Besides hopcc, I believe other churches have the self righteous approach. Some members of the church are wolves in sheep's clothing. They feed off of other's fault of the flesh. They can't withhold themselves of making judgment. They have this premise of godly living is living perfect. But no one's perfect. I wanted to comment on a post from a Master Sergeant I was with in the Marines. He was a Gunny at the time and I Corporal. Out of respect I did not comment. Though he made a post stating McDonald's will get your order wrong 100 times, and that doesn't stop you from getting McDonald's. The church can wrong you one time and you stop going to church! Like what is up with these fanatics of always wanting "church"? They have NO IDEA of how the church wronged them. Other stories worse than mine esp in hopcc, then they "just hop to another church" thinking it would make them better. Is it because without the church we're going to hell? Or isn't that a force fed lie they make us believe. In Jesus' great intercession prayer of John 17, it says those that believe in me through their word, not through their church. We keep the word by holding ourselves accountable to God's commandments, not the church. The actual church the Bible describes is the body of Christ, in which all believers make up. Yes we are to be in one accord, but church has it made now for "MEMBERS". Some of these members are wolves in sheep's clothing and some people are utterly demonic. That is why I stay far away to be just "another member" of the church. I also won't justify my salvation from God, I just know Jesus got me. You all reading here can challenge that, and I say go ahead, but I tell you again Jesus got me. The Lord says they that bless you will I bless and they that curse you will I curse. So go ahead...
Moving forward, I immediately went to another church in Chicago called New Life because I believed I had to, not knowing what I know now that Jesus is with me wherever I go. In that church, paid my tithes, ushered, and what you usually do to make sure, you are a "working part of the body". But deep down inside, God was calling me out. I couldn't explain it, I just knew it was right. In my walk now, I'm glued to God, not the modern day church. I witness personally to people I know about God's favor and love planting the seed whilst keeping my house in order. Any disbelief they have, I give them an answer. In the year 2014, I started hanging with the wrong crowds again mostly drug dealers and got hooked on powder cocaine. I was doing about an 8 ball a day for 1 to 2 months. While in this addiction, I wanted God so bad but felt so condemned and disorientated and believed that he turned his face from me. I said to myself, I will pray humbly on my knees at the foot of my bed for God to clean me up! I said I can't do it myself, nor have the strength to, but nothing is impossible with God! I did all this while still getting high off coke and weed. One thing led to another and I ran out of money. I became homeless for a time. I said I'm going back to church because I thought that was the answer. This is when I was met by wolves. Not the pastor per se, but the members of that church. Like why was I gone for so long? You did wrong because you left the church, all the while weakening my spirit to become dependent again as a member. I was invited to a Bible study, and the leader of that Bible study talked with me in his car and immediately blamed what was happening to me was because I stopped going to church. I know for sure it was the childhood trauma I experienced with abuse that still chained me and led me to these destructive vices. It wasn't because I left church. A weak minded individual may have believed this but not me. He thought I was high that day and I said I had been clean just for a couple of days now and was not high. He didn't believe me and said I was lying. I don't know if you've ever tried to knock the habit of a hard drug but one day is entirely difficult, but that day I was clean. We contested for quite sometime of him blaming leaving the church for my instances and I said what's done is done, wasn't I in church this Sunday. Well yes he says, but I know you, you're going to leave again. And you'll never kick this habit without the church. I said you all like to put a whole lot of emphasis on these wolves of the church but not on God. How can you not pray for me and ask God to walk by my side against all this right now instead of waiting on Sunday to do it? So you believe I lost my salvation? He says yes you can lose your salvation. I said, well I guess you and rest of the righteous can boast of still keeping your salvation because apparently according to your saying, I'm not good enough to keep mine. I said strictly, this is where we end, we'll see where your life takes you, and where I believe God takes mine. You are righteous is the discernment I got from you, more righteous than I, I said. I lastly said, "Don't worry about me being righteous as thou, leave within me the broken spirit." As I got out of the car and walked away from his life and the membership church forever. I said in my heart walking, "For the whole and righteous don't need a physician nor a savior, but that the broken spirited do, for thou O Lord art ever near them."
I felt content and knew wherever life led me, God will make a way! Not relying on anybody but Jesus.
I kicked the drug habit by moving with my mom to the Philippines for a whole year. I got my mind focused, and now 9 years from that day, God has made me clean, blessed me with a house in Chicago and I have made it my mission to help the homeless. This vision is just starting, witnessing to one soul at a time!