Faith

Are You Searching for Something? Alana Lane Hosts a Revival

March 11, 2011 By Chuck Briese 1 Comment

Brothers, I say Brothers
Now you got yourself two good hands
And when your brother is troubled
You got to reach out your one hand for him
‘Cause that’s what it’s there for

And when your heart is troubled
You got to reach out your other hand
Reach it out to the man up there
‘Cause that’s what he’s there for

-Neil Diamond, Brother Love’s Travelin’ Salvation Show

Life is hard. The daily grind, dealing with a job you don’t like (or no longer have). Traffic. A spouse preoccupied with anything but you. Kids that no longer listen. Bills that slowly start to pile up. Gas at $3.40 a gallon. Yes, life is hard. It wears you down, to the point that you start to consider asking your doctor, “Is Cymbalta right for me?”

But Cymbalta might not be the answer. You might want to try something that doesn’t have nausea or swelling as a side effect. Alana Lane Baptist Church is holding an old-fashioned Revival, Sunday, March 13 through Wednesday, March 16. Sunday services will be at 11:00 am and 6:00 pm, and weekday services will be held each night at 7:00 pm. Ken Tran will be the guest evangelist, and special music will be provided by Tracy and Loma Jaggers, Ashley Scott, and the Alana Lane Baptist Church band. They’ll have a cake contest Sunday night for dads and kids, and nightly refreshments and fellowship will follow each service.

The Alana Lane Revival is being held in conjunction with Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary‘s Revive This Nation program, held in churches across the United States March 13-16. “We live in a nation that we say is lethargic; that we say is dying,” says Thomas White, Vice President for Student Services at Southwestern, “It’s time for us to step up, and to passionately proclaim the Gospel, all throughout this nation – Revive This Nation.”

So if life has worn you down, if you’re searching for something, come out to Alana Lane for an old-fashioned Revival. It’s not Elmer Gantry, and it’s not Brother Love’s Travelin’ Salvation Show. It’s real people with real problems turning to the Word to help them get through the storms. Join the good folks of Alana Lane Baptist Church for four days of Revival, at a time we we all need it the most.

Take my hand in yours, walk with me this day
In my heart I know, I will never stray
Halle-halle-halle-halle-halle-halle-halle-halle

Love, Brother Love, say Brother Love’s Travelin’ Salvation Show
Pack up the babies and grab the old ladies, and everyone goes
‘Cause everyone knows Brother Love’s Show

Filed Under: Events, Faith Tagged With: Alana Lane Baptist Church, Ashley Scott, Baptist, Baptist Groups, Christianity, Denominations, Religion and Spirituality, Revival, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, United States

Thanks, Ricky!

January 28, 2011 By Scott Hescht, Psalm 22 Ministries Leave a Comment

I was watching a documentary on NFL player Ricky Williams recently. In an interview he said that there is one good man in a thousand. Williams had seemed to notice that there is something wrong with the state of mankind. It truly is a great observation. Simple, but great.

Nobody is perfect right, but think about that for a moment. We’ve got issues that shouldn’t be downplayed. A lot of people don’t want to focus on it because it lowers our self esteem. We don’t like to focus on the negative.

However, may I suggest that we be a little negative in order to understand a huge positive? That positive is Jesus Christ. Did you know that without the negative, there would be no need for what He accomplished 2,000 years ago? It would be absolutely pointless if mankind wasn’t messed up and in need of salvation.

So it is of the utmost importance to ponder the negative in order to receive the positive. Without understanding our state or just simply denying or ignoring our state we run into a huge dilemma. The work of Jesus becomes vague. He may be still be God in our minds, but He just becomes one who comes along beside us in life to help out occasionally when we need it. We don’t receive the fact that Jesus died to save us from a truly corrupted state.

The truth of the Bible, that is glazed over way too often, is that mankind is messed up. Observe the world around you. Be honest with yourself. It isn’t only in our actions, it’s in our thoughts and intentions. That’s sin. That has separated us from God. God hates sin. We sin. That’s the truth. Without Jesus Christ, God is angry with us. That is the truth. He isn’t smiling upon us. He loves us, but that does not change the fact that He will judge us with righteous judgment. You see God cannot associate with sin. He is holy and pure. You must focus on this negative for a moment, because if you ignore this reality then the good news of Jesus Christ will not hit you like a ton of bricks the way it should.

As the song “Amazing Grace” goes, “I once was blind, but now I see.” This has spiritual connotations. Blindness is darkness. Without Christ, we are in a state of darkness, which the Bible associates with sin. Jesus died for sinners! He didn’t come for those who want to ignore their depraved state and just claim that nobody is perfect! It is true that nobody is perfect and that is a huge problem when it comes to a perfect God. Compared to God’s standard it isn’t one in a thousand that are good. The Bible says none are truly good.

That is what makes the love and grace (undeserved favor) of God so amazing! You see, that the one who realizes his or her sinful state will cling to the cross of Jesus Christ with all the faith they can muster because they realize just what they have been saved from. The point of what Jesus accomplished in dying for our sins and defeating death through His resurrection was to bring us back into a relationship with God through faith in Him. That is the whole point! He appeased God’s anger because He took our punishment upon Himself. Simply amazing, but only understood in light of the negative fact that we are messed up. Thanks Ricky for at least acknowledging this one obvious truth. Now you must recieve it through repentant faith in Jesus.

I thank God that He is making all things new through His Son Jesus Christ! His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Begin trusting Him today!

Filed Under: Life Spring Church Tagged With: Amazing Grace, Christ, God, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Life Spring Church, Ricky Williams, Scott Hescht, Sin

Will You Be Left Behind?

January 13, 2011 By Chuck Briese Leave a Comment

Dr. T. Kem Oberholzer of Grace Rock Ministries will be teaching a weekly class on the Book of Revelation beginning Thursday, January 20 and extending through April 14. The class will be taught at Faith Bible Church in The Woodlands. Topics will include Prophecy, End of the Age, Anti-Christ, The Beast, Armageddon, and Eternity, along with personal application.

Dr. Oberholtzer is President and Founder of Grace Rock Ministries, a ministry committed to teaching, discipleship and writing on the grace gospel of Jesus Christ. His goal is to creatively and accurately teach God’s Word to all ages. Through a variety of teaching styles and methods such as visuals, power point, handouts, and object lessons, he has allowed the Holy Spirit to use the gifts he has been given to reach many
.

Kem’s objective and life passion is to shepherd, mentor and creatively communicate the Scriptures to the body of Christ with the goal of moving believers toward spiritual maturity and a deeper walk with Christ. He is deeply committed to the discipleship and development of godly character in men and women.

That’s the “official biography” stuff. The reality is that Kem is an engaging, articulate teacher with a dry but slightly twisted sense of humor. He could speak for 90 minutes on the mating habits of the fire ant, and no one would leave the room or fall asleep. With a topic as rich as the Book of Revelation you’ll walk out of the class understanding a lot more than you ever expected, and wondering how the last 90 minutes flew by so fast.

For more information, see the Grace Rock Ministries web site, or send a note to gracerockministries@comcast.net.

Filed Under: Grace Rock Ministries Tagged With: Armageddon, bible, Book of Revelation, Christ, Dr. T. Kem Oberholzer, Good News, Grace Rock Ministries, Holy Spirit, Prophecy

Which Would You Choose?

September 22, 2010 By Scott Hescht, Psalm 22 Ministries Leave a Comment

Imagine the following scenarios. Which one would you choose?

In the first scenario, you get to spend four years living it up in a nice lake house. All expenses are paid. You get four years of total vacation in the sun at your nearest body of water. The only catch is that at the end of the four years you have to spend the rest of your life in prison; no parole. Ouch!

In the second scenario you have to serve four years in military service. Afterward though, you get to spend the rest of your life traveling from vacation spot to vacation spot. All expenses are paid. You will get to spend time in places that you only dreamed of; tropical islands, mountainous regions, culturally rich getaways, you name it!

Which would you choose? Most would say that it is a no brainer. The second choice is the obvious one. Most people in their right mind would not trade in a four year vacation anywhere for a lifetime in prison. However, many would be willing to serve our country for four years for a lifetime of travel. In fact, even though it may be hard work, serving your country may even be something you grow to love; living sacrificially for your nation and those who live in it.

As obvious as the choice may seem, in the choice of life, many choose the first scenario over the second. I know… It’s ridiculous, but that is exactly what happens. People choose to live life on their own little lake house, living it up, instead of in service to God. They waste life away and in the end will spend eternity in the prison of Hell with Satan, his angels and the rest of those who have rebelled against God.

Those who submit to God in repentant faith desire to live a life of service to Him and for others. Therefore they have a heavenly dwelling that awaits them when Christ returns to bring paradise to the earth. Nothing in this life could ever compare! The sacrifice, the suffering and the service that the Christian experiences in this temporary life is well worth the heavenly reward. In fact, followers of Christ even grow to love it.

For more from Scott Hescht, check out Psalm 22 Ministries.

Filed Under: Life Spring Church Tagged With: Jacob's Well, Life Spring Church, Psalm 22 Ministries, Scott Hescht

I Highly Recommend This Book

September 12, 2010 By Scott Hescht, Psalm 22 Ministries 1 Comment

The Twilight saga is a collection of four novels that has been sweeping our nation since the first movie was released a couple of years ago. It is a fictional tale about a teenage girl and her vampire boyfriend. While I’ve had a hard time seeing what the big deal is, millions of people, mainly young girls to middle aged women have been consuming all four books in a matter of months.

My local church, Life Spring, began a venture of our own in January. We are reading through the bestselling novel of all time. It’s the Bible. Though calling it a novel may seem strange to some, it would be wise to view it as such rather than simply as an instruction manual. It gives plenty of instruction to be sure, but the Bible is so much more than that!

The issue we have in the modern Christian world is a unique one. This series of 66 books and letters has been the top seller for some time, but is often quoted more than it is read through systematically. I’d be willing to bet that there have been more Bibles sold in the last few years than actually read from cover to cover. People are more likely to read several books about the Bible than they are to actually read the Bible itself. They are more likely to read daily devotionals regarding various verses from the Bible than to read the through the Bible, understanding those verses in their proper context.

The result is that the learner becomes a slave to the instruction of the teacher. The Christian has no discernment as to whether a teacher, preacher or evangelist speaks the truth or whether their teaching may be distorted (Acts 17:11). It is no wonder that so many are deceived into the latest fad doctrines that have come along.

It will only get worse unless something is done about it. Churches all across our nation are conforming to the ignorance of their congregations. The Bible is treated as irrelevant to our modern culture. However, who has read it in order to make such a bold suggestion? Instead of teaching people to read the Bible for all it is worth, churches have become content to dumb down the message while throwing in a few quotes from the Bible here and there. Hearers are never encouraged and challenged to read the Bible as one would a novel. On the other hand, the latest Christian best sellers are consistently promoted.

If this keeps up, the results will be tragic. What becomes of the next generation of Christians? What will the next generation of Christian leaders look like? The answer is quite clear: ignorant. Will the church wake up before it is too late? We are headed for disaster and deception is its middle name. No one can know the will of God without knowing the Word of God (Psalm 119).

Imagine a person who is always quoting from her favorite C.S. Lewis book, “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe”. However when asked, to your astonishment she has never read the book. All she knows are a collection of quotes that she randomly found as she flipped through the pages. In fact, as you question further, she can’t even tell you what the book is about. She has a general idea, but it is just what she has gathered reading the back cover and speaking with others about the book.

It sounds strange, but this is exactly what has been done to the Bible. It has become an acronym meaning “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth”. It is treated simply as that. People only read the portions that may apply to a current circumstance as one would only read the section of a car manual that had to do with fixing a brake light.

It is cohesive and meant to be read as a unit. When you do, a whole new understanding will be open to the reader. It’s been wisely stated that the Gospel doesn’t begin two thirds through the Bible when Jesus appears on the scene, but rather in Genesis, the very first book. The whole story should be taken in context. It has also been stated that though the Bible should be read for depth (meaning close, prayerful examination and study is always necessary) it should also be read for breadth. That means that it should be read as a whole; that is as a novel.

The Bible is a novel. We should read it as such. It’s not just any novel. It is God’s living Word, but it is none the less a novel. You could even call it a saga or series as it is a collection of 66 wonderful, and dare I say relevant, books. It is a beautiful story of the world’s corruption through sin and God’s plan for redemption. It is exciting, dramatic nonfiction literature at its best!

Filed Under: Life Spring Church Tagged With: bible, Life Spring Church, Twilight

Show and Tell

September 10, 2010 By Matt and Tammy Woodfill Leave a Comment

A pastor, recently graduated from seminary, gave his first sermon to the congregation. It was an inspiring sermon about how Christians should help the homeless. After the sermon, the congregation agreed that it was a wonderful message. Nevertheless, the following week, he gave the exact same sermon. The elders wondered, “Perhaps, the pastor’s inexperience didn’t give him time to prepare another sermon?” When the pastor gave the same sermon on the third week, the elders called an emergency meeting to ask him if he had any other messages. “Certainly,” he answered, “I have a whole file of sermons. I was just waiting for the congregation to act on the homeless one first, to SHOW and TELL that they understood my message.”

If you are like most children, you probably looked forward to SHOW and TELL time in grade school. Why did we get so excited about this event? Because it was an opportunity to reveal to someone else something we possessed. When we would show, we demonstrated how that something worked. When we would tell, we used our voice to explain what we just demonstrated.

Jesus practiced and believed in SHOW and TELL. He not only demonstrated that He loved us but also voiced His confession of love for us. According to Genesis 1:27, God created us in His image and likeness. If Jesus practiced SHOW and TELL, then He created man and woman to be SHOW and TELL beings. The Bible says, “…greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.” (I John 4:4) The word, “Christ” means the anointed one. When you said, “yes” to Christ, the anointed one, His anointing came to live in you. Therefore, you are overflowing with the anointing because you are a Christian. As such, you are Jesus’ hands, feet and mouth to go and SHOW and TELL others about Him.

Jesus said very clearly in John 14:12 that the works He did would you do also, and even GREATER works would you do. According to the New Testament, among Jesus’ mighty works was showing and telling people that “He is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6).” As believers, we can take God at His word, i.e., we can show and tell even greater works than Jesus showed and told.

What is your sign? I’m not talking about astrology, which is forbidden by God, rather I’m talking about signs, which locate and direct. Mark 16:17 lists the signs of believers. Included among them is healing the sick, yet, we do not follow after signs, but signs follow after us. These signs are to SHOW and TELL people about Jesus, that salvation is only found in His name.

If I were traveling from Houston to Austin and saw a sign that read, “Brownsville: 2 miles,” I would immediately know from the sign that I needed to change direction and go north. As believers, we must walk by faith and not by sight, but we must never despise the signs in our lives. Signs will show and tell us whether we are traveling in the right direction..

Matthew 11:1-6 tells of a well-known man named John the Baptist being imprisoned for rebuking King Herod’s sin. John had been well aware of his role as the forerunner of Jesus. Had he not said in John 1:23, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord?” But because of his situation, he began to question his ordained ministry and calling. Furthermore, he even began to doubt whether Jesus was the Messiah. For assurance, John sent forth two of his disciples to ask Jesus if He was the Messiah or should he, John, look for another.

Jesus replied in this fashion (Matthew 11:4), “Go and show John again those things which you do hear and see.” Why did Jesus want to remind them about what they had been shown and told to convince John? These were show and tell signs, “The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.” (Matthew 11:5) These signs confirmed to John the Baptist that Jesus was the Messiah.

Have you ever questioned the Lord? Look for His signs. What testimonies have you heard and what changed lives have you seen? Take an inventory today and allow such signs to locate and direct where you are going. As a believer, you are called to be a SHOW and TELL Christian. Like Jesus promised, Go and do the works that He did – SHOW and TELL.

Matt Woodfill is the Senior Pastor of The Woodlands Christian Center, 24418 Interstate 45 North, Spring, TX 77386. Service times are: Sunday, 9:00 a.m. and 11:00a.m. You may contact the church at (281) 681-8922 or info@thewoodlandscc.org. Visit the church’s website at www.thewoodlandscc.org. Watch Pastor Matt on The Way TV every Saturday at 7:30 a.m. on ION TV.

Filed Under: The Woodlands Christian Center Tagged With: Pastor Matt Woodfill, Sermon, The Woodlands Christian Center

Spiritual Warfare from Grace Rock Ministries

September 1, 2010 By Chuck Briese Leave a Comment

T. Kem Oberholtzer, Ph.D. of Grace Rock Ministries – will be teaching a 10 week study on Spiritual Warfare.

Join him for this biblical study of the Believers’ Daily Spiritual Battle with the World, the Flesh & the Devil.

Classes will be held at Faith Bible Church, 5505 Research Forest, The Woodlands from 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM, on Thursdays, September 9th – November 18th in room B211/B212.

For more information contact gracerockministries@comcast.net.

Filed Under: Grace Rock Ministries Tagged With: Dr T. Kem Oberholtzer, Faith Bible Church, Grace Rock Ministries, Spiritual Warfare

Has God Forsaken You?

August 12, 2010 By Scott Hescht, Psalm 22 Ministries Leave a Comment

Are you hurting? Are you angry? Does it feel like God has forsaken you? Does it feel like God isn’t even there? Let’s be honest, this world is far from being perfect. Any slight observation of our surroundings and we see evil, violence, pain, suffering, and death. Maybe there is something that is happening in your life right now that is causing this inner turmoil. Is God really there? If He is, does He even care? Is He listening?

