“But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth .For in these I delight,” says the Lord..” -Jer 9:24 (KJV)
For those that do go to church these days … why do you go?
We have churches everywhere these days and a plethora of Christian denominations spanning the globe. You may be Catholic, Protestant, Lutheran, etc but the real question facing all of us is “Why Do We Go To Church?”. What drives us, what motivates our faith? What is our faith and who is it in? Jesus Christ or the Church and its figureheads? Do we play church or are we serious?
I see only three reasons people go: (1) to seriously worship God or (2) to pretend satisfying their egos or (3) to be seen as in a social only gathering. Personally, I believe that very few people go to church to seriously worship God. I’m not talking about engaging in the music or song or pastoral prayer or anything else. I’m talking about engaging in God – a personal time of worship where you and He come together. And BTW, this can happen anywhere not just in your church.
Today, people trust in their churches and pastoral staff to intercede and/or do things for them to make the faith “ride” convenient and easy. This is wrong and not a form of worship. Most churches today are nothing but social clubs with little thought of serving a Living God and obeying or for that matter in regular of His word. People’s (Christians) hearts have become waxed gross and their ears are dull (can’t hear). They no longer go to church to feed their souls and hear of their sin prompting repentance. They go to be seen and hear an entertaining message full of contemporary rhetoric and comedy. Some even go to see the show put on by “fake” Christians. Folks, this is a tragedy yet it is increasing and becoming more of the norm. So what do we do? Let’s turn to Scripture…
“For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” -Matt 13:15 (KJV)
If we look over Isaiah 64:7 (ESV) we find Isaiah exclaiming that no one calls upon the name of the Lord and no one rouses (awakens) himself to take hold of the Lord. This is oh so prevalent in Christianity circles today – all over and in every denomination. Lethargy, complacency, compromise, callousness plague the church and its parishioners that it’s mind-numbing. It’s time to awaken from our sleep and take hold of the Lord in every aspect of our lives. Making Him the Lord and Master of everything we do, say, and think. (Is this you today?)
“There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.”
Where are the people that truly want and desire to seek the Lord, read His Word, and follow His teaching with obedience? Where are the true and real worshipers that honor God and exalt His name both in and out of church? Where are the sincere and relentless prayer warriors that will take up spiritual armor to combat the enemy of our souls? Yes there are some but very few, a remnant if you will. Those that are serious about serving and following the Lord, He knows -2 Tim 2:19.
Friends, this is a serious matter for the church today. From the pulpits, there is little if no preaching on the convicting and awakening of sinful hearts that can only come from the working of the Holy Spirit. The churches are dull and “dead” – lacking power in God. Can I be so bold as to also suggest that the work of the Holy Spirit is suppressed in most churches today in favor of their own (I know better) agendas? It’s time to stop the pretending and get right and serious with a Holy and Righteous Almighty God. It’s time to stop playing church and going there for the wrong reasons. It’s time to begin again worshiping the Lord in spirit and truth -John 4:24.
Folks, this fake worship is destroying most Christian churches and instead of being a powerhouse of spiritual strength they have become a dim light, powerless to defend the faith. No conviction of sin, no repentance, and no sorrow (which, BTW, leads to repentance) for their sin. This is a recipe for a dead, weak, powerless, and sickly church. Take a moment and read about the Seven Churches that Jesus addressed in Rev 2 and 3. This is truth and this is for the here and now. Seek the Lord while He may be found.
Amen!
“Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:” -Heb 12:25-26 (KJV)
-BPWatcher, Internet Preacher and Bible Prophecy Watchman
SEEK GOD AND HIM ALONE. WORSHIP GOD IN -SINCERE- SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH!
