Christians Together : The Kings of Sodom

Martin Lisemore (27/01/2011 12:28)

I'm of the strong opinion, the greatest danger facing Christians today is deception in the church; in it's many guises it is endemic. Not just in Scotland, but Europe and USA wide. It is escapism from the doctrines of sin and repentance, the pure doctrine of salvation.

As a church, we no longer test the spirits; too often we rely on baseless translations of the Bible for our beliefs; listen to preachers and teachers on TV as being an oracle of God, when they are an oracle of the dollar.

Yes we are seeing a shaking of the Church, judgement begins at the House of God. Yet, there is so much more to come. I don't doubt I will be found wanting in that shaking, in that judgement. I can only encourage every Christian to get close to God, through His Son, the rock of our salvation. There is no other way through.

In my understanding, there is no place for high-flying preachers with TV ministries and fat salaries. No place for over-comfortable vicars and ministers afraid to preach a hard work because their comfort may be threatened.

More than anything now, we need a clear trumpet call; the preaching of sin and redemption from pulpits, the Bema seat for conviction and submission to a Holy God. Deep repentance. No more preaching tacit acceptance of liberal social policies abroad in government and society. Lead the nation from the Bible.

The people who have influenced me most over forty odd years have been humble, Christ-like men and women, sometimes in the ordained ministry, but all of whom it must be said, the light of Christ shone from them. Would that there were so many more such people today.

The major prophets speak loudly into our times, if we would but hear them. They're hard words, words of judgement, words which if heard will bring us back to God through Christ Jesus. They're also words of consolation - if you do this, I'll do that - promises no less.

I'll stop there because it begins to rad like a rant, which it is not. These are my convictions. I stand on themMartin Lisemore (01/02/2011 14:51) Further to all the above; in considering just 2011, with Tunisia revolting, now Egypt, the Gulf States fearful of destabilisation, a massive cyclone over Australia after the floods, the US economy in collapse, like UK ... I could go on, and it's only 1st February.

Whether we say this is a judging of the nations, or a shaking of the nations, our God is moving against His enemies. And these enemies might be closer to home than we realise!

What do you think?

Emma Jones (Guest) (04/02/2011 12:13)

I know of a very vibrant church in a Scotish city where some of the praise leaders (people in their 20s) turn up on Sunday mornings suffering from hangovers and then 'lead worship' at the front of the church.

Andrea M (04/02/2011 13:23)

I believe many, many churches in our country have completely lost the way. Either we have happy, clappy churches where it's all about praise and nothing said about God's judgement or else we have dismal stuck-in-the-past churches where it's all about judgement but nothing is said about God's love and mercy. There there are the liberal churches where anything and everything goes and God will love us all the way we are - no need to change. I suspect those that believe that are not reading the Bible at all as it couldn't be clearer that, although God does love us even in our sinful state, once we have received salvation we have to turn from sinful ways and live by God's commands. To tell people anything different to that is to deceive them and ourselves and those who do it will be answerable to God for preaching a false gospel and leading others astray.

Perhaps the best thing to happen is for these churches to collapse and new ones spring up in their place which are founded solely on Bible principles and better able to point people to Christ to have that aching void filled which only Christ can fill.
(Guest) (04/02/2011 14:04) Emma, why am I not surprised?

But, please, in reading the article and my post above, don't understand all churches are equally affected. It is not the case. Nor did I intend that meaning.

'Perhaps the best thing to happen is for these churches to collapse and new ones spring up in their place.' Andrea, spot on as usual.

Lets take a step back. The original Churches of the New Testament were founded by the Holy Spirit working in men. No less. During the Christian era, denominations, firstly Roman, founded churches to extend their power and reach across a country. I don't see the Holy Spirit's work there. It's the wrong kingdom.

Psalm 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house the builders labour in vain.

Don't we have an excess of vanities today?

I've written here before, every new move of the Holy Spirit in the Western Church has put in place the five fold ministry and spiritual gifts. Even Methodism in England began in this way, although the Wesleys quashed the gifts.

Unless the LORD build the house ... then I'm not interested. Unless the offices and gifts are in place, and Jesus is centre stage by the Holy Spirit, the sole object of worship, an assembly has no more right to call itself a New Testament church than the House of Commons, or the Scottish Assembly. (I hope for diplomatic reasons I got that right!)

Why do we continue to offer strange fire to God, offer Him far less than our best, which is what He demands of us?

You're quite right, such places should be allowed to fail, and new, Holy Spirit led fellowships spring up. Ecclesiastes 3:3 a time to tear down and a time to build.

It's a time to build, perhaps the last time in the Christian era. Pray God He will hear us when we seek Him.

A final thought. We are required to worship God in spirit and in truth. Rare commodities these days, no?
(Guest) (04/02/2011 14:05) The above was Martin Lisemore, but I can't seem to log in at the moment. The system will clear itself.

Peter Carr (05/02/2011 10:32)

Purity has always been a problem for individual Christians and church fellowships alike. I concur with the author of this article. It is certainly my experience that the culture in which we live is informing (and even transforming) the church in ways that are unhealthy and unhelpful, and which will bring God's intervention.

Josh 24: 15 "But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” //