“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God, “That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of HEARING THE WORDS OF THE LORD. They shall wander from sea to sea, And from north to east; They shall run to and fro, SEEKING THE WORD OF THE LORD, But SHALL NOT FIND IT.” (Amos 8:11-12 NKJV)
The 69-year-old founder of The Barna Group, George Barna, a market research firm specializing in studying Americans’ religious beliefs and behaviors, said that over the last few decades, he’s seen certain negative trends increasingly permeate Western Christianity. “People have become MORE SELFISH, churches have become LESS INFLUENTIAL, pastors have become LESS BIBLE–CENTRIC,” Barna, who now serves as the director of research at the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, said. “Jesus didn’t come to build institutions, He came TO BUILD PEOPLE. And we see that model in His life. He devoted the ministry portion of His life to INVESTING IN INDIVIDUALS. And that’s what EACH OF US who are followers of Christ NEED TO BE DOING.”
Paul told Timothy, “PREACH THE WORD; be prepared IN SEASON and OUT OF SEASON…” In season and out of season means in FAVORABLE SITUATIONS and in UNFAVORABLE SITUATIONS. Favorable situation is when there is NO OBSTACLE TO PREACH THE WORD of GOD. Unfavorable situation is when people or situations ARE AGAINST PREACHING THE WORD. “…correct, rebuke and encourage—with GREAT PATIENCE AND CAREFUL INSTRUCTION. For the time will come when people will NOT PUT UP WITH SOUND DOCTRINE. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They WILL TURN THEIR EARS AWAY from the truth and TURN ASIDE TO MYTHS.” (2 Timothy 4:2-4)
The wise Solomon taught us about every Word of God from Proverbs, “Their purpose is to teach people WISDOM AND DISCIPLINE, to help them UNDERSTAND THE INSIGHTS OF THE WISE. Their purpose is TO TEACH people to live DISCIPLINED AND SUCCESSFUL LIVES, to help them DO WHAT IS RIGHT, JUST, AND FAIR.” (Proverbs 1:2-3)
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham