Jeremiah 7:24 KJV
But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.
"...and went backward, and not forward."
It is easy to search through the pages of the Word of God and see that Israel did indeed go backward and not forward. God began this nation through Abraham; one man who believed God and obeyed Him by faith. Abraham obeyed God
Despite the uncertainty of a land (not knowing whither he went)
Despite the long delay of the promised child and
Despite the struggles involved in famines, conflicts, and disputes with his nephew
Having been delivered from Egyptian slavery, the nation
Saw the power of God at the Red Sea
Was committed with the very Word of God and
Reached her heyday under the reigns of David and Solomon
Never before had a people been so blessed with the presence of God.
But in Jeremiah's day, they had plummeted into the same sins and debaucheries that had driven God to drive out the Canaanites and give their land to Israel. They had gone "...backward, and not forward."
It appears to me that Christianity has, in the last 2000 years also gone backward and not forward. We have degenerated into a business, a machine that makes merchandise with the church. We have conferences, clubs and conventions all designed to build the machine; sadly, it seems to be more about building the machine than glorifying God. We justify it by saying that the larger and more influential the machine (we call church) is the more God is glorified. I don't see that in the Bible.
And I have witnessed more than a few Christians who, o an individual level, have also gone backward and not forward. Having made a profession of faith there was once a time when they were excited about the Word of God, anxious to tell others about the Lord and faithful to the house of God. Over time tough, that enthusiasm has faded. They have gone "backward and not forward."
But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.
"...and went backward, and not forward."
It is easy to search through the pages of the Word of God and see that Israel did indeed go backward and not forward. God began this nation through Abraham; one man who believed God and obeyed Him by faith. Abraham obeyed God
Despite the uncertainty of a land (not knowing whither he went)
Despite the long delay of the promised child and
Despite the struggles involved in famines, conflicts, and disputes with his nephew
Having been delivered from Egyptian slavery, the nation
Saw the power of God at the Red Sea
Was committed with the very Word of God and
Reached her heyday under the reigns of David and Solomon
Never before had a people been so blessed with the presence of God.
But in Jeremiah's day, they had plummeted into the same sins and debaucheries that had driven God to drive out the Canaanites and give their land to Israel. They had gone "...backward, and not forward."
It appears to me that Christianity has, in the last 2000 years also gone backward and not forward. We have degenerated into a business, a machine that makes merchandise with the church. We have conferences, clubs and conventions all designed to build the machine; sadly, it seems to be more about building the machine than glorifying God. We justify it by saying that the larger and more influential the machine (we call church) is the more God is glorified. I don't see that in the Bible.
And I have witnessed more than a few Christians who, o an individual level, have also gone backward and not forward. Having made a profession of faith there was once a time when they were excited about the Word of God, anxious to tell others about the Lord and faithful to the house of God. Over time tough, that enthusiasm has faded. They have gone "backward and not forward."
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