As I have said in another spiritual application I wrote when I was just discovering God as a new believer, my own pastor at the time told me to get a good-paying job when I asked him what I should do as a Christian. I was very disappointed as I had already spent quite a few years trying to do that and was no longer interested in it.

But the truth is this is what churches instruct all people when asking about or inquiring what should be done in obedience to God. They tell the masses that they should work their lives away for wealth and not for God, and they try to argue that the greedier you are, the more God will bless you. This is the most common advice churches give their followers: it does not matter what country you go to; almost all say the same thing.

I have met many people who have left the churches in disillusionment from the leaders and groups, and I have known many people personally who have left groups or communities because of the same problem. Unfortunately, when most people leave, they quit the faith entirely. Jesus commented on this sort of issue as well; he told the Pharisees that when they convert someone, they make the person twice the child of hell than they themselves are.

”Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.” (Matthew 23:15)

The reason for this is that the Pharisees would never actually teach what God wanted from them; the Jewish religion, if anything, was just a club, like almost all churches today.

Universally it is taught that people do not need to obey anything Jesus said. You can join any church in the world and not do anything Jesus said and still be considered a Christian. There is even a teaching that is universally accepted that if you try to obey Jesus and tell others they have to obey, that is considered “working your way to Heaven,” and that is the most evil thing you could ever do to God. How did this happen? Why is it that all churches don’t hold each other accountable when it comes to being a good Christian?

The reason is, friends, is because now in our time people are simply not interested in following God; people are more interested in making the best life they can here and now. Jesus shows us the problem here.

”And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.” (Luke 17:26-33)

Notice how Jesus mentioned the most despised city that is talked about today in Christian circles. The city of Sodom is constantly referenced as the LGBTQ movement in the old times. I have traveled to many churches and countries and have seen the hatred the church members give those groups in person, and it is the saddest thing I ever saw. Proclaimed Christians are full of harsh words and wrath towards others who are sinners, just like them, not having any mercy or self control. We should never hate anyone, no matter who they are.

Instead of talking about the LGBTQ groups in the verses mentioned above, Jesus talks about everyday people who marry, buy, plant, build, and sell. Are those things bad in themselves? No, it’s not like God does not allow those things to happen, But people in churches everywhere teach that if you don’t marry, get a job, work, build a house, buy and sell, and make a lot of money, you are worthless and God is not going to bless you.

These are the biggest reasons people become unsatisfied with the churches and with leaders and groups. They teach that if you don’t live like the people in Lot’s time and focus entirely on material accumulation, you are sinning, and if you think that obeying Jesus is going to get you anywhere and telling others they have to obey to be saved as well, you are misguided and full of sin. They are not getting the spiritual guidance they should; instead, they get con-artists who convince them that they need to give them their hard earned money.

Many people who have left the churches know that the leaders teach that if they don’t give their money to them, God will not bless them. Only after a while of not getting the spiritual guidance they need, do the ignorant masses realize they have been played, tricked, and taken advantage of in real desperate situations. Many people attend the churches because they actually are going through difficult times and, in many cases, a life and death situation. But to the greedy con artists, it does not matter; all they see is one more person who can give them their money.

”And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.” (Luke 6:20)

Jesus talked about the poor being blessed and that the rich already have their reward, contrary to what many churches teach. James (Jesus’s close brother) said a lot about the rich and the poor.

”Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?” (James 2:5-7)

Like I have said the churches teach wealth proves that your are spiritual, but that is not true and they will use you just to take your money, so beware of that friends.

”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: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.” (2 Peter 2:1-3)

Here is one more verse on how false leaders use people solely to gain money.

”For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.” (Titus 1:10-11) Filthy lucre is just another way of saying for greedy reasons and intentions.

Another huge problem with the churches is a focus on the buildings themselves. This was evident in Jesus´time too and one of the first Christians (Stephen) was killed because one of the criticisms were on the focus on the building.

”Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. But Solomon built him an house. Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet. Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? Hath not my hand made all these things?” (Acts 7:46-50)

Stephen died for Christ, and his criticisms of the lukewarm, hypocritical Jewish religion were valid, as he himself was a Jew also. These same criticisms can be applied to the lukewarm churches today because it is history repeating itself but with Christians now. Even when the apostles mention the beauty of the building the Jews had at the time, Jesus says, “And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here! And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? There shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” (Mark 13:1-2)

The denominations insist that if you don’t have a building you attend once a week, you can’t have proper meetings and such. But the truth is, as God himself said, can a building really hold him? It cannot friends, to the contrary, the church was never a building, just as Israel was never a country originally. The church and Israel were always referenced as a group of people.

Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20) You can have fellowship in a cafe, restaurant, your house, a park, literally anywhere.

Jesus and God do not care about the precious buildings church groups focus on. A lot of money is put into the church buildings today more than the poor, and that is something that was pointed out in the gospels too. ”And Jesus sat over against the treasury and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury, and many that were rich cast in much.” (Mark 12:41)

Here we have a recorded instance of the Pharisees putting in a lot of money (as a show also) into the synagogue they had in their time. There were literal jewels placed in the building walls as a show of wealth. The churches do the same thing today; millions of dollars are used to make the churches big, place concert-style attractions in them, make them architecturally stunning, and many other things to get people to join them.

As far as leaders, Jesus told us there will be wolves in sheep’s clothing. ”Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”
(Matthew 10:16)

”Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” (Matthew 15:14)

It is better to have eyes to see and ears to hear and follow the words of our Lord Jesus than to be led astray into false churches and groups. Once you read the things Jesus actually said, you will see all those false leaders as they are. So, listen carefully to what others say and measure everything up to what Jesus said in obedience to him. There is nothing wrong with learning from others, but do not follow man, only the Christ. Amen.