Tired of reading about church growth

Something I’ve notice about churches and their leadership. 

They think they run a business. I was a business owner a few years ago. This is completely different. There are some similarities yes. You might gather some evangelistic abilities from selling techniques, discovering the customers need and solving the problem etc etc. 

But The church or even church is not a business. 

The goal of business is to offer a product that does meet the needs of a customer market while making a profit to live on. TheReby hopefully growing and accumulating as much wealth for the owner as one can through a business model designed to accomplish this task to the best of the abilities of the owner/ designer (of the business plan).

In the above statement some things should stand out in stark contrast to the ministry. 

1.-the goal in ministry is not monetary profit/ or even kingdom building. 

2.-souls are not won by our effort/ abilities.

There is so much that can be said about the ministry and the mandate of the pastor/ preacher but I think these two points alone result in the number one problem keeping churches from growing, beyond what I’m gonna call “human effort.” Let’s call that the 200 mark. Seems to be every church talks about 200 people being the number at which most churches stagnate. I’ve heard about pastors talking about multi site when they are still growing (that is to spiritual maturity) those in the congregation they still have. 

The leadership thinks they have to be skillful at the “church” business (ie networking, salesmanship, likability, market presence, market saturation, business acumen etc...)

Not many would confess that point one is their goal for the church. But let’s get real for a moment. Many talk about their church as if they are building something. The kingdom. They call it. Kingdom building. Sounds Christian. We’re building the kingdom of God. To what end? Just so God can saturate the market with buildings called churches? 

The church begins around God. He must be center. Of course most would say. But the message is central. The word. The words spoken, the word read aloud, the word is the most important thing. It must be 100% accurate. Whether the lights are on, or off, how the music sounds, how much coffee selection there is, are there any donuts has zero effect on how the message is delivered. 

The one who brings the message is of utmost importance. Was this person called by God? Not did he hear a voice—that’s a whole different topic to address—but was he called. 

"I did not send these prophets, But they ran. I did not speak to them, But they prophesied.  (Jeremiah 23:21, NASB)

Not only must the man of God be called, he must speak the words of God. Look at the following verses to see what God says of these individuals who speak without being sent. 

"But if they had stood in My council, Then they would have announced My words to My people, And would have turned them back from their evil way And from the evil of their deeds.  (Jeremiah 23:22, NASB)

Point 1 begins here to touch into point 2. If the man was called by God (that is called to be sent to proclaim a message) then His people would have heard and turned and repented. 

When I mentioned “human effort” earlier what I meant was these people are trying to build something through human effort that not of the will of the Spirit of God. This is what the Bible means when it says “walking in the flesh.” You are trying through your own efforts to do what only God can do. 

Only God can effect change that brings about eternal life. 

The point of church is not to build our own little empire with the Christian label. We may even think we are doing God’s work. Matthew 7, many will come to me on that day and say.....Lord Lord did we not.....in your name?

Harsh words. Pastors be sure of your calling. Secondly, make sure if you are called you preaching the message of the king. The one who sent you. You don’t need to lighten it up to spare feelings and trying to accumulate more and more people who will congregate each week and to come and listen. That’s not your mandate. 

Jesus didn’t ask Peter to grow or build his church on the beach. 

He asked him to “feed my sheep.”

What are you to feed them? The very words of God. 

Jeremiah—I found your word and I ate them and they became to me a delight....

Jesus—man doesn’t not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. 

Feed and protect. 

Point 2, “souls are not won by our efforts/ abilities.”

The second quote in Jeremiah 23:22 does appear to contradict this statement. Because it seems to say that if they spoke the words of God the people would have heard and turned. 

This is true to a degree. Not that there is contradiction. But God’s words do effect change. God’s word does have that effect. But this is not universal. Meaning God through Jeremiah is not promoting universalism here. Not every one who hears God’s words turn. Not everyone who hears God’s words will be saved. The gospels are littered with people who heard God’s word and walked away from him. Upon hearing Jesus’s word in John 6 it says, and many of his disciples walked with Him no more. 

So it must have some kind of qualifier on it. What is about about God’s word that effect change?

Perhaps that’s the wrong question. Maybe it’s not what is it? As much as who is it? Who is it that the message is originating from? 

See the power is not in the spoken word (as in audibly) as it is in the one who spoke and sent the massage. Take our scripture of Jeremiah. 

