The author takes great pains to show how people in Muncie, Indiana have been failed by their institutions. Banks, schools, politicians, churches, business; all take a hit. Muncie is used as a microcosm of America, and a lot of these things hit home here in Gainesville as well.
Since 2002, all our major institutions have suffered a loss of confidence, according to polling data, except for organized religion and HMOs. But their gains were so paltry, and they started from so far down, that it could scarcely be considered a "win."
Conspicuously missing from these polls is God Himself. I would love to have seen how the Almighty fared in comparison to the rest. After all, you can think little of your church leaders while still loving the Lord...I think.
This could be a great opportunity to reach the lost, who are running out of human options. All around us the case is made that mankind is sinful and self-absorbed. But they now have to make the leap that they are no better, and that they need a Savior as well.
May 3rd is the National Day of Prayer. One of the things we need to do is to examine ourselves, and make sure we are worth listening to. After all, if we don't walk the talk, we are just another class of hucksters who don't use our own products.
2 Chronicles 7:13“If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, 14and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
I wish more people read these posts Don, and that there had been more time to get to know you in G'ville. Your last few posts have been very insightful. Part of the problem is that modernism, relativism and subjectivity have so infiltrated the outfit that thinks it's the church that they can't recognize a good deal of what they are doing is actually wickedness. You mentioned in your Tebow post about having gifts but bad fruit. Most churches are gift-focused, and they interpret them with subjective feelings rather than truth. For His people in this country to turn from wickedness would take an entire paradigm shift from "christian thought" to truth. The Word is truth; anything else stirred in to make it more palatable, more socially acceptable, or more inclusive dilutes it to a lie with enough true-sounding stuff in it to make it still seem acceptable as truth. But it is still a lie. Father is beginning to expose those lies for what they are, and His people will respond; those who don't will be those who are the trees with bad fruit and the vine-branches "in Him" that bear no fruit which will be cast into the fire.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement. I think a lot of people have these thoughts but don't express them. In many cases I think they just stuff them down inside and keep themselves busy.
ReplyDeleteOthers have these thoughts, but then they bark up the wrong tree; focusing on political solutions. I've done this myself, although I do think that we have some obligation to participate in politics, even if it's just voting.
Right now I am spending a lot more time in the Word and less time writing. I prefer to wait for something meaningful to say. It may not build audience, but it may prick a heart or two.