The Mystery Lives On

The Mystery Lives On

Finally got some time to sit down and share some thoughts. I love life. I love The Holy Church, and I love the local church. In particular, Amazing Life Church.

For almost 14 years God has blessed abundantly. We give Him all the glory.

Next week will be our 10^th annual Backpack and school supply giveaway. We look forward to serve the families in our community each year.

With that short update behind me I will get to what has been bugging me for a while.

A few weeks ago I heard someone challenging those of us who believe that it is the goodness of God that leads people to repentance. The message that God loves you, and sent His Son to redeem you through the process of shedding blood, dying, resurrecting, and ascending back to the Father.

The statement made said that love was not mentioned in the book of Acts. Since Acts was the building of the church love was not a part of it. “His ridiculous statement, not mine.”

The message was, we must preach sin. “His not mine.”

I looked it up in the KJV and the word love is not found in Acts. Guess what? The word sin in the KJV is only found 8 times in Acts, and it is used broadly as repentance from your sins and follow Christ.

No real specifics about individual sins. They preached the message of Christ. From the Old Testament they shared His story. From their own witness they shared the story of Christ.

When they chided the hearers it was because of their unbelief.

There are some, if they have stayed with me this far saying, He is compromising. Watering down the Gospel. Trying not to offend.

Once again I say, nothing is farther from the truth. My message has been, and will always be to strengthen the Gospel message.

Sin is a destructive force. It invests itself in our minds and our fleshly desires. Creating lust and hunger for power and attention. Making everything about us, and our personal satisfaction.

Interestingly these same sin preaching folks forget to tell you that sin has been defeated. The enemy has been conquered.

In John 16:9 Jesus defined sin as not believing in Him. WOW

You mean that it could be possible that all sin is derived from not believing in Christ.

The Apostles went through the book of Acts telling the story of Jesus. At times, rebuking those who would not believe in Jesus.

In Acts 16 Paul and Silas were singing, In Prison. An earthquake happened and the doors were opened. The jailer saw this and was about to kill himself. Paul stopped Him then this occurred.

Acts 16:30-32

30 and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

31 They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house.

Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved. You mean he got saved without meddling in his business. Listening with open ears while he named all his sins and failures.

Seems like that would have been a good message for Paul. The next time he had a crowd he could tell them how he got the jailer to confess all his sins and failures. Naming them one by one for the crowd.

Please forgive me if I sound a little angry. I mean no harm to anyone. Most of these folks are good folks. They just don’t get it.

Somehow over the years the message has been changed. It has gone from Jesus loves me this I know. To hell awaits you because of your sin.

2 Peter 3:8-9

8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.

9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

I wonder if God tarries, giving time for His church to return to the Gospel. The message of Christ. His birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension.

This is the Mystery that lives on. Paul shared this.

Colossians 2:1-3

1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face,

2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself,

3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Don’t be afraid to love. It was love that moved the Father to send Jesus. It was love that led Him to the cross. It was love that cried Father forgive them.

It was love that moved the Apostles, and countless numbers of Christians to die at the hands of unbelievers. Over thousands of years. Happening still today.

It is love that drives missionaries to foreign lands. Love for God and His people. Love moves moms and dads to weep for their children. Love moves street evangelists to share the story of Jesus to those who are lost and without hope.

It is love that a Pastor has for his church. Weeping and crying in the wee hours for their pain and loss. Praying and believing for them through every season of life.

It is love that the enemy fears. Why, because it covers a multitude of sins.

Sin has been defeated. Let us hold fast to the love of God. The love He had for us, and the love He has given us for others. It will change you, and your world.

#lovewins #hopelives.