The View – Traditional Church
The Truth – Traditional Church.
We go to church according to our understanding and belief. It’s either Saturday or Sunday believers; we do it for the LORD, which is of great importance. However, it often loses its values when it turns out to be a competition that leads to Christians going against Christians, especially when they have different doctrinal views.
Mushrooming of Christian denominations leads Christians to recruit Christians from different denominations, putting one denomination down and uplifting their own. Some denominations do not even believe some of the written words in the Bible, giving room for other denominations a chance to make an argument. If we believe what was written and is written in the Bible but do not practice it, what message are we sending to the unbelievers? What good does it do to the Body if you do not preach it and use it for evangelism?
Is one hour of praise and worship enough? We have 24 hours in one day. Going to church seems like a process as we spend more than 45 minutes in preparation, such as taking a shower, putting on cosmetics, dressing up, and driving from home to the church would probably take 20- 30 minutes, finding parking and walking. After church, spend time fellowshipping or eating in a restaurant for brunch. Just think of it one hour for the LORD becomes only a fraction of that 7th-day praise and worship. Others spend more time deliberating which restaurant to eat at, which food to eat, etc. Is this the routine of how we manage the 7th day to be holy? Is it enough to fellowship in the presence of God and the Body of Christ for one hour? Many churches nowadays do not practice fellowshipping with fellow believers because it only creates gossip. I heard it directly from a Pastor or maybe using it as an excuse for their busy schedule, and there is no more time for that.
Let’s say we offer the day to the LORD by including one hour of praise and worship, dressing, driving to and from the place of worship, and restaurant time, so roughly three to four hours. Do you think God will be pleased that we are counting every bit and pieces of celebrating the 7th day? Do you think doing these things is a blessing? It is not the time, not our appearance, but the quality of our fellowship with Him and the involvement of our hearts and souls.
God was in the presence of Adam and Eve in the garden, where they did fellowshipping, but distraction occurred when the couple allowed sin to enter the world. Abraham was in the tent when God appeared before him. Moses was in the presence of God on top of the mountain and instructed him to construct the tabernacle for their place of worship. Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem superseded it as the dwelling place of God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, the grace of God, said that He would build a church and Philemon gathered the believers in his house to worship the Lord. Jesus said that the kingdom of God is at hand; the Lord of lords and King of kings signified it.
We are trying to prove that God is everywhere and we can meet Him in His designated place or our place of comfort, which could be our house, where we house our domain. What is the kingdom of God? Where is the kingdom of God? Are you in the presence of the kingdom of God? Are we still the church, or are we now the kingdom? Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; with a humble heart, things will be revealed to us.
A traditional or institutional church is built by men, which is why the confusion of its interpretation has been corrupted, but the church built by the Son of God cannot be shaken. The church is the Body of Christ, the Body of Believers, the anointed ones, sons, or children of God.
The Kingdom of God is the government of God, and our Body is the kingdom at hand taught by the Son. Through the Holy Spirit in us, we are in the presence of the Almighty God. In that order, the old, the new, and the revelation were the temple, the church, and the kingdom.
Whatever doctrinal teachings you have received from any traditional/institutional church, the fault of accepting the false teaching will be on your shoulder, and the burden of practicing the true gift of salvation may not have been received. The book of Jude clearly expresses these worries of not receiving the truth, and these people act as if they carry the truth, yet it is only according to their desire.
The priest had to pass the priesthood along when they died/retired to another priest—Hebrews 7:23, and yet offering the same sacrifices daily can never take away sins, even their own—Hebrews 10:11. When one is saved, why do the priest and other ministers have to talk about salvation repeatedly? Once you are saved, you are always saved and can never be undone; there should be no need to offer the gift of salvation over and over—Hebrews 10:1–2.
The priests or ministers could not take away our sins. It is our work— Philippians 2:12-13 work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for God works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure—ESV. Listen to your heart and hear what it says about your salvation; it is not about feelings. It is about your relationship with God first and with His family second. We have to remember that salvation is a gift from God.
May the good LORD continue to bless those who acknowledge His existence and, through the Son, the way, the truth, and the life, bless us and guide us on the path to righteousness, and the Holy Spirit that dwells in us will stay with us forever and ever.
God is all in all.