In recent years, there has been a movement in the Church that has become ever so popular. Now don’t get me wrong, I actually like movements. I would rather the Church be moving than to sit in a perpetual state of idling as we so often do. However, movements can become a problem when they begin moving the wrong way. Some movements are seeking to re-interpret Scripture that has an obvious and clear meaning in order to make it more palatable to the world. It is never fun telling the Church or the world what God says in His Word when it clashes with what they want to hear. People tend to want to cherry pick over the Scriptures, hold on to what sounds good and pitch what is uncomfortable.

Questions such as what God views as sexually immoral, will some people spend eternity in hell, is Jesus the only way to heaven, does God want holiness from His people, does God’s love negate God’s justice, and if not, what does that mean? Tough issues to be sure…I suppose there are many such questions that we would like to know the answers to, but where can we go to get these answers? Beware reader, it’s a trap! We know where the answers to these and many of our other queries are, but before I tell you where, let me tell you where the answers are not.

The answers are not usually housed in our feelings, although sometimes are feelings may be correct. Feelings change with the wind and with the political environment. The world (their means and ways) often causes us to feel the way we do and Scripture tells us that the world is an enemy of God (James 4:4). On the same note, the answer does not lie with your neighbor’s feelings or with your favorite Hollywood celebrity telling you what is right and wrong. The answers are not the literary property of Time or Newsweek magazine and even your pastor’s thoughts need to be measured against the only accurate yard stick (God’s Word).

Every book, every sermon and every feeling must be measured by the plumb line of God’s Word. It may not be enjoyable to tell the world (and some Christians who value being liked more than warning others of unpopular truth) what God makes clear regarding Heaven and hell, but remember what the Word says in Luke 6:26, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers (false religious leaders & un-Godly men) treated the false prophets.” Regardless of how we may feel, God’s Word is truth.

Be blessed and be grateful,

Pastor Chris