The Holy Spirit has burned a message into my soul that I cannot contain. I want this message to get into the hands of as many people as possible—people who are on the verge of spiritual shipwreck. I have never felt as great an urgency to open my heart to you.
Millions have left the church. Many who were on fire for God, even those who were effective vessels, have fallen and have abandoned their faith in Jesus. A famous Christian singer announced that he is now an atheist. Is that shocking? The real shock is that the church is not shocked, because this kind of recanting of faith has now become common.
Millions have left the church. This is the reality that Christian leaders do not want to talk about. However, facts do not go away. And the facts are these: an entire generation has virtually discarded the faith of their parents.
Perhaps you also were among those who were wounded on the battlefield, but did not get up again. The reasons are as varied as are the people themselves. It may have been an abusive church. It may have been an old habit that raged its way back into control. It may have been a divorce, a false teaching that weakened you, or the gravitational weight of the unbelief and skepticism of this age.
The most common cause is sudden tragedy. Something horrendous happened that ran you off of your theological map. You felt that you had no choice but to abandon your faith. You may be angry with God. You are not alone. There are millions in this condition.
Let me be frank, I believe that God is turning your heart back to Him. And He is also doing this on a massive scale with others.
He has done it before. Just prior to the fire falling on Mount Carmel, Elijah prayed these words, “Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.” (1 Kings 18:37)
The Lord is doing this not only because He loves you, but because He wants to spare America.
“And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” (Malachi 4:6)
You are likely a casualty of the lukewarm American church. Widespread compromise has left her unprotected. The active ingredient has been left out of preaching—and that ingredient is surrender. And that is the reason that the power of God to stand against tragedy and evil has never kicked in.
The voice of the Holy Spirit is intensifying as He calls to those who are the fallen, the wounded, and the forgotten. His wooing is loving and hopeful, but it never disguises the truth.
And the truth is that, in America, entire churches are backslidden! And it is not unprecedented. Look at these verses: 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:15-20)
Okay. So you may have been caught in the cultural crossfire of the compromised church, or the toxic church—even the false church—but why should you lose your soul just to get back at false ministers and sick churches?
This is about you and Jesus. This is about a destiny that God still keeps for you. There is one thing that Satan does not want you to remember—it is the one thing that can break the chains of lies and heartbreak.
What Satan does not want you to think about is this: if you brush away the cobwebs of church politics, hypocrites, and unexpected tragedy, you will have to admit that the best days of your life were when you walked with God in fervent commitment. Those were the days of peace and joy.
The best days were the days before anybody and anything came between you and Jesus. You prayed and sensed that no matter what, everything would come out all right. Even those things that you still had questions about became unimportant, because of your total trust in the character and faithfulness of God!
You have never, before or since, felt anything like His sweet presence. Those were the best days, and those days can come again. Jesus is knocking and wants to have dinner with you alone. “I will sup with him,” Jesus promised.
I admit I am calling forth a divine desperation to come over you. I want you to break, I want you to yearn to come back home—to return to your best life, your only life.
There is an army rising up, composed of people that Satan thought he had, but is about to lose on a grand scale.
Won’t you turn back to Jesus, and reclaim your first love? Do your first works over again. Then, He will say to you, “Welcome back to the war!”
There are just as many “dones” (Done with church but not God) as there are “nones” (Done with church and God). Sometimes, the only way to go back to the first love and find that peace and joy again is to be Done with the politics, the jealousies, the competing, and the plain meanness in the church.
Leah, my husband & I have been in the “Done” category since the category was figured out.
I would add to the limited term “Done’s” that we were only “Done” with the compromised “church culture”. We never gave up hope for a riveting new kind of gathering place for blood bought saints, where it would have no pulpit for a man to be elevated on but be only for holy worship & prayer to the Lord Christ with doors open 24/7. We had a vision for this place & named it ‘Jehovah’s House’. Yet sadly that day didn’t come… yet. It would be like Marios tent in shape only in a permanent location with super good weather, where the beloved of God could come night or day from anywhere & everywhere. There would be preaching, teaching, healing, evangelism invited from all manner of bona fide Holy Spirit filled on fire for God ministers of God in Christ and not just one solitary pastor and congregation, no.
