Churches That Abuse

Hosea 9: 1 – 17

Churches that abuse

1 Do not rejoice, O Israel, with joy like other peoples, for you have played the harlot against your God. You have made love for hire on every threshing floor. 2 The threshing floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her. 3 They shall not dwell in the LORD’s land, but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and shall eat unclean things in Assyria. 4 They shall not offer wine offerings to the LORD, nor shall their sacrifices be pleasing to Him. It shall be like bread of mourners to them; All who eat it shall be defiled. For their bread shall be for their own life; It shall not come into the house of the LORD. 5 What will you do in the appointed day, and in the day of the feast of the LORD? 6 For indeed they are gone because of destruction. Egypt shall gather them up; Memphis shall bury them. Nettles shall possess their valuables of silver; Thorns shall be in their tents. 7 The days of punishment have come; The days of recompense have come. Israel knows! The prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is insane, because of the greatness of your iniquity and great enmity. 8 The watchman of Ephraim is with my God; But the prophet is a fowler’s snare in all his ways—Enmity in the house of his God. 9 They are deeply corrupted, as in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their iniquity; He will punish their sins. 10 “I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the first fruits on the fig tree in its first season. But they went to Baal Peor and separated themselves to that shame; They became an abomination like the thing they loved. 11 As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird—No birth, no pregnancy, and no conception! 12 Though they bring up their children, yet I will bereave them to the last man. Yes, woe to them when I depart from them! 13 Just as I saw Ephraim like Tyre, planted in a pleasant place, so Ephraim will bring out his children to the murderer.” 14 Give them, O LORD—What will You give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts! 15 “All their wickedness is in Gilgal, for there I hated them. Because of the evil of their deeds I will drive them from My house; I will love them no more. All their princes are rebellious. 16 Ephraim is stricken, their root is dried up; They shall bear no fruit. Yes, were they to bear children, I would kill the darlings of their womb.” 17 My God will cast them away, because they did not obey Him; and they shall be wanderers among the nations.

Today’s special verse is “8 The watchman of Ephraim is with my God; But the prophet is a fowler’s snare in all his ways—Enmity in the house of his God.’

So, you are probably saying, ‘what’s my point?’ Let me throw at you a hint from a different bible version. The same verse is from the NASB - New American Standard Bible and reads as follows, “Ephraim was a watchman with my God, a prophet; Yet the snare of a bird catcher is in all his ways, and there is only hostility in the house of his God.”

In today’s term the verse says there are churches that abuse their fellow brothers and sisters.

Amazingly I had just communicated with a great sister in Christ who personally experienced church abuse. So, I want to list some signs of a spiritually abusive church? Here are some warning signs for you to think about.

The Pastor is not your friend. He hopefully has been selected by our Holy Master and King Jesus Christ to be His co-shepherd. He whole heartedly is obedient and faithful to God Holy Word. He doesn’t compromise God’s truth.

Saints need to watch out for a Pastor who is charming, charismatic, intense, persuasive and intelligent. His personality holds unquestioned sway over his congregation. He is treated like a celebrity; Not held accountable; Not held to same standard as the rest of the congregation.

He operates independently: has no oversight, doesn't answer to an established board of elders, there is no way for grievances to be filed or addressed, even in cases of outright abuse the police or civil authorities are not called, the matters are attempted to be handled internally.

Be concerned that the church does not delegate the saints to a modern day commune society. The bible says that we are in the world but not of the world. Many churches and its congregants break off from any friendship other than with those they see in church.