Stop right now and think about this verse for a few moments. Don’t be in a hurry to do something
else. I don’t know what your church
upbringing was like, but chances are what church is like for you today is not
the same as what it was when you were growing up. Times have changed, we have changed, and the
church has changed.
The church I grew up in was conservative in thought and
practice. The Gospel was preached
faithfully. Testimony time was the norm
and not the exception. Altar calls were
common. Wednesday night prayer meetings were normal where people actually knelt
and prayed at the altar. Holiness was
proclaimed. Revival meetings were a part
of the church life. Church fellowships
were an essential part of our social lives.
There was great security, comfort, and stability in the church.
As I look back on my early church experiences, one thing that
really stands out to me is that you knew where you stood on Biblical truth. You did not have different spins on
Truth. You knew the way to holy living
and were often challenged to live it.
You didn’t cater to people’s whims.
You proclaimed the Truth and let the chips fall where they may. Holiness was not an add-on to the Gospel
message, it was the Gospel message. In
many churches, holiness is never proclaimed.
In many churches today the Gospel message has shifted in
emphasis. We like our Gospel to make us
feel good and comfortable. We don’t like
to be confronted with sin. We don’t like
to be told we need to repent. We don’t
want preachers to get specific about sin.
We want sin glossed over. The
Lord says, “Stop it!” He says, “Return
to the message I first gave you. Pursue
godliness and travel down its path.
There you will find rest for your soul.”
Don’t be like the majority who say they no longer want to hear
what God wants for us. Don’t let the
masses dictate what your soul needs.
Pursue godliness and you will find rest for your soul.
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