Problems of Churches today

The fall of Churches,
1.Having statuses
        The first fall is having statuses. This had started since in the 2nd century. There is a person named Clement in the Church of Rome, he wrote a letter concerning about bringing in the Preach system into the church. Then somebody think that having a same status is not too good, so they choose some people to become preaches to do the service, like those in the Old Testament. This thought already decided by some groups since the year 100.
        At the same time, a person named Ignatius, he missed interpreted the scripture in the book of Acts 20:17-28. The book of Acts says that the elders are the supervisors. Elders is a person, supervise is a duty, the two is one person but two different name. But Ignatius think that the "supervisor" mentioned in Acts has a higher rank than the "elder" does; he thinks that elders is for one place and supervisor is for many places. So, from that moment, there exists two type of names and status in Christianity. Then they changed the name to High Priest, the elders is to supervise one single location and the High Priest is for all location. And higher than High Priest, there also exists a Higher Priest. So from then, status's exists.
        Then in the 3rd century, a High Priest in North Africa's Carthage named Cyprian came out and say that a church must have higher levels and lower levels, higher positions and lower positions. It's also changed to an authority. His views has upgraded the church into a authoritarian Christianity.
        Until the 4th century, the Roman Catholic Church formed, there also have priest, high priest, and higher priest etc. And finally until the 5th century, the highest priest called Pope formed. These are the priests of the Roman Catholic Church's statuses.
        And until then, some had become priest in the church and does the services, and others don't. This is what today's Roman Catholic Church's are like. Not only they have different statuses, they also have different dresses. Looks like only they are Holy and others are just normal Christians and they can unite with the World. This status system has broken the Body of Christ, and had made some of the parts on the body disabled. And later it broken into two parts. Then believers are not in the same position, and not living in the oneness of Christ, and not all doing preaching, the church had changed. And till then, all the things in the beginning of the church had vanished.

2. Abided to the World
Then second thing is they have abided to the World. Until the year 313, Constantine, the King of Rome accepted Christianity, from then on, Christianity and the Roman Empire had abided to the World. Before that, the Roman Empire hated Christianity, until Constantine accepted it, the Church had abide to the world with the Roman Empire.
Until the year 380, the King of the Roman Empire, Theodosius, revised Christianity as a State Religion. And this deepened the abidement to the World. The church is totally different from the actual church from the beginning.

3. Idolatry
The third is that, they had practiced idolatry. This is more serious, the church contains lots of idols and some had become that worlds' most beautiful, expensive idols. You can see, some Roman Catholic churches has parades bringing idols to the streets. And some rushing to touch the pictures of Maria. Does this mean they are not practicing idolatry ? Yes! they are.

4. Doesn't let God open His mouth
The forth is they had shutted God's mouth by closing up the bible to normal people and only the priest can look at it. And only the words of the priest are the highest. Then no one can speak and listen to God's words, it is only the person's words they are listening.

5. Divisions
In the 2nd and 3rd century, some people came out of the church because of different truths and thoughts. Until the 5th century, because of some quarrels on power, they divided into East Roman Catholic Church and West Roman Catholic Church and some small churches.

6. Had integrated authority
In the 3rd century, one person wanted to unite the Roman Catholic and formed a Catholic Church. Then the whole Catholic Church in the west had ruled by the priest in Roman Catholic. The Hebrew Church in the East, mostly had ruled by Constantinople's High Priest's. This had also broken the position of the locality on the church (actually it must be one city one church), and they also have unlawful unity. This is the most serious thing of the fall.

7. Violated the position of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit
The spirit in the church could not have power. In the Roman Catholic Church, the Pope became the head and had hold the power. All had fallen to the hands of the High Priest.

The recovery of Churches,
1. The recovery of the Protestant -- 16th century
        Until the 15th century, some people came out and protest. We all know that Luther is the first to protest. But frankly saying, there is people like Luther had came out to protest before him, they had stood out to speak for God and condemned the fallen churches. Two of the most powerful one's were Wyclif from England and John Huss from Europe. They had enlightened a lot of people, and this has set a ground for protestant movement.
        Until the 16th century, Luther a priest from Roman Catholic, had enlightened by God. When he stood up, many people followed him. By that time, but only they have spiritual powers, but also have political powers. Because the King in Europe doesn't want to restrict by High Priest's, and they also joint the movement. Thus, the movement was very political, not just only the matters of religion. Many believers in the Catholic Church went out and formed the Protestant Church. We can say that Luther is the reformer.
        Thus, from then on, Christianity has 2 tribute, and it lasted 400 years. Well, we can say that this reform is the first recovery, or the first part of recovery. Now I would like to show you some of the things they have reformed.

