End of the Church Age

[the_human_being]

It does appear that we are living in the time of the end of the Church Age. It has been documented that the current trend indicates that there are 1,000 new church startups annually with the closings of 4,000 churches annually. The net result is a net loss of 3,000 churches annually.

Here are some other disturbing statistics that lend itself to my premise that this is indeed the beginning of the end of the Church Age:

65% of folks born prior to 1946 claim to know Christ. 35% of those born between 1946 and 1964 claim to know Christ. 15% of those born between 1965 and 1979 claim to know Christ. Amazingly, of those born between 1980 and 2000, only 4% claim to know Christ.

I realize to the Christian, this is somewhat alarming. It shouldn't be. Indeed it should be expected. We were told over 2,000 years ago that this would happen. We should have expected it. Our Bibles were the source of this revelation. I will even go so far as to submit that our present state of churches closely represents that of the Laodiceans. It is a system of lukewarm churches that fail God's muster.

What to do? Nothing. There is nothing we can do. If we believe God has control then we must conclude this is God's will and His plan in bringing to a close this age and to usher in the Kingdom of Christ.

We must be prepared to face persecution unheralded in the history of the world. We will bear all kinds of trials and tribulations with the assurance that he who endures unto the end shall be saved.

As the Bible states, the mockers walking after their own lusts are among us. These will boast and gleefully rejoice and curse you and despise you and declare they have defeated you and God Himself. Be not heavy hearted, there will be joy in the morning.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Tremendous analysis.

 

[aris2chat]

Let me know when the erroneous christian age ends and that age of tolerance become the teachings of the church

 

[JakeStarkey]

Let me know when the erroneous christian age ends and that age of tolerance become the teachings of the church

Christians, like other religionists and non-believers, tend to not be tolerant.

 

[the_human_being]

Let me know when the erroneous christian age ends and that age of tolerance become the teachings of the church

2Pe 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
2Pe 3:4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
2Pe 3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
2Pe 3:6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
2Pe 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
2Pe 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
2Pe 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
2Pe 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

The scoffers are all around us now.

 

[aris2chat]

Let me know when the erroneous christian age ends and that age of tolerance become the teachings of the church

2Pe 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
2Pe 3:4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
2Pe 3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
2Pe 3:6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
2Pe 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
2Pe 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
2Pe 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
2Pe 3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

The scoffers are all around us now.

Not jesus

Not written by peter and not written till around 100-160 AD

 

[JakeStarkey]

Most of Christianity has little tolerance for the literalists.

 

[IsaacNewton]

Thousands of religions have come and gone in human history. The religions of ancient Egypt lasted 3000-5000 years and then went away. And the world endured without notice as it has regarding the coming and going of all extinct beliefs.

Knowledge displaces the belief in magic in general. However, the fear of death will make sure there is always some form of religion because the vast majority of humans on Earth are uneducated and will always be uneducated. Thus magic still and will always hold strong roots in the mind of dullards and the weak. Knowledge also requires the courage to face the reality that is revealed. This hurdle is just too high for those who are not educated about the physical world and the debunking of magic.

 

[JakeStarkey]

So the enlightned will need to guide the dull and the weak. The latter will kill the former if they try anything of the sort. Consider the French Revolution, the USSR, and Red China. Don't be foolish.

 

[IsaacNewton]

So the enlightned will need to guide the dull and the weak. The latter will kill the former if they try anything of the sort. Consider the French Revolution, the USSR, and Red China. Don't be foolish.

Not much into leaps of the absurd are you? Who said anything about 'killing' anyone other than you.

Human beings use any and all reasons to kill others throughout history, Christianity and Islam being among the greatest offenders.

I addressed the OP about the disappearing Church and wane of Christianity as a religion. And religions in general.

Try to address the OP.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Elitists think they are not obvious, but one of the pitfalls of an elitist is that he has to show everyone around him he is an elitist, a better person.

Christianity is not disappearing and the churches are here as well.

Talk to us in a 100 years.

