Church Attendance Has Taken a Huge Hit (Across the Board)

[debrakay]

Is this a fairly good definition/explanation of dispensationalism?  

https://www.gotquestions.org/dispensationalism.html

[B-B]

4 hours ago, Littlelambseativy said:

We are looking at those in charge of the denomination willing to follow the world not what they made an oath to do. It is frustrating and heartbreaking but at the same time when one senses the absence of the Holy Spirit all is lost. The leadership will have much to answer

...these are sad times. May God grant repentance to these folks. I agree, those in positions of Leadership will be held much more accountable by our Lord....May He have mercy upon souls...

 

"An unholy church! It is useless to the world, and of no esteem among men. It is an abomination, hells laughter, heavens abhorrence. The worst evils which have ever come upon the world have been brought upon her by an unholy church".

~ Charles Spurgeon

Edited June 25, 2022 by B-B

[Starise]

1 hour ago, debrakay said:

Is this a fairly good definition/explanation of dispensationalism?  

https://www.gotquestions.org/dispensationalism.html

Yes. They make divisions in scripture according to their beliefs. Most fundamental churches are dispensational teaching. Charles Scofield is probably the best known because he wrote  his teachings into a bible that became very popular, the Scofield reference bible. Those teachings became ingrained into the belief systems of many churches even though there are questionable things about them. I am not as familiar with the Ryrie study bible, but it looks to be similar. For me , dispensationalism accepts some things as fact I can't say are indeed factual, mainly to do with when the Lord returns etc.

[Starise]

I'm going to admit something about church attendance. I don't always want to go.

I like to go and meet friends, fellowship and maybe do something. Too often it's a sit down in a pew, a sermon, a wink and a nod and I'm out of there. I enjoy Sunday school more than the sermon. Probably the flesh in me bucking what I should be doing. If I take off church I tend to feel as if I've missed out, yet many times when I go I feel underwhelmed.

[Sower]

19 minutes ago, Starise said:

I'm going to admit something about church attendance. I don't always want to go.

I like to go and meet friends, fellowship and maybe do something. Too often it's a sit down in a pew, a sermon, a wink and a nod and I'm out of there. I enjoy Sunday school more than the sermon. Probably the flesh in me bucking what I should be doing. If I take off church I tend to feel as if I've missed out, yet many times when I go I feel underwhelmed.

I believe this is normal. I feel about the same. I know I should not gather with other believers just to receive (at church), but to also give to others what blessings God has wrought in my life and listen to those who are in need. This lifts others up and myself also. We are a family. It is a common battle sometimes when my wife asks me if I'm going to bible study and the worship service too. I usually say maybe, but eventually I take a shower and go, after a mind battle and thoughts/reasons not to go. But I ain't going AWOL...

The enemy would have me to stay at home, by myself, thinking on all the reasons why I could serve God just as well listening to praise music and hit a few online 'Christian' forums, than go and face all my old friends, with all their problems and frailties, needing prayer and help, or lifting me up with some great news. This has happened since day one. I expect it continue as long as I am in the army of God, and I don't have any intentions to surrender to the enemy, but continue to run the race as God, not man, has shown me to do.

It's all in the mind, when I'm reminded each time I sit in church, seeing what I believe needs changing with our worship service, yet hearing my pastor preach truth from scripture, and planting the seed of salvation to whosoever will. (And the enemy is there, seeking whom he can devour, with his lies, to whom will listen)

I am a member of this assembled body of believers, the only one in my Christian life, and God has shown me my part. Should I not accept my part and leave because my 'feelings' say leave (they so often do) then I would be of little use to my family  of believers which I am a part. I think of those words I strive to to eventually  hear;  'well done'
I want to hear those words some day.  I do not want to be a 'feelings' wuss...

 

[tim_from_pa]

On 6/22/2022 at 8:02 PM, Starise said:

Finding a group that small could be a task. They likely want to remain small so they don't openly advertise.

How do people find a group of 20 people meeting in a home who don't advertise?

