Christianity… Are we in Crisis Mode?
Marion and I have experienced an unexpected beginning since officially opening our church, The Field at Inglis! We don’t have a congregation yet. We are building from zero. We are simply providing the place and will build based on the following premise…that the Father will send those He is seeking to worship Him, not worship religion or a church. “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.” John 4:23 KJV.
The previous three weeks since opening our doors have been quite interesting—actually, the past three months—and have revealed a great deal about the condition of—how shall I say this—those who profess Christianity. We have been confronted with everything imaginable; every objection to who we are and what God has sent us to do. We are waiting to meet those who are truly seeking to know Jesus, the Christ, and grow into maturity. Here are some of the questions and discussions we have been confronted with in the previous weeks:
1. What is your denomination?
2. Do you celebrate Christmas and Easter? If you do, I can’t come.
3. Do you believe in Satan, the Devil, and Demons?
4. Oh no, that’s what Jehovah Witnesses believe (Because we teach the Kingdom of God is now)!
5. Do you use the King James Bible?
6. Are you going to Baptize?
8. God is through evangelizing in the United States, actually across the world!
So, what is my point? There is much more that I can share regarding the past three months getting the church building ready and preparing for our services, but would rather not. The above questions and comments have prodded us into leading those whose concerns are valid to them when seeking a place to worship. We all look for like-minded people that we can grow with, amen? However, my point in being concerned about so many points of contention, shows me that, the present-day church is so divided over the parts of the scriptures, they either believe or do not believe (because people don’t study according to II Timothy 2:15), that no one can stay focused on Jesus Christ who is:
1. The Author and Finisher of our faith;
2. The Redeemer who wishes that no one perish;
3. The Comforter who gives peace for our confusion; strength for our weakness; joy for our sorrow;
4. The Deliverer who breaks the chains of hatred, division, prejudice, and fear;
5. The Transformer who takes us out of the kingdom of darkness and places us into the kingdom of light;
6. The Savior of the world, of everyone—creatures both great and small—who was ever born and who will ever be born;
7. The Son of the Living God, who came to show us the Father;
8. The Lamb of God who laid down His life to show us the true meaning of love, the fulfillment of all the law;
9. The Provider (Jehovah Jireh) who will never leave us or forsake us, who is with us even when we make our bed in hell, in the dark places, as we struggle to overcome the flesh;
10. The Anointed One who preaches good tidings unto the meek; binds up the brokenhearted, proclaims liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
11. The Lord of Lords and King of Kings in which no flesh can stand in His presence and whom all creation is in subjection to;
12. The Bright Morning Star who wakes us each morning with a brand-new dose of mercy, waiting to meet ever need;
13. The Rose of Sharon who emits a beautiful fragrance and fills our lives with beauty and grace;
14. The Healer (Jehovah-Rapha) who makes us whole; who heals ALL our diseases;
15. The Lord our Banner (Jehovah-Nissi) who covers us with His Love;
16. The Alpha and The Omega, The Beginning and the End, who Was, and IS, and Is to Come;
17. The Christ, The All Knowing, The Omni-present; The Omniscient;
18. The Creator of all who created everything in the universe for His GOOD Pleasure;
19. The Tree of Life who, if we keep our mind on Him, will keep us in perfect peace;
20. The ONE in whom we all live and breathe and have our being.
So, again, my point is??? People are more bound to doctrine, to what others say, to demons and the devil, to holidays and sabbaths, to denominationalism, to tribalism, to sacraments, and the like, than they are getting to know who Jesus Christ truly is, the One on whose foundation we say we stand. Shouldn’t we forge on to get to know Jesus, the Christ, the anointed One who sets the captives free? He yearns for this bickering and division to cease and to get about His Father’s business. So yes, I do believe the church is nearing crisis. As my husband states, we have become institutionalized to church. Should we repent of our ignorance and become as little children according to Mark 10:15 “Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein”, we will see a true revival and a restoration of all that God holds dear — his creation — all humanity.
We need a return to the cross, to crucify the flesh. Jesus has done His part. Now it’s our turn.
It is our hope that God send those who have a true desire to get to know Jesus and want to grow as disciples of the good news of the Gospel. Let us grow together in humility and grace until the body becomes the full stature of the measure of Christ.
