Clarification

This time away from going to church has revealed a lot. I really don't think that I'm as far off as others seem to believe. I think I may have said this in a blog, but I've been in a continual search mode seeking the things that are ultimately true about God. When the major leaders of a congregation, and in several others as well, react to sinners and sin the way some of the ones I have seen did and have, I can't help but question the Way they profess. All of the sermons and classes these guys give tell of doing exactly the opposite of what has been done so many times. It didn't make any sense that these people of God who spoke of His forgiveness and acceptance would reject and spread rumors and gossip!

Just last night I walked by a couple who are attending nowhere now because of the rejection they were given due to some domestic issues. They've not gone anywhere and the church's reaction to this is that they don't come because he beats his wife! I say even if he does it everyday, then the church should be the first to come to their aid - not just hers, but his as well! The other day I spoke with a man who divorced his wife and is now on drugs. He is the offspring of church leader and rejected. The very problems which should be the reasons they are being suffocated with love and attention have become the reason they are rejected!

My reactions are based on this thought: if the same church that taught these leaders taught me, have I learned the right things? There are many more things yet to be learned, though I can say that I have learned a lot. Mainly: don't put stock in God's people as being more than people. A friend down here put it best when he told me that if I would be more surprised when church people did things right than when they did things wrong, I would probably like them more.

Most of the time people are just asking about whether or not my wife and I have been to church. No one asked how we were with God, Christ, the Spirit (which would imply the term "spiritually") or otherwise. They simply assumed that no one could ever come to terms with God outside of being in a church building. Even before I began to question and seek a little more about God, I was well aware that that was a strange conclusion. But, now that I have learned more, I can see that even they are simply reacting by saying what they've been taught to say.

No naturally-thinking human being, bringing no biases to the table, can take church attendance away from Heb. 10.25. Neither could the idea of "church," as we have it today where the buildings are bigger than many synagogues and rival Catholic cathedrals, be taken away from the New Testament in general! It was not a legalized religion at the time of the Bible's writing - they couldn't have met in scheduled masses. Pentecost cannot be counted among mass meetings either because Acts 2.6 speaks of the crowd gathering "when this was noised abroad." The apostles were being loud and the people were looking at the spectacle. It is a great example of mass conversion, but not church as we see it today.

The end of the chapter spells it out best when the relationships were formed from "house to house" in verse 46. Yes, the term "temple" is also there, but we know that those were Jewish temples not Christian ones because in Romans 12 the Christian ones (N.T. ones) are the bodies of Christians. The Spirit is in the temple as he has always been, and, so that he could reside in us, God just changed where the temple was to be located.

Still, if one would like to farcically imply that the "temple" in v. 46 was actually a meeting place of Christians like we have it today, then that one would have to meet there daily: "and they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple..."

I think a lot of this comes from a complete misunderstanding (even though most would say they know this, though they just don't speak or live according to what they know) of the word "church." It means "a calling out." The Lord added to those who were being called out daily. This means that the church directory in Heaven was growing not the one at the local building. The end of chapter 2 in Acts shows the first reaction to salvation of those at Pentecost to be to sell everything, pool their resources and meet with each other daily "house to house" - communism at its finest! It’s the best deal this side of Heaven!

I am in no way bashing church, leaving church, or making excuses. This is simply a crusade to be pure and know the truth about it all, and maybe I should keep it to myself.

I came to a conclusion last night, however, which I have not entertained before. If we want to meet like that (in big buildings), then as Christians, we can. But the real "forsaking" comes when we don't continue it with each other daily and when we don't seek Him in such a fashion that causes our lives to react. The curser can focus on quitting cursing, the drinker on drinking, the smoker on smoking, and the killer on killing, but just because they stop doesn't make them better people. Christianity was never meant to create moral people - plenty of moral people exist in all religions and walks of life and are going to hell, but I want to follow Him and seek Him in such a fashion that my life naturally reacts. I don't want to stop doing anything just because I'm a Christian - I want my life to look like a Christian and be lived like a Christian because I am a Christian.

I do hope this gives a little more insight into what's been going on in my head lately. I really want you guys to know that I'm just seeking to at least know what the purest way is.

I think God finds a great deal of honor in that.