January 16, 2019 – Click here to listen
C.S. Lewis once said, “When a young man who has been going to church in a routine way honestly realizes that he does not believe in Christianity and stops going – provided he does it for honesty’s sake and not just to annoy his parents – the spirit of Christ is probably nearer to him then than it ever was before.”
A young man called me the other night and expressed that he had been faithfully raised in the church, however when he left home, he abandoned it. Now he rarely attends a church service except for maybe Christmas and Easter services. The same is true of the Bible, he read it often as a youngster but doesn’t touch it anymore. He heard me speak not long ago and wanted to talk to me about how he could experience God the way I do. I told him that he was one lucky young man because God, the Creator of everything seen and unseen was reaching out to him. What an honor to have almighty God care enough about him to do so.
As I spoke with him it became clear that he had been exposed to the Bible, church, and God’s message, but it never made the journey from his head to his heart. He told me he believed in Jesus and acknowledged that he died for his sins. I told him that was swell, but James 2:19 states: You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. The real test of salvation is whether Jesus becomes the main focus in your life or just an afterthought. I mentioned that he needed to follow Christ and not the world and asked if he was doing anything to demonstrate that. He dejectedly told me he was not.
I spoke with this young man for over an hour. Basically, his problem seems to be that somewhere down the line he got turned off by someone in the clergy. I told him that folks in the clergy are just like physicians, lawyers, and business people, some are good at what they do, and some are lousy. It is incumbent upon him to find the church that is right for him and his young family. I related that one reason I initially read the Bible was that I didn’t want some pastor or even a relative to tell me what to believe. What if they were wrong? I didn’t want to bet my eternal existence on it.
I’d already figured out that the Bible was God’s foremost communication tool and if I wanted to know the mind of God that I should read it. When I attend a church,
I compare what the pastor has to say versus what the Bible states. If he is off base, I find another church.
So many people I encounter have had a bad experience with a pastor, priest, or with someone of standing within a church and it sours them on it. I explained that the Bible’s definition of the church is different than our secular society. Jesus is the head of the church and his followers are the body of it. The 70,000 plus denominations of the church around the world are derived from varying interpretations and tradition. Some represent Christ well and some do a terrible job. Better to focus on Jesus and the Bible and have fellowship with those who have similar beliefs.
This young guy is going to travel down here to south Florida to see me in a few weeks and I hope I can assist in teaching him about Jesus and His love for us, His compassion, and His mercy. If people just understood His tremendous love for us, I have little doubt that a revival of epic proportion would occur. If you fear that you are a CINO – Christian In Name Only – and want to learn more about how to move it from your head to your heart, then read your Bible, pray to your Savior, and hang with those who love Jesus with all of their hearts.
He is knocking on the door of your heart asking you to allow Him in . . . I urge you – Take that step today . . .
Rev. 3:20
“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.”