We Have Let it Slip

Heb.2:1 - Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard lest at any time we should let them slip......................

What would you think of a man who was allowed to cross over a bridge to safety and as he arrived on the other side the Builder of the bridge instructed him to care for the bridge, keep it clean, and the Builder gave the man all the power he would ever need to take care of the bridge that had been his salvation. Years went by and sometimes bugs would start to eat away at the bridge, the weather would erode parts of it, and men themselves would attempt to dismantle it. Well this man who had been entrusted to protect and take care of the bridge would scold those who were damaging the bridge sometimes with loud and bold words but the men would ignore the man’s words. The man would write articles about these destructive men that were damaging the bridge but the men would respond with writings of their own that claimed that they had also heard from the Builder of the bridge and they were following His orders. They claimed they were enhancing the appearance of the bridge.

Well, the man would have none of that and he kept telling the men to stop because the bridge was perfect just the way the Builder had made it and what they were doing would confuse people. As the years went by the men who were changing the bridge began to multiply and soon they were many more than the man who was scolding them and telling them to stop. Now the man was no match for these men and for every article he wrote they would write one hundred. People were drawn to their new bridge because it looked so fresh and new and people by the millions wanted to cross it. The man was faithful and he never accepted this new bridge.

Now what could that man do to stop these new men from destroying the bridge? He was outnumbered and anything he said or wrote they responded in like kind. A stand off. But he had forgotten one thing, the Builder had given him power to not only rebuke these new men but to overpower them. But where was the power and why then did the new men multiply so fast?

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We have let it slip.

We have held tightly to our orthodoxy but we have allowed the enemy to climb the walls and overtake much of the evangelical landscape. Look no further than the mirror and you and I will see who is to blame. Just as Luther nailed the 95 thesis to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, so could the blame be nailed upon every orthodox church in America. We stand so powerless as we watch and document their movements to report to each other and lament and commiserate with each other. We have become adept and proficient at researching them and providing the necessary information to our shrinking camp with the hearty “amens” to provide a spiritual reward. Somehow I do not think that Rick Warren or Rob Bell or Brian MacLaren do much research on us, oh no, they are busy repainting the bridge and shaking their heads at any of our rebukes. The truth retreats and error advances.

We have let it slip.

There were times where prayer meetings were held and men and women gathered with humility and tears and beseeched God to rain His power down upon them so they could do His work with power. Prayer is a museum and for the most part the observance of prayer barely resembles the all night upper room version. Where are the prayer tears that always flow from the eyes that have gazed upon His face and realized that we are in need of a massive revival? Where are the loud prayers that call upon the living God to rend the heavens and come down with His Spirit and power? Have our children seen us in extended seasons of prayer and seeking or have they seen us about this world’s work? Have we by our actions displayed openly that we no longer need God’s power, just give us His truth and we can handle it from here?! Our writings can suffice, Lord, keep your power to Yourself and we will battle in our own strength! Back and forth we will speak to each other and once in a while we will give you a little space in a powerless and hollow recreation of the kind of prayers that shook kingdoms and defeated the armies of hell itself!!

We have let it slip.

We’ve bowed at the feet of the great Republican god and became awed at his power. We organized for him and we learned his conservative commands and while hell burned we sought to establish his moral kingdom by joining hands with Christ‘s enemies. And even now we are amazed that this great political god has put forth his emissaries that seem to stray from the morals that we thought he wanted. We have taken our eyes off of the Lord of Glory and have placed our faith in the clay feet of men.

We have let it slip.

Scour the blog system and listen as the orthodox camp (like me) continues to hang up posts that revile and castigate the purveyors of the spirit of anti-christ and yet forward they march but where are the posts that rebuke us and call us to repentance? Go ahead, comment all you want about Warren and MacLaren, but if you speak a word of correction to us you may well be banished. Humility is just a Bible study without the necessary fruits that scream out “Oh Lord, I have sinned!”. Do we question how it is that God’s truth seems to have so little power in our hands? Martin Luther’s prayer life was legendary and God used him to spread the reformation fires across an entire continent and today Christian books are legion without a trace of revival fires.

We have let it slip.

In the end the Scriptures themselves convict us. The writer of Hebrews tells the early church not to let the things that we have heard slip or we will not escape if we neglect so great salvation. Well we stand indicted before that salvation’s Author and in Hebrews 2:4 God recalls that He bore witness to the faithful with His power. On the one hand we have become entangled with the affairs of this world and on the other hand we have become disgustingly content with rehearsing the virtues of our theology to each other while the bridge has been dissembled in front of our pompous eyes.

I believe the only thing that will stand against this rebellion against God is revival. And the only thing that will bring revival is an unusual move of prayer. Not just “Poly want a cracker” type of prayers. Not just asking for our own needs. Not just gathering at a convenient time to quietly one by one politely ask God for His help. No, we’ve done that and we’ve embraced it and added it to our outward liturgy and most times we‘ve left just as we came. What we need is a commitment to seek the very face of God in intercession, not to enhance our own Spiritual lives, but to bury our faces before His throne and stay there for many early mornings and late nights until we know that God has sent us with His glorious power. The churches will not hear this call so we must open our hearts and then our homes.

Time is short and God is worthy.

Listen, and hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.

To those who will hear He says, “Repent and draw near to Me!”.

Who does He say this to?

You and me.