A frustrating trend.
Recently (over the last few years) I've become increasingly frustrated with the Western Church.
The problem that I see is an increasing trend towards a sort of knee-jerk anti-intellectualism within many Christian groups and denominations.
I've seen sound theology being replaced with pop psychology. I've seen authentic expressions of faith/faithfulness(the two are inseperable) being replaced with a sort of Gnostic "beliefe" system. I've seen devotion to the wisdom and teaching of Scripture replaced with a kind of "pick your own doctrine" cavalier attitude towards faith.
Particularly within certain "evangelical" circles the trend has been towards a feel good gospel that really has no power to save souls.
I'm afraid this trend is growing, and leading us towards actual widespread apostasy.
Has anyone else noticed this within thier circles?
Diogenese
Yes, I do agree with you one hundred percent! It is good to see others who can see this too. That is the problem with living in a blessed country like ours with little persecution and hardships like China and Africa and other countries where Christians are being persecuted much more and even risking and losing their lives...their gospel is more pure and their faith is more genuine. Our churches in our country have given us a prosperity gospel that ignores Jesus's words that we would face persecution and suffering as believers. That we become more like Him thru sufferings and should rejoice in it rather than shun it and be afraid of it. 1 John 4:18 says "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect (complete) in love." After all, in Romans 8:35-39 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, calamity, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, or sword?...Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us....nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Matthew 13:20-21 warns us about it: "But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has NO ROOT in himself, but endures only for a while. For when TRIBULATION OR PERSECUTION arises because of the word, immediately he is offended (stumbles; enticed to sin or fall away)."
I was wondering about the part saying, "NO ROOT", what that meant. I found my answer in Ephesians 3:16-21 (*esp. v.17) "...that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inmost being, that Christ may live in your hearts through faith; that you, being ROOTED AND GROUNDED IN LOVE, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or imagine, according to the power that works in us...".
This is what I see and believe. Correct me if you think I am wrong. I do believe God is going to use judgments and tribulations on our country to bring us to our knees in humility and to teach us that He alone is God, and in the process, refine and purify us to be more like Jesus, instead of this water-down, compromised gospel we have now in too many churches, and especially thru christian programming.
Hebrews 12 talks about God disciplining His children because of His love for us...'My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him, for whom the Lord loves, He chastens...'...(God chastens) for our good, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but grievous; nevertheless, afterwards, it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."
So I have been trying to take time to seek God Himself, seeking to know His love for me, praying to be rooted and grounded in His love for me that nothing will cause me to fall away and separate me from His love...that I know He promises to never leave me nor forsake me and that He can cause all things to work together for good...and to conform me to the image of His Son. I am trying to recognize my faulty thinking that causes me to react to things negatively and thus be angry or discouraged and depressed, etc.
We are here to help each other stay true to God's word, to lift one another up in prayer and encourage each other. Let us do so with His love.
Blessings,
Tonya
I agree with everything the both of you have said here.
Paul warned us about this very thing in 2 Tim. 4:3-5:
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
I do believe this is a growing trend, and it is going to continue to grow, because Paul tells us straight up that they will heap up for themselves teachers who tell them what they want to hear.....and the truth is not what they want to hear. To heap up means that there will be a lot these kinds of teachers.
Notice that Paul uses the phrase according to their own desires. Isn't that what's going on today? The whole postmodern philosophy of their being no absolute truth, that everyone has his/her own truth, and that we should respect that.....that is exactly what Paul means when he says according to their own desires. The truth can offend, and Jesus acknowledged this.
Yes, I sure have noticed it. It's the hyper-grace movement, God is only capable of love and never judgement. Using God's grace as a license to sin.
There is a false gospel called, the Gospel over rides the Bible. The Metropolitan Community Church movement is using this as a means to further their activism.
It is very dangerous because it produces false conversions.
Yes, hyper-grace is very real. And not just among the message to the lost. It is this false attitude that keeps a pastor from dealing and caring about very obvious sin in his church. And from what I understand, it is happening more and more.
