i just heard on CNN news that the U.S. is growing in population faster than any other industrialized country. on an average, about 8,000 people enter our borders--either through birth, legal or illegal immigration. that means that 2.9 million more peole will be living inside our borders. given that, and assuming it stays the same (though it is currently on the increase), in nearly 85 years our country will consist of nearly 500million people, double what it is right now. just a while ago the book "The Prayer of Jebez" was making headlines as one of the top sellers, even in the secular market. so many people were praying and praying for God to "increase our borders" and to "broaden our horizons"...i wonder what book will be on the sales rack next week when we have as much poverty as other third world countries? the news cast guy even said that the growth rate is comparitable to many other third world population increases. now i am not anti-immigration, by all means please let them in! but this is a great responsibility for us Church. if we want our borders broadened, then we better be ready to take all the responsibility that goes along with it. the streets will have even more panhandlers than we can imagine, will we be willing to give more to the needy? we will be inviting strangers into our community so they can become family? God is giving us a great opportunity, may the flock come into our land, join hands with us, and then go back and reach the lost throughout the world.

chris