21/05/2021
Dying Daily.
When I listen to many sermons, I find many to be okay as far as the words go, but as I often complain – where is the power? The don’t seem to achieve anything, they are not able to stop the degradation in society, has the Light gone out? Why so? It’s a matter of motivation? Why do they preach?
There are many reasons I can think of why some preachers carry on as they do, quite regardless of any real fruitfulness. Most churches in Wales are characterised by barrenness so this is a great shame for the harvest is huge and ready for reaping, Matt 9:37. There was a real fear factor in society before the lockdowns, now it is huge, that makes good ground, prepared for the good seed.
To be fruitful there is only one motivation that is sufficient to facilitate the Holy Spirit to accompany the preaching in the power from on high and that is a deep love of Jesus; that’s all! And surely, Jesus is easy to love? Tens of thousands of Galileans thought so; and the Judeans by the end, all of which formed the 20,000 plus that were saved in the first week of Pentecost, followed by many more. It’s all about compassion, do we love with Jesus’ love?
One man, quoting Jesus’s words about taking up your cross daily, was – come follow Me and die! – that was Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and he did take a bullet for Jesus, courtesy of Hi**er. The Message paraphrases it - If you don’t go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don’t deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me. Matt 10:38.
Some in Nigeria say that the story is true about the church where 2 armed terrorists burst into a service and said – Who is ready to take a bullet for Jesus? – the curate followed by the choir were the first out! Very quick-ly, the pastor was left with about a quarter of the congre-gation, the terrorists said – Okay pastor, we’ve got rid of the fakes, now carry on – and they left!
We smile, but terrorists in sub-Saharan Africa do that often, but they try not to let anyone to escape. That there are so many fakes in the churches and in pulpits, everywhere, is why there are so many martyrs, tens of thousands every year! It is that serious! It is the fakes in the pulpits that are the start of the problem. Congregations are like sheep without shepherds and are helpless before their enemies.
Psychologists always go on about – finding yourself – but that is impossible until you give yourself away, wholly to Jesus! It is the very best thing to do - we’re safe in the arms of Jesus! - in North Korea and lands like Afghanistan they are safe too, although they are likely to die; Jesus has the front rows of the Holy City ready for them, Rev 7:9. Jesus says – don’t fear those who can kill the body, but Him who can kill the soul, Matt 10:28. The saints need to have a correct perspective about death, the best is yet to come, and death is the door that opens to it! Dying to self is required daily. Relinquishment to the will of God happens every morning!
There are now many morbid attitudes in most churches and that is only one of the problems when the sheep are without shepherds. Until we get some 1Tim3 overseers in our churches the rot will get worse. Some reckon that 40% of churches will finish this year. I doubt we will be completely free of the plandemic restrictions, only a Revival will stop that.
God wants all this evil to stop, this broken society grieves Him, and, all the while, Jesus promises that the Truth will set us free! Only real prayer can change this, Laodicea must open the door to Jesus and let Him in! Rev 3:20.
