Where are the Christians?????

It seems today that there are more Christian churches than ever.  More gigantic buildings filled with more and more people, more conferences attended by more people who say they love God, more small groups or Bible studies where people can learn, more books written by Christian authors flying off the shelves, more Christian music stations, more, more, more!  So I wonder......Where are the Christians?  Why does it seem that even though this is all true, our Country is morally and spiritually going down hill?  How can it be that our churches are busting at the seams yet this phenomena fails to significantly effect our World.  Or maybe it is effecting more than we think.......have we just produced a generation of church goers who generally "believe" in God?  Are our churces so comfortable that we can come in and out and not be convicted enough to make major changes in our lives?  Do we, as Christians, know the Word of God?   Are we really studying and learning what the Bible says or are we waiting for someone else to tell us?  Are we being the example or waiting for one to show us?  Do we say "I just don't understand the Bible, it's too hard for me, I don't know what it is saying".  So then instead of reading the Bible we turn to books written by others to guide us!  We take everything that book says as true.....and how would we know if it wasn't true when we don't know what the Bible says.  I am not suggesting that reading another book may never be helpful or that going to a Pastor with questions is not o.k.  These are certainly good ideas but not our only options and more often than not we act as if they are the only choices we have.
So here is the challenge.  Let's learn the Word of God.  We CAN know what is really in the Bible.  Once we are saved the Holy Spirit lives in us and gives us the power and wisdom we need to understand the scripture and live godly lives.  How much more effective could we be in our world if we truly committed to studying God's Word, taking it to heart and then bringing it out to others?  I can only imagine the impact.  The fact is, the biggest impact will be on us.  How we live will change and we will feel differently about our Lord and Savior!  Check under the "Of Utmost Important" section to see what I'll be studying for the next few months.