Why the chatter for self-help materials and why the surge for spiritual renewal such as Oprah's followers? There is incredible interest in this arena. Thousands and thousands are seeking what we believe they ought to have, but they seem to be shopping elsewhere. Why is that? Such tells me a couple of things:
1. This movement signals there is both deep and broad interest in matters beyond the visible/physical. People believe there is something more and they want it. Give the masses just a hint of life beyond and they stampede in droves to learn more. Once they pick up the scent of any sort of hope, they become aggressive to follow the trail to meaning and purpose which surpasses what they have experienced thus far. Reality shows are the trend of the day and such is popular because of the dissatisfaction of their spirits; they want reality and are declaring what existence we have now ain't it.
2. Why are we missing out on being the target of this new quest? Why aren't the masses rushing to churches? I think we are missing the active Jesus. In reality, he is supreme to any other offer of hope. Our replacement packages of church schedules and events simply are out of step with two things: the starving hunger of the people for something spiritually fulfilling and the earthquaking standard of Jesus to reverse earthy life.
The solution for earth's populace is not five steps and a prayer. Neither is it one congregation raising the ante of another's works. It's God's new and vigorous life wowing those who possess it! Jesus has to make a difference in his followers before we can expect the world to be drawn. If he is lifted up he will draw. Substitutes of church being lifted up or programs being lifted up leave each community saying, "What?" "What?". We are telling them we have hope, but they have yet to see it in dramatic and impacting ways.
I encourage you to be vocal about being a Christian; not in boldness or bluntness. I encourage you to let people around you know you love God, love where you are and who you get to be. The masses aren't drawing in hoards to us possibly because they don't see us any happier than they are.
Jesus. He will never rock the world until he has rocked the church!
3 comments:
I loved your comment about the masses not seeing us as any happier than they are. It reminded me of Peter's words, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have" (1 Peter 3:15, NIV). I can't remember the last time someone asked me to give a reason for my HOPE. I wonder if I am living like I don't have any more hope than the average guy. Thanks for the thought-provoking post!
Terry L.
Know that God is over all things and can move His power through the air invisibly. One man knew the impossible and invisible was possible for 22 years before it was used.
According to one source, Wikipedia,
Radio waves were first predicted by mathematical work done in 1865 by James Clerk Maxwell. Maxwell noticed wave-like properties of light and similarities in electrical and magnetic observations and proposed equations that described light waves and radio waves as waves of electromagnetism that travel in space. In 1887 Heinrich Hertz demonstrated the reality of Maxwell's electromagnetic waves by experimentally generating radio waves in his laboratory. Many inventions followed, making practical use of radio waves to transfer information through space.
Nikola Tesla and Guglielmo Marconi are credited with inventing systems to allow radio waves to be used for communication.
Luke 7.1-10
Larry Wishard
I recently heard a speaker on the subject of strong families. He complemented those who were taking notes. But, he also cautioned. He observed how many times he had taken notes at some coference and then never did anything with them. Sounded alot like James 1:22 ff. I think that is part of the problem with "not seeing us as any happier than they are". We "go to church", hear a great sermon, then go home and promptly forget it.
But, not wanting to sound too cynical, part of the problem is we are just babes. The las post about truth says a lot. Our honest, open, admission of just learning would go along way. The cliche is so true, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care".
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