“Because of the increase of wickedness, THE LOVE OF MOST (πολύς: many, much, a large amount) WILL GROW COLD, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Matt. 24:12-13) In the parable of the 10 virgins, which represents the church, half of them are told by Jesus “I never knew you.”
- 54% of U.S. churches allow openly gay or lesbian couples to hold full-fledged memberships, an increase of 70% compared to just twelve years ago. (National Congregations Study, 2019) People began to worship and serve one another rather than God, For this reason God gave them up to disgusting passions. “For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise, also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust FOR ONE ANOTHER, MEN WITH MEN COMMITTING WHAT IS SHAMEFUL, and receiving in themselves the PENALTY (antimisthia, vengeance) of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a DEBASED MIND (adokimos: rejected, reprobat, unproved), to do those things which are NOT PROPER…” (Rom. 1:25-28)
- 34% of Evangelicals believe abortion is morally acceptable if it spares the mother financial or emotional stress. (American Worldview Inventory 2020, Arizona Christian University.) “You (God) made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb…You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE WAS RECORDED IN YOUR BOOK. EVERY MOMENT was laid out before a single day had passed.” (Psa. 139:13-16) GOD HAS A PURPOSE FOR EVERY LIFE.
- Less than 10% of sermons preached in Evangelical churches even mentioned Hell, Sin, Salvation, or Heaven. (Pew Research Center, 2019) Just as an example, 162 references in the New Testament alone which warns of hell. And over 70 of these references were uttered by Jesus Christ! Almost half of all Americans (44%) have no idea where they’ll go when they die, but only 2% believe they’ll go to Hell. (American Worldview Inventory, Arizona Christian University & Barna, 2020)
God is calling His people to live life fully awake. Unfortunately, many Christians still slumber away in a deep spiritual sleep—nodded off because of physical laziness, spiritual laziness, or both. They live unaware of God’s purpose to transform and use them. Why? Because they keep hitting the snooze button on God’s alarm—and in doing so, they’ve put a giant pause on their relationship with God!
“…you were once darkness, but now YOU ARE LIGHT IN THE LORD. Live as children of light…everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: “WAKE UP, SLEEPER, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Eph. 5:8, 13-14) The Greek word here translated awake comes from egeirō: to awake figuratively, from obscurity, inactivity, ruins, or nonexistence.
And here is the thing, “…we are God’s handiwork, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS TO DO GOOD WORKS, which God prepared in advance FOR US TO DO.” (Eph. 2:10)
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham