Pastor Jack Hibbs recently wrote an excellent article against Replacement Theology in the Harbinger entitled “The Israel Test.”

The Israel Test: A Revealing and Dividing Line in The Modern Church – Harbinger’s Daily

I would like to expand on his work.

First, the church was commanded by Jesus to ‘Keep watch.’  It is not possible to keep watch if you are blind.  If you have allegorized Scripture to the point where you do not understand much of it, you will be an ineffective watchman.

Replacement Theology is false doctrine.  It interferes with our mandate to keep watch.  Ditch it.

The only people who are zealously following Christ’s command to keep watch are those who are called ‘Dispensationalists.’  We may get a little overzealous at times, but that just means we are excited about Christ’s return.   Unless someone is claiming a special download from God, criticism from fellow Christians who do not believe we are nearing the end of the church age should be kept to a minimum.

Most of us understand that we are theorizing about what is coming.  Many of us have different frameworks of understanding, based on Scripture, regarding how things will progress.  We should be building on each other’s observations until God’s unfolding plan causes these frameworks to merge or fall apart.

It is the Dispensationalists who are standing on the wall, watching the movements of the enemy, and pointing out their observations.  Some become dogmatic and get angry when you disagree with them, but that is just an indication of their own weak faith and sinful nature.

Despite these failings, we must not abandon the mandate to keep watch.

Second, we were warned in the Parable of the Ten Virgins that the church would be asleep prior to the rapture.  That means, as Christ’s nearness approaches, there will likely be no churches that are proclaiming that Christ is right at the door.

Jesus said all the virgins would be asleep just prior to calling the church home.  Since Jesus was talking to the men who would one day pastor his church, it is not beyond the pale to view the ‘virgins’ as pastors who are present just prior to the rapture.

If President Trump can bring down the current corrupt world system, that may lead people to believe that we are heading into a new utopian era.  If God allows this to occur, any talk of the rapture will be rejected, and even the watchmen may fall into a deep sleep.

Unfortunately, if God allows Trump to be successful, Satan is not going to kick the ground in despair and take his ball and go home.  He will insert a new system very quickly, so we will need to be careful not to let the world lull us to sleep.

We now find ourselves in a time when it is nearly possible for one man to control all buying and selling worldwide.  That fact alone should keep the church awake and make sure it has sufficient oil until the midnight call rings out.

The decline of Western Civilization, also known as ‘Christendom,’ should also sound the alarm bells.  We know there is a great falling away from the faith that is coming.  Europe and most other Western Civilizations have mostly abandoned the faith, and the United States is not far behind.

The number of people who have a Biblical worldview is declining precipitously.

We are told that the foolish virgins did not bring enough oil for their lamps.  That oil is the Holy Spirit who testifies about Christ and His sacrifice on the cross for our sins.  The number of churches that preach repentance for the forgiveness of sins in the name of Jesus is few and far between.

It is clear that God has not opened the minds of many churches, or their pastors, to understand the Scriptures (Luke 24:45-47).  That is one of the most terrible signs of the last days of the church age.

We cannot afford to fall asleep at this time no matter how wonderful the future may appear to be.

Regarding the nation of Israel, the Apostle Paul has already informed the church of God’s relationship to the nation of Israel in Romans Chapter Eleven.  Let’s briefly review:

• Has God abandoned his people? By no means (Romans 11:1)!  This means that Replacement Theology is false doctrine.
• Did Israel stumble over the stumbling stone (Christ) as to fall beyond recovery (Romans 11:11)? Not at all!  Not sure what is unclear about this.
• The church (wild olive shoot) must not boast over the broken branches (Israel) (Romans 11:18). So, knock it off.
• The church was told not to be arrogant (toward Israel) but be afraid (Romans 11:19). So, knock it off.
• For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either (Romans 11:21) (If God lied to the nation of Israel about their eventual salvation, a salvation which He repeatedly proclaimed through the Old Testament prophets, He lied to us about our salvation, too.)

