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Messages We've
Received From "Wilderness" Christians
Brothers and
Sisters who are worshipping and living faithfully OUTSIDE the
"church" structures.
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If
you're minister, pastor, prophet, apostle,
bishop, deacon, elder, teacher, pope or otherwise responsible for
the care of the flock - I
hope you are praying that these are not from YOUR flock!
You are responsible for those entrusted to your care. James 3
raises the stakes.
Matthew
23 and 2
Timothy 4:1-5
will hang around your neck like a millstone
at the final judgement if you don't take it seriously.
God
forgive us for what we've done to these poor souls. |
PLEASE!! If
you're a Wilderness Christian, go visit the Discussion
Board. It is a safe place of healing filled with people
like yourselves. We have a place there to register if you'd like to
connect with others in your area.
My wife and I left
our church two years ago. We have had a few home meetings. No
other place feels right or feels like where we belong.
For years and
years, I faithfully attended services, hardly missing church at all.
(Now I am hardly missing church at all. I don't miss sitting in a
pew, listening to sermons I have heard before, listening about new
programs, etc.)
I have been
through the faith movement, the discipleship/shepherding movement,
some of the prophetic, the "anointing," more of the
prophetic and now here I am. I have seen things go horribly wrong
more than once. It makes me sick at heart to think about it all.
However, my wife
and I are living in the wilderness and we do feel safer and at peace.
I thought something awful might happen to us, but it has not. God
keeps us going. He is faithful. We would love to have a small group
in our home or find a church where we belong. I miss my brothers and
sisters, some who have moved to other areas.
Tim
Dear brother
in Christ,
Just a little note
from France to tell you that I appreciate your website, and that I am
one of those that has come out of the church systems, but feel that
we need to realize and clearly understand that the Lord is making us
come out of man-made structures and organizations, but we are still a
member of the true church which exist in any city where there are
true believers. In each town or city there are true living
stones which form the local representation of the Church as God sees
them. In any town some may still be in captivity in the
man-made systems, perhaps divided in 3 or 4 denominations along with
some which are already "out" of "churchianity".
So I believe it is
very important to discern clearly and the Word of God asks us to
discern the Body of Christ, first locally where more and more true
believers see clearly that the divisions of the Body of Christ into
denominations is not biblical.
The Body of Christ
locally or the true Church of Jesus Christ is therefore formed of all
true born again christians whether in or out of the man-made systems.
Watchman Nee
clearly understood this biblical idea of one church in one city even
if it may be broken up into a number of house churches as long as we
meet on the ground of seeing the church minus all the man-made walls !!
Also in the Bible
you always find names such as "the church of Corinth",
"the church of Antioch" and not all the fanciful variety of
names which are commun these days.
So back to basics !!
Therefore I think
your title "Leaving the Church" is not quite correct, since
those who come out are still the Church, the living stones forming
the House of God. They only came out of being captives of the
man-made systems.
Much love in Christ,
Michele
THANKS! for Church
and Money article:
I read Andrew
Strom's email he sends out weekly and I live in WA (the state) where
we have the largest and most ornate churches and are the most
unchurched state in the nation. Well we tie with OR all the time.
I have written
Andrew after his severing from the Kansas City Prophetic Group and am
so glad to read what he has to say. I say a hearty AMEN to most all
he says. And I add IT IS ABOUT TIME someone stood up and called a
spade a spade.
I was in a horrid
church split and I saw the "prophets" go nuts on both sides
of the split with "Thus Saith The Lord" and saw thru the
office back then. I accept precious little of what is said as
genuinely from the throne of grace but more so from the good
intentions of good intending hearts. But it is not good enough to
have good intentions it must be the heart beat of God or I say get
away from me.
This article you
wrote on the Church and Money is very good. I have been writing up a
doc on the raping of Christians via TBN
and all others who fleece the people of God for lavish living. And
they set the standard for it.
I have not been a
church member for some time now but am involved in missions in Kenya
and some others in the past. My husband and I are on a modest income
and yet we give our tithes in sending Bible Studies and Bibles to
Kenya and the minister there is over 16 churches in 16 provinces and
4 countries in East Africa and it is our contribution. The postage
kills us but we do not send money as poor countries can loose their
soul over very little money as they see so little of it in their life
times. He begs me for a copy machine and I can't get anyone to pitch
in and help with the school this minister set up. He drives a posh
1976 Schwinn for his transportation. We did get a bike to each pastor
once. A couple of manual typewriters. They don't even set their
sights on a computer but they could use one at each pastors
desk. They are better off in some ways than these:
In southern
countries in Africa I can't get anyone to give a dime for Bibles for
ministers trying to minister the word to their flocks and they do not
even own one themselves. Or one pastor shares his with his congregation.
There is such
poverty and sickness in a country who have people who will evangelize
and no money for tracts. It goes on.
It sickens me to
see or hear of the wolves of TBN
and they rake it in and it stays with them.
Benny
Hinn said he wanted donations to build an Orphanage in MX.
