Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Study: U.S. Unchurched Population Nears 100 Million

Study: U.S. Unchurched Population Nears 100 Million

Over the past decade, the unchurched population has remained stable at one third of the American population, the latest Barna Group survey showed.

By Audrey Barrick
Christian Post Reporter
Tue, Mar. 20, 2007 Posted: 13:45:51 PM EST

Over the past decade, the unchurched population has remained stable at one third of the American population, the latest Barna Group survey showed.The Barna study found that 33 percent of adults are classified as unchurched – people who have not attended a religious service of any type during the past six months. The statistic has remained relatively the same since 1994 when 36 percent were reported to be unchurched.Still, the unchurched population in numbers is staggering. An estimated 73 million adults are presently unchurched. The number nears 100 million when teens and children are added to the population segment. That also includes an estimated 13 to 15 million born-again adults and children. On its own, the unchurched population of the United States would be the eleventh most-populated nation on earth, the Barna Group noted.Some people groups are notorious church avoiders, the study found. Political liberals were more than twice as likely to be unchurched (47 percent) than political conservatives (19 percent). Single adults were also more likely to avoid religious services (37 percent) than married adults (29 percent).Those least likely to be unchurched are residents in the South (26 percent) while residents in the West (42 percent) and Northeast (39 percent) remain the most church resistant.


Click Here To Read The Read Rest Of The Article

Beloved,

This study is just more convicting evidence showing that we must be on the frontlines proclaiming the very same Gospel that Jesus preached and commands His disciples to preach to the world, the very same Gospel that saved our souls from the power of sin and death.

Hell Is Burning While The American Church Sleeps,

Des


The Great Commission

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” ~ Matthew 28:16-20, ESV

For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! ~ 1 Corinthians 9:16, ESV


16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” ~ Romans 1:16-17, ESV

"Once more, he who really has this high estimate of Jesus will think much of him, and as the thoughts are sure to run over at the mouth, he will talk much of him. Do we so? If Jesus is precious to you, you will not be able to keep your good news to yourself; you will be whispering it into your child's ear; you will be telling it to your husband; you will be earnestly imparting it to your friend; without the charms of eloquence you will be more than eloquent; your heart will speak, and your eyes will flash as you talk of his sweet love. Every Christian here is either a missionary or an impostor. Recollect that. You either try to spread abroad the kingdom of Christ, or else you do not love him at all. It cannot be that there is a high appreciation of Jesus and a totally silent tongue about him. Of course I do not mean by that, that those who use the pen are silent: they are not. And those who help others to use the tongue, or spread that which others have written, are doing their part well: but that man who says, "I believe in Jesus," but does not think enough of Jesus ever to tell another about him, by mouth, or pen, or tract, is an impostor. You are either doing good, or you are not good yourself. If thou knowest Christ, thou art as one that has found honey; thou wilt call others to taste of it; thou art like the lepers who found the food which the Syrians had cast away: thou wilt go to Samaria and tell the hungry crowd that thou hast found Jesus, and art anxious that they should find him too. Be wise in your generation, and speak of him in fitting ways and at fitting times, and so in every place proclaim the fact that Jesus is most precious to your soul." ~ A Sermon and a Reminiscence by Charles Spurgeon, From the March 1873 Sword and Trowel

DON'T TELL THEM JESUS LOVES THEM
Words by Steve Camp and Rob Frazier
Music by Steve Camp,
CD: "JUSTICE" (1988)

Oh, the suffering souls
Cryin' out for love in a world that seldom cares
See the hungry hearts
Longing to be filled, with much more than our prayers
And a young girl sells herself on Seventh Avenue
And you hear her cryin' out for help
My God! What will we do?

Chorus


Don't tell them Jesus loves them
Till your ready to love them too!
Till your heart breaks from their sorrow
And the pain they're going through
With a life full of compassion
May we do what we must do
Don't tell them Jesus loves them,
Till you're ready to love them too!

All the desperate men

Are we reaching for the souls
That are sinking down in sand?
Oh, cry for the churchWe've lost our passion for the lost
And there are billions left to win
And another 40,000 children starved to death today

Would we risk all we have
To see one of them saved!?!

Chorus

Don't tell them Jesus loves them

Till your ready to love them too!
Till your heart breaks from their sorrow
And the pain they're going through
With a life full of compassion
May we do what we must do
Don't tell them Jesus loves them,
Till you're ready to love them too!

Why have we waited so long
Oh to show them Jesus lives
To share salvation's song!
Why have our hearts become so proud

That we fail to see
To love them is to love God

And a young girl sells herself on Seventh Avenue
Hear her crying out for help
What will we do?

Chorus

Don't tell them Jesus loves them

Till your ready to love them too!
Till your heart breaks from their sorrow
And the pain they're going through
With a life full of compassion
May we do what we must do
Don't tell them Jesus loves them,
Till you're ready to love them too!

