Matthew 3:16 | 4:16 | 5:16 And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him. | The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up. | Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.

Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this {physical} tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ has showed me. Moreover I will endeavor that you may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father, honor and glory, when there came such a voice to Him from the excellent glory: this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with Him in the holy mount. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto you do well that you take heed, as unto a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. But there were false prophets also among the people {past}, even as there shall be false teachers among you {future}, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingers not, and their damnation slumbers not. For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; and spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the un-Godly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that after should live un-Godly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds); The Lord knows how to deliver the Godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government {leadership}. Presumptuous are they, self-willed; they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; and shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: a heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbade the madness of the prophet. These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest: to whom the mist of darkness is reserved forever. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. (2nd Peter 1:13-2:18)

The Disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ shapes his life around the calling; indeed, the burden and passion that God has placed upon him. Many are called to Missionary work, and so, because they have to travel, they select a vocation that will allow them to travel. They learn to be construction workers or teachers, or other crafts and trades that allow them to do this vocation, anywhere that God leads them to go! We see this in the Apostle Paul, who learned how to make and mend tents (portable homes) in order to travel and earn a living along the way. Remember, he was a theologian; a Pharisee with a PhD! When God captured him, he had to start over and learn a new craft: This was also true of Matthew! Jesus made it clear, that if we are dedicated to making our life in the hear & now, that He cannot (and will not) use us. We are to surrender this life and its trappings, and yeild our entire being to the service of God; for many are called, but few are chosen.

The motives for those in ministry vary from one person to the next, and from one denomination to the next, as well as from one time/culture to the next. But for those without the Indwelling Holy Spirit (the Godless), the reason is the same for them all; to feed/serve the flesh and the ego. Many are into church as a social structure, much like any socio-cultural organization. Many adults live in a world without any power or position; that is, they work at some menial job where they're told what to do all the time, but on weekends, they can be a leader at a church where they get other humans to listen to and obey them. This is why the focus on obedience within organized religions is so magnified; they teach that God wants one group of humans to obey and comply with another group of humans. In this fashion (in this psychology), humans gain power that they otherwise, do not have in the socio-economic world (within the Capitalist Oligarchy's, those with the most money typically has the most power and control over other humans). In the organized religions (the church businesses), those issued authority have that same kind of power/control over other humans.
Conversely, those of the Indwelling do not want any kind of power/control over other humans; they/we know that we exist (now & forever) in an egalitarian brotherhood where all are equal to one another. Jesus Himself calls us brethren; He discouraged the jockeying of position among His own Disciples. Jesus taught His Disciples how to live off the land; how to live on Earth without the trappings of the evil one; possessions. He said that the things of this world are weights unto our walk; they're the things that nature will absorb back into itself, or, that other Godless humans will lust after (covet) and steal, given the opportunity. You see, many followed Jesus, not because He was God, but because of the fish & loaves; they wanted Him like He was a walking grocery store, and He told them so, plainly! Many get involved in religion for one reason or another, but what Jesus was trying to do, was to teach His Disciples the difference between the religions of men, and the transformed life of the true believer in God almighty. Those who truly believe, become Indwelled by the Holy Spirit of God; they are born again, utterly renewed; transformed from mere hominids trying to find food and purpose in this life, into Spirit-centric beings that thoroughly transcend the corporeal.

Matthew 19:23-30 Then said Jesus unto His disciples: Verily I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of Heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When His disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying; Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them: With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. Then answered Peter and said unto Him; Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed you; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them; Verily I say unto you, That you who have followed me; in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of His glory, you also, shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that has forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.