This pastor's wife said her husband didn't say anything because of "Confidentiality Laws". Is this another form of hyper-grace?
Yes, it is very real in and out of the church. Jesus didn't declare the whole world as "saved" when He said, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do". He was declaring that HE is the way to salvation and forgiveness could be found through His sacrifice.
It is the false apostate attitude that everyone must be dealt with a one size fits all sappy patronizing "love" attitude.
The Bible is very clear that by their fruits we shall know them. Not everyone has the same spiritual needs. Some you must look in the eye and just tell them the truth. Without the semantics.
"Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins."
As a newcomer into the Christian faith, this is awesome news to hear. I will keep on with my bible study so that I may be more aware of this type of false ministry.
So far, I haven't come across any of this in my church but have noticed this in some friends of mine that are finding their way back to Christ by this kind of influence.
Sometimes it's just better to go by the book or as they say, "go back to basics".
Gosh I love Paul's scriptures. It's amazing to read how he started back in Acts.
In Christ Always,
Tammie
Pink Cross Team Moderator
I just found out via google that there is an MCCLA church just down the street from me in Hollywood. I can't understand why they would preach such heresy. Just because the Bible was transcribed in many versions doesn't mean it's okay to preach illusions of religious zeal. WOW!
In Christ Always,
Tammie
Pink Cross Team Moderator
Unfortunately seeker friendly churches appear to be on the rise since people would rather feel good than to actually be good. Of course, in such a church how does a person supposed to know if he's a sinner or not if the minister never speaks on the subject in his sermon? He doesn't and there in lies the tragedy since it's quite doubtful that he reads the Bible on a regular basis. Hence he is in for a rude awakening once he dies and so is the person that pastor's these seeker friendly churches.
When I was new Christian I found myself caught between the "Contemporary" Christian scene and the more traditional Church teaching and theology.
Fortunately, as I matured, the difference between the two became more and more apparent.
A deep study of Orthodox theology will cover not just what we believe, but also WHY we believe it. This is becoming especially important in todays age. This also the part that most of these new movements within the Western Church are neglecting. Often times deliberately.
A few of the places that got me started down the path to a deeper understanding of our faith are as follows...
Ravi Zacharias Ministries
An internationally renowned apologist. He takes flak in some circles because of some the speaking engagements he's been in, but all in all he's an outstanding teacher. Put on your thinking cap.
http://www.rzim.org
Moriel Ministries--Jacob Prasch
Comes from a particularly Jewish perspective. Not a "Hebrew Roots" website(he has a few choice words about that movement), but if your investigating the Jewish origins of our faith, this is a great place to start.
http://www.moriel.org
Dave Hunt--The Berean Call
A layman and an apologist. He's known for getting peoples "dander up" as it were. He has a lot of good insight on current trends within the church. Read his sight, and dont be afraid to ask challenging questions. He wouldnt have it any other way. He's been doing this for a LONG time.
http://www.thebereancall.org/
I personally believe that denominations are a ploy of the devil to divide the body of Christ. Think about it. The Bible is the living breathing word of God. In it's God's infallible truth. We are called to rightly divide the word of truth (2 Tim 2:15). That being said, if you can rightly divide the word of truth, you can wrongly divide it as well.
There are those who claim that we don't have to tithe or lay hands on the sick, or speak in tongues because that's "not for the church today." But where does the Bible say that? Tithing came BEFORE the law. It was established by Abraham several hundred years before the law came around. Therefore it is not UNDER the law and when the law was done away with, it shouldn't have been thrown out with it. Yet, MANY denominations don't teach tithing.
I personally believe that some people took issue with certain things the Bible said and decided to start their own denomination to circumvent that part of scripture. You have some denominations that don't practice of believe in the gifts of the spirit, some don't believe or practice tithing, and some who believe that homosexual lifestyles are acceptable to God. All of which contradict the Bible.
So yeah, to answer your question I definitely see a trend in the wrong direction with some denominations, but I'm also seeing a resurgence of the non-denominational Christian fundamentalists who practice and preach what the Bible calls us to practice and preach.