April 5, 2013

  • This Nation I Love

    Here in Denmark, we have LOTS of churches. Sadly, if you go to many of them on Sunday you will find them nearly empty. Although Denmark calls itself a “Christian nation,” the number of people who attend church is about 5 %.
    http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/rel_chu_att-religion-church-attendance     

    Of course, attending church does not make you a Christian, but if you ARE one, I would think you would want to go to church!

    I love this nation, and it breaks my heart to see how little God is valued here. Denmark is a modern, humanistic country. Materialism is worshiped here. Knowledge and education is valued far above spiritual things.

    This nation that has been so blessed honors the “memory” of God, but its heart is far from Him. A passage from 2 Timothy 3:1-5  describes Denmark. (and many other nations, very well.)

    “You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!”

    What’s to be done? We are begging God to pour out His Spirit on Denmark.  We are asking Him to “unblind” the eyes of people so they can see they are lost. Along with that, we are working hard to demonstrate the reality of Christ. We are speaking the truth in love. We are building up and encouraging the believers.

    I do believe that people need to see the church the way God intended the church to be. A church VICTORIOUS! In many cases, that is not the church currently being modeled before the world. Instead of “tut-tutting” the lifestyles and behaviors of the sinners around us, the church needs to begin to clean up its own act. We need to spend less time finger pointing and more time on our knees. We need to spend less time judging and more time loving. We need to get off our comfortable, padded pews, out of our air conditioned sanctuaries and reach out in love and action to the lost and broken. We need to ask God for a burden. Maybe we could even stop building bigger and bigger churches and rebuild and restore lives instead.

    Oh my. I do try not to use my blog as a “soap box,” but this just kinda typed itself. Ha.   I will try to get myself back under control, folks. Thanks for bearing with me.

    Blessings on your weekend, and if you have time, please pray for Denmark.

Comments (16)

  • I will join you in praying for Denmark. Like you, my heart breaks for the people who live on this earth - in any country - without knowing the fulness of life in Christ.

  • I'll pray for Denmark, and I'm sure you are praying for the US.  Thanks.

  • The rise of Western Civilization was powered by the dynamo of Christianity.

    The very knowledge and education that people value so much would not have been possible without Christianity.

    It's amazing how human beings can take things so for granted.

  • Thank you so much for giving us concrete, meaningful ways to pray for your beautiful country.  

  • Good Morning Pastor Mae,

    I wholeheartedly agree with your views and passion for Denmark and the lost. My former Baptist churches used to preach this way all of the time.
    My wife and I are trying to be involved in church and we have struggled here ourselves.
    blessings
    frank

  • It is not a problem confined to Denmark - the USA is having a similar crisis. We all need to pray. I will do my part!

  • well you should climb on that soap box more often... ;)
    what you said is dead on and true of what the church in north america is becoming too.
    i'm grateful for the work you guys are doing and we'll pray as a family for denmark.

    happy weekend.
    hugs!

  • Praying for Denmark.  At least the ones who do attend church in Denmark truly want to be there.  Here in the USA, many attend b/c they feel it's the right thing to do...not b/c they are there to worship.  The USA needs prayer as well.

  • Denmark and all the world.  I hear you.  Love that soapbox. 

  • I like it when you get on that soapbox!  You call us to prayer Mae, but you also are good at encouraging the body on how to be the body of Christ!  We need that.  Yes, I am joining you in prayer!

  • All the nations need intercessors to plead for mercy from the Father. So glad you are at your post,  that Denmark is covered. Blessings. 

  • "I love this nation, and it breaks my heart to see how little God is valued here. Denmark is a modern, humanistic country. Materialism is worshiped here. Knowledge and education is valued far above spiritual things"

    Therein lies the malaise in Christianity. You reveal in your own words that the problem lies with Christians not other people. You wrote the above as if what you say of modern Denmark is negative. In fact, being "humanistic" and valuing greatly "knowledge and education" are extremely positive. Coupled with the anti-science rhetoric by the most outspoken Christian groups of late, the sooner the church loses all mundane power everywhere in the western world, the better. Then maybe, Christians will concentrate on setting the example instead of trying to force others to live the example for them instead.

    I suggest that the churches give all they have to the poor and start again.

  • @Lovegrove - I am not against knowledge and education, but I feel that without a moral base, we are sliding into a pit. Science is not enough. Science without mercy, godly wisdom, love and kindness is scary. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I do think your idea about the church giving all they have to the poor and starting over is not a bad idea! I don't think Jesus ever meant for the church to be rich. We are simply to be a channel through which God can bless others, but somewhere along the line, the church has lost its way. 

  • @DanishDoll - "I feel that without a moral base, we are sliding into a pit. Science is not enough."

    I understand where you are coming from. I used to be there. I am sorry to say that you are exhibiting yet another trait that shows why the average western person is increasingly turning away from Christianity. The implication of your words is that you think that secular people have no moral base, which is a bit of an insult to say the least.

    All sane people who are not sociopaths or pychopaths have an inate empathy for their fellows and I would suggest, by extention the planet. To deny that is to greatly imply that those who have secular or different views than yours are lesser humans. History has shown what dark deeds that attitude has caused Europeans to do in the name of Christianity and indeed other fanatical ideals, but that is another story. There are names for that attitude and none of them are flattering.
    .

  • Thank you Mae for getting out of control, keep it up.

  • @Lovegrove - I think this is something you and I can never agree on. Of course I do not condone killing people who do not believe the way I believe! What I mean is this --- I have counseled with young women who are emotionally broken and suffering from STD's. What I mean by no moral base is that they do not understand that their lifestyle is not doing them any favors, yet they do not see anything wrong with it. I have counseled children who are shattered by divorce. I have cried with women who had an abortion and have come to regret it. I have tried to explain the simple concept of why lying and stealing is wrong to children who are brought up seeing their parents do those things. I met a young man a while ago who just got out of jail for stealing. He explained that it was OK to take what he wanted because he did not want to work for it. He wanted it NOW. Hmmm.... Every day I see people whose lives are out of control -- people who have no hope. I have dealt with young women who are suicidal or anorexic. I talk to people who are carrying around a lot of shame or anger. I pray with people who are severely depressed. My conclusion is that some basic element is missing in society.  

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