Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Strength and Compassion”
Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “Be strong and courageous; stand firm on the Word of God.”
“The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” So wrote the 18th century Irish political philosopher Edmund Burke. It was true in his day and it’s still true today – perhaps even more so.
My friends, evil is spreading and many good people are doing nothing. This is especially true of the Church as it confronts a rapidly shifting cultural landscape. When it comes to the Gay and Lesbian Agenda, many churches have given-in to the old adage, “If you want to get along you have to go along”. And so, they’re just going along. But doing so means doctrinal compromise and spiritual weakness.
When it comes to standards of truth, morality, and acceptable conduct, the Bible has to be our guide. Whatever the issue is, the measure of what’s ok and what isn’t must be the standard given to us by God in the Bible. And the Bible says what it says. Whether we like it or not and whether we agree with it or not, God didn’t make a mistake when He wrote it. Also, God has not been taken by surprise at the recent developments in our society with respect to sexual ethics. He knew from the beginning of time that this day would come and yet, He wrote what He wrote.
And so as individual Christians and as churches we must rely on the timeless standard of God’s Word as our guide, and not on cultural pressures or a desire to simply get along. This is the clear message of the New Testament. 1 Corinthians 15:58 is just one of the many passages which exhort Christians to courageously stand firm on the unchanging Word of Truth given to us by God our Father.
For 2000 years Christians have always found themselves to be out-of-step with much of what was being promoted in their culture as being right and good. Regardless of the time in history, the geographic location, the people involved, or the particular issues, Christians have consistently found themselves to be counter-cultural. That’s because Christianity “is” counter-cultural.
The answer for us today is the same as it has always been for all Christians everywhere, always, regardless of the issues involved. We are to stand firm on Biblical truth. We will take our lumps for doing so if we have to, but we do so with the knowledge that we have history on our side. The problems, trials, and issues of the past have all faded into history but the Bible is still the Bible, Jesus is still on the throne, and Christianity continues to spread all across the world. Someday soon the issues of our day will also be just faded memories but the Bible will still be the Bible, Jesus will still be on the throne, and Christianity will be alive and well.
So take a stand for Biblical truth! Be bold and courageous. Do so with strength, but also with compassion.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 