Freedom and personal liberty are being stripped away at historic levels, our national debt is rising and the flood of immorality threatens the fabric of this land called America. Called to be both the salt and light of the world, more than I have ever seen, Christians are feeling the urge to “do something” to affect the situation. Many organizations both inside and outside the church are responding to the groundswell in the Christian community offering a/the “solution(s)” that, through some clever Biblical exegesis seems right, righteous and Biblical. From protesting to praying, Christians ARE mobilizing in record numbers for purposes, both political and moral.
Yet in all our fervor, it seems that we are neglecting the simple solution that Jesus gave us for all the ills of humanity:
Preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom.
Yeah, I know, just saying that seems so tired and worn. It’s not nearly as exciting as maybe protesting, picketing or a prayer vigil. But it’s what we have to work with. How did the Gospel become so unpopular among Christians? Why is preaching the Gospel with power something we never do? Why will we pray, fast and worship for years on end but neglect preaching to the lost? Why can we mobilize for a march but not for preaching the message? Why are we so free and bold to “tell is like we see it” in a political discussion online yet so scared to tell our neighbor about Jesus?
How did preaching the Gospel become the last resort?
WHAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN
I believe that most Christians don’t know what we have been given in the Gospel. If we did, we would be more vocal about Jesus and His Kingdom than we would be about voicing our opinion on the latest newsbyte. I am not saying that political action or commentary is bad, it’s not. I’m not saying that prayer vigils or fasting is bad, it isn’t. It’s just not what Jesus told us to do to save a lost and dying world, that’s all.
I get the feeling that we think our problems in this day and age are unique, new and different than the ones Jesus faced in his generation. Maybe they are of a different scope and magnitude, but Jesus’ words and His solutions to the problems of humanity are timeless! They will work, IF we use them.
Boldly and brazenly I will tell you exactly WHY we as a country have found ourselves in such a dire predicament: We don’t preach or live the Gospel.
If we did, there would be no abortion problem, no national debt, near 100% employment and no healthcare debate. There would be no reason to protest immorality, pray against corruption or fast for righteous judges.
THE ABORTION SOLUTION
Abortion is the termination of life inside the womb. In the vast majority (95%) of abortions performed in the US, the main factor is not the health of the mother or baby or an abortion of a child caused by rape or incest but rather a simple inconvenience on the part of the mother. That’s right; most babies are aborted because the presence of a child in the mother’s life does not suit her. Juniors’ presence isn’t convenient so let’s kill the baby! From 1973 through 2005, more than 45 million legal abortions occurred in the US.
It’s right that the church is outraged over such a holocaust of the unborn. But her chosen solution to end this siege on life is unbiblical and largely ineffective.
God’s solution to abortion is simple. Preach the Gospel to the lost that are having abortions, leading them into a relationship with the Lord of Life. No Christian, full of the Holy Spirit would or could ever consider abortion as an option. If you have, you are not saved. That means that every person you have ever led to the Lord eliminated one person from the pool of eligible abortion participants. It’s actually very simple. Instead of being reactive against the sins of lost people, why not bring in the lost? Seriously, if the church spent one tenth of the time she spends protesting, praying or fasting about abortion in actually preaching the Gospel to people that have abortions, abortion would be a non-issue in a matter of a few years. Let’s have a real life movement that takes all the research that’s been done, identifies the primary recipients of abortions and mobilize to preach the Gospel to that demographic!
Why don’t we stop trying to change the laws that sinners cower under to excuse their sin and just get down to the dirty business of winning the lost?. What about a life movement that is pro-active instead of reactive? Why are we acting surprised at what sinners do and the laws that they pass? And speaking of immoral laws, here is the solution to the problem of liberal activist judges that pass laws that corrupt the fabric of our society: Preach the Gospel to lawyers.
Fewer lost = less sin.
It’s so simple no one will do it.
THE HEALTH CARE SOLUTION
A huge topic in the news now is the great Health care debate of 2009. Both sides generally agree that insurance premiums are skyrocketing and millions of people in America don’t have access to quality health care. Both sides are also proposing “solutions” that are extremely complicated and expensive.
What can the church do about this HUGE problem?
Look at the church in the book of Acts! When they prayed, people were healed. So many in fact that they brought in the sick from the surrounding towns and they were ALL healed! (Acts 5:16) Healing is as much in the Atonement that Jesus provided as the salvation of your soul and the forgiveness of your sins. The church has lost the conviction of this fact and has abdicated her responsibility to heal the sick to the government. Government is not responsible to heal or provide for the healing of those in our land, the church is! Jesus sent His disciples out in Luke to:
“And He sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” Luke 9:2
Preach the Gospel and heal the sick; two things that the church won’t do. We’ll protest and we’ll pray but we have been called to preach and heal! Maybe instead of supporting one side over the other in the healthcare debate we should open a new front in the debate! What if our city or our town was recognized in the news as being one of the healthiest cities in the nation? Say it’s not possible? It’s already happened! From 1915 – 1920 John G. Lake trained a small group of minister’s that prayed for the sick and ministered healing full time. In 5 years they had over 100,000 documented cases of healing and were declared to be the healthiest city in the US! If Christians got serious about healing the sick, maybe a third option would open in this great healthcare debate? Our Gospel is free, it works against any disease on any demographic (even illegal aliens) and the trained practitioners can reproduce rapidly!
