I love my Brethren brethren dearly, and owe much to them in my spiritual upbringing and training......BUT,
But they too have for the most part adopted a “pastor” mentality with ONE of the elders doing most preaching/teaching, etc. = dependence on one man.
And, many assemblies have become dead and legalistic, rigid, unbending, not open to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and very self-righteous, spiritually proud. They are too often an empty shell of what used to be........
Of course, I only know of a few assemblies personally - but understand that most are the same......
Every move of God in history has ended up thus - there is no reason for the Brethren to be different.....in time, spirituality declines, men take over, supplant Christ while loudly proclaiming His headship, apathy sets in, legalism, form becomes rigid and the most important thing rather than LIFE and personal relationship/walk with the Lord.
One missionary summed it up something like this: Every move of God is born in a cave - and dies in a cathedral.
Meaning, when people are helpless, destitute, they fall on their knees and cry out to God. He hears, He answers, He moves, they are blessed. In a generation or less, they take everything for granted - later, they “earned it” or “deserve it” because they are better, more spiritual than others. Spiritual pride comes in. Apathy. Spiritual deadness.
The form remains - a shell of what once was. The form becomes the emphasis. But there is no life in the form. They build a building. To be spiritual, it is called a “chapel” and not a church. But the thought is the same: a place where God is.
Sorry, God hasn’t dwelt in a place since Ezekiel when God withdrew His presence from the Temple, and that - interestingly - was the subject of Jesus conversation with the woman at the well - brought up by her, not by Him. God is spirit, and true worshipers worship Him in spirit and truth.
His dwelling place is His people - now through eternity - but only where they truly allow Him to be the Foundation, the Center, and the Head in a living, practical way.
Doesn't this describe almost ALL churches today?
Pail had an example...
1 Corinthians 14:26
What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.
bttt
Well said.