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Lately,
I have met too many people that claim God speaks to them about every
imaginable topic. The latest thing is, “Should I, or should I not,
go to church this week or next?” Let me parallel this statement in
another question. “Should I return home from work to spend quality
time with my spouse and family today?” Theologically, you cannot
separate Christ from the Church. The Scriptures continually equate
Christ as the groom and the Church as the bride. Of course you
should go to church!
While I must admit
that I struggle with understanding the omnipresence of God, I am
grossly bewildered in understanding how God constantly speaks to
people concerning when, or even if, they should go to church -- or
Wal-Mart for that matter. Out of pure respect for the awesome
responsibilities of our Father in Heaven, shouldn’t we use some
common sense in our judgments on matters such as questioning if we
should go to Church or not, eat whole wheat or white bread, or shave
before or after our shower?
Nothing is more
commendable than for people to graduate in the faith from milk to
meat, a point in one’s life that Pastors dream of. But today, there
are an ever-increasing number of spiritual “wanna-be” giants that
appear a mile wide in their faith; but if measured in depth they
fall short of an inch. They attempt to mimic someone that is
operating in the power of the Holy Ghost by using gestures,
vocabulary, demeanor, and even seizure-like behaviors as if they
have been elevated into deep wisdom and knowledge by God himself.
Elevation in this
faith is happening faster than ever. From the time a person is Born
Again into the Faith they are plugged into this supernatural
communication in no time. In their sight, Christian maturity that
has been proven over time is mocked. Seasoned Christians who have
stood the test of time and studied Scripture for decades of their
lives are ridiculed.
The demise of many
of these new Christians is spiritually tragic. They watch their
world implode around them while waiting on God to give detailed
telepathic instructions. They cling to cheap prophesy that is
uttered in groups seeking to be enlightened. Unfortunately, they
have settled for watered-down or vague prophetic words that are so
generic they would fit the lives of a criminal. If dates, times,
and places are not met according to prophesy, they shrug it off
and/or make excuses such as “It was not received by faith.”
Their fall is quick
and lasting. They stand looking toward heaven and wondering, “Why
God? Why me? How could this happen to me? I served you.” The
fact is that much of their problem from the start was all about
“me”. They felt like they were in a race and had to compete for the
lead. When down for the count they act pathetic and whine and
complain, often not returning back to church again for many years,
or perhaps never. They often go on to harbor a bad taste in their
mouth. They either return to a life of sin or seek approval as they
lead a pseudo-Christian life as a renegade, taking every opportunity
to speak ill against organized church and decent men and women of
God who have been anchored in the faith for many years.
I tell people all of
the time, “Life isn’t as spiritual as it may seem. The sun comes up
and goes down. Roads lead to places, and automobiles require fuel.
Fuel costs money. Money is either inherited, stolen, or earned. If
you’re fat lose weight. If you can’t play the piano take lessons.”
My attempt to expose
the foolishness of our topic seems a little crude, totally out of
character for my writing; but I swell with righteous indignation at
the thought of one honestly contemplating the question of attending
Church or not. The point is, if you want to live a good life
pleasing only yourself, by all means go ahead. But if you can’t
stand church, or perhaps haven’t found contentment going to church,
don’t spin lies about the Lord not directing you to attend any given
service. Instead of trying to receive a Word from the Lord,
try reading His Word as He has inspired and anointed it.
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