Warning To New Christians

[JesusisallIneed]

Don't be brainwashed. I wanted to share this experience with you so you will not fall into a trap like I did. Sometimes as "new Christians" we become so trustworthy of people and share important things in our life with people we feel that we can trust and that person let's you down by spilling the beans to everyone. I was the naive one. I will only trust GOD not MAN! It infuriates me when the church always mention the Devil or enemy even when they are wrong. They are wrong in begging people for money and asking for people to give certain amounts and if they don't they always throw in don't let the devil hinder you or something to that affect. BRAINWASHING. Don't let them keep your spirits down when they turn their back on you when you need help and come to them confidentially. Don't let them keep you down because you are different than they are. You may wear pants, makeup, jewelry etc and they don't and they judge you and look at you as if you are unsaved and judge you negatively and make you feel like you are sinning or something. I was non-denominational and unfortunately went to COGIC and Baptist churches. Do not let them do that to you. Trust me it can be a painful experience and I went through it for over a year until I realized it was not me it was THEM!

The area I live in unfortunately the churches in the area are all owned by family members. I live in a small community and people talk and boy the gossip! I was being shunned by some people in the church (including leaders) and I figured out they are all related in these churches and I solved issue. I kept thinking there was something wrong with me and my husband of 22 years and also my family convinced me it was not me but the churches I attended. I am no longer BRAINWASHED or confused anymore. I am relieved to be done!!!!! The only thing I regret is the time I lost by going to church. But I know now GOD is going to bless me because I left those evil churches and I am going to focus all my energy on him without negative distractions! Again Bye Church and negative people!

Whew that was a release!!!

 

[joktan]

I am very grieved to hear you suffered from a bad experience. However I prayerfully ask that you will reconsider totally disconnecting yourself from seeking out another church to attend.

Active church attendance not only can be a blessing, but it really is biblical. Consider the following:

"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25) This scripture teaches us that "some assembly is required", and assembling together requires a gathering of people, something you are not able to do on your own.

If Pastors and ministry were not an essential part of our christian walk; Paul most likely would not have written; "How shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" (Rom 10:14-15).

There are many scriptures along the lines of "O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker." Psalm 95:6 - with "us" suggesting a gathering together, or a congregation of people performing worship together. I suggest a challenge to see how many scriptures you can find that use "us", "together" and etc, you maybe surprised.

Psalms 122 says, "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD." Here there is an expression of excitement and anticipation or "going to church" if you will.. I believe this to still be relevant today.

I would be happy to pray with you that God would guide you to a church and hope you will do the same - don't give up on church, the benefits are many! God Bless.

 

[Heidiii]

I'm a new Christian, but, the thought that comes to mind there is... would moving elsewhere be a possibility? I guess you'd need to weigh up a lot of things such as jobs and finding a new place to live, but getting away from all that trouble and hopefully finding a Non Denominational Church in your new location are definitely huge pluses.

I'm going to be going to a Non Denominational church. Not sure exactly where I'm going yet, waiting on friends to talk to people they know, I think they're going to give me a recommendation. (But it's a hard time of year, with lots of people on holiday, so all is a bit slow atm)

 

[paul1149]

I hope you find a group of disciples that you can fellowship with who will accept you as you are, so you can grow in the reality of Christ together.

2Tim 2.22

 

[firesoforion]

I've heard horror stories, in fact they influenced the lack of churchgoing in my family when I was younger. It seems that the majority dominations in a region (are you in the South?) attract two types of people: those out for their political gain, and those there for the religious experience, and the political ones are not necessarily nice to others. My mom grew up in the south and has negative experiences of Baptist churches but a friend of hers out here found Baptist churches to be the best ones. I think when I find a church I'll start my search with either a non-denomination one or one that's a very minor one for the region I'm living in. Perhaps this idea could also help you to find a better church for you, but if not I can understand your frustration with churches and desire to avoid them for a while.

 

[tturt]

I am truly sorry that was your experience with some church members.

But we can't let our experiences keep us from following what Scripture says - Heb 10:25 "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

Please take the necessary time to forgive them and receive inner healing from Yahweh.

 

[JesusisallIneed]

I am still meeting god's requirement by not attending church. Assembling is when 2 or more is gathered. Me and my husband pray, praise and worship god daily. There is also church on TV and online for us to hear God's word. So church is not just in a building but you can also worship God at home with others.

I just cannot deal with being hurt any longer. I have been to 3 churches (COGIC and Baptist) and have had bad experiences. So I am done with church for a while but not GOD.

