Daily Devotional for Saturday July 13, 2013
When They Padlock the Doors of the Church
(John 15:20, 16:2; 1 Timothy 3:12)
***ASK BILL: Pastor Bill, do you feel the U.S. should be the "police of the world" getting involved in numerous wars in other countries?
ANSWER: While these are issues our government makes decisions about in regard to our own national interests, my goal is that we should be the "evangelists of the world" and take the Gospel to every corner of the globe. The government will do what they do for political reasons, we as followers of Christ need to do what our job is!
Impossible you say? That day is closer than you think my friend. If you would have told someone just 50 years ago, that there would no longer be prayer in our schools, they would have called you crazy. If you would have told someone 50 years ago, that crosses and manger scenes would be banned from public buildings, they would have called you crazy. If you would have told someone 50 years ago, that it would be illegal to display the 10 commandments in a courthouse, they would have called you crazy. If you would have told someone 50 years ago, that there would be major efforts to take "under God " out of the Pledge of Allegiance and "In God We Trust" off of our money, they would have called you crazy. However, 50 years later, these are all a reality!
Here is some more reality for you. Things are NOT going to get any better. I am thankful for all of those who love God and work so diligently in the public arena. We MUST continue to fight for the issues that support God's Word. We must never vacate the political arena, and support those who are in public office that support the agenda of God. We have to maintain that voice. But here is the problem. Despite the numbers that Barna puts out, this nation is becoming more Godless every single day! It happened in Europe, it happened in Canada, and it is happening right before our very eyes here in the United States. We are fast becoming a Godless society.
There is now a large percentage of two full generations in our nation that do not go to church. The generation that is in their 20's and 30's has a large percentage that has never been to church. They grew up in homes void of God. They are now having children that are growing up in homes void of God, which means the coming generation will also grow up in homes void of God. On top of that, the vast majority of those in these two generations that DO go to church, are NOT in a committed 24/7 relationship with Christ. They range from the Christmas/Easter churchgoers, to those who simply put in their "hour" each week. Their day in and day out lives really are no different than those who don't go to church at all.
So what is next for our nation? The false religions will continue to grow. The false religions are based on the writings of men and prey on the fact people are looking for God, but use man's sinful condition to lead them into deception. They tell them they can buy their way into Heaven, they will have sex with virgins, they can work to become a god, and numerous other lies. Perverting the things of God that we used to honor will continue to get worse. Marriage has already become little more than a legal date to most people. Sex with people you are not married to, with the same sex, are now the mainstream norm. This will continue to destroy the family and simply create more generations of people totally void of God in their life, meaning the nation will adopt their Godless values and view of life.
IF YOU THINK I AM CRAZY, LET ME SUGGEST YOU READ YOUR BIBLE! IF THIS HAPPENED TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, THAT WERE BORN OUT OF THE PROMISE OF GOD AND WITNESS TO HIS GREAT MIRACLES, WHY DON'T YOU THINK THIS CAN HAPPEN TO US?
The answer my friend is this. We still enjoy amazing freedoms in this nation to share the Word of God. WE MUST TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT! Jesus said that we had to work while it was still light because the night was coming. We have got to stop playing games and get serious, because we have a very real enemy who is deadly serious. Oh how I wish the church was as committed to building the lives of people, to building the Kingdom of God, as it is in building great structures of brick and mortar. It is amazing how a church can find 20 million dollars to build a new building, but not $200 to help pay someone's rent! It is time for pastors to stop worrying about being politically correct and start being Biblically correct! Churches need to take out the theater seating and make people stand up in the presence of God. God's church was never supposed to be a place where people are entertained, but a place where they are trained up to do the work of God.
I love you and care about you so much. This is the third time in the last 30 days that the Holy Spirit has prompted me to give you such a word. I sense in my Spirit a great sense of urgency, that the time is truly very short now. Jesus is coming back at any moment for His church. We are living in a very evil and dark world. This nation has rapidly deteriorated spiritually right before our very eyes over the past 40 years. BUT GOD HAS ALWAYS HAD A PEOPLE! GOD HAS ALWAYS HAD A REMNANT! I pray today that you will be part of that remnant God will use to bring in this last great harvest.
Now more than ever, those who refuse to bow their knee to Baal need to stand up and be counted. The Bible proclaims that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church. That is because the church is not a building, it is all those people that have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and will follow Him to their death. THAT is the true church, and that is why they can padlock the doors of a building, but they will never stop the work of God!!! GOD WILL HAVE THE LAST WORD!!!
In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller