Lost Crusader #247 What Say You?
- Jack LaFountain
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore. Who among you will give ear to this? who will hearken and hear for the time to come? Isaiah 42:22-23
The Old Testament prophets were not well liked. They were feared for the power that exuded from them and the power they exercised. Their advice was sometimes sought and often times derided. But they were not liked. They always seemed to see things differently and that made people uncomfortable. The prophets were always pointing fingers at sin. You can be sure they did point at sin even if their finger was aimed at the king.
Ahab was once asked if there was a prophet of God of whom they might inquire of the Lord. He acknowledged that there was one. However, Ahab said he never consulted the man because that prophet never said good things about him. It's sad that people today are so like Israel’s wicked king.
The church has been robbed of the truth by its overriding desire to hear only good things. We want a message of comfort that shelters us from our unsettling times. Our land is sharply divided into saints and devils. The saints are those who agree with us. The devils are those in hateful disagreement with us. There is no middle ground. We want a church that supports our views and soothes us with a peaceful interlude every Sunday.
Despite the church’s boasting it would resist, or perhaps because of it, our elected darlings robbed the church, shutting down the church and teaching the faithful they no longer needed to assemble. Moreover, boasted of its being robbed citing safety and comfort above God’s word. Church could watched on television or Facebook just like any other entertainment.
We have been spoiled by a crippling fear of being charged with offending the guilty. Though he may call darkness light, and light darkness, we must accept every person’s view as a valid truth. If we refuse to do so, we are haters and judgmental. We could learn a thing or two from the prophets.
Christians sometimes amaze me when they fret over calling out sin. “Oh, we’ll drive them away!” Are you so powerful that you can drive away one whom God has called to repent? The person may indeed be offended and storm away. Is the Spirit rendered powerless because they were offended? I think not. And with what will the Spirit pursue such a person but their sin? Recognition of personal sin is the call to repentance. No one finds salvation without that recognition of personal guilt before God. Throw all the programs, activities, and soothing words you want at them, they will not be saved until they are convicted as sinners.
But there is none that says, “Restore”. There is no cry from the pews for a restoration of a right spirit and a clean heart. There is no acceptance of fault that desires truth in the inward parts. Who will give ear to this?
コメント