Running head: GRADUATE PROJECT: THE MODERN CHURCH k

The Modern Church

The modern church, worldly events that impacted on the church and the challenges it faces
Today, and in the future.

Rev. Johann Louw

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Contents
Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................... 4 The modern church, worldly events that impacted on the church and the challenges it faces, today and in the future ...................................................................................................................................................... 5 The State of the Current Church ................................................................................................................... 8 Recent Events in the Church ..................................................................................................................... 9 Spiritual Poverty...................................................................................................................................... 13 Morale State of the Church..................................................................................................................... 16 The Increase or Decline in Church Growth ............................................................................................. 21 False Teachers, Teachings and Doctrines in the Church ......................................................................... 23 Prosperity Theology ................................................................................................................................ 28 Divisions and Strife in the Church ........................................................................................................... 31 Worldly and Social Issues Impacting the Church ........................................................................................ 35 Alternative Lifestyles............................................................................................................................... 36 Youth Violence ........................................................................................................................................ 39 Increase in Poverty and Unemployment ................................................................................................ 42 High Divorce Rates .................................................................................................................................. 44 Abuses ..................................................................................................................................................... 46 Preparing the Church for the end times ..................................................................................................... 48 Call to Awake of its Sleeping Member .................................................................................................... 49 Responsibility of Pastors and Church Administrators............................................................................. 50 Plan to Evangelize and Win the Lost ....................................................................................................... 53 Educating the Church about End Times Prophecy .................................................................................. 58 A World With-Out the Church .................................................................................................................... 68 What Happens at the Rapture? .............................................................................................................. 70 Expected World Reaction........................................................................................................................ 72 Tribulation Events ................................................................................................................................... 74 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 81 References .................................................................................................................................................. 89

THE MODERN CHURCH

The modern church, worldly events that impacted on the church and the challenges it faces today, and in the future Unpublished graduate project TGCM Bible College, MN - USA, (Revised - 2013) Rev. (Dr.) Johann Louw In Christ Ministries (International) California, USA

THE MODERN CHURCH Abstract

This research studies the modern church and the state of the church and the calling of the church. The paper addresses the challenges the church face and its place in a world of sin and decay. It takes a glance at the responsibility of the church in reaching the world as part of the great commission and mandate of God to bring salvation to the lost and spread the good message. It is a study of the strife, false doctrines, and division in the church and the events that have changed the church internally and externally. The research in APA format has an in depth look in the end day prophecies and what is waiting for the church and the world when judgment is poured out on humanity and the unfaithful in the time of the Great Tribulation and the reign of the Antichrist.

THE MODERN CHURCH The modern church, worldly events that impacted on the church and the challenges it faces, today and in the future

The true church as per the Apostles creed, believes in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, and buried; He descended into Hades; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead. The church believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and everlasting life. Max Anders (1997). The creed is also known as the Symbolum Apostolorum and was developed between the second and ninth centuries. It is the most popular Christian creed used in worship by Western Christians. It is central to church doctrines and that of the Trinity and God the Creator. It is called the Creed of Creeds. This creed is called the Apostles' Creed not because it was produced by the apostles themselves but because it contains a brief summary of their teachings. It sets forth their doctrine "in sublime simplicity, in unsurpassable brevity, in beautiful order, and with liturgical solemnity." Christian Reformed Church, (2013) The church proclaim that through our salvation, heaven is a wonderful place to look forward to and when we affirm the Apostles creed we affirm our hope and believe that we will see heaven and be with our Lord. It is not limited to the Apostles Creed, but includes every mayor truth and the Lords ordinances, which true Christians (the church), have been agreeing to the last 2000 plus years. The church calls the Lords Supper and Baptism ordinances, because they were ordained or introduced by Jesus Christ. Baptism is the symbolic act in which believers proclaim the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and there are three views, Catholic, Protestant and Baptist.

THE MODERN CHURCH Depending on denominational upbringing and believes, everyone believes that all adults should be baptized and some believe that all Christian children should be baptized. Three forms of baptisms are performed, sprinkling, pouring and submersion. All three views base their understanding on the scriptures and filled in the blanks as they went on and although they claim Biblical support, there is room for responsible differences. Faith, hope and love are the main characteristics of the church. Faith is to believe what God has said and then act accordingly. Hope is to put your confidence in the future and love is when I exercise my will for the purpose and the good of another. If we do not know what God expects of the church in terms of character, we will not be effective in living it. The church is made up of believers and we must manifest the same character traits as the church. Dynamic faith remains true and true faith urges us to endure personal risk for Christ sake.

Those who hope that they can make a difference and hope for eternal life and heaven will be able to face life and its problems and disappointments. Hope is the constant flow of water to the soul in desert times. I like the term that hope is the life jacket to the soul In true hope we rest on God and receive strength. Love, agape love is a selfless character trait to put others first. This means that true biblical love unifies believers so that outsiders can see the truth of Jesus Christ manifested in the church. After the early Reformation, Christianity endured and experienced serious cultural, intellectual, political, and social challenges. The Scientific Revolution and the so called Enlightenment impacted the authority of the traditional church. Darwin's theories at its best challenged the traditional Christian view of the origins of the world as stated in the Holy Bible. The population explosion that resulted from urbanization and other factors, forced the church to respond to different cultures, facing more difficult questions than those of an earlier age.

THE MODERN CHURCH The church in essence, has always considered itself "universal," but today this is truer than ever before. In the centuries following the resurrection of Jesus, Christianity grew to embrace One-third of all humanity. In the twentieth century, Christianity has become a world faith; the most universal religion in history of mankind. Present day Christianity has adapted and compromised to fit the global outlook on religion and its many definitions and style. Religion is based upon the human desire and need

to be in harmony with the supreme power of the universe and nature, but this modern and more liberal theology has failed proclaiming the world and the universe as Gods creation and of God as providentially active in the world. It has redefined God, indeed, if it dares to speak of God at all. It has not portrayed God as the supreme power of the universe, if it attributes any power at all to what it callsGod. Christianity is supposed to be the hope for salvation, but modern liberal theology has not provided a realistic and truthful basis for hope, either for individuals or the world as a whole. It is supposes to involve not only hope for the future but also present religious experience that is salvific in itself, and yet modern liberal theology has failed and has left little if any room for such experience. It must also be made clear from the start that according to the Scriptures, that the church will not win the whole world for Christ, nor will it rise to a position of total world influence as far as social, economic and politics is concerned, Thiessen (1990). As a matter of fact the lawlessness will increase and most peoples love of God will grow cold, (Matt.24:12). The early Christian Church has had a very clear sense of its mission as Gods agent to bring salvation, but the modern liberal style has not been able to articulate such mission. A religious movement grows when it brings a message that seems true and important. Modern liberal Christian theology has not been able to portray its message as either true or

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important. Conservative theologians reason that modern liberal theology gives a little more than a religious and fake gloss off and as seen by an essentially nonreligious worldview. There is a global and demonic attempt to union and mix liberal and conservative interests. The conservative Christian impulse will be freed from its confinement within the classical framework and style. This theology will be liberal, not classical; but because it will be postmodern rather than modern, it can also be conservative, an acceptable world church that step on no toes and flavors everybodys taste. This is a far cry from the church that was established by Jesus Christ and His disciples, reflecting the power and love of God and the message of eternal salvation. The main stream liberal church has become the fruit salad of the world and has lost its true identity and has now a worldly look, approach and dogma and cry lord, lord after every new doctrine or flavor. The State of the Current Church In the Bible, Babylon is called the lady of kingdoms. Notice what she boasts: I shall be a lady forever, I shall not sit as a widow; neither shall I know the loss of children (Isa. 47:78). Babylon, according to this Scripture and prophecy, is an eminent power in the world. Babylon rules over cultures, peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues (Rev. 17:15) The Babylonian idea addresses and bridges all national concerns which in turn, have profoundly affected all nations. This description must certainly include and describe the great international business relations that fuel the economies of most nations, globally. Under Babylons aegis, the merchant bankers, big business, along with exporters and importers, have prospered on a great scale, much of this profit coming from developing third world nations whose economies require laborers to work for a minimum pay. The same spirit can be found in the church of today and the church has become very much a reflection of the world and Babylon, which it is part off.

THE MODERN CHURCH Most of the church of today resembles the world rather than the Church of Jesus Christ. Mainstream Christianity has become the most passive group of people on earth, ignoring the grace that God has poured upon them. Many are going so way out that their faith in Christ is in shambles, or has changed into something totally different, appear strange and foreign and which has no connection at all to the "original," or it has completely disappeared. Apocalypse Soon (2011) Many preachers are aware that there is something very wrong with the church today. They know there is very little fear or respect for the Lord. They know there is no deep commitment or repentance or deep moving of the Holy Spirit, but they do not want a real shaking up or change. They will not rock the boat and will downplay the seriousness of the situation. They know that it is just the same old game playing and gimmicks. And they will victimize anyone who comes along trying to do something or who wants to change the status quo. There is too much to give up or to loose. They have their careers, positions, status and their little kingdoms at stake. This is the real truth of the matter. This is where the spiritual rubber truly meets the spiritual road. Recent Events in the Church The Bible states that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, (1Tim. 4:1, 2). It is important to understand that these events that "must take place" as it is written, and it is disconcerting to discover that they are happening now right before our very eyes. Most Christian denominations have been passive or dead for many years, (some even for centuries), retaining only some reflection of religiosity. The real problem however, lies within the Evangelical and Pentecostal groups, which maybe the only

THE MODERN CHURCH front line "troops" serving the Lord, with missionary zeal, courage and an uncompromising stance. Sadly these rays of hope also have dimmed or vanished altogether.

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Many are still in the process of making big plans, like, taking Christian TV to the whole world, and for what purpose, may it be asked? Television is the most subtle and cunning enemy of Christians, and "Christian TV" even more so, since it has its focus upon trusting and unsuspecting viewers and with all kinds of strange behavior and false doctrines, and under the hospice of Christianity. "Christian TV" like TBN, has become a showbiz and a moneymaking racket for its owners, Apocalypse Soon (2011) See also; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7W2Nhmdq8c http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hs99gW1NH-0 Something is drastically and seriously wrong when Christians need to be continually entertained. A whole new industry has arisen to provide "Christian entertainment", and as all other profitmaking businesses must continuously bring out new products and services to satisfy its hungry public's never-ending appetite. If teenagers' only idea of service to the Lord is to play in a "Christian rock band," something went very wrong and off the spiritual track and script. In many churches you have praise bands with ego filled people leading their flocks in song. It is a scene that you will find in many churches every Sunday and the focus is not to worship God but music centered celebrations, all in the name of Jesus. It is the same scene on Friday nights in a concert like scenes, more associated with Lady Gaga or Coldplay, how people look, whos looking and music centered gatherings all in the name of fame and money worship and a little bit of church. You can go to a church that is growing and at first you think it has Gods blessings, but then you realize it is not growing because of God; it is growing because of man, who is building it on mans talents, sex appeal and feel good theology and the ability how to sell their church brand.

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There is a real shift towards co called contemporary worship which has been a source of significant debate in many Christian churches. In this shift, disagreements have resulted from a resistance to and changes to the accustomed style. The musical style and presentation of contemporary worship is influenced by modern rock and pop music, and the use of modern instruments is commonplace. Critics are of the opinion that this style of music is 'worldly' in nature and it is associated with an immoral and modern lifestyle. There is additional controversy that results from the lyrical worldly music content, much of which differs from traditional hymnody, psalms and often reflects a charismatic and ultra-modern theology. The increasing influence of this music is seen as a Trojan horse, introducing worldly teachings and doctrine by the back door. Criticism has further been made that the basic wording of many contemporary worship songs, are banal and lacking in depth and does not test against the Word of God. It can be argued and this is also my opinion, that contemporary worship services here in the USA are actually 'entertainment', claiming that the increased amounts of music (often played by a rock band) and lack of intercession and Holy Spirit led worship leaders, creates the atmosphere of a concert or performance. The call for entertainment in worship services is often portrayed in a particularly seductive form. Entertainment is then sold in the name of evangelism and Christianity. We are made to believe that we must make worship interesting and exciting to the younger generation and for the unconverted so that they will attend church and be converted and saved. At a first look this argument is very appealing and reasonable, because we all want to see many brought to faith in Christ Jesus. Nobody wants to be stumble block against evangelism, but we must remember, entertainment is not evangelism, and evangelism is not praise and worship. People are evangelized, not by gimmicks, but by the presentation of the Gospel of Christ. Evangelism may occur during worship as the Gospel is faithfully proclaimed in song, but

THE MODERN CHURCH it must be remembered that the purpose and focus of true worship is that those who believe in Christ, should gather in His Name and meet with God and to uplift His Holy Name.

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Paul comments in 1 Corinthians 14:24-25 on the presence of an unbeliever in a worship service. He does not instruct the church or the members to entertain the unbeliever or make him feel comfortable in a familiar environment, the truth of the matter is that the unbeliever should be convinced that he is lost and a sinner. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, God is really among you! Worship thus, must not be constructed for the unbeliever, rather, it is for God and the church, and it must serve to unite the people of God for their meeting with a true and Holy God. We come to worship God with love and admiration and also with His people. It is a love that will make us to desire communion with the people of God and to draw nearer to God. I rejoiced with those who said to me, Let us go to the house of the LORD. (Ps. 122:1) When the heart is prepared by the Word of God and by Gods Spirit for worship, then the worship we desire is the worship that delights God. The Bible teaches that when the people of the Lord are engaged in worship, only then they can enter into the realms of the Psalmist: Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O LORD my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever for great is your love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of the grave. (Ps. 86:11-13) Search me, O God, and know my heart: test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Ps. 139:23-24). I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; before the gods I will sing your praise. I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. (Ps. 138:1-2)

THE MODERN CHURCH We come not to be pleased and entertained, but to offer God the worship that pleases Him. In my opinion contemporary worship completely shies away from the Biblical Word and

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its implications. It is very much aping the ways of the secular and outside world that knows not God. Contemporary worship in its full essence, only seeks self-enjoyment. True and Biblical worship also seek quiet contemplation. Worldly and contemporary worship seeks only the riotous empty noise of the world. It most often comes on so LOUD (with electronic amplification) that it inevitably reflects the heavy chording rhythms which the world recognizes as ROCK & ROLL. The outstanding theme of Contemporary Worship is, Lets celebrate. This is in direct contrary to the traditional and Biblical theme of, lets come to the Lord in repentance, confession, respect and submission. Contemporary music and song represents the very things that God hates in (Amos 5:21-24), "I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.... Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps, but let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever flowing stream." Spiritual Poverty The Barna Group, a California-based research organization, has done 5,000 interviews in 2010 and identified six trends in modern-day Christianity in America. They came to the conclusion that: the Christian Church is in desperate need of a more positive and accessible image. Orlando Sentinel (2010). The Barma group (2010) identified six tolerance trends; The Christian church is becoming theologically illiterate. There is a lack of knowledge and known truths about the Bible and Christianity are now unknown mysteries to a large and growing share of Americans, especially amongst the young adults.

