The “church, at least in “Western countries” is a horrid mess!  It is hard to find God’s true word being preached. The mainline denominations are dying.  They have compromised away most of the meaning and power of the Gospel through liberalism and ecumenism. In the Evangelical and Charismatic denominations, many shepherds not only neglect the sheep, they devour them.  Jesus’ statement in Matt 20:25-28 is not only ignored, but it is openly and brazenly defied.  So-called “pastors” declare themselves the leaders of the “church” (the organization that pays them) and insist on ruling over the people they are leading to destruction.  The “pastors” rule everyone, the “elders” rule the “members,” the husbands rule the wives, and no one pays any attention to what Jesus said about being servants and slaves to one another.  “Church” has become an entertainment business and the employees are the only ones reaping the profits.

Self-proclaimed “apostles” and “prophets” (mostly male) are proliferating.  Men and women brag about being “anointed” (little christs!)  Many actually say they have the “Christ spirit” and claim to be “little gods.”  People claim to be mediators between God and others.  They claim that THEY can “impart” spiritual gifts and blessings to others by laying hands on them (as if God needs them to give us gifts!)  Well known “leaders” brag about idolatrous and occult activity such as lying on graves of famous ministers to receive their mantles.

During “Christian” gatherings that might once have involved praise, thanksgiving, and worship of God, these “leaders” prance and strut (or stumble) around on a stage, sometimes acting drunk or stoned and pantomiming activities that might make them that way.  Some wave their hands at the “audience” to cause people to fall down, or lay hands on them to “impart” “gifts” that cause them to scream, jerk, make animal sounds, or run frantically around the meeting area. 

When do people hear and proclaim the Gospel message?  When do they study God’s word in Scripture? When do they join together in praise and thanksgiving?  When do they serve each other in love?

Many of today’s self-proclaimed “Christians” take great offense when someone asks them to show where their beliefs and practices can be found in Scripture. In the past, denominations and congregations sometimes had doctrinal differences and differences in practice. But if you read about those times, the differences originated in different interpretations of actual Scripture.  Today, the differences are based on what the self-proclaimed leaders claim that God is telling them. Folks, if it’s not in Scripture, it has NOTHING to do with Jesus and the true Gospel!  Scripture is the guide for discerning real vs. idolatrous religious practice.  Scripture tells us to be sober, not drunk; to take turns speaking, not sit in a daze or make noises together; and to behave in an orderly way, with self-control (“For God is not a God or disorder, but of peace.”)

If you doubt these things, then you really, really need to read the New Testament (for yourself!) and find out what God says.  Apostasy and heresy are widespread.  Stop listening to people who collect as much money as they can from you as often as they can.  This, in and of itself, should make you wonder about them. While you read, keep an eye out for what God says about following false apostles and prophets and about those who teach a gospel other than the one in Scripture. As you read, pray that God will give you discernment to see the true spirit behind these false leaders. Come out from among them!

A short video was shown as part of a recent Bible study oriented gathering I attended.  In the video a woman, who heads up an international parachurch organization, stated that since God instituted the church, we should support our local churches.  A couple of years ago I wouldn’t have given it a second thought, but in the last few years, everything about “church,” or at least my perception of it, has been challenged.  God has shown me things I would have preferred to never know.  While watching the video, I felt a deep sense of dismay and sorrow. In fact, as soon the gathering broke into smaller groups, I went to the ladies room and cried.

I thought and prayed a lot about why the woman’s statement upset me so much.  I finally realized that there are many contributing reasons for my dismay, but there are three overarching reasons. The first is that this statement was made to an “interfaith” group.  I had been told that the group might contain mainstream and evangelical Protestants, charismatics of various flavors, Roman Catholics, Eastern and Russian Orthodox, possibly Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, and others who identify as “Christians,” as well as people who just want to learn about the Bible or learn English through Bible study. The second cause of my discomfort is that the statement assumes that God designed and set up the organizational, institutional, building centered 501(c)(3) corporations in the US that we commonly call “churches.”  And the third reason is that far, far, too many of the religious institutions today (mainstream, evangelical, charismatic, etc.) in Europe and North America are seriously apostate, teaching and promoting heresies of all kinds. *

Although I want to believe that the speaker meant well, her call to all of us to “serve” whatever group we are associated with was (almost?) blasphemous.  We are NOT to serve institutions or organizations!  We are to serve God ALONE!  It is an act of obedience to God when we serve with others who truly serve our Triune God as God leads us to serve.  Anything else is IDOLATRY!

Part of my discomfort with the video was that the speaker allowed each viewer to define “church” for herself.  In effect, the “church” that people were being encouraged to serve was whatever organization they were associated with.  So, if a person were a member of an apostate religion, that is what the person was encouraged to serve.

But the Greek word “ecclesia” that is translated in many Bibles as “church” refers to the gatherings of believers. Ironically, in their statement of faith, the parachurch organization defines the church as “the body of Christ, a spiritual organism of born again believers.”  This is correct.  The bride of Christ is made up wholly of living stones (parts of the Body of Christ).  But, people who are part of the organizational, institutional, building centered institutions may or may not be part of Christ’s Body.  They may or may not be living stones.  In some institutions, most of the members may be true “living stones.”  However, in some groups, there may be few, if any, true followers of Jesus Christ.  Clearly, the organization is distinct from the Body of Christ.

So, if the organization is not the same as the Body of Christ, then it is actually a “churchy” organization, a man-made substitute for the real temple of living stones. If we call a physical, man-made organization the “Church”, and then we serve that, we are guilty of idolatry.  Romans 1:25 “They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.”

The True Church is made up of the believers and true followers of Jesus Christ.  I love the true Church.  But today there are many deceptive (demonic) institutions that call themselves “church.” One online writer described how he felt about what he called

“the 501c-3 type of the American one-man-show church (trust, fund, corporation).  I hate that church.  It is a self-focused, greedy, carnal fraud. The true Gospel is not preached or taught in it and its enslaved “members” are kept in permanent Biblical illiteracy to prevent them from coming to mature faith (because they would leave if they did.)  If you think I am being too harsh, just spend a bit of time looking at the American Protestant “church” landscape.”

I did spend time looking and I found: Latter Rain, Sonship, Dominionism, Manchild, Kansas City Prophets, IHOP, Ecstasis, John Crowder and Sons of Thunder, Charismania, Kundalini, Word of Faith, Signs and Wonders, the new monastics, the so called “Spiritual Formation” movement, New Apostolic Restoration, Marcus Borg, “gold dust,” “angel feathers,” and much more.

How many of you go each week to synagogues of Satan to listen to doctrines of demons spoken through the mouths of unscrupulous, evil men and imposters who go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived? Instead of studying Scripture for yourselves, are you following deceitful spirits and the teaching of hypocritical liars?  If you are part of a religious organization that has strayed from the pure Gospel and the simplicity of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross, please, please get away.  Do not serve the institution.  It is not the Body of Christ.

2 Corinthians 6: 14-18

¹⁴ Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? ¹⁵ What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will live with them
    and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.”

¹⁷ Therefore,

“Come out from them
    and be separate,
says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
    and I will receive you.”

¹⁸ And,

“I will be a Father to you,
    and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.”

* If you are not aware of this, start to become educated by reading Herescope or a similar online site.  Track down the blogs and videos of the groups, individuals and teachings they discuss.  I’m not saying to take anyone’s word for it. Read what these people and groups say on their own sites!  But don’t read too long.  It can break your heart!