The Stock Market is falling. Gas prices continue to rise; and that’s if you can find a gas station that hasn’t run out of fuel. Food prices seem to be going up everyday. People are unable to pay their mortgages and are in danger of losing their homes, often with no idea of what to do next. The unemployment rate is steadily rising. And the cycle of despair continues with folks out of work, running out of money and running out of hope.
Every person living in the United States of America is feeling the effects of what I just said. And it doesn’t matter if you are Republican or Democrat, whether you are African American, Caucasian or Hispanic, whether you live in ghetto or the suburbs, your life is feeling the pinch. Unfortunately some are feeling more of a tight squeeze than a pinch.
If you turn on the TV, every station is talking about the economy, the oil, the housing market, the war, and the presidential candidates. It’s time for the church to talk more about Jesus.
The difference right now between the saved and the unsaved is that we, the saved, are dealing with these situations by leaning on Jesus. The unsaved do not know this Jesus, therefore they don't know how to trust Him. So who are they leaning on? They are quickly learning that their jobs and their bank accounts do not provide total security. Our role as the saints of God is to offer hope in what seems like hope-less times.
But is the church operating as God intended? Are we gathering on sanctified island to dance and shout for what God has done for us, forgetting that we have been commissioned to do for others? We must be careful not to limit our praise and testimony to a particular “service” held inside a building with beautiful stained glass windows and comfortable pews. The Pharisees were caught up in the religiosity of being among their own people and disconnecting themselves from what they called the dregs of society. Jesus said "the well have no need of a physician." In other words, it is the sick who need the physician the most. And if we have access to this physician and the ability to share him with others, why are we trying to keep him to ourselves? We cannot forget that we were once without hope until the gospel message was preached to us. Therefore we should strive to share what we have learned and how we have grown.
People are dying – spiritually, emotionally and in some cases physically. They don’t want to hear any more bad news. They are living it every day. Their souls are crying for someone to “tell me something good.” Are we listening? Are we speaking?
