Sad to say, you’re right.
I left the UMC because of the insanity.
Don’t forget the ELCA.
Short summary:
Allow liberals to take control.
Good, succinct article.
Yep, it’s even sinking in to some conservative churches.
Funny, I belong to what many people would call a ‘cult’ because we adhere to some Old Testament practices. Meanwhile these liberal churches wither on the vine because they stand for nothing and believe anything. Once their congregations get wise to the fact that there’s no reason to attend these churches the churches close.
Believing in something and then practicing what you believe is a radical act these days.
PFL
It’s an error to interpret large building programs as the evidence of a Spirit-lead congregation. After all, the largest “gay and lesbian” church located in Dallas just constructed a massive new multi-million dollar chapel.
Are we to suppose, then, that they are being “blessed” by God?
A good article that makes it’s point well. Thanks.
And I think this same progression can be genericized to apply to how a lot of things are destroyed. Families. Communities. Cultures.
There’s a lot of truth in what he says. I’ve witnessed it myself in Seattle. The Capital Hill Methodist church is gone and all the Christian Scientists churches are gone. All progressive humanist churches are just barely hanging in there with maybe twenty or so attending church on Sunday. Across from us we have a First United Church of Christ with a Lesbian pasture. I had a conversation with her and she told me the trouble with Seattle is that there were too many churches. I was shocked that a pasture would say that so I said ‘the trouble with Seattle is that there were not enough pasture’s preaching the gospel. Needless to say her church has less then twenty attending service on Sunday. She seem to think that if more churches were gone she would have more people attending her church apparently.
How to survive? 4 steps.
(i) Get a better definition of “church” outside a denominational moniker or “brick & mortar” edifices.
(ii) Realize that people of all understandings make up Christ’s church, established at His crucifixion and resurrection. The gathering of the faithful (the baptized).
(iii) Understand that each congregation, in its place and location, is the Christ’s Church militant, “all the company of heaven laud and magnify His name”
(iv) Sola Fides, Sola Gratia, Sola Scriptura. The gathering that preaches and hears the Word (Logos!) rightly divided and in its purity is the dwelling place of God (the Holy of Holies).
From what I read about the “dead” church in the article, I would guess it was formerly a UCC congregation. I’ve read some of their latest statements, and it sounds like them. The “Church of What’s Happnin’ Now.”
Yes Sir!!! Right on.
“...and the shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables....”
IF they’re not preaching/teaching/living the Truth, it’s just a matter of time that they will end up shutting the doors, or seeing it turned into a pickle barrel factory or something. That was, and is, the underhanded motive all along...to shut it down by deceptive means that all sound so good.
ViglanteMan is right. Liberals are inspired by those from the demonic pit of Hell. They deceptively come to steal, kill and destroy just like their big daddy, Satan. They use just enough “truth” to sound really good to “itching ears”, but their motives and deception are pure evil...always have been, always will be till the Judgement Day. The nature of man hasn’t changed hardly at all in these thousands of years. Sure, our technology has progressed dramatically, but not our human nature. Without Truth, man is no match for, and will fall for, almost every whim of the evil one.
The United Methodist Church is still attempting futilely to fight off the sodomite barbarians, but when you unbiblically ordain women as ministers, eventually you go all-liberal in the long haul. You have to.
One trend I’ve seen is that churches are seeking growth more than ever.
I’ve seen churches partake in very aggressive marketing of their churches of having high profile Christmas concerts, promoting Vacation Bible School to nearby housing complexes or invite all of the community to their annual carnival.
A few years later, they are thanking the Lord that they’re prayers have been answered because their church has grown greatly in the past 5 years.
But suddenly, pastors become afraid of stepping on toes of the new people that are coming to church so certain topics become avoided.
Next, it becomes more of a democracy, or even mob rule, and those that do not believe in the church’s traditional beliefs become the loudest at screaming at what the church should or should not say or do.
If your elders are unqualified ... it is just a matter of time before this happens to EVERY church.
Just as fundamental as rejecting truth is its precursor;rejecting authority. Truth is received based on authority, law and society are structured according to authority even the very gospel of Christ alone as the substitutionary atonement is founded on the doctrine of authority. Authority is a much overlooked yet essential doctrine of God. His church, the family, and civic societies that fail to acknowledge the authority of Christ have already caused the first domino to fall. Remember those words spoken back in Eden “Yeah did God really say...” and “Nay you shall not surely die” - the challenge of authority resulted in the fall and we are still falling for it today.