Persecutions Preachers and House Churches

By: 
Alyssa Korzeniewski

"If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void."~ 1 Corinthians 9:11-14.

Today's pastors are contract paid. They are hirelings paid to feed the flock. Paul did not get paid from the people he ministered to. What little support he received was paid by churches for him to minister to the lost. In other words, Paul was a church planting missionary. He wasn't a "pastor." Unlike pastors who are stationary and whose function is to help the body, Paul was sent to the lost. To receive a paycheck from those you feed (preach) to involves a bias and is unethical. Hence, the saying, "Don't bite the hand that feeds you." This can influence the agenda and message to the flock. Paul said he could take money from those he was ministering to but that he chose not to because it would hinder the gospel.

Yet stationary pastors are quoting part of this verse out of context (1 Corinthians 9:14) and claiming they deserve rewards from God's flock when they are not missionaries as Paul was. This sick misuse of God's word is finally coming to a head. People are realizing that preachers, pastors, priests and the like are not concerned with the flock, but instead their own gain. Peter mentioned this and told us this would happen. Should we be surprised? "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you:" ~2 Peter 2:1.

Now we are seeing Pastors all over the United States stirred up and persecuting the saints. Friends of mine are currently experiencing persecution from their former pastor at Landmark Baptist 'Church' in Clio, Michigan. The Pastor called to tell them they should not speak to any of the church members they were friends with before they left to attend house church. Pastors are trying to control who their congregants talk to. Isn't something wrong with this picture? I know of another situation where former corporate, business 'Church' members are receiving rude phone calls, letters, emails, texts, or house visits from "concerned" clergy. The clergy are making outrageous claims that these "house churches" are performing as a cult. 

Let's look at the definition of a cult. A cult is when one man has authority over a group of people and they heed what he says above the Word of God. New Covenant church is the opposite of a cult. Today's Institutional 'Church' is the very definition of a cult. People who are aware of this are reclaiming their position in Christ as the priesthood of believers who have a high priest over them (Jesus Christ), not the pastor. Preachers take every bit of power they can and lord themselves over their congregants claiming the right to receive gifts, rewards, tithes, offerings and respect! Some go as far as to control what clothes their followers wear, suggest how to wear their hair, how they shave, where every dime of their money goes and will even tell the members what big purchases they should or should not make. The clergy claim ten percent of the parishioner's paycheck (and sometimes more than that belongs to them). One pastor, I was told recently, yelled at his congregation that he was going to take out a loan for all the tithes they had not paid to him. He claimed they owed him that money! Many pastors claim that this is giving to God. Well, that only works if these pastors are God! The persecution is sure to continue since pastors have much to lose if their slaves get away. This behavior is purely reactionary. As the truth of all this spreads, it seems to be viewed as a threat to their financial security.

Peter warned them not to lord themselves over the flock "Neither as being lords over God's heritage"~1 Peter 5:3. Pastors lording themselves over the flock is something that is sending people the wrong message about Christianity, and it is one reason many people are going to hell. They are not seeing one true disciple of Christ who knows how to love and value other people. Love treats people as equals. "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." ~John 13:35. 

Every one wants to be valued. God is love. Love is sacrificially giving our best to someone at their worst. We are a holy nation of believers a royal priesthood (1 Peter2:9) . Each of us are part of the priesthood. Believers should not be divisive but loving. By that I mean there should not be two classes of people within the church, "the laity" (people who sit in the pews) and "the clergy," the important people who get up front and receive a paycheck. Christ's church is not a business, it is a body. I just read on a blog an interesting point that someone made. "When a body becomes a business, it becomes a prostitute." This is not God's plan for His church. All members have an important function in the church. "If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing ?...there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another." ~1 Corinthians 12:17.

As long as today's preachers see their members becoming aware of Christ's true model for His house church, and it's acceptance, they will react with persecution towards it. It happened in Israel, Greece and Rome. And now it's happening today in China, India and the U.S. Make no mistake; Christ's house church is a threat to today's business model of an Institutional 'Church.' Expect persecution from the pulpits of America. The more the persecution comes, the more Christ's true house church model will continue to grow.