The End of the Church Age

I believe that we are near the end of the church age. Sure, there are many churches; the neighborhoods are full of them, but they are now different churches. That was prophesied ages ago:

Matthew 24:12 "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."

There are many crucial words in this passage. Love is the message of the true Church. Not only is it the message, but the condition. The church is healthy when it is full of love. The church's role is two-fold: (1) Teach love, and (2) be loving. Love is also two-fold: (1) Love God, and (2) love others.

Loving others is not tolerating behaviors. True love is the love and strength that it takes to rebuke. The church's book of love is the Holy Bible.  It has a purpose:

2 Timothy 3:16 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."

Scripture, from above, is the inspired word of God. The church must believe that. It is imperative, or Christianity is mere mythology!  If the Bible is not God's word, then why even study it? The answer must be: indeed it is God's word.

From that same passage, doctrine is what we are to believe about Jesus's life, death, and resurrection. It too is imperative that we believe that Jesus was born of a virgin, is the Son of God, worked miracles, was without sin, was crucified, and was resurrected. As such God is not dead. He is still alive and rules.

Reproof is reprimanding. It's challenging sin and sinners. It is the opposite of political correctness and tolerance. Christians are not called to tolerate sin, but obey God. Obedience is to love the sinner because Jesus does (John 3:16), which you all should know!

The church is full of political correctness. It's a noble endeavor, but it leads to condemnation. Ironically, those trying to love are doing the most injustice because tough love is reproving. Along with that is correction and instruction. Everybody is not right. Somebody is wrong because doctrines differ. We all must be humble enough to seek change, but only if it is for God. We must never change to the mores of society because theirs is a path to destruction.

Looking back at Matthew 24:12 again, we may wonder what iniquity is. That's failure to do God's will. It's a sinful lifestyle. It's doing what is right in our own eyes rather than God's. The modern church does what is right in their own eyes. Modernism has crept in. The Nicolaitan doctrine has slipped into the church.

Revelation 2:15 "So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate."

That doctrine is of the flesh. It's the anything goes attitude. It's the entertainment mindset, and doing what thou wilt! - the doctrine of the anti-church. The church is on Holy Ground, but the most unholy things are done there under the doctrine of righteousness. Christians (sic) have stolen God's ground from under the church. Entertainment is now for their sake, and not to entertain God which it should be!

Again from Matthew, the church has waxed cold. By that it is meant that it has hardened toward the way of the world, slowly but surely. The coldness are those without fervor. Christians have lost their emotion -  their love: they do things by ritual. Even in our own God-centered church Christians wander from their seats to greetings to prayer to even the altar, seemingly as automatons. There is little excitement there, and we portend to be on fire! We are gradually waxing cold, and we are one of the most God-centered churches still around.

2 Timothy 4:4 "And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."

How many Christians believe the entire Bible. Few! Most accept the theory of evolution rather than the truth of creation. They deny the almighty power of God; he has become a wimp who can't create the world, let alone heaven. How many more accept abortion even though God commands: Do not kill! Many more accept homosexuality and same-sex marriage, abominations in God's eyes. The iniquity in the church, and in the lives of Christians never ends. It gets worse and worse as they wax cold. How many Christians praise in one breath and curse in the next?

We are now in the end of the church age even though our land is full of churches. They are not on Holy Ground any longer, but holey ground as is their doctrine!

I won't even waste my time going to play churches. They are most of them. And even in real churches there are many play Christians. I sometimes question myself because ritual makes me wonder: Am I righteous or only play-acting? Only God knows for sure. Sometimes my joy is robbed because I seem to be play-acting. My prayer for me is that I be for real, and my prayer for others is that they be real Christians too. The church is dying, and I don't want others or me to die with it.

Christianity is serious business. It means loving others enough to lead them to salvation. It means getting serious about lost souls.

I write this as a feeble attempt to get others to heed God's warning. Get real with the church before even you wax cold. That's the time when the call of the Holy Spirit is frozen in thin air. It's when God calls, not when it is convenient for you!