From the Pastor's Heart,
January 2021
Greetings to all,
I received a phone call from our oldest daughter today. She was excited as she proceeded to tell me about a project that she and Sean had done with a cup of hot water. I’ve told her about this project before and she finally got the right environment for it to work properly.
Michele, Christian and I had done it a couple of years ago. We took a pot of boiling water and threw it up in the air. It instantly turned into snow! I enjoyed it so much and repeated it so many times that I’m surprised my son-in-law didn’t send me his water bill. For this to work the outside temperature must be below freezing; the colder the air, the better the result, but the warmer the weather, the less chance that the change will take place.
This change reminds me of the Christian who is living in the wrong environment. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Cor 6:14: “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers.” It is a verse we tend to use in marriage counseling but it applies to all Christians.
The hottest Christians can become cold in their walks with the Lord if they dwell in the wrong environment. Yes, we are in the world but we are not of the world. We are to be witnesses of the Gospel to the lost. There is nothing wrong with having unsaved friends, but we are not to follow or walk according to their ways; we are not to be conformed to this world. I have heard people say they were acting like the world to reach the world. That, beloved is unbiblical. If we continue to sit in the wrong environment, it is more probable that we will become more like the world, than the world becoming more like the Christian. In other words, they will tear us down before we can lift them up.
Similarly, with live streaming our services, the church is facing another struggle. We are blessed to be able to reach people we would never otherwise reach, but we are losing the one-on-one fellowship we enjoyed before the virus. For safety, we must keep our distance, wear masks and some must stay home, but there are things we can do to keep the fire burning for the Lord.
Keep up with your Bible time each day, as well as your prayer time. Our fellowship with each other and the Lord are essential to keeping active. Join the live streaming and worship with us in song and Word. Make it a habit to still be part of the fellowship in time of worship. I know it isn’t the same. The hardest services I’ve ever done are with a camera and only a couple of people in the room because I cannot see your faces and reactions to the Word of God. It is hard to sing with no one in the sanctuary but it is better than nothing at all. Keep reading, watching, and listening to wholesome Christian material such as books, sermons on TV and Christian radio. It is so important to keep our minds busy spiritually.
Even if you are not attending church in person for safety reasons, please be sure to fellowship with other Christians either by phone or visits if possible. Do not isolate yourselves. The longer we stay away from worship, and the longer we are out of fellowship with other believers, the colder we will get in our walks with the Lord.
Let’s be on fire for the Lord; a light that shines during this time of uncertainty.
God Bless and keep safe