Consider the Institutional Church. In this very hour, Her problems are so deeply entrenched within the overall religious system that it would need a total renovation from inside out. I tried to do so myself, but it didn’t work.
I started a small, non-denominational church in 1996 , while I was still under the authority of the Denomination called AMEZ. I preached an excellent word and I was a faithful and true pastor. My problem was that I WAS STILL IN THE SYSTEM, TRYING TO POUR NEW WINE INTO OLD SKINS. I looked around at the phonies in my congregation and I said to myself “what up wit DIS?”
I tried new things but they could not escape the system and neither could I. The Laodicean lukewarmness could not be changed. For example, I stopped a passive Wednesday night bible study where I did all the work and the people just sat lethargically in front of me. I taught four bible studies a week, two in the morning and two at night. Even those who faithfully attended each bible study did so merely out of ritual and I started requiring each member to do an independent study based upon the message that they heard the previous Sunday morning. I asked them to prepare what they had learned and “tell ME about it”. Congregants were assigned to prepare questions based upon what they did not understand in the teaching. To say the least, the response of the members was sickeningly lukewarm. After trial and much error, it finally became clear to me that no one really wanted to actually study the word of God for themselves. Their intention was simply to be found in church. No one prepared anything. In fact, they appeared confused and annoyed and by their utter passivity, simply did not even try the assignment because they were too used to being spoon-fed. Undoubtedly, they would have bible study no other way.
This is the reality of trying to change the religious system from inside Her. You will end up with even more apostasy like the Emergent Church. Change without the Holy Ghost is utter chaos. Church leaders will not change their traditional practices. The sinner’s prayer, the invitation to Christian discipleship, the Holy Communion and all the craziness around it will continue. Let us not forget the witchcraft practices of charismatics. Even when church appears to be working, a close examination will find the same endemic problems from church to church, pastor to pastor, member to member. The foundation is basically the same and that foundation is not the true Son of God. The foundation is actually the organization itself.
The church system will not change because it cannot change. As the wine skins are old, God is not pouring in new wine.
The wineskins example reminds me of the worldly premise. How can you expect real change when you keep repeating old behaviors. Yesterday, a woman told me in a phone session that she prayed for 30 years that her two sons would be saved and it did not happen. Hmmmmm. Perhaps her son’s are not chosen for salvation or could it be that praying for someone’s salvation is USELESS? I prayed for 25 years that I would receive an interpretation of my tongues or sent an interpreter. It never happened, needless to say. Hmmmmm. It finally dawned on me once I became undeceived. My tongues are not from God and that is why my prayer was not answered.
Think about this. What are you doing over and over again in your spiritual walk, while you continue to expect different results? Who remains in your life, doing the same things, yet you still have expectations that “a change is gonna come, by and by?”
Relevant Readings: Come Out of Her, God’s People, Faces of the Religious Demon, The Fake Jesus, the New Idolatry and more!
DETOXING FROM RELIGION BY RESURRECTION POWER! 
Your experience is VERY similar to the experiences I have walked through the past 7 years. Including starting a home church for two years…keep up the fight…it costs everything but nothing of worth. Shalom!
you may want to be a part of RESCUE. if so, go to http://www.rescuefellowship.me
Create a username that I will recognize so that I can approve you to enter. It is private, and no one gets in without my approval. make sure is says Charleswith a number.
Hi –
I sent you and e-mail today. In case you read this first, here’s the content of what I expressed:
Hi Ms. Sheppard –
Some months ago, our Lord led me to the blog of Wenona Russ. It helped me much in my journey out of the institutional church. From there, I read several of Wenona’s books, which our Lord used to help me further. On Amazon.com, I was compelled to write a review of Wenona’s book, “The Church Zone.”
Later our Lord led me to your youtube videos about leaving the church… I’m so grateful, Ms. Sheppard, for what you were led to share. I watched every one of those segments.
Last week, our Lord led me back to your youtube videos for learning about other topics that you share. He told me to listen to each one. I just finished the one on No Quick Fixes.
Also, for years, I spoke in tongues, and just recently learned to renounce that practice. Last week, I sent you some questions.
Thank you for your responses.
Note: Our Lord led me to revise one of my e-Books, “Warfare Solutions Loaded with the Lion of Judah – Volume 1” to remove support for speaking in tongues. The revision will take about a week to show in the copies at Apple, Barnes and Noble and Sony but Amazon already shows it.
Our Lord led me to read your free e-Books. The content was quite helpful. Also, I ordered a book that you recommended, “War on the Saints.” The first chapter is what I’ve read so far. It is potent indeed.
I’ve written some free e-Books, as well. If our Lord leads you, the links are below to the Apple iTunes site. Also, they are available on the Sony and Barnes and Noble websites. On Amazon, they are priced at $.99 each.
Learn Skills to Keep the Devil in His Place – Volume 1
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/learn-skills-to-keep-devil/id528098645?mt=11
Learn Skills to Keep the Devil in His Place Volume 2
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/volume-2-learn-skills-to-keep/id627366257?mt=11
Thank you, Ms. Sheppard, for all that you do to love GOD and to advance His gospel. Truly, I can firmly and gratefully attest that I’ve been much helped and effectively ministered to by what you’ve so generously shared.
In sincerity,
Sandra Renee Hicks
P.S. I also sent you a Facebook Friend request.
Don’t feel bad, Sandra. I had to wipe out an entire book, my second one because all through it, was giving credit to God for dreams, visions and other signs that came from the religious fallen angel assigned to me. I can’t get it off the market but I don’t advertise it. You have shown by editing your book that God can definitely use you.
You are already in RESCUE and I have posted a special welcome for you. I did not think that someone with your background needed mentoring. But if so, we have one on one mentoring by email at no charge. Phone sessions are $25 per half hour. most RESCUE members have two hours a week. Some have four.