OUTRAGE

I Was Just Thinking About – OUTRAGE.

The cultural interests and actions are part of the outrage of the day. There is more outrage over a failure to call an obvious Pass Interference Penalty in a Football Playoff game between the New Orleans Saints and the Los Angeles Rams that there is about the current laws passed in some States that allow for Post-Birth Abortions. Where is the outrage over the legalization and enactment of Infanticide: “The act of killing an infant; The practice of killing newborn infants; A person who kills an infant”?

Thankfully, there are some who care and are willing to challenge the laws that permit “Murder of the Innocents.” Samuel McLure (a Grandson-In-Law) is the founding Attorney of The Adoption Law Firm in Montgomery, AL. "The Adoption Law Firm was recently invited to fight back in partnership with Personhood Alabama and The Foundation For Moral Law. A Brief has been filed in the United States Supreme Court to allow children to be adopted instead of dismembered."

“In Alabama alone an average of 16 babies are horrifically killed for profit by abortion doctors every day…As you may know, this method of murder involves ripping the baby apart limb by limb until it bleeds to death. Despite arguments to the contrary, the Eleventh Circuit held that it was constrained to follow the Supreme Court’s abortion decisions and hold that the law was unconstitutional.” You can read the entire brief by going to: Marshall v. WAWC Brief.

ADOPTION is the alternative to the murder of babies currently allowed by the Abortion Law(s). Do you need to be reminded of the Biblical value of life and one’s duty to speak up for those who have no voice to speak for themselves? The Mother of King Lemuel enjoined her son (Proverbs 31:8-9, NLT), “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.”

David expressed the value and beauty of life (Psalm 139:13-16, NLT): “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”

Authentic and genuine Christians cannot remain silent when such an outrage is taking place every day. Where is the outrage about the 60 million babies that have been aborted in this country since 1973 (Roe v. Wade)? Where are the voices being raised in defense and protection of those being slaughtered? Why are the words of Proverbs 24:11 (ESV) -  “Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter!” - ignored? Where is the sense of outrage and/or responsibility when we concern ourselves with the words in James 5:5-6 (NIV) – “You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.  You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.” Are we complicit by our silence? Does the Word of God have meaning and application for us? Where is the outrage over the murder – the slaughter of the innocent?

How important is ADOPTION to Almighty God? Galatians 4:4-5 (NLT) answers: “God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.  God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.” Think about it and become engaged in the outrage of this day and time.

Prayerfully – consider these things with me.

CHURCH STAGNATION

I Was Just Thinking About – CHURCH STAGNATION.

There is no limit to the number of Church Growth Seminars and Workshops. The same is true of Evangelism Conferences and the best methods to utilize to reach the spiritually dead with the message of hope and becoming spiritually alive. One of the main issues with workshops and seminars is that they all cost money to attend and to get the materials being offered.

This morning on Facebook - A Church Growth Promotional and Marketing Ad was prominently listed. It asserted the following: "If you’re like me you’d love to reach more people in your community and see the church grow. That means changed lives and people encountering the love of God! A recent study found that 85% of North American Churches are experiencing stagnation or decline… What gives? Well, one thing’s for sure. We can’t keep doing the same old things if we want to get different results. We’ve got to think differently as pastors and church leaders."

IF these assertions are valid, the Church will need something other than a Seminar or Church Marketing approach. Revelation 2 and 3 give the requirements of Jesus Christ for the representative churches he is observing. Among His words to the Churches are an action each Church can and should take: (1) Remember. (2) Return. (3) Repent. (4) Be Renewed. Where is there is spiritual delinquency and carelessness, Jesus is asserting there must be a reversal and correction.  It will include the people who claim to be a “Christian” to no longer quench (extinguish) the Holy Spirit (First Thessalonians 5:19); and to no longer grieve the Holy Spirit of promise (Ephesians 4:30).

A genuine and authentic Christian will be committed to following the Biblical requisites for spiritual vitality (Ephesians 4:31-32) and exhibit the fruit that the branch attached to the True Vine Jesus Christ will actuate (Galatians 5:22-23). Such a one will realize personal Spiritual Growth that will - in turn - stimulate and accomplish a Biblical Church Growth by those who are  committed to being genuine/authentic followers of Jesus Christ.

After years of faithful ministry, Stephen Olford wrote a book – Heart Cry for Revival. In it, he stated: “Never was a church-wide, heaven-sent revival needed than at this present time. It is the only answer to the spiritual warfare we face in every part of the world. We must recognize that "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (Second  Corinthians10:4-5).

Psalm 85:4-7 shares: “Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us! Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations? WILL YOU NOT REVIVE US AGAIN, THAT YOUR PEOPLE MAY REJOICE IN YOU? Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.”

Until the Church as it exists today begins to do God’s work in God’s way, stagnation and decline will continue. Serious minded people must begin to take a serious God seriously. Once they do, God’s blessings will return.

Prayerfully – consider these things with me.

OBSERVATIONS

I Was Just Thinking About – OBSERVATIONS.

Earlier this morning, I shared the following on Facebook: “I, personally, needed this reminder... admonition... encouragement... to stay focused on that which is vital and most important...Psalm 31:23-24, "Love the Lord, all His saints. The Lord preserves the faithful....Be strong and courageous, all you who hope in the Lord."

Shortly thereafter, I read the Daily Devotional of Charles R. Swindoll who wrote (01/26/19) on “Encouragement.” He stated: “When you stop to analyze the concept, ‘encourage’ takes on new meaning. It's the act of inspiring others with renewed courage, spirit, or hope. When we encourage others we spur them on, we stimulate and affirm them. All of us need encouragement - somebody to believe in us. To reassure and reinforce us. To help us pick up the pieces and go on. To provide us with increased determination in spite of the odds. Even when we don't earn the right to be appreciated we can still be encouraged and affirmed. Encourage someone today! Even the secure, mature person needs massive doses of encouragement as we slug it out in the trenches."

After I retired from full-time Pastoral Ministry 15 years ago, I have had the joy of visiting some of the smaller churches that dot our rural landscape. In most instances, I have found appreciative, joyful and grateful people who love the Lord and the church they attend. One of their major concerns is the decline in attendance. Attrition and Demographics are two issues that need to be addressed in terms of ministry strategy. Is the local and/or rural church willing to adapt to their changing landscape? It is obvious that rural churches (and some city churches) have allowed themselves to devolve to a maintenance type of ministry versus an outreach commitment. If they made such a transition within their demographic, they might find that they can and will grow where they are planted.

Thom Rainer, founder of the Church Consultation ministry stated: “Most church members don’t see their churches clearly...Rainer has found that church members perceive their church to be friendly. But as he surveyed guests, he found that the guests typically saw church members as unfriendly. The perception chasm existed because the members were indeed friendly to one another. The guests felt like they crashed a private party.” Personally, I am always a bit uncomfortable when entering a worship service and most of the members of the church are sitting in the back rows in small groups. They appear to be ‘official observers’ and detached from other “observers’. It is 'their place' and dynamite could not make them change location in a worship area. It must be a frustration for the one who is Pastor or visiting Minister. What should the local and rural church be committed to doing on a regular basis?

I am impressed and challenged by the words in First Thessalonians 5:11, we are to – “encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” Is the local and rural church fulfilling the phrase: “just as you are doing”? Why is encouragement vital and necessary? In Hebrews 3:13 is the instruction, “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” In some translations, the word for encourage is stated as exhort one another. In either usage, it is forceful requirement of what the genuine/authentic follower of Jesus Christ must be doing. Are you faithful in the opportunity afforded you to encourage others?

Prayerfully – consider these things with me.