Organized Religion Is Spiritual Welfare

[Dark Energy]

Let's look at Paul. His ministry landed him in jail and ultimately death. He suffered for it. He had worries though he trusted in God to keep from being anxious

Act 20:29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;
Act 20:30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.
Act 20:31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears.
Act 20:32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
Act 20:33 I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel.
Act 20:34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me.
Act 20:35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"
Act 20:36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.
Act 20:37 And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him,
Act 20:38 being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.

[Phoenix]

Originally Posted by Dark Energy

Let's look at Paul. His ministry landed him in jail and ultimately death. He suffered for it. He had worries though he trusted in God to keep from being anxious

Difficulties and persecution are not the same as burn out. This is a matter of the heart. If what you are doing is not leading to your growth and security as a believer, it is not the right thing for you to be doing. If you are doing something that is causing you to grow consistantly closer to God, and causing you to consistently feel refreshed and inspired and leaving you with a feeling of contentment, you're on the right track.

It's like exercise. If you're doing proper exercise for your body and your fitness level you will feel exhausted but good and you're fitness level will progress. If you're doing something incorrectly, you'll injure yourself and require time to recover. You'll feel exhausted *and* injured, and your down time will cost you progress in your fitness level.

[Dark Energy]

Originally Posted by Phoenix

Difficulties and persecution are not the same as burn out. This is a matter of the heart. If what you are doing is not leading to your growth and security as a believer, it is not the right thing for you to be doing. If you are doing something that is causing you to grow consistantly closer to God, and causing you to consistently feel refreshed and inspired and leaving you with a feeling of contentment, you're on the right track.

It's like exercise. If you're doing proper exercise for your body and your fitness level you will feel exhausted but good and you're fitness level will progress. If you're doing something incorrectly, you'll injure yourself and require time to recover. You'll feel exhausted *and* injured, and your down time will cost you progress in your fitness level.

People can let difficulties and persecutions to cause burnout though

Growth is through personal relationship, despite difficulties and what others say or do, you have to walk with God. Don't focus on people or what benefits we thought we should have gotten from serving God

[The Lemon]

I have to admit, on this forum and in life, I have had the tendancy at times to focus more on the negatives, and it is certainly not productive. In fact just thinking abut it makes me want to repent! It is, in my opinion, human nature to focus on the negative, although that is not an excuse.

Sitting here and pondering the subject of this thread, I can't help but think that organization is not the root problem, in many cases it is the religious aspect that spawns the issues and the burnout. If we are supposed to keep the gift stirred in our lives on a personal level, how much more should we be changing and moving in the natural so that life with God is fresh and new as much as possible.

Let's face it, we are all different, but if as a church body, we could somehow embrace the diversity, and if uniformity could be squashed, I think we may not only be more tolerant of differences, but we would also function in more harmony with grace.

I was talking with my wife and I was thinking about the scripture on not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. My thought to her was, where does it go on to list how many "services" we are supposed to have in a week or month? There is no time line or hard fast rule in gathering - we, as humans have made the rule every Sunday, Sunday Night, or Wed. evening. Could it mean a forsaking in the heart which leads to the attitude and action of never assembling, or does it literally mean every time the doors are open?

When you sit and really think about the way we sometimes do things, and the justification we use, it does not always show up in the Word, and maybe that is part of the issue..

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by The Lemon

I have to admit, on this forum and in life, I have had the tendancy at times to focus more on the negatives, and it is certainly not productive. In fact just thinking abut it makes me want to repent! It is, in my opinion, human nature to focus on the negative, although that is not an excuse.

Sitting here and pondering the subject of this thread, I can't help but think that organization is not the root problem, in many cases it is the religious aspect that spawns the issues and the burnout. If we are supposed to keep the gift stirred in our lives on a personal level, how much more should we be changing and moving in the natural so that life with God is fresh and new as much as possible.

Let's face it, we are all different, but if as a church body, we could somehow embrace the diversity, and if uniformity could be squashed, I think we may not only be more tolerant of differences, but we would also function in more harmony with grace.

I was talking with my wife and I was thinking about the scripture on not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. My thought to her was, where does it go on to list how many "services" we are supposed to have in a week or month? There is no time line or hard fast rule in gathering - we, as humans have made the rule every Sunday, Sunday Night, or Wed. evening. Could it mean a forsaking in the heart which leads to the attitude and action of never assembling, or does it literally mean every time the doors are open?

When you sit and really think about the way we sometimes do things, and the justification we use, it does not always show up in the Word, and maybe that is part of the issue..

Ding, ding, ding, ding...

Give them man (I guess ) a prize.

Excellent post.

[kclee4jc]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

Organized religion is a system that enables a few givers to be sucked dry of every resource they have to give to a bunch of vacuums that take, take, take and then critique what you gave of yourself and then go back home and wait for their next spiritual welfare check come Sunday or Wednesday.

That is my epiphany of the day.

The early church displayed organization...

[aegsm76]

Originally Posted by kclee4jc

The early church displayed organization...

Paul was all about organization.

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by kclee4jc

The early church displayed organization...

Organized religion is a phrase that takes on a meaning beyond simply doing things in an organized manner versus shear disorganization.

[Dark Energy]

Isn't "disorganized religion" an oxymoron? The first church was organized. They organized each local congregation with offices such as elders, pastors and deacons.

The entire church was organized under the Apostles

Most relgions (as opposed to a religious view) are organized

[kclee4jc]

Originally Posted by Dark Energy

Isn't "disorganized religion" an oxymoron? The first church was organized. They organized each local congregation with offices such as elders, pastors and deacons.The entire church was organized under the Apostles

Most relgions (as opposed to a religious view) are organized

Excellent point. Most people who have a problem with "organized religion" have a problem with one of two things. The concept of absolute truth or the concept of submitting to a hire power of authority. I will say this...there are those who have been so injured by false systems of organized religion that they are burnt out. Line it up to the Word, try the spirits to see whether they be of God before jumping on board. The early church is our example.