I've started reading a book titled Revolution in World Missions by K.P. Yohannan. I didn't get very far into it before I found my head in my hands. We have gotten it wrong, so wrong in this country. Our Father must be sad that once again His children have taken matters into their own hands and messed it all up. He never intended for us to take our blessings and turn them into material gratification for ourselves. He never intended for us to hoard our wealth and invest it in material possesions, big houses, fancy cars and lavish vacations. We have become gluttonous in everything we do - eating, work, play, entertainment, even church. Yes, even church.
Here are some facts that might interest you:
* Church buildings in the U.S. have become extravagant. One built years ago in Dallas actually cost $74 million! And less than a minute away from the $74 million church was one that cost $7 million. But here's the REALLY horrific part - The same $74 million would be enough to guarantee that the Good News of Jesus Christ could be proclaimed to a whole Indian state - or even some of the smaller countries of Asia.
* If we earmarked 10 percent of our Christian giving in the U.S. for the cause of world evangelism, there would be more than $10 billion available for Gospel outreach.
* "Many churches have gymnasiums and fellowships that cater to a busy schedule of activities having little or nothing to do with Christ. The orchestras, choirs, "special" music - and sometimes even the preaching - seemed to me more like entertainment than worship." K.P. Yohannan
* 85% percent of all Bibles printed today are in English for the 9% of the world who read English. 80% of the world's people have never owned a Bible while Americans have an average of four in every household.
* Besides books, 8,000 Christian magazines and newspapers flourish. More than 1,600 Christian radio stations broadcast the Gospel full-time, while many countries don't even have their first Christian radio station. A tiny 0.1 percent of all Christian radio and television programming is directed toward the unevangelized world. Little, if any, of this media is designed to reach unbelievers. Almost all is entertainment for the saints.
* The U.S., with it's 600,000 congregations or groups, is blessed with 1.5 million full-time Christian workers, or one full-time religious leader for every 182 people in the nation. What a difference this is from the rest of the world, where more than 2 billion people are still unreached with the Gospel. The unreached or "hidden peoples" have only one missionary working for every 78,000 people, and there are still 1,240 distinct cultural groups in the world without a single church among them to preach the Gospel. These are the masses for whom Christ wept and died.
God did not shower such great blessing on this nation for the Christians to live in extravagance, self-indulgence and spiritual weakness.
Maybe that's enough for today. It's a lot to take in and think about. I hope your head is in your hands by now, too. We have a lot of work ahead of us. Let's pray about it.
Heavenly Father,
Please forgive us, Lord. We have gotten it all wrong. Just like the Israelites did time and time again - when things are good, we turn away and take the credit. We don't listen to You, we think we know better. Help us to change, Father God. Help us to become the salt and the light of the world. Help us to give up our selfish ways, our extravagant ways. It won't be easy, Lord, but you are a patient God, otherwise we would have been wiped out long before now.
There are so many people in this world who have never heard of you, Jesus. How selfish are we to keep the Good News to ourselves? And why? Because we are "nervous" or "afraid" of witnessing to others? What will they think of us! Or what if we say the wrong thing! We also claim we don't know where or how to find nonbelievers. Or maybe we think we need more money to travel somewhere when there are nonbelievers right outside our door. All pitiful excuses, aren't they Father God? We should know by now that with You all things are possible. That you will put the people in our path and You will give us the words. You promised us that and You never lie.
Praise You that we still have hope! It isn't too late! With your strength and perseverance we can change our ways. We can repent and start to make a difference.
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few...... Matt 9:37
Help us to change that, Father God.
In Jesus Name, Amen
Here are some facts that might interest you:
* Church buildings in the U.S. have become extravagant. One built years ago in Dallas actually cost $74 million! And less than a minute away from the $74 million church was one that cost $7 million. But here's the REALLY horrific part - The same $74 million would be enough to guarantee that the Good News of Jesus Christ could be proclaimed to a whole Indian state - or even some of the smaller countries of Asia.
* If we earmarked 10 percent of our Christian giving in the U.S. for the cause of world evangelism, there would be more than $10 billion available for Gospel outreach.
* "Many churches have gymnasiums and fellowships that cater to a busy schedule of activities having little or nothing to do with Christ. The orchestras, choirs, "special" music - and sometimes even the preaching - seemed to me more like entertainment than worship." K.P. Yohannan
* 85% percent of all Bibles printed today are in English for the 9% of the world who read English. 80% of the world's people have never owned a Bible while Americans have an average of four in every household.
* Besides books, 8,000 Christian magazines and newspapers flourish. More than 1,600 Christian radio stations broadcast the Gospel full-time, while many countries don't even have their first Christian radio station. A tiny 0.1 percent of all Christian radio and television programming is directed toward the unevangelized world. Little, if any, of this media is designed to reach unbelievers. Almost all is entertainment for the saints.
* The U.S., with it's 600,000 congregations or groups, is blessed with 1.5 million full-time Christian workers, or one full-time religious leader for every 182 people in the nation. What a difference this is from the rest of the world, where more than 2 billion people are still unreached with the Gospel. The unreached or "hidden peoples" have only one missionary working for every 78,000 people, and there are still 1,240 distinct cultural groups in the world without a single church among them to preach the Gospel. These are the masses for whom Christ wept and died.
God did not shower such great blessing on this nation for the Christians to live in extravagance, self-indulgence and spiritual weakness.
Maybe that's enough for today. It's a lot to take in and think about. I hope your head is in your hands by now, too. We have a lot of work ahead of us. Let's pray about it.
Heavenly Father,
Please forgive us, Lord. We have gotten it all wrong. Just like the Israelites did time and time again - when things are good, we turn away and take the credit. We don't listen to You, we think we know better. Help us to change, Father God. Help us to become the salt and the light of the world. Help us to give up our selfish ways, our extravagant ways. It won't be easy, Lord, but you are a patient God, otherwise we would have been wiped out long before now.
There are so many people in this world who have never heard of you, Jesus. How selfish are we to keep the Good News to ourselves? And why? Because we are "nervous" or "afraid" of witnessing to others? What will they think of us! Or what if we say the wrong thing! We also claim we don't know where or how to find nonbelievers. Or maybe we think we need more money to travel somewhere when there are nonbelievers right outside our door. All pitiful excuses, aren't they Father God? We should know by now that with You all things are possible. That you will put the people in our path and You will give us the words. You promised us that and You never lie.
Praise You that we still have hope! It isn't too late! With your strength and perseverance we can change our ways. We can repent and start to make a difference.
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few...... Matt 9:37
Help us to change that, Father God.
In Jesus Name, Amen
love this. amen! praying in agreement.
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