The fear of the Lord is something that is not just missing in American leaders, it is something that the church has lost. There is no true fear of God in many churches. Most of the churches in America have little to zero reverence for the Lord. The average church in America has become more of a social club. Churches should NOT appeal to outsiders by offering the same things this dark world can offer you. True believers are called out from the things of this world. It is not about making yourself ‘feel at home’, come on the God I worship deserves more reverence than that.
While through Jesus Christ we are no longer under the Law, there are many principles the church should grab a hold of out of the Old Testament for today. In the passage of the burning bush in Exodus 3, God told Moses, “take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground”. Then look at Ecclesiastes 5:1 (ESV), “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil.”. Two Scriptures right here on the level of reverence we must give to the Lord when we are in His House.
There is a rising trend in many churches of a “me-centered gospel”. This falls right in line with what David Wilkerson said about the Gospel of Accommodation. There is a program that is plaguing many churches focusing on how to grow their congregation based on getting more people in the door via carnal means. Jesus did not tell us to fill up church pews or get people to say a short prayer. He commissioned the church to go out and make disciples. A disciple is not a casual Christian. Many people think they just need to say a prayer and attend church once a week and they are good to go, they can do as they please outside of that and take the same amount of repentance pills every single night. True Salvation always has fruit to show for itself, when one is truly born-again there is a change. When one is truly born again you should hate the sin you once loved. Jesus said in John 14:15 (ESV), “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”.
The modern church has said that the Baptism or Filling of the Holy Spirit is not for today. One of the last things Satan would want is for believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit. I would also go as far as to say that we are now beginning to see the power of the new birth being removed from the churches, and we will continue to see this on the rise. We will see the Great Falling Away of the modern church continue to pan-out, as we near the return of Jesus Christ.
William J. Seymour in September 1907, “Praise our God, He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Receive Him just now and He will fill you. Do not be discouraged but pray until you are filled, for the Lord says, “Men ought to always pray and not to faint”. Do not stop because you do not receive the baptism with the Holy Ghost at first but continue until you are filled. The Lord Jesus told His disciples to tarry until they were endued with power from on high. Many people today are willing to tarry just so long, and then they give up and fail to receive their personal Pentecost that would measure with the Bible. The Lord Jesus says, “Ye shall be filled.” He says to the person that hungers and thirsts after righteousness and He says they are blessed. So, if there is a hunger and a thirst in our souls for righteousness, we are blest of Him”.