Singleness at a glance: Understanding the life of the single Christian. The Simple Truth

“Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:26-27 KJV

It just hit me. I am 41 years young and still single. Jesus take the wheel! Heaven have mercy! With that being said, I must confess something: I personally do not believe that the average church knows how to deal with single Christians within their church walls. (Yes, I am ducking over here because I am certain that someone is going to throw a stone at me.) So let me explain. I have been blessed to have visited several different church denominations in my years. For many churches programs dominate the church body. But this does not describe every church, only a few. There are programs for everything that your heart can imagine. These programs consist of ministries for those who like to cook, those who are gifted in hospitality, song leader, youth groups, so on and so forth. However, for some churches it is difficult to know just where to start to develop a singles gathering. Did you notice that I intentionally did not refer to it as a “singles ministry”? Interesting! I’ll come back to this point later in this blog post.

Prior to my grandmother’s death in 2013, she used to always ask me certain questions. When are you going to have children? When are you going to get married? I would often roll my eyes in the back of my head or laugh under my breath. She caught it every time. I never could fully communicate to my beloved grandmother that there are some things that are out of my control….and these are the things that are out of my control. In essence, I have been purposeful about doing other things. For example, I purposefully did not want to have children outside of a marriage. I purposefully chose to obtain two master’s degrees. I purposefully chose to move back to Tennessee. But I did not choose to be single. I believe that being in this state of singleness is by God’s design, definitely not my own. If it would have been left up to me, I would have been married for twenty years now with six children. But God had a different path and plan. So I praise Him for His plan.

“Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:1-3 KJV

In my many years of being single I have heard the cry of many single Christians as it relates to singleness. I want to share some of these heart-pressing issues here. So here goes:

1.       Single Christians desire love and affection just like anyone else. Can we all agree with this statement?

2.       It is often difficult to hear someone say “Just wait on the Lord” in referring to waiting on God to send him or her a mate. (Let me pause for a moment and insert some humor here: Often times when I hear this comment, I can guarantee you that it is coming from a woman who has been married to her husband for at least 150 years. It is easy for someone who either just got married or have been married for 75 ½ years to make this statement. Have you considered that for many singles, they do not want your pity but your prayers? I am not saying that this statement should not be made. I believe that in many instances, this statement is needed. However, let us strive to connect with singles on a deeper level.)

3.       Not everyone who is single is battling with loneliness. Can we all agree with this statement?

4.       The gathering of singles (notice again that I am not referring to it as a “singles ministry”) is not a place for you to play Matchmaker. It should be, however, a place of like-minded Christians to gather and celebrate one another in the spirit of Christ.

5.       We understand that whoever we marry, for those who desire to marry, he or she will not be perfect. (And for those who are single and expecting to marry a perfect spouse, please remain single. There is no such thing as a perfect spouse. I am sorry to break this news to you.)

6.       It is okay for the married folks to find unique ways for us as single Christians to meet. There is nothing wrong with this at all and is very much encouraged.

7.       Lastly, just because we desire to marry does not mean that we are sexually burning or our loins are on fire. That may be the case for some, but not all. Let’s be honest, even Paul stated that not everyone is meant to be single. So please do not assume. Some of us want to be married so that we can share our lives with others. It is just that simple.

Here is the Simple Truth:

As you noticed I strictly stayed away from calling the gathering of singles a “singles ministry”. Let me explain why. It is everyone’s responsibility to minister to singles, thus we are a singles’ ministry within the Body of Christ. We are all called to share love, fellowship, and enjoy those around us who are single. That is the true essence of a singles’ ministry. And we all have it. We all can make time to get to know our single friends who labor among us. This is what a singles ministry is about: reaching in, reaching out, and reaching throughout the Body of Christ to share His love to others.

Let us pray:

Our Heavenly Father, thank You for this life that You have given to us. Thank You that we are single for a purpose. In Your timing, You will bring those Christians around us so that we can fellowship and provide a greater fulfillment in their lives. Thank You for this. Thank You for every opportunity You give to us to reach out to others as part of our own singles ministry. Thank You, Heavenly Father, for ordaining this very moment. It is always my prayer that this blog touches someone’s life to the glory of Christ. May You fill us with more of You so that we can continue to share Jesus Christ with others. We love You, Father God and we seek to be more like You every day. Forgive us of our sins and grow us in Your Word and in Christ. We pray this in Jesus Name. Amen.