THE MODERN CHURCH Christians are becoming more ingrown and less outreach-oriented. Despite

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technological advances and a knowledge explosion, that make information and communications instant and far-reaching, Christians are becoming more and more spiritually isolated from nonChristians than was true a decade ago. Growing numbers of people are less interested in spiritual principles. When young people were asked what matters most, they prioritize education, career development, friendships, and travel as most important. Faith is significant to them, but it takes a second place to success, life accomplishments and is not necessarily perceived to affect their ability to achieve their dreams and actions. Among Christians, interest in participating in community action is escalating. Motivated by the passion and energy of young adults, Christians are becoming more open to and are more involved in social community service than has been true in the recent past. Involvements in church programs are becoming less favorable. The postmodern insistence on tolerance is winning over the Christian church. Our biblical illiteracy and lack of spiritual confidence has caused Christians to avoid making discerning choices for fear of being labeled judgmental or anti-social. The Influence of Christianity on culture and individual lives is largely invisible. Christianity has arguably added more value to American culture than any other religions, philosophy, ideology or community. Unfortunately, contemporary Christian Americans are hard pushed to identify any specific value added in recent times. The outcry that is heard from the church today is, "Why has God forsaken the church? Where are the power, the authority, and the fear?" The answer is very simple. It is because there is no Godly order in the universal and worldly church. It is a "one man show, one man plan, and an out-of-order social club." The so-called spiritual leaders come out of their denominational

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seminaries, pep talk and lectures with a head full of concepts, strategies and doctrines, but with no idea of what Gods Word, say about proper and Godly order. On the spiritual level the church has become poor and ignorant and there is no place for the gifts of God to operate. Most of these Spiritual gifts are never used in the church today. There are five of these that are available to the church: the gifts of healing, prophecy, kinds of tongues, word of knowledge, and interpretation of tongues. Kirkpatrick (2011): Word of knowledge. The gift is of word of knowledge is exercised when the Spirit reveals something to the person who has been given this gift, concerning something in another person's life. Unfortunately, some times the gift of knowledge is thought of as the gift of prophecy. The two gifts are different and not the same. Gift of healing. This includes the praying for the sick with faith to believe they will be healed. The gift of healing was practiced in the early church and at the time of the apostles, but it is exercised less and less in the modern church. Gift of prophecy. Many Christians have received this gift, but it does not imply they hold the office of a prophet. Philip was an evangelist, and had four virgin daughters who prophesied, (Acts 21:9). They had the gift of prophesy. The Bible states the women are to keep silence in the church. It can only be assumed that Philip's daughters did not prophesy in the church. Gift of kinds of tongues. There are all kinds of tongues. The word kinds is the Greek word GENOS and means kindred, nationality, and that it descended from a particular people. The word tongues are the Greek word GLOSEA and mean a language or dialect used by a particular people or group, distinct from all other nations or tribes. Tongues always mean languages.

THE MODERN CHURCH The Word sometimes speaks of unknown tongues. The word unknown was written in italics

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which mean it was added to the Scripture. It is important to know that the word unknown did not appear in the original text. Interpretation of tongues. The word interpretations are explained in the Greek word HERMENEIA and it means "to translate what other has spoken in foreign tongue. What is the answer for God's blessing and His presence to return to the church? The answer is very simple and that is to bring the church into order. How should we do this? The answer is even simpler. Christians must go back to the Word and find God's ordained and precise order. God anointed Paul as His chosen vessel to reveal God's order for His church, Kirkpatrick (2011) Morale State of the Church Christians follow the principles of morality as it is expressed by Jesus' command to love God and they neighbor, and rely on the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount for basic guidance. In Christian sermon and teaching, worship is not limited to Sundays and other important religious days. All of life should be the supreme worship of God, and expressed not only in ritual and prayer, but in how a Christian lives and worship. The Christian is instantly transformed by God's love and is a new born person, redeemed by Jesus Christ and restored to God. Barna's research offers us valuable and good insights. The research must be read with the understanding that only God knows how many people are born-again. Christians (remember the Scripture on the wheat and tares), then must consider what these disturbing points mean to God's Church and our nation today, (See table 1), Family Source (2008)

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Table 1. Good News Bad News Very Bad News

Although 2/3 of all teenagers say they In the last four years, there has been a rise in the Christians spend seven times as much time on know all the basic teachings... of the Christian faith, 2/3 reject the existence of Satan, 3/5 reject the existence of the Holy Spirit, and 1/2 believe that Jesus sinned.... "Desiring to have a close, personal relationship with "Among adults who are lay God ranks just sixth among leaders in their church, more the 21 life goals tested, than nine out of ten prioritize trailing such desires as their faith in their life goals." 'living a comfortable lifestyle.'" "In a representative "Large proportions of the lay leaders "Half of all un-churched and non-Christian adults admit nationwide survey among in Christian churches hold a range of born again adults, none of unbiblical religious views regarding that they are seeking meaning the individuals interviewed the holiness of Christ, the reality of and purpose in their life providing a meaningful entry point for evangelizers." said that the single, most Satan, the existence of the Holy Spirit, important goal in their life is the reality of the resurrection, and the to be a committed follower means to salvation." of Jesus Christ." moral truth. certain of the existence of absolute of born again teenagers (9%) are (44%) and an even smaller proportion "A minority of born again adults

proportion of adults who read entertainment as they do on the Bible..." spiritual activities."

THE MODERN CHURCH Changes in modern society will continue to present painful ethical dilemmas and decisions to the churches, the daily expression of what the Word stipulates, love remains an important aspect of Christian life and worship, Patheos (2011) Love is also to say what the

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Scriptures say about sin and salvation and not to beat about the bush. If we look at the climate of permissiveness, tolerance of sin, and moral relativity in today's culture, it should come as no surprise to the church that young people lack judgment and direction. Truth at nearly all levels has been lost or manipulated. Children know they have been lied to by their teachers, their parents, their school counselors, the police, their pastors, and their political leaders. These kids no longer know what to believe, and who to believe. We can tell them that drugs are bad for them, but they've been lied to so many times, they likely see this warning to be a lie and adult manipulation. Children today are being brainwashed by television (i.e., hellivision) and music to have no ethics, morals, and to backtalk (sass) their parents. That's exactly what the Satan wants. It's not strange to hear children on TV telling their parents to grow up or to be quiet. The same trend and defiance is found in movies, whether by Warner Brothers or Walt Disney. Music is the biggest offender and cause for concern. There is nothing more harmful to the spiritual growth of a young person than worldly satanic music, which captivates and pollutes the soul, and preaches a foreign message of self-worship, sex, and Satan, Stewart (2011) There is a sinister, corrupt and hidden agenda at work in television and movies today, which is aimed and focused at and committed to the corruption of our youth's morals, ethics, understanding and faith in the Bible. For example refer to, Walt Disney's blasphemous Bridge to Terabithia, (Stewart, 2011), which denies Hell and judgment, and teaches our children that openminded and modern people could never believe in eternal damnation. Children today are under a severe attack by Satan like never before in our history!

THE MODERN CHURCH How many Christians are aware of the demonic influences and rituals destroying America today? It is sad that many professed believers today are working with to help these influences and powers, by supporting religious rock music, abuse, abortion, divorce, feminism

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and Harry Potter's books on heresy, witchcraft, homosexuality, and other forms of pure evil and sin. One thing must be made clear here, the entire notion of a New World Order is rooted in a Satanic agenda, which aims to bring to the establishment of a Global Godless and evil world order, Stewart (2011) Christians are living in stressing times currently, just as (2nd Timothy 3:1-5) foretold. It is now 2013 and the world has become a giant insane asylum. America's teens are under malicious and constant demonic attack by every form of immoral trash and doctrine imaginable and available. Evaluate and analyze Katy Perry's songs Rock God and Teenage Dream and her praise of homosexual lesbian lifestyle. It is said that backward masking was found that is praising Satan in The Jonas Brothers' song, Kids of the future. So much for the famous 3 member boys band from our beloved and popular Walt Disney, Stewart (2011) More and more heterosexuals are conditioned to behave like homosexuals who generally don't marry and have children. Courtship and monogamy are constantly being replaced or under fire by sexual promiscuity, portrayed in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, Stewart (2011) Feminism, our official gender, thinking, ideology and policies, masquerades as a movement for women's rights and equity. In practice and reality, feminism is a cruel joke or hoax, telling women that their natural biological instincts and needs are "socially constructed" to oppress and undermine them. Feminism is elite social re-engineering designed to destroy gender identity by making women masculine and men feminine. Feminist ideology has liberated women from their homes, from their husbands, from their children and family, from having to bear children. Fathers were liberated from their

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authority and their control. Children were liberated from their structure, discipline, limits, from rules, and even their parents. The entire families and population was liberated from moral and ethical standards. "Family values" have been so arranged that we are left with neither families, nor values, nor structure. What has this lead to? It has leaded to rampant and out of control illegitimacy, sexual disease, (HIV) Aids, widespread divorce, and a lost generation of unloved, undisciplined, and uncared-for youth. All of the signs of the demise of our culture and society ills are with us today (Jeremiah Project, 2011), including the hostility toward church, order, religion, the breakup of the family, values, the declining view of life, and the immorality appetite. The violence and crime, and the declining middle class, coupled with a federal government and political system on the brink of moral and social bankruptcy. Leaders are living off of society's moral decay leading to the loss of leadership and moral will. One out of every ten evangelical Christians maintained that adultery, gay sex, profanity, drunkenness, pornography, and abortion are morally and socially acceptable. Americans, and people throughout the world, are experiencing spiritual oppression and enslavement. These people are crying out for answers from the church and God's people must address them. It must always be remembered that Christians are not fighting with flesh and blood, but are actually fighting the evil forces in the air, that deceive, blind and bind them. It does not matter how deceived someone may become, they are the very souls our Savior gave His life to save. For decades and many generations, the church has compromised its beliefs to appease the offenders. This will only make the cost of the inevitable changes much greater. The longer believers compromise and go with sin and foreign values, the more costly their ultimate removal from the church will be, Jeremiah Project (2011)

THE MODERN CHURCH The answer to moral decay is simple: Jesus! Not religion and not some church institutions, but simply Jesus. The Lord said, "I am the way and the truth and the life." (John 14:6) The Increase or Decline in Church Growth

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Research numbers from actual counts of people in orthodox Christian churches show that 17.0% of the main population attended a Christian church on any given weekend in 2007. These numbers looks only at people attending orthodox Christian churches (Catholic, Evangelical, Mainline and or Orthodox churches). Olbon (2008), It is stated that approximately 3 million people per weekend attend non-orthodox Christian churches, and that perhaps 3 million attended a religious service of another religion. This would and could add another 35,000 places of worship to the 302,000 Christian churches nationwide and would increase the 2007 percentage of attendance to an average of 19.0%, Olbon (2008), (See figure1)
Percentage of the Population Attending Church on any Given Weekend in 2007

17.0%
18.0%

16.0%

14.0%

12.0%

9.0%
10.0%

8.0%

5.1%
6.0%

4.0%

2.8%

2.0%

0.0% Evangelical Mainline Catholic Total

Figure 1. Percentage of population attending church in given weekend in 2007. It must be noted that Evangelical church growth slowed down significantly in the last year, from an general growth throughout this decade of 0.8%, to a gain of only 0.3% in the last

THE MODERN CHURCH year of evaluation, ( See figure 2), Olbon (2008)
Evangelical Yearly Numeric Attendance Growth from 1990 - 2007

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1.2%

1.0%

1.0%

0.9%

0.8%

0.6%
0.6%

0.4%

0.3%

0.2%

0.0% 1990 - 2000 2000 - 2005 2005 - 2006 2006 - 2007

Figure 2. Evangelical yearly growth during 1990-2007. The future of the American churches are bleak if nothing happens to action growth, (See figure 3), Olbon (2008)
This is the Future of the American Church Attendance Percentage if Nothing Changes

25.0%

20.4%
20.0%

18.7% 17.0% 16.2% 14.2%

15.0%

10.5%
10.0%

5.0%

0.0% 1990 2000 2007 2010 (est) 2020 (est) 2050 (est)

Figure 3. The future of the American church if nothing changes.

THE MODERN CHURCH These numbers from actual counts of people in orthodox Christian churches show that 20.4% of the population has attended church on any given weekend in 1990. That percentage

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dropped to 18.7% in 2000, and again to 17.0% in 2007. The percentage attending Mainline and Catholic churches declined even more drastic from 2000 2007 than it did for instance in the 1990s, while the Evangelical percentage declined only very slightly. The Catholic Churchs decline in percentage attendance occurred even though its membership numbers are keeping up with general population growth, Olbon (2008) Statistics has shown an annual numeric gain of Evangelical, Mainline and Catholic churches on any given weekend. It shows the yearly gain or general decline in attendance in the 1990s, 2000 2005, 2005 - 2006 and 2006 - 2007. (These numbers do not factor in the population growth for that period.) The Evangelical church growth paced down significantly in the last year, from an average growth throughout this decade of 0.8%, to a gain of only 0.3% in the last year of evaluation. The mainline churches even declined faster than ever before, while Catholic churches has seen a steep decline in the early part of this decade slow down over the past few years, Olbon (2008) False Teachers, Teachings and Doctrines in the Church The Bible teaches us that "There were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, and will bring swift destruction on themselves." (2 Pet. 2:1). The amount of zeal, effort and strategy displayed by false teachers are at times outrageous. They will compass sea and land to make one proselyte and put to shame the Luke warmness of some who hold the truth. Their devoutness sometimes seems astonishing and arrogant. In them Satan seems to be transformed into an angel of light. These are the characteristics of false teachers;

THE MODERN CHURCH False teachers spreading false messages, deceit and doctrine. Peter said they should "secretly bring in damnable heresies." and Apostle Paul warns the Ephesians that they "no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit" (Eph. 4:14)

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False teachers commonly promise much more than they perform. The Bible teaches: "For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity, for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him" (2 Pet. 2:18-19) False teachers are commonly boastful. They exalt themselves on high in extravagant terms, and decry opponents in severe language. It was even so in the days of Paul. The false teachers actually claimed to be "apostles." They "gloried" themselves or vainly and extravagantly exalted themselves. They boast of their talents, wealth, numbers, and sufferings as a body. They boast of the good never done, converts they never made, of charities that they never bestowed, of the works they never accomplished. In this respect, they have a close resemblance to those pests of society, dealers in quack and useless medicines. The very same people at times display fierceness and bitterness. This is quite consistent with traits already noticed. "This is what the Lord says to you false prophets; you are leading my people astray! You promise peace for those who give you food, but you declare war on anyone who refuses to pay you." (Micah 3:5). They set up a loud and idle pretense of great love of peace which they do not have. They stand no opposition and they admit of no neutrality. They make war against those who don't support them.

