SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18
Scripture: 1 Samuel 4:6-10

1 Samuel 4:6-10 states, “Now when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, ‘What does the sound of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?’ Then they understood that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp. So the Philistines were afraid, for they said, ‘God has come into the camp!’ And they said, ‘Woe to us! For such a thing has never happened before. Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. Be strong and conduct yourselves like men, you Philistines, that you do not become servants of the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Conduct yourselves like men, and fight!’ So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter, and there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers.” Attending a church that looks like a golden calf has fruit – death. Aaron repented, but Eli continued. Refusing to restrain evil does have fruit. You think you have the power of God so you can go out to battle and you are so deceived that you become utterly defeated. The Philistines defeated Israel with a great slaughter and took the ark. Eli’s pastoral fruit brought death. The ark was taken captive! Is the ark captive today to market-surveys identifying what people want? Is what we call church starting to resemble a golden calf? When did we last hear a message on holiness? 30,000 Israelites died due to Eli’s choices. Will that be the fruit of seeker-sensitivity? The same compromises are alive and well, being perpetrated again in today’s pulpits. Look at the massive number Christians who go to what probably qualifies as a golden calf and think it is a wonderful thing. They are proud of the “success” of their church! They are so proud of their golden calf because they have so many people attending. “Look at what God is doing!” they say. But it is unlikely it is God when the compromise and defilement are so evident. Grace that refuses to restrain evil and seeker-sensitivity resemble Eli, not God. What is most tragic is the people who are deceived into believing they are OK while all along, the enemy is taking their spiritual strength and effectiveness. Their discernment is the first thing to go. They can no longer discern between good and evil because they are sitting under the compromise of good and evil. When the church has impaired discernment, they accept antichrist politicians because they sit under undiscerning pastors! A nation’s descent into darkness starts in the pulpits of a land. A nation’s salvation also starts in the pulpits of a land!