“If anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.” –James 1:23-24 My wife uses a simple tool to remind me of things that I tend to forget – she writes a note and sticks it on the bathroom mirror. After a few weeks the easily forgotten task is embedded in my memory, and the note can be removed—usually.



My first response in seeing a new note is often anger and resentment; who is she to tell me what to do? I have a tendency to look at my reflection to the left or right of the note, or even lift it up out of the way, so I can shave or comb my hair. In doing so, I forget why the note was placed in my way to begin with. When I realize that she doesn’t write the notes to anger me, but to lovingly confront me and reveal her heart to me, I switch from anger to submission. Yes, I frequently forget the task on the note, but so far, I have not received a note that says, “read previous note.”

Hearing (or not hearing) God’s message is like this. God’s Word is like a mirror. God places information right in front of our face that will help us. When we see or hear His personal message, we often feel anger and resentment, thinking, “who does he think he is?” Excuse me. He’s God and you are not.

Our agenda and God’s agenda often conflict. This causes us to ignore God’s personal message, while we focus on achieving our daily schedule. Then, when we turn away from God’s mirror, everything seems fine, because God is “out of sight, out of mind.”

The mirror of God’s Word does not focus on the external, but on the internal. Our problem is that we don’t like seeing our external blemishes, much less having the defects and blemishes in our moral character exposed by the Surgeon’s knife.

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” - Hebrews 4:12

Do you look in your bathroom mirror only twice a year? With each visit, you would see more and more problems. Fixing those problems would begin to take more and more effort. Pretty soon, you would probably give up going to the mirror. It would be way too much time, trouble and heartache.

When we choose to only seek God on special holidays, we find it uncomfortable. Especially if God’s messenger holds up a mirror so that we see our spiritual condition, as God folds back our stubborn heart to expose how He sees us.

Maybe this  is a reason people don’t like going to church – they can’t bear the pain of what they see inside themselves, nor do they know where to start in the painful cleanup process to fix what is wrong in their lives. Instead, they choose teachers who do not stir their conscience with God’s truth.

“The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” –2 Timothy 4:3-4

Despite our rebellion, God’s will for us is that we will all come to the knowledge of His Truth (1 Timothy 2:4). He sends messengers our way who are steeped in His wisdom and proclaim His truth in love. They might be your neighbors, a friend on the internet or an article in the newspaper, but God is trying to get through. 

Will you react to them in anger thinking, “Who do they think they are? They don’t have a right to tell me how to run my life!” 

Do not choose to ignore sound, life-changing, and often life-saving advice, because it does not fit your lifestyle. There are consequences for not heeding God’s counsel –“… they shall eat the fruit of their own way” (read Proverbs 1:22-33).

Look in the mirror. Do you need to clean up your life? One way to start is by reading one chapter of Proverbs every day and apply what you read, making changes in your life.

“He who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” – James 1: 25

Pastor Jay Merritt

"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" 

Jesus said to him, "‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  "This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ "  - Matthew 22:36-39

It is easy for us to be caught up in peer pressure and reverse the order of these two commandments; we sometimes love our neighbors in a way that is contrary to loving God. While the “golden rule”, treating others as you would like to be treated, is a high standard of behavior, there is a real temptation to become an enabler or even codependent if the other person is dabbling in behavior that is outside of God’s Will. 

By putting our focus on loving the Lord, understanding and following His Will, all other things in life take on a proper perspective.

Let’s explore these important words.

Lord

When we accept Jesus to be our savior, we are also acknowledging Him as our Lord. To have a Lord is to relinquish control of all things, important and trivial, to Him – He is ruler of our life. The first of the Ten Commandments is this: “You shall have no other gods before me.”

"Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” - Matthew 7:21

Your God

To love the Lord YOUR God is a defining moment in a person’s life. To accept Him personally is to meet God face to face and acknowledge His superiority in all things, yet still being privileged to have a personal relationship with Him. God is always present and close. He is not “the man upstairs” hovering around in outer space, He resides in the heart of every believer, seeing and feeling everything we do.

Love

Loving God is to be active – not just a warm fuzzy feeling. Loving God involves commitment and loyalty. It involves trust and respect, knowing and sharing, giving and surrendering of yourself. It is THIS love that the second command is modeled after. God demands that He be loved. It is His first commandment. 