“And He said to them, Go into all the world, proclaim the gospel to all the creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned. And miraculous signs will follow to those believing these things: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will be well.” Mark 16:15-18
Yet in all our fervor, it seems that we are neglecting the simple solution that Jesus gave us for all the ills of humanity:
Preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom.
Yeah, I know, just saying that seems so tired and worn. It’s not nearly as exciting as maybe protesting, picketing or a prayer vigil. But it’s what we have to work with. How did the Gospel become so unpopular among Christians? Why is preaching the Gospel with power something we never do? Why will we pray, fast and worship for years on end but neglect preaching to the lost? Why can we mobilize for a march but not for preaching the message? Why are we so free and bold to “tell is like we see it” in a political discussion online yet so scared to tell our neighbor about Jesus?
How did preaching the Gospel become the last resort?
WHAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN
I believe that most Christians don’t know what we have been given in the Gospel. If we did, we would be more vocal about Jesus and His Kingdom than we would be about voicing our opinion on the latest newsbyte. I am not saying that political action or commentary is bad, it’s not. I’m not saying that prayer vigils or fasting is bad, it isn’t. It’s just not what Jesus told us to do to save a lost and dying world, that’s all.
I get the feeling that we think our problems in this day and age are unique, new and different than the ones Jesus faced in his generation. Maybe they are of a different scope and magnitude, but Jesus’ words and His solutions to the problems of humanity are timeless! They will work, IF we use them.
Boldly and brazenly I will tell you exactly WHY we as a country have found ourselves in such a dire predicament: We don’t preach or live the Gospel.
If we did, there would be no abortion problem, no national debt, near 100% employment and no healthcare debate. There would be no reason to protest immorality, pray against corruption or fast for righteous judges.
THE ABORTION SOLUTION
Abortion is the termination of life inside the womb. In the vast majority (95%) of abortions performed in the US, the main factor is not the health of the mother or baby or an abortion of a child caused by rape or incest but rather a simple inconvenience on the part of the mother. That’s right; most babies are aborted because the presence of a child in the mother’s life does not suit her. Juniors’ presence isn’t convenient so let’s kill the baby! From 1973 through 2005, more than 45 million legal abortions occurred in the US.
It’s right that the church is outraged over such a holocaust of the unborn. But her chosen solution to end this siege on life is unbiblical and largely ineffective.
God’s solution to abortion is simple. Preach the Gospel to the lost that are having abortions, leading them into a relationship with the Lord of Life. No Christian, full of the Holy Spirit would or could ever consider abortion as an option. If you have, you are not saved. That means that every person you have ever led to the Lord eliminated one person from the pool of eligible abortion participants. It’s actually very simple. Instead of being reactive against the sins of lost people, why not bring in the lost? Seriously, if the church spent one tenth of the time she spends protesting, praying or fasting about abortion in actually preaching the Gospel to people that have abortions, abortion would be a non-issue in a matter of a few years. Let’s have a real life movement that takes all the research that’s been done, identifies the primary recipients of abortions and mobilize to preach the Gospel to that demographic!
Why don’t we stop trying to change the laws that sinners cower under to excuse their sin and just get down to the dirty business of winning the lost?. What about a life movement that is pro-active instead of reactive? Why are we acting surprised at what sinners do and the laws that they pass? And speaking of immoral laws, here is the solution to the problem of liberal activist judges that pass laws that corrupt the fabric of our society: Preach the Gospel to lawyers.
Fewer lost = less sin.
It’s so simple no one will do it.
THE HEALTH CARE SOLUTION
A huge topic in the news now is the great Health care debate of 2009. Both sides generally agree that insurance premiums are skyrocketing and millions of people in America don’t have access to quality health care. Both sides are also proposing “solutions” that are extremely complicated and expensive.
What can the church do about this HUGE problem?
Look at the church in the book of Acts! When they prayed, people were healed. So many in fact that they brought in the sick from the surrounding towns and they were ALL healed! (Acts 5:16) Healing is as much in the Atonement that Jesus provided as the salvation of your soul and the forgiveness of your sins. The church has lost the conviction of this fact and has abdicated her responsibility to heal the sick to the government. Government is not responsible to heal or provide for the healing of those in our land, the church is! Jesus sent His disciples out in Luke to:
“And He sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” Luke 9:2
Preach the Gospel and heal the sick; two things that the church won’t do. We’ll protest and we’ll pray but we have been called to preach and heal! Maybe instead of supporting one side over the other in the healthcare debate we should open a new front in the debate! What if our city or our town was recognized in the news as being one of the healthiest cities in the nation? Say it’s not possible? It’s already happened! From 1915 – 1920 John G. Lake trained a small group of minister’s that prayed for the sick and ministered healing full time. In 5 years they had over 100,000 documented cases of healing and were declared to be the healthiest city in the US! If Christians got serious about healing the sick, maybe a third option would open in this great healthcare debate? Our Gospel is free, it works against any disease on any demographic (even illegal aliens) and the trained practitioners can reproduce rapidly!
“And He said to them, Go into all the world, proclaim the gospel to all the creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned. And miraculous signs will follow to those believing these things: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will be well.” Mark 16:15-18
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