The Disappearing Church
A church has vanished from the Russian village where it stood for almost 200 years, the local diocese reported.
The Church of Christ's Resurrection, in the central Russian village of Komarovo, was built in 1809, but in early October (2008) someone took it away brick by brick. Father Vitaly a spokesman for the local Russian Orthodox Church, told Reuters:
“We have sent a letter to local prosecutors,” he said. “Who exactly did this, the investigation will show.”
“This is not an isolated case,” said Father Vitaly. “In many villages in central Russia sites of historical interest are being dismantled and people suffer by being deprived of their cultural heritage.”
Churches all across America are in danger of suffering a similar fate. Although our bricks may not disappear, our theological foundations are constantly in jeopardy of being pilfered by capitulation to secular forces. Brick by brick, the Church is at risk of disappearing as we compromise the timeless truths of the Christian faith.
"Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you" (1 Timothy 4:16, NLT).
German Officer Defies Hitler to Honor Scripture
My friend’s father was the head of the German army officer’s union, which in English is called the Steel Helmet. Hitler, Hess, Goring, Dr. Goebbels, and many other top Nazi leaders came to my friend’s Bavarian home to negotiate with his father. Hitler desperately needed the support of the German army officers' union to grasp control of the government.
My friend remembers many long and heated discussions around the fireplace between his father and the future leaders of the Third Reich. His father actually agreed with Hitler about many of the reforms that he wanted be bring to Germany. But when he began to grasp Hitler’s “Final Solution” plan for the Jews, he flatly disagreed. He was an evangelical Christian, a Plymouth Brethren who believed in a literal interpretation of prophecy and the covenants God made with the Israelites. In other words, he was a true Premillennialist … in his beliefs concerning Bible prophecy. …
As God swore to Abraham and reconfirmed to his successors, “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse …” (Genesis 12:3).
[Hal Lindsey (1929 - ) is an American evangelist and Christian writer, often referred to as the "Jeremiah of his generation" for his keen understanding of biblical prophecy. He is a best selling author, known especially for his book The Late, Great Planet Earth.]
At considerable personal risk and financial loss, he packed up the family, sneaked out what money he could, and came to the U.S.A. He left Hitler’s Germany for one fundamental reason—he believed God’s Word when it said concerning Israel, “For thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘After glory He has sent me against the nations which plunder you [Israel], for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye’” (Zechariah 2:8, NASB).
Theology matters. Sound doctrine matters. Your view of Scripture and its role in life and practice does indeed matter. May we all uphold and honor the Word of God in such a way that we are emboldened to courageously stand against the torrent of human opinion whenever and wherever it contradicts the teachings of His Word.
Illustration Exchange
"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right" (2 Timothy 3:16, NLT).
How Strong Is Your Radio Signal
"When you're driving your car and listening to a radio station, you’ll get the clearest signal when you're closest to the tower," says Christian author Kent Crockett. "It’s easy to hear the station’s music because you are near to the source. But if you're driving out of town and going away from the tower, the radio signal gets weaker and starts breaking up. When you stop hearing that station, you’ll start picking up radio signals from other stations."
Kent Crockett graduated from Texas A&M University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and is the senior pastor of the Church of Living Water in Prattville, Alabama. He is the author of The 911 Handbook, Making Today Count for Eternity, and I Once Was Blind but Now I Squint, and has been published in a number of Christian magazines.
He continues:
That's what happens in the spiritual realm. When we are spiritually close to God, we are able to clearly hear Him. But if we start drifting away, or if we're deliberately running away from God, the signal gets weaker and it becomes hard to hear His voice. It’s at that point we become susceptible to hearing voices that are contrary to God. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine…and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
Jesus said, ‘My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). His sheep hear Him speak because they are following Him. When we stop following, we stop hearing.
Are you away from God? If you want to hear His voice again, turn the car around and start heading in His direction. As you draw close to Him in your heart, you will begin to hear His voice speaking to you again. "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you" (James 4:8). He wants to speak to you but He doesn’t force Himself on anyone. You must make the first move by seeking His face and then He will respond by drawing near to you.