 

[SharonL]

I am still meeting god's requirement by not attending church. Assembling is when 2 or more is gathered. Me and my husband pray, praise and worship god daily. There is also church on TV and online for us to hear God's word. So church is not just in a building but you can also worship God at home with others.

I just cannot deal with being hurt any longer. I have been to 3 churches (COGIC and Baptist) and have had bad experiences. So I am done with church for a while but not GOD.

You go girl - follow your heart - a relationship with God is more important than all the legalism and man made rules and laws combined. My husband and I have fought this battle for 53 years - was in church every Sunday, raised our children in church. I met a new friend and she had such joy of the Lord that I didn't have and I wanted it - I discovered the Spirit Filled life and all the church rules and legalism become unimportant - just put your hand in the hand of Jesus and let the Holy Spirit guide you - you won't lose a thing, but will become closer.

No one understands this unless you go through it - I was raised with legalism and until 7 years ago did not fully know the joy of the Lord. Yes you can find the right kind of church on TV. My husband and I do the same thing - we spend more time worshiping and reading the Bible than we ever did when we went to church. We have become closer to God and you are right the Bible says when any two are gathered that God is in their mist. The Holy Spirit will not lead you down the wrong path once you get away from having to depend on all the rules man has implemented in the churches. If you have a good church and enjoy it - stay with it - but once you are adrift without that you don't have to drift away - you just drift closer.

 

[tturt]

Yes my dh and I watched the tv, for years, etc too. But I didn't realize the impact it had on our children until it was too late.

 

[JesusisallIneed]

What happened?

 

[Harry3142]

JesusIsAllINeed-

There's an old saying which is, "Just because a mouse lives in a cookie jar doesn't make it a coolie." It sounds like you have encountered some 'mice'.

There are four passages of Scripture which I consider to be the 'litmus test' for whether a church is 'on the level' or a smokescreen to hide the leaders' true agendas. These passages are listed here:

1. Romans 3:19 to 5:10. The righteousness which we need in order to attain salvation is a righteousness that has its foundation in our faith in God and what he has done through Christ rather than in our own efforts. It is when we recognize our salvation as being totally dependent on what God has already accomplished on our behalf that we can be assured of salvation. It was their faith in God that led the patriarchs to follow his lead, and it is this same faith in God that must be the impetus for everything that we do as Christians. The law condemns us because we are totally incapable of obeying it to the extent required by God, so by accepting our salvation as a gift we are not taking the easy way out, but rather we are taking the only way around God's perfect judgement.

2: Romans 10:5-13. Our starting point on our journet as Christians must be our acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and saviour, and our heartfelt belief that God did indeed raise him from the dead, thus conquering death itself, the ultimate consequence of sin. No other starting point is acceptable. We cannot simply pay lipservice to what God has accomplished through Christ, and then base our salvation on how well we obey a set of ecclesiastical laws or a church constitution. Instead, we must accept our salvation as a gift, unearned and undeserved, in order to obtain salvation at all.

3. Galatians 5:16-26. For those whose faith is heartfelt there is a Counsellor who comes to them, 'reining in' their sinful nature and implanting in them a new nature. This is the 'laws written on the heart' that we here of. But the acts of the sinful nature that God's Spirit subdues are our base emotions as well as actions, and the 'laws written on the heart' are the new emotions which are to be the foundation for all that we say and do as Christians. A person can appear to be pious and holy, but unless those 'fruit of the Spirit' are the point of origin for what he is saying and doing, it's all a sham. And the only way to obtain those 'fruit' is to accept the salvation that God offers freely to us.

4. Matthew 25:31-46. This passage is not an example of faith+works; it's an example of what the final stage of a Christian will encompass if that person has truly accepted God's gift of salvation. The compassion that God has shown to us, and which Christ himself showed to those around him, will proceed through us to encompass those who are in need. Being a Christian is not a license for us to display pietism combined with elitism (the "I'm better than those around me, so I'm entitled to look down on them as beneath me" attitude), but instead is the impetus for us to roll up our sleeves and go to work helping those less fortunate. Where there is hunger, or thirst, or nakedness or illness, we are to do our utmost to alleviate those conditions, as well as the other conditions listed there. It is neither our right nor our privilege to judge those who are in distress, but rather our responsibility to lessen that distress to whatever extent possible.

