why the western churches are falling

[Blessed-one]

well, i remember somebody posting the same question and talking about going back to the original state of the churches at Jesus's time but i forgot who..

anyway, i just read this biography of a chinese pastor leading the house churches in China (very recent). "The Heavenly Man" by Brother Yun with Paul Hattaway, and it was like reading a modern intense version of Acts and Paul.

literal churches of Jesus's time in terms of zeal for the Lord, material possession, persecution and miracles. Towards the end of the book, the author addresses some issues of why some of the western churches are sleeping (as he's living overseas now).

one of the more eye opening incidence was the breaking apart of the house churches due to influences from various denominations of the western world. It appalls me to think that the west could have single handedly destroyed the very seed they sent in years ago, but then God wouldn't allow even our mistake to ruin His plan.

 

[IKTCA]

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[endure]

i just praise God that today we have been so blessed of the Lord that we do not have to do many things the way the people in the book of acts did.
they did alot becuase of the oppression and the poverty or whatever.
but i praise God that we are in a blessed season and place and are free of much of what they werent. becuase of the men of God that prepared the way for us and prayed and died and fought so that we would have such a wonderful door and oppurtunity to be able to impact other peoples lives.

i think we should take advantage of it, and not speak evil of the moden day churches just because we arent poverty stricken, hiding in homes, etc, like the people in the book of acts did.

i know that is not what your saying, but some people do, and i praise God that we are free of such things, for now anyway.

i just try to stay positive, becuase the western church isnt weak and broken like some people say it is, yeah there are some bad things to be found if you look hard enough, but there are powerful men of God who are living the life and leading people rightly...you just cant see them from the road.

 

[MichaelFJF]

My church is "falling." We had 3 times the usual amount enter into RCIA this year. M

 

[Blessed-one]

i think you'll enjoy it, iktca.

i understand what you are saying, endure, but it seems parallel that wealth comes with a sense of complacency for the majority of christians. We should be able to do more, but we are content with what we have on our plate already. (i do kind of agree with you about the sentiment of us not being poverty stricken. Having wealth enables us to further God's plan, if we could use it wisely)

what's RCIA? to join the catholic church?

 

[endure]

well i personally dont beleive misuse of the money is the issue, but a lack of money in the church is the issue, as far as money anyway, and as far as a whole.

 

[Heinrich]

Lotsa reasons....

When the apostals lived the Devil started working against his church.. But it didn't work. hehe The more people got killed and persecuted for there faith the more the church grow. But then when things got a little bigger and there wasn't apostals around anymore he started infilltrating the church. He started blinding persons in leadership to some very important truths.

What do you think Martin Luther did? He got as back halfway to the original idea of church! GREAT MAN! But the war is not over. I believe Jesus said that if you believe in him and love him you will do the works he did. (John 14:14 I think (please correct))
That would include healing, driving out deamons and even raising the dead.

There are lotsa people that sees this reality! The spiritual truths. But there is alot going against them and they get made out for all sorts of nasty things. Much like what the pharisees did to Jesus and his followers.

But don't be scared! The Word of God will win the war!

P.S. I'm almost done with "Raising the Dead - John Eldredge"! brilljant book on fighting the fight to spiritual freedom.