If you are serving the Lord Jesus Christ for the glory of God, then you know a peace that passes all understanding, and at the same time a frustration that cannot be quenched. You have a joy that cannot be expressed in any language, and sorrow unspeakable.
“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” (Isaiah 53:3)
Yet many that I speak with about the Lord seem to be happy, not sorrowful, they seem to be quite satisfied with their lives, and grief seems to be far from them.
I do not think that many who claim to serve the Lord today spend much time searching for the lost, I do not think that they attempt to speak to those that the wrath of God is abiding on, they do not consider the fact that soon billions of people are going to die. They do not think about hell. They see the evil that is rampant, that is enveloping the world, but they do not seem to warn very many about what is approaching, the concern seems to be centered on self, making the best of the situation at hand, leaving others to fend for themselves.
“For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,” (2nd Tim. 3:2)
Far too many can see the iniquity unfolding, and their hearts have grown cold towards it.
I envision the Holy Spirit prompting people, and these offering excuses, I see the world devolving into open rebellion while church members sing songs of joy, and then head back into the world.
My friends, forgive me for repeating myself, but I watched over ninety percent of Evangelical churches lock their doors. They did not meet in secret places, they did not rebel against the mandate, they simply stopped trusting Christ and lived in fear behind a mask for months. That was when my deepest frustrations began, that was when I started to become sorrowful.
I have always known since I read Matthew 22:14 that it is a truth. “For many are called, but few are chosen.” but I had always had the interpretation, apparently falsely, that there were men of God behind the pulpits of most of those supposed Evangelical churches, men who were training their congregations to stand in the evil day, that if worse came to worse, they would meet in secret as the first century Christians did, as many in nations where owning a Bible will get you killed do. I am not as frustrated with the wicked who are in open rebellion to the Living God as I am with those who simply did what was suggested to them by those who initiated it, who for years have lived by Hebrews 10:25. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
And then as soon as fear approached, they ran for cover.
It brought frustration, sorrow, grief and, I must admit, a lack of respect on my part towards those that did so. “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.” (Prov. 22:3) This was evil in its intent, but it was not to be run away from, it was not to pre-suppose that everyone in the congregation decided it was best to live in fear, it was not standing in the power and strength of the Lord.
I must side with my brothers and sisters in Christ though, and I will do so with this verse, “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.” (Prov. 24:16)
But I am concerned. Did those who did so learn from their mistake, will those doors stay open next time, or has the pattern been set? Will they live for Christ and see dying as gain, or will they hide in fear again, trying to stay alive as long as possible, and still claim faith in His name?