With ALL

A person's heart, soul, and mind are focused upon something: self, possessions, the world, the flesh, power, fame, a person. God demands that we focus our whole being upon Him. We cannot hold back anything in our love for God. The key word here is ALL.  We are called to glorify Him in ALL that we do and ALL that we are.

“What a heartbreak it would be to live an "almost" Christian life, then "almost" get into heaven.” Greg Laurie

With all your Heart

The heart is the seat of man’s affection, will and devotion.

Is there anyone on earth you love more than God? (Matthew 10:37)

Is there any item or treasure on earth you put ahead of your love for God? (Matthew 6:19-21)

Is there any word on earth (including the US Constitution) that carries greater weight than the Bible? (John 14:23-24)

With all your Soul

The soul is seat of person’s consciousness, their life and essence. We are called to love with all the life and awareness in our being.

"He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” - John 12:25 


With all your Mind

The mind is the seat of intellect, reason and understanding.

“…do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” - Romans 12: 2


As we engage the people and the world around us, we must always be aware of God’s presence and urging in our lives. If we choose to deviate from the straight and narrow path He has laid out for our life, we are choosing to intentionally throw water on the fire of our love for Him.

Love others

When we love our neighbors before loving God, we miss the opportunity to TRULY love them by sharing the word of God and demonstrating our first love for Him.

The Bible says we are to “speak the truth in love.” – Ephesians 4:15.  The greatest sign of love I ever received was a preacher who lovingly told me that I was a sinner and was going to go to Hell if I did not repent of my sins. He showed me the savior, Jesus, who loved me before I even knew Him.

It is Jesus’ loving words from John 8 that saved an adulteress, when He forgave her and said, “go and sin no more.”


Pastor Jay Merritt

"But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." - Jesus Christ (Mark 10:6-9)

Every human being on the face of the earth was created by the miracle of one male cell coming in contact with one female cell. As I look out my back window, I see bright, male birds paired with neatly camouflaged female birds. In the wild, females nurse their young, while males stand nearby to protect and provide.  In nature, this is the way it has always been. 

Marriage has long been considered as the natural order for the continuance of a healthy civilization.

In the United States, the Federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) defines marriage as the legal union of one man and one woman, and the word 'spouse' refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife. The law passed both houses of Congress by large majorities and was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on September 21, 1996. In a statement at the signing, Clinton said “I have long opposed governmental recognition of same-gender marriages and this legislation is consistent with that position.”  Parts of the law have been challenged in Federal Court, but it has not been overturned. Section Two of the law reserves the right of each state to determine how each state will define marriage. 

The week before the election in November 2008, candidate Barack Obama told MTV he believes marriage is "between a man and a woman" and that he is "not in favor of gay marriage." In 2011, after he was elected president, he instructed his Attorney General to not defend the law of the land – DOMA.

In North Carolina, where I reside, the statute 51-1.2, dated 1996, declares “Marriages between persons of the same gender not valid.” Similar laws in other states have been overturned by judges who consider them as unconstitutional. For that reason, the common people of North Carolina have signed petitions and rallied to place the decision on a public ballot defining marriage “to be between one man and one woman” as an amendment to the state constitution.

 
It is a very rare occasion where the general public has an opportunity to make law. This vote will take place in North Carolina, May 8th, 2012. Once on the constitution, judges cannot deem it unconstitutional.

Unfortunately, a recent poll reveals the condition of the hearts of Americans—44% of young people and 33% of older Americans are now a part of a growing trend in the belief that marriage is obsolete (http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2010/11/18/the-decline-of-marriage-and-rise-of-new-families). Our adversary, the Devil, wants to destroy God’s precious gift of marriage. He knows that if he can break up or redefine marriage, he is destroying what God has created, as well as adversely affecting all those in the household. This cascading effect flows out of homes into schools, the workplace, places of worship and the government. For Christians whose homes are destroyed by broken marriages, the damage affects how people see God through His broken children.

Marriage is one of the few institutions on earth created by God.

