The Lord has a Case

Micah 6:1-2 NIV

 

Listen to what the Lord says:

 

“Stand up, plead my case before the mountains;

    let the hills hear what you have to say.

 

 “Hear, you mountains, the Lord’s accusation;

    listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth.

For the Lord has a case against his people;

    he is lodging a charge against Israel.”

 

In the year 2021, what case do you believe God would be making against the church, in general? Or, more specifically in America, where I live?

 

Actually, it is the same as it was in the days of Micah, the prophet: approval and support of corruption in the capital cities, intoxication to sin, idolatry, all the evils of society, and giving a home to heathen teachings in the church.

 

In America, the church, via the church incorporating under the state via the 501c3 tax exempt status (which was not required by the government for tax exempt status), they unequally yoked together with the ungodly, and they turned God’s house into a marketplace (Jn 2:16; 2 Co 6:14-18).

 

They brought not only the government (the ungodly) into the gatherings of the church, but they also brought government worship into the church via the forced pledge of allegiance (vow of fidelity) to the government, via the singing of patriotic songs, and via the honoring of the military as our heroes.

 

Then, they turned many gatherings of the church into businesses (of man), created (patterned) after other man-made businesses, to be marketed to the world just like other businesses. So, they found out what their “customer base” (the world) wanted, and they set out to meet their felt needs.

 

So, instead of Jesus Christ being the head of his church, now the government and the world of big business were the head. Instead of the Bible and the Holy Spirit being the only guides for how to grow the Lord’s church, now marketing books and techniques were being introduced and taught to pastors on how to market their churches to the world.

 

Thus, many pastors turned into marketers, businessmen, entrepreneurs, talk show hosts, comedians, clowns, and motivational speakers. Many worship services turned into major stage productions intended to draw in large crowds of people from the world, thus incorporating worldly and fleshly gimmicks, videos, music (not all), and stage props to attract the world.

 

And many sermons became a mixture of teachings of Scripture (usually taught out of context) and humanistic philosophy and modern psychology, plus mind manipulation techniques. And worldliness and even foreign religions were now being blended in with Christ’s teachings.

 

Government worship became big among Christians, who were taught government worship from birth on up to adulthood. So, many Christians ended up idolizing government leaders, giving them their undying loyalty, often following them blindly as though these leaders are pied pipers.

 

And, in order to attract the world to the church, they also adulterated the gospel of Christ, and exchanged the truth for a lie of Satan, and they turned evil into good and good into evil.

 

Instead of teaching that we must be crucified with Christ in death to sin, that we must deny self, die daily to sin, and daily walk in obedience to our Lord in the power of God’s Holy Spirit, they are teaching that faith in Jesus Christ requires no repentance, no obedience, and no submission to Christ as Lord.

 

If they don’t come right out and say that, they imply it by what they teach and by what teachings of Scripture they purposefully leave out (ignore). For, many are teaching that we can pray a prayer, be saved, and go to heaven when we die, but that how we live on this earth will not impact our eternity.

 

Micah 6:3-5 NIV

 

“My people, what have I done to you?

    How have I burdened you? Answer me.

I brought you up out of Egypt

    and redeemed you from the land of slavery.

I sent Moses to lead you,

    also Aaron and Miriam.

My people, remember

    what Balak king of Moab plotted

    and what Balaam son of Beor answered.

Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal,

    that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.”

 

So, the Lord is asking similar questions of his church today which is living in spiritual adultery, is idolatrous, is practicing government worship, is unequally yoked with the ungodly, and which is diluting his gospel message to make it more appealing to the flesh of man.

 

What has he done to you that you would treat him in such a manner as this? He gave Jesus (God the Son) to die on a cross for our sins so that we could be delivered out of our slavery to sin, so that we could now be slaves of righteousness, in the power of God’s Spirit living within us (Rom 6:1-23).

 

He sent us his Holy Spirit, too, to lead us into all truth and to remind us of the things he taught when he was on the earth. And he gave us the Holy Spirit as our comforter, encourager, teacher, counselor, and guide, and as the empowerment we need to live godly and holy lives, pleasing to God.

 

The Lord has given us his written word, and the Holy Spirit, and he teaches us the way we should go. And he has made the way for us to leave our lives of sin behind us to follow him in obedience. But what have we done with that? Have we obeyed? Or are we going our own way? (Rom 6:1-23).

 

Micah 6:6-8 NIV

 

“With what shall I come before the Lord

    and bow down before the exalted God?

Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,

    with calves a year old?

Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,

    with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?

Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,

    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.

    And what does the Lord require of you?”

To act justly and to love mercy

    and to walk humbly with your God.

 

The Lord is not interested in our fleshly works that we perform thinking he will be pleased with us. He doesn’t care about how many “good deeds” you perform on a daily basis, or how many church services you attend, or what money you tithe, if you are not committed to following him with your life.

 

He wants us to walk humbly with our God in commitment to him as our Lord (owner-master), in obedience to his ways and his plans for our lives, and in surrender of our lives to him, forsaking our former lives of living for sin and self in order to now follow him wherever he leads us (Eph 4:17-24).

 

Then, we will act justly towards others, and we will be merciful as he is merciful, while not delighting in evil but rejoicing with the truth, and while hating what is evil, and clinging to what is good (Rom 12:9; 1 Co 13:6).

 

Living Sacrifices  

 

An Original Work / September 14, 2012

Based off Romans 12:1-2; 6:11-14 NIV

 

Oh, holy ones, I counsel you,

In view of God’s mercy,

To give yourselves to God in love

As living offerings,

Pleasing to God, holy in love.

This is your true worship.

Do not conform to worldly lives.

Let God transform you today.

Then you’ll be able to

Test and approve of what

God’s will is – His pleasing

And perfect will. Oh, holy ones,

I counsel you – Offer yourselves unto God.

 

Oh, holy ones, I counsel you –

Do not be conceited.

Humble yourselves before your God.

Do not be self-righteous.

The strength you have to live in love

Comes from your Lord God, so

Live your new lives in pow’r of God.

Be changed in heart, mind and will.

Do this because of what

Christ did for you when

He died on the cross to save

The world from sin. Oh, holy ones,

I counsel you – Humble yourselves before God.

 

Oh, holy ones, I counsel you –

Count yourselves dead to sin,

But be alive to God in Christ.

Do not let sin reign in

Your earthly lives so you

Obey its evil desires.

Offer yourselves unto your God

As those who’ve been born again.

For sin shall no longer be

Your lord and master.

Give of yourselves to God

For righteousness. Oh, holy ones,

I counsel you – Be alive to God in Christ.

 

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