Burning Leaves at the Church

email from Randall Easter | 30 Jan 2007 | Randall Easter

[Manfred the Wonder Dawg]

Subject: Devotional "Burning Leaves at the Church"

Matthew 11:7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? People by nature are curious about many things. If there is enough commotion people will at least come to see what is going on. The number of references to Jesus and crowds is way to numerous to list. Jesus was constantly doing something and the crowds wanted to be close enough to see what he would do next. John the Baptist was similar in that his ministry was so controversial that many flocked out into the wilderness to see what was going on with him. Effective people in the world like John the Baptist, Jesus, Paul, Peter, and many others were men who lived so differently than the world that it stirred conversation in the market square. People flocked to them from miles away on foot just to see what would happen with them next. The people thought that perhaps they would get to see a healing, deliverance, a lynching, a scolding debate with the religious people, or an event that was beyond their imagination. Today people will gather around flashing lights, sporting events, hurricane disaster areas, places where tornadoes will come through, a fight, and anything else that seems to be different than the norm. Knowing this to be true it causes us to wonder why more people are not gathering around the church. Perhaps at first thought it is because the church is not making any stir in the world. Church has become just a building that people drive by everyday. Yesterday I had a whim to burn some leaves out behind the church and I was overwhelmed by the response. I never gave thought to the way that this small thing of burning leaves would stir up the community. Do to the location of the burning leaves; it appeared from the road that the church was on fire. Thus, car after car came driving in behind the church to see what in the world was going on. I had the opportunity to meet a number of people that I had never met before and give them a word of blessing from the LORD. As this went on for some several hours the LORD simply pressed this matter on my heart. Perhaps more people would come to church if it was on fire and making smoke in the community. If the church stirred some to anger, some to repentance, some to love of the Savior, and some to endless praise perhaps the church would then look a little more like Jesus.

Because of the truth: Pastor: J. Randall Easter II Timothy 2:19 "Our God is in heaven and does whatever He pleases."(Ps. 115:3) "He predestined us according to the good pleasure of His will."(Eph. 1:5) Those who have been saved have been saved for His glory and they are being made holy for this is the will of God. Are you being made holy? Spurgeon says, "If your religion does not make you holy it will damn you to hell."