Fellow members of the Body;
I am writing, because there is an urgent message that not everyone is at liberty to write. I have the luxury of having nothing to lose. I have no meeting to take away. I have no secrets to expose. I can’t really even be ‘excommunicated’, since I live in a community with only one other professing couple who would still meet with me anyway. Some of you know me, but many do not. I dug through a lot of old forwarded emails to get as many addresses as possible, and I ask you to forward this message extensively.
Time is of the essence. “See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter” (2 Cor 7:11).That’s what a proper response looks like, and as a church we’re not all there yet.
The urgent message pertains to one of the most fundamental teachings of Jesus and the Apostles. It is a teaching that pops up every few pages in the New Testament. It is plain, and simple, and very much impossible to accidentally misinterpret.
Here are summaries of the most relevant scriptures, along with references so you can look them up yourselves (please do):
Jesus said to beware of false prophets, who come in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravening wolves. Jesus goes on to say that we will know them by their fruit, and every tree that does not bear fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. (Matt 7)
Jesus said of the religious teachers in his day, “They sit in Moses’ seat, so do as they teach, but do NOT do as they do!” He called them hypocrites, vipers, whitewashed tombs, blind guides, unmarked graves, offspring of murderers, and children of hell. He accused them of blocking the gateway to Heaven—not entering in themselves, but hindering and preventing those who were trying to enter. He instructed his own disciples that none of them should be called Rabbi or Teacher, Father, or Master, but that we all would be equal as brothers with only God as our Father, and only Christ as our Lord and Teacher (Matt 23; Luke 11).
Jesus said in the last days, false prophets would tell us to go here or there to find Christ, and commanded us ‘do not believe it’, because his true disciples would gather to him like eagles to a carcass without needing any prophet to tell us (Matt 24; Mark 13).
Jesus said that any person who caused one of his ‘little ones’ who believed in him to stumble, it would be better for that person that they were thrown into the sea with a millstone around their neck. God never said vengeance was wrong—God said vengeance was HIS. Whatever fate God has in mind for those who offend his ‘little ones’, it’s worse than being dragged by a heavy weight into inky blackness, crushing pressure, and icy cold while the last glimpse of sunlight rapidly disappears from view.
Jesus says if we ourselves might offend, to cut off the hand or foot, or pluck out the eye that would cause us to offend so that we may escape such a fate. Requiring people who are tempted by pedophilia to distance themselves from our children is not too much to ask. If we believe Jesus’ words about what God will do to the offender, we will require anyone with such temptations to distance themselves from children for their own sakes! (Mark 9)
Jesus said that the sheep have, and will, encounter thieves and robbers, wolves, and hirelings. Jesus said that the sheep who really belonged to him would know him by his voice and would not follow thieves or robbers. The hirelings will shirk from defending the sheep against the wolves, but the Good Shepherd gives his life to defend the sheep (John 10).
The apostles and elders wrote a letter to Gentile believers clarifying that it was NOT necessary to convert to Judaism and follow the whole Mosaic Law in order to be saved, or accepted as part of the church. However, they also wrote that it WAS necessary to abstain from four things, one of which was sexual immorality (Acts 15).
Paul told the elders of Ephesus to keep watch and be shepherds over the church, since savage wolves were going to come, preaching distorted doctrine. Paul said he had warned them day and night, with tears, for three years so that they would be on their guard (Acts 20).
Paul urged the church in Rome to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in their way that are contrary to the gospel they had received (the teachings of Jesus). Paul said to keep away from such people, because they did not serve Christ, but their own appetites (Rom 16).
Paul said that we cannot lift up any apostle above us, to follow the teachings of Peter, or Paul, or Apollos, etc. He said that the apostles belong to the church, and the church belongs to Christ, and Christ belongs to God (1 Cor 1, 2).
Paul said that a man who called himself a brother but continued to engage in sexual immorality ought to be ‘handed over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit might be saved on the day of the Lord.’ The actions of this particular man weren’t a threat to anyone in the meeting, yet Paul’s instruction was to expel him for immorality alone. Reject him; make it extremely clear that his sin was unacceptable. Paul knew that he could still repent before God without human fellowship, and Paul seems to indicate repentance may have been dependent on his being cast out to face the facts of what he had done (1 Cor 5).
Paul said that we can interact with immoral worldlings—their behavior is none of our business. But if any person claims to be a brother or sister, but is sexually immoral, greedy, an idolater, a slanderer, a drunk, or a swindler, we must not accept them as one of us and we may not even eat with them. We have been betrayed by people whose greed caused them to sexually abuse some of us, and in so doing they swindled all of us. We are not permitted to feed them or associate with them! “Expel the wicked person from among you” 1 Cor 5).