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False teachers love to make dupes of ill-informed females. Paul says: "they worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires," (2 Tim. 3:6) Notwithstanding their boastings, many false teachers are commonly cowards. When severely tested, they have no moral courage or heart. They shrink from enduring persecution, and grow pale at thoughts of martyrdom and to pay a price for their belief. The exceptions to this statement are rare. Indeed, false teachers often flee when confronted by truth. Few of them stand their ground and hold that their doctrines are worth dying for. False teachers are sometimes very successful for a season or a while. This is not always so; but it is often so. They wish to "draw disciples after them," and they have their way and wish. "Many follow their pernicious ways." This is not a complete surprise. Our Lord said: "False Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, the elect" (Mark 13:22) Sooner or later the folly of false teachers shall be manifest. For example, for a while Jannes and Jambres seemed to succeed but on the plague of the lice, they could do nothing, and said to Pharaoh: "This is the finger of God!" For a considerable time the priests of Baal had things the way as they liked, but at last the test was too severe for them, and away went their courage and their friends. It will at last be seen who loves, and who hates, the truth. In the modern church the following individuals are associated with false teaching and prophecies and I leave it to the reader to judge, (Jesus Is Savior.com, 2010). Benny Hinn is about the most well- known false prophet and teacher today. He stated on TBN that after his outreach in South America in 2002, that he was convinced that he would return to America with video evidence of Jesus Christ appearing on the stage with him, during the crusades, because Jesus revealed to him this was going to happen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcZlyECHP_M

THE MODERN CHURCH Benny Hinn preaches and believes that there are 9 beings within the Godhead. 3 beings (called

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Tritheism) each have their own trinity of beings within each. Mr. Hinn also has made claims that soon people would no longer need to take their deceased loved ones to the morgue, rather, they should as an act of faith, be placed in front of the television during the life airing of TBN and they would rise from the dead. Kenneth & Gloria Copeland are also very well- known to the church and have one of the largest false teaching ministries and influences in America with the inclusion of many books written. Copeland teaches that Adam was an exact duplicate of God the Creator. Copeland teaches that Jesus became a demonic being when he was crucified and had to go to hell and be born again. The Copelands specializes in word-faith teaching. Copeland calls God, the biggest loser in the Bible, and says Jesus was not God during His mission to earth in his earthly life. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSRxAyHuv6M&playnext=1&list=PL97226299D64BD0A1& feature=results_main Joel Osteen was recently interviewed by Larry King on the CNN, Larry King Live show, Joel sounded like the lost sheep he appears to be. The fake gloss of Christianity and discipleship soon faded when confronted with Biblical truths on salvation. His standard answer too many questions were with "I don't know" and others he just side stepped so as not to have to take any stand point of any kind. He also denies Jesus as the only way to Salvation. This is the saddest interview ever seen and heard, coming from a man who claims he is the "Pastor" of over 30,000 church members, who cling to every word he teaches or not teach. It is also sad to note how many times he fails to promote Jesus Christ on open TV and the world. The whole interview can be seen at the following link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVvvEDSZuZw Robert Schuller is a positive thinking guru who denies essential Christian doctrine and denies that Jesus is the only way to achieve salvation. A recent interview between Rev. Billy

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Graham and Rev. Robert Schuller saddened the Christian world when both denied Christ as the only source of Salvation. See; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axxlXy6bLH0 Other known false teachers are; T.D. Jakes who denies the Trinity of God. This makes his church a cult and fake. Jakes and others also preach many other false teachings and doctrines including so called word-faith, and the prosperity message. See following links, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhscvTWu_fw and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmKYpljgWeM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuSdWassvV0&list=PLA70B8906CAAC96EA There is another false doctrine that is affecting the modern church, the hoax of global warming. According to Jeffrey (2011), UN laws and regulations to reduce carbon emissions are designed to destroy the free-enterprise and economic system and drain wealth from the US and western nations. The religion and teaching of eco-fundamentalism denies the existence of God as the Creator and substitutes in His place the worship of nature and the earth. The planned economic collapse and decline, hastened by global-warming laws will lead to international chaos. A one-world government and a false world church will be presented as the solution followed by the arrival and intervention of the Antichrist. Our liberty and freedom is at stake. It is time to learn all about the Socialist-Marxist elite that is advancing and shadowing the false threat of global warming, the most deadly fraud and deception in the history of man, Jeffrey (2011) Only God can destroy what He created. We however as Christians have a responsibility to look after what God has created and manage it with respect, but man has no ability to destroy Gods work. The God of the Bible created mankind and will sustain His creation until the time He returns and takes His people to live with Him. When Jesus walked this earth, His disciples

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were in awe that He could command the wind and waves (Matthew 8:2427). They realized that only God, not mankind, can control nature and its laws. Prosperity Theology The Prosperity Message draws a very subtle link between what you are giving to God and God giving back to you. If you adhere to the prosperity promise then financial security follows as a result of giving to God, if you're good, you'll never get sick or poor. At the extreme emotional stage it convinces people to borrow money and to give it to a specific 'church representative', in anticipation of receiving a ten-fold return. The pastor often suggests that in order to receive prosperity and good will from God, the way to get there is to give the pastor or the church your tithe, and then quotes Malachi to give it scriptural authority. The more you give the bigger the blessing. This results in a departure from scriptural and Biblical truth, amongst other things, and the impact is enormous: 1. It teaches the church members to love money. In fact, it falsely portrays a church sanction to desire material goods and to be wealthy. 2. It changes the biblical truth of giving with love and what should be a selfless, charitable or compassionate act, to a selfish one - we are giving, in order to get back more. 3. It turns God into a spiritual lottery wizard. Families and members pour money into the church coffers, not because they are concerned and want to give to the poor or are moved by Gods Word, but because they are expecting to win the jackpot! The few who receive the jackpot (and it seems there are always a selected few around) are then paraded on the pulpit to witness to the others who were not so lucky or did not have enough faith.

THE MODERN CHURCH 4. The many who did not receive as promised, keep quiet, because there must be

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something wrong with their faith and their relationship with God. Those who lost all their money and possessions, leave the church out of hurt and embarrassment, blaming God and the church. Fortunes are 'made' through clever and cunning ways of causing the transfer of money from one person's pocket to someone elses. It can be said that some pastors rather stand with their hands in somebody elses pocket than their own. Some are called salesmen - they sell you something, you don't want or need. Many others are simply called thieves - they do not respect or regard your rights of ownership. Some can be called casino operators - they lure you to try your luck with the 'promise' of easy wealth. Others merely are called con-artist - making you believe that you are on a good thing, when really they are! It is an embarrassment for the church and God, that there are churches which have stooped so low as to join these gangs of depravity. The church is the one place in this Godless world where you would expect truth, honesty, safety, integrity and people who genuinely care and love. It begs the question, how can anyone and specifically men of the cloth, justify and use what Jesus has accomplished on the cross to make a fortune for themselves and their organizations? The distortion. In my opinion, distortion of the Word of God is one of the lowest acts you can commit. It is spiritual heresy. You are selling and changing what Jesus died for on the Cross, for a mere dollar. You are tampering with His eternal truth and divine purpose. If you want to pursue financial wealth and material things, you should at least be honest and do not call yourself a Christian, pastor or a disciple of Christ and His teachings, Do not do it in His Holy Name. Do not say you are going to a Christian church service; say you are attending a wealth creation seminar. Do not dare to say that you belong to a church at all, but rather to a prosperity club, pursuing worldly success and the things of this forsaken and sinful world.

THE MODERN CHURCH People want to go to church and come out of the service, feeling fed, edified, moved, encouraged, and knowing that they have met with God personally. I have attended churches,

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only to be fed with the prosperity doctrine, week after week. There was no mention of the saving grace of God. It made me feel sad, angry, deflated, sickened, cheated, conned, and it was just a waste of good time. If I, as a Christian have that kind of reaction and feeling, how must nonChristians feel? The latest doctrine that is fast spreading through the charismatic churches is that you must not criticize your church leaders, even if they're blatantly wrong, because it generates strive and division and undermines their authority. This new doctrine simply links to that of the prosperity message, and is designed to allow them to continue the heresy. Jesus Himself never backed away from criticizing the religious leaders of His day, even to the point of calling them names: 'brood of vipers, serpents and hypocrites'! Jesus hated the hypocrisy of turning the house of God into a money-making business and a flea market. The Biblical response to those who meddle with the idea that Jesus was wealthy is, Jesus sent Peter out fishing in order to get a coin to pay the temple tax! (Matt.17:27) Jesus claimed Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head (Luke 9:58). Jesus walked all over the Holy Land for three years, from one town to the next. He didnt get driven around in a limousine or even a cart. We all know that He preferred a donkey as transport when He had a chance to choose. Satan is called 'prince of this world' and therefore he is allowed control of the purse strings. In that sense, it is therefore Satan who pursues those who is vulnerable in this area (the vast majority of the world) and uses money to blind people and from seeing the true Gospel. When Satan offered Jesus the whole world and all its wealth, Jesus rejected the offer, in order to

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do things the Father's way. Satan is clever enough not to offer us a blatant choice between good and evil. He offers us a choice between good and what appears to be good. The truth about giving. What is the Biblical teaching on 'giving' under the New Covenant? It is based on the Old Covenant principle of tithing which means, God always gives first; and we give back to God from what He has already given us, not in expectation of what He is going to give. Under the new covenant, there is liberation from the letter of the Law and an entering into the Spirit of love and grace. This implies that under the New Covenant, God doesn't want 10% of your money, but He wants 100% of your heart and commitment. The Word encourages us to be far more generous than a mere10%, but there is no way He wants to put us into a legalistic obligation and that of good works. It is my believe that God places needs before us and the Holy Spirit sensitize us to meet those needs, as we are able. We should always give as much and as privately as possible (don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing) and never with the aim to get something back in return. Pastor's should put faith in the Lord's provision and not rob the sheep with lies and half-truths. The shepherd should be the example of faith. Divisions and Strife in the Church Paul states, where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving as mere men? For when one says, 'I am of Paul,' and another, 'I am of Apollos', are you not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I (Paul) planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he that plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one shall receive his own reward according to his own labor, (I Cor. 3:3-8).

THE MODERN CHURCH When the church is unrepentant, I believe it mostly is there will be evidence of much

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strife and division in the Church. The strife in the church is caused primarily by sinfulness and wickedness. The scriptures teach us, "He who loves transgression loves strife." (Prov.17: 19) And "A perverse man sows strife." (Prov. 16:28). When Christians are carnally minded, strife and division exist. Much of the Church is carnally minded as evidenced by our saying, "I am of the Methodist; I am of the Baptists; I am of John Wesley." The people who started all these denominations are but men who the Lord gave to the Church to help them grow and understand more about God and His message. These men can say they have planted, but God is the One who caused the increase. God is who is important here. Everybody involved in this process will receive a reward in heaven for his or her labor but heaven forbid that we follow after a man or a denomination named after him or it. When people follow denominationalism, they are dividing the body of Christ and are following after a man's doctrine and organization. We should repent because we have settled in and are satisfied with our organizations and call them the church. These organizations and structures are not the church. The church is a living organism not a dead organization! Likewise, the church must understand where division and strife comes from, in order to be more able to heal it and to prevent it. According to scripture, (Shelbourne, 2010), causes of division include the following; Rejection of fundamental beliefs and commandments in the Bible. Paul stipulated basic fundamentals of the faith on which unity depends, (Ephesians 4:4-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4). If a person rejects even one of those essentials, we cannot remain one with him. John wrote that Christians should not receive into their houses teachers who said Christ did not come in the flesh (1 John 2:22,23; 4:1-3; 2 John 7-11); compare (1 Corinthians 13:3; Ephesians 4:4-6; 1

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Corinthians 15:3,4; 5:1-13). God does not condemn us for separating ourselves from this kind of false teachers. We are required to be separate from them. Our sinful nature, the flesh. Paul and John both have described the actions of the sinful nature, (Galatians 5:19-21; 3 John 9, 10). We wrongfully justify our divisions by saying they are about scriptural beliefs, but often the underlying cause is a struggle over power and turf fights, or perhaps resentment and un-forgiveness, or pride in our own fabricated righteousness. Paul said the Corinthians have factions among them in order show who has Gods approval, (1 Corinthians 11:19). Our perceived superior identity becomes more important to us than Christs wider body and the welfare and position of the church. A love of debating over foolish and vain questions. Apostle Paul warned that some religious discussions are not only profitless but cause strife and division, (1 Timothy 1:3-7; 4:7; 6:3-5,20,21; 2 Timothy 2:15-17,23-26; 4:3,4; Titus 1:10-15; 3:9-11). Our fallen sinful human nature enjoys that kind of strife, but Paul says it eats away at the church like cancer. Not understanding essential Bibles teaching about the nature of Biblical unity. Even though the doctrine of unity is included among the major, foundational doctrines of our faith, it has often been called the neglected orphan child in doctrinal study. The church need to deeply understand such passages (Ephesians 4:1-6; Romans 14:1-15:7; 16:18; 1 Corinthians 1-3; Galatians 5:19-23) Biblical unity is not implying everybody agreeing with me or on the same page. Mankind never agrees on everything, but we can achieve the unity the Bible talks about. Making other things bigger than Christ and the cross. (1 Corinthians 1:10-4:1) The Corinthians were divided because they followed different preachers and personalities more than they followed Christ. Believers may have a liking in an eloquent preacher, a wise teacher, a name, a building, doctrine or a tradition. All of these could divide Christians and churches. Anything (even a valid doctrine) that replaces Christ at the center of our attention becomes an

THE MODERN CHURCH idol and becomes sin. All the teachings in scripture get their meaning and power from the central truth, the cross and Jesus as Lord.

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Legalism, the belief that we are saved by our works and not by grace. In our fleshly nature we like to feel more superior to others and that we have made it by ourselves. It is hard to admit our mistakes and our total dependence on God. Our fallen state and sinful nature always wants to take the Word and the message of grace and turn it into a legal code, a system of lawsalvation. We appear to accomplish saving ourselves by our own efforts rather than by depending on the cross for salvation. People who fight to preserve and uphold a legalistic system often mistakenly believe they are contending for the gospel and for the Christian faith, (Romans 10:2, 3) This happened with some in the early church (see Acts 15 and the letter to the Galatians) and it has happened often in the church today. The New Testament teaches that no one can be saved by following the law and works, because no one keeps all of the law perfectly, not even one. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God but we are counted righteous because Jesus paid for our sins by his blood on the cross, (Romans 3:20-28) But we still tend to think we will be saved by keeping the commands of God perfectly. Division and strife naturally grows out of legalism. When we think we are free of sin and error, we feel that we must separate ourselves from those who believe and practice error. Legalism focuses on a few selected commandments, rules or interpretations, and it is easy to feel that we are measuring up pretty well and making the grade. Thus the large number of divisive and misleading sects, each separating itself off from other believers and considering itself the only faithful church (based on its correctness on some particular issue)

THE MODERN CHURCH Worldly and Social Issues Impacting the Church Joe Wright is the pastor of Central Christian Church in Wichita, KS. On January 23,

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1996, Kansas Prayer (1998) He was asked to be the guest chaplain for the Kansas State House in Topeka. While there, he prayed a prayer of repentance that was written and given to him by Bob Russell, pastor of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. According to an article in the Kansas City Star from January 24, 1996, his prayer stirred controversy and resistance, and one politician of the legislative body walked out in anger. Others criticized the prayer, Kansas Prayer (1998) Heres what he prayed: "Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, "Woe to those who call evil good," but thats exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and inverted our values. We confess that: We have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it pluralism. We have worshipped other gods and called it multi-culturalism. We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it a choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem. We have abused power and called it political savvy. We have coveted our neighbors possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the airwaves with profanity and called it freedom of expression.

