Are we supposed to be "HAPPY"?

I wonder if we are supposed to be happy. Perhaps someone out there can help me with this. As I observe the world around me, I have noticed that so many people are unhappy and dissatisfied with their lives. Why is this? Are we entitled to "happiness" and are we supposed to stay in a marriage ONLY until we are no longer happy with our spouse?

I believe that the problem is that we as a nation and culture have bought into the lie that we "must" be happy at any cost! We want instant gratification and feel that we must always feel like we are "in love" with our spouse. The minute that we no longer feel these feelings of "love" and things get tough, we want to find someone new that will be all about us. While it is nice to experience the newness of new found love, it is inevitable that we will also lose the initial excitement and feelings of love that we had at the beginning of any relationship.

In short, every relationship will experience hard times and feelings of distance between spouses. It is inevitable that we will have arguments and, if left unresolved, we will allow our relationships to grow cold where we will then give up on the relationship and will be open to or will start seeking a new relationship, whether we realize it or not. Why do you suppose that the divorce rate is so high in this country? The divorce rate for 1st marriages is 50%; for 2nd marriages, it's 67%; for 3rd marriages, it's 74%. Notice that the rate increases in every subsequent marriage. Why? Once you take the easy path out of a relationship that God desired to be permanent, it gets easier and easier to take the easy road out of every subsequent relationship.

"It's too hard to stay together," "I'm in love with someone else," and "I don't love them anymore" are common excuses for ending a marriage. What it comes down to is "I care more about myself than I do about the person that I pledged to put above myself." Don't you remember the vows that you took when you got married? You promised to take care of the other person, to love them unconditionally forever, to stay with them even if times got tough. Does your commitment mean anything to you? Does your word carry any weight at all? No matter how hard a relationship has become, you have, in some way, contributed to it, good or bad. All relationships are circles; What goes around, comes around. Your attitude contributes to your relationships. Your words have the power to build up or to tear down and you can choose which way you use those words. No matter what your spouse says to you, you have the power to choose to be loving and encouraging to them. You can change their attitude towards you by loving them unconditionally, but it takes courage, patience and time. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither is a good relationship. Relationships are only as good as the time, love and effort that you put into them. If I have a garden and don't tend to it, it would be full of weeds within weeks. Relationships are like gardens in the same way...if you don't continually spend time caring for your relationship, it will be full of weeds as well and will fall into decay and ruin.

So far, I've left the Bible out of this conversation. But what does God's Word say about divorce?

Malachi 2:15-16
¹⁵ Has not the LORD made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.
16 "I hate divorce," says the LORD God of Israel, "and I hate a man's covering himself with violence as well as with his garment," says the LORD Almighty. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith.

Matthew 5:32-33
32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
³³"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.'

Mark 10:10-12
¹⁰When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this.
¹¹He answered, "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.
¹²And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery."

1 Corinthians 7:10-14
¹⁰To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.
¹¹But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.
¹²To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.
¹³And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him.
¹⁴For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

1 Corinthians 7:26-28
²⁶Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for you to remain as you are.
²⁷Are you married? Do not seek a divorce. Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife.
²⁸But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.

According to the Bible, God meant for marriage to last for life. Divorce only makes things harder, especially if children are involved. God tells us to remain married, even in crisis. Why would God tell us this? Aren't we supposed to be "happy?" Is "happiness" supposed to be our goal? Not according to God. If it were not in our best interest to remain married, don't you think that God would allow us to divorce without consequences? We must remember that what God has spoken in His Word is the Truth. If we value Truth, then we should follow God's instructions as it is in our best interest to do so. If we cannot handle the "troubles" that we will face in marriage, then we are told to remain unmarried (1 Corinthians 7:28).

Also remember that God says that "He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD." (Proverbs 18:22) Why does God says this and also say that married people will face many troubles in this life? Perhaps it's because anything worth having that is considered to be "good" will not be easy to maintain. Since we are a fallen race, then things are going to be hard. Life is hard as it is, so why would a relationship be easy?

