To talk about the present day condition of the church, I suppose I ought to draw the distinction between the body of Christ, and the church congregations.
The body of Christ is doing just fine. :) It is, however, getting harder and harder to find them in church congregations.
The true believer is keen to little 'off tracks' around them and sometimes it gets alarming. Remember, you can read descriptions of today's churches in Revelations. Things really haven't changed that much.
There is, however, a new stage before us. The one world church. Many of us see it happening right before our eyes.
Read what Paul said about these things. It truly is, up to us to speak up. If they won't listen, we are to leave. It's that cut and dried.
You see, Christians get things confused. They confuse spreading the gospel and letting their light shine, with begging and striving with un-believers. Check out those things Jesus told us to do. Striving isn't in the orders, at all.
It has always been a hard struggle. Remember what Jesus said about putting your own family before Him? That was a physical demonstration of the spiritual struggle, we experience today. How can we just turn a blind eye? Well, we can't but we also cannot win over people with arguments.
Back to the original discussion. I find it so easy to get side tracked.
In the last few years, my daughter, grandson and I have moved out of the state and then back home again. The condition of the church, has become a huge discussion point in our family. We've witnessed it, as strangers in a new town. Then moving back home again, brought yet another new light on the subject, as we discovered this strange phenomena is everywhere.
The 'watered down' and the 'rock concert on Sunday morning'. Where did all that come from? My latest and loudest experience, in a visit to a new church, even had a fog machine on 'the stage?'
Since when did the podium become a rock band stage? The effort to reach out to the youth, has brought the church down to the level of that youth, instead of standing like a rock. When did the church stop letting it's light shine, and replaced it with strob lights and fog machines? Where did the foundation go?
It's true, we don't have to be stick-in-the-muds but somewhere along the line, some churches not only crossed over the line, they completely became absorbed into the social scene, that one can't tell the difference.
Did God call us His peculiar people? What's so peculiar about a rock band? Were we not told that we are on this world but not in it? Well, it seems to me a lot of folks, calling themselves Christian are pretty much 'in it'.
You know that old saying, " If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck"? From my point of view, what looks like a church on the outside, looks like and sounds like a rock concert on the inside. I take that back, most of these places don't even look like a church on the outside.
And what happened to church names linking it to Christ? Words like 'Christian', 'Temple', and 'Church'. 'Church on the Rock' was already getting away from the main theme but to Christians, had the familiar symbolism. 'Faith Community' does not tell me it's a church of Jesus Christ. "Faith" doesn't label the building, it could be faith in anything.
I've heard a rumor that Calvary Chapel wants to get rid of the 'Calvary' part. Any body else noticing these little baby steps, leading us away from anything resembling Christ? Do you suppose these baby steps are leading up to one giant step towards the melting pot called 'the one world church'? Sneaky. Sneaky like the snake!
Remember the sly words of satan, "Surely you won't die". You see, satan relied on the fact that Eve never experienced death and took it to mean a physical thing. In actuality, God was talking about a spiritual death. Just a slight slip of the hand and he had Eve on the wrong thought pattern.
The devil isn't dumb, folks. He's smarter than you and I, for sure. He knows everything God knows. Think about that. He sure knows how to make something seem so innocent, while in actuality, it's death.
Is your church forgetting Jesus? Is your church not talking about salvation? Not talking about salvation from what? Speak up and if you don't get a possitive reaction, get the **** out of there. Don't let your children get watered down with the crowd. You're always safe with the foundation of the church, and Jesus being the head.
It's time to go back and read through the NT. It's time to compare what we see today, with those things Paul talked about. It's time for the sword.
If you knew me, you might sometimes wonder if I'm Christian at all. Why? Because I'm a rough old coot and see things straight forward. On top of that, I'm out spoken to the point of hurting feelings. When it comes to Jesus, I'll step on your toes any day. If it has to be that way, it's Him and me against the world.
What's more, I don't push my faith on people, I don't insist they see it my way. If I'm talking to someone who flatly disagrees with me, I flatly tell them, "When misery takes over your life, look me up".
Be strong, folks. Be like Jesus. Study His every move and see things the way He did. Remember, He turned over some pretty heavy tables and went on a rage, but He saved it for last.
I'll tell you a little story, that happened to me when I was around 30 years old. I had just conquered a sickness in my body, had finally discovered the secret. The very next day, came my temptation in the form of a man. I guarantee, I was talking to satan embodied.
My young daughter came running into the house, telling me there was a man outside that wanted to talk to me. I thought that was peculiar because why didn't he knock on the door instead of sending a child to get me. I went out and discovered a man, standing outside the fence.
He told me he had found his wife in bed with his best friend. Not only was there a divorce but his children all left him. He was on his way to kill himself. He asked if I could help. Of course, I said 'yes'.
I invited him to come into the yard and sit at the picnic table, then sent my daughter to get some cokes. The man unloaded his sad story and I told him about Jesus. On several occassions, I tried to lead him in prayer but it just wasn't happening. Finally, he DID IT ! He said, " I know how you can help me." I said, "How?" He said, "Go to bed with me". I said, "You asked for my help. I've given you the answer. I've done all the Lord requires of me and more. Now go kill yourself".
My daughter and I, went back into the house and by the time I had walked in the door and turned to see the man, there was no sign of him. To this day, I don't believe there was a man.
See? It's not hard. :)
You, as part of the body of Christ, know the truth. It's right there in your hands. Stick to it and don't be swayed, not even by a wayward pastor. He's the pastor, not the embodiment of Jesus.
And if you can't find a true church, start one yourself, in your own living room. Nobody ever said you had to attend a huge, expensive building, to be a church body. Jesus said it only takes 2.
