I didn't have all the time I wanted yesterday to really blog this out. So let me speak to this again. A recently study revels that more people are choosing nothing over God. The bottom line is that we are becoming a faithless nation. Therefore, it shouldn't be any surprise that people are leaving church with no plans of returning.
When are we going to get it? You cannot embrace a form of religion that denies it's power. The reason why people don't go to church is because church offers nothing to them worth having. We pray for revival then complain when it show up in our lives. People, we have to change or there will nothing will be left to change in a few years. Look at Europe whose churches lay lifeless and empty. Those buildings have become nightclubs and bars. Not because the congregation couldn't afford to keep the building, but there was no congregation to put in the building!
I am not bashing denominations here. If you are anything other than a Pentecostal - it's up to you to ask God what to do within your faith. However, I am a Pentecostal and I am going to speak to this bluntly. Have we become a powerless faith that preaches the full Gospel and proclaims that fullness of the Holy Spirit - but doesn't deliver on the promises of God? Since the year 2000 we have neither diminished nor grown within the US. The study pointed out that they were surprised at this considering the fact that Pentecost is taking the world by storm. Fact is, the United States seems to be missing out on it. Hmmm! I wonder why? It is because we are become a religion instead of a faith. It is more about our tradition than our relationship with Jesus? Have we become the very thing we swore we would never be - an organization rather than the Body of Christ? I think in some ways yes. When I hear "Pentecostal" pastors of "Pentecostal" churches say that they will not allow the gifts of the Spirit to be evident in their services because it might scare some people off - I cringe! They don't get it! People are looking for power they are not looking for the "grand marketing scheme" of heaven! They are looking for answers not slick presentations. Now don't get me wrong here. We are responsible to present the Gospel to the people n a way that they will comprehend it. Does that mean that we have to abandon our Pentecostal distinctiveness? No way! How are you going to make the Gospel alive without the passion and presence of the Holy Spirit?
So to some people who have visited our churches, worshiped in our services and watched us live our lives - there was nothing there to attract them to God? So nothing (or zero) actually has more value than God? God help us I pray!
When are we going to get it? You cannot embrace a form of religion that denies it's power. The reason why people don't go to church is because church offers nothing to them worth having. We pray for revival then complain when it show up in our lives. People, we have to change or there will nothing will be left to change in a few years. Look at Europe whose churches lay lifeless and empty. Those buildings have become nightclubs and bars. Not because the congregation couldn't afford to keep the building, but there was no congregation to put in the building!
I am not bashing denominations here. If you are anything other than a Pentecostal - it's up to you to ask God what to do within your faith. However, I am a Pentecostal and I am going to speak to this bluntly. Have we become a powerless faith that preaches the full Gospel and proclaims that fullness of the Holy Spirit - but doesn't deliver on the promises of God? Since the year 2000 we have neither diminished nor grown within the US. The study pointed out that they were surprised at this considering the fact that Pentecost is taking the world by storm. Fact is, the United States seems to be missing out on it. Hmmm! I wonder why? It is because we are become a religion instead of a faith. It is more about our tradition than our relationship with Jesus? Have we become the very thing we swore we would never be - an organization rather than the Body of Christ? I think in some ways yes. When I hear "Pentecostal" pastors of "Pentecostal" churches say that they will not allow the gifts of the Spirit to be evident in their services because it might scare some people off - I cringe! They don't get it! People are looking for power they are not looking for the "grand marketing scheme" of heaven! They are looking for answers not slick presentations. Now don't get me wrong here. We are responsible to present the Gospel to the people n a way that they will comprehend it. Does that mean that we have to abandon our Pentecostal distinctiveness? No way! How are you going to make the Gospel alive without the passion and presence of the Holy Spirit?
So to some people who have visited our churches, worshiped in our services and watched us live our lives - there was nothing there to attract them to God? So nothing (or zero) actually has more value than God? God help us I pray!
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