No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment
Matthew 9:16...

During Jeremiah's day, when Judah was taken in apostasy, chapter 10:21 says (in regards to the leaders), "For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered."

Isn't  the word "brutish" for the shepherds of God's flock a little harsh here?  Especially in this day and age of "reconciliation" and "bridge building"?  Maybe it is a translation error, or an archaic phrase, or something?  I wonder what the Hebraic root word would mean here?  If you want to get technical or bamboozle the naive, the unsuspecting, and spiritual novice, that is!

Here's what the dictionary calls brutal ...  "savage and cruel"!  Make sense?

However, in regards to "bridge building" ...  apostate Christendom appears to have a problem at this point in time.  The problem being that scripture only presents one bridge, and His name being JESUS!  Who happens to be the only way back to God our Maker, and the only one worthy to say, "I am the way, the truth, and the life"! 

This way of course being the rugged, splintery crude bridge, made from an ugly dead tree, and erected as a torturous execution pole.   An all too squeamishing way of bridging man to God, or should we say ...  bridging God to man!  Yes, why scripture refers to it as base and "the foolishness of preaching", and no other way whereby man can be saved!  This completely places the emphasis on God's remedy, on His terms, pointing the onus back on man ...  "what must I do to be saved?" 

Furthermore, this also means there is no beating around the bush when coming to God, because the only access available into His presence is through the sacrificial atoning work of His lamb provided.  Any other way is a man-made substitute, falling flat on its face.  Because, the hard and fast cold facts are ...  without reconciliation to God first, there is no true, worked out, reconciliation between man.  Putting it another way ...  unless man is at peace with God first, he can never truly be at peace with himself and his fellow man.  Any attempt on his own, is only superficial or short lived.

The cross!!  The cross!!  The cross!!  There is no substitute, or short-cut, or deviation.  Jesus is the way!!  Anything else getting in the way, is a travesty.  Especially when a man disguising himself as being 'truly spiritually' and 'sincerely qualified', points to his method (whether rules or franchise) as being a bona fide way of bridging Almighty God to a lost world.  The man who makes this claim by the way, is none other than a liar and fraud.  Nothing more than a clever religious professional complicating the way back to God that the individual would have to depend on some form of human agency. 

The more becomingly, sincere, acute, and appealing the man, the more deceitful and damaging is his "noble" cause.  Moreover, when he relies on manipulation to enhance and press his position, the word "brutish (without feeling for his flock)" fits the slot accurately.  Jesus had another title, and it was not Reverend or Pastor, but Hireling!

Scripture is very clear and precise about trusting no man, and letting no man deceive you.  It is very clear about keeping a diligent watch for wolves in sheep's clothing and end time tricksters and seducers.  Even if they are an apparent leader of high respect, of a very successful movement, a good cause, or a humanly credible enterprise.  Didn't Jesus say ...  "for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God"? 

When it comes to making it with God all human proxies are at best ...  totally superfluous, and at worst ...  brutish!!  Scripture is clear and straight to the point:

1 Timothy 2:5.  "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus".

And:

1 Pet. 5: 2-3.  "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint (press ganged into it), but willingly (that's exercising your will); not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;  Neither as being lords over God's heritage (being a bully or brutish), but being ensamples to the flock." 

Some say I am anti leadership!  Nope ... I am merely against elitist priesthood and religious monopoly.  Those that hijack the chair of Moses in other words!  It is scriptural to have caring elders (not 'one man bands', hierarchy, and clerical systems), and scriptural to promote the priesthood of all believers. 

Some say I am anti structure, anti organization, or anti establishment.  I also say phewy to this as complete and utter nonsense!  How can I be when I depend and use these things everyday?  Paul said to use the world but not abuse it.  The problem I have with an institution, is when it gets itself in the way.  When it comes between the individual (you or me) and God, and replaces Jesus as the bridge.  No group, or persons, or individual has this right to do this of course; although countless do.  Just like the Serpent in the Garden, replacing the Lord in the cool of the day, to bring "God's" word to the hearer.  When the "nice guy" approach fails, malicious tactics kick in!  It's human failure all the way.  When man does things his way without God.

