tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27942026.post5248878898664144387..comments2023-10-21T04:32:31.262-05:00Comments on Following Judah's Lion: The Institutional Church is Not Coming backRick Fruehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05879848568892457571noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27942026.post-51537687268972932662012-10-22T09:13:50.791-05:002012-10-22T09:13:50.791-05:00When you are in such a quandry it is difficult to ...When you are in such a quandry it is difficult to unravel God's will for thoseof us who feel the institutional church is a whore. Patience and prayer is all I know to do.Rick Fruehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05879848568892457571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27942026.post-66019467009973704642012-10-22T08:48:25.160-05:002012-10-22T08:48:25.160-05:00Before my husband and I left church, where we were...Before my husband and I left church, where we were spiritually heavy and exhausted, I was told we need the Body which is correct. Was told we should not forsake the gathering of church, yes, it's bible, and correct. Friends would tell me to 'pray' about it. Acquaintances would say no child of God should be without a pastor, a covering, because he prays for his flock, that we'd be without a covering and alone in the world, where Satan could tempt us. All true. <br /> <br />It was our weakness, and our circumstances, I suppose, that helped make our decision. It's not a conscious decision not to attend; it's like a heavy weight is there when we even contemplate going. The emptiness of the services, the sermons that focused more on the anointing of the man of God, being told members not praying enough, giving enough, and being blamed for the lack of 'revival' in the city. The haves and have nots in the church. Those less fortunate who volunteered their time versus pastor wife who was paid a salary as secretary. We had moved a lot and in each church I felt the same patterns, that each pastor and staff didn't thing the Lord's Spirit was sufficient to draw men to Himself, was the One who called those to repentance, but they made us feel like we must submit our testimony to them, and we had to perform holiness duties that showed on the outside, before they took us seriously. While my husband had undergone total depression and joblessness, we were unvisited, uncalled, the pastoral staff didn't show concern. Their motif was, come to church, and all will be right. You'll find what you're looking for with Jesus, but AT our church. The Rick Warren purpose-driven church bible studies came along, the new teaching methods with actors, dance worship, the pastor trying new ways to keep the audience wanting to come back for more. We decided the 'holiness' works movement was too much, and moved to a denominational church that taught the bible, but spent more time on the meat of the word. Still, there was something that didn't seem right. We were always made to feel that we were driven to perform, perform churchianity. It was the 'business' that the pastor was much interested in, that his church grow, SURE, to save souls, but also so that it gave him the reputation he craved as being a rising star in that denomination, traveling back and forth internationally, to the States, hopping on planes with a special VIP airport pass. When he was away the assistant would take over, or 'pastor' would be fed live from his travel destination and give us a 'live' sermon, which we would listen to on the screen, with his 'image' talking. Technology and the 'church' for some reason, feel IMO, like they don't mix. Satan wants people to run to and fro. He doesn't want people to engage face to face. He is trying his utmost to keep people away from each other, and push texting messages to friends and family without their presence. There's something awry about the lack of human interaction these days. And the great social divide between those who volunteer and those who are paid. Young families who have to work 40-hour a week jobs with children still having to the church's legworkers, be the honeybees of the institution while the Queen bees make the decisions in secret board meetings. <br /><br />I thought biblical gathering of the saints was about everyone having the same in common and whoever was without, they gave and when it was their turn, they were given. It's just not working in this society. We can't find common ground with the laiety versus the clergy the way it is. And we can't find common ground with each other, as it's human nature to be a respecter of persons especially where there is such an economic class divide now in America, where we sit in pews and get entertained; whatever "gathering" means in the bible, this isn't it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27942026.post-33178597892378316892012-10-21T18:30:02.664-05:002012-10-21T18:30:02.664-05:00Everything that you have written about the church ...Everything that you have written about the church is the very ( reasons) reason I left. Preach one thing do another. -NoelAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27942026.post-1306509379125644572012-10-21T18:21:00.431-05:002012-10-21T18:21:00.431-05:00AW Tozer predicted this in the 1950s but did not w...AW Tozer predicted this in the 1950s but did not wish to live to see it. Now I understand why...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27942026.post-61428203608503404532012-10-21T12:40:01.366-05:002012-10-21T12:40:01.366-05:00Amen! Every word of this post is true. I pray tha...Amen! Every word of this post is true. I pray that the Lord Jesus Christ will continue to give you boldness and courage to speak out as 2 Timothy 4:2 says "Preach the Word: be instant in season, and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine." Verses 3 and 4 quoted in the article details exactly the state of today's church in America.Evelynnoreply@blogger.com