Church has changed from yesteryear to the new mega churches popping up as well as churches embracing what I call new age teachings. Gone are the days when a church minister would pick the Sunday sermon to reflect comfort and hope to our surrounding everyday struggles. Call it the politically correct destruction of values.
When the public arena was wiped clean of the ten commandments the down fall of society quickly followed. There was no reminder of a higher power watching ones every move. Kindness and courtesy were replaced with selfishness and rudeness. In my bathroom I have the ten commandments prominently displayed where they can be read everyday. It's my reminder to never forget someone is watching me always.
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I have struggled with churches all my life. A church my mother brought me to as a preteen made the hair on my neck stand up when they were babbling in what is called "tongues". When I was out on my own, my thirst for some fellowship and bible teachings had me trying different churches where ever I lived. Lost when my bible verses didn't match what the minster was reading my frustration grew. With umpteen versions of bibles it's almost impossible to follow along. Also I seemed to be one of a handful bringing my own bible.
Currently, I live in a rural area that is predominately Catholic churches and I'm not Catholic. I was saved Methodist and raised Pentecostal. I have a big problem with Pentecostal churches with the babbling bit, so those are out. A few years ago I joined a small Lutheran church when I lived in a neighboring town. They did not embrace the worlds teachings and they used the KJV bible. I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I had to move and my current town hasn't shown one I would feel right joining because I come for the sermon, it's been a tough week. Either build up my strength or stop preaching!
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Most rural churches today have what I call a social gathering. Some have rolls and coffee before or after and the sermon is flat. It's as if the minister has given up! No where does the minister pick a sermon to lift up the weary and forget about giving you something to carry you through the next week. The bible has a lot of teaching yet today's ministers seem to focus on some long ago transcript on what sermon to have for the week, not searching for some biblical teachings on handling what we go through everyday. We have people killing each other every minute, society has turned their backs on sound teachings and call them evil. Most people go to church to be built back up, yet the ministers are letting the people down.
Even the best tv preachers have been stripped from the air waves due to the PC police afraid feelings of sinners will be hurt. So I sit at home, reading by myself. I've found a great book called "Where To Find It In The Bible" almost like a dictionary as it's alphabetical, and I can find the comfort passages I need quickly. But the church needs to step back and look at what they've done to turn away their flocks. One of the best examples of a church losing it's way is the one where I went to a Methodist church for Easter Sunday.
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Having never been at this church, it was my first time. First impressions DO matter and this one was terrible! First, social hour in the basement. When the sermon was started I was mortified the sermon was not on the death of Jesus and his ultimate rising from the dead, I couldn't tell you what it was about. My friend and I were bewildered at this blatant disregard of the meaning of Easter. We kept looking around for Alan Funt and a camera crew. After the service my friend couldn't take it. He pulled the minister aside and asked him what he was doing, I kid you not.
He admitted he had lost his way, his faith and was discouraged. I have to wonder if this is a silent plague among ministers. They pick sermons that don't fit the times and struggles their congregation faces throughout the week, they are using obscure bibles making the flock "trust" what bible the minister is using. All wrong on so many levels and churches wonder why people have stopping coming.
Source: michaelpatz.com
The bible talks about the fall of the church in the end times. Yes, I know, people have been saying the end of times has been happening for centuries, but one needs to read what the end times really are. They are not all found in Revelation, some are in Daniel, some in Isaiah & Jeremiah. The fall of the church is a big red flag and one that has not happened in the past, it should be heeded. Today's church needs to step back and look at what they are teaching to bring back the membership numbers. We want to be lifted up with hope, we want to be armed with knowledge to fight the battles of evil, we want comfort in a world that has went mad.