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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