Half of
Americans who have left the church no longer believe in God, resulting in a surge
of nearly one quarter of the nation who have no affiliation with any religion.
This trend is an alarming reminder of how we cannot expect to win the culture
war when the influence of Christianity is waning in America. In Ezekiel 9:3-7, God says He put a mark on those who “groan and lament” over the abominations
that were happening, thus marking these saints for protection and favor. Then God had the masses slaughtered--beginning in the sanctuary. Do you groan
and lament over the state of America and the church? If not, you need to
stop thinking of church as a fun social gathering and start taking seriously
our commission to change the world. The apathetic church will not avoid
the judgement of God. Mark spells out what must be done in order to turn these troubling
trends around.