We desired to build and provide this place and worked toward it but ran out of ways, means, & money for it.
Still hopeful?????
What about those who have left church in order to know the real Jesus who was not welcome there? And what about the fact that the Holy Spirit was not allowed either? Honestly leaving ‘church’ to freely walk in the Kingdom of our Father and walk with Jesus daily was the best thing I’ve ever done! His words to me: ‘I am taking you out to bring you in’.
Yes yes and yes!!!
The Lord did the same with me..,
I love Him so……….
His original intention, the Garden of Eden, ….Enoch .
He will have His way!
Our God knows what He is doing .
So thankful for the body of Christ , the remnant, Gods prophetic voice ( and all the preparation behind the scenes to produce this voice) through Mario.
It’s Time to recover all!
The fullness of time has come.
This deep heart cry is all part of the birthing…,
The Lord is on the move and He will get ALL the GLORY !!!
Rivka, Mario wrote here at the top of his post:
“Millions have left the church. Many who were on fire for God, even those who were effective vessels, have fallen and have abandoned their faith in Jesus”.
For the most part what I see that Mario is writing about here today is the reality that there are many who dropped out from regular church attendance and then left their faith in Jesus Christ at that door step. My terminology would be ‘apostate’.
Mario, has already written many words and articles about those of us who left the phony mechanism of religiosity and local church theater, and who have moved into a deeper relationship with Christ and His Kingdom long ago. For us it is clear that church doesn’t save anybody, but being in Christ and having The Holy Spirit is our seal and guarantee making us members of the One invisible Body of Christ that covers the earth. We are always on fire for God and never left our first love.? Blessings…
Sounds like you left a counterfeit church which is toxic. See 2 Tim. 3:5
Mario,i don,t normally respond unless the SPIRIT OF THE LORD touches me,and after i read your heart felt message,which i know you became an oracle of GOD in this heart breaking message,i felt in my spirit a grieving and breaking with tears and deep cries for our family in the SPIRIT OF CHRIST, i know first hand what you are talking about,but JESUS explained to me this was to prepare for my calling which comes with a serious price which i am sure you understand from your own years of experiences with the HOLY SPIRIT, i was seriously hurt ,embarrassed,used and deceived so much i can share,but i learned a lot from these things with JESUS to know how to be in a place of honor in HIS ministry and never treat anyone the was i was treated,what many don,t understand who left the true faith in CHRIST,that everything does workout for good and our LORD was trying to teach them important lessons for their calling as i was prepared,even now at the time of this writing i am in a serious battle ,but i am growing in this fiery wilderness , which i know so well,my apology for writing so much,i felt in my spirit the urgency to share ,it may be someone is thinking about leaving as well without understand the HAND OF GOD love you all in the SPIRIT OF CHRIST:))lolwes
God bless you dear one!!!
Praying for you and you will come out of this fire like gold!
No smell of smoke , only the aroma of costly oil .
Yes, my Lord.
This is the word of the Lord.
Crying out for the same. And asking for great grace to empower us to let Him have it all… from the inside, out.
Once again, we desperately need Him to even do this.
OMG yes shout it from the housetops. My goodness your book your blogs are superior and dynamite I am praying for you brother and fired up myself thank you Jesus. Bless him Jesus in all he needs to continue what you called him to do in this season. The blood of Jesus to cover all he has his hand to. Amen
John T. Cento, overseer Founder /President Mission Wildfire International http://www.missionwildfire.org http://www.calluponthelord.org
Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces? Jeremiah 23:29 NIV
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I have been there Mario. Accumulating riches, living in debauchery etc… and you are right when you say this “you will have to admit that the best days of your life were when you walked with God in fervent commitment. Those were the days of peace and joy.”
My downfall was 1988. God got me back 1993. Your blog is more helpful than any Sunday service.
Thank Mario
Danny
Amen good testimony….. Stay strong and stay encouraged.
It’s WAY PAST TIME for God’s Army to stand up and fight for our people and country …
WATCH OUT SATAN !!!
