Political Correctness v Biblical Correctness. The sign of our modernsociety

There is a massive battle going on in our world today, not the World War 3 in the headlines but this one....Political Correctness v Biblical Correctness. Political correctness is a perceived hypersensitivity or offense to something that someone says that is used to alter or ruin the reputation of another person so that people will marginalize them. It ruins "Freedom of Speech" but also has a devastating effect on Christian values and beliefs.

Political correctness has been used extensively throughout history. We live in a Politically Correct world these days, you can´t just say what you want to say anymore and if you do you will find yourself marginalised and fingers pointing in your direction even if what you are saying is right but is not deemed "Politically Correct" and is upsetting the status quo. You can be fined, have a business shut down, lose your job, reputation tarnished end up in prison and more. But where does Christianity stand on Political Correctness. Is it Biblical? On the surface it all sounds like Biblical stuff, but is it? Taken to the extreme Political Correctness can lead to complete and utter madness. A deeper look at what Political Correctness really is and whether it is yet another form of evil disguised as good. I would say it is a form of confusion highlighted by the recent LGBT Bathroom Laws, another prime example of Political Correctness gone mad.

This article has come about as a result of the a previous article on Street Evangelism especially the last video in that article and certainly the No3 of 8 Street Preaching situations which I found particularly disturbing and a sign of the times we live in today. Also another example a Christian bakery hit the headlines and refused to bake a cake for a Gay Wedding and they got fined in the name of Political Correctness!

To get to the root of this you have to study what the definition of Political Correctness is. Here´s the Oxford and Websters Dictionary take on the definition:

"The avoidance of forms of expression or action that are perceived to exclude, marginalize, or insult groups of people who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated against". Oxford Dictionary

“Conforming to a belief that language and practices which should offend political sensitivities (as in matters of sex or race) should be eliminated.” Websters Dictionary

The current state of play in Modern Society
It´s spiritual warfare out there and things are heating up. New tactics are being employed by Satan and his followers. It comes with a smiley face and is based on an old principle that comes from our childhood school days. It is called peer pressure and our need to be like those around us. It´s also called "safety in numbers". Even if you don´t believe what the status quo has been conditioned to believe is correct, right and just, you still side with it anyway because you don´t want to look the odd one out and be subjected to pressures to conform. You could say we are in a "Cultural" and "Religious" and even "Gender" war based on this new tactic.

Watch this video below and this is a battle of Politically Correct v Biblically Correct within the Christian faith. It is quite rightly stated that people change, society changes but God´s word never changes! But look at the faces of those listening to the answer which is Politically Incorrect but never the less is the truth and the right answer. These are the times that we now live in today. Where right is wrong and evil is good and good is seen as evil.





The Problems with Political Correctness
The thing with political correctness is, it is based on outward appearances and society trends and pressures which flies in the face of the Bible and Christianity. In the Christian faith "Everyone who knows Jesus, whether they are men or women, young or old, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American or from any other background — are equal in His sight". Christians love one another not because they are pressured by society to do so, or by a new law that says the same, they do it naturally as part of their faith. It should naturally be an internal thing and not as a result of external pressures to tow the line. Do we marry someone based on external pressures. We do not! Political correctness is a false love and typical of this false world that we live in today, where people don´t have their own opinions any more. They just follow the status quo in order to be in with the politically correct crowd and don´t want to be singled out and face the consequences. There is nothing worse these days than being seen as politically incorrect. Sometimes PC can turn into madness

Political Correctness and it´s real target?

The thing is, this political correctness doesn´t work both ways. It´s OK for Christians to be persecuted, victimised and marginalised in our modern day society when we state our beliefs. If we speak against for example sexual immorality or abortion then in today´s society that is not the politically correct thing to do. Again political correctness wins the day and christian´s get a rough deal out of it and the finger points in our direction. Which brings us back to the original argument and that is Political Correctness is a tactic designed to foil Christians and marginalise them. This is a form of Christian Persecution but taken to a new level and is something that all Christians should be aware of, if they are not already.

Check out this video on a Christian Bakery who refused to bake a wedding cake for a Gay Couples wedding. Were they right to refuse. Why has the finger ended up pointing in their direction. Political Correctness again in action.



Was Jesus Politically Correct back in the Day?

If we are to be considered true Christians then as I always say not only should we talk as he talked but also walk as he walked and live as he lived. Was Jesus politically correct back in the day. Read these verses here and form your own opinion.

Luke 14:25-27
25. And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,
26. If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
27. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

In a word Jesus I would say was probably the most politically incorrect person around in those times, didn´t follow the establishment in any shape or form. To follow him you had to go against ingrained society expectations to become his disciple as stated in the verse above.He never towed the line with the Pharisees either.

How Political Correctness eliminates God from your life.
In addition to using political correctness to demonize someone, it is also used to limit discussion on sensitive issues or to stifle criticism from an opponent (political or otherwise). Therefore,if your opponent is depicted as someone who is evil and offensive, then you never have to debate them on the merits of their opinion. Political correctness tends to be completely focused on human sensitivity and self-esteem. When you focus on human sensitivity and the self, you eliminate God from your life.

How to Deal with Political Correctness
Do not run the other way but stand your ground. James writes, in James 4:7 "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Political Correctness works by relabelling and repackaging Sin into something that is not so offensive and becomes more acceptable to Society. The trick is to correctly label it back to its original term. Issues such as Pro-choice are in reality, Pro-Abortion. Focus the thought on the real issue, not the straw-man erected by those in the politically correct camp. Political correctness is frequently just an attempt to justify sin and another attempt to put a nail in the Christian faith coffin.

Summary
Political Correctness you could say is Anti American and is also Anti Christian and is designed to crush Christian Values. It´s a tricky topic to tackle and in effect you are taking on the establishment by doing so, but merely keeping your mouth shut and keeping quiet is not really the answer especially if you are a Christian. By tackling the topic head on in it´s original form instead of it´s dressed up renamed version, will help to win your case but don´t expect to win any friends in the process. As Matthew 6:24 states you cannot serve two masters, you either serve Political Correctness or you serve Biblical Correctness. You cannot serve both!

Those who are really interested in serving God are not affected by the world or society and its trends and influence. God and his word never changes and sound biblical teaching is often politically incorrect! Political Correctness is just another weapon of darkness and a sign of the treacherous End Times we are living in where the voice of Christianity and it´s values are being stifled, BUT Christianity will always find a way to overcome such obstacles. You could say we are living in the Days of Lot!