Reference Scriptures:

Genesis 2:18; Psalm 37:4; Jeremiah 29:11; Luke 1:37; Luke 1:45

 

The beautiful blessing of Christ-honoring friends. Why friendships are so important. The Simple Truth.

“So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13 NKJV

I have to tell you about a dear friend of mine. I am positive that since this post, in part, will be dedicated to her….I may come up missing because she definitely does not like fanfare at all. However, this friendship deserves to be recognized in so many ways.

Many years ago, the Lord blessed me to meet a beautiful Christian woman by the name of Kimberly. We met at a church in Nashville shortly after I moved to the city. We share so many things in common. She has taught me what a true friend is. We share the same birthday month. Actually, the Lord designed our birthdays just nine days apart. How beautiful! She has a sincere love for animals and people; but more importantly she has a love for God.

I remember the time back when I lived in south Nashville, the apartment building next to me was on fire. I lived on the second floor in this apartment complex. When I tell you that the apartment fire was contained, please believe me. There was no threat to my actual apartment at all. Nonetheless, Kimberly drove down the street….through all the fire trucks….backed her truck up to my balcony and told me to “jump in”. I laugh to this day. Now that is a TRUE friend. Then I am reminded of the time I threated her at the carnival in Antioch. The carnival came to the area several times a year. So on this particular occasion, the only money either of us had was my laundry money. Well we decided that we would ride some of the carnival rides. I was against this from the start. But my dear friend encouraged me to ride; so I did. And when the carnival ride started, I remember telling her in no uncertain terms….”I am going to kill you.”….all while laughing, playing, and having fun. Thankfully we both lived through the carnival ride and we still laugh about it today.

God has blessed Kimberly and me to have lived in two of the same states. We both moved to Texas in December 2004. To this day, we are each other’s bff’s (best friends forever). To be honest, she is my sister from another mother. This is how we refer to each other. We make a beautiful blend of a Christ-honoring friendship.

I shared all of this to say that when God places friends in our lives, we should hold on to them like Kimberly and I held on to that carnival ride. We would not let go. We were spinning around in the air for what seemed to be an eternity but it was only a few minutes. So let me say how important it is for us to strive for God-honoring friends. Kimberly and I have been through many trials but we have remained friends. We are sisters!

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NKJV

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13 ESV

I cannot express to you just how important friends are. They comfort us when we hurt. They console us when we grieve. They bless our souls. They pray for us and with us. They are there in times of trouble. They forgive us when we are wrong. They carry our burdens. A true friend will be there regardless of the circumstance or situation. Friends are ordained by God. Let us cherish every moment we have with our friends.

So today I want to encourage every woman reading this blog post to go out and meet and make a new friend.

Here is the Simple Truth: We have been richly blessed by God. He sent His Son here to save us from eternal damnation. We have so much to be thankful for. So on today, I praise You Father God for my dear friend Kimberly. I thank You God for all of my friends. They mean the world to me. So let us strive to be a true friend to others. Be there for others and share Christ with others. Let us ever desire to esteem our friends higher than ourselves. Make a new friend. Share Christ. But most importantly be that friend that you would want also.

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, You have blessed Kimberly and me with so many beautiful years. Thank You for Your love, grace, and mercy. Thank You for many more years of a beautiful friendship and sisterhood with Kimberly. May You touch each friend that is in our lives at this very moment. Let every person who considers me as their friend know that I love them and am earnestly praying for them. Father God enrich our lives with more of You, so we can share Christ everywhere we go and with our friends. Thank you for each person you add to my life. May they know the love of my Father in Heaven. Bless us this day to be more Christ-like in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

By the way: June 20 was Kimberly’s birthday. Happy birthday Kimberly. Happy birthday month. I love you my sister.

