Category: Evil in Churches

Let’s Think Some More about the Popular “Christian”

~ Jeff Crippen ~ 4 Comments

Isaiah 53:3 ESV  He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

I would like to ask you to think carefully about the Lord Jesus when he was here on this earth, and about the Apostle Paul as he went about preaching the gospel of Christ. Think about how they were treated, and even by those who claimed to be God’s people. Or think of this:

Hebrews 11:36-38 ESV  Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.  (37)  They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—  (38)  of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

And now I would like you to think about the kind of “christian” most churches and church leaders try to produce.

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Most Professing Christians Tell Christ What to Teach

~ Jeff Crippen ~ 1 Comment

…though he [Nicodemus] had in general owned Christ to be divine teacher, yet he was unwilling to receive his teachings when they did not agree with the notions he had imbibed. Thus many people who claim to be Christians profess to accept the doctrine of Christ in general, and yet will neither believe the truths of Christianity nor submit to the laws of it further than they please. Christ shall be their teacher, provided they may choose their lesson. [Matthew Henry]

Need I say more than Matthew Henry has stated here? This is truth. Most supposed Christians insist on choosing the lesson and thus limit the topic only to subjects and doctrines they like. In other words, they really don’t know Christ at all because they exemplify Paul’s words to the Corinthians-

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When the Church becomes the Enemy

~ Jeff Crippen ~ 3 Comments

A very common theme in the stories that you all tell us is that your church did not help you.  Your church added to your suffering, gave you foolish counsel, and in the end sided with your abuser rather than with you.  You have all heard that same old story over and over again if you have been visiting this blog very long.  Thankfully there are some exceptions in which an abuse victim’s pastor and church stood with her.  But those are the exceptions, and they are rare.  In telling her story of her “awakening moment,” Kay made this statement –

I hadn’t been strong enough or had enough courage to say ENOUGH to my husband, Christian friends, pastors, counselor, who insisted our marriage could be healed until that moment. I still hoped at times he would change, but one day, driving in the car, I begged God , “please don’t make me live with him again”. I heard a peaceful, quiet voice – you don’t have to.

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