Bible Quotes:

Isaiah 5: 20-21
20. Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
21. Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

Proverbs 17:15 He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.

Proverbs 24:24. He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him:

Romans 1:25. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
28. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 6:24. No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Matthew 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

5. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

What is the future of Christianity? Where is it heading?

What is the future of Christianity?

With the rise of Christian Persecution not just in China and the Middle East but increasingly around the globe questions are starting to appear in Christian´s minds (they are in mine) as to what the future holds for Christianity. Will it survive in it´s current form and where is it destined to be heading. Hence this article.

This was going to be written later this week but has been jolted into action a couple of days early as a result of the recent 84 year old priest attack inside a Church in Normandy on Tuesday 26 July 2016. Unfortunately a sign of the times we are in and a definite confirmation that we are in the End Times as mentioned in the Bible. A terrible tragedy and a cowardly attack but rest assured as unpleasant as that death was he died a martyr for his faith and the perpetrators know this and he will be going onto a better place. You can try, but you´ll never, ever beat the truth. You can kill it but it will live on in another form and it will make itself stronger. You can put out the light but it will just shine brighter somewhere else. The more persecuted Christians become the more they realise just like the Jews during the Holocaust, their faith is the true faith and it just gets even stronger as a result, so strong in fact you are willing to put your life on the line for it, the ultimate insult to anybody trying to kill you. It´s also designed to create hatred and fear within the Christian faith and community. In short the people who conducted this act are terrified of Christianity, they know it´s the truth, otherwise if it wasn´t a threat and just another fake religion, why would they go through all this trouble to kill an innocent priest?

Normandy Attack News Video via RT



Before this attack, this article was going to be formed around a previous article about the life of Anchorites, Hermits, Monks and Nuns. One in particular provided the inspiration to write this article about the future of Christianity and that is the video about Agafiya an Old Believer in the remotest areas of Siberia who escaped persecution from the Reformed Russian Orthodox Church. She refused to be a part of as it removed all the important religious parts of the faith saying they were no longer part of it. She says the reformation was done by a Satanist. Many other of these Old Believer Christians did the same thing and went into hiding in the wilderness. That requires a firmness of faith beyond belief and these people are what I call the "True Christians". They "walk as Jesus walked", "live as Jesus lived" and "Love and Jesus loved". I asked myself the question "Would you be prepared to go to those lengths and live in the wilderness off the land like a Hermit". The answer was a surprising "Yes" if things start to get very bad indeed in this world that we are living in.

Agafiya the Christian Hermit Video via RT



The Original Christian Church
Back in the day in biblical times the Holy Spirit was working strongly amongst the Christian faith and the movement was completely different to what it is today. With so many denominations, ways to be baptised and the focus on Church Buildings and their upkeep and maintenance rather than the faith and God and Jesus Christ things seem to have got lost along the way. The original biblical model for Church or "The Body of Christ" was a group of believers.... That´s it. The Christian Church back then wasn't a building. These early believers did not have church buildings to meet in. They met mostly in homes and it was a community where everybody helped everybody else. No one person was more important then the other. The first church buildings did not start to appear until the early 200s. The early church did not have denominations as we think of them today. The early Christians were the targets of repeated persecutions - some of unspeakable cruelty especially during Roman times where the "Church" was attempted by the Roman Empire to be crushed on two major occasions. Sound familiar.

Hundreds of Christians being murdered every day,for not denying Christ.



In pondering what will happen with Christianity in the future, the Old Christian Church and this Agafiya woman (picture at head of article) immediately sprang to mind and provided the initial inspiration for this article. The Normandy Priest murder attack just added an extra urgency.

What´s going to happen to the Christian Faith
I honestly think with the increased Christian Persecution, burning down of Churches (especially Christian Orthodox), removal of Christian Religious symbolism around the globe and the general generation of a dislike for Christians via the media in a subliminal way, this will lead to the faith going underground but becoming stronger as a result and popping up in new places in ever increasing numbers.

Christianity in China
China, a massive place with a huge population, at present there is a huge movement of new Christian believers underway and it´s growing at a wildfire rate and the authorities are aware of this. Christianity is not accepted in China but they still practice their faith and it has gone underground literally. It looks like the Holy Spirit is working strongly in that country for some reason just like it did back in the day in Biblical times when the "Original Church" was around. ÇGatherings in houses, farms and caves are common place.

Rare Footage of Chinese Christians | Secret Underground Church



Christianity in the Middle East
In the Middle East in the Christian heartland, Christians are getting persecuted relentlessly and many have either evacuated the Christian heartlands and live outside the religious area called the Holy Land or some have kept their faith and pay taxes to stay where they are, a sort of disincentive to the Christian faith "you want to stay a Christian and still live here...that´s fine but you will be taxed as a result". Some have just given in and become Muslim which is the main religion in the Middle East just to have an easier life and get the perks that the religion gives. You could say a process is underway in various forms around the world that is separating the "True Christian" from the "I´m just a Christian on Sunday" types. A sort of separating the wheat from the chaff scenario.

A NATO de facto war on Middle East Christians?



A recent headline from Russia further proves that Christianity is going to eventually head underground with Vladimir Putin recently announcing that he will be making Christian Evangelism outlawed in the form of Preaching either on the streets or any form of the same on websites or social media. A bit of a shock really as he is publicly known to be seen to attend Russian Orthodox Church services.

RUSSIA BANS CHRISTIAN EVANGELISM !!! AntiChrist Spirited Vladimir Putin



What form will the future Christian faith take and where is it heading?
I think with the recent Christian persecution events taking place, I really see the Christian Faith going full circle and reverting back to what it was during Roman Times with people meeting up at houses and doing the exact same thing that Christians did back in the Biblical Day. I see this very strongly. What would be the outcome for the current model of Church and it´s buildings especially say in Europe that we see today?

Europe without Christianity - The end of faith in Europe



What will happen to the Traditional Church based Christian model especially in Europe?

With the decline of the traditional church any of these scenario could pan out or things could just continue as they are. There could be other scenarios
1. Churches will either close down, become homeless shelters full time or something similar such as a community centre or just turned into pubs and supermarkets, museums, turned into flats or offices (happening already) or whatever use that the local council sees fit.
2. The other route is the Churches may be turned into "Multi Faith" venues with "All Welcome" on the doors or entrance where Buddhists, Hindus, those of Judaism faith, New Agers and Muslims and any other religions can meet along with Christians. They will be New Age Christian venues along the lines of the Mega Churches in the US such as Lakewood run by Joel Osteen and Victoria Osteen with their New Age (false) teachings but just in a smaller venue/location.
3. With the rising Muslim influx in Europe (think mass migration) in particular and increasingly empty Churches it wouldn´t surprise me if Churches with low attendance numbers that only open a couple of days a week would be shut modified, gutted, all pews removed and turned into Mosques.