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We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, O God, and know our hearts today; try us and see if there is some wicked way in us; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent here by the people of Kansas, and who have been ordained by you, to govern this great state. Grant them your wisdom to rule and may their decisions direct us to the center of your will... Amen, Kansas Prayer (1998). This prayer sums up the situation the church is in and the value system that the church helped to create and adopt because the church became silent and a lame duck in condoning these moral sin and wickedness. Alternative Lifestyles Church and man should recognize that they are not free to invent their own moral code, but have to accept the unchanging commands given by God which can be found in His Word. These commands are casted in stone. Man must try to live lives that are pleasing to Him. Jesus said, "You are my friends if you do whatever I command you" (John 15:14). In God's Word can be found a clear description of the character He desires to find in men and women: "On this one will I lock: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word" (Isaiah 66:2). Today a vast range of sexual behavior is both tolerated and promoted by society, the state and very disturbing, sometimes by the church. Individuals are encouraged from the youngest age to do what suits him or her best. This climate of toleration and a license from society is particularly noticeable where homosexuality is concerned. It is now a prominent way of life, and there is increased pressure. .Political and legal groups are ensuring that the homosexual

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viewpoint is always presented on an equal basis with heterosexuality. The term is 'Gay activism', where 'gay' is used to describe most forms of homosexuality. Pressures continue and grow, despite the absolute truth: the Bibles clearly and absolutely rejects homosexuality. The alternative lifestyle is so masterfully promoted and approved these days that even the established and more traditional churches are much less forthright in condemning homosexuality and to make standpoint. They act sinful by denying the Divine authority of the Bible, and by promoting that a 'loving' relationship - of whatever form - is more important than upholding God's law and to call sin by its name. In this modern and unholy world, we need to know why the Bible says that homosexual behavior is so wrong, and why, despite the Bible's message, some church leaders so often deny God and defend an individual's right to enter into a homosexual relationship. The Bible states "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I, who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20). It is clear that the need to change from an old to a new way of life applies to everyone who seeks to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. This includes the subject of many New Testament scriptures and which include forbidden acts and different forms of behavior, Ashton (2010). The aim of these scriptures is two-fold: to describe the general sinfulness of man, society and church; and To encourage Christian believers to avoid what is bad and practice what is good.

Galatians 5 provides one example: "The works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, lewdness, idolatry, fornication, uncleanness, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." (Verses: 9-21).

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In another list of unacceptable activities in (1 Corinthians 6), homosexuality is included: "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortions will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Paul again warns against self-deception. "Do not be deceived", he says, there are patterns of living which are unacceptable to God, and which will prevent those who live like that from entering God's Kingdom. Homosexuality is abhorrent to God. First of all, there is no doubt that it is abhorrent and unacceptable to Him. Not only is homosexuality mentioned in the New Testament, it is also mentioned and listed among the laws God gave His people in Old Testament times. This chapter in the Bible lists a whole range of sexual sins; adultery, incest, bestiality, etc., God's law commanded, "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination" (Leviticus 18:22). A little later it adds, "Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you" (verse 24). God has ordained and blessed the relationship between a man and woman. He forbade sexual relations between members of the same sex, and He forbade promiscuity, asking that His children form "one flesh" partnerships; one man with one woman. He in His supreme wisdom recognizes the fact that animals could not provide the companionship which human beings need. This explains that a spiritual element is involved in this union and partnership, which can only be found in a loving relationship between man and woman. The sinking sands of sin. "As they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting, who, knowing the

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righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them" (Romans 1:18-32). There however is another process and the message of grace which can reverse the descent into condemnation described by Paul in (Romans 1). It is the process of salvation through Christ. Each stage in the downward spiral of sin has its counterpart in the upward call of discipleship. Both men and women are encouraged to acknowledge God as the Creator of all whose ways are always right and good, Asthton, M. (2010). seek always to honor and obey Him alone, and to live a holy life before Him realize their need repentance and for forgiveness repent and be baptized speak to Him in prayer and submission, listen to His Word to guide their actions associate with Christians who live like Christ

Youth Violence The current majority of American teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 are lonely, spiritually hungry and they are intensely aware of the threat of violence. Thats the profile that emerges from a recent Gallup Youth Survey, (Lindsay, 2004), young people fear for their safety at school/constantly, despite dramatic increases in security and police measures and strategy. According to (Lindsay, 2004), nearly one in two (48 percent) teens say they have had bomb threats in their own school since the 1999 Columbine school shootings in Colorado. Close to one in four (23 percent) expressed the feeling that they are fearful of going to school because of potential school violence. Black students, it is reported, are twice as likely as white students to report that they fear for their physical safety (28 percent versus 13 percent). (Lindsay, 2004) Teenagers today reported they are feeling pressured and lonely. Among the high school leadership, these feelings can be more intense. (Lindsay, 2004)

THE MODERN CHURCH A Gallup study of student leaders in the nationally recognized Hugh OBrian Youth Leadership seminar has found that they are three times more vulnerable than other teens to express feelings of loneliness. In addition to this assessment, while 30 percent of the general teenage population feels "pressured," over half (55 percent) of student leaders claim the same feeling, Lindsay (2004)

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The spiritual hunger according (Lindsay, 2004), among teenagers are remarkable. Studies show that millions of teens attend church and youth groups on a regular basis. Teenagers also have expressed a burgeoning interest in learning about other faith traditions and cultures, and yet most remain faithful to their own orthodox beliefs and standpoints. Recognizing the culture of violence (Lindsay, 2004), in which they live, over half (53 percent) of teens say "violence on TV and in movies sends the wrong message to young people." One in three teens says he or she watched a "particularly violent TV program in the past month." A similar proportion saw a strong violent movie as well. Male teens expresses being exposed to more direct violence, but they are less concerned about it than female their female counterparts. Nearly two-thirds say that a Columbine-type shooting "is likely" to occur in their own community. Half of teens (48 percent) say there are groups represented at their school capable of violence, based on what they do, say or claim they will do or has done. Students believe these groups bring weapons to schools, and 64 percent believe that parents know about these groups. Fifty-eight percent of American teenagers are of the opinion that episodes of school violence reflect the overall mood of teens today, Lindsay (2004) The people in these communities are watching on and waiting for the church to take issue and standpoint but to no avail. They are hungry for the gospel, but no one within the church is taken the gospel to them. The church leadership is afraid of losing their jobs that that they only dares to tell the people what they want to hear instead of thus said the Lord. The temptation is so

THE MODERN CHURCH great within a lot of these communities to do wrong, that the preachers are leading the congregations astray by not proclaiming Gods word.

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Listen to what God commands his preachers to do, He says, Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; Reprove, rebuke, exhort with long suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fiction, (II Tim. 4: 2-4) We can only in Jesus name pray that a change will come. Our churches, pastors, deacons, Sunday school teachers and church leaders can and must play a more crucial and pivotal role in helping to curtail the violence in the communities, that our youth are perpetuating upon our society as a whole. Church leaders cannot sit on the side line while the violence runs rapt within our schools, and communities. Church leaders must apply their minds to think deep on what is happening within their own church and surrounding communities, and what they can do to bring about a change that will help our youth to become productive citizens and church goers. To a large degree, our churches have contributed to the violence the youth are perpetuating upon society, and here is the reason why. The churches have closed their doors, locked them and placed iron bars on the doors and windows to keep the youth out. They have an invisible sign outside that reads no young people are welcome. No gang bangers, no drug or alcoholic addicts, no prostitutes, no homeless or poor person. If you are truly not one of us, please do not enter these doors.

THE MODERN CHURCH Increase in Poverty and Unemployment If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill, and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead." (James 2:15-17).

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In the United States 14.3% (Church of the Brethren 2009) of households are struggling to put food on the table, according to the 2009 Census data. More than 1 in 5 children or 15.5 million children are food insecure. About 51% of children in the US will receive SNAP (food stamp) benefits before age 20. Poverty is also a growing problem. Currently 14.3% of Americans live below the poverty line according to the 2009 US census, average income of a poor family below the poverty line is $9,042 annually. Of these low-income households, 67% has at least one working member. The Bible calls us to care for the poor. God calls us to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house (Isa. 58:7). Jesus says the poor are an embodiment of him, saying whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. (Matt. 25:40). The church has a responsibility to deal with these root causes of poverty and to become productive. The churches and Christian humanitarian institutions over the years have worked hard to alleviate poverty wherever they are found. Work and production are part of Gods means to provide for his creation. On a local and national level more local churches need to strategically implement effective poverty reduction programs, community development and social action groups. Compassion for others, irrespective of color, status, class or creed must not be neglected. Christians should not turn away from their neighbor in need (Eph.4:28) There are a few things the church should and could do.

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First, the church has a clear calling and responsibility to support individuals and families, including a call to moral and social responsibility. The church is called to make disciples. When people are called into the church and receive Gods grace, they enter a caring community, and their responsibilities to God and neighbor unfold. They are cared for and learn to care for others. Secondly, the church has a role to play in its local community. The church must and often does reach out in various ways to address the physical needs of the poor in its neighborhoods. The most precious gift the church has to offer to the needy in the community is the people of Jesus Christ. Christians must be willing to influence and touch the lives of others in a way that will meet human needs in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. There are people who either have no family to support them or have needs that are so severe that they overwhelm a single family unit. Many people require the help of larger institutions like churches that can bring more resources to bear without losing the personal approach that makes families so effective. In this way, churches, pastors and ministries can play important roles in combating poverty. Local churches can address a wide range of emotional, spiritual, social, material, and financial needs. Similar to families, religious communities and ministries can also address problems at the level of the human heart and spirit, the level at which change is often needed to overcome the broken relationships and patterns of behavior that trap individuals in poverty. Reaching beyond just providing money or food, they can offer accountability, discipline, and a sense of belonging in a supportive community. By directing people to a source of meaning and purpose in life, churches can foster hope, strength, and perseverance in the face of difficulties. Churches can extend a helping hand because of the full range of resources they can provide. Local church communities often include a variety of people with a broad array of skills

THE MODERN CHURCH and experiences. Churches can draw resources and assistance from this deep pool of gifts and skills to tailor solutions that meet individual and family needs with great efficiency. High Divorce Rates Divorce is one of the worldly issues that impact the church and Christians. It has impacted greatly on the modern church and has left the church with a moral dilemma. The majority of Americans get married at some point in their life: just one out of five adults (22%) has never been married. Those who have said their wedding vows, one out of three have been

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divorced at least once, according to a new study from The Barna Group. Among adults who have been married, the study discovered that one-third (33%) have had at least one divorce. That implies that among all Americans 18 years of age or older, whether they have been married or not, 25% of them have gone through a marital split. Barna Group (2008) The research showed that the percentage of adults who have been married and divorced varies. The groups with the most experience of marriage ending in divorce are downscale adults (39%), Baby Boomers (38%), those aligned with a non-Christian faith (38%), AfricanAmericans (36%), and people who consider themselves to be liberal (37%). Barna Group (2008) The population categories with the lowest trend of having been divorced subsequent to marriage are Catholics (28%), evangelicals (26%), upscale adults (22%), Asians (20%) and those who see themselves to be conservatives (28%). Barna Group (2008) The Bible is very clear, marriage for life is Gods ideal, but divorce is a reality. What should be the churchs standpoint to divorce and remarriage be? The church must stand squarely where the Bible stands. Under circumstances where God allows for divorce, the church must allow for it. Where God allows for remarriage, the church must too. If an individual divorces and remarries within biblical mandate, it is not sin, though it is due to sin. Jay Adams (Strengthened by grace, 2011) sums it up very well, that even though all divorces are the result of sin, not all

THE MODERN CHURCH divorces are sinful, and it is also true that God hates divorce. He however neither hates all divorces in the same way. He hates what causes every divorcee, even the one that he gave to sinful Israel. He hates the impact and results that flow to children and injured parties of a

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divorce, but He does not hate divorce when it is obtained according to the principles prescribed in the Scriptures. Strengthened by grace (2011) Nevertheless, God says he hates divorce as almost universally practiced and Christians should not be in the position of encouraging divorce. Christians should be encouraging reconciliation. The church should work arduously with couples toward reconciliation. Only after repeated attempts have been made, and there was unrepentant immorality and the innocent spouse chose the divorce option. Many divorced Christians have remarried and are actively involved in the ministry of their local church. This should also be the response of the church too those whose unbelieving spouse has left them (1 Corinthians 7:10-15). To those who have been divorced without biblical ground, God still loves them. They are not a second-class persons or a second class Christians, Strengthened by grace (2011). Many cases of divorce occurred before salvation or when individuals were untaught. Afterward they recognized that it was sinful, but they have repented of that, and God through His all loving grace forgave them. Its covered under the blood. He remembers it no more and neither should the church membership. The everlasting love and mercy and grace of God, endures. God pardons and forgives all sins. Gods grace is as much for them as it is for any sinner. God forgives all who repent and come to Him, including those whose lives have been affected by divorce, the broken wing individuals. The church should reach out to those whose lives have been through divorce. The church must communicate Gods love and salvation to them in the midst of shattered lives. They need the support and biblical counsel and direction as they begin to put their lives back together.

THE MODERN CHURCH Abuses

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In America today there is another setting in which redemption is needed. Families homes, established to be a safe place for the nurturing and loving of persons and for the giving and saving of lives, have become settings in which people are assaulted, abused, stunted, hated, demeaned, tortured, and killed. It is in the so called safety of their very own homes and sadly by members of their very own families that people in the America (mostly women and children) are subjected to the greatest risk of physical injury, assault, sexual abuse, and murder. Millions of adults, elderly, parents, children, people with disabilities, and even unborn babies are victims of abuse and violence caused by family members. It has become and an epidemic of major proportions. Individuals whose lives have been influenced by sexual abuse, whether they are victims of family members, or other perpetrators, (including clergy), need a place where they can go for healing. Christianity has always proclaimed care and hope for those who are disadvantaged, impoverished, unjustly attacked, and enslaved. The subject of sexual abuse makes people uneasy. It isnt a popular topic to discuss or manage. The church can be that place if it is willing to call the sin of abuse by its name, and to take action to help those impacted and hurt by it. This focus alone should inspire the church to action on behalf of the millions of victims who are being psychologically demeaned, physically assaulted, sexually abused, and spiritually damaged. The church as one of its missions, proclaims "good news to the poor" (Luke 4:18). This good news surely must include passion and deeds of mercy and love and the liberation from assault and abuse. It links directly to family abuse and violence. One reason that abuse victims say they remain in a violent home or relationship is a lack of financial independence. Spouses work, mainly women, do not have the means to pay for transportation, accommodation, or legal

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help to get away from the violent abuser. In addition, the victim may also not have necessary job skills to earn enough to support the children as a single parent. In her book, Sexual Abuse in Christian Homes and Churches (1993), Carol Heggen in depth describes the manner and the way in which sexual abuse can leave victims feeling spiritually empty. She outlines three aspects of concern between victims of sexual abuse and the church. First, according to Heggen, the church has ignored, or shies away from the problem of sexual abuse. Second, the church has mainly ignored victims of sexual abuse. Third, the church through very subtle patriarchal language has covered perpetrators (especially clergy) in a web of safety where their violations and actions will be forgiven and forgotten under the guise of grace. Abuse involves hurt, grave sin, betrayal, and shows just how depraved human beings can be. It is my opinion that what is even more damaging than the initial act of abuse, forced upon a victim, is the following act of betrayal committed by the church and pastors, when the victim has no one to whom they can turn for assistance or healing. If the church proclaim to be truly the family of God, all burdens should be welcome, even the very worst ones, Heggen (1993) If the victim turned to God for protection, and the abuse continues, the victim may see God as uncaring and absent, Heggen (1993) If the abuser is a church leader, the violation is even more damaging. In the worst case scenario, if the victim is a little girl and is being molested by her father, who is also a minister, both the violation of the father/daughter trust, and the pastor/church member trust occurs. The victims ability in this case to develop a close relationship with God in the future is seriously jeopardized. God begins to be associated with the experience of abuse and molestation, and can hinder the victim from seeking out spiritual help later in life.

