Are You Complacent?

Often in the Old Testament we read about Israel becoming too comfortable with the way things were. They lived their lives by what they believed was right and took God for granted. They did their sacrifices and the feasts but was it just lip service to keep in good graces with God? They were growing complacent. Their hearts were not always in the right place. 
I hate, I despise your feasts,
    and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
    I will not accept them;
and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,
    I will not look upon them. 
Take away from me the noise of your songs;
    to the melody of your harps I will not listen.
But let justice roll down like waters,
    and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Amos 5:21-24
This is happening today. Does your place of worship seem like a safe place to be where things are way too comfortable? You know almost all the Hymns by heart. You know the order of service because it never changes except during a baptism and communion Sundays. The church building is the only place you talk about God instead of sharing with people outside the church? If you do share then you never follow up. If these sound familiar then you may be part of a lukewarm or complacent body of believers. 
I don't mean to scare you or push you away because you feel like I am condemning. I am not here to do that but I do ask that you read this through and examine your faith life and the life of your place of worship before it is too late. 
Being At Ease is Not Always a Good Thing
We are a people in constant suffering because we are still sinful creatures. When we enter a place of worship we leave the world outside even though our nature walks in with us. Once we are in and the service begins we feel weights are lifted. The problem is that in the back of our mind we really do not want to leave because we feel the most comfortable there. The challenge is made but not accepted in our hearts. 
Idle hands bring poverty;   diligent hands bring wealth. Proverbs 10:4
Being at ease also makes a person idle. The lack of charitable deeds not only can make life hard but the spirit suffers as well. This can also be explained as an active faith life. He who lives by the Word and does good things in God’s name will be rewarded, he who sits and lets others tiol in the harvest will not eat at the table.
Amos the prophet spoke about the impending exile of the northern kingdom. He said many things that showed the people how they had either forgotten God or relied on Him too much. The first verse of the sixth chapter says,                                                                                                   
Woe to those who are at ease in Zion
And to those who feel secure in the mountain of Samaria,
The distinguished men of the foremost of nations,
To whom the house of Israel comes.
Amos goes on to tell how being lazy in worship and not having an active faith are not conducive to a healthy relationship with God. We can be fully reliant on God but it takes an active faith for the reliance to come to fruition. God takes care of us but only if we do our part.

We Have Become Complacent to Assimilation in Society  
There is a problem that must be solved now. The question that must be answered is why have we let secular society infiltrate and change God. In general terms, we have let sinful natures be boasted in the church which calls for an acceptance which makes us just as guilty as the sinner. God tells us to accept all people but to disassociate ourselves with the boastful, open sinners. We have allowed Contemporary Christian songs that do not comply with God’s Holy Word become the focus of worship instead of prayer and sharing the Word itself. We are taught to sing songs of praise and worship but only to and for God, no one else. We have let the government tell us what we can and cannot do through laws that regulate how we conduct the business of the church.
The government has removed God from the law of the land and replaced it with man’s law alone. Many churches are forced into becoming registered non profits just to survive. We cannot even have a charitable arm unless it is registered with the state.

Instead of fighting and standing on God’s Law, assimilation has caused a multitude of issues that must be addressed and solved before it is too late. One of the worst things for a Body of Believers is the fear of being ridiculed for the outside misunderstanding of Christian beliefs. Just because we are told certain things are sins does not mean the person with the sin cannot enter the church but it does deter full membership. Traditions, Mission Statements, Belief Statements, and ByLaws have been under attack for lack of society's standards of inclusiveness. 
Christianity is a religious idea based on the belief in Jesus the Messiah (Christ is not His last name). The basic tenants of the faith revolve around the Universal Laws of God and the Ten Commandments. We cannot, should not, and will not move from the beliefs set up from old. If that happens then the church body can no longer be called Christian. 
Brothers and sisters I am speaking out on this because we are in a time like the Israelites of old where God sent His punishment on the land and hardly anyone listened. What happened to them is happening to us and too many are blind to the truth of the matter. Stay faithful to God and He will take care of you. Remember the teachings of Jesus. Do not let your beliefs be moved and Stand Firm on the Promises of God. 
Through God’s Grace and Mercy we can be showered in His Love. 
Rob, Servant of God