The Illusion Of Jesus Christ As Represented By Institutional Churches

by Van Robison

steepleAs a young man, many years ago I was caught up in the Worldwide Church of God/Ambassador College/Herbert W. Armstrong organization, which was headquartered in Pasadena, California. What I thought was "God's true church" was only an illusion -- a mirage. In this man-made organization, we were taught Old Testament doctrines such as keeping the Saturday Sabbath, keeping 1st, 2nd, and 3rd tithes, observing annual "Holydays" such as "Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles". We were also subjected to authoritarianism and hierarchy. Clearly, the church "authorities" did everyone's thinking. There were many teachings about such topics as birthdays, Christmas, women's make-up, divorce and remarriage, and other matters. After about twelve years of this spiritually abusive organization, I resigned my position as the Payroll Manager for their multi-million dollar payroll, and took an exit never to look back, and that was in October, 1974.

Years later my wife and I and children attended various other churches, including charismatic, pentecostal, non-denominational, and visited a number of churches, such as Baptist and other groups. We attended a couple of the Benny Hinn crusades, and even attended the world famous "revival" at the Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola, Florida. We have also been associated with a home fellowship group where no "professional" clergy were in the fellowship. We have seen and experienced first hand -- CHURCH. After a lifetime of CHURCH, we came to realize that church is not Jesus Christ. Church is an illusion -- a mirage. Church is an institution. Jesus Christ nowhere ever asked anyone, "Where do you go to church?"

True worship is directed toward God Almighty/Father/Jesus Christ, but somehow on the way to eternal life, Christians have been derailed, diverted, and refocused from Jesus Christ to "pastors", churches, organizations, institutions, "The Purpose Driven Church", church growth (meaning to get more people into physical church buildings, and who are financial contributors), revivals, crusades, camp meetings, Bible schools, seminary, and television celebrity preachers, and other business endeavors, none of which is what Jesus Christ came teaching.

Jesus Christ was not:

  1. A Baptist.
  2. A Methodist.
  3. A Presbyterian.
  4. A Roman Catholic.
  5. A Pentecostal.
  6. A Charismatic.
  7. A Church of Christ.
  8. A non-instrumental Church of Christ.
  9. A Mennonite.
  10. A Lutheran.
  11. A Worldwide Church of God/Armstrongism.
  12. Amish.
  13. Reformed.
  14. A Holiness Church.
  15. A Sacred Name Church.
  16. A Seventh Day Adventist.
  17. A Mormon.
  18. A Jehovah's Witness Church.
  19. A First Christian Church.
  20. An Episcopal.
  21. A Full Gospel Interdenominational.
  22. A Nazarene Church.
We could keep listing church names and organizations ad infinitum. Almost without exception, at least in the United States, all church organizations are registered 501c3 "not for profit" institutions. The reason this is so, is because it is a tradition, and the CPA's and church lawyers have encouraged 501c3 status for all churches. There actually is another way, and that is to forget the buildings, forget the money, and forget the paid hirelings, and fellowship under the apple tree for free.

If your relationship is with Jesus Christ, you need no illusion. A mirage is not real.

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