An Appeal for Flint, Michigan

By Nick Staley

(Ezekiel 3:17-21) “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: “When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. “Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. “Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. “Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul.”

Flint, Mi. is a great city. We have many churches throughout the city. Many proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, many do not. The city is a haven for the darkness, there is very little light. Yet, when I ask people if they are saved they respond with the right answers, while they live a life of gross immorality. So what has happened and what is happening in our once great metropolis? I intend to address this in these pages and appeal to you to pray for us and the city, to support us through giving to the Lord, or coming with us to preach the Gospel.

(Matthew 9:37-38) Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. “Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

Many today say that Flint has trod the path of descent because of deindustrialization. This may be the case to secular man. But, as Christian men and women, we do not look at outward circumstances to define the demise of a culture or people. We look inward to the word of God to see what the Lord does when he judges a city. While GM has almost all but left, Buick city is no more, and Delphi is desolate, these I say are only proof that God is still ruling and reigning over Flint.

When we look into the utter darkness that has engulfed the city, we should be astonished. Death and murder seem to top headlines daily. Satan has overrun the city and the people are dying having not heard the gospel.

As Christian men and women we indeed believe the word of our Lord Jesus Christ. He explicitly told us: (Mark 16:15-16) “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”  Yet when it comes to this verse we think of other lands not our own. We think of far away countries with tribal people having no witness for Christ or Muslims in the 10/40 window who are actively opposing the spread of Christianity. We rarely think of North America, let alone the USA, as part of, “all the World” We send missionaries all over the world, yet we neglect our own country. As America becomes more and more secular adopting more and more humanistic philosophies we need to send missionaries to reach those whom need a Savior. We must not neglect our literal next door neighbors for our nation’s next door neighbors. We need to send the gospel message to all.

Here are some statistics:

155,000 people die worldwide daily

6,900 people die in the US daily

235 people die daily in Michigan

11 people die daily in Genesee County

Since there are varying statistics on how many Christians there are, I will use the words of Christ. In the parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23), 1 in 4 were born again Christians. This would mean:

116,000 people died without Christ worldwide today

5175 people died without Christ in the US today

177 people died without Christ in Michigan today

9 people died without Christ in Genesee County today

When faced with such numbers it should leave us speechless. Rather, it should leave us speaking! Speaking to those who, at any moment, could be thrust into eternity to stand before a infinite, omniscient, almighty, perfectly Holy God. He stands to judge them according to their works! Since man’s righteousness is as filthy rags before God, then how will they fair? Ask yourself this question. Think about it… If they are not covered by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ then they stand condemned and will spend eternity in Hell. That is a sobering certainty. The promises of the Lord Jesus are certain to be fulfilled. While we love to meditate on these promises we neglect some of the weightier ones. Such as Matthew 13:41-42 “The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” This is a promise; there is no maybe, He says their will be divine retribution for sin. Philippians 2:10-11 “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” This is a promise as well. All shall bow their knee’s and confess Christ. We, as Christians, do this already out of reverence for God while unbelievers do not. But on the day of judgment all those who have not bowed their knee to God will. They will have no choice, when they face almighty God without the covering of the blood of Jesus, they will bow to our Lord. Then will be cast into Hell to spend eternity receiving punishment for their sins. Now these are only two of many promises of the Word of God. These are going to happen.

Why send missionaries into any city in America? Well, you say, there are churches, seemingly, on every corner. This is true, there are. Yet the cities seem to get worse and worse. Many of those who are acting out in such evil ways are not coming to the churches. They are not hearing the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. They walk in spiritual darkness and are never exposed to the light. We must take our light into the darkness. If we sit in our churches with our many programs waiting for the lost to find us, my dear friend, they will never hear the gospel. For the darkness does not like the light lest their deeds be exposed. You see, I have lost my keys many times, yet they have never found me. They are lost, I am not. So of the world, they do not realize they are lost, just like my keys. Was not Christ’s command to, “ GO into all the world and preach the gospel to EVERY creature.” Not,” sit in the church and wait for the Lost, then preach the gospel.” NO, He said GO!! We must take the gospel to them. Romans 10:15 tells us those who preach the gospel of peace, their feet are beautiful. Why are their feet beautiful? Because the feet went, feet imply going. In recent years the only walking the church has done is walking out of the cities to reach those in the suburbs.

So how can we know when God has abandoned a city? Can we honestly know? In Romans chapter 1 we are told what a people looks like when God has abandoned a people. In this verse we are told two times God, “…gave them up,” and once that God, “…gave them over.” In the verses surrounding these verses we find a list of sins that are the result of restraining grace being lifted. Or as a preacher said, “many say to God thy Will be done, to the others God says, fine have it your way.” Let us take a look at these verses.

Romans 1:24-32 “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. And even€ as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”

This list of sins, which is quite large, is a portrait of America today. Those who do not know Jesus Christ love that which God says He hates. Pornography is rampant, atheistic philosophies have permeated schools and all aspects of public life, and the marketing professionals have used commercials to show us what we “need”. But this disintegration of life is showing the sinfulness of sin and those who Christ loved and took the punishment for are ripe for the harvest! We need to go, preach, teach, see men and women saved. Oh how we need revival! Pray for revival, but also labor for it! We desire to go and work for the one who purchased us with His precious blood. Join in praying for us as we go, if you want to increase your ministry partner with us financially, or pray about going yourself!!!!!

Christ’s Bondservant,

Nick Staley

Christ’s bondservant,

Nick Staley