Persecution in the Church

[Potters House]

This is for the battered sheep that have been abused, persecuted, shunned, cast out, despised, betrayed, and rejected from within the mainstream church, for their refusal to compromise the Word of God, in order to follow church doctrine and teachings.
Please share your experiences, and how you have overcome, and persevered.

[OneJoe]

Hello Potters, I never knew this post was on here..:-)

I have attended many churches where my asking the Pastor, preacher, etc. any questions that seemed the slightest bit challenging to answer would cause serious bitterness between myself and the pastor. I would be often viewed as the one dotting about "foolish questions" though they were always serious questions, often about salvation, election since at the time I had no idea what election was, baptism..water & Holy Spirit baptism and not once was the baptism of the Holy Spirit ever explained to me all the years I attended churches. Not one time was that topic ever preached on. If I ever questioned the beliefs of that "specific church" compared to another church and the scripture involved as to why they both believed something different, yet from the same scripture, I was always given the run-around so to speak. I always knew my questions were being put off, ignored, etc. This was not by just one church, but a great many churches that I have attended in several states since we did move around a lot.

Also, the last church I attended at first appeared quite biblical, but the longer I stuck around, the more the truth was revealed. I began to see the doctrines taught were not true after all, and the last thing I remember is being asked to be an usher or door-man to "keep out" certain people. I of course thought this was a joke, but they explained that some people come in that they don't want there, people they simply called disruptive to the congregation. Given this was not an area where young teens came in to cause trouble or the corner drunk might come in, it was obvious the only disruption would be someone questioning or someone they knew did not agree. The whole idea of being asked to keep someone out of church was the kicker for me and I have been done with going to churches every since. Now I stick with reading the bible and have fellowship on here.

Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Onejoe

[Potters House]

Thank you Onejoe for sharing your experience. So many people today, just want to go along to get along. To be part of a group. Few there be that have the courage to seperate themselves when the spirit reveals the truth. It's more comfortable to stay where they are. To take a stand, and leave, will mean separation, isolation, shunning, and persecution. Formers friends will ignore you. The pastor will mark you as one who has 'fallen away', or a dissenter.
This is a heavy burden to bear. But press on to the mark, dear brother.
Take comfort in John 15:18. And like Elijah, you are not alone. There are 7000 others that have not bowed their knee to Baal.
As a note to others who have not experienced this, and are attending church regularly, this by no means is meant to condemn you or encourage you to leave your church. Each of us needs to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; so is everyone that is born of the Spirit." John 3:8

[OneVoice]

This is for the battered sheep that have been abused, persecuted, shunned, cast out, despised, betrayed, and rejected from within the mainstream church, for their refusal to compromise the Word of God, in order to follow church doctrine and teachings.
Please share your experiences, and how you have overcome, and persevered.

I have heard it said, and it is true, that Satan is no busier ANYWHERE than he is in God's own house.

We have an enemy who is oportunistic and clever.
He is sly and is ever watchful; of a moment of laps in vigilence.

But we who blieve in Him are the body of Christ, the Church of which Jesus is the Head.

If your church is not first where you are standing, no church building made by men will ever harbor Christ.

Jesus promised whee ever two or three or more were gathered in His name He would be there amomng them.

If believers are meeting in a big fancey dancey church in America, or in a barn in or field in Korea, or a barn in China, or a house church in Iran, where belevers gather to worship and praise God so Christ is with the Chrst is in them as they are the Church Body.

When you ask for negitive experiences from church going there are going to be lots of sad stories.
There are deniminations who have agreed in their own humanity that God didn't mean some of the things He has said, or that there is no need to teach what God says oif it is and challenge or threat to a way of life. d there are a growing nukber of preachers who simply do not believe that Jesus was the son of God, that the Bible is God';s inspired word, and a living thing, that Jesus was not born of a virin and that there is no heaven or hell.
WHY?
Because satsn is leading the world astray. But God is in control and In His word He has show us He has already won.

But satan is going to become very dangerous and very god t using God;s truth to advance his own lies.
His only objective is to keep people away rom God, and he can do that well by keeping then doubting their own churches.

May God bless all these churchs who are struggling under satan's yoke, '

OneVoice

[germanJoy]

Hi Potter, I too was not exempted from being branded as rebellious being a SEEKER of Truth and LOVER of God's Word.
The first church (CCF) I left started to preach ANOTHER BAPTISM which I refused to submit myself into (since I was already baptised in water after conversion first at the age of 23. Second, when I joined CCF for basic christian training course where they required me water baptism which I submitted to due to its SOP, Standard Operating Procedure). A year later, CCF required ALL MEMBERS (including leaders and workers) by introducing ANOTHER WATER BAPTISM for membership but this time I refused because I justed wanted to obey God's Word which says ONE BAPTISM. I then left the church and a year later I was told that this church had become a CULT. Today, they are seeing Mary as the mother of God and believing that our dead relatives are interceding for us. I have stood up and PROTESTED but no one listened to me perhaps because I AM A WOMAN.

