PONDERING 2

 

PONDERING 2

Psalm 119:59 I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your statutes. NLT

As you ponder about the Lord and your relationship to Him, you need to ponder as well over the world we live in, the church in the world, and the message of the church to the world.

A question that must be asked is, “What in the world is going on in the world today?” If you are a news watcher, you can’t help but be concerned. It seems like no matter where you are at in the world, it’s not good news. People in positions of power and authority are corrupt. People in the streets are angry and corrupt. Human life is deemed to be expendable. Law and order are in a mess. People think nothing of hurting others, taking advantage of them, and abusing them for their own pleasure. Things things should not surprise us because the Bible makes it very clear that these things were going to happen in the later days of life on earth as we know it.

What is going on in the church today? For the most part, it’s not good. We have wandered away from our roots. Jesus is no longer the Lord of most churches. Biblical truths have been watered down and compromised. Holiness has been discarded as a necessity for eternal life. Church leaders use the Gospel message for personal gain, and some use people of the church for their own pleasure. Far too many churches do not preach or teach against sin. Hell is not feared. The wrath of God against sin is seldom mentioned. Far too many churches are nothing more than a social club.

What kind of a message is coming out of the churches today? A popular theme you hear a lot about today is, “God is love.” It has become so popular that God is portrayed as an all-accepting God. He loves us and would never allow anyone to go to hell. He will eventually allow everyone into heaven. Another message that is popular is that God is good and will prosper people who believe in Him. If one has the faith to believe, he will be blessed here on earth with wealth and good health. Suffering is deemed to be God’s judgment on a person’s sinful living instead of the natural outcome of living in a sinful world. For many, Satan is disarmed and considered to be a non-factor if we only have faith in God. We have bought into the message of ease and comfort in this world.

We look around us at the world we live in and see all the evil there. We look at the church and see the lack of concern the world has for her and their souls. We look at the message of the church and see how far away from Biblical truth we have wandered. Could it be that all these things are related? Could it be that things are falling apart all around us because the church has forgotten her Lord and the Word of God? II Chron. 7:14