I've been reading through Hosea lately. I had read a few chapters, then was going to stop. But I kept reading. It's funny how Scriptures can just jump out at you sometime. This one hurt my heart.

"'Though Ephraim built many alters for sin offerings, they have become alters for sinning." Hosea 8:11 NIV

Painfully, my mind jumped from this verse to the modern day church. What started out so great, so honest, so worshipful of God, is now these buildings that we go to to make ourselves feel better, to make us feel like we're doing such a good job in the Lord just by putting a few bucks in a plate and smiling at a few people. Maybe even shaking the hand of someone new, if we really want to step out of the box a little! As our churches were, at the beginning, the modern (in relation to the Old Testament) alters for the sin offerings of confession and forgiveness, they have become a place of sinning. Maybe not blatant sin, although that certainly is present in some. No, I think the worse sin of Christianity today is complacency. Being happy with the way our lives are now and wanting nothing more to challenge our comfort! Go ahead and show me a picture of a starving child in Africa! I'll throw a dollar in the bucket for a collection for this child, but I really need the ten dollars to go to Cracker Barrel after church today, because I don't feel like cooking! Wow, look at that revival in China! I wish something like that will happen here! Oh, Lord, send us revival!! Oh, but I'm too tired to go to this ministry tonight. Maybe next time. Next time. Next time.

Next time. The axiom of a complacent church.

Oh, Lord, forgive us for the death, destruction, and ignorance in the world for the sake of our comfort!


Father, Blessed Father - Newsboys

Will You take what we have
A sacrifice unto You
Then create clean hearts
And, Lord, make our spirits new

Father, blessed Father
Lead and guide us for Your name’s sake
And keep us in the shelter of Your presence
‘Til we see Your face

Let us hear what You say
Let us know Your voice and all of Your ways
Take our hands, lead us home
To the refuge that we find in You alone

All adoration
To our Lord Redeemer
To our Shepherd
Who carries us forevermore

Breathe on me
Breathe, oh, Breath of God
(Breathe, oh, Breath of Life)
Breathe on me
‘Til my heart is new
Oh Lord, oh Lord
‘Til my heart is new