The bible had been publicized,
        Everyone can hold a bible. This is the most fortunate thing in the reform. But although the bible had publicized, but it had not fully interpreted. Publicized is one thing, interpreted is another. You read the bible is one thing, you saw the light is another.
        Some had known the interpretation of the bible, but they seldom had practiced. Even Luther didn't followed it. Although they had saved from the Roman Catholic, but they didn't saved from the political part.
        Thus, in the protestant, the bible is still not the first ruler in the church.

Have not isolated from the World,
The protestant has become some of the national religion, and left into the political site. Thus, they are still same as the Roman Catholic Church.
After that, some Private Church like Babtise Church, Elders Church, Methodist Church formed. Although they are not abided to the world, but some of their practices are still in the World.

Thrown off idolatry,

Thrown off status's,
Although they had thrown off some of the status's like "high priest" etc. But same protestant still uses the teachings of the Old Testament and they used another words like "priest" to name it. This is also a status. God wants us all to have the rights to serve and speak for God, and all of us became the body of Christ. This had just reformed a little.

More divisions,
Some had divide because of country's location, or boundaries, or country's own church. Then some divide because of different truths, authorities, praying, people in the bible or historical heroes. Now there are more than 3000's of churches outside. The protestant not only have not reformed, but have stimulated the fall.

Have not isolated authoritical practices,

Have not let Christ to have full power and spiritual practices,

2. The oneness of Brethren recovery -- 18th century
Some believers in Northern Europe had another recovery, they recovered almost 90 percent of the original state. We now take a look on some of the main point of their recoveries.

1. Listen to God's words
2. Did not abide with the World
3. Does not practice idolatry
4. No statuses, stressed on brother's connection
5. Live in oneness, thrown off different views
6. Thrown off authoritarian
7. Let Christ be the highest one's and let the spirit guide them.

3. The Brethren recoveries -- 19th century
It all started from year 1928. Some people thought that it has signified one of the content in REV 3:7-13. They have recovered 100 percent of the original state.
All the brothers were very loving.

Absolutely listened to God's word,
They have interpreted a lot from the bible, and many had seen the light. Many of the teachings from the churches today are mostly from the Brethren's.
There are many well-known people like J.N.Darby, J.G.Bellett, C.H.Mackintosh and W.Kelly etc. They have interpreted many bible sciptures. This is also mentioned in REV 3:8.

Isolated from the World,

Isolated idolatry,

Thrown away status's, being only brothers, and in one body, very stresses on loving and connections,

Thrown away religion and being in the oneness in witnesses,

No authority,

Putted Christ at the first place and abide with the spirit

4. The fall of the Brethren -- not longer after recovery
Around 1850's, or 20 years later, they have some problems. Why ? Its because some of the believers in protestant went there for service, and then started different viewpoints. Some did not want the protestants to go for the meeting and some wanted. They called those from protestant "evil companion". Some needed the protestant fully isolated from the church they went and some said doesn't matter. Thus, they divided into two groups. One is the Exclusive Brethren or E.B. and the other one is the Open Brethren or O.B. Then divisions started.
Not longer they started to have different views on scriptures, some even condemned the false one's "evil doctrines". Then more divisions and they have lost the oneness of it. Then a fall started again.

5. Recovery in the East -- since 1922

Totally accepted God's words

Thrown off all religional names, recover for the oneness of Christ

No status's, authority, recover for equality of the brothers

Does not abide to the World

No idolatry

Putting Christ first and let spirit does the judging

Dividing according to locality, one city one church

All church systems is in locality, and connection is universal

No unity of systems, only spiritual anointment

Stress on normal works like full timers, elders, no status

Stress on the working of the body of Christ

Stress on services of the church

Dennis Yap Tsong Hsih