Jewish Prophet Warns Christians to Flee America Now!!!



SUMMARY

As a "Born Again" or "Saved" Christian (See Testimony) I personally go to Church 6 days a week (Saturday off), pray 3 times a day these days (Psalms morning and evening at home), (Psalms and Personal Prayer at Church) but I only go to an official church service on Sunday. The other 5 times I´m just praying with NO official church service (nobody is there except 2 or 3 other Christians like me praying as well) and sometimes the cleaner is there mopping the floor or using the vacuum cleaner giving us strange looks! After the Normandy attack and recent police warnings to UK Christians I stlll went to church as usual. If all the churches in the UK closed or were getting repeatedly attacked, as far as my faith is concerned it wouldn´t have the slightest impact. Church is important BUT I can pray in the Local Park, McDonalds, Library, at work, in a field I really couldn´t care less, a Church is just a building. What I call "The Sunday Church Brigade" would be affected tremendously and probably the vast majority their faith as well. But if things went full circle and people started meeting up in houses again (which I see coming) just like back in the day, then we would be at a situation which I think God would find desirable and what the original Biblical model of Church was.

The Normandy incident is just one of many recent Christian Persecution Events taking place around the globe and as this predicted emerging New World Order get´s ever closer by the day Christian Persecution I think will reach the extreme levels just as in Roman Times or as with the Jews in the Holocaust as witnessed in the Second World War. Just as in Roman Times I think there will be two divided camps again those outside the True Christian faith and those in "The Faith". People outside of the Christian faith will get sucked into this New World Order One World Religion which I think will be New Age in format a sort of one size fits all and on the surface the answer to all the worlds problems but will be a False Christianity. It will be the easier option and "The Mark" will be one of the components of adopting that faith. Those who do not adopt it will be the True or Real Christians and they will be driven underground or into the wilderness just as Agafia was when they reformed the Russian Orthodox Church. If this happens then the Prophecy in the Book of Revelation would be fulfilled.

I would say that anybody that publicly preaches, is running a website such as this or similar with a Christian or End Times bias who also has quite a following on social media is a prime target for being silenced, shut down or even attacked or worse. According to some sources that is happening already. If the updates suddenly cease on this website you will know why.

This will just drive Christianity underground and it will become stronger than it ever was. The Chinese Underground Christian Video I really think gives you a taste of what form Christianity will take in the future. Do you really think death threats or terrorist activity will deter these peoples faith. I think not. I see the way forward as being "old school", non church as in large fancy building based and non denominational. I think in the current day church something got lost along the way, something quite important.

This predicted new "Underground Christianity" or "Real Christianity", everybody will come together and will become one "Body of Christ" and "Church" will become just like it was back in the day and the Holy Spirit will be moving strongly in these very last days. People, will look on in wonder just like in those Biblical Times and think "WOW I want to be a part of that". I think that is no bad thing and maybe that it was what "The Lord" wanted all along.

Bible Quotes:

Matthew 24:9
Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

1 Peter 3:14 - But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy [are ye]: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;

1 John 3:13 - Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

Luke 6:22 - Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you [from their company], and shall reproach [you], and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.

Matthew 5:10 - Blessed [are] they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

2 Timothy 3:12 - Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

John 15:18 - If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before [it hated] you.

Matthew 5:44 - But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Further related videos over at The Twelve Gates You Tube Channel

Christian Life. You cannot Love the World

Twelve signs of the Holy Spirit. My personal experience. Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_r1GspV6oM

The Narrow Gate and Narrow Way. Few Find it!

The Church in the Bible V Modern Day Church Denominations

The Seven Deadly Sins. 7 videos shot in Central London

Mega Preachers Exposed Part 2. Joel Osteen a closer look.

A closer look at Joel Osteen, is he the real deal or is he another one of those Mega Preachers promoting a different Gospel to the true one that is in the Bible? Joel Osteen is the No1 Preacher by numbers, congregation and popularity in these modern times. Followers in the millions on Twitter, watched by a similar amount on TV and has a congregation at his church of about 38,000 some say it could be 40K. You could say he is up there as a celebrity with the Hollywood and big Music stars of our time. We will take a closer look and see if this charismatic charmer Pastor type is the real deal and a man of God or is he serving something else?

Joel Osteen is at the top of the Preaching game up there with names such as Oprah and Co and preaches a similar theme, if you can call it... Gospel. First impressions are he is a very charming, hugely popular Pastor, Author and TV Evangelist although he does not call himself an Evangelist. Also on the surface you listen to his sermons and they appear incredibly inspirational and the word YOU or YOURSELF is used frequently and there is a positive and happy vibe present. It´s very difficult to dislike this guy and just like Paula White there is the what I call the "Dyson" effect at work here. I have watched a couple of his Sermons broadcast from his Lakewood Church covering what I consider to be massively important key areas in the Christian Faith such as Jesus, Prayer, Fasting and some form of a Testimonial. I did the same in a previous article covering the Mega Preacher Paula White, that is my benchmark for judging these Preachers now. I admit I got about a third of the way through these Joel Osteen videos as I saw enough, as the theme keeps repeating itself, but formed enough of a valid opinion to construct this article.

Joel Osteen: Origins & Errors of His Teaching (a Film by Keith Thompson)



As a true Christian it is your duty amongst many to expose false preachers and false prophets and warn people of these "wolves in sheep´s clothing" that lead their often massive congregations astray and into a different or alternative form of Christianity.......one that does not appear in the Bible. Itś all very clever and subtle stuff with a lot of smoke and mirrors and it obviously works. These "Wolves in sheep´s clothing" will appear Christian on the outside, they will be charismatic, seductive, innocent looking, they will appear to be nice people and they are talking the talk? but are they walking the walk? The tell tale signs for me will always be, are you being told "What YOU want to hear" and NOT "what GOD wants you to hear" and a massive second "What are their fruits?" and an even bigger third "Are they walking as Jesus walked?"

