This morning as I listened to some great preaching online, I was doing a little e-mail search and something from the Voice of the Martyrs caught my eye.  It has been 50 days since Attorney Gao Zhisheng was abducted from his home and is being held for defending the rights of Home-churching Christians.  Antoher former soldier who was at Tienamen Square in 1989 (do you remember this?  I do, I watched it on TV) was recently abducted by armed soldiers from his home.  Why?  Because he wrote a letter expressing his regret over what had happened that fateful day.  He is now missing.

Folks, I am sorry to say but I honestly believe that we are the living church of Laodicea.  For a long time I have thought perhaps there was a chance that I am wrong in this but never has this been so prevalent to me that we are, in fact, that church age.  Mind you, that doesn't mean that all Christians are that way, far from it.  I know there are many who passionately love the Lord Jesus Christ and are not ashamed of His word or testimony.  Still, the "spititual atmosphere" of this country is amazingly lukewarm to deceived. 

We have moved from New England to the SouthEast.  This is supposedly part of the "bible belt" of our nation.  True, you will find a church on every corner, heck, maybe three or four! What you mostly do find though is not depth.  Many here will openly use the terms God and Jesus and be all about going to church, you will see businesses that when posting their hours have on the bottom, Never on Sunday.   While I commend the desire to protect strong christian values, I notice that it is somewhat useless if the intent is for the value only.  When there is no heart behind it and it is only to make a statement for the sake of aligning oneself to an ideal then what purpose has it served?  Better to open the doors on Sunday and not sell but have a worship service or a gospel time. 

I have come to see that cultural christiantiy is HUGE down here.  Everyone wants to know what church you attend and if you tell them one or one you have visited, if it isn't theirs or their relatives or close friend, they will inevitably tell you what is wrong with it and what is right about the one they go to.  There are even billboards on the sides of the road promoting each church.  One even says, "This is MY church!".  Ok, great, it's YOUR church, can God come too? Everyone has something to sell, why not church?  Then we can attend and they can tell us how we are not good christians because we aren't giving enough and they twist scripture to manipulate the congregation into doing whatever the the Pastor has come up with. 

Look, not every church is like that but most are.  It is so sad to me.  Yet, do we blame the church?  How did this get this far?  It is our fault.  We are the ones who allow such foolery.  We sit in our seats (don't even think about moving, this is the same pew my great great granddaddy sat in and I'll be darned if I should move elsewhere to make a new person feel comfortable!) and agree!  We don't open our Bibles, we don't read it for ourselves, we don't make sure that what we are being told is the whole truth.  We swallow whatever is given to us and we don't dare to question.

so, how long will we play christian?  This doesn't mean that we are to be perfect, well, we are supposed to be perfect but we will sin on this side of Heaven.  Instead of justifying it or excusing it, we are to confess it and repent.  If it seems too strong for us then we must go to ur brothers and sisters for accountability.  Before you go running off to your best friend, make sure you know if they are truly Believers.  Not everyone that calls Lord Lord will be one of His.

Yes, we say we are rich. We are.  That should bother us if we are trusting in those riches and not in the Name of the One Who makes us rich beyond earthly measures.  I hope today that you will read your Bible like never before.  Make sure what you are being told is really what it says.  Not christian psychology, feel good messages or those that make us so introspective that we can't see a darn thing.  We are to take note of sin and deal with it.  That's it.  Not to keep harping on it.  If you are saved today, you are not  a broken unworthy vessel any longer.  You are now a new creation, a royal priesthood, sinless and blameless before God.  No need to keep beating yourself up over the past.  God has forgotten it and so should we.  May He lead us so.

Keep your eyes on Him, pray and for heaven's sake do what you can.  It may not seem like much.  Most of us will not have an opportunity to use big words or write for a paper or host a TV show.  Most of us will not be listened to by the public; we are lucky to get our blogs ever read.  However, if we are loving our spouses, loving our children and teaching them the True word of God and about Jesus, then we will have done something even more important.  When given opportunity to speak to others about Jesus, do it.  When given the opportunity to write or speak about our government and sin, do it.  You don't have to be eloquent or have many words.  I think God has had something to say about that!  Just speak the Truth.  Plain and simple.  Some will seem to talk circles around you and many will listen to them and you may feel stupid but honestly, that doesn't mean you are.  There may be one heart or one mind that will listen and the words you speak and the works you do will draw them to Jesus.  His word never returns void.  If not, don't "cast your pearls before swine" (don't worry about it, don't keep arguing) and "brush the dust off your feet" from them.  If they want to continue to follow their flesh then fine, atleast they had an opportunity.

Just my randome thoughts for today.  Go to www.persecution.com to read more about Mr. Zhisheng or to China Aid's website.  Go to www.nogreaterjoy.org to hear some great teaching of scripture.