Control is the name of the game!  Control to gain and preserve prestige, position, and a good livelihood, in the name of "caring", "being qualified" and "called".  In essence, because the system qualifies and licences a man for the task of subtly replacing the Holy Ghost, and to take over the role of leading the way (even being a substitute for a woman's head - her husband - but that's another message).  This nullifies the inspired words of the writer of 1 John 2:27: 

"But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you (the Holy Ghost), and ye need not that any man teach you (which includes religious professionals): 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."

It always boils down to trusting Him (that's God Almighty), or trusting mere man.  Jesus said to His disciples, to call no man father, or teacher, or master, or rabbi ...  "all ye are brethren."

Why all the titles and hero worship today?  Why all the emphasis on using the teachings of the Reformers for back-up and not the scriptures themselves? 

Reason:  Because the Reformers backed institutional reform to one degree or another, and using them can justify denominationalism.  Hence, the heretical teaching of "church membership" and being locked into Sunday tradition.  As well as the existence of the religious institution down the road.

I use to read countless books, from modern soft covers, to old worn out hard covers.  All with the purpose of looking for the perfect man of God (whether deceased or living), who God "apparently" used so much (and probably did to a degree), who could have all the (easy) answers, or help blaze out my earthly pilgrimage with dazzled sprayed signs ...  "This is the way, walk ye in it!" 

It may have been a way of receiving warm fuzzies, by the thought of adventure and being "commissioned", but it was in actual fact, divorced from reality.  Unless it became personal experience through applying the word and the cross on a daily basis, in one's life.

I praise the Lord He has delivered me from such false hope, where (hopefully) I place my trust completely in Him.  There are no heroes out there, except Jesus.  Everything else is fantasy and wishful thinking.  Books, tapes, articles (like this one you are reading), and testimonies can be an encouragement or inspiration (can be - is the line), but that's all!  To duplicate a man, or his walk, or a method of reform, or a past revival, will never work.  Nor can it be just a substitute for simply being obedient to the word. 

In all my attempts at writing I very rarely quote anyone, except the scripture.  In debates, I very rarely quote this manuscript or that manuscript, or this text or that text, or gloat over some past "move of the Spirit".  If God has kept and preserved His word, for this generation, and forever, then surely the scriptures should speak and support themselves.  Moreover, it should be the individuals life being revived in the here and now, not just dreaming about it in a general sense, through some future great move of the Spirit.

Today, Christendom is full of quotations, justifying the Reformation, the Reformers, and the Protestant Movement in general.  All for the purpose of "identity" and "ministry" preservation, and justifying the existence of a group or doctrine.  Very little study has been done about the motives and politics of these men, with little truth about their ungodly practices.   Also, it is very hard to get an accurate description of their character because of all the changes and editing of their so-called legacy, where they are no longer around to speak for themselves. However, many quotations have been made about their "great" achievements and attributes. 

The most dangerous men around today for Bible believers are not 'secular' politicians (although many Christians are preoccupied with them) but 'religious' politicians.  Men who use their ecclesiastical qualifications as a cover, or excuse,  to hold positions of power and control the people, or as clout to "bug off" or disarm their opponents.   After all, who set Jesus up for His ultimate betrayal and death?

When one delves into the past of the Reformation, with an unbiased approach, one does see a different picture emerge from the pages of (censored) history, and realize why so much written record has been distorted, or destroyed, with usually a one angled view.  Even many celebrated preachers (excluding the modern apostates) show up with inconsistencies and traits, which would disappoint some today, if they were their pastor ...  where some have turned out to be adulterers, pedophiles, alcoholics, or druggies; not to forget to mention placing their ministry before their families?  Moreover, not to forget ...  still hanging onto so much tradition and pushing it as gospel, or reinventing it. 

With many, believing God created most people with the sole intention of throwing them into hell, before they had a chance to choose.  Where God has apparently created a selected, special, chosen elite, before they too had the choice of salvation through the cross.

