Deconstructing Institutional Christianity Pt. 14

How To Recognize Institutional Christianity
A house built on sand.

A few years back before we ever heard of the term "institutional" Christianity, the closest thing to that was the  mysterious ecclesistical structures of Catholicism and some other groups. Words like "prelate", "parish", "diocese",  abbots, monestaries, and others were shrouded in obscurity. Since we read our Bibles fairly regularly, and found none of those terms in Holy Writ, we  brushed them off as non-relevant to our spiritual reality.

As my wife and I became more involved with our Pentecostal denominational church, we became familiar with our own Sections, Districts, Regions, District Presbyter, Superintendents, General Superintendent, the UPC General Board, and other "officials". 

Like our Catholic brethren we nodded and blithely accepted these positions and titles as "normal" and the way things were done.  Our focus was more on getting people baptized and filled with the Holy Ghost than it was pondering the ecclesiastical structure we were part of.

Without us being remotely aware of it, we had become part of the Institutional Church.
(referred to as the IC)

Because we loved God and His Word, to us it was not even in our conversation although as licensed ministers with the organization, we attended District Conference meetings, Ministerial fellowships, but never attended the Holy Grail called "General Conference" held every year. 

Later in the corporate life of our beloved church, we were led by the pastor into becoming a State Registered, 501c3, non-profit organization called a "church", and recognized by the IRS as such.

(BTW. the pastor profited very nicely from the corporation. He appointed the board, and he came up with the By-Laws which governed our assembly. He was also the only one on the payroll and personally administered the checking accounts. We found out we also had a "church charter".  

In other words, we were now a corporation, i.e. a legal entity!
Our legal name was "Life Challenge, Inc." 
We were also licensed by our city as we owned and occupied a commercial building down town.  Because we were a 501c3 tax-exempt corporation called a "church", we needed to have a CEO, Secretary, and Church Board. I was a member of the board. In addtion, we now had a dozen pages of BY-LAWS and "Membership" requirements.

Because we were a 501c3, non-profit "church", tax-exempt status, and our "contributions" to the corporation that was called Life Challenge Church, "donations" could now be recorded for tax-deductions from the IRS.

BTW, "donations" were a mandatory 10% for voting members. Corporation members agreed to abide to church By-Laws and rules governing the assembly which included voting rights, tax-deductions, and the expectation of finncial commitment. 

Leadership requirements were spelled out in the membership Rules and included a signed agreement to pay a 10% tithe and 5% offering. 

As we morphed into an independent "Evangelical, Inter-denominational"assembly after leaving the denomination, we modified the corporation  and membership rules. 

Still, as is very common, the pastors family remained in sole control of spending (general fund) and the tithe account. The 10% tithe requirement remained, as well as a modified "loyalty" pledge for anyone in ministry ranging from Sunday School teachers to Choir. Board members had an unwritten expectation to be solid financial supporters.

Next, as the church grows into a structure, DEPARTMENTS are formed and people are given TITLES for their departments. "Benevolent Ministry", Women's Auxillary", "Food Ministry" Childrens Ministry, Music Ministry, "Video Ministry", "Sound or Audio Ministry", "Youth Ministry", "Women's Ministries" are a few examples of various departments that are represented. 

We sat in on many of these meetings, as well as our Corporate BOARD meetings where the Pastor CEO oversaw the Treasurer, Secretary, and Board Members. As a Board of Directors, we oversaw the church operations and conducted business meetings.

Typical Church Government

In the IC world, the hierarchy structure of authority works like or similar to this in the LOCAL assembly:

1. (Bishop. -sometimes a titled Bishop may have some authority over the pastor. He may be part of the assembly, a semi-retired minister, or an out-of-town person of importance.) 
   Pastor
   pastors wife, and or associate pastors              
   board
   Departments,  (and their Head(s)elders
   deacons
   official members
   regular attendees
   helpers
   visitors

In some churches like this:
     2. Church Board
          pastor
          assistant pastors or associate pastors
          elders
          deacons
          members
          attendees and visitors

And in some:

 Pastors family run the church.

Complete control, ownership, and administration by the pastor and his family. (See our article "Nepotism: the Family church")

A retiring pastor may install his son or son in law as pastor and retain control behind the scenes.
Family members may be salaried, become Youth Pastor, or other "plum" positions within the assembly whether they are scripturally qualified or not.

