Has the Church hit its crisis point yet?

In the serch engine Wikepidia, it quotes a crisis, as, "Something that may occur on a personal or societal level. It may be a traumatic or stressful change in a person's life, or an unstable and dangerous social situation, in political, social, economic, military affairs, or a large-scale environmental event, especially one involving an impending abrupt change. More loosely, it is a term meaning 'a testing time' or emergency event."

The Chruch is under one of the most scrutinited eras of history. wherever we are, at home or abroad, we are exposed to danger more than we are aware of. In America, we now have leagalized gay marraiges, abortions by the thousands, one-half of the population in jails, and the modern church searching for signs and wonders.

Hard economic times have started to hit this once prosperous nation. Now, Gold teeth, speaking Angels, or get rich and prosper by buying a book or following a spirtiual law: all of these examples are forefront in our thinking today in these perlious times.

One belives that they can buy their gold from the "snake oil salemen" that proclaim their so called gospel of riches. However, remember what our Lord stated in Revelation of the Holy Word:

Rev 3:13 The one who has an ear, hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.
Rev 3:14 And to the angel of the assembly of Laodicea, write: These things says the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Head of the creation of God:
Rev 3:15 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I would that you were cold, or hot.
Rev 3:16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to vomit you out of My mouth.
Rev 3:17 Because you say, I am rich, and I am made rich, and I have need of nothing, and do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. Rev 3:18 I advise you to buy from Me gold having been fired by fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, and your shame and nakedness may not be revealed. And anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
Rev 3:19 I, as many "as I love, I rebuke and I chasten." Be zealous, then, and repent. Prov. 3:12

Why are they, we, lukewarm christians? "Because we say we are rich, and have need of nothing, and we are poor, miserable, and blind."

Were is our Help? Whom shall we call upon? The Banks? The Morgage holders? Quickie Loan joints? NO. Look up for your redemition draws nigh.

Psa 121:1 A Song of Ascents. I will lift up my eyes to the hills; from where shall my help come?
Psa 121:2 My help comes from Jehovah, the Maker of the heavens and the earth.
Psa 121:3 He will not give your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.
Psa 121:4 Behold, He who keeps Israel will not slumber nor sleep.
Psa 121:5 Jehovah is the One keeping you; Jehovah is your shade on your right hand.
Psa 121:6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night;
Psa 121:7 Jehovah shall keep you from all evil; He shall keep your soul.
Psa 121:8 Jehovah shall keep your going out, and your coming in, from now on and till forever.

Look to God, and his Son and all of His benefits of dying and raising from the Cross.
This gave latitude for the Holy Ghost to work in our lives. let Him, lets not be Him.

We must return to the old paths, the only path to God.
Jer 6:16 So says Jehovah, Stand by the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk in it.
Jer 6:17 Also I raised watchmen over you, saying, Listen to the sound of the ram's horn. But they said, We will not listen.
Jer 6:18 So hear, O nations, and know, O assembly, that which is coming on them.
Jer 6:19 Hear, O earth, behold! I will bring evil on this people, the fruit of their thoughts. For they have not listened to My Words, and My Law; they also rejected it.

What are the old paths: faith and love.

2Ti 1:13 Hold fast a pattern of sound words which you heard from me, in faith and love in Christ Jesus.

The Altar: The Cross

Jos 8:30 Then Joshua built an altar to Jehovah, the God of Israel, in Mount Ebal,

Says, Henry:
" They built an altar, and offered sacrifice to God (Jos_8:30, Jos_8:31), in token of their dedication of themselves to God, as living sacrifices to his honour, in and by a Mediator, who is the altar that sanctifies this gift. This altar was erected on Mount Ebal, the mount on which the curse was put (Deu_11:29), to signify that there, where by the law we had reason to expect a curse, by Christ's sacrifice of himself for us and his mediation we have peace with God; he has redeemed us from the curse of the law by being made a curse for us, Gal_3:13. Even where it was said, by the curse, You are not my people, there it is said, through Christ the altar, You are the children of the living God, Hos_1:10. The curses pronounced on Mount Ebal would immediately have been executed if atonement had not been made by sacrifice. By the sacrifices offered on this altar they did likewise give God the glory of the victories they had already obtained, as Exo_17:15. Now that they had had the comfort of them, in the spoils of Ai, it was fit that God should have the praise of them.

And they also implored his favour for their future success; for supplications as well as thanksgivings were intended in their peace-offerings. The way to prosper in all that we put our hand to is to take God along with us, and in all our ways to acknowledge him by prayer, praise, and dependence. The altar they built was of rough unhewn stone, according to the law (Exo_20:25), for that which is most plain and natural, and least artful and affected, in the worship of God, he is best pleased with. Man's device can add no beauty to God's institutions."

As an ambassador for Christ I must write this as a warning and also for hope to a lost and dying world and Chruch.

2 Corinthians 5
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Our Lord said, "Luk 18:6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unrighteous judge says;
Luk 18:7 and will God not at all execute the avengement of His elect, those crying to Him day and night, also having been long-suffering over them?
Luk 18:8 I say to you that He will carry out the avengement of them speedily. But the Son of Man coming then, will He find faith on the earth?"

Next weeks topic: "Is faith dead?"

--John

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A Prayer

To forgive like thee, blessed Son of God! I take this as the law of my life. Thou who hast given the command, givest also the power. Thou who hadst love enough to forgive me, wilt also fill me with love and teach me to forgive others. Thou who didst give me the first blessings, in the joy of having my sins forgiven, wilt surly give me the second blessing, and deeper joy of forgiving others as thou hast forgiven me. Oh, fill me with the faith in the power of thy love in me, to make me like Thyself, to enable me to forgive the seventy times seven, and so to love and bless all around me.

O My Jesus, Thy example is my law: I must be like Thee. And Thy example is my gospel too. I can be as thou art. Thou art at once my law and my life. What Thou demandest of me by Thy example, Thou workest in me by Thy life. I shall forgive like Thee.

Lord, only lead me deeper into my dependence on Thee, into all sufficiency of Thy grace and the blessed keeping which comes from Thy indwelling. Then shall I believe and prove the all-prevailing power of love. I shall forgive even as Christ has forgiven me. Amen.

Andrew Murray, Source unknown