In my search for a church group that I could attend, I went to a small non-denominal church of about 200 people on a Wednesday night.
The pastor was teaching from John 8, where the woman was taken in adultery.
The pastor said, "And when she was brought before Jesus, she was naked from the waist up."
I was shocked and horrified!
I looked about the room. There were several men with very lustful smiles on their faces as they imagined this 1/2 naked woman that was supposedly brought before Jesus.
(The pastor was fostering lust into his congregation.)
I didn't see anyone pick up a Bible to see if that which pastor spoke was true.
I did grab my Bible and reread this scripture:
John 8:1-11 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning HE came again into the temple, and all the people came unto Him; and HE sat down, and taught them.
And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto Him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto Him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
This they said, tempting Him, that they might have to accuse Him.
But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground, as though HE heard them not.
So when they continued asking Him, HE lifted up Himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
And again HE stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
When Jesus had lifted up Himself, and saw none but the woman, HE said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
She said, No man, Lord.
And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
*****
The next morning, I called pastor. I told him I had been in his church service the previous night. I asked him where in the Bible it was that told of the 1/2 naked woman being brought before Jesus.
Pastor said, "I can't recall where that is in the Bible."
I said to pastor, "Would you please look it up and have your secretary call and tell me because it is very important for me to know this."
With that pastor became very angry and responded, "All right … It's not in the Bible … Where do you go to church?"
*****
I was acquainted with one of the elders in that church group. I saw him sitting there that night when pastor spoke this. I called that elder.
I told the elder that which pastor has said about this.
A few weeks later, I saw this elder at another church meeting. He told me he asked the pastor why he said that and the pastor said he didn't know, it just came upon him. (there was no shame nor sorrow)
Then the elder said this pastor had insisted that a homosexual be hired to be their choir director.
Because of that, the elder said he left that church group. But the elder did not leave that group because the pastor had perverted John 8 that night. Actually the elder was one of the men smiling with a lustful look the night pastor told this story.
*****
The following Sunday morning, I went to another non-denominational church service.
The pastor was teaching from Genesis concerning the story of Sarah and Hagar. (Genesis 16)
Pastor said Sarah and Hagar were 1/2 sisters.
I was very shocked! I had never read that before nor heard anyone say that before. I searched for it in Bible but could not find it.
So the next day, Monday, I called and spoke with pastor.
I asked him where that is in Bible.
Amazingly pastor said the same words I had heard from that other pastor!
Pastor said, "I can't remember where that is in the Bible."
I said, "This is very important to me so would you please look it up and have your secretary call me and tell me where this is in the Bible?"
Pastor became very angry and said, "All right … It's not in the Bible."
(I didn't know what was going on. Here were two churches where exactly the same thing happened. And neither time did I see anyone in the congregation react to that which pastor was speaking to see if it was true! The people in the congregations just sat there like they were dead people. See "Poison Gas Dream," Chapter 3)
Many years later, I realized what I had been seeing in these pastors and in these church groups was antichrist in the churches.
II Thessalonians 2:3-4 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
And the people who went along with false teachings in the church were also "antichrist" by showing their lack of concern, lack of attention to Bible, and lack of caring for scripture.
*****
In the 1990's, I even went to a small Baptist church group hunting a church I could attend.
My dad's 1/2 brother's wife attended that church so when she saw me come into the building she came and greeted me and sat beside me.
At the beginning of the service, the pastor turned the meeting over to a teenaged boy. They had just returned from a retreat and this young man was giving the church a report. He began showing a film of the retreat. In the film, girls were running around with their hair in rollers while boys were flipping the girls on their rears with rolled up towels. There was much screaming and giggling.
As we watched, Aline said: "I could do without this!"
There was no edification of any kind for the church and nothing at all about God.
I Corinthians 14:26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
edify: to build and strengthen in the faith in God and in information concerning God
***
After this young man finished his presentation, the pastor began his sermon.
