Christian Commentary Encouraging Devotions

Whether it's people, churches, music, methods, agendas.

The following is from:-

http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2007/004/1.19.html

5 Kinds of Christians

Understanding the disparity of those who call themselves Christian in America.

A new national survey co-sponsored by "Leadership".

Active Christians 19%

* Believe salvation comes through Jesus Christ

* Committed churchgoers

* Bible readers

* Accept leadership positions

* Invest in personal faith development through the church

* Feel obligated to share faith; 79% do so.

Professing Christians 20%

* Believe salvation comes through Jesus Christ

* Focus on personal relationship with God and Jesus

* Similar beliefs to Active Christians, different actions

* Less involved in church, both attending and serving

* Less commitment to Bible reading or sharing faith

Liturgical Christians 16%

* Predominantly Catholic and Lutheran

* Regular churchgoers

* High level of spiritual activity, mostly expressed by serving in church and/or community

* Recognize authority of the church

Private Christians 24%

* Largest and youngest segment

* Believe in God and doing good things

* Own a Bible, but don't read it

* Spiritual interest, but not within church context

* Only about a third attend church at all

* Almost none are church leaders

Cultural Christians 21%

* Little outward religious behavior or attitudes

* God aware, but little personal involvement with God

* Do not view Jesus as essential to salvation

* Affirm many ways to God

* Favor universality theology

My first thought reading the article in its entirety was, "We need to reclaim the title 'Christian'!"

But God can look after that.

Our job is to live the life.

From the article...

"We need to spend the next ten years investing in the life of our surrounding community and finding ways to regain a hearing for the gospel. Instead of going to the nursing home and holding a church service, we're just going to go and love and serve people for years and years, until the staff and residents ask, 'Why do they care so much?' This won't result in 150 decisions for Christ in a year. You might not see results for five or ten years."

Basically it boils down to...

a heart for the lost.

At any cost. Are we (am I) willing?

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened

in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you,

that your eyes (may be) focused and clear,

so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do. Ephesians 1:18