Recently Dr. Charles Stanley made the statement that he believes America is facing perhaps its most critical moment in the last century including World War II. When asked why, his response was, “we have chosen to deliberately, willfully move in a direction that is other than Godly. It says that we have forgotten our history, we have forgotten the history of what’s happened in other nations and we have an administration that’s more Muslim than Christian and moving in that direction…. We are in a very dangerous position because I believe so many people at church are asleep. And I think in the last Barna report I saw, they asked the churches how important prayer was in the church and about two-thirds of them said it wasn’t really all that important. That is a disastrous attitude!”
In deed we are living in a critical age and when I heard Dr. Stanley speak those words I was again reminded, that the Church must awake and arise again as true salt and light in the midst of uncertainty, difficulty and growing darkness. We must be a light for future generations, we must speak the gospel without hesitation, we must live the truth without reservation and we must put aside self-centered Christianity and worldliness to again be the Church Triumphant, Alive and Well as the song said. It’s not about politics, it’s not about preferences, and it’s not even about sitting in pews. It’s about being what God created us to be and elevating anew Christ in our life so that everything, yes, everything that we do and say is filtered through the grid of His Lordship over us. And it’s about elevating Christ in our homes again, so that we pray about everything rather than debate over anything. And it’s about our kids beginning to see again clearly through us that nothing in this world, no amount of money, no position, no job, no athletic pursuits, no academic achievement and no amount of worldly fame can or should ever take the place of knowing and living for Jesus… He is priority in our life, He is priority in our Homes and Everything else is and must be second!
Paul said, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ…” (Phil. 3:8) Did you see what he said… Everything, everything, everything is second to knowing and walking with Christ! Do you get it? Does your spouse get it? Do your kids get it? Are you speaking it? Are you living it unashamedly? These are critical days and they call for a new resolve from the people of God to be authentic and to be bold in our commitment to Jesus Christ. So if you’ve become one of the “frozen” chosen, thaw out and sell out again to the only one who gives reason for our existence. Fall in love with your Bible again, fall in love with prayer again, fall in love with the Church again, fall in love with serving God again, fall in love with obeying God again, and fall in love with inviting people to come worship God again, fall in love with trusting Him with everything again!!!! Return to your “first love” and get excited about knowing Christ afresh.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
