Jeremiah 6:10 ESV
“To whom shall I speak and give warning,
that they may hear?
Behold, their ears are uncircumcised,
they cannot listen;
behold, the word of the Lord is to them an object of scorn;
they take no pleasure in it.”
Sadly this describes many people professing to be Christians
in America. So many of them are still living for the flesh, still living for
the pleasures this world has to offer, doing whatever they want to do, living
their lives their way, not God’s way. And it doesn’t matter to them what the
Scriptures teach. If they are determined to go a certain direction, they will
go. And if it suits their purposes, they will just twist the Scriptures to give
themselves permission to keep on in their sinful ways.
Jeremiah 6:13-14 ESV
“For from the least to the greatest of them,
everyone is greedy for unjust gain;
and from prophet to priest,
everyone deals falsely.
They have healed the wound of my people lightly,
saying, ‘Peace, peace,’
when there is no peace.”
But most of them don’t have to twist the Scriptures, for other
people have already done it for them. Somewhere in time a group of people in
positions of power and authority within the institutional church and within the
government got their heads together and they decided to alter the gospel
message to make it more acceptable to human flesh and to the people of the
world. And then they began to pass this down to Bible colleges and seminaries
and to church leadership training classes, etc.
Now I don’t have facts to back up what I just said exactly,
but how else did this “cheap grace” gospel end up permeating the institutional
church across America and across church denominations? How did all these ICs,
regardless of church denomination, all start following the same man’s books on
how to grow their churches and on how to draw in large crowds of people from
the world to their church gatherings? Listen to their dialogues. They are
mostly all following the same script, with some variations.
Now I am not saying that every church congregation in
America has bought into this cheap grace or that they were or are still
following the same man’s marketing schemes on how to grow their churches. I
believe we have a minority of gatherings of the church here in America where
they are still holding fast to the truth of the Scriptures and to the truth of
the gospel and where they have not compromised with the world in order to
attract the world to their gatherings. But they are not the majority.
The majority appear to have turned the gatherings of what is
called “church” into marketplaces (businesses) to be marketed to the world just
like any other commodity. So, in order to win the world to their gatherings
they are following books written by mere mortals which are telling them how to
grow their businesses (called church) and how to make the church something the
world will want to go to and come back to. And so they have diluted the gospel
message, too, so as not to offend the people of the world.
Now let me say here that the church is the body of Christ
and there is only ONE church, which is the body of Christ. And we who have
trusted in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, in truth and in
righteousness, are that body. We the people of God are the church. So we are
not something people go to. And we are not a brick and mortar building. And we
are not a church denomination. And we are not incorporated under the state. We
belong to Christ and we serve him and we follow His teachings.
So, what is being called “church,” in many cases, is not the
true church, but they are businesses of men disguised as houses of worship of
God. And their intention, in a lot of cases, is not to honor God and to follow
Jesus Christ and to make him Lord of their lives, but it is to draw in large
crowds of people of the world to their gatherings via marketing schemes and
entertainment and a diluted gospel which offends no one. And the Holy Spirit is
being halted, and repentance and obedience to the Lord are being discouraged.
Out of greed their shepherds are telling them, “Peace,
peace,” when there is no peace. For they are telling them that a mere
profession of faith in Jesus Christ guarantees them forgiveness of sins and
heaven as their eternal destiny regardless of how they live their lives on this
earth. So they have indeed healed the sin wound of the people lightly when they
make no demands for true repentance and for walks of obedience to the Lord, and
to his commands (New Covenant).
Jeremiah 6:16 ESV
“Thus says the Lord:
‘Stand by the roads, and look,
and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way is; and walk in it,
and find rest for your souls.’”
So, the Lord says to everyone to stand at the crossroads and
look and ask for the ancient paths, i.e. the ways of holiness, righteousness, godliness,
uprightness, integrity, faithfulness, moral purity, and honesty, where the good
way is, then walk in it. Deny self, daily die with Christ to sin, and walk in
obedience to his ways, and do what he says, in practice. And we will find rest
for our souls. And only here will we find true salvation from sin and the hope
of eternal life with God, for all other ways lead to hell, not to heaven.
A
Believer’s Prayer
An
Original Work / July 31, 2012
With my whole heart, Lord, I pray
To be Yours, and Yours always.
Lead me in Your truth today.
May I love You, and obey.
Lead me in Your righteousness.
When I sin, may I confess;
Bow before You when I pray;
Live for You and You always.
Love You, Jesus, You’re my friend.
Life with You will never end.
You are with me through each day,
Giving love and peace always.
You will ne’er abandon me.
From my sin You set me free.
You died on that cruel tree,
So I’d live eternally.
Soon You’re coming back for me;
From this world to set me free;
Live with You eternally.
Oh, what joy that brings to me.
I will walk with You in white;
A pure bride, I’ve been made right
By the blood of Jesus Christ;
Pardoned by His sacrifice.
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