Out here in the township I was part of a bible study with 4 women 10 years my senior who were "just as crazy as me" to study all that's going on.  While we believe in the fundamentals of the faith, we also looked at world events from a prophetic POV.  How were we brought together?  We were all in the same church but found each other out. If you are guided by the Spirit this will happen and the Lord gives people who support each other.  The Lord provides fellowship and I find the same at work or any one of my other social contacts that Christians of like spirit tend to find themselves.  So why do I mention this group past tense? It's because the leader had her mother to take care of (the leader is now in her early 70's) so I trust the Lord had a reason and may put us back together, or again find a new group.  But it does work out. But we are all friends and I call each of them to "catch up" at times.  I sense I will be part of another group soon.  

[Littlelambseativy]

That is what is missing from so many churches. Ministers seem not to know prophecy nor want to delve into current events and their relationship to end times. We are so very close to the rapture yet church members are oblivious to what the relationship of events at home and around the world mean to that special moment/event in time and history. We hear messages from the gospels but ignorance of Revelation and all other prophetic books is avoided.

[Starise]

5 hours ago, tim_from_pa said:

f you are guided by the Spirit this will happen and the Lord gives people who support each other.  The Lord provides fellowship and I find the same at work or any one of my other social contacts that Christians of like spirit tend to find themselves. 

Interesting way events panned out. What would those mathematical chances be for meeting persons in another location all having been together in another church before? Thanks for sharing this. It is possible to find the right group.

5 hours ago, Sower said:

I believe this is normal. I feel about the same. I know I should not gather with other believers just to receive (at church), but to also give to others what blessings God has wrought in my life and listen to those who are in need. This lifts others up and myself also. We are a family. It is a common battle sometimes when my wife asks me if I'm going to bible study and the worship service too. I usually say maybe, but eventually I take a shower and go, after a mind battle and thoughts/reasons not to go. But I ain't going AWOL...

The enemy would have me to stay at home, by myself, thinking on all the reasons why I could serve God just as well listening to praise music and hit a few online 'Christian' forums, than go and face all my old friends, with all their problems and frailties, needing prayer and help, or lifting me up with some great news. This has happened since day one. I expect it continue as long as I am in the army of God, and I don't have any intentions to surrender to the enemy, but continue to run the race as God, not man, has shown me to do.

It's all in the mind, when I'm reminded each time I sit in church, seeing what I believe needs changing with our worship service, yet hearing my pastor preach truth from scripture, and planting the seed of salvation to whosoever will. (And the enemy is there, seeking whom he can devour, with his lies, to whom will listen)

I am a member of this assembled body of believers, the only one in my Christian life, and God has shown me my part. Should I not accept my part and leave because my 'feelings' say leave (they so often do) then I would be of little use to my family  of believers which I am a part. I think of those words I strive to to eventually  hear;  'well done'
I want to hear those words some day.  I do not want to be a 'feelings' wuss...

 

Thanks for these thoughts. I believe they reflect a lot of the same things I think at times. 

My mother was relentless about making us kids attend church when we were younger. I so often wanted to stay home with my dad who never attended church. I still remember escaping a kids class and hiding behind cars as two deacons were out in the parking lot searching for me. They eventually caught up to me.

I had the idea so engrained into me from the time I became a believer, that sometimes I need to check myself to be sure I am not attending for legalistic reasons. Whenever I don't attend I feel like something is missing, yet as I've gotten older I occasionally take a week off if I really feel I need to re charge. For me 'church' really isn't entirely the service. It's all the people that make all the other underpinnings work there. I work the sound booth and the praise team occasionally. The fellowship I have with others on those teams is often worth the trip and then some. Sunday school is valuable.  I like our men's groups and home groups where we meet and have a meal at a generous person's house have a lesson and prayer. People really open up at those gatherings more so than on Sunday morning. Even though I see the importance of corporate worship, it's those smaller groups that hold the whole thing together and feel more substantial to me.

[B-B]

22 hours ago, Ray12614 said:

I pray that all who read this find their 'Ester assignments for such a time as this

May the Lord give us the courage of Esther, to stand up for Christ, and if we perish, we perish...

[Littlelambseativy]

5 hours ago, Slibhin said:

I'll probably be sorry I asked, but what is "the rapture"?

Rapture is what the majority of Born again Christians refer to as the 'Catching away', the time when the dead in Christ followed by those who are alive and have accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour will rise to meet Him in the air and be with Him forever. This is just prior to the Tribulation of 7 years. This is not the Second Coming.

1 Thes 4:17