Churches are failing as we all know.

[Scott Downey]

Thanks for that information. I appreciate it. I guess one documented statement may shed another light.
Eph 4:30 grieve the Holy Spirit
lupeō

loo-peh'-o

From G3077; to distress; reflexively or passively to be sad: - cause grief, grieve, be in heaviness, (be) sorrow (-ful), be (make) sorry.

A person has emotions.

She thinks Jesus is just a man, not God, not divine.
She thinks the Holy Spirit is not a he, as in a person, but an it, the power of God.

Who do you say is Jesus Christ?

 

[Keiw]

NO they did not . only the sheep did .
YOU do realize that often they got so bad , grew so rebellious against GOD
He had to remove them at times .
AND had the ISRAELITES KNOWN GOD
JERSUALEM WOULD HAVE STOOD TO THIS VERY DAY . REJECT JESUS , YOU DO REJECT GOD .
So lets all take a knee before GOD
and confess any faults
and PICK UP our bibles again
YES lets do a real entrodus back into the HOLY BIBLE
and it darn sure wont be long before many did an exodus OUTTA a LOT of places .
Its not hard to do . Just put down ya churches booklets
dont heed the popes , the watch tower
JUST LEARN the bible for oneself . heck it aint near as difficult as men have made it out to be .

Yes they fell away over and over but they still knew God.
Not one can understand the deep things in Gods bible without being taught by the ones Jesus is with=Matt 24:45

 

[One 2 question]

Though churches face many challenges, these can also be opportunities for renewal and growth. Addressing these issues with grace, courage, and adaptability can help churches thrive and continue to make a positive impact. These are opinion based on my life long experience with God. Your views may vary, please share what you think​

We as humans sure know how to overthink and complicate things.
It appears that Jesus kept things simple and to the point.
When faced with a demon possessed person, Jesus didn't encourage them to seek out a doctor, who would refer them to a psychologist who would refer them to a psychiatrist who put them on certain medication with the hope they will improve. If they don't then back on the merry-go-round.
No, Jesus just got to the cause and cast out the foul spirit. Simple.
Sickness, ill health, dysfunction, division in Jesus body is His responsibility to heal and restore.
When we rely on human intervention based on our extremely limited understanding we are inviting further infection, disease, corruption, confusion and frustration to enter us.
The Head and owner of His body is Jesus. Healing comes from Him. The means He has chosen is His Spirit.

So I ask myself this question. Where is the Holy Spirit? Is Spirit in me? If so then has He made me healthy, strong, wise, humble and useful to the body of Christ. If not, then I will keep introducing new destructive viruses to the rest of His body. Of course a healthy body will reject such foreign and destructive entities.

Before I am injected into the church on a deeper level, I want to be healed and restored and full of Christ's Spirit.

I am on a new journey exploring this Spirit of the Creator, be He or it. I want to know this Spirit Jesus and His Father sent to form, build and complete Christ's body, the church. For we know that at some stage she as Christ's bride will be made ready to meet and be married to Jesus.

 

[Jesus Wept]

Churches fail all the time, and for one of two reasons.

Christ is preached, and the tares leave.

Christ is not preached, and the believers leave.

The most successful "churches" these days are the ones where Christ is not preached, at least not the Christ that I know..

Success meaning, they have a lot of money and grow. Not my definition of success of course.

 

[pandaflower]

We all,Christians,know?

 

[amigo de christo]

Yes they fell away over and over but they still knew God.
Not one can understand the deep things in Gods bible without being taught by the ones Jesus is with=Matt 24:45

Thanks for bringing up the lovely Name of JESUS .
So you say they KNEW GOD .
Lets see what JESUS says to them .
When they said to HIM we have ONE FATHER its GOD .
And JESUS says , ye are of your father the devil .
DO THAT SOUND like they KNEW GOD . no . they knew things about GOD .
the sheep knew GOD .

 

[amigo de christo]

Churches fail all the time, and for one of two reasons.

Christ is preached, and the tares leave.

Christ is not preached, and the believers leave.

The most successful "churches" these days are the ones where Christ is not preached, at least not the Christ that I know..

Success meaning, they have a lot of money and grow. Not my definition of success of course.

