Published March 8, 2019

Conversations with conservative Christians tend to circle around important issues like abortion, infanticide, so-called “liberals”, lack of prayer in our schools, illegal aliens, Congress, fake news, etc.  These topics really are critical, but I would contend that they are simply symptoms of a deeper and greater problem in the Church.

Why would I say that?  The Church is called to be salt in the earth (Matthew 5:13), but the typical local assembly of believers is apathetic, cold or luke-warm, and/or complacent to the things of the Spirit, completely devoid of salt.  Church leaders typically want believers to do more, i.e. more witnessing, more bringing people to church, more church involvement, more this and more that…which becomes an endless do list that they think will solve our nation’s problems.

However, the deeper problem in the Church is that we have decided we can “do Church” without the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  We don’t hear His voice and if we do, we simply do not obey.  We do not yield to His promptings; we do not seek to honor Him in our services; we don’t give Him room to move in our services; we refuse to have Him move in power either through leadership (which have little or no idea of how to move with the Holy Spirit) or members of the congregation.  We have become powerless, enjoying preaching without demonstrations of Biblical power.  For many, Christianity has become nothing more than an intellectual exercise or a philosophical concept.

When we consistently sin against, dishonor and disobey the Holy Spirit over years (which is nothing short of outright rebellion), that turn into decades, we must reap what we have sown.  We are seeing the Holy Spirit no longer present in our churches and the hand of the Lord lift off our nation, opening us up to powerful forces of evil and darkness.  The Holy Spirit would have protected us from the enemy if we had simply submitted to His authority.  But we haven’t and we want to blame anyone else other than ourselves and anything else other than what goes on in the Church virtually every Sunday.

There is no protection outside of the Lord, yet the Church believes that they are “doing church” and following Jesus.  We cannot say we are followers of Jesus and not do what the His Spirit tells us to do!  If we do, we are liars.  The reality is that we have become experts in religious services and tradition that have very little to do with being on fire for Jesus or following.

Judgment is coming to Church leaders and churches that refuse to repent and refuse to honor and submit to the leadings of the Holy Spirit.  Many leaders talk about judgment coming to America, but they never think judgment is coming to them or to their assembly of believers.  How foolish and disconnected from Biblical Christianity we have become in the American Church.

Many leaders will be astounded and shocked to find that the One they have been praying to for revival stands against them as their enemy.  This is very grave and very serious and still leaders continue to spurn the Most High who called them to the ministry, choosing to do their own thing while claiming they are following Jesus.

A harsh dose of truth is about to be revealed in that judgment begins in the house of the Lord.  If judgment is coming to America, rest assured it will begin in the Church of Jesus Christ, starting with leaders who no longer stand in His counsel.  In fact, it has already begun.

The way of repentance is to re-consecrate ourselves to following the Holy Spirit who Jesus sent to lead, guide and comfort the Church.  We must humble ourselves by admitting to the Lord that we are naked, miserable, wretched, blind and poor (Revelation 3:17).  We must admit to Him that we do not have eyes to see or ears to hear and cry out that He would come and be merciful to us.  We must understand that the Lord is the only one who can give us eyes to see and ears to hear what He is doing and saying.  Unless we hear His voice we will come to ruin.

To those who have an ear to hear, let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

Mark Biteler