Poster | Thread | matthew Member
Joined: 2004/4/22 Posts: 57
| The fate of the American Church | | I have just finished reading Isiah and am now in the middle of Jeremiah. While reading I have been impacted often by the similarities between the American Church and the Isrealites in the time of the prophets.
My question is:
How long can the American church continue in the current direction without evoking a response from God. As I see, the pattern for God calling to reform a person (people) is: warning, discipline, then (if neither bring repentance and therefore reform) destruction.
I am usually not an alarmist, but fear diffucult days ahead for the Christians of America if there is not reformation of the "church"
What do you think, I hope for all points of view.
--matthew _________________ matthew bauer
|
| 2004/5/13 11:13 | Profile | sermonindex Moderator
Joined: 2002/12/11 Posts: 39795 Canada
Online! | Re: The fate of the American Church | | Quote:
How long can the American church continue in the current direction without evoking a response from God. As I see, the pattern for God calling to reform a person (people) is: warning, discipline, then (if neither bring repentance and therefore reform) destruction.
Brother Matthew, I was just thinking the same thing. I was reading in Ezekiel about God showing Ezekiel the sins of the elders and priests in the [i]inner[/i] chambers where no one could see. And how they had idols setup in the most holy place. That sounds just way to similar to a Church that has besetting secret sins and idols in replace of the [b]quiet time[/b] (devotion and worship of God daily). In [url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/singlefile.php?lid=1857]Every Branch in Me that Beareth Not Fruit[/url] Keith Daniel says if your daily devotion of God is not paramount in your life then you are backslidden, not are going to be but ARE! _________________ SI Moderator - Greg Gordon
|
| 2004/5/13 11:20 | Profile | rocklife Member
Joined: 2004/4/1 Posts: 323 usa
| Re: | | Me, too, I have been listening to Jeremiah, Isaiah, (bible on audio) repeatedly, and I noticed that too. The similarities are very alarming. I put my trust in God no matter what though, and I wait on Him. I believe He will protect His, just like He protected Lot when He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. So many in our poor American church are slipping away from the Bible and blindly following wolves in sheep clothing. We must return to our first love, God! He wants us to look to Him, not to others. Lord, please forgive our idolatery, please help all Christians put You first. In Jesus' name, amen.
(It's good to talk about what I've just been studying on my own, thanks guys.) _________________ Jina
|
| 2004/5/14 15:14 | Profile | matthew Member
Joined: 2004/4/22 Posts: 57
| Re: | | First; amen.
I wonder about our protection though...God allowed His prophets to feel the weight of the oppressors allong with the rebels...
God will protect us. No one can do anything but kill our bodies, He will allow us to be mistreated no farther than our death...Isiah didn't name his son "God will protect me from harm" he named him "A remenant will return"
Fire is only able to purify what is exposed to it. Therefore the Church will only be purified by exposure to the fire of God. I pray that it will be the fire of His Spirit in our hearts, not that of His wrath on our nation. _________________ matthew bauer
|
| 2004/5/14 15:37 | Profile | KeithLaMothe Member
Joined: 2004/3/28 Posts: 354
| Re: | | The Lord has kept a remnant for Himself, just as in the old days. We'll all face the oppression, though.
Even those of us who think ourselves (rightly or wrongly) true Christians have very far to go before we are what God wants us to be, and the fire of refinement awaits us. The difference between the true and the false is that the false will die, the true will thrive. |
| 2004/5/14 15:48 | Profile | rookie Member
Joined: 2003/6/3 Posts: 4821 Savannah TN
| Re: | | I have been to 5 different churches in 6 weeks of searching. Paris Reidhead's sermon, Ten Schekels and a Shirt, speaks to me in every church I have visited. The effects of humanism is destroying the churches that I have visited. It is so clear. We are man centered and know very little about, He is Worthy!
In Christ Jeff _________________ Jeff Marshalek
|
| 2004/5/14 16:24 | Profile | KeithLaMothe Member
Joined: 2004/3/28 Posts: 354
| Re: | | Quote:
I have been to 5 different churches in 6 weeks of searching. Paris Reidhead's sermon, Ten Schekels and a Shirt, speaks to me in every church I have visited. The effects of humanism is destroying the churches that I have visited. It is so clear.
Even the church in Chino I mentioned? |
| 2004/5/14 16:25 | Profile | rookie Member
Joined: 2003/6/3 Posts: 4821 Savannah TN
| Re: | | Hi Keith,
I haven't been there yet.
Three weeks ago I tried to call for information. I was not able to get through by phone. I live about 85 miles from the Chino church. I guess I'll just have to drive down early Sunday morning.
Thanks for bring it up. In Christ Jeff _________________ Jeff Marshalek
|
| 2004/5/14 16:33 | Profile | Rahman Member
Joined: 2004/3/24 Posts: 1374
| Re: The Fate of the American Church | | Bro. Matthew you stated:
"How long can the American church continue in the current direction without evoking a response from God. As I see, the pattern for God calling to reform a person (people) is: warning, discipline, then (if neither bring repentance and therefore reform) destruction.
I am usually not an alarmist, but fear diffucult days ahead for the Christians of America if there is not reformation of the "church".