There was once a great king who had a similar conflict. His enemies were constantly pressing, threatening to destroy him. King David loved the Lord and therefore cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are You so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; and in the night season, and am not silent.” (Psalm 22:1-2)

But David after crying out to God, acknowledges the following, “Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel. In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed. (Psalm 22:3-5)

After David cries to the Lord of all of the pain and suffering that he was enduring at the hand of his enemies, look at what he says, “For He has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; He has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.” (Psalm 22:24)

The fact is that David knew in his heart that though he was going through a time of testing, God had never forsaken him. On the other hand, he had forsaken God. At one time David, whom the Bible refers to being a man after God’s own heart, strayed from the Lord. He stayed behind during a time of war and pursued another man’s wife. Not only that but he had her husband killed and took her as his own. He had forsaken God before, but knew first hand the awesome grace and mercy of God as he cried out in repentance. God heard him then and would surely hear him now. We too have forsaken God by our own sin. Whether you are a murderer like David or have told even the whitest of lies, the Bible says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Our sin has indeed alienated us from God. Is there any hope for us as well?

Hundreds of years later Jesus Christ, the very Son of God, cried out the same words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” The truth was that in this case, at least temporarily, God had forsaken Him. This innocent man hung on the cross and bore the sin of the whole world. He took the punishment we deserved as God turned His back on His own Son. For God, being perfect and Holy, cannot look upon sin. It is not in His nature to do so. Jesus cried out the opening words to Psalm 22 not only in distress, but also to remind those who stood by that He is the ultimate fulfillment of Psalm chapter 22. God would not hide His face from Him. He had heard His cry. He had not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one. It was our sin that God despised, not His Son. It had to be dealt with. The only way was through His perfect Son.

God loved you so much that He gave His only begotten Son that if you would trust Him you would not perish but live eternally in Him (John 3:16). God has not forgotten nor forsaken you. In fact if you listen carefully, you can hear Him calling you now. When He placed His Son on that cross He had you on His mind. Not only that, but He raised Jesus from the dead eternally in order that you could experience the same through Him. Through Jesus Christ He is calling the world to Himself. He is calling you to repentance and to place your faith solely in Him. He is asking you to trust Him no matter your circumstances.

He never promised that this life would be easy. However, He did promise that He would never leave us… even when it may feel like He has. Trust Him through the storm. He will lead you through it. His goal is to prepare you for your eternal reward in heaven and not necessarily a temporary reward on this earth.

Life is short. In fact, compared to eternity it is but a grain of sand. It is fleeting. A few hundred years from now, this temporary suffering will all make sense as each of us will spend eternity either with or without God. I hope your choice is with God. He does to. He has not forsaken you! Please trust Him with your life today.

Filed Under: Life Spring Church Tagged With: Forsaken, God, Life Spring Church, Messages, Scott Hescht

I Know Vince Young

August 1, 2010 By Scott Hescht, Psalm 22 Ministries Leave a Comment

I know Vince Young! You know, the quarterback for the Tennessee Titans.

To prove it, I’ll give you a description:

He’s tall, African American and very athletic.
He’s from Houston and attended Madison High School.
He played college football with the University of Texas and led them to a National championship.
Oh yeah, he also runs really fast.

Impressed? Probably not.

Okay, just because I know a lot about Vince Young, does not mean that I know him. He is a celebrity. A lot of people that have never met him know a lot about him. Actually, there are some who may have gotten the chance to shake hands with him or get an autograph at a football game. Does that mean that they know him? Of course not. If I were to ask Vince to hook me up with tickets to the next Titans game, his answer would more than likely be “get lost” because he doesn’t know me.

Now, let’s take a look at some interesting words that Jesus had to say in the book of Matthew:

Matthew 7:21-23 (ESV)
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Okay, imagine you have suddenly found yourself at death’s door. As you literally meet your maker, you’re basically handed a pink slip to eternal damnation. You exclaim, “Wait, this can’t be! Lord, haven’t I always claimed your name?!? I’m a Christian! I go to church every Sunday! I say the Lord’s prayer all the time!!!”

His answer is, “So you claim to know me because you say that you are a Christian??? If you believe in me, why hasn’t there been a change in your life? Your Bible has been collecting dust, therefore you have no idea what I ask of you. You’ve memorized and recited the Lord’s Prayer numerous times I know, but when was the last time you actually spoke to me? What kind of relationship is this? I never knew you. Depart from me.

Wow! These are harsh words, but the Bible says that there are those who will face this reality during judgment.

God asks for a relationship with us, not just an acknowledgment of who He is. Even demons recognize His existence (James 2:19).

There are those that think that just because they have recited a halfhearted prayer with a preacher, that they are saved. I pray that they will not be rudely awakened when it’s too late. I pray that those reading this are not among the unsaved. If you are, receive Christ today by admitting that you are a sinner, turning from your sins and asking Him come into your life. Begin a true relationship with the Lord if you haven’t already.

For more from Scott Hescht, check out Life Spring Church and Psalm 22 Ministries.

Filed Under: Life Spring Church Tagged With: Life Spring Church, Matthew 7:21, Scott Hescht

I am Grieved

July 27, 2010 By Scott Hescht, Psalm 22 Ministries Leave a Comment

I have to be honest. Nothing breaks my heart more than to see a lack of love for God. I struggle enough seeing the people of the world reject Him. I struggle even more seeing those that claim to be Christians show such a lack of interest in Him.

Guy Glass, co-pastor of Life Spring church, pointed out that love is demonstrated by action. If that is the case, why do so many who claim to love Him not love His Word? Why is it common place to find “Christian after Christian” confessing that they don’t read the Bible on even a semi-regular basis? I can’t imagine a relationship with my wife where I was not interested in communicating with her. Do people not realize that we communicate to God by prayer but He communicates with us primarily by means of His Word? So why, even when exhorted, do many still show a lack of interest in the Bible? It seems, everybody suddenly has a reading disability when it comes to God’s Word. I’m not trying to be mean. It is an observation that is extremely disheartening. Not only that, but now it seems that churches all across the land are catering to this “disability”. Maybe they are chalking it up to becoming all things to all people, but I don’t think compromise is what the Apostle Paul had in mind when he wrote those words. Simply put, it is impossible to know the will of God if we are not in His Word. If you don’t know His Word than you are more than likely out of His will.

A second observation: why is there a lack of interest in church? It is sad to see some churches attempting to be more “entertaining” to keep people in the pews. If people find the Bible boring, then I guess it makes sense that church would need to be more entertaining to suit their interests. Ironically, if one were to read that “boring” piece of Godly literature called the New Testament, they would see that it knows nothing of lone ranger Christians (Hebrews 10:25). The church works as the body of Christ, carrying on the work He did while on earth. Lone Ranger Christians end up fizzling out because it isn’t how God intended a member of His body to function.

Which brings me to my third observation. Nobody wants to take part in the Great Commission. Interestingly, many seasoned Christians don’t even realize what it is (see churches catering to Biblical ignorance above). In other words, nobody wants to take part in the privilege of Jesus Christ’s commission to preach the gospel and make fellow disciples. Unlike some, I do not believe that He was asking all Christians to be street preachers or traveling evangelists. What He does expect is the we share the Good news of Christ with our love, life and lips. This implies a proactive approach toward other souls, both lost and saved. Ask yourself if you really care that people you know may be eternally damned to hell if you don’t show your love by action in sharing and living out the Gospel.

Speaking of hell, I must conclude with an important question. Could there possibly be millions of people fooling themselves? Will there be some who cry out, “Lord, Lord” on judgment day only to find themselves cast into the lake of fire because the Lord will say He never knew them. I encourage you to read the Gospels and find out. Is it worth the investment? Is Jesus worth your time?

I don’t say these things in a self righteous manner. I am quite aware of my own failings. However, these failings bother me as I seek to find my rest in Christ. I sin everyday, but I am not content in it. For the Christian, there is a battle between the new creation God has begun in us and our sinful nature that will not fully perish until we meet Him face to face. Is that inner struggle there with you? Is the Christ in you waging war with the sin of your heart that He died to set you free from?

The question to ask is whether He is even there at all… in your heart that is. If there is no interest in the things mentioned above, I beg you to reconsider the state of your salvation. Think about it. Does it add up? My heart breaks day after day for those who claim to know the Lord but do not love Him. Why? Because, they are ignorant of the very Word that says otherwise. If that is you, repent and let God change your heart. He is more than willing.

Filed Under: Life Spring Church Tagged With: Christians, Hebrews 10:25, Life Spring Church, Scott Hescht