Make a Decision

According to the latest "On Mission" magazine (publication of the North American Mission Board), the population of Alaska is only 626,932. When you compare the population of bears in Alaska with that numbers, there is one bear for every 21 people. The church population ratio is 1 to 6,916. Startling numbers? You bet!!!

It seems that in Alaska that it is much easier to get eaten by a bear than to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. The question remains: Who is Hungrier?

Jesus told His disciples in Acts 1:8 that they would be a witness unto Him in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the end of the earth. This process of making disciples began nearly 2,000 years ago. Doesn't seem odd that we continue to talk about the lostness of America when you consider that so many people profess to know Jesus Christ?

The lukewarm nature of the church seems to be the main culprit. I know that others would cite that so many people simply do not want to give up their lifestyles. We actually believe that the draw of this world upon the flesh is stronger than the drawing power of the Holy Spirit. I disagree. In fact, I believe that if our churches were grounded in the unconditional love of God that a lot of these numbers would change.

When you read the book of Acts it's easy to see the influence of the church. Countless communities were won to faith in Christ. The power of the Gospel partnered with the power of the Holy Spirit, became a convincing force within the world. Families, cities, and towns were transformed. We can have this same impact in our own nation. The question remains: Who is Hungrier?

In the book of Revelation, Jesus tells the church of Laodicea that He wishes they were either hot or cold. The lukewarm nature of the church became a sickening influence within the earth. Rather than being on fire or refreshing, this body of believers became content and complacent. A lukewarm church does not produce works that are befitting those who have repented. The believers in America need to make a decision: Will we be hot, cold, or lukewarm?

Another problem with the staggering numbers of lostness has to do with the perception the world has of the Body of Christ. Allow me to share some things I believe would help change that perception and give us a greater platform for the gospel:

1) We must be grounded in the unconditional love of God.
- This schizophrenic gospel that we have propagated over the years is hurting us. Why many people within the church struggle to see God as good. While we give praise to God for the good things that happen in our lives, we also question God over the bad stuff. We treat God as if He is the author of both. However, if we can ground ourselves in the goodness of God then we will not struggle in understanding His love for every person that He created.

2) We must be convinced that sharing the gospel is the responsibility of every believer.
- God never intended that the proclamation of the gospel be limited to a select few. Every believer has the call upon them to make disciples. Every person who has been saved by the glorious gospel becomes a vessel fit for use.

3) We must lose our religious mindsets.
- While there are many people in the world who do not understand the gospel, they seem to understand everything that we are against. They see our traditions, our rituals, and hear our condemnation of those who are not like us. What the world needs is an encounter with God and this encounter comes through us. We owe them that! They need to experience the Word made flesh dwelling among them. Are you ready to be the manifestation of God in the life of others? Can you junk the religious mindset and take on the mind of Christ?

4) We must believe that God is not willing that any should perish.
- Peter made it clear to the church that it is God's will that all should come to repentance. He takes no glory in the death of the wicked. God gains glory through the salvation of the lost. He paid the ultimate price to bring about the salvation of mankind. Now it's our turn to go to those who have not heard.

5) He must increase & we must decrease.
- In other words, God has to become the center of attention. It's not about our churches, our ministries, or our denominations. If we focus our efforts on highlighting all the good things that we do, then we simply give the world something to compare us with all of the other charity organizations out there. However, if we will make it a point to share the gospel with every person then we simply point to God's undying love for His creation. Let's make it about Jesus!

I'm believing God for Alaska. I know many believers in the state and trust that the gospel will win. I'm also believing God for our nation. We have far too many resources, people, and opportunity within our country to see the lost saved. It's a matter of hunger. If we are hungry to see America come to Jesus then we will do everything within our power to make it happen.
WE WILL GIVE!
WE WILL GO!
WE WILL SHARE!

Next week, we will have a team of missionaries from PBC that will be going to Alaska. Pray that God will bless them in all they do, anoint every word that proceeds out of their mouths, and use them to transform the city they will be working in.

***
An update from our Community Fun Day:
PBC was able to feed over 750 people this past Saturday.
Many heard the Gospel of Jesus one on one w/ 12 people accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior.
It was a wonderful day of laughter, music, food, and fun.
Thanks to all who participated in helping share Jesus in our community.