I went to  Western Denmark a week ago for a couple of meetings.  Some of us are familiar with the romance of speaking and sharing the word of God and be part of an assembly´s worship in the presence of  the  Lord.  I know that wonderful feeling myself.

And yet my best meetings are the many encounters with people, young people, mind you, on my journeys.  It´s not the question of getting down to their level, but simply to get on their level, show genuine interest, listen to them and trust God´s Spirit to make you “speak boldly”  in that particular case.  Eph. 6:20.  Some new names have been laid on my heart.

I´m grieved by many routinely churchgoers.  To one mature Christian brother I asked, “You know that woman that just came over to us?”  (It was on an open lawn at an open air meeting).  Yes, he knew her, for she came often to his house because of a friendship with his daughter.  “Have you ever talked to her about her lost soul?” I quietly asked him.  No, never.  But church going goes on without any concern for lost souls.  Indeed, the church has become a mission field instead of a mission force.

An old friend of ours in this town has just buried his wife.  He is very much weighed down.  So I called on him to just sit down with him and share with him words of comfort.  I asked him, “Have any members from your rather big church been here to console you with a word from the Lord?”  No, not a single one apart from some flabby humanitarianism. 

I´ve been reproached for quoting Billy Graham rather often.  He is not my idol, but  I´ve appreciated his emphasis in his prime on the urgency of being born again as I agreed with him that the churches are full of people who have made no saving experience with Christ.  So I´m not obsessed with him, but I share his burden for lost souls.

With the young people there´s no “generation gap”.  If there is, the fault is ours, not theirs.  On one-on-one basis the market is wide open while Christendom chokes the life out of the churches  despite the fact that the “river of water of life” (Rev. 22:1)  seeks some devoted channels to run through at this juncture.

June 13, 2014 - jn