Hello Folks,
     I have been listening to a CD where Jim Cymbala was at the Cove in Ashville, North Carolina leading a conference.  In that CD he said that 5 polling agencies have said that using the standards of Jesus being the only Savior and the Bible being our rule of faith that only 7.2? to 9% of the population in the U.S. are Christian.  He brought up the thought that the U.S. can no longer claim to be Christian with those kinds of statistics.  I would say that with the acceptance of pluralism by our educational and political class unless there is a great revival it will not get any better.
     It seems to me that the first century church lived in a world that was slanted even more against them.  The Roman government did not accept them with open arms, the religious world (both Jew and Pagan) were in opposition to them, they had no wealth and no military power.  Yet they were used by God to turn their world upside down.  Can we in the church world of today be used by God to facilitate such a change?  The answer is yes!  But it means that we in the church must be men and women who have one message and that is Jesus for our world.  While we should be concerned about politics and the opposition that we face the one thing that we should consider the most is who is our Savior!  Is God leading us in our lives?  If He is then we need not fear who is against us neither should we be overly concerned with who is for us as long as He is with us! 
     Do we see our time here as being lived in a world of great restraints or do we see it as a time of great opportunity?  I ask you to pray for me that I might be the man God would use in this world for Him!  I will pray that you will be the man or woman that He would also use in this world.


Have a great day.


HGRudd