I'm not the least interested in fear-mongering. But I am deeply interested to find answers and solutions to the rapidly deepening crisis. Where is the Church? The above image provides us a clue. If I had to pick one person who best represents, in his or her own life, what is the essence of "Christianity in America," that person would be Joel Osteen. In my opinion, he embodies the image of how, I believe it is, that most professing Christians in America view the religion which they themselves profess to follow.
Not only does Osteen lead one of the largest churches in America. But Osteen's influence reaches far beyond the walls of his own church, by means of his very substantial multimedia outreach. Osteen's influence has touched untold millions of Americans ~ all of which has been done in the name of Osteen's easy-going brand of pseudo-Christianity. I suspect that, in the minds of most Americans, Joel Osteen is practically synonymous with Christianity.
It isn't difficult to identify the most salient features of Osteen's religion; which are as follows:
- Don't rock anybody's boat: offend as few people as possible ~ (a very high principle, in Osteen's religion). Closely related to that principle, is the following:
- Don't judge or criticize anyone or anything ~ Except: it is permissible to judge and criticize those persons (i.e., true Christians) who believe that, in order for Christians actually to be the "light of the world" and the "salt of the earth," it is at all times needful to judge everything according to the Word of God and, also (as God leads), to expose such "works of darkness" as may thus be discerned, by the light of Scripture.
- Personal happiness is the highest value and the most important goal in life ~ Osteen conveys "happiness" to mean one's personal peace and prosperity.
- Biblical content is selectively meaningful and useful ~ to justify the aforementioned principles.
Because that Osteen's message is characteristic of how that Christianity is perceived by so many Americans, it is thus important to understand that message (as well as the phenomenon involving Osteen's immense popularity) ~ that is, if we have any real intention of advancing (or even of protecting) the Kingdom of God, amidst American society.
Where is the Church? That depends. If we're talking about the worldly Church: It is eating from the bloodstained hands of men such as Joel Osteen, and many others like him. Consider what it means, for example, that roughly 80% of Americans self-identify as being "Christian." Is that statistic not important ~ for what it suggests about how the vast majority of Americans evidently perceive Christianity (and themselves)? Surely, they do not mean that they are "Christian" in any Biblical sense of that word! Still, their perception of Christianity is far from being unimportant. For, if they believe that the religion which Joel Osteen (et al) preaches is genuine Christianity (with respect to which, they thus consider themselves to be 'good Christians'): then, by comparison, those (few) real Christians who stand firmly upon Biblical principles, doubtless appear ~ to that pseudo-Christian majority (approx. 80%) of Americans ~ as being radical extremists, or dangerous "fundamentalists" (as Bible-believing Christians are increasingly portrayed by the mainstream media).
Does it not then matter that the true meaning of Christianity has been hijacked, co-opted, subverted, perverted ~ in American society? Call it what you will; but Christianity it is not. And how can they be persuaded of their need to be "converted," who already believe themselves to be good Christians (after the manner of Osteen's gospel)? In my experience, most such persons have very little interest (or even tolerance) to discuss the Bible, with a knowledgeable Bible-believer.
Not only is the work of evangelism, directed to false professors of Christianity, powerfully hindered by the worldly Church, as just described. But the groundswell of apostasy which consists in the worldly churches, furthermore, makes it very difficult to reach even the un-churched, with the true Gospel. For, most of those persons have also formulated certain pre-conceptions of 'Christianity,' as they suppose that to be; preconceptions which ~ as those are most often drawn from inferences related to popular Christianity (that is, pseudo-Christianity), are typically of a debased character and unfriendly to all things "Christian."
Therefore, real Christians now find themselves exceedingly isolated and disliked, within American society. As the result, our Christian witness ~ which is already diminished by reason of our comparatively small number, is even further diminished ~ because, true Christians have come to represent a despised sub-culture within American society; notwithstanding, that 80% of American society is supposedly Christian (pardon my reiterating that important fact). While proofs in support of that assessment abound, yet, I will relate one high profile case that recently occurred, which was reported by FoxNews (source, here); in which case Bernie Sanders ~ a U.S. Senator and former Presidential candidate publicly and "viciously attacked" Russel Vought "over his [Christian] faith" (a man, Vought, whom President Trump nominated to a cabinet-level position).
"You! are out of order, Sir!" America's Founding Fathers would have sternly denounced such conduct, on the part of the contemporary Senator Bernie Sanders. But, as far as I know, not a whimper of protest was raised in that Senatorial committee, against Sanders's abusive tirade against Christianity and against Mr. Vought.
What to do? Where is the Church? It is appalling, to me, that I see and hear so little of anything like sincere concern and desire for Revival in the Church. Though my faith to God-ward, for Revival, remains unshaken; yet, I am greatly discouraged that so few Christians, apparently, are earnestly seeking God for such a Revival that will impact this entire nation. I believe that such a Revival may still be possible. Nevertheless, with each day that passes without Revival, American society grows weaker and darker; and it is already very weak, and very dark.
Curiously, the apostates ~ together with others whom, I do believe, they are sincere Christians ~ say that a great Revival is indeed coming, albeit in the midst of great calamity, that is to say, during the Tribulation. But it shall not be so. History is replete with examples of wholesale persecution and slaughter of Christians, which did effectually rid entire nations of all but, perhaps, a scant number of Christians. How is the Tribulation then supposed to usher in some great soul-saving Revival? ~ especially, as there shall not then (after the Rapture) be any Holy Ghost-filled Christians remaining on earth.
