Mustard Seed Church                                                                                                                5119 Dogwood Drive Mount Jackson, VA 22842

   Withering Away:

    As the last baby boomers fade on into our twilight years, we can see that much has changed in the past sixty or seventy years inside of churches.  Attendance is far below a full sanctuary.  What is referred to as His earthly Church resembles little what they once were.  (1 Corinthians 3) The adage that says "Satan destroys churches from within" has continued to be true.

    To hear preaching in churches like the late Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouses, a Presbyterian, average Christians would need to search long and hard.   Gentile Blessings

     Other than "everyone doing what is right in their own eyes" I suppose an arm's length of reasons could be given for the withering away of The Lord's full gospel earthy churches. 

    At the top of the list would have to be a falling away of the men of the Church, not necessarily only in the leadership of the Church but also leadership in a nuclear family.  Add to those things, all of the distractions during Church hours which increased greatly since the Blue Laws were abolished in the 1970's. 

    Be that as it may, huge old churches dot the landscape nationwide standing as monuments to an era when Christians where great in number and great in faith of plain, pure, unadulterated and precious teachings as is evidenced by their sheer size and past membership numbers.   

    Those grand old churches were paid for in times when money was scarce but there was a wealth of faithful giving from a wealth of genuine Christians from all economical classes.  The whole Word of God was preached and the people liked it, learned it and weren't rejecting it.  Their preachers would later earn the title of Bible Thumper and Fanatic, disparagingly, from those outside of the Church as America's spiritual respect and decline began taking shape.

    Many towns from coast to coast still retain their biblical or Christian name and roadways still bear Church names given in an era when politicians and the people at large were genuine, faithful practicing Christians.  They were a reflection of America's founders without doubt.

    Many of our nation's churches have fallen so far into sin I often find myself comparing them to the fallen state of affairs of ancient Israel living in the Will of God and out of the Will of God more times than I care to think about.  The Bible teaches us that a national tragedy was what was required for repentance to bring Israel back into alignment with His Will.  

     Martin Luther, John Wesley, Alexander Mack, and Francis Makemie would roll over in their graves if they knew how far their original churches have fractured and fallen away from the churches they founded.                                                                                  

    (Matthew 21:12-13) The same Filthy Lucre of Titus 1:7 is being collected via fees for public suppers, raffles, bingo and churches being used as daycares, apartment rooms and a cut of the money sent to Church Headquarters, Inc nationwide which help promote unbiblical causes, payroll and retirement plans and again the heart of Jesus continues to break.  My Bible tells me Pastors will give an account for their church's obedience and for their own disobedience to God's complete Word at Judgement Day.

   Hebrews 4:12 reminds us that it’s meant for us to understand and embrace all aspects of the Bible, whether we feel inclined to or not. "For the word of God is lively, and mighty in operation, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and entereth through, even unto the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit, and of the joints, and the marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts, and the intents of the heart."  That's powerful enough to cause each of us to look inside ourselves for our motives or lifestyles, and often the motives are money in Church and elsewhere.

   The Lord has chosen to use women in many great ways, though not as Pastors, and no offense is meant by this humble Bible messenger.  There are many wonderful sermons about the women of the Bible.  The idea of the pastoral office being open to “anyone” appears mainly in modern translations of the Bible, influenced by contemporary and cultural perspectives.  Sadly, too many men have failed to step up as Pastors since the 1950s, and it deeply grieves the heart of my Savior.  

   So, what might be one solution to guide churches in ways equal to God's Word in stopping the withering away of Church membership?   Who am I to talk?  MSC hasn't any members yet and this attempt to reach the lost and dying world just might fizzle out, but we must try. 

   For long-established churches struggling to grow again, it might help if, when female pastors retire or step down, they first share the full Word of God with their congregation and encourage the men of the church to embrace their God-given responsibilities by returning to full biblical obedience by stepping up and Pastor their Church. (1 Timothy 2:11-12, 3:1-7; Titus 1:6, etc.) Take note of all the incontrovertible, irrefutable and indisputable nouns and pronouns in those Bible verses.  

    One doesn't need a Seminary Degree to be affective to reach lost people.  One must have the desire.  Men, get busy before it is eternally too late.   To be clearer, Fathers and Grandfathers, you have the eternal security of yourself and of your descendants to think of.