 

Driving forward while looking back. Simple Truth Devotion

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth until those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 KJV

Have you ever tried to drive down the street while constantly looking in your rear view mirror? If you have tried this with success, then there is a high probability that you wrecked your car. It is very difficult to do. And if you are anything like me, I get distracted so I must pay attention to the road at all times. I have a small confession to make….there are some driving maneuvers that are difficult for me to task. Let’s face it; I am sure that I am not the only one who struggles to parallel park or back into a space. So, don’t laugh at me just yet. To be honest, when driving we must remain focused on the task set before us. Driving truly does take a lot of skill.

So let us go back to my original question: Have you tried driving down the street while constantly looking in your rear view mirror? I wouldn’t suggest this. Why? Because the rear view mirror is only made for you to see behind you for a few seconds at a time. It isn’t meant for you to constantly be looking through your rear view mirror while driving down the road. Such is life. How often do we try to maneuver the tasks ahead while thinking about our past failures? The Bible states the following:

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV

So my question for you today: How much time do you spend thinking about your past failures? In other words, how much time do you spend looking in the rear view mirror of your life? Let’s face it…we have all failed at something. I can tell you about the numerous diets I have been on and lost not one meager pound. Failure! The word failure has been misused in so many ways. The word failure is looked at so negatively that there are those super-spiritual people (you know who they are) that do not want you to even mention the word failure. Not all failure is bad. Let me explain. There are some relationships that need to fail as they are not producing fruits of righteousness. There are certain acts that we do that need to fail. Why? Because they are not producing fruits consistent with our walk with Christ. Again, please do not misunderstand my point here.

I want us to take a good look in the mirror and drive the car forward. Do you remember driving school? What is the first thing the teacher taught you? 1. Adjust your mirrors. 2. Look in your rear view mirror. 3. Let’s drive! We must stop looking in the rear view mirror and move the car into the drive position. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5 KJV

Here is the Simple Truth: Let us not get caught up in failed relationships, failed opportunities, failed anything. Some things need to DIE in order for Christ to LIVE and to live richly in us. Besides how do you know that God hasn’t prepared for you a rich, growing, vibrant relationship? How do you know that God hasn’t prepared a new opportunity that will allow you to lead souls to Christ? How do you know whether God isn’t preparing a place for you amongst your enemies, so that you can be a witness? There are countless opportunities, in Christ, when we move forward.

Therefore, my sisters let’s move forward. Let us be busy with the work of Christ while it is yet day. Let us learn from our failures but not bathe in them. Let us be ever willing to trust God for our needs. Let us keep striving and moving forward.

Ladies let us pray.

But before we pray, let me share my desire for all of us. My desire is that our bellies will be full of the living waters that flow from having a deep relationship with Christ.

John 7:38 states, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’”. NJKV

Ladies let us pray:

Our most gracious Heavenly Father. Thank You for Your forgiveness of our sins. Thank You for Your mercy and grace. I pray for each lady that may read this, that she may be touched by these words to move forward in Christ and thus desire a full, growing, and vibrant relationship with You. Thank You for loving us, caring for us, and for sending Your Precious Son for us. I praise Your Holy Name, in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

On a personal note: I want to say thank you. Thank you to those who live in Houston, Texas who encouraged me to start this blog a few years ago. Thank you to those who have stated that you miss my writing. That truly touches my heart. Thank you those who have expressed such joy in reading my post. May God be glorified forever.

Where have I been? Happy New Year and what's to come from this blog

We are well into the new year so I should first start by saying Happy New Year to everyone who visit this blog. There are so many things to talk about from a single woman's perspective that it would take all month to discuss such topics, especially since they all focus on Christ, our Lord and Savior. I would also like to take the time to thank everyone who visited my blog in my absence. Thank you for the kind messages. Mostly, thank you for supporting my writing and this Christian blog. I am assured that there are many Christian women blogs out there. So I am delighted that you have chosen to read these writings and to provide your feedback. I am most humbled by your comments.

