The great spiritual decline we are experiencing has many roots.Both leadership and the people share responsibility for spiritual decline. While leaders bear the weight of accountability, the congregation is not without blame. What we witness today, particularly in the rise of large churches and the decline of true faith, mirrors the law of diminishing returns.
To clarify, the law of diminishing returns states that as you increase one factor of production—such as labor or capital—while keeping other inputs constant, the additional benefit from each added unit will eventually decrease. In the context of faith, simply increasing the number of people in a church does not equate to spiritual growth. In fact, it can have the opposite effect.
Consider a family barely surviving on limited resources. If several more families move in without an increase in provisions, everyone suffers. The same principle applies to the church: if discipleship and spiritual nourishment are neglected in favor of entertainment and distraction, then increasing attendance only amplifies the problem. Rather than strengthening the body of Christ, it weakens it.
Jesus transformed the world with just twelve disciples. It was not their numbers but the presence of the Lord in their midst that made the difference. Where two or three gather in His name, His presence is enough to accomplish immeasurable things. A few loaves and fish can feed thousands when blessed by Him. Yet today, multitudes gather, feeding on the abundance of their own works, and still, they starve spiritually.
True power lies not in the size of the gathering but in the reality of His presence, His purpose, and His work in the midst of His people.
The great falling away isn’t about people no longer “going to church,” since the concept of attending “church” is foreign to the Scriptures. Genuine believers are the Church. The true falling away is a departure from truth itself. A building may be packed with people, but who are they spiritually? Are they radical followers of Jesus with deep relationships with Him, or compromisers who embrace Christ but reject the cross?
Those of us who have left religious traditions—I myself am a former Catholic—are well-acquainted with the Sunday-only Christian who checks a box by attending a service, perhaps even midweek gatherings, men’s BBQ nights, or women’s retreats. I call this the processed church. Just as processed food is altered from its original state for convenience—loaded with sugars, unhealthy fats, preservatives, and lacking nutrients—the spiritually processed church has also been altered for convenience.
What are the spiritual effects of this processed church? Consider the “added sugar”: elaborate stages, entertainment-driven worship bands, and smoke machines designed to hype people up, compensating for the absence of God’s genuine presence. Many nominal believers have never truly encountered God’s authentic presence and therefore cannot discern the difference.
Think of “unhealthy fats and low nutrients”: the Word of God diluted, compromised, and stripped of its true nutritional value. These “fats” are sermons focused solely on worldly success, prosperity teachings, and self-enrichment schemes, creating spiritually unhealthy Christians who must continually rely on shallow injections of emotional hype to stay spiritually “alive.” The church system has taught its followers dependency on itself rather than complete reliance on Jesus.
What’s the solution? Revolution—a total abandonment of this processed religious system in favor of something pure, raw, organic, and unaltered by worldly additives. Without such radical change, the current system will collapse under the weight of worldliness and self-centered doctrines disguised as salvation.
There is a growing hunger, especially among younger generations raised within spiritually unhealthy environments, for authenticity, radical commitment, and an uncompromising devotion to Christ Himself. They desire a church wholly devoted to Jesus, characterized by quiet reverence and genuine holiness. A community where believers edify one another according to Scripture, where prophecy, exhortation, wisdom, tongues, and interpretations are practiced. A fellowship without hierarchical leadership, led instead by humble elders and deacons who serve selflessly, desiring no recognition or financial reward. A place that equips believers to live radically, to embrace suffering for Christ, proudly bearing the cross and the scars upon their backs as marks of their love, devotion and authenticity.
This is the organic Church—unprocessed by the world, radically committed to Jesus Christ and His Kingdom.
There remains a remnant—a people set apart, standing in the wilderness to proclaim God’s truth. They are anchored in His Word, separate from the systems of religion, for they understand that Christ did not come to establish another religion but to restore relationship.
To be outside the camp carries risk. When Israel fell into idolatry with the golden calf, a separation was established between the people and God. The Tent of Meeting, set outside the camp, became a place where Moses, Joshua, and the priests entered into His presence, while the people could only watch from their tents. This same idolatry persists today, creating a divide between God and those entangled in religious systems.
The camp represents the churches and religious institutions of our time, while the priests—God’s remnant—have left the camp in pursuit of the true dwelling place of His presence. To enter the Tent of Meeting, one must first “come out from among her.” When Israel entered the Promised Land, the Tent was replaced by the temple, but in time, the temple itself became a stronghold of religion, ultimately torn down stone by stone. And yet, the Tent returns, a place of worship in the wilderness—a place called Spirit and Truth.
As Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well:
“Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”
Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.“(John 4:20-24)
True worship is not bound to temples built by human hands but is found where God dwells—outside the camp, beyond the gate. The Lord, who was crucified at Calvary, stands in contrast to the Holy of Holies within the temple. While religious men seek their refuge in structures and traditions, the Lord calls His people to meet Him in Spirit and truth.
The call goes forth: Come out of the camp. Come to the Tent of Meeting. Come and tabernacle with the Lord.
The opposition to President Trump from professing Christians is somewhat perplexing. Those who resist him often claim to be apolitical, yet their stance betrays a clear ideological bias. If they were honest, they might acknowledge long-standing left-leaning tendencies. Instead, they engage in virtue signaling, attempting to spiritualize a flawed position and frame it as a moral dichotomy. Strikingly, these same individuals never voiced criticism when professing Christians supported Biden or similar leaders. This inconsistency exposes motive and the political nature of their stand while all the time claiming not to be political.
Paul makes it clear that secular authorities exist to restrain evil, wielding the sword not in vain but as a necessary force against wrongdoing. When rulers abandon this responsibility, they forfeit their legitimacy. The enemy seeks to dismantle rightful secular authority, for he thrives on lawlessness, celebrating evil rather than restraining it. We have always lived in a secular world—this is our reality.
Undoubtedly, President Trump is a secular leader. He is not a born-again Christian, nor does he claim to truly know Jesus. But being a Christian is not a prerequisite for the presidency. In fact, history shows that most presidents have only paid lip service to faith, while others ignored it entirely. Yet, given the choice, I would far prefer a leader who upholds moral order rather than the godlessness seen in much of Europe, Britain, and its Commonwealth. The fundamental duty of a secular government is to establish law and order. This is why Rome was allowed to rise—Pax Romana brought a measure of stability to a chaotic world, creating conditions that enabled the spread of the Gospel. True believers recognize this: we are in the world but not of it.
If a secular leader takes a stand against abortion, protects children from harmful ideologies, defends parental rights, restores law and order, and seeks to prevent unnecessary wars, then we as followers of Christ should be thankful. I certainly am. The end times continue to draw near, and Christ’s return remains imminent. This world is still lost. The current president will be gone in four years, and we should reflect on the consequences of his last departure and the leader who replaced him. Be prepared, saints, there is great darkness ahead and we must be found to be walking in the light.
The Scots despised Margaret Thatcher—truly despised her—but even that pales in comparison to the sheer intensity of Trump Derangement Syndrome. It operates at the opposite end of the spectrum from adulation.
I once heard an interview with a German woman in the 1960s who had attended Hitler’s rallies. When asked why she idolized him, her response was profoundly chilling: “There was something in the atmosphere, and we all breathed it in.” That statement has stayed with me for years. I believe her completely. And that “something,” to me, was entirely demonic.
History shows us that at certain times and in certain places, a collective madness overtakes people—a force beyond reason, beyond individual thought. It is the satanic inversion of corporate worship. It is zeitgeist on steroids.
Zeitgeist, a German word meaning “spirit of the age,” describes the prevailing cultural, intellectual, ethical, and political climate of a particular era. It defines the essence of a time. And to either wholly idolize or utterly despise a person is to be swept up in this very spirit. To partake in such extreme emotional reactions is to breathe in this atmosphere, consciously. I say consciously because we are accountable for what we allow to enter us. Yet it is a “wilful unwitingness,” if there is such a phrase.
Saints of God must not inhale this poison. To do so is a willful act. We cannot be found on the spectrum of hating or idolizing a man. Instead, we must breathe in the rarified air of the Kingdom of God, standing firm in His presence, enveloped in His atmosphere.
As the world spirals into end-times chaos, it is the saints who must remain the last bastion against total madness. The final storm has already made landfall—what we are experiencing now is merely its outer bands. Let us be found in the eye of this storm, where a supernatural peace reigns, untouched by the howling winds of the age.
The vast majority of professing Christians do not have the ability to digest meat. People eagerly receive words of encouragement and exhortation,as a hungry baby would consume it’s mother’s milk. But when confronted with warnings or rebukes, only the faithful remnant of God truly “hear”—or rather, acknowledge—the truth. It takes wisdom and discernment and the Holy Spirit to assess the times in which we live.
In Ezekiel 9,10 and 11 we see the beginnings of Gods withdrawing His presence. The word Ichabod is effectively pronounced over the doorposts, signaling the absence of His glory. Destruction follows, but not before an angel with an ink-horn marks those who remain faithful—those who grieve over the sins of Jerusalem. These are the ones spared from judgment. As it was in Ezekiel’s day, so it is now. The nature of humanity remains unchanged.
