We grew up being told that the United States was the Great Christian Nation, leading the world in Missionary Outreach and Support. That may have been true about 40, or even 20, years ago.

That information allowed our churches to relax and focus their attention on growing their respective Religious Organizations and local church programs. We converted our basic youth Biblical training from life training to entertaining programs; telling ourselves this new approach would attract more young people and families. We told ourselves it was needed to help our church attendance to grow.

Our Missionary Support was converted to Missionary Programs where anyone could be a Missionary, if only for a week or two, during their vacation time in the summer. We told ourselves it was the only way to attract more participation.

We shifted our focus from teaching and preaching Salvation through the Blood of the Lamb and the Story of suffering on Golgotha to more attractive topics such as “The Prayer of Jabez” and “God loves you for what you are”. We told ourselves this was necessary to keep from scaring away prospective members from our church.

We put aside the King James Bible, saying it was too hard to understand and started using one of the “new” translations. I remember, as a youth, our church bought a whole bunch of books called “Good News”. This new book was an NIV Translation of the New Testament with a “new” name, “Good News”. We thought this was great. What our church elders failed to do, was verify the accuracy of this new translation before promoting its use in the church. The Religious Leaders said it was a “good” translation for the younger generation because it was easy to read. Besides, it was too much work to verify its accuracy.

Our churches became centers of “Self Love” and “Appreciation”. We point at all of the new programs and the number of new members. Churches now steal members from each other by adding to or expanding their church programs, trying to out-do each other in membership numbers only. People who have never accepted, or even know of, Salvation through Jesus Christ are accepted as members. Their worldly views and ideas are accepted and implemented without benefit of seeking Jehovah’s guidance and Blessing. We see this in the accepted practice of marriage ceremonies in the church without benefit of Christian Faith or Counseling. We even see this in the acceptance of homosexuals as Sunday School teachers and church leaders.

Our loss of focus on Jehovah’s work now manifests itself in our Religious Organizations and local churches. While we worked on making our churches more worldly friendly, we removed the Shepherd from the gate. The wolves now move easily in and out of our pastures, without restriction or hindrance. These wolves, consisting of members, pastors, evangelists and biblical scholars, introduced sweeping changes; which have, in some organizations, totally destroyed both gates and fences. And, we did this with our eyes wide open and our spiritual beings blinded by our own sin and worldly desires.

2 Peter 2:1: But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

One of the most disturbing examples of this came from a christian pastor at a college auditorium, after a violent shooting on campus. After presenting a short, non-denominational, devotion the pastor announced that all present should take a minute and pray to whatever god they believed in. How can we still consider ourselves to be a “Christian” Nation when even our “Christian” Leaders are either ashamed or afraid to lift up the name of the Father (Jehovah), the Son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Ghost? What about our great evangelists who will no longer preach about hell, the Blood, Sin or the name of Jesus because they don’t want to say anything to offend anyone. That is Not preaching the Gospel of Jesus. That is Worldly acceptance!

What does your church do? Does it hold the Standard of Jesus, The Living Word, high? Or, do you just want to start a new program? What about your efforts? Do you talk about and live your life according to the Holy Scriptures? Do others hear and see Jesus through you?

The Muslims are not ashamed or afraid to spread their prayer mats, five times a day, no matter where they are. We need to let those around us see and hear us pray to our Father, Jehovah, in the name of Jesus Christ.

Until we become as steadfast and as Faithful to Jehovah as the Muslims are to their belief, we will continue to fall short of the Mission Jehovah has given to us; Preach the Gospel of Jesus to all creatures.

Isaiah 62:10: Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.

May we begin to call upon the name of Jehovah again!

Rev. William H. Anderson, 09/24/07
Healing The Body Of Christ Ministries
John 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. (KJV)

URL: http://www.healingthebody.net
Email: info@healingthebody.net

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