Satan, you’d better watch out God’s people are marching,
His blood-washed army has now arose.
We’ve got the Truth of the Gospel to proclaim
And we’re going forth in Jesus’ name!
Satan, you’d better watch out God’s people are marching,
And our numbers are growing stronger each day.
We’ve got our heads held high and our eyes on Jesus;
“Hallelujah” is our battle cry!
Satan, you’d better watch out God’s people are marching,
And we’re not putting up with your tricks no more!
Our feet are shod; we’ve got our helmets on,
If you ain’t noticed we’re dressed for war!
Satan, you’d better watch out God’s people are marching,
Got the Sword of the Spirit, and the Shield of Faith;
With our Lord before us and His angels behind us,
We’re getting ready to storm your gates!
Satan, you’d better watch out God’s people are marching,…
Satan, you’d better watch out God’s people are marching,…
Satan, you’d better watch out God’s people are marching,…
And we’re getting ready to storm your gates!!
http://indiemusicpeople.com/songs.aspx?SongID=116117&ArtistID=148239
Mario, as usual, your word is timely and straight from the heart of God. The devils of hell are working overtime to crush the life out of God’s people, falsely declaring to us that we have surely blown it this time and that He has given up on us in order to render us useless in the spiritual battle against the enemies of God.
In addition to all the excellent verses Mario quoted, an encouragement from Job’s young friend, Elihu, brought much comfort to me as I wrestled with how many times I could break away from God’s faithfulness [Job 33:28-30]:
28 He will redeem his (my) soul from going down to the Pit, and his (my) life shall see the light.
29 “Behold, God works all these things, twice, in fact, three times with a man, 30 to bring back his soul
from the Pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life…”
The pride of human beings destroys churches. If you left Jesus and the church, today is the day to repent. Jesus didn’t do that to you. Do you leave your job every time you find a hypocrite? The Lord has good reasons for moving His people out of certain churches. Read Psalm 12 and Isaiah 57:1 and remain in the consolation of Jesus.
We left a large church in 1980. Over several weeks Jesus gave me three visions. First, He said, “Turn your head left.” I saw Jesus sitting on a pile of lumber in a storage area with the large opening covered by plastic. He said, “My people have left Me for other lovers, other ways.” Second, Jesus was outside the church on a hill, looking down at the church. It reminded me when Jesus cried out over Jerusalem. Again, He said, “My people have taken other lovers, other ways.” Third, we were walking out of church after service. I looked up over the doorway, one word, Ichabod. We never went back.
At the end of all this in 2020, God is faithful, loving and kind. We are in a church for fifteen years. We have seen change in some that is very comforting. You will get through this. Go on to follow the Lord with your heart on fire for Him.
“Go on to follow the Lord with your heart on fire for Him” YES! “Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm.” Song of Solomon 8:6
Many who have fallen, or been wounded, or have been tossed aside are being resurrected for Kingdom Ministry for the Glory of God.
HERE IS A TOUGH ABOUT THIS MESSAGE GIVEN TO ME FROM SOMEONE VERY NEAR TO ME
I think that it’s nice, and nice that he’s trying to figure out why and what can be done about it.
But I also think there’s a lot of wishful thinking going on and he’s on a wrong train of thought.
The problem is identifiable in the first line; the Holy Spirit has not burned a message into people’s hearts.
Whatever standards of proof, evidence, reason, or what have you, given by the spirit that were sufficient to put this man on the path he is on are not the standards of proof, evidence, reason, or what have you, given by the spirit, that are sufficient for the others. Not acknowledging it is a trap.
I have been fond of the expression: There are a thousand Gods out there people believe in, atheists just believe in one less than us.
Humans can’t reason their way into it. Whatever reason we may have that we do not believe Odin is watching us with ravens, or that Zeus isn’t smiting us with thunderbolts from high on Olympus, is a good reason why people do not share our faith also. A Chinese atheist does not believe in the Bible for the same reason that he does not believe in the Koran. The Spirit’s job is to make that happen, and I don’t think the Spirit does that during most people’s lifetimes.
