SPRING-TIME IN TEXAS

Spring-time in Texas, unlike any other. You see things in this part of the world that you don’t see any where else. The different colors of trees, mesquite and cedar, make a pretty mix in the fields, these same trees make it hard to gather cattle. Where a hot day can mean a just a hot day or severe storms that afternoon or evening. In our part of the world you are as likely to see storm chasers as tourists, kids going to prom in a tractor as a truck, car or limo. You are as likely to see cowboys with spurs on as you are kids wearing jerseys. You are as likely to see a frog as you are a snake, weeds as grass. You may see a drought and a flood in the same week. What I’m saying is that in many ways we are just like any other part of the United States, but in some ways we are unique. We may have more churches per capita than some big cities, but that doesn’t mean that sin is extinct here. Satan is very much at work here, in ways that we cannot even imagine, messing up peoples lives, killing, stealing and destroying everything and everyone he can. We still must face the onslaught of evil everyday, just when you think that you are special you find out that you aren’t. The sin may be subtle and it may be in your face, but know for sure, it is there. We can whitewash it all we want to, but it doesn’t change it, it is still sin. The world calls it exaggerating the truth, God calls it a lie. The world calls it an alternate lifestyle, God calls it homosexuality, a sexual perversion. The world calls it having an affair, God calls it adultery. The world calls it living together, God calls it fornication. The world calls abortion a choice, God calls it murder. The world calls it partying, God calls it drunkenness.
It doesn’t matter how the world tries to whitewash it, sin is sin, and sin is offensive towards God. It is up to us to stay away from and out of sin. We are the ones who must remain righteous before a righteous God, He will not excuse our sin nor will He make excuses for us. We must make a conscience effort to stay away from sin, to keep ourselves pure before a holy God, no one else can do it for us. We must stay in His holy Word, be in prayer, and be in church where we can be fed and encouraged.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT SIN

What should the church do about sin? Should we confront it in hopes that the person who has committed the sin will repent or just ignore it in hopes that it will just go away? I believe that for way too long churches have been afraid to confront sin, they preach about, talk about it, even teach about it; but when it comes to confronting a brother, or one that calls himself a brother, who is intentionally doing something that will bring himself and maybe others harm, and gives the Church a black eye, all too often the church is not willing to confront it. It’s almost like a parent that wants to be a buddy instead of a parent. We must be willing to do the hard things in the church as well as the easy and fun things.
Did you know that when you join the church you enter into a covenant relationship with the church? You are a covenant member; this is for your protection as well as the churches. How is this protection for you? As a covenant member you know that you have people, including myself, praying for you, also as a covenant member you know that if I feel that you have stepped out of line too far I will come to you in love and talk to you. Jesus was always rebuking Peter in love, it isn’t wrong to be rebuked in love; this is one of the ways we learn. We all need someone to help us in this way; I have the deacon’s to help me. I have on many occasions gone to a member of the church and talked with them in love. Most of the time I am met with a sense of gratitude, but once in a great while anger or resentment and even a threat or two.
So what should we do? Should I just keep my mouth shut and let you believe that whatever it is that you are doing is alright. By doing that we are giving that person the seal of approval from the church, and by rebuking them in love maybe a stronger Christian will be serving the Kingdom.
Now weigh your answer carefully, because what if, by some strange twist of events, it was you approached by me or even one of the deacon’s, what would your reaction be? Think about it, pray about, what would your reaction be? It should be our desire to have stronger Christians, a stronger Church and a stronger Kingdom. What should the reaction be of a Christian??
In HIS Service, Bro. Randy