Day: July 11, 2020

Let’s get back 2 church–neglecting it is hurting us

The worship team is here for practice for tomorrow’s service. We’re carrying on as much as possible, even though the world changed this year. I encourage you to do the same in your ministry, even if sometimes there are obstacles to overcome and sacrifices to make. And remember, that in these changes in the world’s attitudes, we are seeing yet another sign God gave us in His word that His return is closer than ever. The Bible says that the rapture will happen and the beginning of God’s judgment will overtake the lost world at a time when they’re crying out for “peace and safety.”
Most of all, try not to give in to the fear with the lost world, for whom it is understandable and for whom there truly is reason to fear. I have had several brothers and sisters lately wish me well with the words, “Stay Safe.” I’d prefer they wish me well with the admonition and encouragement, “Stay faithful.” Worry and fear I don’t need. An “abundance of caution” is a bit too much caution for almost any circumstance. It comes, too often, from a deficiency of faith. Which comes from a deficiency of encouraging one another in an assembly of believers worshiping Him and looking forward to His glorious appearing.
What we need to do in this last hour is what the word tells us to do when the signs of His coming become evident by matching every detail He gave us of what the pre-rapture moments in time would look like: We must be “not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
We are in that moment, brothers and sisters. The fearful world wanting peace and security from a source other than God, cowering in fear and having an effect on the church’s faith so that we are also fearful and stop gathering. God knew it would happen, and spoke to us for this moment in Hebrews 10:25, the verse quoted above. So He specifically said, while the admonition to continue assembling and encouraging one another is for the entire church age, it is “all the more” important now.

Why would He forgive you?

Why would He do that?

“But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed.  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

–Isaiah 53:5-6, the prophecy of what the Christ would do to bring us forgiveness

I once heard a pastor tell his story of a conversation with a muslim man seated next to him on a plane. They talked about themselves and what they do for a living, and the muslim man was shocked when the pastor mentioned, rather casually, that he knows the Lord.

“You KNOW the God?!?” the man asked the pastor incredulously.

“Yes, through His word, through His Son, and by His Spirit, we can know God personally.”

“I just don’t see how that is possible for us to know a holy God,” the man said.

“Well, there is one thing that gets in the way of someone knowing a holy God. Let me ask you this question about yourself: Do you ever sin?”

The man looked down at his feet, his face growing flushed with embarrassment. After a moment of silence, he answered the question. “Yes, I sin. In fact, the reason I was so embarrassed by the question is because I am traveling today to visit another woman for an affair. My wife doesn’t know. I know it’s wrong, but it’s what I want.”

“And what,” the pastor asked, “do you think the God who made us will do to you for what you’re about to do?”

“I hope He will forgive me for it.”

Then the rather obvious question from the pastor: “Forgive you? Why would He do that?”

That was a question the man had no answer for. You can already tell the reason. Because in Islam, and indeed, anywhere outside of biblical faith, there really is no good reason for God to forgive any of us for any sin we commit. In the passage quoted above, we read God’s evaluation of humanity: “All we like sheep have gone astray.” The entire human race messed up. All together we turned our backs on a holy Creator who had a right to our obedience. And lest any of us hope we can find a way not to share in the guilt upon everyone else, God then shows you and me our individual guilt: “We have turned, every one, to his own way.” That means it isn’t just humanity as a whole—it’s you and I as individual persons. You personally are a sinner. You personally are in danger of God’s judgment for your sins. And like the man on the plane was realizing, there was no reason he could hope for forgiveness.

That’s where God came up with the solution. Christ Jesus “was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed…. and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (From Isaiah 53)

Your guilt and mine were placed on the holy Son of God on the cross, where He absorbed all of the punishment for every wrong in your life, and died in your place for you. Because He was sacrificed in our place, we can be forgiven and have peace with God—indeed a relationship with Him as our Father—by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. Why would God forgive? If you don’t believe on His Son, He won’t. But to those who believed on Him, “He gave the right to become children of God,” He tells us in the gospel of John. Like the man on the plane, you have done things that were wrong and offended your Maker. But God loves you and wants to forgive you. Through your faith in His Son, He will.