2. The second church I abandoned where I was involved as the assistant of the Pastor started to call each other "father" which I strongly objected. New teachings came in like "we are gods and thus calling each other god", "we are holy and perfect NOW in this body", "we are NOW in the glorified bodies", etc. I stood up and PROTESTED and no one listened because I AM A WOMAN.

3. The third church I left was a trinatarian that later embraced Oneness teachings. The first manifestation was when the Pastor/Elder (who renounced the Trinity teaching) preached in the pulpit that Jesus was merely a man (not God) when He walked on the earth. The second manifestation appeared when the teaching that Jesus is the Father in Heaven was accepted and believed by the WHOLE CONGREGATION except myself and my disciple. I warned the congregation (later I wrote 10-pages defense of trinity supported with Scriptures) and everyone was against me. No one listened again because I AM A WOMAN.

Had I been born a MAN, it would have been possible for me to pull people out of these HERESIES. I guess the church has to see the ROLE of the women in the church also.

God bless you.

[Potters House]

Thank you OneVoice for sharing with us.
I am reminded of Heb 5:14. "But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." Baby Christians and those who are not strong in the Word seem to be the ones most easily deceived. Do not predators go after the young and weak? ( There's that roaring lion again).

[Potters House]

God Bless you GermanJoy, for having the courage to stand and speak the truth! Perhaps the Lord is raising you up , for such a time as this. The Word of God does not come back void. And it matters not what gender the vessel is that pours out that living water. What matters is that is was delivered. I don't believe their problem was so much that a woman delivered it, but that the Word you delivered was the Truth. And that light shone into their dark places, and caused them to flee.
2 Cor 10:3-4 " For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: ( For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;)
I can come up with a long list of righteous women who have been vessels used by the master. Corrie Ten Boom immediatly comes to mind. Esther, Ruth, Abagail , and Anna. The list goes on and on. You are in good company. I too am a woman.

[Wendell]

german joy....

just a question..what do you mean when you say..CCF..?? usually here that means Christian Chat Forum...but it doesnt seem like that is what you mean..at least I hope not...

I hope german joy, that you notice that here at CCF we do not deny a woman the privilege of teaching. We are not a church, but rather a fellowship of believers, so the restriction against women teachers does not apply here... as it would in a church...:-) My disagreements with you are entirely based on differences in biblical understanding, and have nothing to do with the fact that you are a man or a woman..you will be surprised to learn that there are also times I agree with you...again regardless of your gender...:-) your experiences in the different churches you mentioned, are not unusual...or unique to you...they are common and wide spread. It is interesting to me that even those who disagree with me concerning the end of the church age, confirm it with their own testimony, and according to Gods word will continue to see the churches fall away from sound doctrine, to the doctrines of devils.... even as a man german joy, you would not have been able to rescue people from heresy, you did not fail because you were a woman... you did not fail...you performed your duty.... you testified to the truth...that was all you could do... and that is all you can continue to do. For some the truth is a savor of life unto life, and for some it is a savor of death unto death...Gods word will not return unto him void, but will accomplish the purpose for which it was sent. Perhaps you have to see that your role is not within the churches, where the truth is not desired, but outside the churches....witnessing to the truth...ummm....you might have a little truth to learn yet..:-) and yes..I admit it...so do I... And germanjoy...I HAVE listened. as have many others. Perhaps more have listened to you since you have come here than have ever listened to you before. Perhaps there is a lesson for you there...

May the Lord richly bless you
blue.

[germanJoy]

blue, I am terribly sorry for being so careless I didn't even realized that this forum has exactly the same initial with that of my previous church (Christian Church Fellowship, this was the name that immediately flashed into my mind.) Since it happened more than 18 years ago, I totally forgot the real name. But now that you called my attention, my cerebrum started to function. Now I clearly remember its name i.e., Christian Life Fellowship, CLF. Again, sorry for the technical mistake brought about by my poor memory due to my dilapidated brain. :-)

I was deeply moved by your words of encouragement (including Potter's). It was a confirmation of God's call and Christ's purpose in my own life. Thank you very much, my friend and Potter, from the bottom of my heart. :)