Hellen, Too true. JulieMelton visit me at www.heart-and-music.com Keep smiling! >From: Helen <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: Echurch-USA The Electronic Church ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: The Dry Rot Of Nonexpectation >Date: Wed, 20 Jul 2005 08:58:14 -0400 > >The Church: The Dry Rot of Nonexpectation > >"...but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the >ministry of the word."...Then the word of God spread, and the number >of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of >the priests were obedient to the faith. --Acts 6:4,7 > >The church is afflicted by dry rot. This is best explained when the >psychology of nonexpectation takes over and spiritual rigidity sets >in, which is an inability to visualize anything better, a lack of >desire for improvement. > >There are many who respond by arguing, "I know lots of evangelical >churches that would like to grow, and they do their best to get the >crowds in. They want to grow and have contests to make their Sunday >school larger." That is true, but they are trying to get people to >come and share their rut. They want people to help them celebrate the >rote and finally join in the rot. Because the Holy Spirit is not >given a chance to work in our services, nobody is repenting, nobody >is seeking God, nobody is spending a day in quiet waiting on God with >open Bible seeking to mend his or her ways. Nobody is doing it-- we >just want more people. But more people for what? More people to come >and repeat our dead services without feeling, without meaning, >without wonder, without surprise? More people to join us in the >bondage to the rote? For the most part, spiritual rigidity that >cannot bend is too weak to know just how weak it is. Rut, Rot or >Revival: The Condition of the Church, 8,9. > >"Lord, not more people, but more of You. Let me wait upon You, keep >me faithful, send Your Holy Spirit. If You then send growth as well, >I'll thank You and see it as an added blessing. Amen." > >~Tozer~