Matt. 16:18b ..."I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not overcome it." 

"I WILL", not "I will try" or  "I'm going to give it My best shot" or "only if all these people do all these things, then I'll be able to build My church".

If you see a congregation that has fallen apart, if you see a great spiritual leader who has turned from God, these things won't stop God from doing what He says He will do.

Now that's a positive attitude!  Great insight Mike!

Very well put Mike. I get real tired hearing the church put down. CS Lewis described the church when he was an unbeliever as this giant monster (or something like that) or army marching unified through time, etc.

Maybe someone else out there remembers the quote. I think much of the pessimism comes from what I call pessimillenialists that can only see through the eschatological glasses of doom and gloom. I will submit for about the first 1850 years of church history the church had an optimistic viewpoint because of a positive eschatology.

I believe the days of doom and gloom eschatologically speaking are numbered as dates for the Lord's soon return come and go. I've seen dates in the 80's for Christs SURE return come and go...eventually Christians will return to the Bible and get the optimistic viewpoint that our Puritan forefathers once held...

Meanwhile there is a megashift and Christianity is spreading like wildfire (despite eschatology misunderstandings) in Asia, in Africa, in the MidEast (Iran has the fastest growing Christian population there), and in S. America.

Apologies, Joel (WYATT), I don't know who those people are. ~mike

A pastor I know used to bash the church until God told him, "Stop badmouthing my wife!" 

Nevertheless, I am very saddened to hear the news our Marine friend shared. I am familiar with the ministries he mentioned, especially Paula White. She is an excellent preacher. Unfortunately, important people are still just people. Abraham is the father of our faith despite lying and putting his wife in harm's way twice. Our wonderful God forgives and redeems.

That said, I can't help thinking that if we in the church placed Christian maturity on a level with giftedness, there would be less scandal and mess for Him to deal with.

As you often do, Mike, you have sparked a lot of good dialogue on an important issue and done it to our benefit. Thank you.

Good Morning, Everyone,

I think that anyone who glibly states that the Church is in fine shape needs to read the Book of Revelation (rarely taught in churches)--only two of the seven mentioned passed muster in the Master's eyes. Jesus and the Apostles warned us of wolves in sheeps' clothing, and of evil men who crept in to turn the truth of God into a lie. I can name several areas where the Church (and its pastors) has woefully fallen short:
1. in the education of the young--the Church has allowed a godless government to take almost full responsibility. Thank God for those churches that operate schools and parents who operate home schools! Just be sure not to rely on godless textbooks.
2. in turning over sovereignty of its affairs to the State--by becoming "non-profit, tax-exempt organizations," the Church has given up being a Christ-made living body and become a man-made "association." By incorporating under the laws of the State, the Church has become a fictional, invented "person" (read your business law texts) whose sovereign in the State. We eventually will pay dearly for the State's "protection."
3. in forgetting that the Jewish people are His Chosen, and that we have been "grafted in"-- America is not the "promised land" and is not mentioned in Scripture. We allowed the Holocaust of the Jews and other ethnic groups by our refusal to acknowledge the evil of men--much of the Church is today ignoring the Holocaust of the Unborn.
4. by forgetting our debt to widows and orphans--again, we allow the State to take care of them.
5. by ignoring the fact that He is returning for His Own soon--when do you hear the Promise of His Second Coming taught? Prophesy is largely set aside in favor of teaching the "prosperity gospel" and how to be "happy." Sin (divorce, cohabitation, and promiscuity) is practiced or overlooked by much of the Church. He warned us to have our lamps ready, for He would appear "as a thief in the night."

So, open your eyes and hear what the Scripture teaches. Do not be satisfied to live in happy ignorance.

Your Brother in Christ,
Randy Kleine

 Mike - What a great reminder.  I just read through all the comments and your blog and it is a great reminder to me that we are not in charge of the Church (aka The Body or Bride of Christ). 

I love what Tabitha said above.  "Lets become the change we want to see. Instead, of complain about the change we want to see..." 

Well, according to Barna Research, we are failing as Christians. I have seen opportunities for witnessing and service missed by Christians because we are too busy, too deep in debt, too much into materialism, etc. People's eternal lives are at stake. The Christian life is not always a feel good experience. We have to roll up the sleeves sometimes. Someone's faith is not built up because we won't invest time into a believer's life.

If we don't get right with the Lord, we will stand in front of God with shame. How can we look at Him and when the video tape is being played, we blew it more than the Ravens and the Redskins combined this season. Bart Scott throwing a referee's flag the other night on a national TV game  is nothing compared to the opportunities we didn't respond to because we resisted the Holy Spirit. You can see how football is like our faith. We can get touchdowns by working as a team and doing our part individually. The QB has to work with the team; not one player can play without the rest. Heck, even Tom Brady can't win the game all by himself. We jump offside or not move at all; we lose those opportunities to share our faith. We give the enemy two points for a safety because we allowed ourselves to get sacked.

It is important to understand that we have to be informed of the needs of the body. If every need was met, would that be awesome? Praise God for e mail and the Internet. If we use these all the tools in the toolbox, we can do better to meet the needs of the body and the unbelievers to give them hope. Only a handful don't use the computer, these need the phone calls instead.
'
As I write, I point the finger at myself first. As I am writing this, I have done these things I mentioned above. I let my sinful actions cloud my thinking; so I have blown it, dropped the ball, whichever way you say it. Since I said it, join me in being honest and real with yourself and others. Remember 1 John 1:7-,10. This refers to confessing our sins and walking in the Light! Read it for yourself, let the Son set you free (John 8).

I was too busy, too deep in debt. By a miracle, I got out of debt this year. In the past, I was cutting all of these lawns in addition to my FT job to try to stay afloat. I reduced the lawn work because of some news; my mom was diagnosed with cancer. Change had to happen to be available for her. I didn't try to be so busy. I made time to be there for my mom, whose eternal life was at stake. Praise God, at some point, she made peace with God and made a profession of faith.
 
Another confession, I am still not on a budget yet - I admit that to the readers. However, I don't have to charge it anymore like I did before. I have the money this time to pay the charge. Heck, I now use my debit card for 99.5% of my transactions. It's best to pay it in cash or use the debit card (unless your checking account is in the negative). I have been there, but not anymore. I was using the overdraft protection for a long time.

We can hear the Holy Spirit much better by fasting. For some, a food fast is best. Start small with one meal, then two, then a whole day and perhaps more. If we can do so, it will bear fruit at any level. Maybe we can fast from TV or something that we love. God wants us to fill us with the best, so we have to empty the toxins. We must deny ourselves and take up the cross and follow Him. When we deny ourselves these things for a time, God can speak to us clearer than ever. Then when we hear Him, then we can respond in the way He wants us. Then we can bear fruit in a great way!

I encourage to read the part of what I copied from The Barna Group. It's on www.barna.org
We have to respond and make a difference while there is still time. Ten years is not long
ago, but the article mentions how much has changed.

A New Generation Expresses its Skepticism and Frustration with Christianity

(Ventura, CA) - As the nation’s culture changes in diverse ways, one of the most significant shifts is the declining reputation of Christianity, especially among young Americans. A new study by The Barna Group conducted among 16- to 29-year-olds shows that a new generation is more skeptical of and resistant to Christianity than were people of the same age just a decade ago.

The study of Christianity’s slipping image is explored in a new book, entitled unChristian, by David Kinnaman, the president of The Barna Group. The study is a result of collaboration between Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons of the Fermi Project.