When we get married we promise to love and cherish, until death do us part. It’s a commitment. Yes, there should also be accountability. That’s why we have all of our friends and relatives come and witness our wedding. We become committed to the whole family. And when we start our own families, we are committed to our children. Whether we like it or not, our spouses and our children hold us accountable. We’re also accountable to God, especially if we are married in a church. In Ephesians 5:21 it says we are to be “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” That’s commitment with accountability! 

It continues in Ephesians 5: 25 saying “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.” Now that’s commitment in the picture of sacrificial love. This is not love based on performance, feelings or emotion. It is love, based on commitment, based on a promise.

Jesus put an exclamation point on the importance of marriage, when He revealed His miracle working power at the wedding in Cana. No matter where you are: pre-married, married, un-married, divorced, or in a relationship outside of God’s will - Jesus can be the miracle you need in your life. He can turn a bitter or tasteless relationship into a sweet and joyful one.

Pastor Jay Merritt

“Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” -Matthew 4:1

All of us have been tempted at one point or another. I am relieved to see that Jesus was tempted during His time on earth, because I have temptations pop into my head several times a day. I have found that a review of Jesus’ experience in Matthew 4 can show all of us how to keep temptation from leading us into sin and find the weapons to defeat it.

Lesson 1 – Temptation is not the same as sin.

The Bible says that Jesus was perfect and did not sin, yet was tempted just as any human (Hebrews 2:18, 4:15). What happens to me is that I take the bait of the temptation, and follow through until it becomes sin.

The Bible says I need to “take every thought into captivity” (2 Corinthians 10:5), in the power of Jesus, especially those thoughts in opposition to the way God wants me to live.

Lesson 2 – Temptations are designed just for our weakness.

In Matthew 4, Jesus was tempted three times, three different ways. I believe this reveals the strategy of the tempter, the devil. 

Temptation #1 – The Flesh. In the first temptation, Jesus was tempted to feed His hunger by doing a miracle and making bread out of a stone (Matthew 4:3). Jesus had not eaten anything for 40 days, and I’m sure He was craving sustenance. I can imagine that there were stones all around that were shaped like little loaves of bread. All Jesus had to do was speak the word and His hunger would have been satisfied, but He didn’t. Do you realize Jesus never did a miracle for Himself?

How many people in the world succumb to the first temptation, to feed their body with pleasurable sensations? This could be drugs, sex, alcohol, eating disorders, smoking, adrenaline highs, etc.

Satan zeroed in on Jesus’ hunger and created a temptation designed just for Him. What is it your flesh craves? Can you avoid the temptation to feed the pleasures your body desires when the devil throws his fiery darts?

Temptation #2 – Pride. In the second temptation, Jesus was tempted to display His power and majesty by making a big display in the temple square (Matthew 4:6). Satan was hoping Jesus would show off some His power and put on a little flying demonstration in front of a few thousand people. While this would have been an awesome way to kick off His ministry, being a show off was not why Jesus came to earth.

Satan again zeroed in on Jesus’ need to get His ministry off to a big start and created another temptation specially designed to do that. What is it your pride needs? Do you need constant encouragement and acknowledgement? Are you needing to draw a crowd, be the most popular and are always worried about what others may think? Satan has a temptation designed just for that need in your life. Be ready for it when it comes.

Temptation #3 – Power. While most people fall victim to the first two temptations, people with authority fall to the third. Jesus was tempted with IMMEDIATELY becoming king and ruler of all the kingdoms and nations on the earth (Matthew 4:8-9). This specially designed plan was to let Jesus take a short-cut from His pre-determined path. Jesus is going to be king and ruler of all the earth, but not until He returns (Mark 14:62, Revelation 5:12,13, Romans 14:10,11, Matthew 28:18, Isaiah 9:6, Luke 1:32, 33, Romans 14:9, Philippians 2:9-11). By taking a short-cut, Jesus would not have had to be crucified and die on the cross. If He had taken the short-cut, we would still be in our sins and Jesus’ mission would not have been accomplished.

Many good people get corrupted or fall into sin when they get more and more responsibility. Power can come from money or a place of great responsibility, as large as a nation or as small as a household. Power is intoxicating and additive, to the point where a person believes they do not need God.

