FEW will find the narrow road, NOT many. See Matthew 7
More examples:
If we look back at the Old Testament which is a model for us in many things, we see men like Noah who stood strong for God and he stood alone. How about the Prophets who were led of God and often proclaimed truth to a wicked people with NO supporting group around them. One of my favorites is John the Baptist. A strong man of God led by the truth of God and NOT a system of others around him that we can see in any tangible way.
The point is this:
I fear ruling bishop Mark Bullen would have persecuted and discouraged Noah, the Prophets, John the Baptist and Apostle Paul and for what you ask? For NOT having a ruling bishop over them or a godly body with them so they could learn. That is twisted scripture teaching folks and it cannot stand without being refuted in the Word lest others are deceived!
If you have a godly group of elders ( not a lone bishop ) biblically overseeing a group of holy saints striving in the fullness of all of God's truth, who, that is born of God, would NOT want to be united to them? (Show me that body as we want to come and support them!!! ) You need to be faithful to God and that body and learn grow and contribute there as the Word commands. While it is true that is prescribed example we see in the epistles, only a man set on lording over as a Bishop and scripture twisting could ignore the same scriptures that teach us to WARN, REJECT and LEAVE any man or body that goes off into sin, false doctrines or leaves the traditions Paul handed down, see 2 Thessalonians 2:15
See this article on separation:
http://spiritandtruthdiscernment.blogspot.com/2014/01/separation-is-biblical.html
If you find yourself in the place where God's truth and Word is your lone driving force and bodies or their corrupt leaders around you are all in sin and will not repent, you have NO choice but to leave them and continue striving in obedience to God on your own.
1 Peter 1:15 says be holy... that means set apart for God.
Perhaps He will give you others or He may not for a season. I can tell you that the times we struggled on our own, looking to God alone, it was THE most rewarding and growth filled time we every had our walk with Christ. For Mark to tell me , no Jim or anyone else, "you never had a chance on your own" is arrogant, unbiblical and sinful of Him. I fear it shows how small his god is and I want better for him, I really do.
Remember Mark Bullen admits, he was once wandering around ON HIS OWN with no biblical body or a bishop over him ( he left them all but he still learned )
Oh how did he EVER survive????
I trust you get me point as I make a obvious point....
To be clear:
If you have a body and biblical leaders, enjoy them please.
If you have to stand up to them and expose some sin and ask them to repent, do it and if they won't; how could you ever unite there? ( the LFCF body needs to call Mark out for his various sins but wait, they can't as he is the Chairman of the Board, his own pathetic quote! )
If you don't have a body, enjoy your walk in Christ alone as you are still COMPLETE still in Him and the Word and Spirit will guide and grow you up!
Warning: if you go looking and compromising/moving just to have others near you in this age of false bodies and sinful leaders, you will go backwards not up and on in Christ.
I end this article with this scripture form my Lord and Savior:
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Matthew 4:4
Point #5 is up next so stay tuned...........
See Mark Bullen tested here with his many unbiblical ways documented:
https://bewareoffalse-unbiblicalteachers.blogspot.com/2017/07/living-faith-christian-fellowship.html
See our biblical resources below and let us know how we can help you in the faith.
God be praised
www.dontperish.com
******************************************************************
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Here is a 10 point biblical test:
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