The Church

instead as being the salt and light is also falling victim to the same plight. This is how the cycle works. Believers in poverty-stricken countries fast and pray for economic blessings to fall upon the land. They repent of the sins their forebears had committed leading to the calamities they suffer. God in His Mercy hear their cries, and bless these nations and bring about the desired financial boom and mighty revivals! God’s focus is in the latter. Many believers are endowed with great wealth, and I believe this money is to build His Church. With this money, large buildings are built to accommodate the growing congregations.

Sadly, after two to three generations of great growth in economic might and spiritual move of God, the rich now become richer and the poor become poorer. The second-generation Christians become mere cultural believers who go to church because they were raised as believers. Any personal knowledge and intimacy with God is rapidly in decline. As higher living standards in life continue to rise, people become more time-poor. Despite all the mod cons we acquire, lives are lived out as stressed-people pursuing for more time. We become more self-centred as we are surrounded by so many activities and programs between oneself, the couple, parents and even the children. We become social Christians.

Extra-curricular activities fill a young child’s daily program; from academic tuition to music, from sports to birthday parties, but no room for tuition in God. Smart devices become the baby-sitting tools, invading also the dining table, restaurants and supposedly family-time in the living room. These are supposed to build relationship, and connect ourselves to a wider net of friends. Instead we notice friends being “un-friended”. There is a great dis-connect, with young babies and children challenging their parents with great tantrums and melt-downs. Our busyness has at times caused us to feel bad due to our long work hours and little time with our children. To bring about some consolation, the child is cluttered with more toys and goods. The exhausted parents and children then reward themselves with more holidays.

But where is God in all these?

Matthew 16:26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

The church shall continue along this trajectory by falling victim to the cries of the majority instead of obeying to the biblical fundamentals. Programs to equip and produce heroes of faith and the saints to be salt become sugar coated, and its light darkened when no programs to reach the lost is prioritised. Sermons are focused to satiate the flesh with health, wealth and happiness-centric tunes. The costs of the building and its size overtake the Kingdom mandate of discipleship, and salvation to the world through Jesus Christ! The church name and its speakers are often repeated more than the Name of the Saviour. The attributes that made congregations strong and vibrant at inception are now trimmed to give room to personal needs. Training programs are discarded, prayers and ministry to tired and exhausted souls are deemed to be irrelevant. Prayer meetings are options for when need is present but not as support to hold others.

light darkened when no programs to reach the lost is prioritised. Sermons are

Judges 2:7-10 So the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord which He had done for Israel. Now Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died when he was one hundred and ten years old. And they buried him within the border of his inheritance at Timnath Heres, in the mountains of Ephraim, on the north side of Mount Gaash. When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.