Church as Seen From a Distance

Church as Seen From a Distance

By: Van Robison

Christians think churches represent Jesus Christ. That is delusion. Churches represent church leaders. Most Christians know that cult groups are not sanctioned by Christ. What those same people don’t seem to ever realize is that “mainstream” churchianity is not sanctioned by Jesus Christ either. There are no labels of churches that Jesus Christ came to establish. Many quote various scriptures to make people believe that Christ established their particular brand of church. He didn’t!

For many of us who are former long time church attenders, our perspective of church has radically changed. It is impossible to see church for what it is until one steps outside of the organized church system. Naturally all pastors and priests think God ordained them to positions of power and control over the lives of common Christian people. He didn’t! You have only one Master–Jesus Christ (Matthew 23:8).

The institutional church world is crumbling because its foundation is man-made. Churchianity is founded upon sand. Jesus Christ is founded upon God Almighty, Everlasting Father, Immortal Head of the one and only Body. Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and THE GOVERNMENT shall be UPON HIS SHOULDER (the government does not belong to pastors): and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

We all know that other people see us in ways that we do not and seemingly cannot see ourselves. This is also true of churchianity. Churchianity does not see itself for what it is. It is man-made religion. It represents its pastor-priests who are the designers of what it is. When confronted with its self image, churchianity becomes highly emotional in self defense. It quotes scriptures it thinks it understands, and for which it uses for approval and authoritative posture. Standing on the outside of churchianity and seeing it through glass windows, churchianity is totally naked and exposed to the whole world for what it really is–customs and traditions of men.

The vast difference between the life and teachings of Jesus Christ upon which churchianity thinks it imitates, is dumbfounding and astonishing. How many young “Christian” men and women engage in war with the approval of their churches, and think they are doing God a service? Did not Jesus Christ say “love your enemies”, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”, “love your neighbor as you love your self”, “take up your cross and follow Me?” Most of the original followers of Jesus Christ were martyred, not because they were involved in church, but because they followed Jesus Christ–two totally different subjects.

Following Jesus Christ and going to church are not one and the same. Church leaders are spiritually blind, because Jesus Christ did not found churchianity. He didn’t teach “take up your cross and go to church”, or “take up your cross and follow pastors.” What Jesus Christ founded was spiritual in nature, not carnal churchianity. Jesus came teaching principles to live by 24/7 and He exemplified His teachings by living those principles Himself. On the other hand churchianity teaches institutionalism. Institutionalism says–build physical buildings, submit to pastors, sit in pews, go to church, have organizational control over the people, and many other customs and traditions of men.

Churchianity cannot see itself, and those who partake of churchianity cannot see it unless and until they step away from it for a long enough time to see it for what it is–man-made religion. Even the apostle Paul proclaimed he knew nothing other than Christ crucified. Churchianity has many teachings and practices attached to the name of Christ, which in fact have nothing to do with Jesus Christ. And this is exactly the issue in the time of Christ with the religious leaders whose customs and traditions were paramount over the commandments of God.

Seen from a distance, churches are just another man-made religion of the world we live in. Church and church issues are a physical system of religious leaders who have deluded themselves and their disciples. Living a life in Jesus Christ is a matter of the heart and has to do with the Holy Spirit. Jesus Himself stated that “God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).” Jesus nowhere ever stated that worship is a group activity accomplished on the weekend, in a church service, officiated by pastors or priests, or in a formal, organized system called “church”.

• What does “Blessed are the poor in spirit” have to do with going to church?
• What does “Blessed are they that mourn” have to do with going to church?
• What does “Blessed are the meek” have to do with going to church?
• What does “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness” have to do with going to church?
• What does “Blessed are the merciful” have to do with going to church?
• What does “Blessed are the pure in heart” have to do with going to church?
• What does “Blessed are the peacemakers” have to do with going to church?…………>>>…Read the rest of the article here at Battered Sheep.