 

[the_human_being]

Thousands of religions have come and gone in human history. The religions of ancient Egypt lasted 3000-5000 years and then went away. And the world endured without notice as it has regarding the coming and going of all extinct beliefs.

Knowledge displaces the belief in magic in general. However, the fear of death will make sure there is always some form of religion because the vast majority of humans on Earth are uneducated and will always be uneducated. Thus magic still and will always hold strong roots in the mind of dullards and the weak. Knowledge also requires the courage to face the reality that is revealed. This hurdle is just too high for those who are not educated about the physical world and the debunking of magic.

Yes indeed. Albert Einstein was one of your dullards.

 

[norwegen]

It does appear that we are living in the time of the end of the Church Age. It has been documented that the current trend indicates that there are 1,000 new church startups annually with the closings of 4,000 churches annually. The net result is a net loss of 3,000 churches annually.

Here are some other disturbing statistics that lend itself to my premise that this is indeed the beginning of the end of the Church Age:

65% of folks born prior to 1946 claim to know Christ. 35% of those born between 1946 and 1964 claim to know Christ. 15% of those born between 1965 and 1979 claim to know Christ. Amazingly, of those born between 1980 and 2000, only 4% claim to know Christ.

I realize to the Christian, this is somewhat alarming. It shouldn't be. Indeed it should be expected. We were told over 2,000 years ago that this would happen. We should have expected it. Our Bibles were the source of this revelation. I will even go so far as to submit that our present state of churches closely represents that of the Laodiceans. It is a system of lukewarm churches that fail God's muster.

What to do? Nothing. There is nothing we can do. If we believe God has control then we must conclude this is God's will and His plan in bringing to a close this age and to usher in the Kingdom of Christ.

We must be prepared to face persecution unheralded in the history of the world. We will bear all kinds of trials and tribulations with the assurance that he who endures unto the end shall be saved.

As the Bible states, the mockers walking after their own lusts are among us. These will boast and gleefully rejoice and curse you and despise you and declare they have defeated you and God Himself. Be not heavy hearted, there will be joy in the morning.

What is your source for these figures?

Very intriguing.

 

[the_human_being]

It does appear that we are living in the time of the end of the Church Age. It has been documented that the current trend indicates that there are 1,000 new church startups annually with the closings of 4,000 churches annually. The net result is a net loss of 3,000 churches annually.

Here are some other disturbing statistics that lend itself to my premise that this is indeed the beginning of the end of the Church Age:

65% of folks born prior to 1946 claim to know Christ. 35% of those born between 1946 and 1964 claim to know Christ. 15% of those born between 1965 and 1979 claim to know Christ. Amazingly, of those born between 1980 and 2000, only 4% claim to know Christ.

I realize to the Christian, this is somewhat alarming. It shouldn't be. Indeed it should be expected. We were told over 2,000 years ago that this would happen. We should have expected it. Our Bibles were the source of this revelation. I will even go so far as to submit that our present state of churches closely represents that of the Laodiceans. It is a system of lukewarm churches that fail God's muster.

What to do? Nothing. There is nothing we can do. If we believe God has control then we must conclude this is God's will and His plan in bringing to a close this age and to usher in the Kingdom of Christ.

We must be prepared to face persecution unheralded in the history of the world. We will bear all kinds of trials and tribulations with the assurance that he who endures unto the end shall be saved.

As the Bible states, the mockers walking after their own lusts are among us. These will boast and gleefully rejoice and curse you and despise you and declare they have defeated you and God Himself. Be not heavy hearted, there will be joy in the morning.

What is your source for these figures?

Very intriguing.

It appeared in a Southern Baptist publication that our pastor included that portion of in our class for new members.

 

[norwegen]

It does appear that we are living in the time of the end of the Church Age. It has been documented that the current trend indicates that there are 1,000 new church startups annually with the closings of 4,000 churches annually. The net result is a net loss of 3,000 churches annually.

Here are some other disturbing statistics that lend itself to my premise that this is indeed the beginning of the end of the Church Age:

65% of folks born prior to 1946 claim to know Christ. 35% of those born between 1946 and 1964 claim to know Christ. 15% of those born between 1965 and 1979 claim to know Christ. Amazingly, of those born between 1980 and 2000, only 4% claim to know Christ.