In closing, I want to share something with you...I have discovered the secret of life. Read the scripture below and pay particular attention to the bold words which I have made bold for emphasis:

Philippians 4:1o-13
¹⁰I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. ¹¹I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹²I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Contentment is the secret of life. If you can learn contentment regardless of the situation or circumstances, then you, too, can avoid the "happiness" search. Of course, the biggest Truth that is revealed in the above verses is that the strength needed to be content in every circumstance comes from Jesus Christ. He is the One that gives grace and strength to those who belong to Him. Do you belong to Him? I pray that you do. How do you get to know who He is? Read His Word, repent of your sins, obey what you read and pray for His strength. Abide in Him every day, meditate in His Word and show His love and remember that it's not about you. It's about Him.

Are today's "Christians" any different from the world?

In my observations, I have noticed that many so-called "Christians" do not appear to be any different than non-Christians. Why is that? Should Christians really separate themselves from "the world" and be different or should Christians try to "fit in" with non-Christians and "enjoy" all that the world has to offer?

If your answer to my question of how Christians should act is contrary to the Bible, then you should seriously exam yourself to see if you are truly in "the faith" (2 Corinthians 13:5). By this I mean that true Christians are commanded to "set themselves apart" from the world and its influences (2 Corinthians 6:17).

If you truly desire the world and everything that it has to offer, then you most likely do not love the Lord Jesus Christ. You certainly don't love Him more than anything if your desire is to "fit in" and be accepted by your friends. Christians are supposed to be different and out of love for Jesus, they are also supposed to be His ambassadors to shine His light on the world and be "salty" as in presenting something of value (the gospel message) to "the world" around them (Matthew 5:13-15). As Jesus is the Light, we are to reflect His light to the world (John 8:12). How can we do this is we look and act no different than "the world?" What testimony do we have if Jesus has never touched our heart and given us a testimony? After all, we must be drawn to Him if we are truly His (John 6:44).

I say all of this because I am grieved to see church leaders, Sunday school teachers and their children all appearing to be of the world, in love with the things of the world and trying their best to fit in with the world. What does this do to the church? Is the church influencing the world or is the world influencing the church? By all indications, the church is becoming worldlier every day. I even see billboards trying to persuade people to attend churches by way of the latest, greatest "sermon series."

By everything that I have observed, the church has become a marketing machine, no longer interested in fulfilling the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20) by going out and making disciples, but instead are attempting to lure people into the church by getting their attention and entertaining them. And what of these slick marketing ploys? Are they "inoffensive" and "watered-down" gospel presentations that are followed by high pressure altar calls trying to get people to "make decisions" for Christ based on an emotional sermon that they may or may not have written themselves? Is the goal of the church merely to multiply its membership and to make money? If the answer is "yes" to any of these questions, then what we are seeing is the church rapidly falling into disobedience to Christ by following unbiblical "formulas" and schemes and are only gaining church members instead of genuine believers who are then discipled to follow the commands of Jesus Christ. As I read the Gospels, I see that Jesus was more interested in the quality of His disciples and followers over their quantity. Is this how the church operates today?

I know that there are still some churches that do not bow a knee to Baal (Romans 11:3-5), but for the most part, I observe that so many churches are more interested in themselves (self-centeredness) instead of the Lord Jesus. They present "sermon series" that are more "self-help" than gospel presentation. The church seems to exist to make everyone feel better about themselves instead of bringing sinners to genuine repentance. It is complete blasphemy that it has come to this, but we must not despair. It is recorded in Revelation that the church would become lukewarm to the extreme that Jesus is on the outside of the church knocking on the door to be let in (Revelation 3:20). I say that we are already there. So take heart, unless you are part of the problem. If your life does not reflect the Lord Jesus Christ, then you need to repent and bow to His Lordship. Examine your life and line it up with what Jesus said concerning the cost of discipleship (Luke 14:25-35). If your life does not line up with the requirements of Jesus, then repent and forsake the world and remember that Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33). If He has overcome the world and if you remain / abide in Him (John 15:3-13), then you have overcome the world too. Also remember that if you follow Jesus, the world will not love you because you are not of the world (John 15:18-23), but remember that Jesus will love you and that is a greater gift than anything the world can offer you.