So much has taken place since I last blogged. My life has been a story of love, humility, and a lesson on forgiveness. As for now, I plan to start back to writing about topics that are of interest to Christian women. With that being said, thank you for your patience and keep coming back often. My next blog will be on the topic of forgiveness. This post should be up very soon. Thank you all again.

In Christ,
Ty

Are you following a stranger’s voice? The Simple Truth

John 10:3 – To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

John 10:4 – And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

John 10:5 – And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. 

All too often I come in contact with people who are desperate to hear God’s voice and with good reason. They are desperate to hear from God in regards to life’s circumstances, as we all should be. We are living in perilous times where there will be a plethora of false teachers, false prophets, and false preachers everywhere wanting to give us some “word”. We are living in a time where Truth is not popular and anything that may tickle our ears is by far more palatable. Furthermore, if you turn on Christian television you will indeed hear a word, but is it the Word of God? 

I just wanted to write a quick note to call all of us back to our first love. I pray that this note will not only encourage you but will also lead you deeper into the study of His Word to find the very answers you are seeking. For every question that you may have, God’s Word has an answer. In today’s society we want everything handed to us on a silver platter. We do not want to do the work, study the Scriptures that will lead to spiritual life and light. We want someone else to tell us what they feel God is showing or telling them. Are we indeed following a stranger’s voice or are we following the voice of God?  I submit to everyone that if we want to hear God’s voice, read His Word. It really is that simple. When we overlook God’s Word to go to other people to try to get some sort of “word” or prophesy, we make that person an idol. We place that person above God. In essence when we face trials and tribulations and we will as Christians, our first priority should be to run to God’s Word. Pray and study His Holy Word. We are definitely told in Scriptures to seek out wise counsel from Godly people. I believe Proverbs 12:15, Proverbs 13:10, and Proverbs 20:18 would all agree with this. However the problem arises when we place wise counsel over seeking God for ourselves. 

Are you following a stranger’s voice or are you diligently waiting to hear from God through His written Word? Are you dependent upon people to tell you what Scripture will clearly show you? Do you run to people for advice more than you turn to God? It is my prayer that all of us will run to our Heavenly Father to seek Him for the answers we so desperately need. He is ever willing to hear us when we call upon Him. Have you called upon our Heavenly Father today? 

Psalm 37:5 - Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass.

Psalm 37:6 - And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

Psalm 50:15 - And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

Further reading: Jeremiah 33:3, Psalm 91

*All Scripture taken from the King James Version Bible

The discipline of our Heavenly Father. Simple Truth Devotion

In contemplating this devotion I tried to think of people who enjoyed being disciplined. I could not think of one person who would say that they love and enjoy being disciplined. As a girl growing up in a small town, I remember my mother disciplining me.  I was generally disciplined for getting out of line or doing something that I wasn’t supposed to do.

When I think about the discipline that comes from our Heavenly Father, I think about how God loves us. For some it may be difficult to picture discipline and love in the same sentence. But on the contrary, what parent does not discipline their child? If you love your child then you must show that love by disciplining your child when he or she requires it. The Scriptures tell us that our Heavenly Father disciplines us because He loves us. Consider the following Bible passages:

Proverbs 3:12 – “For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” 

Hebrews 12:5-6 – “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the castening of the Lord, nor faint when thou are rebuked of Him: For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.” (Reference Hebrews 12:5-11)

Revelation 3:19 – “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Psalm 94:12 – “Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law.”

Consider the following as it relates to the subject of discipline:

*Discipline is needed so that we are not carried away with the world. (Reference 1 Corinthians 11:32)

*Discipline is needed so that we are not destroyed. (Reference Proverbs 29:1)

*Discipline is needed so that we are formed into the image of Christ. (Consider Romans 8:28-29; 2 Corinthians 3:18)

*Discipline shows the love of God toward His children. (Consider Job 5:17-18; Revelation 3:19)

Should you find yourself under the chastening rod of our Heavenly Father, then cry out to Him. The Psalmist writes the following:

O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed.” (Psalm 6:1-2)

Let us not forget that because of God’s love He corrects us. Let us ever seek to live according to His Holy Word. While we are being disciplined, let us cry out to the Lord that He may have mercy on us, forgive us, and restore us. Let us ever seek to praise His Holy Name.

