The State of the Church

I remember when my father would say he hoped to live to the year 2000 to see how far we would progress in the areas of technology, science and consumer products.  Unfortunately he passed away in the ’70s.  As a scientist he would have been very impressed with scientific progress.  As we all know technology has progressed at such a rapid speed, all of us are amazed and have a hard time keeping up.  One thing my father would not have expected, however, is the falling off of the faithful followers of Christ.

His own church which had been the center of our lives, is the perfect example of slippage of faith and dismissal of the truth which we have allow to slowly destroy God’s Church (the family of God).  While my father was alive, and I was young, the church members were like our own family.  We worshiped together, served together, ate together, and enjoyed recreational activities together as well. My dad frequently played golf with other men from church.  I remember we had a softball team that played in a league of other churches. We enjoyed many an afternoon watching the games and cheering on our team.  It was a wonderful life with wonderful God-fearing, God-loving people.

Now our church has joined the ranks of many mainline denominations, which have gradually compromised their basic beliefs to provide a comfortable, loving, welcoming environment for people who would find our beliefs too difficult to accept.  The fact that God requires we confess our sins (and yes, we are all sinners), repent (turn away from our sinning ways) and invite Jesus into our hearts (the core of our being) to live eternally with Him is no longer mentioned.  (That might remind people that we believe Jesus is the Son of God and he is the way, the truth, and the life.  How rigid is that!  Forget that it is the truth, we don’t want people to be offended.)

The churches I see growing at a rapid pace are those who preach the truth.  People are seeking the real God, not some God who has been modified to be unobjectionable to anyone.  Such a god is no better than the gold and wood statues worshiped from the beginning of time, because it is a god shaped by humans to a likeness they can identify with.

God, the author of our world and our lives, cannot be molded, cannot be changed, cannot be softened or strengthened.  He is the great I AM.  He is the same today as he was yesterday, 4,000 years ago, or at the beginning of time as we know it.  He is loving, but he is just.  He is compassionate, but he is unwavering.  He blesses us in many ways, but he expects our thanks and worship in return.  He commands us to help the widows, orphans, sick, hungry, and needy.  He commands us to love others like we love ourselves.  However, he commands 1^st that we love Him with all our heart, mind, and strength.  In love and gratitude to God we are to be His hands and feet, serving Him by loving and helping others.

Much of our country, even Christians, have turned from God and his teachings, and instead are expecting the government to be God’s hands and feet. The government can never fulfill that expectation because the government, though made up of humans, is not compassionate.  It cannot look at each individual as a person and see their need and then seek to help them.  No, the government, made up of compassionate people on both sides of the political aisle, cannot make laws that will be able to meet the needs of each person they serve.  Only people helping people can do that, and as we push God out of our lives we lose touch with what genuine Christianity is all about.

This section of my blogs will concentrate on words to and for my fellow Christians.  It will be a call to wake up.  If you are not a Christian, feel free to “listen” in, but my words are not specifically meant for your eyes and ears.  My heart call is to lost Christians.  God is seeking to save the lost, and that includes some who call themselves Christian.  Feel free to join in the conversation, whether you agree with me or not.  All voices are welcome and will be respected.  My only restriction will be to block those who are not civil or respectful.  Welcome to the discussion.  I hope it will bless your life.