Lesson 3 - God has given us a weapon. If you notice, Jesus battles the temptations with the same weapon each time, “It is written…” (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10). Jesus fought the devil with scripture, even when the devil fought back with scripture of his own. Over and over Jesus showed us the weapon he gave to all of us to defeat the enemy. 

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12

Pastor Jay Merritt

1) His disciples put their lives on the line

Acts 2:32 "This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.” One at a time, each of Jesus’ disciples spoke of Jesus and the resurrection as eye witnesses. One at a time (except for John), they were put to death. If you knew a story were not true, if the body was stolen, would you continue to tell the lie if you would be killed for telling it?


2) The Roman soldiers story

Chief priests went to the governor, Pilate, and requested a guard on the tomb. Pilate put Jesus’ enemies in charge of the Roman guard. They sealed the stone with wax, to assure the tomb was not opened (Matthew 27:64-65). In Matthew 28:4, it says the guard, on the morning of the resurrection “shook with fear” and “became like dead men.” The guard reported back to chief priest what they saw. In Matthew 28:11, it says the priests bribed the soldiers to keep quiet and to lie about what they saw. The priests promised to speak to the governor if he received news of their dereliction of duty. If a Roman soldier fell asleep on duty, or failed in their duty, he and his entire company would be put to death.

“Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”—Psalm 50:15

During the 5th century, a Christian missionary by the name of Patrick began evangelizing to the pagan nation of Ireland. But did you know that the man known as the patron saint of Ireland, Patrick, was not Irish? In his autobiography, Confessions, he states that he was born in Britain—son of a church deacon, and grandson of a priest.

According to historic records, he was never canonized as a saint by the Vatican.

“Evidently Patrick was biblical and evangelical in his preaching and his ministry, and the churches he founded were independent of Rome. So it may be concluded that he was neither Irish nor Roman Catholic.” (Vos, H. F., & Thomas Nelson Publishers. (1996). Exploring church history)

At age 16 he did not know the “True God”, and he was disobedient to God’s precepts as well as to the leaders of the church. Patrick was abducted by Irish marauders and taken as a slave for 6 years, working as a herdsman in Ireland. Living outdoors in the heat and cold, he believed that his captivity was a wake-up call as a result of his disobedience, and that God had a plan and a purpose through it all. Under these dreary conditions, his Christian faith grew as he prayed to God for spiritual restoration and help.

He escaped his captors by responding to a dream, which told him that a ship was waiting 200 miles away and it was time to return home. The trip by sea was short, but the voyage on land was not direct and came with complications including starvation, capture, and challenges to his faith. Upon finally returning to his home in Britain several years later, he was joyfully reunited with his family.

A few years after his reunion, he received another vision: to evangelize to Ireland as a Christian missionary. Because of his ignorance and lack of ability, he did not heed the call to ministry immediately. Instead, he remained in England for 15 more years to train in his Christian studies. Even when he finally departed for Ireland, he was still uncertain that he was prepared.

After 20 years, he returned to Ireland (around the year 435), where he preached the gospel with zeal in their native Celtic language for over 30 years. His six years of captivity had allowed him to not only learn the language, but also understand the Irish, pagan Druid beliefs. His unique knowledge allowed him to build a bridge to the Christian faith, breaking the power of paganism over the people.

Reading his writings, I was amazed at how evangelistic and charismatic, his words sound. He quoted numerous passages of the Bible: Psalms, the Prophets, the Gospels. Here is an excerpt:

“Just as the Lord says in the Gospel, admonishing and instructing: ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always to the end of time.’” – Saint Patrick, Confessions

So how, in America, did March 17, the celebration of the date of Saint Patrick’s death, become a celebration of green beer and drunken revelry? My wife was privileged to travel to Ireland on Saint Patrick’s Day when she worked as a flight attendant. The passengers on the plane were all decked out in green and ready to hit the bars. But when they got to town, everyone was in church and there was absolutely nothing open, including the pubs. They could not even buy a cracker.

On Saint Patrick’s Day we should soberly celebrate the life of a Christian Missionary who, despite all odds and personal doubt, answered God’s call, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, preached the saving grace through Christ’s death on the cross, throughout Ireland.

