I hope you pray regularly for at least one preacher. It is not easy to preach Spirit guided, biblical, well balanced, relevant and practical sermons. We preachers, like everyone else, are influenced (often too much) by our culture - both the culture of our country and the culture of our Christian community. We must guard against the temptation to preach what is acceptable and welcomed by our audience.
Sometimes it is not comfortable being confronted by the Holy One of Israel. We'd rather be comforted by the Loving, Gracious, Merciful, Gentle One of Israel. While God is truly all of those things, He is also the One who keeps calling for righteousness, justice and holiness. We'd rather be told "pleasant things and illusions" because our cultures constantly communicate these things to us all the time. But we need a balanced biblical diet and we desperately need to hear the "whole counsel of God."If we are to grow in Christ-likeness; if we are to grow in holiness, we need to be confronted by the Holy One, Our Father in Heaven. So keep praying for those who preach and teach the Word of God.
They say to the seers,
“See no more visions !”
and to the prophets,
“Give us no more visions of what is right!
Tell us pleasant things,
prophesy illusions.
11 Leave this way,
get off this path,
and stop confronting us
with the Holy One of Israel!” Isaiah 30:10, 11
“See no more visions !”
and to the prophets,
“Give us no more visions of what is right!
Tell us pleasant things,
prophesy illusions.
11 Leave this way,
get off this path,
and stop confronting us
with the Holy One of Israel!” Isaiah 30:10, 11
Sometimes it is not comfortable being confronted by the Holy One of Israel. We'd rather be comforted by the Loving, Gracious, Merciful, Gentle One of Israel. While God is truly all of those things, He is also the One who keeps calling for righteousness, justice and holiness. We'd rather be told "pleasant things and illusions" because our cultures constantly communicate these things to us all the time. But we need a balanced biblical diet and we desperately need to hear the "whole counsel of God."If we are to grow in Christ-likeness; if we are to grow in holiness, we need to be confronted by the Holy One, Our Father in Heaven. So keep praying for those who preach and teach the Word of God.
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