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In an ever-changing and sinful world, new bad news never surprises us. Whether it's with the war in Iraq, the economy, health care or the like, we may become shocked on occasion; but we can never be surprised. We know that the last thing we want, by nature, is to stand hand-in-hand with God and listen to His Word of truth. Praise be to God that Jesus, His Son, delivered us from the torments and temptations of this world by giving His life as the one and only, all-sufficient sacrifice for our short-comings in sin! Now we are free to stand and serve our God- in all we think, say and do. Lord, help us to grow in you!
It is sad for us to see the way that sin buffets around the ships of those who at one time were sailing in the currents of our God's Word so to the point where their ship slips out of the stream and falls into the danger of crashing upon the rocks of this world. Our Lord tells us that the time would come when, "men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear." (2 Timothy 4:3) Many, for years and as of late, have done just that.
God's Word never changes. No matter how the world-view of many may change, God never does. There are many examples of how churches are blown this way and that by the world, but allow me to share just one. In recent news, the report has gone out that church bodies are accepting those who practice homosexuality to be ordained into the ministry. THIS IS NOT US. God's Word clearly speaks of this as sin and that the soul of one who is willfully caught in this clearly puts their soul at risk with their God. So we pray. We pray that church bodies who have erred in their path of following God will see the error of their ways, turn and repent. We pray that souls struggling with this sin will see that it is the same as every other sin- one that God wants us to replace with His footsteps and His guidance, one that God wants to forgive but will not as long as people are walking in it stubbornly and using "the world accepts it, so will my loving God- if it's a loving relationship..." as an excuse. We pray.
In the meantime we take this as a pointed reminder of how important it is for us to remain in the Word and, as did the faithful Bereans of Acts chapter 17, examine the Scriptures every day to see if what those teaching us are saying is true. What an awesome task and opportunity God lays before us to remain faithful in our walk with Him! What an awesome God we have who enables us through His Holy Spirit and the faith He gifted to us in Jesus Christ to see our full and free forgiveness won on the cross, stamped and sealed in an empty tomb! This is all the motivation we need to remain faithful to the point of death, so that God may place upon us the crown of life!
What a comfort that in an ever-changing world, God will and cannot change. That is our rock, our foundation upon which we will build and find strength and direction now and in the years to come, if our Lord wills it. So let it be, Amen!
God's continued blessings to you all, may He keep you in His grace and guide you through His Word- to Him alone be the glory and praise!
In Jesus our Lord!
Pastor Ted Lambert
Pastor Andy Schwartz
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