If you are among those few precious ones seriously considering escaping the clutches of organized religion or if you have already left the old institution, I want you to know that you can survive and thrive in spiritual abundance outside of the boundaries of organized religion.
This information is rare. Do not take it lightly!
In comparison, on the other side of the boundaries of organized Christianity the spiritual environment is very much like that of a wilderness. As in a real wilderness, mistakes in this area carry consequences. Therefore, before wandering aimlessly in a dimension that is not familiar, it would be wise to take heed to those who has successfully survived there for many years.
THE SON OF A PASTOR
I grew up in the western United States, the son of a protestant pastor. I was also a member of the clergy in my younger days: a small fish among religious whales. I write from an abundance of experience. I have now been outside the established Christian religion for more than thirty years. I escaped from the belly of Christianity by nothing more than the grace of God. I was not blown out by some strange mishap nor was I stabbed in the back or stomped upon by fellow Christians. But I did see great anomalies in what we, as clergy, were doing and what Jesus did and said to do. I tried talking about it with various pastors, who just blew off what I said, usually muttering some lame excuse as they focused elsewhere. But my focus did not move with theirs so I refused to ignore what I had been given. That was the grace of God.
Nevertheless, at first, I had quite a bit of ambivalence about what I was seeing but the things that I noticed were totally consistent. It was when I met others who confirmed part of what saw that I gained confidence and great conviction. To make a long story short, I finally had enough and walked away. That was in the early seventies. From there, I had a hand in a couple of outreach house ministries for a few years but eventually settled down to an almost normal life with regular gatherings at my home. This lasted for about a decade. These meetings never developed into full-blown services but were more like sharing/teaching sessions with a multitude of wonderful and horrible scenarios.
The meetings at my house ended when my marriage blew up. That was the side of my life which had no armor and it left me with a "two thousand yard stare" for several years. In recovering, I made many mistakes but by God’s grace I did recover. That was a few decades ago. Since then, God has added experience and depth to my understanding. This balance, as I call it, is what I want to share.
STRANGE THINGS
The things that I am going to say will seem strange. I will guarantee that. This is because spiritual things are strange when compared to religious things. I am going to be redundant, saying over and over in different ways the same things. With this approach I hope we will all be able to see the overview of fundamental things in this freedom of the truth. Basically, that’s what we will be looking at. If we take heed to what is revealed, we can avoid some very discouraging pitfalls and disappointments. Some of the things that I will present may be hard to receive. Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water! God has made these balances available for His purpose, not mine and He will add clarity to the understanding as we go. Hold tightly to the Lord. I speak both by the Holy Ghost and from my own experience. I say this that all of us might choose confidence rather than fear. Many believers have had such great fear instilled in them by their clergy that they live in cringing fear of being deceived.
I have no church or organization to promote. I never seek money for what I do. This is a work in patience. Gratifications are few, disappointments are many. When I talk to the average Christian about these things, I am often looked down upon or laughed at. At other times, I see fear in their eyes because they think I’m from the Devil, sent to deceive them. This is my reality as far as spiritual endeavors are concerned. So bear with me in the unusual things that you are about to read.
ANXIETY
It is normal for people to experience anxiety when making important changes in their life. If that change involves leaving the comfortable old religion, it will in one form or another create stress. It is normal to have second thoughts after making such a serious decision. Anyone who crosses over, might find themselves struggling with the fear that they might have made the wrong choice. For individuals going through this, don’t give in to the spirit of doubt, the brother of fear. The decision to move into "exodus" is a good one. Make up your mind to be steadfast in the Lord and the fears will vanish because he is with you. Often this fear and remorseful feeling is linked to leaving loving people (still in the institution) who simply do not see what God has led you to. Among them, may be the person or persons who led you to the Lord. You love them and they love you, as it should be. Nevertheless, because you love the truth (which is the focal point of loving the Lord), you have an obligation to act upon what you have been shown.
