In a new Pew Poll it has been shown that Christianity within the United States has diminished from 78% to 70%.
One of the major factor behind this has been today’s churches themselves.
They stopped kicking their congregations in the proverbial can and started mollycoddling them. It was no longer right to teach the “fire and brimstone” messages.
Those that read my blogs have noticed that time to time I do not pull my punches. I am harsh, direct, some even call me mean. Well I can be and I am not ashamed of being so.
Proverbs 13:24 He that spareth the rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chastened him betimes.
Proverbs 29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.
How many knew these verses were within the Bible?
There are times when you must scold your congregation just as a father must spank his child. Both must be done within reason.
One reason the “fire and brimstone” messages died out was they were too harsh too blunt. Just like the football player that spanked his four year with the switch and left whelps on the child. This is too extreme.
There needs to be a balance, a middle ground that needs to be reached. One that teaches people the Bible and also the consequences for not following the teachings within the Bible.
Too many in the pulpits as well as too many parents have shown that in reality they hate their children. Why? For they did spare the rod and as a result thousands if not millions are bringing shame unto their mothers and their churches and as a result shame before God.
This is why Christianity has diminished. This is why a Politician can openly say in an interview that he lied and no one is doing anything about it. It is this same mentality that allows someone to run for president that is obviously hiding the fact that they took bribes at the least and purposely caused the intentional death of many American citizens at the most.
It is because children have not been raised in parental love let alone spiritual love.
Please hear and understand that if it is called a sin in the Bible it is a sin and if you continue to live in this sin you will not be welcomed by God even if you profess to call yourself “Christian.” Why? Because you care more for the sin then you do God and since you do you do not truly know God or His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 John 3: 4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
We are told to place God first and others second and ourselves last. (Matthew 22: 36-40) Why? Because this teaches us to be humble. If the Bible says God will punish you if you continue to live in sin, believe me He will do just that. If you are fortunate He may do it in your lifetime as He did for me in my year of Job. If He does not the more the pity not only upon you but those that denied you the rod for it is upon their hands as well for not teaching you and guiding you down the right path to salvation and free of all sins. Sins you willing surrender and try never to do again. Will it be a struggle? For most yes. We will stumble and we shall fall, but in the end we will stop that sin. Then we will find a new sin that has been there all along and we will start to work on removing that sin. It is an ongoing never ending process till either we go to heaven or the Rapture occurs.
So ministers, pastor, reverends, priests it is time to teach the full Bible. It is time to give those that listen to you the bad news as well as the good. It is ok to say verses like Revelation 21:8. It is ok to say that it says in the Bible that man shall not lie with man. It is ok to actually teach Christ for if you deny Him to your congregation Jesus will deny you to His father. You can give those that look up to you and listen to you that Christianity is not heaven on earth, because it is not. This is not promised until after the thousand year reign of Christ. Since that has not happened then you need to let them know that to live in sin is not salvation as was explained above, but the abandonment of sin takes all on the right path toward God.