THE MODERN CHURCH The church has a Biblical obligation and needs to reach out to both victim and

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perpetrator. The church have to send a clear message that sexual abuse will not be tolerated, and that those who have been impacted and scarred by such abuse can find true healing in the arms of a loving church family. The church must return to the core values of the Bible. It has defined Christian family values and relationships for over 2000 years and proofs that social society prospers when families care for each other. It teaches us employer and employee relationships and how we should labor in fairness. It lays race discrimination to rest and teaches that we are all created equal by God. We should not discriminate in the marriage, the workplace and society, Anders (1995) Preparing the Church for the end times The Holy Bible proclaims "For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive, and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord."(1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). This description or event is known as the rapture. The Bible teaches that the dead in Christ will rise first, after which we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds. The Bible teaches that the graves of believers will be open first, and then those believers among us who are still living will join them to meet Christ. Sadly, because of this lack of concern, much of the church today is unprepared for this momentous event. (Jeremiah Project, 2011) We should not be tempted to focus on the sequence or order of events or methods and take our eyes off Jesus Christ. We do not know the details of God's plan but we can know the person who will reveal that plan to us. Our main focus must be on Jesus and we must listen for

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His voice and follow Him. That alone will guide us through whatever the future holds for us and He alone can save us. Call to Awake of its Sleeping Member Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. (Revelation 3:3). There are not a whole lot of scriptures that give specific signs in the church that tell us when Jesus is coming. Most of the prophetic signs of His coming are to and for natural Israel. Nevertheless, there are a few signs given in the New Testament that were given as signs specifically to the church. What these scripture signs tell us do not paint a pretty picture for most that identify with Christianity in the last days. Further, the picture these end time scriptures paint looks exactly like what we see in most of the churches that identify with Christianity today It is said when Vince Lombardi tried to wake up his sleeping Green Bay Packers football team, he called them back to the basics and the black board. He realized they needed to focus on the football basics of blocking and tackling. He took it to most extreme and held up a football and said; Gentlemen this is a football, Beaman (2008). The church should hold up the Bible and state; this is the Word of God and this is what it says! What Barna, (Beaman, 2008) found in his study of turnaround and reformed churches is that those that did turn about got back to the basics and the word. The return to basic traditional theology and simple and common sense ministry was refreshing for most people, it included even those who had been Christian for decades. They returned to what is eternally significant, practical and encouraging. This allowed the pastor to restore the members confidence in the core values of the churches ministry. If the church teaches the gospel basics, it leads a church to renewal. If the churches grow and gets too sophisticated and fancy it loses the message. If it moves away from the basics to

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stimulate the intellectual the church becomes too sophisticated for the basic offence of the cross. The simple and practical gospel is not suitable for the palate of the sophisticated church. To get back to the basics get the spiritual remnant left in the church strengthened and focus on the bottom line, salvation. The church must concentrate on the core essentials of the church; evangelism, missions and basic discipleship. Teach the church members about the Holy Spirit, lead day by day, moment by moment walk. Emphasize prayer and scripture studies. Dying churches should follow the advice of Jesus. Wake up and emphasize the basics of the gospel. Preach the clear and basic plan of salvation over and over does not wear out a church; it brings it back to life. The goal is more than longevity if we preach Gods love. Waking up a sleeping church will require an emphasis on the sinful state of man. (Isaiah 53:6) We all, have gone astray, away from the basics, each of us has turned on his own way; what will keep your church alive? It will be an emphasis on the cross of Christ, the resurrection of Jesus and personal faith in Jesus Christ. During the dark ages the church as a whole was dying. There were a few who remembered the true and basic gospel, obeyed and repented. This led to an emphasis on justification by faith in Jesus and Gods grace. The simple truth brought a reformation. It woke up the sleeping church and the whole world. The gospel in its basic form brings life. Responsibility of Pastors and Church Administrators The many mega liberal churches offer their members all the social and self-help programs they can digest. They mix so called Christianity with the mud and slime of pop psychology and stir (You are OK) sleeping pills into their church booth coffee, eaten with a sponsored Danish bagel at their money changer kiosk, but the true meat of the word is hard to find in these churches. The message they teach in the congregation at their Sunday entertainment and so called contemporary service does not even provide a path to salvation and real hope.

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What we see in the seeker mega churches is a sure picture of Laodicea. Let's face it, the Laodicea age is here big time and that means the next event on the church calendar is either in heaven or in the tribulation. God calls his messengers to responsibility, accountability and order during these last times and to wake the church before it is too late. In these end times, much of what calls itself the church is as salt that has lost its flavor. Instead of being fed the Word of God, people are being filled with doctrines that are earthly, manmade, sensual, and demonic. These messages may be pleasing to the carnal man but God seeks a people and leaders whose eyes are focuses and placed on the things above. God desires a church with no manmade or spiritual limiting walls and who has a Godly love for the lost. To thrive in this unsettled reality and worldly chaos, the church needs visionary and servant leaders, who can inspire existing congregations as well as new ministries to enter into Gods mission in an ever changing landscape and church environment? The church needs leaders with a non-anxious presence renewed and sustained by Gods vision for the world and salvation. It is strong servant leadership and ability that is able, to adapt to the role of a servant as Jesus did, and to function alongside other leaders in a team and serving their respective church communities. There are three levels of leadership identified by Max Anders (1997), mentioned in the Bible, Pastor/Teachers, Elders and Deacons and the basis for qualification is spiritual maturity. Leadership in other industries depends mostly on power but in the church it depends on spiritual maturity. The Pastor must meet the qualifications as set out in 1Timothy 3: 1-7 and Titus 1: 59. This scripture implies divine giftedness and spiritual leadership. How should a servant of God look like? Some in the position of "pastor" have the gift of leadership. They are the senior pastors" on the cutting edge who are constantly developing new

THE MODERN CHURCH means of ministry. More than tending to the daily and routine needs of the sheep, they are mapping out ways and strategies to take the sheep to greener pastures.

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Some in the position of "pastor" have the gift of evangelism. They are the "pastors" who are very soul seeker-oriented. More than building up believers they are into rescuing lost sheep with the message of salvation. Some in the position of "pastor" have the gift of administration. They are the "pastors" who tend to smooth management, business programs, policies and schedules. More than relating to the sheep, they tend to look after the pasture itself, economics, the water, and the fence to make sure everything is in good condition for the proper care of the sheep. Some in the position of "pastor" have the gift of teaching or prophecy. They are the "pastors" who concentrate on educating the flock with spiritual food, more than caring for the sheep's total well-being. Sometimes the total gift mix of the person in the position of pastor will enable them to do some of the shepherding work but no one person has all the spiritual gifts. The solution for churches whose pastor is not truly a shepherd by gifting is to purposefully build a network of support around him, to make up the sum total of all the spiritual gifts, including that of shepherd. These parts and their functions are also referred to as "offices" and are established in both the Old and New Testaments. (Exodus 28:1; 41; 1; 1 Chronicles 6:32; 2 Chronicles 23:18; Nehemiah 13:13; Acts 1:20; Romans 11:13, 1 Timothy 3:1, 10) In the New Testament, it is clearly stated that these offices are gifts to the body and are placed there by the Spirit of God (Ephesians 4:11 12, 1 Corinthians 12:4, 8, 9). To exercise the spiritual gift of church governance leadership and administration, to stand before others, to teach and advise, to lead an organization, one must follow the example of Jesus. He in His very nature is God and the only one who has all the spiritual gifts, and who did not consider equality with God, as something to be used to his own advantage, rather, He made

THE MODERN CHURCH himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, He emptied himself for Our sake. (Phil. 2:6, 7, 8) We receive the gifts of the Spirit when the Spirit comes upon us in salvation and at receiving baptism. These gifts must be cultivated and received through a life of obedience, worship, praise, learning the teachings of Jesus, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform our character and ability, and asking for the manifestation of these gifts through prayer, Lawrence

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(2006). We must be filled with the Holy Spirit for these gifts to be really energized. From time to time, these "pastors" must step out of their comfort zone and do the work of shepherding even if it is not comfortable for them. Those in the position of "pastor" must understand that the work of shepherding must be done regardless of their gifting. Congregational life and active ministry mature a pastors leadership skills. The leaders who shape the Kingdom of the Lord and the world cannot be mass-produced; they are sharpened and shaped one by one into effective, skilled, competent and equipped men and women. They fulfill their God-given calling to cultivate the right mix of, energy, calling, character and competency while shaping and equipping other leaders and partners by helping them sharpen their, mission, vision, and to shape their values and share their, skills, experiences and ventures. A congregation and church are most unified and effective when the leaders and members prayerfully seek and discern Gods vision for the future of the congregation and faithfully pursue that vision and where God leads, Lawrence (2006) Plan to Evangelize and Win the Lost It seems so many Christians in the modern church today are living in a Christian bubble. Our programs include going to church on Sunday, bible study Tuesday, mid - week prayer service, Community meeting Thursday, and fellowship night Friday. Our friends are from the same fellowship and all of them are saved Christians. If that's the true scenario of us, what

THE MODERN CHURCH about those who work in the Christian world? Our life, passion and calling seem to be the very Church itself. Many Christians working at churches, Para-churches, organizations tend to live

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their whole life in the I am saved and I am OK bubble, rarely daring out - especially pastors and leaders. How does evangelism fit into this scenario? If we're all in the bubble, who's out there sharing the gospel and salvation with the rest of America and the world? There are a number of issues that need to be dealt with to comprehend the biblical role of an evangelist. Three Greek words (Anderson, 2011) emphasize the concept of evangelism: (1) euaggelion,gospel, and (2) euaggelizoI preach, (3) euaggelistesevangelist. These words are concluded from the word aggelosangel, messenger, or one who makes an announcement. It means to spread out to carry this message, this great news. It means that Salvation has come to the world. The message not only announces the Kingdom but also inaugurates the Kingdom. The message of hope and salvation is from God and is a divine act that inaugurates, starts, precipitates, and catalyzes spiritual activity in the church. It is not just a memo that comes from head office, but it is a message that has power and glory in its essence. In preaching the gospel, spiritual activity takes place. People are never left neutral or without a choice. The evangelist is one of the five leadership gifts given to the entire Church, and mandates a specific job to do. Pastors and believers should recognize evangelism as a gift, the evangelist is a source and a help and must treat him or her well and with respect. Providing for the evangelists just as for pastors and give them the same respect and financial support for their work (1Cor 9:14; 1Tim 5:17). An evangelist should, in return, be accountable to the church and God and be expected to lead and serve in the work of evangelism. The message that the evangelist brings, gives the receiver an opportunity to accept or reject the message, to cooperate with God or rebel. The

THE MODERN CHURCH evangelists main function is to preach the good news to sinners, makes converts, and baptizes them. (Anderson, 2011) There also seems to be another role for the evangelist, which is not only preaching

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salvation to sinners, but also preaching revival to believers. (Anderson, 2011) The shortcoming that we have in the church is being able to come to grips and understanding with the concept of revival and the role of the revivalist. We attempt to get some sense of what happens, and who does what in the church, which gifts should operate, and how the Spirit of the Lord works in these various ministries and even vacuums. Many churches think evangelism is traveling and preaching the good news. They don't have a deeper understanding of reaching all the lost as their focus, their target, their plan, their goal. Some evangelists need to clearly identify their gift to the church and find an accurate and biblical name for it, and they must accept the responsibilities that go with it. If God has called the evangelist to revive the church, they need to focus on that. They must make it their agenda and accept the responsibilities that come with a prophetic, revival ministry. Evangelists have to fulfill the prophetic function and call the people of God to revival. If evangelists don't call the church to revival, we're going to be hard-pressed for it to be done. (Anderson, 2011) The role of the evangelist gives him or her agenda. Evangelists are on a mission to win the lost at any cost and revive churches at any sacrifice and effort. Fads and gimmicks may come and go, but the real gospel is always the same, true and simple. In The Great Commission, (Anderson, 2011) Jesus Christ has provided a method and plan for world evangelism in which the number of believers and converts will explode, increasing and multiplying at an ever increasing rate until the whole world would be evangelized (every nation evangelized, but not every individual saved). Some of the church strategies may need to change; people have always been and always will be saved through practical and simple preaching. (Anderson, 2011)

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Implementing His plan, the world can be evangelized and many saved. There is no other plan that can reach the lost at more than a fraction of the world's exploding birth rate. If we think our plans are smarter or better we are lost. Does a steward have the authority to substitute his plans for his master's plans? Here is Gods plan and focus: God loves the sinner unconditionally (John 3:16; Rom 8:35-39) God desires to give us abundant everlasting life and fellowship with Him (John 10:10) God desires to reveal His good purpose and purpose for our lives (Rom 8:28) God desires for us to know Him as the Father (John 17:3)

The Master Plan of Evangelism, by Robert Coleman, (McWilliams, 2003) is a practical study of Jesus' methods and style of building and making disciples. The leadership and evangelistic principles that He used were simple, logical and full of wisdom and practical. The following eight practical principles are a short summary of Colemans book, McWilliams (2003). Selection. He chose only a few faithful, available, obedient and teachable disciples. (Luke 6:13-17, Mk 3:13-19). They weren't scholars or learned they were men with special talents, just ordinary simple men who he could shape and change into leaders. He did not spread Himself too lean. Association. He devoted His time and attention to them, even in the midst of ministry to the multitudes. They were with him in all sorts of scenarios, called to "be with Him" and "follow Him". Consecration. He called them to absolute obedience and to turn away from sin and they had to sacrifice their own personal interests and needs, to turn to Him for their teaching. He called them to commit themselves not to a church doctrine or program, but to His person and the Kingdom.

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Impartation. He gave Himself to them and led them. Their relationship to Him was His love and self-denial. He lived discipleship and that of a servant leader before them on a daily basis and there were no limitations to His love for them. He has committed to them, and gave Himself for them and that was the sole motivation of their giving themselves totally for Him. Demonstration. He taught them by showing them how to serve and lead. All the disciples had to teach them was a Teacher who practiced what He preached with them and what He expected them to learn and do. They learned to pray by hearing and observing Him pray, learned how to use the Word by observing His practicing of it, learned how to minister by watching Him ministering to the people. They became evangelists by His demonstrations of evangelism and ministry. Discipleship is easier caught than taught. Delegation. He tasked them to work. (Mk 6:7, Mt 10:5, Luke 9:1, 2) They assisted Him as He preached and ministered, gradually He sent them out two by two on their own. The clear practical instructions He gave them are most interesting, it reveals how even this was a part of their preparation and education as His disciples. Supervision. He kept check on them gave feedback and used their experiences to instruct them further. (Mk 6:30) This was On the job training at its best. They were given enough authority to work experience and learn, yet never without His observation and guidance as it was needed. Reproduction. He intended them to succeed and to become disciples and make disciples. The church is like the Biblical mustard seed, it is small, but we expect it to grown bigger than all the crops that surround it. The branch abiding in the vine must bear fruit, (Jn. 15:1-17). The wisdom, practicality and strength of His methodology are supreme. He elected those who were teachable, obedient and devoted Him to them. He chose and established a

THE MODERN CHURCH committed relationship based on commitment to Him on their parts, and His commitment to them on His part.

