INSITUTIONAL CHURCH

THE INSTITUTIONAL CHURCH IS A MESS. FULL OF HYPOCRISY, MANS TRADITION AND PAGANISM. ANYBODY OUT THERE AGREE WITH ME?

May I ask why you use upper case letters to write with? Many see this as shouting, anger. Are you angry?

Also, why make such statements to incite anger, division and ill feeling amongst those who name Christ, as though those vices do not already hinder us to no extent?

Maybe you could review and edit what you have written, for God's glory.

Thanks.

I understand the mess of the church, but something I keep in mind is that dispite the mess the Church (intitutional or "organic") is Christ Jesus Bride and to speak evily against the Bride of Christ is something we should to the very extreme avoid doing. If someone was speaking against someone you love how would you react? Christ isn't done with His bride yet remember by the time He is done with her she is going to be spotless and without wrinkle.

Do I agree with some of the things that happen in the institutional church? No but there are things the house church does that I don't agree with as well. As Krispy has pointed out unless you have visited every single one of these body of believers you are in no posisition to judge them.

Jeremiah 7:1-4 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Stand in the gate of the LORD'S house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these.

Jeremiah 7:8-19 Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?
Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD. But go ye now to my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel. And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spoke to you, rising early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not; Therefore will I do to this house, which is called by my name, in which ye trust, and to the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim. Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee.
Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings to other gods, that they may provoke me to anger. Do they provoke me to anger? saith the LORD: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces?

Jeremiah 7:23-34 But this thing I commanded them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well to you. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward. Since the day that your fathers came forth from the land of Egypt to this day I have even sent to you all my servants the prophets, daily rising early and sending them: Yet they hearkened not to me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers. Therefore thou shalt speak all these words to them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call to them; but they will not answer thee. But thou shalt say to them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth hath perished, and is cut off from their mouth. Cut off thy hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on high places; for the LORD hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.
For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the LORD: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it.
And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there shall be no place. And the carcasses of this people shall be food for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall frighten them away.
Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate.

"...A MESS. FULL OF HYPOCRISY, MANS TRADITION AND PAGANISM."

Ecclesiastes 1:9,10 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there any thing of which it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.

Nubian queen,

Are you a Christian?

My father-in-law used to say that if you are looking for a perfect church and you find it, you better not join it because then it will be imperfect, because he is not perfect.

Whether you meet in a home or in a church building makes no difference: it is the spirituality of the people gathering. I can enjoy wonderful fellowship with people anywhere regardless of race.

Yes, there is a lot of sin among people who call themselves Christians but this does not hinder me from serving the LORD although it does grieve me much. One must keep his/her eyes focused on the LORD Jesus, not follow man as his savior.

I have heard of people who are so very much alone in a wicked society and for them I grieve because everyone needs to be part of a larger group that will provide mutual encouragement.

Wickedness in any church is no excuse to not be a Christian. And if we are honest we will have to admit we have in the past been hypocrites as well. The devil will work to make hypocrites of us all.

Good day.

There was a good lyrical poem addressing this thought "back in the day". Julius hit the nail on the head... here is another great set of verbage to convey that thought. It now follows.

UP ON A CROSS

You say I must not sing or dance
They say the Spirit must come through
You say that I must be immersed
They say a sprinkling will do

Will you still love me after I choose?
Doesn't the issue stand upon this truth?
Up on a cross he died for sinners
Up on a cross between two thieves
Up on a cross he died for you and me

You say a man has a free will
They say he isn't really free
You pray exactly what you feel
They memorize their liturgy

Will you still love me after I choose?
Doesn't the issue stand upon this truth?
Up on a cross he died for sinners
Up on a cross between two thieves
Up on a cross he died for you and me

By Eddie Degarmo & Dana Key

Interestingly at the close of the song there is a lone line of, "I heard the devil's voice today". HOW TRUE! He was discerning enough to realize that taking one of these, or ANY piece of perceived truth, and judging based on it rather than the central issue of Christianity was a tactic promoted by the demonic. This lyric shows tremendous maturity in my opinion.

Perhaps we might also apply this thought to some of the other christian cat fights that show themselves on the threads. Things like musical styles, calvinism/arminianisn debates, organic/institutional churches, manifestations in services, and a myriad of other issues. The words of Degarmo and Key along with the post by Julius are of such wisdom... God help us to be mature enough to take them to heart.

Blessings!