{"id":7342,"date":"2024-04-29T16:20:31","date_gmt":"2024-04-29T23:20:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/remnant.news\/hanews\/?p=7342"},"modified":"2024-04-29T16:20:33","modified_gmt":"2024-04-29T23:20:33","slug":"the-church-needs-conviction-not-candy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/remnant.news\/hanews\/the-church-needs-conviction-not-candy\/","title":{"rendered":"The Church Needs Conviction, not Candy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">By Pastor Shane Idleman <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let me state up front that I\u2019m quite aware of my own shortcomings as a pastor. We all struggle with something, but do we humble ourselves, repent, and return to the \u201cpower of the Spirit,\u201d or do we continue to quench and grieve the Spirit?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Link <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/confusedchurch\/posts\/991042475724863?ref=embed_post\">here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The difference is life-changing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Offering Candy When We Need Conviction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Please consider sharing this with the pastors and Christian leaders you know.&nbsp;<em>Even though America\u2019s spiritual cancer is consuming all facets of life, it\u2019s not too late to call America to repentance.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sadly, many of the spiritual surgeons \u2014 American pastors \u2014 are feeding us the very thing they\u2019re called to remove:&nbsp;<strong>Giving us candy instead of conviction, sugar instead of surrender.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Knowing Not That the Spirit Has Departed<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The atmosphere of our gatherings often reflects the heart of our leadership. Are we joyful, repentant, and filled with reverence toward God or are we acting like rockstars focused on entertainment?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Are we sashaying on the stage, modeling the newest clothing trends, and using silly sermon illustrations because we lack the fullness of the Spirit?\u00a0<em>If so, we may be like Samson when \u201che knew not that the Spirit had departed.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Finally The Truth On Fitness (feat. Dr. Paul Brillhart) | Idleman Unplugged\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yXG3CJehsGM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Fruit of Spiritual Barrenness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>When we lack the fire of the Spirit and the thundering of truth, we replace them with gimmicks and games.<\/strong>&nbsp;Granted, I\u2019m all for sermon illustrations if they are truly prompted by God and not being used to cover the lack of anointing on our preaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of spending time with God as broken, humble messengers needing a touch from God, we often spend time filling our minds with the world.&nbsp;<em>Kicking a Bible, swallowing a sword, spitting in a person\u2019s face, taking a bath, and getting a haircut as sermon illustrations are simply a byproduct of spiritual barrenness.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Problem isn\u2019t Sunday but Monday<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>My heart is broken. I weep for what we are currently witnessing from the pulpits of America.&nbsp;<strong>Without the fullness of the Spirit, we can easily become weak, woke, carnal, or even dead as a cemetery.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In all cases, we need the cry of Psalm 85:6, \u201cWill you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?\u201d That must be our plea as well as our passion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We are watchmen, not rock stars who need greenrooms full of delights and water chilled to 40\u00b0. We must be part of the solution rather than the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Darkness Should Not Entertain Us<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A.W. Tozer reminds us that \u201cwho we are all week is who we will be when we step to the pulpit.\u201d&nbsp;<strong>The problem really isn\u2019t Sunday, it\u2019s Monday and Tuesday and so on.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ironically, as I was finishing this article, one prominent evangelical seemed to support Taylor Swift\u2019s new lyrics on X. What we watch and listen to affects the heart; it\u2019s impossible to separate the two. What goes in the heart ultimately comes out in actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Scriptures are crystal clear on the issue of entertainment; there\u2019s really no debate!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Philippians 4:8 says to fix our thoughts on what is true and honorable and right and to think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable and worthy of praise.&nbsp;<strong>When darkness entertains us, it also influences us.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Desperate Need Today<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The word \u201crevival\u201d is very popular right now, but why aren\u2019t we seeing it in a fuller measure? In Duncan Campbell\u2019s book,&nbsp;<em>The Price and Power of Revival,<\/em>&nbsp;he made the following statement:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cOne of the main secrets of success in the early Church lay in the fact that the early believers believed in unction from on high and not entertainment from men\u2026.How did the early Church get the people? By publicity projects \u2026 by posters, by parades, by pictures? No! The people were arrested and drawn together and brought into vital relationship with God, not by sounds from men, but by sounds from heaven\u2026<strong>Unction is the dire and desperate need of the ministry today.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Kill Compromise Quickly<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In Old Testament Israel, thousands still sacrificed to God on the high places. \u201cAt least we\u2019re sacrificing to God,\u201d they thought. Whether for convenience or because of compromise, God\u2019s people began to justify the use of pagan locations and altars to offer to God. God\u2019s heart must have broken each time the Bible records: \u201cBut the high places were not removed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like Israel, are there areas in our lives where we\u2019re allowing compromise to seep in? As a famous poem reminds us,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>All the water in the world,<\/p><p>However hard it tried,<\/p><p>Could never sink the smallest ship<\/p><p>Unless it gets inside.<\/p><p>And all the evil in the world,<\/p><p>The blackest kind of sin,<\/p><p>Can never hurt you in the least<\/p><p>Unless you let it in.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">We Can Reverse the Trend<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In the same way that physical cancer can be reversed when the fuel source is removed or the rogue cells killed: Spiritual cancer can also be reversed if we remove sin and kill its source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What places of compromise do you need to repent of? What areas of ungodly influence do you need to let go of? We must get back to the prayer closet, back to the basics of prayer, fasting, and humility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>We are waiting on God, but could it be that He is waiting on us?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-rss\"><li class='wp-block-rss__item'><div class='wp-block-rss__item-title'><a href='https:\/\/remnantnews.podbean.com\/e\/the-isaiah-blueprint-the-todd-coconato-show\/'>The Isaiah Blueprint | The Todd Coconato Show<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class='wp-block-rss__item'><div class='wp-block-rss__item-title'><a href='https:\/\/remnantnews.podbean.com\/e\/rededicate-250-is-america-turning-back-to-god-the-todd-coconato-show\/'>Rededicate 250: Is America Turning Back To God? | The Todd Coconato Show<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class='wp-block-rss__item'><div class='wp-block-rss__item-title'><a href='https:\/\/remnantnews.podbean.com\/e\/stop-them-from-destroying-us-%E2%80%A2-fire-power\/'>STOP THEM FROM DESTROYING US \u2022 Fire Power!<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class='wp-block-rss__item'><div class='wp-block-rss__item-title'><a href='https:\/\/remnantnews.podbean.com\/e\/night-of-miracles-when-heaven-invades-earth\/'>Night of Miracles: When Heaven Invades Earth<\/a><\/div><\/li><li class='wp-block-rss__item'><div class='wp-block-rss__item-title'><a href='https:\/\/remnantnews.podbean.com\/e\/what-is-remnant-revival-%E2%80%A2-friday-service\/'>What Is Remnant Revival? \u2022 Friday Service<\/a><\/div><\/li><\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Pastor Shane Idleman Let me state up front that I\u2019m quite aware of my&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":151,"featured_media":7343,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7342","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-remnant-news"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/remnant.news\/hanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/Untitled-design-2-1.png",1080,1080,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/remnant.news\/hanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/Untitled-design-2-1-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/remnant.news\/hanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/Untitled-design-2-1-300x300.png",300,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/remnant.news\/hanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/Untitled-design-2-1-768x768.png",640,640,true],"large":["https:\/\/remnant.news\/hanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/Untitled-design-2-1-1024x1024.png",640,640,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/remnant.news\/hanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/Untitled-design-2-1.png",1080,1080,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/remnant.news\/hanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/Untitled-design-2-1.png",1080,1080,false],"covernews-slider-full":["https:\/\/remnant.news\/hanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/Untitled-design-2-1-1080x715.png",1080,715,true],"covernews-slider-center":["https:\/\/remnant.news\/hanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/Untitled-design-2-1-800x500.png",800,500,true],"covernews-featured":["https:\/\/remnant.news\/hanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/Untitled-design-2-1-1024x1024.png",1024,1024,true],"covernews-medium":["https:\/\/remnant.news\/hanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/Untitled-design-2-1-540x340.png",540,340,true],"covernews-medium-square":["https:\/\/remnant.news\/hanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/Untitled-design-2-1-400x250.png",400,250,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/remnant.news\/hanews\/author\/admin\/"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/remnant.news\/hanews\/category\/remnant-news\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Remnant News<\/a>","tag_info":"Remnant News","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/remnant.news\/hanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7342","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/remnant.news\/hanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/remnant.news\/hanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remnant.news\/hanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/151"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remnant.news\/hanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7342"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/remnant.news\/hanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7342\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7344,"href":"https:\/\/remnant.news\/hanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7342\/revisions\/7344"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remnant.news\/hanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7343"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/remnant.news\/hanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7342"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remnant.news\/hanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7342"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remnant.news\/hanews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7342"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}