The recent indictment of Naasón Joaquín García, leader of the Mexico-based megachurch La Luz del Mundo, on federal sex trafficking charges, is not just another headline.
García, already serving a 16-year prison sentence in California after pleading guilty to sexually abusing three girls, now faces new charges in New York for allegedly coercing underage girls into sex acts under the guise of spiritual leadership.
His church, which claims millions of followers across multiple continents, used his image as the “apostle of Jesus Christ” to exert control and silence dissent. It’s a heartbreaking reminder that what some call “church” has become something God never intended.
The megachurch model, built on charismatic authority and absolute control, is not the blueprint Jesus left behind.
Manipulation, silence, and abuse of power, especially when cloaked in religious robes or titles, stand in direct opposition to the Gospel.
When evil is tolerated because of someone’s position or popularity, we’ve traded reverence for idolatry.
Let’s be clear: this is not the Church.
And more importantly: this is not God.
Scripture tells us exactly who God is.
He is near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18).
He defends the orphan and the widow (Isaiah 1:17).
He does not delight in sacrifice, but in obedience, mercy, and justice (Micah 6:8).
He does not turn a blind eye when His name is used to harm others. (Ezekiel 34:2-4)
The Bible is not vague about that.
From Church to Home: Restoring the Place of Worship and Discipleship
I’m reminded of a powerful word that a mentor once shared with me and my wife:
“The knowledge and acknowledgement are changing your home into a sanctuary. God is taking your home from being a home where you live, to a home where He lives.
The Lord says, I am restoring to you the initial place of worship.”
That hit me hard.
We often think of “going to church” as the beginning of worship. But our mentor reminded us that we’re supposed to come from a house of worship into a house with more worshipers.
Worship isn’t confined to pews and pulpits. It starts in the kitchen, around the dinner table, in conversations with your kids, and in the quiet of your heart.
But worship isn’t the only thing that belongs in the home.
So does discipleship.
Too many churches, especially those with glitz, cameras, and crowds, fail to nurture deep, lasting discipleship.
The sermons may stir emotions, but often there’s little follow-up, no accountability, and no transformation.
People walk out moved but not discipled.
Discipleship was never meant to be mass-produced.
It was always meant to be intimate. Relational. Modeled and lived out.
You don’t need a stage, an audience, or social media clout to make disciples. You need faith, consistency, and a willingness to pour into the people right in front of you: your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your friends, your business colleagues.
“Every other idol has got to bow,” our mentor said.
“You can’t have their god and God at the same time. If you bring God and the Ark in, the devil is going to lose his head and hands.”
Amen to that.
When we turn our houses into places of worship and discipleship, we reclaim something sacred. We create spaces where God dwells and where people grow, not because of performance, but because of presence, not because of lights and fog machines, but because of love, humility, and obedience.
The Call to Clean House
What’s happening now isn’t just about a criminal case, but a call to clean house.
If we keep chasing celebrity pastors, polished productions, and megachurch marketing tactics while ignoring the brokenness behind the scenes, we’re part of the problem.
If we say “don’t touch the anointed” while victims suffer in silence, we’ve twisted the Word.
We need discernment, not blind allegiance. We need to rebuild sacred spaces that God would actually want to dwell in.
And that starts with our homes.
“I see healing coming to your house,” our mentor told us.
“I don’t know whose heart it is in addition to yours, but God is healing somebody’s heart… Turn the house into a place of worship.”
Amen.
What Now?
When I read articles like Garcia’s, my heart hurts.
I think about the people who see these stories and decide that God must not be real. So they keep searching, through mysticism, drugs, hedonism, or the ever-popular “spiritual but not religious” mindset.
But here’s the thing: the very word religion comes from a Latin root meaning “to search.”
And yet the Bible isn’t about religion, it’s about relationship.
It’s about a God who searched for us.
Jesus said,
“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?” (Luke 15:4)
That’s the heart of God. He’s not asking you to clean up first. He’s not interested in smoke machines or spiritual performance. He’s the Shepherd who goes out looking, even when everyone else has written you off.
So, if you’ve been hurt, disappointed, or misled by people using His name, don’t stop seeking, because He’s already seeking you.
The answer isn’t to walk away from God. It’s to walk away from man-made religion that misrepresents Him. It’s to return to the place where worship was always meant to live within us.
And if the Church has hurt you, know this: God still wants you.
He’s not mad at you for walking away from what was toxic.
In fact, He may have led you out!
But He’s also calling you home.
Not to a building, but to His presence.
Into truth, healing, and wholeness.
So let’s make space, real space, for God again.
In our homes.
In our hearts.
In how we love.
Because that is what He intended all along.
Reference Article:
Mexican megachurch leader, already in Chino prison, charged with racketeering, sex trafficking
https://www.dailybreeze.com/2025/09/10/longtime-head-of-mexican-megachurch-is-indicted-in-new-york-on-federal-sex-trafficking-charges/
