Is it just me or has the church seemingly lost her zeal for the "Cause of Christ?" It seems that we have so many pieces of a 'religious pie' yet many of us are missing the very key ingredient. I'm referring to the fact that the church was left on earth by Jesus to manifest the life of Christ in everything we do.
His love, His compassion, His holiness, His honesty, His power, etc. should be radiating from our being as a beacon of pure light shining into the night telling all the tattered, worn and broken ships where to find safety, peace and joy. We should be fulfilling the Great Commission (found in Matt. 28:18-20 & Mark 16:15 and elsewhere in Scripture), we should let His Light shine (Matt. 5:16), yet it seems that we are focussed on everything else but this.
You have many churches which obviously have a 'private' mission statement that must read "Tell the world why other churches aren't right but we are." Now I'm all for calling out false prophets and teachers' doctrine, and I'm all for "contending for the faith" (Jude 3), yet I'm not in support of that becoming our mission. I believe our zeal for one item can cloud our vision and cause us to lose focus on the 'cause' of Christ.
There are many other churches which run sort of on the other side of that line by doing anything (and sometimes everything) to bring people together in a building on Sundays. They will eliminate 'offensive doctrines' and will not preach against sin, so that people will come to church on Sundays. But without the wonderful truth of repentance (which is a change of mind and thereby a change of lifestyle) people are not drawn by the Spirit of God to the Way, the Truth and the Life, they only become complacent, pacified members of a 'glorified social club.' Again, in this the church has lost its vision of the 'Cause.'
During this time of year, let us come back to the reason in which we are here. There is a world that is dying and going to hell and the Lord has commissioned us, His bride, to go forth and win them to Him.
Lord, fill me with Your Spirit and power, so that I would become an effective witness for You. Let me be led by Your Spirit at all times. Open doors for witnessing. Keep me focused on You and You alone. Amen!
Showing posts with label holiness revival singing preaching jesus christ god holy ghost. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holiness revival singing preaching jesus christ god holy ghost. Show all posts
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Good News for Heavy Hearts
Pro 12:25 Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that we are living in a society that is filled with people with heavy hearts. The economic climate, the moral climate and natural disasters are just a few of the ‘weights’ that seemingly bring about this heaviness. Anxiety, worry, doubt, discouragement and heaviness are prevalent.
As for us, the children of God, we are viewing the happenings around us with soberness that Peter calls for in 1 Peter 4:7. We see these things taking place and we are encouraged to continue in prayer. We also realize that these things must come to pass and that God is still in control and our prayer is coupled with thanksgiving. We are reminded that He has our best interest at our heart no matter what! What good news that is to us.
With that good news, or that good word making our hearts glad, the question then must be raised...are we desiring to carry this same good word to all of the hurting people of this world? There are countless thousands in other nations who have never heard the name of Jesus; their hearts are no doubt heavy, do we care enough to carry them a good word? A burden for other nations is necessary but what about our own nation?
Did you know that the number is steadily rising in our own nation of people who have never heard the gospel? According to studies, we are the world's 3rd largest unchurched nation! A statement I read recently stated that children are no longer rebelling against the truth to live their own way, they have never heard the truth so therefore have nothing to rebel against.
There is a world filled with hurting people all around you. Your family, your co-workers, your friends. Their hearts are heavy; they are searching for peace; they are searching for happiness. Will you tell them? Will you tell them that there is peace, there is joy, there is hope for their heavy heart? Share the good news with someone today. Let the world know that Jesus Saves! That's the best news of all.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that we are living in a society that is filled with people with heavy hearts. The economic climate, the moral climate and natural disasters are just a few of the ‘weights’ that seemingly bring about this heaviness. Anxiety, worry, doubt, discouragement and heaviness are prevalent.
As for us, the children of God, we are viewing the happenings around us with soberness that Peter calls for in 1 Peter 4:7. We see these things taking place and we are encouraged to continue in prayer. We also realize that these things must come to pass and that God is still in control and our prayer is coupled with thanksgiving. We are reminded that He has our best interest at our heart no matter what! What good news that is to us.
With that good news, or that good word making our hearts glad, the question then must be raised...are we desiring to carry this same good word to all of the hurting people of this world? There are countless thousands in other nations who have never heard the name of Jesus; their hearts are no doubt heavy, do we care enough to carry them a good word? A burden for other nations is necessary but what about our own nation?
Did you know that the number is steadily rising in our own nation of people who have never heard the gospel? According to studies, we are the world's 3rd largest unchurched nation! A statement I read recently stated that children are no longer rebelling against the truth to live their own way, they have never heard the truth so therefore have nothing to rebel against.
There is a world filled with hurting people all around you. Your family, your co-workers, your friends. Their hearts are heavy; they are searching for peace; they are searching for happiness. Will you tell them? Will you tell them that there is peace, there is joy, there is hope for their heavy heart? Share the good news with someone today. Let the world know that Jesus Saves! That's the best news of all.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Blast From the Past Saturday
Lord willing, each Saturday I will try and find something from a child of God from the past to link to. It may be video sermons, articles, written sermons or book excerpts. Today we will look at a portion of the book written by Leonard Ravenhill entitled "Why Revival Tarries" (the portion quoted is taken from pgs 88-89; chapter ten 'Fire Begets Fire'). Hope the Lord blesses you through this reading today.
As the first atom bomb shook Hiroshima, so prayer alone can release that power which would shake the hearts of men. This cultured paganism at our doors, those idol temples, those fear-gripped, sin-mesmerized millions can only be moved to God as the Church is moved of God for their lost condition. With every possible guile that he knows, the devil would snatch us from the closet of prayer. For in prayer man is linked with God, and in that union Stan is baffled and beaten. Well he knows this; and so, if the closet is shut tightly, the mind is invaded with legitimate cares or with imaginations as big or more real than life. here we need to plead our main defense--the blood. Another useful way to offset wandering thoughts and to help concentration is to pray audibly or to give some utterance at least, though it need not be loud.
Having thus moved and gained the mastery over Satan, our next power is in the "exceeding great and precious promises of God." Here we are on concrete foundation. Here are our trading currencies with heaven. Here God is pledged, and longs to hear us honor Him. Here we may be engaged in warfare not with God but against principalities, for Satan delights in loss no more than any other being. Souls of men are his treasures. Damned souls, doubting souls, drunk souls, disobedient souls, sick souls, religious souls, souls of the young, souls of the old, and all souls outside of the regenerating power of the Spirit are mastered by him, though the degrees of his mastery vary. Souls, in various degrees of spirituality, are special targets for his fiery arrows, but the "shield of faith" will brush them all off and, bless the Lord, leave us all unscathed. Prayer is not for defense. The shield of faith is for that. Prayer is our secret weapon. (It seems to secret to many of the Lord's people. Who of us, despite all that we have read, claims to know much about this masterly work of prayer?)
As the first atom bomb shook Hiroshima, so prayer alone can release that power which would shake the hearts of men. This cultured paganism at our doors, those idol temples, those fear-gripped, sin-mesmerized millions can only be moved to God as the Church is moved of God for their lost condition. With every possible guile that he knows, the devil would snatch us from the closet of prayer. For in prayer man is linked with God, and in that union Stan is baffled and beaten. Well he knows this; and so, if the closet is shut tightly, the mind is invaded with legitimate cares or with imaginations as big or more real than life. here we need to plead our main defense--the blood. Another useful way to offset wandering thoughts and to help concentration is to pray audibly or to give some utterance at least, though it need not be loud.
Having thus moved and gained the mastery over Satan, our next power is in the "exceeding great and precious promises of God." Here we are on concrete foundation. Here are our trading currencies with heaven. Here God is pledged, and longs to hear us honor Him. Here we may be engaged in warfare not with God but against principalities, for Satan delights in loss no more than any other being. Souls of men are his treasures. Damned souls, doubting souls, drunk souls, disobedient souls, sick souls, religious souls, souls of the young, souls of the old, and all souls outside of the regenerating power of the Spirit are mastered by him, though the degrees of his mastery vary. Souls, in various degrees of spirituality, are special targets for his fiery arrows, but the "shield of faith" will brush them all off and, bless the Lord, leave us all unscathed. Prayer is not for defense. The shield of faith is for that. Prayer is our secret weapon. (It seems to secret to many of the Lord's people. Who of us, despite all that we have read, claims to know much about this masterly work of prayer?)
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