Top June 2018 Posts

In June 2018, the blog section of the spiritual abuse website had 10,720 visits, with 6338 being unique. Below are the top ten read posts for June from eight different authors.

We are always looking for new people to join our group of bloggers, so please consider registering and watch your email for more information. How frequently you post is up to you. Let your voice be heard and help others recover. You may find healing for yourself as well. Read here for more information.

Commenting directly on the blog is an encouragement to our writers as they often cannot see all the places where their words are shared and discussed on social media.

Where Are The Biblical Scholars In the UPCI? – author John (accessed 833 times)

An Email From A United Pentecostal Minister – author Lois (accessed 402 times)

Getting Out the Old Books: Power Before the Throne – author Lynne (accessed 367 times)

Church Submission Teachings – author Through Grace (accessed 343 times)

The United Pentecostal Church and Sexual Abuse – author Lois

Getting Out the Old Books: Joy Haney – author Lynne

Finding community after leaving a cult or toxic religious environment – author FaithAfterDeception

UPC Unpardonable – author Susan

Safe and Sound – author Nana5

Finances: Church or Family? – author Sailor

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Top May 2018 Posts

In May 2018, the blog section of the spiritual abuse website had 10,271 visits, with 6291 being unique. Below are the top ten read posts for May from six different authors.

We are always looking for new people to join our group of bloggers, so please consider registering and watch your email for more information. How frequently you post is up to you. Let your voice be heard and help others recover. You may find healing for yourself as well. Read here for more information.

Commenting directly on the blog is an encouragement to our writers as they often cannot see all the places where their words are shared and discussed on social media.

Is Your Pastor Ruinous To Your Spiritual Life? – author Lois (accessed 827 times)

PTCS -Post Traumatic Church Syndrome – author Nana5 (accessed 783 times)

How Long Is Your Skirt? (Er, How Holy Are You?) – author John (accessed 645 times)

Dirty Words – author Susan (accessed 460 times)

The United Pentecostal Church and Sexual Abuse – author Lois

If You Were To Die Tonight – author Lois

Selfish greed – author FreeAtLast

More on “I got to have your money” Financial Greed – author FreeAtLast

Aggressive, Militant Christians – author Dividing His Word

Examining Teachings #6: Adding To The Bible – author Lois

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Examining Teachings #6: Adding To The Bible

For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. – Revelation 22:18,19

Some unhealthy churches teach as if the New Testament was initially all written together in book form and Revelation was the final chapter. They will claim that if someone adds to or takes away from anything written in the entire Bible, they will be lost. The above passage in Revelation is normally used to support this thought. In addition, there are a few other Bible passages that speak against adding to the words of God, such as Proverbs 30:5-6, Deuteronomy 4:2, and 12:32. This teaching often places fear in people, causing them to worry that their name might be removed from the book of life or that God will hit them with plagues should they get anything wrong. What is ironic is that many who teach this distortion are often breaking it with their added rules and regulations to which they believe Christians must adhere. Let’s take a closer look.

Keep in mind that Revelation 1:11 states, “Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.” This passage gives context to Revelation 22 and it can clearly be seen that John was to send this writing to seven distinct places because the counsel and warning it contained was directed toward them. According to Strong’s Concordance, the word which was translated ‘book’ means ‘a papyrus roll.’ Thayer’s Greek Lexicon states, “a small book, a scroll: …a written document; a sheet on which something has been written”. In Luke 4:17 the same word was used to refer to the scroll of Isaiah. Since the New Testament was not compiled until a great many years later, the comment about adding to or taking from it was never directed to the entire Bible or New Testament.

God didn’t write the Bible and then hand it to us from heaven. The New Testament writings were not all written at the same time, nor by the same individuals. In fact, they were never written by the authors with the thought that one day they would be placed together in a book that we would call the New Testament. Each letter was written to a specific person or group of people for a specific reason. In this, we must keep in mind that while Revelation is the last book in our Bibles, it was never written as such but is a result of people from hundreds of years ago deciding upon which writings would be included and in what order. So when Revelation talks about adding to or taking away from the prophecy found therein, it is only speaking of that letter written by John. It is specific to the things John wrote in that letter and has nothing to do with the rest of the books of our Bible.

Let’s take a quick look at the other passages I mentioned. Proverbs 30: 5-6 (NASB): “Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.” These are the words of Agur and note that what was written did not proclaim anyone lost if this happened. He is speaking about what God has spoken and not what people have spoken about God.

Deuteronomy 4:2 (NASB): “You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.” Reading in context, this was spoken to the Israelites by Moses. He was teaching them the “statutes and the judgments” that God had given him for the people to follow. This pertains solely to the things that Moses delivered to them as God had directed. If they added to what he taught them, or took away parts, they would no longer be following these statutes.

Deuteronomy 12:32 (NASB): “Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it.” This goes right along with the above mentioned fourth chapter.

None of these are warnings about adding to the Bible as a whole. They were specific to what was written that God had spoken. The Bible isn’t something believers should fear and it was never meant to be something where one had to be frightened they might get some wording incorrect or make an error in quoting from it. People may misunderstand some things. There is no threat of being lost because you might wrongly quote something in the Bible or have an incorrect or incomplete understanding of something in its pages.

If we want to see a perfect example of adding to what God had spoken, we have it in the Pharisees. They had added so many rules to what God had instituted that they were following their traditions and not God’s commandments. See what Jesus said about this in Matthew 15 (NASB):

Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? “For God said, ‘HONORYOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,’ and, ‘HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.’ “But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,” he is not to honor his father or his mother.’ And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you:

‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS,
BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.
BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME,
TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’”

This passage in Matthew shows what was meant by Moses when he instructed the Israelites to neither add to nor take from the commandments God had given. This is a tragic result of the Pharisees doing this very thing.

I hope this helps someone to break from this faulty teaching. Your walk with God is not about your performance of dotting every i and crossing every t and having everything right. If that is how the walk of a believer truly is, no one stands a chance as even the early believers and apostles, who walked side by side with Jesus, got things wrong. Fear permeates the teachings of unhealthy churches. May all who experienced this fear break free of its chains.

Examining Teachings #1: Drunk In The Spirit?
Examining Teachings #2: Jezebel and Shamefaced
Examining Teachings #3: Peculiar And Separate
Examining Teachings #4: What Must I Do To Be Saved?
Examining Teachings #5: Faith Without Works Is Dead

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Top April 2018 Posts

In April 2018, the blog section of the spiritual abuse website had 9119 visits, with 5309 being unique. Below are the top ten read posts for April from five different authors.

We are always looking for new people to join our group of bloggers, so please consider registering and watch your email for more information. How frequently you post is up to you. Let your voice be heard and help others recover. You may find healing for yourself as well. Read here for more information.

Commenting directly on the blog is an encouragement to our writers as they often cannot see all the places where their words are shared and discussed on social media.

Signs of Religious Abuse, Part 1 – author Through Grace (accessed 686 times)

How to spot Pastor/Leader Worship – author Dividing His Word (accessed 517 times)

What’s Love Got To Do With It? – author Nana5 (accessed 351 times)

Leaving an Unhealthy Church #11: Confusion & Not Knowing Who or What to Believe – author Lois (accessed 327 times)

Ruining Communion Through Fear – author Lois

The United Pentecostal Church and Sexual Abuse – author Lois

Stumbling block: a little about what happened to me – author Mary

United Pentecostal Church Manual Part 1 – author Lois

Signs of Religious Abuse, Part 2 – author Through Grace

A UPC Church Responds To Sexual Abuse – author Lois

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Ruining Communion Through Fear

One of the ways unhealthy churches cause members unnecessary angst is the manner in which they teach communion. For many, even though they are now away from their former churches, they still cannot take part in communion. There are some who never overcome the fear instilled in them that they could be bringing damnation upon themselves. For them, the experience of communion has been ruined. Others are able to do so only after much trepidation, prayer and agonizing over their standing with God.

In some of these churches, the pastor has to give approval of anyone wishing to take communion. Some give rules that must be followed. There is the issue of whether grape juice or wine is to be used. Others will forbid people from taking part in communion at other churches where they feel it isn’t properly taught or handled.

There is nothing in the Bible that says a pastor or leader is to approve of anyone taking communion. There is no check-off list for believers to do prior to partaking. If you have placed your faith in Jesus, you are free to take communion. We do it in remembrance of Jesus. It is not to be something feared, dreaded or worrisome.

The believers in Corinth were very messed up. (For a brief synopsis of what it was like, read this.) They suffered from divisions, quarrels, jealousy and sexual immorality. They were carnal, with some being proud and arrogant. At times gatherings were disorderly. The apostle Paul considered them to be worldly and like infants in Christ, instead of mature believers. This was the scenario when Paul addressed those at Corinth concerning communion. You will find no other warning about communion anywhere else in the New Testament. It was specific to the situation among these believers.

Despite this, for years some ministers have twisted 1 Corinthians 11 into something Paul never meant nor taught. This is what Paul had heard about them concerning communion (NLT): “When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper. For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk. What? Don’t you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace God’s church and shame the poor? What am I supposed to say? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly will not praise you for this!”

Do you see it? They were not viewing communion properly as it seemed to be treated like any other meal and some became drunk, something certainly not part of communion. Others went without, due to some not considering those that did not have anything to eat. THIS is what Paul addressed. They had turned communion into something foreign to what they had been taught. It had nothing to do with a checklist. It had nothing to do with praying through first or making sure you had repented of any and all possible sin. It wasn’t about those things at all. But unhealthy churches distort what happened in order to create FEAR in people—and they have a much better chance of controlling and manipulating you when it is present. Fear permeates the teachings in unhealthy churches.

This is what Paul taught about the reason for communion (NLT): For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.

The celebration of Passover became the Christian time of communion and was to be done in remembrance of Jesus. We remember that he gave his life for us and brought a new covenant with God. Through the years it seems to have lost the closeness brought by sharing a meal together compared to how most churches celebrate today.

While Paul does go on to mention taking communion ‘unworthily/unworthy’ and that they should ‘examine themselves’ beforehand, his instructions had nothing to do with what some ministers teach today, that one has to pray through and make sure they have no sin in their life. He isn’t saying believers need to be fearful of taking part in communion. Remember the overall state of the believers at Corinth and how Paul stated that when they met together they weren’t really interested in the Lord’s Supper. The NASB puts it like this, “Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper, for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk.” While their gathering together was to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, they had a total disregard for others as they scarfed down the meal and became drunk, starting before everyone arrived, and doing so while others had little or nothing to eat and drink. They made the taking of communion to be disgraceful by their selfishness, inconsideration and drunkenness.

Consider how Paul closed his comments to them and hopefully it will help you to see where the emphasis was placed when he wrote to the Corinthians. (NLT) “So, my dear brothers and sisters, when you gather for the Lord’s Supper, wait for each other. If you are really hungry, eat at home so you won’t bring judgment upon yourselves when you meet together.” Can you better see it now?

For those having difficulty in this area, consider having your own personal time of communion away from a church setting, either by yourself or with family. It may help you to ease back into being able to participate in a church setting. There are no rules on how frequently a believer is to take communion and there is nothing condemning those who do not take it.

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