Monday, April 21, 2025
The way the modern church does church is not Biblical.
There is no one-man-paid-pastor in the Bible. There is no prescribed time or place to meet.
When we come together, we are to observe the Lord's supper every time. All the people attending participate in edifying one another and there is a meal.
1 Corinthians 14:26-33
"26 What is the outcome then, brothers and sisters? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. All things are to be done for edification.
27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, it must be by two or at the most three, and each one in turn, and one is to interpret;
28 but if there is no interpreter, he is to keep silent in church; and have him speak to himself and to God.
29 Have two or three prophets speak, and have the others pass judgment.
30 But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, then the first one is to keep silent.
31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted;
32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets;
33 for God is not a God of confusion, but of peace."
In the gathering of believers, no one has authority over anyone else. It is the Holy Spirit Who is the Authority over the believers; all things are done as led by the Holy Spirit.
The modern church gatherings have turned into cults in which the people in the pews follow one man up front, are not allowed to question him in the gathering, and are shut down if anyone challenges what is being taught.
The Lord's supper is rarely practiced in most churches as an afterthought rather than as the main event.
Most attendees of these gatherings don't read the Bible for themselves at home, so when they come, they leave all the work of seeking God to the one who is paid to do it. Anyone who questions the paid-pastor is seen as rebellious and rejected by the sheep in the pews.
The paid-pastor is elevated above the others by a stage, further intimidating those in the pews from speaking. Since the paid-pastor is educated in special colleges and given a degree, he is seen as the authority over the people. The trust of the people in the pews is for the paid, educated pastor and not the Holy Spirit.
I was told once by a friend that I couldn't know the truth about something because I had not been to a seminary. My response was, "Oh, you think the Holy Spirit only goes to seminary?"
It was in the second century AD that this hierarchy system in churches began and has escalated beyond redemption to this very day. Most church attendees placed their trust in that one man, paid pastor, more than they do the Holy Spirit.
The world has been so brain-washed into this system that they think those who don't believe this is the right way have lost their minds.
There are church gatherings that still practice the Biblical model of meeting together, but they are few and hard to find. I have been in these gatherings, and the love and sweetness of the gatherings were wonderful. It has been a long time since we were in one because most of these gatherings have elderly people in them, and when they die, so does the gathering.
The authentic church is a small remnant now! I would never advise anyone to find a building with people in it and join it just to say they have obeyed the scripture not to forsake the gathering.
We can gather anywhere with anyone at any time and it need not be with more than two people to be considered a gathering. Many people are now gathering online because of the apostasy in their community. There is no building to attend that glorifies God; they have all gone apostate.
The Holy Spirit must teach us and guide us in all that we do, even in whether or not we attend a gathering. Meeting at home with a friend is enough, and Christ will be there.
God did not want us to isolate ourselves from other believers, however, when the believers we meet are not obeying Christ and are walking in disobedience, misinterpreting and misunderstanding His word because they are interpreting the Word in terms of their own mindset instead of what God really said, there can be no oneness of mind, there is no fellowship to edify one another.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 "11 Therefore, encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing. "
Hebrews 3:13
But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness."
Ephesians 4:29
"Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen."
Romans 14:19
"So then, let us pursue what leads to peace and to mutual edification."
Colossians 3:16
"Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."
Hebrews 10:24-25
"And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
Definition of edify; "instruct or improve one another."
This is not about praise or flattery, but it is about helping one another grow in wisdom and the fruit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23 - "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
When we come together, we are to observe the Lord's supper every time. All the people attending participate in edifying one another and there is a meal.
1 Corinthians 14:26-33
"26 What is the outcome then, brothers and sisters? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. All things are to be done for edification.
27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, it must be by two or at the most three, and each one in turn, and one is to interpret;
28 but if there is no interpreter, he is to keep silent in church; and have him speak to himself and to God.
29 Have two or three prophets speak, and have the others pass judgment.
30 But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, then the first one is to keep silent.
31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted;
32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets;
33 for God is not a God of confusion, but of peace."
In the gathering of believers, no one has authority over anyone else. It is the Holy Spirit Who is the Authority over the believers; all things are done as led by the Holy Spirit.
The modern church gatherings have turned into cults in which the people in the pews follow one man up front, are not allowed to question him in the gathering, and are shut down if anyone challenges what is being taught.
The Lord's supper is rarely practiced in most churches as an afterthought rather than as the main event.
Most attendees of these gatherings don't read the Bible for themselves at home, so when they come, they leave all the work of seeking God to the one who is paid to do it. Anyone who questions the paid-pastor is seen as rebellious and rejected by the sheep in the pews.
The paid-pastor is elevated above the others by a stage, further intimidating those in the pews from speaking. Since the paid-pastor is educated in special colleges and given a degree, he is seen as the authority over the people. The trust of the people in the pews is for the paid, educated pastor and not the Holy Spirit.
I was told once by a friend that I couldn't know the truth about something because I had not been to a seminary. My response was, "Oh, you think the Holy Spirit only goes to seminary?"
It was in the second century AD that this hierarchy system in churches began and has escalated beyond redemption to this very day. Most church attendees placed their trust in that one man, paid pastor, more than they do the Holy Spirit.