Most humans do not believe in an after-life; even humans-past, did not fully understand the spirit-realm: They thought that the spirits were here in the corporeal (and even to this day people believe this). Religions like Christianity offers a better "second life", if you will; this is the appeal. But most people today, do not even believe in an after-life; that when we die it is over forever. Indeed, most professing Christians think this way as well, but follow the religions of their greatest influence, just in case this mysterious god-creation-thing, turns out to be true after all. Humans follow their parents or piers into differing religions; this fact is witnessed in the culturally relevant aspects of religion (like traditionalism), and anyone who has studied religions know this well. But something happened when Jesus Christ came to Earth; something that changed the way humans perceive the world; life! God offers us a link to God via the Indwelling Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God. Once that action occurs, we humans have insight into Gods brain, if you will. Conversely; this is why so many humans are more concerned with what other humans think of them, than what God thinks of them. Because they do not see, hear or smell God among us, they live their life as do all others. The very reason that the non-religious (agnostics/Atheists) do not bother with religion itself, is centered on the fact that they do not see anyone actually living like the Biblical Jesus Christ did. Only Christ became a mortal and taught by actions, what it is to Love as God, live as God, and yoke with God. All other religions (past & present) do not command righteousness and then empower the individual to live it, via the Indwelling power of God almighty; all other religions simply uses itself, to provide a psychological/emotional charge with which to change ones corporeality (their life while on Earth). And so, since Islam is clearly the Arab's copy/version of the Christian faith story, they too, have celestial prizes (only of a sensual nature; figure that one out)! Faith is the substance of things Not seen; we live on this Earth as God instructs, only to please God, not humans. Therefore, true faith is witnessed in the moment to moment decisions and the overall mentality of those involved (in religion).

I cautiously participate in organized religion: I love to fellowship with others, and I love worship in large groups; it reminds me of what Heaven will be like! Now, I studied Biblical Theology beginning in my 30's and went to/served in Church, following their precepts, and suffering the consequences. I now follow the precepts of Christ's teachings, but do not recruit, nor do I debate religion. Gnosticism is a descriptive term used to identify a common belief among various religious movements and groups that likely originated in prehistory and became most active in the first few centuries AD. The key to understanding the core belief of these movements is provided by the term "gnosis", a Greek word expressing a type of understanding; a consciousness gained through personal experience. It is through this type of transcendental experience that followers of Gnostic belief systems seek escape from ignorance and thus the mundane. Throughout history, followers of various incarnations of Gnosticism, particularly Christian persuasions such as the Anabaptist's, who were persecuted by those who held the opposing belief that salvation came through faith in their particular religious concepts or figures, rather than personal knowledge (or gnosis) of Christ, via the Indwelling: It's about a conscious awakening, a spiritual transformation, rather than a self-belief in a particular faith movement (a Religion). I'm open to, and study other religious paradigms, but I'm just too scientific to be fanatical about any of them.

Now, you would think that all humans would understand that humanity is one race on one planet: this is so fundamental, most children cognize this fact! God looks at God's Creation as one thing, one entity if you will: God does not respect, nor recognize, human made divisions such as culture, country or politics. In fact the Bible states that God will force globalization on the planet by returning to become supreme dictator of Earth. At that time all traces of "My Country" or "My Religion" or "My ...whatever" will be rendered void...by God! Nationalistic pride is yet another mechanism to keep humans separated from one another; to perpetuate divisions which always lead to war. Indeed, religion itself is the greatest divider humanity has ever experienced! So where do humans get the idea that "their group", whatever the hell that is, has any basis in reality? The answer is both simple and measurable: Fact! It is a Socio-Pathology that I write about extensively!

Oneness is the overwhelming theme of the New Testament. There is no way that anyone can miss this theme. Indeed, all of John 17 is Jesus' (and the longest) Prayer about oneness. Unity is the evidence that a person understands this fundamental principle, and antithetically, separatist mindsets are the evidence that humans have no cognition of God, whatsoever: They are the lost of the lost! The lost are trapped in competitivism, relational abandonment, material discontentment and greed that is actually killing the entire planet; Gods planet! The Bible teaches about the fact that there are those who are "un-savable"; that is, their pride is more powerful than God's Love: God cannot save them! This is how/why God knows that the bulk of humanity will perish eternally. Most humans are literally hell-bent on disunity, and that "observable fact" is manifest in every/all forms of human division/s. we see it in the dividing up of nations, religions, skin melanin (race), politics, economics and the like. The lost are all those who's mind thinks in separatist themes. Most humans are simply incapable of seeing themselves as an equal part of the human whole, and actually live their entire lives seeking to be superior in some way, to the rest.

