Messages We've Received From "Wilderness" Christians

Brothers and Sisters who are worshipping and living faithfully OUTSIDE the "church" structures.
If you're minister, pastor, prophet, apostle, bishop, deacon, elder, teacher, pope or otherwise responsible for the care of the flock - YOU BETTER GET ON YOUR KNEES RIGHT NOW AND PRAY GOD FORGIVES YOU FOR WHATEVER PART YOU PLAYED IN THE LIVES OF THESE AND OTHERS LIKE THEM!!  Not all of those that left will return or are safely waiting for a new song.  Many are lost forever!  Search your heart - is their blood on your hands?  James 3 raises the stakes.  Matthew 23 will hang around your neck like a millstone at the final judgement.  2 Timothy 4:1-5 condems you.
Read these carefully and ask if they came from someone at YOUR church.  God forgive us.
 

 
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   

 
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&ldots;  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