Most Americans have little knowledge of the real experiences of real Christians who have endured real suffering in other lands. I am convinced that the majority even of well-meaning Christians, in America, are grossly ignorant concerning God's ways in Revival, if they do not also have some unfounded, even mystical, ideas about that. I honestly think they do not understand that Revival entails serious, spiritual warfare.... Or, perhaps, for that very reason, some who do understand want no part of that.
But this essay is not a lamentation. I'm urgently seeking for answers. We need to confront reality head-on, so that we may figure out (through God) how we must fight, in order that we may stand and prevail. The prophet Ezekiel asked an important question (which Francis Schaeffer more recently repeated): "If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live?" (Ezekiel 33:10). The expression "pine away" means: to lose hope and thus to languish; to waste away amidst dire circumstances, without striving against those circumstances so as to overcome them. We must remember that Christ has promised to reward not every mere professor of religion, but only the overcomer.
If the Apostasy is essentially as I have at length described that to be (if, in fact, the Apostasy may not actually be far worse than what I have been able to describe); and, if (as I have also said it is the case that) the vast majority of churches are now part of that Apostasy; then, it seems to me, there are only two possible options for the true Christian, namely: 1) the Apostasy must be confronted within the churches themselves, in efforts to rescue souls and to return churches to the truth of God; or, 2) leave the apostate churches alone and, instead, seek to bring the true Gospel to those who have no church affiliation. Of course, it must be possible to undertake to do both ~ though that may not be the most efficient approach to effectual evangelism.
I honestly don't believe that option #1 is viable ~ not, at least, without instigating an awful lot of commotion (or worse). But, then, I recall what was the experience of the apostles, whensoever they entered ~ with the true Gospel ~ into the midst of congregations (Jewish synagogues) comprised of those who supposed they were the "people of God." Debates flared. Mayhem ensued. Followed by persecution of those apostles. Practically in every case, Jewish congregations were split as the result ~ whilst some came out with the apostles to follow Christ, but others clung to the old traditions and rejected the truth. That pattern was repeated over, and over again....
....and I wonder: Was that meant to be a pattern for us to follow ~ even in the 21st century? Has it always been that way? Is there no other, (less violent) way to win souls and to build up the Kingdom of God? At what point may it be that erstwhile well-meaning churches become, instead, enemies to the truth? Who can rightly judge such intricate ~ and tremendously important ~ matters as that? Yet....., does not Scripture insist that such judgment, on the part of true Christians, is not only legitimate but even needful?
And what ~ really ~ is the more harmful approach: a) to risk such agitation and persecution, by openly confronting the Apostasy in the churches, in the hope of awakening some to the truth and to lead them out from amongst apostate churches? or, b) to abandon those churches, altogether, to be consumed in their apostate condition? Those who persist to reject the truth, even when confronted with the truth, will not be saved by any other means. Should such persons then be suffered to continue to enslave, through their chosen deceptions, those who might embrace the truth ~ if they were given the opportunity to hear the truth? But how, and where, can we reach such as may be saved? That is the question....
As I pause repeatedly in the course of writing this, to contemplate my own words, it just occurred to me that by not openly confronting the Apostasy, do we not thereby risk that our silence may be interpreted as giving our tacit consent to what is being taught and done in the apostate churches? But if we who know and love the truth do not speak out against falsehood and deception, then who will do that? Certainly, not the apostates themselves. How, then, can the unsaved world know whether what the apostate churches teach is truth or error? At the very least, if the Apostasy continues unopposed, then that is what shall come to be broadly identified with "Christianity." Indeed, that has already happened!
The Bible reveals that genuine disciples of Jesus Christ are the "light of the world" and the "salt of the earth": meaning, that the true Church ~ and not the worldly Church ~ is the only thing that is capable to prevent society's utter corruption and ruin. To be sure, we, true Christians, are very few in number. Does God not know that? Yet, He has declared in His Word: "[T]here is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few" (1 Samuel 14:6). Few though we doubtless are, yet are we without excuse.
The writing is on the wall: Judgment is coming to America!
Still, there is a Godly seed within and amongst this nation. But do we not understand? or, do we not believe? that we have power with God, through prayer, to meet the present crisis with an Answer from on high? This is "our" generation, to which God has appointed us. We must have some kind of responsibility to God, as Christ's "ambassadors" on earth....
God did hear the sincere cries of his faithful people who interceded in prayer for this nation ~ in connection with the recent Presidential election. God did show mercy in that case. No, I do not mean that Trump is some kind of savior to America. I do mean that God did ~ miraculously ~ intervene to prevent the outcome which virtually everyone who supports the so-called "Liberal" agenda expected. In so doing, God gave a reprieve to America; a reprieve: as in the postponement of judgment ~ not a cancellation of that.
The clock is ticking. God is waiting. People are dying. The Church is sleeping. Society desperately needs the Church ~ actually to be the Church in truth and in power.
But what shall the righteous do?
Shake off the snake! "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you," says God (James 4:7). Git!! Get out!!! devil. Go!! The Lord rebuke you!! Come, Lord Jesus, in power by your Holy Spirit, come! It is time for thee, LORD, to work...(Psalm 119:126). We're still praying, O God, you well know, for Revival!
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