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Does The Church Of Today Need To Be Challenged?

Last week I took an intensive course on the book (and therefore prophesies) of Ezekiel. Before taking the class I knew that the Israelites had been taken captive by the Babylonians and that God had allowed it to happen.

Why did God allow this? Because the Israelites were not listening to Him or following after Him(something they never seemed to do well). Since the time they had been delivered from their 40 years of wilderness wanderings the people had lost that drive for God. Their theology had become skewed.

The Israelites had believed that God would look after them and take care of them no matter what they did. They believed God would protect them and bless them regardless of what they did. They had the temple and believed that because He resided there it would not fall. They looked to the covenants He had made with them for this, but a covenant is two sided, they seemed to ignore that.

Their theology had become skewed, saying that God would continue to bless them no matter what. This lead to them worshiping other idols, ignoring rituals and the sabbath, and not following the commandments. This lead to them being captured, their city being destroyed, and their temple collapsing.

Yet they had God talking to them, through the prophets, Ezekiel being one of them. He was in captivity with them and was preaching that unless they started holding up their part of that covenant and came back to worshiping the one true Yahweh that their city and temple would be destroyed and they would die in captivity.

SO WHY DIDN'T THE PEOPLE LISTEN?

Answer: False Prophets.
There were people claiming to be prophets who were saying that God would deliver them from captivity, that the city of Babylon would fall and that God would bless them, that what they were going through was simply a trial, and a test, NOT a punishment.

That 'prophesy' sounds a lot better than the destruction that Ezekiel was preaching and so the people didn't listen to Ezekiel.

Does this sound familiar today? With our own popular theology taking over and a Satan-filled society dictating aspects of the Church have we become lost to what God had originally planned?
Where in the Bible does it say we have to wear a suit or a dress to worship the Lord?
Where does It say that we need a building, an instrument, and comfort to bring Him glory?
Where does Scripture say pastors must give into the political leaders and marry people we do not believe should be?
Since when has divorce within the church become so condoned or remarriage so encouraged?








How can the church continue to believe that God will bless them when His people profane His name, find delight in sin, deny Him, and avoid spending time with Him.

How are we (as a Church in North America) any different than the Israelites, a nation of His Holy People whom he completely destroyed?

Maybe it is time to re-evaluate. To stop being afraid of offending people around us and finding loopholes.

Maybe it is time to look at the Scripture and build our faith from His Word, not from the World around us.