Thursday, September 24, 2009

Emergency!!!

I want you right now to get up from your computer chair and walk to the nearest window. See a house? Does your neighbor live there? Perhaps you don't see a house from out that window. Try another. Does your neighbor live that way? Maybe you have no neighbors. Drive to the nearest gas station or WalMart. Did you see someone there? Not necessarily someone you know. Just anybody. Sure you did. I'm sure your region didn't just get evacuated, or if it did, you would have gone too. You saw scores of people-- so many people that just mix in one with another like colors on a tapestry. You barely notice any of them, except the one you bumped into in the food section or happened to be trying on shoes in the same aisle as you.

Sign into your Facebook. How many friends do you have on there? There all Christians, right? Uh... probably not. Think about where you work, if indeed you do have a job. You work with a lot of people, don't you? Whether they be coworkers or people in the drive-through or at the counter or whatever! I'm sure all those people who went by were Christians. Or were they? Well if they weren't, they seemed okay, didn't they? They didn't go through the drive-through yelling, "Hurry, hurry, I'm in a hurry-- I have no time to loose! I'm dying!" No, they got their sandwich or their cash, smiled, said, "Thanks; you have a nice day," and drove away in a carefree manner. But they don't realize something... do you realize it? Realize what?

LISTEN FOLKS!! THE WORLD IS UNDER CODE RED!!!! Code Red, I said! The world is in a state of impending disaster. The lost of this world are going about their days content, not knowing of the danger that is coming. The saved of this world are going about their days content, thinking that at least they are going to Heaven, they have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Listen, guys! Those people who drove out the drive-through are driving to certain death! Perhaps not a car crash, or rolling over a land mine. But they are driving to certain death.

Each person is one day going to be faced with death. "For it is appointed once for man to die..." And each person is one day going to be faced with eternity. "...and after this the judgment."

What judgment? The day when all those who have rebelled against God a
nd rejected Christ will stand before God and hear those awful words, "Depart from me into everlasting torment!"

I wish you guys could understand the heavy conviction that has been on my
heart the last couple days, that people are dying around me and I hardly notice. These days grow worse and worse-- Socialism, Communism, Islam, atheism-- and why? Because we are silent! Face it, we do not speak up for Christ as we should. When was the last time you witnessed to somebody? Do you have any friends that on the Judgment Day will turn to you with wide eyes and say, "You are a Christian? Why, oh why didn't you ever tell me? Why didn't you show me how I could be one?"

Read Acts. That has been my pleasure this last month and it has brought me under such conviction. In Acts 2, Peter preached to the Jews in Jerusalem at Pentecost, and 3,000 people came to Christ and remained in Him (2:41-42). Daily people were coming to
the Lord (2:47). When God healed (through Peter and John) a lame beggar, even though the apostles were imprisoned, many people came to know God through it, and the number of the men (as in, males, so, not including the ladies) came to about 5,000 (4:4). After the scenario with Ananias and Sapphira, more than ever believers were added to the Lord, both men and women (5:14). Philip preached the Gospel to great crowds (8:4-8). He took the opportunity to witness to an individual whose heart God has prepared (8:26-40). God saved the wicked persecutor, Saul (ch. 9). God reached out to the Gentiles through Peter (ch. 10). Barnabas and Paul preached to people all over Asia Minor, and many came to Christ and healthy churches were established (13:12, 44, 48; 14:1, 21; 16:5, 34; 17:4, 11-12, 34; 19:6-10, 20; 28:24, 31; and more included). In about thirty years time, Christianity had infiltrated the whole Roman empire. No wonder the Jews of Thessalonica said, "These men...have turned the world upside down!" No wonder the Pharisees, in trying to silence Jesus, cried out, "You see that you are gaining nothing! Look, the whole world has gone after Him!"

And yet every year the number of Muslims in European and American population grows drastically, while the Christian population has dropped rapidly in the last one hundred years. More and more, the threat of Socialism and Communism becomes apparent, while the Biblical principles of freedom and justice and godliness are thrown out the door. Why?

Because the Christians are silent. We are afraid of offending others by "interfer
ing with their religion". We are content to fellowship with our fellow Christians, and of course, "we must be separate from the world." We advocate an unBiblical understanding of "separation" over God's clear command to be His witnesses in "Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth." We are supposed to be salt-- salt counteracts the growth of yeast. We are supposed to be light-- and darkness is merely the absence of light, which only light can penetrate and overcome. We are supposed to be gospelizing for Christ, and the world is slipping right into hell because we have neglected that important command.

I am not trying to pull a guilt trip on you for not handing out tracts, or preaching on the street corner. But I am trying to impress you with the urgency of our mission. It is th
e reason why Jesus left us here. We live in a free country-- at least, it is free at the time that I write! We are free from our sins-- how can be content with ourselves being safe while family, friends, and neighbors are dying and going into eternity without knowing God?

Amber (a.k.a. "AStitchinGal") (not Lilly) and I have sort of ended up in a joint evangelism effort on the sewing forum we are on, sharing the Gospel with those who call themselves athiests or non-Christians. (Actually, we both spoke up individually when a conversation arose about different religions. She was the first to speak and encouraged me to do so as well. Thank you again, Amber!) I am wondering if you will join us to witness for Christ in the time that we have! And please feel free to share ideas to witness. This is an urgent mission. Death is not waiting for us to speak up. We must speak now.

8 comments:

Amber said...

Great post, Melanie; of course a convicting topic, but well-written as well. Made me think.

Teddy said...

Thank you for the call to action, it has been on my heart lately as I know it should be on every child of God's. It really encouraged me to take life seriously!!!! We must all pray for each other and for our testimonies of word and deeds to be strong and pure!

Amanda said...

Ouch, Melanie--but you are so terribly right. We've got to stand together in telling the world about Christ!

Margaret Dashwood said...

Melanie, you brought out that message so well in this post...thank you so much. Oh, I need to TRY TRY TRY, and just DOOOOO it!!! As Teddy said, thinking that way makes you take life seriously.

Thank you for that sobering post...I'm praying I will be a true Christian, and witness for Him.

Bethany

juli said...

Thanks Melanie! I was actually thinking about that very thing as we drove to the library. Everytime I go out the door of my house I am entering the MISSION FIELD!

"How can we reach a world we never touch? How can we show them Christ if we never show them love? Just to say we care will never be enough, how can we reach a world we never touch?"

Love you!

Anonymous said...

It was a convicting post, Melanie. I know I don't often realize how urgent our mission is: I tend to get caught up in the everyday events that I deem important. Thank you for the reminder!

Melanie said...

Juli,
How nice to get a comment from you!! That's neat that you were thinking about the very same thing. It seems like God is working on a lot of people's hearts about it all at once!
The words you included in your comment were very heart-stirring and convicting; is that from a song?
LOVE YOU!
~Melanie

Gaby said...

Great post!! Very convicting, Melanie! Thank you for posting about it! I'm not sure I have ever thought about it in that light before. You have me wanting to go "stand on street corners and hand out tracks". :P It is interesting that you should post about this. Last Lord's Day evening a man spoke about this very subject. He was encouraging the young people in our church to come help with sharing the Gospel in Broad Ripple. He was saying how they have, with God's grace, been able to changed peoples hearts and turn to Christ.

I had better stop. Great post, Melanie!!

Love,
Gabrielle