Bible scholars generally say that this infamous harlot with many daughters was birthed when Constantine made Christianity the State Church, and her many daughters are said to be the Protestant Churches that rebelled against their mother and became independent from her. Could this be true? We will see.

Anglican priest, Rev. Sam Pascoe, sums it up in a very short version of the history of Christianity that devolved into harlotry. He said: "Christianity started in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution; it moved to Europe and became a culture; it came to America and became an enterprise."

It is doubtful that we could find many voices today that would deny that the church in America has become a major enterprise, and an enterprise by definition is a business. We are also told that the Church is the body of Christ. But make no mistake about it, a business is not the pure, unadulterated, living body of Christ. Moreover, an enterprise that claims to be is an imposter. In short, when a religious body becomes an enterprising business, it is not only an imposter, but a prostitute. Not in the literal sense, of course, but when a woman, which is a type of that church, sells the word of God and her services, she becomes a religious prostitute, plain and simple.

For instance, I was brought to this understanding in 1987 after I had left my barber business (Shiloh Hair Sculpturing) and started full-time writing and mailing out The Pathfinder as well as traveling once a year for several weeks at a time. One of our stops was a special three day conference where I was one of the speakers. The music, worship, and the word of life flowed freely from the heavens. Everything was great--except for one point that troubled us. It was when one of the elders of the church took the offerings. We knew the church wanted the invited ministers to be blessed; but the manner in which the offerings were taken (not received) did not set right in my spirit, nor in Margit's.

I was praying about this the evening after the last meeting, and after the gratuity had been given to us, a question was formed in my mind. When a man or woman renders his or her services and gets paid for services rendered, what does that make them? Prostitutes!

I knew that the word I had ministered was the living seed of God, and it was sown into the wombs of the people's souls. They then gave their money to me via the church. Needless to say, this gave me great concern; for ministering by writing and speaking would be my only source of income since we no longer had our business. In my thinking, I felt that I would never be able to receive another offering; for in doing so I thought I would by default be a prostitute. I would starve before that happened. I had no idea how our calling could continue by turning down all donations to the ministry; but one thing for certain, I refused to be paid for my services.

This attrition remained with me until the next day when we were to spend the night with our friends Preston and Lorain Eby. They took us out to dinner, and while waiting for our orders, I expressed my concern about all this. Preston responded by saying something to this effect: "Today is my 50th birthday, and Lorain wanted to take me out to dinner, and I can guarantee that she did not do it for services rendered. She took me to dinner because she loves me, and she wanted to bless me. It had nothing to do with anything else." He continued by saying: "And it is the same when I minister. People give, not because of services rendered, but out of the love of Christ by which they are filled. They want to bless me. I have blessed them with the word of God, and they in turn have a loving desire to bless me. However," he added, "there have been times when I would refuse the money from certain ones when I discerned that their motives were wrong. What made it wrong was that they were paying for my talents and/or wanting to impress me. Therefore, it is an honor to receive the offerings made in the spirit of Christ's love. It is not prostituting the word of God. Some do, of course, but not you nor me."

What a relief! A word of understanding, wisdom, counsel, and might set me free that evening of J. Preston Eby's 50th birthday. I don't know about him--but it was my Jubilee!

You see, the body of a wife and that of a prostitute can perform the same act, but one is holy and for love while the other is unholy and is for money. There are various reasons church members pay their Old Testament tithes: pride, self-esteem, to ease the conscience, or with hopes of escaping hell, and some truly give out of a real love for God, Jesus, their pastor and church. However, I believe that many in denominations over the earth minister and/or pay their tithes who do not know God nor have any love for Him whatsoever. For how can they love Him when they don't know Him? How many, do we suppose, really know and love Him?

You may disagree, and that's alright; but the evidence we have states very clearly that the gods that many Christians love are the ones of their own making, their own ideas, their own imaginations about Him. The challenging question may have been raised in some of your minds, "What evidence do you have that their gods are merely the ones of their own imaginations?"

Simply said, when their god is one who is an all forgiving god on this side of the veil, but will never forgive a sinner on the other side--that is a god of their own imagination. When their god on this side of the veil is the god of infinite love, but on the other side he hates sinners throughout eternity--that is a god of their own imagination. If their god will have all men to be saved, but most will be forever lost--that is a god of their own imagination. If their god is going to reconcile all through Christ Jesus, but most will be tormented forever--that is a god of their own imagination. If their god gathers all things together in Christ as one, but billions remain eternally separated and lost--that is a god of their own imagination. If all die in Adam, and their god only makes a few alive in Christ, and without grace much more abounding--that is a god of their own imagination. If all men are condemned by Adam's offense, and their god does not justify all by the one just act of Christ--that is a god of their own imagination. If all die in Adam, but their god does not make all alive in Christ--that is a god of their own imagination. If they say that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Jesus Christ as Lord, but on the other side their god will not hear or receive their confession--that is a god of their own imagination. If, on one hand, their god will become All in all, but on the other, they say the majority of humanity will be eternally separated from him--that is a god of their own imagination. Frankly, such a god appears to be schizophrenic--and that is a god of their own imagination. This is more evidence that they do not know God; for those gods do not exist in the Bible nor in reality. These are gods of man's own making, products of religious minds that began a long time ago, and those ancient images have been passed on and carried down to this day.

