Nov
19
What’s Going On?
Filed Under Life
There was a speaker at my church last night who came to talk about the book of Acts. He was really good and broke down the book and explained the reasoning and what was going on. It wasn’t until the very end that I got all fired up and upset. It had nothing to do with the speaker, but everything to do with our country…and myself.
On the back of the hand out we were given, there were all these beautiful charts showing how the Gospel is being expanded in different continents of the world. The biggest expansions from 1900 to 2000 were in Asia and Africa and actually Latin America as well. Not a huge shocker, since our country sends missionaries to many countries on these continents. Yet when you compare those to North America…not so much a big jump. This could be justified by the density of population…but is that REALLY the reason?
This goes along with one of my biggest issues about the war. Now, I’m not a very political person, nor will you frequently hear me debate issuess…in fact, you’re more likely to see me run! But what really chapps my hynie (I have no idea where that phrase came from or what it actually means, but I like it at the moment) is not the war itself, but the fact that we pump in so many resources – monetary and personnel – to other countries, yet there are so many people in our own backyard who need our help.
Last night, from two different people, I heard that the Chinese (I think it’s the Chinese) are training missionaries to come to the US! It seems backwards in my head. Sometimes, I just think we should take care of our own, but then again, in Acts, Luke tells us to go to the ends of the earth. I think we need to continue on that, but also put some time and effort into our own backyard.
What are your thoughts???
The greatest missions I’ve always been told is in your back yard and after you have done what God has wanted you to do, then and only then I believe should you look elsewhere.
The problem with Western christianity is it is taken for granted the freedom it has. “The voice of one crying in the waste land, Make ready the way of the Lord, make his roads straight;” is not suggested in the pulpit. For the Western church has been endued with the power of the Holy Spirit as well as the Holy Horror from Man which says just let your light shine and they will come. Such a perversion of the gospel. How will they hear if one is not sent and how will one know if one does not hear? Did people throughout all the world hear of the gospel or did someone just sit there and smile?
Yes! I believe we start in our backyard and work our way forward because even the disciples(disciplined) did so as well. First they became disciples and then became disciplers!
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