When he got the funds it was never built. The same with his prayer
building. He is wealthy but England has banned him from entering the
country and I believe India has done the same.
I have been a
spirit filled Christian for over 30 years and I grieve at the state
of the church. I am hostile at somethings and I do not even bother to
go anymore. I miss the people but I don't miss the anger I feel when
I see money so miss managed.
If we would stop
sending mission trips and just send the airfare they could be so
blessed. They have nothing to share & most can't even speak the language.
I went on a
mission trip once and it was a true blessing but it was a ma and pa
outfit. I would never do a major church denom. trip---what for?
So thanks for your
words, Anita
{Want to see
God move? About 12 hours later, this email came.}
I read with
sadness your stats on money spent in man made Christian
organizations. I am also one of the many that have left the man made
structures and am living a fruitful life led by GOD and no one else.
I read your
messages from wilderness Christians and was very touched by a message
from Anita who wrote " In southern countries in Africa I can't
get anyone to give a dime for Bibles for ministers trying to minister
the word to their flocks and they do not even own one themselves. Or
one pastor shares his with his congregation."
I live in South
Africa and would like to respond to her call and help my brothers and
sisters in Africa receive the gospel. If you can please pass my
e-mail address and ask her to get in touch with me, I would really
like to help.
Thanks for the
work you are doing, the truth shall indeed set us free.
Sifiso
{We
connected them within a couple hours and then got these - three
minutes apart.}
Doug Perry,
Thank you for
posting my heart felt cry at the desperate state of the church. I
have written Sifiso and told him more of the specific needs. I hope
it pricks his heart and he will help out.
Better yet to get
even more to join hands to make the work light.
Again thank you
and God bless you for what you are doing. We need purity in the body
of Christ and ones who will do the will of the Father instead of the
will of mainstream church usa. Anita
++++++++++
Thanks Doug, She
has responded and will be providing me with contact details for the
GOD's servants in Kenya. The company I work for has an office in
Kenya and I believe it will be a great help because I can use the
people there to help to communicate.
I loved your
website and have put it on my favorites list. Keep up GOD"s good work.
Sifiso
{Whadaya
think of that?! Hang around here another 24 hours and you'll
see God do something else.}
Doug,
I recently read an
excerpt from an article that appeared on Andrew Strom’s board
called ‘The Bottom Line’
It reminded me of
the scripture in 1 Samuel 2 where Hophni and Phineas abused their
calling “Therefore the sin of the young men was very great
before the LORD, for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.”
In two separate
conversations with two different brothers this year, they both shared
something very similar and disturbing. One only saw concrete
slabs where church buildings once stood, and the other saw the same
thing except he also saw pastors chasing little flakes of carbon in
the wind (like burnt paper) as this was all that remained of their
churches... The Lord has spoken to me out of this and said that
like the Temple; He will not leave one stone upon another in
“Christian City.”
While I do agree
with some of the assessment you’ve made; I think the ills
affecting the church run much deeper.
{Ed.- Hang on, we're done done yet!}
If you’re
interested here is the link to my website: www.shilohouse.org
God Bless,
Allen Logan,
Shilohouse Ministries
dear mr. perry:
thank you for your
letter to mr. andrew strom. my husband and i have been
struggling for several years with the issue of money and the
church. years ago, my husband was attacked by a pastor
and elders when he decided to give his tithe money to his parents who
live in the projects in rome italy.
we decided to join
a church here in Georgia and, my husband being an incredible singer,
decided to join the choir. the choir leader asked my husband if
he tithed, because if he didn't he couldn't join. we quit
going. we would like to go back to church somewhere and
hopefully we will find some place.
anyway, much
gratitude for your brave expose and words from the Holy Spirit.
very truly yours,
gwen
{Ed.- See Tithing
Study. Follow-up below.}
My husband and I
were married 3 1/2 years ago. I had left the church, and he had
left the church. We both had been married before and felt we
were servants of God in the churches in those former marriages. We
both failed miserably in our former marriages because of wrong
teaching, in my opinion, no real support systems, no real
"friends" in the churches, no real understanding of Who God
IS. My current husband and I want to start a prayer group.
He believes God has told him to do that. We're both so burnt
out. It's really bad. I am holding on by a string, but I
know that God will answer my prayers.
Sincerely.
God Bless You for this website. It has given me more hope than
anything right now.
Gwen
WOW!! I just found this web site. I was brought to tears.
My heart leaped. I realized that what had happened to me and
what I had been feeling and thinking about church and a reformation
was on others minds and hearts also. I, too, have been
ridiculed for leaving my church home of 16 years. I stayed
untill I could not fight it any longer....The spirit in me was being
quenched and grieved. Once I realized that it was indeed God
who was calling me out I had no choice but to go. I have had visions
for years of a different church...one without walls...... I know that
I, as many others, am waiting for God to open the door to the new
thing. It is so close I know. I do get lonely for fellowship
with other believers...but I am trusting in my Father and following
his lead. God Bless you all.
Cecilia
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