Gossip: The Friendship Killer

Gossip is when one speaks about others and reveals secrets or intimacies; a report (often malicious) about the behavior of other people or a person given to gossiping and divulging personal information about others. Gossip can also be the breaking of trust of confidential information between two or more people where one or more people reveal something that is private or personal and then the hearer of the information goes out and tells one or more other people. It can also be spreading information about someone that is not based on firsthand information, so it might not be true or is distorted information.

Why am I addressing this topic? What does it have to do with being a Christian? I am addressing it because gossip exists everywhere; even within the church. It is also something that Christians should not be involved in. The Bible speaks negatively about gossip and gossiping. I looked up "gossip" in 11 different English translations to see how many times it is mentioned and the average that I came up with was 12.18 instances, (NASB - 7, NIV - 10, The Message - 49, NLT - 14, KJV - 0, ESV - 4, CEV - 22, NKJV - 1, NCV - 14, HCS - 13) so, I used the HCS (Holman Christian Standard) translation of the Bible to present a good representation of how God speaks of gossip or gossiping in His Word:

1. Psalm 31:13
   I have heard the gossip of many; terror is on every side. When they conspired against me, they plotted to take my life.
   
   
2. Proverbs 11:13
   A gossip goes around revealing a secret, but the trustworthy keeps a confidence.
   
   
3. Proverbs 16:28
   A contrary man spreads conflict, and a gossip separates friends.
   
   
4. Proverbs 17:9
   Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but whoever gossips about it separates friends.
   
   
5. Proverbs 18:8
   A gossip's words are like choice food that goes down to one's innermost being.
   
   
6. Proverbs 20:19
   The one who reveals secrets is a constant gossip; avoid someone with a big mouth.
   
   
7. Proverbs 26:20
   Without wood, fire goes out; without a gossip, conflict dies down.
   
   
8. Proverbs 26:22
   A gossip's words are like choice food that goes down to one's innermost being.
   
   
9. Jeremiah 20:10
   For I have heard the gossip of the multitudes, "Terror is on every side! Report [him]; let's report him!" Everyone I trusted watches for my fall. "Perhaps he will be deceived so that we might prevail against him and take our vengeance on him."
   
   
10. Ezekiel 36:3
    therefore, prophesy and say: This is what the Lord GOD says: Because they have made you desolate and have trampled you from every side, so that you became a possession for the rest of the nations and an object of people's gossip and slander,
    
    
11. Romans 1:29
    They are filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, disputes, deceit, and malice. They are gossips,
    
    
12. 2 Corinthians 12:20
    For I fear that perhaps when I come I will not find you to be what I want, and I may not be found by you to be what you want; there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder.
    
    
13. 1 Timothy 5:13
    At the same time, they also learn to be idle, going from house to house; they are not only idle, but are also gossips and busybodies, saying things they shouldn't say.
    

How does the Bible speak of gossip? In the verses above, it is called or grouped together with: betrayal, separation, something that keeps quarrels alive, a corrupter (going down to a man's inmost parts), wickedness, evil, greed, depravity, being idle, busybodies and lying. Not necessarily things that Christians should desire to be associated with. So, why do we allow gossiping within the Christian community? Why do we not call it out and deal with it? I think that it's because the church is afraid to deal with such things as it might upset the balance of the congregation or might offend someone. Have we become so weak as Christians that we have forgotten whom it is that we are following and how He dealt with sin and hypocrisy? It has become a sad day when the church environment is no different than that of the world.

So, the question we should be asking is "if gossiping is spoken of in the Bible as something that is undesirable and something that is negative, why do Christians engage in it?"

James 3:10 - Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things should not be this way. - HCS

One possible answer is that a large number of Christians have worldly attitudes, worldly values and worldly points of view. I say this because the world doesn't necessarily see gossip as a bad thing. What I mean is that some worldly people see gossip as a "means to an end." They use gossip as a way to attack or destroy an enemy or maybe it is just a "natural" way of an unsaved or worldy person to act:

Luke 6:45 - A good man produces good out of the good storeroom of his heart. An evil man produces evil out of the evil storeroom, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. - HCS.