God is saying yes those that I call will have a message to speak from me, and upon delivery change will happen. But it’s not the power of the speaker. The messenger as it were. But the one who the message originated from. Look at those words again. Notice the emphasis. 

“stood in My council, they would have spoke My words, to My people.”

It is God who effects change. 

Closing this up. 

Look with me real quick at Ezekiel 36:25-27

25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 

26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 

27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.  (Ezekiel 36:25, NASB)

To make the point that it is God who brings about change. This is the set of verses Jesus referenced in his conversation to Nicodemus. 

John 3:3. “Truly, truly, you must be born again...” (in the Greek ‘anothen’—from above).

So what Jesus is saying here regeneration of the believers heart is a work done solely by God. 

In closing, it is God who plants in us a new heart. God plants in us the desire to hear His word. So when the Man of God comes along the sinner moved by the Spirit (regenerated heart) hears the word of God he feels the call of God, to believe the words of Gods message and then turn to Christ in true repentance. 

Knowing this: how do we think we can effect the message at all? On any level? 

This is why the message of the gospel is such a miracle. Because it’s a work of God to truly save a dead sinner from the eternal judgment that must befall him, that God has mercy and grace upon us even while we were his enemies. 

So the measurement of the ministry is not how many converts “we” have. Or how many attend that “we” might effect change in. 

It’s: how faithful are we to the mandate given to us by the king to accurately handle the word of God (1st Timothy).

God bless.

Ps. I’d add for anyone not in ministry there are some things to look for in a church. How focused on the word are they? Are they worried about church growth? More than your growth? I don’t mean do they invite you to small groups. But how much of a priority does your spiritual maturity seem to be? For true growth in the word. 

Are your church leaders trying to facilitate in you the delight Jeremiah found in taking in the word of God so that it begin to mature you as a believer? 

Are you encouraged and strengthened by your confidence in God’s word, assured of your position in God’s kingdom through their ministry. 

And remember it’s not about what your church can do to serve you. They are there to strengthen and encourage the believer in their afflictions as it relates to persecution and help you to grow to maturity as a believer. This is the point of meeting. Our focus is on worshiping our Lord. In truth we do that largely through the consumption of His word. 

The Atoning death of Christ, limited or not?

The following statement is in part from a church website, of whom I am becoming acquainted with the Pastor. I will not name him out of respect for my new friend and brother in Christ. I love his zeal for the lost. I love his passion in many other areas concerning the many facets of Christian living, least of all his total undying love for the gospel. Having said that, we have been talking about the differences in our views on some doctrinal matters, and while I do view this as serious in nature to the believers maturity, I do not stoop to say he is not a “brother” in the faith. I have seen a post even recently that labels him (not personally but as a group of people of similar theology) as unsaved or not included in the family of God. I strongly disagree with this. The regeneration in his heart can only be a work of our Lord. 

What is about to follow is a partial statement of which the last sentence I think is of particular importance. And as such I’ve supplied a complementary statement from the opposing viewpoint. The first view is as follows; (on the Atonement for sins by Christ as he suffered and died):

 “We deny that this atonement results in salvation without a person’s free response of repentance and faith. We deny that God imposes or withholds this atonement without respect to an act of the person’s free will. We deny that Christ died only for the sins of those who will be saved.”

As I have been in deep thoughtful on his subject recently, I stumbled across this and felt this was an amazing summary of the opposing view. 

Here’s an excerpt from the closing thoughts by a sermon written and preached by John MacArthur titled “For whom did Christ Die?”—October 19th, 2008 @ Grace Community Church

“One writer says this, “‘An opposing view tells us that Jesus died for multitudes that will never be saved, including millions who never so much as heard of Him. It tells us in the case of those who are lost, the death of Jesus represented in Scripture is an act whereby He took upon Himself the punishment that should have been ours was ineffective. Christ suffered once for their sins but they will now have to suffer for the same sins forever in hell.’”

 This idea of the atonement has the initial appearance of being very generous, but the more closely we look at it, the less we are impressed. Does it guarantee the salvation of anybody? No. Does it guarantee that those for whom Christ died will have an opportunity to hear of Him and respond to Him? No. Does it in any way remove or even lessen the sufferings of the lost? No. In reality this view of the atonement doesn't atone, merely clears the way for God to accept those who are able to life themselves by their own strength.

So in summary, as we think about this, the death of Christ was a real true actual satisfaction of divine justice so that the sinner for whom Christ died is really, not potentially, provided an atonement into which that sinner will enter by the sovereign power of God at the moment when God regenerates that sinner and gives him faith. Not apart from the sinner's will, but in accord with the sinner's will, activated by the power of God. The death of Christ then was definite, particular, specific and actual on behalf of God's chosen people. It was limited in its extent by the sovereign purpose of God. It was not limited in effect. It was the work of God and Christ to actually accomplish redemption, not just make it possible. Christ procured salvation for all that God would call and save. Sinners do not limit the atonement as to its extent, God does. And God put no limit on it as to its effect. It fully saves all who will believe. Jesus actually took the penalty and paid in full for the sins of those who believe. This is why there is no condemnation. This is why we persevere in faith. This is why you can't lose that salvation because it was paid for in full.

All these great doctrines of grace tie together perfectly and biblically.”—JMac

There is so much that can be said on this, though if you personally take issue with John’s words in the excerpt of this sermon, I invite you to read or YouTube this sermon and watch it in full. It really is rich in it totality and answers so much more than can be grasped in this handful of paragraphs. 

Thoughts on the church today...

It's been a little while since I've written. So much has happened in the few short months since that last blog article. I've gotten married, (I can hear the congratulations....thank you, thank you), a good friends has been issued orders to move away, made some new friends, started a new Home group meeting in our home on Tuesdays. Oh, and we left the church we called home....That was very hard. Still is in a few ways. I could detail the events of our leaving further, but that may not be appropriate in this setting, and would side track the point of my thoughts on the church as a whole today.

Shortly before leaving I did however begin something--which I consider an amazing blessing from God--I began studying for future ministry. A resource I found in an unlikely place, YouTube.

My heart's desire was to attend The Masters Seminary (TMS) in Sun Valley, California. Under the leadership of Pastor John MacArthur. Though not only is it a long way away, but expensive, and most importantly, I share custody with my daughter here. I could not leave her, to begin to really hunker down and train for my calling. My brother just recently moved to Riverside, CA, ironically, which is about--according to iphone Maps--an hour and a half from Sun Valley, and Grace Community Church.......(sigh).

The blessing came when I stumbled upon a video when I was researching info for a Men's Group that I was leading at our churches Monday night small group. I watched the video but became intrigued when I saw the publisher was TMS. So I subscribed to their page and found that they offer ALL their lectures from each course, in full and even with questions from the men attending the course included. I am not provided with the course material nor do I get the powerpoint loaded onto my pc, but I can (and do) sit at my laptop and feverishly write down page after page after page of notes, that I am categorizing into folders for future reference, as I learn courses on Historical Theology, Greek, Hebrew, Theology I, II, III, IV, V, New Testament, Old Testament, Mechanics of Expository Preaching, etc..... Hundreds of hours of lectures, and I can even email the professor for course material according to the YouTube page video.

All this plus, all 50 + years of every John MacArthur sermon online, John Calvin commentaries online, and dozens of other great preachers material online. Spurgeon, Edwards, RC Sproul, Justin Peters, there's so many more, Steve Lawson, Allister Begg, Ligon Duncan, Sinclair Ferguson, Al Mohler, I'm sure, I'm forgetting many, but you get the point.

If I sound excited, I am. Look, I'm under no illusion, I know that I wont walk away from this with a degree, wont have the desired MDiv, that churches look for in a Pastor. I guess that's for me to worry about later, I personally am disinterested in having the degree. What I want is the information, and I will study until I'm blue in the face to get it.

As I prepare for future ministry of preaching Gods word, many things are coming to light about churches that I've experienced in the past and especially now since I have been studying for ministry. 

Someone told me recently, "there are no perfect churches," in an effort to keep us from leaving. I cannot go into detail here why or why I felt restrained to explain. I suppose this individual will not know the depths of my love and care for them or the others in the church, and while I agree with the sentiment mostly, I cannot say I'm willing to sit under authority of a church that is un-biblical.

Yes, churches are full of messy people, that will always be the case.

Messy does not always equal "Authentic." A natural church, as with natural relationships does not force natural behaviors, in unnatural ways. For example, you may plan a date, but you don't plan a time to hold hands "authentically," that would be forced and in no way, is there a natural flow to the relationship for it to grow. whatever relationship exists is purely superficial. Sure, a church is full of people, who make mistakes. But the rhetoric that says, we are "Authentic","living intentionally"& to just "Come as You Are," tells me one thing: you are trying to build a church. 

Harvest Pastor Greg Laurie has joked, "I sometimes hear people say, 'I don't go to church because they are all filled with hypocrites'.....I always answer them and say, 'Well, if you find one that isn't, don't go there, because you'll ruin it.'"

Some might argue that my studies are ruining me, ruining my sense of Christian unity with the church, or that even its the men I choose to follow and study under. They’re just too much doctrine and theology. 

RC Sproul made a wise observation once. While discussing a particular issue, he gestured to a chalk board with names of great theologians on one side and names of not so well known on the opposite side, concerning this particular issue. He said, "many of these guys are big names in the evangelical world, and while they disagree on MANY issues, but when they ALL agree on one issue........................I pay attention."

This week, my family attended a church that was new to us, which was probably what would be considered in lock step with most mainline evangelical christian churches. The lights went dark when the music came on, the band was half younger half older, semi modern music.After the preacher came out and read scripture and as he worked his way through his 4 points he concluded with information everyone might like to know: God loves us all and we just need realize that comfort is found in Him, and when we do Jesus will help us through the rough times if we just ask to be delivered and hold tight to Him.

Fairly typical, for most churches, these days.

Typical, though not scriptural, and definitely not the Gospel.

As I grow in my faith I am further seeing the importance of getting the gospel right. Thats the starting block. That's the point of the church. That was the reason Jesus pointed out over and over again in the Gospels (especially John--open your bible app and do a word search for "sent" and see how many times Jesus referred to being sent by God. The Gospel is the building block Jesus is the foundation for.

Though its not some fluffy thing we can just feel warm and cozy about while we struggle through our everyday lives. The grace of God is sufficient to sustain us until we are perfected in Heaven. The purpose of trials is a couple fold, one to let us know that we are His. As believers, sometimes we question our faith. The purpose in that sense then is to illuminate to us that we in fact are in Christ as believers. And that in God our future is secured by Him. Another reason for trials is to grow our faith in strength, which makes us come to lean solely on our God. As each trial endured progressively we learn to rush to and hold that much tighter to Him, relying on Him for our endurance. 

"Come to Jesus" needs to be explained from a gospel standpoint to a world that see Christians behaving much like they do. "Why sure I can be a Christian, if I don't have to give up XYZ....." To them we act just like they do. Watch the same nasty movies. Tell the same nasty jokes, indulge our hearts in the same as everyone else in the world. We just go to church on Sunday while they sleep in. And speaking of Sunday morning, often churches are tailoring their church to draw in unbelievers. So we change the style of music, or make it dark so people aren’t embarrassed to be seen singing to Jesus. The pastor tells funny stories and is a pretty cool guy. Sure they won’t mind coming to that. We are taking a place that is designed to be a place where “believers” gather to be strengthened and worship our God and changing it to fit people who don’t even believe God or that He even exists. Think about that.  

People won over by this kind of marketing technique will be some of the first people to find the door rushing on their way out when they hear Jesus talking about "I have not come to bring peace but a sword...." or to the rich young ruler who said "Teacher all these commandments I have kept from my youth..." Jesus said "then, sell all you have a follow me.", or how about this one, "Do you suppose I came to grant peace on the earth? I tell you, no, but rather division."

You see, the Gospel is a divisive message. and when its practiced by us in ministry when we "walk in the Spirit," we are doing it Gods way not in the flesh. The flesh says we need to sell this thing to get people in here to quote "save them." God says, "my word will not return to me void." So all we have to do is read it, preach it, and or listen to it being preached, absorb it, love it, cherish it, write it on ours hearts. And live it. Then pass it along to the next generation and others. 

We don't need funny stories, we don't need illustrations week by week of the pastors family or events at each trip to starbucks. Not that any or all of that is inherently bad, or wrong, just its not necessary to proclaim the words written in Gods book. He has illustrated it with plenty of Old Testament stories for our learning pleasure. Doesn’t Paul say the things written in the Old Testament are written for us. If you need an illustration seeks God’s word. 