I realize to the Christian, this is somewhat alarming. It shouldn't be. Indeed it should be expected. We were told over 2,000 years ago that this would happen. We should have expected it. Our Bibles were the source of this revelation. I will even go so far as to submit that our present state of churches closely represents that of the Laodiceans. It is a system of lukewarm churches that fail God's muster.

What to do? Nothing. There is nothing we can do. If we believe God has control then we must conclude this is God's will and His plan in bringing to a close this age and to usher in the Kingdom of Christ.

We must be prepared to face persecution unheralded in the history of the world. We will bear all kinds of trials and tribulations with the assurance that he who endures unto the end shall be saved.

As the Bible states, the mockers walking after their own lusts are among us. These will boast and gleefully rejoice and curse you and despise you and declare they have defeated you and God Himself. Be not heavy hearted, there will be joy in the morning.

What is your source for these figures?

Very intriguing.

It appeared in a Southern Baptist publication that our pastor included that portion of in our class for new members.

Okay, thank you.

You're Southern baptist, too? Groovy.

 

[Treeshepherd]

We're in an age of deconstructionism, generally, or what Heidegger called Destruktion.

In Being and Time, Heidegger says that the purpose of Destruktion is to “arrive at those primordial experiences in which we achieved our first ways of determining the nature of Being—the ways which have guided us ever since”

I just started reading an anthology of Kierkegaard. He seems to suggest that Church doctrine promotes spiritual laziness... and consequently it is more difficult to become a Christian within Christendom, whereas the earliest Christians had to swim against the stream and live or die by Christian principles.
"There are many people who reach their conclusions about life like schoolboys; they cheat their master by copying the answer out of a book without having worked out the sum for themselves."

Incidentally, that last quote would apply to most atheists as well.

 

[JakeStarkey]

We're in an age of deconstructionism, generally, or what Heidegger called Destruktion.

In Being and Time, Heidegger says that the purpose of Destruktion is to “arrive at those primordial experiences in which we achieved our first ways of determining the nature of Being—the ways which have guided us ever since”

I just started reading an anthology of Kierkegaard. He seems to suggest that it is more difficult to become a Christian within Christendom, whereas the earliest Christians had to swim against the stream and live or die by Christian principles.
"There are many people who reach their conclusions about life like schoolboys; they cheat their master by copying the answer out of a book without having worked out the sum for themselves."

Incidentally, that last quote would apply to most atheists as well.

Indeed.

 

[IsaacNewton]

Elitists think they are not obvious, but one of the pitfalls of an elitist is that he has to show everyone around him he is an elitist, a better person.

Christianity is not disappearing and the churches are here as well.

Talk to us in a 100 years.

So anyone that espouses an opinion is an 'elitist'? LOL

Then by your estimation Einstein was no smarter or more enlightened than David Koresh. Welcome to Amuhrca.

“There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.”
- Isaac Asimov -

This is a disease of the mind in America, that we are all equal in all ways all the time. It just isn't true. Knoweledge frees people from the fear of superstition and the belief in magic. These beliefs came from the savage mind of human beings ten thousand years ago and before who had no idea how the physical world worked. There is no 'god of the volcano, or of the lightning or wind. There is no 'god of the corn'. You can't sacrifice an animal or worse yet a human being and 'appease' these non-existent 'gods' '. These are all things that morphed into being in the human psych way back then as a way for those humans to try to understand and control the natural world which was always trying to kill them.

We've learned why all these things happen. There is no need for the 'gods' that produce or control them. Because there are no 'gods' that produce of control them.

That's all.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Your disease of the mind suggested I implied that "So anyone that espouses an opinion is an 'elitist'?" when I said and implied nothing of the sort. You are acting like a dopey elitist.

 

[IsaacNewton]

Your disease of the mind suggested I implied that "So anyone that espouses an opinion is an 'elitist'?" when I said and implied nothing of the sort. You are acting like a dopey elitist.

The conversation is flying over your head, sorry.

I'll move on.