When something is printed on the front page of a newspaper, one would generally like to believe that it is a true statement of fact. This is not always the case in the world in which we live today. So if gossip exists in the church, does this mean that the world is influencing the church more than the church is influencing the world? Perhaps it only means that their are a plentiful amount of goats among the sheep:

Matthew 25:31-34 - ³¹ "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. - HCS

It also means that there are many weeds among the wheat:

Matthew 13:24-30 - ²⁴Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. ²⁵But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. ²⁶When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.²⁷"The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?' ²⁸" 'An enemy did this,' he replied. "The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' ²⁹" 'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. ³⁰Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.' " - HCS

In both sets of verses from the gospel of Matthew, the meaning is the same...that there are many false converts within the church. You must be careful that you are not influenced by them! You need to be discerning so that you let your light shine within the darkness of this world:

John 8:12 -¹² Then Jesus spoke to them again: "I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life." - HCS

1 John 1:5-10 - ⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.⁸ If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. - HCS

Are you caught up in gossiping constantly about others? If so, then you need to repent and ask God to forgive you and to empower you to stop this destructive behavior. This behavior is an addiction that can cause injury, suffering and death. By death, I speak of the death of friendships, spiritual death, your Christian witness, your reputation or your career just to name a few things that you probably value that you wouldn't want to lose. I have personally observed gossip kill friendships, and start other gossip by dragging people into other people's private affairs that no one should know about and then cause all of the parties involved to suffer needlessly. This all goes back to keeping confidential information confidential, to not breaching the bonds of friendship and to just keeping your mouth shut. Here are a few Proverbs (not all) describing the good and bad things concerning the mouth:

Proverbs 11:9
With his mouth the godless destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous escape.

Proverbs 15:2
The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly

Proverbs 15:14
The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.

Proverbs 15:28
The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.

Proverbs 18:7
A fool's mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul.

Proverbs 21:23
He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.

So remember, do not gossip! Be wise and follow God's Word and you will preserve your friendships and other things that are of value to you. As a Christian you need to pull yourself out of gossip situations and let the light of Christ shine from you instead. May God bless and keep you.

What are you committed to?

What is a commitment? Some of the definitions of "commitment" are "the promise to do something in the future; the trait of sincere and steadfast fixity of purpose; the act of binding yourself (intellectually or emotionally) to a course of action." What are you committed to? Is it an addiction, the world, your job, a hobby or maybe the pursuit of money? The reason that I ask is because I have seen and heard many people claim to be "committed" followers of Jesus Christ and yet their actions and words tell a different story.

Let me explain; when I find out that someone is a Christian, I really start to listen to what these people say and how they act. I'm not the only one who does this, so don't think that being a Christian is a free ride without scrutiny. The reason that most people, including myself, pay particular attention to self-proclaimed Christians is because people want to see something in Christians that they lack themselves. It's true that some people only want to see the Christian stumble and fall, but I am not one of them. What I want to see, in myself as well as other Christians, is commitment to Jesus Christ. When I say this, I not only mean in a proclamation of faith, but also in a lifestyle of holiness so that those that are lost can see Christ living in you (Hebrews 12:14).

As Christians, we have to be very careful what we say and how we act. People are watching and listening and trying to see if there is any difference between you and them. If there is not a difference, why then would they ever believe that Christ can make a difference in their lives? We are supposed to constantly examine ourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5) to make sure that we are living the way that Jesus told us to live. We are supposed to be the salt of the world (Matthew 5:13). Some food is not as good if it is not salted. In fact, some people will not eat it without a lot of salt. Have you ever tried to eat french fries that were unsalted? If so, how did they taste? If you're like me, you won't eat them. The salt is what makes them taste good. In the same way, Christians are the salt of the earth. If they have acted or spoken badly, how can they be made salty again? They cannot. Jesus tells us that they are no longer good for anything and will be thrown out and trampled. This is because no one will give their "Christian" profession of faith any more thought because it has already lost it's "saltiness."

