By Janet Vargas - Inspirational Writer and People's Advocate
Do You Still Wish to Stay in That Local Church System OR Are you Awake To It
and Not Sure of What to Do?
Let’s be completely honest with each other. It is incredibly easy to look at the rigid, impersonal landscape of Modern Churchianity and feel entirely out of place. Whether you have spent decades warming a seat or have never stepped inside a Church Building because the whole scene strikes you as a bit strange, your instincts are actually spot on. Especially with Mega Churches. In the USA they even have ATMs in their Foyer - such a Mercenary Enterprise, and Local Churches often have Fancy Renovations at the people's Expense.
Making a few things Clear. This may offend some but it will Help a whole lot more who have not had a decent Answer to a Negative experience or who are Concerned about what they have Witnessed and are Genuinely disturbed. Churches represent so much of that which is Impersonal these days. OK?
While I am happy for Individuals like a Lovely person I met recently whose experience has been more pleasant, I am concerned about Hearts and Lives
more-so than those who wish to "take offense"
so much has been unaccounted for, and that isn't good.
Local and Mega Churches has been an experience of Dissonance or Disfavour
for So Many dear People.
When did that actually begin in the first place?
Jesus purposed things differently AND Early Christians Lived it. That was so much more Inviting. Many Christians are returning to that and this is proving to be a Nicer Experience for them:)
So many decent people are stepping back from these Formal Structures because they realise that Authentic Love and Family cannot be manufactured in a Sterile Institution.
You don't have to tolerate a Lifeless Corporate Franchise, the Rigid Expectations, or an Unstable Emotional Circus to have a Real Connection with Your Creator. There is a massive difference between a Heartless Religious Machine and a Genuine, Loving Relationship with a Living God who sees you exactly as you are. If the Traditional Religious Scene has left a bad taste in your mouth, that doesn't mean your spiritual hunger is wrong—it just means you are ready to bypass the human roadblocks and discover a Simple Authentic Walk with Jesus.
We Answer to Him Alone for how we Live as Believers. Not "the Pastor, the Pastor" and "What does the Pastor Say?".......... Jesus did say these Words (and this will Simplify things) "FOLLOW ME" not some person who Claims to be "Your Spiritual Covering"..........not only that, more often than you know, they're not very Spiritual in THEIR Hearts and Lives. Believe it of not.
With Jesus, there is NO Middle Man. As for a Covering, that's His Rightful Place Alone. Anything else that is told you is a real Misnomer, it simply isn't True! Nowhere in His Word do we find that. And more often than not, it's just a "Means of Control" that doesn't please Jesus like you thought it did. I like to concern myself with what "Makes Him Happy rather than Sad." OK?
To the Weary Heart: A Gentle Reminder
If you Love Jesus but are terrified of His Self-Appointed Gatekeepers
on the Church Scene, please hear this:
Your fear is not a sign of a Broken Faith; it is a Normal Response to a Broken System.
HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT ANYWAY?
That was planned by the Enemy of Mankind and Christianity. Devil actually means “Deceiver” remember? And without elaborating about that Ancient Foe, it’s Important to let People Know – Decent People and Christians alike – that Jesus Calls certain People to Bless Mankind in certain ways like He did through His Disciples, he Left with Us to Spread the Glad Tidings to those around them and throughout the Earth (the World was pretty Small in those Days compared to Ours)
That Deceiver found just the Right Man to do his Destructive Work in Messing with Christianity (the Way Jesus Desired and Planned it to be, His Disciples Implemented, and Everyone was Happy with) including Neighbours who witnessed it and asked to Come. Not like Ignorant Words like we hear Today……”Would you like to come to my Church?” and most people’s reaction on the inside is “Help No!” OR “Why would I want to Swap my Problems for Your Problems? At-least I am used to Mine”
Many can Sense there's Something Wrong with the Church Scene, and Decent Living People see it as "Unhealthy" Friends.
