At Ease While The World Burns

[Mike Ellis]

Evangelism: At Ease While the World Burns from A. W. Tozer

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. --2 Corinthians 5:20

The fall of man has created a perpetual crisis. It will last until sin has been put down and Christ reigns over a redeemed and restored world.

Until that time the earth remains a disaster area and its inhabitants live in a state of extraordinary emergency....

To me, it has always been difficult to understand those evangelical Christians who insist upon living in the crisis as if no crisis existed. They say they serve the Lord, but they divide their days so as to leave plenty of time to play and loaf and enjoy the pleasures of the world as well. They are at ease while the world burns....

I wonder whether such Christians actually believe in the Fall of man!

"I'm too often at ease and consumed with my self-interests, Lord. Open my eyes to see the tragedy of friends and acquaintances on their way to a Christless eternity. Do it for Jesus' sake, Amen."

[John Dobbs]

Wow. Now that's a word from the Lord ...via Tozer. Thanks Mike.

[James Nored]

Mike, we do need a much greater urgency in reaching the world for Christ. We seem to have little sense of an eschatalogical present future. Jesus repeatedly spoke of living NOW--with an awareness that the future could come at any minute.

Loafing around and enjoying the pleasures of the world - too true. We loaf around while our neighbors and co-workers are far away from God. TV, sports, politics--all of these things can be enjoyable. But they take up far too much of our time. Or at least, we do these things without any awareness of mission. We need to encourage people to be involved in the activities of life, but to do so as a missionary, looking for people to bless and share Christ with.