Back in July, a Departout forum Churchite who goes by the name BobChristian posted a link to an article entitled "The Out of Church Christians", written by another Churchite, Andrew Strom.
B. CHRISTIAN: "Below article written many years ago claims that tens of thousands of Christians who have departed out will remain in the "wilderness". "
"Will remain in the wilderness"? BobChristian and the author of the article have unwittingly highlighted one of the biggest reasons for departing out of the church-es. The Churchites all think that they dwell in the Promised Land, while the unchurched dwell in the Wilderness. It would be hard for anyone to sound more arrogant than this.
STROM: ".....the Wilderness IS a valid place to be for people who are being broken, trained and molded by God. Many of God's heroes, big and small, down the ages, have been personally dealt with by God in the Wilderness. And I believe that many of those whom God has been preparing to have a part in His new move have been taken through the Wilderness by God in our day. The Wilderness is not the answer in itself. It is a waypoint. If you get stuck in the Wilderness, like the children of Israel did, you are in trouble. If you like the look of the Wilderness more than the Promised Land, you are in BIG trouble.
First of all, notice how Mr. Strom differentiates between those who are unchurched/in the Wilderness and those who are belong to church homes/in the Promised Land. The departed group remains in need of "being broken, trained and molded by God", whereas the church dwellers, like Strom, have no such need. They graduated. They are finished, complete, done and more than ready to meet God. Wow, talk about flaming, prideful churchite arrogance. That is the first thing to notice in the above quote.
Now skim on down to "If you like the look of the Wilderness more than the Promised Land..."! Wow, thank you very much, Mr. Strom. I really appreciate your bold comparison between the Wilderness (no church) and the Promised Land (any church).
No church = the Wilderness?
Churches = the Promised Land?
Even the writer of Acts, believed by many to be Luke, understood that Moses was in a church in the wilderness because "church" ("ekklesia") is simply a "gathering".
Ac 7:37 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
Since our own fellowship today is also with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ and since we worship Them in spirit and in truth, every believer can be gathered with Them in Their church at any moment in time right where we are in the wilderness - and not just at the formal weekly hour that some rag-tag local congregation gathers together.
1Jo 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Joh 4:23-24 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
The Father seeks those who worship Him in spirit in truth, not in the church one attends. I am happy and blessed to report that I am travelling through the WILDERNESS, being broken, trained and molded each and every day of my life. I know that no church
The Churchites are so full of themselves. They have no need for Christ. They have their pastors and elders and deacons to fulfill their needs.
STROM: "If you like the look of the Wilderness more than the Promised Land, you are in BIG trouble."
Oh yeah? Tell that to the Psalmist who wanted to fly to the wilderness like a dove:
Ps 55:1 ¶ «To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, A Psalm of David.» Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.
2 Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;
3 Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.
4 My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
5 Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.
6 And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.
7 Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah.
8 I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.
Sure, go ahead, Try to tell me that the Psalmist only needed to join a local church in order to reach the Promised Land. If he only had a church home, well then, he would not have fearfulness, trembling and the horror that overwhelmed him. Suuuuure.
No. Nobody needs a church denomination. We all need Christ. That is all. That is absoulutely all. Hard to imagine, isn't it? To think that there is not one thing we can do, no place to go, no day out of the week to observe, no person on earth to look up to. This is an impossible idea for most people. Like Jeremiah, members of Christ's body know very well that we are in the wilderness and we long for lodging here. Jeremiah was desperate to depart out, but he was given a message to bring to his people where he found them.
Jer 9:2 Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.
Very well, said, Jeremiah. Jeremiah's people were God's people and he wanted to depart from their presence. Anywhere on earth is better than the company of the adulterers in the assemblies of treacherous men!
NO local church building or denomination is what Christ has promised His people. The only promised land is Christ's actual presence when He returns for His bride. Church denominations are definitely NOT the Promised Land and their pastors are definitely NOT our great high priests.
"Denominations". See the problem? It's a dead giveaway, just like the easy clue in Harold Camping's Timeline of the HISTORY of the World.
Isa 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
Was God telling Isaiah to spread the word that He would make a way in the wilderness that would lead the people to church denomonations? What a ridiculous idea. Believers gather with Christ, in the wilderness, or desert, or solitary place, not by troops in harlots' houses.
Lu 9:10 And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.
It is understandable that Churchites do not like to feel like strangers and pilgrims in the world.
1Pe 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
Or outcasts.
Jer 30:17 For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.
This is the reason churches will always thrive and grow. New churches are planted all over the world every week. Folks want to feel like they are at home and loved and all church congregations provide the illusion of fulfilling that need. The welcome message conveyed is, 'As long as you don't ask questions, think for yourself, or study your own Bible, we will love you unconditionally. Just show up every week and smile and you, too, can be part of this loving and supportive family.' Nothing could be easier. And then you sit still and politely nod your head in agreement as you listen to what you consider to be 'non-essential' lies. Sorry. A lie is a lie. There is no such thing as a 'non-essential' lie.
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