2 Timothy 4:2 "Preach the Word."

God Sent (Part 1) A Scripture Study

God Sent (Part 1)

Here’s a neat little bible study I stumbled upon this morning. Just something I found while reading this one verse:

“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”  (John 3:17, NASB)

So the verses that follow tell the story of Jesus’ mission as he was “sent” by God. These are verse’s Jesus spoke about himself being sent by God. Not only do they tell the story through Jesus words, they tell of the gospel mission from being called to believe and our unbelief to salvation and our mission as a called believers. It’s really an amazing little journey through a handful of verses. I hope you’ll take a minute to go through them with me. 

When you get done reading them, tell me what stood out to you?! It’s interesting to me what the Spirit brings to our brain. I’d love to hear your thoughts about what these scriptures speak to you. 

To be clear; I don’t mean it’s “what does it mean to me? or us? but what does it mean....and how does that jump out at us. Be wary of studies that start like this....”so let’s go around the room and see what that scripture means to you!”

Let’s begin: 

(all scripture in Bold, my commentary is non emphasized)

For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure.  (John 3:34, NASB)

To those of us who are in Christ, we are filled with the Spirit. How can we know this....Galatians 5:24 solidly answers this question, “those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish--the very works that I do--testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me. (John 5:36, NASB)

Interesting, “that the Father has sent Me”.

The Greek word he uses here for “Me” is ego. The term is only used expressed when emphatic. 

Like in the stories of the houses built on sand and rock in Matthew 7:24, 26–“everyone then who hears these words of “mine” being the focal point of this verse....

Also in the story Jesus told about the Master of the Vineyard and the Tenants in Mark 12:7—“but those tenants said to one another, “This is the heir......” 

He is the object of our attention. 

He is the object of our affection.

We are called to this. The message is the same throughout the gospel. You must believe.

You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. (John 5:38, NASB)

Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent."  (John 6:29, NASB)

We are commanded to believe, but let’s go back to John 5 verse 36 he transitions from Johns testimony, into God’s own testimony concerning His Son. He says, “the works which the Father has given Me (notice emphatic again) to accomplish—the very works I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me.”  

Notice....the works authenticate the message of the messenger. This is the model of the only true testimony by which we are to believe. The “works” he describes here are his “signs and wonders.” We incorrectly call these today miracles, I believe. When the Jews asked him to validate himself, they asked for what.....? A sign, right. What is the sign. The sign points to something. That something again is the Christ. That’s what they were wanting to know. Are you He?  The long awaited Messiah?  

He moves is along to verse 38 saying, (paraphrasing) that these are the works of God. That God is authenticating the message of the “One” whom He has sent. To move you to a state of belief. This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.  (John 6:38, NASB)

Jesus as he speaks about being sent, also demonstrates what it means to be fully sanctified, being completely obedient and submissive to the Father’s will. 

As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me.  (John 6:57, NASB)

While the stomach turning analogy Jesus presents here may be hard to swallow....(thank you, thank you).....it is nearly the same testimony He gave to the Samaritan woman by the well. Another equally misunderstood analogy. She misunderstood his comments about “Living waters” while just having asked her about a drink of water. She wanted the physical manifestation of miracle that he could provide her with water that could quench her thirst for her lifetime. Same as this scripture where the act of eating flesh is not what saves anyone nor is anyone even required to do so. (This portion of scripture repeated among believers) actually circulated rumors to Greeks and Romans that “Christians were cannibals.”

But the saying is true. The water and flesh offer eternal life from the God who gives it to all who die to self and give our selves over to Christ as He gave himself over to the Father in complete submission. 

I know Him, because I am from Him, and He sent Me."  (John 7:29, NASB)

Christ testifying to His deity, as often is said that he does not say any such thing, clearly seen here that He makes himself equal with God

The Blindness of Sin

If a stranger walked up to you and said, 

“I’ll have mercy on you.” 

That would make no sense. 

You might think, ‘I don’t even know you, I haven’t done anything to you.’—(Justin Peters)

Until we realize that we’ve actually offended God.... 

The mercy He gives us makes no sense. And we remain under the judgement of our sins until that moment is realized. 

Do you realize you have sinned against God? 

Do you also realize there is nothing you can do to earn that mercy? 

Wait what?!  

That’s right. Nothing you can do to earn it. 

Being a good person won’t do it 

Being someone who helps others wont do it

Being someone who shares their wealth or blessings won’t do it. 

Being someone who is thoughtful and peaceful with others won’t do it either. 

Just so I nail the lid on this thought. 

Let’s be extremely clear. 

There is not one thing you can do; to ever, earn your own entrance into heaven as a child of God. Nothing. 