Many choose willful ignorance, preferring to live lawlessly, unconcerned with the truth. Few, indeed, find and remain on the narrow path. In times of crisis, drastic measures are required—this is true in our personal lives, in our families, and in our nations. Yet Christendom, broadly speaking, refuses to acknowledge its condition. If it did, if it truly recognized the spiritual desperation of our times, then urgent action would follow.
We would not laugh and celebrate as though all were well—we would weep before the altar, before the throne of God. We would not focus on outward appearances but would humble ourselves in deep repentance. We would clothe ourselves in sackcloth, throw ashes upon our heads, and tear our garments in grief. And still, the masses would mock and call us mad.
The leaders of the people know that true reformation would begin with them. Yet these hirelings—those who serve only for personal gain—can never truly protect the sheep. They stay as long as the path is easy, as long as their position remains profitable and their place in society secure. But when the wolf comes, they will flee.
True repentance and restoration demand that we forsake the traditions of men and return to the “old paths”—to God’s ways. It would mean restoring a sense of accountability, where if a man does not work, he does not eat. But these are the very truths the blind refuse to see, which is why they continue leading the blind. “Men will only recognize the truth when it doesn’t cost them anything. But when truth demands a price, they reject it.” (Ravenhill)
Scripture is utterly radical. I love reading it aloud (as my brothers and sisters know) The other day, I imagined a family gathered around a table, long before phones and computers existed. In their hands is a letter from a beloved family member. One person begins to read, and the whole family leans in, hanging on every word. If the reader pauses, some eager soul bursts out, “What does he say next?
I’ve never understood why some read Scripture as if delivering a sorrowful obituary. There is life in the Word! And there is even greater life in reading it aloud. It moves something in the Kingdom of God. It stirs the unseen realm, sending ripples of concentric circles through the world in ways we cannot perceive. It shakes, it draws, it calls forth something of heaven’s atmosphere into the here and now.
The spirit within us—once dead but now raised to life by the power of the Holy Spirit—begins to rise, like flames leaping up when the breath of life blows upon hot coals. It ignites. It burns. It puts fire in our bones. Our God is a consuming fire and His Word kindles the fire that is within us.
The men that inhabit the pulpits of today refuse to see that the writing is on the wall for our present religious system. They will not listen because their livelihoods depend upon ignoring the truth. I recall Duncan Campbell sharing how he had to step away from the system of men—relinquishing the manse, his career, and the security that came with it. For seventeen years, he remained in a church where he was not called, held there by the comfort of stability.
Paul worked with his own hands and declared that those unwilling to work should not eat. Being a pastor, teacher, evangelist, or prophet is not a profession one assumes; it is an identity bestowed at the new birth and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Paul declared woe upon himself if he did not preach the gospel—it was a fire consuming his very being.
If money were removed from the American church, only then would we see the true shepherds continuing to do what they do-making disciples. The gifts of God are not mere roles we fulfill but the essence of who we are, compelling us to act according to our divine nature—our supernature. Even as God raises up His remnant, He is dismantling the clergy-laity system. How? By leaving it to its own resources, sustained only by entertainment and human effort rather than the presence of God and the manifestation of His Spirit within His people.
If I had a dollar for every time someone said “God told me,” I’d be a wealthy man. Yet, in the spirit of generosity and assuming the best of my brothers and sisters, I recognize that much of what has been spoken to me—often with sincere intentions—has been filtered through the prism of their soul and flesh. I’m primarily talking about Pentecostals as opposed to Charismatics of whom I have limited experience. Don’t get me wrong, I believe with all of my heart God speaks to His people and they know His voice.
However, it must also be acknowledged that we tend to “hear” what we want to hear. The flesh is cunning, and it has a voice—a persuasive, insistent voice that will use any means necessary to get its way. I hear it most clearly when I’ve been wronged, when the inner narrative in my mind begins constructing its defense, justifying responses that are anything but godly.
Yet that same loud voice can also be very subtle, whispering in ways that seem harmless, even reasonable. Ways that are always self-serving.This is precisely why Scripture calls us to “mortify” the deeds of the flesh. It is why we are commanded to take up our crosses daily. The more we die to our flesh, the clearer our spiritual hearing becomes—allowing us to discern the Lord’s voice. And His voice will never contradict His Word.
Discernment begins with ourselves (our self) Learn to identify the “voice,” of your flesh and begin to oppose it. Give it no quarter, for the flesh will not give your spirit any. It is it’s mortal enemy. Mortal being the operative word, for its time is short and it knows it. That’s why it wants to “eat, drink and be merry.” Crucify the voice of the flesh, take every thought captive and you will hear the voice of the Lord, speaking through your spirit all the more clearly.
The proof of our life in Christ , our resurrection from the dead, our authentic faith, is not found in a large house, a $2000 suit or a prosperous life in this world. These things prove nothing in the spiritual. The proof of our faith is how we react to carrying our cross. In the midst of death to ourselves, does the love of Jesus pour forth? Do we minister to others when we ourselves are in the midst of trial and testings? When you are crushed, does oil flow from your brokenness?
The cross does not lie. It exposes the true nature of our inner man. There is no room for hypocrisy on the cross, what the actor hides, the cross reveals. The men and women of the cross are self evident. They are sacrificial. The men and women of the cross are unmistakable, no matter what their church or denominational background is. They are the called-out ones, ever seeking to go deeper in the Lord. They do not chase after the latest trends in the church, nor do they crave ear tickling words from polished religious salesmen.
Let me encourage you saint. I know the narrow path from Calvary to the throne is often lonely. But take heart- every true saint who came before you has walked the same road. If you are blessed, you will find a few kindred souls along the way and you will strengthen one another. Religion indulges the flesh, but relationship with Christ calls us to die-to self, to pride, to the world. And in that dying, Christ rises. His light breaks forth from within us, shining like a mighty beacon into a world that is lost in darkness.Hold fast, for the cross is our testimony, and the resurrection is our hope.
The Word of God is full of distinctions. It distinguishes between right and wrong. It distinguishes between heaven and hell. There are saints and sinners and the list goes on. There is a troubling distinction between professors and false professors. What is a false professor? Someone who claims to be a Christian but is Christian in name only. Someone who has never actually been born again but would count themselves as “believers.” In James 2:19 James says “You believe there is one God? You do well, the devils also believe and tremble.” So obviously being a “believer,” does not necessarily equate to being born again.
The word “believe,” is “pisteuo,” in the Greek. It means “to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), that is, credit; by implication to entrust (especially one’s spiritual well being to Christ): – believe (-r), commit (to trust), put in trust with.” Now obviously the devils do not put their trust in Christ. They believe in one God and have entirely rejected God. So you can believe in God and entirely reject Him. We need a better term than “believer,” for believers encompass many distinctions. Whitfield, for example famously accused the vast majority of the Church of England pastors as “knowing nothing of the new birth.” There was so much anger aroused by that statement that it got him banned from a majority of pulpits.
Ravenhill famously suggested that 93% of “professing Christians,” in America also knew nothing of the new birth. Tozer suggested that there were but a remnant among those who counted themselves as believers. Jesus says in Revelations ” I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.” (Rev 2:9) to which Matthew Henry observes ” God is greatly dishonoured when his name is made use of to promote and patronize the interests of Satan; and he has a high resentment of this blasphemy, and will take a just revenge on those who persist in it.”
When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day………..that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ be glorified in you and you in Him.( 2 Thess 1:10-12) Our high calling brothers and sisters is to be a saint in whom Christ is glorified. He in us and us in Him. Let the world marvel at the manifestation of Jesus that is in His saints. In verse 11 Paul says “we pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling.”
In Matt 10 :37-39 Jesus says he that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that takes not his cross, and follow after me, is not worthy of me. He that finds his life shall lose it: and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it. These are the distinctions that the Lord makes. Those who love Him with their whole hearts, those who take up their crosses and follow Him and those who lose their lives for His sake, these are the ones who are His disciples. These are His saints in whom He is glorified and by whom He is glorified. That is our high calling brothers and sisters. Let us be found to glorify the Lord by our lives.
There may be real submission to the will of God while we can’t help wishing things were otherwise. God does not ask us to feel that everything is for the best, but He does ask us to believe it (Andrew Bonar)
This is a deep truth. It is learned in the deepest valleys and the sorest of trials and loss. It may be well with our souls, as the beautiful old hymn goes, but our hearts can be broken. It is in the midst of that brokenness, that pain, that loss, that we draw near to God and He draws near to us. A broken and a contrite heart O God you will not despise (Psalm 51:17) Suffering produces endurance which produces character and hope (Rom 5:3-5) Blessed is the one who remains steadfast under trial ( James 1:2 ) The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit ( Psalm 34:18 )
We are to be rewarded, not only for work done, but for burdens borne, and I am sure that the brightest rewards will be for those who have borne their burdens without murmuring (Andrew Bonar ) A thankful heart in the face of great trial, is the ultimate in believing our God, in trusting Him, it is the very essence of faith. It causes that old liar, the devil, to shut his mouth and his accusations against the most high God that His people only love them because of favorable circumstances. It is out of darkness, that God Himself has commanded light to shine forth. And that light is the very essence of glory and love. It is a tangible force that heals and restores and draws us very near to our Lord and our God.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thess 5:16) Imagine living according to this word every day, it would revolutionize your world. Let this year be the year, let this day be the day that we live entirely according to the word of God.
