By Mark H. Hunter, Regional Reporter
BATON ROUGE – There is a worldwide revival underway with an estimated million people each week becoming Christians, Jim Denison told more than 1,400 people gathered at the River Center for the 52nd Governor’s Prayer Breakfast.
But in America the number of atheists and agnostics has quadrupled in recent years, he contrasted.
“Our fastest-growing religious demographic is those who have no religion,” Denison said while showing a series of slides where Christianity is booming, like Nigeria, where 90 percent of the people attend church on Sunday.
Denison is a longtime Baptist pastor who, since 2009, has been operating the Denison Forum on Truth and Culture. He writes a daily commentary on current events read by 113,000 subscribers worldwide, and, he refers to himself as a cultural apologist.
“Why are we not seeing the spiritual awakening that is sweeping the nations?” he asked. “All across Scripture, our God is a King. Jesus taught us to ‘seek first the Kingdom of God’ (Matthew 6:33). He called us to ‘repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand’ (Matthew 4:17). When he returns, his name will be King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:16).
“Tragically, in our culture God is a hobby, not a King,” Denison continued. “He is for Sunday, not Monday. He is for religion, not the ‘real world.’ He is for the spiritual, not the secular.
“But the challenges of our day show that we need God to be more than our hobby. We need him to be our Lord and King, every moment of every day.
“Self-sufficiency is spiritual suicide,” he said. “If you would make Christ your King, you’ve taken the first step toward the redemption God intends for your people in this day.”
Denison applied the John 13 example of Jesus, who, after the Last Supper, washed the disciples’ feet and told them they should wash each other’s feet.
“Then our Lord made his point: “A new commandment I give you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another,” (vs. 34-35),” Denison quoted.
“Challenges show us that we need God and that we need each other. When we serve each other, we serve our Lord,” Denison said. “When we serve our Lord, we will serve each other. When you stand before Jesus one day, He will not ask about your title. But He will ask about your towel.”
On the internet: www.denisonforum.org, and www.jimdenison.org
