Daily Direction Reading PlanSample

People who study church growth trends tell us that the center of the global church has shifted south and east. More people now come to faith in Africa, Asia, and South America than in Europe and the United States. Leaders are asking why. I am not an expert in church growth, but I recall some words Jesus spoke. He told His disciples that when salt loses its saltiness, it is good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled. Jesus also sent a message to the church in Ephesus recorded in Revelation 3. Jesus said, "If you do not repent of your backslidden condition, I will come to you and remove your lamp stand from its place." Both of these texts warn us that when we fail to be effective witnesses for Christ, He may choose to fulfill His plans elsewhere. For the same reason the Apostle Paul told the believers in Thessalonica (chapter 4) that God has called His people to be holy; and that those who reject God's call are not simply rejecting human rules, they are rejecting God Himself. The western world has largely rejected God's moral values. We crave illicit sex, drugs, and "stuff." Some businesspeople have ripped off other nations. Sad to say, the church has not always spoken against these excesses. Perhaps Jesus Christ is building His church in other parts of the globe. But there is hope, for Jesus told the church at Ephesus, "I will remove your lamp stand IF—If you do not repent." May God help us to repent and live by His values.