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For the past three years, I have been watching our church scene here in America, more so than usual. It may have to do with my personal unrest in my own small town, but it seems to me that the Church seems on the decline in most places. With the return of our Lord Jesus feeling so close, I find this alarming, to say the least! It feels like so many churches have lost their vision, and even our political scene seems to emphasize this. One could say “That's just your personal opinion, Pastor”. Well that could be true, but remember, “Opinion has no argument against experience” as the old saying goes. I don't believe any thinking person would disagree that we have entered a time of moral, political, and spiritual corruption. The times of the church in Ephesus, and perhaps today in America, (Rev. 2:1-7) is spoken of as a time when they had left their first love. According to Pastor John Hagee, these were especially wicked days and society had become corrupted. Many had gotten into idol worship and even had temple prostitutes who served the goddess Diana! They were so rich, that 37 of their temple's columns were covered in diamonds and gold. This was at the end of the Apostolic age, and even the Church at Ephesus was letting down.

Little by little the laws are changing, to the point that in just one generation, our forefathers would not recognize these United States nor comprehend our disregard for God and the Constitution they so  prayerfully drafted. Just in my lifetime, I have noticed the subtle erosion of our religious freedom. I don't know how much longer we will have freedoms we currently enjoy. I have mentioned in one of my articles, that in the 1970's, I saw a bumper sticker in my neighborhood that read, “What once was evil is now good and what once was good is now evil”. The person who wrote that didn't realize he was a true prophet! The stage is being set for the Anti-Christ to make his appearance. The good news is: before he can come, Jesus will Rapture the Church out of here. It is after the Church is gone that the man of sin is revealed (2 Thess. 2:3). Hallelujah! Paul wrote to comfort the church, as they thought the end was near at that time. Paul told them that the day had not come until there was a great falling away first, although the working of lawlessness had already begun, under God's restraint, in the apostle's time (v.7).

                                                                   Boot Camp:

In the mid 1960's, my in-laws were led of the Lord to leave Ohio and move to Texas to attend a Church/School that trained missionaries. Dad, who was a minister, and a factory worker, had a heart attack, and the Lord healed him. He and Mom decided to be full time missionaries, and a friend told them about this church in Texas. They moved there for training, and later I visited them one Spring.  Upon my return, my husband, baby, and I moved to Texas, too. Most of the congregation were from other states, as well and had come for training. There was no charge for this education except our own willingness to serve the Lord in whatever way He led. Several, including my father-in-law, got hands-on missionary experience in Mexico. My sister-in-law worked with Women Aglow for many years. I became a teacher in a sister church, and had Kids Klub in my home for the remainder of the time we were in Texas. Later, I taught children and adults in my home state and eventually became a minster. I have seen many people come to Jesus, and some have even become “recruiters” (soul winners) themselves, as a result of those years in “spiritual boot camp”!

Many alumni went to the mission fields, and often returned to Texas on breaks, which they took during our bi-yearly conventions. Most would teach classes on their extended leave, at the church, which were offered in the morning and early evening, on weekdays. We also had two Sunday services, which the Pastor mostly taught, a Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday night service, and a three hour Saturday night prayer time, which was just prayer. People quietly came and left as they felt led. The Church was very disciplined, which some thought legalistic, but so is boot camp. The leaders led by example. The church-house was never locked, and it was not unusual to see lights on inside in the wee hours because someone was in the church praying.
 
The Pastor who was in his 70's at that time, arose every morning at 4 am to seek the Lord in prayer and Bible study. He personally did not believe in television, as he felt it brought too much of the world into the home (a true prophet!) but did not preach it from the pulpit. He led by example. Most of the ladies didn't wear slacks, or indulge in make-up or short hair, but had the freedom to do as they felt to do. The Pastor only wore suits, white shirts and ties, even when the Texas sun shot the temperatures up over 100 degrees. The men prayed on one side of the altar, and the women on the other side, and only families went mixed swimming at the lake, which was not far from the Church. Families sat together in church, and Sunday school classes were not offered. The parents were the teachers, and had daily Bible  study and Scripture memorization with their children at home. Fathers were the leaders of their family, and children were disciplined. Mom was second in command.

Much dedication was encouraged and shown among the leaders and congregation. For their faithfulness, much power was manifested by the Holy Spirit through this humble body of believers. One example is quite notable. Three times during an evening church service, the fire department came rushing into the church. It seems the neighbors kept calling them, reporting that flames were shooting out of the church roof. Of course, nothing was afire, except the Holy Spirit's manifestation, praise God! Many people had visions of angels in their own homes, and one lady saw a fiery chariot fly through her living room with her friend inside. Later she found out that the friend had just died about that same time! Another said a man came to her door to tell her something (I don't remember what), walked out to the sidewalk, and disappeared! Many signs and wonders followed these believers through the years. I believe they were the results of the spiritual discipline received in Boot Camp!

In Summary, Military Boot Camp is designed to teach soldiers discipline in order to save their lives, as well as others, to protect our country, and defeat the enemy. (Many generations of my family served in the military. Now, my grandson is in Iraq. Please keep him in your prayers).
 
Spiritual Boot Camp is designed to teach Christians discipline in order to save their souls, as well as others, to protect our world, and to defeat the enemy! May God raise up Boot Camp Churches in these last days, Amen!

                                                                      Social Club:

With “Boot Camp” Churches rapidly on the decline these past several years, the “spiritual talking heads” have come up with a nightclub atmosphere strategy in order to draw in the young crowd. I know  a young boy who visited this type of church and he was very impressed. He was overheard saying,”This isn't Church, Grandma, it's ENTERTAINMENT”! Out of the mouths of babes!! Even churches opening in rural areas, seem to be hedging their investments. They know if they appeal to the kids, their parents will eventually come. Kids tell their friends and pretty soon it is all around the school. It is reported that they serve donuts, coffee and other various drinks, and are permitted to take them into the sanctuary.
Of course, the song books have been replaced with overhead screens, which  may be an improvement over leafing through a book. A lot of churches are doing that these days. However, I do miss the old hymns, and wish there could be a balance of  both. After all, it is the older generation who pay the tithes and gives the offerings which keeps the church doors open, in the first place, and certainly should have equal consideration.

With the addition of smoke machines, strobe lights, and ear-splitting music coming from a raised stage, does the term, “alternative life-style” come to mind, boys and girls? In my Boot Camp Church, our alternative life style meant people coming in sick and leaving healed! Our emotional high was seeing lost souls getting saved and seeing signs, wonders, and miracles up close and personal!!! Our entertainment was watching parents and grandparents hug everybody; raise and/or clap their hands; dance in the Spirit with some even jumping and twirling and speaking in tongues. And every once in awhile a lady or gentleman would lead out in a song, and those who didn't know the words would sing in tongues! Now THAT, boys and girls, was CHURCH! It is called worship, which is part of our “Walk, Work, and Worship” requirement for the Body of Christ, which is another teaching.

If the modern pastors, would go back to the old-fashioned Word and Worship segments of the Spirit-led church service, they wouldn't have to offer this warmed-over world's menu to serve the young people, and try to convince them it is Manna from Heaven! It would be the TRUE Manna, which at first seems strange to the taste-buds of the soul, then palatable, and finally a requirement for our daily spiritual nutrition! Amen. I assure you that the Spirit-filled, Spirit-led life becomes addictive, PTL! If you are the only teen in church that lives it, you tend to feel isolated. Just remember, you and the Holy Spirit are the MAJORITY not the minority. He has a way about Him that catches on like WILDFIRE! If you are patient and allow Him to lead you, you will see how He quietly gets around! Very few leaders on todays church scene know Him deeply. There are only two whom I have heard say that they have fallen in love with Him. I am so jealous. We need to spur each other on to jealousy from just the mere example of our walk with the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost. The Holy Spirit is the only earthly manifestation of God at this time, but the three together are God...and humans were designed to be co-dependents on God alone.

                                                               Nursing Home:

As we come into the last segment of this article, I want to begin by continuing with the last thought of the above section. It is true that as humans we were designed to be co-dependent upon God. We need Him in life, in death, and the air we breathe in-between. God the Father designed, Jesus created, and the Holy Spirit gave life to all things. I cannot explain the Trinity but we were made in God's image and after His likeness, which means we too, are a trinity...a three-part being. He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and we are body, soul and spirit. Like God, each is separate, but always works in tandem (with one another).
I heard a TV preacher say that we need to live “inside-out” lives, thereby exposing the tags. Therefore, people could see who was our designer and what we were made of, at a glance! Unfortunately, we have to find that out the hard way...by experience. Most often, that is the only way we can know ourselves!Fortunately, when the High Priest offers the lamb as a sacrifice, after it is slain, the entrails are removed and the High Priest throws the smelly parts into the fire, and they are consumed. Only then can he enter the Holy of Holies. I'll leave you to figure out the analogy. The only hint I will give you is that Jesus is OUR High Priest.

By the time we reach our “Golden Years” I am not sure that we have figured who we are, even then.  Our youngest sister is living in a nursing facility, while the rest of us still maintain our own homes. I am sure she never thought this would happen to her, nor did the rest of us. I think some of our local churches are in the same dilemma. I have visited a few, and they all seem the same. “We have a new pastor...don't care much for him...but can't leave, because my mother went here, my grandmother went here and I was raised here. Sooner or later this pastor will move on and maybe we'll get a good one”! And so it goes. 
I have noticed my sister's nursing home has more life in it than a lot of these local churches. They have a pastor that comes every Sunday afternoon and one of the residents who happens to be blind, plays the piano...quite well, actually. Some of these old folks stand to sing hymns, clap and raise their hands in praise, and sing their hearts out! They are so happy to be having church. They know the staff goes to some trouble to clear out the dining hall after lunch, and move the tables and chairs back so they can set up the pulpit, and the wheelchairs can be brought in. They also set up a few tables and chairs in the back for visitors who come, like me. “God bless you staff for serving above the call of duty and upon the management, who sees to it that people can get the Word taught to them even if house-bound”.

Many of our churches have no young people attending. “Church is boring...waa, waa”. Our kids didn't have a choice. Families went and sat together. Today's youth expect to be entertained. Swim parties, hayrides, and anything else the adults will tolerate, just to keep them interested in church. We didn't have outside stimuli to keep us coming to church. We had no option. Again, families went together. I remember one family in Texas. They always trooped in single file, with Dad leading, then Mom, and finally five beautiful daughters, all heading for the same side seats every Sunday. With the 7 billionth person in the world born this week, there are less people in Christian churches than ever before. Between the mass exodus of young people and the failure of new parents to raise their children in church we could be extinct in one generation. Jesus has to be coming soon! (Again, 2 Thess 2:3).

Most of our churches don't have enough people in them to pay the bills. Now, grandmothers are making Hoagies, taking orders, collecting the money, and delivering around their neighborhoods, in order to get the roof fixed or whatever the church needs. Many pastors and even their wives have side jobs to make ends meet, because there isn't enough in the church coffers to pay the shepherd.

In the aging church, it appears that eating is the only thing left to do. It seems that the potluck dinners are rolling around more often, which is meant to keep the congregation together for social activities and fellowship. Truth be known, a lot of them don't like each other that much and would never fellowship outside the church even to have a social life!

Congregations are much like sheep...they need to be led. Pastors are their shepherds and need to lead them by example of their own righteousness and power through the Holy Spirit. 'Old time religion' needs to be preached once again. In a way, leaders need to make the sheep jealous by their personal example of godliness. The more mature sheep should be trained to assist at the altar. I remember watching Kathryn Kuhlman's services on TV. When she gave an altar call, her workers were the first ones to go forth. She wasn't baiting the crowd, because the workers wore identification badges. Kathryn just knew that people by nature don't want to be noticed, and are reluctant to be the first to go forward. We are a lot like sheep in that we are followers, for the most part. It only takes one person to create a crowd!

We live in unfamiliar and insecure times. We cannot look to Pharaoh to meet our needs. GOD is in charge of Pharaoh! We must learn to go to the Highest source of life for the answers to the world's, our nation's, and our own personal direction and problems. May our Lord God stir up His leaders, singers, preachers, and teachers and fill us with the fire of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Time is very close for the Rapture of the Church, but not many of us are living a Rapture-ready life! The very least we can do is be Divine Interrupters! Even the house-bound or bedridden can be valuable in interrupting Satan's plans for the day. 

In boot camp, the soldiers learn how to use various weapons. In God's army, we do battle on our knees. In the case of those who cannot get in that physical position, it means a figurative position of humility. We can pull down strongholds even if we are flat on our back!!! We must learn to use the strongest weapon in God's arsenal: the weapon of PRAYER!

May God Bless You All,
Pastor Moser
November, 2011

W.O.W.

Imagine, a wall covered with flypaper, and thousands of demons are stuck and struggling to get free.
PRAYER put them there! (Matt. 16:19 KEY in this case means a badge of power or authority). Amen!