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It is very important for all of us to be attached to a group of believers. We are all one body and we cannot really effectively serve God if we are disconnected, in the same way that a bodily part cannot function without the other parts of your body. As far as Christian Organizations go, I would say that you would be hard pressed to find a Denomination that had it all right. The relationships we forge with our brothers and sisters in the faith are far more important though. The organization itself is of little or no benefit. Organizations are dead without people and God sent his Son to die for people, not organizations or buildings. What really matters are people and our relationships with them.

Even though it is discouraging when we participate with a group of people who are perhaps teaching false doctrine and we feel at times that we should separate ourselves and not participate. But it is possible to not participate, yet still be united. We must recognize that no one is perfect and there will inevitably be error and failure to a degree know matter where we go. However rather than looking at these things as discouraging, we should see them as an opportunity to shine light where there is darkness. The light always shines through darkness, and if God uses you to shine his light, then all I can say is consider it a privilege to serve God in this way. A doctor doesn't leave his patients because they are sick, rather he stays with such people to heal them. Jesus said that we should love the Lord God with all our heart, mind and strength and love our fellow man as we love ourselves.
Division amongst God's children is the result of carnal mindedness and that kind of division leads to evil works and more division.

Remember that we not only meet with others to receive, but it is also more important to give. Jesus himself hung out at the Synagogue and taught there as well, and we know that many who attended were very ignorant of the scriptures and didn't have the correct doctrine, in fact some of them actually participated in his death. But he went not for himself but for them. We too should be like minded and not worry too much about a Church Organization having all the correct doctrine, but we should be more concerned about the doctrine of each person.

My advise is to make sure that we all believe in the foundations which are Christ, repentance, faith, baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. See Hebrews 6

Jesus gave us the 5 fold ministry for the perfecting of the Saints and we have seen the restoration of the Evangelist, Pastor and teacher to the church. The Prophet is being restored to the church too. The church is however lacking the Apostolic Ministry, but God has his Apostles and many in the making. When the Apostle is fully restored in the Body of Christ, we will see the Body of Christ being directed and moving in the power of God and exercising wisdom that is in line with being the light of the world and the salt of the earth. Until the Apostolic ministry is completely restored, the Church will struggle with things like doctrine, direction and governance

Doctrine that is not foundational should never divide us. We all have our own opinions on things, but that is no excuse for lack of unity. It is love that brings true unity. Love for God, each other, and the truth. If we lack unity with our brothers and sisters, then we lack love. If they reject you, you do not have to reject them, rather love them, serve them and lay your life down for them. Greater love has no man than to lay his life down for his brothers. What is more important, people or doctrine that is not foundational.

I suggest that we all pray and ask God where he would want us to be. Being led by the Spirit of God means that he will not necessarily want us to go to what we judge as being the most perfect church. Remember that there is only one universal church. We may be lead to fellowship in a home or a building, but it is not the structure that is important, but rather the people. It is the Lords will that we be connected and accountable to other believers. Jesus himself, desires to make us one with the believers around us.

Before Jesus was crucified he prayed that as he and the Father were one, he wanted us to be one and to be one with them too. God is continuing to do his good work in all who have submitted to him. God is perfecting us and chipping away at our ungodly areas, so we can better fit the position in his body perfectly and function in a way that will help perfect others. God doesn't want us to look for the perfect organization as organizations are mans idea anyway. There is only one who is perfect, and we should be looking to him. Anything rooted in Man will never create perfection. The things of Man come from the spirit of Man and the things of God come from the Spirit of God. We must learn to discern the difference. However we need to be with our brothers and sisters. You don't have to belong to a denomination, but you do belong to the people who belong to God. See these things with your spirit and in faith. You will not be disappointed, rather you will be encouraged. God's Church doesn't have walls and is made up of living stones.

I myself am attached to a group of believers and I choose to fellowship at a denomination on Sunday. The truth is I care nothing for the Denomination, but I care a lot for the people. I find that many of my fellow believers feel the same way and it seems that these days, God is really showing up the error of serving an organisation rather than serving God and each other. Most denominations spend about 80 to 90% of their money on upkeeping and extention of the denomination. Lets forget about serving the machine and give the money in the sevice of the Kingdom, such as giving to the poor and providing for those who proclaim the gospel.