Of course, there are variations many. 

In the hierarchy, there may be either a Bishop over the pastor, or a titled denominational position. Sometimes the lines of authority are blurred, overlap, or not clear.

The folks in the pew that just go to a "church" to worship God most likely have no idea of who or how the church is "run".
The church corporation may even have a President, Vice President, CEO, CFO, Secretary-Treasure, Board, etc. Not only do "churches" run this way, but so do most, if not all famous "ministries". 

So there is a definite "business side" to most ministries. Some for better, some for worse. When writing "The Tithe That Binds" God told me to go find out about 501c3 church organization. I was shocked, and you should be also! 

Here is one of many sites that explain this agreement with the "beast", our government and the IRS.     http://spofga.org/ten_commandments/2006/feb/church_info.php
That's right kiddies, there is an excellent chance YOUR church and favorite ministry is married to a worldly kingdom ruled at the very top by Satan.

But because "churches" do not openly disclose this in their advertising or in the Sunday brochure-program, it takes a little more effort by asking the RIGHT QUESTIONS from the smiling people.

Do you have a church board?
Are you 501c3 registered so our donations may be deducted on our taxes?
Who is the head of this church?
Can I see the "Rules for Members"? What Departments do you have? Childrens? Benevolent? Food Pantry?
Are there written "leadership requirements" ?
Is the pastor on a payroll and or taking tithes for his support?

That is more than enough, there are plenty more, but they will get suspicious real fast when you ask intelligent questions. 

 -Or you can play it safe and just ask  if they have Sunday School, a Nursery,  and what time is the evening service...

++++++

Politics and financial manipulation and shenanigans abound in these structures, especially the family run types.   People, including pastors,  take carnal ownership of ministries, positions, titles, and people. The Organization takes on a life of its' own and begins to exist for its' own comfort, name, and purpose. 

The church also becomes controlling and threats real or perceived  are cause for damage control, mind and thought control, manipulation, and loyalty enforcement. 

Protecting ones turf and position are very important especially when ones ministerial livelihood is involved.

We know, because we saw and participated in that process.

Formerly loved and cherished brethren may find themselves suddenly outside, marginalized, avoided, or expelled. -sometimes in the wake of misunderstanding mis-communications, and mis-reported words.

The Institution is what must be preserved....

Now go back and look at the words highlighted in red, these reveal the nature and characteristics if the IC.  The majority of these have absolutely nothing to do with scripture EXCEPT where Jesus warned "beware of the leaven of Herod".

  If you think God is happy with these institutions, understand these are the structures supporting the "Nicolaitane error which I hate". -Jesus said twice in Rev. 2, and are houses "built on sand".

WHO is BABYLON? A short word.

 Babylon that mighty city..........
-rory moore

In the Bible, in the Book of Revelation, is an entity called "BABYLON" is focused on, especially in chapters 17 and 18.

Although many mistakenly refer to Babylon as the Vatican and the Roman church, it is greater than that narrow definition. It was once a City-State, and an ancient empire that conquered Israel around 600 BC.
Let's expand our concept of who is "Mystery Babylon the great..."
Without making this too deep or complex, and apply to Babylon the nature and manner to exercise authority and power.

Understanding Who Babylon Is :

(hint 1: Money. 

 it is an economic system based on buying-selling-borrowing. Banking, business, commerce, advertising.

(hint 2:  Politics.

it is a political and governmental system rooted in patriotism, violent force, military conquest, and taking from others through forceful taxation, force of arms, and the non-just legal system.

(hint 3: Religion.

 it is the MYSTERY RELIGIOUS SYSTEMS of the world, satanically engineered for confusion, competition, clergy-ism, division, conflict, pomp and ceremony, showmanship, rituals, that operates through worldly hierarchy's and structures never given in God's Word.

(hint 4: Culture.
Driven by movies, entertainment, music, and celebrity,  it is the social culture that distracts, entertains, appeals to our carnal senses, and uses all means to divert our attention away from the Lord.

(hint 5: Medicine.