I, very much unlike you dad, think the choice comes after we shuffle off the mortal coil. Even though I am a believer, and strictly a Christian, I think we both come at this from two difference places of presupposition regarding validity and consistency. But the above paragraph is true.
I think the man is talking about two groups. First, the smaller group: Actual atheists.
Like with most sentiments of this type, he seems to be leaning heavily into the idea that people stop believing in God because they are angry with God. Or that they are sad with God. Or that they are x y or z. It is an internally consistent logic if you can’t possibly imagine a world without God or people who don’t believe in some kind of God. I think it’s well-intention and even a kind of hopeful sentiment. Get people over their x, y or z and voila! See, it was anger all along! Yay!
But that’s not it. They just don’t believe in the Christian interpretation. Or the Muslim. Or Hindu.
They likely did not have real faith to go to begin with. They don’t believe in Zeus, and his thunderbolts, on high Olympus because they just think it’s silly. They’re not angry at Zeus. Or sad that Zeus didn’t hear their prayers. They just never believed in Zeus. It does not advance the Christian cause to ignore seeing it from that perspective. You and I don’t believe in Anansi the Trickster Spider of Africa and it’s not because something sad happened to us and Anansi was seen to be there to help, and Gosh, Anansi was there all along and we just didn’t appreciate or see the help at the time. We just don’t believe. We need to give people the credit they deserve.
Want a fun fact, I picked up in Anthropology many years ago? In Saudi Arabia, where I am sure you will agree with me they have religion enforced by the state, Friday services forced by the state, where they still burn witches. It’s a place where religion is not lukewarm that about 20% of Muslims there are total non-believers if you can ask them in totally anonymous surveys where they are sure they won’t be killed for being apostates. “Lukewarm” churches is a big cop out. Lukewarm churches is a fantasy of a subset of hardcore Christians that haven’t found a real answer for their problems; it’s a disease of the mind for people who want their cake and not have to live by the Golden Rule.
Factor in, that for two thousand years, and still in many places in the world, that your local religion was your only social safety net, and you get a lot of people who never really believed but just needed social services. There was no welfare so charitable meals were the only food. There were no free doctors so your church could get you looked after. There was no public school, so churches could teach you. Now, for better or worse, the state does it. That’s better for everyone than having a bunch of non-believers come in and lie every day. And it’s better for everyone too, so the self-righteous cannot hide assistance behind recruitment to religion.
And his second group:
I think he’s wrong about the second group.
All this being said, what’s left is this: There are plenty of people who believe who just don’t go to the Churches the article approves of or accept the certain degree of Biblical liberalism that the article finds acceptable (I imagine on the last part at least). They haven’t gone away. They just stopped attending mega churches. They just stopped attending normal churches. They’re still there, believing. It’s just that those formal, large group settings are not something that people find at all necessary. And that’s fine. When two or more are gathered for the purpose of praise, that’s good enough for God and that ought be good enough for everyone else.
So what’s the story of why there’s a decline? Traditional Churches have been the cause of their own decline, and I am including things as wide ranging from the ancient Catholic and Orthodoxy groups, to the Nestorians, to Anglicans, to Calvanists, dedicated Lutherans, to early settler Puritans, to Methodists, to “newer” but still conventional churches like “Megachurches” in warehouses and the Southern Baptist Convention. You don’t need a mega church with a pastor who needs money for a second plane. Or who gives money to politicians who talk the talk about abortion, don’t give two shits that fertilized embryos flush out by God’s own plan on their own, and at the same love getting people into killing wars that secretly profit their friends. Or preach “prosperity gospel” nonsense. You don’t need a conventional Church whose first reaction to pedophilia is to cover it up, internationally, for three hundred years. For a long time, people have felt the need for that sort of organization and structure.
It seems that society doesn’t feel the need for that kind of local structure anymore, and that’s okay. It’s not just churches that are in decline – the Freemasons are dying out too, and the Elks, and the Knights of Columbus, and the Rotarians, and the Sons of Liberty, and the Daughters of the Confederacy, and the local community theater troupe, and whatever religious, cultish, or secular group you can think of. They may very well come back into style, and will likely go out of it again too. It’s cyclical.