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He showed and instructed them how to do it and then sent them out to learn by practicing, using their successes and mistakes to make them into able men to do what He was doing with them, reproducing other followers and leaders. The New Testament shows that these principles became the way for the early church. Paul applied them in his missionary work, staying in a city just long enough to reproduce leadership for a new church, and then returning periodically to observe and give feedback. He urges Timothy to make disciples of men (2 Tim 2:2). There is also Apollos, mighty in the early church and disciple by Aquila and Priscilla, disciples of the disciple of Barnabas. There is also Titus, Luke, etc.; the New Testament is full with the evidence that Jesus' program of discipleship has been passed on to the church as the only plan and solution to true and effective evangelism. There is also Mark. Paul gave up on him, but Peter succeeded with him, the author of the first of the Gospels to be written. Jesus was a perfect Leader. The Bible, however, tells us about all the not so perfect leaders that God has used to His glory and power, Moses (who lead 2 million ungrateful people for 40 years in the desert and wilderness); Nehemiah (who rebuilt Jerusalems wall in the face of opposition), Joseph (who organized Egypt for famine); and Paul (who organized numerous churches and trained leaders for them.) The church is strongly encouraged to study their characters, style and Lives, and the ways God trained them to be leaders, both through their mistakes and successes. Gods plan is always the right plan and not mans Power Point solutions. Educating the Church about End Times Prophecy Many church leaders and pastors dont preach on prophecy because they think its a too controversial subject and they are afraid of causing division and strife in their congregations. Many denominations believe that the study of prophecy will distract their members from the

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churchs work on Earth. They dont teach Biblical prophecy in their seminaries and colleges and dont encourage their pastors to teach it from the pulpit. Believers whove become interested in prophecy have often been criticized by their leaders and have had to turn elsewhere for information about this huge part of the Bible thats too often ignored as if it doesnt exist. The study of prophecy and educating the church is the one guaranteed way to prove that God is who He claims to be, and distinguishes the Bible from all other so-called holy writings. To understand the end times and prophecies and to educate and wake the sleeping church through the leaders, evangelists and pastors, described in the previous chapters, the church should also understand the Biblical dispensations. In each of these dispensations God had a different standard of righteousness by which men would be judged against (that is, a different test for, or method of, salvation), each concludes with man's failure to comply and obey and an associated judgment that follows, including the White Throne Judgment. Each dispensation, along with a new rules and judgment replaces its predecessor, Scofield, CI (1905). (See table 2) Table 2 The Seven Dispensations or ages Taken from Scofield, CI (1905).
Mans Dispensation Time Period Responsibility Innocence From Adam to the expulsion from Eden Conscience From the expulsion from Eden to the Flood Do not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil Adam and Eve listened to Driven out of the garden, the Man's Disobedience Gods Judgment

the Serpent and ate from the whole earth cursed, death tree. initiated. All flesh destroyed by the Flood.

Do good and do not The wickedness of man do evil (i.e., obey your conscience) was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was

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evil. Human Government The Flood to Babel Establish effective rule of men over the earth Disobeyed Gods command

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Confusion of language and

to disperse and fill the earth; dispersal of humanity across invented astrology*; let us make a name for ourselves the globe.

Promise

From Babel to Sinai

Believe Gods promise

Israel rejected Gods grace and presumptuously took

God places Israel under a yoke which neither our

upon themselves the burden fathers nor we have been of the Law Law From Sinai to Pentecost, then Obey God and keep His Israel repeatedly abandoned God and fell into idolatry and failed to obey the Law of God; Israel rejected their Messiah able to bear The Temple destroyed; Israel disbursed among the Gentiles; Erects Israel given to the Gentiles; God revokes his everlasting covenants with Israel and gives them to the Church; Grace From Pentecost to the Rapture; inserted into the Dispensation of Law. Kingdom From Messiahs Return to the creation of the new heavens and new earth All humanity lives under the personal reign of Christ Satan leads the final rebellion and many follow him Satan and his followers thrown into the Lake of Fire; heaven and earth destroyed; a new and perfect heaven and earth created Confess Jesus as Lord and believe in the Resurrection Men reject Jesus as Lord The Tribulation and Antichrist's reign of terror

from the Rapture commandments to Messiahs Return

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The pre-tribulation theory. I have many reasons for believing that the Pre-Tribulation Rapture position is the correct one. When you read through the primary verses of the Rapture and consider the prophecies relating to the Tribulation and the Second Coming, it actually becomes quite clear. The Rapture is not a foreign concept in the Bible; Enoch experienced something similar to the Rapture. An Old Testament Rapture perhaps? See (Genesis 5:24). (Jeremiah Project, 2011) In the modern world, most people that speak of the "Rapture," are supporting "PreTribulation Rapture. (I.e. Jesus returning before the Great Tribulation) The word "Rapture" has become known synonymous with the Second Coming which is not quite right. It is not equal to the second coming and as explained in the coming passages. It is actually a Latin word "raptus" from the 16th. Century (McMillan, 2008), meaning an experience of being carried away in the air. It represents a mystical experience in which the human spirit is exalted to knowledge of divine things and higher place. (See figure 4) by McMillan (2008)

Figure 4, McMillan (2008), Pre-tribulation Rapture doctrine

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There are many who differ from the pre-tribulation theory and many believe in mid and post tribulation rapture. Many denominations do not believe in the rapture. It is important to understand that there are different views and here is a short description of each, (See table 3), Berean Watchmen and JR (2007). Table 3
The Pretribulation Rapture The MidThe Rapture will occur at the midpoint of the Tribulation and the church will go through the first tribulation part of the tribulation. Rapture The Posttribulation Rapture The Partial Rapture The Pre-wrath Rapture The Rapture will occur at the end of the Tribulation, before the second coming of Christ; believers will be raptured up to meet Christ in the air and then will return immediately with Him back to the earth. The Faithful, devoted believers will be raptured before the Tribulation, but the rest of believers will be left to go through the purging of the Tribulation. The Rapture will only occur about three-fourths (five and a half years) of the way through the Tribulation, when the wrath of God begins to be poured out on the earth against the wicked. The Rapture will occur before the tribulation period begins and I am supportive of this view.

There is seven key points to support a Pre-Tribulation view and I concur with it, Berean Watchmen (2007): P - Place of the church or bride in the book of Revelation. R - Removal of the restrainer (Holy Spirit) E - Exemption from the divine wrath (The Bride)

THE MODERN CHURCH T The Twenty-four elders R - Rapture of the Church versus the return of Christ (Second Coming) I - Imminence B - Blessed hope and assurance. Following a brief discussion of each of the above the seven points as set out in Berean Watchmen (2007): P - Place of the church in the book of Revelation. None of the key New Testament passages that deal with the Tribulation mention the presence of the church during the

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Tribulation. It simply means the church or the Bride is not present on earth. There is a marriage in heaven before the Tribulation, when Jesus (The Lamb) takes the Bride as His own, (Rev. 4:12). R - Removal of the restrainer: Nowhere in the key New Testament passages is there any reference made to the church with regard to the Tribulation. The age in which we now live belief it or not, is described as the age of the restraint (2 Thess. 2:6-7) The Restrainer is the Holy Spirit working through the church. Once the church is removed, the Holy Spirit will depart, thus the Restrainer is removed. E - Exemption from the divine wrath of God. The Scripture promises that God's elect are exempt from the coming Tribulation (1Thess. 1: 9-10, 1Thess. 5: 9, Rev. 3: 10) along with others. T - Twenty-four elders In Revelation. There are 12 references to a group of beings called the "twenty four elders" (Rev 4:4-19:4). The fact that they are mentioned twelve times in the book of Revelation makes them key players in Biblical Prophecy. There are clues throughout the book of Revelation that lead to the belief that they represent the Raptured church.

THE MODERN CHURCH R - Rapture of the Church versus the return of Jesus Christ. Compare the events of the Rapture parallel to the Second Coming, (See table 4), Berean Watchmen (2007). Table 4 The Rapture
Jesus is coming for His Church. John 14:1-3, 1 Thess. 4:14-17

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The Second Coming of Christ

Jesus is coming WITH His Church Col 3:4, Zech. 14:5, Jude 14, Rev 19:14 Jesus' feet touch the earth on Mount Olive Zech. 14:4,

Caught up with Him in the clouds1 Thess. 4:13-18 Rev:11-21 The Christians taken first, unbelievers are left behind. 1 Thess. 4:13-18 The Purpose: To present the Church to Himself and to the Father 2 Cor. 11:2, Rev. 19:6-9 The wicked are taken first; the righteous (Tribulation saints) are left behind. Matt. 13:28-30 The Purpose: To execute judgment on earth and set up His Kingdom Jude 14-15,Rev. 19:11-21, Zech. 14:3-4 Marriage is followed by war on earth at the 2nd The Marriage of the Lamb in heaven after the Rapture coming Happens in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye (too fast for eyes to see) 1 Cor. 15:52 Only Christians will see Him 1 John 3:2, 1 Cor. 15:52 Jesus descends with a shout1 Thess. 4:16 A resurrection takes place 1 Thess. 4:13-18, 1 Cor. 15:51-54 Coming, people will see Him come back. Zech. 12:10 Matt 24:30, Rev 1:7 Every eye will see Him Rev. 1:7 No shout mentioned Rev. 19:11-21 resurrection not mentioned Rev 1:7, 19:11-21, Zech. 12:10, 14:4-5 At the end of 7 years of Tribulation Dan. 9:24-27Matt Can happen at any moment Rev. 3:3, 1 Thess. 5:4-6 24:29-30, 2 Thess. 2:3-8 No angels are sent to gather (resurrected people don't need angels to help them) Angels are sent forth to gather people together for judgment Matt 13:39, 41, 49, 24:31, 25:31, 2 Thess.

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1:7-10 The Spirits of those dead in Christ return with Jesus to receive their resurrected bodies 1 Thess. 4:14-16 Jesus does not return on a white horse

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Christians will return with Jesus in already resurrected bodies riding on white horses. Rev. 19:11-21 Jesus returns on a white horse Rev. 19:11 For the redeemed Israel & Gentiles Rom. 11:25-27,

The Church only (those in Christ) 1 Thess. 4:14-17 Matt. 25:31-46 A message of hope 1 Thess. 4:18, Titus 2:13, 1 John 3:3 A message of judgment Joel 3:12-16, Rev. 1, Mal. 4:5

I - Imminence. The Rapture is presented in the NT as an event or occurrence, that from man's viewpoint could happen at any given moment, and believers must look for it all the time (1 Cor. 1:7; 16:22, Phil. 3:20; 4:5; 1 Thess. 1:9-10; Titus 2:13; Heb. 9:28; Jude 1:21). Only the pretribulation position allows for an imminent, any moment, sign less coming of Jesus Christ for His bride. B - Blessed hope. The truth of the Rapture is intended to be a comfort and assurance and a blessing to His people. It is our "blessed hope" (Titus 2:13). It is the hope of every believer that the Rapture will happen and that Jesus will come for the faithful prior to a time of worldwide devastation. Bible passages in support the pre-tribulation rapture. There are three main verses that teach about the Rapture: (1 Thess. 4:13-18, 1 Cor. 15:42-56, and John 14:1-3) In support of the above, there are many other verses that support the Rapture position in the manner they speak of it in context to the end times and the Rapture. They are: (Rom. 8:16-25; Rom. 14:10-12; 1; Cor. 3:13-15, 4:5, 7:29-31, 15:22-23; 2 Cor. 4:14, 5:1-5,10; Eph. 4:30, 5:27; Phil 1:6,10, 2:16, 3:9-11; Col 3:4; 1 Thess. 1:10, 2:19-20, 3:12-13, 5:9, 5:23; 1 Tim 6:14-15; 2 Tim 1:12, 4:8; Titus 2:13;

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Heb. 10:25,37, 11:35; James 1:12; 1 Peter 1:5,7,13, 4:7, 5:4; 2 Peter 1:11; 1 John 2:28, 3:2-3; 2 John 1:8; Rev 4:1-11, 5:1-14, 22:12) Many Bible scholars understand the Bible prophecy as follows and concur with my views of the end times and as I interpret the Scriptures. The order and magnitude of events and occurrences during the tribulation is foretold in the Scriptures. During the first half initially (3, 5 years) there will be the following sequence of events: 1. an agreement of a false peace agreement. 2. War. 3. World Famine. 4. Death to 1/4 of the earth's population due to famine, war and wild animal attacks. 5. Christians being martyred for their beliefs killed and beheaded. 6. An enormous earthquake will happen, where the moon turns red and sun goes dark. The sky will appear to roll up with falling stars. Every mountain and island will move from its original place, with people so afraid that they hide themselves in caves and the mountains from God. 7. Noises, thundering, lightnings and an earthquake will follow. (Rev. 6 Rev 8:1-5). In the first half of the tribulation two witnesses will appear and proclaim God. They will be able to kill people who try to harm them and they have power to stop rain to fall, and cause many plagues. At the end of their 1260 day testimony they will be killed by the Antichrist and Satan, to the delight of the world, and their bodies will lay in Jerusalem for 3 and a half days before they will regain life and go back to heaven. Then there will be an earthquake that will destroy 1/10 of Jerusalem and kill 7000 people (Rev 11:1-14). Around the same time, there will be a group of 144,000 Christians (Jews) who are dedicated to God and His service (Rev 14:1-5). These events that will happen near the start of second half (last 3.5 years) of the 7 year tribulation: 1. Hail and fire mixed with blood burn up about 1/3 of the trees on earth and all green grass. 2. Something like a great mountain (perhaps a meteorite) burning with fire is thrown into the sea, and 1/3 of the sea will turn into blood, 1/3 of all the living creatures in the sea will die and 1/3 of the ships will be destroyed. 3. A falling star makes 1/3 of the earths springs and rivers

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bitter, and many people will die when they drink the water. 4. The sun, moon and stars in heaven will lose 1/3 of their brightness and will not shine for 1/3 of the day and 1/3 night. 5. Scorpion like locusts will decent on earth and sting (but not kill) non-Christian people for 5 months on end. 6. An army of 200,000,000 will kill 1/3 of the world's population. 7. There will be noises, thundering, lightning, an earthquake and great hail. (Rev. 8: 6 to 9: 21, Rev. 11: 19) Towards the end of the tribulation the following will happen: 1. severe boils comes upon people, who carry the mark of the Antichrist who needed it to buy or sell. 2. The sea will become as blood and every living thing in the sea dies. 3. Rivers and springs will become blood. 4. The sun scorches and burn people. 5. There will be darkness in the Antichrist's kingdom and people gnawed their tongues due to their pain as the Bible has promised. They will continue to blaspheme God and do not repent. 6. The Euphrates River will dry up and will pave a way for the kings of the east, which gather, together with others from the globe, for the final battle of Armageddon. 7. A very great earthquake ever causes all the islands and mountains to disappear, and Jerusalem will split into three. (Rev.16). During the same time of the tribulation the world's city containing much wealth is destroyed and mourned over (Rev. 18). This city is known as Babylon. To conclude the end of the tribulation there will be the battle of Armageddon, where the world will fight Israel. Jesus, comes (Second Coming) back to destroy the wicked and take the Antichrist to Hell (Rev. 19:19-21, Dan. 11:44, 45). He will then restore His victorious Kingdom on earth, where he will reign over His chosen people on earth for 1000 years, in a world of peace with no Satan (Rev. 20:1-6, Is 60-66). There will be the final battle, when Satan is released into the world to cause war again (Rev. 21:7-9). The great white throne judgment is described in detail in (Rev. 20: 11-15) and is the final judgment before the lost being cast into the lake of fire. We know from (Rev. 20: 7-15) that this

