Last weekend I was at a grocery store. A woman entered the far side of the aisle and began walking toward me. She was dressed in what would have been more appropriate to wear at the beach, with plenty of skin exposed and the rest barely covered by sheer fabric. Think the swimsuit version of yoga pants. I quickly veered off into another aisle, sighing. She might as well have had “Look at Me!” printed on her top.
There are many who are screaming “Look at Me!” Some want the looks (lust) of others to fill in the gaps in their soul. The core lie is that to be desired or lusted after is to be loved. It might feel good to be mauled with the eyes of another for a moment, but no lust look can fill an empty heart. Deep down they’re hollow, yearning, searching, perhaps with a hard heart.
Then there is the other side of the “Look at Me!” crowd. They want, demand, expect to be worshipped. They bask in the attention of others, the glow of the spotlight. Leave them out of the action and they pout, manipulate, blow up, or fall apart. Confront them and waping! Their pride and anger switch flips. There are plenty of these glory hogs in the church, by the way. Pride and self-absorption leave a stench that doesn’t take long to spread. Looking good, impressing others, and getting pats on the back are their drug of choice.
I’ve continued to look for a church that’s a house of prayer. By house of prayer I mean a church that breaks up for prayer during their weekend services. Last weekend I googled “Church that prays during their weekend service,” and this popped up at the top:
I wanted to throw up. Does anyone remember how the early church exploded in growth in the book of Acts? Prayer meetings! Not selling the holy, living God who sent His son to be killed by His creation as cool. During Peter’s first message he told the listeners that “You crucified Christ,” twice. Peter didn’t care how the truth landed and 3,000 came to Christ.
The lack of prayer and prayer meetings opens the door to a church trying to look like the world so it can attract the world. Without prayer, we resort to man’s ways. Then we wonder why so many are falling away or in bondage to sin. No prayer, no spiritual power.
I visited a new church last Sunday. At one point when the worship band was playing, loudly, one of their leaders asked everyone to have a few minutes to rest with God, but the music was so loud that listening for God was nearly impossible.
Sigh. Why can’t Americans have silence in our church services?
Recently I’ve been reading through the book of Acts, and hit chapter 5, which begins with:
“But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it.”
Acts 5:1-5
Moments later Ananias’ wife, Sapphira, met the same fate of instant death for partnering with her husband to lie to God. Then in verse 11 we read: “And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.”
Do we take sin as seriously as God does, who dropped Ananias and Sapphira for lying to Him? Is the fear of God in our churches, in our own hearts? The early church learned quickly that they dare not play church.
Picture singing “I surrender all” Sunday morning, and then people dropping all over the sanctuary who were just saying the words from an un-surrendered heart.
Or how about communion, which Paul addresses in 1 Corinthians 11:27-32:
“Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.”
What if everyone who took communion and were playing games with sin, perhaps living with someone out of wedlock in sexual sin, unwilling to give up porn, pride, or anger, or forgive someone God had been calling them to for a long time, suddenly started getting ill in church with waves of intense fever and nausea. Maybe a few drop and never recover. You’d have people freaking out and rushing the altar for repentance. No sermon about repentance or revival required.
This past week the results of a survey came out that showed for every one person who comes to the faith, six are hitting the exits. From the article: “According to Pew Research, for every one person who comes to faith in Jesus Christ, six walk away from him. Not six who never heard the gospel. Six who heard it and left anyway.”
I see a lot of ministries and churches reporting the numbers of their conversions and baptisms. Somehow the horror of losing so many out the backdoor gets missed. Shouldn’t the heavy exodus from the faith that’s been going on for decades be flashing, screaming, red lights that we’re not equipping people and giving them a faith worth giving their lives for? Are they being challenged to participate in weekly prayer meetings and shown how to pray? Do they know that as soon as they turn to Christ they have a sworn enemy who hates them and is coming after them to take them out? Are they being trained in spiritual warfare? Are they being shown how to break free from the bondage to sin that many are in and face their weaknesses?
The middle of May I was told I needed an unplanned root canal. Knowing the Colorado Springs conference was coming up on May 30, I postponed it until this past Monday. The procedure didn’t go as planned. A titanium file broke off in my tooth that they have no way to retrieve; now I have a titanium shiv in my tooth. The only other option is to go for oral surgery to have the tooth pulled, which I’m putting off at the moment.
Never a dull moment around here.
“Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
James 1:12
Onward, my friends.
