Has The Church Been Indicted?

My heart aches today because a little girl, 13-years-old, passed away. For about eight years of this little girl’s life, I watched her grow and learn. I knew her mom and dad. I was on staff at the church where they attended.

This past Friday she contracted a cold which turned into a bacterial infection that spread throughout her body and by Monday she was lifeless. Parents are grieving. A church is grieving. I am grieving.

Where is the power of the scriptures? Am I the only one so bold as to ask this question? As a minister, how many bedsides of people have I stood beside with terrible diseases and watched as they slipped off into eternity? I would clasp my hands, shake my head, comfort the grieving, say a prayer and walk away.

I must ask myself, “Is this girl’s death an indictment against me? against the church?” Where is the life-giving power of the cross? Do I dare explain it away…that it just wasn’t God’s will for her to live? Do I say, as others have, that divine healing is just not an option anymore? Was the miracle truly in the stealth of the physicians even though she still died? I can’t bring myself to say yes to any of these questions.

If I am going to give my life for the gospel, I must believe in Divine intervention. There must be healing for the sick. The dead must be able to be raised again. So why does it not happen?

Is it because the body of Christ has become lethargic? Has the leadership (myself included) in the body become as the Priest Eli…is this why the word of the Lord is so rare in our day? Would the pride of church leadership steal the glory from God if the miraculous did happen? Why, God, do you tarry? In the sincerest depth of my heart I wonder why His power tarries. This girl’s death is an indictment against us.

God will soon answer. He will provide the means to move from lethargy to power once again. The nations will speak that the voice of the Lord is once again in the mouth of the church. Until that time, we must seek Him foolishly. We must seek Him recklessly. We must seek Him with abandon. We must seek Him knowing that He can create those things which are not…as though they were (Romans 4:17).

“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” 2 Chronicles 16:9

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 24th, 2009 at 12:21 pmand is filed under church, leadership. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

One Response to “Has The Church Been Indicted?”

  • sclough Says:
    February 25th, 2009 at 9:31 am

    There is no doubt, our lack of power is an indictment of our faith. Where are those who will stand in that bold and awkward place of crying out for the manifestations of God rather than inventing theological constructs that allow us to remain powerless? It is a fearful indictment, not just that we lack power, but that we are content to lack power. That perhaps is the most fearful thing of all. I see everywhere that God again is raising up among His people those who will contend and cry out like Gideon saying, “Where are the miracles of our fathers?”

    My heart is stirred by your post, cease not to cry out until He visits us again in mercy!

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