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judgment will take place after the millennium and after Satan, the beast, and the false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire (Rev. 20: 7-10) The books then are opened (Rev. 20: 12) contain records of everyones deeds, whether they are good or evil, and He will reward or punish each one accordingly. After the events of the end times, the current heavens and earth will be done away with and replaced by the new heavens and new earth. The eternal dwelling place of believers will be the new earth. The new earth is the heaven on which we will spend eternity. The new earth is the heaven on which we will spend eternity. It is the new earth where the New Jerusalem, the heavenly city, will be located. It is on the new earth that the pearly gates and streets of gold will be. A World With-Out the Church The Bible states that we are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with Gods people and members of Gods household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit (Ephesians 2:19-22). This is the answer to that poignant cry that the church has been sending into the world. The church is to tell us and the world, which we are, and what God has made us to do and how to live. Jesus is the church and the foundation and without Him there is no church. The church is the pillar and the ground foundation, the support, the defense, the bulwark and the sole buttress of truth and stability. The church recovers truth when it is lost. That is the main reason why all moral recovery in a nation always begins with the church and Gods people, Stedman RC (1981). John Lennon the pop star had a big hit song titled Imagine. In that song he said this: Imagine theres no countries, It isnt hard to do, Nothing to kill or die for, No religion too,

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Imagine all the people living life in peace. However, John Lennon was mistaken; a life without Jesus would not bring about peace in the world, but rather would bring about chaos. Some People want a world without Jesus because: Some of them see Jesus is A Threat to Their Way of Life Some of them are Simply Evil and Despise Anything Good Some of them see a Problem with the Hypocrisy of Some Christians

The outstanding thing is that the church is Gods instrument for change. He will not use anything else. He has committed himself to the people called the church of Jesus Christ. It does not matter how weak they may be, their ignorance or refusal to understand and act upon what and who they are, God will never support any other scheme or source to do what He has come to do in this world. It is useless trying to set the church aside. God will never allow it. He has committed to the church of Christ, so do not ignore the church. He is going to work through it, and only through it. Jesus correctly said at the very beginning, "On this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,"(Matt. 16:18). He guarantees that to be the case. That is the church of God. Paul has describes the role of the church in two words: the church is the "pillar" and the "bulwark" of the truth. This is the main reason for the existence of the church and that is to introduce truth back into a lost world marked with error, a world that follows with human ideas that are exalted as though they were the basis of knowledge and wisdom. We truly live in a confused sinful and evil world and it is getting more confused and evil all the time. The church is called upon increasingly to proclaim the truth in the midst of that confusion and chaos and to point out to the world that the Emperor of this world does not have any clothes on, and to warn against things that everybody thinks are cool because they are so part of the confusion of the society around us, Stedman (1981).

THE MODERN CHURCH God of the Christian faith created the world and is deeply involved in the affairs of the

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world. The moment the Holy Spirit enters the heart of him that was till then without God in the world, it breaks the hardness of his heart, and creates a new life. The Sun of Righteousness appears, and shines upon his re-born soul, showing him the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ our Lord. That person is in a new world. All things round that person are become new, such as it never before entered into his heart to conceive. Sin cast man into a degraded sphere of existence, a sphere Christians often call "the world." Human beings belong to the world through their sin and disobedience. They look at one another as objects and things; they manipulate, mutilate, and kill one another. In diverse ways, some subtle and some shocking, and some devastating, they continually depersonalize and downgrade themselves and others. They act and behave as inhabitants of the world they have sinfully created and formed rather than of the earth created by God. Every sinful act is a violation against fellow man and God. The archetype of sin is the reduction of a person to the thing; we call a corpse, a dead soul. Without the church the world is lost, without direction, without purpose or any life. The world will be dead and in the dark and totally lost without the light of the lighthouse, the church. What Happens at the Rapture? I am telling you a secret. We shall not all die but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet call. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall all be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). The world will instantly know and go into cataclysmic chaos at the moment this event takes place. The human imagination is hard-pressed to understand the ramifications of what will happen when millions of Christians suddenly vanish. Children below the age of accountability will be gone in that mind-boggling instant of time. Babies (including those in the wombs of their

THE MODERN CHURCH mothers) will be instantly in the presence of Christ in the moment of glory. Every corpse of every dead Christian will be raised to join with his or her soul to meet Jesus Christ in the air in that split second.

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The rapture will be a mystifying event, and to some an inexplicable phenomenon. It will happen before the eyes of a stupefied and horrified planet of left-behind Christians. This declaration that Jesus will call His church to be with Him seems strange to many, but it didn't seem so to the Apostle Paul. Paul was quite confident and even adamant in his prophecy concerning the "mystery" he had received by the Holy Spirit. He instructed all believers down through the Age of Grace (Church Age) about this event. The "rapture" is the next main prophetic event that will take place in the body of Christ or the church. This event is imminent and waiting to happen. It can happen right now, tonight or ten years or more from this moment. The Word "rapture" appears in the Bible in the original Greek word "harpazo" this word means to be "caught up" as written in (I Thessalonians 4:16 17). The Bible tells us that "For the Lord he will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the call of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God. First all the Old Testament saints and the Christians who died since the church age will rise from their graves. Then together with them, those believers who are still alive and remain on earth will be "caught up" in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with him forever." The event called "rapture" which many Christians at times referred to as their "Blessed Hope" (surely it is the blessed Hope) is the appointed time of great gathering of all the believers of all the ages from the time of Adam until that appointed day. They will be gathered in the sky to meet the Lord Jesus Christ there. At the sound of the trumpet blast, all the dead saints (true Christians and Old Testament saints) will be resurrected, and will receive their new "glorified body". This body is somewhat similar to the body of Jesus after His resurrection. This body wills no longer experience pain or

THE MODERN CHURCH death anymore. Even those who had been fed to the lions, whose bodies were torn into pieces,

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will be made whole again. The living Christians at that appointed time will not experience death; instead their mortal bodies will be changed into "glorified bodies." Their glorified body will be lifted up into the sky to meet the Lord. It will happen in a moment, in a blinking of an eye, when the trumpet is blown. After the rapture, the Antichrist will be revealed to the world and will rule the world for an appointed and allowed time. The Holy Spirit is the Restrainer of evil in the world. The Holy Spirit cannot be taken out as prophesied unless the church which is indwelt by the Holy Spirit is taken out of this world. The Holy Spirit will be recalled before the "lawless one" is revealed. The Antichrist will certainly be revealed in the tribulation. In fact, the tribulation begins with the signing of the covenant between that lawless one and Israel. That act will reveal him. Expected World Reaction One can only comprehend what the shock of the rapture will be to this world? Millions will vanish in an instant, in the batting of the eye. The world will be shocked because millions have vanished from the face of the earth without a trace. What is going to happen when husbands cant find their wives, and mothers cant find their children? Chaos! We think we live in a confused, chaotic world now, just wait until the church is gone! There is only one group of people on this planet that holds back the powers of hell from being released on this earth, and its the church of Jesus Christ. We may not think much of the state of the church now and it may be just a building to us, but there are true and faithful people of God, prayer warriors, burden bearers, and intercessors that literally are holding back the world from collapsing. I believe the powers of this world will say that we have been taken away by aliens to explain the event. God has given plenty of warnings in His Word and have sent messengers since

THE MODERN CHURCH the beginning, throughout the world to proclaim the truth of the coming rapture. Imagine a world in which those same messengers of authentic Christians vanished in an instant. It is difficult to imagine because of the size and the result of such an auspicious event.

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In a split-second, all the true Christians, driving cars, trucks, flying planes, controlling air traffic, working machinery, or something else entirely, would be gone. Can you imagine the resultant pandemonium? Think of the financial and economic impact. If we think that the recent economic situation and bailouts in the world were bad, think about what is coming. Think of all the skills and experience that is lost in an instant! When the rapture takes place, chaos and great fear will grip the world as never seen before. How would that event affect the psyche of people all over the world? We can only imagine the fear that would grip the world. It would be palpable. Peoples hearts would be failing them because of that fear and worry. Would they think it was an alien attack, or something else? There would be no way for them to know for certain, especially those ignorant of the Scriptures. Some will certainly remember what the church has told them and the fear of what God may do will next will scare the life out of them. Many of those who remained after the event who had at least some church knowledge might be aware of the possibilities related to the event if their church ever taught on the subject. Moments after the event, the true apocalyptic effect would begin to sink in, rippling throughout the world. Life would come to a complete but chaotic standstill. People would be wondering not only what happened, but what happens next. There is one event that would cause worldwide confusion, reflection and catastrophe, it is the Rapture. If you consider how many (authentic) Christians live on this planet at this time, the number is certainly into the millions. There are a good deal more than that who attends some type of church, but attending church does not equate to being a re-born Christian. We are

THE MODERN CHURCH referring to actual true Christians, part of the invisible Church, or the Bride of Christ and the

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spiritual glue that keeps the world together. If they are gone, things will go wrong very quickly. Study-Grow-Know-Christianity in the End Times (2011). The New Age proponents might react to the event with an emotional high and excitement because for they have believed for a while and for a fact, that it is aliens who will came to take the Christians off the planet in order to allow the planet to finally evolve and adapt to its next spiritual level. This message has been promoted throughout the New Age world for decades. When no judgment happens following the rapture, man will think the judgment of God has passed them by and they will start to breathe a sigh of relief. Soon enough however, the Bible tells us, judgment will come (when the 7 year tribulation period begins) and "the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, will hide themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains. They will say to the mountains and rocks, fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sit on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" What the world is now experiencing is not as bad as it will get in the future. As the true church, Christians need not only to be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks about the hope of salvation that they have, but they need to do what they can to prepare for the coming problems of the near-future. Tribulation Events The tribulation will be God's sure judgment on an unbelieving world that has rejected His grace. The greatest period of GRACE (this present Church age) will be followed by the greatest time of judgment (the seven years of tribulation) in the history of man. (See figure 5), Smith (2005)

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Figure 5 The dispensation of grace and the church will end with the rapture, Smith (2005). Just after the Lord Jesus Christ comes to take His Church to heaven, it will be followed a period of seven years known as the time of tribulation. The 7 year period is also known as Daniels 70th week (Daniel 9: 24-27). This is a week that consists not of seven days but of seven years. The latter half of this seven year period (the last 3 years) is also called the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24: 21) because it will be the time of great trouble, that the world has ever known. It will follow after the rapture (Matthew 24: 29-30) (See figure 6), Middleton Bible Church (2011).

Figure 6 Daniels 70th week (Daniel 9:24-27) The 10 items discussed below correspond to the 10 numbers in the chart above: Middleton Bible Church (2011). The death of Christ on the cross (1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 5:8; 1 Peter 3:18). The resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:4; Romans 1:4).

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The outpour of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). This marks the birthday of the Church, which is also the body of Christ. The present Church Age during which time Jesus Christ is building His Church on earth (Matthew 16:18) and calling out a people for His Name (Acts 15:14). The time when the Lord Jesus Christ will descent from heaven and the Church will be "caught up" (raptured) to meet the Lord in the clouds (1 Thess. 4:13-18). This event is called the rapture of the Church and it marks the end of the Church Age. The start of the time of tribulation and also the beginning of Daniel's 70th week. This seven year period will begin when a treaty is made with Israel (Daniel 9:27). In the middle of this seven year tribulation period the treaty is broken and the "man of evil" (the Antichrist) becomes the power of the world and demands that people worship him as God (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15-21; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). The Bible refers to these last 3 years as a time of "great tribulation" Matt.24:21) such as the world has never known before. This will be a time of great demonic activity (Rev. 12:7-12) and Satan's man will be the earth's ruler and absolute power (Rev. 13:1-10). The tribulation will end when Jesus Christ returns to earth in power and great victory (Matthew 24:29-30; Revelation 19:11-16). Jesus Christ will establish His "Millennial Kingdom" and it will last for 1000 years (Revelation chapter 20). Commencement of the tribulation. The tribulation will start a serious of world events unknown to mankind and never seen before in the history of the world and the church. Peace with Israel (Daniel (9:27) Antichrist will make a peace treaty with Israel for 7 years, likely negotiating some sort of peace agreement in the Middle East, (Revelation 6:2). It

THE MODERN CHURCH will appear as a time of great peace, prosperity and security in Israel, although the same cannot be said globally, (1 Thessalonians 5:3), Nixon (2011)

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First Half of the Tribulation. The tribulation is the beginning of many prophetic events. Scroll and Trumpet Judgments (Revelation 6,8 & 9) God desires that humanity repent from their sins and in wishing to break stubborn disobedience will send plagues of judgment on the world, the 7 Seals and 7 Trumpets. The combined effect of these judgments is terrific because a great proportion of the worlds population will be wiped out. The global economy will face greater strain than it ever has done before and large segments of vital industries will be destroyed. These signs are only the beginning of the troubles of the tribulation period (Matthew 24:4-8). Worse is still to come. Jesus warns us that unless the still to come judgments were cut short that no flesh would survive in this time (Matthew 24:22). Nixon (2011) 144,000 Jewish Evangelists and the 2 Witnesses (Revelation 7 & 11) 2 Witnesses will be raised up to fulfill prophesy for a period of 42 months which is equal to half of the tribulations length. The Antichrist will make war against them and kill them in Jerusalem before they are bodily resurrected and raptured 3.5 days later, (Revelation 11:7-9). Their deaths will occur sometime around the mid-point of the tribulation. Their ministry must therefore run throughout the first half of the Tribulation period. They will be assisted by 144,000 Jews who will be sealed by God to spread the Gospel. It is unclear whether they will be concentrated globally or only in Israel. If there is no church present due to the rapture then this would strongly imply a global ministry. Nixon (2011) Mid-point of the tribulation. This will be the start of great power for the lawless one. War in Heaven (Revelation 12:7-12) during this time Satan and his demons engage in war against the Archangel Michael and the angels in Heaven. They are defeated and they are permanently barred access from the throne to accuse the saints. Instead they are thrown down to

THE MODERN CHURCH Earth and Satan - aware that time is short before the Lord returns to earth to complete His redemptive work, attempts to stop Gods redemptive plans by preventing Israel fulfilling the

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prophecy of recognizing Jesus as King and declaring Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord (Matthew 23:39). Nixon (2011) Empowering of the Antichrist (Revelation 13:1-5) The Antichrist apparently is healed from wounds or a false resurrection, causing the world to marvel at this miracle which is really a direct act of Satan. He now directly empowers the Antichrist and gives him authority and power to rule for the final half of the tribulation. During this time the False Prophet will command the worship of Antichrist by the peoples of the world and implement the Mark of the Beast, and destroy and kill those who refuse to worship him (Revelation 13:11-18). Nixon (2011) The Abomination of Desolation (Daniel 9:27; 12:11; Matthew 24:15-20; 2 Thessalonians 2:4) The Antichrist will take away the sacrifices in the Temple and declare himself to be god. He turns on Israel by breaking his 7 year agreement with them (Daniel 9:27). Around this time the Antichrist will kill the 2 witnesses in Jerusalem, but they will 3.5 days later be resurrected and raptured into Heaven, an event that will be broadcast to the world. Jerusalem will be rocked with an earthquake. (Revelation 11:7-13) Nixon (2011) War against Israel and the Believers commences (Daniel 7:25; Revelation 12:13-17; Revelation 13:7) Satan will seek to destroy Israel and it will be thwarted by God providing a safe escape for her into the desert (as Jesus warned she must flee to the mountains): (Matthew 24:16). (Zechariah 14:2) suggests that only half of Jerusalems residents will escape. They will likely head into the Jordanian desert to the mountain fortress of Petra, (Daniel 11:41). Frustrated by this intervention, Satan will turn against the remnant of the Church in the world, who will not be able to take the Mark of the Beast nor worship him. Many Christians will be beheaded and killed for

THE MODERN CHURCH their faith and their refusal to back down from their faith in Christ (Revelation 20:4). Nixon (2011) Last Half of the Tribulation. This half will mark the beast and the wrath of God.

