Great comments, Gerry! And I agree: services ARE less reverent today. Your statement about us having become "too 'familiar' with the message of His return" is thought-provoking. For the new believer this wonderful message is new and life-changing, but for many who have heard it all their lives it seems to awaken little response in them. But I believe the problem is not the fact that they have heard the message so long, but rather that when they have heard it, they have not bothered to apply it and live it. For the one who daily feasts upon God's word and applies it to his life, he knows by experience that "His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23).
You asked, "Do we really understand where we are in the stream of time?" I would like to answer "Yes" to that question, but I don't think any of us really understand where we are in time as we should. Jesus described both the foolish and the wise virgins as sleeping when they should have been awake. I believe it is much later in time than any of us realize, and I think we are all asleep. And I think we all need to wake up and experience a revival and reformation in our lives.
You asked, "Do we really care?" Yes. Some of us do. And I pray that those of us who do will put that care to action by praying for revival, by studying to understand what hinders it and what can help it, and seek it with all our heart.
[This message has been edited by Dennis Crabbe (edited June 19, 2001).]
