The Current State of Christianity

I believe that the current state of Christianity is not the same one that I grew up with. I believe that many have hijacked my faith, in order to do the exact opposite of what Jesus told His followers to do. Christian Nationalism is not true Christ Following.

When you look at the agenda of this administration, and it’s corruption of Biblical values and texts, it’s quite difficult to NOT see that many who call themselves Christians today, are on the “Broad Road that leads to destruction”, that Jesus warned about in Matthew 7, when He described the religious people of the End Times.

I look at mega churches, with fancy stage productions, and extremely charming pastors, who draw thousands to their doors, and my first thought is “good for them”. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Heaven could look like that.

Then I am reminded that in the End “even the very elect would be deceived”. The “Broad Road” means that MOST religious people will be on it.

I see the social media posts from their people, that are filled with hatred, and I listen closely to the messages that their leaders are really teaching, using twisted scriptures to fit their narratives, and my heart grieves.

It grieves because it is so easy to be deceived. Even the most popular and eloquent pastors. Leaders will be held to a higher accountability before God too, so I grieve for them, as they lead others astray.

Jesus gives very strong warnings about leaders who lead their people astray. It’s a neon sign in my own brain, because I understand that I’m accountable for every word that I put out in the world, because some people follow me. I don’t want to harm even one of them and their relationship with God!

Then I grieve for all of the immature Christians who blindly follow, without growing deeper in their love for God and particularly others.

If your pastor or leader is teaching you to judge the sin in the world, and look outward to see corruption, instead of teaching you that it is only our job to look inward at our own corruption, and to grow in your love for our Father and the others who are suffering in the world, then you need to examine who you are sitting under.

We ARE saved by grace, through Jesus, but then we must grow in our relationship with God. If not, then our “salvation” was simply a selfish act, in order to “keep us out of hell”, instead of a transformational act, that gives us access to our Heavenly Father.

That is the relationship that Jesus tells us is the most important commandment of our lives. It’s the reason that we were created! To have relationships in with Him and His family! To “Love God, Love Others”!

The “Narrow Gate” that leads to life, is by doing those 2 most important things that Jesus told the religious people of His day. They still apply to the religious people today, and so many have fallen short.

He never instructed His people to build nations, and support the rich, by harming the poor. He instructed the opposite of our country’s current agenda, and what many are teaching in churches today.

I can’t spend the rest of my life trying to be popular with the Christians in my life. Many that I’ve know my whole life have unfriended me, particularly people in ministry, because they believe that I’m too liberal now.

Well, if being liberal means feeding the poor, helping the sick, welcoming the foreigners, and all of the other things that Jesus commanded me to do, then yes, I’ve become a liberal.

I personally feel like I’m somewhere in the middle, but the Right has gone so far to the right, that I guess it’s not middle anymore.

I wouldn’t be posting ANY political posts at all, if the current administration wasn’t tying itself to my faith, and people who claim my faith weren’t allowing it to happen. It seems that in this day and age that we are living in, the two have become intertwined, so I feel I must speak, to show the people in the world that we aren’t all MAGA!

There is one thing that I have observed in my 50+ years on this earth, most of them being a Christ Follower, and ordained. It’s the big organizations, whether it is churches, or Christian political organizations, that are the ones that are often full of the most corruption.

They almost always start with the best of intentions, but as they grow, power will almost certainly corrupt.

As men (or women) try to create large groups of followers, they gain too much power, and are easily lead astray by pride, and often attract corrupt people who join their organizations. People who often have money, and want to buy their way into heaven by helping to build something… Either build the Churches up, or build their political powers.

I’ve seen many fall from great heights over the decades, and I pray for them now. I have been personal friends with some of the most celebrated Christian leaders, who had fallen from their heights, and were truly broken and humbled.

They repented and God was able to use their experience to minister again, only in much smaller forms. I gained from knowing them, and loving them. Some have died but they died in peace, knowing that they were forgiven.

I’ve also seen some fall, and then rebuild their brand, by allowing more corruption to come in…

I pray to my Father every day, to keep me close to His heart, and to protect me from deception and keep me humble. I’m not perfect and I admit that! I also pray that He continues to allow me the privilege of showing people the genuine love of Jesus.

Especially all those people in the world who have been wounded by people who call themselves Christians but don’t share His love, only their judgement.