In His Steps

Doesn’t the world seem to be plagued with one crisis after another? And regardless of what is going on with the rest of the world, what are the issues facing Christians? Have any of these questions crossed your minds in the past months? I know they’ve crossed mine and some days, I just wonder what in the world is going on and how am I supposed to respond to all of it.

I read a quote by the founder of the Salvation Army, William Booth which said, “I consider that the chief dangers which confront the coming century will be: Religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, politics without God, and Heaven without Hell.” There are quite a few Christian scholars and authors who feel we have arrived at that place. I tend to agree with them.

Sadly, what used to be universally-accepted truths about Christianity are now unknown mysteries to a large part of America, especially the young. In our nation, the Bible has always been considered holy and without error and now is up for editing. The cross is a popular symbol for wall-art and jewelry. Very few people regard Easter as a religious holiday and only a minority of adults associate Easter with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In an age where we are taught to be self-reliant, for many, Christianity is no longer needed. Why? Why seek God when you can Google the answer to just about everything?

So, what is the biggest problem in the church? Have we become “lukewarm” in our faith and increasingly silent to engage in faith-oriented conversations with others? Do we lack honesty in our faith? I believe the underlying issue is pride. We want to be well thought of and we want to be in control of everything ourselves. It’s the same sin that had Satan kicked out of Heaven and caused Adam and Eve to want to be like God and eat the fruit. It’s plagued mankind from the very beginning. Becauseof Jesus.

While Holy Scripture is our foundation, the underlying power of Christianity has always been the believer’s one-on-one relationship with the Creator through the supernatural power of His Holy Spirit. We must cherish that relationship above everything in our lives and to listen for His voice, “Be still and know that I am God.”

And we must not wring our hands and fret about everything that is happening in this world. The Bible teaches that in the last days there will be very difficult times. (Read 2 Timothy chapter 3). We respond by being faithful to what we’ve been taught and embrace the salvation that comes from trusting in Jesus Christ.

When we connect to our Savior, we live an authentic Christian life; something that is hard for people to ignore. We just need to take that first step, trusting in Jesus and letting Him guide our way.

In Jesus Name,
Pastor Scott