1 Chronicles 29:11 “Thine, O LORD is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.”
Apparently, before I was born, there was something called ‘The Jesus Movement,’ which was a type of Revolution in pursuit of a ‘spiritual awakening’ in lieu of attending the Conventional Christian Church. That statement alone should speak volumes in and of itself about the spiritual state of the church even during that time. Unfortunately, this movement and ‘evangelistic fervor’ spawned many of the pitfalls that we face today throughout our modern-day worship. Got Questions has more information concerning the ‘overall outcome’ of this Revolutionary Movement. Sadly, even in the 60s and 70s, the youth were looking for ‘something more’ aside from the ‘lackluster and spiritless’ houses of worship in their day.
Just for clarity and as a ‘stark reminder,’ the true Church are the Believers in Jesus Christ who are indwelt by God’s Holy Spirit. Therefore, this does not comprise of a physical ‘brick and mortar building’ as being the only place where God will meet with His Beloved Bride. Recently, a Special Sister in Christ and I emailed each other about the pitfalls that we have come to find among our modern-day churches – issues which are in essence leading droves into the ‘End Times Apostasy’ spoken of in the Bible! I also shared with her how our quest in finding a ‘sound church’ has been like encountering one frustrating brick wall after another due to this Apostasy!
There was a time, though, before this ‘Age of Grace,’ when Abba Father designated a place where He would meet and commune with His people. Such was His first Habitation on Earth, which was the Old Testament Tabernacle — a ‘Tent of Meeting’ in the wilderness (a picture of Christ) containing God’s Presence in the midst of the Israelite’s camp, one which was illuminated by God’s Presence at night and which was covered by God’s Glory Cloud by day!
Exodus 25:21-22 “And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.”
Abba gave ‘precise instructions’ to Moses to build His Dwelling Place, which was inside the Tabernacle behind the curtain into the Holy of Holies. In this ‘innermost place,’ the presence of God would hover over above the Mercy Seat (a beautiful seat with 2 cherubim which was overlaid in pure gold), also known as the Ark of the Covenant. Only once a year could the High Priest enter into the Holy of Holies (at his peril of possible mishap) while carrying blood from a ‘sacrificial animal’ (picture of Christ) to sprinkle onto the Mercy Seat. Meanwhile, all of Israel was standing around outside with ‘bated breath,’ anticipating the atonement of their sins.
Hebrews 9:7 “But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people.”
Back to the ‘increasingly widespread spurn’ for Modern-Day Organized Religion. This comes from the fact that many churches are not even sound in their Doctrine anymore, much less pure in their Theology, or even sacred in their Worship practices! To take something Consecrated or Holy and to make it ‘common’ is to make it profane! Thereby taking the Lord’s Name in Vain by ‘mixing darkness with light’! This ought not to be!
For example, the evident Apostasy within the Christian Contemporary Music Industry, the irreverent communion practices of some denominations, the assimilation of overtly pagan holidays (the Church from 200-300 years ago would no doubt be ‘utterly appalled’ at how widely accepted these practices are today). Not to mention the false cults, the heretical teachings, and worst of all, the Modern Bible Versions that omit most if not all of the verses stating the Deity of Christ! All of this has no ‘discerning reverence’ for the Thrice Holy God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob!
Leviticus 16:2 “And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.”
2 Samuel 6:6-7 “And when they came to Nachon’s threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.”
1 Samuel 6:19 “And he smote the men of Bethshemesh because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.”
These are just some of the verses stating how serious Almighty God is about our coming into His Presence! Not only are we to approach God as significant, but we are to enter into His Holy Presence in the most reverential way we can! More importantly, we are to do so according to His’ precise instructions’ in His Holy Word! The people who ‘knowingly, mistakenly, or haphazardly’ stumbled onto the things of God without full regard or awareness of His Presence and Holiness were immediately struck dead!
Take that in for just a moment, and then reflect on all of the ‘Apostasy’ that is going on within our modern-day churches! Make no mistake, God is not there, He is not in it, He is not pleased, nor is the LORD propitiated with such hypocrisy, falsehood, irreverence, and indulgent revelry! Hence the very reason for the ‘Great Falling Away’ we are seeing now!
2 Timothy 4:2-4 “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
Organized Religion has become just that – ‘lackluster, spiritless, even ritualistic and legalistic’, without any real Biblical Truth or Holy Spirit-filled substance behind it! For example, the latest statements coming from the Southern Baptist Convention Leaders are ‘inappropriately involved politically,’ which, needless to say, has drawn much criticism in recent weeks, even to the point of leading two Prominent Pastors to ‘publicly break’ from the organization!
They, along with many others, are one of many reasons, avenues, and ways that are leading the Last Days Church into ‘Ecumenism’ aka (One- World Religion)! In case one does not know or realize, this is the process of combining all Faiths into one, which is ultimately setting up and preparing the way for the soon to come Antichrist!
It is time for people affiliated with these pitfall denominations to wake up! To awaken to the fact that people are ‘falling away’ because of the troublesome brick walls that are being increasingly manifested among these churches, organizations, and outfits!
2 Chronicles 5:13-14 “It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.”
Perhaps very soon, we will get to experience this awesome verse in 2 Chronicles where everyone is ‘Praising and Thanking’ the LORD to such an extent that His Glory Cloud fills the whole place because there is finally no longer any Apostasy! Oh, what a Day, what a Glorious Day that will be, when our Jesus we will finally see!
Until next time… Maranatha!
JESUS = THE WAY, THE TRUTH, & THE LIFE!
Jesus Will Come!
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Candy Austin is an Ambassador for Christ/Freelance ASL Interpreter/Writer, just passing through on this Narrow Path with her Beloved Husband and Best Friend Doug, along with their 2 fur baby cats Harley (12) and Dallas (9).