Perishing: It's never too late to stop!

Post date: Jun 25, 2014 7:16:14 PM

The title for this issue is called perishing. It’s an odd title but I've been rather burdened throughout this past week with a memory of a scripture that I had read about 20 years ago which states: "…My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…" (Hosea 4: 6)

Here's my dilemma. I've  been burdened for those persons who have only been exposed to the Kingdom of God through the eyes of religion. After being born again I learned that salvation is a lifelong journey and not just a one time experience. Since my first encounter with God I have experienced His intimate love, His friendship and His mercy through the grace of Christ and want others to enjoy these benefits for themselves. 

Mark 16: 15-17 ...and He said to them, "go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick and they will recover."

Recently I was questioned by several people regarding the relevance of the Bible in today's culture. 

One person asked: Why had they not seen any healings or miracles , like the ones described in the bible?

The other questioned: Does the Christian community accept sickness and chronic illness as an unfortunate part of everyday living?

My answer to them was somewhat delayed as I pondered an appropriate response. It would have been negligent of me to point the finger at others before first analyzing my own action. Everyone is an interpreter of the bible. Each leader teaches according to his/her personal degree of understanding. The bible teaches "...when the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew things to come." (John 16: 13) It is safe to assume, if we are not seeing the manifestation of God's power in our lives, as described in the bible, then we must be doing something wrong. It may be that we are not listening or have not heard or have not learned to hear or if we have heard then do we know how we should respond to the voice of God by faith. "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." (John 4: 23-24)

Acts 18: 26 "…He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the Way of God more accurately."

Is it possible that we need to be discipled ourselves? This was the conclusion that my wife and I came to in our own walk. Since making this decision we have entrusted ourselves to Christian teachers who have purposed to partner with the Holy Spirit to teach us, who manifest the power of God in their ministry and who teach with the character and integrity of Jesus. As a result our faith, trust and boldness have all increased. This issue is a testimony to God's faithfulness as we learn from other believers to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.

1 Peter 1: 13 "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

The bible teaches that there is an enemy whose name is Satan. The apostle Peter warns us of the devil's presence when he wrote: " be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5: 8) It has been my observation that this culture embraces evil while shunning the goodness of God. The church in her ignorance has been struggling to remain unstained from the world. Their desire to relate to God is sincere but the become frustrated when the outcome of their prayers is not positive. Guess what? It's not God who fails! The book of James states: "From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not,: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: because ye ask amiss, that ye might consume it upon your lusts."(James 4: 1-3)

Hosea 4: 6 "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge...."

We are responsible for our thoughts. If we want to think as the world thinks we will produce worldly results. If we want to think as God thinks we will receive a godly reward. God helps us in this area by illuminating His Word to us as we spend time with him in the Holy Scriptures. "In Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Colossians 2: 3) Seek Him! Find Life!

Romans 13:11-12 "…And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer then when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light."

My final thought originates with the title for this writing. In my opinion the church is perishing needlessly and if the church is perishing so is the world. Sickness, emotional bondage, poverty, and death have become the acceptable norm. I'll admit that there have been sporadic displays of the supernatural but for the most part this culture has been unaffected by the church. This was not the type of ministry that Jesus displayed nor should it be for us today!

Mark 1: 14-15 "...Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, " The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel."