God established His true church for one purpose: TO REVEAL HIMSELF TO THE WORLD.  The church would do this by obeying His Holy Scriptures in letter and spirit.  However, Satan began making inroads into God’s church not long after her founding. Ananias and Saffhira set the pattern for things to come when they lied to the Holy Spirit and were struck down at the words of the Apostle Peter (Acts 5). They were undoubtedly not alone in their rebellion.  Recall that Judas betrayed Jesus before the church was established. Recall also that most of His disciples left Him early on and went back into the world (Jn. 6:66/ Lk. 9:57-62).  As Jesus said in Matthew 7:21: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord” will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Many have made Jesus their Savior; few have made Him their Lord (Mat. 7:13,14).  Before He can be one’s Savior, He must be one’s Lord.  In the Matthew 7 passage we find masses of people seeking salvation.  However, only a “few” “find” His strait (difficult) gate (church), enter it and walk His narrow (restrictive) path that leads to His kingdom.  The vast majority of salvation seekers see Satan’s wide (easy) gate (Catholic/Protestant church system), enter it and walk his broad (inclusive) path to destruction.  As one woman said, “I joined … church because they do what I like to do.” Ninety-nine percent of salvation seekers have followed in her footsteps.

Church history reveals that the church is the main causative factor in the world’s moral demise.  Anciently, nations followed the moral standards of their kings.  King Solomon’s moral corruption of Israel and King Josiah’s moral uplifting of Judah are good examples of this ancient practice. In modern times nations follow the lead of the church.  Where the church leads the nation follows, though the nations do not realize that they are following the church’s lead.  Many social practices can be traced back to the church.  See The Society–Church Connection. The Lord designed the church to be His light to the Gentile (heathen) world.  Due to Satan’s takeover of the church generations ago, she has done what most of Christ’s disciples did early on (Jn. 6:66/ Lk. 9:57-62)–she left Him and joined the devil’s religious system which consists of all religious bodies other than God’s true church.  The tiny Body of Christ is virtually unknown to the Institutional Church.  Where the Lord’s saints are recognized they are viewed as reprobates–enemies of God. Which is exactly how the religious hierarchy viewed Jesus and His followers.  I consider myself to be in good, thought small, company.

In spite of God’s Biblical condemnation of her, her doctrines and her practices, the Catholic/Protestant religious system continues to call herself “the church” and to put forth her “light,” which God calls “darkness.”  Because she proclaims her darkness to be God’s light, He calls her light “great darkness” (Mat. 6:23).  God’s Word is His light.  Jesus (the “Word”–Jn. 1:1-4,14) was His light in human form (Mat. 8:12).  Following His death His apostles became God’s light in human form (Mat. 5:14).  Their spiritual descendants–God’s light-bearers–continue to bear His light in these end times.  Nothing has changed–not the Word/light and not the world’s, including the church world’s rejection of it.  The world, especially the church world, continues to reject that Word and thereby reject its Author and His Son (Lk. 10:16).  The church, along with the world she is in bed with, hate the light for it illuminates the darkness in which they live.

Having embraced God’s light, Jesus of Nazareth manifested it without fail for 31 years.  Only because He shed forth that light perfectly did He qualify to be God’s Messiah and mankind’s Savior.  Only those who follow in His footsteps in this life will join Him in His Father’s kingdom in the next life. Only His friends–His brethren–will join Him on His throne.  To join Him we must “walk as He walked” (1 Jn. 2:6), “purify ourselves as He is pure” (1 Jn. 3:3) and “overcome Satan as I (He) overcame” him (Rev. 3:21).

Many times in the past God has sent His “horsemen of the apocalypse” into the midst of the church and the nations that house her in order to draw their attention to their sins. In the past there were times when those who felt the heat of God’s wrath would exhibit some level of change.  In several instances a horseman’s ride resulted in “revivals” in which people would come under conviction, confess their sins and set themselves on a higher path. These times of heightened spirituality came to be known as “Great Awakenings.”  In the midst of such a “move of the Spirit” church attendance increased dramatically; previously unused Bibles were studied for God’s Truth; church-haters became church lovers; back pew sitters became front pew sitters.  As “heaven came down” the call to “Come to church” echoed throughout the land.  Recently I read where some are calling the covid-19 pandemic America’s “wake-up call.” Are we seeing another Great Awakening in the making?   L.J.