Walking in the sun
Faith for the Harvest
MOMENTS OF MEDITATION
 
A weekly newsletter of Faith Harvest Ministries               April 13, 2015 Issue 13         
:
 The Church is approaching one of the greatest hurdles she has ever faced in her history as she closes in on the final hours of this dispensation. There is much to be gained and much to be lost by whichever way she turns in response to the internal issues that are becoming a growing concern within her. This is not a time to redefine the purpose of God, as if the culture of our day demands it. We have a more sure word of prophecy that has always and will always be the founding principles upon which she (the church) stands. It is upon these great principles that we will either step onto the path that leads to glory or slip further and further away to that which can only lead to destruction. 

 
GRACE OR DISGRACE
A True Line of Demarcation!

"Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages,

world without end. Amen."       - Ephesians 3:21 

 

           

 

       It is becoming a growing concern to me to see how many churches are trying to redefine the mission that Christ left us when he ascended up on high. I recently read an article from a minister who used to preach truth but has now embraced the message of universalism. In essence, this is his declaration toward a more contemporary view of the mission of the church: "The church today has reached a place where she needs to redefine herself. She no longer needs to cling to the teachings that were taught 2,000 years ago because of its irrelevance to today's culture. We are living at a time in history where people have changed, our society has changed, our view on life has changed, and so it is necessary that our approach to the gospel must change."  What so subtlety hides behind this kind of idea is the need for all of us to rethink and redefine the character of God, as if his love in us demands that we overlook sin and lean toward welcoming everyone into the church with all their faults, and that we steer clear of any message that suggests the need for full surrender toward a life of holy living. In other words, we should reinterpret love so as to devalue the need for repentance seeing that we are all such a flawed race of people anyway.

 

    If any part of the teachings of Jesus were set apart for only a specific generation then how can we determine any of it as relevant for today? It is either all sufficient for every generation or it is insufficient for any generation! 

 

 

        As much as I know that God is love and that love covers the multitude of sin, to think that somehow we need to close our eyes to immorality and be open to allow the faithless flaws of a society to enter into union with Christ's beloved bride without the need of repentance is mindless. How could we come so far in advancing the cause of Christ to now fall back to such an idea as to think because Christ paid for all sin that everyone's sin is automatically forgiven, and that we are all accepted as blameless before God. Such thoughts are absolutely preposterous! Paul wrote to Timothy and said, "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his. And let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity" (2 Tim. 2:19). Should we somehow interpret this as being only directed toward a single generation? If any part of the teachings of Jesus were set apart for only a specific generation then how can we determine any of it as relevant for today? It is either all sufficient for every generation or it is insufficient for any generation!

         God's plan for man is that we grasp the life of significance within the message of the gospel where we become more dignified, not less dignified. In fact, the entire revelation of God for man is that Christ came to restore what was lost. All that was man's from the beginning, even his dominion in heaven and in earth came because God crowned him with glory and honor. It was for this very purpose that Jesus came and dealt with sin. Not so that we could live in depravity or see grace as a means of covering our depraved nature, but rather to abolish its very roots and raise us up to a life of significance, a life of divine empowerment, and a life of decency and honor.

         We do not need to redefine our mission. We simply need to reengage our mission. We need to live as Christ lived, honorably and devotedly. As far as the message of grace goes, Paul said: "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world" (Tit. 2:11-12). Holiness will always be at the heart of the message because the gospel is a revelation of dominion over sin not the acceptance of a life tattered by sin. God's glory must be what we embrace. For it is in the light of this great truth that we become more and more separated and set apart from sin rather than integrated and immerse into a life of tolerance toward sin.*  

 

PRAYER

     Father, I want to thank you for your Word. I want to thank you for its eternal relevance. I hold to all of its precepts. I value each and every one of them. I esteem them. I cling to them in every way possible.  Today, I purpose in my heart to adjust my thinking to it and not it to my thinking. In Jesus' name, Amen!

 

CONFESSION

      I purpose in my heart to hold to the standard of God's Word regardless of the changing culture of the day. I will not try to redefine what holy living means. I will remain steadfast in living a separated life of holiness and I will not give in to any so-called "new revelation" or "mandate" that suggests that we are to be compassionate and tolerant to any sinful practice as acceptable before God. 

 

DEFINING MOMENTS...

      Things around us are swiftly changing. The church as a whole is facing major decisions that will ultimately lead to greater glory or growing disgrace. Just as we are watching our nation plummet into more and more decay that same spirit is somehow finding its way of infiltration into the church. It is increasingly becoming more acceptable for churches to welcome newcomers into their fellowship without any regard or need for repentance. I think it is evident that there is a new trend developing where some pastors are shying away from a message that even deals with the issues of sin. It appears that the popular theme of the day is a "free good" kind of message where we abstain from any abhorrence to sin. As great as it sounds to hear a message of love and grace, if it does not lead to greater honor or where it brings us further and deeper into a life of righteousness, then we have let something in that will ultimately diminish not heighten our influence in these changing times. If there is ever a time to be more discerning so that we are not swayed by the leniency toward sin it is now. We must become awakened to the purity of grace and not reduced by a message of compromise that can only end in disgrace.  

 

In His Grace,

 

Pastor David

Faith Harvest Church