The medical system: “pharmakeia". Drug-based treating of most afflictions predicted by scripture. Controlled by organizations like the FDA, AMA, CDC and many others to impose vaxxes, control physicians, in order to shut out alternative and natural healing methods.

(hint 6. Law.

The legal system which pervert true justice and is run by corrupt people, unjust laws, lawlessness.

(hint 7. Military Force.
The world's military to use force to conquer, subjugate, use terror, mass murder, and financial plunder.

Revelation 14:8 And a second angel, followed, saying,
Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, that has made all the nations to drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication (spiritual, economic, social, medical, political, legal, military).

One thing that is astonishing about the above is the number of that certain group of people who claim to be Judaens are found at the top levels of each of those.

Isaiah 52 They Have Marred Jesus Visage and Form

Look around at church as we know it.
God knew and foretold us that the distorted picture of Christianity around us would come to pass, and that He would deliver a remnant of people out from it.

Here is one of those prophecies and our understanding of it.

Isaiah 52
1 Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments
      (our strength is in the authority of the Word, and the works of our Covenant.
     “behold I give you power…”    And to walk in mercy, forgiveness,  meekness, kindness.)
   O Jerusalem, the holy city ( NT new Jerusalem, -Rev. 21:10)
   : for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised         (the uncircumcised in heart Rom. 2:28-29)
      and the unclean.
         (those that are defiled,and “dead bodies” of dead churches.
         see Mat. 15:18-20,  Revelation 3:1  And to the angel of the church in Sardis write:…
         I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and thou art dead.)

2 Shake thyself from the dust   (our fleshly thinking and works) ;

    arise, sit on thy throne (the throne is where Christ reigns as we are seated with Him) ,
    O (NT new) Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bonds of thy neck,         (we became slaves to men in following traditional church)
    O captive daughter of Zion. 
the Bride of Christ taken captive by the leaders of Christianity
        just as God’s people of Israel  were in captivity to their leaders at the time of Christ.
       Luke 4:18,  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me… He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives)

3  For the LORD says, You were sold for nothing;
      (made merchandise of by the false shepherds. The “nought” of spiritually empty
       programs,  classes, and passive watching others perform)
     and ye shall be redeemed without money.  (by the FREELY given Gospel...)

4  For thus says the Lord,

    My people went down at the first into Egypt to sojourn there:
     (the church went into bondage, just as Israel did. )
     and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.
     (As we did, we were oppressed by "strange" pastors who knew not the real gospel)

5 Now therefore, what do I here, says the LORD, 

   seeing that my people is taken away for nought?
    they that rule over them do howl,    (authoritative voices proclaiming Christ as they maintain dominion and power over them. )
  says the LORD, and my name continually all the day is blasphemed.
  "NAME" means His authority and His Ways, and the hired shepherds set aside the Word,  as they maintain their position and income from those they rule over.  Thus, they will speak against Christ’s Will, as Peter did in Mat 16 right after he confessed Jesus as the Christ.  -And Judas did when sold his place in the kingdom for money from Israel’s leaders.

6 Therefore my people shall know my name:
     (His name is not about the correct Hebrew syllables. It is about the TRUE character and authority of Christ we are called to come into as we believe His Word. This truth is repeated in the Revelation of the "hidden Manna, NEW NAME, and the White Stone" in Rev. 2.  It is for them that "overcome" the false shepherds and traditions of Christianity)

 therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak; behold, it is I.
 (My sheep HEAR MY VOICE.. Jesus said. John 10, as He calls them OUT of the sheepfolds of men.

7 How beautiful upon the mountains (the high places of God's kingdom when we ascend 

   spiritually up and are seated with Christ in the heavenlies)
    are the feet of him that brings good tidings, that publishes peace, that bringeth
    good tidings of good, that publishes salvation (Greek: "soteria" and "sozo"),
   “soteria-salvation is:  deliverance, preservation, safety, salvation
     deliverance from the molestation of enemies)
     that says to Zion (God’s people) , Thy God reigns! (He reigns as we are conformed to Him, not the traditions and commands of men)

8 The voice of thy watchmen!

   they lift up the voice, together do they sing;
   for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord returns to Zion.
   (WHEN the Lord returns (as the "latter rain" Hosea 2 ,  THEN will us watchmen "sing"
   i.e.,(preach, in ONE ACCORD and see "eye to eye" i.e .agree )

9 Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem;
   (the wasted places of  "spoiled" Chrisitianity
   for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed NEW Jerusalem.

