ChristiansUnite Forums

Are you addicted to and enslaved by the instutional church.  Hundreds of thousands of believers are plagued with this dilemma, considering we were "brought up in the church,"  we were taught "church," we were indoctrinated with "church," we were faced with the "right church" from childhood, we were told that  "Jesus established a church."  In essence, we have been brainwashed with "church."  As a result, we reject anything in our walk with the Lord that does not march under the banner of "church."
 
    We have to get away from this thing called "church" and get back to where Jesus wants us to be.  There were no churches and church edifices during the formative years of the redeemed community.  Yet there were communities or congregations of believers!  Man founded churches.  Jesus founded His new community.  There is not one church in existence whose author is Jesus. Yet He has children in most of them.

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"There is not one church in existence whose author is Jesus. Yet He has children in most of them."

Yes there is. It is God's church through the God given authority of Jesus Christ and all are in it and are His through faith.

Ollie

I am not enslaved to any Church!  I don't even have a way to get to Chruch right now...   :'(


Blessings,  \o/

Man founded churches (divisive parties) and therefore controls them.  Jesus founded His ekklesia (community or congregation) and reins as its Head and King.  His community is composed of all of those who have been born anew, and they can be found in almost every sect or divisive party.  
 
    What, then, is the solution to the mess we've gotten ourselves into?  Cast aside our divisive parties or churches and be believers only---not the only believers, but belivers only.  Not a believer plus a Methodist, not a believer plus a Baptist, not a believer plus a Church of Christer, not a believer plus a Christian Churcher, but a believer only.  Unless Jesus is the author of our labels, toss them to the wind.  Cast them forever away and unite under the banner of Jesus only.  For Jesus is not the author of the Baptist Church, the Methodist Church, the Church of Christ Church, the Christian Church, the Catholic Church, the Assembly of God Church, or any of the other divisive creations.


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    We delight in thinking that our church is what Jesus founded.  But we're wrong one hundred percent wrong.  All of the other sects labor under the same mistaken idea.  And they are just as right or wrong as we are.  Let Jesus be the center of our walk, not churches or religious sects.

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The Good News concerning Jesus was solving problems long before man contracted "mad church disease" and long before institutional religion and the contemporary church were introduced by men who envisioned their answers to life's problems as being more profound than God's.  Blame the clergy!  The stream flowing from the river of life was pure and tranquil before religion and church and the clergy contaminated it.  God has been replaced with religion, and Jesus has been substituted with church.

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So you're asking why anyone would want to be institutionalized?  :-X

YES :)

I have tried man made religions and found them lacking.  ;D

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Don't be deceived by religion. Religion says "DO", whereas Christianity says "DONE !" Christ paid the full price for your salvation. Believe and be saved today."

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The Lord's Church
 

HE purchased it with His blood (Acts 20:28).

HE is the Head (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18).

HE nourishes and cherishes it (Eph. 5:29).

HE dwells in it (Eph. 3:17; Col. 1:18).

HE adds only saved to it (1 Cor. 12:13).

HE places the members in it (1 Cor. 12:18).

HE designates the qualifications of its leaders (Titus 1:5-11; 1 Tim. 3:1-15).

HE instructs its members to be of one mind and speak the same thing (1 Cor. 1:10).

HE instructs its members to have no divisions among them (1 Cor. 1:10, 3:1-4).

HE instructs its members to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3).

HE instructs its members to not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers (2 Cor. 6:14-17).

HE thouroughly furnishes it unto all good works by the scriptures (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

HE is coming again to catch only His church away (1 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15:51-58).

Then, he Who has provided all of the above and more, commands His church to do all they do in His name, thus giving thanks to God and the Father that He might righly receive the glory (Col. 3:17).


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WHAT IS THE CHURCH

http://forums.christiansunite.com/index.php?board=20;action=display;threadid=4549

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Good Topic.  surprise it has not gotten a larger response other than who has read it.

Nope, im not addicted to the institutional church, though when i was growing up was made to go when i did not want to and as i look back on it, im glad they did make me go. that Word was seeded in my heart, then when the infilling of the Holy Ghost happened like YEARS later, the blinders finally fell off.

I'm a free man on the loose, trying hard to find a cure for "mad church disease!"  Care to join me in my "medical" church research?  Together, with the Lord's help, we may find a cure for this morbid condition I have labeled "mad church disease."  It is contracted by sitting too long on a cushioned church pew, eating and digesting contaminated "sermons" from the hired ecclesiastic, and consuming decomposed religion served up by the institutional church.  Interested in my research?  Come on aboard.

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NOT ANY MORE THANK GOD!  oh yes, i was enslaved at one time, God had to PRY me out of that one for sure.  roflol

NOW i attend a Spirit Filled Spirit Led Church pastored by a man that actually LISTENS to the Spirit of the Almight God.

WOW we have been having some wonderful wake up and smell the coffee sermons.  WOOT!

"mad church disease" as Brother Love so elloquently coined is otherwise known as "THE COMFORT ZONE"  kind of like the twilight zone. hehe  

 :)

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