Here is the give away No1. He preaches the New Age Prosperity Gospel where God wants you to be healthy, wealthy and successful which includes material success. There is no mention of material success in the Bible....ever as a spiritual basis to Christianity if anything the reverse. He is repackaging Christianity as a New Age religion to make it acceptable to a broader spectrum of people including Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, NewAgers, Athiests and Agnostics which form part of his congregation. That´s part of his appeal and the secret to his success.....it´s an easy Gospel...no hard work or suffering  involved and watch the good times (and the money) come rolling in. Who is not going to turn down health, wealth, success and happiness and be blessed and be part of God´s kingdom. It´s a no brainer.

Matthew 16:24
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Give away No2 is he uses words like "Empowerment" and one of his books is simply called "I am", with the emphasis on the word "I". He would be classed as a "Self Help" Guru with "Positive Thoughts" being his particular focus. The power of the mind to change your life. If you type any of these words that Joel Osteen stands for into Google which include "Empowerment", "Self Help" or "I am" or "Positive Thinking" or anything similar, what comes up? What you get is .......well nothing Christian that´s for sure! What Joel Osteen preaches is "Heresy" plain and simple, it´s a New Age religion. It´s not of the Bible, it´s an alternative version of it but he weaves it very cleverly into what he preaches to give it some sort of Holy credibility otherwise on it´s own it wouldn´t stand so strongly.

He preaches this thing called Blessings again his version like most of the Prosperity Preachers including, health, wealth and prosperity including material success here on earth. These are worldly concerns. A true Christian that has the Holy Spirit is not concerned with these things and about storing wealth here on earth but is more concerned about storing it in heaven. There is no mention in the Bible that material success is a blessing from God, again it´s a blessing from something for sure, but not from the God in the Bible. In Christianity the "Lord Provides" enough to be full, comfortable but not the excesses that Osteen promotes. He promotes treaures on Earth and the worldly way of living. This is not the Christian way, they have no need of this. A bible quote below sums this one up in 11 words. It is clear where Joel Osteen´s heart is. Again this is another glaringly obvious indication that something is amiss.

Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

In the famous Larry King interview he asks Joel Osteen this question regarding some words of wisdom from an old Pastor friend who told him many years ago "If a Pastor has more than one suit ...... he´s a cop out"... how do you respond?" Joel Osteen replies that being humble, suffering and having nothing is like kind of being defeated. Here´s the thing, humbleness and humility are  major Christian virtues. If you don´t have the Holy Spirit you will deny such things.

A very relevant Bible quote sums this situation superbly where Jesus asks a wealthy man to follow him and the wealthy man asks him what do I have to do, he says just sell everything you own, give it to the poor and follow me. Verses below KJV

Matthew 19:21-25
21. Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
23. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
24. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
25. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?

I would say Joel Osteen is similar to someone like Oprah. Charming, hugely charismatic, cuddly and lovable and likeable in the extreme and talks about God and Jesus, but which God and Jesus are they talking about. It´s a false one, not the real one that is mentioned in the Bible. His mantra seems to be "What can Jesus or God do for me" when Christianity is all about "What Can I do for God or Jesus". The Bible that Joel Osteen preaches is "God helps those who help themselves" which incidentally you will NOT find that mentioned anywhere in the Bible. Christianity is all about "Giving to those in need" and "Helping and putting others first". Christianity is not about helping those who are not in need such as multi millionaire preachers. Christianity is not about "The Self" it is about "helping others" and helping those in need such as the sick, the poor, widows, orphans, the homeless. Christianity = God first. Anybody that preaches otherwise.... is preaching a gospel of a different variety and it´s powers are coming from somewhere else.

If you are a true Christian and truly have the "Holy Spirit" you will have the gift of discernment one of the many gifts. You can tell these preachers within 5 minutes and from a mile off at best, or quicker. At worst it may take a complete sermon but you will still be able to tell. If you are not in the faith then you will get sucked in by these Joel Osteen types, thinking you are being lead to heaven when in fact you are being led directly to hell.... but you will not be aware of it. The God they are referring to is not the one in the Bible but something with more Satanic tendencies.

He has written many books which run along a similar theme as his Preaching and Sermons at his Lakewood Church but again these books are Self Help New Age books that have a sort of Christianity as a sort of secondary support mechanism and used as a vehicle to promote his "Empowerment" Agenda but if you read the Bible anything involving THE SELF is plain and simply Satanic. Joel Osteen is a "SELF help and Self Empowerment"  GURU which leads you away from God and makes you become your own God in charge of your own destiny, but obviously relying on his teachings to reach that goal.

IF he promoted his thoughts and ideas and omitted the Christian angle and the use of the Bible to further his agenda that would be acceptable, but what he is doing is corrupting the word and Christianity in the process in the name of promoting his NEW AGE alternative or false Christianity agenda.

This analysis is pretty conclusive and there is no need to even look at the fruits of his preaching. WHY? Bible quote below

Luke 6:44
For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.

Joel Osteen Interviews

As you can gather by this stage I´m fully convinced personally and on a spiritual level that this Pastor/Preacher or whatever you want to call him is not of God. But to prove the point further watch him in a Piers Morgan interview where his wife Victoria Osteen was also present (she will be analysed in a forthcoming article). The interview was held in 2011 and see what he has to say here´s one of his trademarks you´ll see when cornered.

at 10.29 Asked about Adolf Hitler he  says "I don know if I understand it all" Piers says you always cop out on difficult questions. It´s your job to know these things being in the responsible position that you are in. His usual reply is "I admit I don´t know it all" or something to similar effect

Piers Morgan Interview

Joel Osteen interview on Piers Morgan Tonight - 01/26/2011 - Part 1



When confronted on Gay Marriage, The Mormons and other controversial topics he will come out with a similar line and then add "I just want to love everybody and accept them for what they are" or "I don´t follow the scriptures as closely as the traditional Pastors" or "I try to keep things positive in my sermons and make things uplifting" or "You know I can´t really answer that question as it´s not an area I´m familiar with I tend to stick and preach on areas that I know" and other similar shrugging of shoulder lines. Politicians answers I call them and he comes out smelling of roses every time and his reputation stays intact. Very difficult to pin this one down, if you do he´ll charm his way out of it with that disarming angelic smile of his. Hence his amazing success!

Joel Olsteen on "Larry King Now" - Full Episode Available in the U.S. on Ora.TV



Other comments

The website SO4J has this to say about Joel Osteen which is a bit harsher than what I´m saying here.

JOEL OSTEEN is a False Teacher who refuses to Take a Stand for Jesus on National & International TV as seen below. Joel has shown repeatedly that he is Ashamed of the True Gospel of Jesus Christ! Joel Osteen is a PEOPLE PLEASER vs a GOD PLEASER. He was asked by Fox News Anchor— CHRIS WALLACE: "Are Mormons Christians? Joel's shocking answer to Chris Wallace was this: JOEL answers: "Yes, In my mind they are...."// What?! Joel then continues to share his Unbiblical Beliefs about this. He apparently doesn't know that MORMONS ARE A CULT!

Another Confirmation

Still not convinced. Have a listen to what this Preacher (sounds like the real deal) had to say at a Joel Osteen session over at his MEGA Lakewood Church right in the middle of the congregation of probably about 38K and watch the security guards descend on him pretty sharpish and starts to be escorted out but he still carries on his own sermon regardless. A classic. Why security guards at a peaceful  Christian gathering??

Preacher rebukes Joel Osteen in the middle of Lakewood Church! False Prophet EXPOSED!

The Final Confirmation

Some Joel Osteen famous quotes that he has used in his sermons or in his books over the years promoting his hippy happy new age alternative Christianity that has a focus on the improvement and empowerment of the self and uses God and Jesus to help achieve those goals.

1. “Life’s too short to spend it trying to keep others happy. YOU can’t please everyone. To fulfill YOUR destiny, stay true to YOUR heart.” – Joel Osteen

2. “Nothing in life has happened to YOU. It’s happened for YOU. Every disappointment. Every wrong. Even every closed door has helped make YOU into who YOU are.”

3. “See, when YOU drive home today, YOU´VE got a big windshield on the front of YOUR car. And YOU’VE got a little bitty rearview mirror. And the reason the windshield is so large and the rearview mirror is so small is because what’s happened in YOUR past is not near as important as what’s in YOUR future.”

4. “You cannot hang out with negative people and expect to live a positive life.”

5. “If YOU want success, if YOU want wisdom, if YOU want to be prosperous and healthy, you’re going to have to do more than meditate and believe; you must boldly declare words of faith and victory over YOURSELF and your family.”

6. “YOU can change your world by changing your words… Remember, death and life are in the power of the tongue.”

7. “There is a winner in YOU. YOU were created to be successful, to accomplish your goals, to leave YOUR mark on this generation. YOU have greatness in YOU. The key is to get it out.”

8. “Don’t settle in the land of barely enough. That is where YOU are, it is not who YOU are. That’s YOUR location, it’s not YOUR identity. No matter what it looks like, have an abundant mentality.”

9. “Do all YOU can to make YOUR dreams come true.”

What do you notice here. The words YOU, YOUR, YOU´VE and YOURSELF are prominent here many times in each quote. This is the promotion of THE SELF before anything else, the putting of yourself before anybody else. This is not a Christian trait. Secondly there is not one  mention in these quotes of Christianity, Jesus or God. Thirdly words like success, goals, prosperous, greatness, abundant are rampant. Again these are not Christian words associated with Christianity they are words associated with something far darker. The faith he preaches here is not Faith in God it´s faith in yourself and your family.

Summary

Joel Osteen is an incredibly, initially, likeable New Age style preacher who preaches a modern version of the Christian Gospel and not the "Traditional" form as he calls it. You could say it is an updated version of the one that is in the Bible to meet the demands of people from all walks of life, all colours, creeds, religions, sexual orientation and ages and to fit in and be applied to our modern times. You are in charge of your own life and God will help you achieve YOUR goals. That´s where he is coming from.

This is My Bible, I Am What it Says I Am? Examining the Joel Osteen Creed said at the beginning of his Sermons at his Lakewood Church (Hilarious)



By using this methodology he tells people what they want to hear and it´s what I call "Positive Thinking" and "Self Help" promotion. On it´s own it´s not an issue. The problem is, it is not Christianity and he is peddling it as such. Yes the Bible is mentioned and used in his sermons but this is where the problem lies. The power of the Bible is being used to promote his New Age Alternative Modern Christianity way of thinking and in doing so is corrupting the word of God. He is leading people ( and a large number at that) away from Christianity to something completely different in what can only be called "Self Empowerment" New Age Self Worship where God takes a back seat in giving you a helping hand. God is second to you and not the other way round. He is using the Christian label to achieve this goal but the underlying religion is actually New Age. It´s a false Christianity warned about many times in the Bible, something that will happen in the End Times of which Joel Osteen is evidence of. By this definition this makes Joel Osteen a False Preacher. The evidence is overwhelming.

Vid: A video featuring the owner of this website sheds some light titled 15 Signs of a False Preacher

In interviews, sermons and other preachings, on the surface he is incredibly hard to pin down as a False Preacher. He is not excessive of his use of hand signals and other tricks to get a more sinister subliminal message across like he is conducting an orchestra. He´s one of those "I just want to love everybody and see everybody get along" types and plays on that Christian trait of "non discriminatory love". BUT the fact remains the Gospel that he is preaching is totally different to the true Gospel of the Bible. It´s a "Gospel of Man" and one that man wants to hear as proven by his popularity rather than The Gospel of God and the TRUTH! No amount of charm, charisma, humour, dressing up or slickly delivered words will change that fact. This is the sad situation, the people who follow these False Preachers as demonstrated by the Bible Quotes below, are just as damned as the False Preachers themselves, whether they are aware of what is going on or not!

Bible Quotes

1. Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
1 John 4:1

9. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 10. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
11. For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.
2 John 1:9-11

26. For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.
Luke 9:26

2. Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.
3. 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;
2 Timothy 4:2-3

1. But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
3. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 2 Peter 2:1-3

9. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
10. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
11. But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
12. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Galatians 1:9-12

29. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
30. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
Acts 20:29-30

Muslims seeing Jesus and converting to Christianity?

Muslims seeing Jesus and converting to Christianity

Increasingly in these bizarre times, I'm bumping into news headlines and videos that seem like the impossible claiming that Muslims (sometimes in quite large numbers) are converting to Christianity after seeing Jesus in one shape or form or dreaming about him. I was a bit sceptical at first as you would be, but after bumping into more of these headlines and at an increasing frequency and from respected sources, I thought I'd better take a closer look. Just for the record I'm not seeing this phenonenom in reverse, as in Christians converting to the Muslim faith in any large numbers. It does happen but not in the numbers that are being reported increasingly via various sources from Muslim to Christianity..

This is a shorter than normal article and is centred around 4 powerful videos showing individual cases why they converted from Islam to the Christian Faith. I let these videos do the talking as they are very strong and convincing cases.

I could go into great detail comparing the Muslim and Christian Faith, showing their similarities and differences. or to demonstrate that one religion is real and one is false or man made. I could say that the Muslim Faith came after Christinanity. But then you could say Christianity came after Judaism. Does that make one religion more valid or truer than the other because it is newer or older? I could say there are 2.2bn Christians on the Planet and 1.6bn Muslims....... and rest my case. I could say there are no extremist versions of Christianity whereas in Islam there is.......... and could rest my case again. Apostasy (as in leaving the faith) in the Christian faith is not punishable by death but in Islam it is? In Christianity women are more equal than they are in Islam? The list goes on, but fundamentally these things don't change anything. It is a human choice to either believe or not believe, to be religious or not, to follow one religion over another and follow whatever denomination within that religion in preference to another. That is something as a Christian I respect.

Video 1: THOUSANDS OF MUSLIMS SEE JESUS IN DREAMS AND VISIONS?



This article is not against Muslims, doesn't aim to prove that the Christian Faith is the truth and the Muslim Faith is not, or is superior in any way, it's not even designed as a sales pitch or as a conversion platform. My attitude to faith in any shape or form is "you will come to it and then it will come to you"........ rather than the reverse of "It will come to you and then you will come to it" . Somebody banging on your door with a Bible preaching or from any other religion could be the gateway into the faith but a Bible quote sums  up what I'm trying to say quite nicely.

Matthew 7:7
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you

As one person I used to work with who was in the Jewish faith and I showed a passing interest in his faith said to me

You come to us Frank........we don't come to you! Something that has stuck in my mind to this day.

That in no uncertain terms is how I came into the Chrisitan faith. I went looking for answers, I knocked and I found. Nobody came to me. See my Testimony

Video 2: A video below of an ISIS Extremist that converted to Christianity ..... on what for some is a heated debate!



Islam is set to become the worlds largest religion in 55 years time?

According to the Christian Today website they had this to say sourced from recent studies about the progression of the Islam and Christian faiths in number terms.

Islam will reportedly become the world's largest religion 55 years from now based on recent projections, but the barbarous practices of the Islamic State could undermine the growth of the world's Muslim population, experts said. According to a recent Pew Research Center study, Christianity and Islam will be near parity by 2050, with Christians expected to comprise 31.4 percent of the planet's population against 29.7 percent who follow Islam.

The study said Islam will grow more than twice as fast as any other major religion over the next half century because of a higher fertility rate in Muslim dominated countries.
However, Muslims frightened by the inhumane acts by the ISIS, which the militants claim they are doing in the name of their god Allah, are now questioning their very own faith, and presumably considering to leave it, CBS News reported. This is backed by testimonies from missionaries working in the Islamic world who noted that more Muslims have converted to Christianity in the last 14 years since the devastating Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the US. The number of converts in the recent period, they said, is greater than during the entire 14 centuries of Islamic history.

More on that via the Isis seen undermining islamic faith as more muslims convert to christianity Via Christianity Today

Video 3: Why Nabeel Qureshi Questioned His Muslim Faith and Converted to Christianity



Does the "Thousands of Muslims converting to Christianity" story have any truth to it?

The Christianity.com website one of the leading lights on the web with regards to Christianity had this to say about this recent phenomenom sourced from somebody at ground level as in a Missionary.

Extraordinary stories about massive number of Muslims converting to Christ are appearing around the world. Recently at World Magazine, writer Warren Cole Smith interviewed 25-year missionary David Garrison who has documented his findings about the Muslim phenomenon. “There is a revival in the Muslim world,” Garrison says. He believes between 2 and 7 million former Muslims have converted to Christianity in the past two decades. His book, A Wind in the House of Islam, contains impressive research to back up his claim.

Why is this happening? Grab the rest of the article to find out why? at Christianity.com

On a final note, a powerful and true story of another Muslim to Christianity conversion. This one is the ultimate test of faith......I rest my case!

Video 4: Muslim Woman Gives Jesus One Week To Prove Himself Before Ending Her Life. Then This Happens!…



Further videos at The Twelve Gates You Tube Channel

Christian Life. You cannot Love the World
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkLTLh3JgC8

Twelve signs of the Holy Spirit. My personal experience. Part 2


The Narrow Gate and Narrow Way. Few Find it!


The Church in the Bible V Modern Day Church Denominations


The Seven Deadly Sins. 7 videos shot in Central London

The Decline of the Church. Why and what's the future?

The decline of the InstitionalChurch?

The world of the Traditional Church and it's obvious decline over the decades and particularly in recent years. What role does the Church play in these modern times. A look at why it has declined, is it external factors such as the changes in modern day society or scientific discoveries and science in general that seems to explain everything and erased the need for a spiritual belief, or is it factors from within the church that have led to where it is today? Or is it both? Also some of my personal experiences of the traditional church (many) in these modern times.

For the record as regards to denomination I'm a Vanilla flavour Church of England commonly shortened to C of E, although this should make no difference, we are all Christians at the end of the day worshiping one God regardless of what the denomination is. On my travels trying to find a Church to frequent on a regular basis, this involved a long search in London where I live and work during the week and Hertfordshire where I live on the weekends. Must have visited 50 to 60 in a very short period of time,maybe more. All shapes and sizes and all sorts of neighbourhoods from the rough to the rather posh. Out of that, in the city and in the sticks. A rather short, shortlist of 8 was arrived at which has now been whittled down to 4 or 5.

If you check my Testimonial you will see as at the time of writing it's been about 7 months since I've been in the faith. That's not long at all in Christian terms but what I have seen in terms of the church, lets just say it's been an eye opener.

If we turn back the clock say 50 years before the Swinging Sixties and take a look at the Church back then, it was completely different to what it is now. Churches formed the cornerstone of a community with all ages present. Churches were packed every Sunday with people who mostly lived their lives by the word. I say mostly. Church was very prevalent in society back then, nearly every house had a Bible in some shape or form. Places such as hotels had Bibles in each room. The Lords Prayer was said at school. TV was in it's infancy back in the day, there was no Internet. People relied on Newspapers and the Radio to keep up with what was going on in the world and Church formed a valuable community and local communication medium. It was the hub of the local community.

The church then had a big and good influence on society at the time either via the congregations or the actual institution itself. The church and it's leaders were highly respected. It was an upright and morally correct institution that had high standards for clergy membership. The church was seen as one of the pillars in Society especially here in the UK, right up their with the Governemt and The Royal Family.

Give the clock a violent shift forward 50 years into the present day as in 2016, and things have changed beyond belief. Churches are now half full at best with many in smaller villages reporting 10 or less with many just 5 or so regular attenders and often the choir outnumbers the congregation (that's if they have one). When things get to this stage, you know something is terribly wrong here.

Churches In England On Major Decline



Churches are costly to maintain due to their age. Diana Evans, Head of Places of Worship Advice for Historic England, said: "These repair projects are costly and challenging because the policy is to replace like for like and that involves particular products and very skilled craftsmanship."

Churches are extraordinarily important because they represent the culture of a community over generations and are very much part of family memory.They are at the heart of a community and part of people's feelings of belonging. Many people visit churches these days but many not for religious purposes, many just to see inside these iconic buildings and experience a bygone era.

My Personal Experiences with Churches
I personally went to my regular Church in Central London to get "Ashed" on Ash Wednesday, quite an important event in the Christian Calendar/Faith. Guess how many were there? 3 .......that's in Central London.

Two videos that are worth watching that go into further detail on How to Find a True Christian Church and also The Original True Church V The Current Modern Church Denominations

Here's my personal experiences on my search to find a regular Church to go to, I found this
1. Some churches now are closed most of the week and only open their doors briefly for services. This is not just a London thing, it's also out in the sticks as well.
2. In Central London you'll notice outside (especially on C of E Churches for some reason) there seems to be a lack of a plain and simple cross in a prominent place such as the spire, they now have weather vanes showing the wind direction instead. Where I live in Hertfordshire, churches have a rather in your face cross placed prominently somewhere on the building as they used to back in the day.
3. Inside a lot of churches, a lot of the Religious symbolism such as crosses, stained glass windows has been removed, sold off, or just locked away only to be brought out at services.......if at all.This is in Central London. Probably a similar situation outside London.
4. A lot of churches hav been changed into Kindergartens, Meeting Venues or Free Concert Venues {mainly classical music} to keep money coming into the coffers which means the fundamental use of the church has changed. It's no longer a 100% religious establishment.
5. The church I go to in Central London pretty much daily from Tuesday to Friday is Empty with a Capital E. It's a C of E Church. Out of curiosity I went to the Catholic Church just round the corner. I saw 5 people. That was at 9.30am.
6. Some of the sermons I heard in some churches I visited you wouldn't believe. Even to a newbie like myself, I thought..."this isn't right" I left and never returned.
7. One of the first churches I went to in Central London (a big one) they're not too keen on you praying on your own. Why is not clear. I remember getting roped into a "Eucharist" or "Holy Communion" style service and found out afterwards they do this every other day of the week. I personally think Holy Communion shouldn't be as common as it is and should be reserved for special Holy Days such as Christmas and Easter and others. The pressure was there to do this thing. I left that church and never returned. The pressure was too much.
8. One church I went to after this (another big one) I used to go to the morning prayer. It was C of E but heavily Anglican/Catholic. You would see 4 or 5 people praying or lighting candles and such and as soon as the official morning prayer started at 9am, those 4 or 5 people were gone in a puff of smoke. It happened every day. I would be the only one there. The vicar would just look in shock watching them walk out. Again I realised that something was not right there...........I left and never returned.
9. I remember walking into one church in West London and there was activity there with church organisers with lots of young kids running around and all the pews were removed to one side. I suppose I could have sat on the floor and prayed with screaming kids running around. BUT as you guessed as anybody else would have done, I just turned round and walked out again and never returned.
10. I'm a bit old fashioned and not sexist at all, but I stick to the Biblical way and a Vicar I think should be male, but increasingly and it seems only in the Church of England and these US Mega Churches, women are today taking on these roles. Good for them, but personally I just don't think it's Biblical. I listen to women on You Tube, Internet Radio and the web in general. I think if someone has got the Spirit and what they are saying is worth listening too, you should listen regardless of what sort of plumbing they have or what age they are. But I think in the Church the Pastoral/Vicar role and upwards should be male, anything else is not biblical.
11. Again in the Church of England Gay Vicars are making their way within the fold in an attempt to make the Church look more modern and representative of modern day society. I don't agree with this either. A church should be a beacon of light in the community, a solid and upright establishment and institution and shouldn't be the same as "The World". They call the latest changes in the church "moving with the times". I see it as a form of turning it's back on the faith and becoming just like everybody else. That can only lead to one thing, a decline in influence of the Church, a darkening of it's light and a dropping of the congregation numbers, some who will never return. With the recent spotlight on Transgenders and the new laws coming into effect.....what's next .....Transgender Vicars?

That's my personal experience, that alone would put many people off from going to Church. That could be half the problem!

Fox News Reporting: Losing Faith In America? Church Attendance On The Decline



I could go on here but you get the idea. Some churches in London have been turned into Pubs, some into flats/offices, some into event venues Some of the latter uses are putting an empty church to good use and brings money into the coffers, but the only problem is their original purpose is being destroyed, the feel of the place is changed irreversibly and it drives people away to look for another church.

In my celebrity photography days I went t one event in Mayfair (I think it was the Cosmo Awards) and celebrities and crowds were turning up at this event, and the venue used to be a church. A prime example of our celebrity obsessed culture taking precedence over the more serious business of christian spirituality. How times have changed.

From my limited experience I would say there are two types of Christians. The ones that believe in Christianity and the one that believes in Churchianity. I'm in the first category. I think actual Christians and Christianity is alive and well it's the Church and Churchianity which seems to be hitting the rails.

What's causing this decline in Church attendance.
Here's a list of things that I think is causing a drop in church attendance and resulting in empty churches or them being closed down

1. In the US in particular Mega Churches are killing the smaller traditional church but nobody realy likes a big church. Only the pastor benefits from a big church and financially at that See article False Preachers and Mega Churches

2. The rise of the "None" as in no religious affiliation whatsoever. These people are either Atheists or just don't belong to any religious group whatsoever and quite happily live their life without religion. You could say their religion is technology and social media. These are what I call the "i don't care" brigade. Twitter and You Tube is there Church. Their Gods are Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga and Jay Z. The Millenials or Generation X and Y are leading the way in Athiesm and no religious affiliation whatsoever See Article on The Athiest v The Christian. Who's right?

3. The 50's was the peak in church attendance. It was a tough act to follow. It's been in decline ever since. That generation still are solid church attenders but the problem is that generation is dying off and no new blood in sufficient numbers is coming to replace them hence the drop in congregation numbers.

4. Society is changing. Back in the day it was corner shops, Butchers, Bakers, Fishmongers, Post Offices, Pubs, Libraries, Banks in villages and of course Churches. These days Department Stores and Supermarkets have replaced all these, The Internet and email has changed the world we live in and wasn't round back then, same as mobile phones. Internet banking is killing the local bank, and the Internet is killing the local High St. Shops are also shutting down. All these establishments closing are a sympton of radical changes in society and Churches are just another victim, they are no exception.

5. Science seems to have an answer for everything these days, The Big Bang Theory and other such theories. We can create human life in a test tube, gene editing and other such things, means man is now playing God, hence the decline in the need for a Spiritual life and the need to attend a Church.

6. The signals being sent out by the Church are not exactly the fine and upstanding pillar of the community that it's supposed to be with the recent scandals going on in the church, another reason people start leaving the church in their droves. It's got me thinking for sure! A recent headline concerning The Archbishop of Canterbury being an illegitimate son by The Telegraph and DNA test confirmed is a prime example of this. What signal does that send out about the institution.


7. The cultural shift in our society is accelarating at a frightening rate, I think too quickly. Society is becoming more mixed and homegenised with many religions entering the mix and the traditional Christian Western based society is changing and is becoming more global at a local level. This is having an impact on the church and it's numbers.

8. Recent government activity reducing the role of Christianity in schools, public venues, displaying of notices such as "In God We Trust" and "The Ten Commandments" being removed from various prominent public positions especially in the US. This can only adversely affect peoples views on Christianity, although a true Christians faith will be unaffected regardless.

Conclusion
I personally think that the decline of the church is a result of external factors as mentioned above, these are in modern day society and people have changed and rejected the church for cultural or social reasons. People are quite independent and free spirited today, don't like to be told what to do and like to think they are in charge of their lives. The church doesn't fit in with their modern views and screen based lifestyle, where pretty much anything can be obtained at the touch of a button. The church doesn't meet their needs anymore and many of the things that the Christian faith is based on has been supposedly explained away by science such as the recent "Big Bang Theory" and the fact that we can now create a human life in a laboratory.

CNN Report on Atheism Rising Among Millenials



I also personally think that internal factors have also led to the decline of the church and that it is it's own worst enemy. If you look at the corruption in the Catholic Church and the Co f E, I think evil has got a foot hold inside it, is eating away at the very fabric and inner core of it's values, like a sort of rot or cancer setting in and it's starting to manifest itself in the day to day life of the church. Many leave never to return and form their own home based worship. The Christian faith isn't dead, it's the Church that's dying. Churchianity as I call it.

My regular church down the road where I live in Hertfordshire is one of those rare gems that is still surviving and has a healthy congregation but again it's not perfect, has problems in the finance department, which could affect it's status where it could be put on what is called "The Red List" if this situation continues. The Red List is a list of churches that are up for consideration to be shut down due to economic/financial reasons.

The age profile of the congregation at my local church is heavily skewed to the 60 plus age group. These have have been going to church for decades and are from the old school and form the cornerstone of that church. The problem is when these people depart this earth, I don't see a whole lot of new blood coming into this Church to replace them, just to keep the numbers at the same level. Again it's a slow ticking time bomb just waiting to go off. It's not just this church, it's happening all over the UK and globally as well.

Film Trailer When God left the Building Trailer


What's the answer?
I don't have the answers but I personally think just like the Industrial Revolution changed our world, the car replaced the horse and cart and mobiles have pretty much replaced land lines, society is evolving at an ever quickening rate being forced along with increasing technological advancements in every sphere of our lives. The church is going to have to move with those times, otherwise the way I see it, it will go the same way as the horse and cart. It's a sad fact... but true.

Here's the options that I think the church has. It boils down to five. There are probably other but probably not many more.

1. Carry on as normal bury their heads in the sand hoping the problem will go away and the congregation numbers will gradually pick up. It won't and this is a recipe for disaster and a dead cert way to get a church shut down, they will end up like the horse and cart.
2. Change the use to a community centre during the week where non religious people can meet and a spiritual place on the weekends where Christians can pray and worship. One will fund the other, may even get some new members of the congregation as a result.
3. Do what the C of E is rumoured to be planning and that's shut down the low attendance churches and only open them on special holy days such as Christmas and Easter and other such days. Cuts down on staffing costs but maintenance bills will still be the same.
4. Merge the churches in every town down from say 10 to 1 or 2 and have one or two full churches rather than 10 that are practically empty. Shut down village churches and those will have to travel to the nearest town Church.
5. If things are that dire, turn the places into homeless shelters, at least they would be fulfilling some sort of Christianity by helping the needy!

Number 2 above has already started to happen amongst the more savvy churches. This diversification is already being pioneered in some enterprising places. As the church report indicated, churches are hosting village shops, farmers markets, food banks, e-shopping collection points and Wi-Fi cafes. According to ChurchCare there are now 35 churches that are also sub-post offices. All Saints in Murston, Kent, even offers a community bank.

The Church Model in my opinion and quite a few other people's views is not biblical. They represent buildings that are beautiful and a triumph of human ingenuity. But also a visible symbol of redistribution of wealth from the poor to the churches; and of religion historically competing with monarchs for power and wealth. The church takes from the flock whereas Christianity is about feeding the flock. You could say the most obscene display of wealth that you can ever see, is in the Vatican. Don't get me wrong, attending Church I think is important, it's important to meet with other like minded people and hear correct doctrine, but it's not without it's flaws and some of these flaws these days are pretty major. Recent numbers suggest new non institutional churches are popping up and a lot of the traditional church congregation especially the younger crowd could be heading to New Style Churches and Non denomination Churches. Check out these numbers on how many churches have opened/closed via EAUK

On a final note I think the Church could evolve and go full circle and go back to what it used to be. Not a fancy building with high running costs that leeches it's flock, has somebody standing in a pulpit telling you when to stand, when to sit, what time to arrive, when to leave, what to think and all the rest. The Church mentioned in the Bible is merely "The Body of Christ", a collection of believers who meet up as they used to at their own houses and worship, no silver plate coming round asking for donations. A strong community that helps the needy in times of crisis going out into the community instead of locking themselves in a building. That's the true Christian way...........maybe that's the way things are heading and God is trying to tell us in his own bizarre way, that's what he really wanted all along!

Bible Quotes
Some relevant Bible quotes in connection with the Church and "The Body of Christ".

Matthew 18:17
And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

Romans 12:5
So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

1 Corinthians 12:12
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

Further related videos over at The Twelve Gates You Tube

The Narrow Gate and Narrow Way. Few Find it!

The Church in the Bible V Modern Day Church Denominations