Toby Mac's song, I Don't Want to Gain the Whole World and Lose My Soul, is one of my favs. What a message!
I am looking forward to speaking this evening at a ladies event in Spotsylvania. I have such an urgency in my heart to encourage others to live LARGE for Jesus Christ!
It sickens my heart as I look at the world and see people who are living their lives so carelessly. God instructs us to come out from the world and be separate but in churches all over the world we seem to be in a contest to see who can be most like the world and still expect to be recognized as a "church". Compromise has become common and morals and Christian values are "ole fashion" and "out of date".
I recently heard of a pastor in a mega church that tells his congregation (of mostly young families and young adults) that he has a "cuss" jar and places money in it throughout the week each time he says a curse word! What is that????! What ever happened to Christians pursuing holiness and Godliness? Oh yeah - I forgot - that is not cool anymore and it doesn't bring crowds into our churches. We have become so number conscious that we are willing to compromise and preach watered down, warm and fuzzy sermons so we don't offend anyone for fear they may leave our church. Pulpits are filled with false prophets who are preaching heresy and people are buying into it hook, line and sinker! We don't have time in our busy schedules to read our Bibles and pray so our foundations are weak. When you don't know God's Word it is easy to succumb to compromise. Many of those folks have bought into the lie of deception from the enemy and are clueless as to what being a true Christian is all about.
I don't want to gain the whole world and lose my soul! NOTHING this world offers is worth missing the opportunity to spend eternity with Jesus Christ. Gaining notoriety, fame and fortune is certainly not worth losing my soul over. My Bible says that few will enter heaven. Unpopular teaching but folks we are living in the last days and fewer and fewer pastors are preaching the truth. Fewer and fewer Christians are willing to stand up for Christ and show the world what Godliness and holiness is all about. People are dying and going to hell and we are sitting back watching the devil win. It is time that we take a stand for what we believe in. SIN separates us from God. 1 Peter 1:16 says, for it is written: "be holy, because I am holy."
God is calling us to step out. There are people everywhere who are not ready to meet Jesus. You and I have an awesome responsibility to show them who Jesus is through our lives.
I don't want to gain the whole world and lose my soul......... What about you?
Blessings and hugs!
Deborah - You never cease to bless my heart and soul when I come here.
ReplyDeleteI loved this post. It just hurts my heart to see how the world is so callous toward God. The compromise is just heartbreaking and to have a pastor possess a cussing jar is ludicrous!
Praying for you as you minister this weekend.