@AlexDTX
I know some believers who've given up on organized religion and I understand many of their reasons. I know some people who've done quite well in home churches and less formal groups. I know a few who had burned out on organized religion (usually from things like church splits) and just needed a vacation from it for awhile and went back.
That is a very interesting observation about public figures with media type ministries outside our normal spheres of influence. I've not thought about that very much before. It does make me wonder what obligations we might have to point things out. Definitely food for thought there for me. I'm glad you mentioned that.
My best guess is that OP can mean either original post or original poster. I've seen it used both ways.
It is the peculiar history of the timing for my own salvation experience that colors my vision, I guess. I said this in other threads. I experienced the new birth in Marvin Gormman's Assembly of Gods congregation on Airline Highway in Metairie, LA back in 1985. I stayed in his fellowship for one year. During that time a scandal had broken out that Jimmy Swaggart, whose ministry was in Baton Rouge a few miles west of Metairie, had an affair with Marvin's wife, Virginia. Shortly thereafter it was discovered that Swaggart also visited prostitutes on Airline Highway in Metairie as well. In the same time period Jim and Tammy Bakker were exposed for embezzling ministry money for personal gain to the tune of $3.7 million dollars.
Those scandals, however, had no impact on my faith in Christ. I did not use that as an excuse to walk away from Christianity as some did, because none of those people died for my sins. Jesus was still actively involved with my life and I knew it. I did leave New Orleans for Dallas to attend Bible School at Christ for the Nations. I absolutely knew that this is what God wanted me to do. I had no money back then. I simply knew this was God's will and determined to go anyway. Then 3 days before leaving, without a single solicitation on my part, people started giving me money for the journey. The next thing I knew, I had $1,000 cash in my hand, which was enough for the tuition.
While at CFNI Bob Tilton fell in scandal. It was discovered that his staff would simply take the money out of the envelopes and throw away the prayer requests without even bothering to read the requests. I went to CFNI with the intention of becoming a paid minister. It was there that I found Watchman Nee's 3 volume opus called, "The Spiritual Man." This was the only book that I ever read that tried to give practical instruction on how to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. He wrote that
anything we did without the leading of the Spirit was a work of the flesh. I realized that although the Lord wanted me to come to CFNI that did not also mean that He wanted me to be professional minister. While I was in LA during my second year of the new birth, I asked God what he wanted me to do. He told me to teach the Bible. I asked him how He wanted me to make my living. He told me to teach gymnastics because it was good for children. I forgot this in my desire to get paid teaching the Bible. I speak for myself. I have no doubt that God
does call people into professional ministry. So after graduating, I walked away from pursuing that goal. Instead, I met my wife through alumni housing.
Together we attended various congregations seeking one that was led by the Spirit. That lasted about 10 years. I came to realize that organized religion is a worldly system. That does not mean God does not use them. Some are greatly used by the Lord. But the system itself hinders the flow of the Spirit because it does not allow the Spirit freedom to move. Even in the Pentecostal fellowships where they try to give the Spirit its freedom, they still box Him in through the format of songs, money collection and pulpit preaching followed by altar call.
We read up on the house church movement and moved through those for the next 5 years, only to discover similar problems. There is always someone who wants to control what happens in the gatherings. Lord Acton said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. So, even there we found restrictions on the Holy Spirit. We ended up hosting our own house church, not because we sought it, but because people came to us. I had determined not to lead the fellowship so the Lord can have His way, but man abhors a vacuum and one brother tends to lead it any way.
I know that there are many satisfied and fulfilled believers in organized religion. But, for some, I think, it is because they slip into the business model and become staff members instead of merely congregation members.
This has nothing to do with the topic of the thread. It seemed like your last response merited a history of my view. Maybe not. I really appreciate your wisdom Gandalf. Thanks for reading my story. Blessings to you and your labors.
