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The Culture War:  Why Christianity Appears to be Losing!

The Culture War: Why Christianity Appears to be Losing!

Christianity began 2000 years ago with a ragtag handful of refugees and poor traveling preachers within a culture in which the ruling authorities actively sought their eradication. Yet, within a few hundred years, Christianity became the predominate religion in the Western World.

Over the last 50 years, the number of practicing Christians in western countries have steadily decreased, and godless and secular theories have become ever more popular.

Could the methods employed by Christians 2000 years ago, and those practiced by many in Christianity today, be factors in why Christianity flourished then and withers now?

Two thousand years ago, Christians focused exclusively on evangelism and Christian living. In other words, they focused on reaching people with a message that would change their personal lives. Christians lived to bless others, to share, and to minister. They were kind, patient, honest, and good neighbors.

The one thing Christians never did 2000 years ago was seek to legislate their beliefs. In Apostolic times, we never find Paul seeking to get a certain senator elected to the Roman senate. We never find Peter seeking to get a certain governor appointed in Palestine. We never see James, John, or any of the church leaders, seeking to get new laws passed to mandate Christian values. In fact, it was the enemies of Christianity that sought to legislate their beliefs by passing laws to persecute Christians, yet Christianity grew.

But hundreds of years after the apostles died, when the population had vastly converted to Christianity through the methods of evangelism and Christian living, an astute politician—Constantine—made Christianity political. From that moment until today, Christianity has been infected with imperial human law constructs and methods. And history is clear. After Constantine and the infecting of the church with imposed law and political methods (the idea that God’s law functions like human law, and therefore Christians should function like human governments), Christianity sunk down into a system of darkness. The Crusades, the Inquisition, burning people at the stake, and legislating laws to coerce people to practice their faith, according to the mandates of someone else in the position of legal authority, took effect.

And the world went into darkness, still today called the Dark Ages.

Eventually, thinking people began to examine reality and looked to science and nature to find a reasonable understanding of life. Why? Because the church was unreasonable, it refused evidence, and it locked people up (like Galileo) who found, in science and nature, things that disagreed with the official interpretation of Scripture.

The Reformation began to reverse the course of unreasonableness. It sought to eliminate distortion and return people to evidence-based rational understanding of God, the world, and life. Martin Luther and the other reformers were effective, because they returned to the methods of the apostles. The reformers evangelized—they presented truth and left people free. The Reformers did not seek to use the state to enforce their beliefs on others. It was the establishment church that used the method of legislation, coercion, and the force of the state to seek to oppose the reformers.

In today’s societies, who is winning the culture war—Christianity or secularism? Why? Is Christianity primarily seeking to evangelize with a message that harmonizes with science, nature, and how life really works? A message so evidentiary, so obviously true, that it is persuasive to any reasonable person? A message that actually changes lives for the better? A message that brings genuine healing to hearts, peace to minds, and health to bodies? Is Christianity seen in the world as a religion of love, kindness, compassion, understanding, healing, and goodness? Does Christianity practice the methods of God or the methods of the state, of fallen, sinful, human governments?

Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” Can we expect Christianity to win the culture war by using the methods of fallen, sinful, human governments? Or, as soon as we use such methods, are we essentially no longer Christian—are we of the world?

What God wants is genuine love and trust. Can love and trust be achieved by legislation? Can love and trust be achieved by coercion? Can love and trust be achieved by passing laws that require people to practice religious beliefs they don’t believe in?

History documents that when Christianity left the methods of Christ (presenting the truth in love and leaving people free) and began using the methods of sinful governments (passing laws to enforce its beliefs), Christianity became corrupt and the world went into darkness.

It is no different today. If we want to change the world for the better, if we want to see godliness return to our society, if we want a world in which goodness, love, honesty, compassion, and kindness reign supreme, then we must reject the methods of the world and return to the methods of Jesus Christ. We can never win God’s cause by using Satan’s methods!

The only way to change our communities, cities, states, nations, and the world for good is by using the methods Jesus used—truth presented in love, leaving others free. I invite you to be like Christ in all you do. This is true Christianity!

 

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Testimony 53

I was so blessed by a friend who gave me your book, “The God Shaped Brain,” while I was sitting in church asking God to please help me learn more about Him and help me not to be so confused and scared. That was about 2 years ago. Your books have helped me to love God even more. I’m not confused or scared anymore! I have listened to all of your bible study classes and feel like I know the wonderful people that attend every week. Thank you for all that you’re doing in spreading the true message about God and His law of love. God bless you and your whole class.

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I’ve been very blessed by “The God Shaped Brain” and this ministry, through video and podcast, over the last few years. It’s truly opened up my eyes more to the truth about God and the importance of that truth in the present world. The message is so inviting, freeing and enlightening and MORE people need to know about it. I believe it is the last message that can truly, not only prepare a people for salvation and translation, but vindicate the character of God.

Michael V., Yonkers, NY, USA

 

Testimony 67

I was introduced to Come And Reason by a friend of my mother-in-law, who gave me several CD’s of Dr. Jennings. The clarity of the message and recognition that God’s is a God of love was so clear, advancing beyond Dr. Maxwell’s message. However, grappled with Maxwell saying God used emergency measures for the fallen world. Now after several years of being a regular listener of the Come And Reasoning bible study class and attending Jennings’ meetings in Dallas/Fort Worth, TX, things are becoming clearer for me. Design law versus imposed law has added so much to my personal understanding of theology. This message has really impacted my work in counseling so many people miserable because they are searching for and trusting human governments to create order and peace or believing in a God who says love Me or I will kill you. I am grateful that I have an alternative view to offer my clients that makes sense. I teach a bible study class on a semi-regular basis and I value the materials that Come And Reason so freely offers to aid me in presenting this vital message. Thank you for continuing to provide advancement in our very limited understanding of a Infinite God that is rational and believable.

