Attributes of Religion

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The Clergy Laity Doctrine

Denominational Empires

2"It is finished" What was finished?

Religion Essays Indexed

Behaviors of the Pharisees

Religion, Jeremiah's Stale Cisterns

Religion: A dividing force

Religious, emulated behaviors

Religion's Focus on Performance

Looking at Externals

Terms that have become Religious

Vines, True Vines and Others

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Denominational Empires, World Kingdoms

When Religion Becomes a Worldly Empire

Jesus when asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; (21) nor will they say; Look, here it is! orThere it is!; For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.; Luke 17:20 - Luke 17:21 20

Denominations (churches)' are the best known expressions of Christian religious institutions. Why were holy wars or religious wars fought? Why did reformations and counter reformations occur? Why were nations pitted against nation, and men and women pronounced heretic to be imprisoned in chains, and executed by fire or by sword?

Worldly power and dominion were absolutely NOT what Jesus planned to actualize his kingdom. The Kingdom of God is in no way comparable to earthly rule and authority. Jesus clearly declared to Pilate the Roman governor, hours before he was to die on the cross, that "my kingdom is not of this world, if it were my followers would fight." A time is coming when the perfect will manifest. In that day the perfect will include the personal physical rule of Christ over an earthly kingdom. Jesus reiterated to Pilate, "Now, my kingdom is Not Of This World!"
Yet, earthly kingdoms have usurped the purposes and desires of the Lord. The growth of institutional Christianity as a political, economic and social power began quickly after the earliest years of the faith. The life of God, along with truth and simplicity of the Gospel began to dissolve. Individual centers of fellowship were once Spirit led and non formalistic. The immediacy of first hand Holy Spirit revelation and Spiritual fellowship gave way to religious structure and formalism. The form and power of the Book of Acts church faded from existence. When religion has no spiritual understanding and becomes empowered as a political force, it does its ugliest and most evil work. That house became divided and rages against itself. "The Spirit of Truth is exchanged for a lie." The right Spirit is exchanged for the spirit of domination, vengeance, retribution and the spirit of murder.

Satan, humanity's spiritual foe, seeks every opportunity to usurp rulership through religion. Demonically inspired doctrines that creep in have one agenda and that is to lead us away from the light and truth of Christ's gospel of Grace. These apostasies speak to man's fallen nature. The flesh wars against the spirit and religion serves to accomodate a form of godliness. The house is divided, the house of God becomes polluted with the house of the demonic. Vanity reigns in gaudy splendor. Individuals rule and lord over the common believer. Religious empires are defended one against others, maybe their own brothers, to destroy one another in the name of truth, in the name of God.

Where was the wisdom and counsel of God's Word when men and nations began to create worldly kingdoms and called them God's kingdom? The Kingdom of God and Truth was exchanged for something else. "My kingdom is not of this world, if it were of this world my people would fight. But now it is not of this world." Denominationalism continues to build its own worldly kingdoms. They foster their own "princes and nobles" and rulers of states. They have multitudes of lesser nobles and greater multitudes of serfs who continue to serve the fiefdoms, while receiving nothing more than spiritual gruel that can neither nourish the "inner man" nor set him free. Among the manifold religious traditions that we are so familiar, there are too many departures from understanding of truth. These produce detriments to human spiritual life, liberty, power, and fruitfulness.

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E Book 1:
The Gospel Without Religion

E Book 2:
A Disciples Handbook

E Book 3:
Mysteries in the Bible Index to all Charles Pinkney Christian Titles

2019 update