It is little wonder that Paul said: "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5. Such things as the above are imaginations of exalted thoughts that became prevalent by the Church of Rome, and they spread like a plague sweeping through all Christian agencies over the centuries. These imaginations of God have been raised high in the minds of people, standing against any reality of knowing the true God, and without knowing Him there can be no love for Him. All they can muster up is a love of their own image of Him.

How can this be anything other than idol worship? That's what it is! And we are told: "You shall have no other gods before Me," and "You shall not make unto you any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them." The indictment of this commandment is that images are not to be made for the purpose of serving and worshiping them whether it's a carved tree, a chiseled stone, or a mythical image formed in the mind. Moreover, part of this harlot's name, Abominations, speaks of idol worship in the Greek.

It stands to reason then, most Christians neither know the living God nor love Him, especially when all they have known is to follow and abide by their churches' creeds, dogmas, doctrines, laws and by-laws. I believe the primary root of this condition of not knowing or loving God originated in how we came to God, or perhaps, came to church.

Many were born and raised in churches. Some came to Him because of what they were told He would do for them, such as pie in sky; you know, heaven, mansions, golden streets, and prosperity here and now. What a marriage, to say the least! Many married Him for His riches/money/heaven, and there are some, we assume, that don't care if He lives or dies as long as they can get His stuff.

The church system, especially in the U.S., is a very enterprising business. It has grown materially wealthy by merchandising the scriptures, the gifts of God, and His anointing. It's all been for sale, and this woman makes herself known on every street corner of society and window of opportunity.

It is not this way, praise God, with the Bride of Christ. With her it is the way it is supposed to be. She is His lover because of her deep rooted genuine love that came from knowing Him so very intimately. This intimacy was when His word would flow deeply into her being by the anointing of His Living Spirit, when she was bathed in His presence during time of quietness and solitude, when His Spirit and word swept over and through the high assemblies of the saints. Knowing Him and loving Him came by walking with Him and talking with Him in everyday life. Knowing and loving Him came during times of fierce storms, deep valleys of darkness, peril, and in the wildernesses of loneliness and deep sorrows. Although adversities unnumbered compassed her about, she knew her Lord and Love was not far away, was guiding and directing the way, and awaited her beyond her scope of vision. Perfect trust was her companion; for she knew Him, she knew He would never leave Her. She knew He would not forsake her at any cost. This, my dear friends and sojourners in Christ, is what burns love into every fiber and breath of our being. It is impossible for the thrills and frills of Mystery Babylon the Great to work the same.

It is impossible to love anyone, even God, without truly knowing them. It is possible to be very fond of the image of someone that's been formed in our minds from what we have been told; but that is not love for the person or for God. Millions thought they loved Elvis Presley, the Beatles, President Kennedy, Pope John Paul II, or the one who has been placed as leader of this nation, Barak Obama; but the only ones who ever loved any of them were those who knew them. Albeit, knowing them did not guarantee their love. Some who knew them, really knew them, might not have cared too much for them, discounting the Pope, of course. Everyone who knew him surely loved him as well, don't you think? Even so, being such a lovable man did not make his god the true God, unless, however the Pope came to know Him; but given what we still see in that system he ruled, it would appear that he did not know God. It is my own opinion; but I believe if he had known God and submitted himself to Him in all things--Catholic priests today would be married, as well as the nuns.

Even if we know someone or a religious organization, that does not insure that we truly love them. Many know and love their pastor and church, while others know both, and that is why they may not love them. But when you know God, you will love Him! That, I promise!

Now, let me pose a question to those whose well-being depends on offerings from their congregation or what is coming in from the articles, tapes, and CDs that are mailed out, which applies to Elwin Roach as well. What would happen to most preachers, evangelists, writers, and priests should God stop paying them? Would they continue preaching, teaching, writing, and ministering? Depending on their motives for serving God would determine what they might do or not do. It would make a huge difference whether their god was created by their own imagination or if it is the living God that is known and love. Those who are true lovers would remain true and faithful to their call, while those who serve because of blessings and promises of heaven, or it is merely a job, would promptly tender their resignations and exit the house; this I truly believe.

