Pushing Out To The Edges

I recently read an article where a minister from the United States had visited some of the great cathedrals in Europe. Anyone who knows much about religion knows Europe has been a great bastion of faith in the past, but has lost her moorings and now drifts awash in the multitudes of clamoring religions, Islam being chief among them. He brought out this fact by telling of going to communion in one of the great basilicas of the faith and sharing the cup with about 40 people while multitudes milled around the edges, interested only in the beauty of the place, not the broken Savior represented. It brought to my mind a few times I have been in a similar locale. In this country, while in some great cathedrals, I have watched as the “faithful few” continue to go through worship rituals, receiving communion, all the nice stuff of organized religion, while far more people were milling along the periphery, not paying much attention to what was going on, but engrossed in the architectural details of the building.

I wonder how many people are “in” church, but just observing. They may not be caught up in the grand specatacle of architechure, for costs and tastes have altered that era. But they could very well be caught up in the “show,” the “performance,” the “entertainment.” And, like those of us who have milled around the edges while the faithful in the great arenas of faith from bygone days received no spiritual nourishment from what others did, so those who pass by and admire a nice building or sign, even those who sit and simply observe the “goings on” of a service, but never really enter worship, arent’ benefited spiritually.

Perhaps it’s time to carry Jesus to the edges of the camp and let Him do His wondrous works there. I am enthralled that last week over one hundred families were fed in our food program…hundreds of people didn’t wake up hungry this morning because of some dedicated givers and workers. I relish the idea that two adults came to Christ during that time of sharing. That’s pushing Jesus out to the edges…but there are so many more…so many left hurting. Jesus is calling us to carry His name, His message, out to the every edges of our society. Let’s hear His impassioned plea, be broken by the lonely crying of the hurting, and carry Him with us into the edges of our world. Who knows, someone might just be lingering around because they really do want to know if He’s real to you!

A Sunday’s Drive

I wasn’t in church yesterday morning, a rare oddity for me. I was actually travelling on vacation after performing a wedding for some lifelong friends in Mobile, Alabama on Saturday night. While driving, I was once more struck with the overwhelming number of Americans who are not involved in church….and this is in good old Alabama, the buckle of the Bible Belt. I have opined on this subject before, but it bears repeating again and again….we need something along the lines of a great spiritual awakening to happen again!

I don’t know all the answers about how to bring this about. There are the obvious; prayer, fasting, repentance, the usual precursors of revival. Yet I think we tend to stop there because those things work…..on us! We get changed, revived, and feel as if we have accomplished something…and we have!

However, to really change our culture, to see people come to Jesus, we are going to have to take the next step and do what my great friend Luther Quinly calls, “engaging people in spiritual conversations.” In case you don’t know him, Luther has been one more successful pastor. He has built great works everywhere he has ever been and has seen hundreds of people won to Christ. He’s a great role model for any pastor to follow!

Luther and I both officiated the wedding, so we had time to talk and I was moved by his analysis. I agree wholeheartedly. We must get our lives turned, on fire, dedicated to Christ. Following that, we must once more enter our lost world with the intent of engaging people with Christ…not shoving Him at them, but leading them to Him. For years I have called these “divine appointments.” Let’s start looking for them again. He’ll make them for us….it’s up to us to keep them!

I Hope I Am Wrong

After church last night, I left hoping I am wrong.  That’s right, I hope my read of things is wrong and what I preached is wrong!  The scary part is, I really fear I am right.  In case you are wondering, we spent time last night discussing a Lukewarm Church facing a Looming Crisis.  The gist was we in America, the American Church, are pretty well asleep at the wheel while Islam is storming the world.

I made the point everywhere the church has been, it has done the following:  First, sent out missionaries to other lands.  Second, it has then died or become so inconsequential, it’s of little or no value.  Finally, Islam has come behind and filled the void left by a powerless church.  Spend some time, trace the movements of church history, you’ll discover for yourself what I proposed is true!

Today, we face an alarming encroachment in America of Islam…an Islam bent on world domination.  The only answer I can see is a powerful church, an on fire church, complete with signs and wonders, bringing deliverance to the multitudes.  Of course, that is not the church we see spread across America.  Instead, we have become engrossed in the pursuit of the approval of both a lukewarm church establishment and a blind-to-the-gospel world.  While our focus has been on their accolades and acceptance, the Owner of the church has been relegated to a position outside, a spot from which He patiently knocks and asks for admission to His own dwelling.  I fear our stubborn resistance to His gentle knocking is going to be replaced by the shrill sounds of the battle cry of Islam…and then, we will beg Him to once again occupy His house, but at great cost!

Today….now….let’s return to Him with our whole heart and let Him bring healing into our lives, our homes, our church!

Anchored In The Word

Psalm 32 has been one of the hinge points of my life. The words expressed by David when contemplating the great mercy of God are so profound, so overwhelming, it’s almost too much to take it.

To think that not only does God grant us forgiveness, He also keeps up His passionate pursuit of our lives by guiding us, teaching us, watching over us with His all seeing eyes. What a God we serve!

On a different note…what a great day we had yesterday! A wonderful time of worship followed by more food and fun than should be allowed! The church family gathered and celebrated our Independence by giving thanks to God for all we have and then an old fashioned cookout and fun time. It was a blast…and it was in keeping with what the Bible calls “fellowship.” God’s up to something…and part of it is bringing His people together! Hope you had a great time and, if you missed it, will be with us next time!

God bless…have a great day!