The world has been so brain-washed into this system that they think those who don't believe this is the right way have lost their minds.
There are church gatherings that still practice the Biblical model of meeting together, but they are few and hard to find. I have been in these gatherings, and the love and sweetness of the gatherings were wonderful. It has been a long time since we were in one because most of these gatherings have elderly people in them, and when they die, so does the gathering.
The authentic church is a small remnant now! I would never advise anyone to find a building with people in it and join it just to say they have obeyed the scripture not to forsake the gathering.
We can gather anywhere with anyone at any time and it need not be with more than two people to be considered a gathering. Many people are now gathering online because of the apostasy in their community. There is no building to attend that glorifies God; they have all gone apostate.
The Holy Spirit must teach us and guide us in all that we do, even in whether or not we attend a gathering. Meeting at home with a friend is enough, and Christ will be there.
God did not want us to isolate ourselves from other believers, however, when the believers we meet are not obeying Christ and are walking in disobedience, misinterpreting and misunderstanding His word because they are interpreting the Word in terms of their own mindset instead of what God really said, there can be no oneness of mind, there is no fellowship to edify one another.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 "11 Therefore, encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing. "
Hebrews 3:13
But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness."
Ephesians 4:29
"Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen."
Romans 14:19
"So then, let us pursue what leads to peace and to mutual edification."
Colossians 3:16
"Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."
Hebrews 10:24-25
"And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
Definition of edify; "instruct or improve one another."
This is not about praise or flattery, but it is about helping one another grow in wisdom and the fruit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23 - "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
Walk with the Wise and We will Become Wise
The Lord has been removing me from those who walk a superficial Christianity based on cultural customs for a few years now. He has been opening my eyes to the continual opposition and snarkiness of those who are stubborn toward the scriptures, even though they claim to be Christian. It is one thing to encounter non-believers to witness Christ. It is far different to be in constant company with those who hate our witness and want to fight and argue about everything, but still claim to be Christian. I am so done with all that mess!!!!
The thought of wasting one more moment with those who want to appear spiritually superior but want nothing of Christ is too much to bear. Being alone with Christ is preferable to being with mean-spirited, superior-acting pretenders who cannot be reached for Christ because of the pride in themselves.
Luke 18:9-14 "9 Now He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt:
10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11 The Pharisee stood and began praying this in regard to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, crooked, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’
13 But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to raise his eyes toward heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’
14 I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other one; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Those who are authentically born-again will have all the fruit of the Spirit of Christ.
Galatians 5:22-23 - "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
Pretenders can try to appear to have the fruit, but it falls flat, coming off as phony and self-serving. When the Holy Spirit warns us about the pretenders, we can repeat the gospel one more time to them and leave them to God. Remaining with them only dilutes our own walk with Christ.
We are to keep company with like-minded people who love the Lord, not with the world of pretenders.
The hardest people to reach for Christ are the pretenders who have a high opinion of themselves; they will never see their need to let go of their pride until God utterly breaks them. We cannot do it, nor should we; it is God's business. In the meantime, we are to avoid contact with those who do not walk in obedience to Christ while claiming they do.
Psalm 26:3-5 "…3 For Your loving devotion is before my eyes, and I have walked in Your truth. 4 I do not sit with deceitful men, nor keep company with hypocrites. 5 I hate the mob of evildoers, and refuse to sit with the wicked."
Proverbs 4:14-15
"Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. Avoid it; do not travel on it. Turn from it and pass on by."
1 Corinthians 15:33
"Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
The company we keep reveals what is in our hearts.
The thought of wasting one more moment with those who want to appear spiritually superior but want nothing of Christ is too much to bear. Being alone with Christ is preferable to being with mean-spirited, superior-acting pretenders who cannot be reached for Christ because of the pride in themselves.
Luke 18:9-14 "9 Now He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt:
10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11 The Pharisee stood and began praying this in regard to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, crooked, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’
13 But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to raise his eyes toward heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’
14 I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other one; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Those who are authentically born-again will have all the fruit of the Spirit of Christ.
Galatians 5:22-23 - "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
Pretenders can try to appear to have the fruit, but it falls flat, coming off as phony and self-serving. When the Holy Spirit warns us about the pretenders, we can repeat the gospel one more time to them and leave them to God. Remaining with them only dilutes our own walk with Christ.
We are to keep company with like-minded people who love the Lord, not with the world of pretenders.
The hardest people to reach for Christ are the pretenders who have a high opinion of themselves; they will never see their need to let go of their pride until God utterly breaks them. We cannot do it, nor should we; it is God's business. In the meantime, we are to avoid contact with those who do not walk in obedience to Christ while claiming they do.
Psalm 26:3-5 "…3 For Your loving devotion is before my eyes, and I have walked in Your truth. 4 I do not sit with deceitful men, nor keep company with hypocrites. 5 I hate the mob of evildoers, and refuse to sit with the wicked."
Proverbs 4:14-15
"Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. Avoid it; do not travel on it. Turn from it and pass on by."
1 Corinthians 15:33
"Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
The company we keep reveals what is in our hearts.
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