There are a couple of news briefs being passed through ABA circles about the economic stimulus bill being formed now in Congress. Both raise concern about the language in the bill that would prohibit religious activities in public/school/college buildings that use stimulus money for rennovations and construction. These concerns are valid, and we should be contacting our representatives in Congress about them.
There were a couple of statements made, though, that I feel should be addressed.
(1) If the bill passes, we have only ourselves to blame.
I don't think we should take the blame for the rebellion against God that is taking place in Congress. Did we not work to get Godly men elected to office? Did we not vote for the men we thought God would have run our country? Furthermore, if you live in the district of a Congressman who voted against the language prohibiting religious activities in stimulus-funded buildings, what more can you do? Really? Call your Congressman, but remember, if Congress passes the bill with the anti-religious language in it, it's not you they rejected, but God. (Isn't that what God told Samuel?)
(2) Our MBSF's are gone.
To be brutally honest, the MBSF (Missionary Baptist Student Fellowship... college campus ministries) have been dead in the state of Texas for years. I know we have some vibrant ones in place, and I'm not being critical of those. I am not even criticizing the struggling MBSF's, as all college ministries from all denominations go through cycles of prosperity and struggle. But, what I will point out is that in the state of Texas, home to UT, TAMU, Rice, U of H, Baylor, UTEP, Texas Tech, UTEP, Texas Pan-American, Texas State, SFA, Sam Houston, North Texas, TCU, SMU, numerous smaller schools like Tarleton State, Midwestern State, West Texas A&M, Howard Payne, HArdin Simmons, Abilene Christian University, San Angelo State, all the TAMU and UT branch schools, and numerous junior colleges, like TJC, Blinn, Kilgore, Jacksonville, Lon Morris, NE Texas CC, Lee, Harris County, San Jacinto, Cisco, Ranger, and so on, we have only 4 MBSF's in the state of Texas.
Some of those four are severely underfunded due to an unwillingness of our churches to add them to their missions budget. Some pastors have even told MBSF directors and sponsoring churches that "I don't want to send you money to help your church grow."
In addition to being evangelistic outreaches, MBSF's are a way to continue the discipleship process when our youth go on to college, plus they can be the training ground for our next generation of pastors and missionaries. The road that led me to salvation traveled right through a college ministry. The director worked tirelessly to try to get me to see the light. It was at that college ministry that I met my wife. That very college ministry, in addition to playing a role in my salvation, helped prepare that director for the pastoral ministry, and trained at least two other pastors that I can think of. Futhermore, I can point to some other MBSF leaders in our work who will likely go on to great things in the pastoral ministry or missions.
So, the stimulus plan would deal a blow to our ability to conduct MBSF on campus... but is that the greater tragedy? Or is the greater tragedy the fact that we had 50 years of freedom to conduct MBSF, and have chosen not to?
Brethren, I love you all. Things are going to get rough for the next few years. This dark period will come to an end in one of two ways. (1) The American people will react to it and we'll see a spiritual revival in our land (there are signs this might be coming), or (2) Jesus will return and we'll get to be with Him forever, and all this will be a minor, distant memory.
Let me close by offering you a verse from I Peter 4:12 - Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.
Let's not be suprised, confounded, and let's quit acting like we are scrambling to counter-act the enemy. Let's face this, knowing what we are facing, and continuing to do the work God has planned for us. There will be a harvest.
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