If Jesus of Nazareth were to return to planet earth today as a human would He recognize the religion that is using His name? Would He be shocked to find that people claiming to be His followers have been waging WAR against each other almost continually for the last 1,900 years � Catholic fighting Catholic, and Protestant fighting Protestant? That His professed followers believe doctrines TOTALLY CONTRARY to what He taught, observing different days of worship, different customs and�most importantly�having a totally different concept of God and of His purpose than Jesus and the original Apostles did?
Yet most genuine religious scholars recognize that VAST changes have overtaken professing Christianity. Producing a COUNTERFEIT Christianity�rendering it totally different from the Christianity of Jesus and the Apostles As respected mainline Protestant scholar Jesse Lyman Hurlbut acknowledges:
For fifty years after St. Paul�s life a curtain hangs over the church, through which we strive vainly to look; and when at last it rises, about 120 A.D. with the writings of the earliest church-fathers, we find a church in many aspects very different from that in the days of St. Peter and St. Paul (Story of the Christian Church, p. 41).
If the leaders, during this time that Mr. Hurlbut elsewhere called an "age of shadows," were filled with and led by God�s Spirit, then why would the Church suddenly be "very different"? For the Bible tells us that Christ is "the SAME yesterday, today and forever"(Hebrews 13:8).
Yet the professing Christian church today is NOT even remotely the same as the one Jesus founded.
Describing the time period after all the original Apostles and their successors had died out, Hurlbut writes:
The services of worship increased in splendor, but were less spiritual and hearty than those of former times. The forms and ceremonies of paganism gradually crept into the worship. Some of the old heathen feasts became church festivals with change of name and of worship. About 405 A.D. images of saints and martyrs began to appear in the churches, at first as memorials, then in succession revered, adored, and worshiped. The adoration and worship of the Virgin Mary was substituted for the worship of Venus and Diana; the Lord�s supper became a repeating sacrifice in place of a memorial; and the elder evolved from a preacher into a priest (p.79).
Notice Mr. Hurlbut�s statement that "some of the old heathen feasts became church festivals." They "became" that way because God Himself had predicted that EVIL men and false leaders would take over most of the Church! Remember this inspired warning the Apostle Paul gave the Ephesian elders: "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears" (Acts 20:29�31).
When Paul realized the depth of the APOSTASY which would overtake most of the Church, it hit him emotionally. He then "did not cease to WARN everyone night and day with tears"! Very few people today seem to be concerned enough about this massive apostasy to even begin to shed tears over this awesome change.
This massive apostasy occurred because men and women back then, just like today, did not zealously PROVE to themselves where God�s Truth was being taught. That is why the Living Christ corrected those Christians living near the end of the Apostolic Era: "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place�unless you repent" (Revelation 2:4�5).
And what about today? How can we account for the more than 400 different denominations and sects�all calling themselves "Christian"? And all of them having some type of different ideas, traditions and approaches and yet claiming to follow the same Jesus Christ?
Part of the answer is the fact that extremely few professing Christians really study their Bibles! So they do not "PROVE" virtually anything they believe by carefully researching it in the Bible! Oh, they may enthusiastically study books and articles on health, on self-improvement or on business and investing and making more money. But somehow it does not occur to them to thoroughly study the most VITAL subjects of all: Is there a REAL God? If so, what is His PURPOSE in creating human beings? And HOW can we fulfill that purpose? Yet the Bible commands, "PROVE all things, hold fast that which is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21, KJV).
Most people have just "accepted" the religion passed down through their families. Most have just "gone along" with the beliefs and the traditions taught to them as children.
Noting the public�s lack of attention to their religion, Los Angeles Times religion writer Teresa Watanabe reported:
According to one religious research firm, two-thirds of Americans don�t regularly read the Bible or know the names of the Four Gospels. More than half of Americans surveyed can�t name even five of the Ten Commandments. And the majority say they find the Good Book irrelevant.... "We still hold the Bible in high regard, but in terms of actually spending the time reading it, studying it and applying it�that is a thing of the past," said George Barna. The reasons cited range from changes in American culture to the intrinsic difficulty of the text itself. Now religious organizations are making a major effort to jazz up the ancient Scripture�s doddering image. Bible publishers are producing a dizzying array of products, with translations and editions pitched to every conceivable niche market, to convince people that the book is neither arcane nor irrelevant (Los Angeles Times, July 23, 1999).
Of course, the real underlying cause of this massive religious apostasy is that this is Satan�s world and that he has totally DECEIVED the vast majority of humanity. In the comfortable surroundings of western civilization, most Americans, Canadians and others fail to realize that the overwhelming majority of human beings have never believed in ANY form of "Christianity"�let alone the real Christianity of Christ and the Apostles! The vast majority of humans are�and always have been�Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Shintoists, atheists or agnostics.
A VERY REAL SATAN IS INVOLVED
When you study and believe your own Bible, you will find that Satan the devil is described as the one "who deceives the WHOLE world" (Revelation 12:9). You will also find Satan referred to as "the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience"(Ephesians 2:2). For Satan "broadcasts" a selfish, rebellious attitude throughout this earth. SATAN" has been broadcasting on the AIR waves, at high POWER for 6,000 years. His demons, the sons of disobedience are his radio transmitters. His messages of sin - rebellion and disobedience against God, are broadcast 24 hours a day, day after day, year after year, to over 90% of the world's population, who faithfully tune into his lies - to receive his messages - to do his bidding. He is the one who is influencing and deceiving mankind
Jesus said, "I will build my church and the gates (defenses) of hades shall not prevail against it."