Pastor Jay Merritt

“Oh, sing to the LORD a new song! Sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.” - Psalm 96:1

My wife and I have had the privilege to visit a number of churches in the past year and we have become concerned with the state of our churches today. Whether we like or not, the traditional churches of our grandfathers are not reaching the youth. We attended a beautiful Easter cantata a couple of years ago in a beautiful building with dark wood pews and stained glass windows. Their 100 year tradition was displayed on plaques throughout the structure. The seats were all full. The music was rich. The message was clear. But the choir was singing to the silver haired saints. My wife and I were among the youngest in the crowd, and we are grandparents.

“When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel.” - Judges 2:10

At a growing church in Florida that is rich in diverse age groups as well as cultures, the pastor put it this way – “We are constantly updating the church. “ He used the analogy of a kitchen. While most of us remember the kitchens of the 60’s and 70’s with red Formica and chrome or burnt orange and olive green, most of us have upgraded since then. We still cook good food, hopefully with healthier ingredients, but we have updated the environment. And so it should be with the church.

I am of a generation that used to huddle around a giant console TV on Saturday nights. Many such devices had built in record players or 8-track tape machines. Ours had a reel-to-reel recorder. How many of those are still in use in our homes today? Even the old rabbit ears had to give way to digital antennas in the last few years. 

Is it possible that we are losing our youth, because we are we still doing church the way it was 50 years ago? Some I have spoken to just proclaim it as the “great falling away” predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. I think it because the church has dropped the ball.

A standard practice of the church that I believe started the trend of disappearing youth is the way we split up families as soon as they walk in the door. All the kids go one way and the adults go another. Have you ever attended a children’s’ church service? They are interactive, vibrant, clapping, jumping and sometimes loud. Kids are trained in this environment for 10-12 years and we wonder why they don’t want to attend the (boring) services with the adults! 

When these children are old enough, they get to attend youth group, with the same pattern of vibrancy and relevance. Jeans and t-shirts on a Wednesday night become the norm, along with pizza and Twinkies. Music  is“plugged in” and cranked up, but the message of Jesus Christ still rings out loud and clear. But when the born-again youth step through the doors on a Sunday morning, they feel like aliens because of the contrast in worship styles and the judgmental attitude of the saints.

And then these young people, who have been “trained up as a child in the way they should go,” find themselves in their 20’s, too old for youth group and unable to fit in with the worship style of the older generation – they leave the church of their father.

The pastor of the church in Florida we visited had several important points – Youth group should not replace Sunday morning worship with the whole body. The Sunday morning service should be constantly updated, relevant and vibrant, so the youth will not be alienated. The youth should also be trusted with service opportunities. He mentioned parking cars and even technical jobs like updating the web page, sound board operation or overhead display details. I’ve attended churches before where they had the high school aged members lead the Sunday worship once a quarter, with their favorite songs and even preach the message.

We should all be training up our replacements. Remember that Jesus picked Peter, James and John to be his closest associates. John was able to witness to many generations, because Jesus picked him as a youth. It’s no wonder that pastors point to John’s book for new believers to read first and rarely suggest Peter’s.

And this little tidbit for the younger generation – please allow us older folks to attend your new churches, by turning down the decibels just a little bit. We are FOR you and would like to be WITH you!

Pastor Jay Merritt

Did you know that rat poison is 99.925% good, harmless food. What many people believe about God is 99% true to what is written in the Bible. What about the other 1% they believe?

If what you believe is not true, would you want to know? A seemingly small error can be devastating to a true understanding of God.

Prominent Bible teacher, John McArthur says, “The most influential false doctrines that have ever threatened the church have always been those that masquerade as orthodox, employing the familiar language of Scripture, but skewing the truth.” (MacArthur, J. (1996). The glory of heaven : The truth about heaven, angels, and eternal life)

The Bible says that there are “… false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness...” – 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

The Apostle Paul wrote these words over 500 years before a certain “prophet” received enlightenment from an “angel of light” in the caves near the Sinai desert. These spiritual encounters became a new “word of god” – the Koran. This man, named Mohammed, had been exposed to Judaism and Christianity, but chose to strike out on a new path. He and his followers respect Abraham, Moses and Jesus as great prophets, but do not take the Bible literally when it says Jesus is God in flesh, died for our sins and rose from the dead. While Mohammed’s "voluntary submission to God", or Islam, is steeped in discipline, beautiful tradition, charity, and purity, it has rejected the Biblical standard of salvation by grace, through faith in Christ, not works (Ephesians 2:8-10).

