Judges 6 and 7 ...Where is Gideon' s army today? Like in Gideon's day when Israel had been delivered from sin and the world, they became lazy in faithfulness and began to blend into the world...so much that they became comfortable with it and it's ways, even giving attention to what the world thought important. Israel embraced the idols of the Amorites and the world society of the Midianites. God quit blessing Israel and they became impoverished and sunk to living in caves and holes in the ground. The world they befriended destroyed their total economy. They thought embracing the world would be a right thing for convenience, and besides, being friends with it, compromising might keep the safer. But it took them away from God's purpose for having saved them in the first place. Instead, Satan's world wooed them in and morally and spiritually bankrupted them. Took them out of "church" (worship) with their children, that future generation of believers, now lost, and converted them and put those children's future in jeopardy. Worship of the Lord had minimized or became non-existent in their lives and the people of God no longer were the influence of God over the world around them. The world views had become the power of influence of the "church" (their worship) instead of God. The "church" (godly worship and life) influence was nil and void. They had to go into hiding and hiding their food and other resources of life. They were just living and dying now with no freedom to serve God and family. The State now ruled them. When God came to Gideon and told him he was to deliver Israel from this, he asked God why He had not done so. God was clear. Unless we step up and lead out by faith against our sin as a "church" (a people worshipping and living for God, it would not happen. Although, He is ready to furnish the faith and heavenly power to them to see it done and return to faithful worship and obedience to God. Until then it would only get worse. So, hence, Gideon's army. Until a Gideon and a people behind him stand back up, the future of Christianity and God's blessings to us and our Nation will continue to diminish and only the 4 horsemen of Revelation will show up. The Anti-christ and his armies and government will rule and finish us off. The church will go away and our country and world will be wide open to the full attack of Satan and those who belong to him.

Hundreds of churches close annually, while most of the others are suffering a 50% loss in faithful worship (attendance). The recreation of the world has replaced their worship lives at the lake, at soccer fields and baseball fields, etc. Church worship, worship in the BODY OF CHRIST, is now obsolete. God is now an after thought, while surviving and trying to get along in a world that is going away is their priority. Anyway you do it, eternity will come to us all…reckoning day.

On that day our children will have grown up without being introduced to Jesus our Savior and remain lost and one day whole families, Mom, Dad, Sons and Daughters, will share eternally being lost in sin. Only Jesus can remedy that, and we need to get our children to Sunday School and Church where they will be introduced to Jesus as Lord and Savior. Until then, family time and recreation and work, etc. will replace that and our country will grow colder and colder by generation after generation toward Jesus Christ's worship and the saving grace of God in Him will no longer be a priority of our nation. We are and will continue to suffer decline as families, communities and we as a nation grow colder and colder to worshipping and serving God at His Temple, the local church. 

Let's make this Sunday our come back to God and His worship of His Son at His Son's House, your choice of a local church. Let's see our children and grandchildren become true and SERVING believers. Let's build our future generation for God and a stronger nation. It only comes through our God and Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord.

Charles Empey is the Pastor of Cove Baptist Church, Orange, TX.

https://www.loc8nearme.com/texas/orange/cove-baptist-church/6186669/