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Rick Warren & Purpose-Driven Strife Tonight on ABC's Nightline

Rick Warren and Purpose-Driven Strife - ABC News

Article & 1 Minute Video Preview of Martin Bashir's interview

with Pastor? Rick Warren tonight on "Nightline" at 11:35 p.m.

Article Excerpt:

So the debate goes on: Is the purpose-driven method simplifying Christianity in exchange for church growth? The founder of the movement says the conflicts and divisions are inevitable costs.


"You know, I wouldn't intentionally want to cause pain to any person or to anyone," Warren said. "Am I willing to put up with pain so the people [that] Jesus Christ died for can come to know him? Absolutely."

Warren said that if some churches may suffer as a result of applying some of those principles, then "that's the price."

"Every church has to make the decision. … Is it going to live for itself, or is it going to live for the world that Jesus died for?"

When asked if he thinks that some of these splits are actually because Christians themselves are indulgent and refusing to change, Warren said, "Oh, without a doubt." And when asked if he blames them, he replied, "I do blame them."

Beloved,

I will let Bishop Ryle speak on this matter.

And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. ~ Hebrews 11:4c, ESV

Selected Excerpts From J.C. Ryle's book,
"
Warnings To The Churches" Chapter 6, "The Fallibility of Ministers."

"Do not put implicit confidence in any man's opinion, merely because he is a minister.

What are the best of ministers but men--dust, ashes and clay-men with a nature like our own, men exposed to temptations, men liable to weaknesses and failings.

They have often driven the truth into the wilderness,and decreed that to be true,
which was false. The greatest errors have been begun by ministers.

Yes! Peace without truth is a false peace; it is the very peace of the devil.

Unity without the gospel is a worthless unity; it is the very unity of hell.

We ought to contend jealously for the truth and to fear
the loss of truth more that the loss of peace.

We have no right to expect anything but the pure Gospel of Christ, unmixed and unadulterated; the same Gospel that was taught by the Apostles; to do good to the souls of men. I believe that to maintain this pure truth in the Church men should be ready to make any sacrifice, to hazard peace, to risk dissension, and run the chance of division. They should no more tolerate false doctrine than they would tolerate sin. They should withstand any adding to or taking away from the simple message of the Gospel of Christ.

Never let us be guilty of sacrificing any portion of truth on the altar of peace.

We should no more tolerate false doctrine than we would tolerate sin.

To regularly hear unscriptural teaching is a serious thing.
It is a continual dropping of slow poison into the mind.

Let us receive nothing, believe nothing, follow nothing which is not in the Bible,
nor can be proved by the Bible."

AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!

God bless,

Des

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Christian Purity In A Fast and Loose Age, Part 2

My Pastor finished his two-part sermon series, concerning sexual purity, "Christian Purity In A Fast and Loose Age" that I strongly recommend that you listen to and share with anyone that our Lord may lead. Christians of every age and sex must be continually reminded that God commands us to live in holiness even though this world bombards us with a myriad of sexual temptations and mocks us for what we believe. Let us by His grace and by the power of His Holy Spirit, "put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." ~ Romans 13:14, ESV

Christian Purity In A Fast and Loose Age ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:3 Part 1, 2

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:3, ESV

In Christ,

Des

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

The Gospel According To Oprah

Thanks to Divine Intervention for the majority of the material included in the following article.

In Christ,

Des


Divine Intervention - The Gospel According to Oprah

Oprah Winfrey proclaims herself a Christian. In fact, she did as recently as Thursday, February 15, 2007 on her show while yet providing her enthusiastic support of the New Age theology and teachings of
The Secret. But in a segment sometime ago of "Oprah After the Show", where she speaks unscripted and unrehearsed with her studio audience, she states "There couldn't possibly be just one way [to be saved]." Oprah must have skipped over the Bible verse where Jesus said:

"...I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6 KJV)

You can't be a Christian without Christ. Just because one says they're a Christian doesn't make it so...

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. ~ Acts 4:12, ESV

And sometimes I wonder if the antichrist might be Oprah

It puts me in a true rage
That she pumps the new age
On television
Like five days a week

Yet only a few gauge
That that won't get you saved
from Hell, so listen
'Cause my God came to speak!


shai linne - The Solus Christus Project

Watch the Video where Oprah denies the only Savior, Jesus Christ. Then pray for the richest woman in the world who is only a heartbeat from Hell.

23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes
in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. ~ Luke 9:23-26, ESV

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Church Attendance: Is It Important?

Beloved, I encourage you to read this excellent article by Earl Blackburn on the importance of church attendance. May our Lord use it to encourage and if necessary convict you on the blessing and beauty of the Lord's Day. Let us pray that we can continually call the Sabbath a delight until we enter our eternal Sabbath rest.

Soli Deo Gloria!

