Just Trying to Understand

I have sat here at work all night and thought about a recent blog I read, and the fact that some of the best preachers I have ever heard speak, aren't preaching anymore. Some of you guys know the same people I am talking about, Kelly Carmichael and Chad Doerr. I think these 2 have a wonderful gift of delivering a message in such a humble way, that you feel inspired, not reprimanded. After listening to them, you just wanted to go out and be better. I know that God speaks through them powerfully. So, why then are they not using this gift now?

Don't get me wrong, I don't for a minute believe that either of them have fallen away from Christ or have entered into any decisions without much prayful consideration. I am just posing a question for thought, and maybe someone can help me work through this in my mind. The Bible talks about the "last days" and "false prophets", but it also talks about being led astray. How do we know whether these "doubts" about whether we are following God's will, or for example, if they should keep preaching, are not of the devil? I mean what better way for Satan to win a battle or two, than to render 2 wonderful ministers, who are making a real impact for God, less effective? I believe that Satan can manipulate and lead people in the wrong direction under the disguise that it is God's will. So, I have to sit and wonder if taking these 2 guys out of ministry and putting them out in the secular world as a cop and UPS driver, is of God or Satan's manipulation?

Again, please don't misunderstand, I am, in no way judging their Christian walks. I know that they have hearts that are humbly seeking God and his will. I just look around and see so many preachers that get up and preach fire and brimstone, but forget the first commandment of love. They can preach all day, the steps of salvation, but forget to tell you that God is real and alive, and if you seek him...he wants to have an active relationship with you. I see people who go the church every time the door is open, but look at me like I am crazy when I talk about how I listen to God and what he is trying to teach me. Kelly and Chad, among others, have taught me to take my relationship with God to a different level and I just wonder how many people are gonna miss that opportunity to hear from them now that they aren't preaching. Who knows, maybe they will reach more, or maybe my limited human mind just doesn't see God's plan yet, I don't know. Just wondering and thinking out loud, maybe you guys are thinking about this stuff too.

How is This Possible?

A friend of mine is a teacher in a town near Springboro, Ohio. We were discussing how she was trying to include Jesus in her lesson about Christmas, without getting fired. She told me that not one of the children, in her 2nd grade class, go to church.

How is that possible? Not even one child, out of a class of over 20, goes to church. They don't even know about the simplest of Bible stories. Why is it that we took prayer out of school? I have to wonder if it wasn't so that our kids wouldn't start asking questions about God, and we might have to get up early on Sunday and take them to church.

I'm sorry, but that is one of the saddest things I have heard. I worry, what has the world come to that so many don't even know why we celebrate Christmas. Christ came to earth to save us. He left heaven, to be a cold little baby, born in a barn and our kids don't even know that this was the greatest gift we could have ever been given. We really need to encourage our kids to invite a friend to church, and pray for those who don't know Christ our Savior.