Leaving the religious establishment is an act of obedience to the Spirit of Truth and is truly an act of "original faith." The following scripture is one facet of that faith in action through exodus. Exodus means: to exit, to go out of. "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying come out of her my people, that ye be not PARTAKERS of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues."- Revelation18:4.Everyone not familiar with this passage of scripture should read the 17th and 18th chapters of the book of Revelation. These chapters of the Revelation shows, in metaphoric form, the commercial state of all the worlds Christian institutions as a wealthy harlot. It also labels her as the MOTHER of harlots. The mother (the Roman church) and her daughters (the Protestants) and those who claim to be independent of both but do the same things. The true nature in these institutions is very subtle. Hidden deep within religious establishments is an ungodly spiritual reality. Converts passed through this religious machinery, are processed, packaged, labeled and warehoused. The people then become a commodity... for the benefit of the clergy... for life! This process is so subtle and normal appearing that many of the clergy have no clue as to what they do.
Anyone coming out of the religious system is beginning a journey. Oppositions often arise, as the pastor and his posse pursues the escapee, intending to entangle them once again. There are heroics in this act of faith and an act of faith is exactly what it is. It is a wonder to me that anyone ever escapes. Nevertheless, this transition can be very painful. The people who love you in the old establishment will morn your exodus. They may even be persistent in trying to discourage you, believing you to be totally deceived; this includes relatives, friends and spouses.
BALANCES
Everyone who partakes of this spiritual baptism must seek new spiritual balances. Exodus is a baptism; a death to the old and a renewal of spiritual life. A rule of spiritual growth is that there are many baptisms. Baptism is a refining process. Any Believer that is refined by the truth changes. New ways of thinking and navigating (balances) are essential for us as true worshipers. There is danger if we retain the old religious balances. The reference points there are religious, and they will negatively affect the influence of the Holy Spirit upon direction and focus.
TRADITIONAL WORSHIP & TRUE WORSHIPERS
True worshipers focus on things unseen (the things of faith) and not on things of the world. The world is the system of mankind and it’s deceitful protocol, which demands conformity. Here is a balance that we all must understand: most believers are institutional worshipers, few are true worshipers. This is not a comparison of "righteousness in different groups. This comparison is aimed at comprehension and focus. Religious worshipers look at their worship predicament daily and yet, have no idea that what they see is not the approved article. Religion is man’s endeavors to reach God in his own way. The tower of Babel is an allegory representing man’s efforts in religion, intending to reach God by their own designs. The clergy and "their children" have been taught to focus on things that can be touched and seen, starting with the lavish place of worship and it goes down from there.
IInstitutional religion is like mud. Those up to their knees in religion ( though they have been washed in the blood of Jesus (by faith ), are still muddy! Any sincere Christian up to their knees in that religious goo is not completely clean. Spiritual death can and does occur in the mud. Nevertheless, everyone in the mud is not unsaved. They may be under grace because they simply don’t know the truth about where they are or what they are doing. However, no believer is true, as in level, square or complete until they remove themselves from the religious pollution that is in every single Christian religious institution on the planet. This is a true and honest measurement. Salvation in it's true sense is figuretive; it is a course which we MUST finish if we are to be saved. This includes obedience to those things revealed to be true.
The fact that Jesus talked about "TRUE" worshipers indicates that there is a worship that does not measure up to that mark and it has to do with places of worship just as Jesus laid it out. The place of worship that Jesus chose is in the heart, not the street corner cathedral. On the other hand, true worshipers are ordinary people who have separated themselves from the religious world by what they understand and where their focus is. Here’s what Jesus had to say about worship and worshipers: "But the hour cometh , and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." - John 4:23 & 24. Just before he made that wonderful statement he said, worship was neither at one physical place or another and that was the whole point; it’s on the inside not the outside! Traditional worshipers believe that they comply with this passage. However, their focus betrays what they think of themselves. Their focus is upon the things of the earth... no matter what they say. The focus measures the quality of the worship every time!
True worship is like a garment. It is put on rather than something we do at a particular place. It is a state of being, twenty four/seven, even when we’re not thinking about it. This is the worship ( as you can see above) that Jesus himself authorized. It is a finished spiritual product on a foundation of faith. Truth is the "true" in true worship, as in level, square and complete. Traditional worship carries a different range of applications. At it’s best, it is an immature effort at worship; at it’s worst, it is an abomination. This is one of the reasons we have left the bondage of religion, as the children of Israel left Egypt to worship the Lord in the wilderness. Once they were out of Egypt, they were free to worship God without the ungodly influence of the Egyptians. Following the lead of that illustration, it becomes clear that forsaking religious bondage is the beginning of true worship.
ORIGINAL FAITH
True worship is founded upon what I call "original faith. We first see it’s manifestation in Abel, one of the sons of Adam and Eve. God saw Abel’s offering as "true" because his focus, through faith, was in the right place. On the other hand, Cain ( representing the religious attitude) because of envy, killed his brother, as his offering was not accepted by the Lord. Next we can focus on Enoch, a few generations after Cain and Able. Here’s where the power stroke of original faith begins to pump. Enoch had no Bible, no temple, no religious clergy. Nevertheless, Enoch bonded to God through his faith. God was so pleased with Enoch’s faith that He removed Enoch from the earth to be with Him; that is the end result of original faith. Original faith is the foundation of true worship. Original faith is designed by the Lord and is not a copy of the traditional design. It’s the design that the Lord want’s believers to stick with. This originality makes the true worshiper peculiar when compared to the religious masses. This is due to a mind that has a different focus. In the Bible, true worshipers with their original faith always go against the grain of the quasi godly. This started with Abel, progressing all the way through the record to the righteous characters in the book of the Revelation. God seeks such "original faith" in today’s believers! Another way of looking at original faith is receiving an insight of the truth and acting upon it, in spite of and even in opposition to the nay-sayers.
THE QUESTION
Is it wrong to worship in the traditional way? For the true worshiper, worshiping in the traditional way would be a denial of the understanding that God has given to them. On the other hand, the sincere but ignorant believer (still in the institution) may be simply bogged down in it. So the answer is yes... once the truth has been revealed to the believer!
How the worshiper thinks about and understands worship shapes the focus and the faith of that worshiper. Therefore, to perform we must first understand and then act upon what we see. Action starts with getting out of the influence of the religious focus and the unspiritual dimensions of traditional faith. Being free from that bondage, spiritual endeavors in the truth becomes worship; this includes: sacrifices, godly desires, attitudes, prayers, expressions, belief, understandings, labors of love, etc. True worship is the sum of who we are by faith and is everything that we do in that faith.
True worship does not degenerate into ritual worship, controlled by a worship director. Neither are we motivated us to travel to a particular building to worship; there is no tangible, institutional structure that supports the true worshiper... only faith! We are the temple of worship!
Again, the first act of true worship would be to get out of that institutional fellowship! After that, the work would be purging away the "religious baggage": the stuff we learned while we were institutionalized. From there, we learn to maintain our purity and our illumination as we journey to true spiritual maturity. This sounds wonderful when we say it real fast; the reality is, this is no walk in the park. It is not easy in the wilderness. Many will be tempted to return to the warm comfort of their old bondage, where the experience was an easy one. If we have chosen the pain and frustration of true worship, it is because we love the Lord and are willing to suffer on behalf of the truth.
FELLOWSHIP
It is a mistake to look at people still in the institutions and attempt to judge their spiritual balance or maturity by their good works and the quality of their love. Spiritual balance and good works is nowhere near the same thing. Wonderful people they may be but that does not mean that they are not blind and still in the bondage of religion. Don’t be drawn into this warm, fuzzy pit when seeking spiritual fellowship. We must fellowship with those of like spiritual mind if we are to be free. If this is not available, ask the Lord for guidance and patiently seek it out. Use the guidelines that are contained in this article as a guide. Patience is a must, as there are not a lot of well balanced groups. Sadly, not all those outside of organized religion are what they think they are. And there are cults and abstract religions and those purely under the influence of darkness, pretending to be of the light. I don’t call this experience "the wilderness" for nothing! Nevertheless, the Lord is with those who venture by faith. We must all cling to this mind set; without it survival will be out of reach. As for cults, Jesus and those who received Him, were referred to as a cult. It is not a bad thing for a true worshiper to be numbered among the transgressors.
Never go back to the religious system for fellowship; it is better to be alone with the Lord. This goes for those "home fellowships" with hard ties to some institution. These home groups are just diversions for those who feel that something is missing in the "Super Dome." If it is practical, the newly escaped should avoid those that are religious. It is a time of transition and contact with those of contrary opinions can be negative for obvious reasons. In seeking fellowship be alert for those with an overbearing religious presence. Pay attention to everything and do not be naive about anything. If "grandma," all of a sudden, has big teeth and claws... don’t be a fool! Run!!!
SPIRITUAL NOURISHMENT
When we assemble for fellowship we do not set up a rigid routine. The gathering is not a service, and there should be no particular order to it. And speaking of "no particular order," we do not attempt to name the gathering or what we are doing. There is good reason for this. Even the name Christian has developed it’s negative connotations. I suspect that it originated from outside the assembly, being a logical identification tag. If I am right or wrong on that assumption, it does not matter; the name has long since then been polluted by religion. We don’t need a name. If the Lord recognizes us, that is what is important! This is one thing that shows the focus of the true worshiper in a different realm than that of the religious worshipers. Christians put a lot of love and undue effort into their church buildings and the things relevant to it’s preservation. These poor souls bring shame to the body of Christ, as they worship the beauty of their buildings. True worshipers see themselves as the individual bricks of the temple of God (so to speak) without a natural structure being a part of the process. In coming together, we present ourselves before the Lord collectively, for nourishment, admonishment and fellowship. This often turns out to be a spiritual feast, sometimes not. Only two people of the same focus gathering under "His" authority constitutes an assembly (a church). - Matthew 18:20. We trust this scripture. Those who have the right focus have no problem with small numbers.
Taking that into consideration, do not make the mistake of being indifferent concerning meetings; this is where the framework of true worship is strengthened. The Holy Ghost, bearing the magnificence of the Most High God will (in these gatherings) minister to us what we need. In meetings we do not attempt to perform services. If the Holy Spirit dose not move upon us in some particular way we let the "nothing" take its course and we simply enjoy the fellowship. In season, the Holy Ghost will accomplish what is to be done. There will be a flow of inspired spiritual information coming from different individuals. This act of giving and receivingthe functional application of the truth concerning the Lords body and blood. In Christianity this is called communion and it is a traditional ritual started by Jesus. Rituals are symbols that represent the unseen or the intangible. The problem with traditional symbols is with the passing of time people become indifferent to the substance of the symbol because they can not see a spiritual substance. Therefore, the representation becomes their reality, much like a child sucking a pacifier. Spiritual substance is intangible and requires an active faith and a spiritual focus to participate in its unseen reality. This type of faith is not normal human behavior. It is usually acquired at the instruction of others and then exercise is applied, like body building. It is not especially difficult but it will always require diligence.
By Jaytee Bee
Continued in Part Two!
This information is rare. Do not take it lightly!
In comparison, on the other side of the boundaries of organized Christianity the spiritual environment is very much like that of a wilderness. As in a real wilderness, mistakes in this area carry consequences. Therefore, before wandering aimlessly in a dimension that is not familiar, it would be wise to take heed to those who has successfully survived there for many years.
THE SON OF A PASTOR
I grew up in the western United States, the son of a protestant pastor. I was also a member of the clergy in my younger days: a small fish among religious whales. I write from an abundance of experience. I have now been outside the established Christian religion for more than thirty years. I escaped from the belly of Christianity by nothing more than the grace of God. I was not blown out by some strange mishap nor was I stabbed in the back or stomped upon by fellow Christians. But I did see great anomalies in what we, as clergy, were doing and what Jesus did and said to do. I tried talking about it with various pastors, who just blew off what I said, usually muttering some lame excuse as they focused elsewhere. But my focus did not move with theirs so I refused to ignore what I had been given. That was the grace of God.
Nevertheless, at first, I had quite a bit of ambivalence about what I was seeing but the things that I noticed were totally consistent. It was when I met others who confirmed part of what saw that I gained confidence and great conviction. To make a long story short, I finally had enough and walked away. That was in the early seventies. From there, I had a hand in a couple of outreach house ministries for a few years but eventually settled down to an almost normal life with regular gatherings at my home. This lasted for about a decade. These meetings never developed into full-blown services but were more like sharing/teaching sessions with a multitude of wonderful and horrible scenarios.
The meetings at my house ended when my marriage blew up. That was the side of my life which had no armor and it left me with a "two thousand yard stare" for several years. In recovering, I made many mistakes but by God’s grace I did recover. That was a few decades ago. Since then, God has added experience and depth to my understanding. This balance, as I call it, is what I want to share.
STRANGE THINGS
The things that I am going to say will seem strange. I will guarantee that. This is because spiritual things are strange when compared to religious things. I am going to be redundant, saying over and over in different ways the same things. With this approach I hope we will all be able to see the overview of fundamental things in this freedom of the truth. Basically, that’s what we will be looking at. If we take heed to what is revealed, we can avoid some very discouraging pitfalls and disappointments. Some of the things that I will present may be hard to receive. Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water! God has made these balances available for His purpose, not mine and He will add clarity to the understanding as we go. Hold tightly to the Lord. I speak both by the Holy Ghost and from my own experience. I say this that all of us might choose confidence rather than fear. Many believers have had such great fear instilled in them by their clergy that they live in cringing fear of being deceived.
I have no church or organization to promote. I never seek money for what I do. This is a work in patience. Gratifications are few, disappointments are many. When I talk to the average Christian about these things, I am often looked down upon or laughed at. At other times, I see fear in their eyes because they think I’m from the Devil, sent to deceive them. This is my reality as far as spiritual endeavors are concerned. So bear with me in the unusual things that you are about to read.
ANXIETY
It is normal for people to experience anxiety when making important changes in their life. If that change involves leaving the comfortable old religion, it will in one form or another create stress. It is normal to have second thoughts after making such a serious decision. Anyone who crosses over, might find themselves struggling with the fear that they might have made the wrong choice. For individuals going through this, don’t give in to the spirit of doubt, the brother of fear. The decision to move into "exodus" is a good one. Make up your mind to be steadfast in the Lord and the fears will vanish because he is with you. Often this fear and remorseful feeling is linked to leaving loving people (still in the institution) who simply do not see what God has led you to. Among them, may be the person or persons who led you to the Lord. You love them and they love you, as it should be. Nevertheless, because you love the truth (which is the focal point of loving the Lord), you have an obligation to act upon what you have been shown.
Leaving the religious establishment is an act of obedience to the Spirit of Truth and is truly an act of "original faith." The following scripture is one facet of that faith in action through exodus. Exodus means: to exit, to go out of. "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying come out of her my people, that ye be not PARTAKERS of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues."- Revelation18:4.Everyone not familiar with this passage of scripture should read the 17th and 18th chapters of the book of Revelation. These chapters of the Revelation shows, in metaphoric form, the commercial state of all the worlds Christian institutions as a wealthy harlot. It also labels her as the MOTHER of harlots. The mother (the Roman church) and her daughters (the Protestants) and those who claim to be independent of both but do the same things. The true nature in these institutions is very subtle. Hidden deep within religious establishments is an ungodly spiritual reality. Converts passed through this religious machinery, are processed, packaged, labeled and warehoused. The people then become a commodity... for the benefit of the clergy... for life! This process is so subtle and normal appearing that many of the clergy have no clue as to what they do.
Anyone coming out of the religious system is beginning a journey. Oppositions often arise, as the pastor and his posse pursues the escapee, intending to entangle them once again. There are heroics in this act of faith and an act of faith is exactly what it is. It is a wonder to me that anyone ever escapes. Nevertheless, this transition can be very painful. The people who love you in the old establishment will morn your exodus. They may even be persistent in trying to discourage you, believing you to be totally deceived; this includes relatives, friends and spouses.
BALANCES
Everyone who partakes of this spiritual baptism must seek new spiritual balances. Exodus is a baptism; a death to the old and a renewal of spiritual life. A rule of spiritual growth is that there are many baptisms. Baptism is a refining process. Any Believer that is refined by the truth changes. New ways of thinking and navigating (balances) are essential for us as true worshipers. There is danger if we retain the old religious balances. The reference points there are religious, and they will negatively affect the influence of the Holy Spirit upon direction and focus.
TRADITIONAL WORSHIP & TRUE WORSHIPERS
True worshipers focus on things unseen (the things of faith) and not on things of the world. The world is the system of mankind and it’s deceitful protocol, which demands conformity. Here is a balance that we all must understand: most believers are institutional worshipers, few are true worshipers. This is not a comparison of "righteousness in different groups. This comparison is aimed at comprehension and focus. Religious worshipers look at their worship predicament daily and yet, have no idea that what they see is not the approved article. Religion is man’s endeavors to reach God in his own way. The tower of Babel is an allegory representing man’s efforts in religion, intending to reach God by their own designs. The clergy and "their children" have been taught to focus on things that can be touched and seen, starting with the lavish place of worship and it goes down from there.