Now let's examine who we are committed to. Who or what do we talk about and praise? Is it the Lord Jesus Christ? Do we ever share our testimony with others? Do we tell others about Jesus? Why not? I have observed that most people don't know enough about Jesus to talk to anyone about Him. What I normally see are "Christians" who know nothing about Christ. Instead, they talk about their "mighty" pastor or their "wonderful" church. When they talk to someone in a witnessing encounter, all they do is invite that person to come to their church to listen to their pastor. If one reads between the lines, here's how it sounds; "Hey, I am a Christian and I love the Lord Jesus Christ, but I don't know how to tell you about Him, so why don't you come to my church so that my pastor and tell you about Him." How often do you think that you're going to get people to visit your church that are not Christians already? If you don't know how to tell people about Jesus Christ, who He is, what He's done for you, what He's already done for them, why would they care to go to your church?

In further investigation concerning "the church" and "the pastor," I have been disturbed to see that a lot of people tend to go to church to socialize and to hear the pastor preach instead of to worship the Living God of the universe. Again I will ask, who or what are you committed to? How do you know if you are committed to Jesus? Those that are committed to Jesus are known as His disciples. Are you a disciple of Jesus? What is a "disciple"? A short definition of a disciple is "someone who believes and helps to spread the doctrine of another." So then, if you are a disciple of Jesus, you should be a believer in His deity and His teachings and you should also be teaching others about Him by spreading His gospel message or doctrine. Jesus told us the way to know who His disciples are in John 8:31-32 NASB ( ³¹So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; ³²and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."). So, are you a disciple of Jesus or are you a follower of your pastor or your church? Which one is more important to you? Does it make you feel better to be known as a member of your church or that your pastor is really good at preaching or would you simply rather be known as a follower or disciple of Jesus Christ?

Where does your commitment reside? I ask you to examine yourselves so that you will know the truth. If you find that you are not really following Jesus Christ as you should, I implore you to repent, turn from your idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:14) and follow Jesus Christ, read His Word and worship Him only. Do not put your faith into any man because they will fail you. Put all of your faith and devotion in Jesus Christ. He will never fail you and He is the only way! (John 14:6 NASB : ⁶Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.)

What is the difference in being a "Christian" and being a "Disciple of Christ"?

Just to clear things up before I get started...there is not supposed to be any difference! However, this is not the case in the modern church. Let me explain what is happening in the church today...

The church is being filled with many false converts! This is being done through pastors who are preaching a false gospel. They are preaching a "different" Jesus than the one that is proclaimed in the Bible! What is happening today is that Jesus is being proclaimed as someone Who is the means to our own ends. He is portrayed as some sort of "Divine Butler" (thanks to Ray Comfort for that title). We are being taught that WE are so important that God cannot do anything apart from our works. It's like He is waiting for us to do His work! This is contrary to what the Bible says! Jesus said that His Father was always at work (John 5:17 - 17 Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working."). So then, according to Jesus, God is ACTIVE and always at work! He is not passive and is certainly not waiting for us to do anything! What we are hearing is a man-centered, self-centered gospel. This is certainly not the gospel that Christ Himself proclaimed! Let us now look at what Jesus said concerning the requirements, costs and rewards of following Him.

Jesus spoke of the requirements of discipleship and of following Him in Matthew 10:37-42 (NASB)

(37)He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

(38)And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

(39) He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.

(40) He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.

(41) He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.

(42) And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.

So then, does this sound like the members of the modern church? If not, why not? I'll tell you why...it's because the modern church is not proclaiming the true gospel of Jesus Christ! The modern church is in the business of making it easy to become a Christian (i.e., "easy believism) to increase their numbers without ever telling you what it means to be a Christian and a disciple of Christ. Jesus never hid the costs of following Him. He always told the truth about the costs and drove away the false converts...something that the modern church will not do. It's a numbers game that is giving millions of people a false sense of eternal security in Christ as well as a false impression of Who our Lord really is and how we, as Christians, are supposed to act.

