It’s easier for a Christian to slide backwards than to strive forward.  That’s been my observation for many years.  The natural progression of things is deterioration.   Without special care and some kind of maintenance plan — homes, cars, families and spiritual lives will begin to spiral downward.    The good news: it doesn’t have to be that way.  That’s why we are instructed to return to our first love.   Effort honors faith.  Since most Christians don’t put forth the effort to grow and develop to their spiritual potential, we find our churches weak and powerless to change their communities.   Its easier to excuse ourselves and live in the past than to discipline ourselves to follow hard after God.   Our nature is our greatest resistant.    Paul found the answer and called it “dying daily”.

I’ve been doing some teachings on world religions lately.    Its reminded of how so many religions or groups don’t believe in a personal God.   Watching a clip from an atheist made we think about how many may truly question the existance of God.   After all, even though I have been His minister for 30 years, I’ve never seen Him, heard His audible voice or touched Him like His disciples did.   Besides the fact that the Bible is the most intricate recording of historical prophecies that ONE person came and fulfilled, and besides the fact that all science eventually proves the Bible to be true, I guess I would have to plead ignorant and say that I believe God exist like I have faith in the gravity bringing me back down when I jump and that oxygen is what I breathe in all day long.   Here’s what I’ve noticed.  All three of the major religions (as they are called) believe in a single, all powerful, unseen God who is the creator and giver of life to men.  And all religions – including all the Eastern religions feel led or mandated to promote a code of ethics and way of life that is good and healthy.   So how on earth can 85-90% of the world be so foolishly wrong and only a small portion of “thinking, educated people” be so absolutely convinced they are right?   And why is that educated, atheist group basically white and wealthy?  I think maybe the answer was given before the smart people were so smart. 
Rom 1:21-25
 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools … They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator– who is forever praised.   Amen.  It has always been that the smarter man thinks he is, the less he can grasp what he can’t explain and therefore rationalizes his lack of needing God.

You know what really blessed me this Easter (Resurrection Day)?  It was the words that Jesus said to Mary, “I’m returning to my Father and your Father”.   Since the creation of the world – God had reached out to His people with His desire to be their God, but never before had He opened the way for such a personal relationship as being our Father.   Christ did many things for us with His death and resurrection.  He redeemed us from sin and removed the fear of death and judgment.  He bridged the gap between man and God, opening the door wide for us to enter into the presence of God with clean hands and a pure heart.   But, He also started a process called adoption.   Through Him, we can be adopted into the family of God and be sons of His Father — just like Him.      How could it get any better than that?

Why do we do what we do – evangelism?   Is it our attempt to be obedient, or should it be driven by a more noble reason – love?   To reach out to the unbeliever – to build relationships with non-Christians for the sole purpose of bringing them into the fold might just carry with it a vibe they detect.  They don’t want to be another notch on our gun.  But who doesn’t want to be loved?   To just care about them because that’s exactly what Jesus did, coule possibly be the missing ingredient in why unbelievers don’t respond to the church like they did to Jesus.

Jesus ate with sinners, possibly stayed over the night with them and yet maybe they never did convert over.  Or if they did, it was much later, after Pentecost and His ascension.    But whether they do or don’t isn’t really the point – because NO ONE knows the heart or can see the outcome of our influence in their lives if we just love them and have a genuine relationship with them.

We must look beyond the here and now and realize that the love of God transcends our witnessing techniques and only when we truly love sinners the way Jesus loved and loves them now – are we sowing the love and grace of God into their lives that becomes the field that we or another may reap in God’s timing.

There is no substitute for just caring and being a friend for no other reason than we would want such a friend ourselves.

Pastor Keith

I have noticed that the church is falling farther and farther behind.  It seems that too many who attend church have lost connection with all those who they used to hang with and therefore don’t seem to intermingle with unbelievers any more.  That’s so different than the example Jesus set.  He enjoyed being with those who hadn’t conformed to traditions or bought into the whole legalistic approach to doing church that many have fallen into.  I believe that we have misunderstood Jesus’ expectations to not be like the world to flee entanglements with the world.   Jesus was entangled, reaching out to sinners, demonics and prostitutes.  If we withdraw from the world, who is going to demonstrate the love of the Lord and help anyone learn the true teachings of Christ that set men free?