I wrote this song seven months ago, in the very depths of my cancer and chemo. The presence of the Lord and His grace and mercy had settled on me for that whole time and I sensed a very strong anointing from Jesus. Its at this time I wrote this song to love to my Jesus and called it “The song of love.” I pray that it will bless you mightily and take you deeper into His heart………bro Frank
A conversation between Kalli Womack Cook and Frank McEleny, brother and sister in the Lord.
Kalli………….
The Father said, “There is beauty in the earth.” The child asked, “Where?” The Father said, “A flower blooms in the desert.” And the child responded, “But no one sees it.” And the Father said, “Yet, because it blooms it makes it true: There is beauty in the earth, And truth is beautiful.”
This morning, the whispered prayer of my heart was, “Lord, help me to be like You, in a world that is not.” The whispered prayers of our heart are like flowers blooming in the desert. Beauty unseen. But the beauty of a flower isn’t measured by how many people observe and appreciate its beauty. A flower’s beauty is the same, whether it blooms unseen in the desert or near a well-traveled sidewalk.
Mankind does not set the standard for beauty. Nor does mankind’s measurable observations of beauty determine its existence or value. Beauty unseen by men, is seen by God. And in a world wholly unlike Christ, it makes this statement true: “There is still beauty to be found in this world.” Maybe not for long, but for now.
Frank……………
And to finish the thought from Corinthians, when we gaze upon that which is unseen, the eternal weight of His glory falls upon us. We cannot see this “weight,” yet it presses down upon our hearts and oil pours forth. This eternal weight of glory changes the very atmosphere, unseen, but rarified air breathed and glory exhaled.
When Angie and I hike, I search out the hidden flowers, often having her pull back leaves so that I can take the shot and show the world what beforehand, only God could see, and He does. Isn’t it just the same with us? He sees what the world cannot and it brings Him great pleasure.
Kalli………………
I remember a while ago, I watched a nature documentary about sea creatures that lived fathoms below the surface. They were mesmerizingly beautiful and my initial reaction was sadness that such beauty should go to waste, unseen and unappreciated by man. And then the Spirit used that moment to teach me a greater truth about beauty.
Until that moment, I had never realized how much I assumed that beauty existed for mankind. That if man doesn’t observe it to appreciate it, then it is somehow wasted. I learned that beauty doesn’t exist for us. It exists because God is beautiful and He is the One who created all things. Beauty exists because God exists.
Frank………………
Amen Kalli! It’s a magnificent truth that the God of all glory, the creator, takes delight in His creation. Imagine a world where no two flowers are alike, every one, like the snowflakes, different and every one a masterful piece of artistry. That world is the Kingdom of God, that flower, is you. And His delight is to see it blossom.
In the solemn days of our times who will search His word, who will search their hearts? Shall we ignore God? Shall we desperately try to keep going and keep doing what we were doing before? If the locusts descended upon you and the whole earth shook should you not look to the heavens and cry out to God to know the error of your ways? The Lord tells us in His word that we should let our tears run down like a river day and night, that we should give ourselves no relief and no rest. We should rise up from our slumbers and cry out in the night. Do we observe any of this brothers and sisters? The Lord also told us in His word that the He has caused the appointed feasts and the Sabbaths to be forgotten, In His burning indignation He has spurned the king and the priest.The Lord has spurned His alter and abandoned His sanctuary.
Lam 2:7 The Lord hath cast off his altar, he hath abhorred his sanctuary, he hath given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they have made a noise in the house of the LORD, as in the day of a solemn feast.
One of our favorite portions of Scripture says “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed because His compassion fails not. They are new every morning, great is His faithfulness. The Lord is my portion says my soul therefore I hope in Him” These words were penned in the midst of great affliction. They were the hearts cry of a man drowning in darkness, crying out to the living God. In the midst of those cries he discovers mercy and faithfulness and hope. Another favorite portion of Scripture is “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land (2Ch 7:14) Do you ever wonder why we never quote verse 13, the verse that comes before ” if I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people.”
