What if there were no more preachers to preach? No more churches to attend? No more Sunday services offered? Would it be missed? Would it even be noticed?
The modern fast-paced world offers many reasons for pushing people of faith to the back of the bus—too busy, too much to do, so many responsibilities, other things planned for the Sabbath. Other things planned, period. Does showing allegiance to God and faith even matter at all? Does showing up to darken the door of churches even count for anything?
Pretty ‘thoughty’ stuff. What does the Book of Truth—the Bible—have to say about it? Well, in Ezekiel 34 there is a long discourse on how God has had it with the shepherds of Israel. There’s a list of things He’s particularly incensed about in verse 4. It’s a list of nots—not taken care of the weak, not tended the sick, not helped the injured, and not looked for those who wandered away and are lost. In God’s eyes it matters whether people only look after their own needs and have little or no thought for others. An angry God is not someone to trifle with. Oh, it’s okay to make excuses to the faithful. They’re not any better than anyone else. Right? What about staring God in the eye and making an excuse?
The modern fast-paced world offers many reasons for pushing people of faith to the back of the bus—too busy, too much to do, so many responsibilities, other things planned for the Sabbath. Other things planned, period. Does showing allegiance to God and faith even matter at all? Does showing up to darken the door of churches even count for anything?
Pretty ‘thoughty’ stuff. What does the Book of Truth—the Bible—have to say about it? Well, in Ezekiel 34 there is a long discourse on how God has had it with the shepherds of Israel. There’s a list of things He’s particularly incensed about in verse 4. It’s a list of nots—not taken care of the weak, not tended the sick, not helped the injured, and not looked for those who wandered away and are lost. In God’s eyes it matters whether people only look after their own needs and have little or no thought for others. An angry God is not someone to trifle with. Oh, it’s okay to make excuses to the faithful. They’re not any better than anyone else. Right? What about staring God in the eye and making an excuse?
