And then it hit me. I have a doctorate. Yes, it's
the kind that doesn't make any money, but I have spent my life (yes, my life)
studying the Bible and struggling to live out its principles. I have spent 30+
years preaching and teaching it to believers new and old. I have seen many
people come to know Christ. I have seen many being discipled. And I am now
seeing many who are saying, "Yes, I know what you are saying is biblical,
but...." From homosexuality to church polity, they are agreeing that my
teachings are biblical, but for some reason, they no longer apply. Their
explanations range from the culture in which we live to the traditions to which
we have become accustomed. The interesting thing is that those who push back
about homosexuality probably agree with the teachings of church polity and
vice-versa. It is as if we have taken the "have it your way"
philosophy and brought it into the Bible. As if we have the right or the
intellect to pick and choose which parts of the Bible are correct and still applicable
to our lives. We don't, and we aren't! Folks, Christianity is an all or nothing
lifestyle. Jesus made that perfectly clear. "If anyone wants to follow me,
" He said, "He must deny himself, take up his cross and come after
me." That doesn't sound like a pick and choose kind of statement. It is
all or nothing. That's why He also said, "Many will say, 'Lord, Lord,' but
I will say to them, 'Depart from me, for I never knew you.'" I fear that
many professing Christians have been deceived or have deceived themselves
because of the easy beliefism that has been taught in recent decades. We need
to get back to the Bible and become New Testament Christians and churches
again, and we need to do it right now.
As you read this, I hope you know that what I am
saying is borne out of a heart filled with love and compassion and a spirit
that has a sense of urgency that I have never known before. I believe with all
of my heart that our time on earth is short. I believe that in the very near
future that the church in America is going to face severe restrictions on what
we say and do with potentially powerful consequences. I believe that we are
losing the battle for the souls of men and women because we have become
powerless in the battle. Why are we powerless? Because we have gotten away from
the truth of the Word of God. We say we believe it, but we do not apply the
Word in every aspect of our lives. We are not living holy lives so we are not
serving as the salt and the light that has the power to transform the hearts
and lives of men. People see no difference in us and feel no need to be
converted. Converted. That means changed from what we are to what we need to
be. Another good word is transformed. That biblical word comes from the word we
translate as metamorphosis. Like caterpillars turning into butterflies, our
lives as Christians should be drastically different from our lives as
non-Christians. But the only way that will happen is if we get back to the Word
of God. Would you be willing to join me in this quest? Would you be willing to
fast (yes, fast) and pray fervently with me for God to transform our lives
first and then work through us to transform the lives of others? If so, would
you reply in the comments to this blog or comment on Facebook. If you agree with what I have said, would you
share it, retweet it, and e-mail this to all of your friends? Over the next few
days, I will share a little about how we fast and pray and how it can make a
difference in our lives.
Father, bless this call to transformation. Use us
for your glory. In Jesus' name, amen.
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