Things to Think About
At the end of the year, rather than getting caught up in the usual “resolutions” addiction, why not consider some of the researched facts about the world we live in. Here is something to think about–and do something about in 2015.
In 2005, George Barna published Revolution. His organization researched the spiritual lives of 77 million adults who are churched and call themselves born-again Christians. The results of his research uncovered widespread failure among those who claim to belong to Jesus to effectively serve our Lord in proclaiming His work of redeeming mankind. Here are some highlights. I have added some of my remarks (in brackets [ ] ) to these findings in order to point out the even more striking disparity between Hebraic biblical faith and Christian consciousness.
Regarding Worship…
- The biweekly attendance at worship services is, by believers’ own admission, generally the only time they worship God. [One must wonder how few even consider Shabbat as the biblical ritual designed and endorsed by God.]
- Only 1 out of every 4 church believers says that when they worship God, they expect Him to be the primary beneficiary of their worship. (Most people say they expect to get the most from the experience.) [This is hardly surprising given the individualism of the Greek worldview.]
Regarding Faith-based Conversations…
- The typical church believer will die without leading a single person to a life-saving knowledge of and relationship with Jesus Christ. [Recruitment is the function of the professionals. And furthermore, if you read some of the results below, you will see that there is no significant difference between the cultural view of success and the Christian view of success, so why would we expect these people to actively encourage anything except the cultural standards?]
- At any given time a majority of believers do not have a specific person in mind for whom they are praying in the hope that the person will be saved.
Regarding Intentional Spiritual Growth…
- Only 9% of all born-again adults have a biblical worldview… Those beliefs include a certainty that the Bible is accurate in its teachings; Jesus lived a sinless life on earth; Satan is real, not symbolic; all believers are responsible for sharing their faith in Christ with others; the only means to salvation is through God’s grace; and God is the all-knowing and all-powerful Creator of the universe who still rules it today. The other 91% of born-again adults possess a patchwork of theological views and rarely rely upon those perspectives to inform their daily decisions. [What I find interesting here is that far less than 9% have a truly biblical worldview. This 9% has a Christian worldview but that is a far cry from the Hebraic/Jewish worldview of the biblical authors. Barna doesn’t even recognize this.]
- When asked what constitutes success in life, few believers defined success in spiritual terms. Most describe outcomes related to professional achievement, family solidarity, physical accomplishments, or resource acquisition. [This is the Roman way of life in syncretism.]
- When given the opportunity to state how they want to be known by others, fewer than 1 out of 10 believers mentioned descriptions that reflect their relationship with God.
Regarding servanthood…
- In a typical week, only 1 out of every 4 believers will allocate some time to serving other people. Most of that time is dedicated to volunteering in church programs that serve congregants; little effort is invested in serving needy people outside the congregation. [The “church” has replaced hesed, mishpat and rahum, all of which are intensely personal. Service is what serves the organization, not the people.]
Regarding Spiritual Friendships…
- Fewer than 1 out of every 6 churched believers has a relationship with another believer through which spiritual accountability is provided.
- The most significant influence on the choices of church believers is neither the teachings from the pulpit nor advice gleaned from fellow congregants; it is messages absorbed from the [secular] media, the law, and family members. [But why would we be surprised. As Peter Leithart says, “The Church is instutionalized worldliness.”]
Regarding Family Faith…
- A large majority of churched believers rely upon their church, rather than their family, to train their children to become spiritually mature. [In direct defiance of biblical commands. And what results do we expect? To reiterate whatever the church teaches.]
- In an average month, fewer than 1 out of every 10 churched families worships together outside of the church service; just a few pray together, other than at meal times; and the same minimal numbers study the Bible together at home.
- The likelihood of a married couple who are born again churchgoers getting divorced is the same as couples who were not disciples of Jesus.
- Apart from church-based programs, the typical Christian family spends less than 3 hours per month in endeavors designed to jointly develop or apply their faith.
- Most Christian parents do not believe they are doing a good job at facilitating the spiritual development of their children. But they have no idea, nor any tools, to do anything about it.
[Given these few highlights, do you understand just how powerful the paradigm really is? If you make any headway at all with anyone in the Christian paradigm, it is a miracle.]
I am finding that these are the times in which it is easier to go out in the highways and byways to invite guests to the feast. I have cried and torn out my hair about it. I found myself doing it again yesterday. I am thinking about the verse “If those who are called by My Name will humble themselves…”. I have noticed that they were called by His Name, but I have wondered why He was not the one calling them by It…
Wow, this just took my breath away! I am so very thankful that, “When He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all Truth.” (John 16:13) And He has been so faithful to work that out for our family over the last 25 years, especially. “Line upon line, precept upon precept,” He is changing our paradigm. In the beginning I told a Messianic Jewish friend and mentor that I just wanted to unscrew my head and toss it in the trash and replace it with a Jewish model. (If only it were that quick and easy!) Thanks for your help along the way, Skip. I so appreciate that you have helped us realize that it is indeed a paradigm shift we are tackling. No wonder we sometimes feel like we are turning inside out and upside down! But the view from here is so much greater than from our previous position. So worth it. Praise God!!
In my own life I have found that if you knock He will answer, if you ask, He will provide – the catch is that He only provides for the one who wants provision. Wanting to change and be pleasing personally is easy, wanting this for someone else is heart breaking. When you look in your neighbor’s bowl that is empty and offer to share what you have, yet they refuse what you offer, how can one not hurt for that person?
A Word from the Word
~ What do the scriptures say? ~
I do not own any “tats” (tatoos, for the uninformed), but if I did,- these words from God’s Word, -I would have engraved somewhere upon my person, -somewhere where they would be visible unto me at all times..
Why have I not been “inked?” – Simply put, the “canvas” tends to fade! What used to read “Mom” (Darth Vader, or “whatev”), due to the fading canvas is now a wrinkled, dark blob! No “tats,” for me, – t-shirt please!
Have you heard these words? (Now) ~ Faith comes by hearing- and hearing by the word of God ~ And? ~ the just shall (by his faith) live! ~
But what is “faith?” Friends, – may I? Faith (Biblical faith!) is Bible-based (only). Faith is based upon a Book. It is a Book unlike any other book ever written. Oh, how I would encourage (beg, even?) every person who draws breath to explore and to know this Book. Why? – Where are God’s words found? Would you like to hear God speak? (I would!) Then open this (inspired, -God-breathed) Book, and read it. All of us who walk in darkness (all) could use more exposure to the Light!
Think about this: When our Savior was tempted/tested in the wilderness (please remember!- He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness!! – a Divine Appointment?- lol!) and ding-dong tried his best to take Him down and cause Him to “err” or to stumble, our LORD has three words to say to the Accuser, to the Deceiver, – to the father of lies- (and I quote!!) – Yes, oh Yes!!! I am (praise God!) a “Bible-thumper!!” Thump-thump!! lol! Do you recall these three (another tat??) words? Yes, oh Yes! Praise God! YES!!
IT IS WRITTEN
And? Did you know? (More “things to think about!”) – and to shout about!
~ The grass withers, the flower fades, when the Breath of the LORD (the Ruach HaKodesh) blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, But!!! (I love do love those Bible Buts!!)
~ the word of our God stands forever~
One day (later than sooner I hope) we will all be “dust.” But there is something solid, something “solid gold” that will remain. Something – (who is also an incarnated Someone!) will endure (are you listening?) -forever.
We may say, “God says it, I believe it, – (therefore?) – it is faithful and true,
but friends- it really matters not whether we believe or not! – God will not (can not!) EVER lie! Both His Name and His Word ARE true and faithful! And? And as His Name, – so is He! My Redeemer IS Faithful and True.
Something else to think about.. (yes, – “it is written!”)
~And I saw Heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a Name written on Him which no one knows except Himself.. ~
(Revelation 19.11,12)
Crown Him with many crowns!! – (the Lamb upon the Throne!!)
Yes, it is true! The Master theme, (the Master’s theme!) of the entire body of tHis Book (His-Story), is.. “Behold, -the Lamb!”
Oh, what a moment!
~ Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. They said to one another, were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He (The Incarnate Word Himself!) was explaining the Scriptures to us? ~
Something else to think about..
~ Then He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures ~
(Luke 24:45)
~For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding ~ (Proverbs 2.6)
Kids, what comes out of a Man’s mouth? Uhh.. words?
And?
~ Never has a man spoken the way this Man speaks!! ~
Why is this?
~ the crowds were amazed at His teaching.. ~
Why?
~ And all bore Him witness, [Where are the witnesses today?] and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son? ~(Luke 4.22)
Yes, “son of man” and?- (lol!) Just a little bit more!
Repeating Peter.. ~ You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God! ~
~ But what about you?” [the Lamb of God asked.]
“Who do you say I AM?”
King of kings? – LORD of lords? – LORD of all?
He is.
Wow. Fascinating and interesting, but not totally surprising. I definitely have much to work on. I have spent the last year taking in knowledge and shifting my paradigm, and have made some big changes. But I haven’t done as much as I think I should to share what I have learned with my children. A little, but not enough, in my mind. Some of it is a lack of courage. My husband is even less “religious” than I am. I haven’t mustered the boldness yet to lead my family in prayer and study. Some of it is feeling like I hardly know where to start. If there’s one thing about this path, it’s that it’s not linear and neat.
Seeing these statistics makes me feel blessed, and shows me there’s a long way to go.
You AND YOUR husband should read Guardian Angel together. It will help a lot.
He enjoys your audio teachings, but isn’t much of a reader. Maybe I’ll show him this comment and say, “See? Skip himself personally recommended that you read it with me!” 😉
Deut 6:7 And you shall teach them to your sons, and shall speak of them as you sit in your house, and as you walk in the way, and as you are lying down, and as you are rising up.
A set time for family Bible study and prayer is nice in theory, but after raising 3 boys to adulthood, in all honesty, I never found it was very profitable. Getting them to sit still, pay attention and then talk was next to impossible. (And now that I understand the problems with the “Greek” method, I know why.) The lessons they do remember are the ones that were simply spur of the moment as we walked (or drove) on the “way”; the ones that ministered to their hearts when they came home from school or youth group and were angry, sad or discouraged, (especially in the tween years of 10-14); the explanations we gave when we said “no” to some request to do what “all the other kids” were doing, as well as reasons when we actually said, “yes”. The discussions we had, the rare times they missed curfew in High School, and we were waiting up for them. 🙂 Prime time was often that hour or two between school and dinner in the afternoons. I was blessed in my work that I could usually be home for them in that time, even though it meant 2 or 3 hours of work in the evenings. Not everyone can do that – but we can all be attuned to when our family members need to talk, and make a point of putting aside whatever we are doing to listen. That’s rarely an easy investment in the chaos of daily living, but the dividends are enormous!
Your spouse and your children will tell you, in passing, where they need to hear the Word. As ezer in my home, when I study for myself, then I find God provides opportunity to give a word where it is needed. That included reading Guardian Angel — I would read a chapter and then share little tidbits with my husband, even reading him a paragraph or two with the introduction “what do you think about this …”. I carried that book in my purse for weeks, because sometimes the best time to bring it up was while we were driving somewhere (no escape 🙂 ). Eventually, his curiosity was piqued enough to read the book himself. Just be persistent as you are walking in the way.
Great observations.
🙂
(Skip had great observations, too, as usual, however, that was suppose to be replied to you Suzanne.
Sorry.
Great observations.
🙂