The intellectuals of the faith, who use nuance to convince us that God has abandoned the nation of Israel forever, had better start considering the kindness and sternness of God.

They are failing the Israel Test.

Finally, our primary concern as Christians is the proclamation of the Gospel.  We watch for the signs of Christ’s return, not only to warn others, but to help determine how much time we have to proclaim Christ.

After the rapture occurs, God quickly turns his attention to Jerusalem and the nation of Israel.  The prophecy of Daniel (9:24) kicks in, and the Book of Revelation quickly comes to life.

Spiritual blindness is a malady that is devastating, and it currently infects much of the modern church.

When Jesus told the disciples several times that he was going to Jerusalem and would be mistreated and put to death, the disciples probably thought he was speaking in allegory.  When it actually happened, they were taken by surprise and went scrambling around like the foolish virgins in turmoil.

Spiritual blindness leads to confusion, and God is not the author of that disorder.  When Christians stubbornly cling to false doctrine, it weakens our message and causes many to turn away.

The ‘daze’ of deception are (sic) upon us.  It is time to send a clear message to the world.  Our first message is the Gospel.  After that is spread worldwide, we need to teach those who love God to obey everything that Jesus commanded.

One of those commands is to keep watch.

If you, as a professing Christian, do not understand the role that Israel and the Jews play in that mandate, you are being disobedient and are probably even now in a deep sleep.

The Apostle Paul warned the church not to be ignorant of the mystery of the rapture (Romans 11:25).

Paul told the church not to be ‘conceited,’ so it is time for ‘Replacement Theologians’ to repent.

The Israel Test is really easy.  There is no excuse for failing it.

www.gospelist.net

 

On the surface, American churches appear to be thriving. They look successful, strong, vibrant, and spiritual. But nothing could be further from the truth. The reality is far more sobering.

Much of the church in America isn’t on life support; it has flatlined. We are witnessing something that resembles life but lacks the very thing that gives life: the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. If there isn’t a realization of how far we’ve strayed from what Jesus has called us to be, and repentance for what we’ve become, we run the very real risk of making Him sick. Ichabod is not a distant warning; it is a looming reality.

We have built gospel networks, church coalitions, and conventions centered around personalities, movements, and men. Massive worship concerts fill arenas with celebrity pastors and professional artists. Churches resemble corporations, complete with sleek buildings, meticulous branding, massive budgets, and religious professionals who know how to draw a crowd.

Many of these churches are rich, prosperous, and in need of nothing, at least in their own eyes. That should sound familiar. In Revelation 3, Jesus warned the church in Laodicea about being lukewarm. They were neither hot nor cold. They said, “I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.” His response was chilling: “I will spit you out of my mouth.” That is not just a warning for a first-century church; it is a mirror held up to the American church today.

The Worship

We have substituted the sacred for the superficial. What once was reverence has become a show. Lighting, fog machines, deafening music, and carefully orchestrated production have replaced worship in spirit and truth. We’ve traded doxology rooted in sound theology for emotion and repetition, “worship” that focuses more on felt needs than the holiness of God.

We gather in darkened auditoriums, staring at spotlit stages, surrounded by massive screens and countdown clocks. But in all of this, it has become increasingly difficult to hear the still, small voice of the Spirit. I’ve sat in services where the volume, lights, and atmosphere were so overpowering that there was virtually no chance to focus on the One seated on the throne. Warm feelings and goosebumps are not substitutes for true worship.

Just because we paste the words “Jesus,” “Savior,” or “gospel” on a screen does not make what we are doing pleasing to God. We’ve reduced worship to repetitious chords and emotionally driven lyrics, often making Jesus out to be little more than a companion to serve our needs rather than the sovereign Lord to whom we bow. There is no doxology without sound theology. We must return to worship that is anchored in who God is, not in how we feel.

The Machine

What many call “church” today has become a well-oiled machine. Success is measured by attendance and giving. Strategies, formulas, and systems ensure growth. Churches hire consultants and retain firms, paying thousands of dollars annually to help them cast a vision and expand their reach. Pre-packaged sermons are available for purchase, removing the necessity of seeking the Lord.

