A Growing Hunger for ‘True Church’
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A Growing Hunger for ‘True Church’
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Have you become disillusioned with “church as usual”? Are you tired of going through the motions, perhaps frustrated because you feel nothing?
Do you long for authentic, increasing growth in Jesus and for intimacy with Him but feel only frustration because it seems that true growth and community in Christ elude you?
If so, you are not alone. I have noticed over and over in recent years that the Body of Christ seems to be burned out with normal, ordinary “church.” And we seem to have reached a tipping point, for at every place I turn, with nearly every family I know — and among the tens of thousands of readers who contact our ministry yearly — there is a mass migration out of “church as usual” in order to seek the real Church.
Get involved in state level prayer with IFA.
The Church is leaving “the church” in order to seek authentic church.
And in many cases, God’s people are finding authentic, biblical church in micro-churches, home groups, and other nontraditional, unmarketable, unglamorous expressions of the Body of Christ.
Why does this matter?
It matters because there is a great hunger among God’s people for authentic community. The Church (the ekklesia, the governing Body of Christ) was never meant to be a performance, a ritual, or a celebration of celebrity status. It was instead meant to be a place where, according to Acts chapter 2:
- people are supposed to develop real relationships that last not only for Sunday morning, but also endure on Monday through Saturday;
- people “do life” together, delighting in their commonality in Christ;
- the saints understand that every member of the Body has equal importance, rather than breeding an exclusive level of elite “super-Christians” in leadership that do not mingle with regular people;
- people are taught and equipped, not merely preached at;
- people enjoy the mundane with one another. Fun activities and meals together are a vital part of Christian community, and the authentic Church lives that way and values those things because they build relationship;
- giving and sharing when any person has need is to be considered normal, not unusual;
- unity is tangible, and people find joy in the excellence of the saints;
- the unity and closeness of the brotherhood is such a witness to the lost that, together with the preaching of the Gospel, the Lord adds to the Church daily such as are being saved.
Look at the following text:
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:42–47 NKJV).
And if you also share this hunger for more than “church as usual,” I want to encourage you today.
My point with this article series is not to try to get you to leave a church, but rather to encourage you to give yourself grace and consider that this might actually be God if you are feeling dissatisfied with your church routine.
Friend, if you are dissatisfied with “church as usual,” perhaps there’s nothing wrong with your dissatisfaction. Maybe, just maybe, you are tuning in to something God is doing — something that draws us to Jesus and dethrones unholy constructs that have in too many cases established themselves as norms in church culture.
What unholy norms have established themselves in church culture?
Here are just a few:
- People are being used to build ministries and churches, rather than ministries and churches being used to build people.
- Celebrity status among church leaders is considered to be an asset in ministry, rather than holiness and integrity being an asset.
- People are expected to volunteer at church every week but to fend for themselves Monday through Saturday.
- Authentic community is often discouraged if it’s not organized by the local church.
- Jockeying for position, paranoia, and “what’s mine is mine, and what’s yours is mine” attitudes run rampant, but the saints are often not being shepherded.
Not every church is like this, of course. However, I do believe I am seeing people exit en masse from churches that are. The saints seem to be awakening to what’s real, true, and holy, and for the first time in a long time, they seem to be losing their concern for other people’s opinions.
This means that as Christians search for Acts chapter 2 church:
- small has become the new big;
- quiet is the new loud;
- private is the new public;
- few is the new many;
- depth, transformation, and fruit are the new measurements of success, rather than numbers, dollars, and appearances.
Friend, the Church is leaving the “church” in order to find true church — but I don’t think that’s a bad thing.
Over the next several articles, I’d like to explore the drastic shift in Christian priorities that we are seeing at the individual level. Specifically:
- In light of Scripture passages like Ezekiel 34 and Jeremiah 23, could the mass movement of saints into micro-churches and home churches actually be a move of God?
- Could the people who are leaving massive churches, looking for authentic community and growth in God, actually be right?
- Could it be that Jesus is changing the makeup and structure of His Body, moving His sheep like the masterful Good Shepherd that He is?
I encourage you to read Ezekiel 34 if you have not done so recently. In the next article, we will examine how God could be using the migration of church members to carry out His promises of healing and restoration from Ezekiel 34.
Meanwhile, prayerfully examine yourself: Do you feel dissatisfied with church constructs that don’t match the Church Jesus established in Acts 2? Is the Lord giving you a hunger for something more? Comment below!
This is the first installment of a series of articles reflecting on the Church in America. Check next Saturday for the next installment.
Jamie Rohrbaugh is the founder and CEO of From His Presence. She is the author of Getting to Know the Sevenfold Holy Spirit, and she seeks to equip you to carry His manifest glory everywhere you go. Her resources have been published by YouVersion Bible Plans and in Charisma magazine, as well as on The Elijah List, Spirit Fuel, and various other ministry outlets. You can find free mentoring on her podcast, Take Your Territory with Jamie Rohrbaugh, which is available through your favorite podcast streaming app. Download her free prayer tool, Praying the Names of God: 555 Biblical Names of God and How to Use Them in Prayer and Worship, here. Photo Credit: Canva.
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This idea and series of articles resonates deeply within me! I have felt dissatisfied and restless with the way ‘we do church’ on a broad scale for years, and have been praying for God to bring about REformation. The current MO of the church at large should leave a desperate hunger in every believer — particularly new believers, who can easily interpret (rightly so) the Christian life and church as a very CASUAL experience. Just walk in (late) with your cup of Jo, ‘watch’ the ‘concert’ and light show in the dark, and look around with hands in pockets at everybody else. Then a short ‘tickle-the-ears’ sermon, and good to go for another week. :\ As one evangelist called it, “Big screens, skinny jeans and smoke machines”. It has become a ‘cult’-ure of seeker-friendly watered-down compromised experience. And never mind that we are all going deaf before our 30s due to the decible level of the music. So-called ‘worship’ leaders often seem to be merely enjoying a hobby or exercising their skills, and more engaged with their voice or style or instrument rather than leading into true worship. Not all churches, but it is exceedingly more and more difficult to find places where the Lord’s Presence is, and where the full uncompromised Gospel is preached. The ones we have found are few and far between online. I am elated with the addressing of this issue, and praying that God is truly beginning a new move in The Church.
Whenever I see an article by Jamie I know it’s a must-read. Here again, God speaks through her to give clarity during what has been a most perplexing time. After 20+ years in a church we used to hold dear, we’re now searching for what she calls “true church.” My heart goes out to the many who join in this quest for fellowship with the Lord Himself and with those who love HIM. May the Lord revive His visible church and also bless smaller gatherings and may we all at some point see a convergence of the greater Body that glorifies Him.
Father,
I pray that Your true church will rise, through out this nation and around the world. May we come to the understanding that it is not the buildings or organizations that are the church but that we Your children are to be the church. Obedient to Your Word and commands, and filled with Your Holy Spirit, with peace, love and truth.
Amen
I have experienced this, God leading me to smaller house fellowships. I was hungry for more of Him and I believe it’s for a more intense development of fellowship in Him, and with each other. He knows our needs. All of us gathered are just hungry for more of Him. And we’ve had incredible times of fellowship with The Father and each other. Only God could forge these types of relationships with each other but more importantly with Him, for His glory.
Father thank You for putting this desire for MORE of You in each of our hearts and thank You for guiding us each step along the way of this incredible (and still sometimes lonely) journey of LIFE in You. I pray for grace and strength to keep on asking, seeking, and knocking for You. God You are faithful. Your Word says, “which of you if your son asks for bread would give him a stone?”
Seek, ask, knock.
Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything else will follow.
Father I pray for grace and strength for each of us on this journey to keep seeking and asking for more of You, Your Truth, Your Life., to lead us to the Fountain of Living Waters.
Wow! For over a year and a half now after major battles regarding our children and leadership in the church, this is exactly what I’ve been sensing. It actually started during civid and we left our church of 15 years. I woke up one morning with the word “purifying” ringing in my head and heart. I thought it was the Lord removing the denominations of the church until we went through leadership issues and our kids were involved, in the last church we attended. I was highly involved, lead intercession several times during the week. But when the enemy reared his head and the leadership went along with it, we left that church too. And I’ve been asking the Lord what is He showing me and where does He wants us. Every church we visited since operates the same. I am believing that the purification He was pointing out is actually Him revealing the wrongs in His churches just like the 7 churches in Revelation. And I believe He is calling us to His way of being the church not doing church. Meeting together, eating together, praying together, etc. is this what He means by His pure bride? Holy and righteous and the way He intended? I think so. Church was never to be a place to sell books and items. Was never a place where the pastors and leaders are above everyone else. Never a place where worship is a concert so we can get out of it what “we” need. We are to worship to His heart. I truly believe this is further confirmation to what the Lord is calling my family to. To open our home and be the church that the book of Acts describes. We need it more than ever.
