So the last little while i have been pondering, alot of the info that is being taught in my history of the pentecostal Church. From about 1900 to about 1930's there was a wave of healings, speaking in tounges, and massive amounts of people coming to know Christ, and the list goes on. There were conferences where the the building was packed just to hear someone speak about Christ. In 1923 a man named Charles price spoke in Victoria, they had to switch venues to the Memorial arena because they had over 3000 people in attendance, they had numbers up around the figures of 6000. Alot of these people wanting to be healed, and to be touched by God. Theres tons of names that i could drop from this era, who had ministries similar, and or even bigger ministries... People where changed because the Spirit moved...
What changed?
Why don't we see these numbers coming to Christ anymore?, why do we need to specialize how evangelize to this culture? are we missing something? have we lost our reliance on the Holy Spirit?
what are your thoughts?
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
"There's no greater love, than that one shed his blood for his friends"
Do you like Aligators? if so click here
- Mike McMillan
- Parksville, B.C, Canada
- On a journey of being a Husband and a father
Seriously check it out
other stuff too check out
clustermap
7 comments:
I have thought about that too. I think there are a number of reasons as to why this happens. I think our culture is not as hungry for the Gospel as we once were. We have heard it a lot...but have you ever noticed that when we go through things certain Scriptures that we've read seem to come alive? They speak to our situation. And I think like, back then they had less, they were more desperate--this outburst of people wanting to hear the Gospel, this was even in depression times. So Jesus was the answer. And I think too, there was more a focus on Christian principles and morals--today's culture has moved away from that. I think too that people today don't want to give up what they have and acknowledge that Jesus is the only truly fulfilling thing we will ever know. We have 'so much to lose' i.e: social standing, alienation with family/friends, matierial goods, position in our jobs, if we surrender everything and start listening to, being hungry for, and obeying the Word -- if we start hungering for an encounter with the living God, if we have that encounter, then we will have to change the way we do things and think about life. And I think that we as a culture are way too comfortable about what we have. But the thing is, we don't understand that God, and what God has for us, is SO MUCH BETTER than anything else we could ever fill our lives with or strive for. Then I think we would rely more on the Holy Spirit and we would go out and preach to the nations (including ours) and show people the love that they so desperately need.
I think that's one reason.
Snafu
I agree with Snapshoo... I don't have any good answers, but I have theories.
Desperation is a key. Sometime in the first half of the last century - people stopped teaching that we come to Christ to be saved from sin and eternal death. They started talking about coming to Christ to make our life better. This has been a mistake.
People today don't feel they need God... even many Christians - including me at times.
God has always answered desperation with power.
Only a thought.
It all comes down to the point that we have become apathetic, and people have become dependent on the O-so wonderful luxsuries in life.
So to answer your question, we have lost our relience on the Holy Spirit.
It sucks. But even though we find ourselves unhappy with how things are nowadays, we contribute to it.
MR anonymous if you come back please leave a name
Mike, we have lost, I can say .in old days people spent many hours in prayer. I am not talking about one hour our two, I am talking about days and nights before the lord, my own dad spent many hours in prayer, on his needs, how much time do you we spend in are own lives praying before him, if we want it bad enough for god to move, pray is the answer, we are losing, big time. We go to church; we listen to pastor, and one-hour worship a week
Just think if we gave god ten hours week, are cups would be full of joy, and power of Holy Spirit
How we would see, the power of god, through his son,
I have notice in old day; prayer was a central theme, in bill grahams
In old tent meeting, he ask people to prayer the night before, and many would come to the lord
People say they don't have answer to why we don’t see the moving of god
. I say prayer. Something we give not enough time to, In Canada we should be rebuke we have a freedom in this country,
We like to talk about Christ, but how much time do we spend praying
I know my self needs this message, all old time preacher who were move by god were man of prayer, prayer is the answer to nation falling from grace
The day of Pentecost has not stop we have we have stop it.
So to your question what we have lost, we lost the power of prayer
If you look a Paul of the bible you will see a man of prayer, Paul through his letter
Spoke of prayer a never ending prayer, so we should ask are self how much time do we truly give god,, a song come to me give me oil in my I lamp I pray and keep me burning
Man wouldn't it be nice to wake up in the mourning and be totaly and utterly dependent on God, wouln't it be an 'adventure' to live every second relying on the Holy Spirit..
thanks for your comments..
I agree that we have lost our desperation, or maybe we haven't lost it, but have been born with less of it. We take for granted all the things that we have, and have fairly comfortable lives, especially if we compare ourselves to people in other countries who consequently have less, but their numbers are thriving, and they understand what it means to rely on God. Perhaps we as a culture don't know how to rely on God anymore, but rather retreat to relying on only ourselves.
In a world of convience we have allowed an easy life to take advantage of us, and make us lazy. So if we have lost the desperation to reach people for Christ, maybe our need, is to have need.
(And ultimately trust God...obviously though!)
Post a Comment