Jesus told a story about a man who owed a King a fortune, what one couldn’t even make in earnings over the course of an entire lifespan. Yet he begged the king to let him pay him back. The king had mercy on the man and forgave him the debt he could never possibly repay. 

This is what it is like with us. 

We can only beg that the King has mercy on us. 

There isn’t a magical prayer that will save us. 

Utter these words. 

And you will be saved and on your way 

with a wonderful plan that God has for your life......

We can only beg He gives us mercy. 

Beg that He makes us new

Takes our hearts of stone 

(a heart that doesn’t care if it sins) 

And make it into a heart of flesh 

(that desires to please the king). 

Do you see a pattern in all these words. 

Only He grants. 

Only He gives

It is through Him and 

His power that;

Anything is done. 

Understand your role. 

You don’t earn, yes, you can never earn 

your saving faith through reciting a prayer. 

You don’t earn it through becoming smart enough to figure out God

You don’t earn it through being sorry because you sinned. 

You don’t earn it. Period. 

I mentioned “saving faith” a moment ago. 

Your Faith.

You don’t even earn or figure that out for yourself. God gives you that too....

Wait what?!  

Yeah.....Faith. Given to you. 

Peter had just confessed Jesus as the Messiah, as the Son of the Living God. 

What did Jesus say???

“Blessed are you Simon Barjona (Peter), for flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.”—Matt 16:17

In other words you didn’t just figure this out with the faculties God has given you (that is: your brain)

But God alone gave this revelation to you. 

He planted it in your mind. 

That why he starts the verse off with....

’Blessed are you.’

Blessed, why? 

Because he just won the prize for answering correctly???

No. 

Blessed are you, because you just received something from God, that you just received a gift, that IS the blessing. 

God chose to reveal something to you. 

Something otherwise hidden from your eyes. 

Do you understand that your being saved is entirely a work of God. 

Left to yourself, you will die in your sins.  

We all will. 

Romans 1, (paraphrased) for they exchanged the truth of God for a lie....therefore God gave them over to.....

To the lust of their hearts, to impurity

To degrading passions

To a depraved mind

Loved ones, understand this. 

When we see people saying things or waving signs like:

“if America doesn’t turn from its sin God will judge us.” 

They are getting Romans 1 backwards. 

God is already judging us, that’s the therefore. He’s letting us go to fall to the destruction of ourselves. 

Ever wonder why our personal lives are so devastated with chaos, confusion 

We are falling under the condemnation of a Holy God who punishes sin. 

I don’t care one thing any longer for the things of FB, for the politics, how Trump or Obama ruined this country. I pray for you. Right now. 

For your soul. As my friend reading this. 

I pray you will....

Understand your sin. 

Understand how it devastates your life

Understand how it keeps you perpetually from God

Or maybe you think

I’m doing just fine without God. Or even;

God’s blessed me pretty good and I don’t worry about that nonsense you’re talking about Geoff. Let’s come back full circle. 

Back to the beginning of the post

If you don’t know your sin

then you never can and

never will know the Mercy God grants. 

Check out this conversation:

“65 And He was saying, "For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father." Peter's Confession of Faith 

66 As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. 

67 So Jesus said to the twelve, "You do not want to go away also, do you?" 

68 Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.”  (John 6:65, NASB)

And only God grants it. Period. 

Pray He grants you faith to believe. 

Pray He grants you repentance 

Pray He turns you from being wicked

Yes I said wicked....read any of the gospels and see if Jesus thinks you’re basically a good person??

Pray He grants you salvation.

Pray He regenerates you. (Born again, spiritually)

Today is the day for your salvation. 

Not tomorrow. Or just before you die. 

Today. 

Don’t hold onto a prayer that said “Jesus I accept you into my life.”  

You may have always heard that as the “Sinners Prayer” (for all you church people reading this)

You...

Accept...

Jesus...

Let’s me tell you something. 

Jesus IS the King. 

Regardless of whether or not you accept him. 

You will answer for your sin. 

The question is:

Are you covered in His Mercy?

Or are you gonna wing it....???

Don’t wing it....

That’s a bad plan. A very bad plan. 

If you wanna talk. We can. Seek out scripture. 

Start here; (Jesus says) 

John 6:44. “No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent me, draws him;”

I’d love for you to PM me the next line in that verse if you’d like to start the conversation.