Posted on 12/26/2004 7:44:23 PM PST by PetroniusMaximus
Indonesia's Christians Move ''Underground'' Amidst fears of bombings and shootings by Islamic militants, some Christians in Indonesia are trading in their traditional churches for more secure, though unorthodox, buildings. Thursday, Dec. 23, 2004 Posted: 7:40:20PM EST |
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Amidst fears of bombings and shootings by Islamic militants, some Christians in Indonesia are trading in their traditional churches for more secure, though unorthodox, buildings. on any given Sunday, thousands of Christians flock to office buildings, shopping malls, hotels, and even movie theaters to worship.
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Very convicting.
Check this out!
Thanks for the ping! They need our prayers.
This post really made me feel so ashamed of myself, but I thank you for posting it. This morning I was relieved to the point of almost happy that our services were cancelled because of the ice on the roads here. I justified my feelings by telling myself that I was just so worn out that not going to church would be nice. I was happy to lay around till 4 in the afternoon only getting up once to get some hot chocolate.
I said a half hearted prayer and dozed. Then I read a novel.
Now, I look at these people in worship under the threat of death and I see how far from the mark I truly am.
I live in the most blessed and free nation in the world where I can worship anytime without fear of death or harm and I am happy to miss service. These people are grateful to be able to meet and worship. That is truly selfish of me. What I took for granted this morning these people are dying for.
How selfish I am. God, forgive me.
***This post really made me feel so ashamed of myself, ***
It made me feel the same as you.
***As a nation, we have become very lazy doctinally, IMHO.***
Although that is critical, I wonder if it might not be something else.
I just recently learned that back during the great missionary movement of the 1800's, the average lifespan of an American missionary going to central Africa was something like 16 months. Yet Christians went by the hundreds!!!!
Can you imagine us doing that today?
The following verse has really made me wonder if the real reason the Church in America is being "overcome" by the devil and not "overcoming" him is because we love our lives and want to keep them.
Revelation 12:11
"And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. "
First, understand that I agree with what you are saying. My point about weak doctrine relates to the fact that American Protestants* are living in what Francis Schaeffer described as an "Evangelical Ghetto." That meaning we are poor in out rightful understanding of our place in creation and God's place in our worship. We are more interested in elevating ourselves above where we truly are, and that lowers our estimation of who God is.....
Check out my Valley of Vison threads. I think the Puritans understood what I am still struggling to come to grips with myself.
As a result, we don't carry out what he expects of us, and we slide into complacency.
(*I will not presume to go into what ails our RC/EO friends. I see them struggling with their own issues here on FR)
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