Читать книгу Seeking a Revival Culture - Allen M. Baker - Страница 4

The great burden of my life, that which drives me in ministry more than anything else, is to see the church of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ rise up and become mighty like she has been so many times in the past. I have the privilege of preaching in other places in the United States and one thing has become very clear to me. The western church is in big trouble. Most pastors I know are terribly discouraged in their ministries. So are their people. The influx of immigrants from middle eastern countries that are predominantly Muslim, as well as Hispanic people who are historically Roman Catholic, along with our lack of power in reaching these people with the gospel; not to mention the secularization of our post-modern culture all are working to mitigate the church’s effectiveness in the west. We are simply losing ground.

Pastors have been told that they can model their ministries after whoever the latest and hottest preacher is, and all will be well with them, that they can expect exponential growth in their churches. With few exceptions, this has not been their experience. They have attended the seminars and have read the latest books, but they have little to show for it. As a pastor I am troubled and heartbroken over the vastness of people’s problems in today’s world. I have been in the ministry nearly thirty years now and have never seen the number and depth of problems as today— everything from incest, child molestation, homosexuality, pornography, severe depression, suicide, divorce, wayward children, adultery, fornication, and more. All the pastors I know confirm my observations. The pastoral problems are epidemic. The Christian faith in our churches is woefully lacking. Our people are generally no different from those of the world.

Recently I was in East Africa preaching and was struck by a vivid illustration of the weakness of the American church. The indigenous church of this East African nation was thriving under African leadership. There was power, unity, conversions, and growth in holiness. Another younger denomination was struggling with division, lack of numerical growth and conversions, and a general sense of worldliness and powerlessness. When I asked the reason for the latter’s weakness, I was told that we in the west have imported our anemia to the leaders of that denomination. I am grieved. In such circumstances we would be better not to send any of our western missionaries. They need Holy Spirit power, not our anemic, insipid, impotent brand of Christianity.

What are we to do? We need revival. We need a revival culture in the western church. We need, like Israel laboring under Egyptian bondage, to become intolerable of our circumstances. Israel cried out to the Lord when their slavery became intolerable to them. May God move us to divine discontent, to be dissatisfied with the status quo!

These essays, with minor additions and corrections, first appeared as part of my weekly devotional series called Forget None of His Benefits that is emailed weekly. Many have encouraged me over the years to have them published, and Wipf and Stock of Eugene, Oregon has graciously agreed to do so. I promise to give any profits from the sale of this book to world missions. My prayer is that these essays will move all of us to pursue Christ with the earnestness and zeal His life, death, and resurrection deserve.

Perhaps the best way to benefit from these essays is to read one per week (there are fifty-two of them), and ask God to show you your sin, to move you to repentance, to encourage you through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. I know many who use these devotionals as fodder for weekly discussion and prayer groups. I urge you to do the same. Gloria in excelsis Deo!