Dr. Roger D, Arlington, TX, USA

 

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My husband is a pastor and I listen to your lesson almost every week. Thank you for helping me in my study life and to help me love the “real” God more.

C. F., NC, USA

 

Testimony 32

The message [of Come And Reason Ministries is] for all Christians (and those who may become Christians) and not just Adventists or any other group. It is difficult to imagine why any [anyone] with intellectual and spiritual honesty could find fault with the way you explained the healing substitution concepts and the truth about God’s character, though I know some will reject and criticize. On behalf of those in our group near Tacoma, WA, thank you and your staff for all of the hard work and for sharing the Gospel in this manner. God’s message of healing love will be carried to the whole world and then Jesus will come – He promised it.

Terry U., Tacoma, WA, USA

 

Testimony 52

Your unique way in spreading the truth is what we all need today. Most of us don’t recognize the contamination coming from all the lies and selfishness in the world. Because of our fear of death, we forgot how to live. Lies left and right. I was losing hope and faith, because of so many ideas that are always contradicting each other – so many questions answered by other, more complicated, questions – until I found your channel on YouTube.

You did not just give me answers, you also taught me how to answer new questions that arise in my mind. Now I see things differently. I see God’s mercy, grace, and Love everywhere, in spite of all the chaos that we all have done as humans. I don’t fear death anymore. Accepting the Truth and Love about God is truly a genuine Freedom from all the confusions, sufferings, selfishness, pain, and death.

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Wheinny P., University Place, WA, USA

 

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Your teachings about our heavenly Father have changed my life. Thank you sooooooo very very much! I know He’s doing some serious healing in my heart and life and I look forward to each new day to learn something new about Him and to just hear you speak about Him. Thank you, forever.

Nancy S.

 

Testimony 73

I have been truly blessed by your blogs and other resources. They have helped me to see things in a much brighter light and to reason things out better. Thank you so much for your ministry. Whenever I have the opportunity I pass along your material to my friends.

R. Noseworthy, Newfoundland, Canada

Testimony 74

Thank you so much for opening my eyes. I’ve been through a lot of ministries that just didn’t show the love of God that I felt he was. You have helped me to begin the process of true healing. I thought I was “too far gone,” now I know there’s hope in Jesus, because he loves us beyond what we can comprehend. Thank you again for all you do. I truly appreciate it and pray more people find you (physical at your studio and through this website).

Dalio M.

Testimony 8

Thank you for the ministry you are sharing with us, it is a real blessing to us and especially to my husband and myself! You are encouraging us to think for ourselves and not just to except everything, without thinking it through, with God’s word!

M.K., USA

 

Testimony 62

I would like to express my thanks to the C&R team for creating a platform from which people can learn to trust in God and grow. My life is a witness to the effectiveness of this ministry. Without believing the truth about God as you have shown, I don’t know what my life would be like. I had given up on God helping me with certain sins – it was all useless. Given that the scripture is clear and God is so good, how could I have betrayed him so many times? I was a yo-yo christian; spinning up and down. My faith and enthusiasm was driven by discoveries/threats that prophecy is about to be fulfilled. But when I watched your “Healing the Mind” seminar, it was like a light finally went on. I could see God had no plan to hurt me, the danger came from sin, and that He is working to protect me and strengthen me. Thank you for allowing God to use you. The message God gave C&R saved my life!

Antony N. – Hobart, Australia

 

Testimony 72

I am blown away by the truth that you present. God’s Design Law makes so much sense! You have validated my impression that, if God is love, He would not kill those who don’t want to know him. If God gives us choice, then how can He destroy us if our choice is not to follow him. Thank you for opening my eyes and heart to the pure love of God seen through Jesus. The love I now have for Jesus is deeper and free from condemnation. My heart has been opened to love others as Jesus loves me. May God continue to bless your God-given insight into His word and your ministry. The truth has set me free!

H. Miller, Centereach, NY

Testimony 36

Thank you and may God continue to bless you as you share with others the intricacies of how we are all “fearfully and wonderfully made”. I must share that you have opened a whole new world to me, and I have found tremendous healing through what you have shared in two of your books, “Could It Be This Simple?” and “The God Shaped Brain.” I praise God for what you shared, what I have learned, and how I have grown and healed! My prayer is that My Precious Jesus will be seen by others in the way I live, act, talk, etc. and they may be encouraged to know He is truly a GREAT God of LOVE, desiring that no one should perish! God Bless you in your continued endeavors to present Him as He really is!

Joleen H. GA, USA

 

Testimony 1

Thank you! I love listening to the Come And Reason Ministries Bible study classes and am using some of your notes to get the lessons together that I will be teaching. You always have such good quotes and Bible texts and pull things together to make good sense.

T. C., IN, USA

 

Testimony 48

I just want to tell you how blessed I have been reading “The Remedy!” It has become a daily part of my devotional relationship with God. In it I have found a God of love and a God that loves me! The bible has come alive for me! It is the first time that I can say that I have felt hope fill my heart as I have read God’s word. This is good news I can share! Thank you, Dr Jennings! Thank you for your heart for others. I can’t put into words how this has set me free! It has strengthened my trust and love for God.

Jason H.