Ask Pastor Mark, Are You Discouraged With The Church? Page 2

On page 2 we continue our conversation about how some people have become discouraged with the Church these last days.

Because we all sin, the Church can all too easy get off the course designed for it. In my personal life, nothing has brought more pain into my life than my experiences in the Church. I remember a season when after finishing my sermon each week someone would come up to me and ask questions like; "Pastor, when you used the word 'gate' in the sermon today, what did you mean by the word 'gate'?" I would remind them of what I had said and they would still ask the same type of questions again. After a few months of this, I would look for the door as soon as I was finished with the sermon.

Now, I don't believe for a moment that everything we are subjected to in every Church is GOD'S will. Sorrowfully, there are some buildings people call Churches that are not truly connected to the HEAD, which is CHRIST.

Ephesians 1:22

"And GOD placed all things under HIS feet and appointed HIM to be head over everything for the church."

Some Churches suffer from poor leadership, wrong direction, lack of vision, etc. It is very popular today to hear of a revival across the opposite side of the world and then have the Pastor's of local Churches rush there to observe all that is going on. Just as soon as they return to the Churches they pastor, the entire Church changes direction time and again with little or no results. Popular books sold at the Christian Bookstores can become nearly as important as the Bible. Recently, one prayer from the Bible has completely overturned large portions of the American Church. The prayer of Jabez has become a worth millions of dollars to the Pastor who wrote an entire Book on that prayer, 16 weeks Seminars, Calendars, coffee cups, tea shirts, dozens of other petty things.

1 Chronicles 4:9-10

" Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I gave birth to him in pain." Jabez cried out to the GOD of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let YOUR hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And GOD granted his request."

That is a powerful prayer and powerful results are achieved in the life of Jabez. I am curious if he knew that one day a Pastor would make millions of dollars off of his story. If you have gone though such things and have given up on the Church, it's time to seek the LORD and ask HIM how the Church fits in your life. GOD has a wonderful plan for your life and HIS Church is a part of that plan.