Sacrificed Saints and Satisfied Sinners
By: M.E. Townsend

“IF My people who are called by My Name will humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” II Chronicles 7:14

Stain glass windows surround the chapels and cathedrals of the world. Pious parishioners faithfully line the halls each sabbath morn, reclining on padded pews in indifference and ambiguity. With hardened hearts they watch the clock, anxiously awaiting the stroke of twelve.

From the pulpit springs forth messages of encouragement and hope:

“God wants His people successful in all areas of their lives, especially financially and materially. God wants to increase you financially. Go further – get rid of the small-minded thinking and start thinking as God thinks. Think Big! Think Increase.”

Discontentment grows alongside dissatisfaction – they press on, continuing to believe:

“God wants this to be the best time of their life. Experience His goodness in physical, material and social ways – here and now.

Attempting to focus on all they have heard, struggling to teach their mind to think proper ‘success producing’ thoughts, being taught the desire for material blessing is pleasing to God, they seek more.

God did promise prosperity – to an “obedient” Israel.

God cares little if one lives in a cave or a condo – His desire is that those called by His Name obey His Word. His desire is that His children should bring glory and honor to His Name and that the true gospel be taught to others making disciplined disciples and conscious converts of many:

“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I AM – LORD, exercising loving kindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the LORD.” Jeremiah 9:23-24

In his book: The Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer stated:

“What you think, when you think of God, is the most telling thing about you. Your concept of God will do more to shape your thoughts and actions than any other single concept in your life. It is no wonder God used so much of the Bible to emphasize His attributes. He wants us to know what He is like so that we may live a proper life. If our view of God is flawed, it will necessarily lead to a life that is also flawed.”

“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, you whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! Matthew 6:22-23

Reaching out in an attempt to feel better about themselves, their circumstances or life choices, desiring to have ears tickled and egos stroked parishioners hang onto words of comfort coming forth from the "man of God" admonishing they to try harder, aim higher, give more.

The Bible teaches that a Christian is to separate from the world, from false teachers and disobedient brothers. Yet many within the church promote tolerance and love, failing to warn against false teachers or denounce false teachings. Refusing to discern the truth from the lie, the church of today compromises the fundamentals of the faith – the Word is watered-down, altered and bent to conform to individual circumstances. Scripture interprets scripture, scripture means what it says yet scripture continues to be misrepresented in order to fit man-made theologies until now the Word of God is unrecognizable to those who do not seek to know the truth, choosing instead to sit in contented ease amidst the error.

“If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our LORD Jesus the Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which comes envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wrangling of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain, From such withdraw yourself.” I Timothy 6:3-5