the Condition Of The Christian Church Part 2

Submit yourselves to every ordinances of man 

for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, 

as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them 

that are sent by him for the punishment 

of evildoers, and for the praise of them that 

do well. For so is the will of God, that with 

well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance 

of foolish men: as free, and not using your 

liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the 

servants of God. Honor all men. 

Love the brotherhood.
Fear God. Honor the king.

1Peter 2:13-17 

     The Greek word translated "submit" has a greater meaning: "be in subjection." This word in Greek is an imperative, aorist, passive, plural, in the second person. Why is this important? This is a command to all and it should have started and if not, start, you to whom Peter is addressing. This is not saying that sometime in the future begin to be in submission, do it now, start now. Oh, How hate to be in submission to anyone or any thing it seems to go against human nature.  Doesn't matter!  Got inspired Peter to write to us and say to us to be in submission and it doesn't matter whether we like it or not.  As an Authentic Christian holding to Authentic Christian Faith should not care whether it matters or not it only cares whether not you are doing it.  There's of course excludes anything that is immoral and in contradiction to the will of the Word of God that explains his will to us.  Due to our fallen nature and our hatred to be in submission to anyone or anything it has been and is unfortunate that the culture of those who do not believe in God has infected the Christian Church. Some churches have fallen prey to the culture of this world and have allowed such as same sex marriage,and has allowed homosexuals to be in positions of leadership.  Most churches have forgotten the metric god is given as to leadership of the church and that it was for a man to lead the church and not a woman so women preachers are not scriptural.  Does that mean that women don't have a very important or as an important position in the church for they are given the ability to do things that men cannot do in terms of teaching and even in some leadership positions amongst the women and children of the church.  It is not that they don't have opinions for they are allowed to exercise those opinions than men who are leading the church should listen before making a decision.

     Divorce in the church as much as I can see it should not happen according to scripture it should not, it does!  Here is a research on marriage and divorce:Divorce is a growing problem in America. The casual attitude of divorce in the secular world is spilling over into the church where the statistics are only slightly lower. Consider the following statistics from the US Census Bureau:

• In 1920, there was 1 divorce for every 7 marriages. That is 14%.
• In 1940, there was 1 divorce for every 6 marriages. That is 17%.
• In 1960, there was 1 divorce for every 4 marriages. That is 25%.
• In 1972, there was 1 divorce for every 3 marriages. That is 33%.
• In 1977, there was 1 divorce for every 2 marriages. That is 50%.1Tan, Paul Lee, Encyclopedia of 7,700 Illustrations, Garland, TX: Bible Communications, 1996.

Of course, the divorce rate has stayed around 50% since the 70's but has recently exceeded that.https://carm.org/what-does-the-bible-teach-about-divorce
    Since the founding of this nation, a nation founded mostly by men and women who were Christians this nation has drifted further and further away from a belief in Jesus Christ therefore have become antagonistic towards Christians.  When Christians do not hold to Scripture and in the hold towards their relationship they must have with the government from which they are under them non-Christian people have a major influence upon our political system and a system affects our every day life.  If this is not bring apprehension to you and I do not know what would.  Now we must be careful and a guy you waiting the state of faith any given moment and then to compare it to the previous periods they must be careful to avoid any mistakes that might skew the data.  This has happened and is happening in our world and even in some of our so-called Christian churches.  When the Church has lowered its standard and then make excuses for that Laurie and of that standard because the "culture" of this world has changed there is a tendency to motivate people to seek a standard that fits their behavior.  If we are lowering the bar, so to speak, that standard set forth in Scripture it brings to question whether or not there is a reality of faith that actually exists.  You see people will do all they can to adjust their behavior is to be established norm.  This change is very slow at times make it so that people are not always aware that a shift is taking place.  While we do know that when Christianity is held high to the standards of Scripture, to the standards of moral that please God the world got better.  You see Christianity brings to the world not just Scripture, not just the Gospel, it brings together Jesus Christ, His mercy, showing that we are merciful and courteous and are not of those who have dehumanized people and have beautiful ferocity and killing people at any cost.  This is not Authentic Christian Faith.  Even though some of these so-called Christian churches have a superficial appearance, a hypocrisy we must not allow ourselves to be deceived.
     There is an outward appearance within the church that also determines a decline in ethics and respect. men and women dressed as though they are going to some sort of outing and party rather than coming before our God And Showing All the Respect That We Can Give Him.  Very little people ever take notes when the pastor is speaking so that they can examine those notes after the sermon.  Men and women would be hard-pressed to go before the president in shorts cutoffs, T-shirts, sandals, for they know that is not considered a progress of respect for such a person in such a high office.  It is not our God of the highest office and is He not the highest person in which should be given our to respect? YES!  Well, here it goes: Jesus spoke these words: "deny yourself and pick up your cross and follow me."  As an Authentic Christian lives should be what is manifested in your life.  If you make a mistake, and we all probably will, we can go before God and repent of that mistake, a mistake against our holy God: HE WILL FOR FORGIVE YOU!  Praise God!

For the ways of man are before
     the eyes of the LORD, and he
shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
                       Proverbs 5:21

Richard L. Crumb