I've been thinking...Be very afraid!

I am frequently on Facebook to keep in contact with my family and friends. Just a couple of days ago a dear friend posed a question on her Facebook to anyone that would dare answer. See, she is a gifted writer and is praying over a future book or as the Lord directs, possibly writing another Bible study. Here's what she posted: How do we lose our compassion? Become complacent? Sit, rather than move for His kingdom? I must say, as I told her, "could you possibly ask any deeper questions"? I thought for a bit, and I guess I answered as best that I could, assuring her that I didn't know the "right" answer, but was just sharing my personal thoughts. But really, I have to say, that over the last few days those same questions have been burning on my soul. How do we get to this point in our Christian walks? Why is it that my friend is seeking answers to the same concerns that Paul had for the churches back in his days? He (Paul) certainly wrote and warned about being lukewarm. One thing that I very simplistically touched on in my response to her was some of what we are dealing with down here in our churches...the Prosperity Gospel; the "God blessed you, now you bless me gospel" or the "Santa Claus gospel" as our team kindly refers to it; i.e. The, "sure, I'll accept Him, now what's He gonna do for me gospel". Rather than call it any of these, I most often refer to it as the "Satan Factor". Satan was hard at work during the day of Paul and he continues to do a mighty deception within the Body of Christ today. Somewhere along the way, it seems to me that Christianity has been redefined to "fit into" our culture. I found this to be true when we were accepted under Global Outreach Mission to full-time missionary service. Never in my life have I felt more "strange" about my beliefs than in sharing this news with a good Christian friend, when she informed me that my children would never amount to anything by taking them on the mission field. What was already for us a real battle in obedience and surrender; (what we perceived to be authentic Christianity), was frowned down upon and labeled by my friend as "legalistic". I believe that A.W. Tozer hit the nail on the head when he wrote, "That this world is a playground instead of a battleground has now been accepted in practice by the vast majority of fundamentalist Christians. They are facing both ways, enjoying Christ and the world too." Perhaps, we have settled in our Christian walks and we have compromised. Again, I don't have the answers.

"As Christ's soldier, do not let yourself become tied up in the affairs of this life, for then you cannot satisfy the one who has enlisted you in his army. Follow the Lord's rules for doing his work, just as an athlete either follows the rules or is disqualified and wins no prize". 2 Timothy 2:4-5

Thank you to my dear friend, who has caused me this week to do some soul searching, concentrated praying for myself (it's easiest to pray for everyone else, isn't it?), and to keep in check how I am running and how I might finish the race! Lord, help me not to be disqualified.