To the Editor:

The true mission of the church is to bring souls back to Christ, but instead the church has lost its focus.

We have more hirelings than we have shepherds. Too many are out for self-gain, and what I mean by that is the preachers are being blessed and the members are suffering.

God only requires that we, according to Malachi 3:10, “bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse.”

Sure, we have not given anything to the Lord until we give an offering, but we don’t have to give it to the church house, since we are supposed to seek the Lord in everything we say and do. We can ask him where or to whom he wants us to place our offerings.

Let me impart something into your spirit: A giving person cannot be cursed because, according to God’s Word, “the Lord loves a cheerful giver.”

It also says to “give and it shall be given unto you with good measure pressed down, shaken together and running over shall men give unto your bosom.”

Everyone doesn’t have money to give, but you can give God 10 percent of your time and your talents. You see, God doesn’t judge us like man does.

In most churches, if you don’t live in a big fine house, if you don’t drive a fancy car, if you can’t get into the “money action” (somebody gives $1,000 dollars, somebody gives $500), then you aren’t important.

Well, let me inform you that is not so.

The little widow woman gave all she had and the Lord honored her gift because she gave it from her heart.

Let me ask you a question: How many of you give to be seen by man? We had better know God for ourselves and know His voice. Listen and obey what He tells us to do through the Holy Spirit.

If the shepherds are truly hearing from God then why are there so many hurting and abused sheep wandering outside of the pasture?

I truly believe God is getting ready to bring a visitation upon many of the shepherds and if you are a hireling, He is going to deal with you also.

I don’t care how we build big buildings and we run after titles. Until we come together, until the shepherds become concerned about all of the sheep that are under their leadership, we might as well put a lock on the door and call it quits.

Jeremiah 12:1-2 says “Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture saith the Lord. Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people: You have scattered my block and driven them away and have not visited them. Behold I will visit upon you the evil of your doings.”

Pastors, have you gone after the sheep who have left or does it matter to you? Did you cause them to leave?

The church has lost its focus. Most pastors now are more concerned with membership than getting people saved and delivered.

Pastors, do you call them or go to see them to find out they they left. If you have not done this then your job is not complete. God is not pleased. A lot of pastors are compromising God’s Word for the dollar’s sake because they don’t want to offend the tithers, not the ones than can only give and pay the 10 percent out of a small income but the ones that pay big and give big.

Every sheep is important to God. Who are you if you cause them to feel like they don’t matter?

Listen, pastors. God has his eyes on you. Woe be unto you if you don’t stop crushing his sheep from the pulpit.

Louise Antas