IInstitutional religion is like mud. Those up to their knees in religion ( though they have been washed in the blood of Jesus (by faith ), are still muddy! Any sincere Christian up to their knees in that religious goo is not completely clean. Spiritual death can and does occur in the mud. Nevertheless, everyone in the mud is not unsaved. They may be under grace because they simply don’t know the truth about where they are or what they are doing. However, no believer is true, as in level, square or complete until they remove themselves from the religious pollution that is in every single Christian religious institution on the planet. This is a true and honest measurement. Salvation in it's true sense is figuretive; it is a course which we MUST finish if we are to be saved. This includes obedience to those things revealed to be true.
The fact that Jesus talked about "TRUE" worshipers indicates that there is a worship that does not measure up to that mark and it has to do with places of worship just as Jesus laid it out. The place of worship that Jesus chose is in the heart, not the street corner cathedral. On the other hand, true worshipers are ordinary people who have separated themselves from the religious world by what they understand and where their focus is. Here’s what Jesus had to say about worship and worshipers: "But the hour cometh , and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." - John 4:23 & 24. Just before he made that wonderful statement he said, worship was neither at one physical place or another and that was the whole point; it’s on the inside not the outside! Traditional worshipers believe that they comply with this passage. However, their focus betrays what they think of themselves. Their focus is upon the things of the earth... no matter what they say. The focus measures the quality of the worship every time!
True worship is like a garment. It is put on rather than something we do at a particular place. It is a state of being, twenty four/seven, even when we’re not thinking about it. This is the worship ( as you can see above) that Jesus himself authorized. It is a finished spiritual product on a foundation of faith. Truth is the "true" in true worship, as in level, square and complete. Traditional worship carries a different range of applications. At it’s best, it is an immature effort at worship; at it’s worst, it is an abomination. This is one of the reasons we have left the bondage of religion, as the children of Israel left Egypt to worship the Lord in the wilderness. Once they were out of Egypt, they were free to worship God without the ungodly influence of the Egyptians. Following the lead of that illustration, it becomes clear that forsaking religious bondage is the beginning of true worship.
ORIGINAL FAITH
True worship is founded upon what I call "original faith. We first see it’s manifestation in Abel, one of the sons of Adam and Eve. God saw Abel’s offering as "true" because his focus, through faith, was in the right place. On the other hand, Cain ( representing the religious attitude) because of envy, killed his brother, as his offering was not accepted by the Lord. Next we can focus on Enoch, a few generations after Cain and Able. Here’s where the power stroke of original faith begins to pump. Enoch had no Bible, no temple, no religious clergy. Nevertheless, Enoch bonded to God through his faith. God was so pleased with Enoch’s faith that He removed Enoch from the earth to be with Him; that is the end result of original faith. Original faith is the foundation of true worship. Original faith is designed by the Lord and is not a copy of the traditional design. It’s the design that the Lord want’s believers to stick with. This originality makes the true worshiper peculiar when compared to the religious masses. This is due to a mind that has a different focus. In the Bible, true worshipers with their original faith always go against the grain of the quasi godly. This started with Abel, progressing all the way through the record to the righteous characters in the book of the Revelation. God seeks such "original faith" in today’s believers! Another way of looking at original faith is receiving an insight of the truth and acting upon it, in spite of and even in opposition to the nay-sayers.
THE QUESTION
Is it wrong to worship in the traditional way? For the true worshiper, worshiping in the traditional way would be a denial of the understanding that God has given to them. On the other hand, the sincere but ignorant believer (still in the institution) may be simply bogged down in it. So the answer is yes... once the truth has been revealed to the believer!
How the worshiper thinks about and understands worship shapes the focus and the faith of that worshiper. Therefore, to perform we must first understand and then act upon what we see. Action starts with getting out of the influence of the religious focus and the unspiritual dimensions of traditional faith. Being free from that bondage, spiritual endeavors in the truth becomes worship; this includes: sacrifices, godly desires, attitudes, prayers, expressions, belief, understandings, labors of love, etc. True worship is the sum of who we are by faith and is everything that we do in that faith.
True worship does not degenerate into ritual worship, controlled by a worship director. Neither are we motivated us to travel to a particular building to worship; there is no tangible, institutional structure that supports the true worshiper... only faith! We are the temple of worship!