We are supposed to love Christ more than anything else...including our spouse, children and parents. We are supposed to carry the burdens of others and to love others like we love ourselves. We are supposed to lose ourselves (our lives) for the sake of Christ for the glory of God. We are supposed to be selfless, helping others by receiving them, helping them and loving them. What do we see happening within the walls of the modern church? Self-centered people thinking only of themselves, being told how wonderful they are and leaving the church feeling so good about themselves. I used to not understand the meaning of Amazing Grace when it was being sung at church. I didn't understand why the song said "to save a wretch like me." Why? Because I didn't consider myself to be a wretch. I thought that I was a good person and certainly not a wretch. Let me tell you...God dealt with me and showed me that not only was I a wretch, but that I was the worst sort of wretched, miserable person imaginable. You may think that this sounds strange and can't relate. Believe me, if you belong to God, you will find out. Not only that, but you will also praise Him for breaking you and showing you your depravity. Only then can God mold you into something that He can use. He has to strip you of our pride, self-reliance, biogotry, addictions and any other sin that is weighing you down before He can start to begin conforming you into the image of His precious Son, Jesus.

After He begins your life-long transformation, He will begin showing you who He is. For a good look at who God is, read Isaiah 6 (the entire chapter). I promise that it will give you an image to behold, that will bring you to your knees. Where does this take you? Does it take you to a weak-minded church that wants to entertain you while it takes your tithe? No. You will not be satisfied with that type of church. When God has stripped you, He will not leave you that way. He will clothe you, but not in the clothes that you used to wear. He will clothe you with a white robe and will ascribe the righteousness of Christ to you.

Are you a true disciple of Jesus Christ? Do you hunger for the things of God or do you hunger for the things of the world? Do you care for others or do you only care about yourself? Re-read Matthew 10:37-42 above and ask yourself if these verses describe you. If not, maybe you need to re-evaluate yourself, your walk with God and the church that you attend. Remember that the road is wide that leads to destruction and the road that leads to eternal life is narrow. If everyone is doing it, does that make it the right thing to do? Pray that God will show you the truth of who He is and for yourself that you will be obedient to His commands. Become a true disciple of Jesus Christ by doing what He said to do, not what a power-hungry pastor told you to do. Read your Bible, pray, fast, sing Psalms and hymns, meditate on the Word, fellowship with other believers, give to others generously and then teach others what you have learned. Be a disciple of Jesus Christ or be a disciple of Satan. There is no middle ground. Choose this day whom you will serve.

Are churches supposed to be "seeker sensitive"?

Have you every heard of the expression "seeker sensitive"? What does it mean to be "seeker sensitive"? After some quick research, you may find that most people agree that to be "seeker sensitive" means to have a friendly, happy church that only mentions the grace and love of our God without ever mentioning words like "repentance, wrath, judgment and sin."

The goal seems to be to draw people into the church without ever offending anyone. The "mega churches" that have become large and famous in this country are proof that this approach does indeed "draw them in." But, I ask you "Is this approach biblical" and "is this how Jesus operated?" Anyone who has ever read the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) knows that the answer is a resounding "NO."

Jesus could have had as many followers as He wanted. In fact, He was well on His way of doing just that. If you read John 6:30-69, you'll see how Jesus thinned out most of his "followers." What happened was that those that were following Jesus asked for Him to give them a "miraculous sign" and instead, He gave them the truth of who He Is. They did not understand and did not like what He told them (basically that He is the bread of life and that they must eat His flesh and drink His blood to have eternal life). Since they did not like or understand what He told them, they stopped following Him, except the twelve. Now they didn't like or understand what He said either, but the difference was that they believed in Him (except Judas, of course, but he had to be there for the scriptures to be fulfilled). The difference between these two responses is the same difference between true and false converts.

The main differences between being "seeker sensitive" and being "Christ sensitive" is that Jesus Christ didn't mind offending the masses and choosing quality over quantity, while the "seeker sensitive" churches of today try hard to be non-offensive as to not hurt anyone's feelings or make anyone angry (where they will leave the church). So it seems that these type of churches are afraid of men and are "man-centered".

In the above mentioned chapter and verses in the Gospel According to John, Jesus also said that no one could come to Him unless The Father had enabled them. This means that if The Father enables someone to come to Christ, that the "offensive" message of the gospel will not chase them away. In fact, it will have the opposite effect! They may not like or understand what is being said, but they KNOW what the words of eternal life sound like when they hear them and are drawn to them! This doesn't mean that we will never understand these words, just not in the beginning of our spiritual walk (like the disciples, who understood later).

