By Trevor Baker
Somewhere in my mind rings the words to an old Christian song. I can’t quite remember it’s name but I do recall some of the words. In essence it was saying that we needed to stop by the church sometime when our soul is in trouble.
This all sounds like good, wholesome common sense but does this old, tried and proven exercise still apply today? One would have to wonder as the climate of the church continues to morph into a strange and peculiar thing.
I have stopped into countless churches over my 20 years of music ministry and I must say that I have been stunned on more than one occasion. Let me give one example.
Once I performed a Sunday morning concert at a beautiful country church that had about 100 attendees. A deacon told me before the service that there were 18 new converts in the previous year. This was quite an amazing thing to hear in our day. Eighteen new Christians in a small church and all in one year!
As I scanned the audience for an hour that morning, I searched for the faces of these 18 new Christians and came up empty. Some would say, “ you can’t tell a book by its cover” and to that fact I can partially agree. Not all faces of new Christians light up like a lightbulb because not all personalities are the same. That being said, I have just been around the block too many times and have heard too many testimonies throughout the years that were filled with deep emotion and so this made me very puzzled that morning. Click here to continue reading and to listen to one of Trevor’s newest songs.
LTRP Note: Lighthouse Trails has carried a number of Trevor Baker’s CDs for several years and have so appreciated his music ministry to the church because he always tells it like it is.
” …it was saying that we needed to stop by the church sometime when our soul is in trouble.” — But what do people do when a CHURCH is in trouble, when it has lost touch with God, when it has become a business instead of a ministry??? We know God’s Word, that believers are to seek Him above all and pray and intercede. But what do unbelievers do when they sense that they need help and reach out to such a church? God help such an one. They desperately need our intercession.
a sad reality revealed. On the one hand Jesus said that he came to bring a sword that will cause disunity between people. On the other hand Madison avenue seeker friendly marketing sermons seek peace and unity above truth. Paul says the cross is an offense and a stumbling block. the ear ticklers carefully avoid offending the goats while starving the sheep. Jesus says beware of false prophets and wolves in sheeps clothing. The deeds not creeds crowd invites deceiving wolves in by endorsing their books and teachings. Light house trails is like the watchmen on the wall. They faithfully blow the trumpet to warn the people. Pastors and elders cover their ears and seek to stone them. Neither Jesus nor the Apostles depended on cleverness of speech or dazzling entertaining gimmicks, Pastors today turn down the lights like a theater. They set up various eye candy stage props. The so called worship music turns into an entertaining performance to show off their talent. Sloppy agape emotional man centered lyrics cannot edify the soul or build up the body . Since when is worshiping our most Holy God a cause for applause from the congregation? Should we applaud the offering or the sermons and the communion service too? Servants should not expect special applause for doing their job.
I have been sharing the Word of God for about 20 yrs, and it seems like today the Spirit of God is not moving, but we all know that’s not true. It’s always been a small group that shared their faith anyway, but for me personally and a lot of others, I feel burden! with all that’s going on today. I realize today after reading this story I have been distracted in a big way. Its time to get back to the Lord’s will. God Bless you and thanks.