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Since the day we were created, our free will has gotten us humans into all troubles. We are willful indeed, and no other feature of the human condition better demonstrates that fact...than human pride. In fact, human pride is the only reason that anyone will be left behind in the next life (the hell bound if you will!). Pride is the curse of volition, and yet we hear the word used by people in the positive: I'm proud of MY Country; take pride in your this/that; the idea of being prideful has been normalized by cultures to the point that it has become a trophy for the ego! When a person is proud of ANYTHING that has its roots in disunity, they are loveless beings. God taught what Love is, via the life and teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ, but of course, those teachings, those words, have been twisted to accommodate those trapped in the void of loveless intent: Pride! Human ego becomes the true god of the loveless, and so while they pretend to love and care, their lifestyles are racked with selfish, self-serving agendas (X 6.5 billion of us) that are today, actually killing the Eden God gave us (Earth). God gave the first humans everything in Eden, asking that they abstain from just one of multitudes of available resources. What occurred is common knowledge: They had to have it all. They were not content with 99.9%, and their pride teaches us that "enough is never enough" for those hell-bent on self-serving, over-consuming mindsets. And the result? God banished them from the garden, just as God will eventually banish the remainder of those who demonstrate their gluttonous resolve to fill their egos with more-more-more! Today, that illness manifests in constructs such as Capitalism, which is (in sum) the normalization of this pathology. The automobile is commonly referred to as the human alter ego; the fact that humans are so devoted to these machines is a pathetic pathological anomaly.

Truly, truly, I say to you; We speak what we know, and testify what we have seen. And you do not receive our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how shall you believe if I tell you heavenly things? And no one has ascended up to Heaven except He who came down from Heaven, the Son of Man who is in Heaven. But even as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes on Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the Light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who practices truth comes to the Light so that his works may be revealed, that they exist, having been worked in God. (John 3:11-21)

When we do things in our own volition (our own way), we are often reduced to begging, and we insult God in the doing! It does not matter what a person is trying to gain funding for; it may sound (and be) very good in its intentions, but IF it is Gods will (and not just human desire), it is impossible for it NOT to happen. Again: God provides first, the means, and then the directive. If you have a vision and not the means to carry it out, it is not from the Lord to begin with. The examples of this, number in the (literal) billions: It is not Gods will, EVER, for humans to use the devices of Satan in order to serve God; it has never happened, and it never will, within Gods will. Humans have volition, and even God cannot (or will not) usurp that fee will, no matter what it is. Remember that the Broadway to hell will be paved with good intentions. This is not to say that all good ideas are hellish; God allows suffering and many other negative things to continue on this Earth, because this life is not the sum of Life; it is not the end, it is merely a proving ground for humanity (and a training ground for the Elect); this life is for God to pass out the cards, and then allow His respired creation, the free will to navigate within it, in order for God to see what we become on our own, for good or for bad; for God or for not.

The Godless-religious try to teach that we need God; He does not need us! Well, when it comes to "things", this is true; God created everything, therefore, it is all His already. What God needs from us (yes, needs), are volitional beings who will Love Him genuinely; totally, eternally. God needs to be Loved too! God created us to be His friends; His flock. God does not want a bunch of Spiritual automatons; celestial robot pets. God created humans to share Life with Him. Earth is the means for God to cull out those who willingly will follow evil, or God; who will volitionally choose between two paths, created by Him before the world was! Jesus Christ was God-on-Earth; fully human, but without an independent Soul, as you and I have. In other words, Jesus is/was not independent of God, as we human creations are; He was God in the flesh, and so He was subject to the human condition, only He was not at risk of eternal Judgment. Jesus said: "I and the Father are one"; this is exactly true on the Spiritual level. I have my own Soul, independent of God, and yet, it is god that hopes that I choose to be one with Him... that's the purpose of corporeality... Life!

Matthew 5:33-48 (CEV) You know that our ancestors were told: "Don't use the Lord's name to make a promise unless you are going to keep it." But I tell you not to swear by anything when you make a promise! Heaven is God's throne, so don't swear by heaven. The earth is God's footstool, so don't swear by the earth. Jerusalem is the city of the great king, so don't swear by it. Don't swear by your own head. You cannot make one hair white or black. When you make a promise, say only "Yes" or "No." Anything else comes from the devil. You know that you have been taught, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." But I tell you not to try to get even with a person who has done something to you. When someone slaps your right cheek, turn and let that person slap your other cheek. If someone sues you for your shirt, give up your coat as well. If a soldier forces you to carry his pack one mile, carry it two miles. When people ask you for something, give it to them. When they want to borrow money, lend it to them. You have heard people say, "Love your neighbors and hate your enemies." But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong. If you love only those people who love you, will God reward you for that? Even tax collectors love their friends. If you greet only your friends, what's so great about that? Don't even unbelievers do that? But you must always act like your Father in Heaven.

