Mr. David Curry, head of Open Doors, has
sounded the alarm in his article above on the lack of an
American-Christian response to the mass killings of our
fellow Christians in the Eastern Hemisphere:
Asia and Eastern Europe,
India, Africa, and in all the war torn
areas.
(Any true friend of Jesus is a friend of
mine).
Mr. Curry rightfully indictes our American
pastors.
"Thus saith the Lord GOD:
Behold, I AM against the Shepherds;
and I will require My flock at their hand
and cause them to cease from feeding the flock."
"Neither shall the Shepherds feed themselves
anymore.
For I will deliver My flock from their
mouth, that they may not be meat for them".
Ezekiel 34:1--10.
"Judgment *must* begin at the house of God.
"
1 Peter 4:17
A Pastor's duty is to lead his flock to the
Living
Fountain of water...the understanding of the
Holy Scriptures.
BUT WAIT...THERE'S MORE
Yet it doesn't end there.
Jesus didn't say. :
"My house shall be called a house of
reading."
Nor did He say:
"My house shall be called a house of
celebrity bands and concert songs."
But Jesus expressly said,
"My house shall be called a House of
Prayer."
Matthew 22:13
(not delegated prayer).
How many of us walk into a quiet church,
kneel down and say a humble prayer for the church at large
??
Now picture the entire
assemblers united in that endeavor.
One hopes that the day will come here in
America when our church doors will be opened at a
convenient time for all
on a DAILY basis to come and just pray for
the persecuted church together.
Hebrews 10:25.
What a tremendous move of the Holy Spirit
that would be!
"Not by might, nor by power but by My
Spirit", thus saith the LORD of hosts (heavenly armies).
Zechariah 4: 6
No Latin words...no recitation of memorized
or pre-written prayers.
Just honest, forthright,
gushing-from-the-heart-prayers (with sincere
tears?).
"Remember them that are in bonds
[ jails, bondage etc.]
*as bound with them*
and them which suffer
adversity [hardships] as being yourselves
also
in the body."
Hebrews 13:3
We are to identify with our suffering
brethren as if we ourselves were enduring their
afflictions.
And then hopefully our time would end with a
simple hymn like:
"On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other
ground is sinking sand", sung by the people only.
Accountability of the Flock
Ezekiel 34: 17--22
There comes a point at which the Pastor's
responsibility ends
concerning the welfare of our souls, and our
own responsibility begins...not at church, but in our
prayer closets, wherever that may be. God told us He would
be our church, wherever we are.
"I will be your sanctuary"
Ezekiel 11:16
God wants our individual worship as well as
our church worship. And He discerns not only among
pastors, but also among each person.
"And as for you, O My flock, thus saith the
Lord GOD;
Behold, I judge between cattle and
cattle."
Ezekiel 34:17, 20 and 22.
What God really loves is our own very
personal prayers (conversations)
with Him in our prayer closets...humbly
kneeling by our bed (or wherever) deepening our
relationship (intimacy) with Him...revealing to Him our
feelings that we share with no one else.
"Seek ye My face."
Psalm 27:8
May we all be ambassadors of prayer to the
throne of God from a world drowning in cruelty and demonic
enslavement.
Let us make a difference in the short time
remaining.
A. Goodrick
Salvation
Poems pertaining:
"The Ostrich", describing the apathy of
nominal Christians.
"Friendship" ...
The meaning of true relationship found in
prayer to God.
See entry today 7-7-2019.