10 The Lord has made bare (revealed) his holy arm 

      in the eyes of all the nations  (those who “see and hear what the Spirit says to the churches);
      and all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
     (the gospel preached in power as a witness to all nations.. Mat 24)

11 Depart, depart, go out from there, touch no unclean thing;

     go out of the midst of her; cleanse yourselves, you that bear the vessels of the Lord.
    ( A DOUBLE "departing.  ONCE for the call of natural Jews to leave apostate (the harlot)
    Judaism, at Jerusalem, the second time for "SPIRITUAL" Israel to come out of Babylonish
   Christianity  as it says again in Rev. 18:4 "come out of her MY people..").

12 For ye shall not go out in haste, neither shall ye go by flight: for the Lord will go before you;  and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
     (Praise the Lord for calling us OUT of her.  We did not leave in fear by persecution, we followed the Lamb out as He led us and watched our "back" as we came out to "overcome"  traditions and shepherds who do not abide in the Word.)
 

13 Behold, my servant (Jesus) shall deal wisely, he shall be exalted and lifted up,
     and shall be very high.
14  Like as many were astonished at his appearance (appearance-comeliness-beauty-holiness)
      was so marred more than any man,  and his form (figure or appearance)
      more than the sons of men),
 (the real Jesus is unrecognizable to the majority as they are impressed by the outward flesh.
Handsome, well-dressed, well spoken orators have distorted and marred the image of the true Jesus of scripture. 
The true Jesus has been distorted and made unrecognizable by apostate-Babylonish Christianity, as the church bears no resemblance to the church as Christ showed us in the book of Acts.)

15 so shall he sprinkle many nations (gentiles) ; kings  (rulers of God's people)
     shall shut their mouths at him:
      (no man can withstand the manifestation of JESUS Christ
      as He comes forth in His true witnesses).
     for that which had not been told them shall they see;  (the truth of the Word)
     and that which they had not heard shall they understand.  ...for themselves, as the Lord opens to them the truth of the Word) (people who come out of apostate Christianity that never heard or saw the real Jesus as the scripture marred by the shepherds, that overcome the lies and distortions of the leavened  church, SHALL understand as the "see" the truth in the Word..)

Nicolaitane Errors as Their Mystery is Revealed

Overcoming The End-Time Nicolaitanes

"neither as lords over God's heritage" ???
-rory moore

disclaimer: At times it may sound as if I am anti-pastor. This is not so, I am a teacher-pastor.
 We love the overseers whom God has graciously put in our lives.
 The truth is for exposing the harlot system and her institutions, and not at any individual.

JESUS said:
 "But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate

   So hast thou also some that hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans in like manner.

   Repent therefore; or else I come to thee quickly, and I will make war against them with
   the sword of my mouth.

VERY few Christians recognize the Nicolaitane error and fewer "hate" that which they do not understand.
     Not only are the Nicolaitanes singled out in that passage, but upon examination we can find them
     throughout the scriptures!

Revelation 2: (To the church at Ephesus)
6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate;
15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.
16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

Here is the truth:
 What He detests happens to be the most common form of church government .

"Nicolaitane"  is from two Greek words "Nike" and Laos", and means:
The word "nike" means "to conquer"…to dominate/ intimidate/ manipulate.
The word "laos"  means  "the people", the laity.

Therefore hidden within the word itself is the answer.
By definition the deeds and teaching are of those who conquer, dominate, manipulate, and "lord it" over the people.
Today they are known as "Reverend", "Bishop", "Pastor", "Apostle", etc., (note the Capitalized Titles) because they are part of an institutional church system God never created.

The difficulty in identifying the Nicolaitane error is because the labels have changed,
thus the illusion that something is not what it is.
Most of us who were part of that system had no clue as we followed the church culture.

Why does Jesus "HATE" their deeds and doctrines?

Simply put, when men take authority by means of a Title, hierling, or Bible College Degree, they often take the place of God, through the process known as "having respect of persons", in which a mans titled position elevates him as a "lord over God's heritage".
This has become modern idolatry in the New Testament. (see Two Ways to Answer God's Call )

Clergy over the laity virtually guarantees the majority of God's people never mature into faith as Christians and walk in the steps of Jesus or do what His disciples did in the book of Acts.