1200 years after Mohammed, another “prophet,” Joseph Smith, had another vision of “truth” that was given in New England through an “angel of light” named Moroni.  This young church going man was told the church had fallen away from truth, and that he must start a new church. He chose to re-write the Bible, as well as another testament that he translated from gold tablets given by the angel, which was supposed to have been written 400 years after Jesus’ death, and a century before white men came to the Americas. Smith published his works in 1829 as The Book of Mormon. Interestingly, the story Joseph Smith published as a new “word of god” includes a story line from the 1823 book View of the Hebrews, by Ethan Smith, who also lived in New England. Joseph Smith’s story also claims that Native Americans had horses and chickens 1000 years before they were actually brought from Europe. Archeologists have been unable to substantiate these claims, or the ancient battles that supposedly took place, so is Smith’s story the word of God?

This new organization Smith founded, the Latter Day Saints or Mormon Church, has an appointed leader who can update and contradict the previous leaders’ prophecies, writings and teachings, as well as conventional Biblical standards. Teachings of the founders included justifying having multiple wives and that people of African descent were enemies of God. These and other teachings of the founders were later changed, and several of their prophecies were left unfulfilled. By Biblical standards, this makes the founders, who originally presented these as truths from God, to be false prophets (Deuteronomy 13:1-5).

I want to emphasize that I know and love many people of different faiths, including these. I love them because we are all created by a loving God who does not want any to perish (Matthew 18:14). I believe that the leaders of these organizations are going to be held responsible by God for not upholding the Biblical standards He preserved. 

I also want to open the eyes of people who believe they are religious or spiritual, but take a little bit of truth from here and there, but not the whole Biblical truth. Church going people are very susceptible to false teaching when they only have partial knowledge of what the Bible actually teaches and are not studying it for themselves. If you find yourself following a leader who has a “unique and new truth” who turns the focus of worship away from the Gospel of Jesus Christ, you may find yourself on that last day saying “Lord! Lord!” and hearing Jesus say “I never knew you,” (Matthew 7:23).

We all need to test everything we hear and read to make sure there is not a 1% deception mixed in with the 99% truth. We all need to follow the example of the Bereans of the book of Acts who “received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” – Acts 17:11.

Pastor Jay Merritt

On a given Sunday in America, thousands of people crowd into large arenas to cheer on their favorite team of 11 players. They will rise early, sacrificing sleep on their day off, decked out in special colors and extra warm clothing, spend hours driving and a couple hundred dollars for a two hour game they could have watched on television. These are dedicated fans.

Many will spend hours each week studying the statistics of the teams so that they will be well informed for future conversations around the water cooler. They may even tune in to talk shows on the sports channels to check on the latest insights from the prognosticators. 

For some fans, if things don’t go their way during the game or during the season, their loyalties may change like the direction of the wind. You can see them leaving the game early, as the home team plays to a nearly empty stadium in the last 5-10 minutes of the game. Some may even turn their back entirely and switch sides for a season or two to follow a team that has more fans. Are these dedicated fans?

What would you call the group who cheer their favorite team for two hours but don’t say anything about them during the week? Their lives are not changed one little bit by the games. It is just simple entertainment – an escape. I’m not sure if I would even categorize this group as fans, would you?

No, this is not a sports column. And I’m not opposed to sports. I’m using this to draw some parallels to Christian behavior. Look at it this way:

On any given Sunday in America, thousands of people crowd into large church buildings to listen to a few people sing, a few people talk and hope to get “inspired.” These people will rise early on their day off, put on their Sunday best clothing, spend time driving and may even drop a $20 bill in the plate when it passes by, thinking all the time that they could have stayed home and watched “church” on TV.

During the week, as they flip the channels, they opt not to listen to the inspirational music or preaching that are available, instead, choosing to listen to something else, in case their friends and coworkers overhear and label then a “fanatic.” They definitely would not open God’s Word, especially at work.

