Christian Living

I hope you’ve seen the pictures. Three-year-old Aylan washed up on the shore, drowned while escaping. Masses of refugees crowding streets under the shells of bombed out buildings. Inflated rafts spilling over with people fleeing war-torn Syria. The seventy-one suffocated bodies found in a refrigerated truck, all victims of human trafficking. Refugee camps stretched out acre upon acre of makeshift tents.

It is obvious that our world is confused about what is right and wrong. Of all the places in the world that one would think his faith has value and that he could practice it without fear of intimidation, it would be here in the United States of America.

Each generation must contend for, “The faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). If the foundations of faith upon which our freedoms stand are being destroyed, what can we do but lay them again?

In the previous post I pointed out seven symptoms of one of the most dangerous spiritual diseases—apathy. A diagnose without a cure, however, is unhelpful. The direct counsel Christ Himself gave to the church at Laodicea was to humble themselves in repentance and recognize their need for Christ:

I almost drowned once. It was at a friend’s birthday party, of all places. I think I was six. Thankfully, I was rescued, but I still remember that sense of helplessness as I was engulfed in the water and knew I couldn’t swim.

For two thousand years, Christians have been persecuted in many places all over the world for teaching and practicing their faith. This is not new.

There are few things a pastor or spiritual leader fears more than apathy. (And if we’re wise, we fear it creeping into our own hearts as much as we fear it undermining the spiritual growth of those we lead.)

None of us start out in leadership with the intention of failing. But we all know people who have disgraced the Lord and hurt the people they lead through unfaithfulness. We all want, when we come to the end of our race, to be able to say, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

Every Bible-believing Christian sees the need to pray for our nation and its leaders. But knowing we need to pray is not the same as praying.

Now, more than ever before, current events remind us that we are living in the last days. Recent events have pointed to Bible prophecies concerning the progressive lifestyles of sin (2 Timothy 3:1–4) and the oblivion of and disregard for God’s judgment (Matthew 24:37–39).

A controversy has grown up over standards in conservative churches. There is a movement against the standards fundamentalists have followed, and there are some who question whether they should have standards at all. In all the fussing on “both sides” of the standards issue, some very basic facts are being lost.

There’s no question about it: the home is under attack today. And I’m not just talking about subtle attacks that cautiously undermine biblical values. I’m talking about a full on, vicious, satanic attack that is shaking the very definition of the family itself.

As a Christian pastor, I’m deeply grieved at the Court’s decision to ignore biblical revelation and redefine God’s institution. Indeed, marriage is God’s institution, and He has clearly defined it for us.

Perhaps you are like me and frequently understand your desperate need for wisdom. Whether it’s for raising a child, helping your husband, serving the Lord, or working through a hurting relationship—often our need for wisdom on the matters we face is overwhelming!

One of the most dangerous aspects of success in any work of God is that it would lead to complacency. The truth is, it is easier to rejoice in a victory of the past and simply maintain going forward than it is to take continual faith-filled risks and build.

So how do you read a book? In addition to my daily Bible reading, I am an avid reader. Reading is food for the mind! Television turns your brain to mush! You decide! Here are some tips I’ve discovered in reading a book:

2 Timothy 3:1 states, “In the last days perilous times shall come.” The word perilous means “difficult to deal with.”

I’ll just come right out and say it: I believe America is the greatest nation on earth. I know, I know. In today’s globalist times, nationalism isn’t always revered as a virtue. But there is not an unpatriotic bone in my body, and I unashamedly practice patriotism and believe it should be taught to a younger generation.

Those who serve as spiritual leaders have the joy of investing themselves in the spiritual growth of others. You prepare messages, lessons, and events, preach sermons, teach classes, and give of yourself in all the ways that contribute toward building others in spiritual growth.

There is a quote that I remember hearing repeated frequently during Bible college: “Always make sure to keep the main thing the main thing.” Yet, all across America, and, yes, even on the mission field, the main thing seems to no longer be the main thing. I am sure you have guessed what I am talking about—soulwinning!