Wanted to share an essay I wrote. Thought it was good enough to share. -Debbie The American church of the 21st century by-in-large is in a state of lethargy and spiritual staleness. We are fulfilling the prophetic scripture when the apostle Paul says that the church would have a form of godliness but they would deny the power thereof. In actuality we have followed in the footsteps of our Western European brothers. What is the evolutionary path that our Western European ancestors have taken? Their path has been one from spiritual fervency to theistic coldness. Their path has been one from biblical truth to humanistic dogmas. Their paths have been one from spiritual hunger and thirst for the things of God to one of spiritual starvation. We in the American church sadly have taken the same course of action. We have taken our Western European brothers under the great leadership and great men of God to a day when many theologians and pulpits no longer even believe in the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. In early colonial America, the local church was where the Americans turned to in times of crises. There they prayed. There they worshipped. There they looked to their pastor and spiritual leaders for direction. Great Western European men, such as, Johnathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and John Davenport, powerful men of God, birthed revival in American colonies during the 1700’s. That fire came from powerful Western Europeans like John Knox and John Bunyan. John Knox was such a powerful and anointed man of God that the Queen of England stated, “I would rather face foreign armies than face the God of John Knox.” It was the western fire that came to the shores of early colonial America. People of Massachusetts made this covenant, “We covenant with the Lord and with one another and do bind ourselves in the presence of God to walk in all His ways and to follow in the goodness of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1641) Again, the American church has followed in the same path of our Western European brothers. We have shifted from a traditional God-centered world view to a secular-humanistic philosophy. Samuel Adams said, “While the people are virtuous, they cannot be subdued; however, but when once they lose their virtue, they will be ready to surrender their liberties.” We see a parallel in our day to many of the churches that Jesus spoke to in Revelations chapter 3. The common denominator that he spoke to the churches was this, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.” Exactly what is the Spirit saying to the church today? What did he say to the church of Laodicea, which was the last church before the rapture of the church in Revelation 4:1? Laodicea is a picture of what the American church is today. What is the example of Laodicea? Revelations 3:17, “You say, “I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing. But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” Peter and John were on their way to the temple to worship, and were encountered by a lame man at the beautiful gate. They told the man they didn’t have silver or gold, but this was not a problem for the church of Laodicea, because the Laodicea church was rich, wealthy, and in no need for anything. Consequently, they had no power. The American church today is rich, wealthy and in no need of anything. They too also lack the power. Jesus told the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2:4, “Yet I hold this against you. You have forsaken your first love.” Just like the church of Laodicea and Ephesus, just like the church of Western Europe, the American church has lost its first love. We need to return to the faith and virtue of our early American Forefathers. I dont want to be a total negativity. God has always had a people, and He always will. Even though today the American church typifies the church of Laodicea in many ways through its coldness and lack of revival, in the midst of this, there will always be a people who hunger and thirst after righteousness. The true church has never been in the majority. In Noah’s time as well as Jeremiah it was a time of darkness as well, and few people wanted to serve God, but Jeremiah persevered through the persecution. Joshua stated, “As far as me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” This is the cardinal doctrine in which we must stand. Regardless of what the nominal-apostate American church does, we the remnant in spite of popularity or acceptance, we must hold to Joshua’s standard. As far as me and my house we will serve the Lord.
Posted on: Tue, 26 Nov 2013 05:53:47 +0000
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