I reposted because of my typos….
Wow! For over a year and a half now after major battles regarding our children and leadership in the church, this is exactly what I’ve been sending. It actually started during civid and we left our church of 15 years. I woke up one morning with the word “purifying” ringing in my head and heart. I thought it was the Lord removing the denominations of the church until we went through leadership issues and our kids were involved in the last church we attended. I was highly involved, lead intercession several times during the week. But when the enemy reared his head and the leadership went along with it, we left that church. And I’ve been asking the Lord what is He showing me and where does He wants us. Every church we visited since opposites the same. I am believing that the purification He was pointing out is actually Him revealing the wrongs in His churches just like the 7 churches in Revelation. And I believe He is calling us to His way of being the church not doing church. Meeting together, eating together, praying together, etc. is this what He means by His pure bride? Holy and righteous and the way He intended? I think so. Church was never to be a place to sell books and items. Was never a place where the pastors and leaders are above everyone else. Never a place where worship is a concert so we can get out of it what “we” need. We are to worship to His heart. I truly believe this is further confirmation to what the Lord is calling my family to. To open our home and be the church that the book of Acts describes. We need it more than ever.
24 years ago this November, just three days before Thanksgiving, I left my abusive husband of 24 years.. In the next few months, I lost my children (13 and 11 at the time). They believed the false narrative their father had set up about me, so they abandoned me.
Long story short, I have felt like a piece of driftwood, floating along in life, connected to no one. For me, going to church is the most lonely time of the week. It’s been that way for 24 years, as I have explored a few different churches.
A couple Sundays ago I happened upon a Presbyterian church in my area, which I hope will work out. The female pastor (first one I have ever had) preaches great “thinking” sermons. She has been greatly influenced by C.S. Lewis, which I appreciate.
I wish I could connect up with a home church set-up, but I have not been able to find one. Do you have any IFA people in West Seattle? With traffic being so terrible in Seattle, I really don’t want to travel across town or to another community and hope to stay in the West Seattle/Burien (or even Des Moines) area…
Thank you for the thoughtful article.
Anyway, I’m these churches the Holy Spirit was not in charge of the service. I actually felt good that I was at church but no movement of the Holy Spirit. I pray for those churches that the Holy Spirit would light these congregations church and leader ship with Holy Ghost fire in Jesus name!
I have been to every church around here with in an hours drive. I have tried to have friends prayer partners. They say they don’t have time.
The one church my daughter says she and her husband enjoy is in Salem not to far for me. I am going to go there. I haven’t started yet. I am waiting to get Botox shots for my migraines. Almost every day since 1986 I have been getting these. I take Imitrex for quick relief and it’s bearable but these pills after make me feel heavy and tired.
Botox helped me before than I didn’t need the shots anymore. I was on a preventive than I didn even have them once in a while. No insurance with Medicare will help pay for them. So been miserable with these migraines.
God Bless you all!
.
I agree Rea. When is the church going to be filled with the HOLYSspirit again. I have one more to check out. It’s the Cowboy church. Reigning Grace Ranch church. No fancy lights, no fancy equipment either just good true worship I am told. I pray it is what the LORD has chose. For me in this next season of worship. People on fire for the LORD and HIS kingdom. WARRIORS of the cross. Not afraid to speak out in TRUTH of what is going on in our nation. Those who join with the LORD in FAITH in doing what HE has created them and called them too. That’s how I have lived my LIFE.
Blessings,
Susie ( A Prayer WARRIOR)
Hello to all! May I offer some encouragement to each of you? I am a survivor of spiritual abuse, trauma, and post-traumatic stress, who – by God’s great grace – is learning to thrive. 100% of my wounds came from within the “church”. (I want to be clear, the environment I was in was not a cult, but a recognized and well-known denomination.)
In the process of my healing, God revealed a number of false teachings and distortions of Scriptures that had been taken out-of-context and weaponized. Enough said.
Healing has been a long journey, with many tears and unanswered questions. But God has faithfully and patiently kept me moving forward into HIS Truth. I am now able to read my Bible again without triggering PTS attacks. And I downloaded an audio version of my Bible so I can read along as I listen. (No commentaries or opinions…just His Word.)
So, I say this with a great deal of caution: Perhaps some of you might consider the possibility that you’ve experienced spiritual trauma or even trauma-bonding? I pray that’s not the case for any of you, and I’m not out to crucify any denomination or religious leader or congregation. But from personal experience I know spiritual wounds are often hard to detect, especially in church environments where cover-up seems more important than transparency, and reputation is given more weight than character.
Ironically, I still believe that community within the body of Christ is vitally important today. And I pray that God will supply each of you that church, or that home Bible Study group, or that prayer team…or even that park bench or street corner where you can heal, and grow, and thrive…and be Jesus’ “hands and feet” to the rest of the world.
God bless you!
I cry out for something more. After COVID shut down churches and pastors towed the government line and took money from the government it became quite obvious to myself and others that something is missing.
This article really struck me, as this is what I’ve been dealing with. We recently left our religion that we’ve been members of most of our lives. It was a comfort to read– I’ve never felt closer to God than I do now, yet don’t belong to a church. I think there are many others out there who are being refined and honed for whatever is coming next. Don’t ever make apologies for needing some one on one time with God. He’s our Father and knows us each individually. Get to know His voice. He’s there and He loves each of us more than I believe our human minds can even begin to understand.
My heart longs for a church that goes deep and actually teaches all of the gospel not just feel good sermons. I belong to a seeker friendly church, seems mostly to cater to the unsaved. That is wonderful in itself, but what about the body..they are starving! Also what happens to the ones who just got saved, how do they get rooted? Something needs to change. I keep thinking there must be a church that teaches the full truth and speaks out against all this evil, and stop ignoring all the evil things happening in our country and push back. It seems we have become tolerant or close ours eyes to what is going on that way you don’t have to deal with it. The pastor needs to be the shepherd not the body! I do believe God is opening eyes and our hearts!
YES! This is how my husband and I both feel. We no longer “go” to church, but watch online, pastors who seem authentic. We are maintaining our small group meeting every two weeks studying the Gospel of Matthew in depth
I agree with so many of the comments and pray for God to establish the true Ecclesia. My heart longs to be part of the real church and that the body of Christ would become one in spirit and truth. Please pray for the State of WI—it is such a spiritual desert here.
I heard how the early Quakers met. Here is what I heard….The people gathered wherever. After they assembled all sat in silence. No one said a word until someone of them was moved upon by the Spirit. Then there would come a scripture verse, a word of praise or a song, original or familiar. In that way the Christians would make sure the Holy Spirit was in control. As the meeting went on God would come and lives would be changed and perhaps healings would occur or lives would be rededicated. I am sure new people would get saved in those meetings as well. No one person or persons were ever “in charge.”
That is what I long to be a part of.
So true Jamie – God is at work tearing down the high places. Christ died for each of us that we might be born again to reach into the darkness with His light. We are blessed to be a blessing not to “go to church”. Love the Lord your God and love your neighbour. Forgive us Lord for chasing false gods and ignoring you. Thank you for your grace and mercy in tearing down our “church” and building Yours.
For faithful Roman Catholics to return to the TLM.
I read your article and agree with it. I pastored a church for 7 years. I stepped down to the gifting God has given me since He came to live in me and that is the gift of an evangelist. For the past two years I have been ministering every day six days a week on the streets here in my hometown. Two months ago I started have get togethers on Sunday morning for the homeless and down and out. I to 5 and up to 12 on some Sundays. There is no set agenda. Everyone is important. I facilitate, but I know that all I am is God’s rescue dog. He rescued me 30 years ago from the end of a 357. My new resume is I had a church, planted a church and now I have been promoted to the street where I have church. I have never felt more in the will of God than I do right now. Thanks for your article. Nick Hasselstrom, Evangelist Cross Tied Ministries.
I found a small group of believers in our larger church that runs a Messianic Ministry/church. It has attracted people from all over our area and even across the state line. It is looking at the scriptures through the eyes of the Hebrew rather than the Greek mindset. The bible comes alive as we (Gentiles) rediscover our Jewish Roots. Levitcus has become one of my favorite books of the bible… amazing. We would like to build authentic community by establishing community sustainable farming (much like the Shakers and Amish). In a world where too much tech, vaccines, entertainment, sexual grooming of children in public schools, indoctrination in government … what seems to be so attractive is going back to more simplistic living with community.
I believe that this has been the norm in my community, May the Lord Bless us and keep us in our community 🙏
This is what I have been looking for. The right place to worship where I can be used. I have to watch something on Facebook in another state just to get what I need. I cannot find a home church in the Cincinnati region.
Jamie,
You nailed it. It would be wonderful to find what you are talking about. We have been searching for years, and where we live, it’s all about noise, large churches or multiple church sites with ministers promoting their books, performance oriented worship, and lack of concern about what is happening to our country in favor of building one’s own ministry.
We all need to pray for one another in this arena that the Lord raises up what you are talking about in the dry places!
I agree!! The biggest issue we have faced is finding out about local house churches, etc.
The church religious system vs the Body of Messiah. In leaving the religious system in search of The Body , I have had glimpses of authenticity but overall, there is no sinew on the bones,
I do not believe that lone-wolf/rugged individualism/nature is my church, etc are Biblical models.
The small group/home fellowship can be as dysfunctional as mainstream religion, when there are not leaders and leadership structures who meet biblical standards/criteria, and who operate from The Spirit and Truth.
Like Elijah, I feel like the lonely believer, in a cave, with a distorted perspective that I am alone.
I pray for the still, small voice to direct me and others who are suffering as detached parts with little hope of attaching to a living Body. The vision and longing is strong, but I cannot see it or find it around me.
Father,
I lift up Lola and others like her to Your Throne of grace. I call forth the connections that You have ordained which are focused on the beautiful relationship between Truth and Spirit. May those connections start among those who are building their lives around times of intimacy with You — quiet times alone with You with the Bible being the primary source of instruction as it is illuminated by Holy Spirit. May each come with a teachable spirit and an ever-increasing hunger to know You better.
May each come with a desire to see the plans, purposes and precepts of heaven established here on earth, with each of the participants understanding the ways in which You desire to use them individually and corporately to build up the others. Father, i ask that they would seek to be disciplined in such a way that their speaking and thinking is on that which is just, true, honest, lovely and of good report so that their conversations would be filled with virtue and praise so that each is growing in the likeness of JESUS, with the sole intention being to bring You glory. We call forth such “Shilohs” in every community as the knowledge of Your glory fills the earth. In JESUS’ Name we pray.
I often hear if we aren’t happy in our church, we should “get over it” because no church is perfect. I wonder if the same logic applies to relationships. Should we remain friends with someone we find out is stealing from us and won’t repent and should we just get over it?
Churches should be the first place we should be able to go when we have been hurt, not the last. Church members should cheer on our accomplishments, not deem us a threat. Churches should be places where we can bring extended family and where they will feel loved. Churches need pastors who are not spiritual and emotional bullies.
I have found more ministry happens around my dining room table than in most churches I’ve gone to. Home churches aren’t perfect, but just as the New Testament church went from house to house, I think home churches come closer to the biblical model than highly mortgaged, often impersonal institutions with a church name in their title.
I haven’t been able to connect and stay in a church since 2005.
The gossiping, backbiting, gaslighting, holier than thou, cultish, hurt
fulness drove me out, then on to a new church, more of the same with the leadership sinning and or preaching another cult doctrine. I recently tried again, but don’t feel the love that’s preached. It’s totally possible that this is my fault because I don’t feel anything anymore and don’t trust many either.
We pray that your disillusionment and dissatisfaction with the institutional church will drive you to seek God passionately and not allow it to cause you to turn from Him. He WILL heal that hurt and direct you to authentic community.
Dearest “Sad,”
Please see my response to “Lola” above. I am believing and praying that GOD is speaking to your heart to become contagious in your love for Him so that joy and fulfillment with “infect” others and you and your new-found friends (beloved believers) will establish the community you are seeking.
Dear Sad, my heart breaks with yours. I understand the hurtful experiences that can come from other church-goers (not all who are there are true believers or followers). That being said, the Church – the Body of Christ – will always be imperfect as long as there are people there! 😮 But I urge you not to be discouraged. Take heart with the encouragement from God’s Word, and from others who have commented in this venue. I pray that God will lead you to the right community of faith, whether it begins with one or two. As Jesus said, “wherever two or more are gathered in my name, I am there in their midst”. The Lord El-Roi sees and hears you.
So powerful and definitely a yearning for many on the body of Christ at Large, thank you for this article, Jamie is such a Blessing to the Body of Christ..