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The Bowls of Wrath Judgments (Revelation 15 & 16) The probable order as the Bowl of Wrath judgments begin as God still continues to desire and pursue mankind to repent but instead, they run into league and partnership with Satan and the Antichrist, taking the Mark of the Beast. Nixon (2011) Destruction of the Harlot of Babylon (Revelation 17) as the aforementioned events take place, the Antichrist turns on a world religious organization with global impact and dominion over many peoples. It seems that the prophecy refers to Rome, the city on 7 hills and perhaps even to the Vatican or some other global religious grouping. The Antichrist and those of his kingdom are said to be concerned and jealous of the power and reach of this religious organization and will use her and betray her, causing her complete and utter destruction. Nixon (2011) Destruction of Economic Babylon (Revelation 18) the economic system of the Antichrist is linked to and identified with Babylon, which could very well also refer to Rome, Jerusalem or another world city which the Antichrist adopts as the center for his kingdom. Special judgment is reserved against its decadence and she will be destroyed by divine judgment in a single day (Revelation 18:8). This will cause global economic chaos and people suffer the collapse and loss of their economic wealth and materialistic lifestyles. Nixon (2011) Battle of Armageddon (Daniel 11:40-45; Revelation 16:12-16; 19:19-21) The 6th Bowl Judgment will dry up the River Euphrates and the eastern military powers will be able to cross over to meet the Antichrists forces gathered in Israels Valley of Jezreel on the Plain of Esraelon. Here they will engage in battle around Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:1-4) until Jesus returns

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to earth during the Second Coming. The protected place for Israel which is referred to, may be in the desert and is believed to be in the Jordanian desert in the land of Edom which will be specifically excluded from the Antichrists grasp in this final battle (Daniel 11:41). Nixon (2011) The Second Coming of Jesus Christ (Revelation 19:19-21) Jesus will come back and will destroy the armies of the Antichrist with His words and will cast both the Antichrist and False Prophet into the Lake of Fire. Jesus will establish the Millennial Kingdom and He will be reigning from Jerusalem and judge the nations of the world who have survived the tribulation. (Daniel 12:12). Those who have died during the tribulation will be resurrected to reign with Christ, alongside the raptured Church who will have returned with Christ as His army (Revelation 20:4; Revelation 19:14) Nixon (2011) Underground Church in the Tribulation After all believers in Christ (the church) are raptured to heaven, the people that is left behind and who come to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord after the rapture, will be known as Tribulation Saints. They will represent the church which is now with Jesus in heaven. The Bible states and predicts that a large number of people will be saved during the seven year tribulation period. (Rev 7:9) describes the number as a "great multitude, which no man could count." Rapture & Tribulation Saint Resource (2009) The Bible repeatedly states that Tribulation Saints will be martyred under the Antichrist's demonic rule. Tribulation Saints will have to pay the ultimate price and give their lives for their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. There are several passages that warn how difficult and dangerous it will be for Christians to endure the tribulation: "And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations" (Rev 13:7). "He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword.

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Here is the patience and the faith of the saints" (Rev 13:10)."And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed" (Rev 13:15)."Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them" (Rev 14:12-13). "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years" (Rev 20:4). The Tribulation Saints will not be silent or underground during these dark years, nor will they roll over and play dead for Antichrist and Satan. These Christians will continue serving their Lord Jesus Christ in the midst of their desperate surroundings and tribulation. They will be faithful to the end, many of these Christians will die for their beliefs and loyalty to Christ, but God shall reward them in this manner: "Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes (Revelation 7: 15-17). Conclusion In conclusion it can be stated that Christians and the church are facing the reality of the outside world (the harshness, evil and suffering), the real deal, and events in the world has made a profound impact on the modern church. It is argued that the internal Christians are the senders,

THE MODERN CHURCH the supporters, financially and prayerfully. The question to beg is: arent we all called to be gospel messengers and real Christians? Christians are living in safe and comfortable confinement of the four walls of the church building. The church must get outside of these confinements in order to reach the world for Christ and preach salvation.

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The church has replaced Gods method with man made plans and ideas and has forgot the basics of evangelism and church teaching. The idea of the modern church that you can replace the moving of the Holy Spirit with programs, programs and more programs just show how low we have sunk and how the church has fallen into a spiritual sleep. Man-made programs and Microsoft Power Point presentations are everywhere today. This has resulted into decline in church growth and a moral decay in the church, because people are looking for the genuine product, Jesus Christ. The early church had much more of God and much less of man and mans gimmicks. The church preaches a humanistic and revolutionary Jesus today. A Jesus who exists mainly for our own happiness and Prosperity based on our own wrong interpretations. A Santa Claus who wants to rain down continual blessings and prosperity upon us. A God without judgment, righteousness or truth. Our gross misrepresentation of who Jesus really is one of the most serious accusations against the modern church and of moral decline. The church seems to worship a plastic Jesus, one that she has made in her own image. It is an offense to God and the world. The Lord has foreseen this and has been displaying profound prophetic wisdom in foreseeing the condition of His church prior to His Return and to warn the church of these events. To some, the church today may appear to be in power and victory but in reality she is quite miserable and spiritually poor, apostasying and seemingly proud of it. In these last years, false teachers and very disturbing doctrines and practices have infiltrated the church, and in many cases have displaced or outright replaced the sound doctrine once taught. The reason why this is

THE MODERN CHURCH happening and why the church at large is not aware, ignorant or doesn't seem to care, or even attacks those who point these things out, isn't really a mystery. The Scripture warns us Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will

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depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron. (1Tim. 4:1, 2) While this is the key to understand that these events "must take place" as it is written, it is worrying to discover that they are happening before our eyes and that the church is a passive player in this regard. The Apostasy is going on and that doesn't seem to bother church leaders. The return of the Lord Jesus Christ and end time prophecy is not being taught and proclaimed by many churches any longer, with some notable exceptions of course. Many so called "Christians" feel at home in this world, and do not show interest in the coming Kingdom of God and the end time prophecy or choose to ignore it, The rapture and the coming tribulation and judgment of God is not high on the church agenda. Church members are living in artificial paradises of their own making and creation but they are in for a shocking and rude awakening. The Words of the Lord come to mind: Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Matt. 7:13, 14). The pews of the church are full of adulterers, liars, abusers, cheats, fornicators, entrepreneurs and every other abomination. These are mixed in with those who are seeking God, and their Spiritual growth is being dwarfed by the watered down, the warmed over and regurgitated Word of God. They sit in memory of and weep for the old days when God moved in the services and the Holy Spirit freed people from sin and sickness. Today the loud Christian

THE MODERN CHURCH music, the shouts, the working up of emotions is all they can expect or experience. They are informed it is the Spirit moving, but they leave the services empty, starving for true substance. It must be made clear, the Holy Spirit does move through prophecies, people do come

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under the anointing of the Spirit, people do speak in tongues, miracles do happen but you will see and know the difference. True Holy Spirit anointing and blessing, just have a certain holiness, order and deep quality to it. It is not attached to showmanship and entertainment and it is always in support of the Scriptures and can be tested against His Word. If it offends and is different from the Word, then it is a different spirit and not Gods. With the coming of televangelism and the rise of personality based type of religion and false church doctrine, some pastors and ministers look more like super stars than the humble preachers and servants of God. They display the excesses of a materialistic and wealthy lifestyle and use slick marketing techniques to "sell" Jesus like a house hold commodity, rather than giving the praise and honor to God. The Apostle Paul also warns the leaders of the church when speaking of Elders or church leaders in Titus 1:5-11 saying they should not be "greedy for gain." He condemned those who were, "teaching for base gain what they have no right to teach." (vs. 11) This is a clear indictment the church leaders who succumbs to the temptation of material gain over spiritual growth. He further warns about those who are, "imagining that godliness is a means of gain." (1Timothy 6: 5). What must the church do for God's blessing and His presence to return to the church? The answer is a simple one. Bring the church back into the order of God. How can the church do this? The answer is even simpler. Go back to the Word and find God's ordained order for the church and man. Jesus never gave us a detailed description on how the church should operate, instead God anointed Paul as His chosen vessel to reveal God's order for His ecclesia (church).

THE MODERN CHURCH We must bring the good message of hope, love and salvation, the only message that the Bible teaches, These are the 5 pillars of Christian faith and the church, (Wikipedia, 5 Solae 2013). 1 Sola scriptura ("by Scripture alone") 2 Sola fide ("by faith alone") 3 Sola gratia ("by grace alone") 4 Solus Christus or Solo Christo ("Christ alone" or "through Christ alone") 5 Soli Deo gloria ("glory to God alone") Paul informs us: "Wherefore He saith, When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men."(Ephesians 4: 8) When Jesus ascended off the earth, He gave gifts unto men. These gifts were given to man to set up God's proper order in the assemblies.

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These gifts included: "And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;" (Ephesians 4:11). This is also called the fivefold ministry. These gifts were given to the church for a reason; "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:" (Ephesians 4:12-13). This is God's plan for His perfect order in the assemblies. God's perfect design will use the pastors and teachers to rise up the deacons who have a willing heart to serve in the eldership. From the eldership, more apostles can go forth and plant more churches in proper order. The prophets are sent to confirm the Word and more elders are anointed and trained to operate the new assemblies and to reach a hungry and lost world. This is the way the early church operated, and from Jerusalem this idea spread the gospel all over the earth. Christians also share in the fate of the world. Only Christianity holds the resolution to the problem of the relationship of man and God and only in Christ is the image of man preserved.

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There rest a responsibility on the Christian world, upon the Christian church there falls a heavy burden to reach a world being wrought in judgment, and it is likewise also a judgment upon Christianity if the church ignores this responsibility. The church must breach the gap between the moral decay in the church and a Christ life. The church must address sin and call it by name and not beat around the bush and try to soft talk the issue of disobedience to Gods commandments and His Word. The ills of the modern world are connected not only with the falling away from Christianity, with a chilling down of faith, but also with the age-old ills of church on its passiveness towards the condition of the world. The world is hopelessly sinful and lost, but there is no saving and merciful God for them, because the church that has the answers is quiet and in a peaceful sleep. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd" (Matt. 9:36) The real and most important singular mission of the whole church is to be "the pillar and support of truth" (I Tim. 3:15). The church has other obligations (in benevolence, edification and worship) but its dynamic reason for existence is evangelism of the lost and to bring good news. We are not an identifiable entity for the purpose of "keeping house for the Lord" but rather that we may "offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by and through Jesus Christ" (I Pet. 2:5). We must serve God and the cross by serving others, especially the lost and the needy of salvation, globally. The church could learn a valuable lesson from Christs words to the churches in the book of Revelation and in particularly the one where the Lord promised, He would save us from the time of testing that is coming upon the whole earth. Instead of seeking after excitement, glory and religious thrills in this time of spiritual famine and hunger, the church should be putting the Word of God in the center of our devotion and our outreach to a lost and pitiful world.

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Considered everything said in this research; Here is the final difference between the true church, and the world, (including of the world church). The true church that is, those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, those who know him and love him and believe in him and follow him is delivered from sin and guilt and given eternal life through Jesus Christ. The world that is, those who live without knowing Jesus, who follow their own way, who trust in religion or church, but not in Christ, or who reject all religion, who believe that this world is all there is, or who believe in salvation through self-effort, or who think they dont need to be saved, or who simply become so immersed in the pursuit of sex, money or power or the glory and fame this world offers that they have no time to consider their own soul perishes forever in hell. The people of the world are lost, doomed, and sent to destruction just as surely as the ancient Egyptians perished in the Red Sea (Keep believing Ministries, 2013), Retrieved January 28, 2013, http://www.keepbelieving.com/sermon/2008-10-13. The Bible says in Romans 3:22b-23, There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. No difference between rich and poor, young and old, black or white, male or female. We all stand condemned by our sin and all of us are under the judgment of God. Our sins may not be exactly the same, but we are all sinners nonetheless.

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We crucified the only truly righteous man ever to walk the earth,
Our Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God the Father.

No matter what terrible situation you are in, JESUS is the answer! No matter what difficult problems you may face, JESUS is the answer! Even if you have sinned badly and feel unworthy to receive any help, JESUS is the answer! Even if you have serious doubts about Church, Christians and Christianity, JESUS is the answer! For every problem in your life, JESUS is the answer!

In Christ Ministries www.christ-ministries.us

THE MODERN CHURCH References

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THE MODERN CHURCH Jeremiah Project (2011, July 4). Who are responsible for the rise in violence and moral decay? Retrieved from July 4, 2011, http://www.jeremiahproject.com/prophecy/whosresponsible.html Jesus Is Savior.com (2010). False Prophets EXPOSED! Retrieved July 4, 2011, from http://defendchrist.org/false_teachers.html Kansas Prayer (1998). The Preacher's Prayer That Stirred Protest in the Kansas LegislatureTruth. Retrieved July 5, 2011, from http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/k/kansasprayer.htm Keep believing Ministries 2013. The Final Difference between the Church and the World. Retrieved January 28, 2013, http://www.keepbelieving.com/sermon/2008-10-13-TheFinal-Difference-Between-the-Church-and-the-World/ Kirkpatrick, G. (2011). Bringing God's Order into the Church. Retrieved July 4, 2011, from http://www.newfoundationspubl.org/order2.htm

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THE MODERN CHURCH Nixon, D. (2011). Timeline of the Tribulation. Retrieved July 12, 2011, from http://www.discerningthetimesonline.net/TribTimeline.html Olbon, D. (2008). The American Church Research Project. Retrieved July 4, from http://www.theamericanchurch.org/free-state-of-the-church-2008-download.html

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THE MODERN CHURCH Stewart, D. (2011). Communism and Moral Decay. Retrieved July 4, 2011, from http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%20Government/ html Strengthened by grace (2011, July 10). Divorce, remarriage, and the church [Online forum

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comment]. Retrieved from ttp://strengthenedbygrace.wordpress.com/2011/07/07/divorceremarriage-and-the-church/ Study-Grow-Know-Christianity in the End Times (2011, March 16). Could the Rapture Cause the Coming World Collapse? Retrieved July 12, 2011, from http://studygrowknowblog.com/2011/03/16/could-the-rapture-cause-the-coming-worldcollapse/ Thiessen, HCT (1990). Lectures in systematic theology (1979 ed., Rev.). Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B Eerdmans Publishing Company. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Solas#Solus_Christus_or_Solo_Christo_.28.22Christ_a lone.22_or_.22through_Christ_alone.22.29