Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God I say this to your shame. (I Corinthians 15:34)

I think spiritual people would agree the Holy Spirit is calling for repentance in America. We are not, most of us, living righteous, holy lives. Christians attend X-rated movies, drink alcohol, smoke, use profanity in their speech, molest their children, commit fornication and adultery, are bitter and mean in their speech and actions, slander, gossip, promote division, and do everything else the Apostle Paul warned would prevent us from inheriting the Kingdom of God.

Yet the people who do these things were at one time listed as "saved" in the statistics of some Christian denomination. Does this make any sense? Are these sinning converts pleasing to God? Are our results pleasing to the Lord? What is the source of this preoccupation with numbers of people when the congregations we do have are living in the lusts of the flesh?

Yet we go on and on seeking to add more numbers to the churches. Is this some kind of proselyting madness? What spirit is driving the push for more churches and more converts when the rank and file of believers are spiritual babies far from the stature of the fullness of Christ?

The LORD said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place." (Judges 7:7)

Why did God insist that most of the Jews go home at this point? Was it that God at times prefers to work with smaller numbers when He has a great work to do?

Are we under the impression that if our converts take "the four steps of salvation" they somehow will find their way to maturity? Is it true of babies that they will find their way to maturity whether or not they are cared for? Is this the pattern for growth found in the New Testament?

Maybe we are chopping wildly when we ought to be sharpening the axe.

Nehemiah lists the sheep gate before the fish gate. Perhaps if we would tend to the maturing of the sheep, God would tend to the catching of the fish.

It is interesting to note that when Peter was occupied with Christ, God filled the nets with fish.

I think it is time for the Lord Jesus Christ to make us fishers of men. There are numerous kinds of "fish," and only Jesus can enable us to catch the fish that are our responsibility.

But first we have to return to the Word of God. I want the young people of our church to be fishers of men; but above all to know Jesus personally and to adhere very strictly to the written Word of God.

How do you feel about this?

I think some of the current teachings should be challenged with the Scriptures. We need to return to the Bible!

To be continued.