In Christ, our only hope: Heavenly Father thank You for Your love that You show towards Your children every day. Thank You for the discipline that we need to keep us separated and cleansed from this wicked and dying world. Father God help us to shine the Light of Your Son to a lost and dying generation. May we ever seek to please You in everything that we do. Help us to be gentle, loving, caring, and kind towards others. May You ever deal with us as with sons. We thank You for Your goodness, Your discipline, and Your correction for we know that You are working out Your perfect will in our lives. We thank You for Your mercy.  In Jesus Name, Amen.

May the words of this song reach deep down into your spirit.

Come Thou Fount of every blessing

Come Thou Fount of every blessing

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;

Streams of mercy, never ceasing,

Call for songs of loudest praise

Teach me some melodious sonnet,

Sung by flaming tongues above.

Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,

Mount of God's unchanging love.

Here I raise my Ebenezer;

Hither by Thy help I'm come;

And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,

Safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,

Wandering from the fold of God;

He, to rescue me from danger,

Interposed His precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor

Daily I'm constrained to be!

Let that grace now like a fetter,

Bind my wandering heart to Thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,

Prone to leave the God I love;

Here's my heart, O take and seal it,

Seal it for Thy courts above.

*All Scriptures taken from the King James Version.*

The Runaway Bride. A Biblical Look at the Apostate Church. The Simple Truth.

*Disclaimer: For the moment I am going to take a minor detour from the subject matter of Christian single women to focus on issues that are relevant to the Body of Christ in general. This blog post is a reflection of such a detour. 

We live in a society today where you can find a church just about on every corner. In some neighborhoods, you find the church just down the street from the liquor store. There are new churches being planted annually by various organizations throughout our country and even the world. With so many churches it goes without saying that it should be easy to find a Biblically based church that teaches God’s Word unashamed. Now I underlined the word “unashamed” as there are many churches that will teach whatever you desire to hear; but very few churches are willing to preach the Word of God unashamed. I often talk to brothers and sisters in Christ who share their frustration with trying to find a Bible teaching church. So my question is, “Don’t you have a church in your neighborhood?” Although I know the answer to that question, I’m just trying to make some light conversation…and possibly add some of my humor to the subject matter. Notwithstanding there are many churches but few that teach the uncompromised Word of God. Why? Because many have gathered to themselves their own kinds of teachers. (Reference 2 Timothy 4:3-4)  The other issue is that today’s modernized “Christian” has no desire to hear the Truth. They can’t handle the Truth. They want to be motivated to serve God. This is why we find Apostate churches so prevalent today. And let me tell you, it is best that you get a full understanding of what an Apostate Church looks like so as to avoid it at all cost. 

The word apostasy means to remove, abandon, to become renegade. When I talk about the Apostate church I am referring to churches that are far removed from the counsel of God, His Holy Word. The Apostate Church refers to any church were God’s Word has been exchanged for that which appeals to emotionalism, sensationalism, and often times idolatry. In essence these Apostate churches have exchanged the Truth for a lie, plain and simple. (Reference Romans 1:25)

Romans 1:25 – “because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.” (ESV)

Here are a few things you may find in an Apostate Church: 

*seeker-friendly worldly methods used to build church membership instead of allowing God to bring the people to the church. (Reference Acts 9:31; Acts 12:24)

*a business model that has been employed to build church membership so as to add numbers to the business, not necessarily to add numbers to the Kingdom of God.

*a focus on building worldly programs: i.e. classes that teach on empowerment, self-esteem, so on and so forth…you get my point here.

*sin is rampant within the church and is not being addressed from the pulpit.

*the preaching on sin, repentance, grace, humility, and the Cross of Christ have been exchanged for a lighter message which appeals to the emotions and senses.

Let us take a look at a few Scriptures.

Ephesians 5: 26-27 “that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” (ESV).  

So as to keep with the context of this Scriptural passage, it is safe to state that this passage is in conjunction of speaking about the marriage relationship between husbands and wives. This particular passage comes just after the Apostle Paul provides instructions for husbands as how they are to love their wives. So let us take a look at this passage again in its context. 

