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Charles Spurgeon, the great English preacher, gave us a measuring stick by which we could determine if our churches were healthy.  He called it a “Graceometer.”  Here’s what he said:

“The condition of the church may be very accurately gauged by its prayer meetings.  So is the prayer meeting a grace-ometer, and from it we judge the amount of divine working among a people.  If God be near a church, it must pray.  And if He be not there, one of the first tokens of His absence will be a slothfulness in prayer.”

(The Metropolitan Tabernacle, 1873 edition)

According to Spurgeon’s “Graceometer”, I’m afraid 98% of our churches would have to admit the Lord is mostly absent!  Any discerning believer will admit that the church in America is far from what Jesus died to make her.  And likewise, the truth is:  As the church goes, so goes the nation.  A culture is always the mirror of the state of the church in a nation.  And while there are some healthy churches—most of which are unknown to the national eye—we cannot deny the obvious.  Our culture reflects the confusion we now see in the church.  More and more churches are trying to redefine marriage so as to “broaden” the “narrow way” into the church.  This confusion is the fruit of a deeper Continue reading →

Listen to or download this week’s radio program:

© 2015 Don Pinson / To Download, right-click here: [Download]

While in Washington recently, I heard alarming statistics about our nation.  But the most alarming stats were not about government:  They were about churches, and particularly Pastors.  According to a Barna survey conducted in connection with Wallbuilders ministry, only 28% of the churches now believe that the Bible is absolutely true.  90% of the Pastors in those Bible-believing churches say they believe the Bible speaks to current issues.  But get this:  90% of those Pastors have never preached from the pulpit what the Bible says about the issues of our land!

Pastors’ AWOL attitude concerning civil government is the reason God’s people don’t know that they must be the ones to watch over civil government, in order to protect the right of the truth to flow to the next generation.  Thus, we’re having trouble deciding if marriage is between a man and a woman only; and if it should be protected by government.  We’re having trouble deciding if homosexuality is a choice or a trait, when we used to be convinced that it was a crime.  We’re even wondering if boys in school should get to use the girls’ bathroom!!

Pastors, if civil government is God’s institution—and Romans 13:1 makes it plain that it is—then should not those of us called to teach the Bible be the ones to reveal the Biblical Structure and Spirit by which government must operate?  Is that not logical?  Is that not right? Continue reading →