If Satan is the god of this world system and, he is according to Scripture;[1] then should we conclude that everything that is consider the establishment or mainstream in our societies is evil? Everything that does not give glory to God is indeed evil. Even the “good things” in this world, if they don’t give glory to God, that means that they are giving something or somebody else the glory.[2] Everything that points at flesh or at any idol is evil indeed.

         God’s value system, his way of seen and do things is completely different from the ways of the world.[3] We, as disciples of Christ, are not from here; we do not belong to this kingdom;[4] we do not belong to this world.[5] So how can the church ever be mainstream? I have news for you, the true church, WILL NEVER BE MAINSTREAM! The Bible tells us clearly that, “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” John 15:19 (NIV)

         Even as everything mainstream has haters and people that are not believers opposing them; they are mainstream not necessarily because of popularity, even as popularity is a factor, but because of their access to an enormous amount of power. That power comes directly from Satan who is the god of this world system. Many in the establishment do not know they are employees of Satan, some feel they are doing a great thing; but it does not matter whether they know it or not, Satan is the father of all lies. As God delights in truth[6] Satan stand directly on the opposite side as the father of all lies.[7]

         The church has attempted to be mainstream for centuries. It is that desire for acceptance and popularity from the world that has caused us to compromise the truth. James painted a very clear picture when he states, “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” James 4:4 (NIV). A church that is more preoccupy with trying to gain the world’s acceptance over pleasing God is out of order. We are called, as Christians to come out of this Babylonian secular system; not join them.[8] Anybody that preaches and teaches that we, as Christians are called to change the world system is fooling his or herself. That secular system is not going to go away until God, personally, destroy them. By the way, he will do so in one hour.[9]

         Peter tells us, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;” First Peter 2:9 (KJV) Beloved we are called to be a peculiar people and it is that peculiarity that the world hates. It is that pursue of holiness that causes persecution.

         The reason many of us are not experiencing persecution, in any way, is because we are not pursuing holiness, we are too busy trying to be like the world. Second Timothy 3:12 tells us, “… and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” (NKJV)     The other thing that causes persecution is the preaching of the Gospel; that is because the center of the gospel message is repentance.[10] To tell people to repent is to tell them that they are doing something wrong and to tell them that they are doing something wrong is offensive. First Peter 2:8 tells us, “And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.” (KJV)

         So what has been the church’s response through the years? We are neglecting holiness and we are neglecting the Great Commission. So we come up with a million program and none of them really reach out to all the world (Ethnic groups). The majority of congregations in America are filled with people that look like each other.

         I am convince that the mainstream or, what is known as the institutionalize church, is not the representation of what the church should look like. We do not have to wait hundreds of years for the church to start functioning the way the church is suppose to. That is a lie from hell. The church can function the way is suppose to right now. We have more than enough information in the Bible to do so. Acts 2:42 tell us exactly what we need to be doing and the Great Commission is our Vision.[11]

         I find the following six characteristics of the biblical church to be accurate: as we start with the Great Commission, 1) We reach out to everyone, 2) We teach them the commands of Jesus, 3) We focus on teaching how to abide on those commands by demonstrating, by spending time with each other and by giving others an opportunity to imitate the more mature Christians, as the more mature Christians imitate Christ.[12] This is our hands-on discipleship. In that we are equipping the saints for the work of the ministry.[13] As we step into Acts 2:42, as time goes by, 4) we shift our teaching focus on to the study of the apostles doctrine, 5) we continue to enjoy true fellowship by breaking bread together and 6) we pray.

         This kind of church is available for us right now. We don’t have to wait on a revival or some kind of futuristic event for us to enjoy the fullness of what God has for us in terms of ministry and purpose. Ephesians 3:16-19 tells us, “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” (KJV)

         There is indeed a fullness available for us right now. Through learning and applying His commands and through learning and applying the original apostles’ teachings, we can achieve, with the help of the Holy Ghost, who is our ultimate teacher[14], this level of fullness that surpasses knowledge.

         The problem is that we have insisted in always adding to the church something else to make it relevant. In that process we are increasingly creating social clubs, carnal Christians who only thing about material things;[15] that is the prosperity gospel and the, “what I can get gospel; a gospel focus on self and not on God.

         The problem is that we always look for the easy way out. Discipleship is hard; it requires the denial of self and the carrying of our cross.[16] Honestly, what flesh wants to volunteers to do that? Discipleship requires that you no longer follow your opinions, but you submit your will to the Word of God as your ruler and your compass of truth. No longer are you guided by your culture, but by the culture describe in the Bible. You can’t be a disciple of Jesus if you do not remain in His Word (Logos).[17] That word “remain” means “to stay, to abide”^[18] it is the exact same word given to us in the Great Commission in Matthew 28:20. The king James uses the word “Observe”.

         How can the characteristics of the apostolic church be fulfill in the current institutionalize church system? 1) Is the church truly reaching out to everyone? 2) Is the church teaching the commands of Jesus? 3) How can we imitate our more mature leaders if we only see them in the church or church related activities? 4) When was the last time you heard the words sound doctrine in your church? If you are part of the charismatic wing of the church, especially Pentecostals, words such as doctrine, theology, dogma and orthodoxy may be consider bad words. 5) When was the last time you broke break with another family from the church in each other’s houses? 6) When was the last time you pray with a group of brothers and sisters in your own home?

         The mainstream church has created a system where it is next to impossible to actually do what God has called us to do. We are coming together for a weekly service, not for biblical fellowship. We are not sharing our lives with anybody in the church, as a matter fact, half of the time, if we are honest, we don’t even want to go to church. That is because we are not called to go to church, we are called to be the church and when we go, we are actually called to go and make disciples.

         There is no such a thing as being a disciple of Christ without bringing this thing we call church into the intimacy of our homes and lives. There is no such a thing as independent and individualized Christianity. We have created a monster that has nothing to do with the biblical pattern. We are witnessing a Frankenstein Church, an ugly church with multiple heads and countless arms and legs. We are smelling a rotten church that is infecting and nauseating God’s people.

         Just as the Catholic Church refused to obey the cry for a reformation and the cry to submit to the pattern of God’s Word, the Protestant church is doing the same. Attempts for reformation will fail; that is because Satan is the god of the mainstream, that is including, the mainstream church. Satan has his ruling over this ungodly, secularized church of Babylon. I am convinced that an exodus is coming. The bride will come together under the guidance of the Holy Ghost; we will find our freedom under the banner of God’s love,[19] we will grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord,[20] we shall find our freedom in the application of the Lord’s teachings,[21] we shall be passionate about the diligent study of Logos[22] and we will find life in God’s Rhema.[23] I am ready to exit!

[1] 2 Corinthians 4:4

[2] Philippians 4:20

[3] Isaiah 55:8

[4] John 18:36

[5] John 17:16

[6] First Corinthians 13:6

[7] John 8:44

[8] Revelation 18:4

[9] Revelation 18:10

[10] Matthew 4:17

[11] Matthew 28:16-20

[12] First Corinthians 11:1

[13] Ephesians 4:12

[14] John 14:26

[15] Colossians 3:2

[16] Matthew 16:24

[17] John 8:31

^[18] W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, and William White Jr., Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 1996), 521.

[19] Salomon 2:4

[20] 2 Peter 3:18

[21] John 8:31-32

[22] 2 timothy 2:15

[23] Mathew 4:4