Saturday, December 3, 2011

The Hybrid 'Church'

Ezekiel 22:25-26, "There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof. 26 Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them."

Ezekiel 44:23, "And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean."

*Note: When the author renders the word 'Church' as seen, he is referring to the Main-Stream, Corporate Institutional 'Church' System we are all familiar with in our day and age. When he renders the word in all lower case letters, (church) he is referring to Christ's Authentic & Legitimate model of the Home based church, which He continues to build..

A lot of things are going 'hybrid' nowadays. There are hybrid cars, hybrid gas, hybrid Produce, hybrid refrigerators, hybrid vacuum cleaners, hybrid securities, hybrid loud speakers. hybrid wooden flooring, hybrid air freshener/security systems, hybrid washing machines/toilets, hybrid showers/tanners and so on. I have found lots of things that are hybrid. The world around us is being spliced together. The only real hybrid that doesn't seem to be advertised is hybrid marriages between men and women (but that's another subject all together).

I discovered a new hybrid recently. It's called the hybrid "non-tithing" 'Church.' There are several hybrid 'Church' types to choose from. Some are old and others are very new. The old form of hybrid 'Church' is two or more 'Churches' which become part of the same organization. The National Counsel of Churches comes to mind. Then there is her big sister, the World Counsel of Churches run by their mom, the Great Whore of Revelation. There are local counsels as well. Every local community has their different denominations hooked-up together somehow. But there is one small hybrid 'Church' not many people seem to notice. It is the one that says they do not believe in tithing to bring in the funds to support and pay for their Professional staff, Properties and Programs.

They still have people who are paid to do a full-time job in the building. They still have their Properties which need maintenance, care and power. They still have their Programs which cost money. They even have schools, which require a faculty, facilities and funding. There is advertising dollars which run into the thousands each year. Where is all of this money coming from to support such an enterprise when it is preached that they do not practice the O.T. law on tithing? I'll tell you where. They renamed tithing, "Giving." You say, "What's wrong with that?"

A Main-Stream 'Church' runs on tithing dollars to support itself. This new hybrid claims they do not. Technically, that is somewhat true. But if we reason with ourselves for a moment we may see things in a different light. The dollar is a dollar, (well, it used to be) but does it make it any less than a dollar if it came from a different account? No. You can call it anything you want, but it's still a dollar! These new hybrid 'Churches,' which survive on 'giving,' is not much different than surviving on the tithe. They preach that God doesn't want ten percent of one's income. He want's it ALL! "Give what your able to give towards God's work," they say, "and God will open up the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, blah, blah, blah." As an old friend of mine says, "Pass the bread; the baloney has already been around!" God does bless, yes! But not because these Professionals behind the pulpit say so.

This hybrid 'Church' falls into the same category as the Main-Stream Corporate Institutional 'Church' does. They are still incorporated. They still have a tax status with the government. They still have a name above the door. They still have many of the same functions as their 'sister 'Church' that teaches tithing. What are they doing that is so different? Nothing really. They just changed the name of the tithe and called it 'giving." It is simply a name change! It's nothing new. The Puritans did the same thing when they used to tax people in their congregations in Europe a few hundred years ago. When they arrived in America they changed the name again and called these taxes, "Assessments." Later on, they started calling these "assessments," Tithing. It became voluntary this time around because it was against the law to tax without representation. So, instead of physically enforcing the tax/assessments, they use a new tactic. Verbal intimidation.

The preachers yell their way to a paycheck. They threaten to quit. They say we are robbing God if we do not tithe. They prey on the people's lack of knowledge on O.T. tithing to get their way. It's harder now because they cannot force people to tithe. But they press on regardless. These new slick hybrid-pastors don't yell as much, if at all. Why? Because they have a new flavor for people to try. They call it something different even though it's the same thing; and people respond! Maybe not everyone gives ten percent. Others will give maybe fifteen or five percent. It all averages out in the end. The 'Church' posts a "need." The people respond in support of that need. The Problem is, they are confusing a 'need' with a 'want.' If there was no building, staff and Programs to support, there wouldn't be a want. A need is something essential like food and clothing. When these 'Church' businesses ask to meet a need, they are asking amiss. They are still trying to raise support for a business. They are doing the same thing they did in the old Institutional 'Church.' They just disguise it differently! They call it something else. Next they'll Probably call 'giving,' 'Gifting' or 'A Gift from Abundance,' or 'Blessing Time.'

This hybrid 'Church' even sends people support envelopes in the mail to make it easy to "give." Isn't that nice of them? I wonder where they got the money to print these envelopes? I wonder where they got the postage money for the bulk mailing? It must have been a need! I wonder if the Lord placed upon the heart of the Post Master General to give free postage to all of the Institutional 'Churches' that 'need' to mail their offering envelopes? I know He is able! If it is His true church, why wouldn't He? Because it's NOT His true church! This is a simple case of verbal sleight of hand. They give something that's been around for a long time a new name. They package it and tell people it's new and different, and we fall for it. If you don't believe me, I can point to over a thousand members who are 'cheerful givers' in one of these hybrid 'Churches' in my area alone. They say, "Oh, our 'Church' doesn't believe in tithing! We GIVE INSTEAD!" What's the difference?

There is nothing wrong with giving, unless we are being deceived to give. In this instance, these people are! Yes, if they want to give, that's their business. But, if they don't know they are being hornswoggled, they at least have this as a warning. They are just calling the same old thing something different. We routinely call a manager a superintendent. We call an automobile a car. We call a waiter a server. We make the same thing sound different; but it's STILL the SAME THING!

Ezekiel 22:25-26 above is used to illustrate what these hucksters are doing in this new hybrid 'Church' system to get our money to support their enterprise. Ezekiel talks about how the Prophets, priests and the whole nation of Israel had committed spiritual and physical infidelity against God. They had become Profane! It was a trickle down effect. When the Prophets and priests went rotten, the people followed not far behind. There was no more moral structure. He makes it a point to include that treasure and precious things were taken; and worse yet, "souls have been devoured." They have made many widows in the temple. It had become a business though filthy lucre. I can see the same earmarks in the Institutional, Main-Stream 'Church' today. The hybrid 'Church' is just a softer version. It's a conspiracy of the clergy.

The second verse illustrates what God is doing to restore His temple to His satisfaction. As an illustration only, I will say that the authentic Home church Jesus intended is being restored in the minds of those who choose to wake up and see that there IS a difference. And, God notices. Apparently hybrid 'Churches' aren't anything new. They just change the names. Come back to the original home church of Jesus Christ and be free to serve Him without intimidation, organizational fear or a fee.

No comments:

Post a Comment