There
are some feelings of the soul that are so deep that we often wonder why
we were created the way we are. Jealousyis one of those feelings that
lurks in the dark recesses of our hearts and seems to come out at the
most opportune time. Jealousy has its roots in insecurity. It's
basically derived from the fear of loss. A man becomes obsessively jealous because he's afraid he'll lose his wife or girl friend. One
worker is jealous of another one because he or she is afraid that he
may lose his position or esteem. Jealousy is rooted in fear and fear is
based in insecurity.
One
of the most interesting developments in the world today is the
extremely rapid growth of the church in the developing nations and the
lack of church growth in the wealthy countries. One can only ask if
there is any correlation to the prosperity of the West and the lack of
substantial growth in the church. If the Western church has all the
resources to reach people with the message of the gospel, then one can
only wonder what has kept it from accomplishing its task.
One year prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union, I preached the first national crusade in Moldova, one of the former republics of the USSR.
There was a great sense of expectation. No one knew what to expect when
I preached in the national stadium that first Sunday. The atmosphere
was charged. The news media was present to capture that historic moment.
A few years ago, the President of the United States
confessed that he had "an inappropriate relationship" with Monica
Lewinsky, an intern at the White House, and that he had "misled
people." Citizens of the United States
immediately began to debate whether President Clinton should remain in
the highest position of the country. Some said that he should be
removed from office while others said that he should resign. However,
one thing became clear to everyone - the American baby boomer
generation has become used to deceit being a normal part of life.