It is no secret that I don’t attend church. Is that something worth bragging about? Certainly not. It is a wonderful thing when “two or three are gathered in His name” (Matthew 18:20).

So why don’t I gather with by brothers and sisters then? Good question. What we call church today is not what the disciples of Christ and the early churches considered “assembling together.” They gathered with far more than rote tradition and social validation as their motivating forces. They gathered with the Spirit. Yet when I come bearing the words of the Spirit to them, they call me strange. Several local church goers have cited the following verse to me as evidence of my apostasy:

“Do not forsake the assembling together of the saints.”

OK, if you are going to cite a Bible verse to another as an admonition, why don’t you first read it in understanding and in context rather than just regurgitating it haphazardly from a place of complete bias?

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The LORD will judge His people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:19–31

Even though the word “saint” is not in this verse, as my brothers sometimes cite, let’s look at it, because it is relevant. What is a saint? It is a holy person. Ask yourself, do the people you assemble with for religious reasons maintain holiness in their lives? Do they meet the standard set above? If the answer if no, perhaps you should pray about your involvement with them.

• Do they participate in Christianized pagan holidays?
• Do they believe, maintain and defend false doctrines?
• Have they adopted and defended traditions and practices that are worldly, unclean or unholy, like New Age or the occult?
• Do they blaspheme the Spirit in unrepentant sin?
• Do they look to the world for answers, comfort and ease rather than God, refusing to hear His voice?

These are reasons I avoid yoking myself unequally with so-called “believers.” If you believed the Bible you would not give God credit for divorcing your wife and marrying another saying, “God gave me a good one this time.” If you believed the Bible you would not accept pagan practices disguised as Christianity. If you do these things you are not contending for the faith. You are compromising it and encouraging others to do the same. This I cannot bear to witness. Lord knows I’ve tried to “bear with one another” (Colossians 3:13) as we are admonished by Paul. At what point are you wasting your time? At what point do you ask God if it is truly your place to be with these people, and in what capacity?

I have likened myself to a watchman on the wall to my local brethren, if I can even call them that–and I do have my doubts. As a night watchman, I don’t go about their busy work in the day, even though I do work a day job with them. I mean to say, spiritually, I am watching over them as they sleep. I stand at the wall around the city looking for the enemy’s approach and sound the trumpet when I see them coming, or when I find that they have infiltrated the city walls. I told them, even though I don’t attend their services, I am still their kin. I still care and desire to keep them safe from the evil one.

So what does it mean to bear with one another? Paul gives instructions to the church of Colossians:

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:1–17

Here is yet another instance where cherry picking is a problem with the interpretation of Scripture. The context speaks things many Christians don’t want to accept. For example, admonishing means to exhort, or warn and council one another regarding their behavior. That’s exactly what all these verses are doing, warning against poor behavior and point towards good behavior. I have been admonished thusly — that because I admonish I am unloving and therefore break the admonition of this Scripture. Does that make any sense?

I bore with these people for years while watching them walk the opposite way as me, straight down the path I was walking away from. They had become nationalists, zionists, New Age practitioners and began being immoral, among other detriments to their faith. They consider themselves conservatives yet they are starting to think like liberals (I don’t play party politics by the way). The sin of these people are piling up. One thing led to another and no one listened to my trumpet when I sounded. How can I possibly be happy with that? How can I possibly have peace?

Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, To sit up late, To eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep. Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate. Psalm 127:1–5

I have stayed awake in vain. I have labored in vain for them. Their quivers are full but they are speaking with the enemy at the gate, inviting them in. I have been praying, asking God, “Should I abandon my post? Should I kick the dust from my heels?” So far, He has kept me here, but I don’t know for how much longer.

Recently, construction was started on the railroad near my house. I live on Railroad St. The city put up detour signs, but they put them in the wrong places, pointing people toward the construction rather than away from it. Every day I drive to work in the morning I see a sign pointing me in the opposite direction of my job. Every time I drive into town for lunch, on my way back to work I see a sign directing me towards my house on Railroad St. I’ve been praying for a long time about whether I should quit my job and commit myself to ministry. I have been working on this website and coding my own writing app for about a month now. Signs, literally?

After all the years I spent here spinning my wheels in Montezuma, trying to find a place to fit in, knowing all along that I don’t, I have to come to terms with the truth. I have to keep going down the path God sent me on, even if everyone around me is walking the opposite direction. At some point people are given over to their ways. They will have to learn the hard way. God will allow you to make destructive decisions for yourself. It’s part of learning, and unfortunately, many are going to be left in the dark for an age because of their disobedience and obstinance.

I have warned against the adoption of the world into the church. I point away from practices and traditions that distract from the original doctrines taught by the apostles. I have read the whole of Scripture and can’t ignore the errors, the cherry picking and poor lifestyle choices. Do I not love my brother when I spend my time trying to help him? Do you really think I am seeking my own glory by calling you out on your sin? Since when has that won anyone any awards in anyone’s community? In most cases, people reject correction, not only from others, but from God Himself, because they refuse to hear His voice. They choose their own families, careers, communities and desires over God.

You cannot put community and family on par with God. It’s not Scriptural and it’s not spiritual. Scripture tells us to first love God then love your neighbor as yourself. The latter is like loving God, but it is not equal to it. Your participation in community should be driven by your love for God, and your love for God should drive you to tell your brothers when they are walking off a cliff, instead of “bearing with them” for the sake of peace and safety. There is a point where your bearing with another becomes complacency, complicity and an outright copout. That is the state I find the churches in Montezuma, GA these days. It’s lukewarm. I can’t bear with that, and neither could Paul.