The Gagging of God- by Dick Innes
"Do you think the work of harvesting will not begin until the summer ends four months from now? Look around you! Vast fields are ripening all around us and are ready now for the harvest." John 4:35 (NLT)
Recently we talked about parroting meaningless words. There's a danger in our personal and church life to
have correct theology and doctrine, but in reality
words that are meaningless in that we don't apply them
to our every day life. As Vance Havner put it, "Our
doctrine is sound—sound asleep."
In the last quarter century or so we've spent
multiplied millions of dollars on church growth but
there has been little increase in the number of
Americans being born again. Much of what we have seen
is church movement—people moving from one church to
another. Furthermore, according to surveys conducted by research specialist, George Barna, here in America
there is little or no measurable difference in
lifestyle between average Christians and non-church
people.
In the 1800s many of the great spiritual movements were coming out of Great Britain. At the beginning of the nineteenth century fifty percent of the British people
were in church. By the end of the Twentieth Century I
have read that it is less than five percent. People
left the organized church by the multiplied thousands.
According to Gavin Reed (a British minister) in his
book, The Gagging of God, in England over time the
needs of the people changed but the average church
program remained the same and became irrelevant. Church
people ended up talking mostly to themselves and except
for scattered pockets of revival the church in Great
Britain has lost its impact of bygone years. The same
is true throughout Europe, once the cradle of
Christianity.
Are we doing any better in the U.S. and other Western
nations at communicating effectively to those outside
the church? Aren't most of our efforts in the print
media, Christian radio, music, TV ministries, and now
in Christian web and email ministry talking primarily
to ourselves and "preaching to the choir?"
What will happen to over-the-seas evangelism if
across-the-street evangelism dies?
And what will happen to this nation of U.S.A. built on
a spiritual foundation with justice and liberty for all
if the church here becomes irrelevant to the needs of
today's generation and loses its impact. The
consequences for our children and our children's
children are unthinkable.
Perhaps the answer begins in God's word to King
Solomon: "If my people, who are called by my name, will
humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn
from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven
and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."2
Chronicles 7:14 (NIV).
Prayer: "Dear God, please send a revival and a
spiritual awakening to churches and Christians
everywhere and let your work begin in me. Thank you for
hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus'
name, amen."
<:))))<><