I thought it odd that while listening to the rain pelting the windows of my study, the wind howling outside, a question came to mind: 'Why is the church in America dying?' And then I heard His still small voice:
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock." Matthew 7:24-25
Had the church in America, or for that matter anywhere in the 'enlightened' free world, been built on the rock or had it been build as in verse 26-27:
"But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
I needed to know.
I read of the pastor in North Little Rock, AR. Pastor Steven G. Tiner, Senior Pastor of Levy Baptist Church who now boasts of his calling as Most Excellent Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter of the Royal Arch Masons of Arkansas.
As Pastor Tiner has bowed his knee at the altar of the false god of Freemasonry and given himself over to the doctrines of demons I wondered what else O LORD, what else.
A statement by Leith Anderson, President of the National Association of Evangelicals came to my attention. Forgetting that God had called the church, not government, to care for the poor he wrote:
'regardless of our nation's out of control spending and debt, no social - humanitarian aid programs should be trimmed.'
I stopped and ask myself; "had the church fulfilled the great commission to share the gospel much less feed the sick or take care of widows and orphans?" Had they done what God commanded or had the church been negligent to the point that socialism secured a foot-hold and government intervention deemed necessary, by socialist within the government?
I read on.
'The Presbyterian Church voted to allow the ordination of gays, becoming the fourth Protestant denomination in the United States to make the move that experts say reflects a larger cultural shift.'
"A larger cultural shift" - where is the church?
'A billboard in Toledo, Ohio states: "Being Gay is a Gift from God." Forgetting Paul' admonition to the church in 1 Corinthains 6:
Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
The church seems unconcerned by the words of the Apostle Paul. The billboard is part of a campaign started by the Central United Methodist Church, which is seeking to promote acceptance for LGBT people in the Christian community. Dan Rutt, one of the church officials behind the campaign, told ToledoOnTheMove.com that he hopes the message will spark dialogue about unity and tolerance.'
Dialogue about unity and tolerance, but not the gospel?
Tolerance, unity, idolatry, DISOBEDIENCE, I had my answer:
"Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe His commands, His laws and His decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me... But remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth... If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. Like the nations the LORD destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the LORD your God..."
Deuteronomy 8
Can you have unity in disagreement in a 'we'll agree to disagree'?
ReplyDeleteThere is definitely a piece we've been overlooking for some time. We are more than willing to see Jesus' love for us. But, we've forgotten to respond to that love. In our attempt to love Christ we would try and "go and sin no more". For me, that would be a hard task, but if I love Christ enough it would definitely be something to take more seriously. People were changed when they met Christ.