I have heard pastors mention that we in America have not experienced real persecution in recent years. This is true as far as I’m concerned. The reason given is much more ominous. “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” John 15 (18-19)
So, the pastor flips this, an obvious conclusion. If the world does NOT hate a group of people, then maybe they are no threat to the world. Maybe they are not like Christ, maybe these so called churches are failing. This could be. It may also be that the persecution is coming, and the church in America has just been spared for a time and will still be going through it one day soon.
It is true, CL, that the church in America is on the decline in influnce and in witness. It is sad to watch the Faith being watered down to the point where it has no power, but this is what Paul said would happen in the last days (I Timothy 34:1-3, II Timothy 3:1-5). What can we do? Pray for revival in our own lives and in His church.