You see, we don’t like that part. We like all the benefits of Calvary but we do not like the cost. What cost you say, Jesus did it all. Yes He did but He directly commands us to take up our own crosses, every day. We are told that we must lift up the Lord Jesus Christ and He alone must be preeminent in the midst of our lives and in the midst of our gathering. We are the Ekklesia, we are the called out ones. And in the midst of those called out ones who gather together, Jesus and He alone is to be lifted up. He directs His people and He does it through the power of the Holy Spirit. And when we do indeed lift up Jesus and magnify Him, then the power of God comes down and rests upon us.
What is the Lord saying in the midst of a world consumed by darkness ? Is He saying “hold on, eventually you can go back to business as usual?” Really? You really think He is saying that? If He is not saying that then what is He saying to us in the days that we find ourselves in? Literally, everything in the world that can be shaken is being shaken. If we will not ask ourselves hard questions and search our hearts then the darkness of our hearts prevail and the storms shall continue to come and batter us only with every year the intensity increases, and I am talking about the spiritual state of our world, not the climate, although the judgment that rains down upon us is total. Like a building storm in a vast ocean the waves get higher and higher.
There is mercy to be found for the broken and the contrite. We have trampled His name in the street. Shall He cut of the rain, shall He send the locust? Or shall we return to our roots, our Biblical roots, all the way back to the beginning, the old paths? We have gotten terribly off track. We have so many centuries of tradition and error upon error that we bear little or no resemblance to what we read in 1 Cor 14. The simple organic worship of the called out ones. Ones who desire to be led, wholly led, not by men, not by traditions not by liturgy or by program and deadly routine. God is speaking to us loudly and clearly. The question is, are we listening? If we would indeed humble ourselves and turn from what? Our wicked ways! Who is He talking about here? The people who call themselves by His name. You, and me. Our wicked ways brothers and sisters. We have denied and defied the Word of God in favor of our wicked ways. You cry out “how are we wicked?” Then I will tell you We hold the covenants of God in our mouths and we declare His statutes. Yes indeed, it is part of our indictment.
And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver you, and you shalt glorify me. But to the wicked God says, What business do you have declaring my statutes, or speaking my covenants ? Seeing that you hate instructions and put my words behind you (Psa 50:15-17) You see brothers and sisters He is not speaking to an unbelieving wicked world, He is speaking to those who call themselves by His name (If my people who are called by my name) It is theirs/our wicked ways He is speaking to.
The Lord tells us to call upon Him in the day of trouble. Call upon Him in repentance and contriteness and brokenness. If we do this and pray and seek His face, then He will hear from heaven and forgive our sin. What sin? All of our sin but especially the sin of having demoted Jesus to some kind of mascot or figurehead and raising up the idol of the pulpit in favor of actually hearing from God. We have a million little Moses who willingly ascend that pulpit every Sunday, elevating themselves and taking the place and the role and the authority of Jesus. These men should tremble and repent and we should too for allowing such a travesty to unfold. And in that trembling and in that repentance we shall find a merciful God whose mercies are new every morning.
The process of sanctification is monumental and entirely underrated. God takes the ashes of our lives and begins the process of making something spectacular out of them for His own will and His own good pleasure. From the depths of who we are tectonic plates begin to thrust upwards. Oceans emptying, mountains rising from the deep. Vast towering peaks, raging rivers carving out the sides of the canyons and the valleys below. Snow on top of mountains. Ice sheets building up and glaciers forming into unstoppable forces, working their way through solid granite. Plateaus and peaks and valleys in their wake. Earthquakes shaking everything that can be shaken. Volcanoes erupting and molten rivers of magma reshaping the earth. This is your life in Christ being shaped by the hand of God.
For those who are being rightly shaped, His hand never leaves us. Every circumstance and even seemingly random events all come together and work together for those who love the lord and are called according to His purposes. In the end, what the Lord creates is something magnificent. A work of art that defies words. A work that no one could have predicted when we were but a block of stone or some ashes blowing in the wind. It was His vision of you. He brought it to pass, He created it, its all His work, ours is to but yield under the hand of the creator. Most of the changes moved as slow as the glaciers. Some of the changes were like a cray bubbling volcano that erupts into seeming chaos but at the same time yield incredible destructive creative power. The flesh being torn away, the spirit rising.