All that is to say that those believers haven’t gone away, they’re still believing, but Mr. Megachurch probably dislikes that they are off doing their own sanctioned thing.
And his last point about God saving or protecting America is total nonsense. America has been a bankrupt, genocidal slave-state nightmare dystopia since the first day it’s founding fathers got together, so that they could get their own poor killed to save on taxes. God isn’t helping it or hindering it. That’s infantile patriotism mixed up with religion and makes me about as sick as the old Papal States do. But whatever, he’s writing to Americans.
—
So, what are my personal thoughts?
The author wrote a nice little article intended, not for the people who are out as he said, but for people who are still in and fiery and who were already out of touch. It fails to engage with the audience he says he’s targeting.
I find most of his positions not relevant. I find most of his positions end up making the problems worse, instead of fixing them.
My own, not at all famous expression is this: The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was to make sure man gets religion from other men.
It is well within the power of God to put whatever truths we need knowing, out in the open, in 100 foot tall letters in the sky, that are readable in whatever language the viewer sees. God does not do that. He does not give us an approved translation of the Bible, He did not publicly endorse the Ecumenical Councils that dropped a bunch of books from Official Status down to Apocrypha, and he does not come out to even tell us these days that the Pagans Are Wrong.
And if we are to think about the overt, open, and drastic action that God has taken in the past one thousand nine hundred and eight-six years to make sure we “get the message right” – well, by my reckoning, it seems like He is not overly concerned. And if God isn’t, we probably should not be either.
People have just as much faith in the big picture as they always did, they just don’t require some of the man-made extras as much anymore for community. And that’s a little sad, maybe, but fine.
Michael Desjardins,
I read the long letter posted here by the person ‘very near’ to you.
It reads to me that this one is inexperienced with life in general, causing an overgeneralization on some very acute topics. He or she, is responding to their dad. Is possibly well read, yet mostly a victim of the post modern educational system and their philosophical ideology. What does stand out with much clarity is the pessimism with which this one lives, day in and day out, this is not uncommon for many millennials today. Unfortunately this one is totally unaware, from a theological standpoint, of the accountability and ethos, that a devout Christian life requires according to the doctrines of our Faith. Another great misfortune is that this one has no appropriate view of patriotism, the value within that estate ethically, or the actual purpose of America in world history.
I see why you thought this was a tough message, yet simple for the developed to delineate.
Mario is a 50 year veteran in engaging tactical spiritual warfare, his article posts, at times, are not going to be easily understood or valued by the sociologically confused.
The cause of Backsliding is the same today as it was in the days of Israel and the Kings……IDOLATRY.
Can’t help but wonder if the falling away is not because of Love that has grown cold. Many have fallen to the love of this world and not to the Love of God. There needs to be a humbling and forsaking the god’s of this world and falling in love with The Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It’s time to cry out as in days of old and turn to God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind. Only Jesus can satisfy our souls as the song says. We need the fire of the Holy Spirit. We need to be grounded in God’s Word and not be led astray by false leaders and religions and philosophies. We need to know the God we serve and share His truth with a world who are looking for answers to life. Without Holiness no one will see the Lord. We need the strongest and the weakest. We need to repair the altar of God. We need a revival not of emotions, but Fire from heaven in our hearts. From Paganism to God Most High. Wait on God till He comes. The Fire speaks of purity. God appears in Glory in Zion where God’s Beauty shines out. The City where God dwells. Turn us back to You Again Lord, help us to forgive those that have hurt us and in some cases caused our to stumble. We choose to forgive them, just as You have forgiven us. Please heal our broken hearts and life’s. Give us a Holy desire to seek You with all our hearts, soul, strength and minds. Turn us away from any evil lurking in us and help us to seperate ourselves to You for Your purposes, And use us for Your glory. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Amen. Amen. Thank you for telling the Truth. God loves us all and is desiring for us to return to Him. He is all we need to accomplish His divine will on the earth. His perfect Kingdom will come on earth as it is in Heaven. Keep up the good work. Shalom