Their priests are deidcated love God and preach heavy doeses of the Bible.
First it remains that not all churches are in that dying trend. Even in te came cities and area's.
Since you mentioned the prosperity Gospel I will mention that one of the things I have against these epcific churches is that the unabashedly preach that message. They fellowship with a man named Rodney Howard Brown an Australian import that lives in Florida
This man had forged Kenneth Haigan's teachings teachings on worship and The prosperity Gospel into a gospel that offers everything for the flesh -- no commitmentbut to men no need to give up anyhing for God. You get the fire insurance, you get God as your servant wating at your beck and call to show himself worthy of you. you get the riches of the world. You get everything your eye lusts for from this world, and all you have to so is go to one of his churches sing pay your tithes and become a disciple of RHB.
There is an outward Church. A church of the flesh that has been made by hands -- that is not found in the Gospels and the book of Acts and the Epistles.
The Word Church is not in the Bible either it is a made up word in place of the Greek word EK-Klesia Ek meaning out from and away from and Klesia meaning the called.
At best churches are comprised of the called and many denominations acknowledge that their particiapnts have heaed the call of God and heeded it.
But that is not the Ekklesia that Jesus and the Apsotles spoke of. It is out of the Klesia that the Ek-Klesia come forth.
Israel was the called -- and then there were the multudes taht followed christ ( In a sense the multitudes we the Ek-klesia.) But then from the multitudes there were the 120 disciples of Christ (And these would say that they were the ekklesia from Israel and the multiudes) But then there were the 12 and they could say they were the ekklesia from Israel, from the multitdes and from the 120. You get the drift. They mark of the Ekklesia is that these beople are at very least according to the bible "The disciples of Christ" that is in the bible Those that follow the lamb withersoever he goes."
The denominations and christiandom is the called from where the ek-klesia come from. These belong to an invisible church that is not made with hands. Many are called but few -- are chosen, many are called but few are the Out called of the called. straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life and few there be that find it.
Those that find it are on theri face before God and read his word themselves they are those that literally come to know the Lord and in time they find their way out from the Klesia and into the Ek-klesia.
These belong to no particular denominations and do not make disciples for themselves they do not build churches or denominations these live as Christ said letting their lights shine before men and leading people to a more personal relationship with God and they are salted among the Klesia, they are in all denominations.
They live like Abram of old as strangers in this land seeking a city with foundations that man has not made. They follow in the footsteps of Christ and the 12 apostles forsaking all and seeking an eternal kingdom not made with hand.
There is a relationship between the klesia and the Ek-klesia. Without the called there could be no outcalled. In the old testament God speaks of the called He calles them his namesake, he calls them those that are called by his name. If you look up these verses they are not very flattering. God deals with the Klesia on the basis that he must maintain a physical earthly witness -- that the world abd unsaved understand and can go to.
While God watches over it and will noit let it utterly be removed from the earth -- when it becomes excedingly corrupt he judges it.And Canada and Europe have fallen into that catagory.
Sucess in Rodney Howrd Brown's case is the corruption of his message -- but even so Paul the Apostle says that even with corrupt people he rejoices becasue God's word still gets out (Making more klesia that more ekklesia can come forth.)
Thanks. I have never seen that presented before.