By Greg Holt

“And Abraham planted a grove in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.” Genesis 21:33

I love these words concerning faithful Abraham, who called on the everlasting God.  Our God is everlasting, permanent, indestructible, unstoppable, unbreakable, indefatigable, perpetual, immortal, omnipotent, and reigns supreme, and He always will!  Our God has always been here, and He always will be.  God will never forsake us, will never leave us, and cares deeply for us.

“…for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
Hebrews 13:5

“casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

Since God is always with us, a fact that a large portion of the Church seems to have forgotten – He sees all that we do; one cannot play hide-and-seek with God.  The Lord “sees” all that have turned away from His Word and have embraced fallacies (false doctrine), He sees the Church ignoring His words to us and instead following the traditions of men.

The Lord spoke to Jeremiah imparting to him truth concerning Israel, and these words also describe a large portion of today’s Church.

“This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing.” Jeremiah 13:10

The Lord had instructed Jeremiah to place the girdle “in a hole of the rock” (Jeremiah 13:4), and then days later instructed him to take the girdle from where he had hidden it. Jeremiah dug it up, and the result was that the girdle was marred, ruined (Jeremiah 13:6-7).

Israel had become “good for nothing” in the eyes of the Lord.  In Much the same way, the Church of today has become good for nothing in the eyes of the Lord – the “Church” is repeating the mistakes of Israel.  Not a popular sentiment among the so-called faithful.  Then again, I’m not trying to be popular, just truthful.

The truth is that the Church has become just like the prodigal son who grabbed his inheritance with both fists, and took off to lands far and away – squandering what he had been given on drink and other things.  The difference is that the prodigal son came to his senses and returned, is the Church going to do likewise?  The Church is squandering its inheritance while slamming the door shut in God’s face.

God’s Word tells us plainly that we reap what we sow, to wit:

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Galatians 6:7

Unfortunately, in large measure the Church of today is severely compromised, and many do not even realize it.  The people who are compromised are blinded by the god of this world.  I can hear what some of you are thinking; that these are Christians, and therefore, they can’t be blinded by Satan.  Actually, yes they can, and are they really Christians to begin with?  Christians can be blinded; otherwise, we would not have any need for the Armor of God spoken of in Ephesians 6.

“Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.” Haggai 1:6

Haggai in a sense is saying that doing anything without the Lord God is futile.  We ought to be about the Lord’s work first, and our own second.  All that we need, God will provide for us; “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).  Not only does the Church ignore the prescribed work of the Lord, but it has become worldly, and not set apart as it is supposed to be.

Instead of fulfilling the Great Commission, Churches worry more about entertaining people and not offending them.  Sermons are fluff pieces that often lack any serious teaching.  Church is more like a social event than what church is supposed to be about – teaching and learning the Word of God.  Even more importantly, worshipping God, thanking Him, praising Him, and adoring (loving) Him with our very souls.

Instead, Churches are dismissing parts of the Bible as fake, mere stories, not to be taken seriously.  Other parts of the Bible are completely ignored.  Homosexuals and lesbians are allowed to be pastors, and pastors use vile and filthy language in their sermons.  Pastors and their congregations support abortion and infanticide, and have no problem cursing those who do not, not to mention giving them the finger.  And these are Christians?

The Apostle Paul gives us warning; a warning that should be heeded but is not:

“The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.”
Romans 13:12

I fear for the Church; much is done within the Church that should not be, and much is not done that should be.  The Church cannot thumb its nose at God and expect that things will turn out well.  God does care for us, He allowed Himself to be killed for our benefit after all.  But that in no way means that God is going to overlook the unfaithfulness of the Church, or excuse it.

Those who follow a perverted gospel as the Pharisees did will share their fate – Hell.  There is yet time to turn things around, those who return to Christ as did the “prodigal,” can be forgiven and accepted back into the fold.  Lost sheep are important to God – I know; I was one of them.

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. ² For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, ⁴ traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; ⁵ having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5

The above verse of course speaks of the world in general – unfortunately it also speaks of the Church in large measure.  The Church is filled with goats, but it should be filled with sheep.  Sheep it is said are about the stupidest animal there is; be that as it may, the goats in the Church make the sheep look smart.

The sheep at least have enough sense to follow the Shepherd – do you?

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