Showing posts with label culture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label culture. Show all posts

Monday 25 June 2018

Many will say

Many will say
Jesus said,
“Many will say to me  on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’  
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” Matthew 7:22,23.
The English, American evangelist Leonard Ravenhill said,
"I doubt if 5% of professing Christians in America are born again--and that's true of England!” Leonard Ravenhill.
I think he may be right especially among those who claim to be Evangelical Christians.
I think part of the problem is Christianity in America in particular has become part of the culture. American and to a lesser degree Canadian evangelicals have slipped into the false belief that their countries are, or at least once were Christian. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Christianity is a part of the culture of America and Canada but only a part. The majority of people in North America do not go to church once a month, or even once a year, let alone participate in a church congregation.
Even among those who go to Church one has to ask the question are they truly Christians. As someone has said
“Going to church and reading the Bible does not make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage and reading an auto repair manual makes you a car.”
I hear constantly from evangelicals in particular who say, “I read my Bible everyday.” But to quote Ravenhill again,
“People say, "I read my Bible everyday", 
but when was time last time they studied it?” 
                                             Leonard Ravenhill
Within Christianity today there is a dire need to turn back to the Bible and study it. To read the Bible and understand what it is to be a Christian.
We need to get away from this foolish notion that any nation on the face of the earth is Christian. The apostle Peter said Christians were a Holy nation. He did not say not an earthly nation. Peter said,
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 
Dear friends,
 I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:9-12.
I firmly believe that if Christians want to reach the world for Christ they first need to turn back to the Bible and study what it means to be Christian. Otherwise they will never reach anyone.
Please think about it.