Ephesians 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” (ESV).  Now do you see it? Just look at the way Christ loves the Church, His true Body. This is why I wanted to include this passage here. Jesus Christ loves the Church so much that He desires to present the church without spot or wrinkle so that she (the Church) might be holy and without blemish. 

What we have today are “churches” that have ran far away from Christ’s cleansing power. These runaway brides have no delight in Christ washing them clean so that they can be presented without spot or wrinkle. These “churches” have exchanged the glory of God for a lie. Because of this, God has given them over to the lusts of their own desires. Romans chapter one talks about God’s wrath being revealed against all unrighteousness. (Ref. Romans 1:18-32)

Romans 1:18-19 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God hath shewed it unto them.” (KJV)

Add water and stir: This indeed is the concept of the Apostate Church. The true Gospel has been so watered down that it isn’t the Gospel at all. God’s Word has been kicked out and traded for what will bring in more people, satisfy the masses, and make one feel good. These same “churches” that are teaching the feel-good message are teaching the doctrine of demons. Here are some Scriptures that further emphasize the point. 

1 Timothy 4: 1 “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” (KJV) 

2 Peter 2:1-2 “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.” (KJV)

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (ESV)

A hatred for God:  Now we see the true heart of an Apostate Church, a hatred for God and His Word. This is the only logical explanation as to why there is such a detour away from that which is holy and pure to that which is worldly. The Apostate Church has set itself as an enemy (enmity) of God.  (Ref. James 4:4)   Therefore the things that are worldly are seen as more desirable; that which is holy is frowned upon. You may be tempted to say that “hatred” is a strong word. Yes, I would agree with you wholeheartedly. Nonetheless, it is a truthful statement. We are to hate what God hates and love what God loves. Now that’s not popular is it? 

The runaway church as it seems is a church that has turned aside from proclaiming God’s Word and have closed their ears to what is righteous, what is true, what is Holy. They are a rebellious church, a rebellious people. 

Isaiah 30:9-11 “For they are rebellious people, lying children, children unwilling to hear the instruction of the Lord; who say to the seers, ‘Do not see,’ and to the prophets, ‘Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions, leave the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.’” (ESV)

Here is the Simple Truth: The Apostate Church exists because some who profess Christianity do not want to hear the TRUTH! The Truth is too offensive for those who enjoy the Sunday morning emotionalism that is prevalent throughout many pulpits. The sensationalism that occurs in these “churches” on Sunday is a shame to the Cross of Jesus Christ. This isn’t “Church for Dummies”. This is a flagrant disregard for anything that resembles the Bible. Let me share something with you. For those who attend such churches there is a disregard for studying, reading, and meditating on the Word of God. There is a dismissal of researching and applying Scripture in these Apostate churches. 

In conclusion, any message that makes one feel good should be checked through the lenses of the Bible. What often remains is a motivational message that you probably can get from the self-help section of any book store. 

What is God’s mandate for us where the Apostate Church is concerned? 

1.      To be sober-minded. 1 Peter 1: 13; 1 Peter 5:8

2.      To be steadfast in prayer. Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Ephesians 6:18; Luke 18:1

3.      To snatch some from the fire, if they are willing to go peacefully and leave these false churches. Jude 23

4.      To speak the truth in love to those who are in these false-teaching churches. Ephesians 4:15, 25

5.      To hand such a one over to Satan. 1 Corinthians 5: 4-5; 1 Timothy 1:20

Further reading: Matthew 7:15-23; 24:11-28

References:

The Holy Bible (ESV and KJV)

Handed Over to Satan? (1 Corinthians 5 Bible Q&A with John MacArthur http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2Tplkvc-Ac

To Judge or Not to Judge (1 Corinthians 5 Bible Q&A with John MacArthur http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=_uOPRMq8vFI

Now here’s where you come in. I would love to hear your comments, questions, or stories of how this relates to you or someone you may know. Have you ever been a part of an Apostate church? Please feel free to place your comments below. May the grace of God be upon you.