The Church is Hostage

As I study the Word of God more and more, I am saddened by the Churches I see today.  Much like many of the Churches Paul wrote letters to, I can more clearly see the profound pangs in his heart.  Churches today are either preaching a false Gospel, one where people are saved just at the behest of the preacher that says come and say this prayer, and you're saved, or the seeing of their friends taking a walk down the aisle.  Other charlatons are preaching a name-it-and-claim-it, which is a completely heretical Gospel.

Then there are so many Churches today without the proper godly leadership that is designed for us in the Bible.  We have “families” running the Church for many different reasons, and I am sure even many I can not guess.  They hold the strings of the Church; they agree only to have those they can control serve as Deacons, and then want Pastors to fall in line with their run of the Church.  They want part-time preachers to deliver a message that pleases their ears, and then step back when it comes to actually shepherding the flock.  

This is such a revolting practice, and it has turned into an epidemic here in the South.  There is no thought given to the lives of the flock that attends; there is no thought given to the road of sanctification that we are all on.  While there are many mature Christians who understand the bottom line of these types of Churches, the issue really harms the weaker Christians, the new Christians, the ones who are searching for Truth, the ones who want to know Christ, who want to be led and fed.

Then, when we have certain families running the Church rather than being led by the Pastor called by God to do so, we divide the Church.  We weaken the faith, we end up acting just like the world, when the Church should be the place so unlike the world, that we draw others to us.  It is a heartbreaking reality for so many, and my prayer is that God would open the eyes of the blinded that are creating this chaos, and strengthen the Christians who do understand this sin and confront it so that all of those things hidden in the dark are brought into the cleansing power of the Light of Christ.

This is not to say that every Church has it wrong, but there are many that do. They have decided if they want Church to be what they want it to be they have to control every part of it. That is not Biblical. That is self-righteous and you end up circling the same mountain over and over, and none of that is pleasing or obedient to God.