The Apalling State Of The Church

The ten virgins were all asleep when the voice of the bridegroom was heard

I went to the world day of prayer last year and was absolutely
disgusted to say the least at the lack of any significant
attendance of any people I knew as ministers of the gospel in my
city let alone saints from the various churches. Without even
addressing the issues of the large churches which are based in
the city of Gold Coast, Australia where I live, there was not a
single individual pastor that I knew of personally, that thought
of it as important enough to attend. Does that not say something
to you? I find it appalling to say the least. This is only one
small example, I have observed there are many others, I could
mention. I hear on the news that only one child in nine now knows
anything about what true Christmas is and one in fourteen, know
anything of Christ at all.

Does this sound like a nation deserving revival? Revival is a
word suggesting RE.. Visitation and I don’t think that is
Australia. I think this nation and the deluded west needs a new
reformation not a revisit. Maybe I am way out in left field but I
do not think so, when I say that I have heard of so many pastors
and significant preachers who have come through Australia and
particularly the Gold Coast only to tell us that revival is about
to break out here in this city. They constantly tell us we have
been marked by God for a visitation in the immediate future, when
many will turn to God and he will spare us from any hardship that
is due as a result of the financial meltdown as well as the sin
that eats at the very fibre of our society.

I am sick of hearing all the bless me club type saints, whose
only interest is following the high profile holy rollers These
same slick snake oil salesmen who constantly feed out their
prosperity nonsense in order to strip the pockets of the unwary.
These same unwary, who in turn sit bug eyed at the charisma these
preachers display and lap up every false doctrine and absurdity
presented. The hearers have no intention of doing anything with
the information they get they only want to get something more for
themselves. They don’t support any church in particular,
probably because they feel they don’t get fed from that
fellowship that they have been used to attending. So they just
drift from place to place, church to church and live in a
mystical, feel good belief system with no commitment to anyone or
any thing, other than close friends and nature and think God is
happy with that.

They are absolutely immature and naïve, lacking sound
biblical knowledge of doctrine and truth, and they live with
their heads in the sand regarding the real world. Most of them
put their attention toward praying for and supporting Israel
thinking God will be content with that. Their warped reasoning is
that if I honour Israel, Gods choice apple, then the Bible states
I will be blessed also. Thus once again the merry go round begins
again with them becoming the centre of their selfish introverted
world, of me, myself and I. James in his book states if we are
hearers only and not doers of the word we will not be blessed in
all our deeds and not only that, we just deceive ourselves. If
you don’t live the word and do what it tells us to do no
amount of money sent nor time given to travelling to Israel and
supporting her Christ rejecting ways is going to suffice for your
disobedience toward Biblical Christian fellowship.

The scripture in Hebrews 10 instructs us not to forsake,
neglect nor ignore our fellowshipping together as a body as many
have done and still do. These who ignore the truth, then justify
their disobedience and disregard for scripture, by seeking to
influence and persuade others that it is acceptable. Biblically
it is not acceptable, the scripture actually denounces it as
disobedience, and the word continues to warn us, if we willfully
disobey the command and do not gather together, there remains no
more covering or protection for us because of our foolish neglect
therefore we will suffer the consequences of it.

Like the stupidity of John Hagee whose doctrine espouses a
false biblical premise that the Jews do not need redemption
through the blood of Christ. His supposition is that Israel has
favour with God simply because they have an inheritance in the
land through Abraham. The actual truth is, if you read the
scripture, their inheritance is in Jacob not through Abraham as
they who have an inheritance via Abraham are those who are in
Christ both Jews and gentiles. Read Isaiah 63 16 it talks of a
group of people who are rejected by Israel but who are Gods
inheritance even if Jacob rejects them. Galations adds that we
are of Abrahams seed and included in his inheritance if we are of
faith and in Christ, for only those who believe through Christ
are heirs of faith as the seed of Abraham.

But let me get back to my point of contention, I maybe out in
left field but I do not believe that the church is any way at a
place where the spirit of revival would want to visit this city
or nation. The town fathers have seen fit to follow political
correctness and prevent the preaching of the gospel as well as
many nativity scenes in public places as it may offend Muslims
and Satanists etc. The churches have removed themselves far from
any association with radical biblical Christianity and its
preachers have favoured a social gospel rather than preach sin
convicting messages any more.

Most churches have turned their attention toward pleasing man
rather than pleasing God and have joined themselves to a
contemporary message of soulish motivation geared toward
enterprise and commercial academics. It is a sad day that we have
arrived at wherein, folk constantly ask me as I travel, where can
I go to hear the Bible and straight truth being preached. I am
approached and questioned all the time now, where can the saints
go in order to hear the scriptures preached with biblical
expository. I would have a guess that few would even know what
those actual terms and words mean today that shows how far we
have wandered from doctrinal truth.

What I am seeing now more and more frequently is a blindness
likened to that which Paul speaks of in Romans and Corinthians,
which he states is upon the eyes of the Jews. Paul describes it
as being like a veil which prevents them from seeing the truth. I
believe as God begins to turn back to Israel’s salvation
and acceptance of the gospel, that same blindness is now coming
upon the church particularly those who do not have a love for the
truth. Thessalonians relates that very verse to the appearance of
the Anti Christ on earth when he states that when the Antichrist
appears "GOD WILL SEND UPON THOSE WHO REFUSE TO LIVE BY THE
TRUTH, STRONG DELUSION SO THAT THEY WILL BELIEVE THE
LIE."

2 Thessalonians 2:9 Even him (Anti-christ), whose coming is after the
working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And
with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish;
because they had not the love of the truth, that they might be
saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion,
that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who
believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
…………, because God hath chosen you
to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of
the truth: …………... Therefore,
brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have
been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

Appalling is a very emotive yet tame word to describe what I
believe, and see taking place in the heart of the believers in
most Western societies now concerning the Church of Jesus Christ.
This insidious evil is being outworked in our present and very
immediate days. I do not believe we will see a broad revival the
likes of which we have seen in the past. I do not see how the
saints like those in China and Iran and Iraq, for instance should
have to undergo terrible persecution as they are, while we here
in the west cruise along with no sacrifice required of us nor
given by us. But yet we have the audacity to claim an expectation
of Gods visitation without paying a price for it and think we
have automatic privilege to it above them.

The Bible makes it clear all through the prophecies concerning
the second coming of Christ that we are not be ignorant of the
fact that there will be a falling away first and then the man of
sin will be revealed. It also clearly states, there will be an
apostate church existing on earth at the time of Christs
appearing, and we need to be aware that it is not to take down
the unsaved alone but designed to take down the saved and godly
also. That is why the Bible is so full of warning and caution
relating to the time of anarchy and a time when a generation of
God despisers will arise on earth. We are warned and warned over
and over to be ready with our lamps burning. We are constantly
challenged to be alert and to be watching and waiting in prayer,
without falling asleep.