"PROPHESY unto us SMOOTH THINGS"
-by Darren Smith.
As conditions around the world get worse it seems the sleeping
state of the modern church gets worse. As earthquakes become
more frequent and famine as well as oppression grows, we sleep.
As the prosperity message pollutes the world, we sleep. What
will it take to waken the church?
I want to give you some things to think about on our local level.
Houston is the capitol of the world for human trafficking, yeah
that's right, Houston. We get the stories on the local news but
never see them on a national level, in fact, they are not getting
as much attention even here as they were. Houston is also the
home of the largest abortion clinic in the United States, yet it is
also home to some of the biggest churches in the nation. Gang
violence is at epidemic levels as the Mexican drug cartels use
violence and fear to take over more and more neighborhoods. The
Border with Mexico is a war zone and is to the point where many
experts are saying the country is on the verge of a revolution, and
still we sleep. Most are content with living their comfortable life
and turning their thoughts away from the truth of what is really
happening. Our nation has never been in a worse state than it is
right now, and life as we know it is about to change forever as
judgment falls, and still we sleep.
Why can't we look at the signs around us and see where we really
are? Because we don't want to know the truth, it's too hard. We
want to hear only the smooth things as the Bible says in Isa 30:
10-11. The modern church says unto the seer "do not see" and to
the prophet "prophesy unto us smooth things." We are in a state
of denial so deep I'm afraid it is too late for most to see the
destruction that awaits. When a prophet gives truth he is rejected
and scorned, yet the false prophets, or should I say profits, are
held in high esteem. In all this, the Gospel has been lost, or
should I say, stolen. The enemy has done a great job in stealing
and hiding the truth and he has done it by promoting a false gospel
of prosperity. No matter what denomination you name, the
humanistic gospel of Self has crept its way in and rocked the
people to sleep. The mandate to take the Gospel, which is the
power of God, to the nations has been lost to the gospel of comfort
and self promotion.
This has happened in every form of the modern church, from the
preaching, to the music. The message of the Cross is no longer
found in sermons or songs. The blood has been overtaken by
smooth words and songs designed to make us feel better about
ourselves. A couple of days ago, while traveling in East TX, I saw
a billboard for a church that said life is hard, church shouldn't be.
I thought to myself, nothing could be farther from the truth. Truly
being the church is the hardest thing you will ever do in your life.
We are called to be the church, not attend a social meeting
designed to make us feel better. Being the Church requires self
sacrifice and commitment to the cross. It requires you to live the
Gospel everyday, not just on Sunday. It is for this very reason
our cities as well as our whole nation are asleep and out of the
will of God, yet we still believe that we are Gods' chosen land.
How much longer can we sleep? I believe just as long as we have
smooth lullaby's in sermon and song to sooth us in our slumber.
I refuse to let the sleeping dog lie in this state. I will not prophesy
the smooth things and I refuse not to say what I see coming. For
this reason, I don't get to preach in many churches, but that
doesn't really matter, neither did the prophets. The message of
God cannot be stopped by man or man's organizations and God
is raising an army of fearless preachers out here that has nothing
to lose by preaching the truth, because it's all we have. We have
already forsaken the world for the Cross. You may not want to
hear what we have to say, but you cannot stop the truth. If you
are one in this army, set your face like flint and march forward,
don't retreat, there is nothing to return to. Don't faint, let the Lord
be your strength for you will face persecution even from those
close to you, but you will see victory. This is a time of war not
peace, a time for the extreme and the radical, a time for
revolutionaries. Don't walk in fear, march forward in faith.
I haven't sent out anything in a while, I have been struggling with
an illness in my liver and have had to take some time to be still
and quiet, but now am at a point to let it go. Please pray for God
to heal me and give me strength to march on in this battle. I'm
setting dates to speak now for mid April and May - if anyone would
like me to come please contact us.
-Darren Smith
http://www.streetscapeministries.com/
