What’s REALLY Killing Our Churches

Posted on by Standard

God is, in no way, deterred by a virus, a riot, or ‘oppressive legislation’.  In fact, scripture boldly testifies that God’s strength is perfected in our weakness.  His precious and powerful Spirit moves triumphantly through our desperate cries and prayers.  Dependency is a major pillar of faith, so essential that the Lord will cause and/or allow confounding situations and calamities to draw us into His word and prayer.

It is not possible for COVID or any government restrictions to curtail the move of God nor diminish His purposes but He may well be using these to expose the foundation of our faith.  Just what is it built upon?

American churches and spiritual revivals seem to be at a tail end, working hard to pump life into the fading godly reputations.   The ‘smoke has left the temple’ but where is our grief and contrite heart?

All-night prayer meetings and three day fasts humbled and united brethren in godly churches, charging them with great expectations from God.  The Holy Spirit brought direction, the Lord’s purposes became clear.  There was revelation to God’s word.  What happened, seemingly so fast?

We can learn from young King Uzziah….

“As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success….His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful.”   (II Chronicles 26 excerpts)

Gone are those prayer meetings.  Undoable are those fasts.  ICHAOD is juxtaposed upon the billboards yet goes unnoticed.  The Glory of God is replaced with marketing strategists, digital strategists, community interest groups and food giveaways.   No virus is curtailing God’s move and certainly no government – in the most restrictive and oppressive countries the Holy Spirit is mightily gathering souls for God’s Kingdom!

We squandered our ‘spiritual wealth’ – our dependency upon, our intimacy with, our abandon to God – to wade in a spirit of Laodicea.  Neither ‘hot nor cold’, we were ‘wealthy’ and self sufficient until a virus interrupted our church business.

we-can-do-it

With enough lawyers, donors and publicity, ‘We Can Do It’, but we’ll be ‘doing it’ without God’s Holy presence.  “The flesh counts for nothing”, Jesus said.  

Can church shut downs or worldly oppression of any kind diminish the longing of the Bride for the Bridegroom?  Won’t it all only quicken our hearts to seek Him and deepen our yearning for His coming?

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory!  For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.“   Rev 19:7

Lord, am I getting ready or am I still clamoring for the temporal things, reaching back for gone seasons and past movements?  I pray that You call us and draw us as Your flock, open Your word to us.  Let the world ‘take away’ as long as You pour in with greater measure!

 

39 thoughts on “What’s REALLY Killing Our Churches”

  1. Amen, Lisa Beth. Every word a gem. As individual believers, during these challenging days, we need to be seeking personal revival and greater communion with God as never before. Thankful for your spot-on commentaries!

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  2. Amen, Lisa Beth! This is truth and we would be wise to hear and heed what the Lord has placed on your heart! I have been sharing with people that I believe now more and ever this is a dependency issue. More and more we will be tested, pruned etc to see if we are loyal and depending on God, trusting Him or are loyal to political parties, financial wants and institutions. Praising God for you. Love and blessings!!!

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  5. Thank you Lisa Beth for another timely message. Sometimes I see too much dependence on “church” and looking for our comfort there rather than from the Lord. I’ve done it. Yes, we have great church related memories but things change, and not always for the best. Our precious Savior changeth not and we must learn if we haven’t already done so that Jesus really is our all and all, and He truly is sufficient. Suffering times lead us to the feet of Jesus and what a wonderful place to be! Will reblog.

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  6. Pingback: What’s REALLY Killing Our Churches | PEACEMAKERS

  7. “God is, in no way, deterred by a virus, a riot, or ‘oppressive legislation’,” AMEN! When people say how they long for things to go back to “normal,” my thought is “‘Normal’ is SO overrated!” The Church’s “normal” has been pretty anemic lately.
    I don’t know if you’ve heard of this national day of prayer and repentance coming up in September, but I think it’s worth sharing:

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  8. Amen, Lisa. A lot of great comments, too. I think this whole pandemic mess is going to work out for good. The Holy Spirit is working in believers lives in quarantine.
    The first church I attended after making a commitment to follow Christ, was an Assembly of God church in Houston. This is where Mary and I met, got married, and dedicated or girls. Anyway, the Pastor started the church in the middle of the Depression with great opposition from the mainstream denominations and those living in the area. With the help of a few men, he built the original church out of logs they cut and placed themselves. I was close to him, he was like a grandfather to me.
    Before he died thirty years ago, he told me that in the last days, before the rapture, the Gospel will be spread one on one out in the street. I remember thinking how strange it was for a pastor who had worked so hard to build a church to be telling me that there would come a time when the physical church would be almost irrelevant.
    Are we living in the day he envisioned?

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  12. Thank you Lisa Beth for the great Spirit led words. Holy Spirit leapt within my spirit as I read the words.
    As someone commented previously, continuing to pray for an inner revival in me. The Gospel Of Christ will need to get outside the church building walls, and proclaimed by “The Church” on the highways and byways, as at Pentecost. We no longer have the certainty of our building doors being open, nor any assurance of pre-Christ followers entering through the doors. I also fear many who were not on fire for Christ, finding themselves being busy in other ways on Sundays, or thinking it truly should be only “a day of rest” for them. Praying for those friends also.
    I shared your post on fb, it is too good to not have many read.
    God Bless you Abundantly Lisa Beth

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  14. Pingback: VIDEO What’s REALLY Killing Our Churches – Getting to Know the Holy Spirit – NarrowPathMinistries

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