People follow their "leadership", rather than Jesus Christ, as men make "disciples after themselves" as Paul warned in Acts 20: 30
-In other words, the local church is conformed to the man with the title, who usually gets his position from his denomination or group.

The church or ministry is then conformed to that mans image, which is an incomplete image of Christ.

Denominational, factious, competitive Christianity has given the church a hierarchial, professionalized, titled,
church governmental system foreign to scripture, i.e., "the error of the Nicolaitanes". For example:

• There is no senior pastor, pope, cardinal, Arch Bishop, General Superintendent, priest, or denominational structure in scripture
• There is no scripture giving any pastor-priest sole rulership, headship, or authority over God's people.
• There are no formal titles or labels attached to any New Testament disciples including the obvious ones like the apostles. 
• There are no church boards, assistant pastors, co-pastor, associate pastors, or senior officials. 

• There are no presidents, superintendents, youth pastors ; there are no capitalized Apostles, Prophets, Bishops, Pastors, deacons, Elders. Anyone wearing a formal title is well on the way to becoming a Nicolaitane.  
• The word "pastor" is used only once in the New Testament, and not even one Titled pastor is named!  

.  The practice of one man being used in all of the 5 fold offices is unbiblical and a way to avoid accounability to  scripture. 

-How easy it is for a leader to use a hierarchial structure and authority against people,
 but how hard it is for the people to use it with a leader.
Jesus said He hates the Nicolaitane error and the Nicolaitane error usually prevents leaders from being held accountable for either sin or error.

 Overcoming the Nicolaitane error and deeds

 In Revelation 2, this is for the people of God who have "eyes" and "ears" to overcome.
  To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it.

-that mysterious verse is understood by those that DO overcome and are taught of the Lord Himself, which is the Spirit-revealed truth of the Word.  
As opposed to those that only learn to repeat what they hear in church from the doctrines of men, especially  the teaching (doctrines) of the Nicolaitans .

Several strong admonitions are given in scripture in regard to what Jesus said was the relationship among the brethren and what correct church government is: (we have a series on this www.preparehisway.com)

Here is what Peter said in 1Peter 5:
1 The elders (plural)  among you (the church) I exhort, who am a fellow-elder, and a witness of the
   sufferings of Christ, who am also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
2 Tend (feed) the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not of constraint (force) ,
   but willingly, according to the will of God; nor yet for filthy lucre (not for reward) ,but of a ready mind;
3 neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you, but making yourselves ensamples to the flock.

In this passage, note the elders (plural) are among us, Peter includes himself as an elder, and there is no specific mention of "pastors".
Why not? Because God gave elders to have oversight and "tend" the flock. The "elders" were to do so not from duty, obligation, or money.
- "neither as lording..."?
   "neither":    "as in not even, no, not once".
   Lording is  "to control, subjugate: - exercise dominion over (lordship), be lord over, overcome"

But this is exactly what the Nicolaitane error does and Peter said not even once was the flock to be carnally subjugated, controlled, or have someone exercise dominion over the flock.   When the Christian sees the truth of scripture, he will need to realign his thinking in terms of what the New Testament ministry truly is, not from what we have seen all around us.

1Corinthians 11:3   But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ;
                               (not a pastor, Bishop, apostle, or Senior Church official)

The ministry is given to serve, edify, and stewardship the faith.
They are to comfort, correct, and contend for the faith. The faith they are to condend for is THE faith of scripture, not the fragmented, conflicting, sectarian confusion of faith found in the church world.

The ministry is not to become the head of every man and woman. There is no "spiritual covering" as such, in scripture.
Friends, Jesus gave, taught, and lived THE FAITH to His disciples, who in turn gave the same gospel and the same faith to the churches they established.

The Bible record bears no resemblance whatsoever to the practices and structure of the modern church and one-man ministries around us.
No pews, pulpits, choirs, worship leaders, assistant pastors, co-pastors, boards, orchestrated services, voted-in  or hired pastors, etc... see what the Nicolaitanes have wrought: "NOT in Scripture?"