I never want to get pride when it comes to my status in Christ. Though I see error in our former church and it’s leadership, I also can see myself easily loose focus on Christ and the scriptures. I can easily see how prideful I could get, how easily hateful. I question myself often, examine myself, and pray God show me where I am wrong. I have found this issue of what has crept into the church to be very complicated. There are those who are saved, but who are currently caught up in all this. There are those who I thought were saved, but who are misleading the flock. There are those who have puposely infiltrated to change it all, who may even know they aren’t really Christians so much as they are “making this religion” better…fit in with some outside plan. I was one who was caught for a while, deceived. One who knew something was bothering me, and it took a while to see it. Immature despite my years as a Christian.
I pray so much in my heart for those who are in churches and are not seeing it right now, hearing candy when they need meat. Sadly, there is a form of meat being brought forward, but it’s not for human consumption. I’ve noticed my former pastor is very focused on mentioning how opposition will come if you are doing the right thing. This is at least two messages in a row now, he’s very strong on it. We are the opposition to his right thing. We’re not the only ones. Read this paragraph, see how strong the message…
weeks. Look with me at 2:9-10. READ. Remember those names. You are going to read them a lot in the weeks
ahead.
Nothing significant… will ever fly unopposed. Nothing God calls us to that is eternally
important is going to fly on this earth without antagonism and conflict. Get ready. Prepare. Gird your loins.
Anything the people of God seek to do that will advance the King’s Agenda will be opposed. Nothing of lasting
significance is going to be accomplished without opposition. In our church, in your life, in my life… nothing that
will count for eternity is going to happen without the opposition of Satan or the friction of a sinful world system.
Count on it. Nothing you long to do for God that is of eternal value and will bring God great glory will happen
without hostility and resistance.”
So, in perspective, the pastor is saying resistance to what’s going on in their church is Satan’s opposition….friction of a sinful world system. Yes, the church gets resistance. Yes, it gets downright persecution. However, two people who come to you with concerns that we had are not automatically from Satan, not necessarily lax Christians who don’t want to follow God’s will, not necessarily sinning. Is it possible you can get resistance from some members (a certain percentage) within the church who are actually NOT of Satan? The ones I know who left before us do not seem to be acting from sin, but from a serious concern of actually sin in the sermons…or in the actions of the leadership, or in the focus of the church, etc.
I am a C...I am a CH...I am a CHRISTIAN 
Hang in there. I too have gone through the same issues with a Church and a Christian School bringing in contemplative and New Age practices. The leadership are always full of rationalizations and strong arguments to turn you away from the heart of the matter. Some have even been trained to do such things as Rick Warren from Saddle Back has written advice as to “what to do with resitors”. They learn to be facilitators and if you don’t comply they will find ways to make you want to leave.
The established Denominational Churches are by and large headed for ruin as they have compromised their stand on the Gospel. They no longer see the awesome power of God through the simple truth of the Gospel and they constantly look for the “New” things hoping to get more power or more numbers in their Churches – You know “Bums on Pews”
The message of God is Jesus, it is simple, powerful and effective. Be like Paul and determine to know nothing but Christ and him crucified. I Corinthians. This message is foolishness to the Greeks (so called intellectuals of our day) and an offence to the Jew (The Religious leaders of our day) For how can a shameful criminal death on a cross reveal the power of God.?? Yet we know it to be true because we acknowledge that we are sinners doomed without the mercy, love and grace of God. Therefore we can accept the power of our saviour and his all efficency of his life death and ressurection.
We do not hold to religion that is the making of rituals, the need for “religious habbit” No for we have entered into a special relationship with the creator through His Son. We don’t need 10 spiritual steps to anything for we have already been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms (Ephesians chapter 1)
It is reassuring to know that I do not have to master any religious technique (meditation etc) to have the ear of our master – Jesus. I know He hears me and is able to make himself heard because He is God and because His word says so.
God bless you as you make your way through this trying time.
It is true that Satan will attack the program of God; history bears that out. However, this is also the claim of those who put forth their own plans (in the name of God) when their plans are rejected by discerning Christians.
1 Corinthians 11:19: “For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you.” (factions, gr., heresy, divisions). Paul says that just as there were divisions in the Corinthians church, there will be in other churches as well. A HEALTHY CHURCH EXPELS FALSE TEACHING – A SICK CHURCH EMBRACES FALSE TEACHING.
1 John 2:19: “They went out from us , but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.” John tells us that those who bring a false message soon depart from orthodox Christianity because they find no acceptance for their message within the orthodox church. (When I talk of orthodoxy I am speaking of teaching held sacred by the church for over 1,600 years). These new movements (for he most part) have started because there message has been rejected by the orthodox church; so they have started their own “movements” in an effort to draw an audience.
I have found it interesting that while they say they are targeting seekers, they spend a lot of time trying to convince Christians to join their side. They say their services are targeted at seekers, yet their books and literature target Christians. And they seen to be spending a lot of time targeting pastors with their literature as well.
If they really are seeking “seekers” why all the books and literature targeting Christians?
And why is their message being rejected by the orthodox church?