Thank you Abba
Yes, and amen!! We have been on the search for authentic community since about 2003, but have found very few that are courageous enough to join us. We have experienced it to a degree, but most people seem content with less than authentic community – or they have become bitter and disillusioned with the institution and abandon fellowship altogether – or they fear the unknown. So I’ve prayed for some time – “Father, please let Your bride become spiritually discontent with anything less than what You desire for her. Let that discontent lead to seeking You diligently, in order to begin a transition. To renounce any tradition, man-made doctrine, belief system, practice, etc. that does not reflect Godly, Biblical Truth re: the Church, the Ecclesia. And then to rebuild on the proper Foundation, Yeshua – and seek authentic community – to “Be the Church”. I pray that every structure superimposed on the Body of Christ would crumble and fall away, freeing Her to be the blood-bought, pure and spotless Bride, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing!”
This speaks to me in volume.I have official been out the the regular church routine for the last 2 years. For about five years the church was church but where was the Spirit of God ? I thought it was me rebelling or being disobedient. But this has confirmed so much for me. I had told some of my fellow and brothers and sisters in the Lord for about 5 year ago that I was just about ready to go to park on Sundays and read the word of God as His spirit lead , do my own praise and worship unto Him and bask in his presence. Instead of going to a building that I had done my whole life just to meet the spirit of God and He wasn’t there .
Dawn,
Could it be that HOLY SPIRIT is leading you to do just that?
Take your Bible. Find that park and watch your life blossom!!
Loved it Jamie,,,, it is the absolute Truth and from God. For if the Pastors will not preach the whole Gospel, then let them go to work for a carwash. They must do away with the social cliques, and seek out those less favored as equals. Bring back both Hell fire & brimstone and Rapture, End Times and Heaven forever, instead of the same old dusty how to live a good life, I’m ok. your ok. all is well sermons. It is Not, and even unbelievers know this. People want to walk into a church and Feel the power of the Holy Spirit coming in the door, while listening to the true message from God, walking out with the Glory all over them to live each day till the next service. Thank you again, this needed to be spoken,
Yes. praying for this .
Jesus founded the true Church 2000 years ago. The liturgy of the Holy Eucharist that we celebrate is always miraculous and new no matter how we feel! Thank you, Jesus, thank you my Lord!
Fortunately my fellowship is what you have described! We do life together and celebrate life together, and God is on our midst!!
We left the church because of this and the pastor and leadership lying to us. Also him saying we will allow the Holy Spirit to love unless there are too many new people, then we will manage it. We want real, we want Holy Spirit, we want community. Oh by the way we were leaders at the church.
Praying you find peace and healing. Your story saddens my heart.
So beautifully written and truthful Jamie, this is such a confirmation and something I have been praying over. I love your heart for the ekklesia. I’m so looking forward to your upcoming articles.
I find this article to be very timely. We are doing a study at our church on the Francis Chan book, “Until Unity”, which encourages this very idea of which we, as Christians in America, need to seriously become engaged in. Lord, by your grace, grow Your church in America and the world, to be a beacon of light to a lost and dying world. In Jesus’ holy name.
Amen!!!! Thank you, Lord for opening our eyes. You are our Savior
I connect with this message. I agree. Thank you and look forward to more
The depth of Jamie’s article reaches down to the depths of what many Christians are sensing in their souls.
A recent study showed that many people have left the church, never to return after the COVID fear push was brought forth (as part of the plan). But that same study does not include people that have changed to small home or micro churches.
There is a greater hunger in our world today than ever for Christ & many souls have/are being saved. In the “quiet world” of not seeking headlines or public
adoration, many new converts or established Christians are flying under the radar… and God continues to do His mighty work – it won’t be stopped.
I’m praying for revival fire to sweep the churches. I just started going back to church after a 10 year absence (my absence had nothing to do with the churches, but a stupid hissyfit I had with God but He forgave me in love and received me back). Our nation is facing the darkest times I’ve seen during my lifetime, & I came back expecting to see churches crying out to God in prayer for intercession in all the wickedness going on in the nation. Instead, every service is being conducted “business as usual” as if there is hardly anything wrong in the world–as if our nation isn’t falling apart. I sense absolutely no urgency in them at all. I am astonished and keep asking myself if I’m dreaming it.
So that is yet another reason I’m thankful for IFA. We may feel limited in the actions we can take to change our nation, but we have the mighty tool of prayer to approach God’s throne of grace. If we will simply get our heads out of the sand, acknowledge our desperate need for His intercession and use it for powerful, fervent prayer, our prayers of faith can change things because we serve a mighty God who loves us. But we must be determinedly seeking Him. Pray without ceasing!