The bottom line of this particular blog is that while "seeker sensitive" churches do indeed draw a large crowd, it doesn't mean that they are actually preaching to the elect of Christ (people who are genuinely saved are called "the elect").

One other quick point that I've noticed when I've attempted to watch any presentation (I won't call it preaching) of a "seeker sensitive" pastor to see if they're presenting the gospel message or merely spewing self-help advice, is that they hardly ever use their Bible. They may hold it up before speaking or may put a few out-of-context verses up on the projection screen, but they never seem to use it as the source of their message. It's only there for effect, not to affect! If the pastor of such a congregation doesn't use the Bible, why should the congregation ever read and study it? If they did, they probably wouldn't be sitting in that congregation much longer!

I know that some people love to listen to these types of pastors, but think about it...are they preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ? The first recorded word when He began preaching was "repent" (Matthew 4:17). Maybe they're just telling the people what they want to hear. I will leave you with scripture and hope that, if you don't see anything wrong with the "seeker sensitive" pastors and the way they do business, that you would pray and ask God to open your eyes to any false teachings that do not correspond with the teachings of Jesus Christ : (2 Timothy 4:3 (NIV) 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.)

What is wrong with Christians today?

I ask this question because of what I have observed in the behaviour of so-called "Christians" today. It seems that many who claim to be Christians certainly don't act the way that one would expect.

What I have observed is that many "Christians" act one of two ways; (1) they act no different than non-Christians or (2) they act like they are superior to everyone who doesn't attend their church (whether Christian or non-Christian).

Let us first talk about those that claim to be Christians acting no different than those who are not Christians. What does this say about them? In 2 Corinthians 6:16-18, Paul tells the Corinthian believers: 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people." 17 "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you." 18 "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." (NIV) So, we are told to "come out" and to "be separate." I don't see many Christians doing this today. It seems that Christians are in love with the world and are fascinated by the things of and in the world. In 1 John 2:15-16, John tells us: "15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world." (NIV) So, according to scripture, if we love the world, we do not possess the love of the Father. In other words, if we love the world, we are not true Christians (i.e., false converts).

Now let's address the issue of Christians with a superiority complex. I have personally witnessed these people and it seems that they actively try to recruit Christians that attend other churches more than they share their faith (if they do this at all). When they talk to people who are not saved, they seem to always ask these people to "come to my church" instead of sharing the Gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. These people seem to think that their pastor and church are the way to salvation instead of believing upon Jesus Christ. What is wrong with this picture? Are we so in love with our pastor and our church that we forget who we should be following? Do we tend to put our pastor on a pedestal and believe every word that comes out of their mouth as if it were the voice of God? It seems to me that many people are content with living in ignorance and spiritual infancy by blindly following the teachings of a preacher instead of reading their Bible and spending time with God in prayer every day. They may know their pastor and the members of their church, but they certainly do not know the Living God.

In 2 Peter 2:1-3, Peter gives this warning concerning false teachers: "1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping." (NIV) You may think that there are no "destructive heresies" being introduced in your church, but how would you know? Does your pastor "bring the way of truth into disrepute"? If you never read your Bible or spend time with the Lord in prayer, how do you know what the Truth really is? Would you recognize false teaching if you heard it?

The bottom line is this: If we have never read our Bible (and don't read it every day) and never spend time with God in prayer, how can we claim to know Him? How can we claim that we have a relationship with One in whom we never communicate with or never read His Words? If the Bible is God's love letter to us and we never read it, doesn't that say that we really don't love Him? If we live a life of prayerlessness and never pray for anything unless it's something that we want, doesn't that say that we really don't know how to pray and that we don't have communion with Him and that we don't abide in Him?

If you have read this and feel conviction, I plead with you to repent and start following Christ. You would do well to remember that Christ is the head of the church, not your pastor. Read your Bible every day and do what it says to do. You need to know for yourself what God requires of you and you can only do that if you know God's Holy Word. Here are some verses to remember:

1 John 2:3-6 3 We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4 The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. (NIV)

James 1:22-25 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. (NIV)

Do these verses describe you? If so, please repent and change your lifestyle and follow Jesus Christ. He is the ONLY way to God:

1 Timothy 2:5-6 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. (NIV)