At one point he quoted the following scripture:
Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
Jesus spoke to the disciples about their unbelief, and then Jesus said:
21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
But the pastor quoted verse 21 as follows: "This kind goeth not out but by prayer."
I very quietly said, "and fasting". (No one but Aline could hear me say this.)
A second time the pastor quoted verse 21: "This kind goeth not out but by prayer."
Aline and I both said, "And fasting."
Amazingly that pastor quoted this verse a third time: "This kind goeth not out but by prayer."
Aline and I both said, "And fasting."
***
I even returned to that church group that evening and I found it to be worse than the morning service.
After the service was over, I told pastor I needed to make an appointment to meet with him.
He said he had time "right now" if I wanted to go with him to his office.
I said I did. So we went to his office.
I told pastor I had been at his morning service. I then told pastor that when we come together as the church all things are to be "edifying". I told him that teenager report did not edify the church.
Pastor said, "Well I liked it."
Then I told pastor how he had quoted Matthew 17:21 and had left out part of that verse.
Pastor became very angry and said: "I've been doing this 23 years and I know what I am doing."
I responded: "I think I've said all that I need to say to you." (I left never to return again to that group.)
*****
On a Sunday morning, I visited a small Church of Christ group.
Pastor was teaching 8 people in a Sunday school class.
I sat down with this group.
Pastor was teaching from Hebrews 11, about Noah.
Verse 7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
Pastor asked: "Did Noah really condemn the world?"
I replied: "Yes he did. For by his obedience to God, Noah condemned the world since he obeyed God and the world did not obey God."
No one spoke anything after that.
No one wanted to speak to me either.
I didn't stay for the 11 a.m. service. I just left.
One other thing happened at some point:
I called the pastor by the name, "Pastor."
I called the pastor by the name, "Pastor."
He told me he is not called "pastor".
I replied, "Then what are you called?"
He said, "Minister."
(I have no idea why this was so ... but I seemed to recall from past experiences long ago at Church of Christ that they spoke against churches who called their ministers by the name of "pastor".)
Jesus called such "pastors".
Ephesians 4:11-12 And HE (Jesus) gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
*****
I visited a small Assembly of God church group.
I was surprised to see hanging on the wall that photo which is often identified as symbolic of Jesus. It is the one with the long haired man in the long robe.
I went to pastor and told him that is a form of graven image and should be removed from the wall of their church building.
I don't recall him responding in any way.
During the service, pastor just read a very long list of various scriptures. He made no comment about any of the verses.
I think pastor was afraid of me.
I didn't feel I could return to this church group.
(There are 47 references to "graven images" in Bible. Here is one of those.)
Leviticus 26:1 Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the Lord your God.
*****
I went to a second Assembly of God church group.
I was so shocked when I heard pastor say: "We should all pray for brother Swaggart."
(Jimmy Swaggart, TV preacher who had just been caught in adultery with a prostitute.)
Knowing what the apostle Paul said to do when a brother in Christ is a fornicator, I very quietly said, "He should be put out of the church!"
I Corinthians 5:11;13 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat ... Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
I Corinthians 5:11;13 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat ... Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
A woman sitting in front of me turned and glared at me.
I got up and left that church group, never to return again.
*****
After all these attempts, God stopped me when I thought of trying again to find a church to attend.
God would remind me of the way these churches represent the Lord's supper as being taking bits of cracker and grape juice while I know the Lord's supper is partaking of the Word of God in an appropriate way.
God would remind me of the way these churches represent the Lord's supper as being taking bits of cracker and grape juice while I know the Lord's supper is partaking of the Word of God in an appropriate way.
I never went to a church to try to find error. I didn't expect error in the church. So if I knew error would be there I just stayed away.
*****
So what do I do concerning going to church?
Jesus said:
Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Paul said:
II Timothy 2:22 ... follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
So I look for that … those with a pure heart … and I gather with such persons.
We are not trying to do things to one another. We just share that which we believe we have been shown by God and we delight in hearing that which God has shown one another.
We are the church. And we do what we can as the church.
*****