God bless-

 

[JesusisallIneed]

Harry,

Thanks you so much you hit some major points that were happening to me:


We cannot simply pay lipservice to what God has accomplished through Christ, and then base our salvation on how well we obey a set of ecclesiastical laws or a church constitution. Instead, we must accept our salvation as a gift, unearned and undeserved, in order to obtain salvation at all.

3. Galatians 5:16-26. For those whose faith is heartfelt there is a Counsellor who comes to them, 'reining in' their sinful nature and implanting in them a new nature. This is the 'laws written on the heart' that we here of. But the acts of the sinful nature that God's Spirit subdues are our base emotions as well as actions, and the 'laws written on the heart' are the new emotions which are to be the foundation for all that we say and do as Christians. A person can appear to be pious and holy, but unless those 'fruit of the Spirit' are the point of origin for what he is saying and doing, it's all a sham. And the only way to obtain those 'fruit' is to accept the salvation that God offers freely to us.

The above is so true! Not only do we have to be saved through christ and obey god but we have to live our daily lives according to god's word. All of us including leaders. You use the word "sham" that is how I felt these 3 churches were all a sham. They would preach a good sermon and then turn around and treat me so coldy and unwelcome. They would play favoritism amongst their members and on some occasions share things about the members to congregation. No I do not internalize everything that is preached is about me. I have shared some confidential things with the pastors wife and then was called to the altar by an evangelist and everything I told her was spoken out loud to me by the evangelist via prayer which left me in shock

So that was the stick that broke the camel's back and I decided to forego church for right now. I like your Mice analogy. Thanks for that but I feel right now the best thing for me to do is maybe start my own bible study or try to get a ministers license online. I want to be able to pray for prisoners, people in hospital, etc......

Well God Bless you Harry and I wish you and your family a happy new year 2012.

JesusIsAllINeed-

There's an old saying which is, "Just because a mouse lives in a cookie jar doesn't make it a coolie." It sounds like you have encountered some 'mice'.

There are four passages of Scripture which I consider to be the 'litmus test' for whether a church is 'on the level' or a smokescreen to hide the leaders' true agendas. These passages are listed here:

1. Romans 3:19 to 5:10. The righteousness which we need in order to attain salvation is a righteousness that has its foundation in our faith in God and what he has done through Christ rather than in our own efforts. It is when we recognize our salvation as being totally dependent on what God has already accomplished on our behalf that we can be assured of salvation. It was their faith in God that led the patriarchs to follow his lead, and it is this same faith in God that must be the impetus for everything that we do as Christians. The law condemns us because we are totally incapable of obeying it to the extent required by God, so by accepting our salvation as a gift we are not taking the easy way out, but rather we are taking the only way around God's perfect judgement.

2: Romans 10:5-13. Our starting point on our journet as Christians must be our acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and saviour, and our heartfelt belief that God did indeed raise him from the dead, thus conquering death itself, the ultimate consequence of sin. No other starting point is acceptable. We cannot simply pay lipservice to what God has accomplished through Christ, and then base our salvation on how well we obey a set of ecclesiastical laws or a church constitution. Instead, we must accept our salvation as a gift, unearned and undeserved, in order to obtain salvation at all.

3. Galatians 5:16-26. For those whose faith is heartfelt there is a Counsellor who comes to them, 'reining in' their sinful nature and implanting in them a new nature. This is the 'laws written on the heart' that we here of. But the acts of the sinful nature that God's Spirit subdues are our base emotions as well as actions, and the 'laws written on the heart' are the new emotions which are to be the foundation for all that we say and do as Christians. A person can appear to be pious and holy, but unless those 'fruit of the Spirit' are the point of origin for what he is saying and doing, it's all a sham. And the only way to obtain those 'fruit' is to accept the salvation that God offers freely to us.

4. Matthew 25:31-46. This passage is not an example of faith+works; it's an example of what the final stage of a Christian will encompass if that person has truly accepted God's gift of salvation. The compassion that God has shown to us, and which Christ himself showed to those around him, will proceed through us to encompass those who are in need. Being a Christian is not a license for us to display pietism combined with elitism (the "I'm better than those around me, so I'm entitled to look down on them as beneath me" attitude), but instead is the impetus for us to roll up our sleeves and go to work helping those less fortunate. Where there is hunger, or thirst, or nakedness or illness, we are to do our utmost to alleviate those conditions, as well as the other conditions listed there. It is neither our right nor our privilege to judge those who are in distress, but rather our responsibility to lessen that distress to whatever extent possible.

God bless-

 

[parsley]

It is not likely that greedy leaders will change unless someone takes a stand and refuses to subject themselves. If the churches you attended truly were trouble, then God will lead people into a new choice, a better place -- keep praying. Not just for your own choices, but for others who are not seeing what's going on. It does not glorify God for a church to go along with injustices or deceptions.

We usually think of the Bible as being pro-church, but there are many passages that reveal problems within the groups who claim to follow God:

Jer 7:10
...Then come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My name, and say, `We are delivered!'--that you may do all these abominations?

Jer 32:34
They set up their abominable idols in the house that bears my Name and defiled it.


Jeremiah 1
They shall come, and they shall set everyone his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls of it round about, and against all the cities of Judah. I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands.

You therefore gird up your loins, and arise, and speak to them all that I command you: don't be dismayed at them, lest I dismay you before them.

For behold, I have made you this day a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the officials of it, against the priests of it, and against the people of the land.

They shall fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you: for I am with you, says the LORD, to deliver you.


Ezekiel 2
The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says.' 5 And whether they listen or fail to listen-for they are a rebellious house-they will know that a prophet has been among them.

And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house.

You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious. But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you."


Eze 8:9 And He said to me, "Go in and see the wicked abominations that they are committing here."


I am not trying to discourage you from going to church! or from living in forgiveness... but to show that just because God's name is on something, doesn't mean He approves of it.

 

[now faith]

Don't give up on finding the right church for you. I have had similar issues and through prayer God lead me to my church home. It's a wonderful thing to worship among true Christians who are their for Christ instead of their own agenda. Mine is non denomations but I know true baptist people as well , don't judge them all by that clic.

 

[okiemom79]

The area I live in unfortunately the churches in the area are all owned by family members. I live in a small community and people talk and boy the gossip! I was being shunned by some people in the church (including leaders) and I figured out they are all related in these churches and I solved issue. I kept thinking there was something wrong with me and my husband of 22 years and also my family convinced me it was not me but the churches I attended. I am no longer BRAINWASHED or confused anymore. I am relieved to be done!!!!! The only thing I regret is the time I lost by going to church. But I know now GOD is going to bless me because I left those evil churches and I am going to focus all my energy on him without negative distractions! Again Bye Church and negative people!

I can understand how this can be, not personally from going and getting the treatment but it is something I am so scared of happening that this is why I have not found a church to attend regularly.

 

[alive2Christ]

I used to attend a church with my wife that used to gossip about other churches in the area and that is a thing I abhor.Gossips always hurt someone and anyone who listens to gossip,spreads gossip.Unfortunately,this whole town has a tradition of gossip.You came out from among them so pray for guidance and in time the Lord will lead you to a new church.

 

[parsley]

Our negative experiences lead us to be more discerning in future ones. We let people tell us what to expect out of a church, and if we don't keep comparing that to scriptural standards, bad advice can lead us off course.

For most of my Christian life, peers have told me that sharing personal information in a tight-knit home group was important, and safe. Confidentiality has not been my experience. People like to gab.

What I think scriptures intended -- Bible study groups where people share what they are learning about scriptures, and what God is currently communicating. Honoring God together, building each other up in Him.

That goes for churches, too. We are not required to share our private information with brothers and sisters in Christ.

 

[SharonL]

I am still meeting god's requirement by not attending church. Assembling is when 2 or more is gathered. Me and my husband pray, praise and worship god daily. There is also church on TV and online for us to hear God's word. So church is not just in a building but you can also worship God at home with others.

I just cannot deal with being hurt any longer. I have been to 3 churches (COGIC and Baptist) and have had bad experiences. So I am done with church for a while but not GOD.

You will be fine - you are not deserting God - we have moved into an area where for several years we have tried to find the right church, but they were so dry, I would come home and cry - so my husband and I do our church at home - it has been a real blessing and our walk is closer than it has ever been - we watch 2 Spirit Filled services and have our Bible study - we spend about 3 hours in our Sunday mornings. I am non-denominational and my husband was Catholic - this has been a real blessing because he does the reading and as he reads he is finding out for himself what the Bible says and not what a church says and I have learned to keep my mouth shut and let the Holy Spirit do the teaching.

Don't let people put guilt on you - just as you say - where any 2 are gathered - Jesus is in the mist. You will grow in your faith because you will be looking harder without people telling you what and how to act. Blessings.

 

[Keachian]

<staff edit>

lol

 

[paul1149]

Where does one begin with such ignorance and obtuseness? Evidently government schools are having their intended affect.