I heard a policeman say, “What are we going to do?” another child is killed by a parent here in Albuquerque. A story like this is too often being reported here in Albuquerque! Albuquerque suffers from so much horrific violence. Last month I officiated the funeral of a 36-year-old woman who was shot to death in Albuquerque.
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14
Human history shows that the natural mind becomes progressively self-destructive if left to its own desires. People who are directed by their natural minds walk in darkness and have incorrect thinking. Please read Eph. 4:17,18
Why is the World full of evil?
“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts” Eph 4: 17, 18.
The Scriptures call the mind of the natural man “blinded” 2 Cor. 4:4, “depraved” Romans 1:28, “corrupt” 1 Tim. 6:5, and “unspiritual” Col. 2:18. The natural mind thinks from a humanistic, sin-debased viewpoint. The viewpoint of the flesh directs its thoughts. The sinful mind is under the control of Satan and can never please God because it concentrates on things of the world and not things of the Spirit. The natural mind walks the road of hopelessness and self-destruction.
We the Church, must carry out the Great Commission.
We pray against such violence….
A man told Albuquerque police he beat his 5-year-old daughter to death this morning after the girl refused to finish her homework at their southeast Albuquerque apartment. ABQ Journal Report
Pastor Don Kimbro posted this yesterday……..
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. – Matthew 28:19-20
This passage of scripture, known as the “Great Commission” is how the church has long identified one of Jesus’ closing instructions to his disciples prior to His ascension into heaven.
However, the Barna Research Group recently conducted a study of the U.S. church’s ideas about missions, social justice, Bible translation and other aspects of spreading the gospel around the world and found that when asked if they had previously heard of the “Great Commission,” half of U.S. churchgoers (51 percent) said they did not know the term.
One in four (25 percent), said they had heard the term but weren’t sure what it meant. Sadly, just 17 percent said they knew that the “Great Commission” is Jesus assigning his followers to spread the Gospel. Six percent of churchgoers said they weren’t sure whether they had heard the term before.*
SAY WHAT?
The “Great Commission” spells out one of the central purposes for all believers (see also Mark 16:15-18; Luke 24:44-49; John 20:19-23; Acts 1:8).
After salvation, our lives belong to Jesus Christ who died to purchase our freedom from sin and death (1 Corinthians 6:20; Galatians 3:13; Revelation 5:9). He redeemed us so that we might be used to bring others into His Kingdom, as well. The “Great Commission” is the final instruction of the resurrected Jesus Christ to His disciples to spread His teachings to all the nations of the world.
So, how are we doing church? In some quarters, apparently not very well. Please let that not be said of you and me. Maranatha!