2nd Peter 3:15-18 (CEV) Don't forget that the Lord is patient because he wants people to be saved. This is also what our dear friend Paul said when he wrote you with the wisdom that God had given him. Paul talks about these same things in all his letters, but part of what he says is hard to understand. Some ignorant and unsteady people even destroy themselves by twisting what he said: They do the same thing with other Scriptures too. My dear friends, you have been warned ahead of time! So don't let the errors of evil people lead you down the wrong path and make you lose your balance. Let the wonderful kindness and the understanding that come from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, help you to keep on growing. Praise Jesus now and forever! Amen.

2nd Peter 2:6-19 (CEV) God punished the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and this is a warning to anyone else who wants to sin. Lot lived right and was greatly troubled by the terrible way those wicked people were living. He was a good man, and day after day he suffered because of the evil things he saw and heard. So the Lord rescued him. This shows that the Lord knows how to rescue Godly people from their sufferings and to punish evil people while they wait for the day of Judgment. The Lord is especially hard on people who disobey Him and don't think of anything except their own filthy desires. They are reckless and proud and are not afraid of cursing the glorious beings in Heaven. Although angels are more powerful than these evil beings, even the angels don't dare to accuse them to the Lord. These people are no better than senseless animals that live by their feelings and are born to be caught and killed. They speak evil of things they don't know anything about; but their own corrupt deeds will destroy them. They have done evil, and they will be rewarded with evil. They think it is fun to have wild parties during the day. They are immoral, and the meals they eat with you are spoiled by the shameful and selfish way they carry on. All they think about is having sex with someone else's husband or wife. There is no end to their wicked deeds. They trick people who are easily fooled, and their minds are filled with greedy thoughts. But they are headed for trouble! They have left the true road and have gone down the wrong path by following the example of the prophet Balaam. He was the son of Beor and loved what he got from being a crook. But a donkey corrected him for this evil deed: It spoke to him with a human voice and made him stop his foolishness. These people are like dried up water holes, or clouds without rain blown by a windstorm. The darkest part of hell is waiting for them. They brag out loud about their stupid nonsense. And by being vulgar and crude, they trap people who have barely escaped from living the wrong kind of life. They promise freedom to everyone, but they are merely slaves of filthy living, because people are slaves of whatever controls them.

Jesus Christ did not immigrate to a better country or region, to seek a better life due to the Roman Imperialists and the anti-Semitism that He lived with. Instead, He called His Disciples to reach the lost where ever, and whenever, the opportunity manifest. Jesus taught that we are to ignore the cards delt us by God; that we are to serve God no matter the circumstances of our lives. Those who live for themselves navigate this life in direct proportion to that prime directive, and that directive comes (only) out of their brains and their bodies. But the Indwelled live only to serve Christ, no matter the situation they are born into or now live in (bond or free; etc.). Many humans even use religion, God and whatever they can (whatever they have access to at the time), to gain some Earthly advantage as they navigate this life. The more Earthly resources a person has, the less likely they are to depend upon God, and thus, the less likely they are to focus on God: Jesus even said that it is hard for the rich to enter Heaven! God has, indeed, given large resources to Godly people, and when that happens. they do not spend it upon themselves, they steward it all, as the Spirit gives them directives, and still live a simple life (see the parable of the talent).

From http://en.wikipedia.org   (All links will open in a smaller window over this one!)
Denominationalism is the division of religions into separate religious denominations.
The term is particularly used in reference to (but not limited to) the various Protestant schools of thought.
The Adventists   / Baptists   / Congregationalists   / Lutherans   / Methodists   / Pentecostals   / Presbyterians   / Reformed
The Anglican Communion   / Church of Christ   / Eastern Orthodox Churches   / Roman Catholic Churches
The Anabaptists were not from the Protestant Reformation, but from what's referred to today as the Radical Reformation.