Then, another thing, I think, that grieves the Spirit, is the miserable policy of introducing questionable entertainments. There are lotteries, for instance, that we have in many churches. If a man wants to gamble, he doesnt have to go to some gambling den; he can stay in the church. And there are fairs - bazaars, as they call them - where they have rafflings and grab-bags. And if he wants to see a drama, he dont need to go to the theater, for many of our churches are turned into theaters; he may stay right in the church and witness the acting. I believe all these things grieve the Spirit of God. I believe when we bring the Church down to the level of the world to reach the world, we are losing all the while and grieving the Spirit of God.But some say, if we take that standard and lift it up high, it will drive away a great many members from our churches. I believe it, and I think the quicker they are gone the better. The world has come into the Church like a flood, and how often you find an ungodly choir employed to do the singing for the whole congregation; the idea that we need an ungodly man to sing praises to God! It was not long ago I heard of a church where they had an unconverted choir, and the minister saw something about the choir that he didnt like, and he spoke to the chorister, but the chorister replied: "You attend to your end of the church, and I will attend to mine." You can not expect the Spirit of God to work in a church in such a state as that.
Reads like something from today.Without holiness, no one will see the Lord.We need to be holy.
When God gets ahold of us, those amusements do not satisfy.Like Brother Frank says, "The presence of God ruined me for this world"As another hymn writer wrote, "The things of this world will grow strangely dim in the light of his glorious grace."Come quickly Lord Jesus,Leslie :-)
True.If this was the case when Moody was living, I wonder what he would say and do should he be living today? I wonder if his reaction would be like Carrie Nation when she fought the sale of alcohol? Or, Jesus' cleansing of the temple? Just curious. In any case, it is irrelevant, I suppose. It is true that when the church resorts to entertainments you are appealing to the carnal nature and if that is fed in church what would be the motivation to crucify the flesh?
_________________Sandra Miller
But some say, if we take that standard and lift it up high, it will drive away a great many members from our churches. I believe it, and I think the quicker they are gone the better.
_________________Sreeram