Paul said he worked as tirelessly as he did in order to ‘cut the ground out from under…false prophets, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.’ (2 Cor 11)
Paul rebuked the Galatians for accepting false teachers and their teachings. Paul cursed every false teacher, whether they were an apostle or an angel from heaven, then cursed them again for good measure. The entire epistle is a rebuttal of false doctrine. (Galatians)
Paul informed the Ephesians that there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among them. “For of one thing be sure: no immoral, impure, or greedy person has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” He commands us not to be partners with them. (Eph 5)
Paul, after reminding us not to have any confidence in the flesh, reminds us to keep an eye on those ‘who live as we do’ (friends, workers, both?) because many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. (Phil 3)
Paul told the Colossians that he was strenuously contending for them, so they would not be deceived by smooth-talking false preachers. He told them not to let anyone make up human rules to live by, since they had died to the world and needed to live in Christ. He tells them to put to death sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry; these things bring the wrath of God. (Col 2, 3)
Paul said that it is God’s will that we would be sanctified, and avoid sexual immorality, and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. He says the Lord will punish all who commit such sins, and that anyone who rejects this teaching rejects God. (1 Thess 4)
Paul reminds the Thessalonians that even if a message or a letter comes in his name, if it contains false doctrine, they must not be deceived by it. (2 Thess 2)
Paul instructed Timothy and Titus multiple times to oppose false teachers. (1 Tim 1, 4, 6; 2 Tim 2, 3; Titus 3:9-11)
Paul instructed Timothy and Titus to choose Overseers/Elders/Bishops (same word in Greek) and Deacons over the churches in their areas. He specifically told them to choose men who were faithfully married to one wife, and who had raised children well. Part of the reason for appointing Elders and Deacons was to help guard against false prophets. Paul encouraged (but did not require) celibacy in the ministry for those who could manage it, but he chose to entrust the ongoing care of the churches to married couples, since “if anyone doesn’t know how to manage their own family, how can he take care of God’s church?” (1 Tim 3, 4; Titus 1)
The writer of Hebrews says that if we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no sacrifice for sins left—only a fearful expectation of judgment and a raging fire that will consume God’s enemies. God will avenge; it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Heb 10:26-31)
The writer of Hebrews also said to see to it that no one (in the church) is sexually immoral, and that God will judge the adulterer and the sexually immoral. Hebrews also contains a reminder not to be carried away with strange teachings. (Heb 12, 13)
James says that the pure, faultless religion that God will accept is this: care for orphans and widows in their distress, and keep ourselves from being polluted by the world. To sexually prey upon widows and orphans and children, causing their distress, and in so doing to pollute oneself in ways that even the world’s felons despise, is clearly the polar opposite to Godly religion. (Jas 1:26-27)
James says to resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Sure, he was probably thinking about the literal devil, but I see no reason why the verse shouldn’t apply to child molesters posing as workers. (Jas 4)
Peter instructs the Elders/Overseers (same word in Greek) to voluntarily watch over the sheep, not pursuing any dishonest gain, and not lording over any in their trust. There are many, many reports of senior so-called workers using bullying and intimidation to silence whistleblowers and victims who try to expose their financial dealings and sexual exploitation, which is the exact opposite of Peter’s instruction. (1 Peter 5)
Peter devotes two-thirds of his second epistle to roasting the false brethren and false prophets among us. He concludes by instructing us to be on guard so that we are not carried away by their error, but to instead grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. We are to refuse to listen to the false workers, and get personal instruction from Jesus. (2 Peter 2, 3)
John says that the one who does sin is of the devil. A child of God will never offend in something horrific like sexual abuse, much less continue to reoffend. (1 John)
John says NOT to believe every spirit, but to try the spirits, because there are many false prophets. Every spirit that acknowledges Jesus has come in the flesh is of God—we don’t merely believe that he came, but that he came in the flesh and overcame the lusts of the flesh by the Spirit that was in him that is also now in us. (1 John)
John says we know a true brother or sister because they have the love of God, which proves they know God. The love of God sacrifices oneself in order to give—it never sacrifices another in order to take. (1 John)
John says if we see a brother or sister commit a sin that isn’t unto death, we should pray for them. But if we see them commit a sin unto death, John does not ask us to pray for such a sin, knowing that anyone born of God does not continue in sin. (1 John)
John says that if anyone is not teaching the original gospel, we may not allow them into our homes or so much as greet them. Anyone who welcomes them is complicit in their wickedness. (2 John)
