My mind has wandered since seeing that bird mentioned in the previous post and I tied together several thoughts I have been mulling over. I don't know, maybe it's all just random thoughts.
We had an associational revival this past week. It was in a high school stadium and I sat all four nights up high. I'm a big time people watcher. I can completely get lost watching people. Sitting up high allowed me a view of everything and everyone.
I noticed a couple things. I'm guessing that 60% of the crowd was 60+ years old. It wouldn't surprise me at all if the figure is higher and older. The vast majority of the remaining crowd I would venture to say was the late 30's, early 40's, children of the elderly. Then there was the few scattered teens who were their kids. So what I noticed out of this is that there seemed to be a huge missing part of the human population. Were were the 18 to 35 year olds?
I looked out over the crowd each night, remembering that this was an association, and wondered if it were possible that there was no black members. I'm guessing that there was never more than 20 of our black brothers and sisters in Christ in attendance each night.
I don't know. Maybe it's cause I'm "not from around here" that I don't understand these things, but then, there was that bird in the road, and I wonder, what am I doing? I know what I want to do. I want to go to a church were drug addicts, prostitutes, beaten women, sex addict, internet whores, cranksters, crack heads, tweakers, alcoholics, and/or people I can relate to go. There is nothing "shocking" anyone could ever tell my wife and I. BEEN THERE, DONE THAT! I don't see those people coming to church though and the one church in Tallahassee I do know they are going to isn't helping them. They're giving them 12 steps to Jesus just as long as they remember "you are never healed" (from their literature) and your not suppose to "help anyone, just listen".
THERE ISN'T TWELVE STEPS TO JESUS! THERE'S TWO KNEES! The rest is grace.
Another thing that bugged me and has for sometime is the guilt trip invitation. "If your 99% sure your saved then your 100% lost". What is that? All these people saying, "Do you want to be sure?". Well, YA! Why don't you get in 1 John and teach me how I can be sure instead of making me wonder if I'm saved or not. Why do we have to have our heads down and eyes closed? Is there something embarrassing about coming to Jesus? Should it be a hidden thing? Jesus stood on a mountain if I'm correct and said, "Come to me". That was it. Nothing more. I'm pretty sure that most everyone that did come to Him walked right up to Him and requested what they wanted. I just don't see Him saying, "If your 99% sure I'm God then your 100% lost but if you just slip your hand up now I'll say a little prayer and you can be on your way saved".
I certainly don't want to portray the revival as something I didn't enjoy. I got a lot out of it. I don't know......It's a rant. Forgive me. The Lord knows I'm not doing much about any of it.
3 comments:
Michael,
I liked your saying, "There's two knees." That is good.
What you said of the people with all those vices, some of which you have said you had at one time, when they or you came to Christ are no longer. You are made NEW in Him (2 Cor. 5:17).
Those who are in the clapse of those vices are sometimes easier to proclaim the gospel to, than those who are rich, clean, smug, self-righteous, and some of them are involved with those vices.
Thanks for the thoughts.
Thank You for your comment! I completely agree and identify with your qoute of 2 Cor. 5:17. I totaly understand how the people I mention in the post can struggle with accepting this. God know's it took me awhile to get it. I tell you what did it for me. When I relized that everything I did was a choice. I choosed to sin. We need to stop telling people that whatever there addiction is....it's a disease. IT'S NOT A DISEASE, IT'S A CHOICE!
These are the people Jesus went too. I have been thinking of writing a series of post on where Jesus would be if He were walking the earth today. I imagine I'll ruffle some feathers where I'll place Him at.
I have also been thinking that were I place Jesus at is where I should be. If I'm not there and nobody else is, then Jesus is not there. Jesus is walking the earth today. I'm stopping Him from going where I would think He would be.
Sounds like you have been reading Jonathan Edwards Sinners in the hands of an angry God.
See your thoughts on the 99% sure issue is fundamental the new born child must hear from Jesus and no one else if they are saved. They believe and confess Him because Christ has been revealed to them from heaven.
I think it is great that you are in a church where you have elder people to talk to. You will find with Youth Churches that usually there are not that many adults.
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