Author: taethne

Numbers

/ taethne

I wanted to share some numbers this morning that has me thinking. According to Christianity Today, the United States sent 127,000 missionaries to other countries (making us the largest sending nation) while receiving over 32,400 missionaries from other countries (making us the largest receiving country). On February 29th of this year, USA Today reported that during the last ten years (2000-2010) Islam increased 74% and Time reported on March 12th that 16% of the US population consider themselves unattached to any religion.

While many conclusions from these numbers can be drawn, here is my take. America is definitely a post-Christian nation where the churches have failed to even keep up with the population growth. While we have championed going out into the “lost world”, we have lost our own country. Perhaps we should treat the US as a foreign country and adopt the same strategies here to reach our own lost. We also must repent of the arrogance of believing that we have the answers for everyone else when we are losing our own people. Maybe, just maybe, we need to look at other countries where Christianity is growing, not shrinking, and ask them to teach us how to reach our own people. While I am grateful for those 32,400 missionaries coming here to help us, I am ashamed that we are losing so much ground.

Perhaps its time to admit that Christianity in America is cultural and not transformational. Until we repent of that and the churches get busy making disciples, we will continue to see us losing ground. We have the truth, the training, the resources – what I question is if we have the commitment, the desire, the love for Christ that will compel us to reaching the lost for Him.

What about you? When is the last time you were involved in bringing a person to faith in Jesus Christ and discipling them in the faith?

Great Quotes From Ages Past #5

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This, from John Newton (of Amazing Grace fame) is great:

“If two angels were to receive at the same moment a commission from God, one to go down and rule earth’s grandest empire, the other to go and sweep the streets of its meanest village, it would be a matter of entire indifference to each which service fell to his lot, a post of ruler or the post of scavenger; for the joy of the angel lies only in obedience to God’s will.”

What a fantastic attitude towards service to God! May each of us rejoice in the fact of God deigning to use us at all to bring glory to His name.

Top 5 (Living) People I’d Like To Spend A Day With

/ taethne

Here is my current list of the top 5 living people I would like to spend an entire day with:

1) David Platt – author of Radical – pastor in Alabama

2) Condoleezza Rice – such an intelligent person in many areas

3) Charlie Martin — my first real spiritual mentor

4) Emmitt Smith — a great football player and all-around cool dude.

5) Warren Buffett — who wouldn’t want his financial advice?

That’s my list – what’s yours?

Great Quotes From Ages Past – #3

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This is a great quote taken from A Puritan Golden Treasury:

“Christ is to be answerable for all those that are given to Him, at the last day, and therefore we need not doubt but that He will certainly employ all the power of His Godhead to secure and save all those that He must be accountable for. Christ’s charge and care of these that are given to Him, extends even to the very day of their resurrection, that He may not so much as lose their dust, but gather it together again, and raise it up in glory to be a proof of His fidelity; for, saith He, “I shall lose nothing, but raise it up again at the last day.”

Thomas Brooks

 

Great Quotes From Ages Past – #2

/ taethne

Completely agree with this quotes:

“Sometimes we are inclined to think that a very great portion of modern revivalism has been more a curse than a blessing, because it has led thousands to a kind of peace before they have know their misery; restoring the prodigal to the Father’s house, and never making him say, “Father, I have sinned”

C.H. Spurgeon

Great Quotes from Ages Past – #1

/ taethne

Each day this week I am going to feature a different quote that inspires me. I hope you will find these inspirational too.

TO SERVE THE PRESENT AGE,
MY CALLING TO FULFIL,
O MAY IT ALL MY POWERS ENGAGE,
TO DO MY MASTER’S WILL!”

MAYNARD G. JAMES
(1902-1988)

Grace

/ taethne

Dale Ralph Davis has said, “It is not only by grace alone that we become God’s people but by grace alone we remain His people.” I don’t care if one is Calvinist or Arminean, we can both agree on this statement. We are saved by grace alone, Ephesians is very clear on that. We are also kept by the power of that same grace, given to us as a gift from God. We do nothing before salvation to merit it and we do nothing after salvation to merit keeping it. Has anyone lived perfectly, even after being born again? No? Then it is only by God’s grace we remain in fellowship with Him. The more one studies grace in Scripture, the more amazing it becomes.

As the Canons of Dort  expresses it, “God does not owe this grace to anyone. For what could God owe to one who has nothing to give that can be paid back? Indeed, what could God owe to one who has nothing of his own to give but sin and falsehood?” I leave you this morning with one other quote to ponder, this one from Alistair Begg: “As a result of grace, we have been saved from sin’s penalty. One day we will be saved from sin’s presence. In the meantime we are being saved from sin’s power.” Amen and praise God for His grace.