The Great God Entertainment

The only power God recognizes in His Church, is the power of His Spirit. Whereas the only power actually recognized today by the majority of evangelicals, is the power of man. God does His work by the operation of the Spirit; while Christian leaders attempt to do theirs, by the power of entertainment. Bright personality has taken the place of the Spirit's influence. But only what is done through the Holy Spirit will abide eternally.

For centuries the Church stood solidly against every form of worldly entertainment, recognizing it for what it was: a device for wasting time, a refuge from the disturbing voice of conscience, a scheme to divert attention from eternal realities. But of late she appears to have decided that if she cannot conquer the great god entertainment, then she may as well join forces with him and make what use she can of his trifles.

Christianity is so entangled with the world, that millions never guess how radically they have missed the New Testament pattern. Compromise is everywhere! Evangelical Christianity is now tragically below the New Testament standard. Worldliness is an accepted part of our way of life. Our religious mood is social, instead of spiritual. We have lost the genuine worship. We are not producing holy people. Our models are successful business men, celebrated athletes and performers.

We carry on our religious activities, after the methods of the modern advertiser. Our homes have been turned into theaters. Our desires are worldly, our literature is shallow, and our music borders on sacrilege. And scarcely anyone appears to care!

Before a Christian Church goes into a decline, there must first be a corrupting of her Scriptural thoughts of God. She simply gives a wrong answer to the question, "What is God like?" ...and goes downhill from there. Though she may continue to cling to a sound nominal creed—her practical working creed has become false. The masses of her adherents come to believe that God is different from what He actually is—and that is heresy of the most insidious and deadly kind!

"How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not pleased with you," says the Lord Almighty, "and I will not accept your offerings." Malachi 1:10

~A.W. Tozer, 1897 – 1963

Do we think it has gotten any better from the time Tozer wrote this?

It is WORSE!