“There is today no lack no lack of Bible teachers to set forth correctly the principles of the doctrines of Christ, but too many of these seem satisfied to teach the fundamentals of the faith year after year, strangely unaware that there is in their ministry no manifest Presence, nor anything unusual in their personal lives. They minister constantly to believers who feel within their breasts a longing which their teaching does not satisfy” (A.W. Tozer).
The previous statement by Tozer would probably be shocking to many ears today. Many would wonder what else is there other than setting forth the correct principles and doctrines of Christ. We have stores lined with orthodox books as well as books that are not orthodox. We have more books on how to study the Bible than we could ever possibly use. We have enough Bibles in the United States to virtually cover the world (it appears). We have Reformed movements going on, conservative movements going on, and many other movements on the radio, internet, and television. However, the majority of those movements are primarily moral with a few focused on Bible teaching. But where is God in all of these things?
Amos 8:11-13 sets out what one great judgment that the Lord sends on a nation or His people. It is a withdrawing a hearing of the Word, or perhaps just not giving a hearing or understanding of the Word. The Lord did not say that He was going to remove teachers and take the scrolls from the land at that time, but that He was going to withdraw hearing of the Word. In our day we have a proliferation of Bibles, materials, and aids to study the Bible. But we don’t have more than a mere academic understanding of the Word. Could it be that God has withdrawn understanding from the Church and our nation? Could it be that a proliferation of materials is actually a sign that God has withdrawn from the Church?
I will try to explain what I mean by use of an illustration. We can imagine several people that are used to eating solid food that consists of good nutrition. Now we can imagine an intruder that sneaks in and begins to substitute some food with little to no nutrition for the good food that had a lot of good nutrition. The people could actually eat a lot more food and still have their bodies craving for even more food because they were getting less and less nutrition. On the outside it appeared that they were getting enough to eat because of the sheer volume and amount that they were eating, but inwardly they were starving because they were not getting proper nutrition for their bodies. We can also imagine people stuffing themselves with candy and junk food and never getting enough healthy food. The same thing is true of people spiritually. They can become, so to speak, spiritual addicts or spiritual junkies because they are cramming as much in as they can. However, if they are not getting proper nutrition from the spiritual diet (see the glory of God, understanding truth) they will be craving more and more as they have less and less benefit.
The above illustration sets out what is going on within the United States today. We have materials galore but the presence of God is not with us in giving understanding. As in times of famine, we see few births and those who are born are starving because of the lack of good spiritual nutrition. Things are so bad that the problem is not recognized. The United States is going through a time of unparalleled prosperity in some ways and yet its people are being visited with the judgment of God in a spiritual famine. Interest in Reformed theology is not necessarily a sign that people have understanding. An interest in morality is no necessarily a sign that people have understanding. The number of mega-churches is going up, but a larger number of people attending a place that calls itself a church is not necessarily a sign that people have understanding.
What is lacking today is a people seeking God’s face rather than His outward blessings. Ministers are more like CEO’s trying to grow a business than they are of pastors with a burden for the glory of God. Where is God in all that we are doing? Where is the presence of the holiness of God that will break men from entertainment, learned expositions, and useless frivolity in their pursuit of numbers and money? The Church must get back to seeking the presence of God rather than all of its business in what it thinks is serving God. Without the presence of God all the activities of a church is simply like the rituals of the Israelites that He hated when they did them without a desire for Him. Churches need to consider laying aside their rituals and begin to seek God and His presence. If not, the activities will go on while the people smile and act happy. But inside, they will be starving to death and perhaps not even know why. We must have the presence of God above all. If not, the starvation and deception of souls will continue and the people will love it so (Jer 5:31). But what will they do at the end of it?
God Loves... Himself 
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