Don't find fault with that because some of these Very Same People actually have a "Healthy Fear of God" more than many "Church People" sadly speaking.
Early Christians were "Very Happy and Joyful" for a Long Time, because they heard the Gospel (Glad Tidings about Jesus) for the First Time; Experienced a remarkable Change in their Hearts and Lives; a Living Hope of Heaven, a real Expectation. Everyone longs to be there who is Aware of a Creator. Right? And they Personally Shared Each-Other’s Company in HOMES, Not Buildings.
That was Constantine’s Making, when he had Deliberately Schemed to Merge Christianity with the STATE, he Ran as the Emperor of Rome, so he could gain Control Over it!
Like Albanese, he was decidedly Wicked – and that doesn’t mean good – in Merging the Two Together. THAT Brought in the Buildings and Hierarchy; Christians were to no longer Fellowship in Houses and their Bibles were confiscated not long after that, so they could no longer Read the Words of Jesus for Themselves.
This was So Devastating, as you can Imagine? And by the time Christians could once again Own a Bible, the Face of Christianity had Changed drastically. So you can see how Evil that Plot was.
Constantine, a Defender and Friend of Christianity? A Resounding “NO” to that!
YOU HAVE BEEN MISINFORMED
He had the Opposite Intentions, and that Church Model exists to this day - we have the Buildings and “Churchy Services” too. Some people like it, but Thousands have Left silently through the Years. And the Show Goes On, as if there's "Nothing Wrong?"
No, there's a Lot that is Seriously Wrong with the "Constantine Model of Christianity" Clearly Speaking, that was NOT God's Design!
IN ADDITION TO CONSTANTINE
Jesus Never Built an Institution. He built a FAMILY. He never commissioned a Corporate Franchise; He invited us into a direct, living, breathing relationship.
When Religious Systems become Heavy, Judgmental, and Toxic, the most Christian thing you can do is Walk Away from the Machinery and Protect Your Walk with the Person of Jesus. And ENJOY it, because He becomes More Precious without a "Man-Made System" Ruling your Lives.
Plus, you do not need to subject yourself to the "Un-Christlike Behaviour" of (many) Church Goers - who are actually strangers really - to be Close to Jesus. Help No! I’m sure you’ve had enough of that?
He is your Safe Harbour. He is your REST. If your Sanctuary right now is a Quiet back Veranda, a Walk in a Park or the Hills, or a Peaceful Table with one or two honest Friends, Jesus is fully there. He promised He would be.
You are Safe. You are Accepted. You are Home.
Jesus said "Come to Me, All You who labour and are heavy laden, and I will Give you Rest."
He did not Call You to support an Institutional Franchise. He called you to Walk with Him. You do not need a building or a service, or a platform, or weekly sermon lectures, to be a Light in this World.
ADDITIONAL REASONS TO LEAVE
In this Day and Age, the “Church Scene” has become Everything but what it should be, in the Main: everything from Domination to Extremism; Social Gospel which is No Gospel; Deceptive Teachings; False Preachers like Kenneth Copeland from KCM and Bill Johnston from Bethel; Dangerous so-called “Prophets” like Mike Bickle from IHop. Christian Cults like those are on the Rise. Need I say More?
ENCOURAGEMENTS TO REAL PEOPLE
AND REAL CHRISTIANS
Contrary to what “Pastors tell You” I am saying to Christians “These Days, you are Safer OUT of the Church Scene” believe me, it’s Crazy out there (in many of them) just like the World!
I Encourage you: find yourself a much more Suitable Environment – even if it’s just with your Family at Home or a Christian Friend who has more Respect for Scripture, Heartfelt Prayer and Love for Jesus, than we see portrayed in Churches Today.
Good Living Decent People are right, to see so much “Hypocrisy in the Churches” increasingly these days.
