Why isn't the Lord Adding to Our Number Those Who are being Saved?

Like many in my family, I have insomnia.


I won't say that I suffer from insomnia.


Over the years, I have developed a few strategies to deal with the insomnia. And, I make the most of the condition.


One of the strategies involves reviewing/meditating on Scripture I have memorized. There are actually eight verses or short passages that serve as the core of this activity. This core of eight has happened; it has not been designed or planned. These are eight scriptures, all from the New Testament, that have become meaningful to me in the past year or so. They are from:


Luke 24,
Matthew 11,
two from Romans 14,
Colossians 3,
Philippians 2,
2 Corinthians 7 and
Galatians 5.


Often I fall asleep while I'm doing the list. Sometimes other verses come into my mind while I doing the list. If I make it to the end of the list, I think about other verses or passages or others simply come into my mind.


About a month ago, I got to the end of the list and found myself with Acts 2:42-47 running through my mind before I realized it, so I rode that wave.


The passage ends, "...and the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."


And, the Scripture train just simply stopped running with that phrase.


And, I was left to think about the fact that our God of grace and mercy and of salvation was so willing to empower His people to proclaim the gospel then while all of our plans and programs today lay rotten eggs. And, that in my "faith tradition" there was a time when the Lord was blessing.


It does strike me that the key message proclaimed by early believers is that to be saved everyone must repent (Acts 2:38)--a message we neither preach nor practice today.


But, answer for yourself: Why?


We must repent and preach repentance.