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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 14

We really appreciate your views on the judgment and they make good sense considering our free choice.

Anonymous

 

Testimony 54

I had a lot of pressure, as a pastor’s kid, to conform and be “good.” I was good at being “good.” I thought my life was going along well until it all started falling apart and I could not figure out why! In my search for “why is this happening to me, God?” I came across your book, “Could it be this Simple,” and God started revealing to me the many distortions I held about His character, His principles, and how He has designed His universe to operate. I remember thinking, “Wow, I have had this all backwards.” I was happy and angry all at the same time. Happy to have the light of truth break through the darkness, revealing a wonderful, beautiful way of understanding God and His plan for His children, and angry, because I felt deceived and cheated by the church, my family, and myself!

My heart thrills when I listen to your bible study lessons. Literally I have gone from death to life. It is a journey I look forward to every day, as God reveals areas this distortion affects. Praise GOD! I will ever be grateful to God for this ministry and your cooperation with the Spirit!

Karen S., Portal, AZ, USA

 

Testimony 12

I have been really blessed reading your response to the various questions on your site.

K.C., OH, USA

 

Testimony 26

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 39

[This ministry is the] biggest blessing I have ever received! Your DVDs and lessons could not have come at a better time in my life. I have experienced in the past year many difficulties that, if it wasn’t for this wonderful view of God that I have discovered through this ministry, I would not have been able to respond in love and forgiveness. My heart is being transformed everyday by the Calvary-looking God you teach. Hallelujah!! I have tears in my eyes as I write, because my life has taken a complete turn from where I was heading.

I am from Central America. Most of my family is scattered in different parts of the world and all have the same view of God that I had growing up; a distant, exacting, and ready-to-punish-us-with-tragedy type of God. So, I have been translating lessons for my family and, to my surprise, they have also been sharing them with others! I can already see the difference. My brother has often said, “Thank you for sharing, I have never heard it this way!” My other family members are taking an amazing turn from a message of “repent or burn” towards a loving God, pleading to us that we won’t reject him because he loves us eternally.

Bless you for all you do.

Sofia S., Ashfield, MA, USA

 

Testimony 68

Your message of design law vs imperial law is so uplifting and makes so much sense- it is a game changer for me. The fact that Jesus’s death is not a big payment by an angry God is , quite frankly, a relief.

Laura G., London, Ontario, Canada

 

Testimony 31

It was very touching to hear the testimony of your class share how viewing God’s true character has changed their lives. My feelings are the same – there is so much freedom in knowing that God LOVES me – regardless of my… just, REGARDLESS! I’m still blown away by the true gospel, the fact that God is not ready to strike us when we fail. He is not arbitrary. He simply loves us and warns of the natural consequences because He can’t stand to see us suffer. I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS GOD!!!

Ceil V.,  UT, USA

 

Testimony 3

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 23

I would just like to add my voice to the many people who, I believe, must have contacted you to express their appreciation for the “Healing the Mind” DVDs. I’ve been listening to your Bible study class discussions for many years and I’ve been personally blessed by your research and teaching about the character of God.

L. G., Oakland, MI, USA

 

Testimony 2

I continue to enjoy your lessons every week. The more that I research your conclusions, the more I am convinced that the Holy Spirit has lead you to distill out the essence of human redemption. Thank you for your courageous stand for the truth.

S. G., TX, USA

 

Testimony 43

Two years ago I stumbled upon your book, “Could It Be This Simple,” and then found “The God-Shaped Brain” videos on YouTube, your bible study class, and the ‘Come And Reason’ mobile app. I shared your book with a friend and after nine months of showing love, patience, and kindness this person has been changed by the love of God, too. The same love that healed me, I now express to other women in tangible ways, such as to a Baptist woman with high anxiety and childhood trauma. She was extremely happy and relieved when I shared about the so-called “judgment of God” and burning in hell. She had no desire to serve a God that was so harsh. I have repeated the phrase dozens of times to her. “What we believe has power over us, but we have power over what we believe…”

This message that you are sharing has changed my life. I will continue to serve other women and bring this message of God’s healing love to their lives by sharing your books, YouTube videos, and The Remedy Bible app. Keep up the good work. Don’t be discouraged. God is doing a mighty work in and through this ministry!

Jill L., Midwest, USA

 

Testimony 15

I have been sharing Come And Reason Ministries Bible study lessons with several folk. You have such a beautiful view of the plan of salvation. If we had this message preached when I was young, my generation would still all be in church.

H. R., New Zealand

Testimony 44

We were given a gift of the DVD set, “God and Your Brain,” and we just finished watching it. The truths in this are so powerful and truly an answer to a prayer. We’re seeing hope where once we thought God wasn’t answering our prayers to be free of certain mindsets. He answered with these DVDs and we are hungry for more. Thank you!

Daniel T., Easley, SC, USA

 

Testimony 4

I’m a youth leader in South Africa. We as a youth group are currently using a lot of the material on the Come and Reason site. Since we’ve started using the material, our youth group has grown.

R. V. N., South Africa

 

Testimony 17

The blessings of clarity and understanding you and your class inspire me to take from the word of God have impressed upon me so greatly the true, loving character of our Creator. I have found amazing freedom and joy through building a stronger, more intentional relationship with Him. What is new is that this is now a relationship built on love, reverence and respect rather than fear and obligation, and as such my eyes have been slammed OPEN as I am continually impressed by the manifestations of God’s true character in His provisions for fallen man.

T.E.H., Salt Lake City, UT, USA