Today I released a book that’s quite outside of my general comfort zone, but I find to be one of the most important topics in the culture today, the corruption of the church, especially in America, because of the lure of trying to appeal to the ever-coveted and elusive “modern audience” through social justice.
I stopped attending an evangelical church when one Sunday, in the place of a sermon, they staged a ridiculous scene where the white pastor tearfully bowed down and apologized to the black music director for the sins of racism and slavery.
Pure Churchianity.
How can a concept that wasn't even articulated until 1902 by a US civil war general be "the greatest sin of all"?
Years ago, a young student once came buy for help with her homework. She had to explain why the lambs in Animal Farm who confessed to crimes they never committed only to have their throats torn out by Napoleon's dogs.
I couldn't actually explain why they'd do such a thing.
I still can't quite explain it, but we witnessed such things only in the last 5 years.
The infestation of our churches by Leftist "religion" coupled with weak pastors has resulted in immorality within congregations. Well done Jon, it's time for we Christians to retake America.
I really enjoyed going to church as a kid, the pastor(s) were Yale educated theologians and super insightful, respectful, traditional, and tactfully funny too. Then came some New Age pastor (a man) with earrings, who rearranged the pews into a circle, and spoke of nonsensical sensational stuff.
That was the last time I went to church, and now I just read the Bible on my own. I remember my brother turning to me with an uncomfortable look on his face, "I feel like we're at a cult meeting." I agreed, the "love yourself" sermon was apocryphal to say the least.
But all you have to do is read Dante (Ciardi's translation with the historical footnotes) to realize that the church, and its clergy, have off-and-on been super corrupt since the Dark Ages for sure! This is nothing new, but the latest rainbow-flavored moral relativism (i.e. woke, globalism, etc) is for sure anathema and obnoxious. The Episcopal Church had no immunity against it sadly.
It is actually difficult to find a traditional Bible-based church anymore. I have a few friends who are looking but struggling to find a church home, and I myself go to a small, liberal church where I am possibly the only voice of tradition among equivocating but also God-loving Boomers. They just don't have the spinal stiffness to fight against anything coming from the Left, so they instead tell themselves that everything Leftist is fine actually.
I come from Grace Community Church under the late Pastor John MacArthur, they do expository preaching... teaching verse by verse from the Bible. They do not do 'themed' sermons. Each chapter of each book of the Bible has a ton of themes already. I go to a smaller church whose pastor came from Grace's Master's Seminary and am working there to build it up and build a church culture once again. I realize, that whatever we do, it must go through and build up Christ's bride, the Church.
Find the right church or fix the one you're at, with patience, love yet also truth and rebuking.
Even in the New Testament, this was noted, warned and challenged for us all to do.
Prolife, gay is sin, Democrats are not Christian (hyperbole but still), abortion is murder, men & women only, men only pastors, etc... very easy to ask a pastor and decipher the church leadership.
In the case of the Catholic Church, it became Churchian in 1958 with the death of Pope Pius XII and the subsequent installation of Angelo Roncalli as "Pope" John XXIII.
I searched the entire area--like a 75-mile radius--around my home years ago before I found a church where the preacher wasn't afraid to talk about hell and sin, and that God doesn't just have perfect love, but perfect wrath and perfect judgment. That church was on the decline when I found it (aging congregation getting smaller and smaller).
He died last year. What was left of the congregation disintegrated.
Ironically, he often cited statistics of how many churches closed their doors forever every week. Without even accounting for all the "churches taken over by the enemy, the picture was/is horrific.
From what I can tell, 80-90% of surviving churches today are heretical.
Over more than half a century, I've gone from no-church (converted in college-dorm Bible study) to charismatic-nondenom (left that after new pastor was corrupt) to Lutheran (left that as they 'affirmed' nonbiblical lifestyles) and finally to Orthodoxy, where at least the services are still Scripture-rich and not likely to change to suit the whims of a pastor. The Great Tradition still stands (and goes back a lot farther than America or the medieval period)!
Definitely adding this book to my "read soon" list.
Am ordained in the Assemblies of God and I barbecued the white fragility book a churchian sent me. Then a street preacher friend and I went to Portland OR and painted over George Floyd at pioneer square across from the federal courthouse that was boarded up as well. The rave lights, the modern art displays on stage and the pop music that appeals to the emotions, have me ministering outside the door of a church building for some time as well. Sitting down in their offices or over coffee, I’ve many pastors and that their pulpits/platforms resemble night clubs and they double down and defend seeker sensitivity, net even after going into church and art history and tell them the first abstract artist, Hilma af Klint, was a literal witch they were intended as spiritual doors for demonic spirits. I’ve known two abstract artists who painted like Pollock, in particular, one was the husband of the head witch of a huge coven that spanned the northwest. The other was a guy I went to high school with, and he brutally killed his ex, their small children, her boyfriend and himself a few years ago. It’s a more insidious battle than most realize. This is a much needed book, look forward to reading it.
I stopped attending an evangelical church when one Sunday, in the place of a sermon, they staged a ridiculous scene where the white pastor tearfully bowed down and apologized to the black music director for the sins of racism and slavery.
