Comments on: Escape From Churchianity

By: Cheryl Selby

Cheryl Selby — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:56:44 +0000

God bless you Chip!

I surrendered to Jesus twenty years ago. Over the years, I “tried” attending church, but never had peace with it. I’ve known in my heart for a long time that God does not want me in church, but continued to “try” church on occasion at the urging of friends.

These years walking with Jesus have been a bitter-sweet experience for me. As I’m sure you know, with knowledge comes sorrow. Walking with Jesus is a lonely road, traveled by so few. Yet, the joy and peace that comes with getting to know the Lord Jesus far surpasses anything the world has to offer. I only wish more people would open their hearts to know Him, I mean REALLY know Him. Oh what a world this would be if everyone were in a close relationship with the One who came to redeem us!

I am refreshed and blessed by your articles. Thank you for being faithful, and not afraid to speak the truth.

God bless you and yours.

Sincerely,
Cheryl

By: Robert Doucette

Robert Doucette — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:22:28 +0000

Good morning Brother, Great article of truth! I have shared it with a catholic friend, I hope he will be touched by the truth. I will let you know any result!
I also tried to sign up to download your free book “Getting Babylon Out Of You” but I could not sign-in? It replied that I was already a subscriber, but no book!!!??? What’s up with that?
Blessings from my heart to yours. Bob.

By: Bernice

Bernice — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:56:13 +0000

I was moved by this article. It “resonates” with me as well, and you have articulated it much better than I could, and given better insight into what I have always understood in my heart.

I attended church for a few months in the past, and was even baptized there, but other than enjoying the socializing, I knew that my relationship with the Lord was totally apart from the church society. In fact in many ways I felt church society was an impediment, and I came to see it more as a social club with a Christian theme. Sometimes I was uncomfortable in church and fancied it was because I just wasn’t as good as these “enlightened” churchgoers, and I actually felt it must be because I was so flawed that I couldn’t ever actually feel at one with the congregation. Yet on my own I was able to feel close to the Lord. I just never thought of it the way you describe it in the article, as He living.

By: David Paul

David Paul — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:55:34 +0000

Excellent article Chip and beautifully expressed.

I have personally experienced the above as described.

I would make one observation though. I have met several “simple followers of Jesus” who hesitate to label themselves “Christian” and yet are definitely IN Christ.

Jesus himself was not a Christian when on earth. He was born a Jew and died a Jew.

So what is Jesus now? And what are his followers to be called? I hear Paul say there is neither Christian, nor Jew, nor Muslim, nor Hindu.

Mahatma Gandhi being a simple Jesus follower (and a Hindu) was more of a disciple than most Christians then and now.

By: Ken

Ken — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:41:22 +0000

I was resonating with much of what Timothy said, and I’d like to hear more comments on it myself. I attend the institution, but I believe it’s out of obedience to the Lord (for now- definitely not forever). I see people inside the walls that I believe also are in the ecclesia, or they could be in time. So I’m biding my time wanting to be a light within the walls so to speak. I’m also afraid of falling into the elitism that Timothy speaks about if I separate from these people. Again, I don’t put stock in the “church” getting me to God- at the same time, I know God loves these people, just not their system…

By: kenneth dawson

kenneth dawson — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:42:51 +0000

yea man what you say is so good–i think what people struggle with is understanding what life really means–to have eternal life inside you means to have gods divine life inside you and we do not understand what divine life is–jesus himself was human just like us on the outside but inside he had the divine life of god–also he did not have the sinful pull in him like we do–now today we have the divine life of god in us and we need to go to the cross to be crucified to our sinful pull so as to let gods divine life in us express himself out of us–then we will be imitating christ.

By: Chip Brogden

Chip Brogden — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 16:10:20 +0000

Good thoughts, Timothy. In my experience the revelation of deeper truths causes a person to be ostracized by the rest out of fear of the unknown. I don’t think anyone starts out desiring to separate from others. At least I didn’t. But the Truth is a sword that divides Light from Darkness. May God unify us around His Son.

By: Timothy

Timothy — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 15:30:04 +0000

Thanks for your imput, my wife and I have been out of the church for a while now, and whenever we try to go somewhere we are unable to stay for any lenthy time. Some of the questions that I aked you in the earlier post are questions that I ask myself, and much to my dismay am without an answer. Yes I am a little confused, thankfully I think that I have gotten past the point of being rejected by my christian peers. The most difficult part for me is that I amgoing to bible college for ministry, and I dont even know what real ministry looks like, so this journey is a walk of faith. However God is good and I trust Him to direct the path that He has put me on. I do not advocate unity with a false doctorine/antichrist but if they are christian and are lost they need light to lead them out. What I have seen in a few groups is that when people get a higher amount of revelation than the general christians, then they look upon the rest of the body like their idiots, they call themselves the bride or remnant and tend to form an alietest sepertast doctorine that seperates themselves from the mulltitudes. The very truth that God has entrusted to them to bring to the entirebody, they horde to themselves and their little group. In doing this they have forsaken the the first commandment which calls them to love. Love trumphs any revelation that we have. Its mybelief that God has onebody, not little fragments here and there. But thats what I have seen in my observation of things, were word of faith people, or we are thirdwave people or we are river people, or what about this one we are really prophetic. So great we have alot of sepertist now in the body that cannot rightly relate to eachother because we only stick with our own. So ya that about raps it up. So just pray for wife Jessica and I on wisdom to understand the season that we are in. Its easy for us to want to go back to church because” thats the good christian thing to do”. I hope that I did not go onto to much of a tantrium. Thank you Chip.

By: Chip Brogden

Chip Brogden — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 10:57:50 +0000

You’re wondering? Wonder no more. I am pretty clear about where I stand in relation to Organized Religion. I encourage you to keep reading. You still seem to be confusing the “system” with the Ekklesia. The physical gathering together is not the issue. I don’t care where you meet or what you do when you meet. But when the physical gathering together serves to bolster a counterfeit system and a false priesthood that Jesus never intended, one that nevertheless portrays itself under false pretenses to be the true “church,” then people with discernment are led to forsake that particular mode of gathering together. The answer to your last question is no – we are not instructed to be in unity with that Antichrist spirit that claims to represent God when it is actually taking the place of God. If only you could see that the Ekklesia is about relationships and not about “meetings” then I think it would go a long way to helping you see correctly. Love transcends time and place. Thanks for writing, I hope this helps to remove any wonder about where I stand. The real question is how to come to believe so strongly about these things… that is a clue that may assist you in your journey as well.

By: Timothy

Timothy — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 06:48:12 +0000

Hi Chip, I have readlots of your articles and do enjoy them. However, I was wondering are you against church? I do not mean church that makes up the body of Christ or in better words eclessia. The church that I am speaking of is the four walls. Is this the system that you are opposed to? Even the apostles broke bread and taught the apostles doctorine going from house to house, so in essence they were the church going to church, were they not? Some apostles some pastors some teacher some evangalist were given to the church for the equiping of the saints. Regardless if teachers teach inside of an airconditioned building or in a cave, this constitutes a meeting establishment better known as a church, correct? I do understand that I am the church, and you are the church(the living tabernacle). So where should the disciples be discipled at ? I guess it would be pretty cool if we could all have outerbody experiences and meet each other in the Spirit and then we would never have to locate a physical location to meet with each other. But untill that day arives what do you suggest? Personally I am not impressed with the currant church/ priesthood. We have many Eli’s that are fat and lazy raising Hophni’s and Phinehas’ but they are still the church and I am instructed to be one in unity with them. Am I not?