A few weeks ago I asked those on our mailing list to write to us and tell us about their church. In other words, if yours is a good church, tell us about it — or, if your church is in a difficult time, tell us why. I requested that no one name their church or pastor, and that the information given be without gossip, rancor or bitterness. I simply wanted to take the spiritual pulse of America's churches.
The Old Testament closes with this amazing prophecy of Malachi: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse" (Malachi 4:5,6).
"Call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved" (Acts 11:13,14).
Does your house need to be saved, literally or spiritually, or both? Is there a physical, spiritual or financial disaster looming just ahead of you, threatening your house? Is your house torn by strife, tension, an impending divorce, rebellious children, an impaired love or troubled relationship? Is your life, your faith, your marriage, your house in any danger? Is there a need for a genuine miracle of God for deliverance and salvation?
God has determined to accomplish His goals here on earth through men with weaknesses.
It is possible for any Christian to lose control of his or her spirit. Whenever this happens the result is confusion, strife and conflict: “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls” (Proverbs 25:28, KJV). The image is of a total loss of control.
The prophet Ezekiel received a vision of a tiny stream trickling out of the Temple in Jerusalem. This trickle of water began at the throne and flowed past the altar, through the Temple court, under the east gate of the city, and finally into the desert. As the water flowed, it intensified, growing deeper, wider, and swifter.
In John 2, Jesus enters the temple for an act that would signal the beginning of his public ministry. (His earlier miracle at Cana, turning water into wine, wasn’t a public declaration.) What takes place next is quite dramatic:
To some readers, the statement I’m about to make will sound bold. To others it will sound obvious. Either way, it’s a commentary on the church I’d rather not have to make. That is, most Christians are powerless.
Consider what “normal” Christianity looks like today in the typical believer. This person is a bit self-seeking, a little materialistic, somewhat consumerist. Most of his daily choices are about improving his life. That includes his spiritual pursuits, from his church groups to the podcasts he downloads to the seminars he attends.
Joseph took the body…and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away" (Matthew 27:59–60).
Jesus had just been crucified and was now laid in a tomb. As a massive stone was rolled to seal the doorway, everyone had a sad sense of finality.
Scripture says a group of women, including Mary Magdalene, was sitting opposite the tomb. Those women must have been heartbroken. I can almost hear the despair in their voices: "What will happen now that Jesus is gone? How do we go on?"
We hear a lot about hope — from politicians, from numerous books, from tapes and other media. But what is offered in each of these messages doesn’t seem to last.
We may get fired up and encouraged by what we hear in such messages. Indeed, we may find ourselves refreshed and hopeful for a season. But what is offered isn’t a fixed, experienced hope, and soon it fades away.
The whole world yearns for a steadfast hope. The inner cry of multitudes around the globe right now is, “Somebody, somewhere, please, give me some hope, something that will last.”
