“…you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Matthew 24:44)
George Barna released a new report last week showing that Americans are DRAMATICALLY MINIMIZING their reliance on God in everyday life.
- Only 16 percent of Americans say that God is the most important element in their lives.
- Less than one in 10 Americans report having an “intimate, interactive spiritual relationship” with God.
- Only 14 percent allow God to have total influence over their life choices.
Barna also points out that the shift he is seeing among Americans isn’t just tied to cultural Christians who don’t attend church on a regular basis: This shift REMOVING GOD FROM THE CENTER OF AMERICAN LIFE is being seen inside the church, with the role of God becoming LESS IMPORTANT to people of faith. But the findings also indicate this shift is bringing a dramatic loss of reliance on God among Americans generally.
“Then THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (this is talking about the Church) shall be likened to ten virgins who TOOK THEIR LAMPS and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now FIVE of them were WISE, and FIVE were FOOLISH.” (Matthew 25:1-2) Only one half of the church will be ready when the Lord comes back! They all had lamps, but, “Those who were foolish took their lamps and took NO OIL with them…” (Matthew 25:3) The oil represents the Holy Spirits presence in our lives.
This is just my personal observation over the past 53 years, for many years as a Pastor and then recently in just attending church, I have observed that some people just seem SO UNINTERESTED in being in church. So, I’m not surprised that so many will be WITHOUT OIL in their lamps. So, the foolish virgins went to buy oil, “…while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with Him to the wedding; and THE DOOR WAS SHUT. “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But He answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I DO NOT KNOW YOU.’” (Matthew 25:10-12) So make sure you are ready!!!
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham