About a month ago, I was sharing with a friend and fellow Christian something that was weighing heavily on my heart. He asked if I had read The Hole In Our Gospel by Richard Stearns, because in it the author expresses a lot of the same things I was sharing. I told him I hadn't, and I decided that I wouldn't, since, after all, why read a book that basically expresses the same things I'm already thinking and feeling?
Well, a couple weeks later, it was still on my mind and heart, so I decided to get the book and read it. Wow! You know how every once in a while you read a book you passionately, vehemently wish everyone would read? (And, for those of you who are like me, you wish you had written it?) This is one of those books. (Well, at least, every Christian should read it.) I barely made it two pages into the prologue before I broke down crying!
What can I say about it? How can I do it justice? See, at the beginning of this year, I started reading through the entire Bible for my fourth or fifth time; and, for some reason <cough>, this time I have been noticing over and over how much God talks about serving the poor and needy. (Like I shared in a previous post, this makes for a really powerful Bible study!) It was impacting me (as any time in God's Word should), and I was beginning to get even more involved than I already was in serving the poor, both locally and globally, and I was feeling pretty good about it. Then I read this book. And BAM!
Why did God destroy Sodom? (Are you sure?)
Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.
- Ezekiel 16:49
God had His prophet relay their sin in relation to the poor and needy; He didn't even mention the other stuff! And what about what it truly means to know God? I mean, this is something of ultimate importance to those who want to love and follow Him, right? In speaking of King Josiah, God says,
"He defended the cause of the poor and needy,
and so all went well.
Is that not what it means to know me?"
declares the Lord.
- Jeremiah 22: 16
I simply can't do the book justice by sharing parts of it; but, I will share just this one quote: "If we in the Church are truly dedicated to the Great Commission, then we will first have to do something about the 'Great Omission.' " One thing I have learned is, in order to keep the fire burning, it must be repeatedly and frequently stoked. I am going to have to figure out what that means for me. You are up to you :).
So please, if you are a Christian, please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please please...
Read this book. And let God do to you and with you as He sees fit!
UPDATED 2020:
