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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781546275817 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | AuthorHouse |
| Publication date: | 01/14/2019 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 110 |
| File size: | 389 KB |
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CHAPTER 1
What's at Stake?
* * *
IN THE WAKE OF SUCH beliefs lie catastrophic snares that can send a society into a tailspin reverberant of the times of Sodom and Gomorrah.
"And the Lord said, 'The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave. I will go down now and see if they have done entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will know'" (Genesis 18:20).
This wave of blistering defiance is content to believe that the true love of God allows for self-expression in all forms and that what people do with their lives should not have a bearing on goodness or be considered a fountain of evil deeds. They believe that their way of looking at life is at least as true as that of people who believe that accepting Jesus Christ causes moral transformation and that the Holy Spirit guides their choices. On one hand, they want to be looked upon as loving and moral people, but on the other hand, their views tears the fabric of decency while seeing opposers as intolerant hatemongers. This New Christianity group wants to change the biblical standards on sin into a self-determining process with open-ended, flexible rules that can be voted upon. Their facts are based on those of other people whose lifestyle they want to share. And yes, they have infiltrated the church. Some tuck quietly into their positions, hoping they won't be revealed, while others are unable to conceal their hidden identities.
In God's eyes, sin is sin. Sometimes pastors are guilty of focusing on one specific sin, which can imply tolerance for other sins. We must preach against all sins and that Christ died to free us from the power of sin. Sin should no longer have dominion over us. We have been set free through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ: "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts" (Romans 6:12).
One thing I want to caution is that the New Christianity groups are not to be confused with atheists or anti-theists, who don't believe in Christ at all. The New Christianity groups believe in attending church and preaching from the Bible, but they insist that Christ is okay with their lifestyles.
The culture war over religious morality has been replaced by something much worse. Over the past decade, pollsters have charted something remarkable: Americans, long known for their piety, are fleeing organized religion in increasing numbers. The vast majority still believe in God, but the share that reject any religious affiliation is growing fast, rising from 6 percent in 1992 to 22 percent in 2014. Among millennials, the figure is 35 percent.
Some observers have predicted that this new secularism will ease cultural conflict as the country settles into near consensus on issues such as gay marriage. After Barack Obama took office, a Center for American Progress report declared that "demographic change," led by secular, tolerant young people, is "undermining the culture wars."
CHAPTER 2How Is the Church Responding?
* * *
TO ANSWER THE QUESTION OF how the church is responding to this infiltration of personal beliefs, we must consider the many levels of the church. Church administrators, leaders, educators, musicians, and members all make up the church. It would be great if the church were monolithic in its response, but it's not, so we must look at the various segments of the church and how they are responding to our changing society.
The church has a corporate structure that organizes people on many levels. The church is also looked upon as a unified body with a single purpose, but we know that is true only in theory for many people. Let's take a closer look at some of the levels of the Judeo-Christian church:
• Administrators: Church administers provide necessary functions for the overall church, such as management, operation, leadership, governance, supervision, and regulation.
• Leaders: Church leadership begins with Christ as the head, followed by the fivefold ministry consisting of the apostle, prophet, evangelist, teacher, and preacher. Then come the deacons, choir leaders, and a few other appointed positions.
• Educators: People called to be teachers, deacons, and everyone in the fivefold ministry are part of the church's educational program.
• Musicians: Music plays a vital role in ministry; choir director leads musicians and the church body in praise and worship.
• Members: The local body of individual members support the church.
• Visitors: These church attendees are not committed to a local church.
As you can see, the church body is made up of many parts that don't necessarily fit well together. Being in the church is not about being of the same mind-set. A vast difference of generational thought can greatly affect how people view or accept Christianity.
If you talk to the younger generations, you will find that they are more tolerant of alternative lifestyles such as gays, lesbians, and more apt to live together without being married; I notice that my children views align with such thought.
"But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction." (1st Thessalonians 5:12).
For many churches, getting to know the people who labor among us is a low priority. Many churches have been shocked by fallen leaders and members whom they had never taken the time to really get to know. When the focus is on Sunday, it's easy to fail at identifying bad behavior because you see people only during church. Having an unhealthy desire to move quickly, grow faster, and become larger can greatly hinder the church's ability to ensure that holiness is maintained.
