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It is ironic how many so-called Christian churches claim to be representative of God, working for advancing His Kingdom, striving to win souls to the Cross, proclaiming a different Gospel and a different Jesus, pretending to be the only true church, all the true church and nothing but the true church.
Divisions and denominations within Christ church existed since the early years of Christendom; to ascertain this fact, read Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians, and you will realize the phenomenon is 2000 years old.
Throughout the centuries, the church was plagued by heresies and schisms, generating a gamut of cults and occults, which shattered and still shatter the face and the substance of Jesus’ original intended Church. Moreover, between the universal and the orthodox, the fundamental and the Pentecostal, the charismatic and the pragmatic, the revivalist and the evangelistic, etc., the True Church is nowhere to be found.
The True Church of Jesus Christ was established to be a refuge to all of us the sinners, since we all fell short of God’s Grace; but as the prodigal son, once he realized that he is lost, he returned to his senses, to his home, his father and his family for forgiveness and fellowship; we, too, need to go to our Father and to our mother the church, to seek refuge, to seek forgiveness, to seek grace, to seek reconciliation and fellowship with our Father and fellowman, abiding by what the Lord admonished us when He said: “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness and the rest will be added unto you; love the Lord Thy God with all your might and love your neighbor as yourself “, then we will find rest and peace and we will inherit Eternal Life.
Many churches have failed their missions because the representative of God failed to proclaim the True Message of God Forgiveness, God Compassion, and God Unconditional Love to one and all, instead they preach the doctrine of doom and gloom, the doctrine of customs and traditions, the doctrine of alienation and division. Therefore, the majority of believers flock into their denominational and factional churches, and before entering, they stand before its portals to unload their sins, cares and problems, drag themselves in, spend impatiently and indifferently some time dozing, and when they leave, they feel spiritually emptier than when they went in, except for the load of their sins, cares and problems, which they will pick up at the portals, where they have left them, till the next church service.
Many view the church as an embassy, and its consulate (Chancellery/Rectory) is the most frequented and needed department, where they can get sacramental yet ceremonial services as well as baptismal, marriage and death certificates, recommendations, certification and affidavit letters, be invited to social events, boast of the friendship with the pastor, the bishop and the clergy etc..., with no genuine spiritual association but for business purposes only.
Many may only know the church on a casual basis, as one said: when they were hatched, matched and later will be dispatched”, benefiting of a sprinkle of water, and handful of rice or dirt.
