Apr | 16 | Force Out The Pharisee!

Key Word:- BE

Title:- Force Out The Pharisee!

Nehemiah 10:29
and we will not neglect the house of our God..

Religion has a momentum all of its own. God may have removed His presence, His blessing and His glory, but it makes no difference to religious momentum! The religious committees are elected, entrusted and empowered and they will do their job no matter what. I recently heard of a church of 45 people who had been in decline for over 10 years having problems recruiting folk for the 75 committees it presently had established to run this ‘vast organization.’ It is silly isn’t it? It really is.

Interestingly though, our physical body parallels this problem in that we can have been in decline for years as well and yet we still ill-treat it and live with problems that with just a little attention, a good diet, exercise and minimal medical intervention, we could eliminate and maybe even then go on to improve our overall health, effectiveness and lifespan. The same accepted and blind decline can also apply to our spiritual bodies and frankly, I find it rather amazing when I contemplate the death we so easily accommodate ourselves to in living within both the physical and spiritual realms. How easily we come to terms with creeping death. This needs to change. You know, restoration of any dilapidated house takes attention, effort, and resources, and no doubt some pain! It is the same with our physical and spiritual houses, and especially with respect to our dying local churches.

Now here is a problem for many of our local churches. When in decline and disrepair, the united repentant effort that is required to turn the situation around often calls for resources that our tired, lazy, blind and self-justifying disposition just does not have. The parts of the local body wanting to live, know that they now have a fight on their hands, even a civil war! Once this fight for life begins, two things will then undoubtedly happen. Either the religiously diseased parts, eventually die, or for some reason they depart, allowing health to slowly but surely spread. Or secondly, those seeking life will leave the relationship of death. They have to, or they too shall die with the leprous blind and they know it.

Whether outwardly forced by the religiously sick or internally moved by a spiritual survival mechanism, those with life eventually leave these dying churches allowing them a speedier ride on the back of the pale green horse. Such terminal departure might only be stopped when religious committees cease to manage death, or preferably cease to manage! This is very, very rare.

Let us get on our knees and look to Him who is the administrator of light and life and love. Things can be better. They really can. It’s worth the effort! Do you see it? Do you want it? Force out the Pharisee! It is not tolerance and love to let them stay and rule, it is death to the church, it is death to your family, it is death to you!

Listen: - therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; Deut30:19

Pray: - Lord of life, please forgive us for our laziness and love of death and mobilize us to choose life! Amen and amen!