So I am “Calling it Out” for Every Decent person out there AND every Dear Precious Person – especially who is Young or Elderly – who has felt Compelled to Leave or has been Poorly treated by Church People or Pastors there.
Not to mention New Comers who Sought to Find Comfort OR Company and found None, for the simple reason there’s so many Clicky People there. No different to a Social Club (befriend those you prefer and avoid those you don't) that's not Christian, what they experienced. Not at all.
What a Disappointment? In their own words “they didn’t Fit In”……….that’s Very bad Folks. No, that kind of Behaviour is absolutely Not what Jesus Called Us to. Such Environments in No Way resemble FAMILY ATMOSPHERE.
What am I saying here? You’re Free to Leave? Yes FREE, and Jesus will Catch You, He will “meet you Outside the Door” like He did with a previously Blind Man who was kicked Out by the Pharisees when Jesus Healed him, as recorded in the Gospels.
MAKING THE MOVE
As a matter of fact, I noticed a book title some years ago called “Jesus has Left the Building” and there’s even a place in Scripture that says “Come Out from Among Them” which speaks of Our Day in very clear terms. Obviously, He is not telling you to Leave Christianity but what the Institutional Church Scene has made it out to be, hey? Everything from a “Market Place” and “Den of Thieves” with those “Rip-Off Preachers” and Televangelists, to Very Unstable Behaviour, promoted by Luny Beguiling Preachers.
Let’s Fellowship on the HOME SCENE again like Jesus Himself Encouraged us to in the Gospels, when He Visited Families like “Mary and Martha’s” and the small Intimate Gatherings He had with the Twelve Men who Followed Him Closely (Disciples) hey? There is nothing wrong with that. It's much Healthier!
Pastors are so forbidding, and truth of the matter is, they don’t want to Lose their Incomes if Everyone gets Smart and goes the True Biblical Way about things, which we see in House Churches the Spirit of God is raising up for some Years now – much more HOMELY and COMELY.
Jesus Himself also said to His Disciples that He did Not want them to do things like the Gentiles (speaking of a Worldly Scene) “for their Rulers, Rule it Over them. I don’t want you to do things like them”……….
Is that not Exactly what we see on the Local Church Scene since Constantine MESSED with Christianity, by making it a State Institution? Friends, he did that for One Reason Only. Not to Defend Christianity but to Weaken the Fibre of it, by Completely Changing the Way they Fellowshipped (that was their Strength)
And this Same Jesus gives us this Encouragement “Wherever Two or Three are Gathered in My Name, there I am in the Midst of Them” ………. Not some Fancy Building or some Rented Premises, right? Good Living Christians have been so Brainwashed into thinking that’s the “Accepted Thing” biblically speaking, when actually it’s Not. It’s far from it, as the Church Scene itself demonstrates. And Jesus Himself Instructs Us to “Judge it by it’s Fruit” so don’t be hesitant to
See It for what IT IS.
A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE YOU MAY RELATE WITH
Some time ago, I felt like getting my things out, I used to make CRAFT CARDS with and attend a Craft Group once a week for a while to make some more Craft Cards. The Hostess of the Group was quite Flowery with her Speech and liked to Read Inspirational Scriptures out for 5-10 Mins for the women attending. And this very same lady who had given me her home phone number spoke very abrasively to me on two phone calls - she was very dismissive and abrupt. But wait a minute, wasn't she the lady with all the Soft Flowery Language who "Loved her Craft Ladies?" Yes, she was a real Monster Mouth outside the Church Premises playing her Church Roll. So those groups are very Nice to attend most times and I have encouraged a few women to try one. I just wouldn't care to find anyone else's behaviour outside of their "Church Role" again. Thank you very much!
JESUS WORDS IN CONTRAST TO CHURCHY WAYS
Jesus did tell us that “The Blind can’t Lead the Blind” and even the Old Testament mentions “Shepherds without Understanding” Most of them. They are "College Trained" not "Called by Jesus".......... they said "I want to be a Pastor" and went there for Man's Training. Be it known, that Many of them use Secondhand Sermons they find on the Internet; some become Pastors for an Easy Income, and Escape Employment, while others "Become Pastors" because they don't know what to do. I know what I'm speaking about.
Come on now, why are you putting up with all their Forbidding Nonsense when they say you have to do This and you must do That? And basically “Help No, don’t go to those Home Churches, Rebels are there”
By those attitudes, they are in fact “Ruling it Over You” like Politicians whatever, are they not? It's in their Interest - not so much Yours. Of-course it is. The very thing Christ warned us about.
Yes, the SYSTEM is Wrong. It’s NOT FAMILY!
And I will leave this Very Clear Message from Jesus “Those who hear My Words and Do Them, will be FREE Indeed”…….notice He said “His Words” NOT Preachers Words?
Most of them have Very Little Respect for JESUS WORDS anymore – they so Misuse them OR don’t even bother with them. Many are so into False Teachings, some of them Heretical, False New Age Gospel, and Loving Themselves like we find in the World.
This is exactly why Jesus distinctly told us “There will be Wolves acting Like Sheep – they are Hirelings” and He will say to Many of them “Depart from Me. Get out of My Sight. I don’t Know You!” when He Comes Again. Oh Yes, just like many other Bible Words have Come to Pass, they have a Cringeworthy Fate awaiting them.
It is time to Unlearn the Machine (the Local Church Scene) step out of the basilica, and Return to the Simple, Direct, Life-Giving Reality of Jesus. He LOVES You.
"The God who made the World and Everything in it is the Lord of Heaven and Earth and does Not Live in temples built by human hands." Those Words actually come from your Bible too, and Local Churches are either "Blinded to it" OR "Not Accepting it" so who are the Rebels, You OR those Pastors, with the "One Man Shows" or a "Bunch of Entertainers?" Either way, you are supposed to Shut Up and Sit down, and Watch like Spectators, facing People's Backs, until you are dismissed to go Home until the following Week, for the Same?
And the New Testament in your Bibles says "not to dispute over Days because Any Day you choose to Worship Him is Acceptable in His Eyes" so neither a Saturday or Sunday is a Day for Compulsory adherence. It could be a Friday Evening per say OR a day or Evening when a few Friends or Family Members can make it (because of other commitments, be it working, whatever)
IN CONTRAST - A NICE EXPERIENCE I HAD
Some years ago, I fellowshipped with a really Nice Home Church (small group of Christians) and we Met together in Each-Other's Houses; Shared a Mealtime together around a Table; Prayed Together; Freely Shared Conversation and Scriptures together, Sang some Songs together "Acapella Style" just Naturally (No Music Needed) Sometimes we Met on different Days or Evenings. And we also had Occasional Picnics in Parks and Enjoyed the Surroundings. Jesus so desires for All of Us to be Happy in His Presence like that.
WORDS IN CLOSING
So I say COME, Come to Jesus in your hearts directly. Don’t bother yourself with “Church Stuff” anymore with all it’s Rules and Regs. Just Worship JESUS and Walk CLOSE to HIM.
If you can find a Home Fellowship, that will be Nice for You.
If not, there is nothing to forbid you from Starting One.
That's Churchy Man-Made Rules because they want Control:)
At first, it is probably best to take a few Weeks Aside with Jesus and Wind down from all the "Churchianity" and Acquaint yourself Afresh with Him, before you do anything else. Hey?
Rather than rush from One Environment into Another.
Concern yourself Not about the Other anymore.
And to my Other Readers, you have just been reading what True Christianity
is Really about and what it is Not about, which is maybe a little Surprising.
It has no doubt validated some of your observations
I sincerely hope this has brought you a measure of Peace and Clarity.
If this has helped you in some way, send me a Comment and let me know.
You can mark it as "Private" and it will not be Published.
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All the Best to you and your Families
Warm Regards from Janet