Sometimes, and for long seasons, our lives are like a sailing ship on a flat calm ocean that has not even a breeze. Just sitting there, seemingly stuck, with no possibility or circumstances changing, Yet even in this, the winds of change are coming and we had no idea from what direction they would blow. The key to all of this dear brother, dear sister is to trust in the Lord who holds you i His hand, who rightly shapes you from beginning to end. When the mountains crumble, just know that He is there. When all around you is shaking and you think that this is the end, it is not, it is but a brush stoke from the Masters hand on a canvas where upon a masterpiece is taking shape. You are His work and He is faithful to complete that which He has begun. Lord we marvel at it all. If the heavens declare your glory, and they do, your work in us is even greater and unlike the heavens, is made for eternity.
Isn’t it remarkable where hope is born? Its not where you think it would be. Its not in a good report or favorable circumstances, that’s the hope that is in the world. According to our Scripture hope is born in tribulation. We find hope in the depths of suffering. When our backs are to the wall we see the glory of God. “And not only that, but we glory in tribulations, knowing tribulations produces perseverance and perseverance, character, and character, hope.” (Romans 5:3)
So, hope and love and endurance and overcoming are all born in the fire, born in the crucible of life, a life in Christ. He came to send fire to the earth (Luke 12) and set us ablaze with Kingdom reality that floes in the face of everything that makes sense to the world. It all paradoxical. Finding hope in the fire? Ask the Hebrew children about their faith after they encountered Jesus in its midst. Finding hope in suffering? Ask Paul and Silas about their faith after the midnight hour, after the scourging, after the imprisonment. We discover the Kingdom realities in the presence of our enemies, what ever that enemy might be.
Consider these words “we also glory in tribulations.” (Rom 5:3)This is no mere stoic stance in the face of opposition, this is glory and mercy and peace and joy where there should be none of these things. “I take pleasure in sickness, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions and in distresses for Christ’s sake.” (2 Cor 12:9) So, he glories in persecutions and takes pleasure in everything that life throws at him, for Christ’s sake, for His glory. Everyone of these situations are an opportunity to bring down the glory and give glory to God.
“It has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.” (Phil 1:29) That word “granted,’ in the Greek is “charizomai.” It means do do someone a favor. Think about that, God has granted us a favor by allowing us to suffer for His sake. It’s a privilege. And just before that in Phil chapter one we are told, in that context, to “let this mind be in you.” Let this be your conduct, let this be your heart, to understand and know just what a privilege it is to suffer for His sake and what hope and what glory there lies within these circumstances. It is the opposite mindset of the world, it is the Kingdom mind.
And when we walk in this strength, when we walk in this glory, when we allow this light to shine forth from darkness we shall walk with one mind, with one Spirit, with one Gospel, with one Body of Christ, unified by a force the world could never understand, joy and peace in the midst of suffering. For we, brothers and sisters, have set our faces like flint, just as our Lord did, for the joy that was set before Him. The joy that is birthed in trial, in suffering, in persecution and in reproaches, this is what unites us. Many are called but few are chosen and this is what unites the few into one. There in one Body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all. (Eph 4:4-6)
Can these bones live? A question asked of God to Ezekiel in a great valley which represented all of Israel (Ezek 37) What great valley stretches our before us in our day? Christendom lies motionless in the valley of death, mere bones glistening in the sun. Yet in Ezekiel, these bones speak. There is enough life in them to cry out to God, according to God. “Behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.” Oh to God that Christendom would have enough life left in them to cry out the very same thing.
H.Bonar, in the 19th century made four basic observations as it applied in his day from Ezekiel 37. 1. Our creed may be sound and yet we may not be Christians. 2. Our religion may be externally complete and yet we may not be Christians. 3. Our good works may be numerous and praiseworthy, yet we may not be Christians. 4. Our lives may be exemplary but we may not be Christians. ” By religion I mean everything that pertains to the private or public worship and service of God;our praises, our prayers, our sanctuary services, our family worship. What are all these without the inward breath? What is routine without life? Mechanical religion may be all right for the gods of Greece and Rome, but not for the living and true God…..Your sanctuary attendance may be regular and reverent, but what if there is no breath in it? Will God accept that?”
Men have built up great armies in our day. Vast denominations and smaller little kingdoms. They all shelter under the banner of God. Yet, without the breath of life from God these armies are but dry bones. Some may be better put together than others. Bone may have come to bone. Some may have flesh and sinews, some may even be covered in skin and have taken on the appearance of having life, but without the breath of God they are all equally dead. Men boast about how well put together their “followers,” are yet it is God alone who breathes life. And without this life we are dead and buried in the valley just as sure as the dead are buried in the cemetery.