Pure Churchianity.
How can a concept that wasn't even articulated until 1902 by a US civil war general be "the greatest sin of all"?
Oof that's a painful scene right there.
Years ago, a young student once came buy for help with her homework. She had to explain why the lambs in Animal Farm who confessed to crimes they never committed only to have their throats torn out by Napoleon's dogs.
I couldn't actually explain why they'd do such a thing.
I still can't quite explain it, but we witnessed such things only in the last 5 years.
The infestation of our churches by Leftist "religion" coupled with weak pastors has resulted in immorality within congregations. Well done Jon, it's time for we Christians to retake America.
Thanks James!
Congrats on your new book!
I really enjoyed going to church as a kid, the pastor(s) were Yale educated theologians and super insightful, respectful, traditional, and tactfully funny too. Then came some New Age pastor (a man) with earrings, who rearranged the pews into a circle, and spoke of nonsensical sensational stuff.
That was the last time I went to church, and now I just read the Bible on my own. I remember my brother turning to me with an uncomfortable look on his face, "I feel like we're at a cult meeting." I agreed, the "love yourself" sermon was apocryphal to say the least.
But all you have to do is read Dante (Ciardi's translation with the historical footnotes) to realize that the church, and its clergy, have off-and-on been super corrupt since the Dark Ages for sure! This is nothing new, but the latest rainbow-flavored moral relativism (i.e. woke, globalism, etc) is for sure anathema and obnoxious. The Episcopal Church had no immunity against it sadly.
The Dark Ages are a myth too but that's another topic :)
I agree – and that's a great topic!
A much needed book, thank you.
It is actually difficult to find a traditional Bible-based church anymore. I have a few friends who are looking but struggling to find a church home, and I myself go to a small, liberal church where I am possibly the only voice of tradition among equivocating but also God-loving Boomers. They just don't have the spinal stiffness to fight against anything coming from the Left, so they instead tell themselves that everything Leftist is fine actually.
Thank you!
I feel your pain. Authentic churches may have to begin meeting in people's homes again, because the fancy buildings are mostly enemy territory.
I come from Grace Community Church under the late Pastor John MacArthur, they do expository preaching... teaching verse by verse from the Bible. They do not do 'themed' sermons. Each chapter of each book of the Bible has a ton of themes already. I go to a smaller church whose pastor came from Grace's Master's Seminary and am working there to build it up and build a church culture once again. I realize, that whatever we do, it must go through and build up Christ's bride, the Church.
Find the right church or fix the one you're at, with patience, love yet also truth and rebuking.
Even in the New Testament, this was noted, warned and challenged for us all to do.
Prolife, gay is sin, Democrats are not Christian (hyperbole but still), abortion is murder, men & women only, men only pastors, etc... very easy to ask a pastor and decipher the church leadership.
Thanks for the book started it last night. Nice work. Love it so far. Thanks for speaking truth.
Yup.
In the case of the Catholic Church, it became Churchian in 1958 with the death of Pope Pius XII and the subsequent installation of Angelo Roncalli as "Pope" John XXIII.
Looking forward to reading this book.
I searched the entire area--like a 75-mile radius--around my home years ago before I found a church where the preacher wasn't afraid to talk about hell and sin, and that God doesn't just have perfect love, but perfect wrath and perfect judgment. That church was on the decline when I found it (aging congregation getting smaller and smaller).
He died last year. What was left of the congregation disintegrated.
Ironically, he often cited statistics of how many churches closed their doors forever every week. Without even accounting for all the "churches taken over by the enemy, the picture was/is horrific.
From what I can tell, 80-90% of surviving churches today are heretical.
Can't wait to read this one.
Over more than half a century, I've gone from no-church (converted in college-dorm Bible study) to charismatic-nondenom (left that after new pastor was corrupt) to Lutheran (left that as they 'affirmed' nonbiblical lifestyles) and finally to Orthodoxy, where at least the services are still Scripture-rich and not likely to change to suit the whims of a pastor. The Great Tradition still stands (and goes back a lot farther than America or the medieval period)!
Definitely adding this book to my "read soon" list.
Am ordained in the Assemblies of God and I barbecued the white fragility book a churchian sent me. Then a street preacher friend and I went to Portland OR and painted over George Floyd at pioneer square across from the federal courthouse that was boarded up as well. The rave lights, the modern art displays on stage and the pop music that appeals to the emotions, have me ministering outside the door of a church building for some time as well. Sitting down in their offices or over coffee, I’ve many pastors and that their pulpits/platforms resemble night clubs and they double down and defend seeker sensitivity, net even after going into church and art history and tell them the first abstract artist, Hilma af Klint, was a literal witch they were intended as spiritual doors for demonic spirits. I’ve known two abstract artists who painted like Pollock, in particular, one was the husband of the head witch of a huge coven that spanned the northwest. The other was a guy I went to high school with, and he brutally killed his ex, their small children, her boyfriend and himself a few years ago. It’s a more insidious battle than most realize. This is a much needed book, look forward to reading it.
Why no audiobook?