Complimentary Story
Dear Believers in Wisconsin,It was in the early part of 2013 when I had my first article and advertisement published in the Wisconsin Christian News (WCN). Since then I have developed a good relationship with Rob Pue, the publisher of the WCN.
Rob and I both have a concern for the growing discontentment there is today in the body of Christ. I have heard through the years, many Christians say something like, “I just can’t find a good church.” I have heard other believers tell of frustrated Christians they know, from other cities, who can’t find a good place to go to church.
It is a shame and an insult against God to see what is happening to many of our churches. In the short 32 years that I have been a believer, I have seen the seeker-sensitive, user-friendly approach come to the church. I have seen the song services in church meetings go from worship to concert-like entertainment. I have seen churches change from a place where believers go to be discipled so they can grow, to a house of evangelism where the focus is more on winning souls.
Let me say that I am very much about winning souls, but soul winning is the mission of the church. The church meeting is a place for believers to be perfected, built up and edified so they can go into this evil world and snatch lost hopeless people out of it.
I have seen the church go from challenging believers to deny themselves and take up their cross, to offering programs that cater to every age group and every interest and situation of life. I have seen the church go from using the Bible as the main book for all preaching and teaching, to the use of the internet and books to get lessons and sermons from.
Then there is the “emerging church.” This is just another phrase for the “ecumenical church,” which compromises truth so many religious ideas and traditions can blend together. Any emerging the church needs is for her to arise up in the power and the anointing that the church was given when Jesus breathed on the disciples who were later baptized with the Holy Ghost.
This brings me to the purpose of this letter. Rob Pue and I both share the same burden for our brethren who are scattered all over Wisconsin who have quit attending a church. It’s not that they are backslidden or have a rebellious spirit against leadership, but because they have grown frustrated with the lack of the Spirit of God being in the assembly. They are tired of dead churches, they are tired of shallow sermons and motivational speeches. They are tired of the agendas of men. We are convinced that it is not just our desire, but God’s desire to see His remnant believers in Wisconsin join together and be the church that God intended for us to be.
Rob and I believe that God brought us together for such a time as this, to work together in searching out God’s remnant believers and to help connect them together. I am willing to offer leadership to help form a Bible-based, Spirit-led church in your area. A church where Christ is preeminent, not the agendas and ideas of men. God has put a call in my heart to shepherd His flock, and also help train ministers to carry on the work of God.
If you know a few believers in your area who would like to see a church start up, then we would love to help with that. I would help facilitate leadership to whatever capacity the Lord would have me do. Rob would use the WCN to keep believers informed on how and where they can connect with churches and other believers.
Here are a few things about myself. I got saved in 1983 at 27 years of age and started feeling the call to the ministry in the mid 1990s. I have learned to pastor by reading my Bible under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, and being connected with other ministers who are true men of God. I read my Bible as much today as in days past and it is still the final authority over my life and the life of the church. I am a Spirit-filled believer and believe the church can still operate under the full authority and power that God poured out on the church in that upper room on the day of Pentecost. The church in the book of Acts is our pattern. I do believe that it is possible for the church today to be in one accord.
If you are interested in this type of church being planted in your area just pray, pray and pray. Then, if you feel the nudging of the Lord, please call me at 414-379-0557 or email me at
fischerofmen1@gmail.com.
www.TheChurchInWisconsin.com.
-Pastor Terry Fischer
Dear Friends in Christ,
The writer of Hebrews exhorts us, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to exhort one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day approaching.”
I believe God wants His children to spend time together, to love one another as a family and to work in one accord for His glory. Like any loving father, our Lord grieves when His children don’t get along. But He also grieves when His children gather together and waste time in vain displays of powerless religion, accomplishing nothing. He also grieves when instead of glorifying Him, our gatherings do just the opposite, justifying our own sin and catering to our selfish indulgences, but never considering His Word much at all.
Such is the state of many of our churches today. As I speak with so many of the readers of Wisconsin Christian News, I am finding more and more people are without a church home. The number is growing. Once solid, Bible-believing churches have gone “emergent.” The pastor that guided the flock for decades has retired or been asked to leave, and the leadership replaced him with a “hip” new model with a “gotee,” T-Shirt, messy hair and torn blue jeans. All manner of worldly entertainment fills the “worship” service, and the “sermons” cover topics like “The Five Love Languages,” “God Wants You to Be Happy,” and “Learning to Love Myself As I Am.” In short, where once was heard powerful preaching from the Word of God, now there is only self-help lessons from Motivational Speakers, designed not to convict hearts, but rather to make people leave feeling good about themselves, so they come back again next week for another dose of “feel-good.”
When sincere saints of God object to the direction the leadership is taking the church, they are told they should leave if they don’t like it, rather than “sow discord among the saints.” Truly, I have spoken with so many broken-hearted individuals who have had to leave their church homes because they were no longer welcome there, because they were told they were too old fashioned, and that they were becoming obstacles in the way of progress.
Unfortunately, many who are ushered out in this way find there are few alternatives to go to. While God hasn’t changed, and His Word has not changed, the world -- the American Church has changed. In an effort to be more “seeker sensitive,” and draw a bigger crowd, the modern American church is now the epitome of 2 Timothy 3:5, “having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” As Jesus said in Matthew 15, “These people draw near to Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.”
Hopelessly frustrated, many have left their former churches and no longer attend anywhere anymore. They have searched, in vain, for a place in their area that still preaches the Word of God in Spirit and in Truth. Instead, they have found kids clubs, food pantries, rock concerts, singles clubs, puppet shows, hayrides and hangouts.
But where is the preaching that convicts hearts of their need of the Savior? Where is the message of repentance and God’s saving grace? And where is the Holy Spirit in the hearts of men, women and children that they may be empowered and taught to go and make disciples, rather than “come and get coffee, donuts and candy?”
I believe God wants His remnant church to unite now and get organized. We should no longer forsake the assembling of ourselves together. You may feel you are alone, but God has millions of believers in the world just like you.
If you are a Bible-believing Christian, you are already a part of God’s “Church,” the Body of Christ. You are needed and you have a job to do and a part to play in these last days. We are not looking to “steal sheep.” If you have a good church home, praise the Lord for a body of believers that loves the Word. But if you are one of those who cannot find a home, I encourage you to get in touch with us and let us know. In the coming days we hope to connect you with other believers like you in your area for fellowship, study, worship and service.
Terry Fischer is the Pastor of the Church in Wisconsin, headquartered in West Allis. Terry has a heart to unite God’s faithful remnant. This is not about building a big organization. It’s about encouraging, activating and motivating God’s people for such a time as this.
We do not know where this initiative will go, or if it will go anywhere at all. But we want to make ourselves available for service and any help we can provide. There could be meetings, revival services, even church plantings. And we are not limiting this just to Wisconsin, if you are in other states, please do not feel left out. We want to hear from you too! There is no telling what the Lord will do as we step out in faith, seeking to serve.
Let’s join together and, as Scripture says, “exhort one another to love and good deeds,” “encouraging each other,” even more as we see the day approaching!
So if you long for a church home and family, I encourage you to call Pastor Terry today. We will keep you posted and connected here in WCN, as we all work together -- in one accord!
You can reach Terry by calling: 414-379-0557 or emailing him at:
fischerofmen1@gmail.com.
-Rob Pue
