The American Church needs a catfish thrown in it's neat little fish bowl...

See this story written below by CNN's Anderson Cooper. Anderson used it as a lead to one of his daily letters to President Obama and he used it in a way that worked for him, but I would like to shed a different light using this story as a message to the American Church...

"Here’s a story I heard once, which may or may not be true. I don’t know. But it is interesting to consider.

When goldfish are shipped by airplane from wherever it is that goldfish come from, (personally I think it is Golden Pond) they have a nasty tendency to get a type of fishy malaise…an ennui of the sea…and one by one they start rolling over and dying, lulled into the great nevermore by the rocking water, the flight, and no doubt the excessive baggage fees. This, if you are a goldfish dealer, is bad. So some years back, goldfish wranglers discovered a trick. If they put a catfish in, the goldfish get all riled up, and swim vigorously as they defend their territory. And in the process, the goldfish find strength they did not know they had. They not only live, they thrive."

At M300 Ministries we have for a long time found the American church lulled into a fishy malaise and have seen church after church and leader after leader roll over and die in a spiritual sense. We have found the American church in our days dying and lulled into the great nevermore by the "smooth feel of the road to heaven". Wake up...It's not meant to be all about a "make me feel good", "entertain me" gospel. It's not meant to be a "tickle my ear", please my taste buds American flavored Gospel. A pastor friend serving in a country where persecution is rampant made this comment to me the other day, "Do Americans really believe that Jesus is an American Jesus and that they can tell Him what to do?" A sad testimony from a place where the mention of the name Jesus can bring death and persecution. Is this representative of the American church that you are a member of?

Hash codes are used to build databases of data on social networks like Twitter and at M300 Ministries we used this technology to help build databases that were used and are being used to rescue trapped earthquake victims in Haiti. Do a Google search of #rescuemehaiti , #victimmissinghaiti and #relativesinhaiti to see how those data base files have been used to save lives.

I noted during the 24/7 week long marathon to help Haiti that many pastors, leaders, and Christian teachers didn't miss a beat, didn't change their tweets or even recognize the massively grave situation in Haiti. Many continued to offer books for sale, talk about how nice the golf game was, or how beautiful of a day it was and how God was just pouring out blessings on them. How could you NOT LIFT A FINGER seeing your "neighbor in dispair"? How could you be a Christian leader and be guilty of #NLAF (Not Lifting A Finger) to help? If you wonder why God doesn't see your fast or hear your prayers do a quick read of Isaiah 58 and you will gain wisdom and understanding of what God has to say to your heart.

Now consider what would happen if this simple hash code were put into wide circulation #NLAF meaning (Not Lift A Finger) It could be used to document each time that a Christian or a Church were given the opportunity by God to help and could meet a need, but choose to #NLAF (Not Lift A Finger) It would make an interesting but extremely embarrassing database. Let's hope no one does this but if they do... Will you appear in such a listing or not? Repent while it is still day for the time is coming when no man can repent.

In real life this means that the American church in large measure has been lulled into complacency and more often than not does Not Lift A Finger to help when they really can. Now the book of James has alot to say about this but I am not going to interpret it here because for the most part it is self explanatory and those lacking understanding who are in Christ can ask the Holy Spirit to guide them with wisdom and understanding. The main point of what I want to clearly state here today is that most American churches are self centered islands unto themselves.

Sure there are exceptions and perhaps where you attend is not like this but as a 100% faith ministry our direct experience tell us that many if not most American churches have no real concept of what the Great Commission is other than that they can send funds directly to their denominational headquarters or associational headquarters and let the "professionals" handle that thing called The Great Commission. The most perfect truth as witnessed by the world and the lost of the world is that in general the church in American practices The Great Omission in lieu of practicing The Great Commission.

Why on Earth or in Heaven would a church body Not Lift A Finger to help the poor. Why would they see missionaries tasked by God in their midst and confirmed in their calling and still Not Lift A Finger? Why would the naked remain naked while the American church plays fun and game night by Not Lifting A Finger. 

At M300 Ministries we specialize in autonomous partnering with other Christian ministries. The head of a well known Christian University once remarked to me, "I simply don't get it! How do you possibly work with so many different ministries given all of the doctrinal differences that stand in between." The answer came from the Holy Spirit and it was this..."Exactly how many doctrines do we have to get exactly right before we put food in the mouth of a starving child and share Jesus Christ with them?" For this very reason the Apostle Paul once declared to a people of Corinth saying, 1 Corinthians 2:2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. So the question begs an answer: Exactly how many doctrinal points do we have to agree upon before we will rescue the perishing and help the needy? Why are we amazed when we choose to Not Lift A Finger and then we see how God get to a point that he has to throw a catfish in our tank to keep us alive. Here's hoping your catfish comes along soon.

The goldfish wrangler's discovered a trick to keep their goldfish alive by getting the goldfish a riled up and swimming vigorously to defend their territory. Perhaps, just maybe, God does the same to the American church by putting people in places that challenge the current state of the American church. People who will point out what Isaiah 58 says about, "How God Sees A True Fast". When the American church became an Island unto itself and the prosperity gospel began to be preached it tickled many ears and satisfied many pallets looking for "what's in it for me". Now the results are clear and it is a shameful legacy of Not Lifting A Finger #NLAF that causes God to throw a catfish in each tank to help churches and Christians find the strength that they never knew they had to not only live but to thrive. 

Let me challenge you that the very next time God gives you an opportunity to do good, to serve the needy, to feed the hungry, to cloth the naked, to take home the homeless ...please don't be guilty of Not Lifting A Finger. Do you know why we can speak this way? It is because we are answerable to God and not to man. This ministry surely has it's own catfish swimming around but at the same time we understand much of Isaiah 58 and we endeavor to avoid #NLAF. At times I have personally been convinced that a person could come into the midst of a thriving active, loving church body and literally starve to death because people often choose to #NLAF. Missionaries needing the support of God's resources because God called them and confirmed their ministries could be led to walk away from their calling simply because people, pastors and church leaders choose to #NLAF. Church Pastors and church administrators are tasked by God with recognizing God's calling in the lives of people in their midst and in their community and then helping those people to successfully answer God's call. More often than not "professional pastors" simply choose to #NLAF (Not Lift A Finger) Don't let this be your database or your heritage in the Lord. Choose to do good and to support those called out by God to do good.

If God has blessed you it is so that you can help others. You can rescue the perishing. Comfort the orphan. Help the rescuers and commit to personally help the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be preached to every nation and every tongue...even to the hardest to reach places on Earth.

(If you are reading this outside of the M300 Ministries website please visit us here: www.m300ministries.org  Be a witness and a participant in what God is doing around the world in different languages, cultures and countries.)

Founder/Director @ M300 Ministries
http://www.m300ministries.org
Co-Founder/ Co-Editor @ Pakistan Christian News
http://www.pakistanchristiannews.net

                      
                M300 MINISTRIES
              LEADING WITH VISION
            "Where there is no vision, the people perish"
                        Proverbs 29:18 KJV

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