The “Church”

by Stephanie A. Mayberry

Before I get into this, I need to clarify something.

I am not coming from the place (which is so prevalent among the “Torah terrorists” groups) that ALL church is evil.

All “church” is not evil.

What it is, or has become, is apathetic, satiated, fat, lazy, remedial, lax in standards and morals, self-centered, self-focused, you get the idea.

And that is a culture that is predominantly embraced by modern church.

There are still a few “traditional” or “old school” churches that teach discipleship, reaching the lost, count others above yourself, holiness standards, and getting up off the pew and out into the highways and byways.

Granted, they may still have a ways to go theologically, but let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Not all “church” is evil.

Sometimes it is a stepping stone.

And let’s face it, if you are gathering in a house, a storefront, or under a tree, and you are talking about Yehovah, you are holding “church” – as these gatherings are customarily called today.

You can’t vilify the “church” as a whole. But you can vilify the unholy, unbiblical customs that the body has adopted.

And that can happen anywhere, in any gathering – ANY gathering. Yes, even Torah observant ones.

Many of us established our foundations, our ROOTS, of faith in “churches.”

You must use wisdom in discerning the value of that – what to keep and what to put down.

But you can’t discount the church. Many will come to you from the church and still have ties to it.

You begin dismantling their faith foundations and you will immediately alienate them.

There are biblical churches out there.

And there are churches that have not yet come to the full biblical truth.

Who are YOU to decide who is good enough, who is worthy of hearing the gospel? You didn’t die on that cross. You didn’t experience unspeakable horrors and shed your blood so that everyone – EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. – would have access to forgiveness and salvation.

No, only one did that and He told YOU to go out and teach, baptize, minister to the lost, the seeking, the hungry.

Yeshua said, “Feed My sheep.” He didn’t say, “Sort My sheep and only accept the ones that are good enough to come to me.”

Because if He had, YOU wouldn’t be there either.

No, He never told us to single people out and never give others a chance. And He charged YOU with reaching them.

That means coming out of your comfort zone. It means getting your hands dirty. It means being uncomfortable.

Because this life isn’t about YOU.

It’s about HIM.

And that’s one thing “the church” definitely got right.

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