Everyone does what is right in their own eyes…
Judges 17:6 (English Standard Version)
In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Isn’t this the state of us today? A lack of leadership, plus a rugged individualism. In the world it is indeed hopeless. Our so-called leaders are corrupt and they follow the sheep and/or the flesh—lost in the futility of their minds. So, how do we get beyond this?
I must admit I’ve gotten to the place where I am no longer sure what the next step is except to keep listening. We find that we only have a very slight impetus to go to church—social need. We find no food, no life, no holiness, no real desire to do what is necessary. We wonder what purpose churches and organizations perform in the kingdom any more, at least up here.
When we first moved up here to this modern post-christian good works wilderness, we decided to do an experiment. We were attending a church at that point. We decided that we would ask every person we met at church that morning what the Lord had done in their life the past week. We were met, not with hostility, but bewilderment. It was obvious that no one had even considered the question before and they were not in touch with that side of their life at all. Quite sad. We did find one young lady who gave us a brief excited review of what the Lord was doing in her life, but that was it. The church has the reputation around here as an on-fire, spirit-filled non-denominational congregation. We’re not sure why.
Would we like to help with ministry? Of course. Where is it?
Organized tools for providing good works
Is that a church? I don’t think so.
How do we reach people who think they’re OK when it is obvious that they haven’t heard from the Lord since their youth? Of course, we are only talking about people we have met so far, in churches.
Providing a safe place to hear the Lord and share what He is doing and saying today, here and now
Isn’t this what a church is meant to be? Then we can really be about the Lord’s work. Getting people healed, saved, changed, and alive. I do miss it.
Do I have any answers? Just Jesus. I wonder what He’ll do next in your life? I have no idea what’s coming next up here as we settle in to autumn. Let me know if I can help you.