WWI and WWII. If this was what Christendom was about, who really wants that.
The Vietnam and Mideastern never ending wars have destroyed confidence in whatever spirit lay behind seeing the United States as a City Built upon a Hill.

US foreign policy, from the very beginning, has been party to killing millions of civilians, from indigenous Americans to Central and South Americans, all of those in SE Asia, Iraq. Or anyone else who may threaten corporate profits.

My biggest and overwhelming regret is the world we are leaving to our children and grandchildren.

One could say that Karma has come, or more accurately that are lack of respect for the lives of other who bore no ill will against us, has come home and no lives anymore or worthy of any respect.

I don’t think there’s really anything wrong or bad with programs. However, what is wrong and bad, is when the Holy Spirit is quenched.
I believe you all know what I’m talking about and you have probably experienced the same thing as I have.
There have been numerous times that I’ve had to go to pastors and talk to them about things that have hurt me, upset me or I disagree with. I want to make it right. I don’t want to do things wrong biblically around going to my brother or sister and resolving conflict, so it doesn’t continue to follow me into another church or where I leave the church completely.
We all have our journey of faith, I may not like the faith walk someone else is making, it is their faith walk, and what they believe to be true may not be true for me. I struggled just like anybody else who struggles. When really what I want is for every person that I come into contact with to know the true, loving Savior.
I do know one thing, after being a believer for 40 years, that I may only be a conduit for a time when I come into contact with people who have unbelief and then there will be somebody else in their path that brings them to know Jesus and may not be me.
I think Jesus would want all of us to have a spiritual walk that we invite him into, in order for him to minister to us in ways that we will never get from a human. He loves us, he wants us to want him, he desires us to desire him, he wants to fill our cup with overflowing love, acceptance, understanding, and blessings.
Someone said on here and I’m wondering out loud what the meaning of following Christ and not a religion really means?
I will follow Jesus at any given moment and not religion. This is food for thought for me though; “Do I follow Jesus or do I follow religion?”
I don’t see it as criticism regarding most of the comments that were made on these posts. I see it more as individuals sharing their own opinions of things and understanding that it is their opinions and their opinions only and we don’t have to believe it or adhere to it.
I think I have come to realize that if you will, any organized religion is going to have faults and they are going to do things at times that we don’t agree with, and yet we have to figure out individually whether or not we can live in that faith community that we’re involved with or figure out what we can do to bring change if we can.
All in all, I believe many times people are really hungry for Jesus and yet they rebel against him because if we really know Jesus, we live according to what Jesus teaches. I don’t know if any of you are like me, but I have rebelled against Jesus’ teachings out of a lack of humility and an overbearing amount of pride.
How do you dispute the Word of God?
I don’t think in general, people from different generations will shy away from religious thought and exploration. I believe we all have a God-hole that needs filled and I/we will need to figure this out individually.
I’m not certain that it’s helpful for individuals to say that mega churches do not follow Jesus.
I’m not sure any of us needs to kow-tow to an organization/leader. But, if I have good leadership, what would be the reason I wouldn’t want to submit? This is biblical you know. I choose being a servant, kneeling before the throne of grace, to receive what He wants to give me.
I appreciate you all. Again, thank you for sharing. Please know my prayers will be offered up over your hurt from the church however that came to be.
Father God in Heaven, I pray now for every person who is on this posting that you will minister to them with love, compassion, and grace. Jesus, help them to find reconciliation, restoration, and forgiveness for the things that have been done to them and what they have now been doing to others because of the hurt that they have. Jehovah Rapha, you are the one who heals, and I pray that Jeremiah 30:17 washes over each person here, God says, “I will restore you to health and heal your wounds, declares the Lord.” I declare and decree that all your wounds, sufferings, and healings that need to happen will in fact occur in Jesus name, Amen.
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It is by the work of the Holy Spirit that we are drawn to Jesus.

A prior post referenced KISS
If the church (small c) is declining it is not complicated.
There has been a decline in sound teaching and the work of the Holy Spirit.

The shelves at Barns and Noble are packed with christian self help book, Some authors have cranked out over 100 Million books,
Mega Churches preach prosperity. The gospel of salvation is void in many churches, Who do you say that I AM??

My three boys have given up on church, preferring to do their own thing or feigning that they’re asleep when I tell them, “It’s time for church.” I don’t force them to go anymore. Instead, I go hoping the singing won’t be awful (it usually is), and that the sermon will be meaningful and speak to where I’m at now.

Where I’m at is where I never thought I’d be: I desperately NEED the church; I need to know that I’m not alone in my battle against sin, against selfishness, against self-righteousness, against wanting this life to work. In addition to my Sunday tradition, my church is now found on bike rides with unbelievers who favor abortion, the transgender movement, the influx of immigrants and illegals, the mission-oriented and works aligned. I ride with them, and we laugh and talk about life, and I’m able to share my story, my story of living a life for 30 years solely for myself and my own enjoyment, until an accident on my bike (funny, isn’t it?) nearly cost me my life, and then how the church told me to stay out of R-rated movies, saying that I’d be hell-bound if the rapture happened while I was in the theater.

So, I listen to my Christian music alone, snatch scripture verses from devotionals and Our Daily Bread, and praise God for the vision he’s given me to pray for my boys, be the best father and husband I can be, work hard at what I love (the brain is an interesting organ!), and help out those I see around me.

The church? It’s the life I try to live, inviting my unsaved friends on bike rides and sharing how Jesus loves me, that he died for my transgressions and failures, and that He has a plan for my life. That’s what I feel called to do.