Jude’s entire epistle is dedicated to calling out false brethren and false prophets. He instructs us to keep ourselves in God’s love by building up our most holy faith, and by praying in the Holy Spirit. He calls on us to be merciful to those who are struggling with doubt because of the false teachers, and to save whoever we can snatch out of the fire – but to “hate even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.” (Jude)
Jesus praised the church in Ephesus for their intolerance of wickedness, for their testing false apostles and finding out their falseness, and for their hatred of the practices of a false teacher. (Rev 2)
Jesus accused the church in Pergamum of allowing those who followed certain false doctrines to remain among them. (Rev 2)
Jesus accused the church in Thyatira of tolerating “that wicked woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet” and her followers, who practiced sexual immorality and idolatry. Jesus promised that he would make her and her followers suffer greatly, and praised those who refused to accept her teaching. (Rev 2)
Jesus praised the church in Philadelphia for resisting false doctrine. (Rev 3)
As some of you may have noticed, these passages include at least one reference from every New Testament author, and almost every New Testament book (all except Philemon and 3 John). Many of these verses would give us a clear mandate on their own. Taken together, the conclusion is unavoidable: we, the faithful disciples of Christ, are required by scripture to avoid fellowship with people who are false prophets, sexually immoral persons, or both. Anyone who so much as feeds or welcomes a false prophet is partaker of their wickedness; the faithful are forbidden to associate with them.
Resist, resist, resist any and all false doctrine! Do not feed, shelter, or give money to any person who committed sexual crimes, or to any person who participated in hiding those crimes from the law and from the church. Do not listen to the preaching or the testimonies of any such person. This is not my private opinion, or anyone else’s: this is the plain-and-simple reading of the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles that we have already vowed to obey.
I am attaching a letter written to all Overseers worldwide by those who are spearheading the crisis hotline and associated investigations. After 10 weeks of attempted communication, they are now asking for the immediate resignation of all Overseers, since not a single one has been truthful or cooperative with the legal investigations into these heinous crimes. Over 400 perpetrators have been identified, with individual allegations continuing to flood in faster than they can be counted.
Jesus and the apostles gave us a very clear doctrine to obey. If all of us together simply refuse these deceivers entry into our homes, refuse to break bread with them, and refuse to associate with them, they will be forced out of the ministry, forced out of the church, and will have nowhere else to turn. If we follow the laws of the land and answer truthfully if we are questioned by officers of the law, both of which are supported by scripture (Rom 13; 1 Peter 2), then many of these people will wind up behind bars and others will have to be registered and stay away from kids. Those wicked ones that led us into this mess are not going to lead us out of it. Satan cannot cast out Satan. The only way forward is God’s way: for all of us together to obey Jesus, in the spirit of Jesus, for the purpose of presenting a spotless Bride to Jesus.
As we reject the enemies from our midst, we must also, with equal diligence and zeal, reach out to an alarming number of broken people. Honestly, I don’t know where to start, except to call on each and every one of us to read, pray, and meditate with intensity on what we each can do to extend the love and healing power of Christ to those suffering from sexual, mental, and/or spiritual abuse at the hands of false workers and false brethren. They’ve experienced things most of us can’t imagine, and those blasphemers that did it to them dared to do it in the name of Jesus and his church. Because our reputation is now stained, many of the victims have legitimate reasons to fear and distrust us. Frankly, so far we as a church haven’t given them much reason to try to trust us. Once we have driven out the wolves, perhaps we can start to earn their trust and ask their forgiveness.
No matter what, don’t any of us dare to walk up to someone who is spiritually bleeding their heart out onto the pavement and mention makeup, or pants, or haircuts, or any other stupid triviality. Some of these people are dying inside. A first responder’s job is to aid with catastrophic bleeding, airway, breathing, and circulation until the patient can be brought safely to the Physician. Jesus came for the broken people. Hopefully we can help him help the broken people, but if we can’t, we’re certainly not going to get in his way.
Obeying Jesus in this situation is going to require each of us to be very, very bold. Humble, meek, but bold.
Our fellowship is on fire.
But gold does not fear the fire.
Whatever is of God is purified in the fire, not destroyed.
Whatever is of Man is reduced to ashes.
I humbly ask each and every one of you to take this message to Jesus, through fervent reading, prayer, and meditation, and test for yourselves whether this is the will of God. I hope to see you on the battlefield.
In Christ, and for Christ:
Michael Ford
2024
Give of your best to the Master,
Give of the strength of your youth.
Clad in Salvation’s full armor,
In in the battle for Truth!