Throughout history men and women of God, filled with the power of his spirit have been abused, despised and persecuted: Often in the name of the God that they held dear. Historically such people have suffered many things. Heb 11: 35: Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: 36: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: 37: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38: (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 39: And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

Meaning, that the promise would not be fulfilled until all their fellow saints should be perfected as well. 

Through history many have given up parents, brothers, sisters, wives and children for the sake of their faith. Mat 10: 34: Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35: For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36: And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. 37: He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38: And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

The Kingdom of God and the gift of eternal life; is that pearl of great value which is worth giving up everything that is dear to acquire.  Mat 13: 45: Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 46: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

They shall hate you because your example makes them uncomfortable and convicts them of sin which they will not repent of. Therefore, John 16: 2: They shall put you out of the synagogues [your churches]: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. 3: And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor [known] me. 4: But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.

Brethren, if this happened to the saints in times past; do not think it strange if this has happened to you in this age.

We were told at baptism that we were making a commitment to God the Father and Jesus Christ and that we were not joining any group or church. 

Suddenly after baptism; we were told that we had joined a church and that if we questioned that church or its leader we were questioning God.  We were told that to question them or to dare to leave them was to leave God; to cut ourselves off from God and to be punished with eternal death. 

Brethren: THAT IS A DAMN LIE!  THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF THE TRUTH.  IF WE DO NOT QUESTION WHAT MEN SAY AND IF WE DO NOT HOLD THE WORDS OF MEN UP TO THE STANDARD OF GOD’S WORD: THEN WE ARE CUT OFF FROM ALMIGHTY GOD.  We MUST put God FIRST by: 1 Thes 5: 21: Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.  Even questioning and testing those who claim to be apostles, Rev 2:2: I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars

This lie is told so that you will fear to question these men and they can then have POWER over you. Almighty God is TRUTH and the TRUTH shall free you from the chains of enslavement by men.  Satan wants to replace God with men in your eyes so that he can, the more easily lead you astray.  If you do not put God’s word FIRST and judge ALL teachings by the word of God.  Where is your FOUNDATION? Are you not standing on the shifting sands and doctrines of men?

These men want to dominate, to control, to exercise authority and power.  They don’t like it when you question them and their teachings.  THEY WILL RIDICULE THE QUESTIONER RATHER THAN ADDRESS THE ISSUE. And, if they cannot emasculate you and reduce you to a blind man follower; THEY WILL DRIVE YOU OUT: rather than have your courage inspire others.

Brethren; when you begin to believe that to ask the hard questions, or to test the words of men against the word of God; is somehow putting your eternal life and reward in jeopardy; if you really believe that: you have departed from God. For only Almighty God has the authority to pass ultimate judgment.  To impute such authority to men is the sin of idolatry.

The only thing that can separate you from God is your sin. To hold men on so high a pedestal that you dare not apply the word of God to their teachings and conduct; is to exalt these men above God. It is idolatry.  Rom 8: 33: Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34: Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36: As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37: Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39: Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

When a minister or church says: Don’t question me, or; study only what we say in the way we say, or; if I reject you, God has rejected you, or; I am a minister of Jesus Christ and I can do ANYTHING I WANT: God is not there!!!

Many ministers and churches have abused and rejected those people who have sincerely tried to PUT GOD FIRST.  If this has happened to you: REJOICE, for you stand approved of God. As long as you are sincerely putting God and his word; FIRST!  The judgment of such men is a joke,it is less than nothing; for the ETERNAL GOD IS THE JUDGE OF HIS PEOPLE, AND HE WILL DELIVER ALL THOSE WHO LOVE HIM AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS; ALL THOSE WHO PUT HIM FIRST.

Rev 20:12: And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  Yes, we shall be judged by the word of Almighty God; and not by what some man says about the word of God.  Test everything that you are taught against the Holy Word of God; for that is the standard by which you shall be judged.

Many of our Beloved Father’s dear children have been battered and abused; have been ridiculed and scorned; have been hated and mocked and rejected by those who they thought were the true ministry of God.  Brethren; it takes real courage to be like Daniel and STAND UP FOR THE TRUTH, regardless of the claimed authority of those in charge; and regardless of the consequences. 

God needs and wants such people of COURAGE to rule his kingdom. He wants men of RENOWN; who God knows will always put him FIRST regardless of the pressures to do otherwise.  Someday these people will know that GOD HAS LOVED YOU FOR YOUR LOYALTY TO HIM!