JOURNEY FROM LIFE IN THE CHURCH

I had a hard time coming up with a title for this blog.  The subject I am about to talk about, is one that is very dear to my heart.  People leaving the church organization we both grew up in.  I am still a member of this organization and have no intention of leaving to find a different organization .  It breaks my heart to hear of so many leaving after many years, most from birth, in this church.  They are people I know and love.  I have read a few articles by one certain person, so I will address some of the issues he brought up about leaving the church and finding one more compatible with him and his wife's understanding of Grace.

I won't be naming names or the name of the organization I am a member of. Those of you reading this blog, will know the church organization by the issues brought up.  The main scripture used to the explain the decision to leave the church is 2 Corinthians 2:2-16.  I want you to especially take note of verses 7 and 14.  I have also been asked to share a link to his podcast about these subjects: http://graceintersect.com/?p=1.  I asked that you check this out.  It has audio and print.  

This is about a certain man's journey with unanswered questions, he felt the church organization wasn't addressing and teaching about God's Grace. He had come to the conclusion that there was no interest on the part of the church leadership --- especially --- on the denominational level
--- to wrestle with the nature of Grace and how it impacted the teachings of the church.  

One statement he made, sticks out to me.  He had a conversation with his dad about how him and his wife were at a point of no return in their thinking about the church's teachings. It just didn't seem possible for them to continue participating in their current church --- it just didn't make sense to them any longer.  They felt they were ready to move on.  He felt like he had truly seen this day coming, when they could no longer stay in their current church. 

His dad asked him if he could see any possible way to continue with the church.  He told him he didn't think so.  His dad asked him what was the single most important reason for his decision on leaving the church. 
He could have given a few different responses, but what came out, he knew his dad would respect, even if he didn't agree.

The most important teaching of the church he could no long accept and he said he had a good reason for it, he had been having an ongoing study of 2 Corinthians 3:2-6 (my note: read especially verse 6) that had convinced him that we are no longer under the rule of the Ten Commandments and the 4th (note: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy), one in particular.  His belief is that our relationship with Jesus was more intimate than 'just' trying to satisfy God by keeping rules and trying to improve our behavior.  I totally disagree with this.  

Him and his wife, went looking for a church that was more compatible with their understanding of Grace.  I still do not understand where they get the idea that we no longer need to keep the 10 commandments, especially the 4th one, the Seventh Day Sabbath.  He feels the Holy Spirit was exposing his wife and him whole new ways of seeing Jesus.  He felt they were getting greater glimpses of His freedom for us, their completeness in Him. He stated that they were beginning to experience the abundant life Jesus wants them to have. 

I had asked his wife a question I had been wanting to ask many of those in my church that left, what scriptures did they study that made them turn away from keeping the Ten Commandments, especially the 4th, and taking part in pagan rituals such as Sunday Worship, Easter, Christmas, Lent and Halloween.  On his podcast he shares two scriptures,  2 Corinthians 2:2-16 and 2 Corinthians 3:2-6.  Please go and read them for yourselves.

Another thing that bothers me about the church now, is using different translations of the Bible especially in church services.  Why turn to a one man's translation of the Bible, instead of a translation that was God inspired and written?  There is only one translation of God's Holy Word.  HIS!  While growing up in the church I was taught to use only the KJV Translation of the Bible. Does it have mistakes, sure.  Human error.  But not just one man translated the scriptures into English for us to under-stand.  It was like 54 men.  And after they translated a book, they would exchange with another interpreter and he would look over what was translated to look for errors. You can find that in the history of the KJV Version.  Many do not agree with what I was taught.  In later years I have talked to others of my age group that use to be members and they said they were not taught to use the KJV or the American Standard Version for the most accuracy.  I was greatly surprised.  I thought even on the leader-ship level of the church the General Conference stated that they preferred the use of the KJV Version of the Bible or the American Standard.

I do feel this is where a lot of unhappiness and dissatisfaction of the church started, using different translations of the Bible in the church services.  We are to be in one accord. In using different translations of God's Word the  translations do not agree. The wording is different and to me it changes the meaning of the Word.  Also in other translations verses are left out and many verses partly left off.  This definitely causes confusion.

I do not believe God tells us that we no longer have to keep the 10 Commandments which includes the 7th day Sabbath.  I believe God gave us the 10 commandments as instructions on how to conduct ourselves and live.  He gave the clean and unclean laws for our health.  You can ask a doctor and he will tell you that the consuming of pork and other unclean fish and birds or foods with their contents are not healthy.  These two laws mentioned are not about Grace.

I believe that many have put to much importance on the teaching of and the understanding of Grace, and have let it take over and replace many things God put in the bible for a reason. Yes, it is a salvational issue.  There is only one way to be saved and that is only by the Grace of God.  You can do nothing to earn that Grace.  The Bible teaches us two important practices that we need to take part in to be in the Kingdom of God.  That is water baptism and taking part in the Lord's Supper Service.  Not the celebration of his Resurrection on Easter Sunday.  He was gone early the first day of the week, when the women came to prepare his body. They found an empty tomb.  Praise God!  He was alive.  He came out of the tomb late on Saturday right before sundown.  Make no mistake, you can only be forgiven and saved by God's Amazing Grace, but God will judge you by your works on the Great Judgement Day.  

Please, as I have stated before, don't take my word for it.  Study and pray about it for yourselves.

His faithful servant, 

*Starlight*






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