And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
--Luke 9:23
I read a while ago a statistic that said 47 percent of the people who live in the state of Texas attend church regularly. That’s nearly half of an entire state! Somebody said there are more churchgoers in Texas than people! Yet, that statistic saddens me because despite having so many who claim to be Christians in the area in which I live, our faith has very little influence on our population.
What’s happened to the Church? Well for one, the Church has retreated. No longer is the Church fearless, but they’re playing it safe, avoiding confrontation at all costs. They’re scared that someone is going to be offended. They’re afraid someone is going to put them down. And as a result, churches across our nation have moved into the safety zone.
Now this is a heart issue that lies within each individual Christian. So many buy into the world’s lies that it doesn’t really matter what you believe about God as long as it makes you happy. But as believers, we simply can’t escape the clarion call in our lives to deny ourselves, take up our crosses daily, and follow Christ.
The Christian life isn’t a world of comfort and ease; it‘s not a cruise ship. Instead, it is a battleship, a lifelong fight against the enemy to win souls for the Kingdom of God. So if you’re searching for comfort in life, change your focus to serving the One who is Life!
INSTEAD OF SEEKING COMFORTS IN LIFE, GIVE YOURSELF DAILY IN SERVICE FOR THE ONE WHO IS LIFE.
The Holiness of God
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“And the LORD spake by his servants the prophets, saying, Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols: Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle.”
2 Kings 21:10–12
God is perfectly holy, and He hates sin. The society around us may mock God and promote sin, but that does not change His view that sin is awful. The church may lower its standards and say things are no longer sin that the Bible condemns, but that does not change the truth. The danger we face is that the voices around us, both secular and religious, that loudly proclaim sin is not so bad and God is no longer judging it can influence us to drop our guard.
God has not changed. He still hates sin, and He is still the judge. This judgment is not just visited on individuals, but on entire nations as well. “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:17). This truth was once widely recognized. Even Thomas Jefferson, who was not a Christian wrote, “Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that His justice cannot sleep for ever.” While our nation may have forgotten this sentiment, it is still true. The idea that sin goes on and on without consequences is false.
On the other hand, Isaiah 55:7 tells us that when we turn to God in repentance, He is ready to forgive: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”
Today's Growth Principle:
The holiness of God reminds us that we should not take sin lightly, but we should receive His mercy eagerly.
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