If the church fails to respond the right way regarding correcting, admonishing, and restoring bad behavior, it will forfeit its right to represent God. The books of Ezekiel and Jeremiah are filled with stories about God's hatred against the sin of His people who refused to repent. Some leaders' hearts are filled with pride, just as the king of Tyre's was, but one thing that's certain is that God will punish sin. The church must never lose the ability to deal with sinful leaders and members who jeopardize God's church. If the church refuses to deal with its demons, it might as well accept all the other forms of religion. The goal should not be to judge people but to judge behavior. Difficulties arise for an organization or even a country when it fails to deal with its bad leaders because respecting such people can lead to an unhealthy dilemma.
"Therefore thus says the Lord God, 'Because you have made your heart Like the heart of God, Therefore, behold, I will bring strangers upon you, The most ruthless of the nations. And they will draw their swords Against the beauty of your wisdom And defile your splendor. They will bring you down to the pit And you will die the death of those who are slain In the heart of the seas" (Ezekiel 28:7-8)
The survival of God's people depends on faithfulness to God, for all sin will be judged. The church must respond forcefully, quickly, and steadily against all forms of ungodliness. "United we stand, divided we fall" is still true today. If we are going to respond as one body, there will have to be some changes. We have to educate, and people must be willing to be educated, about the purpose of God. If our desire is limited to hearing a fiery message about wealth, we will not be prepared to do the true work of ministry:
"I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." (1 Corinthians 3:6–15)
Many churches are suffering from disorganization because of a lack of member participation, which causes a delay in developing an effective ministry. Preaching is one necessary attribute, but it is not the only one needed for the church to fulfill the will of God. The church needs dedicated people, but too many people are becoming increasingly indolent and unreliable and are easily led astray by worldly appetites. The lack of commitment makes it difficult for the church to respond effectively to any situation, and the lack of love makes it impossible for people to commit.
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might" (Deuteronomy 6:5).
What society calls the church today are groups of religious people, and religion is not synonymous with godliness. When pundits describe the Americans, who sleep in on Sundays, they often depict them as left-leaning hipsters, but religious attendance is down among Republicans too. According to data from the Public Religion Research Institute, the percentage of white Republicans with no religious affiliation has nearly tripled since 1990. This shift helped Donald Trump win the GOP nomination. During the campaign, commentators had a hard time reconciling Trump's apparent ignorance of Christianity and history of pro-choice, pro-gay-rights statements with his support from evangelicals. But as Geoffrey Layman noted, "Trump does best among evangelicals with one key trait: They don't really go to church." A Pew Research Center poll March of 2016 found that Trump trailed Ted Cruz by fifteen points among Republicans who attended religious services every week, but he led Cruz by a whopping twenty-seven points among those who did not.
It seems that Americans are becoming increasingly intolerant of true Christian values, and this intolerance spans the political spectrum. Its tentacles reach far and wide into every facet of our democracy. The government's penetration into mainstream churches is so advanced that there is no longer separation of church and state.
CHAPTER 3Satan and Sin
* * *
WHEN YOU WALK WITH SATAN, you live your life in darkness. Your understanding is always under siege and never open to reality, your character development becomes limited, and the freedom you see in true Christians pushes you further into a black hole.
"Character development moves one toward a 'new identity in Christ'; character as shared love in staying connected to your story and God's story and remaining open to connect with their story as it is woven into your story"
"When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none" (Matthew 12:43).
People who chart their own way live in dry places. They are forever seeking a place of peace in this world because they have no future in another one. Thanks to their rejection of Jesus, they have forfeited their ability to find joy, peace, and hope. Their energy comes from other fallen and ill-advised allies who are seeking but never finding peace. As the old saying goes, "No Jesus, no peace"
Satan has no hope because he believes in God and knows that God's every word is true. Satan's entire existence is that of a fallen nature, and all that is left for him to do is take as many people as possible down with him into the pit of hell. He steers the ship of those who have resisted Jesus. He has a large ministry filled with blind, miserable, frustrated followers who are deeply misguided.
"In whose case the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Corinthians 4:4).