We’ve made it a priority to have something for everyone: events, giveaways, entertainment, and experiences designed to bring people back week after week. But somewhere along the way, the message changed. The gospel is no longer “Jesus came to save sinners.” It has become “God has a wonderful plan for your life.”

Jesus said, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.” The modern church says, “Come as you are, get plugged in, find community, and belong.” Instead of going into the world to make disciples, we try to win the world by becoming like it. This produces movements that look like revival but are born of hype, not prayer, and of entertainment, not repentance.

The result? Not holiness, but an increasing appetite for more experiences. We hang banners, craft mission statements, and fill our halls with spiritual language. But the focus is often getting people into our buildings, not to the cross.

The Men

We have also seen a shift in leadership. Where we once believed God equips the called, we now operate as though organizations call the equipped. Executive search firms, coaching teams, and vision-casting experts have replaced dependence on the Lord. Scripture says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain.” Yet we labor with every tool except reliance on Him.

Preaching has changed as well. Where sermons once dealt with sin, holiness, eternity, and repentance, many so-called “pastors” now offer TED talks masquerading as sermons, about becoming a better version of yourself rather than being crucified with Christ.

We have traded shepherds for hirelings, prophets for performers, and Spirit-led men for spiritual influencers. Pastors are often treated like celebrities, building platforms rather than pointing people to the cross.

Churches look for polished, gifted communicators rather than broken, contrite men who tremble at God’s Word. And tragically, many rarely speak about sin, judgment, hell, or eternity. It is an eternal tragedy, a watered-down gospel that comforts people on their way to destruction. As has been said before, if there’s no brokenness in the pulpit, there will be no brokenness in the pew.

Business as Usual

I’ve written before that there is no time for business as usual, and that truth has only grown more urgent. What we have done is tailor the church into a comfortable Sunday experience. A wide road that doesn’t alarm anyone.

You know the scene. Friendly greeters, a polished welcome, a countdown clock, lights dim, and powerful, emotional music swells. Then a short, encouraging message about living your life to the fullest. An invitation to connect, belong, and get involved, then a closing song. People leave, encouraged, entertained, unchanged, and unwarned about hell and eternity. We send attendees out to spread the good news about our church, not Jesus. This is happening in tens of thousands of churches across America, and collectively, we call it success.

A Call to Repentance

This is not a call to abandon the local church; it is a call to restore it. It doesn’t matter if a church is large or small. What matters is whether Christ is at the center and the Spirit is present. What would happen if we cleared our schedules? If we laid aside our programs, strategies, and events for a season?

What if we stopped striving for visibility, relevance, and growth and instead sought the Lord in prayer, fasting, and repentance? What if we humbled ourselves and admitted that much of what we’ve built has been in our own strength? Perhaps then, He would meet with us again. Perhaps then, our churches would once again become places where His Word is honored, His Spirit is present, and lives are transformed for eternity. This is a call to pastors, leaders, and every believer: Let’s get before the Lord on our knees, in humility, and seek Him.

“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” -Jesus

Because if nothing changes, we run the very real risk of continuing to “do church” without the Spirit of the Church. Jesus made it clear: Without Him, we can do nothing. But if we return, if we truly return, He may yet revive us again. There is a remnant of true Christians and some local fellowships who make much of Jesus and His word. But for many American churches, this is an urgent call to repentance and restoration before it’s too late (Revelation 3:22).

All for Him,

Howard

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Link to the original article on Concerning The Times:  https://concerningthetimes.com/a-warning-to-americas-lukewarm-church/

Link to our deep-dive podcast on America’s Lukewarm Church: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-warning-to-americas-lukewarm-church/id1565453348?i=1000756386953

Link to YouTube video of A Warning to America’s Lukewarm Church: https://youtu.be/JrQP7ZTcnbk?si=4LALDuIe_0jOUvTL&t=1