So, can these dry bones speak? According to God they can. They can cry out. And if they cry out then God has some promises for them. He says that He will bring them out of their graves. He will do that by breathing life into them. He will cause them to rise up, just as surely as Lazarus rose up from his own grave. He will put His Spirit in them and they shall live. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is life itself and without this life, without this breath, we can do nothing. We can surely go about our routines and our dry works and be no different than the dry bones in Ezekiel’s valley. Yet, if we want to rise up in the power of God, a radiant army who marches upon its knees, we must have the breath of God in us. The valley of dry bones that is today’s Christendom desperately needs the breath of life.
It is true that we have seen man’s best endeavor in the field of evangelism leaving communities untouched. We have seen crowded churches. We have seen many professions. We have seen hundreds, yes and thousands responding to what you speak of here as the altar call. But I want to say this dear people, and I say it without fear of contradiction, that you can have all that without God! Now that may startle you, but I say again, you can have all that on mere human levels. Howard Spring was right when he wrote ” The Kingdom of God is not going to advance by our churches becoming filled by men, but by men in churches becoming filled by God.” And there’s a difference! Crowded churches, deep interest in church activity is possible on mere human levels, leaving the community untouched. (Duncan Campbell)
If your salvation was a “get out of hell,” transaction then it’s highly likely you are not saved. It’s when the wretchedness of our condition, as exposed by the Holy Spirit of conviction, collides with the love and the mercy and the grace as revealed by Calvary, that a man or a woman repents and turns 180 degrees from the sinful lives they led and are saved. Much of the religious industrial complex, having avoided this themselves, cause others to be lost in their ignorance. They are fooled into believing that a “sinners prayer,” has saved their souls from eternal death and that church attendance and sacraments will see them “home,” safe.
Deep conviction of sin was the mark of the great awakenings and revivals of note. It did not come by persuasive words or the clever skills and oratory gifts of men. It advances when the Holy Spirit comes down and lights up the darkness that lies within men. And in the realization of that darkness and the utter wretchedness of our sinful ways, we come face to face with the mercy of God. The wonder of it all will overwhelm a mans wicked heart. He will tear his shirt and fall on his face and cry out to the living God. And in that moment, as opposed to “hands up who does not want to go to hell,” (an altar call that I have actually heard) the eternal consequences of his ways will tear through a mans soul. In his surrender and in his repentance, his very soul will be flooded by grace and the transformation will be astounding.
In most of our churches, the Holy Spirit of conviction, having been driven out a long time ago, has been replaced with persuasive words, emotionalism and manipulation, typically through music. The music team will be told to come up. The people will be told to put their hands up, to stand up, to cry out, to come forward. The support team will be told to come forward, the prayer team will be told to come forward. The truth is brothers and sisters, when the Holy Spirit of conviction comes down, He alone is affecting the hearts and spirits of men. In the soulish realm, men need instructions. When the might and power of men have failed, then its the Spirit that causes men to “rent their shirts,” and cry out “what must we do to be saved.” Echoing through the people will be cries of “is their mercy for me.”
I believe the Holy Spirit of conviction is not done with us. Yet we must travail in prayer. We must be diligent and cry out to the Lord. And we must keep on doing that until we see the breakthrough. Most of all, we must believe that He is, and that that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, for without this kind of faith it is impossible to please Him (Heb 3:6) The keys to this kind of encounter comes through earnest and steadfast prayer. Where is the prayer meeting? Where are the faithful people of God who know that in order to see Him move, He alone must come down. An old poet wrote ” The promise can’t save though the promise is sure. It is the Blood we get under that cleanses us through. It cleanses me now, hallelujah to God! I rest on the promise but I’m under the Blood.”
Can you see what is being said? Men have abandoned the Holy Spirit and now rest upon a text of Scripture as opposed to the one who is the Scripture. Words cannot save us, only Jesus can. He is the Word made flesh. It rests upon Him alone and the power of the Holy Spirit to convict men and to open up their hearts and to rent asunder the veil that clouds their minds from their true state. Mercy and truth must collide. The truth of our state and the mercy that shall cleanse it. And only then shall righteousness and peace kiss. Jesus says in Luke 12 “I have come to send fire on the earth!.” Jesus came to bring fire, a burning all consuming fire that will burn up the wretchedness of men. When the monstrous iniquity of men’s state, collides with the fire of God that rains down upon their hearts through the Holy Spirit, we shall have our revival. Lord send down your fire and burn the hearts of men once again.
A Call To The Remnant 