A whole lot of truth in this my friend .
And you are correct , they preach what is commonly called
another jesus . And i bet you know darn well that ONE dont save , it just promises salvation and Giveth them their sin too .
That one IS NOT JESUS the CHRIST . You are correct my friend .

 

[Wick Stick]

Ummm
The OP's assessment is severely flawed.
Particular to the general instead of general to particular arguments.

Which is a Major problem with Christianity today as a whole. The core issue is Hermeneutics....not the pastor, not the clothing, not the programs or services offerred....or even the scandals.

What are the issues facing the average person today?
Public Health and Economic statistics are the elephant in the room screaming the problems. And the Church has literature as well as a person that discusses none of these issues but instead preaches morality lessons from a verse or two that are usually sophomoric in scope.

People do not agree with some of the morality lessons because they do not know scriptures and have no idea how the preacher comes to the conclusions he does or how the literature comes to its ideals either.

People are so separated from scriptures today that they have no idea how to find anything beyond what an index will provide.

ALL of today's issues are mentioned in scriptures....and solutions to those problems are readily available as well. Not one is absent. But since no one knows scriptures, no one teaches how to logically interpret scriptures clearly, and the percentage number of pastors who preach pretty messages in flagrant defiance of scriptures is in the 90's. Little wonder that people are not duped by the label "Church". It isn't what it was or ever designed to be.

However, there are a few glorious exceptions. And those churches have metrics that leave the other pastors slack jawed. Where are the churches that have an easier time counting the Sundays they do not have a new believer's baptism or profession of faith?

There's an issue right there!

When you deny the power of the Gospel/good news message by choking it to death....that's how you come to today's church. Scriptures themselves are living and active, sharper than any two edged sword. Not the Pastor's or some Book's description of what the scriptures say.

Sure, a passionate sermon is good. Jesus too was passionate when he preached. And Jesus quoted a TON of scriptures...alluded to even more that the people were VERY familiar with.

Today the preacher reads a verse....the books quote a single fragment of a verse and them goes on about it for 20 minutes or more. Little wonder people don't know anything in this information age and do not desire more.

Was discussing this with my Dad the other day. Basically, we agreed that topical sermons are not a suitable replacement for homilies. The value of actually learning Scripture is far greater than learning ABOUT Scriptures.

I think the problem goes deeper. You can't educate people into salvation, and the church is trying to do that.

 

[Jesus Wept]

Was discussing this with my Dad the other day. Basically, we agreed that topical sermons are not a suitable replacement for homilies. The value of actually learning Scripture is far greater than learning ABOUT Scriptures.

I think the problem goes deeper. You can't educate people into salvation, and the church is trying to do that.

It doesn't matter how much scripture is taught, if there is no heart to obey.

The principles of Godly living are learned through obedience.

 

[Jesus Wept]

Thanks for bringing up the lovely Name of JESUS .
So you say they KNEW GOD .
Lets see what JESUS says to them .
When they said to HIM we have ONE FATHER its GOD .
And JESUS says , ye are of your father the devil .
DO THAT SOUND like they KNEW GOD . no . they knew things about GOD .
the sheep knew GOD .

Christ was speaking to the modern Jewish leadership. A text taken out of context is a pretext.

 

[amigo de christo]

Christ was speaking to the modern Jewish leadership. A text taken out of context is a pretext.

Same could be said about much of christendom today .
But CHRIST IS our CHRIST
no , anti christ has become their christ and they darn sure follow its road to what it cliams will bring peace
and what it calls love and cliams is of GOD .
CHRISTENDOM , O CHRISTENDOM
how often i would have gathered thee only YE WOULD NOT .
I WEEP massive for many now . Feel free to ask questions if you like .

 

[amigo de christo]

Christ was speaking to the modern Jewish leadership. A text taken out of context is a pretext.