For some church attendees, if the music service or message does not tickle their ears, they move on, changing churches like the direction of the wind. You often see them leaving the building quickly so they can get on to “more important” things, like lunch. Some may even turn their backs entirely, and stop attending any church at all.

Then, there is a group that goes to church a couple days per year, but their lives are not changed one little bit. It is just something they do because it is important, but they have forgotten why. I’m not sure if I would even categorize them as Christians, would you?

Church has become a spectator sport, but people have forgotten how to cheer. They sit on the sidelines to say they have participated, but don’t get involved. They don’t “have any skin in the game.”

How can a person know what is going on during a game if they do not actively learn the rules, know what is going on and participate?

To enjoy your time with God and get to know Him more, you have to participate. It says in the Bible that we are not the spectators in the race of life, but the runners:

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” - Hebrews 12: 1-2

Something has happened. Sports enthusiasts are called “fans,” while loyal followers of Christ are labeled “fanatics.” Why isn’t it the other way around?

Set the goal before you to be a fan of Jesus Christ!

Pastor Jay Merritt

Now that the New Year has begun, gyms and weight loss programs have begun their ads in hope that people will turn over a new leaf to get their bodies cleansed - but what about spiritual cleansing? Wouldn’t it be great to start the year with a fresh outlook on life? 

There are several eye-opening realities I need to present first, so stay with me as I walk through what is required to have a right relationship with the Creator of the universe.

Reality #1 – God is perfect. Men and women are not.

I hate to break the bad news, but it is impossible for a man or woman to have a right relationship with God, unless they come to this understanding. God’s standards of perfection are so far from our best, it is like the distance from Earth to the nearest star other than our sun – it is impossible for mankind to reach that distance, outside of a miracle. The Bible puts it this way – we all “fall short of the glory of God." – Romans 3:23. To have a close relationship with God, I must humble myself before Him.

Reality #2 - Just being exposed to this life makes us infected with imperfection.

Human beings have all been exposed to the deadly disease of imperfection. The Bible calls it “iniquity” or “sin.” This imperfection is what separates us from a perfect God.  God cannot allow imperfection into His perfect environment. Imagine a scientist in a lab working with deadly viruses, not wearing a protective suit. Not wearing a protective suit would bring certain death. If we approach God’s heaven with sin, we will be expelled.

The good news is that God wants us to be pure so we can be with Him in heaven, and He created a cure. "...the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." - Romans 6:23b.

The Bible says that God has made a way for us to be perfect in His presence. I think of it as a protective suit like the scientists wear when they work with deadly viruses. The Bible says, “…let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” – Romans 13:12b-14. By putting on the perfection of Jesus, God does not see our imperfection. This is what is meant by the idea that Jesus washes all our sins away.

Reality #3 – The righteousness found in Jesus is the cure for sin.

The only antidote for the disease of sin is to put on the purity of Jesus. It is a free gift from God to you! It is a gift that can’t be left under the tree. To have a relationship with God, this gift must be received, opened, and “put on.”

Reality #4 – No payment or good deeds are required to be saved from sin.

Jesus purchased this gift with His sacrifice on the cross. In church language, it is called being “redeemed by the blood.” Here’s the part that people miss: the punishment for your sins is already paid for, and there is nothing you have to do. The Bible says, "God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us!" - Romans 5:8. Notice the exclamation point? If I think I have to earn my way into God’s graces, why did Jesus have to die? 

Religion, church membership, paying penance, your family – none of them can save you. Only the love of Jesus can save you.

Jesus said, "Behold I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him…" - Revelation 3:20a.  Is Jesus knocking on your heart's door? Believe in Him. Ask Him to come in to your heart by faith.

Begin your life anew TODAY:

Step #1 - Admit that you are a sinner.

Step #2 – Understand that sin will keep you from God’s presence for eternity.

Step #3 - Ask God to forgive you of your sins and save you from them.

Romans 10:9,10 "...If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."

Romans 10:13 "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved!"

Step #4 – Stop sinning and live your life for God.

Step #5 – Find a good church.

God will help you. He loves you.

Pastor Jay Merritt