Quote by Leslie Weatherhead for Our Nation Today

            “Who said that Jesus Christ was irrelevant in this hour of crisis? Who can really imagine that He was a pale, idyllic dreamer who said poetic things about lilies and birds, and need not be taken seriously?
            I must state my own conviction that, for lack of taking him seriously, we may be at this moment watching the whole setup of Western civilization break up and perish. Men will not heed the preacher who says these things. They shrug their shoulders and laugh uneasily, as the men of Babylon laughed, and of Egypt and Greece and Rome and Mexico, and the rest of the fourteen ancient civilizations whose ruins are still being dug out of the desert sands. But, if I may put it thus, God’s workshop floor is littered with the broken instruments that snapped in His hands and which He discarded because He could no longer use them. This is a solemn moment. We may be watching the whole of Western civilization, both Europe and in America, snap in God’s hands at the time when He wanted it most; but proud, boastful men, drunk with power, senseless with material success, blinded by the achievements of science, intoxicated by victory, and forgetful of the blood of the brave, forget God does not exist for nations, but that nations exist for God, that life is not given us to play with. We are not even here to be happy. life exists for God, and when any expression of it can no longer contribute toward His ends, it passes into the dust of the useless.
            What can we do? In this hour when so many churches in their present way of life are too dead to be Christ’s instrument, get into a group, or form one in your own home or church where you can meet, and thrash out these questions in the light of the Christian religion and the will of God.”

Leslie D. Weatherhead in “The Resurrection and the Life”, Abingdon-Cokesbury Pres., 1948, Pg 59

The Net is Cast

"Also the Kingdom of Heaven is like a net that was put into the lake and caught many different kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled the net to the shore. They sat down and put the good fish in baskets and threw away the bad fish. It will be this way at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the evil people from the good people. The angels will throw the evil people into the blazing furnace, were people will cry and grind their teeth with pain." Jesus asked His followers, " Do you understand all these things?" They answered, "Yes, We understand." Matthew 13:47-51 NCV

Jesus speaks this parable or illustration. In the last days a net will be cast out. This I believe is a prophecy of the now internet. Never has there been a form of communication that makes it possible to reach the whole world at one time. With wireless networks everyone can be hooked to the grid and be in touch watch news as it happens on the other side of the world.

A lot of people see the internet only with it's evils. Porn, gambling, and identity theft. But the Church may be missing out on what God has allowed to be setup for His work. A great net cast to catch the good and the bad fish.

According to the prophecy or parable when the net is full, when the time is ready it will be pulled in and the good fish are separated from the bad fish, the end is here.

Now the question now that you may ask is," Who are the good and who are the bad fish?" The world view today is that although a person has done evil all his life he may still be basicly good and the little good will override the bad. Therefore all mankind is basicly good. So who sets the standard of "Good", a benchmark of Godliness.

Mankind needed an example. God could not find one in man. That's what the whole Old Testament is about. God let man try, but they could not do it. So, being a loving God he choose to make Himself a man and live among them. He becomes a real man and still remained real God. Something only a true God could do. He lives a human life under all the restrictions that man lives under naturally. And when the time came Him offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for man's sins. He brought Himself back to life to show man that He had this power to defeat death. All mankind had to do was:

Receive the forgiveness He offered

Put their total trust in Him as God

Just as He put the worlds sins on Himself, man must put His Holiness on themselves.

This would make them "good" fish.

Now back to the "net". The internet was put in place by God using man. The church has neglected this resource for social and spiritual change for enough years. It is time for pastors and saints to use this end time opportunity to reach out to the world.

Church, do not be afraid of the evil that is on the internet but overcome it with the truth of the Gospel of Christ. This is not about which church has the coolist website or about showing the world that we are web savy. The point is to reach the seekers out there and show them the truth of Christ. And when the net is pulled in, they will be with the good fish in Christ and not the bad fish in hell.

Eze. 37:7 Dem Bones, Dem Bones

Eze. 37:7 in context speaks of the "Valley of Dry Bones", as a prophecy of Israel returning back to the land God had given them. Not as two separate nations like before but one whole and united nation.

Current preachers and evangelist have used it as an illustration of a dead lost man being breathed with new life. And rightly so used. Also many churches that have gone through a great lose in membership have received strenght from these verses with hope of risen again and being used by God.

Here I would like to bring out another biblical truth from these verses. In the Lord's dealings with us He has one goal in mind. To make us as Christ-like as can be. This goes for individuals, churches and ministries. In doing so we are striped of our carnal nature or "flesh". As little or as much as we will let Him.

During this process the Lord can and will us individuals, churches or ministries as He can and as we make ourselves available. It is when we are striped of all flesh and lie in a pile of dry bones that the Lord can do something great with us. Watching CSI on TV I've learned something interesting. When bones are dry to the point of being bleached like verse 2 says "very dry", all traces of the person is gone even the all important DNA.

Jesus is recorded in John 12:24 as saying, "Verily, verily, I say unto you. Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." When we die to our selves with our dreams, passions, goals and destinies, then the Lord can stand us up. Put us together. Give us new strength and flesh. and most of all breathe His breath into us to make us a mighty army for His service.

So if you find yourselves or church/ministry "Very Dry" to the point of hopelessness, submit to His dealings and put-away yourself. Making yourself available to His makings. And there will be a "Great Shaking".