A Wrecked Church!

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by seekerman

It's with sadness that I read of stories like this and the hurt and harm that comes to the children of God through such behavior. I realize the people have been hurt/harmed and even though it seems that the individuals who are controlling the building church system are inflicting pain and suffering, they're probably experiencing the same thing themselves. Probably in their mind they're protecting their building church system and see the individuals who are against them as against the truth.

The main problem is with the typical oneness Pentecostal church building system. I've noticed the typical phrase of 'bro so-and-so's' church in this thread and others. Go to 'bro so-and-so's church'. 'Bro-so-and-so' has a great church in this town and that town. Such 'church' systems are a disservice to God. It's not his system, but preachers will work and suffer and work the people and politic and money-money and 'building is the house of the Lord, , in order to build a manmade kingdom. The people are taught to serve the pastor and building and then when something comes along like the fiasco we're reading about, seeing the hurt and harm and pain and suffering, little is said that the preacher set up a system which isn't scriptural at all. It's almost like a franchise with McDonalds competing with Burger King and Burger King competing with Wendy's and if an individual has the particular denominational franchise, UPC, ALJC, Other, then they have the rights to a certain territory. When the franchisee passes away, the franchise is still owned and controlled by the family. So it is with some much of the oneness Pentecostal system. The father passes the franchise on to the children. The father and his family have put money and time and effort and tears into the franchise and therefore the son/daughter inherits the 'church' business.

This problem we're reading about originated with the Roman Catholic Church and the system which they instituted with didn't have scriptural support, as much of their teachings lack. The building=church and a pope-like figure heading the building-church has it's basis in Roman Catholicism. The pope/preacher is to be obeyed, he's the guy who speaks for God and to question him or the building-church system is blasphemy and the reward for such individual behavior is hell.

The sheep are scattered in this sordid story because of two things. First, the 'church' system which was established was against scripture to begin with and second, the devil knew it.

Sadly, those sheep who are scattered think the pastor was their shepherd instead of Jesus and they believe that they must attend and support a church=building system in order to not forsake the assembling of themselves together. Because of the error which was taught as truth to them, they are unable to simply meet as the New Testament church did. The Roman Catholic system puts people in bondage to the building=church system that few can escape from.

The best thing that could happen is that they never attend another building=church system and do as the New Testament church did. Unless that happens they're just trading Roman Catholic systems of bondage.

And there ya have it!