Well Bro. Matthew according to scripture America and the apostate American chuch can keep on skating until God speaks these dread words "their wickedness is come up before Me" ...
Gen.6 [13] And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Jonah.1 [1] Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, [2] Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
He is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo long suffering in our blatant wickedness, but nobody seems to take under concideration that His wrath is being stored up ... I agree with Bro. Art Katz when he says that one of the greatest tricks the devil ever pulled was getting New Testament Christianity to seperate itself from the Old Testament as if it's irrelevant to today with it's lessons of apostacy ... The Lord showed me quite recently that today "there is no room in the grace intoxicated New Testament church, for the sobering cold water of old Testament judgement ... He told me this to make me know why I don't fit, and I'd dare say why so many of you don't either ... God is still holy, and He still hates sin ... The Revelation is ample proof, and that's New Testament.
In one of the sermons on this site I heard a preacher say that even If God had not told the major prophets of old what was soon to befall Israel, they would have known anyway because of their above average fear of the Lord ... The speaker said that what would have made them know was that they were very well aware of the history of Deuteronomy ... Today we've got a complete Bible with all of God's warnings and mandates ... He's the same yesterday, today and tomorrow ... To what degree the nations and or especially His people show complete disrespect and disregard for Him gives those sensitive to Him a pretty good gauge of when He's about had enough ...
Bro. Matthew I'd say at this point to go on ahead and be an "alarmist", a "blower of the trumpet", a "watchman on the wall", a "voice crying out in the wilderness ... 9/11 was a wake up call to ALL of us in America, both saved and unsaved. God just tipped His vial in warning, it got our attention for about six months, then back to business worst than usual ... I remember praying hard, in abject horror, in the days right after 9/11, and our Lord was good to me by waiting some months before He made clearer to me what 9/11 meant, and it is this ... "America's idol of economy is destroyed ... America's idol of military is crippled ... America's government is spared (if only for a short season) because like God Himself nobody really believes in it, until something is needed from it ... Besides the fact that it's our government (so far) that keeps protection over Israel ... If we as a nation ever cease that God mandated edict we're really doomed ... And as Bro. Keith stated, whatever judgments are coming, we will all be affected by them ... A lot of Christians died on 9/11, as well as heathen.
The second warning He's given us is "The Passion of The Christ" ... Say what you will about that film, one can never say that it didn't bring right down front why we all need to bow before the King of Kings ... I went in masse with two church groups to see that movie, but it's still churchianity as usual in both ... In fact at the church of 3,000 that I attend, on one all night Friday prayer during Lent, there were 4 people there (including myself) ... Even that movie has not had the impact it should have had, so wake up call # 2 missed ... You know God usually does things in threes when His emphasizing ... And now I'm wondering if wake up call #3 is this prison abuse thing in Iraq ... I heard a couple of news anchors the other day refer to us (America) as a moral nation ... I shudder at such satanic inspired blindness in the world, I'm near faint with exasperation of it in Christ Church ... Lord Jesus we are much in need of "eyesalve", but I can only see that we're all about to be slapped so hard to our senses it'll knock us to our knees ... It seems the only way for You to get us to "snap out of it" ... Whatever it takes Lord God, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven ...Amen
https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/singlefile.php?lid=1724 = Run For Your Life |
| 2004/5/14 17:06 | Profile | moreofHim Member
Joined: 2003/10/15 Posts: 1632
| Re: fate of American church | | To reply to some of what Rahman was saying:
Soon after the passion movie came out and knowing in my spirit that it would not change things much- it would be like a 9-11, people would cry then go back to business as usual. Sometimes you just "know" these things!
Anyway, soon after this i had a dream that i have told Greg about- about the Lord's presence leaving. I didn't know if it was just that He was leaving me for awhile or if He meant our nation.
In the dream He was downcast and sad- He looked upset but in a sad way. I thought it was me but someone close to Him- like a best friend- said "no, that is just the way He is right now".
Then I knew He was leaving . I was so sad, I didn't want Him to go. He left my Mom with a single card, my dad with a single card(both with fancy bows on them) and me with a stacked pile of all differnt kinds of cards (no bow). I even thought to myself- 'why didn't I get a bow?" But i knew that it was because I had such a big stack of all these notes written from Him. They had just gotten a single card, fancy, but with no substance. My notes/cards represent my journals and things I've written from Him and I felt that he was leaving them with me saying that even though His presence is not here- at least I have these.
I opened one and it read something like this "Now you know what it is like to live with all of this" (I knew He meant that I saw and felt how heavy He was with everyone's sin) then it said "so now I must go to Ill.-...." It mentioned 2 other states in the U.S. but i couldn't read them. But i did know that I was going to Illinois for a concert very soon and felt it was a promise that i would feel His presence there. And i did!!!!
I really wondered after this dream, if his presence was leaving this nation. I can see where He is warning and trying to wake people up- but I have this "sense" or whatever you want to call it- a "knowing", just like I did with 9-11 and with the Passion movie, about the outcome concerning the hearts of the people.
All i have to say is that nothing short of persecution will probably bring the people in this nation back to the Lord. It is not that i don't have pity, it is just something i know.
In Christ, Chanin _________________ Chanin
|
| 2004/5/14 17:46 | Profile |
|