Too many believers are absent without leave today because they've been hurt a little or a lot by pushy, manipulative self-seeking leadership in sick local churches.
Time to get over it and move on with Jesus who heals and restores.
It's time for them to forgive, move on, advance spiritually, locate and join up with a healthy group of believers where they can put roots downwards and grow strong upwards.
It's time to wholeheartedly worship the Lord who has never manipulated anyone or been a hypocritical leader for one second.
Some believers are absent without leave today because they've started to desire other things, they are fretting more, and have allowed the flashy but worthless distractions of the world to literally lure em off, and to refocus them on secondary, on pleasurable and on non-important things. The cares of the world have choked em out and they continue to choke em like a crazy vandal does on PCP. Stop allowing this to happen, look to Jesus and grow up.
"..all too quickly the Message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced" (nlt).
"..the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful" (kjv).
Some believers are absent without leave today because the passion for the Word and for (corporate and private) prayer time has been replaced by time invested in novel information and entertainment intake.
As this 1st world culture-war of our time heats up further and hotter it is fiercely raging more before our very eyes, yes more and more. And it is truly astounding how many once very dedicated and fairly vocal soldiers of the cross are now silently going AWOL away from where the action is! Stop it. By faith and believing prayer, appropriate and re-ignite authentic revival fire inside of you..that can't stay bottled up inside of you.
Sure, as we see this worldly society around us plunge further and further into darkness and real debauchery that is flat-out evil and is aggressively influencing peeps in the wrong direction, then we believers need to shine brighter than before instead of less than before. Do we have any fight left in us (I mean the right kinda fight)? Was there a time in your Christian experience where you were more in-love with Christ than you are today? If so.. with all due respect for you.. you are backslidden some. There remains one hope for us and for our great Nation—it's the living Word of God. So let's repent and get back to the Word.
Biblically worshiping Christ must remain priority one. No excuses.
Joyously preaching for decisions, and anointedly (new word) teaching God's Word ..I mean thoroughly all the Bible counsels of God.. that really needs to take on much greater importance to us, for we are still His representatives of light and of life.
How lost are the lost? Might sound hyper-religious, but they are totally hell bound lost, so we must do something. People around us are indeed lost, dead, and in the dark. They are empty—so many still need to hear the Gospel for the first time... far more than the political rhetoric and worthless religiosity etc, but there's an increasing number of "churches" and of so called "believers" who stubbornly refuse to accurately give God's Message out. Wake up. Cast off slumber for good, children of the day.
I think you already know that there is a lack of urgency, of holy fear, of zeal, of passion and of pure thinking kind of boldness. And I think you know what would remedy this situation in North American or in other Lands as well.
Too many around us are living in defeat and seem content with that. Too many of us are waiting for the Lord to bail them out, when He is waiting for them to get serious and seek. Too many are reacting in the flesh daily instead of responding in the Spirit daily.
I say that a return to earnest prayer daily (both alone and not alone..) will help the Church towards earnestly contending for the faith daily. You know that's right. On a football field when a team is losing bad, a smart coach will always motivate em by refocusing all the players on the basic fundamental principles and practices they've already been taught. It's now time for the Church to get back to applying the basics of the Bible.
Listen to what the prince of preachers had to say about this.
"Brethren, do something; do something, do something! While societies and unions make constitutions, let us win souls. I pray you, be men of action all of you. Get to work and quit yourselves like men. Old Suvarov's idea of war is mine: 'Forward and strike! No theory! Attack! Form a column! Charge bayonets! Plunge into the center of the enemy! Our one aim is to win souls; and this we are not to talk about, but do in the power of God!'" ~ Charles H. Spurgeon
Personally I used to watch the local and national news more in 2012. I was always curious about what would happen at election time. Perhaps you were too. But lately who can stomach much of it? Of course I want to stay informed some, but it seems better to me now to fortify my walk doing and studying the basics.. and just concentrate on less (the good stuff) better.
Fear not what is ahead. God has a praying remnant and Bible prophecy must be fulfilled. Be filled with the Spirit and be ready in His readiness.
I want to add to and edify. I want to diligently sow to.. what is really good for my spiritual life more than ever, because I simply want to be buff spiritually and ready for whatever is ahead. Who can know all the details?
Does it seem to you that American believers are headed towards some harder times ahead and towards serious persecution? I mean more than they have experienced. It does to me. Its' obvious.
Believer, it's really no time to go AWOL for any reason. It's not the time to take a vacation away from God. It is time to return from all that, suit up fully (put on all the armor of God in Christ) and humbly report for duty.
Ask: Lord, what are Your marching orders for me today?
I certainly don't mean to sound all preachy at ya, but I strongly urge and appeal, "..to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints." Jude 3
If ever there was a time, it is now. If ever there was a people, it is the Church.
Yes, I want to challenge you to get re-involved in relating to Christ on a more intimate level, in a very simple ardent to-the-point kind of way today. Let's put first things first again, let's insert the big stones into our lives before all the little stones, gravel, and sand goes in.. otherwise the really important stuff won't even fit in later.
Let's get re-interested in the basics again via asking Jesus—yes, in personal fellowship both upwards with the Lord first and then outwards with growing believers in a healthy Christ-exalting church, and in small group Bible studies too….and take part in private and collective church prayer meetings… and then as an outgrowth of such a tight relationship of JOY...let's be very discerning and tactful in simply sharing our faith and testimony story of victory with those who are open to hearing about Him.
The basics and essentials of our walk..the primary disciplines even..rather than the controversial and periphery things.. need to be placed ahead at the forefront of what we do once again. In no other day gone by has it been more important than now to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. You know what I'm saying and remember how Jesus admonished and commanded, "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need."
So many around us are given to worldly vanity and worthless religious fluff, but we can see revival start with each of us individually. They sow the wind religiously, and reap the whirlwind. The consequences will land and are now affecting them.
Many have an intense hunger but have been going after sawdust, but we are there to point them to the Bread of Life, yes, to grain Giver and His grain house. Christ satisfies. When all else fails to, He alone fills that inner void so to speak.
Brethren, obey and do something with Christ today!
Why go on investing in time-wasting junk? Believer, what kind of overflow would you have left for other thirsty souls around you, if you've not been investing at all in what outlasts it all? I mean in your spiritual life with the Word?
The farmer that labors must first be partaker of the crop. He can't supply or give out to others if he is or remains famished, malnourished and weak. Ya think? facebook.com/shareJesus