But there are things other than prosperity and security in the world with which to be tested on whether we are lovers or prostitutes. What if we started losing the most precious things in our lives--our family members, our firstborn son or grandson, our husband or wife, our brothers or sisters, and all at a much too early age? Or what would we do if our children and grandchildren who were raised in church, in home fellowships, who were home-schooled, who praised God and worshiped with us for years, but in spite of it all--they rebelled, turned to drugs and alcohol, dropped out of high school, seared their lungs with tars from cigarette smoke, became pregnant, or just defied all logic to what we expected and futilely demanded of them? Would we still love, be faithful, and serve God? If things didn't turn out the way we had planned, which is usually the case, what would we do? I will tell you. If it was formed in our minds by our godlike ability to create, most likely, we would not be faithful to remain in the midst of our fire-storm, and the love for the image of the god of our minds would fail. However, if it was the God we knew and loved, we would continue come hell or high water. We would prove to be lovers rather than prostitutes and not abandon ship as soon as our livelihood was threatened.

This could sound harsh, or even brash; but please don't think I have any ill thoughts or feelings toward anyone in any established church or denomination--for I don't! I do not know whether or not any given church is functioning in the love for God or the love for their ideals. That is for each to discern for him or herself. This is a spiritual issue that I feel is of paramount importance and must be addressed, especially in this day of The Revelation of Jesus Christ--The Apocalypse!

Are we beginning to see, at least in a small way, what MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS is all about? She is a woman that grew from Eve to become a world-wide system comprising all religions. Denominations and churches that operate by the same spirit are daughters of that religious system. However, that spirit has been in the corporate body of Christ as well as in individual members. Remember, this book is a book of the Revelation/Apocalypse of Jesus Christ, and this harlot, whether world-wide or in one member of Christ's body, will come to an end. Until that end, however, the woman's foundation in every vessel and organization has been beastly, earthy, carnal. They have become inebriated, excited, elated, and overwhelmed by the beauty and mesmerizing spirit of the harlot arrayed in purple. She has appeared to be of the royal lineage of the King of kings, but she is not. The kings of the earth, the inhabitants of the earth, and all nations have been made drunk with the wine (religious spirit) of her fornication that they paid for. The merchants of the earth in that system were made rich. Those earthy men, women, and organizations of this harlot were made rich by merchandising the word and gifts of God. They were selling their services, for this is what prostitutes do. They have a false prophet that preaches, teaches, and ministers the word of God, but there is no truth or life therein it. A false prophet, as it was with the Pharisees, can only speak lies; for they are of their father the devil who is the father of lies. The people have bought those lies as they lay in the bed of Mystery Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots.

But it is not so with the ones in whom the harlot has suffered God's plagues and has been burned with fire unto mourning, famine and death; for strong is the Lord God who judges her in the world and in us. (Rev. 18:8). That which the holy ones buy is the truth, the unadulterated word of God in its pure form of life that will endure the ages.

Buy The Truth and Sell It Not

This tried gold, of course, is not heaven's pavement that carnal imaginations have wrought; rather, this is the gold that speaks of the pure, refined nature of God in earthen vessels. It is priceless, and Jesus said that we are to acquire it, gather it, to melt it into every fiber of our being. Although the word buy in this verse can mean exactly that, to buy something by paying money for it, we know that the nature of God cannot be bought any more than I could buy my natural father's nature. I was born with it, and over the years it was refined in me by the fires suffered, and it's been the same with you. That's the way it works in the natural, and that's the way it works in the Spirit. I do believe, however, that Jesus was telling John that whatever it might cost a person, whatever he had to sacrifice, whether it was his reputation, his fame, his fortune, his earthly wares, his all--that is what he must do. So the bottom line is this: When tribulation comes, suffer it. When fire comes, suffer it. When floods come, suffer it. And that which has been birthed in you, the nature of God, will be refined and have great worth.

By the time you have come to the end of this life's journey, it will most likely have cost you everything, but you will not have paid a dime for it. This is what happened with Jesus when He sold everything He had, His Life, to be exact, and bought the field, the world, that contained the Pearl of Great Price. But no money was exchanged, except for the thirty pieces of silver that Judas was paid. Talk about prostituting the Word! He sold the manifested Word of God for a pittance; but at the great loss of his life after casting the silver pieces back to the chief priests who paid him for his adulterating services.

"And he bought (qanah) a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for an hundred pieces of money." Genesis 33:19.

^"And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten (qanah) a man from the LORD." Genesis 4:1. You see, Abraham bought a field; but Adam created/erected a man.

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