Again, the first act of true worship would be to get out of that institutional fellowship! After that, the work would be purging away the "religious baggage": the stuff we learned while we were institutionalized. From there, we learn to maintain our purity and our illumination as we journey to true spiritual maturity. This sounds wonderful when we say it real fast; the reality is, this is no walk in the park. It is not easy in the wilderness. Many will be tempted to return to the warm comfort of their old bondage, where the experience was an easy one. If we have chosen the pain and frustration of true worship, it is because we love the Lord and are willing to suffer on behalf of the truth.
FELLOWSHIP
It is a mistake to look at people still in the institutions and attempt to judge their spiritual balance or maturity by their good works and the quality of their love. Spiritual balance and good works is nowhere near the same thing. Wonderful people they may be but that does not mean that they are not blind and still in the bondage of religion. Don’t be drawn into this warm, fuzzy pit when seeking spiritual fellowship. We must fellowship with those of like spiritual mind if we are to be free. If this is not available, ask the Lord for guidance and patiently seek it out. Use the guidelines that are contained in this article as a guide. Patience is a must, as there are not a lot of well balanced groups. Sadly, not all those outside of organized religion are what they think they are. And there are cults and abstract religions and those purely under the influence of darkness, pretending to be of the light. I don’t call this experience "the wilderness" for nothing! Nevertheless, the Lord is with those who venture by faith. We must all cling to this mind set; without it survival will be out of reach. As for cults, Jesus and those who received Him, were referred to as a cult. It is not a bad thing for a true worshiper to be numbered among the transgressors.
Never go back to the religious system for fellowship; it is better to be alone with the Lord. This goes for those "home fellowships" with hard ties to some institution. These home groups are just diversions for those who feel that something is missing in the "Super Dome." If it is practical, the newly escaped should avoid those that are religious. It is a time of transition and contact with those of contrary opinions can be negative for obvious reasons. In seeking fellowship be alert for those with an overbearing religious presence. Pay attention to everything and do not be naive about anything. If "grandma," all of a sudden, has big teeth and claws... don’t be a fool! Run!!!
SPIRITUAL NOURISHMENT
When we assemble for fellowship we do not set up a rigid routine. The gathering is not a service, and there should be no particular order to it. And speaking of "no particular order," we do not attempt to name the gathering or what we are doing. There is good reason for this. Even the name Christian has developed it’s negative connotations. I suspect that it originated from outside the assembly, being a logical identification tag. If I am right or wrong on that assumption, it does not matter; the name has long since then been polluted by religion. We don’t need a name. If the Lord recognizes us, that is what is important! This is one thing that shows the focus of the true worshiper in a different realm than that of the religious worshipers. Christians put a lot of love and undue effort into their church buildings and the things relevant to it’s preservation. These poor souls bring shame to the body of Christ, as they worship the beauty of their buildings. True worshipers see themselves as the individual bricks of the temple of God (so to speak) without a natural structure being a part of the process. In coming together, we present ourselves before the Lord collectively, for nourishment, admonishment and fellowship. This often turns out to be a spiritual feast, sometimes not. Only two people of the same focus gathering under "His" authority constitutes an assembly (a church). - Matthew 18:20. We trust this scripture. Those who have the right focus have no problem with small numbers.
Taking that into consideration, do not make the mistake of being indifferent concerning meetings; this is where the framework of true worship is strengthened. The Holy Ghost, bearing the magnificence of the Most High God will (in these gatherings) minister to us what we need. In meetings we do not attempt to perform services. If the Holy Spirit dose not move upon us in some particular way we let the "nothing" take its course and we simply enjoy the fellowship. In season, the Holy Ghost will accomplish what is to be done. There will be a flow of inspired spiritual information coming from different individuals. This act of giving and receivingthe functional application of the truth concerning the Lords body and blood. In Christianity this is called communion and it is a traditional ritual started by Jesus. Rituals are symbols that represent the unseen or the intangible. The problem with traditional symbols is with the passing of time people become indifferent to the substance of the symbol because they can not see a spiritual substance. Therefore, the representation becomes their reality, much like a child sucking a pacifier. Spiritual substance is intangible and requires an active faith and a spiritual focus to participate in its unseen reality. This type of faith is not normal human behavior. It is usually acquired at the instruction of others and then exercise is applied, like body building. It is not especially difficult but it will always require diligence.
By Jaytee Bee
Continued in Part Two!
