The Paidion Books website is dedicated to the writings of people who subscribe to the unusual notion that God is to be obeyed and not used to further one's own religious notions. These people have determined to follow the Lord Jesus Christ wherever He might lead. There are writings, books, teachings, essays and chapters from various authors - including Watchman Nee, Keith Green, A.W. Tozer, Jesse Penn-Lewis, W.W. Fischer, David Williams, Neil Girrard and many others. I have tried to limit what is posted to writings that have either had a significant spiritual impact on my life or that were a confirmation of what God has been teaching me.
There is a man who was sent to earth by his father, was raised in humble circumstances and, since he was not of this world, dwelt among men an outsider... But his was a special destiny... By dedicating his unique gifts to the service of truth and justice, he stood for the oppressed, the meek, the afflicted, the powerless... for all of humanity...
...this is not Him.
The following excerpt speaks volumes:
Please note that all Scriptures may not be posted at this time.
Isa. 60:14 π Isa. 66:2 π Isa. 66:5 π Jer. 15:19
There is a remnant of obscure believers who have decided that only a totally separated life will ever promote the necessary spiritual environment to produce true end-time warriors. These believers realize that present methods and productions will never produce the righteous wave of conviction necessary to ignite the purifying deep repentance needed to get Sodom-like sinners past the barrier of contemporary Christianity’s lukewarm seminars.
The cost to these believers will include a total separation as this minority lifts up a righteous standard for the people to examine. Those who in times past have fed these people (yet the people are still hungry) will rebel and reject even those of their own family. The human spirit, even in Christians, has always fought capitulation and surrender to Almighty God.
As a result the remnant will quake, but not break, as the Lord speaks: “Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for My name’s sake said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified’; but He shall appear to your joy and they shall be ashamed.” ( Isa. 66:5 ) “The sons also of them that afflicted you shall come, bending unto you, and all those who despised you shall bow themselves...” ( Isa. 60:14 )
The obscure remnant has decided to be God’s workmanship and not man’s, and has incorporated this Scripture into his life: “But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word (and reveres My commandments).” ( Isa. 66:2 )
The minute minority understand that they will suffer rebuke at the hands of the brethren, and yet will propose to them, “If you return, then will I bring you again and you shall stand before Me (God) and if you take forth the precious from the vile you shall be as My mouth.” ( Jer. 15:19; Top of This Article )
Then the body of Christ will lose its shackles of inept professions and confessions and will speak only the oracles of the living God; then the body will become one as the Father and Son are one, and righteousness and dominion from the Father will sustain, quicken and deliver a generation that appeared destined to self-destruct. And then all creation shall see even greater things than those that happened during the earthly ministry of Jesus, as the Father reveals the abundant love, mercy and compassion of an all-holy God whose heart’s cry is that none should perish.
Fischer’s book was published in 1989.
- Be Careful of These Groups
- God’s Timing
- Assembling Together
- Standing in the Last Hour
- Conversion of a Pastor
- I Am Understanding
- A Nice Guy
- Spirit of Eldership
- Twelve Reasons for Suffering
- Mixture
- World
- One Accord
- EndTime Message
- Witnesses
- We’ve Missed It
- Poor and Needy
- Church
- Imitators?
- Repetitious Religious Futility
- Dragon Country
- One With the Father
- Out of Order
The following article addresses some very central truths about the difference between the body of Christ, His ekklesia, and the “church.”
Scriptures referenced in this article:
Mt. 7:21 π Lk. 4:41 π Jn. 4:24; next π Jn. 7:17 π Acts 16:17 π 2 Cor. 11:3-4 π 2 Ths. 2:10 π 1 Tim. 4:1
If you’re seeing discrepancies and differences between the New Testament and “church” – and not just your “church” but “church” practices in general – you are not alone by any means. The “church” paradigm tells us we need a building in which to meet and a “pastor”/preacher to “feed” us and that we need do little more than show up once or twice a week and give money to support this “work of God.” There certainly is much more to the “church” paradigm than this but these are its two most prominent deceptions. Those who are comfortable in this counterfeit delusion called “church” will be deeply offended by the truths written of on this site. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness and truth and who have dedicated their lives to finding only the will of God for their lives will find confirmation, clarification, instruction, edification and comfort here. Let he who has ears hear.
According to “Time Almanac 2005” Protestantism (a steady 63% for decades) fell to 52% from 93 to 02. The author gives 3 reasons: 1) not enough required commitment; 2) denominations that aggressively courted members are turning to other tasks (like social activism); and 3) mainline church birthrates are lower than national averages. Some simply see this as the wake up call from God that it is.
In the face of this decline, “The category that has really jumped [up] (from 8% to 14%) in the past decade is people who say they don’t subscribe to any religious identification. They still believe in basics like God, heaven, and the Bible as an inspired text, but prefer to think of themselves as spiritual rather than anything more specific.” (David Van Biema, “Time Almanac 2005,” “Roll Over, Martin Luther,” p. 358 – emphasis added) This is almost a doubling in size of this group and could represent as many as ten million people! This is a report from a secular newsman (as far as I know) but that 8-14% sure sounds like genuine followers of Christ to me! (see Jn. 4:24; Top of This Article)
I’d like to remind you that denominations have always suffered from what many have termed the “percentage rule.” Depending on who you hear say it, this rule states: 10 to 20% of the people in the “church” do 80 to 100% of the work of God and the “church!” This is roughly the same percentage that Time says have stepped away from mainline churches and taken to following Christ and God spiritually! Hmm. God’s true remnant is abandoning the carnal churches. They are recognizing that spiritually following Christ is very different than going to “church.”
The “churches” that still enjoy huge numbers do so because they preach a different Jesus (meek, mild, tolerant – not holy, righteous and the only way to the Father, etc.), a different gospel (works, feel good, error/heresy, etc.) or they preach a “reasonably accurate” gospel (as accurate as human, soulish, intellectual reasoning can make it) in the power of a different spirit, a demonic, unclean, evil spirit. (see Lk. 4:41; Acts 16:17 if you think the demonic won’t reveal truth!) Either of these three – or some subtle combination of the three – will deceive and corrupt the followers of Christ away from the spiritual simplicity that is in Christ. ( 2 Cor. 11:3-4; Jn. 4:24 ) This is the apostasy, the great falling away from the faith – and it is all being accomplished in the context of “church.” It is here, folks – and it will get worse.
The protections from the deceptions ranged against us are to 1) love the truth more than we love our own opinions, especially our leftover theologies – 2 Ths. 2:10 2) desire God’s will so that we will know the difference between the teachings of God, men and even demons. ( Jn. 7:17; 1 Tim. 4:1) and 3) actually do God’s will – whatever that is, no matter how much it costs us or in what way it might cost us. ( Mt. 7:21, Top of This Article)
I’d love to hear comments and/or questions from you! paidion@paidionbooks.org
God bless you in your search for Him.