God spoke through the prophets often to JERSUALEM
and called her a harlot and her priests rotted to the core .
LASTLY CHRIST came
and told them
But as their fathers often rejected the true prophets
THESE too rejected even the very SON whom the prophets had pointed too .
And as a massive falling away came upon them
SO TOO has it come upon Christendom . SEE the pattern yet .
GO to and behold the pages of torah and the prophets
YOU SEE what the prophets told them
You see what GOD spoke
See what they loved , see what they prophesied and see how many loved to sit and hear their lies .
And none does repent of his wickedness for they promise them life .
JUST LIKE CHRISTENDOM DO TODAY
as it honors the rainbows , it wont correct squat
it too prophesies ye shall have peace
And none does repent of his wickedness
for they promise them life . IDENTICAL pattern .
And now a very stern and very grave warning for us all .
IF under the law a man could be put to death by two or three witnesses
OH MY , OH DEAR , HOW MUCH WORSE a punishment for this INCLUSIVE anti christs
who have TROD JESUS under foot and made the path HUGE TO GOD , shall recieve .
IF we gonna preach something
I SUGGEST ITS AN ALL OUT MESSAGE OF ITS HIGH TIME TO REPENT .

 

[Keiw]

Thanks for bringing up the lovely Name of JESUS .
So you say they KNEW GOD .
Lets see what JESUS says to them .
When they said to HIM we have ONE FATHER its GOD .
And JESUS says , ye are of your father the devil .
DO THAT SOUND like they KNEW GOD . no . they knew things about GOD .
the sheep knew GOD .

Yes they fell away and satan ruled them, but many remained standing during those times, they knew God well. Many times the fallen ones returned to the God they knew, in the OT. They knew exactly who God was and what he required.

 

[Keiw]

Churches fail all the time, and for one of two reasons.

Christ is preached, and the tares leave.

Christ is not preached, and the believers leave.

The most successful "churches" these days are the ones where Christ is not preached, at least not the Christ that I know..

Success meaning, they have a lot of money and grow. Not my definition of success of course.

No religion in a building called church teaches the real Jesus. They use altered translations that mislead into darkness.

 

[pandaflower]

No religion in a building called church teaches the real Jesus. They use altered translations that mislead into darkness.

Denominationalism.

 

[Wick Stick]

It doesn't matter how much scripture is taught, if there is no heart to obey.

The principles of Godly living are learned through obedience.

Can turn that around as well - who will believe or obey if nobody knows what we are meant to be rehearsing?

 

[Jesus Wept]

Can turn that around as well - who will believe or obey if nobody knows what we are meant to be rehearsing?

True.

But then again, its not like they couldn't read the Bible for themselves..

They shouldn't need a teacher.

Which brings us back to obedience.

 

[amigo de christo]

True.

But then again, its not like they couldn't read the Bible for themselves..

They shouldn't need a teacher.

Which brings us back to obedience.

And yet their are those who have been given such a gift .
Its simply we must test anything that comes from the lips of men .
Bible reading should be done . individually and with others as well .
Each true sheep has a certain gift of GOD
meant for the edification of the body .
But it is that one same Spirit that works each gift and gives unto the body .
Obediance is Key to who one truly does love .
Its the proof of whose we are .
The major concern and problem in these latter hours
is that many who claim to be a prophet , a leader , teacher , etc
Are walking in darkness . Decieving the masses and worse many of those masses seem to love to have it so .
People must stop living by emotions and feelings
What feels good , what seems right many in these churches
IS something contrary to GOD . ITS not looking good at all .

 

[Marvelloustime]

And yet their are those who have been given such a gift .
Its simply we must test anything that comes from the lips of men .
Bible reading should be done . individually and with others as well .
Each true sheep has a certain gift of GOD
meant for the edification of the body .
But it is that one same Spirit that works each gift and gives unto the body .
Obediance is Key to who one truly does love .
Its the proof of whose we are .
The major concern and problem in these latter hours
is that many who claim to be a prophet , a leader , teacher , etc
Are walking in darkness . Decieving the masses and worse many of those masses seem to love to have it so .
People must stop living by emotions and feelings
What feels good , what seems right many in these churches
IS something contrary to GOD . ITS not looking good at all .

@amigo de christo

 

[Keiw]

True.

But then again, its not like they couldn't read the Bible for themselves..

They shouldn't need a teacher.

Which brings us back to obedience.

All need to be taught by these-Matt 24:45 or they remain in darkness. Its why the trinity religions are a house divided, they will not stand. They are a mass of confusion misleading all into darkness out of their altered translations. They fail this true mark 100%= 1Cor 1:10= unity of thought( all of Gods truth) no division.