To "OUT of CHURCH" Christians - Andrew Strom
Posted by: prophetic <prophetic@...>
-Andrew Strom.
It is now over 19 years since I first left the church system and went
on a seven-year 'wilderness' journey. Of course, there have been
further wilderness periods since. But the key point I am trying to
make is that I have been around "Out-of-church" believers now for
almost 20 years.
Sometimes I get people writing to me who assume that I know very
little about "truly leaving Babylon" and "resting from our own works",
etc. But believe me, after 19 years of dealing with hundreds of
"Out-of-church" people - and being one myself for long periods - I do
have a grasp of these dogmas - and have deeply imbibed all of them
for years at a time. I am thoroughly familiar with the whole thing.
Lately though, I must confess that I have become heartily sick of
it all. Because as I have seen again and again, for year after year
after year - it leads nowhere, it has never led anywhere, and it is
never likely to lead anywhere. After 19 years, that much I can say
with complete clarity.
The Wilderness is supposed to be about brokenness, testing and
preparation. And yes - God has led many of us there for that exact
purpose. Yet why is it that so few seem to allow themselves to be
truly broken? Why are they still so willing to judge by "form and
structure" instead of the 'heart'? If this thing is about "preparation",
then why are so few actually PREPARED? Why do most of them
NEVER DO ANYTHING AGAIN - even after years and years? (-In
fact, many actually grow WORSE over time - spiritually lazy and
good for nothing. I have seen it). Do you mean to tell me that
perhaps in another 10 YEARS you might be ready? Ready for
what? Where will this 'change' actually come from? You are more
set in your ways now than you have ever been.
So many are MORE arrogant, MORE argumentative, MORE
self-righteous, MORE 'judging' of things that don't matter, MORE
smug and self-satisfied than they even were in church. And they
are also LESS unified, LESS trusting, LESS able to be part of a
'Body', LESS able to lead or to be led (-making the Book of Acts
impossible - because without LEADERS there is no way it can
happen. What on earth do you think PETER, JAMES and JOHN
were? Don't you know there has never been a successful Reformation
in history without strong leaders?)
I can already see their eyes glazing over. They don't want to hear
this stuff. They want a "NO-LEADERS" Revival. They want a "NO
ACTION UNLESS LIGHTNING FROM HEAVEN" movement. They
want something that never has been, and never will be, because it
is diametrically opposed to the very PATTERN OF GOD. No leaders,
no meetings, no faith, no DARING. And that is why nothing ever
happens with these people, and nothing ever will.
They wait and they wait and they wait - world without end. Amen.
I call it the "DO NOTHING" doctrine. I have seen it now for 19 years
and I know it intimately. I deeply imbibed it for YEARS at a time
myself. And I will not stand by and watch it rob us of our Harvest now.
What do I mean when I say that so many are judging by "outward
form and structure", instead of by the 'heart'? -I mean exactly that.
Let me give you an example: Let's say that there is an inner-city
church with a 'SENIOR PASTOR' that meets in a CHURCH
BUILDING on SUNDAY MORNINGS - with 'PROGRAMS' and all
kinds of things. Shock! Horror! The very essence of "Babylon", right?
But hang on a minute. Let's say this same group feeds the
homeless every week, and preaches a piercing 'repentance' gospel
and prays and prays for the lost.
Now, along comes Mr Smug 'Out-of-church' Man. He looks at this
group and immediately judges them by their 'outward appearance'.
They are of the "system", are they not? He immediately writes
them off as just another corner of 'Babylon' - and their people as
"IC drones". -Because the things he cares about are not the
"heart" things at all. He is a Pharisee - pure and simple. He judges
by the external appearance all the time. It is the 'outward boxes'
that cry "Babylon" to him, and thus he never sees the "heart". I
believe that God is a hundred times more pleased with a group like
that, than with some smug "know-it-all" Pharisee who never lifts
a finger to minister to the poor. So many Out-of-church people
are judgmental like this. They are not 'broken' at all. They are
harsh and critical and rebellious - and they badly need to REPENT.
How do I know? -Because I was just like them for a very long time.
I am talking about people who know all the "right" things about
church structure and so-on. They know all about 'Senior pastors'
and church buildings and the way things "ought to be". But they
have forgotten the "weightier matters" - mercy and justice and
love. Many are 'clanging cymbals' - harsh and ugly. And everyone
around them can see it.
There are praying church people - totally in the "system" - who
leave us for dead in the areas that truly matter - the areas of the
"heart" - our relationship with God and our love for people. Go and
meet these "praying grandmas" sometime. Many of them honestly
leave us for dead.
A lot of us need to shut ourselves up in a room for several days
and REPENT and REPENT until all this stuff is gone. Why do a
lot of us rub leaders up the wrong way? -Because we are full of
REBELLION - that's why. How do I know? -Because in the
"Out of church" scene I was full of Rebellion myself. Rejection,
hurt and bitterness are absolutely EPIDEMIC in this movement.
REPENT, before it is too late, my friends.
You ask, "Why are you being so hard on these people? Isn't the
Wilderness a valid place to be?" Yes, it is valid if you are actually
allowing God to break you and prepare you and take the harshness
and ugliness out of you, etc. But if you are just sitting out there
criticizing it is good for nothing. -In fact, it is greatly harmful.
Right now I look and I see the Harvest fields of America white unto
harvest. I listen and I hear the youth of the cities crying to us for
Truth. I raise my finger in the air and find that the wind has changed
and a new season has begun. And then I look into the living rooms
of the called-out ones and see them sitting on their fat rear-ends
in their houses - WAITING FOR GOD TO DO SOMETHING.
And all the while He is WAITING FOR US.
Are you Spirit-baptized? Do you speak in tongues? Yes? -Then
you already have the 'equipment' that the apostles received at
Pentecost. So what are you waiting for? Why are you not letting
Him move through you?
The 'DO-NOTHING' doctrine is one of the most evil dogmas I
have come across. It will happily sit and "fiddle while Rome burns".
It is deaf to the cries of the lost and the urgency of this late hour.
And it is the prime doctrine of the "Out-of-church" scene. It is one
thing that could kill this Harvest dead.
If you have imbibed this 'DO NOTHING' doctrine, then you need to
REPENT, my friends. -Desperately. For while you cling to it, God
can do NOTHING WITH YOU.
The time has come to stand and fight, to "let those that have
wives act as though they had none." -To stand and do battle for
the lost of this land before the summer is past and the harvest is
ended. Do not let God find you 'fiddling while Rome burns', my
friends. Someone has rightly said that if the apostles had not
ACTED, then there would be no "Acts of the Apostles". The time
has truly come to ACT - and that with urgency.
God bless you all.
Kindest regards in Christ,
Andrew Strom.