By Gloria
The recent event in Charlottesville, Virginia is one of the many examples that show we do not live in a post-racial society. Racism seems to be one of the many social ills that has continued throughout the centuries without a clear end in sight.
What happened?
A “Unite the right” rally was planned for Aug 12 in protest to removing the statue of Robert E Lee, a confederate icon. A day before on Aug 11, a march was held at the University of Virginia where the crowds chanted “white lives matter” & “blood & soil”.
The protesters showed up on Aug 12 and clashed with counter demonstrators. The rally turned deadly as a speeding car killed one person and injured 19. Trump held a press conference days later which left many stunned and drew a lot of criticism as he stated that both groups were to blame.
The Church’s Stand
What has been the response from the church leadership not only over the racial divide which seems to be deepening but also where is the support from the leader of the free world, President Donald Trump who clearly stated that there are many good people in neo-Nazis & white supremacist groups?
For the most part, the Institutional church herein referred to as the I.C. hasn’t raised a strong, united voice indicating where they stand on the issue. Consequently, the silence in itself is both telling and deafening by comparison,for when business advisers have publicly stepped away from Trump, by contrast, the Nation’s evangelical leaders have made no or little noise over the issue and they remain steadfast and committed to Trump.
As an example, here are some quotes from various church leaders:-
Robert Jeffries, one of Trumps advisors said this on his twitter account,
“Pray for peace in Charlottesville and across our nation,” and “Let there be no misunderstanding. Racism is sin. Period,”
Paula White on her twitter account wrote about the event mentioning that there is a need for renewal of grace and for God to help us.
Franklin Graham defended Trump on his Facebook page stating that the shame should be on politicians that want to blame Trump.
Joel Osteen on his Facebook page wrote that, “…When somebody doesn’t agree with us or not doing what we like, it’s easy to get in conflict with them, to argue, to try to straighten them out, to prove our point. No, you have to be the bigger person. Just because they’re doing wrong doesn’t mean you have to engage.”
The bottom-line is that many mega church leaders haven’t said anything at all.
This mixed reaction where some leaders condemned what happened, others spoke vaguely and others have remained completely silent shows the lack of unity in the I.C.
We live in troubling times; it is not the time to panic! But it’s time to get your life in order and prepare yourself mentally, spiritually, emotionally & even learn several survival skills should any disaster happen. Leaders in the I.C. are not preparing their congregations to understand the times and many unsuspecting churchgoers will be caught off guard when the rapture they are waiting for doesn’t happen and they are faced with the tribulation.
This post is not to analyze the racial divide that is deep in America. It’s to simply shed light on the fact that the I.C. is unable to give proper guidance to their church goers and one of the reasons is due to the fact that she is divided.
Jesus predicted the division that would happen to the Institutional church. He did this using the parable of the mustard seed.
Matthew 13:31-32
31 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, 32 which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”
In order to understand this parable, you have to look at the history of the church:-
The Seed -The church had very humble beginnings with the disciples who symbolize the mustard seed.
The huge tree – From 312 AD when Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, Roman practices were mixed with Christian beliefs leading to the creation of the Roman Catholic Church that grew far and wide, virtually unopposed for centuries.
Branches – The protestant reformation that opposed the many false doctrines of the Catholic church occurred in the 16th Century. The church split as many denominations were created.
Birds nest in its branches – demons infiltrated the churches, bringing false doctrines with them. (in Matthew 13:4- birds represents demons).
Clearly the Lord Jesus warned our present generation with this parable prophesied over 2000 years ago.
A clear and simple analysis is that the I.C. is infiltrated by demons and that is why she is weak. All she has is a form of godliness but no power. The early church with the apostles was relatively small but moved with great power but the Laodicean church of today is large but weak & lukewarm, unable to make any significant impact.Clearly, the Spirit of God is no longer in the I.C. The Lord warned you with the parable of the mustard seed. If you seek direction from her, you will be led into more confusion.
The Lord Jesus said on the other hand that HE will build his own Church and the gates of hell will not prevail. Matthew 16:18. He was not referring to the Institutional Church, but to all the believers throughout the centuries that have remained faithful to Him because he has kept them. From every generation, God always has HIS remnant who remain faithful to him.
If you want to understand why the I.C. is the way it is and get a clear understanding of who the Body of Christ is, get a copy of
The Church of the End-Time Zombies.
Paperback http://www.lulu.com/content/16262055 and
e-bookhttp://www.lulu.com/content/16464312
For all books by Pam Sheppard go to http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/pam_s911
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