I've been realizing more and more how we as Christians need to take a stand for Christ. Truth will not be heard if Christ's servants are silent. God's been convicting me of this for some time now.
I love RC Sprouls words, "Truth is too important to be killed in the streets for the sake of peace." Our churches are becoming more about cultural relativity and "peace" than about teaching solid Biblical truths from God's Word. Paul Washer addresses this in his sermon to "aspiring" pastors. He talks about how many churches are focusing more on "goats" than on "sheep." (goats being those who don't yet have the Holy Spirit within them, and sheep being those who do). And while churches are focusing so much on the goats, the sheep are starving to death. And if Christ's church is starving, how can it reach the lost?
Jason and I have realized that we need expository teachings from the Word of God. We realized we were starving for that. We were starving for someone to teach us the Word, unwatered down by culteral relativity. We realized that we are far more passionate about reaching those without Christ when we understand the magnitude of His mercy and righteousness- and when we fall more in love with Him on account of being saturated in His Word.
I have a friend who has a brother in seminary. She asked him one day how his classes were going, and he said something to the nature of, "Oh I'm learning how to water down the Gospel for the sake of church growth." It's heart-breaking to realize that this is being taught in seminary classes (obviously dependant, I'm sure, on where one goes).
God's been showing us just how infiltrated churches are becoming by the philosophies of the world. Scripture talks about being on guard against lies and deceptions getting into churches. Many pastors and ministers are well-intentioned, and good intentions are great- but good intentions aren't always equivalent to truth. And truth is what we need to be seeking after.
My mind is racing right now. Our nation is changing and I so desparately want to impact it for Christ. I also want to have the confidence in Christ to "speak aloud what He has whispered in my ear." And I want humility. Oh Lord, I want humility and boldness.