You may find that the group of people you fellowship with may be in error with certain things, but do not be discouraged. The truth is that you have a great opportunity to show them truth, by living it and speaking it. We all challenge each other by just being who we are in God. I have seen changes in people and their doctrine as a direct result of something that I said or done in that persons life and I thank God that he uses me to help people this way. God has in turn used others to help me better understand some things too. Remember that iron sharpens iron.

If we are wise we will recognize that we are all on a journey and we must exercise wisdom with respect to the fact that we are all at different stages in that journey. Some people are not ready to hear higher truths and we only pass judgment. on them if they reject light. Better for them not to hear, until God prepares their heart to receive, lest they trample the precious truth under foot. Of course the Gospel must be preached to everybody. I am talking about the meat of the word and doctrines that are not foundational and are exclusively for believers.

I myself really do not care for denominations and their creeds and statements of faith. They are all wrong somewhere, even if these statements are right they may be too limiting or narrow. God is bigger than Creeds and Denominations and it is the Word of God that we should be trusting in. Creeds didn't appear till 300 or so years after Christ's death. No one claims that God inspired them to write or create a Creed, so why do we trust them more than the Word of God. All these Creeds were clearly created by man which in turn lead to many different organizations that resulted in other organisations that have chosen to differ on some points. All this dividing has been continuing ever since and is the result of a curse similar to the Tower of Babel. When we try to make a name for ourselves and build buildings that reach up to heaven and form our own philosophies and disagree over the variables rather than the absolutes, then God allows division to overtake those people, lest they unite in this work of iniquity. The Mother of Christian religions was the Roman Catholic Church and its founding document was based on the Nicene Creed which is all about the trinity. Over the centuries Creed followed Creed and eventually other idols and saints became a legitimate way through which people could worship God through. Of course we know that this is error today. But the point I am making is that ever since we trusted in Creeds and Statements of Faith, we have been divided over doctrine and statistics show us that most denominations resulted in a split from another denomination which did not agree with certain creed, doctrine or practices. Now can you see the fruit of Mans wisdom. Mans nature is carnal so his works result in every kind of division imaginable. This situation is what Babylon (Babel) is all about.

It is people who belong to God that make up Jesus Church. Organizations, buildings and creeds mean nothing as far as true faith is concerned. If we judge according to Creed or Statement of Faith then that leaves room for deception because Wolves in Sheep's clothing will come amongst the flock and profess they hold to a given Creed yet they are ravenous wolves and they will not spare you. Rather listen to the Word of God and be lead by his Spirit. Do not judge from the outside, sheep in wolves clothing look like sheep on the outside..

We should always judge people by their fruit. If they are not helping the lost and the poor, then their doctrine means nothing. If we leave our brothers and sisters because the man made organization that they are members of has some false doctrine, then do not be surprised if they leave you too, because it is also false doctrine to separate from your brothers and sisters over doctrines that are not foundational. Are you not your brothers keeper ? (Leaving a denomination doesn't mean leaving your brothers and sisters).

This in fact is the very root of why there is so much division and different creeds and statements of faith in the first place. We should not participate in this division and perpetuate it, rather we should remain in God's love and reflect his love to each other and let his love unify us. When the Church drinks of the new wine, the old wine skins will burst anyway. All we need to do is receive from the Lord, as he will judge all things and pull down that which he has not built. God just needs willing people to do his will. When God shakes all things, it is so the things that are not of him will fall away.

My hope for all of you is that you respond to our loving Gods will rather than what you see as right in your own eyes. It can be hard to see what God is doing at the time, but in hind sight we will see that it is not by might, not by power, but by his Spirit. It really boils down to being able to hear his voice and not giving up until he shows us. Sometimes we do not have, or do not know simply because we haven't asked him. He directs all our paths and we must hear what his Spirit is saying to us. Do not base decisions on your own logic and tradition, but rather we should do what he tells us to do because we love him. Ask him and he will lead you to his people.

Finally I leave you with this.
You do not go to Church. You are the Church.
This is true for all those who belong to the Lord.

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