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© 2012 by John and Ruth Greene All works distributed through Bible Vision International |
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For many years, I enjoyed my ministry of song in a wide variety of churches, prisons, nursing homes and had concerts in many places. About seven years ago, my husband and I ministered at a baptist church in Dallas. Curiously, the pastor had recognized us in a grocery store, and by his witness, when he saw how we interacted in the store, he decided that he had to invite us to minister. We would be in touch. Since the church was local at that time, we showed up to check the place out since we had been having some issues with lack of planning. Despite the crowds, he saw us arrive, convinced us to minister and changed the order of the service. We didn’t plan ahead and the meeting was spontaneous at the church. The fire of God was in the air and the crowd was jubilant. After we ministered to the crowd, another guest pastor asked the crowd about salvation and extended an invitation to join God’s Kingdom. Anyone that did not feel they had salvation was asked to come down for prayer. When nearly the entire body of 600 people, balcony included, filled the aisles and streamed down to the front, the building experienced a major traffic jam. We could see an expression of horror in the face of the pastor. This church had a real spiritual problem and he had a problem larger than this traffic jam. Virtually everyone felt they were not walking in salvation. The pastor talked to the crowd, and told them to relax where they were, calling up one of his “deacons” to pray. The deacon quickly rambled off a prayer and the pastor told everyone that the meeting was over. On the way home, my husband and I decided that this pastor would probably never make that choice again. For more than a decade before, when I ministered in churches, I had always been concerned about the number of professed Christians that were simply being entertained and pew sitting each meeting without life change. Was I lulling them into a spiritual sleep along with their spiritual leaders? In some places, I was able to avoid this problem, but not in most churches. After that meeting, my husband and I decided that we could no longer have any participation in this spiritual sleep, or risk the ignorance of honest-hearted Christians, which could only lead to their eternal death in these last days. We were accountable when we did not do our part to stir their spiritual slumber, especially when their leadership was encouraging that slumber. Those that weren’t honest-hearted before God needed to make a personal decision about what they would do, the very thing that so many pastors and church leaders fear. It’s about the money, the fear of playing church to an empty house. That is the extent of faith in God for many, about physical reward and cash. For John and I, gone were the days with any possibility of simply entertaining or pleasing a crowd with the hope that they would “get it.” Our eyes were fully opened. We had to be unapologetically open-mouthed about the reality of God’s Word. We had to make a difference, even if we never darkened the door of another church again. Gathering together could be an excuse for fraud and deception. We couldn’t take a chance at simply placating people that didn’t really want what the Lord of Hosts was offering. We couldn’t be part of the fraud and deception of mankind. We couldn’t sit back and condone, ignore or celebrate the traditions of man. God’s Word isn’t about entertainment or a lifestyle of mammon. My ministry to others had changed forever. When you don’t see me in your next church concert or with certain people, you know there is a reason. It’s about affairs of the heart, having the mind of Christ, and abiding in that. |