Do we believe that Jesus succeeded at this? More than fifty years after the Ascension Jesus DID come back and He walked among the churches (Revelation, chapters 1-3). He recognized HIS church, even those that were Lukewarm and deserving of rebuke. When He returns bodily to the Earth, He will come for a bride without spot or blemish.
Humans may or may not find such a bride, but Jesus will. And He doesn't need CDFF. He has a true bride being prepared and made ready for Him in the earth, and All the earth shall be full of the glory of the Lord.
The church is here. true churches are here. Someone has said, "If you ever find a perfect church, stay away from it so that you don't ruin it." But the fact is that churches are full of imperfect people. If we want to fully follow the pattern of the New Testament, then our churches will contain fornicators, and they will be found with wars and fightings among them (James so says), and there will be divisions and people will be walking as mere men (So Paul says of the Corinthians), and Christians will even be bewitched by false teachers (So Paul says of the Galatians).
So, if the church is PERFECT and free from error, then and only then would it not be following the pattern of the book of Acts and the New Testament.
So we need to strive to come into the unity of the faith, unto a perfect (complete) mature manner of living and doctrine. This was the Holy Spirit's desire for the church at Ephesus (according to Paul), which implies that they were not there yet.
Let us grow in God, and in the love of the Lord Jesus Christ, by the indwelling power of His Holy Spirit.
Ok. So, here's MY problem with our current "predicament"...
I agree that "Christianity" is different than it once was. It is. Period. I could sugar coat it all day and justify MY actions till the sun comes up, but it doesn't change the truth. I think one of the largest hurtles here is a lack of people for others to look up to. DC Talk put it VERY well in one of their songs. "What Have We Become". They ask questions like "Where are the righteous ones?". This has had a HUGE impact on us.
There is hardly anyone around us living the example.
So far in my life... I can honestly say that I can count the number of genuine "Christians" using ONE of my hands. So, during my childhood and during my current young-adulthood, I have had very few people to show me what it means to be a true follower of Christ. Sure, I have a Bible I can read. The Bible tells me everything I need to know. But when I don't SEE it in other people, I kinda just wonder... what the mess... what's going on...
People tell me too often that "times are different now than they were back then". I'm tired of hearing this. Yes, we are in a different time period, but that doesn't mean that moral principles and sin has changed. It's still the same, and I believe God still expects the same from all of us. Jesus was known during his lifetime for introducing "extremes". He was known for saying stuff like (not EXACTLY but LIKE): "You've always heard THIS... but now I tell you to do THIS...". "Sell everything you have and give to the poor". "If someone wants to take something from you... not only should you just give it up, but you should give him something else, too". So, as a result, His people made changes. They altered their lifestyles to try and live a more righteous life than the one they were settling for. Since Jesus ascended into heaven, though, I feel like people are slowly starting to drift back into the same rut that we were in during those earlier times. We no longer have that "physical" representation of the Word here to show us. So... what now?
It's always easy to point fingers and assign blame in these types of situations, but I'm pretty sure we ALL know that, 1) that's not going to accomplish anything, and 2) it's not the right thing to do, because we have ALL messed up. So, I guess we should try and figure out how to fix the situation.
Let's face it... we live in a world where people are becoming more... tolerant?... I can't think of the word I'm looking for. Too many people have the attitude of "who are YOU to tell me this, this, and this...". Maybe prideful? It's a world where everyone is easily offended. People just don't know how to take criticism... or a good ole fashion rebuke... and it's not healthy. We are all just going our own ways, and we are teaching it to our kids who do the same thing. Solution?
I believe actions speak SO much more loudly than words. In fact... that's scriptural, dang it! Your faith being noticeable because of your actions (I'll quote the verse later if needed. Its a pretty common one) So, let's get up off of our butts and live the TRUE dream! The dream that Christ died for. The dream that Jesus talked about and lived while he was here on earth. The dream that Paul got to experience.
It's the LACK of these actions and works that are turning people away from Christ. Just let that sink in for a moment... WE are turning OTHERS away from GOD because of how we are acting, or NOT acting. WE are one of the highest causes of atheism in the world. You ever notice how so many people are "turned off" from Christianity here in America, but how so many people overseas are "turned on" to Christianity? That's because they only see a very few number of Christians, who are usually dedicated missionaries... people who are quite literally giving stuff up for those less fortunate. On the flip-flop, though, people in America are surrounded by the "judgmental christians", or the "inconsiderate christians", etc. Therefore, they aren't likely to follow in these footsteps.
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be trampled be men." -Matthew 5:13
My final words are this... A problem as big as this is going to take time... something we don't have much of... and I'm not saying that because we aren't all perfect, we're all going to hell. I fully understand that we will ALL screw up at some point or another, and that we are all forgiven through faith in the Lord. But I don't want us to take the attitude of "knowing I will screw up and that I'm forgiven anyways" and abusing it. We shouldn't just settle. This is my call to every one of you on this website, and hopefully, one day, to many more who will listen. Stop justifying everything. Stop making excuses. The time is near. Turn away from ungodliness and live a true life of righteousness. Jesus showed us the way. Paul followed. Let US now follow and be that example for all others around us.
"The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion." -Proverbs 28:1
"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." -Matthew 5:16
AMEN Freak...our only hope is to look at Jesus. We can't look at each other. Walk like He walked and you yourself will be a witness to others that don't know Jesus.