BK you said it very well and you are not dreaming. Your first paragraph is what I observed and couldn’t (or wouldn’t) put into words. Thank you.
I just read Jeremiah 22 & Ezekiel 34 the lord gave that to me over & over again about the churches!!! Along with Ezekiel 33 wow what are revelation!!!!!!!
Amen, I look forward to the forthcoming articles! Father help us to be The Church you desire, to feed the hungry, those searching for You, searching for the abundant life-giving waters of Your Presence, the real and the true. Amen Father, amen.
Thank you for sharing all this you are 100% right. In 1986 May 15, 12 o’clock I saw a open vision it was a wolf attacking the church. Then I saw Jesus with flames in his eyes hair white as wool. I could hardly look then the wolf was gone & the church. Jesus was still there. Then revelations one John saw! Through the years that’s what I saw with all the churches. My heart grieves for the churches and the pastors.
This article was so encouraging to me and a confirmation of what I have been sensing from the Lord. These two statements were particularly affirming:
“Friend, if you are dissatisfied with “church as usual,” perhaps there’s nothing wrong with your dissatisfaction. Maybe, just maybe, you are tuning in to something God is doing — something that draws us to Jesus and dethrones unholy constructs that have in too many cases established themselves as norms in church culture.”
“The saints seem to be awakening to what’s real, true, and holy, and for the first time in a long time, they seem to be losing their concern for other people’s opinions.”
Thank you for sharing this, IFA and Jamie!
I so agree! The Lord has the church U attend on a journey. He shook us, and now he’s rebuilding some things. May all those in Church leadership catch The Lord’s Vision. May all in Church leadership reflect on their own spiritual hunger. Many are fine with church as usual because they can coast along in the systems & structures they’ve built. Lord, wipe fear and apathy out of Your House! In Jesus’s name!
I wish there were quick answers to this problem. Thank you for this article. I am saddened and disheartened because it is true. One prevalent problem is pride in the leadership whether the church is big or small. I attribute this to the working of Satan and the weakness of men. How we need to pray for our leaders that they will purify themselves and we would do the same. My first pastor spoke wise words that ought to be heeded; we need to always be teachable, reachable, and humble about it. Not resentful. God still teaches as we read His word and for that I am thankful.
I have been saddened and disheartened for years about this problem, but am really encouraged by this article and the fact that it has been finally publicly acknowledged through this platform! Jesus Christ is building HIS church, and will come back for a church without spot or wrinkle-it’s in His word<3
AMEN!!!
And add, to the “unholy norms (that) have established themselves in church culture,” this sad malady:
• Church has become just another place of entertained (we attend, we are entertained, we feel good, we leave) rather than a place of entering corporately into His presence.
Church was never meant to be entertaining or merely a “feel-good” experience. Church is supposed to encourage us, challenge us, convict us, teach us, disciple us, connect us to each other, and help us to grow in grace and to mature spiritually. But more than all that, church should be the place where we, together, enter the Holy of Holies of God’s presence – through worship (not singing or being sung to) and through prayer!
Where is the Holy of Holies in the churches in America these days?? It has been replaced with/by entertainment!
I am one who wholeheartedly agrees with your article. I became dissatisfied with church as usual a few years ago. During the pandemic I grew increasingly dissatisfied. This past year I started visiting Sunday services “shopping” for a home church. What I found was a very disappointing church as usual, in other words 3 or 4 songs then an hours long sermon. This church member has left the “church.” Now looking for Acts 2.
True, many are weary of worldly church — fog, roving lights, 93+dB volume, distorted “selfie-centered” music, popcorn, doughnut crumbs, and coffee spills on the floor and seating.
Worldly church is being promoted by sophisticated influencers who advise leadership to replace our altars with stages, to preach endless “series” sermons instead of Holy Spirit-prompted messages, and to promote game nights or PG-rated “family movie” matinees, while prayer gatherings remain unannounced and left to a few older women shuffled off to a back room somewhere.
I pray that people who long for a Jesus-centered community with whom they can grow, worship in Spirit and truth, and also disciple others well, are able to discover new ways to be the Body of Christ for such a time as this.
Yes, and we need equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry…that means equipping and then ministry options where saints can use that equipping. Regular organized prayer walks, watchman prayer meetings, food pantries, street ministry, healing & deliverance prayer nights advertised to community……theres no shortage of ministry options but most churches do very little.
The culture is just like the world culture: “me, me, me”.