Laughing At Ourselves

It's been a long day in my "personal" studio. Recording stuff doesn't take a lot of time. Getting it "right" takes forever! At last count I believe my grand daughter and I came up a total of about 20 hours on the newest song. It has left me partially brain dead, and I'm praying that rest and relaxation will bring me back to the way I was(whatever that might have been)before the necessity of creating what I call "Christian Rock Opera" and my wife tells me that is not a choice for categories. Most important, though(at least for me), was having the project complete. Back to a little light reading and I found the following: "Most of us have been born in what might be called 'Christian environment,' such as Christian homes, Christian churches and Christian schools. Unfortunately, however, not all of us are 'Christians.' It is truly shocking to recognize that the Christian environment has produced some atheists and anti-christ-activists. The misguided mind negatively reacts to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christian environment(even though it is good)does not and cannot make you Christian. We humbly admit and confess to the world that we have failed. The enormous problem seems to the church's failure to proclaim the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ." This was published by a servant of our Lord who has spent as many years in ministry as I have in living. His name is Mr. (Chaplain) Tsukamoto. We come from two very different worlds and yet I heard his spirit as I read his words. My first thought was how firmly on the head he had struck this particular nail. For some this would mean taking a defensive stance in support of the effort being made in America to reach the "unsaved." I can't do that for the simple reason that I don't see it happening. Even the folks who profess to have become "new creatures in Christ," (II Corinthians 5:17)are not following the Savior's most fervent desire for God's children. Is it little wonder that church membership is on a downward spiral that has most leaders in ecumenical circles tearing their corporate hair out? My thought is this....no matter how we see ourselves in the light of Christ's influence in our lives, if we are not working for the Great Commission to reach completion then we are working against it! I don't want to offend anyone, but I can't say this without it hitting "home" where many feel they are doing everything in their power. None of us is putting out 100% for Jesus, for sure! The tasks of the kingdom that we have left "undone" far outweigh the number of tasks we have completed. Until we come to a fullness of understanding of what has been happening the past 50 years in the US we are not going to move forward. Statistics can prove anything. Numbers can be manipulated(ENRON)to show whatever is "pleasing" to the eye. The gut level reality is that America the Beautiful is becoming to a greater and greater degree something less! You can choose your label, but you cannot change the circumstances unless you are ready to stand in faith. An old preacher used to say, "If you don't stand for something you'll fall for anything." In Christ's Love, Preacher.