Many people will fight fervently to justify the path they've chosen, but they cannot see because they do not desire to see the truth, which is Christ himself. When you reject Christ, the light that allows you to see Christ is eliminated. The reality is that we can be justified only through the path that Christ has prepared. Apostle Paul taught that if any man preaches any other gospel, he shall be accursed. Not even the angels in heaven can alter what Christ has laid down.
"For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 3:11).
Freedom has always been limited, which preserves our protection against having that which is good destroyed by that which is contrary to it. Mankind has the freedom to worship whomever, whenever, and wherever, but he cannot have the freedom to dismantle what our creator has established. No one has the freedom to destroy the foundation of what God has instituted. One can never win by bringing an offense against what God has established.
"Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!" (Matthew 18:7).
It's better to walk away than to get in the way of what God is doing. Jesus is the helmsman aboard the ship of Christianity, and it is better not to come aboard than to do so and set mutiny in motion.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5).
When our decisions exclude God, it indicates a faulty connection in our relationship with Him. When we choose to take a part in contention rather than prevention, we stand against God. That's a sign that we have only a form of godliness and have not become a new creation in Christ. When Christians are not willing to cut ties with political or other worldly influences, it is impossible to be reliable servants of God. You cannot represent God's holy work while under the authority of the flesh. The life of a Christian can never be about bringing Christ to where we are; it must always be about going to where He is. Christ will never follow us; we must follow Him.
CHAPTER 4Is Jesus Navigating Our Churches?
* * *
IN 2017, THE CATHOLIC CHURCH did a survey and determined that the new focus is not on the role of religion in politics, but on the influence of politics on religion. That was very important for Catholics, who focus on making external political agendas dominant within the church, with the partisan cart overtaking the theological horse. The reality is that politics has a strong hold in many mainstream churches.
It's no secret that many people don't see the connection between Jesus and many of the nuances of the church. Politics plays a dominant role in many of our churches today, especially in the Catholic and Evangelical churches. While these large institutional churches do have an enormous inf luence upon mainstream society, so does many small to medium size churches. However, there influence lies predominantly in the area of pie in the sky hype. Leading people to believe that their Christian connection entitles them to special significance of wealth, health, and freedom from problems in this world.
What these churches have in common is men organizing with men without Jesus navigating the way. If Jesus was truly navigating all our churches, there would be a glorious change throughout all of society. There would be a great decline of poverty, robbery, violence and murder. When Jesus is in charge and the people are following him, we would be able to achieve great and mighty things. The problem is that people will not allow Jesus to be in charge and navigate their lives, or their churches.
CHAPTER 5Deception
* * *
GOD INSPIRED THE WRITING OF the Bible so that we can know Him. People who are willing to study, believe, and follow will be guided to unfolding mysteries by this one-of-a-kind, best-selling holy book.
The Bible is the most widely read book in the world, and a whopping 3.9 billion copies have been sold over the last fifty years. Quotations from the Works of Mao Tsetung came in second with 820 million copies sold, and the Harry Potter series came in third with 400 million copies sold.
Not everyone who is introduced to the Bible embraces it. For some people it is the light, the truth, and the way, but for others, it's a nagging conscience oppressor or they see it as just fable. The Bible's magnificence is understood only by people
who have faith and live according to scripture. Although you may be a sincere and faithful believer of the scriptures, there will always be war, and people will always be confused about creation until Christ's return.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "The New Christianity"
by .
Copyright © 2019 Ricky D. Carraway, Th.D..
Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Introduction, ix,
1. What's at Stake?, 1,
2. How Is the Church Responding?, 4,
3. Satan and Sin, 10,
4. Is Jesus Navigating Our Churches?, 13,
5. Deception, 15,
6. I Write to You, Little Children, 21,
7. I Write to You, Children, 31,
8. I Write to You, Fathers, 38,
9. Exceptions, 44,
10. Does It Really Matter?, 49,
11. Narrow Is the Way, 53,
12. The Compromise, 56,
13. The Dangers of a New Christianity, 60,
14. A Closer Examination, 66,
15. Explanation, Illustration, and Application, 77,
16. Why Won't They Stay?, 83,
17. Spring Cleaning in the Church, 88,
18. When Jesus Is at the Helm, 93,
Works Cited, 95,