Fire in  the Hole

 

[this is a response to a letter we received from a Pastor who has been dissatisfied with what he has been seeing in churches and is hungry for something more in God.]

This morning, as I was sitting here, I looked at your letter again.  I’ve been delayed answering it for a couple of reasons: one is knowing how I will have to answer you

You signed you letter:  “Crucified With Him”.  I wonder if you realize that the answer to your situation is right there in your closing.  It kinda says it all, doesn’t it?  The Gospel we preach is a message of the Cross; not the Crown, or the blessings and prosperity, or even the Church.  “Crucified With Him”, that was all that Paul said he knew – broken, crucified, and yielded to the path of the lowly Nazarene.  “Not my will…”.

We are witnessing today the Death of Christianity.  You have seen it, and it’s driving you crazy.  Impossible as it is to explain to others, you can nevertheless see it clearly.  No one really understands because they are so immersed in church, that is all they have known, and so it must be right.  But you know differently.  So you seem a bit radical to others, perhaps going through a “mid-spiritual-life” crisis, and if they placate you, they hope that maybe you’ll grow out of it and settle down.  But you know you won’t.  So what do you do next?  Do you throw the baby out with the bath water, or try to be an inspiration and hope that they will see the same thing that you see so clearly?

It is a very hard thing indeed to resolve the issue of all these “nice people” being so far out of the Spirit of God.  I once argued with God while I was praying earnestly for a revival in the churches,  “Please God,” I said, “they’re really nice people!”

The answer came down immediately, “I will spue the lukewarm out of my mouth … and you think they’re nice?”  That was a tough one to swallow.  They really are nice people, but if they are so good, then why, oh why, aren’t they on fire to pursue the power of God?  If they are really so nice, why aren’t they desperate for a revival?  Why aren’t they cut to the heart for the Lost?

And the words of Amos, chapter 6, come vividly to the picture.

OK, God.  I understand; I see it; I got the picture.  But Lord, why haven’t you raised up men of power like we have seen in the past to bring forth a Gospel of Power so these “nice people” can see the difference and find an opportunity to repent?  All those old warriors are dead!  And in their place are all these wishy-washy, “feel good” preachers with no teeth.  Everybody loves to hear their loving messages, or as Isaiah put it, “tell us smooth things, prophesy unto us deceits.”  Yeah, and as Jeremiah said, “…and my people love to have it so”.  Is it hopeless?

And the Lord answered that he would give the churches a certain space of time to repent, and they will not repent.  And then He will raise up stones in their place.  Huh?  Is that scriptural?  Well, yes it is.  It is written over and over again of how it will be in these last days. 

We are in the Valley of Decision, but there is a move of God coming that is not like any other that we have seen.  People will make it into Heaven, not based on a multiple-choice test, but on a true test of the heart.  Are they satisfied with the Pablum that they are getting to soothe their consciences?  Or are they hungry for more? 

And so we see the sheep being separated from the goats.

Paul said that perilous times would come.  Little did we realize that the peril would come from within the church.  Satan has done his job well.  He knows the power of slight deception – 99% of the truth is still a lie.  Slowly but surely, he has diluted the guts out of the Gospel.  We have raised up generations of kids with zeal, but with a diverted direction.  They’re educated, sophisticated, and prepared … but they have no power in God.  They have eaten off the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  “Much study”, “thoughts of the wise”, thinking that wisdom comes from books, but discarding the notion that the Fear of the Lord is wisdom.

I went to a different school.  The alumni of my school are guys like John the Baptist, prophets that were gatherers of sycamore fruit, fishermen like Peter, tax collectors, harlots, Negro slaves that couldn’t read or write, and common people that don’t know nuthin’.  Ahhh.  But they knew God!  And that made the difference.

How different than the picture we see today when we have to have a degree to preach the Gospel.  Write a book, get a Ph.D, tell people what they want to hear, and they will flock to you.

But strait is the way and narrow is the gate.

People will hold onto the cloak of their sins with everything they’ve got, and it takes a strong message to rip that cloak away.  That makes you a “bad guy”.  Judgmental, critical, abrasive, hard, and unrelenting.  Not a very “nice” guy at all.  But you’re in good company, because neither were any of the prophets or any other strong men of God.

So where do you go from here?  Think you’ll change them by your good example?  Not hardly.  One thing that 34 years in the ministry has taught me is that people will believe what they want to believe … in spite of the facts.  And the will use the Bible to justify it.

Don’t look for somebody that’s not looking.  You are only looking for those who are looking.  The only fish that will take the bait are the ones that are hungry.  And it’s not your job to make them hungry – that’s God’s job.  Yours is to preach the Truth in the Spirit.

Will you be rejected by most?  Well, do you know anyone in the Bible that wasn’t?  If John the Baptist had just kept his mouth shut, he wouldn’t have had his head cut off.  Was Jesus killed because He was so nice, or was it because He rocked the religious boat? 

For me to tell you to come out of a certain church is not my place to do.  Who knows what hungry souls are there waiting for someone to take the stand that has been echoing in their hearts all along?  On the other hand, your calling does not come from an established institution – it comes from the Throne of God.  Only you can get the answer of which path the Lord wants you to take.  But one thing is sure -- never, never compromise; never apologize for the truth; never give in.  Break your ideas, your ways, and your opinions, and do it His way.  Fear no one but God.  That takes a real broken, crucified walk.  Let God have His way and let Him speak through your mouth.  You may find that He is not the “nice guy” everyone thinks He is.  And if they kick you out, then Praise the Lord!  He will give you something better because you passed the test.

Your answer was in your closing, the same as mine --

 

Crucified With Him,

Brother Dale