It seems to me Christianity (the religious institution - not the reality) has always been on shaky ground, EXCEPT for when it was aligned with empires and kingdoms of man, the controlling voice over the masses and of nations. Did the religious instituion not become an empire itself and even in one case a nation, both mimicing the secular world?
Did we not until recent times, look at Christianity as being the big three or whatever... Orthodox, Catholic, and the various big names of Protestant... Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian. That was basically it. You were one or the other or none of the above. Simple with great architecture. Yet these were seen for what they were, monoliths of Christianity.
Within, there are those who use God to suit their purposes. Within, there are those who change themselves to serve the will of God. It is very lopsided. The 'official' institution itself has always served as a tool for the world of man, not exclusively of God. (although God with a chuckle at our arrogance, used this greed to forward the truth in scriptures that might otherwise have been lost)
Yet in the last hundred years, especially with free enterprise, thousands of new Christian faiths/cults/businesses have sprung up. If it were not for media, many of those snake oil tent revivalists would still be wandering around in the desert, all but unheard of. Communism, the great capitalistic experiment, removed the institution but the faith remained in the homes. This while the opposing side at first used Christianity as a banner against the new heathen foe. Political manipulation using the reliable religious ally. All human manipulation of Christianity or the purposeful lack of Christianity, for gain at the expense of others.
But what is happening today? First the Ebb. Religion after 1700 years is no longer needed to manipulate or control the people (make that 'Christianity' as other religions still control peoples and nations as we have seen). We have the 'digital age' set up as the new god of control over the people's privacy and wealth, soon potentially determining who may or may not buy and sell with the click of a key. Confessionals, religious stool pigeons, or easily managed Christian territories used as data gatherers... no longer necessary in a new electronic global world posing the same threat as at the time of Babel when God confounded language to weaken the power of man.
As a result of the ebb, Christianity is being allowed to self destruct as we are seeing. It's purpose no longer needed by worldly powers who have used it for over 1700 years. It's a new world to their thinking.
Second, the Flow. Look at Russia and the Ukraine. Rather than crack down on those home meetings as the Soviets once did, Putin has realigned Russia with the State church in order to gain the support of the former underground home followers of that faith. The Ukraine is solidifying it's political stance by a break away from Russian Orthodoxy to form a newly amalgamated church of it's own. The purpose of both countries interest in Christianity? Political, just like the old days of the Western world. The purpose of church interest in the State? Power and property, just like the old days of the Western world.
Yet without the Gospel of the Kingdom as the focal point of Christianity, people never learn. They are still focused on the traditional church denomination, ceremony and rites, rather than on the scriptures and the Kingdom. So they all willingly rejoined the State, missing what Jesus taught about the world of man and the Kingdom being foes, not allies.
But then again that is the way of man. It seems to me God knew this when He gave the gentiles their time. It was the only way scripture, the Messiah and the Kingdom could move forward within Christianity while mankind butchered the religion and original Jewish movement out of self interest.
Is this good or bad?
Well IMO the fall of Christianity as a moral/ethical force (in spite of the church's unethical examples) is bad, but the movement back into the homes, gatherings like what once happened in Russia or China, can be good as people hopefully focus on scripture rather than the institutions of man (providing there is no political or profit angle involved).
Jesus is not in the institutions, but rather in the scriptures and hopefully, in the hearts of the people and their gatherings (the true church). The Kingdom as shown by Jesus' life has always survived through simplicity. Those repenting of their complex worldly ways will find it.
We know the outcome of what is happening now. So why fight what is meant to be, as the final battle between the will of man and God unfolds. Hopefully the Kingdom has been chosen by the faithful over the world that man has built in our image. If you don't understand the difference between the two, study the Gospel of the Kingdom, then turn on the media to see that which is not of the Kingdom.
Like with the first gatherings of old, free of Roman influenced hierarchy, with elders acting as human holy ghosts to keep things focused, the focus should remain on the scripture, Jesus' Gospel, the Messiah and the Kingdom.
There will always be someone who will eventually try to revert even those gatherings back into the world of man. But if people FIRST seek God and the Kingdom as commanded, rather than go in with a mind previously influenced by the world of man, any back-pedalling to the world of man should be avoided.
Focus on the Kingdom, not the 'establishment' ruling the secular and religious world.
© ...timothyu
Did we not until recent times, look at Christianity as being the big three or whatever... Orthodox, Catholic, and the various big names of Protestant... Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian. That was basically it. You were one or the other or none of the above. Simple with great architecture. Yet these were seen for what they were, monoliths of Christianity.
Within, there are those who use God to suit their purposes. Within, there are those who change themselves to serve the will of God. It is very lopsided. The 'official' institution itself has always served as a tool for the world of man, not exclusively of God. (although God with a chuckle at our arrogance, used this greed to forward the truth in scriptures that might otherwise have been lost)
Yet in the last hundred years, especially with free enterprise, thousands of new Christian faiths/cults/businesses have sprung up. If it were not for media, many of those snake oil tent revivalists would still be wandering around in the desert, all but unheard of. Communism, the great capitalistic experiment, removed the institution but the faith remained in the homes. This while the opposing side at first used Christianity as a banner against the new heathen foe. Political manipulation using the reliable religious ally. All human manipulation of Christianity or the purposeful lack of Christianity, for gain at the expense of others.
But what is happening today? First the Ebb. Religion after 1700 years is no longer needed to manipulate or control the people (make that 'Christianity' as other religions still control peoples and nations as we have seen). We have the 'digital age' set up as the new god of control over the people's privacy and wealth, soon potentially determining who may or may not buy and sell with the click of a key. Confessionals, religious stool pigeons, or easily managed Christian territories used as data gatherers... no longer necessary in a new electronic global world posing the same threat as at the time of Babel when God confounded language to weaken the power of man.
As a result of the ebb, Christianity is being allowed to self destruct as we are seeing. It's purpose no longer needed by worldly powers who have used it for over 1700 years. It's a new world to their thinking.
Second, the Flow. Look at Russia and the Ukraine. Rather than crack down on those home meetings as the Soviets once did, Putin has realigned Russia with the State church in order to gain the support of the former underground home followers of that faith. The Ukraine is solidifying it's political stance by a break away from Russian Orthodoxy to form a newly amalgamated church of it's own. The purpose of both countries interest in Christianity? Political, just like the old days of the Western world. The purpose of church interest in the State? Power and property, just like the old days of the Western world.
Yet without the Gospel of the Kingdom as the focal point of Christianity, people never learn. They are still focused on the traditional church denomination, ceremony and rites, rather than on the scriptures and the Kingdom. So they all willingly rejoined the State, missing what Jesus taught about the world of man and the Kingdom being foes, not allies.
But then again that is the way of man. It seems to me God knew this when He gave the gentiles their time. It was the only way scripture, the Messiah and the Kingdom could move forward within Christianity while mankind butchered the religion and original Jewish movement out of self interest.
Is this good or bad?
Well IMO the fall of Christianity as a moral/ethical force (in spite of the church's unethical examples) is bad, but the movement back into the homes, gatherings like what once happened in Russia or China, can be good as people hopefully focus on scripture rather than the institutions of man (providing there is no political or profit angle involved).
Jesus is not in the institutions, but rather in the scriptures and hopefully, in the hearts of the people and their gatherings (the true church). The Kingdom as shown by Jesus' life has always survived through simplicity. Those repenting of their complex worldly ways will find it.
We know the outcome of what is happening now. So why fight what is meant to be, as the final battle between the will of man and God unfolds. Hopefully the Kingdom has been chosen by the faithful over the world that man has built in our image. If you don't understand the difference between the two, study the Gospel of the Kingdom, then turn on the media to see that which is not of the Kingdom.
Like with the first gatherings of old, free of Roman influenced hierarchy, with elders acting as human holy ghosts to keep things focused, the focus should remain on the scripture, Jesus' Gospel, the Messiah and the Kingdom.
There will always be someone who will eventually try to revert even those gatherings back into the world of man. But if people FIRST seek God and the Kingdom as commanded, rather than go in with a mind previously influenced by the world of man, any back-pedalling to the world of man should be avoided.
Focus on the Kingdom, not the 'establishment' ruling the secular and religious world.
© ...timothyu