Let's take a brief look at the so-called father of the Reformation (a man who promoted unconditional election): 

Sure Martin Luther promoted, "the just shall live by faith" (until we discover "the just" and "the elect" were those who ascribed to his doctrine).  Sure he wrote the German Bible unifying the German language, and laying the foundation for a German nation.  However, his work also laid the foundation for a German anti semite totalitarian state, during the Nazi era.  The reason ...  Martin Luther was a Jew hater as well as being responsible (along side other Protestants) of the brutal persecution of the Anabaptists (part of the remnant church of the day). 

Instead of walking away from Catholicism totally, Luther set up his own reformed version, with dictatorial rule of Church and State, and children's baptism and church attendance as a condition for "being right with God".  Proving Protestantism was only a reformed brand of the Catholic version, and an unscriptural reformed way of Christianizing a heathen nation. 

Bend or be punished severely, was the choice he enforced (although he did not believe in choice). 

Unless Martin Luther repented through Christ, expressed remorse and renounced his religion before he died, this man died with blood on his hands.

Another chief Reformer was John Calvin, who has swayed much of Western Christendom to this day by his thinking:

John Calvin was made an offer he couldn't refuse ...  to come and Christianize vice ridden Geneva as its supreme head.  This he took up effectively and ruthlessly, by outlawing everything from jewellery to not becoming a Christian on his terms.  Look out if you were not his friend!  You could be slowly and tortuously burnt to death in public, after being turned down for requesting a quick death by beheading. 

He also brutally persecuted Puritans and other Christians who would not conform to his religious politics.  He was responsible for 58 executions during his iron reign, and did not show witches the love of Jesus, but burned them instead.  Look out if you spoke against infant baptism.  Or if you did not attend church on Sunday you were banished from the land.

In his country, according to John Calvin and his political system, if you were not a Calvinist, there was no place for you as a Christian.  In other words ...  one could not be a Christian without being a Calvinist.

John Knox, the "great" Scottish Protestant leader, called Geneva "the most perfect school of Christ."  Yuk!!!

Calvin had blood on his hands too and would have also gone to the grave in deep trouble if he had not repented through Christ, renouncing and expressing remorse for his counterfeit, ruthless and aggressive form of Christianity! 

Conclusion:  These brutish men presented God as a tyrant and executioner, who would be severely harsh with you if you did not toe the national line and conform with the new system.

We could go on, mentioning King James I (see more) and others, but I think I am getting the point across.  These blokes, plus a few others, were the daddies of the Protestant Movement (protesting against the corruption of the papacy), which countless evangelical leaders and writers quote today to justify and accommodate their "pastoral" positions and organizations. 

The whole existence of their cause is to improve the system, "for Jesus".  If the system rejects you for being a dissident, go and build a better one in opposition, calling it "God's place of Dwelling" (or the Church) instead, with it's own form of creeds, rules, and religious adornment and beatification.  Not to forget to mention its brutish or manipulative methods.

No wonder there is so much political skulduggery and corruption behind Cowards Castle (the clerics pulpit) and the stained glass of today's fraternities!  Even to the degree of sexually abusing helpless and innocent children.

Jesus said, if the root is corrupt, cut it out!  For every plant that is manmade will be rooted up (Matt. 15:13), and every work not done in the Spirit will be burnt up (1 Cor. 3: 13-15)!   Hey, I never said this ...  but the scriptures do! 

True Bible believers are to purge out the leaven, not improve the ingredients!  They are to drive out the bond woman, not reform her!  They are to throw out the old wine skins, not patch them up!  God is not into the patching up business.  Nor is He into beefing up things either (like reinventing ot re defining church).  Furthermore, when God says new ...  He means brand-smacking-new!  Total and complete!

Where does He start?  Is it not with the individual heart?  Was not David's prayer, "Create in me a clean heart, O God"?  As the veil is rent (permanently) and the new temple replaces the man-made one!

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Reiterating the last line ...  ALL THINGS ARE BECOME NEW!

Dad's will is for every blood bought saint to chuck in their "Christian" gurus and make Him Lord over all things!  Then, and only then ...   you get the new life that God promises!

Other sources of interest (as always, discernment is desired):

John Calvin.....The Gospel Truth.....Church History..... Protestant Reformers
His Ashes Cry Out.....Calvanism