The State of my Mind Address

It’s slightly ironic that I began this post a few weeks ago. I’ve been trying to regroup myself on my ministry and it’s been a battle. So I covet your prayers; but even though this thought came a few weeks ago, it’s still on my heart this morning. Even though I’m now in 1 Chronicles, I’m really stumbling through the names and I’m on vacation in another State hoping for a new state of mind when I return to West Virginia on Wednesday.

This blog post began August 7th, 2025…

I got up this morning at 4:30 ish… the time is not so important, except that it was still. I made my bed and then a fresh cup of Tim Horton’s Coffee. I sat down at my desk, and in the stillness I began to pray. I prayed for my a few people and then I began to read the Word of God as I do every day about this time. I’m now in 2 Kings and it’s not always an easy read. The names of the Kings and characters often make my brain hurt and other days they make me laugh, in that I think that God’s humor came into play as he thought to the future and the listening of me stumble through the pronunciation and the fact that they often rhyme, my Bible reading time is a real journey for Him I’m sure.

But this morning it was different. Although the theme of Israel was much the same, rebellion, it hit me hard this morning as I began to understand that churches across America are very much like those in the day of the Kings of Israel. God Jehovah is “their God,” but so is a lot of others. And God with a capital “G” doesn’t always have the first place. But in 2 Kings chapter 17:12-23 it says this:

For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing. [13] Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets. [14] Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God.

I believe that we are a stiff-necked generation that has no concept of how to worship God. We, have no concept of the what it means that He is a Holy God. Else we’d not drag His name through the mud. We’d not make Him our last priority. Oh, He’s on the list of things to do, but only if a time slot opens up for Him. Life is busy you know…

I grow weary of playing church. I want to experience the power of God as it was in the days of Elijah and Elisha. But that’s a dangerous request. Elisha asked Elijah in 1 Kings to give him a double portion of the power of God that was upon Elijah… and so it was. But that didn’t come without responsibility, accountability and a serious lack of popularity. To serve God is to offend the world. Nobody wants the truth. They want a candy coated version the Word of God. Just hit the high points… Don’t call us out on anything.

And so it was with Israel…

[15] And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them. [16] And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. [17] And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

And so it is with our Nation. Our communities. When the name of the LORD is in all capital letters in scripture, it speaks of YHWH. (Yahweh) The divine name of the God of Israel, and the God Who came to earth as Jesus and gave His life for us on the cross so that all of us, not only Israel could worship Him in Spirit and in Truth and know Him, like He had never been known to the people. Living within us (when we accept His sacrifice.) But like the children of Israel we forget. We walk too closely to the world and begin to behave more like them and less like God. And what is God left to do… Besides return and burn this place up like a cheap suit?

Currently we are in a period of grace. God has patiently been waiting for someone to come to the knowledge of Christ. That final someone who will be the last person to accept His Son’s sacrifice and become saved. And when that day comes, there won’t be any playing church.

[18] Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only. [19] Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. [20] And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight. [21] For he rent Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin a great sin. [22] For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them; [23] Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.

So Israel has been sitting idle in the Kingdom plan for about 2,000 years. And God’s grace came to the Gentiles. You know… we heathens. But Israel is just about to enter stage right. And for those who have played church, or just flat out rejected Christ, Hell on earth will be here for a while before Heaven returns to earth as it describes in Revelation.

When I say “stop playing church,” it’s not me in judgement. It’s me in prayer. I would hate to be in the middle of a cussin’ fit, or backroom deal when the skies split open and Jesus says, “I’m back.”