In Christ,

Des

Church Attendance: Is It Important?
by Earl Blackburn

Being faithful and consistent in attending a true church of Jesus Christ and worshipping God is extremely important; more important that you may realize. Irregularity and unfaithfulness in attending church conveys a certain message and produces definite short-term and far-reaching effects. Failure to assemble yourself with the Lord's people at all stated meetings for worship, unless you are sick or legitimately hindered:

1. Reveals a cold heart and lack of fervent love to Christ who instituted local churches (Revelation 2:4 & 3:20)

2. It shows disregard for the apostolic example and command of God's Holy Word. (Acts 2:41ff; Hebrews 10:25)

3. It robs you of blessing and help for the days ahead.

4. It cheats the brethren of blessings and help they would receive from your mutual ministry to them (Thessalonians 5:14; Hebrews 10:24, "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works." ~ ESV

5. It grieves the Holy Spirit who dwells in each believer individually, and in the church as a whole.

6. It grieves the Elders who oversee you and minister the Word of God to you. (Hebrews 13:7 & 17; 1 Thessalonians 5:12,13)

7. I can influence others, by your poor example, to become unfaithful, lazy, indifferent and selfish. (Many young Christians have said, "Brother or Sister So-and-So do not come regularly, why should I?" You are a letter known and read by all men. (2 Corinthians 3:2, 3a)

8. It discourages brethren in the body with whom you are joined.

9. It is a poor testimony to unbelievers who see you inconsistently. (see John 13:35; 1 John 3:13,14)

10. It demonstrates your lack of vision for the future of that particular church of Jesus Christ in which you are a member. (Jeremiah 29:10,11)

11. It makes you a covenant-breaker in your commitment to God and to the church where you are a member.

12. It is a dreadful and empty step toward backsliding and apostasy. (study Hebrews 10:25 in its context of verses 19-39)

13. It shows disrespect for the best and the brightest day of the week, Sunday - the Lord's Day, the day on which the Lord Jesus rose from the dead.

A Christian is saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone and this saving grace causes One to love Christ's churches (see Psalms 27:4; 84:1, 2 & 10; 87:1-3). If there is no love for Christ's churches or no concern to be identified with a local church, the one's faith is suspect. True and saving faith creates a love for the things Christ loves. He "loved the church and gave Himself for it," (Ephesians 5:25) John Owen put it well when he says:

"It is the duty of everyone who professes faith in Jesus Christ, and takes due care of his own eternal salvation, voluntarily and by his and by his own choice to join himself to some congregation of Christ's institution...no particular person is to be esteemed a legal, true subject that does not appear in these His courts with a solemn homage to Him." (Works, Vol. 15, 'Duty of Believers to Join Themselves in Church Order,' pp. 319-327).

May each of us say from his heart, as David said of old, "I was glad when they said to me, Let us go into the house of the Lord." (Psalm 122:1)

Monday, February 19, 2007

Christian Purity In A Fast and Loose Age

My Pastor preached a powerful sermon yesterday concerning sexual purity, "Christian Purity In A Fast and Loose Age" that I strongly recommend that you listen to and share with anyone that our Lord may lead. Christians of every age and sex must be continually reminded that God commands us to live in holiness even though this world bombards us with a myriad of sexual temptations and mocks us for what we believe. Let us by His grace and by the power of His Holy Spirit, "put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." ~ Romans 13:14, ESV

Christian Purity In A Fast and Loose Age ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:3

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:3, ESV


In Christ,

Des

Friday, February 09, 2007

EVENING

Charles Spurgeon's Morning & Evening

Friday, February 9, 2007

EVENING:

"Lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil [or, the evil one]." ~ Luke 11:4

What we are taught to seek or shun in prayer, we should equally pursue or avoid in action. Very earnestly, therefore, should we avoid temptation, seeking to walk so guardedly in the path of obedience, that we may never tempt the devil to tempt us. We are not to enter the thicket in search of the lion. Dearly might we pay for such presumption. This lion may cross our path or leap upon us from the thicket, but we have nothing to do with hunting him. He that meeteth with him, even though he winneth the day, will find it a stern struggle. Let the Christian pray that he may be spared the encounter. Our Saviour, who had experience of what temptation meant, thus earnestly admonished His disciples—"Pray that ye enter not into temptation."

But let us do as we will, we shall be tempted; hence the prayer "deliver us from evil." God had one Son without sin; but He has no son without temptation. The natural man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upwards, and the Christian man is born to temptation just as certainly. We must be always on our watch against Satan, because, like a thief, he gives no intimation of his approach. Believers who have had experience of the ways of Satan, know that there are certain seasons when he will most probably make an attack, just as at certain seasons bleak winds may be expected; thus the Christian is put on a double guard by fear of danger, and the danger is averted by preparing to meet it. Prevention is better than cure: it is better to be so well armed that the devil will not attack you, than to endure the perils of the fight, even though you come off a conqueror. Pray this evening first that you may not be tempted, and next that if temptation be permitted, you may be delivered from the evil one.